Tribal decks: your help needed!

[Killer Joe]

I need your help, I want to know your opinion of the following:

What is the best Zombie creature (or related card) at 1cc?
What is the best Zombie creature (or related card) at 2cc?
What is the best Zombie creature (or related card) at 3cc?


What is the best Merfolk creature (or related card) at 1cc?
What is the best Merfolk creature (or related card) at 2cc?
What is the best Merfolk creature (or related card) at 3cc?


What is the best Elf creature (or related card) at 1cc?
What is the best Elf creature (or related card) at 2cc?
What is the best Elf creature (or related card) at 3cc?


What is the best Goblin creature (or related card) at 1cc?
What is the best Goblin creature (or related card) at 2cc?
What is the best Goblin creature (or related card) at 3cc?


What is the best Soldier creature (or related card) at 1cc?
What is the best Soldier creature (or related card) at 2cc?
What is the best Soldier creature (or related card) at 3cc?

This is NOT a POLL! I am building decks with this information.

 

[Limited]

Zombie
1: Tortured Existence/ Festering Goblin
2: Zombie Infestation/ Plaguebearer / Withered Wretch
3: Undead Gladiator / Bone Dancer

Merfolk
1: Tidal Warrior
2: Lord of Atlantis / Saprazzan Heir
3: Ambassador Laquatus

Elf
1: Elvish Lyrist / Wirewood Symbiote / Quirion Ranger
2: Priest of Titania / Multani's Acolite / Viridian Zealot
3: Timberwatch Elf / Wood Elves

Goblin
1: Goblin Lackey
2: Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot
3: Dralnu's Crusade

Soldier
1: Piety Charm
2: Catapult Squad/ Sunstrike Legionnaire
3: Intrepid Hero / Mobilization

Does this help? A lot of personal favorites in there...

 

[Killer Joe]

Yes, it does help. Thank-You

I hope more people respond, though

 

[Oversoul]

I don't really use "tribal" decks, so my answers probably won't be as useful from such a perspective.

Zombie 1: Sarcomancy
Zombie 2: Withered Wretch*
Zombie 3: Phyrexian Ghoul (but probably Rotlung Reanimator for tribal decks)

Merfolk 1: Sandbar Merfolk (not really sure, maybe Tidal Warrior instead)
Merfolk 2: Lord of Atlantis*
Merfolk 3: Seasinger (but maybe Vodalian War Machine or something for tribal decks)

Elf 1: Quirion Ranger (Elvish Lyrist and the mana-producing Elves also vie for this spot)
Elf 2: Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary (but Priest of Titania for tribal decks)*
Elf 3: Timberwatch Elf

Goblin 1: Goblin Welder (but definitely Goblin Lackey for tribal decks)*
Goblin 2: Goblin Recruiter (Goblin Piledriver is a close second)*
Goblin 3: Goblin Warchief*

Soldier 1: Serra Zealot
Soldier 2: Longbow Archer (or possibly Whipcorder)
Soldier 3: Mobilization*

*I'm not positive on most of my choices, but the ones with the asterisks I'm more sure of.

 

[evan d]

Fot the elf in number 2 cc, i think this beats all.

Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Legendary Creature — Elf
P/T: 2/1
Rules Text (Oracle): : Add to your mana pool for each Forest you control.

 

[Oversoul]

Now that you mention him, I agree that he's the best 2cc elf, although not for tribal elf decks. I'm editing my post to reflect that though, since I noted similar circumstances with cards like Goblin Welder (easily the best 1cc goblin ever, but not useful in goblin decks).

 

[f-6]

Just a few add-ons to what everybody else has said:
1 cc merfolk I would probbably choose Manta riders if Lord of Atlantis is not in the deck.

1cc soldier: Auriok Glaivemaster is great if you have any equipment. Otherwise I would go with Deftblade Elite.
2cc solider I would go with Whipcorder or Catapult squad.
3cc soldier: Mobilization is the card, but don't forget Lieutenant Kirtar and Soltari champion.

For 3cc goblin, I just have to mention Arms dealer! BTW, Goblin king is a goblin in 9e...

 

[Oversoul]

For 3cc goblin, I just have to mention Arms dealer! BTW, Goblin king is a goblin in 9e...

Goblin King being a goblin won't make it more valuable to goblin decks than Goblin Warchief has become.

What's the deal with Goblin King being a goblin anyway? Are they going to make the other lords into the creature types they help as well?

 

[Killer Joe]

Could not the King of his people (goblins) be made of the same stuff, um, er....DNA?

 

[Oversoul]

DNA? What are you talking about?

 

[Killer Joe]

Goblin King SHOULD be a Goblin creature (in addition to beingt a Lord), it just makes sense.

 

[Oversoul]

And Zombie Master should not be a zombie?

 

[Spiderman]

It probably should (and Lord of Atlantis should be a Merman), but they didn't make it into 9th. Lord of the Undead DID make it and is now a Zombie Lord, instead of just a Lord.

 

[Killer Joe]

And Zombie Master should not be a zombie?

I'm of the inclusion school of thought. Zombie Master SHOULD be a Zombie if it already isn't.

If it looks like Zombie, smells like a Zombie and is disgusting like a Zombie, then it must be a Zombie!

 

[Oversoul]

It probably should (and Lord of Atlantis should be a Merman), but they didn't make it into 9th. Lord of the Undead DID make it and is now a Zombie Lord, instead of just a Lord.

If they're serious about it, they'll errata the old ones. It's not like they're paranoid of changing things. I mean, look what they did to local enchantments...

 

[Spiderman]

There's some reason why they only do it to "new" or "current" cards. It's the same reason why old creature types like Cobra or Cheetah aren't being errata'd to be Snake or Cat (or Falcon to Bird).

 

[Oversoul]

They certainly used to go back and errata old cards. When did this stop?

 

[Spiderman]

They errata'd old cards when it concerned rulings but not their creature types.

 

[Oversoul]

They errata'd old cards when it concerned rulings but not their creature types.

I seem to remember that they did alter the creature types of some creatures without reprinting them. Folk of An-Havva comes to mind...

 

[Spiderman]

It seems to be a loose and slippery rule then. Why'd it happen with Folk of An-Havva and not with other ones? For instance, Portal is going to be legal in the next month or so and there are a couple of type Cheetahs, yet they haven't been changed to type Cats unlike Giant Cheetah which is in 9th now (unless they do it when it becomes legal). I suspect Folk of An-Havva fell under the "cleanup all the creature types", when they tightened the superset of creature types a few years ago.