Basic Information
[B]Cube Size:[/B] 450 Cards
[B]Breakdown:[/B] 62 Mono Colored, 55 Artifacts, 40 Multicolor, 45 Lands
[B]Standard or Theme:[/B] Standard
[B]Snow Lands[/B]: No
[B]Average Number of Players:[/B] 2-6
[B]How Often Drafted:[/B] Tuesdays
Card Selection
[B]Proxies:[/B] Yes
[B]Powered:[/B] Yes
[B]Portal:[/B] Yes, but I don't run "functional" reprints over "standard" versions.
[B]"Un" Cards: [/B] Yes
[B]Functional Reprints:[/B]: Yes
[B]Banned Cards for Power-Level[/B]: No
[B]Banned Cards for Time Constraints:[/B] No
[B]Banned Cards for "fun" factor:[/B] No
Cube Design
[B]Standard or Multiplayer:[/B] Standard
[B]Sideboards?:[/B] Yes
[B]Color Balance:[/B] Yes
[B]Gold Balance:[/B] Yes
[B]Hybrid/Split/Kicker as Gold:[/B] Yes
[B]Color Triggers as Gold:[/B] Yes
[B]Perfectly Balanced CMC:[/B] No
Cubing has been a hobby of mine for almost tow years ago and t has brought me nothing but joy. It has been quite an exercise in designing the perfect Magic set.
When I started on this version of my cube I knew I wanted to make sure that mono-colored decks were a possibility that wouldn't always be in the shadow of the three to five color decks. I feel like I have been successful in this pursuit.
[B]Ways to encourage Mono Colored Decks[/B]
[B]Fewer Multicolored Cards[/B]
Step one is cut back on multicolored cards. Ignoring Archetype, in magic there are 32 decks. (1-Zero Color, 5-Mono Color, 10-Dual Color, 10-Tri Color, 5-Quad color, and 1-Five Color) A white card can be played in 16 decks, while a Blue White card can only be played in 8 decks. If I want people to play mono colored decks, I have to give them the tools to do so. Mainly mono colored cards.
[B]Less Mana Fixing[/B]
So I've cut back on the cards that have to be played in multicolored decks. Well it won't make a lick of difference if between signets, bouncelands, fetchlands, shocklands, revised duals, filters, painlands, tri lands, and vivids I end up drafting 12 non basic lands and I can just play any 7 colors that I want. Lowering the amount of mana fixing does two things to advance me towards my goal. And it also has one more bonus.
1. Fewer dual lands means more card slots can be dedicated towards artifact and mono colored cards.
2. If you don't get anything more than a dual and a signet, you might think twice before splashing for Red and Green in you black deck.
And the unintended bonus.
3. Less Mana Fixing means players have to aggressively take it more. Resulting in a difficult choices between the mana fixing they need and the business cards they want.
[B]Less Splashable Cards[/B]
What good is lowering the amount of multicolored cards and mana fixing if I only need 1 mountain out to play any red card in my deck, and only 1 forest to play every green card? The third thing I need to do is to look towards cards that have more colored mana symbols in the top right. This means playing something like Leonin Skyhunter over Mistral Charger
[B]Reward players for playing Fewer Colors[/B]
Roffelos and Nantuko Shade are exactly the kind of cards I'm looking for. Both of these cards are great if you are playing 10+ of the respective basics, but start to get lack luster if you play fewer of the on color lands.
[b]Inclusion of Landwalk]/b]
Landwalk is an interesting way of punishing players for playing more colors. Mire Boa and River Boa get better and better the more dual lands your opponents play. I should look for more creatures like this.
[B]Don't punish players for playing fewer colors[/B]
Traditionally I have included Persecute in most builds of my cubes. This time I chose to leave it out. It does not make sense to add color hosers to a format that tries to increase mono colored play since one of the easiest defenses against this is to simply play more colors. Which leads me to my next point.
[B]Inclusion of Protection?[/B]
In my Quest to build a cube that encourages fewer color decks. I have to question the inclusion of "Protection from Color". The easiest way for a black deck to deal with a white knight is to splash for burn. Currently I'm playing a bit of Color Protection. Most prominently in White. Should this change? I only play Paladin-en Vec because of its protection, since a 2/2 first strike creature for 1ww is pretty behind the curve, but I play both of the Soltari creatures because of there evasion, not there protection.
I still try to subscribe that philosophy, but in reality it is almost impossible to force players to play fewer colors as long as we provide the fantastic mana fixing that the cube has available to it. I am not willing to cut the Duals, Ravnica Duals, and fetchlands. And because of that it is always going to be possible for someone to aggressively take mana fixing and just play good-stuff.deck. But by doing the above I have been able to make doing so much less attractive. And decks with fewer colors have prospered. It really goes to show you that drafting is a self-correcting format. When one strategy becomes too dominate/diminished, players will either overdraft it. Lowering the potency of such a deck. Or a clever player will pick up the strategy and decimate with it until it starts to become over drafted again.
While reading through this thread, realize that a cube is a work in process. I have tried to outline why I did what I did, but I am always open to the opinions of fellow cubers.
And a brief bit about the formatting of my list. I try to place cards in the color section where they get played most often. Kird Ape in RG, Shackles in Blue. When placing a creature into it's CMC section, I just go by what is in the top right for purposes of placement. I also place spells that act like creatures into the corresponding spell department.
When I draft, I tend to end up with white decks more often than I should. I just love the color and force it whenever possible.
Of the five colors white and black are the most alike. Both of them struggle with their color identities. Blue is a hard line control color. Red and green are firmly on the aggressive side of the spectrum. But black and white want to do both at the same time.
We are currently in the golden era for powerful white cards. Wizard's recent creature power creep has done much to flesh out the power-level of the color.
Gone are the days where we struggle to have an effective one drop after Savannah Lions, Mother of Runes, and Isamaru. Now I have seven quality mono white one-drops. And Figure of Destiny and Loam Lion provide us with two more in the multicolor section.
The quality of removal has also shifted greatly. Pacifism use to be an acceptable card to play in a cube of my size. Now we have Path to Exile, Oblivion Ring, Journey to Nowhere, and Harm's Way to back us up.
The point of this is White has benefited most from Wizards recent sets.
[B]Focus[/B]: The main focus of White in my cube is to act as an aggressive color. W/X weenie decks being one of the primary reasons to play this color. I do realize the color has control roots also so I don't deny the cards to build X/[mana]W[mana] control or midrange decks also.
[B]Cards I'm not Running[/B] Moat:As I said in my focus category, weenie aggression is the main archetype I want to support in this section. Moat does not jive in that deck at all. I have one flying creature in my two drops, and one in my four drops. Eternal Dragon:I've been cubing for aover two years now. I at one point polled my players and asked them if the recursion ability of Eternal Dragon has ever been used. We could recall one game in which it had. Most of the time the Dragon is cycled for land. If I want that I'll run Tithe or Gift of Estates.
[B]One CMC[/B] Elite Vanguard: It is vital for the cube to have a critical mass of creatures with a good power:casting cost ratio. Icatian Javelineers: I am one white one drop away from this guy getting cut. This is sad because I love him. Isamaru, Hound of Konda: The best of the "Lion" variants. I can't recall a time when his legendary status was an actual draw back. Lone Missionary: Very unexciting creature, but it has a decent body with a decent CIP ability. Mother of Runes: Probably the best of the mono white one drop. It can give your creatures shroud vs. removal, let you get through the last few points of damage, or function as an unkillable wall. A difficult to answer card that must be answered. Savannah Lions:Everything I said about Elite Vanguard, but mine looks like Calvin and Hobbes. Steppe Lynx: I'm not a huge fan of this card. Unlike Plated Geopede, this doesn't attack for one if you don't have a land. Also it requires a fetchland to be better than a Lion. Probably will get cut after they print two more playable one drops. Student of Warfare: I love this card. I was so happy when they printed a mono white Figure of Destiny.
[B]Two CMC[/B] Accorder Paladin:I never liked Blade of the sixth pride, but I love anthem effects on legs. This looks like a good replacment for Honor the Pure. Knight of Meadowgrain: Probably my favorite two drop in white. I love me some lifelink. Unlike Silver/White Knight its second ability is always "on". Kor Skyfisher: This thing has really surprised me with how good its drawback is. Lone Missionary: Splashable body that can swing in for 2 if needed, or block/take down a weenie in control. Lenon Relic-Warder: I love Oblivion Ring effects, and this is the third one they let me have. Silver Knight: I love how simple Silver and White Knight are in there execution. Soltari Monk: This and the Priest are two of the most important cards to draft if you are trying to force a white based agro strategy. The unblockable damage means that they will be relevant the entire game. Soltari Priest: Dodges pyroclasm effects as well as target burn. This makes it a bit better than the monk that only protects against target removal from black. Soltari Trooper: No protection hurts, but its easier mana cost still makes it playable. I don't think it's ever mattered that this guy is a 1/1 when not in use. Stoneforge Mystic: With me now playing 3 swords + the ones soon to be printed. I think I have enough critical mass to support this guy. Wish I would have bought him when he was cheep. Ronom Unicorn: Unicorns > Spirits. Wall of Omens: I can't wait till the inevitable FNM/Gameday/gateyway promo of this. I'm holding off on a foil till then. White Knight: I try to keep in cards from Alpha whenever possible. There is something so iconic about the design of cards from the original set.
[B]Three CMC[/B] Kor Sanctifiers: Probably the best thing about this guy is that he is a 2/3 appose to being a 2/2. He blocks/attacks into most aggressive creatures favorably. Mirran Crusader: This thing looks amazing. I thought Paladin en-Vec was good. I think double strike is enough to make up for downgrading pro red to pro green. Mirror Entity: Most of the time I rather spend my mana on replacing a creature that my opponent has killed than spending most to all of my mana to give what usually amounts to being a +1/+1 bonus. Paladin en-Vec: I love this card. It takes two of my favorite cards (white knight and silver knight) and smashes them together. Now if it only had lifelink. Pianna, Nomad Captain: I would rank this as the worst of my three drops. Though if it attacks alone, a 3/3 for 1WW is not awful. It's just not great either. Soltari Champion: I love this guy, as with the other shadow guys, unblockable damage is great. But unblockable damage that pumps the team? Hells yeah!
[B]Four CMC[/B] Calciderm: A card that seems to have a spot in my cube forever. He is a great agro topper. Celestial Crusader: Uncounterable team pump. Nice Indomitable Archangel: An unconvential choice. I hope the on-curve evasive beater will be good as a white agro topper or a decent midrange creature.
[B]Five CMC[/B] Baneslayer Angel: I hate this card. It obsoletes my favorite magic card. Cloudgoat Ranger: As Usman says. 6 power for 5 mana. Karmic Guide: It's hard to say which of my five drops is the worst. But gun to my head I pick Karmic Guide if I had to cut a card from this section. Reveillark: Great with blink effects. Makes wrathing you seem like a bad idea. Lark is a great card.
[B]Six Plus[/B] Akroma, Angel of Wrath: For my six+ section, I choose Akroma as the worst card. It is best in reanimator strategies. An archetype I don't support. And it's too expensive in my main strategy in white, weenie agro. Exalted Angel: If you know me, you know this is my favorite magic card. Yosei, the Morning Star: I love cards that punish your opponent for killing your stuff.
[B]Artifacts[/B] Scepter of Dominance: No matter what it seems, Icy Manipulator is always playable.
[B]Enchantment[/B] Faith's Fetters: I'm temporarily adding this back in to see if my previous experiences with it still rang true. Glorious Anthem: Probably the best anthem effect. It's hard to kill and it makes your earlier creatures threats. Journey to Nowhere: About equal to Oblivion ring in terms of power. Doesn't target everything, but 90% of the time I target creatures with my Oblivion Ring. So Ring -1 si good. Land Tax: Rated the second best white card. I have to agree. White wants to geddon the board and this insures that you won't be behind in your mana development. Oblivion Ring: Probably one of the best designed cards in the past 3 years. Parallax Wave: Clears the board for your dudes for 1-2 turns. Usually enough to get a win. Seal of Cleansing: Can be fetched with Enlightened Tutor. Something that you can't do with Disenchant. The only way I would cut this is if I decided all my disenchant effects were going to be on sticks.
[B]Instant[/B] Condemn: The worst removal spell and worst white instant in my cube. I'm one more good removal spell away from cutting this. But seeing as it took wizards 15 years to give us a removal spell equal in power to Swords to Plowshares. I'm not going to hold my breath. Disenchant: How has Wizards not ever printed a foil version of this with good art? Enlightened Tutor: Lets aggressive decks get there equipments and (U/W) decks grab there control magics. Harm's Way: Lets you turn a carefully planned attack into a massacre. Path to Exile: This is one of those cards that when you build a cube, you know you have this slot permanently done when you get this card. Pulse of the Fields: I am apparently the only person who sees how truly great this card is. Usually it takes one game where someone lasts 12 more turns than they should have and pull out a win to convince someone of the power of this card. It might not be as great as it is in my head, but it is one of the cards that makes my cube "my cube". Swords to Plowshares: I remember when I first saw this card years back and decided that it might be good.
[B]Land[/B] Kjeldoran Outpost: GOod in both control and aggresive decks. It creates tokens to fuel your post wrath landscapes, and it creates a steady stream of blockers against your opponents finishers.
[B]Planeswalkers[/B] Ajani Goldmane: Probably the worst of the three white walkers. Yeah that is saying something for how good Planeswalkers are. People always tend to forget the +2 life ability on this guy. But he can let you survive games that you shouldn't. Elspeth, Knight-Errant: If Ajani is the worst White Walker, Elspeth is the best. She mimics Kjeldoran Outpost in it's ability to pump out win conditions/blockers. And it allows your ground creatures to smash face. Elspeth Tirel: I have high hopes for this card. Gideon Jura:I don't know who gave this thing it's stupid name.
[B]Sorcery[/B] Armageddon: If you want to force White agro, this is the card you want to open Pack 1 Pick 1. Balance: Voted the best white card. It is among the best cards in Magic's history. We have a saying that you always splash for Balance. Catastrophe: I was frightened by the six mana cost on this for too long. It is worth the cost to have a card that is this good. Day of Judgment: I have had the no regeneration clause be both helpful and a drawback. Still the best bonus a Wrath of God effect can have is that it costs four. Decree of Justice: Get this noobs, DoJ means Decree of Justice not Day of Judgment. Ravages of War: They really need to print a promo or something of this card. The price tag on this card is not warranted. Spectral Procession: I hope Erwin never lives down calling "three dudes" bad. Wrath of God: I am of the opinion that the Textless art version of this card is among the most hideous thing's I have ever seen. That being said Kev Walker did a superb job on this.
Blue is probably my second go to color for drafting.
Blue fits on the most right side of the control vs agro pendulum. Blue has few aggressive cards worth playing. As a result the average mana cost of this section tends to be a bit higher than elsewhere. With Wizard's recent push to emphasize creatures it might be possible to have blue be able to move from a pure control to more creature oriented. Right now that is not an option, but right now it is not.
We are in an odd era for blue. Wizards seems hellbent on making the color worse. And then they print Jace the Mind Sculptor and we have a new best card in standard. Seriously, we had just gotten rid of Cryptic Command.
[B]Focus[/B]: The main focus of Blue is control. It would be impossible to build a blue main aggressive deck in my cube. But there are a few cards that you might be able to play in an aggressive deck splashing blue.
[B]Cards I'm not Running[/B] Time Spiral: Mostly I just keep on neglecting to print a proxy out of this card. Or I have other cards I want to experiment with more than Time Spiral. Since this has been unbanned, I"m unlikely to ever pick one up. I hate proxying a card and thinking, it's never going to get better than this. Psionic Blast: It's just not a blue card. Tolarian Academy: I was really hopping for more playable colored artifacts to boost my artifact count for cards like this and Academy RUins. Sally scards has been failing on this one.
[B]CMC Two[/B] Gilded Drake: One of the few cards that if you are attacking with it, you just got screwed. Looter il-Kor: The best looter. I have yet to have a time where this blocked a shadow creature. Willbender: I love this card. It also gives a bit of mystery with Vesuvan Shapeshifter.
[B]CMC Three[/B] AEther Adept: Dubbed "Bad-o'-War". Still seems like a good option. Calcite Snapper: I've been amazed at how good this guy has turned out. Kira, Great Glass-Spinner: Adds so much money to your creatures by making them all so hard to kill. Sadly you also have a hard time targeting your own creatures. Man-o'-War: Tempo card, functions really well in a x/U deck splashing blue for card draw. Sea Gate Oracle: A solid card, I don't expect it to be in my cube forever though. Serendib Efreet: Did you know this was banned at one point? It's one of the few aggressive creatures I play in blue. Vendilion Clique: I didn't play this card for way too long.
[B]CMC Four[/B] Clone: I have loved this card since I started laying magic. And since the revision of the Legend rule it doubles as Legend removal. Glen Elendra Archmage: Occasionally is used as a chump blocker twice. Otherwise it forces your opponent to reevaluate all their non creature spells. Sower of Temptation: Few cards grant three for one advantages and cost four mana. Thieving Magpie: I always liked the fact that my Magpie is shiny. Not as a disservice to the card, but it is probably the worst four drop I'm playing. Venser, Shaper Savant: The double blue mana prevents it from being used in an aggressive deck splashing blue like Man-o'-War. But is still good in control decks and aggressive decks with a higher committal to blue.
[B]CMC Five[/B] Meloku the Clouded Mirror: I don't think it gets stated often enough. But it is really hard to kill something with a four back end. Meloku can block most creatures favorably. I opened a Meloku in my first pack of Champions. I was more excited about the Wicked Akuba in the pack. [sarcasm]Time will tell that I was right[/sarcasm] Morphling: I fall in the Sphinx of Jwar Isle is better side of the argument, but not to the disservice of Morphling. I hate to say it, but I think this is the worst five drop I'm currently playing. Mulldrifter: I rarely evoke this without having a recurring nightmare. I just feel bad in playing Divination in a cube draft. Vesuvan Shapeshifter: I love cloning creatures, and this is probably the best example of this in the cube.
[B]Six Plus[/B] Inkwell Leviathan: This guy is pretty much impossible to deal with outside a Wrath of God. Keiga, the Tide Star: I rarely get it's control magic effect to trigger. But 5/5 dragons for 6 are still good. Sphinx of Jwar Isle: I love this guy. I think of it as the best finisher in blue. But maybe the newely added Inkwell Levithan can change that.
[B]Artifacts[/B] Crystal Shard: One of my favorite cards to cube with. I even had a legacy Crystal Shard deck for awhile. Vedalken Shackles: Usman finally managed to convince me to move this from the artifact section to the blue section.
[B]Enchantment[/B] Control Magic: The day after I sharpied in my 4th edition Control Magic I get a trade for a Beta one. Go figure. This is a perfectly fair card. Which makes it the worst card in my enchantment section. Because Future Sight and Treachery are basically cheating. Treachery: One of the most back breaking cards in blue. Having the ability to steal a creature for free can devastate an opponent.
[B]Instants[/B] Ancestral Recall: The best card in blue. Arcane Denial: I've been playing this for a few months now, and I still am failing to see the hubbub about it. Brainstorm: A card that is deceptively hard to play. Knowing when to play it, what to put in what order, and what to draw requires quite a bit of thought. Capsize: A bounce spell that doesn't result in card disadvantage. If you are able to accelerate with a few signets you can effectively lock your opponent out of ever getting ahead on mana. Condescend: This is a fair counterspell. I like it, but I wouldn't be averse to cutting it. Cryptic Command: Counter draw is my favorite way to play this card. Rewards a player for playing loads of islands. Counterspell: Three words strike fear into the hearts of magic players. Counter Target Spell. Richard Garfield got this card right. Cancel be damned. Dismiss: I realized that the two most used nodes on Cryptic Command are Counter Draw. As a result I added in an easier to cast version of that. Fact or Fiction: This card is awesome. One of my favorite cards Magic. Enough so that when I do two player drafts, sometimes we use a format that mimics Fact or Fiction. Forbid: Hey, it's better than Cancel! The card operates best with ways to draw multiple cards in a single turn. Force of Will: Wow, I feel smart for picking these up for $20 each now. I feel sorry for people trying to break into competitive eternal formats now. Force Spike: My initial reaction to Force Spike being too "soft" of a counter was misplaced. Gifts Ungiven: I say quite often that I am not a good enough player to play this card carefully. The biggest problem with this card is often after you play it, you have just gotten rid of the two best cards in your deck. And if your opponent can get around the second best cards in your deck, you are out of the game. Into the Roil: Bounce comes with the intrinsic problem that it comes packaged with built in with card disadvantage. Tempo in exchange for card advantage. Into the Roil can be played early if you absolutely need the bounce. Also bounce draw is two of the nodes on Cryptic Command. Mana Drain: This is one of the cards that shows that blue is much better Mana Leak: Easy to cast, and the best of all soft counters. 90% of the time this will work to counter anything that is still relevant to the course of the game. Memory Lapse: I haven't had a chance to play with Memory Lapse in years. I'm excited that I get to use my Judge promo one now. Wish it had better art. Miscalculation: A Manaleak that is relevant as the game progresses. Mystical Tutor: It is versatile enough to warrant the -1 card advantage. Unlike worldly tutor, where most times I would rather just have another creature in that slot. Remand: A tempo based counter. Thirst for Knowledge: A draw card that I've overlooked for way too long.
[B]Land[/B] Faerie Conclave: It does seem like I love manlands a little too much. Conclave is amazing, but is it still one of the the best 62 blue spells? Shelldock Isle: A card that is uniquely suited to a limited event. If you play this on the play on turn one you have to dig through eleven cards to make the Isle active.
[B]Planeswalkers[/B] Jace Beleren: Probably a bit weaker than Tezzeret, Beleren's ultimate is amazingly powerful. Jace, the Mind Sculptor: The strongest Planeswalker. With only Elspeth being a contender. Tezzeret the Seeker: Stronger than the original jace, but much more narrow. I would cut this card before Jace 1.0
[B]Sorcery[/B] Bribery: It shines in the control mirror. Being able to fetch your opponent's Kokoshu is the thing of dreams. Usually there is atleast one target in every deck. Deep Analysis: The first time around this card is a bit expensive to cast. But the flashback is so good. Ponder: I find myself in a situation where I have to choose between one card I want and two cards I don't want, or shuffling my deck. I like that kind of tension. Preordain: The best card filtering since Ponder. Sadly it probably won't be printedin m12 meaning the foil price will stay high. Rite of Replication: Probably one of the most fun cards in the cube. I love when you finally get up to nine mana and are able to kick this thing. It leads to some of the most memorable cube stories. Timetwister: Refilling your opponents hand (and them getting full access to there mana before you) extremely hampers the overall power of this card. Time Walk: It's quite broken. Tinker: I'm worried about having enough robots to go fetch with this. I really only have Inkwell Levithan and Sundering Titan. It seems subpar to tinker away a mox to go get an equipment. Upheaval: I haven't had any luck with this card personally.
Wizards seems at a loss for what they want Black to be doing now a days. Back during Time Spiral era the color was getting great control spells like Damnation and awesome finishers like Kokoshu. Now the color is starting to be biased towards aggressive strategies with cards like Sign in Blood and the entire Vampire tribe.
Black needs some form of life gain in it. I count seventeen forums of self mutilation in black right now. Vampire Nighthawk and Sorin Markov were godsends for helping to reverse this problem with some life gain. Wizards realy needs to print a color-shifted Knight of Meadowgrain to help out.
Currently black does not have the wealth of one drops with good power:toughness ratio that Red, Green, and White have. But the inclusion of 1cc discard and Dark Ritual helps to give black more turn one plays.
[B]Focus[/B]: Black is more on the control end of the scale than white. Black has a large catalog of great removal spells and awesome discard. Also since Wizard's thinks black can get almost any effect if you attack a life cost on it (because black is evil) it does not have a problem having a wide array of effects.
[B]Cards I'm not Running[/B] Yawgmoth's Will: I never found this card to be the powerhouse that it is in constructed formats. Due to a lack of a critical mass of ritual effects, black has a hard time ramping into this and then playing a few spells.
[B]One CMC[/B] Carnophage: Like white, black needs creatures with a good power to mana cost ratio. Carnophage is better than Lacerator because Zombies are cooler than Vampires. Fume Spitter: The Mogg Fanatic that effects the board after he leaves. Vampire Lacerator: The self inflicted damage, which is common among black cards can begin to become a problem.
[B]Two CMC[/B] Black Knight: Mine looks like Batman! Bloodghast: Great source of virtual card advantage. Should have been a Zombie. Dark Confidant: Am I alone in thinking that when you don't have a huge degree of control to your mana curve, Dark Confidant is really a scarry card to play. Dauthi Horror: It took only two years, but I have seen Dauthi Horror's anti white ability matter in a cube draft. It was amazing. Dauthi Slayer: Like white, shadow is good. The black versions are a bit more fragile, missing there protection. Nantuko Shade: It already has the minimum acceptable body of a 2/1 for 2. Ontop of that he encourages you to play multiple swamps. And I'm always looking for cards that encourage you to play fewer colors. Nezumi Graverobber: With it's 2/1 body it can be an effective aggressive creature. It is also one of the few graveyard hate cards in my cube. Nezumi Shortfang: Shortfang is less effective as an aggressive creature. It has a bad body and requires you to tap it to use it's ability. On the other hand it can be breaking versus control. Oona's Prowler: A 3/1 with evasion for two is good. The prowler also gives us a discard outlet for the little reanimation support I do have. Vampire Hexmage: A niche card. It's first strike allows it to trade with most two and three drops. It is also one of the few outs for planeswalkers available.
[B]Three CMC[/B] Bone Shredder: This guy has always worked great for me. I'm just curious to how often you guys end up playing the echo? Dauthi Marauder: This card is amazing. It fits into cubes of any size. I don't think black based agro was a viable option until I put this guy in. It might be because a repeating Lava Spike is really good, or it might be because that is when I reached some sort of critical mass for black agro support. Hypnotic Specter: When I first started playing Magic this was the card I just had to have. I remember busting my hump to get a playset of this card. Liliana's Specter: I always wanted to play Ravenous Rats in my cube, now I do. Phyrexian Rager: I love small sized creatures that replace themselves. Phyrexian Rager could only be better if it was a Zombie instead of a Horror. I need to get a new border foiled one (I have an old bordered foil one if anyone wants to trade) Vampire Nighthawk: Apparently just throwing tons of keywords at a creature makes a solid creature.
[B]Four CMC[/B] Bane of the Living: Everyone else seems to love this card more than me. Which is fine. Braids, Cabal Minion: I have only had moderate sucess with this card. Usally it works kind of like a 4 casting cost diabolic edict since I just sacrifice the Braids during my upkeep. It has been good though and is in no threat of being removed. Graveborn Muse: I like this card much more than Dark Confidant and Phyrexian Arena. Only ever taking one damage (and not having to reveal it) is a godsend. Also the decent sized body is great. Nekrataal: I love CIP removal. Nekrataal might be the weakest of all of them. Plague Sliver: I decided to remove a proxy and add in a foil. So out came Juzam Djinn, and incame Plague Sliver. Skinrender: Amazing card. Black has quite a few Nekrataals now.
[B]Five CMC[/B] Ob Nixilis, the Fallen: I was surprised at how well this card works. Probably the best land fall guy. Take that Lotus Cobra! Shriekmaw: The best 187 creature in the cube. Works as both an aggressive and a control card.
[B]Six Plus
[/B] Grave Titan: One of the best finishers in years. 10 power for 6 mana. Fricken-A. Kokusho, the Evening Star: I think we can all agree this is one of the best finishers in the cube. He works well with anyway to bounce him in and out of the graveyard. And he only has to connect three times before your opponent can't kill him. (or they lose) Tombstalker: It's cheating to call this a 6+ drop, but since I'm just going by what is in the top right for placement in this thread, that's where I'm putting it. Twisted Abomination: One of the card's that I can't recommend enough. It is a good reanimation creature with a built in way to get it to the yard. It's a sufficient size and it's regeneration make it difficult enough where it can work as a finisher.
[B]Enchantment[/B] Animate Dead: Whenever I see this card the first thing I think of is the old Worldgorger Dragon decks. I like my reanimation to be cheap and have the ability to hit an opponent's creature. That way it can be played in decks without dedicated Reanimation support. Bitterblossom: I'm still kicking myself for not buying these pre-standard faeries. Looks like I'll be kicking myself for not buying one pre-extended faeries. Token production at it's finest. Necromancy: How often do you cast this as an instant? Nether Void: Usman always refers to this as a "black" Armageddon. I have a hard time arguing with that logic. Phyrexian Arena: I have killed myself because of this stupid enchantment more times then I would like to admit. That being said I have always preferred the Arena in a vacuum to Dark Confidant. Recurring Nightmare: My vote for black's best card. You hear that Mind Twist! Sarcomancy: The third one drop creature that black gets. It is also better than the Vampire Lacerator due to being a zombie. Yawgmoth's Bargain: I think it's better than Necropotence.
[B]Instants[/B] Dark Ritual: I'm not a huge fan of ritual based mana in the cube. I feel that without multiple copies of this card, it is not worth running. In a singleton format it's not possible to do this. But Dark Ritual is strong enough to function on it's own. Doom Blade: It's better than Terror, but I think both of them are playable. Diabolic Edict: Give's black an out for protection creatures. Disfigure: A flexible removal spell, there isn't anything better for removal in the one mana department. Go for the Throat: I'm so glad they printed this at uncommon. Sadly it's another card that obsoletes Terror. Snuff Out: I always thought this card was good, but since I started supporting black aggressive decks this card has really shown as an all star. Terror: I love cards from Alpha. Vampric Tutor: I thought there was a chance for them to unban in legacy. But them banning Mystical Tutor pretty much killed that idea.
[B]Land[/B] Volrath's Stronghold: My theory is they thought of evoke a decade before they printed it. They wanted there to be support for the mechanic so they made this card. Don't question my logic on this.
[B]Planeswalker[/B] Liliana Vess: Somehow all her abilities are really good. Card advantage, tutoring, and reanimation. And still she manages to be kinda meh. Sorin Markov: I love this card, and would be infavor of it becoming the core set black planeswalker. His +2 ability is pretty much the same as Ajani Vengeant's -2 ability. That is awesome. Also, any life gain in black is so good with the vast amount of self mutilation it has.
[B]Sorcery[/B] Black Sun's Zenith: I'm not sure if black was needing or wanting another wrath effect. But it sure got one. Chainer's Edict: A second edict effect with buyback. Consuming Vapors: I haven't gotten much play with this card yet. Damnation: Nuking the board. I also am not a fan of the Ron Spencer text-less version. Demonic Tutor: I still think this is a better card than Vampiric Tutor. For an additional one mana you get the card now and you don't have to shock yourself. Duress: I think this is a better card than Thoughtseize. Most of the time I find myself taking spells than creatures. 90% of the time it functions the same, but without removing 1/10th of your life. Hymn to Tourach: My favorite discard card. I'm amazed that they haven't made a promo of this yet. Mind Twist: Voted the strongest card in black two years in a row. While it is more ubiquitos than Recurring Nightmare, Mind twist shines when you have insane mana accel. I still feel Recurring Nightmare has more of an impact on the board. Night's Whisper: More splashable than Sign in Blood. But without the ability to shock your opponent. Profane Command: Hey remember that time Pat Chapin used profane command and implied that his Chameleon Colossus was getting fear. Man that was awesome. Reanimate: Legacy has shown how good this card is. Sign in Blood: I was worried about having two black draw two cards. It has never been a problem. I don't think I have ever seen this aimed at an opponent though. Thoughtseize: Targeted discard is good. Blah blah blah. Black likes hurting itself, blah blah blah.
Red has always been one of the harder colors for me to design. I don't play the color unless forced to. As a result most of my proxies tend to be red.
Red is the most two dimensional color in the cube, and it shows.
Wizard has had an idea about what they wanted to do with red since Day one. Burn, blow things up, and Dragons. And they have stayed true to that goal ever since. Sadly most of the powerful cards that Wizard's has printed lately have been reprints. Lightning Bolt and Ball Lightning might have been great for standard, but they didn't help us cubers.
[B]Focus[/B]:I'm moving red from pure agro to agro with some mana denial. I like how this gives red a bit more depth than just burning you out.
[B]Cards I'm not Playing[/B] Ravenous Baboons: A card that I will try later when I see how much I like my current amount of land destruction. Volcanic Hammer: It might just be the snob inside of me, but I refuse to play this card on principals sake. Luckily there is enough quality red burn where this is not an issue.
[B]CMC One[/B] Goblin Guide: Hasty 2/2's for one are amazing. I was worried about letting your opponent draw cards. Boy was I wrong on this one. Goblin Patrol: This card is ok, it's nothing amazing. But still critical amount of 2/1's for 1. Probably the worst 1 drop. Grim Lavamancer: I really need to pick up a Judge Promo. I doubt this card is ever going to get cut. Jackal Pup: Another card that aids for critical mass. Better than Goblin Patrol. Mogg Fanatic: This card has lost quite a bit of it's thunder since M10. Though I still think its a solid enough card where it won't ever be cut. Spikeshot Elder: I love how this interacts with equipment. It's also a callback to one of my first decks that used Cranial Plaiting with Spikeshot Goblin.
[B]CMC Two[/B] Blood Knight: I love the flavor of the classic protection Knights. I doubt that I will ever cut any of these four cards. Dwarven Blastminer: This is red's only morph creature. He punishes dual happy people which makes me happy. Ember Hauler: Finally get to replace Slith Firewalker with a better 2 drop. Fireslinger: A recent addition. My players want me to take this out in favor of the 0/1 haste pinger. Goblin Wardriver: Red is always looking for solid 2 drops. I'm hoping the double red dosen't keep him out of decks. Hearth Kami: I think this is the weakest 2 drop. Hellspark Elemental: I have had such success with this. The next time I get a free spot I'm going to try Ball Lightning. Keldon Marauders: If everything goes right, this thing can get 5 points to the head. Kargan Dragonlord: Plated Geopede: Unlike steppe lynx this can always attack for one. The addition of first strike is a nice bonus also.
[B]CMC Three[/B] Goblin Ruinblaster: I'm starting to get to the point where someone can conceivably build a land destruction deck. Hell's Thunder: This works as a burn spell that can hit players twice. And it's always nice when you win a game at two life and you can ask your opponent why they didn't Unearth for the win. Fire Imp: Trying to get as many burn spells on sticks as possible. I always think this thing has flying. Ghitu Slinger: I'm not a huge fan of echo, but Keldon Champion proved it's worth. Squee, Goblin Nabob: I'm adding in a few cards that as ubiquitous in there use. Maniac Vandal: I was never excited to pay 2R to get to keep a creature with +2/-1.
[B]CMC Four[/B] Avalanche Riders: This card convinced me to put in more land destruction. I'm starting to consider looking for a critical mass of Land destruction in Red. Flametongue Kavu: Defined standard for a bit. It's always nice when the best card in a format isn't blue. Hero of Oxid Ridge: I'm looking forward to bashing in with this guy. It should blank most blockers. I love how it blanks Wall of Denial. Keldon Champion: This is kind of like a mono red Bloodbraid Elf. Oxidda Scrapmelter: I am excited now that wizards has given us two effective Shatters on bodies.
[B]CMC Five[/B] Siege-Gang Commander: This was voted one of the best red creatures/cards in the cube. It's hard to lose the game once it hits play barring a one-sided board position. Thunderblust: It's like a Ball Lightning you get to use twice. Persist is such a great mechanic.
[B]Six Plus[/B] Bogardan Hellkite: I love the power level of this guy. He is also the last dragon in my cube. Crater Hellion: I don't think I've seen this in a draft since I put it in. Greater Gargadon: Most often this is played as a 1 casting cost creature, but the other day I did manage to hard cast this mofo.
[B]Enchantment[/B] Sulfuric Vortex: This card is awesome. The Vortex puts every player on a clock. Which is a clock that a red deck is likely to win.
[B]Lands[/B] Barbarian Ring: An uncounterable source of damage that can hit Soltari Priest, Silver Knight, and Paladin en-Vec. It also gives you another "spell" in your deck.
[B]Planeswalker[/B] Chandra Nalaar: Sometimes it seems like this thing gets to it's ultimate way too quick. Koth of the Hammer: We finally get a good Red Planeswalker. And Koth is a good one.
[B]Instant[/B] Burst Lightning:This is what it took to get shock into my cube. I have a feeling this will be in my cube forever. Char: This is what Flame Javelin wants to be with it's easier mana cost. Mine has Charmander on it. Comet Storm: This is my personal favorite x-spell in red. Fireblast: This is a great finisher for red decks. Incinerate: I play the best art for Incinerate. The Mirage one. They need a foil version of this art. Lightning Bolt: I have a foil textless one sitting around that I refuse to use. Magma Jet: The library manipulation is something that red really needs. Smash to Smithereens: Artifact removal with burn mixed in. Starstorm: This card doesn't seem to come up often in our drafts. I don't know if that's because it's not being played when drafted, or if it's because the card is flat out not put into the X amount of cards that get shuffled togerher to play.
[B]Sorcery[/B] Aftershock: A very rare card that gives red direct creature removal to red. Arc Lightning: Hopefuly this get's reprinted (like half of my red section) Arc Trail: An amazing card. It's fire at sorcery speed but with more damage. Banefire: The best of the red X spells. I don't want to play many more X-spells then I currently am. Chain Lightning: Hopefuly we get foil ones of this card soon. Earthquake: It's a pyroclasm that also hits players. I don't like to run portal cards over cards that perform a very similar card. Fireball: I love playing classic cards whenever possible. It is probable that better x-spells have been printed. But I like this one. Firebolt: Red often has a problem with gas. Firebolt helps give a bit more gas. Like Hellspark Elemental, it's amazing how often at the end of a game this is in a graveyard simply because the opponent forgot about it. Forked Bolt: A mini arc lightning. It's like half a fire/ice. Molten Rain: It blows up lands, but gives a bonus if the land is non-basic. If I play this, should I be playing Stone Rain also? Pyroclasm: Every time I think about cutting this, it proves it's worth ten fold. Pillage: A card that can kill both Jitte or an Ancient Tomb. Rift Bolt: Personally I love this card. I don't feel the delay is worth not playing this. Stone Rain: I have every playable 3-drop mana denial spell in red now. Wheel of Fortune: I'm so happy this card isn't a burn spell. Granted it just draws you more burn spells. But what the hay, It doesn't deal damage. Wildfire: This really wants mana acceleration to make sure it totally geddons your opponent.
Green and I have a bit of a History. When it comes to hues Green is my favorite color. The very first deck I built was Mono Green Elves (It was bad). I have always had a soft spot for the color. In fact the only deck I have built right now is mono green elves.
Ever since Time Spiral Wizards has really been trying to help out green. Goyf and Harmonize were the two big pushes then, and Vengevine and Lotus Cobra is what they are doing now.
[B]Focus[/B]: Greens focus is mana ramp and aggressive creatures. I have been adding ramp based cards to my cube for quite a bit of time no, but it always seems to be at the expense of the cards your ramp into. It might be hard for green to build a weenie aggressive deck like White and Red can, but green always offers great support to those strategies. And it is the best Mid Range color in the cube.
[B]Cards I'm not playing[/B] Phantom Centaur: I really don't have a good reason why I have never tried this guy out. I always mean to but never get around to it. Lotus Cobra: Simply I don't want a mana producer in my cube that doesn't produce mana when I need lands. I got a bit of a sadistic glee when people started saying it wasn't good in standard.
[B]CMC One[/B] Birds of Paradise: I like this more than Noble Hierarch despite the fact the Hierarch is probably the better card. I love when I can equip something like a sword of fire and ice to this guy and go to town. Green has very few ways of dealing with flying in my cube and it's nice that you can use the Bird as a blocker once if need be. Fyndhorn Elves: I wanted to play every mana elf that I could when I started to build my cube. The way I see it is that every green deck wants to start the game with a turn one elf/bird. In order to maximize the possibility of this happening I want to be running atleast two, if not three of these, in every green deck I build. In order to let the two or so green decks do this, I have to run as many playable Mana elfs as possible. Arbor Elves and Joraga might be included at some point. Jungle Lion: They really need to reprint this card so WTWLF can get around his silly portal restriction. Joraga Treespeaker:I'm playing pretty much ever mana elf that I could possibly play. Llanowar Elves: I'm a bigger fan of Kev Walker's art than Anson Madock's. Despite the fact Anson Madock has one *****in name. Noble Hierarch: I really wish that Wizards wouldn't have oversteped there reach with this card. If it only tapped for G it would still be put in every cube, but it would have been a more resonable card. Twinblade Slasher: If I had to cut a card from the Green one drops, this would be it. Wild Dogs: I've been trying to add some form of critical mass of 2/1's for 1 in my cube. Green has two right now and I would be willing to increase this to three. Wild Nacatl: If I ran a three color section, this would be my Naya card. Since I don't it gets put into the green section.
[B]CMC Two[/B] Albino Troll: This is getting cut when Garruk's Champion comes out. Mire Boa: I wanted ways to punish players for playing multiple dual lands. This seemed to be a good way to punish someone for splashing into black. Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary: This card encourages you to play many many many forest. Which is something I wanted when I started building my cube. River Boa: Played for the same reason that Mire Boa Sakura-Tribe Elder: Sadly this has lost a bit of it's thunder since the removal of combat damage on the stack. Tarmogoyf: A card that is way too exspensive for how good it is. I still firmly believe that this card should have cost either GG or 1GG. Wall of Blossoms: I tried playing Elvish Visionary in addition to this. I thought that the main draw to this card was the card draw. I was very wrong. Wall of Roots: A mana producer that can block. Great to stall the game for your larger drops. Wild Mongrel: I'm pretty sure the sun is beginning to set on this guy. He works well as a discard outlet for the various graveyard strategies. I don't think it will be long before this guy gets cut.
[B]CMC Three[/B] Eternal Witness: My favorite Green card. There is nothing I don't love about this card. The art is great. Screw you FNM version. Great Sable Stag: It seems that if you load two protections with a good ability on a creature with a decent power to casting cost ratio, it's hard not to cube with it. Imperious Perfect: This thing really works well with quite a few various strategies. It makes a good outlet for Braids and Smokestacks. Also quite a few creatures happen to be elves also. Probably the worst three drop. Ohran Viper: I love this card. It works with Braids and Smokestack so well. Troll Ascetic: This card isn't nearly as exciting as it once was. Viridian Shaman: I debated for a long time between Viridian Shaman and Sex Monkeys. Scott M. Fischer's art and the fact I already owned a foil Shaman won me over.
[B]CMC Four[/B] Blastoderm: This card is even more amazing than it's White's brother due to the ability to play a mana elf to drop this earlier. Chameleon Colossus: Stronger than the Baloths. The protection from black makes it hard to deal with but most of the time you have to attack into an empty board for the berserk ability to matter. Mold Shambler: If I had to pick a weakest 4 drop in green it would be this.
[cardObstinate Baloth[/card]: I'm sad that I can't sack a Blastoderm or Colossus to this. I might try to fit Ravenous back in also. Phantom Centaur: I finally got around to giving this guy a shot. Thrune, the Last Troll: I love me some 4/4's for 4, and this one has a hell of an ability attached to it. Vengevine: I love four power creatures for four mana and this is the best one printed so far with a built in recursion mechanic and haste. Wickerbough Elder: A fairly recent addition to me. The Elder has proven it's worth.
[B]CMC Five[/B] Acidic Slime: The second best naturalize on a stick. The deathtouch doesn't quite make up for the beefy body. Ant Queen: The weakest of the five drops, but still a 5/5 for 5 is really good. I have always wanted to pair the token making with gaea's cradle but for some reason one of those two cards always dies when they are paired up. Deranged Hermit: The original good token maker for green. It isn't quite as insane as it use to be. But it is still strong never the less. I wish the tokens were something more relevant then squirrels. Genesis: Probably the best reason to keep Wild Mongrel in green is to have another way for green to get this into the graveyard. On top of that, when this is in play your opponent will have a hard time wrathing the board for fear of this being in the graveyard. Indrik Stomphowler: More Naturalizes on a stick. This is probably the best of all of them. Kodama of the North Tree: The triple green is a bit rough. But a trample shroud creature is hard for most decks to deal with. Thornling: Due to this being able to gain indestructible, it is probably the best of the morphlings. Being able to attack as a 7/1 trampling indestructible creature. And if you draw it late it can always attack with haste.
[B]Six Plus[/B] Krosan Tusker: This thing is played as a creature about half the time. The other half the time he is a source of card advantage for green. Pelika Wurm: Big body that passes the terminate test. Rampaging Baloth: I had my reservations about this guy. By the time I get to six mana I tend to be out of lands to be feeding to this guy. But a 6/6 trampler for 6 is still really good to turn sideways. Silvos, Rogue Elemental: This is no longer the all star that he use to be. But 8 power for six mana is insane. Terastodon: My least favorite of the green six plus drops. This is defiantly the first cut I would make in this section.
[B]Enchantments[/B] Rancor: One of the few auras worth playing. Survival of the Fittest: One of green's best "build around me" cards. I should consider putting squee back in. Sylvan Library: I don't play most of the ways to abuse this like Words of War. How often do you pay the four life to draw a card?
[b]Instant Berserk: If they made a textless version of this card it would be useless. No one ever remembers that the creature dies at the end of combat and when you can play this spell. Harrow: My players have accepted this as a good card since Zendikar came out. Krosan Grip: The best naturalize effect in my spell section. This would be the only one I would keep if I cut the rest of my naturalize spells. Naturalize: When I first started playing magic, any green or white deck would start with four Naturalize/disenchant. I've always felt that artifact/enchantment removal is vital. Vines of Vastwod: This is a Stonewood Invocation at a better price.
[B]Land[/B] Treetop Village: Green is probably the color that needs protection from wrath effects the most. This thing being able to dodge sorcery speed removal is great. Finally got the foil Game Day one. If anyone wants a foil Xth edition one lmk.
[B]Planeswalker[/B] Garruk Wildspeaker: I find myself using the untap land ability on this thing the most. I see him as another ramp card.
[B]Sorcery[/B] Call of the Herd: Wish this produced a more common creature type, like beast to match Garruk. Creeping Mold: I often overlook green's ability to provide mana denial. Cultivate: Kodama's Reach with better art. Green Sun's Zenith:I was looking for a new ramp spell to put in after cutting Rude Awakening. Harmonize: One of the few "pure" draw spells outside of blue. Kodama's Reach: I prefer Reach to Harrow. I prefer getting +2 lands compared to two untap lands. Also Kodama's Reach is less of a blowout when it gets countered. Life from the Loam: Traditionally I have shied away from playing "narrow" effects like this. But with there being 10 fetchlands in the cube now I decided to give this ago. Perhaps I could include the green cycling land? Plow Under: The most prick-ish card in all of magic. The amount of tempo this provides is insane. It is almost like a green Armageddon or green Wildfire. Regrowth: I have always found it odd that Regrowth at 2 is "broken" by vintage standards. But recollect is an unplayable piece of trash for one extra mana. If 62 cards wasn't so tight I would be willing to play recollect. I decided to go with Judge foil over the Beta one I have. If anyone is interested lmk. Search ofr Tomorrow: The worst of all my ramp spells. This might get replace by another Kodama's Reach.
As you could tell by my General Cube discription, I choose to limit the importanc of Gold in the Cube. I limit it to the point that it is painful to cut any cards in it. I think if a card is going to require you to be in multiple colors, it better rewrd you greatly for doing so. As most of you have heard so far there are only 27 color combinations in magic (5 mono, 10 dual color, 10 tri color, 5 quad-color, 1 five color, and 1 mono-brown). A Blue white card fits into 8 of those decks WU,WUB,WUR,WUG,WUBR,WUBG,WURG,WUBRG, while a mono white card fits into 16 decks, W,WU,WB,WR,WG,WUB,WUR,WUG,WBR,WBG,WRG,WUBR,WBRG,WURG,WUBG,WUBRG. Since that means a WU card is at minumum twice as hard to play as a white counterpart there reward for it should be much greater.
I also choose not to run any three color cards. A choice that is fairly unique with the more refined cubes.
I've tried to identify the worst and best card in each combination. This doesn't mean that the card is bad, but since the color combinations are so small, it means that if a good card got printed, this is what I would be looking towards to cut.
Wizard'shas gone a bit Gold Crazy in the past few years. I think my current disdane for it is based on just an overwhellming amount of Multicolor. Hell my two favorite blocks is Invasion and Ravnica.
Focus: There really isn't an overwhelming focus to my multicolor section due to the nature of multicolor.
Cards I'm Not Playing Brion Stoutarm: This tends to be the fourth card that most people play in RW. I wanted somthing on the lower end of the curve. Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind: I have never liked this card. It was easy for me to leave it out of the construction of the cube also. Putrefy: Due to having a small multicolor selection, I just don't have room for the card.
White/Blue Absorb: The worst card in Blue White. But I wanted a counterspell in this section. I love how this effectively counters two spells versus red decks. The spell your countering and the lightning bolt they pointed at your head two turns before. Azorius Guildmage: I love this guy. It is one of two cards that can hit activated abilities. Also gives white a two drop that can tap down creatures while still attacking. Wall of Denial: Blue White gets two hard to kill walls. Denial is neigh impossible to kill, but Plumeveil has hybrid mana and can function as removal.
Blue/Black Psychatog: If it was difficult when I had to decide between Shadowmage Infiltrator and Psychatog. They both serve the function as 3cc creatures that help a control deck win the game. The mage by drawing enough cards to control the game and the Tog by flat out winning the game. Recoil: This is kind of like a reversed Into the Roil. It's bounce without card disadvantage. So thus I love it. Shadowmage Infiltrator: Finkel's body is large enough where it can block most weenies (some even profitably). And it's ability lets you get ahead in CA when the board is empty enough. I've been wanting to put this back in my cube for along time now.
Black/Red Bituminous Blast: At one point my entire BR section was standard playable. Cascade is a powerful enough mechanic where I'm willing to play a 5cc instant that deals damage only to creatures. Murderous Redcap: The worst of by BR section. 4 cc 2/2's aren't that great. But this guy atleast get's to die twice and bolt also. Terminate: When you build your cube, you know from the get-go that this card is going into your cube, and never leaving.
Red/Green Bloodbraid Elf: Wow this guy is so good. It is the best cascade spell. It has a good sized body. It gives card advantage to red and green. And control decks don't want to play against this. Giant Solifuge: It was so much better when it was spoiled as a 4/3. Despite that shroud makes this guy hard to deal with. Kird Ape: Finally moved from the mono red section to the (R/G) section.
Green/White Kitchen Finks: A creature that doesn't die to removal. Persist is such a good ability. It makes sacrifical effects so much better. It's hybrid color mana isn't intensive enough where you don't have to worry playing it in a W/X or G/X deck. Loam Lion: Hey it's kind of like Kird Ape, should of been named either Kird Kitty, or Kird Lion. Qasali Pridemage: Disenchant on a Stick is one of the greatest strengths that green has. Combined on a good body with exalted is gravy.
White/Black Desolation Angel:Armageddons are so potent. You have to deal with this thing in response to her coming into play or you lose the game. And since most black kill spells can't hit her, red has to use two burn spells, and you probably drafted the white removal when you were making the deck, she usally spells a game win. Stillmoon Cavalier: The first card I would cut if they produced an amazing BW card in a new set. Stillmoon is still a very solid card. Double Protection is so good. Vindicate: Offers a way to flat out kill Planeswalker. Also is one of the few options to deal with Library of Alexandria outside of Red.
Black/Green Maelstrom Pulse: Black Green's Vindicate. Has the ability to trade with token's for advantage. It's great that this is close to rotating out of standard. But with the way they screwed up extended it probably won't drop in price as a direct result. Pernicious Deed: The strongest card in Black Green. It's amazing at how stupid it's ability to miss Planeswalkers is. This should have been printed as Non-Land instead of the odd way it is worded. Putrid Leech: I love this little bugger. 4/4's for two are amazing and it fits in with black's theme of killing itself.
Green/Blue Mystic Snake: Mystic Snake is a really good, but very unexciting creature. Possibly the best card to have alongside Eternal Witness for the Crystal Shard decks. Simic Sky Swallower: Wizard's as of late seem to like making large flying creatures with shroud. This is one of the better finishers in the cube. Trygon Predator:It's a solid if not unexciting fourth slot.
Blue/Red Electrolyze: Since counterspells are so bad in blue red, I think we get the option of double negative and suffocating blast, instead we get lots of burn that replaces itself. Fire/Ice: Probably the card you think of when you play UR. It is the only split card good enough to still see play in my cube. Prophetic Bolt: This or Gelectrode is the worst UR card I am playing. Sadly UR's countermagic is all abysmally bad. That being said a 4 damage burn spelll that replaces itself is really good.
Red/White Ajani Vengeant: This guy is so great for red white aggresive decks. His ability to stall your opponents, and finish them off with burn is perfect for the deck that naturaly emerges. His ultimate is back breaking but I rarely get that to happen. Figure of Destiny: The best (R/W) card. It fits into any red or white aggressive deck. It's just R/X deck won't be able to expect to get to the final stage. Lightning Helix: Back when Ravnica came out this was one of the most exciting cards for magic. A six life swing is great.
Artifacts are interesting in the cube. We have such a huge assorment that it can be hard to narow down the selection down to 50 or so cards. And since the cards aren't ment to be played as a deck in the same way that white is, we get a much larger array of what is exceptable.
I try to play as many equipments as possible. Anytime you have an equipment on the field your opponent has to deal with each and every creature you play.
I also didn't want the Artifact section to be completly dominated by Manafacts. There are quite a few of them that I'm not playing because I wanted some diversity in this section.
I also wanted to play as many artifact creatures as I could. That way any deck that is short on threats could possibly pick up an additional one or two artifact creatures instead of splashing into another color. Cards I'm not playing Mana Vault, Mana Crypt, Grim Monolith, Mind Stone, Chrome Mox, Coalition Relic: I felt like I had enough artifact mana when I hit 18 cards. That is the only reason I'm not playing any of these cards. Ring of Gix: I'm saving this for a future update, I felt like I changed enough stuff with this one.
Creatures Chimeric Idol: Since I started plaything this, I have been sold on the power of this card. Chimeric Mass: I'm excited to have a second Chimeric Idol in my cube. Duplicant: I disagree with people taking this card out fo their cubes as of late. This is one of the better targets for erratic portal decks. Juggernaut: Since the introduction of Lodestone Golem people have been refering to Juggernaut as the "bad" Juggernaut and Lodestone Golem as the "good" Juggernaut. I think it does a diservice to the quality of card that Juggernaut is. It works great as a beater in an aggressive deck in any of the four agro colors. Lodestone Golem: I'm always on the look out for artifact creatures that go into any aggressive deck. Juggernaut was the best I could find prior to the printing of Lodestone Golem. Tht 5/3 body with mana denial built in is quite good. Masticore: I think the original might be the worst of the three masticores. Molten-Tail Masticore: All masticores are cubable. I'm not sure how to rank the trio yet. Perilous Myr: I was impressed enough with this guy enough from scars draft I wanted to try him out. Phyrexian Revoker: This gives the cube another answer to planeswalkers. I'm hoping it doesn't turn out to be a more expensive Pithing Needle that you are too afraid to attack with. The idea of a wrath turning your planeswalker back on is scarry. Razormane Masticore: I still think that Razormane Masticore is the better card. The larger body and the ability to bolt a creature for free tends to work better than the huge mana sink that is Masticore. Solemn Simulacrum: I love this card. I end up playing it in more decks then I should. Sundering Titan: This card is in the cube to punish players who pick duals really high and end up with 5-7 duals in 4-5 colors. Triskelion: I never liked the way that he get's smaller the more you use him. But I guess it's like his batteries are winding down. Wurmcoil Engine: This card is just insane. I have yet to lose a game that it has resolved.
Equipment Bonesplitter: Fits into the curve of quick agro decks. Kind of functions like a colorless Rancor. Grafted Wargear: I've been really impressed with this card. Effictevly you can never take the equipment off, so it's pretty much an aura that can get reposition when the creature dies. Lightning Greaves: This is probably the weakest of the Equipment section. It still works well enough. Aggressive decks enjoy having their creatures have haste. And it's also good to have protection from spot removal on your most important creature. Loxodon Warhammer: I love this bugger. I think recurring life gain is much better than people give it credit for. Trample and the bigger power makes everything equipped with this a threat. Skullclamp: The most busted of all equipments. Works really well with any token production like Deranged Hermit, Siege-Gang, Spectral Procession, etc. Sword of Light and Shadow: Not as good as it's brother. It is much more defensive in nature giving the creature protection from the two big colors in removal. Sword of Feast and Famine: I think this is probably the weekest of the swords. Sword of Fire and Ice: My favorite of the the equipment section. Sword of Body and Mind: So far the worst of the three swords. I tend to mill out a player the same turn I kill them off through damage. Making the mill ability irrelevant. Umezawa's Jitte: Jitte is Jitte.
Manafacts Black Lotus: The Magic card that all other Magic cards wish they could be. It's kind of like the Tony Stark of the magic world. Mox Diamond: Since I increased the size of my artifact section I added another manafact. Moxen: You are not cubing until you are slapping down Moxen for insane turn two and three plays. I suggest that anyone who is willing to use proxies to include the Moxen. Mana Vault: This it the absolute ceiling on the ammount of artifact mana I'm willing to play. Sol Ring: I'm in the Library>Sol Ring camp. But Sol Ring still manages to accelerate you by two turns. Signets: There seems to be a schism between the cube community with the inclusion of Signets. Some people think that the signets distract from some of the strengths of green. I can understand where they are coming from, but I think in order to have the quantity of mana acceleration that you would have to gut the green selection. Also I'm sure if green should be the only color that can accelerate it's mana.
Miscellaneous Black Vise: This is a really good counter for aggressive decks that have problem with control decks that like to keep their hands full at all times. It is especially good against Library of Alexandria. Crystal Ball: Kind of like an expensive Top that doesn't require shuffle effects. Crystal Shard: Probably should be moved from the Artifact section to the Blue section. But I haven't figured out what to cut in the blue section, nor what to add to the artifact section. That being said the Crystal Shard decks are one of my favorite decks to build in the cube. Cursed Scroll: This apparently was originally printed to be an answer for Hypnotic Specter. If you think of it like that, it is an example of design. Erratic Portal: A second copy of Crystal Shard. I am happy that this little gem from Exodus sees play in cubes. Icy Manipulator: To me this is the most Iconic artifact in Magic. The card functions better in control decks than aggressive strategies. I do need to replace my Deckmaster's foil for a FNM one. Contact me if your interested in a trade on this. Maze of Ith: Even though this isn't an Artifact, it functions as a zero casting cost colorless spell, and most people count it as a spell rather than a land during deck construction. Memory Jar: A colorless draw seven, what more could you want? Mimic Vat: A card I'm excited to try out. Nevinyrral's Disk: Oblivion Stone: Quite a bit more mana intensive than Nevinyrral's Disk. I rarely use it's save card ability. Pithing Needle: Functions as a very differnet card in the cube then it does in normal magic. In normal magic it is used proactivly to stop troublesome cards. In the cube it used reactivitly to stop threats on the board. This card is a great way to stop Planeswalkers. Phyrexian Processor: I never got around to putting this back in after I went down from 720. Ring of Gix: In the short time i've played this, it has proven worthy of it's slot. Icy is worth the extra mana but this is still really good. Scroll Rack: One of my favorite artifacts ever printed. I wish they would unban Land Tax in legacy so this card would see more play. Sensei's Diving Top: One of the more annoying cards in the cube. When most people play this card they tend to try to think of what they want to do. Such a huge time sink. Tangle Wire: Ever since I threw this in, I have been constantly amazed at the huge tempo swing this thing is always been able to provide. Winter Orb: I hate hate hate this card. If you ever want to piss off Pringlesman, just play this card against me.
Oh lands, one of the dullest but most important parts of magic. Let's face it. Whenever you plunk down $75 for an Underground Sea, you can't help but think that the card is a Swamp and an Island stapled together. But as a reasonably intelligent Magic player I realize the consistency that good Dual lands can give you.
Since I moved my "colored" lands from my land section to my mono colored section the dynamics of lands have changed quite a bit. I tend to look for mana fixing and manlands out of a land now.
Cards I'm not running Gran Colosseum:Yes, I am aware at how insanely good this thing is. I can always hide behind the fact that I'm trying to make 5 and 4 color decks harder to build, but I think the real reason I don't run this card is because I can't get past the fact that it is a Comes into play tapped painland.
Dual Lands Alpha Duals: The best of all the duals. Ravnica Duals: I have always been faced with the delema of Ravnica bounce and Ravnica Dual lands. I like the bouncelands better, but I admit the Ravnica Duals are better. Fetch Lands: The Alpha and Ravnica dual lands would not be insane if it wasn't for the fetchlands. There ability to grab so many lands contributes to some broken mana bases. Worldwake Manlands: All of these cards are great. Collonade is the best, the GW might be the worst, but it is still playable.
Miscellaneous Lands Ancient Tomb: Helps to accelerate some of the non green decks. Great in mono-colored decks since they can afford to play colorless lands. City of Brass: I don't think I've ever had an opponent tap down my City of Brass with something like Icy Manipulator or the like. Dust Bowl: This is yet another card in my ongoing struggle to keep multicolored decks down. Library of Alexandria: The best land in the cube, the best card in the cube. I can't say enough good things about it. Mishra's Factory: Attacks for two, blocks for three. Mutavault: I'm running so few tribal effects now, that this is pretty much worse than Mishra's Factory. But it is still amazing when you sacrifice a mutavault to a Siege-Gang Commander. Rishadan Port: One of the most annoying lands in the cube. Every turn you have to wait till your opponent remembers to tap your land. It's annoying when you don't want to play the game from your opponent and just not untap your Tropical Island. But you also don't want to spend your time waiting for your opponent to tap your land down. Strip Mine: One of the most important lands in the cube. This card helps to keep down some of the more insane lands in the format. Thawing Glaciers: A card that I was sad to see go when I cut back from 720 cards to 450. I did a bit of finigiling with my numbers so Glaciers got the chance to come back. Wasteland: A weaker version of Strip Mine, but still manages to do everything that I want Strip Mine to do. I always thought it was amazing that Strip Mine is a gazzilion times better than Wasteland, but wasteland is about a Gazillion times more exspensive than even a foil Strip Mine. And yes, I know it's because Strip Mine had a bigger print run and is banned/restricted everywhere.
+Ravages of War -Momentary Blink
+Cataclysm -Shining Shoal
+Loam Lion -Captain of the Watch
+Jace the Mind Sculptor -Concentrate
+Rorix Bladewing -Hellkite Charger
+Albino Troll -Fyndhorn Elves
+Creeping Mold -Genju of the Cedars
+Stillmoon Cavalier -Gerrard's Verdict
+Steppe Lynx -Divine Sacrement
+Kjeldoran Outpost (+1 White Slot)
+Shelldoc Isle (+1 Blue Slot)
+Faerie Conclave -Repulse
+Volrath's Stronghold (+1 Black Slot)
+Barbarian Ring (+1 Red SLot)
+Gaea's Cradle (+1 Green Slot)
+Treetop Vilaiage -Moment's Peace
+Thornling -Coudthresher
+Into the Roil -Exclude
+Barter in Blood -Undead Gladiator
+Crater Hellion -Chandra Ablaze
+Fyndhorn Elves -Skyshroud Elite
+Student of Warfare -Knight of the WHite Orchid
+Gideon Jura -Kor Hookmaster
+Wall of Omens -Miraculous Recovery
+Consuming Vapors -Barter in BLood
+Force Spike (was down a blue card)
+Gorilla Shaman -Goblin Bushwhacker
+Forked Bolt -Forked Bolt
+Stagger Shock -Sneak Attack
+Kragan Dragonlord -Taurean Mauler
+Wild Dogs -Gaea's +ANthem
+Vegavine -Kavu Titan
+Mold Shambler -Tooth and Nail
+Prophetic Bolt -Suffocating Blast
+Desolation Angel -Tidehollow Sculler
+Teramorphic Expanse -?/?/?/?/?
-Thought Courier
- Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
+ Arcane Denial
+ Knight of the White Orchid
-Honor the Pure
-Knight of the White Orchid
-Indomitable Archangel
-Celestial Crusader
-Akroma, Angel of Wrath
+Accorder Paladin
+Stoneforge Mystic
+Mirran Crusader
+Hero of Bladehold
+Sun Titan
-Revoke Existance
-Magical Hacker
-Living Death
-Last Gasp
-FlameJavelin
-Rakka Marr
-Rude Awakening
-Oona, Queen of the Fae
-Phyrexian Processor
-Bassilisk Collar
+Leonin Relic-Warder
+Memory Lapse
+Go for the Throat
+Black Sun's Zenith
+Goblin Warcaller
+Hero of Oxid Ridge
+Shadowmage Infiltrator
+Sword of Feast and Famine
+Phyrexian Revoker
I'm just posting after a cursory look at the list and what you wrote. I love it. I've been planning on doing this for a long time. I'm glad I'm not the only one who is this passionate about their cube!
Awsome post. I love the level of detail you went into about your cube and how you constructed it. Cube building theory is amazing and one of the many qualities of cube building that draws me to it. Cube building and modifying in general is what completly renewed my interest in Magic after a bit of a hiatus. Just wanted to give you the thumbs up, great read.
Excellent OP, man! And a nice cube to boot! Good job.
And now, for some comments...
- Your white section looks really solid.
- The thing with Keiga is the ability to steal a creature is just an added bonus. The fact that she's a splashable 5/5 flying dragon is what keeps her in the cube.
- We had no luck at all with Phyrexian Negator despite his amazing stats and good showing in his day in constructed.
- Nantuko Husk seems really bad.
- Cemetery Reaper desperately wants to function like Imperious Perfect, but just couldn't quite get there for us. I'd replace the Husk and the Reaper for more aggressive cards like Dauthi Marauder and Ogre Marauder.
- Infest is decent, but at sorcery speed, I'd rather have Decree of Pain.
- Goblin Bushwhacker (which is sub par, imo) should be counted as CMC two because without it's kicker it's just a Mons's Goblin Raiders. That's hardly cube worthy.
- Flameblast Dragon is good, but I'd include Rorix before it. Especially if you're trying to push monocolor decks.
- Sneak Attack and Genju of the Spires proved unworthy for us. But your red section seems pretty solid, so I don't know what to suggest you replace these with.
- Sulfuric Vortex is insanely good. Between myself, wtwlf123, and the now AWOL Silent Edge, I'd hope everyone gets the point by now.
- We run Rift Bolt, but I'm thinking of replacing it with the wither version of this spell. I'm not sure which is better.
- In a cube this size, I think either Fyndhorn or Llanowar is sufficient. You don't need both. You also have Noble Hierarch and Birds. Cutting a mana elf won't hurt you. You could replace it with another 2 CMC aggro card like Albino Troll.
My cube tends to produce a lot of monocolored decks, and I think a big part of that is because of how many hybrid spells I play. I roll as follows:
Multicolor section consists of only gold cards. Hybrid cards that I want to add merely need to meet the requirement of "looks better than something monocolored that I'm already playing"; I add them in balanced numbers while cutting monocolored cards to make room for hybrids. For example, I might add Boggart Ram-Gang and Deus of Calamity, cutting maybe my worst green 5 drop and my worst red 3 drop to fit them in.
While on the surface it might look like such a swap might encourage more players to play RG, it hasn't worked out that way in practice. A lot of monocolored decks have been played; occasionally someone picks up a few R/G hybrids and might splash a couple burn spells in their Stompy deck or something, but generally people seem to opt for consistency and the hybrid cards add a lot of redundancy. Not that this was exactly my goal, but that's how it's turned out since I started playing so many hybrids, and I don't really mind it - it led to me cutting some of my fixing (as it wasn't needed as much with so many people going mono) and adding more spells.
The system is also nice in that it lets you play cards like Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers, which may not quite live up to the power level of your current GW cards but will probably keep up just fine with many of your monocolored 3 drops... and you can accomplish this without including filler cards like the "just add x hybrids from each color combination" system.
If you want to promote monocolored decks, it may be something worth trying.
Excellent OP, man! And a nice cube to boot! Good job.
And now, for some comments...
- Your white section looks really solid.
Thanks, I always felt my white was my best designed slot
- The thing with Keiga is the ability to steal a creature is just an added bonus. The fact that she's a splashable 5/5 flying dragon is what keeps her in the cube.
I'm not planning on removing Keiga, I'm just saying I've rarely had it's ability trigger
- We had no luck at all with Phyrexian Negator despite his amazing stats and good showing in his day in constructed.
My friends were always to affraid to play it. I have a different play group now so I'm giving it another shot.
- Nantuko Husk seems really bad.
Your probably right on this
- Cemetery Reaper desperately wants to function like Imperious Perfect, but just couldn't quite get there for us. I'd replace the Husk and the Reaper for more aggressive cards like Dauthi Marauder and Ogre Marauder.
I'm alreay playing Dauthi Marauder (had it listed under the twos). Ogre Marauder looks like a good addition. I've never had problems with the reaper functioning like a Perfect.
- Infest is decent, but at sorcery speed, I'd rather have Decree of Pain.
- Flameblast Dragon is good, but I'd include Rorix before it. Especially if you're trying to push monocolor decks.
99% this is going to happen.
- Sneak Attack and Genju of the Spires proved unworthy for us. But your red section seems pretty solid, so I don't know what to suggest you replace these with.
I like sneak attack, but I would really like a suggestion on what to take out for the Genju.
- We run Rift Bolt, but I'm thinking of replacing it with the wither version of this spell. I'm not sure which is better.
I've always liked Rift Bolt, I don't know what the wither bolt is, so I can't comment on it.
- In a cube this size, I think either Fyndhorn or Llanowar is sufficient. You don't need both. You also have Noble Hierarch and Birds. Cutting a mana elf won't hurt you. You could replace it with another 2 CMC aggro card like Albino Troll.
My cube tends to produce a lot of monocolored decks, and I think a big part of that is because of how many hybrid spells I play. I roll as follows:
Multicolor section consists of only gold cards. Hybrid cards that I want to add merely need to meet the requirement of "looks better than something monocolored that I'm already playing"; I add them in balanced numbers while cutting monocolored cards to make room for hybrids. For example, I might add Boggart Ram-Gang and Deus of Calamity, cutting maybe my worst green 5 drop and my worst red 3 drop to fit them in.
While on the surface it might look like such a swap might encourage more players to play RG, it hasn't worked out that way in practice. A lot of monocolored decks have been played; occasionally someone picks up a few R/G hybrids and might splash a couple burn spells in their Stompy deck or something, but generally people seem to opt for consistency and the hybrid cards add a lot of redundancy. Not that this was exactly my goal, but that's how it's turned out since I started playing so many hybrids, and I don't really mind it - it led to me cutting some of my fixing (as it wasn't needed as much with so many people going mono) and adding more spells.
The system is also nice in that it lets you play cards like Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers, which may not quite live up to the power level of your current GW cards but will probably keep up just fine with many of your monocolored 3 drops... and you can accomplish this without including filler cards like the "just add x hybrids from each color combination" system.
If you want to promote monocolored decks, it may be something worth trying.
I see how your system works, but it seems slightly messy. Which I'm put off by. I could probably cut 2 mono colored cards from each section, and 1 multi colored card from each section, and creatre a hybrid section of 20 cards where I don't pay attention to which subset it's in.
But honestly, I doubt that's going to happen.
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You made the right choice going with the shock-lands over the bounce-lands. With the full set of 10 fetches, the 2nd set of true-duals is absolutely the right way to go.
Lights from Within vs Glorious Anthem vs Divine Sacrement.
Glorious Anthem: Probably the most friendly of all these spells, I also like how simple it is.
Lights from Within: Rewards you for playing heavy mono white
Divine Sacrement: Similar to Lights, but how often does WW get thresh?
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Well, Anthem is an auto include. So, between LfW and DS i'd say the latter. LfW will often just give your creatures +1 pump. You do have a fair shair of WW creatures, but Divine Sacrament will give all of them a +2 pump...eventually. I believe you can achieve Threshold. White runs plenty of utility instants...and not to mention, this is cube. So all the other colours should and will be running their sweepers.
Well, Anthem is an auto include. So, between LfW and DS i'd say the latter. LfW will often just give your creatures +1 pump. You do have a fair shair of WW creatures, but Divine Sacrament will give all of them a +2 pump...eventually. I believe you can achieve Threshold. White runs plenty of utility instants...and not to mention, this is cube. So all the other colours should and will be running their sweepers.
Thats the thing, it eventually gives that +2 pump, where LFW immediately gives a +2/+2 to my soltari monk.
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Here with my cube we have the opposite problem, mono-colored decks are abundant and five colored decks or even three colored decks are quite rare. We have at least one or two mono colored decks in every draft. Last draft I saw two mono white weenie decks and one mono red burn deck, out of 12 players or 25% of the total decks. They are not always the same colors, either; I've seen mono white, mono black, mono red and mono blue (alas mono green is shafted).
Many colored decks are on a slow rise in popularity as of late but they have yet to win a draft and I have never seen more than two decks (more like one and a half, really) at the same table, and that table was a table of 12.
It also seems like I play every card you said weakened monocolored decks in your cube (like persecute), many more splashable cards, more multicolored cards relative to the cube size and a much higher fixers concentration.
I do play all the cards you've commented that were included to support monocolored play (Kodama of the North Tree, Necropotence) but their ratio to the number of cards is much lower in my cube.
Maybe that's the time to ask: did it work out for you as expected?
Also, your first post is a nice read indeed.
Maybe that's the time to ask: did it work out for you as expected?
Also, your first post is a nice read indeed.
Don't know, as I was finishing up my cube, my interest in magic dipped (it does this every couple of months), and my playgroup went off. Never got the chance to build it. As of now, I'm slowly changing all the real cards into proxies.
Quote from umtiger »
how come no Tolarain Academy?
When cards require you to have lots of a single permenant type out, I always found them too inconstant to work.
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Indeed. I just feel bad for it not being with its real family in his list.
[I once had a game with my R/G land destruction deck that killed all of my opponent's lands...and then Arc Lightning killed both of his Llanowar Elves + his bird. Very satisfying ]
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Mucho thx to Erasmus of Erad's Sig Shop for my gosu 'Tog-eatin VICIOUS KAVU !!!
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turbo...my god. you have reached Uber-Nerd-Dom (TM).
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[B]Introduction[/B]
Basic Information
[B]Cube Size:[/B] 450 Cards
[B]Breakdown:[/B] 62 Mono Colored, 55 Artifacts, 40 Multicolor, 45 Lands
[B]Standard or Theme:[/B] Standard
[B]Snow Lands[/B]: No
[B]Average Number of Players:[/B] 2-6
[B]How Often Drafted:[/B] Tuesdays
Card Selection
[B]Proxies:[/B] Yes
[B]Powered:[/B] Yes
[B]Portal:[/B] Yes, but I don't run "functional" reprints over "standard" versions.
[B]"Un" Cards: [/B] Yes
[B]Functional Reprints:[/B]: Yes
[B]Banned Cards for Power-Level[/B]: No
[B]Banned Cards for Time Constraints:[/B] No
[B]Banned Cards for "fun" factor:[/B] No
Cube Design
[B]Standard or Multiplayer:[/B] Standard
[B]Sideboards?:[/B] Yes
[B]Color Balance:[/B] Yes
[B]Gold Balance:[/B] Yes
[B]Hybrid/Split/Kicker as Gold:[/B] Yes
[B]Color Triggers as Gold:[/B] Yes
[B]Perfectly Balanced CMC:[/B] No
Cubing has been a hobby of mine for almost tow years ago and t has brought me nothing but joy. It has been quite an exercise in designing the perfect Magic set.
When I started on this version of my cube I knew I wanted to make sure that mono-colored decks were a possibility that wouldn't always be in the shadow of the three to five color decks. I feel like I have been successful in this pursuit.
[B]Ways to encourage Mono Colored Decks[/B]
[B]Fewer Multicolored Cards[/B]
Step one is cut back on multicolored cards. Ignoring Archetype, in magic there are 32 decks. (1-Zero Color, 5-Mono Color, 10-Dual Color, 10-Tri Color, 5-Quad color, and 1-Five Color) A white card can be played in 16 decks, while a Blue White card can only be played in 8 decks. If I want people to play mono colored decks, I have to give them the tools to do so. Mainly mono colored cards.
[B]Less Mana Fixing[/B]
So I've cut back on the cards that have to be played in multicolored decks. Well it won't make a lick of difference if between signets, bouncelands, fetchlands, shocklands, revised duals, filters, painlands, tri lands, and vivids I end up drafting 12 non basic lands and I can just play any 7 colors that I want. Lowering the amount of mana fixing does two things to advance me towards my goal. And it also has one more bonus.
1. Fewer dual lands means more card slots can be dedicated towards artifact and mono colored cards.
2. If you don't get anything more than a dual and a signet, you might think twice before splashing for Red and Green in you black deck.
And the unintended bonus.
3. Less Mana Fixing means players have to aggressively take it more. Resulting in a difficult choices between the mana fixing they need and the business cards they want.
[B]Less Splashable Cards[/B]
What good is lowering the amount of multicolored cards and mana fixing if I only need 1 mountain out to play any red card in my deck, and only 1 forest to play every green card? The third thing I need to do is to look towards cards that have more colored mana symbols in the top right. This means playing something like Leonin Skyhunter over Mistral Charger
[B]Reward players for playing Fewer Colors[/B]
Roffelos and Nantuko Shade are exactly the kind of cards I'm looking for. Both of these cards are great if you are playing 10+ of the respective basics, but start to get lack luster if you play fewer of the on color lands.
[b]Inclusion of Landwalk]/b]
Landwalk is an interesting way of punishing players for playing more colors. Mire Boa and River Boa get better and better the more dual lands your opponents play. I should look for more creatures like this.
[B]Don't punish players for playing fewer colors[/B]
Traditionally I have included Persecute in most builds of my cubes. This time I chose to leave it out. It does not make sense to add color hosers to a format that tries to increase mono colored play since one of the easiest defenses against this is to simply play more colors. Which leads me to my next point.
[B]Inclusion of Protection?[/B]
In my Quest to build a cube that encourages fewer color decks. I have to question the inclusion of "Protection from Color". The easiest way for a black deck to deal with a white knight is to splash for burn. Currently I'm playing a bit of Color Protection. Most prominently in White. Should this change? I only play Paladin-en Vec because of its protection, since a 2/2 first strike creature for 1ww is pretty behind the curve, but I play both of the Soltari creatures because of there evasion, not there protection.
I still try to subscribe that philosophy, but in reality it is almost impossible to force players to play fewer colors as long as we provide the fantastic mana fixing that the cube has available to it. I am not willing to cut the Duals, Ravnica Duals, and fetchlands. And because of that it is always going to be possible for someone to aggressively take mana fixing and just play good-stuff.deck. But by doing the above I have been able to make doing so much less attractive. And decks with fewer colors have prospered. It really goes to show you that drafting is a self-correcting format. When one strategy becomes too dominate/diminished, players will either overdraft it. Lowering the potency of such a deck. Or a clever player will pick up the strategy and decimate with it until it starts to become over drafted again.
While reading through this thread, realize that a cube is a work in process. I have tried to outline why I did what I did, but I am always open to the opinions of fellow cubers.
And a brief bit about the formatting of my list. I try to place cards in the color section where they get played most often. Kird Ape in RG, Shackles in Blue. When placing a creature into it's CMC section, I just go by what is in the top right for purposes of placement. I also place spells that act like creatures into the corresponding spell department.
Of the five colors white and black are the most alike. Both of them struggle with their color identities. Blue is a hard line control color. Red and green are firmly on the aggressive side of the spectrum. But black and white want to do both at the same time.
We are currently in the golden era for powerful white cards. Wizard's recent creature power creep has done much to flesh out the power-level of the color.
Gone are the days where we struggle to have an effective one drop after Savannah Lions, Mother of Runes, and Isamaru. Now I have seven quality mono white one-drops. And Figure of Destiny and Loam Lion provide us with two more in the multicolor section.
The quality of removal has also shifted greatly. Pacifism use to be an acceptable card to play in a cube of my size. Now we have Path to Exile, Oblivion Ring, Journey to Nowhere, and Harm's Way to back us up.
The point of this is White has benefited most from Wizards recent sets.
[B]Focus[/B]: The main focus of White in my cube is to act as an aggressive color. W/X weenie decks being one of the primary reasons to play this color. I do realize the color has control roots also so I don't deny the cards to build X/[mana]W[mana] control or midrange decks also.
[B]Cards I'm not Running[/B]
Moat:As I said in my focus category, weenie aggression is the main archetype I want to support in this section. Moat does not jive in that deck at all. I have one flying creature in my two drops, and one in my four drops.
Eternal Dragon:I've been cubing for aover two years now. I at one point polled my players and asked them if the recursion ability of Eternal Dragon has ever been used. We could recall one game in which it had. Most of the time the Dragon is cycled for land. If I want that I'll run Tithe or Gift of Estates.
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Icatian Javelineers
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Mother of Runes
1 Savannah Lions
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Student of Warfare
Two CMC
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Knight of Meadowgrain
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Lone Missionary
1 Silver Knight
1 Soltari Monk
1 Soltari Priest
1 Soltari Trooper
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Ronom Unicorn
1 Wall of Omens
1 White Knight
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Mirror Entity
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Paladin en-Vec
1 Pianna, Nomad Captain
1 Soltari Champion
Four CMC
1 Calciderm
1 Celestial Crusader
1 Knight of Bladehold
Five CMC
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Karmic Guide
1 Reveillark
1 Exalted Angel
1 Sun Titan
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
Elite Vanguard: It is vital for the cube to have a critical mass of creatures with a good power:casting cost ratio.
Icatian Javelineers: I am one white one drop away from this guy getting cut. This is sad because I love him.
Isamaru, Hound of Konda: The best of the "Lion" variants. I can't recall a time when his legendary status was an actual draw back.
Lone Missionary: Very unexciting creature, but it has a decent body with a decent CIP ability.
Mother of Runes: Probably the best of the mono white one drop. It can give your creatures shroud vs. removal, let you get through the last few points of damage, or function as an unkillable wall. A difficult to answer card that must be answered.
Savannah Lions:Everything I said about Elite Vanguard, but mine looks like Calvin and Hobbes.
Steppe Lynx: I'm not a huge fan of this card. Unlike Plated Geopede, this doesn't attack for one if you don't have a land. Also it requires a fetchland to be better than a Lion. Probably will get cut after they print two more playable one drops.
Student of Warfare: I love this card. I was so happy when they printed a mono white Figure of Destiny.
[B]Two CMC[/B]
Accorder Paladin:I never liked Blade of the sixth pride, but I love anthem effects on legs. This looks like a good replacment for Honor the Pure.
Knight of Meadowgrain: Probably my favorite two drop in white. I love me some lifelink. Unlike Silver/White Knight its second ability is always "on".
Kor Skyfisher: This thing has really surprised me with how good its drawback is.
Lone Missionary: Splashable body that can swing in for 2 if needed, or block/take down a weenie in control.
Lenon Relic-Warder: I love Oblivion Ring effects, and this is the third one they let me have.
Silver Knight: I love how simple Silver and White Knight are in there execution.
Soltari Monk: This and the Priest are two of the most important cards to draft if you are trying to force a white based agro strategy. The unblockable damage means that they will be relevant the entire game.
Soltari Priest: Dodges pyroclasm effects as well as target burn. This makes it a bit better than the monk that only protects against target removal from black.
Soltari Trooper: No protection hurts, but its easier mana cost still makes it playable. I don't think it's ever mattered that this guy is a 1/1 when not in use.
Stoneforge Mystic: With me now playing 3 swords + the ones soon to be printed. I think I have enough critical mass to support this guy. Wish I would have bought him when he was cheep.
Ronom Unicorn: Unicorns > Spirits.
Wall of Omens: I can't wait till the inevitable FNM/Gameday/gateyway promo of this. I'm holding off on a foil till then.
White Knight: I try to keep in cards from Alpha whenever possible. There is something so iconic about the design of cards from the original set.
[B]Three CMC[/B]
Kor Sanctifiers: Probably the best thing about this guy is that he is a 2/3 appose to being a 2/2. He blocks/attacks into most aggressive creatures favorably.
Mirran Crusader: This thing looks amazing. I thought Paladin en-Vec was good. I think double strike is enough to make up for downgrading pro red to pro green.
Mirror Entity: Most of the time I rather spend my mana on replacing a creature that my opponent has killed than spending most to all of my mana to give what usually amounts to being a +1/+1 bonus.
Paladin en-Vec: I love this card. It takes two of my favorite cards (white knight and silver knight) and smashes them together. Now if it only had lifelink.
Pianna, Nomad Captain: I would rank this as the worst of my three drops. Though if it attacks alone, a 3/3 for 1WW is not awful. It's just not great either.
Soltari Champion: I love this guy, as with the other shadow guys, unblockable damage is great. But unblockable damage that pumps the team? Hells yeah!
[B]Four CMC[/B]
Calciderm: A card that seems to have a spot in my cube forever. He is a great agro topper.
Celestial Crusader: Uncounterable team pump. Nice
Indomitable Archangel: An unconvential choice. I hope the on-curve evasive beater will be good as a white agro topper or a decent midrange creature.
[B]Five CMC[/B]
Baneslayer Angel: I hate this card. It obsoletes my favorite magic card.
Cloudgoat Ranger: As Usman says. 6 power for 5 mana.
Karmic Guide: It's hard to say which of my five drops is the worst. But gun to my head I pick Karmic Guide if I had to cut a card from this section.
Reveillark: Great with blink effects. Makes wrathing you seem like a bad idea. Lark is a great card.
[B]Six Plus[/B]
Akroma, Angel of Wrath: For my six+ section, I choose Akroma as the worst card. It is best in reanimator strategies. An archetype I don't support. And it's too expensive in my main strategy in white, weenie agro.
Exalted Angel: If you know me, you know this is my favorite magic card.
Yosei, the Morning Star: I love cards that punish your opponent for killing your stuff.
1 Scepter of Dominance
Enchantment
1 Glorious Anthem
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Land Tax
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Parallax Wave
1 Seal of Cleansing
Instant
1 Condemn
1 Disenchant
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Harm's Way
1 Path to Exile
1 Pulse of the Fields
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Kjeldoran Outpost
Planeswalkers
1 Ajani Goldmane
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Elspeth Tirel
1 Gideon Jura
Sorcery
1 Armageddon
1 Balance
1 Catastrophe
1 Day of Judgment
1 Decree of Justice
1 Ravages of War
1 Spectral Procession
1 Wrath of God
Scepter of Dominance: No matter what it seems, Icy Manipulator is always playable.
[B]Enchantment[/B]
Faith's Fetters: I'm temporarily adding this back in to see if my previous experiences with it still rang true.
Glorious Anthem: Probably the best anthem effect. It's hard to kill and it makes your earlier creatures threats.
Journey to Nowhere: About equal to Oblivion ring in terms of power. Doesn't target everything, but 90% of the time I target creatures with my Oblivion Ring. So Ring -1 si good.
Land Tax: Rated the second best white card. I have to agree. White wants to geddon the board and this insures that you won't be behind in your mana development.
Oblivion Ring: Probably one of the best designed cards in the past 3 years.
Parallax Wave: Clears the board for your dudes for 1-2 turns. Usually enough to get a win.
Seal of Cleansing: Can be fetched with Enlightened Tutor. Something that you can't do with Disenchant. The only way I would cut this is if I decided all my disenchant effects were going to be on sticks.
[B]Instant[/B]
Condemn: The worst removal spell and worst white instant in my cube. I'm one more good removal spell away from cutting this. But seeing as it took wizards 15 years to give us a removal spell equal in power to Swords to Plowshares. I'm not going to hold my breath.
Disenchant: How has Wizards not ever printed a foil version of this with good art?
Enlightened Tutor: Lets aggressive decks get there equipments and (U/W) decks grab there control magics.
Harm's Way: Lets you turn a carefully planned attack into a massacre.
Path to Exile: This is one of those cards that when you build a cube, you know you have this slot permanently done when you get this card.
Pulse of the Fields: I am apparently the only person who sees how truly great this card is. Usually it takes one game where someone lasts 12 more turns than they should have and pull out a win to convince someone of the power of this card. It might not be as great as it is in my head, but it is one of the cards that makes my cube "my cube".
Swords to Plowshares: I remember when I first saw this card years back and decided that it might be good.
[B]Land[/B]
Kjeldoran Outpost: GOod in both control and aggresive decks. It creates tokens to fuel your post wrath landscapes, and it creates a steady stream of blockers against your opponents finishers.
[B]Planeswalkers[/B]
Ajani Goldmane: Probably the worst of the three white walkers. Yeah that is saying something for how good Planeswalkers are. People always tend to forget the +2 life ability on this guy. But he can let you survive games that you shouldn't.
Elspeth, Knight-Errant: If Ajani is the worst White Walker, Elspeth is the best. She mimics Kjeldoran Outpost in it's ability to pump out win conditions/blockers. And it allows your ground creatures to smash face.
Elspeth Tirel: I have high hopes for this card.
Gideon Jura:I don't know who gave this thing it's stupid name.
[B]Sorcery[/B]
Armageddon: If you want to force White agro, this is the card you want to open Pack 1 Pick 1.
Balance: Voted the best white card. It is among the best cards in Magic's history. We have a saying that you always splash for Balance.
Catastrophe: I was frightened by the six mana cost on this for too long. It is worth the cost to have a card that is this good.
Day of Judgment: I have had the no regeneration clause be both helpful and a drawback. Still the best bonus a Wrath of God effect can have is that it costs four.
Decree of Justice: Get this noobs, DoJ means Decree of Justice not Day of Judgment.
Ravages of War: They really need to print a promo or something of this card. The price tag on this card is not warranted.
Spectral Procession: I hope Erwin never lives down calling "three dudes" bad.
Wrath of God: I am of the opinion that the Textless art version of this card is among the most hideous thing's I have ever seen. That being said Kev Walker did a superb job on this.
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/White2-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/White3-1.jpg[/IMG]
Blue fits on the most right side of the control vs agro pendulum. Blue has few aggressive cards worth playing. As a result the average mana cost of this section tends to be a bit higher than elsewhere. With Wizard's recent push to emphasize creatures it might be possible to have blue be able to move from a pure control to more creature oriented. Right now that is not an option, but right now it is not.
We are in an odd era for blue. Wizards seems hellbent on making the color worse. And then they print Jace the Mind Sculptor and we have a new best card in standard. Seriously, we had just gotten rid of Cryptic Command.
[B]Focus[/B]: The main focus of Blue is control. It would be impossible to build a blue main aggressive deck in my cube. But there are a few cards that you might be able to play in an aggressive deck splashing blue.
[B]Cards I'm not Running[/B]
Time Spiral: Mostly I just keep on neglecting to print a proxy out of this card. Or I have other cards I want to experiment with more than Time Spiral. Since this has been unbanned, I"m unlikely to ever pick one up. I hate proxying a card and thinking, it's never going to get better than this.
Psionic Blast: It's just not a blue card.
Tolarian Academy: I was really hopping for more playable colored artifacts to boost my artifact count for cards like this and Academy RUins. Sally scards has been failing on this one.
One
1 Enclave Cryptologist
Two
1 Gilded Drake
1 Looter il-Kor
1 Willbender
CMC Three
1 AEther Adept
1 Calcite Snapper
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Man-o'-War
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Clone
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Thieving Magpie
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
CMC Five
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Morphling
1 Mulldrifter
1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Keiga, the Tide Star
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Enclave Cryptologist: The first 1-drop in blue creatures.
[B]CMC Two[/B]
Gilded Drake: One of the few cards that if you are attacking with it, you just got screwed.
Looter il-Kor: The best looter. I have yet to have a time where this blocked a shadow creature.
Willbender: I love this card. It also gives a bit of mystery with Vesuvan Shapeshifter.
[B]CMC Three[/B]
AEther Adept: Dubbed "Bad-o'-War". Still seems like a good option.
Calcite Snapper: I've been amazed at how good this guy has turned out.
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner: Adds so much money to your creatures by making them all so hard to kill. Sadly you also have a hard time targeting your own creatures.
Man-o'-War: Tempo card, functions really well in a x/U deck splashing blue for card draw.
Sea Gate Oracle: A solid card, I don't expect it to be in my cube forever though.
Serendib Efreet: Did you know this was banned at one point? It's one of the few aggressive creatures I play in blue.
Vendilion Clique: I didn't play this card for way too long.
[B]CMC Four[/B]
Clone: I have loved this card since I started laying magic. And since the revision of the Legend rule it doubles as Legend removal.
Glen Elendra Archmage: Occasionally is used as a chump blocker twice. Otherwise it forces your opponent to reevaluate all their non creature spells.
Sower of Temptation: Few cards grant three for one advantages and cost four mana.
Thieving Magpie: I always liked the fact that my Magpie is shiny. Not as a disservice to the card, but it is probably the worst four drop I'm playing.
Venser, Shaper Savant: The double blue mana prevents it from being used in an aggressive deck splashing blue like Man-o'-War. But is still good in control decks and aggressive decks with a higher committal to blue.
[B]CMC Five[/B]
Meloku the Clouded Mirror: I don't think it gets stated often enough. But it is really hard to kill something with a four back end. Meloku can block most creatures favorably. I opened a Meloku in my first pack of Champions. I was more excited about the Wicked Akuba in the pack. [sarcasm]Time will tell that I was right[/sarcasm]
Morphling: I fall in the Sphinx of Jwar Isle is better side of the argument, but not to the disservice of Morphling. I hate to say it, but I think this is the worst five drop I'm currently playing.
Mulldrifter: I rarely evoke this without having a recurring nightmare. I just feel bad in playing Divination in a cube draft.
Vesuvan Shapeshifter: I love cloning creatures, and this is probably the best example of this in the cube.
[B]Six Plus[/B]
Inkwell Leviathan: This guy is pretty much impossible to deal with outside a Wrath of God.
Keiga, the Tide Star: I rarely get it's control magic effect to trigger. But 5/5 dragons for 6 are still good.
Sphinx of Jwar Isle: I love this guy. I think of it as the best finisher in blue. But maybe the newely added Inkwell Levithan can change that.
1 Crystal Shard
1 Vedalken Shackles
Enchantment
1 Control Magic
1 Treachery
Instant
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Arcane Denial
1 Brainstorm
1 Capsize
1 Condescend
1 Cryptic Command
1 Counterspell
1 Dismiss
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Forbid
1 Force of Will
1 Force Spike
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Impulse
1 Into the Roil
1 Memory Lapse
1 Miscalculation
1 Mana Drain
1 Mana Leak
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Remand
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Faerie Conclave
1 Shelldock Isle
Planeswalker
1 Jace Beleren
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
Sorcery
1 Bribery
1 Deep Analysis
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Rite of Replication
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Upheaval
Crystal Shard: One of my favorite cards to cube with. I even had a legacy Crystal Shard deck for awhile.
Vedalken Shackles: Usman finally managed to convince me to move this from the artifact section to the blue section.
[B]Enchantment[/B]
Control Magic: The day after I sharpied in my 4th edition Control Magic I get a trade for a Beta one. Go figure. This is a perfectly fair card. Which makes it the worst card in my enchantment section. Because Future Sight and Treachery are basically cheating.
Treachery: One of the most back breaking cards in blue. Having the ability to steal a creature for free can devastate an opponent.
[B]Instants[/B]
Ancestral Recall: The best card in blue.
Arcane Denial: I've been playing this for a few months now, and I still am failing to see the hubbub about it.
Brainstorm: A card that is deceptively hard to play. Knowing when to play it, what to put in what order, and what to draw requires quite a bit of thought.
Capsize: A bounce spell that doesn't result in card disadvantage. If you are able to accelerate with a few signets you can effectively lock your opponent out of ever getting ahead on mana.
Condescend: This is a fair counterspell. I like it, but I wouldn't be averse to cutting it.
Cryptic Command: Counter draw is my favorite way to play this card. Rewards a player for playing loads of islands.
Counterspell: Three words strike fear into the hearts of magic players. Counter Target Spell. Richard Garfield got this card right. Cancel be damned.
Dismiss: I realized that the two most used nodes on Cryptic Command are Counter Draw. As a result I added in an easier to cast version of that.
Fact or Fiction: This card is awesome. One of my favorite cards Magic. Enough so that when I do two player drafts, sometimes we use a format that mimics Fact or Fiction.
Forbid: Hey, it's better than Cancel! The card operates best with ways to draw multiple cards in a single turn.
Force of Will: Wow, I feel smart for picking these up for $20 each now. I feel sorry for people trying to break into competitive eternal formats now.
Force Spike: My initial reaction to Force Spike being too "soft" of a counter was misplaced.
Gifts Ungiven: I say quite often that I am not a good enough player to play this card carefully. The biggest problem with this card is often after you play it, you have just gotten rid of the two best cards in your deck. And if your opponent can get around the second best cards in your deck, you are out of the game.
Into the Roil: Bounce comes with the intrinsic problem that it comes packaged with built in with card disadvantage. Tempo in exchange for card advantage. Into the Roil can be played early if you absolutely need the bounce. Also bounce draw is two of the nodes on Cryptic Command.
Mana Drain: This is one of the cards that shows that blue is much better
Mana Leak: Easy to cast, and the best of all soft counters. 90% of the time this will work to counter anything that is still relevant to the course of the game.
Memory Lapse: I haven't had a chance to play with Memory Lapse in years. I'm excited that I get to use my Judge promo one now. Wish it had better art.
Miscalculation: A Manaleak that is relevant as the game progresses.
Mystical Tutor: It is versatile enough to warrant the -1 card advantage. Unlike worldly tutor, where most times I would rather just have another creature in that slot.
Remand: A tempo based counter.
Thirst for Knowledge: A draw card that I've overlooked for way too long.
[B]Land[/B]
Faerie Conclave: It does seem like I love manlands a little too much. Conclave is amazing, but is it still one of the the best 62 blue spells?
Shelldock Isle: A card that is uniquely suited to a limited event. If you play this on the play on turn one you have to dig through eleven cards to make the Isle active.
[B]Planeswalkers[/B]
Jace Beleren: Probably a bit weaker than Tezzeret, Beleren's ultimate is amazingly powerful.
Jace, the Mind Sculptor: The strongest Planeswalker. With only Elspeth being a contender.
Tezzeret the Seeker: Stronger than the original jace, but much more narrow. I would cut this card before Jace 1.0
[B]Sorcery[/B]
Bribery: It shines in the control mirror. Being able to fetch your opponent's Kokoshu is the thing of dreams. Usually there is atleast one target in every deck.
Deep Analysis: The first time around this card is a bit expensive to cast. But the flashback is so good.
Ponder: I find myself in a situation where I have to choose between one card I want and two cards I don't want, or shuffling my deck. I like that kind of tension.
Preordain: The best card filtering since Ponder. Sadly it probably won't be printedin m12 meaning the foil price will stay high.
Rite of Replication: Probably one of the most fun cards in the cube. I love when you finally get up to nine mana and are able to kick this thing. It leads to some of the most memorable cube stories.
Timetwister: Refilling your opponents hand (and them getting full access to there mana before you) extremely hampers the overall power of this card.
Time Walk: It's quite broken.
Tinker: I'm worried about having enough robots to go fetch with this. I really only have Inkwell Levithan and Sundering Titan. It seems subpar to tinker away a mox to go get an equipment.
Upheaval: I haven't had any luck with this card personally.
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/Blue2-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/Blue3-1.jpg[/IMG]
Black needs some form of life gain in it. I count seventeen forums of self mutilation in black right now. Vampire Nighthawk and Sorin Markov were godsends for helping to reverse this problem with some life gain. Wizards realy needs to print a color-shifted Knight of Meadowgrain to help out.
Currently black does not have the wealth of one drops with good power:toughness ratio that Red, Green, and White have. But the inclusion of 1cc discard and Dark Ritual helps to give black more turn one plays.
[B]Focus[/B]: Black is more on the control end of the scale than white. Black has a large catalog of great removal spells and awesome discard. Also since Wizard's thinks black can get almost any effect if you attack a life cost on it (because black is evil) it does not have a problem having a wide array of effects.
[B]Cards I'm not Running[/B]
Yawgmoth's Will: I never found this card to be the powerhouse that it is in constructed formats. Due to a lack of a critical mass of ritual effects, black has a hard time ramping into this and then playing a few spells.
1 Carnophage
1 Fume Spitter
1 Vampire Lacerator
Two CMC
1 Black Knight
1 Bloodghast
1 Dark Confidant
1 Dauthi Horror
1 Dauthi Slayer
1 Nantuko Shade
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Nezumi SHortfang
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Bone Shredder
1 Dauthi Marauder
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Liliana's Specter
1 Phyrexian Rager
1 Vampire Nighthawk
Four CMC
1 Bane of the Living
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Nekrataal
1 Plague Sliver
1 Skinrender
1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
1 Shriekmaw
Six Plus
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Grave Titan
1 Tombstalker
1 Twisted Abomination
Carnophage: Like white, black needs creatures with a good power to mana cost ratio. Carnophage is better than Lacerator because Zombies are cooler than Vampires.
Fume Spitter: The Mogg Fanatic that effects the board after he leaves.
Vampire Lacerator: The self inflicted damage, which is common among black cards can begin to become a problem.
[B]Two CMC[/B]
Black Knight: Mine looks like Batman!
Bloodghast: Great source of virtual card advantage. Should have been a Zombie.
Dark Confidant: Am I alone in thinking that when you don't have a huge degree of control to your mana curve, Dark Confidant is really a scarry card to play.
Dauthi Horror: It took only two years, but I have seen Dauthi Horror's anti white ability matter in a cube draft. It was amazing.
Dauthi Slayer: Like white, shadow is good. The black versions are a bit more fragile, missing there protection.
Nantuko Shade: It already has the minimum acceptable body of a 2/1 for 2. Ontop of that he encourages you to play multiple swamps. And I'm always looking for cards that encourage you to play fewer colors.
Nezumi Graverobber: With it's 2/1 body it can be an effective aggressive creature. It is also one of the few graveyard hate cards in my cube.
Nezumi Shortfang: Shortfang is less effective as an aggressive creature. It has a bad body and requires you to tap it to use it's ability. On the other hand it can be breaking versus control.
Oona's Prowler: A 3/1 with evasion for two is good. The prowler also gives us a discard outlet for the little reanimation support I do have.
Vampire Hexmage: A niche card. It's first strike allows it to trade with most two and three drops. It is also one of the few outs for planeswalkers available.
[B]Three CMC[/B]
Bone Shredder: This guy has always worked great for me. I'm just curious to how often you guys end up playing the echo?
Dauthi Marauder: This card is amazing. It fits into cubes of any size. I don't think black based agro was a viable option until I put this guy in. It might be because a repeating Lava Spike is really good, or it might be because that is when I reached some sort of critical mass for black agro support.
Hypnotic Specter: When I first started playing Magic this was the card I just had to have. I remember busting my hump to get a playset of this card.
Liliana's Specter: I always wanted to play Ravenous Rats in my cube, now I do.
Phyrexian Rager: I love small sized creatures that replace themselves. Phyrexian Rager could only be better if it was a Zombie instead of a Horror. I need to get a new border foiled one (I have an old bordered foil one if anyone wants to trade)
Vampire Nighthawk: Apparently just throwing tons of keywords at a creature makes a solid creature.
[B]Four CMC[/B]
Bane of the Living: Everyone else seems to love this card more than me. Which is fine.
Braids, Cabal Minion: I have only had moderate sucess with this card. Usally it works kind of like a 4 casting cost diabolic edict since I just sacrifice the Braids during my upkeep. It has been good though and is in no threat of being removed.
Graveborn Muse: I like this card much more than Dark Confidant and Phyrexian Arena. Only ever taking one damage (and not having to reveal it) is a godsend. Also the decent sized body is great.
Nekrataal: I love CIP removal. Nekrataal might be the weakest of all of them.
Plague Sliver: I decided to remove a proxy and add in a foil. So out came Juzam Djinn, and incame Plague Sliver.
Skinrender: Amazing card. Black has quite a few Nekrataals now.
[B]Five CMC[/B]
Ob Nixilis, the Fallen: I was surprised at how well this card works. Probably the best land fall guy. Take that Lotus Cobra!
Shriekmaw: The best 187 creature in the cube. Works as both an aggressive and a control card.
[B]Six Plus
[/B] Grave Titan: One of the best finishers in years. 10 power for 6 mana. Fricken-A.
Kokusho, the Evening Star: I think we can all agree this is one of the best finishers in the cube. He works well with anyway to bounce him in and out of the graveyard. And he only has to connect three times before your opponent can't kill him. (or they lose)
Tombstalker: It's cheating to call this a 6+ drop, but since I'm just going by what is in the top right for placement in this thread, that's where I'm putting it.
Twisted Abomination: One of the card's that I can't recommend enough. It is a good reanimation creature with a built in way to get it to the yard. It's a sufficient size and it's regeneration make it difficult enough where it can work as a finisher.
1 Animate Dead
1 Bitterblossom
1 Necromancy
1 Nether Void
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Sarcomancy
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
Instants
1 Dark Ritual
1 Doom Blade
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Disfigure
1 Go for the Throat
1 Snuff Out
1 Terror
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Volrath's Stronghold
Planeswalker
1 Liliana Vess
1 Sorin Markov
Sorcery
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Chainer's Edict
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Damnation
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Duress
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Mind Twist
1 Night's Whisper
1 Profane Command
1 Reanimate
1 Sign in Blood
1 Thoughtseize
Animate Dead: Whenever I see this card the first thing I think of is the old Worldgorger Dragon decks. I like my reanimation to be cheap and have the ability to hit an opponent's creature. That way it can be played in decks without dedicated Reanimation support.
Bitterblossom: I'm still kicking myself for not buying these pre-standard faeries. Looks like I'll be kicking myself for not buying one pre-extended faeries. Token production at it's finest.
Necromancy: How often do you cast this as an instant?
Nether Void: Usman always refers to this as a "black" Armageddon. I have a hard time arguing with that logic.
Phyrexian Arena: I have killed myself because of this stupid enchantment more times then I would like to admit. That being said I have always preferred the Arena in a vacuum to Dark Confidant.
Recurring Nightmare: My vote for black's best card. You hear that Mind Twist!
Sarcomancy: The third one drop creature that black gets. It is also better than the Vampire Lacerator due to being a zombie.
Yawgmoth's Bargain: I think it's better than Necropotence.
[B]Instants[/B]
Dark Ritual: I'm not a huge fan of ritual based mana in the cube. I feel that without multiple copies of this card, it is not worth running. In a singleton format it's not possible to do this. But Dark Ritual is strong enough to function on it's own.
Doom Blade: It's better than Terror, but I think both of them are playable.
Diabolic Edict: Give's black an out for protection creatures.
Disfigure: A flexible removal spell, there isn't anything better for removal in the one mana department.
Go for the Throat: I'm so glad they printed this at uncommon. Sadly it's another card that obsoletes Terror.
Snuff Out: I always thought this card was good, but since I started supporting black aggressive decks this card has really shown as an all star.
Terror: I love cards from Alpha.
Vampric Tutor: I thought there was a chance for them to unban in legacy. But them banning Mystical Tutor pretty much killed that idea.
[B]Land[/B]
Volrath's Stronghold: My theory is they thought of evoke a decade before they printed it. They wanted there to be support for the mechanic so they made this card. Don't question my logic on this.
[B]Planeswalker[/B]
Liliana Vess: Somehow all her abilities are really good. Card advantage, tutoring, and reanimation. And still she manages to be kinda meh.
Sorin Markov: I love this card, and would be infavor of it becoming the core set black planeswalker. His +2 ability is pretty much the same as Ajani Vengeant's -2 ability. That is awesome. Also, any life gain in black is so good with the vast amount of self mutilation it has.
[B]Sorcery[/B]
Black Sun's Zenith: I'm not sure if black was needing or wanting another wrath effect. But it sure got one.
Chainer's Edict: A second edict effect with buyback.
Consuming Vapors: I haven't gotten much play with this card yet.
Damnation: Nuking the board. I also am not a fan of the Ron Spencer text-less version.
Demonic Tutor: I still think this is a better card than Vampiric Tutor. For an additional one mana you get the card now and you don't have to shock yourself.
Duress: I think this is a better card than Thoughtseize. Most of the time I find myself taking spells than creatures. 90% of the time it functions the same, but without removing 1/10th of your life.
Hymn to Tourach: My favorite discard card. I'm amazed that they haven't made a promo of this yet.
Mind Twist: Voted the strongest card in black two years in a row. While it is more ubiquitos than Recurring Nightmare, Mind twist shines when you have insane mana accel. I still feel Recurring Nightmare has more of an impact on the board.
Night's Whisper: More splashable than Sign in Blood. But without the ability to shock your opponent.
Profane Command: Hey remember that time Pat Chapin used profane command and implied that his Chameleon Colossus was getting fear. Man that was awesome.
Reanimate: Legacy has shown how good this card is.
Sign in Blood: I was worried about having two black draw two cards. It has never been a problem. I don't think I have ever seen this aimed at an opponent though.
Thoughtseize: Targeted discard is good. Blah blah blah. Black likes hurting itself, blah blah blah.
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/Black2-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/Black3-1.jpg[/IMG]
Red is the most two dimensional color in the cube, and it shows.
Wizard has had an idea about what they wanted to do with red since Day one. Burn, blow things up, and Dragons. And they have stayed true to that goal ever since. Sadly most of the powerful cards that Wizard's has printed lately have been reprints. Lightning Bolt and Ball Lightning might have been great for standard, but they didn't help us cubers.
[B]Focus[/B]:I'm moving red from pure agro to agro with some mana denial. I like how this gives red a bit more depth than just burning you out.
[B]Cards I'm not Playing[/B]
Ravenous Baboons: A card that I will try later when I see how much I like my current amount of land destruction.
Volcanic Hammer: It might just be the snob inside of me, but I refuse to play this card on principals sake. Luckily there is enough quality red burn where this is not an issue.
1 Goblin Guide
1 Goblin Patrol
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Jackal Pup
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Spikeshot Elder
CMC Two
1 Blood Knight
1 Dwarven Blastminer
1 Ember Hauler
1 Fireslinger
1 Goblin Wardriver
1 Hearth Kami
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Kargan Dragonlord
1 Plated Geopede
1 Fire Imp
1 Goblin Ruinblaster
1 Hell's Thunder
1 Ghitu Slinger
1 Maniac Vandals
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
CMC Four
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Keldon Champion
1 Oxidda Scrapmelter
1 Siege-Gang COmmander
1 Thunderblust
Six Plus
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Crater Hellion
1 Greater Gargadon
1 Inferno Titan
Goblin Guide: Hasty 2/2's for one are amazing. I was worried about letting your opponent draw cards. Boy was I wrong on this one.
Goblin Patrol: This card is ok, it's nothing amazing. But still critical amount of 2/1's for 1. Probably the worst 1 drop.
Grim Lavamancer: I really need to pick up a Judge Promo. I doubt this card is ever going to get cut.
Jackal Pup: Another card that aids for critical mass. Better than Goblin Patrol.
Mogg Fanatic: This card has lost quite a bit of it's thunder since M10. Though I still think its a solid enough card where it won't ever be cut.
Spikeshot Elder: I love how this interacts with equipment. It's also a callback to one of my first decks that used Cranial Plaiting with Spikeshot Goblin.
[B]CMC Two[/B]
Blood Knight: I love the flavor of the classic protection Knights. I doubt that I will ever cut any of these four cards.
Dwarven Blastminer: This is red's only morph creature. He punishes dual happy people which makes me happy.
Ember Hauler: Finally get to replace Slith Firewalker with a better 2 drop.
Fireslinger: A recent addition. My players want me to take this out in favor of the 0/1 haste pinger.
Goblin Wardriver: Red is always looking for solid 2 drops. I'm hoping the double red dosen't keep him out of decks.
Hearth Kami: I think this is the weakest 2 drop.
Hellspark Elemental: I have had such success with this. The next time I get a free spot I'm going to try Ball Lightning.
Keldon Marauders: If everything goes right, this thing can get 5 points to the head.
Kargan Dragonlord:
Plated Geopede: Unlike steppe lynx this can always attack for one. The addition of first strike is a nice bonus also.
[B]CMC Three[/B]
Goblin Ruinblaster: I'm starting to get to the point where someone can conceivably build a land destruction deck.
Hell's Thunder: This works as a burn spell that can hit players twice. And it's always nice when you win a game at two life and you can ask your opponent why they didn't Unearth for the win.
Fire Imp: Trying to get as many burn spells on sticks as possible. I always think this thing has flying.
Ghitu Slinger: I'm not a huge fan of echo, but Keldon Champion proved it's worth.
Squee, Goblin Nabob: I'm adding in a few cards that as ubiquitous in there use.
Maniac Vandal: I was never excited to pay 2R to get to keep a creature with +2/-1.
[B]CMC Four[/B]
Avalanche Riders: This card convinced me to put in more land destruction. I'm starting to consider looking for a critical mass of Land destruction in Red.
Flametongue Kavu: Defined standard for a bit. It's always nice when the best card in a format isn't blue.
Hero of Oxid Ridge: I'm looking forward to bashing in with this guy. It should blank most blockers. I love how it blanks Wall of Denial.
Keldon Champion: This is kind of like a mono red Bloodbraid Elf.
Oxidda Scrapmelter: I am excited now that wizards has given us two effective Shatters on bodies.
[B]CMC Five[/B]
Siege-Gang Commander: This was voted one of the best red creatures/cards in the cube. It's hard to lose the game once it hits play barring a one-sided board position.
Thunderblust: It's like a Ball Lightning you get to use twice. Persist is such a great mechanic.
[B]Six Plus[/B]
Bogardan Hellkite: I love the power level of this guy. He is also the last dragon in my cube.
Crater Hellion: I don't think I've seen this in a draft since I put it in.
Greater Gargadon: Most often this is played as a 1 casting cost creature, but the other day I did manage to hard cast this mofo.
1 Sulfuric Vortex
Lands
1 Barbarian Ring
Planeswalker
1 Chandra Nalaar
1 Koth of the Hammer
Instant
1 Burst Lightning
1 Char
1 Comet Storm
1 Fireblast
1 Incinerate
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Magma Jet
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Staggershock
1 Starstorm
1 Aftershock
1 Arc Lightning
1 Arc Trail
1 Banefire
1 Chain Lightning
1 Earthquake
1 Fireball
1 Firebolt
1 Forked Bolt
1 Molten Rain
1 Pyroclasm
1 Pillage
1 Rift Bolt
1 Stone Rain
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Wildfire
Sulfuric Vortex: This card is awesome. The Vortex puts every player on a clock. Which is a clock that a red deck is likely to win.
[B]Lands[/B]
Barbarian Ring: An uncounterable source of damage that can hit Soltari Priest, Silver Knight, and Paladin en-Vec. It also gives you another "spell" in your deck.
[B]Planeswalker[/B]
Chandra Nalaar: Sometimes it seems like this thing gets to it's ultimate way too quick.
Koth of the Hammer: We finally get a good Red Planeswalker. And Koth is a good one.
[B]Instant[/B]
Burst Lightning:This is what it took to get shock into my cube. I have a feeling this will be in my cube forever.
Char: This is what Flame Javelin wants to be with it's easier mana cost. Mine has Charmander on it.
Comet Storm: This is my personal favorite x-spell in red.
Fireblast: This is a great finisher for red decks.
Incinerate: I play the best art for Incinerate. The Mirage one. They need a foil version of this art.
Lightning Bolt: I have a foil textless one sitting around that I refuse to use.
Magma Jet: The library manipulation is something that red really needs.
Smash to Smithereens: Artifact removal with burn mixed in.
Starstorm: This card doesn't seem to come up often in our drafts. I don't know if that's because it's not being played when drafted, or if it's because the card is flat out not put into the X amount of cards that get shuffled togerher to play.
[B]Sorcery[/B]
Aftershock: A very rare card that gives red direct creature removal to red.
Arc Lightning: Hopefuly this get's reprinted (like half of my red section)
Arc Trail: An amazing card. It's fire at sorcery speed but with more damage.
Banefire: The best of the red X spells. I don't want to play many more X-spells then I currently am.
Chain Lightning: Hopefuly we get foil ones of this card soon.
Earthquake: It's a pyroclasm that also hits players. I don't like to run portal cards over cards that perform a very similar card.
Fireball: I love playing classic cards whenever possible. It is probable that better x-spells have been printed. But I like this one.
Firebolt: Red often has a problem with gas. Firebolt helps give a bit more gas. Like Hellspark Elemental, it's amazing how often at the end of a game this is in a graveyard simply because the opponent forgot about it.
Forked Bolt: A mini arc lightning. It's like half a fire/ice.
Molten Rain: It blows up lands, but gives a bonus if the land is non-basic. If I play this, should I be playing Stone Rain also?
Pyroclasm: Every time I think about cutting this, it proves it's worth ten fold.
Pillage: A card that can kill both Jitte or an Ancient Tomb.
Rift Bolt: Personally I love this card. I don't feel the delay is worth not playing this.
Stone Rain: I have every playable 3-drop mana denial spell in red now.
Wheel of Fortune: I'm so happy this card isn't a burn spell. Granted it just draws you more burn spells. But what the hay, It doesn't deal damage.
Wildfire: This really wants mana acceleration to make sure it totally geddons your opponent.
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/Red2-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/Red3-1.jpg[/IMG]
Ever since Time Spiral Wizards has really been trying to help out green. Goyf and Harmonize were the two big pushes then, and Vengevine and Lotus Cobra is what they are doing now.
[B]Focus[/B]: Greens focus is mana ramp and aggressive creatures. I have been adding ramp based cards to my cube for quite a bit of time no, but it always seems to be at the expense of the cards your ramp into. It might be hard for green to build a weenie aggressive deck like White and Red can, but green always offers great support to those strategies. And it is the best Mid Range color in the cube.
[B]Cards I'm not playing[/B]
Phantom Centaur: I really don't have a good reason why I have never tried this guy out. I always mean to but never get around to it.
Lotus Cobra: Simply I don't want a mana producer in my cube that doesn't produce mana when I need lands. I got a bit of a sadistic glee when people started saying it wasn't good in standard.
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Jungle Lion
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Pouncing Jaguar
1 Twinblade Slasher
1 Wild Dogs
1 Wild Nacatl
CMC Two
1 Albino Troll
1 Mire Boa
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 River Boa
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Wall of Blossoms
1 Wall of Roots
1 Wild Mongrel
1 Eternal Witness
1 Great Sable Stag
1 Ohran Viper
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Viridian Shaman
1 Yavimaya Elder
CMC Four
1 Blastoderm
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Mold Shambler
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Phantom Centaur
1 Thrune, the Last Troll
1 Vengevine
1 Wickerbough Elder
CMC Five
1 Acidic Slime
1 Ant Queen
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Genesis
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Kodama of the North Tree
1 Thornling
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Pelika Wurm
1 Rampaging Baloths
1 Silvos, Rogue Elemental
1 Terastodon
Birds of Paradise: I like this more than Noble Hierarch despite the fact the Hierarch is probably the better card. I love when I can equip something like a sword of fire and ice to this guy and go to town. Green has very few ways of dealing with flying in my cube and it's nice that you can use the Bird as a blocker once if need be.
Fyndhorn Elves: I wanted to play every mana elf that I could when I started to build my cube. The way I see it is that every green deck wants to start the game with a turn one elf/bird. In order to maximize the possibility of this happening I want to be running atleast two, if not three of these, in every green deck I build. In order to let the two or so green decks do this, I have to run as many playable Mana elfs as possible. Arbor Elves and Joraga might be included at some point.
Jungle Lion: They really need to reprint this card so WTWLF can get around his silly portal restriction.
Joraga Treespeaker:I'm playing pretty much ever mana elf that I could possibly play.
Llanowar Elves: I'm a bigger fan of Kev Walker's art than Anson Madock's. Despite the fact Anson Madock has one *****in name.
Noble Hierarch: I really wish that Wizards wouldn't have oversteped there reach with this card. If it only tapped for G it would still be put in every cube, but it would have been a more resonable card.
Twinblade Slasher: If I had to cut a card from the Green one drops, this would be it.
Wild Dogs: I've been trying to add some form of critical mass of 2/1's for 1 in my cube. Green has two right now and I would be willing to increase this to three.
Wild Nacatl: If I ran a three color section, this would be my Naya card. Since I don't it gets put into the green section.
[B]CMC Two[/B]
Albino Troll: This is getting cut when Garruk's Champion comes out.
Mire Boa: I wanted ways to punish players for playing multiple dual lands. This seemed to be a good way to punish someone for splashing into black.
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary: This card encourages you to play many many many forest. Which is something I wanted when I started building my cube.
River Boa: Played for the same reason that Mire Boa
Sakura-Tribe Elder: Sadly this has lost a bit of it's thunder since the removal of combat damage on the stack.
Tarmogoyf: A card that is way too exspensive for how good it is. I still firmly believe that this card should have cost either GG or 1GG.
Wall of Blossoms: I tried playing Elvish Visionary in addition to this. I thought that the main draw to this card was the card draw. I was very wrong.
Wall of Roots: A mana producer that can block. Great to stall the game for your larger drops.
Wild Mongrel: I'm pretty sure the sun is beginning to set on this guy. He works well as a discard outlet for the various graveyard strategies. I don't think it will be long before this guy gets cut.
[B]CMC Three[/B]
Eternal Witness: My favorite Green card. There is nothing I don't love about this card. The art is great. Screw you FNM version.
Great Sable Stag: It seems that if you load two protections with a good ability on a creature with a decent power to casting cost ratio, it's hard not to cube with it.
Imperious Perfect: This thing really works well with quite a few various strategies. It makes a good outlet for Braids and Smokestacks. Also quite a few creatures happen to be elves also. Probably the worst three drop.
Ohran Viper: I love this card. It works with Braids and Smokestack so well.
Troll Ascetic: This card isn't nearly as exciting as it once was.
Viridian Shaman: I debated for a long time between Viridian Shaman and Sex Monkeys. Scott M. Fischer's art and the fact I already owned a foil Shaman won me over.
[B]CMC Four[/B]
Blastoderm: This card is even more amazing than it's White's brother due to the ability to play a mana elf to drop this earlier.
Chameleon Colossus: Stronger than the Baloths. The protection from black makes it hard to deal with but most of the time you have to attack into an empty board for the berserk ability to matter.
Mold Shambler: If I had to pick a weakest 4 drop in green it would be this.
[cardObstinate Baloth[/card]: I'm sad that I can't sack a Blastoderm or Colossus to this. I might try to fit Ravenous back in also.
Phantom Centaur: I finally got around to giving this guy a shot.
Thrune, the Last Troll: I love me some 4/4's for 4, and this one has a hell of an ability attached to it.
Vengevine: I love four power creatures for four mana and this is the best one printed so far with a built in recursion mechanic and haste.
Wickerbough Elder: A fairly recent addition to me. The Elder has proven it's worth.
[B]CMC Five[/B]
Acidic Slime: The second best naturalize on a stick. The deathtouch doesn't quite make up for the beefy body.
Ant Queen: The weakest of the five drops, but still a 5/5 for 5 is really good. I have always wanted to pair the token making with gaea's cradle but for some reason one of those two cards always dies when they are paired up.
Deranged Hermit: The original good token maker for green. It isn't quite as insane as it use to be. But it is still strong never the less. I wish the tokens were something more relevant then squirrels.
Genesis: Probably the best reason to keep Wild Mongrel in green is to have another way for green to get this into the graveyard. On top of that, when this is in play your opponent will have a hard time wrathing the board for fear of this being in the graveyard.
Indrik Stomphowler: More Naturalizes on a stick. This is probably the best of all of them.
Kodama of the North Tree: The triple green is a bit rough. But a trample shroud creature is hard for most decks to deal with.
Thornling: Due to this being able to gain indestructible, it is probably the best of the morphlings. Being able to attack as a 7/1 trampling indestructible creature. And if you draw it late it can always attack with haste.
[B]Six Plus[/B]
Krosan Tusker: This thing is played as a creature about half the time. The other half the time he is a source of card advantage for green.
Pelika Wurm: Big body that passes the terminate test.
Rampaging Baloth: I had my reservations about this guy. By the time I get to six mana I tend to be out of lands to be feeding to this guy. But a 6/6 trampler for 6 is still really good to turn sideways.
Silvos, Rogue Elemental: This is no longer the all star that he use to be. But 8 power for six mana is insane.
Terastodon: My least favorite of the green six plus drops. This is defiantly the first cut I would make in this section.
1 Rancor
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Sylvan Library
Instant
1 Berserk
1 Harrow
1 Krosan Grip
1 Naturalize
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Treetop Village
Planeswalker
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
Sorcery
1 Call of the Herd
1 Creeping Mold
1 Cultivate
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Harmonize
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Life from the Loam
1 Plow Under
1 Regrowth
Rancor: One of the few auras worth playing.
Survival of the Fittest: One of green's best "build around me" cards. I should consider putting squee back in.
Sylvan Library: I don't play most of the ways to abuse this like Words of War. How often do you pay the four life to draw a card?
[b]Instant
Berserk: If they made a textless version of this card it would be useless. No one ever remembers that the creature dies at the end of combat and when you can play this spell.
Harrow: My players have accepted this as a good card since Zendikar came out.
Krosan Grip: The best naturalize effect in my spell section. This would be the only one I would keep if I cut the rest of my naturalize spells.
Naturalize: When I first started playing magic, any green or white deck would start with four Naturalize/disenchant. I've always felt that artifact/enchantment removal is vital.
Vines of Vastwod: This is a Stonewood Invocation at a better price.
[B]Land[/B]
Treetop Village: Green is probably the color that needs protection from wrath effects the most. This thing being able to dodge sorcery speed removal is great. Finally got the foil Game Day one. If anyone wants a foil Xth edition one lmk.
[B]Planeswalker[/B]
Garruk Wildspeaker: I find myself using the untap land ability on this thing the most. I see him as another ramp card.
[B]Sorcery[/B]
Call of the Herd: Wish this produced a more common creature type, like beast to match Garruk.
Creeping Mold: I often overlook green's ability to provide mana denial.
Cultivate: Kodama's Reach with better art.
Green Sun's Zenith:I was looking for a new ramp spell to put in after cutting Rude Awakening.
Harmonize: One of the few "pure" draw spells outside of blue.
Kodama's Reach: I prefer Reach to Harrow. I prefer getting +2 lands compared to two untap lands. Also Kodama's Reach is less of a blowout when it gets countered.
Life from the Loam: Traditionally I have shied away from playing "narrow" effects like this. But with there being 10 fetchlands in the cube now I decided to give this ago. Perhaps I could include the green cycling land?
Plow Under: The most prick-ish card in all of magic. The amount of tempo this provides is insane. It is almost like a green Armageddon or green Wildfire.
Regrowth: I have always found it odd that Regrowth at 2 is "broken" by vintage standards. But recollect is an unplayable piece of trash for one extra mana. If 62 cards wasn't so tight I would be willing to play recollect. I decided to go with Judge foil over the Beta one I have. If anyone is interested lmk.
Search ofr Tomorrow: The worst of all my ramp spells. This might get replace by another Kodama's Reach.
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/Green2-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z139/Simkido/Green3-1.jpg[/IMG]
Calvin and Hobbes
Cube Tutor
As you could tell by my General Cube discription, I choose to limit the importanc of Gold in the Cube. I limit it to the point that it is painful to cut any cards in it. I think if a card is going to require you to be in multiple colors, it better rewrd you greatly for doing so. As most of you have heard so far there are only 27 color combinations in magic (5 mono, 10 dual color, 10 tri color, 5 quad-color, 1 five color, and 1 mono-brown). A Blue white card fits into 8 of those decks WU,WUB,WUR,WUG,WUBR,WUBG,WURG,WUBRG, while a mono white card fits into 16 decks, W,WU,WB,WR,WG,WUB,WUR,WUG,WBR,WBG,WRG,WUBR,WBRG,WURG,WUBG,WUBRG. Since that means a WU card is at minumum twice as hard to play as a white counterpart there reward for it should be much greater.
I also choose not to run any three color cards. A choice that is fairly unique with the more refined cubes.
I've tried to identify the worst and best card in each combination. This doesn't mean that the card is bad, but since the color combinations are so small, it means that if a good card got printed, this is what I would be looking towards to cut.
Wizard'shas gone a bit Gold Crazy in the past few years. I think my current disdane for it is based on just an overwhellming amount of Multicolor. Hell my two favorite blocks is Invasion and Ravnica.
Focus: There really isn't an overwhelming focus to my multicolor section due to the nature of multicolor.
Cards I'm Not Playing
Brion Stoutarm: This tends to be the fourth card that most people play in RW. I wanted somthing on the lower end of the curve.
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind: I have never liked this card. It was easy for me to leave it out of the construction of the cube also.
Putrefy: Due to having a small multicolor selection, I just don't have room for the card.
1 Absorb
1 Azorius Guildmage
1 Wall of Denial
Blue/Black
1 Psychatog
1 Recoil
1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
Black/Red
1 Bituminous Blast
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Terminate
Red/Green
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Kird Ape
1 Giant Solifuge
1 Loam Lion
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Qasali Pridemage
White/Black
1 Desolation Angel
1 Stillmoon Cavalier
1 Vindicate
Black/Green
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Putrid Leech
Green/Blue
1 Mystic Snake
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Trygon Predator
1 Electrolyze
1 Fire/Ice
1 Prophetic Bolt
Red/White
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Lightning Helix
Absorb: The worst card in Blue White. But I wanted a counterspell in this section. I love how this effectively counters two spells versus red decks. The spell your countering and the lightning bolt they pointed at your head two turns before.
Azorius Guildmage: I love this guy. It is one of two cards that can hit activated abilities. Also gives white a two drop that can tap down creatures while still attacking.
Wall of Denial: Blue White gets two hard to kill walls. Denial is neigh impossible to kill, but Plumeveil has hybrid mana and can function as removal.
Blue/Black
Psychatog: If it was difficult when I had to decide between Shadowmage Infiltrator and Psychatog. They both serve the function as 3cc creatures that help a control deck win the game. The mage by drawing enough cards to control the game and the Tog by flat out winning the game.
Recoil: This is kind of like a reversed Into the Roil. It's bounce without card disadvantage. So thus I love it.
Shadowmage Infiltrator: Finkel's body is large enough where it can block most weenies (some even profitably). And it's ability lets you get ahead in CA when the board is empty enough. I've been wanting to put this back in my cube for along time now.
Black/Red
Bituminous Blast: At one point my entire BR section was standard playable. Cascade is a powerful enough mechanic where I'm willing to play a 5cc instant that deals damage only to creatures.
Murderous Redcap: The worst of by BR section. 4 cc 2/2's aren't that great. But this guy atleast get's to die twice and bolt also.
Terminate: When you build your cube, you know from the get-go that this card is going into your cube, and never leaving.
Red/Green
Bloodbraid Elf: Wow this guy is so good. It is the best cascade spell. It has a good sized body. It gives card advantage to red and green. And control decks don't want to play against this.
Giant Solifuge: It was so much better when it was spoiled as a 4/3. Despite that shroud makes this guy hard to deal with.
Kird Ape: Finally moved from the mono red section to the (R/G) section.
Green/White
Kitchen Finks: A creature that doesn't die to removal. Persist is such a good ability. It makes sacrifical effects so much better. It's hybrid color mana isn't intensive enough where you don't have to worry playing it in a W/X or G/X deck.
Loam Lion: Hey it's kind of like Kird Ape, should of been named either Kird Kitty, or Kird Lion.
Qasali Pridemage: Disenchant on a Stick is one of the greatest strengths that green has. Combined on a good body with exalted is gravy.
White/Black
Desolation Angel:Armageddons are so potent. You have to deal with this thing in response to her coming into play or you lose the game. And since most black kill spells can't hit her, red has to use two burn spells, and you probably drafted the white removal when you were making the deck, she usally spells a game win.
Stillmoon Cavalier: The first card I would cut if they produced an amazing BW card in a new set. Stillmoon is still a very solid card. Double Protection is so good.
Vindicate: Offers a way to flat out kill Planeswalker. Also is one of the few options to deal with Library of Alexandria outside of Red.
Black/Green
Maelstrom Pulse: Black Green's Vindicate. Has the ability to trade with token's for advantage. It's great that this is close to rotating out of standard. But with the way they screwed up extended it probably won't drop in price as a direct result.
Pernicious Deed: The strongest card in Black Green. It's amazing at how stupid it's ability to miss Planeswalkers is. This should have been printed as Non-Land instead of the odd way it is worded.
Putrid Leech: I love this little bugger. 4/4's for two are amazing and it fits in with black's theme of killing itself.
Green/Blue
Mystic Snake: Mystic Snake is a really good, but very unexciting creature. Possibly the best card to have alongside Eternal Witness for the Crystal Shard decks.
Simic Sky Swallower: Wizard's as of late seem to like making large flying creatures with shroud. This is one of the better finishers in the cube.
Trygon Predator:It's a solid if not unexciting fourth slot.
Blue/Red
Electrolyze: Since counterspells are so bad in blue red, I think we get the option of double negative and suffocating blast, instead we get lots of burn that replaces itself.
Fire/Ice: Probably the card you think of when you play UR. It is the only split card good enough to still see play in my cube.
Prophetic Bolt: This or Gelectrode is the worst UR card I am playing. Sadly UR's countermagic is all abysmally bad. That being said a 4 damage burn spelll that replaces itself is really good.
Red/White
Ajani Vengeant: This guy is so great for red white aggresive decks. His ability to stall your opponents, and finish them off with burn is perfect for the deck that naturaly emerges. His ultimate is back breaking but I rarely get that to happen.
Figure of Destiny: The best (R/W) card. It fits into any red or white aggressive deck. It's just R/X deck won't be able to expect to get to the final stage.
Lightning Helix: Back when Ravnica came out this was one of the most exciting cards for magic. A six life swing is great.
I try to play as many equipments as possible. Anytime you have an equipment on the field your opponent has to deal with each and every creature you play.
I also didn't want the Artifact section to be completly dominated by Manafacts. There are quite a few of them that I'm not playing because I wanted some diversity in this section.
I also wanted to play as many artifact creatures as I could. That way any deck that is short on threats could possibly pick up an additional one or two artifact creatures instead of splashing into another color.
Cards I'm not playing
Mana Vault, Mana Crypt, Grim Monolith, Mind Stone, Chrome Mox, Coalition Relic: I felt like I had enough artifact mana when I hit 18 cards. That is the only reason I'm not playing any of these cards.
Ring of Gix: I'm saving this for a future update, I felt like I changed enough stuff with this one.
1 Chimeric Idol
1 Chimeric Mass
1 Duplicant
1 Juggernaut
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Masticore
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Perilous Myr
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Razormane Masticore
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Sundering Titan
1 Triskelion
1 Wurmcoil Engine
Equipment
1 Bonesplitter
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Skullclamp
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Azorius Signet
1 Dimir Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Gruul Signet
1 Selesnya Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Golgari Signet
1 Simic Signet
1 Izzet Signet
1 Boros Signet
Misscilanious
1 Black Vise
1 Crystal Ball
1 Crystal Shard
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Erratic Portal
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Maze of Ith
1 Memory Jar
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Obelisk of Alara
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Pithing Needle
1 Ring of Gix
1 Scroll Rack
1 Smokestack
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Tangle Wire
1 Winter Orb
Chimeric Idol: Since I started plaything this, I have been sold on the power of this card.
Chimeric Mass: I'm excited to have a second Chimeric Idol in my cube.
Duplicant: I disagree with people taking this card out fo their cubes as of late. This is one of the better targets for erratic portal decks.
Juggernaut: Since the introduction of Lodestone Golem people have been refering to Juggernaut as the "bad" Juggernaut and Lodestone Golem as the "good" Juggernaut. I think it does a diservice to the quality of card that Juggernaut is. It works great as a beater in an aggressive deck in any of the four agro colors.
Lodestone Golem: I'm always on the look out for artifact creatures that go into any aggressive deck. Juggernaut was the best I could find prior to the printing of Lodestone Golem. Tht 5/3 body with mana denial built in is quite good.
Masticore: I think the original might be the worst of the three masticores.
Molten-Tail Masticore: All masticores are cubable. I'm not sure how to rank the trio yet.
Perilous Myr: I was impressed enough with this guy enough from scars draft I wanted to try him out.
Phyrexian Revoker: This gives the cube another answer to planeswalkers. I'm hoping it doesn't turn out to be a more expensive Pithing Needle that you are too afraid to attack with. The idea of a wrath turning your planeswalker back on is scarry.
Razormane Masticore: I still think that Razormane Masticore is the better card. The larger body and the ability to bolt a creature for free tends to work better than the huge mana sink that is Masticore.
Solemn Simulacrum: I love this card. I end up playing it in more decks then I should.
Sundering Titan: This card is in the cube to punish players who pick duals really high and end up with 5-7 duals in 4-5 colors.
Triskelion: I never liked the way that he get's smaller the more you use him. But I guess it's like his batteries are winding down.
Wurmcoil Engine: This card is just insane. I have yet to lose a game that it has resolved.
Equipment
Bonesplitter: Fits into the curve of quick agro decks. Kind of functions like a colorless Rancor.
Grafted Wargear: I've been really impressed with this card. Effictevly you can never take the equipment off, so it's pretty much an aura that can get reposition when the creature dies.
Lightning Greaves: This is probably the weakest of the Equipment section. It still works well enough. Aggressive decks enjoy having their creatures have haste. And it's also good to have protection from spot removal on your most important creature.
Loxodon Warhammer: I love this bugger. I think recurring life gain is much better than people give it credit for. Trample and the bigger power makes everything equipped with this a threat.
Skullclamp: The most busted of all equipments. Works really well with any token production like Deranged Hermit, Siege-Gang, Spectral Procession, etc.
Sword of Light and Shadow: Not as good as it's brother. It is much more defensive in nature giving the creature protection from the two big colors in removal.
Sword of Feast and Famine: I think this is probably the weekest of the swords.
Sword of Fire and Ice: My favorite of the the equipment section.
Sword of Body and Mind: So far the worst of the three swords. I tend to mill out a player the same turn I kill them off through damage. Making the mill ability irrelevant.
Umezawa's Jitte: Jitte is Jitte.
Manafacts
Black Lotus: The Magic card that all other Magic cards wish they could be. It's kind of like the Tony Stark of the magic world.
Mox Diamond: Since I increased the size of my artifact section I added another manafact.
Moxen: You are not cubing until you are slapping down Moxen for insane turn two and three plays. I suggest that anyone who is willing to use proxies to include the Moxen.
Mana Vault: This it the absolute ceiling on the ammount of artifact mana I'm willing to play.
Sol Ring: I'm in the Library>Sol Ring camp. But Sol Ring still manages to accelerate you by two turns.
Signets: There seems to be a schism between the cube community with the inclusion of Signets. Some people think that the signets distract from some of the strengths of green. I can understand where they are coming from, but I think in order to have the quantity of mana acceleration that you would have to gut the green selection. Also I'm sure if green should be the only color that can accelerate it's mana.
Miscellaneous
Black Vise: This is a really good counter for aggressive decks that have problem with control decks that like to keep their hands full at all times. It is especially good against Library of Alexandria.
Crystal Ball: Kind of like an expensive Top that doesn't require shuffle effects.
Crystal Shard: Probably should be moved from the Artifact section to the Blue section. But I haven't figured out what to cut in the blue section, nor what to add to the artifact section. That being said the Crystal Shard decks are one of my favorite decks to build in the cube.
Cursed Scroll: This apparently was originally printed to be an answer for Hypnotic Specter. If you think of it like that, it is an example of design.
Erratic Portal: A second copy of Crystal Shard. I am happy that this little gem from Exodus sees play in cubes.
Icy Manipulator: To me this is the most Iconic artifact in Magic. The card functions better in control decks than aggressive strategies. I do need to replace my Deckmaster's foil for a FNM one. Contact me if your interested in a trade on this.
Maze of Ith: Even though this isn't an Artifact, it functions as a zero casting cost colorless spell, and most people count it as a spell rather than a land during deck construction.
Memory Jar: A colorless draw seven, what more could you want?
Mimic Vat: A card I'm excited to try out.
Nevinyrral's Disk:
Oblivion Stone: Quite a bit more mana intensive than Nevinyrral's Disk. I rarely use it's save card ability.
Pithing Needle: Functions as a very differnet card in the cube then it does in normal magic. In normal magic it is used proactivly to stop troublesome cards. In the cube it used reactivitly to stop threats on the board. This card is a great way to stop Planeswalkers.
Phyrexian Processor: I never got around to putting this back in after I went down from 720.
Ring of Gix: In the short time i've played this, it has proven worthy of it's slot. Icy is worth the extra mana but this is still really good.
Scroll Rack: One of my favorite artifacts ever printed. I wish they would unban Land Tax in legacy so this card would see more play.
Sensei's Diving Top: One of the more annoying cards in the cube. When most people play this card they tend to try to think of what they want to do. Such a huge time sink.
Tangle Wire: Ever since I threw this in, I have been constantly amazed at the huge tempo swing this thing is always been able to provide.
Winter Orb: I hate hate hate this card. If you ever want to piss off Pringlesman, just play this card against me.
Oh lands, one of the dullest but most important parts of magic. Let's face it. Whenever you plunk down $75 for an Underground Sea, you can't help but think that the card is a Swamp and an Island stapled together. But as a reasonably intelligent Magic player I realize the consistency that good Dual lands can give you.
Since I moved my "colored" lands from my land section to my mono colored section the dynamics of lands have changed quite a bit. I tend to look for mana fixing and manlands out of a land now.
Cards I'm not running
Gran Colosseum:Yes, I am aware at how insanely good this thing is. I can always hide behind the fact that I'm trying to make 5 and 4 color decks harder to build, but I think the real reason I don't run this card is because I can't get past the fact that it is a Comes into play tapped painland.
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Badlands
1 Taiga
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Bayou
1 Tropical Island
1 Volcanic Island
1 Plateau
Ravnica Duals
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 Godless Shrine
1 Overgrown TOmb
1 Breeding Pool
1 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Windswept Heath
1 Marsh Flats
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Arid Mesa
Worldwake Manlands
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Raging Ravine
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Ancient Tomb
1 City of Brass
1 Dust Bowl
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
1 Rishadan Port
1 Strip Mine
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 Wasteland
Alpha Duals: The best of all the duals.
Ravnica Duals: I have always been faced with the delema of Ravnica bounce and Ravnica Dual lands. I like the bouncelands better, but I admit the Ravnica Duals are better.
Fetch Lands: The Alpha and Ravnica dual lands would not be insane if it wasn't for the fetchlands. There ability to grab so many lands contributes to some broken mana bases.
Worldwake Manlands: All of these cards are great. Collonade is the best, the GW might be the worst, but it is still playable.
Miscellaneous Lands
Ancient Tomb: Helps to accelerate some of the non green decks. Great in mono-colored decks since they can afford to play colorless lands.
City of Brass: I don't think I've ever had an opponent tap down my City of Brass with something like Icy Manipulator or the like.
Dust Bowl: This is yet another card in my ongoing struggle to keep multicolored decks down.
Library of Alexandria: The best land in the cube, the best card in the cube. I can't say enough good things about it.
Mishra's Factory: Attacks for two, blocks for three.
Mutavault: I'm running so few tribal effects now, that this is pretty much worse than Mishra's Factory. But it is still amazing when you sacrifice a mutavault to a Siege-Gang Commander.
Rishadan Port: One of the most annoying lands in the cube. Every turn you have to wait till your opponent remembers to tap your land. It's annoying when you don't want to play the game from your opponent and just not untap your Tropical Island. But you also don't want to spend your time waiting for your opponent to tap your land down.
Strip Mine: One of the most important lands in the cube. This card helps to keep down some of the more insane lands in the format.
Thawing Glaciers: A card that I was sad to see go when I cut back from 720 cards to 450. I did a bit of finigiling with my numbers so Glaciers got the chance to come back.
Wasteland: A weaker version of Strip Mine, but still manages to do everything that I want Strip Mine to do. I always thought it was amazing that Strip Mine is a gazzilion times better than Wasteland, but wasteland is about a Gazillion times more exspensive than even a foil Strip Mine. And yes, I know it's because Strip Mine had a bigger print run and is banned/restricted everywhere.
+5 Worldwake Manlands -Kor Haven, Faerie Conclave, Urborg Tomb of Yawgmoth, Gaea's Cradle
+Comet Storm - Rolling Thunder
+Zektar Shrine -Red Genju
+Ant Queen -THornling
+Vampire Hexmage -Nantuko Husk
+Blightning -Shambling Remains
+Twisted Abomination -Phyrexian Negator
+Lodestone Golem -Grim Poppet
+Ravages of War -Momentary Blink
+Cataclysm -Shining Shoal
+Loam Lion -Captain of the Watch
+Jace the Mind Sculptor -Concentrate
+Rorix Bladewing -Hellkite Charger
+Albino Troll -Fyndhorn Elves
+Creeping Mold -Genju of the Cedars
+Stillmoon Cavalier -Gerrard's Verdict
+Steppe Lynx -Divine Sacrement
+Kjeldoran Outpost (+1 White Slot)
+Shelldoc Isle (+1 Blue Slot)
+Faerie Conclave -Repulse
+Volrath's Stronghold (+1 Black Slot)
+Barbarian Ring (+1 Red SLot)
+Gaea's Cradle (+1 Green Slot)
+Treetop Vilaiage -Moment's Peace
+Thornling -Coudthresher
+Into the Roil -Exclude
+Barter in Blood -Undead Gladiator
+Crater Hellion -Chandra Ablaze
+Fyndhorn Elves -Skyshroud Elite
+Student of Warfare -Knight of the WHite Orchid
+Gideon Jura -Kor Hookmaster
+Wall of Omens -Miraculous Recovery
+Consuming Vapors -Barter in BLood
+Force Spike (was down a blue card)
+Gorilla Shaman -Goblin Bushwhacker
+Forked Bolt -Forked Bolt
+Stagger Shock -Sneak Attack
+Kragan Dragonlord -Taurean Mauler
+Wild Dogs -Gaea's +ANthem
+Vegavine -Kavu Titan
+Mold Shambler -Tooth and Nail
+Prophetic Bolt -Suffocating Blast
+Desolation Angel -Tidehollow Sculler
+Teramorphic Expanse -?/?/?/?/?
+Acidic Slime -Creeping Mold
+5 Artifact Slot -Loam Lion, Stroke of Genius, Cemetery Reaper, Fork, Restock
+ Thirst for Knwoledge -Pestermite
+ Dismiss -Tradewind Rider
+ Inkwell Levithan -Negate
+ Tezzeret the Seaker -Remove Soul
+ Tinker -Vesuvan Doppelganger
+ Oona's Prowler -Gatekeeper of Malakier
+ Wretched Annurid -Diabolic Servitude
+ Dark Ritual -Infest
+ Dwarven Blastminer -Gorilla Shaman
+ Inferno Titan -Kumano, Yamabushi Master
+ Fireslinger -Kird Ape
+ Wall of ROots Worldly Tutor
+ Life from the Loam -Grizzly Fate
+ Had extra Green Slot -Rude Awakening
+ Winter Orb
+ Mox Diamond
+ Erratic Portal
+ Smokestack
+ Maze of Ith (artifact slot)
+ Thawing Glaciers -Maze of Ith
+ Dread Statuary -Teramorphic Expanse
+ Loam Lion -Mirari's Wake
+ Kird Ape -Boggart-Ram Gang
-Prodigal Sorcerer+Magical Hacker
-Faerie Conclave +Miscalculation
-Ink Eyes, Servent of Oni +Gravetitan
-Volcanic Fallout +Stone Rain
-Pyroclasm +Fire Imp
-Imperial Recruiter +Squee, Goblin Nabob
-Keldon Vandals +Manic Vandal
-Flameblast Dragon +Ghitu Slinger
-Search for Tomorrow +Cultivate
-Albino Troll +Garruk's Companion
-Silvos +Primeval Titan
-Rofellos +Yavimaya Elder
-Slaughter Pact +Chainer's Edict
-Puppeteer Clique +Liliana's Specter
-Makeshift Mannequin +Necromancy
-Kiki Jiki +Pyroclasm
-Slith Firewalker +Ember Hauler
-Primeval Titan +Silvos
-Imperious Prefect +Rofellos
-Epochrasite +Sword of Body and Mind
-Mindslaver +Crystal Ball
-Lorescale Coatl +Trygon Predator
- Crusade
- Cataclysm
- Martial Coup
- Hallowed Burial
+ Revoke Existance
+ Elspeth Tirel
+ Indomitable Archangel
+ Faith's Fetters
+ Lone Missionary
+ Crystal Shard (moved to blue from artifacts)
- Smother
+ Last Gasp
+ Skinrender
- Blast from the Past
- Rorix Bladewing
- Magus of the Scroll
+ Arc Trail
+ Oxidda Scrapmelter
+ Spikeshot Elder
+ Koth of the Hammer
- Gaea's Cradle
- Garruk Champion
+ Joraga Treespeaker
+ Pelika Wurm
- Plumeveil
- Undermine
- Blightning
- Behemoth Sledge
- Mortify
- Spiritmonger
- Voidslime
- Gelectrode
- Cerodon Yearling
+ Ring of Gix
+ Chimeric Mass
+ Moltain Tail Masticore
+ Wurmcoil Engine
+ Phyrexian Processor
+ Mana Vault
-Overrun +Phantom Centaur
-Dread Statuary +Dust Bowl
- Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
+ Arcane Denial
+ Knight of the White Orchid
-Knight of the White Orchid
-Indomitable Archangel
-Celestial Crusader
-Akroma, Angel of Wrath
+Accorder Paladin
+Stoneforge Mystic
+Mirran Crusader
+Hero of Bladehold
+Sun Titan
-Future Sight
-Desertion
+Preordain
+Seagate Oracle
-Stonewood Invocate
+Thrun, the Last Troll
-Wretched Annurid
+Fume Spitter
-Obelisk of Alara
+Mimic Vat
-Magical Hacker
-Living Death
-Last Gasp
-FlameJavelin
-Rakka Marr
-Rude Awakening
-Oona, Queen of the Fae
-Phyrexian Processor
-Bassilisk Collar
+Leonin Relic-Warder
+Memory Lapse
+Go for the Throat
+Black Sun's Zenith
+Goblin Warcaller
+Hero of Oxid Ridge
+Shadowmage Infiltrator
+Sword of Feast and Famine
+Phyrexian Revoker
Calvin and Hobbes
Cube Tutor
A lot to read through.
gonna take my time to check this out!
Opm's Cube on MTGS
Wife's Etsy Store (Hair Accessories for Girls)
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!
And now, for some comments...
- Your white section looks really solid.
- The thing with Keiga is the ability to steal a creature is just an added bonus. The fact that she's a splashable 5/5 flying dragon is what keeps her in the cube.
- We had no luck at all with Phyrexian Negator despite his amazing stats and good showing in his day in constructed.
- Nantuko Husk seems really bad.
- Cemetery Reaper desperately wants to function like Imperious Perfect, but just couldn't quite get there for us. I'd replace the Husk and the Reaper for more aggressive cards like Dauthi Marauder and Ogre Marauder.
- Infest is decent, but at sorcery speed, I'd rather have Decree of Pain.
- Goblin Bushwhacker (which is sub par, imo) should be counted as CMC two because without it's kicker it's just a Mons's Goblin Raiders. That's hardly cube worthy.
- Blistering Firecat would be better than Thunderblust, imo.
- Flameblast Dragon is good, but I'd include Rorix before it. Especially if you're trying to push monocolor decks.
- Sneak Attack and Genju of the Spires proved unworthy for us. But your red section seems pretty solid, so I don't know what to suggest you replace these with.
- Sulfuric Vortex is insanely good. Between myself, wtwlf123, and the now AWOL Silent Edge, I'd hope everyone gets the point by now.
- We run Rift Bolt, but I'm thinking of replacing it with the wither version of this spell. I'm not sure which is better.
- In a cube this size, I think either Fyndhorn or Llanowar is sufficient. You don't need both. You also have Noble Hierarch and Birds. Cutting a mana elf won't hurt you. You could replace it with another 2 CMC aggro card like Albino Troll.
- Maybe try Creeping Mold over Genju of the Cedars?
- I agree with Phantizle about your BW section. There are much better options than Sculler and Verdict if you're only running four cards.
- I don't like Cedron Yerling, but you have your reasons, so... fair enough.
- Obelisk of Alara isn't just love for five color decks. It's nice in any control build, no matter what the colors are.
- For what it's worth, I'd keep the RAV block duals over the Karoos.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
Multicolor section consists of only gold cards. Hybrid cards that I want to add merely need to meet the requirement of "looks better than something monocolored that I'm already playing"; I add them in balanced numbers while cutting monocolored cards to make room for hybrids. For example, I might add Boggart Ram-Gang and Deus of Calamity, cutting maybe my worst green 5 drop and my worst red 3 drop to fit them in.
While on the surface it might look like such a swap might encourage more players to play RG, it hasn't worked out that way in practice. A lot of monocolored decks have been played; occasionally someone picks up a few R/G hybrids and might splash a couple burn spells in their Stompy deck or something, but generally people seem to opt for consistency and the hybrid cards add a lot of redundancy. Not that this was exactly my goal, but that's how it's turned out since I started playing so many hybrids, and I don't really mind it - it led to me cutting some of my fixing (as it wasn't needed as much with so many people going mono) and adding more spells.
The system is also nice in that it lets you play cards like Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers, which may not quite live up to the power level of your current GW cards but will probably keep up just fine with many of your monocolored 3 drops... and you can accomplish this without including filler cards like the "just add x hybrids from each color combination" system.
If you want to promote monocolored decks, it may be something worth trying.
Good inspiration for my cube...
~telengard
Resisting urge... to make... a berlin wall joke
Stillmoon Cavalier is going in over the Verdict. I never liked the game states that Debtor's Knell created. I'll think about the angel.
Thanks, I always felt my white was my best designed slot
I'm not planning on removing Keiga, I'm just saying I've rarely had it's ability trigger
My friends were always to affraid to play it. I have a different play group now so I'm giving it another shot.
Your probably right on this
I'm alreay playing Dauthi Marauder (had it listed under the twos). Ogre Marauder looks like a good addition. I've never had problems with the reaper functioning like a Perfect.
I rather take out a different card that Infest.
Really, I rather have a 7/2 that has persist.
99% this is going to happen.
I like sneak attack, but I would really like a suggestion on what to take out for the Genju.
I've always liked Rift Bolt, I don't know what the wither bolt is, so I can't comment on it.
Most likely gonna happen.
I like this idea.
That maybe true, but it does encourage you to play more colors.
I see how your system works, but it seems slightly messy. Which I'm put off by. I could probably cut 2 mono colored cards from each section, and 1 multi colored card from each section, and creatre a hybrid section of 20 cards where I don't pay attention to which subset it's in.
But honestly, I doubt that's going to happen.
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To each their own, I guess.
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Lights from Within vs Glorious Anthem vs Divine Sacrement.
Glorious Anthem: Probably the most friendly of all these spells, I also like how simple it is.
Lights from Within: Rewards you for playing heavy mono white
Divine Sacrement: Similar to Lights, but how often does WW get thresh?
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And for the second choice?
Thats the thing, it eventually gives that +2 pump, where LFW immediately gives a +2/+2 to my soltari monk.
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Calvin and Hobbes
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Many colored decks are on a slow rise in popularity as of late but they have yet to win a draft and I have never seen more than two decks (more like one and a half, really) at the same table, and that table was a table of 12.
It also seems like I play every card you said weakened monocolored decks in your cube (like persecute), many more splashable cards, more multicolored cards relative to the cube size and a much higher fixers concentration.
I do play all the cards you've commented that were included to support monocolored play (Kodama of the North Tree, Necropotence) but their ratio to the number of cards is much lower in my cube.
Maybe that's the time to ask: did it work out for you as expected?
Also, your first post is a nice read indeed.
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Don't know, as I was finishing up my cube, my interest in magic dipped (it does this every couple of months), and my playgroup went off. Never got the chance to build it. As of now, I'm slowly changing all the real cards into proxies.
When cards require you to have lots of a single permenant type out, I always found them too inconstant to work.
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Indeed. I just feel bad for it not being with its real family in his list.
[I once had a game with my R/G land destruction deck that killed all of my opponent's lands...and then Arc Lightning killed both of his Llanowar Elves + his bird. Very satisfying ]