Kaldheim is a weak set for cube. Tribal is always less relevant, and snow in a standard set had little hope of yielding new cards. The new Foretell mechanic is interesting but was not pushed in power level. Kaldheim still offers some upgrades, mainly to white and to the guild fixing lands with the pathway cycle’s completion.
White
White is the clear winner of Kaldheim.
–Dryad Militant; +Usher of the Fallen
A Savannah Lions with a proactive ability
Why cut Dryad?
There is a whole slew of Savannah Lions with upsides, and I believe Dryad is narrowly the worst. Dragon Hunter has a pretty useless text line (although it prevented a Mutavault from attacking and blocked a Glorybringer). Still, it is a warrior for Najeela and Mardu Woe-Reaper. Venerable Knight rarely does anything with the trigger, with white only having five knights plus Gideon, Ally of Zendikar (there are more knights in other colors). Student of Warfare is also a potential cut, but it is not justified when the bottom one drops have such useless abilities.
Militant’s text is as often a boon as it is a drawback. Militant is a complete nonbo with Grim Lavamancer, Firebolt, Lingering Souls, and more. I think we can safely assume it is a neutral line of text. That leaves us with the hybrid mana cost. Militant is indeed easier to cast in Selesnya decks. But green aggro is not supported in the cube (which is why the dryad is mono-white to begin with). Selesnya decks are most often midrange, and they don’t care much for 2/1 one drops. Dryad Militant can be a desperate playable when you lack sacrifice fodder for Natural Order, and that’s about it for its applications in green.
That said, if in the future the warrior synergies will not be present in the cube anymore, it is better than Dragon Hunter. I hope that we will have enough good white one drops by then so that Militant will not get a look in.
What I like and dislike about Usher
There is not much to dislike about Usher but let’s give it a go. Its ability is expensive and conditional. It is hard to see yourself using it if you have real cards to cast, so it mostly there for the late game, when your hand is almost empty. The problem is that your white one drop is likely dead or will die when attacking. I predict the ability will go unused 80% of the time in a conservative estimate. It is still a lot better than most Savannah Lions variants and more interesting, so there is not much to complain about.
What is more interesting is to think of instances where the ability will be used. Usher is a warrior, and the tokens are too. A curve of turn one Usher, turn two boast, turn three Najeela is fantastic. You can increase your board presence with it without committing extra cards if fearing a mass removal. Also, after a board wipe, it lets you rebuild slowly. It will probably be stopped, but still, as long as it did not straight-up suicide when attacking, you got a pretty good deal; your one drop killed a token and became a 1/1. When you have an anthem effect, such as Gideon, Ally of Zendikar’s emblem, the ability is much more economical. Usher will still likely die in combat, but whatever, you do not have high hopes for one drops.
If you have strong equipment, you can equip Usher and generate more bodies to carry on the equipment next turn. If you have enough creatures to tap all blockers with Opposition, Usher can contribute to a soft lock. With Yawgmoth out, you got yourself a Divination in installments (it’s unlikely to see them in the same deck, however).
Prediction
Not much to say; get used to seeing this card and trying to milk its value somehow.
–Sun Titan; +Starnheim Unleashed
A flexible angel finisher replaces an outdated old giant
Why cut Titan?
It has been underperforming for years. The reason it stayed so long is the lack of competition at the six drop slot in white. Titan costs too much for aggro decks. In control, you will have few things to return with the ability, and his vulnerability to removal makes him ill-suited as a finisher. Titan is not suitable as a ramp or cheat target either, being just a vanilla body unless work was done to fill the graveyard with relevant targets. Even when you do have something to return, and it is more relevant than a mana elf on turn six, you will usually only have one thing. That means subsequent attacks net close to nothing, and something as simple as a token generator stops the Titan from doing much. You feel good when you have a fetch land to return with Titan every turn. But that is worse than half the effect of Primeval Titan on an arguably worse body.
Also, we have Sevinne’s Reclamation now for access to this effect. Reclamation is actually playable in aggro decks and provides a more consistent card advantage if built around. Lurrus is another effect of a similar vein.
What I like about Starnheim Unleashed
It is a very flexible threat. If we look at it without foretold, it is a Serra Angel for four mana. But if you foretell it, you can get an angel as early as turn three. Paying 5 mana to get two angel tokens is terrific value. And you topdeck it later, it can make even more angels. SU is a good mana sink and a late-game control finisher that is still relevant early. It plays both offense and defense simultaneously. It is quite good at attacking planeswalkers. It is another win condition for Moat decks and works well with Serra the Benevolent and Lyra, Dawnbringer.
What I dislike about Starnheim Unleashed
The four mana mode is weak compared to what you get in cube. Casting this for three mana requires giving up your second and third turns of the game, and you get a fragile return for your investment, a token that dies to all creature removals, as well as bounce and flicker effects. As a late-game finisher, it is not a great topdeck. You cannot foretell and cast the card for X at the same turn.It will be very easy to know which foretold card you have. Giving your opponent a turn to prepare is a serious drawback – they will keep counter mana up, or dig deeper for their mass removal.
Prediction
It is hard to say bad things about Starnheim Unleashed.
The rule for mass removals is: the cheaper, the better.
Why cut Fumigate?
Mass removals that cost five mana are just not acceptable – aggro decks goldfish at around turn four. The life gain is not adequate compensation for the higher mana cost. Fumigate is easily the worst white board wipe.
What I like about Doomskar
Doomskar can be played as early as turn three if foretold. There is no question it is better than Fumigate, and it is actually reasonably close to Day of Judgment. In the very late game, the difference between a four and five mana card is not significant. If you hold a Wrath of God against an aggro deck and are stuck on three lands, you probably lose. Doomskar has an advantage in the early game, the time when mass removals are most crucial.
What I dislike about Doomskar
Doomskar is a really bad topdeck when you have 4 lands. Since there will not be many foretell cards, it can be relatively easy for your opponents to know the board wipe is coming and play more conservatively with their resources. Besides, spending your turn two to foretell Doomskar is undoubtedly a drawback; playing a mana rock into a four mana mass removal turn three is likely a stronger play.
Prediction
Even if your opponent can see it coming, they don’t usually have much of a choice but to walk straight into it. They want you to spend it, and they must apply pressure sooner rather than later for that to happen. All said and done, I think it is still a bit worse than Day of Judgment. It doesn’t matter much though, it will likely be in the cube for at least a few years. Quality mass removals are hard to come by and are necessary for control decks.
–Forsake the Worldly; +Skyclave Apparition
The best Banisher Priest is also apparently the best creature in modern. Is it even good enough for the cube?
Why cut Forsake?
It is more maindeckable than Disenchant, due to the cycling. But it is still a desperation playable. White has more maindeckable answers to artifacts and enchantments than any other color. You seldom feel the need to play Forsake. With Nature’s Chant, white still has access to the effect at instant speed. Skyclave obviously also answers artifacts and enchantments while costing the same amount of mana.
What I like about Apparition
The first card I compared Apparition to was Banisher Priest. All banisher priest variants performed poorly in the cube, besides perhaps Angel of Sanctions. Apparition needs to be vastly better to even be a consideration. Luckily, it has an edge in several aspects, most of which are critical:
- Apparition can exile noncreature, nonland permanents. Cube is a format with a diverse array of threats. One game, you lose to Rabblemaster, the other to Oko, and the third to Jitte. Apparition will get you out of most situations. Hitting planeswalkers is especially appealing, as they historically enjoyed spot removal scarcity. It exiles moxen without any drawback!
- Apparition has relevant targets in all matchups. This results from the first point, but it is important enough to be mentioned on its own. Banisher Priest is a dead card against control. It is much harder to see Apparition being stuck in your hand. Mana rocks and planeswalkers are common targets if you face a control deck. Animate Dead, Sneak Attack, Opposition, Moat – Apparition hits some of the most important cards for every deck.
- They never get the exiled card back; they get a vanilla creature. This will almost always be vastly better. I am not just looking at Rofellos here. Even the lowest power aggro two drops are considerably better than bears. Permanent exile will significantly hurt the synergistic pieces, like Bloodghast or Fauna Shaman.
- When Apparition is killed, no ETB effects will be triggered. Apparition negates one of the significant weaknesses of Oblivion Ring effects; they never get a second ETB trigger if the creature is answered. A once risky move like targeting a Llanowar Visionary is now totally reasonable.
- As a result of #3 and #4, when Apparition dies, you are usually ahead in the exchange, usually significantly so. In this sense, Apparition passes the Vindicate test. The downgrade of a permanent to a vanilla creature, in addition to a 1-on-1 card trade, is an acceptable deal. This also applies to creatures with haste.
- Unlike all Banisher priests, Apparition benefits from blink effects (as long as there are targets to exile). White is the color of blink but has few strong ETB effects to combo with them. A strong flicker target in color is a big boon.
- If you can kill/blink/bounce Apparition in response to the trigger, your opponent will get nothing at all, and the creature will be permanently exiled. Most Banisher Priest effects were not worded that way.
What I dislike about Apparition
All card downsides can be divided into two types – internal and external. Internal downsides regard the card itself. External downsides look at the rest environment – the card’s cube slot competitors, the composition of the decks it fits, and so on. In apparition’s case, they are both concerning. Let’s start with the internal downsides.
Apparition solved most of the problems of Banisher Priest, but not all of them. It is still a 2/2, a pathetic body for the cost. It dies to anything, including one mana burn spells and aggressive one drops. I predict attacking or blocking with Apparition will often not be an option, as it would be totally outclassed on board. An aggro deck would not care as much about downgrading their creature if it means they can kill your three drop with a Shock before their turn. Priest is quite bad against mass removals, leaving your opponent with a new body right after it. Control decks still do not desire Apparition.
We would be amiss if we didn’t mention the downsides Apparition has compared to Banisher Priest. It cannot target anything costing more than 4, be it a ramp target or a reanimated monster. Apparition cannot exile tokens either. It is noteworthy that while Apparition does grant a second ETB trigger, exiling most ETB creatures is still suboptimal as they usually have small bodies relative to their mana costs. Exiling a Ravenous Chupacabra just to give them a 4/4 later hurts.
Apparition has equally concerning external downsides. White has too many three drops, and unfortunately most of them cost double white. This is not a sustainable situation. Is apparition more desirable than its competitors?
Prediction
I am not convinced that Apparition is good enough. It has a few qualities that I like. It is a maindeck consideration for every deck that plays white creatures on power level alone yet still allows some synergy exploration with blink effects and instant speed bounce. It is an answer to cheap planeswalkers. It will be a relevant answer more often than not, creating more interactive games. It performs admirably in most magic formats. It is time we give it a run too.
–Baneslayer Angel; +Archon of Coronation
An aggro hoser that doesn’t completely fail against removal.
Why cut Baneslayer?
Baneslayer really leaves you with nothing if it gets removed. It is a tough pill to swallow on a five mana card. Baneslayer is mostly there to hose aggressive decks, which Archon does very well. Also, we have a nearly identical card with Lyra, Dawnbringer. Lyra has the more relevant ability by far now. There is some angel theme forming with Serra the Benevolent, Court of Grace, Emeria’s Call, and Starnheim Unleashed joining the ranks recently.
What I like about Archon
It draws cards in a color lacking card draw. If it is not removed, the body is big and will make attacks against you to claim the monarch back very unfavorable: you block (and likely kill) their best creature with the Archon and take no damage. Next turn, the flying Archon is ready to take the crown back from the air. Plus, with the Titan getting cut, it is the only white six drop creature.
What I dislike about Archon
It is vulnerable to removal and bounce. This is not a scary card against control, although there the monarch is at its best. If an opponent kills the Archon and takes the monarch, you are in a far worse shape than when you started.
Prediction
I believe this will be another failing white six drop. The monarch is a fun mechanic, and I still think it is better than Sun Titan for the time being. At least the Archon can be ramped into for fair value and keeps you alive against aggressive decks.
–Shalai, Voice of Plenty; +Emiel, the Blessed
The fable of the Eldrazi and the Unicorn continues, heaven be damned
Why cut Shalai?
She is the worst white four drop, one of the most stacked slots. Shalai is weak to removal and is not too impressive without things for her to protect.
What I like about Emiel
She is another Eldrazi Displacer, and redundancy for that effect makes the deck much better and easier to draft. White has a few strong ETB effects, which are fun to get repeatedly. Unlike Displacer, she doesn’t require colorless mana to activate.
What I dislike about Emiel
She costs double white. She is more challenging than Displacer to combine with other colors for the most potent ETB effects. She obviously also costs more and fails the removal test herder as a result. White four drops are very competitive, and unlike Displacer, which might be somehow excusable in an aggro deck, the Unicorn really isn’t.
Prediction
Emiel is a weak card for the cube. It will be played in exactly one deck. If the Displacer deck gets drafted regularly, the unicorn will earn its slot.
Play Tip
I’d not play Emiel without synergies, but with so many white four drop I think few players would be tempted to do so anyway.
Black
–Foulmire Knight; +Valki, God of Lies
Valki has perhaps the most lines of text per card in the entire game, so brace yourselves for a long review.
Why cut Foulmire Knight?
Knight is a filler card. The premise is simple – it is a playable one drop that nets value when you can afford to pay extra mana. But the base mode is subpar. Aggro decks do not desire a 1/1, even if it has deathtouch. Control decks only want that body against aggro. Profane Insight is very expensive for its effect – unless the mana was already kept open for a counterspell, you would always have something better to do. Knight is a fine card, just not the type anyone particularly desires, and that is a problem in a color stretched thin to support aggro, control, and reanimator. Besides, Valki fills the same role better.
What I like about Valki
The two mana mode is a cheap disruption on a serviceable body. The first thought that comes to mind is aggro, but it is also quite useful against aggro. If you hit a good target, Valki is a card they must remove. Especially so if you took their reanimation or cheat target. Just seeing their hand is an underrated information advantage.
Valki can also get the body of the stolen card. This can range from being totally irrelevant to be overpowered. On the lower end, you have a card with a weaker or equal body, such as Walking Ballista (which you will likely almost always want to take with Valki) or Dark Confidant. A bit better, but barely so, is exiling a Mulldrifter, where you will need to pay 5 mana to grant the god flying. On the other hand, hitting a Hero of Bladehold is a force to be reckoned with, as it will attack turn 4 with “haste”. The actual ceiling is hitting Uro or something similar. Note that taking an Eldrazi is not likely to help you, as you will still need to pay 10 or so mana.
On the other side, literally, we have Tibalt. Tibalt is expensive, but it is a late-game bomb. It should be clear that the cards exiled with Tibalt can be played even after the planeswalker leaves the battlefield. The plus ability draws two cards a turn. The minus is a good stabilizer, hitting their best artifact or creature, which you can later cast, also creating a two for one. The ultimate is achievable quickly and is very likely game-winning, netting you probably over 7 cards. Tibalt has a high starting loyalty too.
It is nice to play Tibalt after returning Valki with Volrath’s Stronghold or tutor him with Fauna Shaman.
What I dislike about Valki
Hitting only creatures sucks. There is a reason Ostracize sees no play while Duress is an all-star. First, many decks have low creature counts, and Valki will whiff against them entirely. Second, black has many answers to creatures already; it is the non-creatures it needs help with.
The card is highly conflicted. On the one hand, you will want to snag cheap creatures most often, as they are most relevant in turn 2. But those creatures are the least impressive to copy. There is also tension between the cheap body, which is aggressively oriented, and the X ability and planeswalker side, which require a lot of mana that you probably cannot afford in an aggro deck.
Like all Mesmeric Fiend variants, Valki suffers from a weak body for its cost that often cannot engage in combat for fear of giving them their creature back.
An issue could arise if Valki is not playable without Tibalt. That would effectively turn him into a Rakdos card, and he will need to compete there in a much more crowded slot. However, since the card is playable without red mana, I believe you can be liberal with the fixing you need for this “splash” of red in your black deck.
Prediction
It is not clear where you would play Valki. While he has disadvantages everywhere, he is a swiss army knife that serves different functions in different places. A card this complex will take time to properly assess.
Green
–Master of the Wild Hunt; +Esika’s Chariot
The monocolored Huntmaster of the Fells is purrfect
Why cut Master of the Wild Hunt?
Master is slow in accumulating an advantage. Master must survive before you get any return on your investment, a tall order for a body this fragile that dies to Lightning Bolt. Eventually, it is a repeatable removal in a color lacking it, but it is very far from being a removal on curve.
What I like about Chariot
It reminds me a lot of Huntmaster of the Fells, except it is better and mono-colored. In fact, it is one of the very few green four drops that costs a single green.
Against control decks, it attacks for four damage and creates another 2/2 per attack, snowballing quickly. Once an eventual mass removal resolves, the Chariot itself will survive, giving the next creature you play pseudo-haste (assuming it is large enough to crew the Chariot). Chariot is not a creature during your opponent’s turn, so it cannot die to Dreadbore. If an opponent tries to prevent the token-making, they need to kill both kittens. And if they elect to kill the Chariot itself, well, you still got the kittens and a great deal out of the exchange. There is no easy way to deny value here.
Against aggro, it immediately creates two blockers. This is not the most impressive feat, but it is better than most four drops to stabilize. And hey, this is green, so it likely happens on turn three.
The Chariot can be combined with other colors to copy better tokens, be they angel tokens, dragons, or even Pack Rats. Chariot can be blinked by Flickerwisp to create a fresh litter of kittens. It works very well with Opposition in blue, anthem effects in white, and Gaea’s Cradle in its own color.
What I dislike about Chariot
It has been a while since Huntmaster was cut from the cube. It can simply be outclassed if the opponent has a 5/5 in play. It can be difficult to crew Chariot sometimes.
Prediction
Chariot is not Questing Beast on powerlevel, but it more playable. Green four drops are so trash that a good creature like this is almost guaranteed a spot for a long time.
–Elder Gargaroth; + Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Passing the Vindicate test is important for green fatties.
Why cut Gargaroth?
Gargaroth is very weak to spot removals. It can gain a lot of value if it survives, sure, but it is relatively easy to deal with. Kill it, tap it, bounce it. Gargaroth looks like a value machine, but it is too unreliable in that role.
What I like about Vorinclex
Vorinclex is a rare hasty threat in green. With the added trample, it can end games out of nowhere or prey in planeswalkers. Most importantly, though, it gets one attack in before sorcery speed removal hits it. The French Vanilla body alone is almost good enough.
The praetor’s abilities are very abusive. The most common interaction is likely with planeswalkers. Your planeswalkers will snowball with Vorinclex; most can immediately ultimate if played after him. Your opponent’s planeswalkers will not grow in loyalty by a +1 loyalty ability. A planeswalker with 5 loyalty would enter only with two. This is a significant shift in your favor.
The other significant synergy is with +1/+1 counters, from Natural Unity to Verdurous Gearhulk, Luminarch Aspirant to Woe Strider, nearly every deck will have one such synergy. Additionally, a few odd cards use other counter types, like Tangle Wire and Coalition Relic.
What I dislike about Vorinclex
Vorinclex is too expensive for his abilities to be relevant most of the time. Vorinclex costs a lot more than most cards that can be abused with counters. Additionally, as a a haste six power trample beater, he will often win the game regardless of any counter shenanigans. Either your opponent has a removal, or he will likely die to this fatty in combat very quickly. His build around potential is limited as a result.
Vorinclex doesn’t work with or against negative counters. Your opponent’s Kitchen Finks is now immortal. A Glen Elendra Archmage now soft locks you! Thing in the Ice comes instantly flipped! It works equally badly on your side of the table – your Kitchen Finks or Glen Elendra Archmage will never get a second chance at life, and TITI will enter with eight (!) counters.
Vorinclex still sucks against instant speed removal and Karakas. In green ramp decks, the 6 haste damage is not a big deal if Vorinclex gets answered at sorcery speed the very following turn.
Prediction
While this is an upgrade, I think Vorinclex might be the worst green six drop. I hope that with it and Doubling Season, some build-around redundancy will sprout exciting decks.
Multicolored
–Nissa, Steward of Elements; +Koma, Cosmos Serpent
The helpless damsel becomes Jörmungandr in a cheat deck near you!
Why cut Nissa?
Simic had a great transition from one of the weakest guilds to arguably the best one. Nissa is simply the weakest card in it, mostly because Nissa is quite terrible when you are behind. She has no way to protect herself. As more cheap planeswalkers were printed, there is more emphasis on early board presence, which is terrible news for this Nissa. And c’mon, she in no Oko, Uro, Ice-Fang, or Krasis.
What I like about Koma
Koma is a mighty fattie. It attacks for nine damage the turn after casting it and grows an army larger than Grave Titan per turn cycle without even attacking. The significant advantage is the indestructibility. Koma passes the Vindicate test and doesn’t die to mass removals. Unlike other indestructible fatties, it is also nearly immune to edict effects courtesy of the tokens it creates.
Koma is even better than that. It can tap up to two permanents, forever, while still attacking or blocking as usual. Koma is the king in fattie wars, effectively dealing with opposing Eldrazis. It also just happens to be uncounterable for those control matchups. Koma is a resilient, quick win condition that also plays quite well defensively.
Koma has an affordable mana cost for green decks to cast it regularly. That said, I expect it to be cheated into play about half the time. It is an excellent reanimation target. It is one of the best things to bring with Natural Order. It can be searched for with Green Sun’s Zenith. It is splendid with Eureka and Oath.
What I dislike about Koma
Every fattie has a weakness. Koma is weak to instant speed removal, which can kill it before a serpent token is created. Indestructibility does not help against exile effects or Control Magic. Instant speed bounce is particularly painful, as you get nothing if Koma didn’t stay on the battlefield until the next upkeep.
Koma has a color-intensive mana cost; it cannot be splashed, limiting its playability. It is a lousy dork with Sneak Attack.
Prediction
I think Koma will see a lot of play. It fills several roles at once quite well.
–Orcish Lumberjack; +Klothys, God of Destiny
Finally a Gruul powerhouse?
Why cut Orcish Lumberjack?
It needs too many things going on for it to be good. You need red mana to play it, but also a forest. You need both of them early to utilize a ramp. Sacrificing lands is a hefty cost, so you better be doing something broken with the mana, or the card disadvantage will cost you games. It is a bad topdeck. Only Gruul decks interested in ramp will want it. Only Gruul decks having a high forest count will. It is not a splashable card.
What I like about Klothys
Klothys is a one-sided Sulfuric Vortex, which gains life. It can also sometimes ramp and fix you. The free graveyard disruption is also handy. The best part, though, is how hard Klothys is to interact with. Very few things can kill indestructible enchantments. Klothys is an inevitability in a very pure form. Once in a while, it will be a creature too.
Klothys can be a splash for aggro decks. It is good against aggro decks due to repeatable lifegain. It is good against control as they have a hard time dealing with it. Many other cubes had success with it. It is time we try it too. Besides, it is Gruul we are talking about; there is little competition in the guild.
What I dislike about Klothys
Klothys requires cards in graveyards to work. You also depend a bit on the card type to get the effect you want. Klothys doesn’t improve your board presence (usually), and a simple creature might as well deal more damage and/or gain more life than the god. The real drawback is that it is unclear if ramp decks desire it.
Prediction
Multiple cubes had success with it, so I am actually quite confident it is good. I know several cubes even banned this for being so hard to interact with.
Colorless
–Sundering Titan; +Phyrexian Triniform
The giant Robots evolve
Why cut Sundering Titan?
It is not a game-ending threat. The body lacks any form of evasion or survivability. The land destruction often bites you more than it bites them. Considering how difficult it is to get the titan into play, it is not worth the effort.
What I like about Triniform
It has a great death trigger. Trinifrom works well with Tinker and Sneak Attack particularly well, and other forms of cheat such as reanimation or Oath reasonably. It is strong versus destroy effects, edicts, and mass removals. Triniform is great with Recurring Nightmare and Daretti.
What I dislike about Triniform
The biggest strike is the lack of evasion. Trample would make this a great card. Without it, most token generators will block it in perpetuity. Triniform is weak to exile removal, bounce, and Control Magic effects. Triniform also lacks defense, at most ever blocking one creature on the ground until it dies.
Prediction
I want the cheat targets to be able to close the game. Triniform will likely not deliver.
Play Tip
Once in a blue moon, the Encore could be relevant, but don’t count on it.
Two color fixing
–Prairie Stream; +Hengegate Pathway
–Smoldering Marsh; +Blightstep Pathway
–Twilight Mire; +Darkbore Pathway
–Flooded Grove; +Barkchannel Pathway
The analysis and cuts are the same as the pathways in Zendikar.
MtG Cube Crafting 