So...here it is. Suggestions are very welcome. I would love some assistance in fleshing out and strengthening the archetypes I have included. One criteria though is that I plan on keeping the Cube at 800 for a while at least.
If you have a suggestion of a card, keep that in mind. Basically, to quote another user:
Don't: ~ sucks.
Do: ~ sucks, use ~~ instead.
I was introduced to the world of Cubing by a friend who was running LaPille's list, card for card, as of his Shadowmoor (or Lorwyn, or sometime around then) update. Whatever his latest was, before he got hired by WotC. I instantly fell in love. It was everything I loved about Magic, EDH, and Limited, all rolled into one. After the first draft, I knew I wanted to construct my own Cube, and update it for current sets. But I waited patiently while I drafted the Cube (and others) more often to get more of a feel for what it was. Eventually I started pooling cards and proxies to start the skeleton of my Cube. This is the result.
The rubric i used in designing the Cube was obviously including all the powerful cards, but also balancing those with cards oozing flavor and fun. The result is that there are a lot of "suboptimal" inclusions here. Nearly every one of them is for flavor reasons, or pet cards of my playgroup. The reasoning for 800 cards, instead of 540, 450, or 360, or some other number, is that this allows me to make swapping decisions easier. It allows me the freedom to test a large number of new cards with each release, without hurting the Cube too much. The second reason is that one of the original Cubes I drafted was a 360 unpowered list. It quickly became stale, with everyone knowing what cards were available in any given draft. That quickly loses a lot of fun and the same decks began cropping up. The 800 list gives my group and I a lot of variance, something we value highly, as non-tutor-EDH players.
The original 800 list was 100 of each color, artifact, guild, and land. This caused a couple problems (in my eyes). Most drafts ended up with players largely ignoring archetypes and drafting 5cc goodstuff decks. There was also a very high occurrence of 7-8 land boosters, or high level of multicolored, or mana-fixing boosters. This could have been rectified by the current method we use to construct boosters, but at the time, I was wanting to include more support for mono-colored or bi-colored decks, limit mana fixing, and reduce the number of lands. So I altered the structure and numbers of the Cube to what it is now. I may even, eventually, drop even more Guild and Artifact totals by, realistically, 10-15 each. But that still remains to be seen.
As for the question of powered, or unpowered, it was an easy decision. In a Powered draft, the first 2-3 decisions are too easy to make. While this does speed up the draft, it hurts the experience of having meaningful decisions to make. The other issue is that in an 800 list, including the Power cards, just seems like a bad decision. Yes, everything I have included is aggressively costed and powerful, but none can compare with the Power cards. There was a long deliberation on my part to include the Sol Ring, let alone the big guns. There are two thoughts I have about this decision now. One, if I were to include the Power cards, they realistically wouldn't show up that often, especially all at once. Which leads to two more thoughts. A) Is there really a point to include them at that juncture? B) Would their appearance warp the draft too much? Two, what would their respective power level do to the balance of play. I DO plan on eventually testing them, and finding answers to these questions, but for now I am satisfied with the unpowered version of the Cube.
EDIT: I have updated the Cube to include the Powered cards, and am giving them their day in the spotlight for testing.
Originally I was just including good cards, that showed up in other peoples' lists. Eventually I realized that part of the issue with my Cube was that there was only a little support for archetypes, which was a contributor to the 5cc goodstuff deck issue. Slowly I started forming archetypes in each color. So far I feel like a have a pretty decent set up and support for them, but obviously want to improve as much as possible.
Coming Soon...
Basic Information Latest Set Update: Innistrad Cube Size: 800 Breakdown:111 Each Color, 80 Gold, 85 Artifact, 80 Land Standard or Theme:Standard Snow Lands: No Average Number of Players: 6-8 How Often Drafted: Twice a month How Packs are Created: I will usually create them beforehand by separating, into piles, the different categories. Taking 6 from each, shuffling and removing 3, then creating 3 boosters out of the remaining 45 cards. DeckStats.net:http://deck.tk/4Xs457SD
Cube Storage Box: Two 800 white cardboard deck-carriers Sleeves: KMC Card Barrier Super Purple (Cube), Dragon Shield* (Tokens)
*Sleeve color based on Token color.
Card Selection Proxies:Yes Powered:Yes Portal:Yes "Un" Cards: Definitely Banned Cards for Power-Level:None yet. Banned Cards for Time Constraints:None yet. Banned Cards for "fun" factor:None yet.
Cube Design Standard or Multiplayer:Standard Sideboards?:Yes Color Balance:Yes Gold Balance:No Cards' color as printed or as played:Printed (Soon to be Played. I have finally been converted.) Perfectly Balanced CMC:No Average CMC:No idea.
White Stats: Thoughts: White was originally the first and easiest color that I put together. It has all the needed tech for aggro, control or mid-game. I started supporting aggro/white-weenie more because Black and Green had the mid-game. I am second guessing that decision. Despite having the largest selection of cards in the cube except Utility Artifact (the 2 CMC creature slot) White still doesn't have enough to get there. Focus: Notes on Card Choice: Archetype Support: White Weenie, Control
Blue Stats: Thoughts: Blue, while being the most powerful color is also the most difficult to support, in my opinion. What does Blue have other than Permission/Control? Taking a cue from some of the others here, in order to give it a little broader appeal I am attempting to support U-Aggro. Focus: Notes on Card Choice: Archetype Support: Permission, U-Aggro
Black Stats: Thoughts: Black is another hard one for me. What does Black have other than Removal/Control? Turns out it has quite a bit. Discard, Reanimation, a bit of Land Destruction. I have included all of these, and now it seems like my Black is only a support color. I am not happy with that. Focus: Notes on Card Choice: Archetype Support: Control, Reanimation, Discard
Red Stats: Thoughts: I am not a Red Mage. Not even close. This list is where I borrowed most from other Cube Lists. Focus: Notes on Card Choice: Archetype Support: Red Deck Wins, Land Destruction
Multicolor Stats: Thoughts: I originally had more Multicolored cards in the Cube, but didn't enjoy it as much as too much focus was on Mana Fixing. I have purposefully not included the Guild Lands in this section, because they fuel more than just the Guild cards. I also, despite some of the cards being lackluster, wanted to include 1 card (at least) from each of the color combos. Hence the entry of 1 each of the tri-colors. Focus: Notes on Card Choice: Archetype Support:
Artifact Stats: Thoughts: What can be said about Artifacts? My favorite equipment, creatures, and rocks are included. The Utility Artifacts simply strengthen the previous Archetypes. Focus: Notes on Card Choice: Archetype Support: None.
Land Stats: Thoughts: I cut this list way down too, so that there were not packs with a bajillion lands in them. I still may cut it down some to make multicolored more difficult and to fill the draft packs with more "exciting" cards. Focus: Notes on Card Choice:
I think a whole bunch of the cards you're cutting are easily good enough for 800. Misdirection, Willbender, Snuff Out, Starstorm and Greater Gargadon should all stay in. Probably Harm's Way and Brutalizer Exarch too.
I think a whole bunch of the cards you're cutting are easily good enough for 800. Misdirection, Willbender, Snuff Out, Starstorm and Greater Gargadon should all stay in. Probably Harm's Way and Brutalizer Exarch too.
Brutalizer Exarch often gets left in sideboards, but I can see the appeal. Explain to me how Greater Gargadon is better than Falkenrath Marauders. He doesn't make an impact when he hits the board. He hits the board either extremely late, or at a ridiculous cost. He can has no evasion. All I see is that he escapes burn.
I'm reasonably sure that cutting Starstorm for Devil's Play is a pretty good trade. Is there something I should have cut instead?
Misdirection, Willbender, and Brutalizer Exarch will likely make it back into the cube, after a few of the INN cards show they aren't as fun as I thought. In general, I like to overvalue cards first.
I wanted to wait for you to finalize your first post first, since there were a bunch of "Coming Soon..." in your list.
Anyway this is what I had prepared for the day were you fix it:
(this is for V10 01 11 INN update)
You are playing 2 copies of Kor Skyfisher .
Awesome! Thanks Eidolon. Those Coming Soons are going to be a work in progress as I have time to update and write about the cube.
Here are my thoughts on those cards:
Morbid Plunder supports my black recursion theme, is there another reanimator that is better that I am missing?
Past in Flames seems like it can be a house. A lot of Red's weakness is it runs out of steam very easily. This essentially throws a little coal back into the stove.
Falkenrath Marauders makes an impact immediately, and if not dealt with is frightening.
Creeping Renaissance fights the Land Destruction that red and black have, as well as gets back important creatures/spells. It is costly, but it double all your threats.
Gutter Grime makes board wipes a very sad situation. This was added as a counter measure to my dominant control metagame.
Am I overvaluing these cards too much?
Brutalizer Exarch often gets left in sideboards, but I can see the appeal. Explain to me how Greater Gargadon is better than Falkenrath Marauders. He doesn't make an impact when he hits the board. He hits the board either extremely late, or at a ridiculous cost. He can has no evasion. All I see is that he escapes burn.
I'm reasonably sure that cutting Starstorm for Devil's Play is a pretty good trade. Is there something I should have cut instead?
Misdirection, Willbender, and Brutalizer Exarch will likely make it back into the cube, after a few of the INN cards show they aren't as fun as I thought. In general, I like to overvalue cards first.
Gargadon is an investment in the late game for super cheap. It provides a great sac outlet so you can get value from removal, and it forces your opponent to play around Gargadon, even if he never comes into play. Your opponent has to change their whole gameplan as soon as Gardadon coming into play is even a possibility. No card warps the fabric of a game for a single mana like Gargadon does. I think he's easily a core 360 cube staple; cutting it from 800 seems really loose.
I like Devil's Play a bit more than Starstorm, but at this size, you should absolutely play both. Cut any of these instead:
Here's a second to Gargadon. Every time your opponents casts a removal spell or a creature you control dies (when you don't need combat damage or something like Qasali Pridemage), you are getting closer and closer to a one mana 9/7 haste. Casting a sweeper vs. Gargadon doesn't seem that appealing, especially if you have to tap out to do it on t6 or so...you might just die to a 9/7 the next turn.
It looms over the game and changes the way your opponent has to play. Not too bad for 1 mana, amirite? Oh, and you might just have a one-sided Abyss.
Gargadon is an investment in the late game for super cheap. It provides a great sac outlet so you can get value from removal, and it forces your opponent to play around Gargadon, even if he never comes into play. Your opponent has to change their whole gameplan as soon as Gardadon coming into play is even a possibility. No card warps the fabric of a game for a single mana like Gargadon does. I think he's easily a core 360 cube staple; cutting it from 800 seems really loose.
I like Devil's Play a bit more than Starstorm, but at this size, you should absolutely play both. Cut any of these instead:
As for the blue cards, any of these would be much better cuts than either the misdirection or the Willbender:
Minds Aglow !
Spell Crumple !
Trade Secrets !
Sun Quan, Lord of Wu !
Richard Garfield, Ph.D. !
Impaler Shrike !
Phyrexian Ingester !
Jace's Archivist !
Windfall !
Delay !
Vesuvan Doppelganger !
Sphinx of Uthuun !
And I'd get Psionic Blast in too.
As for the Exarch, I think he's leagues better than Creeping Corrosion or Omnath.
Hm. I pulled Minds Aglow, but didn't list it. Oops. Yeah. Pyroclasm needs to be in to support my "red control". Furyborn Hellkite out for Starstorm is pretty easy, but makes me sad as I try to include cards that give red a little more identity other than burn and land destruction. Chandra Ablaze will probably get cut for it.
Psionic Blast was originally in the cube, but I just can't deal with the fact that it isn't a Blue card. It just feels so wrong. However...it does help my U Tempo section.
Actually there is one card that i am thinking of, namely Diabolic Servitude, which is a nightmare for removal heavy decks.
If you want to give red decks some reach, you could add another Blaze variant, but Past in Flames just needs way too long until it gets active as a ~6 mana spot removal spell or ~5RRR for 6 points of burn.
I really dislike the expensive red creatures. It basically comes down to the terminate test:
How much mana does it cost?
How easy can the card be dealt with?
How much value do you get out of it if it survives X turn? (including X=0)
There are only few decks that want them, but only a handful of them are playable anyway. (Compared to my 450 card list you are running 5 times the number of red 5+ mana creatures!)
Using a 5 mana spell to combat land destruction is like splashing for mana fixing.
Paying 5 mana for a card that has no impact on the board is nothing that I want in my decks. It doesn't really double your threats, since it has no effect on the creatures that you play afterwards or those already in play.
You don't fight control with an expensive card with no board impact, but by improving the aggressive decks. Anyway, if you really want a 5 mana anti (mass) removal card, I would recommend Cauldron of Souls, which was always useful in our casual rounds.
Very good. I see all your points. We are drafting this weekend. I'm going to leave my changes as is, for this weekend, and see how it turns out, but your points all make sense and really add a layer to their evaluation this weekend.
I ran a Cube Introduction draft for a bunch of players that have never heard of, let alone played Cube before. There were 8 players, all not only completely inexperienced with Cube, but largely inexperienced with Drafting altogether. They all had a blast, and i had a ton of fun running the event for all the newbies.
I didn't get a great look at all the packs and what cards were picked in what order but I have the finished lists and notes for most of the match ups. Nearly universal was an inability to cut cards to make room for lands. They almost all went light on the lands so they could use more of the fun cube cards.
D'oh! I lost Ryan's decklist in the mix of things. He draft a WU Control featuring a ridiculous number of sweepers.
D'oh! Again! This get got lost in the mix. Adam had a UB Control deck with a nearly perfect curve.
THE PLAY:
Chelsea vs. Diannah: This match up was quite a surprise. Diannah's artifact.dec seemed a lot more powerful than it turned out to be against Chelsea. Both games had Chelsea throwing down a 1 or 2 drop and getting that early damage in, until she either dropped Primeval or Deranged Hermit. By the time Diannah managed to get her beaters, or combo, in play it was too late. Chelsea went 2-0 very quickly.
Dallan vs. Brandon: I think this was my favorite to watch. Both players drafted a control skeleton, one UR and one RB. Both featured burn and both featured Land destruction. Which provided plenty of laughs the first time they played when both startlingly realized what a back and forth match of attrition the game would be. Not only did they both feature similar elements. Brandon had 2 of the Jaces, and Dallan had 2 Chandras. It was just a blast for everyone. Dallan took it 2-1
Tara vs. Matt: Tara's U/G tempo simply decimated Matt's W/B Aggro. She took the game 2-0. Matt had all the right cards it seemed, but just could never get anything going against Tara's Tempo. The two times (once a game) it appears Matt had taken the upper hand by dropping either Akroma or Yosei, Tara played removal in the form of her Spitting Image and once again her tempo gained her the advantage.
Ryan vs. Adam: Adam won 2-0. It was another Control vs Control match up. The first game was Adam's when Ryan couldn't draw into any of his board wipes. The second game went so long that it came down to one card. Ryan decked when Adam only had 1 card left in his library. In fact, it was Black Sun Zenith that saved the day for Adam because it kept getting shuffled in.
I'm getting a little tired of typing so I'll just summarize a bit more.
Adam vs. Dallan: The UB Control managed to squeak through the land destruction and establish a grip on the game and never let go. Adam took it.
Chelsea vs. Tara: The Mono Green just had too much going on against the UG Tempo. Too many threats that UG had a hard time dealing with. The game went to Chelsea.
Adam vs. Chelsea: This was a really fun match to watch. In fact, everyone else halted their games to see the feature match of the day. The mono-green consistently really looked like it would threaten the slower pace of the UB. But with all the removal Adam had he managed to constantly slip out of the danger zone. Adam eventually took it 2-1, thanks again to a recurring Black Sun's Zenith.
These are a few changes, and their reasoning, for some changes I made after a few drafts last night. Also, we are giving the Cube a test run as Powered.
I'm on-board with almost all of that and congrats on moving to Power. My quibbles:
An 800 card cube certainly has room for Gemstone Mine and especially for Looter il-Kor (the best looter). I found the Mine to be much better than Thawing Glaciers. There are a lot of creatures in your list I'd cut before Looter il-Kor. I'll just suggest three: Jushi Apprentice. Sphinx of Uthuun, and Vesuvan Doppelganger.
Black Vise is a great card for aggro. It's in no danger of being cut from my cube and is picked fairly highly. Aggro may not be as strong in an 800, which might explain why Vise is not picked.
I'm on-board with almost all of that and congrats on moving to Power. My quibbles:
An 800 card cube certainly has room for Gemstone Mine and especially for Looter il-Kor (the best looter). I found the Mine to be much better than Thawing Glaciers. There are a lot of creatures in your list I'd cut before Looter il-Kor. I'll just suggest three: Jushi Apprentice. Sphinx of Uthuun, and Vesuvan Doppelganger.
Black Vise is a great card for aggro. It's in no danger of being cut from my cube and is picked fairly highly. Aggro may not be as strong in an 800, which might explain why Vise is not picked.
Also, I have updated the OP with some design notes and such.
Edit 2: Somehow I seem to have dropped 2 cards from the list in my editing and didn't note them. The math says I only have 798 in there. Any suggestions as to what to add to bring it up to the even 800? 1 White card and 1 of either Gold, Artifact, Land (no real preference).
For one of my friends, Black Vise is the card he wants to open the most. Just think of it as an unblockable, "indestructible", hasty ~2 power creature when you drop it T1.
It is definitely one of the best artifacts against midrange/control decks.
As for the 2 empty slots: How about Stoneforge Mystic (not sure, how good the card will be in such a big cube) or Fiend Hunter?
The other card could be Spellbound Dragon, since UR has 2-3 less cards than the other guilds or Nemesis of Reason which is doing really well in our cube.
Forget what I just said, you are missing Winter Orb, which is as close as you can get to a colorless Armageddon and even If I rather prefer playing slower decks, this is the kind of card that I happily firstpick and try to build a beatdown deck.
I originally had the Mystic in the Cube but she wound up being a whiff so often since my equipment list is fairly small. I still like her over Fiend Hunter though because of the cmc.
What do you think of:
+Stoneforge Mystic
-Because she is worth it if you can even get one equipment in your deck. Jester's Cap - > Winter Orb
-Jester's Cap removes 3 threats, but this is Cube. Everything is a threat.
+Thawing Glaciers
-After the discussion on the Card Evaluation, I feel sad cutting my Judge promo Glaciers.
I actually think I'm gonna kill the Obelisk of Alara instead of the Jester's Cap. The latter is much better, even if the former is more splashy.
EDIT: I also think I am going to do:
Rakka Mar - > Reckless Waif
-Rakka is an example of running flavor over power for me. I am going to test this swap to give red some more consistency in their 1 drops. Adamaro, First to Desire - > Stromkirk Noble
-Adamaro is fun and gnarly on turn 3. But Stromkirk is a 1 drop and can get big and gnarly.
If you have a suggestion of a card, keep that in mind. Basically, to quote another user:
Don't: ~ sucks.
Do: ~ sucks, use ~~ instead.
I was introduced to the world of Cubing by a friend who was running LaPille's list, card for card, as of his Shadowmoor (or Lorwyn, or sometime around then) update. Whatever his latest was, before he got hired by WotC. I instantly fell in love. It was everything I loved about Magic, EDH, and Limited, all rolled into one. After the first draft, I knew I wanted to construct my own Cube, and update it for current sets. But I waited patiently while I drafted the Cube (and others) more often to get more of a feel for what it was. Eventually I started pooling cards and proxies to start the skeleton of my Cube. This is the result.
The rubric i used in designing the Cube was obviously including all the powerful cards, but also balancing those with cards oozing flavor and fun. The result is that there are a lot of "suboptimal" inclusions here. Nearly every one of them is for flavor reasons, or pet cards of my playgroup. The reasoning for 800 cards, instead of 540, 450, or 360, or some other number, is that this allows me to make swapping decisions easier. It allows me the freedom to test a large number of new cards with each release, without hurting the Cube too much. The second reason is that one of the original Cubes I drafted was a 360 unpowered list. It quickly became stale, with everyone knowing what cards were available in any given draft. That quickly loses a lot of fun and the same decks began cropping up. The 800 list gives my group and I a lot of variance, something we value highly, as non-tutor-EDH players.
The original 800 list was 100 of each color, artifact, guild, and land. This caused a couple problems (in my eyes). Most drafts ended up with players largely ignoring archetypes and drafting 5cc goodstuff decks. There was also a very high occurrence of 7-8 land boosters, or high level of multicolored, or mana-fixing boosters. This could have been rectified by the current method we use to construct boosters, but at the time, I was wanting to include more support for mono-colored or bi-colored decks, limit mana fixing, and reduce the number of lands. So I altered the structure and numbers of the Cube to what it is now. I may even, eventually, drop even more Guild and Artifact totals by, realistically, 10-15 each. But that still remains to be seen.
As for the question of powered, or unpowered, it was an easy decision. In a Powered draft, the first 2-3 decisions are too easy to make. While this does speed up the draft, it hurts the experience of having meaningful decisions to make. The other issue is that in an 800 list, including the Power cards, just seems like a bad decision. Yes, everything I have included is aggressively costed and powerful, but none can compare with the Power cards. There was a long deliberation on my part to include the Sol Ring, let alone the big guns. There are two thoughts I have about this decision now. One, if I were to include the Power cards, they realistically wouldn't show up that often, especially all at once. Which leads to two more thoughts. A) Is there really a point to include them at that juncture? B) Would their appearance warp the draft too much? Two, what would their respective power level do to the balance of play. I DO plan on eventually testing them, and finding answers to these questions, but for now I am satisfied with the unpowered version of the Cube.
EDIT: I have updated the Cube to include the Powered cards, and am giving them their day in the spotlight for testing.
Originally I was just including good cards, that showed up in other peoples' lists. Eventually I realized that part of the issue with my Cube was that there was only a little support for archetypes, which was a contributor to the 5cc goodstuff deck issue. Slowly I started forming archetypes in each color. So far I feel like a have a pretty decent set up and support for them, but obviously want to improve as much as possible.
Coming Soon...
Basic Information
Latest Set Update: Innistrad
Cube Size: 800
Breakdown:111 Each Color, 80 Gold, 85 Artifact, 80 Land
Standard or Theme:Standard
Snow Lands: No
Average Number of Players: 6-8
How Often Drafted: Twice a month
How Packs are Created: I will usually create them beforehand by separating, into piles, the different categories. Taking 6 from each, shuffling and removing 3, then creating 3 boosters out of the remaining 45 cards.
DeckStats.net:http://deck.tk/4Xs457SD
Cube Storage
Box: Two 800 white cardboard deck-carriers
Sleeves: KMC Card Barrier Super Purple (Cube), Dragon Shield* (Tokens)
*Sleeve color based on Token color.
Card Selection
Proxies:Yes
Powered:Yes
Portal:Yes
"Un" Cards: Definitely
Banned Cards for Power-Level:None yet.
Banned Cards for Time Constraints:None yet.
Banned Cards for "fun" factor:None yet.
Cube Design
Standard or Multiplayer:Standard
Sideboards?:Yes
Color Balance:Yes
Gold Balance:No
Cards' color as printed or as played:Printed (Soon to be Played. I have finally been converted.)
Perfectly Balanced CMC:No
Average CMC:No idea.
White Stats:
Thoughts: White was originally the first and easiest color that I put together. It has all the needed tech for aggro, control or mid-game. I started supporting aggro/white-weenie more because Black and Green had the mid-game. I am second guessing that decision. Despite having the largest selection of cards in the cube except Utility Artifact (the 2 CMC creature slot) White still doesn't have enough to get there.
Focus:
Notes on Card Choice:
Archetype Support: White Weenie, Control
1 Weathered Wayfarer
1 Student of Warfare
1 Savannah Lions
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Goldmeadow Harrier
1 Gideon's Lawkeeper
1 Mother of Runes
//White 2 CMC Creatures
1 Cloistered Youth
1 Mistral Charger
1 Ronom Unicorn
1 Stormfront Pegasus
1 Wall of Omens
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Kami of Ancient Law
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Spectral Lynx
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Lone Missionary
1 Blade of the Sixth Pride
1 Soltari Trooper
1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
1 Knight of the White Orchid
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Silver Knight
1 Soltari Monk
1 Knight of Meadowgrain
1 Soltari Priest
1 White Knight
1 Grand Abolisher
1 Stonecloaker
1 Soltari Champion
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Blade Splicer
1 Mirror Entity
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Pianna, Nomad Captain
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Gideon's Avenger
1 Paladin en-Vec
1 Mangara of Corondor
1 Mystic Crusader
1 Flickerwisp
//White 4 CMC Creatures
1 Galepowder Mage
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Calciderm
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Emeria Angel
1 Celestial Crusader
//White 5 CMC Creatures
1 Reveillark
1 Knight-Captain of Eos
1 Archon of Justice
1 Karmic Guide
1 Battlegrace Angel
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Pristine Angel
1 Sun Titan
1 Exalted Angel
1 Sunblast Angel
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
//White 7+ CMC Creatures
1 Eternal Dragon
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
//White X CMC Creatures
1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
1 Reconnaissance
1 Land Tax
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Condemn
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Mana Tithe
1 Path to Exile
1 Harm's Way
//White 2 CMC Spells
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Disenchant
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Honor of the Pure
1 Balance
1 Temporal Isolation
1 Revoke Existence
1 Griffin Guide
1 Sacred Mesa
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Timely Reinforcements
1 Prison Term
1 Scepter of Dominance
1 Glorious Anthem
1 Spectral Procession
//White 4 CMC Spells
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Armageddon
1 Ravages of War
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Parallax Wave
1 Ajani Goldmane
1 Moat
1 Marshal's Anthem
1 Wrath of God
1 Cataclysm
1 Day of Judgment
1 Angelic Destiny
1 Spiritual Asylum
1 Rout
1 Gideon Jura
1 Elspeth Tirel
//White 6 CMC Spells
1 Austere Command
1 Akroma's Vengeance
1 Catastrophe
1 Planar Cleansing
//White X CMC Spells
1 Martial Coup
1 Decree of Justice
Blue Stats:
Thoughts: Blue, while being the most powerful color is also the most difficult to support, in my opinion. What does Blue have other than Permission/Control? Taking a cue from some of the others here, in order to give it a little broader appeal I am attempting to support U-Aggro.
Focus:
Notes on Card Choice:
Archetype Support: Permission, U-Aggro
1 Enclave Cryptologist
//Blue 2 CMC Creatures
1 Spellskite
1 WIllbender
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Ludevic's Test Subject
1 Jushi Apprentice
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Gilded Drake
1 Merfolk Looter
//Blue 3 CMC Creatures
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Wake Thrasher
1 Man-o'-War
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Cryptoplasm
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Calcite Snapper
1 Aether Adept
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Jace's Archivist
1 Tradewind Rider
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Clone
1 Master Transmuter
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Lu Xun, Scholar General
1 Thieving Magpie
1 Impaler Shrike
//Blue 5 CMC Creatures
1 Body Double
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Mulldrifter
1 Riftwing Cloudskate
1 Morphling
1 Richard Garfield, Ph.D.
1 Sphinx of Lost Truths
1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
1 Vesuvan Doppelganger
1 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
1 Keiga, the Tide Star
1 Sun Quan, Lord of Wu
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Frost Titan
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
1 Draining Whelk
//Blue 7+ CMC Creatures
1 Phyrexian Ingester
1 Palinchron
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Ancestral Vision
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Force Spike
1 Preordain
1 Brainstorm
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
//Blue 2 CMC Spells
1 Miscalculation
1 Delay
1 Into the Roil
1 Impulse
1 Memory Lapse
1 Remand
1 Mana Leak
1 Negate
1 Arcane Denial
1 Counterspell
1 Mana Drain
1 Time Walk
//Blue 3 CMC Spells
1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Crystal Shard
1 Timetwister
1 Compulsive Research
1 Intuition
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Tinker
1 Exclude
1 Frantic Search
1 Repulse
1 Complicate
1 Psionic Blast
1 Trade Secrets
1 Dissipate
1 Forbid
1 Jace Beleren
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Deep Analysis
1 Gifts Given
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Dismiss
1 Opposition
1 Control Magic
1 Rite of Replication
1 Cryptic Command
//Blue 5 CMC Spells
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Force of Will
1 Treachery
1 Jace's Ingenuity
1 Desertion
1 Bribery
1 Tidings
1 Jace, Memory Adept
1 Misdirection
1 Future Sight
1 Capsize
1 Time Spiral
1 Upheaval
1 Confiscate
//Blue X CMC Spells
1 Condescend
1 Stroke of Genius
Black Stats:
Thoughts: Black is another hard one for me. What does Black have other than Removal/Control? Turns out it has quite a bit. Discard, Reanimation, a bit of Land Destruction. I have included all of these, and now it seems like my Black is only a support color. I am not happy with that.
Focus:
Notes on Card Choice:
Archetype Support: Control, Reanimation, Discard
1 Guul Draz Assassin
1 Carnophage
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Fume Spitter
1 Diregraf Ghoul
//Black 2 CMC Creatures
1 Dark Confidant
1 Nezumi Shortfang
1 Dauthi Horror
1 Wretched Anurid
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Nantuko Shade
1 Black Knight
1 Nether Traitor
1 Dauthi Slayer
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Gatekeeper of Malakir
1 Bloodghast
1 Dauthi Marauder
1 Phyrexian Rager
1 Bone Shredder
1 Necrogen Scudder
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Liliana's Specter
1 Nyxathid
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Royal Assassin
//Black 4 CMC Creatures
1 Mortis Dogs
1 Sewer Nemesis
1 Phyrexian Scuta
1 Bane of the Living
1 Abyssal Persecutor
1 Plague Sliver
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Nekrataal
1 Skinrender
1 Juzam Djinn
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Mirri the Cursed
1 Sangromancer
1 Shriekmaw
1 Thrashing Wumpus
1 Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
1 Cao Cao, Lord of Wei
1 Puppeteer Clique
1 Bloodgift Demon
//Black 6 CMC Creatures
1 Grave Titan
1 Geth, Lord of the Vault
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
1 Massacre Wurm
//Black 7+ CMC Creatures
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Rune-Scarred Demon
1 Slaughter Pact
//Black 1 CMC Spells
1 Reanimate
1 Thoughtseize
1 Despise
1 Sarcomancy
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Disfigure
1 Dark Ritual
1 Duress
1 Innocent Blood
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Entomb
1 Booster Tutor
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
//Black 2 CMC Spells
1 Terror
1 Cruel Edict
1 Bitterblossom
1 Animate Dead
1 Chainer's Edict
1 Doom Blade
1 Night's Whisper
1 Exhume
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Go for the Throat
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Grasp of Darkness
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Geth's Verdict
1 Sinkhole
1 Distress
1 Stupor
1 Necromancy
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Corpse Dance
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Sudden Death
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Rain of Tears
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Dismember
1 Necropotence
//Black 4 CMC Spells
1 Snuff Out
1 Makeshift Mannequin
1 Barter in Blood
1 Damnation
//Black 5 CMC Spells
1 Living Death
1 Contagion
1 Beacon of Unrest
1 Liliana Vess
1 Life's Finale
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Sorin Markov
//Black 7+ CMC Spells
1 Decree of Pain
//Black X CMC Spells
1 Mind Twist
1 Postmortem Lunge
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Profane Command
Red Stats:
Thoughts: I am not a Red Mage. Not even close. This list is where I borrowed most from other Cube Lists.
Focus:
Notes on Card Choice:
Archetype Support: Red Deck Wins, Land Destruction
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Dragonmaster Outcast
1 Goblin Welder
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Jackal Pup
1 Goblin Guide
1 Goblin Patrol
1 Magus of the Scroll
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Reckless Waif
1 Stromkirk Noble
//Red 2 CMC Creatures
1 Hearth Kami
1 Plated Geopede
1 Dwarven Blastminer
1 Fireslinger
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Kargan Dragonlord
1 Blood Knight
1 Ember Hauler
1 Keldon Vandals
1 Taurean Mauler
1 Fire Imp
1 Magus of the Moon
1 Cunning Sparkmage
1 Ghitu Slinger
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Goblin Ruinblaster
1 Manic Vandal
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Hell's Thunder
1 Zo-Zu the Punisher
1 Ball Lightning
//Red 4 CMC Creatures
1 Skizzik
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Oxidda Scrapmelter
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Ravenous Baboons
1 Keldon Champion
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Blistering Firecat
1 Invader Parasite
1 Urabrask the Hidden
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Kumano, Master Yamabushi
1 Thunderblust
1 Kiki-jiki, Mirror Breaker
//Red 6 CMC Creatures
1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
1 Inferno Titan
1 Hellkite Charger
1 Crater Hellion
1 Moltensteel Dragon
1 Rorix Bladewing
//Red 7+ CMC Creatures
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Greater Gargadon
1 Forked Bolt
1 Flame Slash
1 Firestorm
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Firebolt
1 Burst Lightning
1 Chain Lightning
//Red 2 CMC Spells
1 Arc Trail
1 Volcanic Hammer
1 Incinerate
1 Whipflare
1 Pyroclasm
1 Magma Jet
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Sudden Shock
1 Searing Blaze
//Red 3 CMC Spells
1 Chaos Warp
1 Urza's Rage
1 Words of War
1 Rift Bolt
1 Arc Lightning
1 Staggershock
1 Char
1 Stone Rain
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Blast from the Past
1 Puncture Blast
1 Brimstone Volley
1 Pillage
1 Slagstorm
1 Sulfuric Vortex
1 Volcanic Fallout
1 Molten Rain
1 Flame Javelin
1 Chandra, the Firebrand
1 Ruination
1 Aftershock
1 Chain Reaction
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Wild Ricochet
//Red 5 CMC Spells
1 Chandra Nalaar
1 Incendiary Command
//Red 6 CMC Spells
1 Fireblast
1 Wildfire
//Red 7+ CMC Spells
1 Destructive Force
1 Insurrection
//Red X CMC Spells
1 Red Sun's Zenith
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Earthquake
1 Fireball
1 Demonfire
1 Banefire
1 Devil's Play
1 Comet Storm
1 Starstorm
Green Stats:
Thoughts:
Focus:
Notes on Card Choice:
Archetype Support: Ramp, Mid-Game, Fatties
1 Wild Dogs
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Jungle Lion
1 Scute Mob
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Pouncing Jaguar
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Twinblade Slasher
1 Arbor Elf
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Basking Rootwalla
1 Llanowar Elves
//Green 2 CMC Creatures
1 Ambush Viper
1 Wild Mongrel
1 River Boa
1 Werebear
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Mire Boa
1 Wall of Roots
1 Kavu Titan
1 Wall of Blossoms
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Albino Troll
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Skinshifter
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Jade Mage
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Viridian Zealot
1 Spawnwrithe
1 Omnath, Locus of Mana
1 Caller of the Claw
1 Uktabi Orangutan
1 Dungrove Elder
1 Imperious Perfect
1 Viridian Shaman
1 Great Sable Stag
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Eternal Witness
1 Ohran Viper
//Green 4 CMC Creatures
1 Briarhorn
1 Nantuko Vigilante
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Mold Shambler
1 Spike Weaver
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Wolfbriar Elemental
1 Blastoderm
1 Vengevine
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Phantom Centaur
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Ravenous Baloth
1 Masked Admirers
1 Genesis
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Ant Queen
1 Acidic Slime
1 Thornling
1 Deranged Hermit
//Green 6 CMC Creatures
1 Brutalizer Exarch
1 Primeval Titan
1 Rampaging Baloths
1 Silvos, Rogue Elemental
//Green 7+ CMC Creatures
1 Gaea's Revenge
1 Garruk's Horde
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Hornet Queen
1 Pelakka Wurm
1 Terastodon
1 Woodfall Primus
//Green X CMC Creatures
1 Primordial Hydra
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Rancor
1 Berserk
1 Mirri's Guile
1 Vines of Vastwood
//Green 2 CMC Spells
1 Naturalize
1 Life From the Loam
1 Regrowth
1 Sylvan Library
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Farseek
//Green 3 CMC Spells
1 Call of the Herd
1 Krosan Grip
1 Cultivate
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Beast Within
1 Harrow
1 Elephant Guide
1 Hunter's Insight
1 Stonewood Invocation
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Garruk WildSpeaker
1 Harmonize
1 Creeping Corrosion
1 Creeping Mold
1 Natural Order
1 Bramblecrush
//Green 5 CMC Spells
1 Rude Awakening
1 All Suns' Dawn
1 Primal Command
1 Plow Under
1 Overrun
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Tooth and Nail
//Green X CMC Spells
1 Hurricane
1 Green Sun's Zenith
Multicolor Stats:
Thoughts: I originally had more Multicolored cards in the Cube, but didn't enjoy it as much as too much focus was on Mana Fixing. I have purposefully not included the Guild Lands in this section, because they fuel more than just the Guild cards. I also, despite some of the cards being lackluster, wanted to include 1 card (at least) from each of the color combos. Hence the entry of 1 each of the tri-colors.
Focus:
Notes on Card Choice:
Archetype Support:
1 Azorius Guildmage
1 Wall of Denial
1 Plumeveil
1 Swans of Bryn Argoll
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
1 Absorb
1 Teferi's Moat
1 Venser, the Sojourner
//U/B
1 Psychatog
1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
1 Recoil
1 Undermine
1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
//B/R
1 Fulminator Mage
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Blazing Specter
1 Terminate
1 Blightning
1 Olivia Voldaren
1 Sarkhan the Mad
//R/G
1 Kird Ape
1 Boggart Ram-Gang
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Giant Solifuge
1 Stormbind
1 Sarkhan Vol
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Loxodon Hierarch
1 Loam Lion
1 Mirari's Wake
//W/B
1 Tidehollow Sculler
1 Stillmoon Cavalier
1 Desolation Angel
1 Gerrard's Verdict
1 Mortify
1 Vindicate
1 Unmake
//B/G
1 Putrid Leech
1 Glissa, the Traitor
1 Spiritmonger
1 Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
1 Putrefy
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Pernicious Deed
//G/U
1 Lorescale Coatl
1 Trygon Predator
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Mystic Snake
1 Snakeform
1 Spitting Image
1 Voidslime
1 Gelectrode
1 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
1 Fire // Ice
1 Electrolyze
1 Prophetic Bolt
//R/W
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Duergar Hedge-Mage
1 Spitemare
1 Brion Stoutarm
1 Lightning Helix
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Goblin Trenches
//W/U/B
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
//U/B/R
1 Slave of Bolas
//B/R/G
1 Broodmate Dragon
//W/R/G
1 Wild Nacatl
//W/U/G
1 Rafiq of the Many
//W/B/G
1 Doran, the Siege Tower
//W/U/R
1 Lightning Angel
//U/R/G
1 Animar, Soul of Elements
//U/B/G
1 The Mimeoplasm
//W/B/R
1 Kaalia of the Vast
//W/U/B/R/G
1 Etched Monstrosity
1 Who/What/When/Where/Why
Artifact Stats:
Thoughts: What can be said about Artifacts? My favorite equipment, creatures, and rocks are included. The Utility Artifacts simply strengthen the previous Archetypes.
Focus:
Notes on Card Choice:
Archetype Support: None.
1 Hex Parasite
1 Perilous Myr
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Epochrasite
1 Bottle Gnomes
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Masticore
1 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Precursor Golem
1 Razormane Masticore
1 Duplicant
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Triskelion
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Sundering Titan
//Artifact Mana
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mana Crypt
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mox Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
1 Mind Stone
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Talisman of Indulgence
1 Talisman of Impulse
1 Talisman of Unity
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Izzet Signet
1 Golgari Signet
1 Boros Signet
1 Simic Signet
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Coalition Relic
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Skullclamp
1 Bonesplitter
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Bonehoard
1 Batterskull
//Artifact Utility
1 Zuran Orb
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Aether Vial
1 Black Vise
1 Pithing Needle
1 Brittle Effigy
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Powder Keg
1 Isochron Scepter
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Ankh of Mishra
1 Winter Orb
1 Scroll Rack
1 Crystal Ball
1 Chimeric Idol
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Mimic Vat
1 Druidic Satchel
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Ring of Gix
1 Tangle Wire
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Phyrexian Processor
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Smokestack
1 Jester's Cap
1 Memory Jar
1 Karn Liberated
1 Chimeric Mass
1 Engineered Explosives
Land Stats:
Thoughts: I cut this list way down too, so that there were not packs with a bajillion lands in them. I still may cut it down some to make multicolored more difficult and to fill the draft packs with more "exciting" cards.
Focus:
Notes on Card Choice:
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Academy Ruins
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Kor Haven
1 Shelldock Isle
1 Ghitu Encampment
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Kjeldoran Outpost
1 Treetop Village
1 Faerie Conclave
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Maze of Ith
1 Dust Bowl
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Thawing Glaciers
//W/U Dual
1 Tundra
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Flooded Strand
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Azorius Chancery
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
1 Polluted Delta
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Sunken Ruins
//B/R Dual
1 Badlands
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Blackcleave Cliffs
//R/G Dual
1 Taiga
1 Stomping Ground
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Raging Ravine
1 Copperline Gorge
//G/W Dual
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Windswept Heath
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Horizon Canopy
//W/B Dual
1 Scrubland
1 Godless Shrine
1 Marsh Flats
1 Fetid Heath
1 Orzhov Basilica
1 Bayou
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Twilight Mire
1 Woodland Cemetery
//G/U Dual
1 Tropical Island
1 Breeding Pool
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Flooded Grove
1 Simic Growth Chamber
//U/R Dual
1 Volcanic Island
1 Steam Vents
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 Izzet Boilerworks
//R/W Dual
1 Plateau
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Arid Mesa
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Rugged Prairie
//W/U/B/R/G
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Reflecting Pool
1 City of Brass
1 City of Ass
Harm's Way - > Cloistered Youth
Spell Crumple - > Dissipate
Misdirection - > Boomerang
Deciever Exarch - > Mindshrieker
Azure Mage - > Ludevic's Test Subject
Willbender - > Snapcaster Mage
Snuff Out - > Liliana of the Veil
Praetor's Grasp - > Morbid Plunder
Massacre Wurm - > Bloodgift Demon
Blind Zealot - > Diregraf Ghoul
Ruination - > Past in Flames
Starstorm - > Devil's Play
Greater Gargadon - > Falkenrath Marauders
Rude Awakening - > Bramblecrush
Birthing Pod - > Garruk Relentless
Collective Voyage - > Creeping Renaissance
Brtualizer Exarch - > Gutter Grime
Golgari Rot Farm - > Woodland Cemetary
Meglonoth - > Uril, the Miststalker
Morbid Plunder - > Snuff Out
Desolation Angel - > Massacre Wurm
Castigate - > Desolation Angel
Furyborn Hellkite - > Starstorm
Loam Lion - > Timely Reinforcements
Behemoth Sledge - > Loam Lion
Kird Ape - > Pyroclasm
Burning-Tree Shaman - > Kird Ape
Kor Firewalker - > Harm's Way
Falkenrath Marauders - > Greater Gargadon
Past in Flames - > Brimstone Volley
Chandra Ablaze - > Ruination
Creeping Renaissance - > Rude Awakening
Gutter Grime - > Brutalizer Exarch
Mind's Aglow - > Willbender
Boomerang - > Misdirection
Mindshrieker - > Vedalken Shackles
Removed duplicate Kor Skyfisher from the list.
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker - > Slave of Bolas
Wild Nacatl - > Ambush Viper
Uril, the Miststalker - > Wild Nacatl
Firespout - > Kessig Wolf Run
Trespassing Souleater - > Boros Signet
Elixir of Immortality - > Gruul Signet
Juggernaut - > Rakdos Signet
Nim Deathmantle - > Orzhov Signet
Manalith - > Golgari Signet
Quicksilver Amulet - > Selesnya Signet
Soldevi Excavations - > Black Lotus
Gemstone Mine - > Mana Crypt
Vivid Meadow - > Mox Pearl
Vivid Creek - > Mox Sapphire
Vivid Marsh - > Mox Jet
Vivid Crag - > Mox Ruby
Vivid Grove - > Mox Emerald
Braingeyser - > Ancestrall Recall
Windfall - > Timetwister
Looter il-Kor - > Psionic Blast
Repeal - > Time Walk
Coiling Oracle - > Olivia Voldaren
Myr Propagator - > Hex Parasite
+
Cao Cao, Lord of Wei - > Consuming Vapors
Elixir of Immortality - > Black Vise
Sphinx of Uthuun - > Looter il-kor
Thawing Glaciers - > Gemstone Mine
+Stoneforge Mystic
+Thawing Glaciers
Obelisk of Alara - > Winter Orb
Rakka Mar - > Reckless Waif
Adamaro, First to Desire - > Stromkirk Noble
Azorius Signet - > Talisman of Progress
Dimir Signet - > Talisman of Dominance
Rakdos Signet - > Talisman of Indulgence
Gruul Signet - > Talisman of Impulse
Selesnya Signet - > Talisman of Unity
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
Out - > In
Harm's Way - > Cloistered Youth
Spell Crumple - > Dissipate
Misdirection - > Boomerang
Deciever Exarch - > Mindshrieker
Azure Mage - > Ludevic's Test Subject
Willbender - > Snapcaster Mage
Snuff Out - > Liliana of the Veil
Praetor's Grasp - > Morbid Plunder
Massacre Wurm - > Bloodgift Demon
Blind Zealot - > Diregraf Ghoul
Ruination - > Past in Flames
Starstorm - > Devil's Play
Greater Gargadon - > Falkenrath Marauders
Rude Awakening - > Bramblecrush
Birthing Pod - > Garruk Relentless
Collective Voyage - > Creeping Renaissance
Brtualizer Exarch - > Gutter Grime
Golgari Rot Farm - > Woodland Cemetary
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Brutalizer Exarch often gets left in sideboards, but I can see the appeal. Explain to me how Greater Gargadon is better than Falkenrath Marauders. He doesn't make an impact when he hits the board. He hits the board either extremely late, or at a ridiculous cost. He can has no evasion. All I see is that he escapes burn.
I'm reasonably sure that cutting Starstorm for Devil's Play is a pretty good trade. Is there something I should have cut instead?
Misdirection, Willbender, and Brutalizer Exarch will likely make it back into the cube, after a few of the INN cards show they aren't as fun as I thought. In general, I like to overvalue cards first.
Awesome! Thanks Eidolon. Those Coming Soons are going to be a work in progress as I have time to update and write about the cube.
Here are my thoughts on those cards:
Morbid Plunder supports my black recursion theme, is there another reanimator that is better that I am missing?
Past in Flames seems like it can be a house. A lot of Red's weakness is it runs out of steam very easily. This essentially throws a little coal back into the stove.
Falkenrath Marauders makes an impact immediately, and if not dealt with is frightening.
Creeping Renaissance fights the Land Destruction that red and black have, as well as gets back important creatures/spells. It is costly, but it double all your threats.
Gutter Grime makes board wipes a very sad situation. This was added as a counter measure to my dominant control metagame.
Am I overvaluing these cards too much?
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
Gargadon is an investment in the late game for super cheap. It provides a great sac outlet so you can get value from removal, and it forces your opponent to play around Gargadon, even if he never comes into play. Your opponent has to change their whole gameplan as soon as Gardadon coming into play is even a possibility. No card warps the fabric of a game for a single mana like Gargadon does. I think he's easily a core 360 cube staple; cutting it from 800 seems really loose.
I like Devil's Play a bit more than Starstorm, but at this size, you should absolutely play both. Cut any of these instead:
Insurrection !
Ruination !
Furyborn Hellkite !
Invader Parasite !
Hoard-Smelter Dragon !
Adamaro, First to Desire !
Chain Reaction !
Chandra Ablaze !
Firestorm !
Also, add in Pyroclasm.
As for the blue cards, any of these would be much better cuts than either the misdirection or the Willbender:
Minds Aglow !
Spell Crumple !
Trade Secrets !
Sun Quan, Lord of Wu !
Richard Garfield, Ph.D. !
Impaler Shrike !
Phyrexian Ingester !
Jace's Archivist !
Windfall !
Delay !
Vesuvan Doppelganger !
Sphinx of Uthuun !
And I'd get Psionic Blast in too.
As for the Exarch, I think he's leagues better than Creeping Corrosion or Omnath.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
It looms over the game and changes the way your opponent has to play. Not too bad for 1 mana, amirite? Oh, and you might just have a one-sided Abyss.
-AA
I use descriptive language. Assume that I'm being nice and respectful. (I'll tell you when I'm not.)
My Cube: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/9029
Another thing about Gargadon: It has savage synergy with Balance and Armageddon.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Hm. I pulled Minds Aglow, but didn't list it. Oops. Yeah. Pyroclasm needs to be in to support my "red control". Furyborn Hellkite out for Starstorm is pretty easy, but makes me sad as I try to include cards that give red a little more identity other than burn and land destruction. Chandra Ablaze will probably get cut for it.
Psionic Blast was originally in the cube, but I just can't deal with the fact that it isn't a Blue card. It just feels so wrong. However...it does help my U Tempo section.
Very good. I see all your points. We are drafting this weekend. I'm going to leave my changes as is, for this weekend, and see how it turns out, but your points all make sense and really add a layer to their evaluation this weekend.
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
I ran a Cube Introduction draft for a bunch of players that have never heard of, let alone played Cube before. There were 8 players, all not only completely inexperienced with Cube, but largely inexperienced with Drafting altogether. They all had a blast, and i had a ton of fun running the event for all the newbies.
I didn't get a great look at all the packs and what cards were picked in what order but I have the finished lists and notes for most of the match ups. Nearly universal was an inability to cut cards to make room for lands. They almost all went light on the lands so they could use more of the fun cube cards.
THE DRAFT:
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Meglonoth
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Loxodon Hierarch
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Blastoderm
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Jungle Lion
1 Ohran Viper
1 Skinshifter
1 Wild Dogs
1 Masked Admirers
1 Pouncing Jaguar
1 Primeval Titan
1 Omnath, Locus of Mana
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Ant Queen
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Kavu Titan
1 Briarhorn
1 Garruk's Horde
1 Boggart Ram-Gang
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Wall of Blossoms
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Firespout
1 Bitterblossom
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Naturalize
1 Overrun
1 Sarkhan Vol
1 Mirri's Guile
1 Natural Order
1 Call of the Herd
1 Coalition Relic
Land:
1 Plateau
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Dauthi Marauder
1 Goblin Welder
1 Duplicant
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Glissa, the Traitor
1 Precursor Golem
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Master Transmuter
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
1 Deceiver Exarch
1 Etched Monstrosity
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Myr Propagator
1 Ring of Gix
1 Powder Keg
1 Chimeric Idol
1 Nim Deathmantle
1 Engineer Explosives
1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Ankh of Mishra
1 Izzet Signet
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Skullclamp
1 Manalith
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Mimic Vat
1 Chimeric Mass
1 Brittle Effigy
1 Grim Monolith
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Bonesplitter
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Library of Alexandria
1 City of Ass
1 Taiga
1 Flooded Strand
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Academy Ruins
1 Vivid Crag
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Temple Garden
1 Fume Spitter
1 Carnophage
1 Black Knight
1 Ember Hauler
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Putrid Leech
1 Mistral Charger
1 Broodmate Dragon
1 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Blazing Specter
1 Kargan Dragonlord
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Goblin Guide
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Ball Lightning
1 Ravenous Baboons
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Keldon Champion
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Reanimate
1 Thoughtseize
1 Druidic Satchel
1 Wild Ricochet
1 Stormbind
1 Terminate
1 Incendiary Command
1 Magma Jet
1 Flame Javelin
1 Chandra Nalaar
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Rift Bolt
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Chandra, the Firebrand
1 Incinerate
1 Blightning
1 Flame Slash
1 Raging Ravine
1 Wasteland
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Blood Crypt
1 Badlands
1 Juggernaut
1 Flickerwisp
1 Fireslinger
1 Oxidda Scrapmelter
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Hearth Kami
1 Magus of the Scroll
1 Plated Geopede
1 Plumeveil
1 Crater Hellion
1 Wake Thrasher
1 Enclave Cryptologist
1 Impaler Shrike
1 Invader Parasite
1 Thieving Magpie
1 Gilded Drake
1 Dwarven Blastminer
1 Ghitu Slinger
1 Man-o'-War
1 Riftwing Cloudskate
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Minds Aglow
1 Fire // Ice
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Who // What // Where // When // Why
1 Jace Beleren
1 Burst Lightning
1 Control Magic
1 Slagstorm
1 Mana Leak
1 Pillage
1 Demonfire
1 Blast from the Past
1 Sudden Shock
1 Crystal Shard
1 Puncture Blast
1 Capsize
1 Firebolt
1 Jace, the Mindsculptor
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Maze of Ith
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Strip Mine
1 Stormfront Pegasus
1 Soltari Trooper
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Dark Confidant
1 Razormane Masticore
1 Burning-Tree Shaman
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Akroma Angel of Wrath
1 Battlegrace Angel
1 Exalted Angel
1 Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
1 Stonecloaker
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
1 Emeria Angel
1 Plague Sliver
1 Paladin en-Vec
1 Puppeteer Clique
1 Abyssal Persecutor
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Gideon's Avenger
1 Stupor
1 Contagion
1 Chrome Mox
1 Necropotence
1 Sudden Death
1 Martial Coup
1 Night's Whisper
1 Barter in Blood
1 Condemn
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Rout
1 Life's Finale
1 Vindicate
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Decree of Pain
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Unmake
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Mutavault
1 Godless Shrine
1 Kjeldoran Outpost
1 Vivid Marsh
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Mold Shambler
1 Furyborn Hellkite
1 Jackal Pup
1 Bottle Gnomes
1 Thornling
1 Primordial Hydra
1 Mystic Snake
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Albino Troll
1 Lorescale Coatl
1 Trygon Predator
1 Coiling Oracle
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Wolfbriar Elemental
1 Azure Mage
1 Gaea's Revenge
1 Honor of the Pure
1 Behemoth Sledge
1 Memory Jar
1 Elephant Guide
1 Frantic Search
1 Intuition
1 Snakeform
1 Collective Voyage
1 Creeping Mold
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Harmonize
1 Confiscate
1 Exclude
1 Harrow
1 Rancor
1 Time Spiral
1 Jace's Ingenuity
1 Spitting Image
1 Tooth and Nail
1 Stonewood Invocation
1 Ghitu Encampment
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Stomping Ground
1 Arid Mesa
1 Flooded Grove
1 Vivid Creek
1 Tropical Island
D'oh! I lost Ryan's decklist in the mix of things. He draft a WU Control featuring a ridiculous number of sweepers.
D'oh! Again! This get got lost in the mix. Adam had a UB Control deck with a nearly perfect curve.
THE PLAY:
Chelsea vs. Diannah: This match up was quite a surprise. Diannah's artifact.dec seemed a lot more powerful than it turned out to be against Chelsea. Both games had Chelsea throwing down a 1 or 2 drop and getting that early damage in, until she either dropped Primeval or Deranged Hermit. By the time Diannah managed to get her beaters, or combo, in play it was too late. Chelsea went 2-0 very quickly.
The MVPs: Skinshifter, Omnath, Locus of Mana, Master Transmuter
Dallan vs. Brandon: I think this was my favorite to watch. Both players drafted a control skeleton, one UR and one RB. Both featured burn and both featured Land destruction. Which provided plenty of laughs the first time they played when both startlingly realized what a back and forth match of attrition the game would be. Not only did they both feature similar elements. Brandon had 2 of the Jaces, and Dallan had 2 Chandras. It was just a blast for everyone. Dallan took it 2-1
The MVPs: Chandra Nalaar, Ravenous Baboons, Avalanche Riders
Tara vs. Matt: Tara's U/G tempo simply decimated Matt's W/B Aggro. She took the game 2-0. Matt had all the right cards it seemed, but just could never get anything going against Tara's Tempo. The two times (once a game) it appears Matt had taken the upper hand by dropping either Akroma or Yosei, Tara played removal in the form of her Spitting Image and once again her tempo gained her the advantage.
The MVPs: Gaea's Revenge, Troll Ascetic, Spitting Image
Ryan vs. Adam: Adam won 2-0. It was another Control vs Control match up. The first game was Adam's when Ryan couldn't draw into any of his board wipes. The second game went so long that it came down to one card. Ryan decked when Adam only had 1 card left in his library. In fact, it was Black Sun Zenith that saved the day for Adam because it kept getting shuffled in.
The MVPs: Black Sun's Zenith, Sacred Mesa, Liliana Vess
I'm getting a little tired of typing so I'll just summarize a bit more.
Adam vs. Dallan: The UB Control managed to squeak through the land destruction and establish a grip on the game and never let go. Adam took it.
Chelsea vs. Tara: The Mono Green just had too much going on against the UG Tempo. Too many threats that UG had a hard time dealing with. The game went to Chelsea.
Adam vs. Chelsea: This was a really fun match to watch. In fact, everyone else halted their games to see the feature match of the day. The mono-green consistently really looked like it would threaten the slower pace of the UB. But with all the removal Adam had he managed to constantly slip out of the danger zone. Adam eventually took it 2-1, thanks again to a recurring Black Sun's Zenith.
Also: OP updated with new changes.
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
Wild Nacatl - > Ambush Viper
-If I switched Loam Lion and Kird Ape, Wild Nacatl needs to be moved from the green section too. Ambush Viper is essentially a terminate, or a decent aggro creature.
Uril, the Miststalker - > Wild Nacatl
-Had to make room for Wild Nacatl. Uril, is pretty boring too in an 800 Cube without reliably being able to put enchantments on him. I was happier with Meglonoth, but they are both gone now for the Nacatl.
Myr Propagator - > Hex Parasite
-The Propagator is just too mana intensive. If you can afford to use the ability, you can afford to win (in my experience at least). Hex parasite is a decent answer to Planeswalkers, which even in my 800 list, is very important.
Coiling Oracle - > Olivia Voldaren
-Lots of UG and Olivia is fun.
Firespout - > Kessig Wolf Run
-The Wolf Run is just a test card.
Trespassing Souleater - > Boros Signet
-The Souleater is a pet card of mine, and can really be a house. This is one of the saddest cuts I have made, but the discussion about LaPille and his Signets, really made me want to test out the other 6 in my cube again.
Black Vise - > Gruul Signet
-Black Vise is almost always one of the cards to be picked last.
Juggernaut - > Rakdos Signet
-Being forced to attack isn't great, and the Jugg was only included because it is iconic.
Nim Deathmantle - > Orzhov Signet
-The Deathmantle isn't as good as I originally thought.
Manalith - > Golgari Signet
-Something had to go...and the Manalith jumped out at me. I am fine cutting mana fixing, for different mana fixing.
Quicksilver Amulet - > Selesnya Signet
-The amulet only mattered in certain decks.
Soldevi Excavations - > Black Lotus
Gemstone Mine - > Mana Crypt
Vivid Meadow - > Mox Pearl
Vivid Creek - > Mox Sapphire
Vivid Marsh - > Mox Jet
Vivid Crag - > Mox Ruby
Vivid Grove - > Mox Emerald
Braingeyser - > Ancestrall Recall
Windfall - > Timetwister
Looter il-Kor - > Psionic Blast
Repeal - > Time Walk
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
An 800 card cube certainly has room for Gemstone Mine and especially for Looter il-Kor (the best looter). I found the Mine to be much better than Thawing Glaciers. There are a lot of creatures in your list I'd cut before Looter il-Kor. I'll just suggest three: Jushi Apprentice. Sphinx of Uthuun, and Vesuvan Doppelganger.
Black Vise is a great card for aggro. It's in no danger of being cut from my cube and is picked fairly highly. Aggro may not be as strong in an 800, which might explain why Vise is not picked.
I like Repeal much more than Trade Secrets.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Hmmm. Good points.
A couple of extra changes.
Cao Cao, Lord of Wei - > Consuming Vapors
-Cao Cao fits the discard theme, but sucks. Vapors is awesome.
Elixir of Immortality - > Black Vise
-Elixir is fun but if the Vise gets more aggro support I can see this being a great change.
Sphinx of Uthuun - > Looter il-Kor
-I'm willing to give this a test.
Thawing Glaciers - > Gemstone Mine
-Willing to test this theory.
Also, I have updated the OP with some design notes and such.
Edit 2: Somehow I seem to have dropped 2 cards from the list in my editing and didn't note them. The math says I only have 798 in there. Any suggestions as to what to add to bring it up to the even 800? 1 White card and 1 of either Gold, Artifact, Land (no real preference).
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
I originally had the Mystic in the Cube but she wound up being a whiff so often since my equipment list is fairly small. I still like her over Fiend Hunter though because of the cmc.
What do you think of:
+Stoneforge Mystic
-Because she is worth it if you can even get one equipment in your deck.
Jester's Cap - > Winter Orb
-Jester's Cap removes 3 threats, but this is Cube. Everything is a threat.
+Thawing Glaciers
-After the discussion on the Card Evaluation, I feel sad cutting my Judge promo Glaciers.
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
EDIT: I also think I am going to do:
Rakka Mar - > Reckless Waif
-Rakka is an example of running flavor over power for me. I am going to test this swap to give red some more consistency in their 1 drops.
Adamaro, First to Desire - > Stromkirk Noble
-Adamaro is fun and gnarly on turn 3. But Stromkirk is a 1 drop and can get big and gnarly.
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Slamel's Unpowered CubeThe Commandments of EDH