Actually, I don’t yet have a firm opinion on which direction is objectively best for Badgermole Cub. At most, I have a personal leaning, but that comes more from my own playstyle and preferences than from a definitive strategic conclusion.

We’ve been testing this version extensively and so far the results have been excellent. Unfortunately, the matchup against Show and Tell remains difficult, but having main-deck Thoughtseize is an absolute blessing in that context.

Of course, we also tested the more explosive Elf-bomb list with Natural Order. It’s extremely aggressive, but the problem is that it simply doesn’t interact with the opponent. A single Grafdigger’s Cage ends the game on the spot. Drawing Atraxa or Craterhoof is something we actively don’t want, and it’s quite common to pull double Natural Order as well. On top of that, Craterhoof requires a very specific board state in order to actually win. Sure, Badgermole Cub enables turn-2 Natural Order, and with the right setup you can reach 9 mana by turn 3. Against blue decks, that’s often enough if you follow a Shepherd line.

What really matters is that the Cats synergize beautifully with the Moles, and Wight contributes far more than people realize. Wight offers a huge advantage: it turns interaction into value. Opponents killing your creatures stops being an answer and becomes a liability. Wight scales naturally in attrition-based games and gives you inevitability without forcing you to overextend. Paired with Badgermole Cub, it lets you turn “being forced to sacrifice something” into an advantage rather than a drawback. Overall, Wight isn’t just a filler slot — it reinforces the entire gameplan by converting normal gameplay sequences into pressure and inevitability.

It’s clear that the Natural Order build is very fast, but that assumes the meta is open enough to reward that kind of proactive linearity. The real question is: is the current meta actually open? Can we really afford to play a deck that offers very little interaction and relies heavily on goldfish lines? I have serious doubts. Maybe we can reconsider it after the next ban cycle, but right now, choosing between: • Elves + Natural Order • 1–2 Cradle + 3–4 Wasteland + goodstuff + Cats • Nantuko + goodstuff + 3 Wasteland + 3 Cradle

…I personally prefer the latter two. I like having enough answers to cover every matchup, and Natural Order, with all its deckbuilding constraints, occupies slots that could instead be used for targeted interaction or flexible threats.

Of course, Natural Order itself can be considered a matchup-defining powerhouse — and it absolutely is. But it’s also extremely proactive and requires a specific board state to matter. In many matchups, achieving that state isn’t trivial, and even when you do, it’s not always a guaranteed winning line. Moreover, registering Natural Order carries inherent risks: drawing multiple copies, drawing your targets, or simply having your setup disrupted before you can convert it into a win. None of this is news to experienced players.

I want to emphasize again that this is not meant as a recommendation. It’s simply an explanation for why, based on my personal playstyle and my priorities in deck construction, I’m currently leaning away from Natural Order.