Scout is still the worst to me. I don't even play with Transmute. We revamped the Transmute card into Transmutation, made it cost 4 (no Potion needed), and it made it an immediately viable option on the first turn.
As for Chancellor, I have had some good wins with it, even though I believe it's weak in general. In a game where Golds are particularly valuable, such as in gaining a Grand Market, I've opened with Chancellor/Silver. Regularly, on turn three, I can buy a Gold and shuffle it back in, so that on turn four I'm buying another Gold and shuffling it in. By turn five, I'm ready to buy just about anything on the board. Of course, that third turn sometimes gives you only a Chancellor and two coppers, in which case you're often in a weaker position.