I built my cube several years ago as a secondary cube to my unpowered cube. Today, the peasant cube is my primary cube as I enjoy the overall high but not broken powerlevel as well as the interactions peasant cube offers. I especially enjoy that Wizards does print build-around cards at uncommon level, which gives peasant an enjoyable and rewarding depth at cube building and playing. In fact, the design goal of my cube is based on this circumstance.
I try to support certain archetypes by providing build around and/or payoff cards in the multicolor section (mostly) as well as in the mono-colored sections. Since this design choice can result in the inclusion of very parasitic cards that only support one specific archetype, I try to find a balance between archetype guidance cards (e.g. Worm Harvest), cards that play well in multiple archetypes (e.g. Lingering Souls) and just good cards (e.g. Grimdancer).
Another design choice I made is the inclusion of rare fixing lands, as uncommon mana fixing is lackluster. My aim is that people should be able to play their spells and not be hindered by dozens of 'comes-into-play-tapped' lands and that people should be rewarded for drafting lands. Also, I like the added subtle interactions that rare lands intrinsically offer.
This design choices should result in a plethora of exciting and playable archetypes and a draft experience that should feel rewarding but not on rails.
Feel free to draft (and comment on) the cube.
Im confused why you specifically banned top as well. do people in your playgroup not know that card is awful in most limited decks. its uselessness is compounded even more in peasent due to the fact that you have 10 less fetchlands to combo with top so its actually even more of a do nothing time waster. Kudos for not playing it but a staple it is definitely not.
Top is like a pretty clear cut case of an overrated cube card. Crystal ball is generally far better albeit slower. Sylvan library also kinda cuts into this borderline overrated card. but at least sylvan lets you do something about having to sit in futility looking at the same 3 cards. and it works great with some lifegain.
Maze of Ith is another card in my cube we've cut, not because it's too powerful or anything like that just because the card doesn't perform spectacularily well in this cube beyond the function of shutting down a loxodon warhammer. and annoyingly causes worse players to lose because they draft it, overvalue it, and then mess up their mana because of it. (either mess it up in deckbuilding or in play sequence) We decided to cut it in our cube to try out other colorless function lands that produce mana. Not super impressed so far, but i wasn't really that impressed by maze either.
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My Peasant Cube -420 The Combo Cube
"If there are 2 things in this world I love, They are both Jace, The Mind Sculptor." - Patrick Chapin
I don't think Brainstorm is unplayable. Sure we are missing shuffle effects but it is still a fine card. With the next update a few tutors will be added which increases the shuffle effects. Not sure if Brainstorm will make the final 360, though.
I agree with the the Rebirth. It will be cut for sure.
Brainstorm is bottom of the barrel of the 1mana cantrips. I would rather have Opt or Portent, or anything really. I wouldn't ever run it unless I had a minimum of 7 shuffle effects in my deck. How often is that going to happen even if you double the number of shuffle effects in your cube? Probably almost never. It is basically only playable in UG/UGx ramp decks and even then only ocassionly and even then it is often worse than an Opt or Serum Visions or whatever.
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I write about cube and run cube drafts on magic online.
On the topic of terminate
Rb decks have no dearth of kill spells. Of course it'll make decks but blightning and the mage both add depth to the scheme. Blightning is obv efficient. Rakdos guildmage is a bear that every once in a while it is one of the most important cards you'll play (disfigure mode on call is pretty good sometimes).
I think all three are roughly equal in power, which makes sense considering they share the same base stats. Let's do a quick pro/con list:
Boar Umbra
+regen effect doesn't need mana
+better on mid-range and ramp creatures
-worse on aggro creatures
-can still lose 2-for-1 against instant speed removal
Elephant Guide
+token trigger doesn't need mana
+better on aggro creatures since 3/3 is better than most early drops
-worse for mid-range and ramp creatures
-can still lose 2-for-1 against instant speed removal
Moldervine Cloak
+can grind out value in stalemate situations
+synergy with other graveyard shenanigans
-recursion requires losing a draw step
-requires mana for each use
I think it comes down to what decks you want to support the most. I tend to favor supporting aggro when choosing among otherwise similar cards, but that's just my personal preference.
I support the cutting of searing blaze. It's a harder to cast volcanic hammer that sometimes has the upside of lava spiking them but sometimes has the disadvantage of being poopy.
I'll agree that different people have different taste in cards and design philosophies but, if you care about power at all cutting Searing Blaze is just not correct.
I have an unhealthy love for Savage Twister. Glad to see somebody else adding it.
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I write about cube and run cube drafts on magic online.
I'll agree that different people have different taste in cards and design philosophies but, if you care about power at all cutting Searing Blaze is just not correct.
I have an unhealthy love for Savage Twister. Glad to see somebody else adding it.
I don't know how it translates to Pauper Cube from MTGO Pauper but Searing Blaze is clunky sometimes, especially not being able to hit players directly. I had it in my mono-red deck in a holiday cube draft and against a storm deck I died since I couldn't finish him off with Blaze. So that might be biasing me against it.
I really, really don't think searing blaze is good. I'd much rather play a card that always works, especially since we have searing spear now. I do think volcanic hammer is better and I'm not running that either.
Searing blaze most relevant in the most aggro and most red of decks, and even still you're taking a card that is essentially a sorcery that is a bad topdeck/is still double red.
How many people do you typically have drafting at a given time? Do any archetypes consistently shine/struggle?
I have a fairly small playgroup (4 on most days, 6 if I'm lucky), so I've been trying to trim my list down to 360, but I'm finding it difficult to add much flavor. My list is currently at 385, and with the last big set of changes, your list is pretty close to where mine is....I see in your sig that this cube used to be 360, what made you go to 400?
Unless your cube is generating monored decks, cutting the Boar instead of Ram-gang is crazy.
I've said a lot on the subject of being pro fire covenant.
What why the crazy new hybrid classification? Kitchen finks sees that much skew in it's playtime?! Especially regarding boggart ram gang.
Unless you are playing that for RRR that's nonsense.
You don't have to include another boros card for spitemare. You can include another X/R hybrid and X/W hybrid, provided the Xs are the same.
Or you can include an X/R, Y/W and X/Y.
Or you can include an X/R, Y/W, X/:?mana:, and Y/:?mana:. I'm doing this, actually.
Yeah, if you can't find acceptable hybrids to fit any of these structures, you have a problem. But it isn't so hard now if you lay out all the hybrids you Definitely want to play, figure out what you need to have balance, then line up all the hybrids you're Happy to play but not rushing to include and work out matches from there.
This would be my flowchart. Moving on if any step doesn't classify all the cards you want:
Put the cards where they are 80% or more played (Boggart ram gang in red for you, etc)
Put remaining cards in .5/.5 hybrid that have easy matches (Finks and militant, for example)
Go through what I just said with the bunching
Consider how important those cards really are to the cube environment and perhaps cut them.
I couldn't determine exactly from your cube list how your hybrids are being classified, but have you considered using a ½/½ system without also 'matching' hybrids with eachother? (each hybrid is strictly counted as ½ in each of its colors) Your colored sections may differ by ½ a card, but you aren't forced into using certain hybrids to 'close the circle'. I do this with my own cube and it doesn't seem to negatively affect color balance. Just an idea.
He's using the halfhalf system that many of us use. He has a 4 card circle at the end and like many of us no blue hybrids.
Druid's familiar just went deep with viashino slaughtermaster so i'm sad to see yours go. That interaction was so strong I'm considering adding fencing ace. Which is good because my white section is now the one in flux.
I built my cube several years ago as a secondary cube to my unpowered cube. Today, the peasant cube is my primary cube as I enjoy the overall high but not broken powerlevel as well as the interactions peasant cube offers. I especially enjoy that Wizards does print build-around cards at uncommon level, which gives peasant an enjoyable and rewarding depth at cube building and playing. In fact, the design goal of my cube is based on this circumstance.
I try to support certain archetypes by providing build around and/or payoff cards in the multicolor section (mostly) as well as in the mono-colored sections. Since this design choice can result in the inclusion of very parasitic cards that only support one specific archetype, I try to find a balance between archetype guidance cards (e.g. Worm Harvest), cards that play well in multiple archetypes (e.g. Lingering Souls) and just good cards (e.g. Grimdancer).
Another design choice I made is the inclusion of rare fixing lands, as uncommon mana fixing is lackluster. My aim is that people should be able to play their spells and not be hindered by dozens of 'comes-into-play-tapped' lands and that people should be rewarded for drafting lands. Also, I like the added subtle interactions that rare lands intrinsically offer.
This design choices should result in a plethora of exciting and playable archetypes and a draft experience that should feel rewarding but not on rails.
Feel free to draft (and comment on) the cube.
For an up-to-date list please click the link below
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/5d651433d6aca45073f7c1fa
My Peasant Cube: @ mtgsalvation---- @ cubecobra
peasantcube.blogspot.com
peasantcube.blogspot.com
Top is like a pretty clear cut case of an overrated cube card. Crystal ball is generally far better albeit slower. Sylvan library also kinda cuts into this borderline overrated card. but at least sylvan lets you do something about having to sit in futility looking at the same 3 cards. and it works great with some lifegain.
Maze of Ith is another card in my cube we've cut, not because it's too powerful or anything like that just because the card doesn't perform spectacularily well in this cube beyond the function of shutting down a loxodon warhammer. and annoyingly causes worse players to lose because they draft it, overvalue it, and then mess up their mana because of it. (either mess it up in deckbuilding or in play sequence) We decided to cut it in our cube to try out other colorless function lands that produce mana. Not super impressed so far, but i wasn't really that impressed by maze either.
The Combo Cube
"If there are 2 things in this world I love, They are both Jace, The Mind Sculptor." - Patrick Chapin
rakdos shred freak is not good. rakdos guildmage is far superior
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Vile Rebirth also seems pretty sketchy.
peasantcube.blogspot.com
Brainstorm is bottom of the barrel of the 1mana cantrips. I would rather have Opt or Portent, or anything really. I wouldn't ever run it unless I had a minimum of 7 shuffle effects in my deck. How often is that going to happen even if you double the number of shuffle effects in your cube? Probably almost never. It is basically only playable in UG/UGx ramp decks and even then only ocassionly and even then it is often worse than an Opt or Serum Visions or whatever.
peasantcube.blogspot.com
Rb decks have no dearth of kill spells. Of course it'll make decks but blightning and the mage both add depth to the scheme. Blightning is obv efficient. Rakdos guildmage is a bear that every once in a while it is one of the most important cards you'll play (disfigure mode on call is pretty good sometimes).
The many 4 power 3 drops all have merits too
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
peasantcube.blogspot.com
Boar Umbra
+regen effect doesn't need mana
+better on mid-range and ramp creatures
-worse on aggro creatures
-can still lose 2-for-1 against instant speed removal
Elephant Guide
+token trigger doesn't need mana
+better on aggro creatures since 3/3 is better than most early drops
-worse for mid-range and ramp creatures
-can still lose 2-for-1 against instant speed removal
Moldervine Cloak
+can grind out value in stalemate situations
+synergy with other graveyard shenanigans
-recursion requires losing a draw step
-requires mana for each use
I think it comes down to what decks you want to support the most. I tend to favor supporting aggro when choosing among otherwise similar cards, but that's just my personal preference.
Maybe. Searing Blaze is just sooo good. I don't really like Vandal a ton myself. I prefer the 2/1s with sac abilities.
As for no fetchlands, yeah that does make it worse but the card is still badonkers.
peasantcube.blogspot.com
Just get a shower of coals and win the game in an unfair fashion.
Or a breath of darigaaz
Or a Chartooth Cougar
Or a Flame slash (which basically reads R: Destroy target non-pelakka wurm.)
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
I have an unhealthy love for Savage Twister. Glad to see somebody else adding it.
peasantcube.blogspot.com
I don't know how it translates to Pauper Cube from MTGO Pauper but Searing Blaze is clunky sometimes, especially not being able to hit players directly. I had it in my mono-red deck in a holiday cube draft and against a storm deck I died since I couldn't finish him off with Blaze. So that might be biasing me against it.
Searing blaze most relevant in the most aggro and most red of decks, and even still you're taking a card that is essentially a sorcery that is a bad topdeck/is still double red.
Why are you resupporting green aggro?
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
I have a fairly small playgroup (4 on most days, 6 if I'm lucky), so I've been trying to trim my list down to 360, but I'm finding it difficult to add much flavor. My list is currently at 385, and with the last big set of changes, your list is pretty close to where mine is....I see in your sig that this cube used to be 360, what made you go to 400?
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
The Great Cube Map!
My Powered Cube
Draft it here!
I've said a lot on the subject of being pro fire covenant.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Especially regarding boggart ram gang.
Unless you are playing that for RRR that's nonsense.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Or you can include an X/R, Y/W and X/Y.
Or you can include an X/R, Y/W, X/:?mana:, and Y/:?mana:. I'm doing this, actually.
Yeah, if you can't find acceptable hybrids to fit any of these structures, you have a problem. But it isn't so hard now if you lay out all the hybrids you Definitely want to play, figure out what you need to have balance, then line up all the hybrids you're Happy to play but not rushing to include and work out matches from there.
This would be my flowchart. Moving on if any step doesn't classify all the cards you want:
Put the cards where they are 80% or more played (Boggart ram gang in red for you, etc)
Put remaining cards in .5/.5 hybrid that have easy matches (Finks and militant, for example)
Go through what I just said with the bunching
Consider how important those cards really are to the cube environment and perhaps cut them.
Leave it in multicolor
Put it in a color
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Druid's familiar just went deep with viashino slaughtermaster so i'm sad to see yours go. That interaction was so strong I'm considering adding fencing ace. Which is good because my white section is now the one in flux.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article