Cube is a relatively static format compared to most. The tinkerings of their curators doing far more to change the meta than the release of new cards ever does. The one thing that does change with some consistency are the creatures of choice. We get a new staple spell now and again but mostly once a spell is in the cube it stays in the cube. Creatures on the other hand arrive, stick around for a bit, and then get power crept out. They have a limit lifespan and a shockingly short one on average. Obviously this is more down to the curator and how keen they are but I am pretty sure that the average time a new creature added to the cube from the last ten years lasts about six months for somewhat active curators. The only creatures that have ever retained an ongoing space since arriving are utility creatures. The green mana dorks, Mother of Runes, Grim Lavamancer, that sort of thing. That sort of thing and Figure of Destiny apparently... Cube and power creep are most brutal upon the beaters of the game. But somehow the little kithkin is unscathed. He is to cube what Giant Spider is to sealed deck limited!
Figure of Destiny is a threat, a beater, and nothing more. No value offered beyond combat. It is now an incredibly old card, ancient and alone as far as such pure beaters go. The only cards that come close to it in terms of age and role are Siege Gang Commander, Flickerwisp, and Bloodbraid Elf, most of which only really feature in cubes for nostalgia these days, and all of which are absolutely more in the utility/value camp than pure beater.
Not only has Figure of Destiny outlasted all other threats in cube it has done so without ever really being that overbearing or top tier. It has played alongside Savannah Lions and Mogg Fanatics all the way to Ocelot Pride and Ragavan, all the while never feeling too out of place. The card has always just been a solid role filler. By far and away the three most commonly played aggressive colours played in cube are mono red, mono white, and Boros, for which Figure is a perfect one drop and mana sink. Indeed, just having the card greatly increases the consistency of your Boros beatdown deck. Being able to use any colour of mana to develop your board lets you play the spells in your hand you want without being mana inefficient. Having it effectively turns one of your lands into a dual land when you are Boros. Being a reasonable mana sink is a nice perk for consistency too whatever colour you are.
Being able to level the card at instant speed makes it a very safe way to invest mana allowing you to dodge the worst tempo swinging of answers. It is pseudo flash on all bar the first and safest mana and it is also options. All be it just how and when to use it but it is still far more option rich than almost every other pure beater threat card going. You can go all in on a Figure, you can be safe, or fast and lose, mana efficient, card efficient, or max damage! The card is never the best on any one axis but it performs so consistently on so many while remaining direct. It can afford to perform worse than you average red or white one drop beater and still retain a place by being playable in so many more places than most cards. All places that want what it has to offer.
Cute new things keep popping up and working with Figure. Need a white card that is a red permanent to buff your MHIII Ajani? Need a way to sink that Firebending mana? Slow and steady really does win the race here. It is comical to me that time has shown the best beater in magic to be a one mana 1/1, a two mana 2/2, a five mana 4/4 or an 11 mana 6/6 flyer.... This should really drive home the notion that consistency really is king when it comes to magic. It is like the exact opposite of Ragavan. The legendary monkey has a ceiling so far above Figure it is comical, orders of magnitude better, but it is an infrequent ceiling. Critically, almost every other situation you could find yourself in the Figure is outperforming Ragavan, all be it, usually not by all that much. It is hard to say Ragavan is a weaker card, it clearly isn't. Neither is it weaker on average but Figure still puts in more work. Figure will show up in more places and contribute more. You can output more with a lower average simply by being there more of the time and that is how Figure gets it done. Strength without power.
