Hi there! I first and foremost want to say thank you for checking out CheepCards! This project has taken many months to complete, and it means the world that you have become interested in my site!
To start off, my name is Dylan—or I also go by “Silver Knight” within the news log. I have a major background in recreation, and over the past year, I have merged my understanding of recreation with computer programming.
CheepCards is a site created for the interest and usage of users like yourself, providing the ability to search Magic: The Gathering cards in seconds and find the options that will fulfill your deck-brewing inspirations! It allows you to break down what a deck can do for functionality with the synergy function, and lets you search for the most budget-friendly or the more pricy cards.
This is all done with the intent to accomplish three goals. First, I wanted to provide a resource for the community to use—a resource for brewers and thinkers to find cards that won't empty their pockets but still create fun experiences! That is why there is a free tier to use on this site.
The second portion is the paid tier. I know that not everyone enjoys having subscriptions or added bills, but given the time put into this project and the ongoing costs to keep the site amazing, it is a huge help to me personally and to my family!
Lastly, the biggest reason why this site is amazing is its many extra features. A lot of details from games and hidden events have been built into this site, and I hope you take the time to enjoy them!
Before I dive into the second half of this article about the ranking system, I want to share that there is a feedback channel within the news page. If you run into any trouble, feel free to reach out or share feedback; I would be more than happy to answer or at least note it down for future updates. Please remember to keep a welcoming, kind, and patient mindset when using the site. If there is any issues, feel free to contact the technical line: cheepcards4you@gmail.com
For those joining the CheepCards site, you will be introduced to a ranking system created by myself. This system establishes fast keywords and variables to help with building and defining many of the currently 30,000+ cards within Magic: The Gathering.
I want to first preface by saying this ranking was created at face value, trying to keep personal objectivity out of the equation as much as possible. It is completely understandable if you may not agree with every card's ranking. In addition, even though these rankings share some similarities with the 1–5 bracket system, they are in no way, shape, or form supposed to reflect those categories. Instead, these rankings are placed on cards to help understand their “ceiling and floor”—how they operate—rather than labeling whether they are the best, a Bracket 5, a Bracket 4, and so on.
Does this mean some powerful cards will fall somewhat into those high-power categories? Correct. But they are not meant to be officially listed as such.
Before I dive into the reasoning for each class and their rankings, I want to give an example. One card that I think gives a great understanding of this system is Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait. Aesi is widely considered a very strong and powerful card. With that said, it falls under the Draw class due to its ability to draw cards when lands are played. Aesi is a card with a very high ceiling, but also the power to come online in seconds. Thus, why it received an average ranking. Even considering that Aesi is a force to be reckoned with and could receive a higher ranking, I wanted to evaluate it at face value - accounting for its high mana cost and its ability to impact the game the moment it hits the battlefield.
As you go through the rankings, you will see many cards that could be considered higher or lower, but many ranks may turn out differently due to the floor-to-ceiling nature of how they function. I will note that in the future, I am considering adding other classes, as the current ones don't cover every card's nature. Some already on my radar include “cantrip spells” and “burst draw” (cards that draw a large amount of cards in one turn) versus “steady draw” (cards that consistently draw cards, but maybe only once a turn).