The Pauper Cube
Menu
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Support
  • Contact
  • Cube List
Menu

Quick Hits: Core Set 2019 Edition

Posted on June 22, 2018September 26, 2018 by Stybs

Quick Hits are powered by Pauper cube patrons! Thanks again for the shoutouts, support and sweet discussions on the Pauper cube Discord.

Core Set 2019 is the return of the Core Set releases to Magic and with it come a bevy of baseline cards and concepts for new players. I love these sets as they’re precisely where Wizards inserts new evergreen abilities, new mechanical alignment by color and new twists on familiar effects.

Let’s roll

I love “spell creatures” like Cavalry Drillmaster. Getting something on-curve and a reasonable effect is why everyone loves creatures like Mulldrifter and Man-o'-War. Here, playing Drillmaster as a two-drop has a steep downside, but +2/+0 and first strike are great for getting an attack in with something smaller any other turn.

I’m pretty sure Gallant Cavalry is better than Call the Cavalry. The real question here is “Why not both?”

I like Take Vengeance. It’s as close to unconditional removal as white gets now—no power requirement at least—and your opponent will almost always be attacking with some creature. While being a sorcery make it seem bad, it’s a nice alternative to Pacifism and other enchantments  that can end up feeding a creature to Phyrexian Ghoul or sticking around to be tapped for something else.

I saw several folks get excited about this card on Twitter, particularly in the context of Pauper and cube. I just wanted to put it in here as I don’t think Aviation Pioneer is great here for the cube. Flying 1/1 Thopters are good… but 1/2 creatures do not trade well. Convince me I’m wrong—I’m already sipping my coffee.

Blue’s Aura removal keeps inching up better and better. Dwindle‘s -6/-0 is big game against big creatures, and clearing the creature off the battlefield by blocking is a fair upside. I don’t think it’s a Waterknot, but I feel it’s better than it might look.

Salvager of Secrets is Izzet Chronarch without the multicolor cost. I wonder that Guilds of Ravnica will bring us instead.

Flash is officially getting traction in black! At worst, Hired Blade is a removal spell of sorts. At best, it allows a blue-black control deck to wait until the last moment to:

  • Play a real removal spell
  • Play a counterspell
  • Advance their board with a creature

Nice.

Skeleton Archer is a spell creature that’s also a Hill Giant. Big enough to block well, with a relevant ability with so many tokens running around—I love the simplicity and flavor here.

Goblin Instigator is similar to, but not strictly better than, Mogg War Marshal. Token making is so easy today, and it gets better almost every set now.

Sparktongue Dragon is a lot of mana for a modest flier and kicker effect. (It’s kicker. Call it kicker. It’s kicker.) I don’t know if a eight mana ramp payoff in red is right, but a Dragon that arrives throwing a Lightning Bolt out is definitely nice.

Remember when I said I loved “spell creatures” above? Viashino Pyromancer is a fair body and guaranteed damage in a two-drop. Aggressive!

Elvish Rejuvenator is a great twist on the “three mana ramp spell” trope. Here, we get a 1/1 (It blocks!) but also a limited Rampant Growth. This one can drop a non-basic land into play, which makes it uniquely appealing: There’s few effects at common that can do the same.

A flying 1/1 that draws a card when it enters the battlefield? I’m fairly certain Skyscanner isn’t a great card without an “artifact matters” theme, but creatures that cantrip (see Coiling Oracle) are solid today—unlike when Merchant of Secrets was printed 15 years ago.

Search

Posts

  • Quick Hits – Commander Legends
  • Double Masters and Zendikar Rising Update
  • Quick Hits – Double Masters and Zendikar Rising
  • The Core Set 2021 and Jumpstart Update
  • Magic 2021 and Jumpstart: Quick Hits

Categories

  • Announcement
  • Cube Update
  • Guide
  • Patreon
  • Quick Hits
  • Video

Community

Discord logo

Resources

Sample Pauper Cube Pack

Discord logo

Official Pauper Cube List on CubeCobra.com

Official Pauper Cube List on CubeTutor.com

Scryfall, and amazing way to search Magic: The Gathering cards!

Pack1Pick1 Discord Bot

Disclaimer

The Pauper Cube is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Patreon icons, logos and other intellectual property is © 2019 Patreon, Inc.

Discord icons, logos and other intellectual property is © 2019 Discord, Inc.

Credits

Header, icon/logo and some patron rewards designed by Breanna Busch.

Pauper cube photography by Jazon Hart.

Some patron rewards shipping information provided by DJ Johnson.

Scryfall image and link integration and P1P1 Discord bot developed by patron Martin Ekström.

Vector mana symbol markup, and printing CSS markup provided by patron Michael Petschek. (Co-host of the Pauper format Magic podcast Color Commontary.)

Initial cube development contributed by Eric Klug. Additional development provided by Alex Ullman, Usman Jamil, Craig Sybert and fans like you.

Copyright & Privacy

The Pauper Cube website, content, icon/logo and all other materials are owned by Adam Styborski © 2019.

Accessing this website subjects users to typical internet data collection and use. Please review our Privacy Policy for more information.