Random topic: what are the less popular tribes in Tribal Apocalypse? Almost exactly three years ago we started the Repopulation Project, which is now almost complete – only Antelope is missing one event, so that's one candidate for least popular, since not even players devoted to this initiative had the stomach to play Antelope three times across three years. Their latest addition, Flycatcher Giraffid, is an okay card, but hardly a strong motivator.
Then there are those tribes that haven't been played much because they're too new and underdeveloped, like Warlock, or way too small, outliers even in Underdog events. But if we look at the list of the Unpopular Tribes, we see a few medium-sized entries. Cyclops counts a sizeable 28 members among its ranks, and yet has been played only 4 times. Same as Frog, which has 26 members available online. Shade has 27 and has been played even less, just 3 times, despite featuring a few high-profile cards. And what about Spellshaper? The class young Jaya belonged to is a greater tribe with 56 members, but still Unpopular with merely 5 outings in ten years. Another forgotten class, Minion, is close: played 3 times despite its 41 online members (out of 42); one of which ranks among the best ETB removal in the game.
The trophy might go to Mercenary, though. It's a 41-member tribe (37 online), and it was played the unbelievable amount of two times (not being just one excluded it from the Repopulation in 2017. And it hasn't been played since then anyway). What's up with that?
Feel inspired to give some love to any of these overlooked groups?
LAST WEEK ON TRIBAL APOCALYPSE...
Event Number: Week 486 BE
Date: May 2
Attendance: 12
Rounds: 3
Subformat: Underdog
Winner: Bandit Keith with Dinosaur
1-loss: Kumagoro with Ooze, Generalissimo with Drone, pk87 with Ninja, Nagarjuna with Insect, JackSlagel with Devil, -DiamondDust- with Rat
Dark Horse Prize: lovetapsmtg with Pangolin
Tribes:
Event link (with all players, pairings, standings, decks, and results): here it is
Man, I went so close to win this event with my beloved monogreen Ooze list! In the end, Bandit Keith managed to find the right topdeck at the crucial moment with his Dinosaurs, freshly companioned by Kaheera, the Orphanguard. It was a great match.
As for the Oozes, they're still one good two- or three-drop away from excellence. Umori, the Collector didn't do much for the curve, but it helped some, especially in giving Experiment One the chance of evolving more. Then again, Experiment One is consistently a 2/2 for one in this deck, so it's good enough. The curve starts there and proceeds with Scavenging Ooze at two, Predator Ooze at three, culminating into the very powerful Biogenic Ooze at five, and these are all great.
What I like the most about this deck is that it gives Predator Ooze the possibility to shine, as basically in Legacy Tribal Wars only decks running Swords to Plowshares have a way to deal with it, and once you provide the (initially) little guy with some trample (Rancor is still the most efficient way for that), you have a serious threat on your hand. I want to try some way to give it vigilance too, because you really want to be able to exploit the Predator in both your turn and the opponent's. I was wary to go into a second color, since vigilance is a white thing; but then I found out that Curse of Bounty is basically vigilance by another name. Could be interesting.
Moving on, here's a tribe you don't see often: Drones. The lesser Eldrazi (and that one Spike) were the focus of the latest Generalissimo's brew, involving exotic cards like Diabolic Intent, Cryptolith Rite and Mana Echoes. He'll explain what's all that about in this week's Show and Tell.
And speaking of Unpopular Tribes, we have our first sighting of Pangolin. Courtesy of lovetapsmtg, who fielded the strange mammals alongside an unusual team of planeswalkers.
Bandit Keith's Soldiers, $3.48, 1st place on Event 422
MisterMojoRising's Insects, $3.55, 2nd place on Event 201
The Top 5 Cheapest Non-Goblin Decks that Went Undefeated
mihahitlor's Warriors, $1.95, 1st place on Event 233
morpphling's Vampires, $2.25, 1st place on Event 285
JogandoPelado's Berserkers, $2.80, 1st place on Event 248
kokonade1000's Berserkers, $2.95, 2nd place on Event 354
MisterMojoRising's Beasts, $3.01, 1st place on Event 484
NOTE: not adjusted to current prices; data collected since Event 85.
SHOW AND TELL
Drone strike incoming!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Just to remind you of a few things:
The Underdog Prize: During any event of the regular rotation (but not necessarily during the one-time special events), all players who are running an Underdog Tribe are eligible for a 1-tix credit certificate from MTGO Traders. The tie-breakers are first the number of Underdog categories (for instance, a tribe that's simultaneously Endangered and Unhallowed will take the prize over one that's only Endangered), then the points achieved in the final standings.
The Up-and-Coming Prize: When a tribe wins an event for the first time ever (losing Unhallowed status), its pilot will get a 3-tix certificate from MTGO Traders.
The New Kids on the Block Award: When a new tribe is introduced in the game, or reaches enough members to be played as a proper tribe (i.e. at least 3 members, so you can build a deck that features 4 copies of each plus 8 Changeling creatures), the first player to score a match win with it will get a 3-tix certificate from MTGO Traders. You'll need a hard win, not a BYE or a win by no-show of your opponent. Tribes currently eligible for the award: Demigod, Otter (as soon as Commander 2020 gets online), Pangolin, Shark, Squirrel.
The Repopulation Award: Some tribes get played only once (to get the New Kids on the Block Award) and then forgotten. Never again! Register one of the following tribes three times in different events, then play all rounds of those events with them, and you'll get a 3-tix certificate from MTGO Traders. The list of these tribes, established May 5, 2017, is as follows. Still to clear: Antelope. Already cleared: Atog, Crocodile, Goat, Homarid, Incarnation, Jackal, Leech, Licid, Manticore, Metathran, Monger, Moonfolk, Nightstalker, Octopus, Orgg, Ouphe, Ox, Processor, Rabbit, Salamander, Siren, Slith.
The Hamtastic Award: The Biodiversity Prize dedicated to the memory of Erik Friborg rewards each player who registers 10 different tribes (except Human, Elf and Goblin) during the year with a 3-tix certificate from MTGO Traders. You can go on and win the prize multiple times in the year, but you need to keep playing different tribes! (So if you manage to register 50 different tribes in one season, you can get up to 15 tix!)
The Top Players Lockout: Every time a Top Player (either a Google Era Top 8, an Ultimate Champion/Tribal Player of the Year, or a seasonal Top 8) will end undefeated, they will not be allowed to register the same tribe and deck again for 5 events (i.e. they'll have to register a different deck or decks 5 times before coming back to the undefeated one). With "deck" is meant a specific, recognizable archetype (e.g. Wall-Drazi), which in some case will be linked to a specific combo card (e.g. Helm of Obedience). A list of the current lockouts is maintained here.
We're on Discord! Join us fromhere, chat about tribal things with other tribal players and arrange tribal games on MTGO all week long! (Or your can just keep using our Google Sheets bulletin board).
WHAT'S NEXT
The upcoming Tribal Apocalypse events of the Blippian Era (every Saturday at 17:00 GMT):
