Elite Vanguard
Student of Warfare
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Mother of Runes
Savannah Lions
Steppe Lynx
Accorder Paladin
Kor Skyfisher
Mistral Charger
Soltari Trooper
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Wall of Omens
Stoneforge Mystic
Cloistered Youth
Soltari Priest
Leonin Relic-Warder
Blade Splicer
Mirror Entity
Soltari Champion
Flickerwisp
Mirran Crusader
Silverblade Paladin
Restoration Angel
Ranger of Eos
Kor Sanctifiers
Calciderm
Hero of Bladehold
Reveillark
Baneslayer Angel
Cloudgoat Ranger
Karmic Guide
Exalted Angel
Sun Titan
Kjeldoran Outpost
Path to Exile
Mana Tithe
Land Tax
Swords to Plowshares
Journey to Nowhere
Disenchant
Balance
Temporal Isolation
Honor of the Pure
Oblivion Ring
Glorious Anthem
Spectral Procession
Armageddon
Faith's Fetters
Wrath of God
Day of Judgment
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Ajani Goldmane
Elspeth Tirel
Catastrophe
Gideon Jura
Blue (55)
Enclave Cryptologist
Looter il-Kor
Waterfront Bouncer
Phantasmal Image
Snapcaster Mage
Merfolk Looter
Man-o'-War
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Sea Gate Oracle
Venser, Shaper Savant
Sower of Temptation
Dungeon Geists
Mulldrifter
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Keiga, the Tide Star
Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Consecrated Sphinx
Inkwell Leviathan
Academy Ruins
Shelldock Isle
Ancestral Vision
Force Spike
Brainstorm
Mystical Tutor
Preordain
Ponder
Miscalculation
Tinker
Into the Roil
Remand
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Impulse
Counterspell
Vedalken Shackles
Compulsive Research
Thirst for Knowledge
Capsize
Forbid
Jace Beleren
Crystal Shard
Tinker
Frantic Search
Deep Analysis
Fact or Fiction
Gifts Ungiven
Control Magic
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Cryptic Command
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Force of Will
Treachery
Upheaval
Repeal
Condescend
Black (55)
Vampire Lacerator
Diregraf Ghoul
Carnophage
Gravecrawler
Dark Confidant
Oona's Prowler
Dauthi Horror
Bloodghast
Nantuko Shade
Nezumi Shortfang
Nezumi Graverobber
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Hypnotic Specter
Vampire Nighthawk
Bone Shredder
Plague Sliver
Braids, Cabal Minion
Nekrataal
Skinrender
Shriekmaw
Bloodgift Demon
Grave Titan
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Griselbrand
Volrath's Stronghold
Dark Ritual
Entomb
Sarcomancy
Duress
Reanimate
Innocent Blood
Thoughtseize
Vampiric Tutor
Bitterblossom
Chainer's Edict
Diabolic Edict
Demonic Tutor
Doom Blade
Exhume
Go for the Throat
Animate Dead
Sinkhole
Hymn to Tourach
Necromancy
Recurring Nightmare
Phyrexian Arena
Liliana of the Veil
Dismember
Snuff Out
Consuming Vapors
Damnation
Living Death
Liliana Vess
Profane Command
Black Sun's Zenith
Treetop Village
Worldly Tutor
Rancor
Vines of Vastwood
Regrowth
Farseek
Survival of the Fittest
Life From the Loam
Sylvan Library
Call of the Herd
Cultivate
Birthing Pod
Garruk Wildspeaker
Garruk Relentless
Bramblecrush
Plow Under
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Green Sun's Zenith
Guild + Multicolor (84)
Wall of Denial
Absorb
Venser, the Sojourner
Azorius Signet
Tundra
Hallowed Fountain
Celestial Colonnade
Psychatog
Shadowmage Infiltrator
Nemesis of Reason
Recoil
Dimir Signet
Polluted Delta
Creeping Tar Pit
Watery Grave
Chrome Mox
Everflowing Chalice
Aether Vial
Bonesplitter
Black Vise
Cursed Scroll
Mana Vault
Skullclamp
Ankh of Mishra
Isochron Scepter
Mind Stone
Prismatic Lens
Ratchet Bomb
Umezawa's Jitte
Winter Orb
Coalition Relic
Crucible of Worlds
Loxodon Warhammer
Mimic Vat
Oblivion Stone
Grafted Wargear
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Body and Mind
Tangle Wire
Thran Dynamo
Erratic Portal
Icy Manipulator
Nevinyrral's Disk
Batterskull
Gilded Lotus
Memory Jar
Karn Liberated
Vivid Meadow
Vivid Marsh
Vivid Crag
Vivid Grove
Vivid Creek
City of Brass
Ancient Tomb
Mishra's Factory
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Terramorphic Expanse
Gemstone Mine
Molten-Tail Masticore is lonely without his brothers, Masticore and Razormane Masticore. Duplicant, Steel Hellkite, and especially Platinum Angel are too expensive mana-wise for what you get.
Bonehoard has been surprisingly good--certainly better than Adventuring Gear. I'd consider Vedalken Shackles and Crystal Shard blue cards. Staff of Domination didn't do anythign exciting in my cube.
I don't really like the Alara tri-lands. I'd cut them for more artifacts or utility lands. Move the color-aligned lands (Kjeldoran Outpost, Academy Ruins) to their colors because they can only be run in decks with those colors unlike other lands. Add Treetop Village, Volrath's Stronghold, Faerie Conclave, Barbarian Ring, and Ghitu Encampment.
Thanks for the awesome advice... when I get a chance I will post a list of changes and print up some proxies. I have an 8-man coming up on the 23rd and I want it to be perfect
Some of the cards hang around for nostalgic reasons... kaervek, wild ricochet, akroma, rite of replication all have big plays and good memories associated with them. Hard to cut them for more utility spells, but I see the reasoning
edt: do you guys play much 2 player winston? I find that some of the bigger cards that don't show up in 8-person drafts can be powerful in the slightly less streamlined decks
You guys are masters. Why do I do this to myself? I have work to do, but how can I work when my cube isn't perfect yet? We occasionally draft for multiplayer, so I have to leave in some of the stuff like wild ricochet and kaervek that can be ridiculous in a big game. Or is Kaervek really just terrible and my love for it unreasonable? eidolon: as to your question, I'm not exactly sure. Card quality is the main consideration but I like to think about these things... I've never really found a spot for necropotence when its been in, but I could see doing things like that. So here are my reactions:
thinking of something like ankh of mishra with a symmetric effect that you have to build your deck to exploit, reanimation as a strategy where deck building is extremely important, landfall where taking the right fetches/duals is important... those questions were sort of off the cuff but I can give it a shot...
some examples might be
adventuring gear over swords three and four (how aggressive am I, how many fetches have I drafted)
worn powerstone over sol ring (what does my deck do with 2 colorless, am I ramping to a six drop)
buried alive over recurring nightmare (what creatures do I want in the graveyard, how do I get them out)
jace TMS over time walk (do I have more than one island in my deck)
(that one was a joke)
as far as signets go, I was sick of losing to my buddy's four and five color control decks every time and wanted to challenge him a bit to get his mana right. I'm probably just bad at magic, but so far everyone is happy so things will stay this way for now.
thinking of something like ankh of mishra with a symmetric effect that you have to build your deck to exploit, Ankh goes in any aggro deck. Control needs to drop more lands than aggro so Ankh really punishes them.
reanimation as a strategy where deck building is extremely important, You therefore need to run as many reanimation effects as you can. Good reanimation cards like Animate Dead and Necromancy get sucked up by other black players making the reanimator deck hard to pull off. You help that by running all the good reanimaor cards. You should definitely run Recurring Nightmare despite the logic you lay out below. It's the best reanimator card and possibly the best black card in cube.
landfall where taking the right fetches/duals is important... those questions were sort of off the cuff but I can give it a shot...There's really not enough landfall cards to push this strategy.
some examples might be
adventuring gear over swords three and four (how aggressive am I, how many fetches have I drafted) The problem with that is I would likely never take the Gear. I'd rather take fixing, a sideboard card, or hate draft over an equipment I can't count on. The Swords are all fantastic.
worn powerstone over sol ring (what does my deck do with 2 colorless, am I ramping to a six drop) We have different philosophies here, because I'll always side with the pure power of Sol Ring.
buried alive over recurring nightmare (what creatures do I want in the graveyard, how do I get them out) You get them out with Recurring Nightmare. See my comments on it above.
jace TMS over time walk (do I have more than one island in my deck)
(that one was a joke)
as far as signets go, I was sick of losing to my buddy's four and five color control decks every time and wanted to challenge him a bit to get his mana right. I'm probably just bad at magic, but so far everyone is happy so things will stay this way for now. Part of the reason 4-5C control decks are so good for you is that you run the Alara tri-lands and the Vivids. I'd cut those and the non-blue signets and you should see fewer of these decks. Additionally, UX control decks can still grab the signets they need and will need to take them more aggressively. You could drop these cards and expand other sections or add more good artifacts and utility lands.
some more changes. Some are because I wanted to try out cards and eliminate proxies, not for balance or power level reason.
OUT->IN
stonecloaker -> mistral charger
decree of justice -> stoneforge mystic (x)
gideon jura (x) -> land tax
honor of the pure -> momentary blink
palinchron (x) -> sphinx of lost truths
ponder -> narcolepsy
shaper parasite -> tinker (x)
quicksilver dragon -> inkwell leviathon (x)
mind control -> bribery (x)
pouncing jaguar -> wild dogs (x)
sinkhole (x) -> black sun's zenith
inquisition of kozilek -> duress
grasp of darkness -> recurring nightmare (x)
withered wretch -> sarcomancy (x)
sword of feast and famine -> nim deathmantle
mindslaver -> chimeric mass
steel hellkite -> sphinx of the steel wind (x)
scroll rack (x) -> sundering titan (x)
kaervek the merciless -> sarkhan the mad
niv-mizzet, the firemind -> gelectrode
(x) means proxy... removed other confusing marks just taking the sword out so it can stay in my trade binder as I'm looking to move it.
when you're making ambiguous changes like the kind that can occur when making non-power related swaps (gideon jura and sword of feast and famine on one side, sundering titan and stoneforge mystic on the other...) you really need to post OUT --> IN or IN --> OUT. personally i think you should always do it anyway, since there's no standardized way to do this. but it's especially problematic here. i also don't know what (x) means, and it's on both sides. (p) probably means proxy, so i guess it's IN --> OUT? maybe?
When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
In:
Sword of Feast and Famine
Batterskull
Spellskite
Myr Battlesphere
Preordain
Consecrated Sphinx
Phyrexian Metamorph
Wall of Roots
Krosan Tusker
Life from the Loam
Tombstalker
Desolation Angel
Sarcomancy
Dismember
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Porcelain Legionairre
Mana Tithe
Journey to Nowhere
Burst Lightning
eta: I'm also considering resleeving. Can anyone comment on the relative thickness of Dragon Sleeve vs. KMC Matte + KMC Perfect Fit? I am currently using dragon sleeves but they are getting hard to shuffle and I don't like the miscuts. I'd like to use the perfect fits but I don't want to have to cut my cube too much to fit in the box.
I would not cut Dark Ritual, Black Sun's Zenith or Eternal Dragon.
This. You don't need Elesh Norn, and you should count Desolation Angel as a WB card not as a black one. Would you ever run it in a deck with no white mana sources?
I would not cut Dark Ritual, Black Sun's Zenith or Eternal Dragon.
me neither, i would run these three cards at 360. eternal dragon is way ahead of elesh norn, but you could cut galepowder mage, genju of the fields, ghostly prison, or prison term instead. personally i prefer the dragon to sun titan as well, especially in a smaller list. it's worth noting that you're not running the original duals, though. that reduces the dragon's value.
When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
It's funny how a year ago, you'll find people on my thread telling me to cut Dark Ritual. I think people have come back around on it. I'm really happy to have it in my list.
It's funny how a year ago, you'll find people on my thread telling me to cut Dark Ritual. I think people have come back around on it. I'm really happy to have it in my list.
Yeah I feel like dark ritual is a solid card, fast mana is always nice, and colored fast mana is just gravy in my book
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Want to Cube but don't have one? Check the map if anyone is in your area and get cubing!
I'm sure I've never told anyone to cut Dark Ritual. That card still owns. This Friday, I was nearly crushed by the infamous t1 of Swamp, Ritual, Hyppie. I managed to win but it was an uphill battle.
I'm sure I've never told anyone to cut Dark Ritual. That card still owns. This Friday, I was nearly crushed by the infamous t1 of Swamp, Ritual, Hyppie. I managed to win but it was an uphill battle.
Cheers,
rant
The first time I ever played against a constructed deck, I was hit on T2 by a Hypnotic Specter making me discard my only other land... something I will never forget. I lost this game.
It's funny how a year ago, you'll find people on my thread telling me to cut Dark Ritual. I think people have come back around on it. I'm really happy to have it in my list.
It wasn't me telling you to cut it, that's for sure.
Thanks for the input. I've been keeping track of maindeck/sideboard and people have been consistently leaving ritual and zenith in the board for two months straight now, while a lot of those other black cards have been seeing plenty of play (especially stinky, which is well loved in UB control and reanimator). But based on the response I will probably add them back in, taking out infest and faceless butcher. It occurs to me that ritual compares favorably to mana vault, which has seen plenty of play, so perhaps people just aren't using it right.
i'll assume the test of norn won't work out, so I'll switch it on my list, although I'll give it another couple drafts.
out:
infest
faceless butcher
elesh norn, grand cenobite
Thanks for the input. I've been keeping track of maindeck/sideboard and people have been consistently leaving ritual and zenith in the board for two months straight now, while a lot of those other black cards have been seeing plenty of play (especially stinky, which is well loved in UB control and reanimator). But based on the response I will probably add them back in, taking out infest and faceless butcher. It occurs to me that ritual compares favorably to mana vault, which has seen plenty of play, so perhaps people just aren't using it right.
i'll assume the test of norn won't work out, so I'll switch it on my list, although I'll give it another couple drafts.
out:
infest
faceless butcher
elesh norn, grand cenobite
in:
dark ritual
black sun's zenith
eternal dragon
I like those changes a lot. When you say that the zenith hasn't been seeing play, do you mean that it hasn't been seeing play in black control decks? It's a little worse than damnation but still acts as one a lot of the time.
And yeah, dark ritual is like mana vault. But it adds colors, and is more likely to wheel. Turn 4 Grave Titans have happened plenty of times off of the ritual.
And how did Elesh Norn perform for you? I'm just curious
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Want to Cube but don't have one? Check the map if anyone is in your area and get cubing!
Link
Cube List
Student of Warfare
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Mother of Runes
Savannah Lions
Steppe Lynx
Accorder Paladin
Kor Skyfisher
Mistral Charger
Soltari Trooper
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Wall of Omens
Stoneforge Mystic
Cloistered Youth
Soltari Priest
Leonin Relic-Warder
Blade Splicer
Mirror Entity
Soltari Champion
Flickerwisp
Mirran Crusader
Silverblade Paladin
Restoration Angel
Ranger of Eos
Kor Sanctifiers
Calciderm
Hero of Bladehold
Reveillark
Baneslayer Angel
Cloudgoat Ranger
Karmic Guide
Exalted Angel
Sun Titan
Kjeldoran Outpost
Path to Exile
Mana Tithe
Land Tax
Swords to Plowshares
Journey to Nowhere
Disenchant
Balance
Temporal Isolation
Honor of the Pure
Oblivion Ring
Glorious Anthem
Spectral Procession
Armageddon
Faith's Fetters
Wrath of God
Day of Judgment
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Ajani Goldmane
Elspeth Tirel
Catastrophe
Gideon Jura
Blue (55)
Looter il-Kor
Waterfront Bouncer
Phantasmal Image
Snapcaster Mage
Merfolk Looter
Man-o'-War
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Sea Gate Oracle
Venser, Shaper Savant
Sower of Temptation
Dungeon Geists
Mulldrifter
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Keiga, the Tide Star
Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Consecrated Sphinx
Inkwell Leviathan
Academy Ruins
Shelldock Isle
Ancestral Vision
Force Spike
Brainstorm
Mystical Tutor
Preordain
Ponder
Miscalculation
Tinker
Into the Roil
Remand
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Impulse
Counterspell
Vedalken Shackles
Compulsive Research
Thirst for Knowledge
Capsize
Forbid
Jace Beleren
Crystal Shard
Tinker
Frantic Search
Deep Analysis
Fact or Fiction
Gifts Ungiven
Control Magic
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Cryptic Command
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Force of Will
Treachery
Upheaval
Repeal
Condescend
Black (55)
Diregraf Ghoul
Carnophage
Gravecrawler
Dark Confidant
Oona's Prowler
Dauthi Horror
Bloodghast
Nantuko Shade
Nezumi Shortfang
Nezumi Graverobber
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Hypnotic Specter
Vampire Nighthawk
Bone Shredder
Plague Sliver
Braids, Cabal Minion
Nekrataal
Skinrender
Shriekmaw
Bloodgift Demon
Grave Titan
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Griselbrand
Volrath's Stronghold
Dark Ritual
Entomb
Sarcomancy
Duress
Reanimate
Innocent Blood
Thoughtseize
Vampiric Tutor
Bitterblossom
Chainer's Edict
Diabolic Edict
Demonic Tutor
Doom Blade
Exhume
Go for the Throat
Animate Dead
Sinkhole
Hymn to Tourach
Necromancy
Recurring Nightmare
Phyrexian Arena
Liliana of the Veil
Dismember
Snuff Out
Consuming Vapors
Damnation
Living Death
Liliana Vess
Profane Command
Black Sun's Zenith
Red (55)
Jackal Pup
Grim Lavamancer
Stromkirk Noble
Keldon Marauders
Torch Fiend
Lightning Mauler
Hellspark Elemental
Stormblood Berserker
Plated Geopede
Ember Hauler
Chandra's Phoenix
Hell's Thunder
Goblin Ruinblaster
Avalanche Riders
Flametongue Kavu
Oxidda Scrapmelter
Hero of Oxid Ridge
Hellrider
Blistering Firecat
Siege-Gang Commander
Zealous Conscripts
Moltensteel Dragon
Inferno Titan
Crater Hellion
Greater Gargadon
Ghitu Encampment
Firebolt
Flame Slash
Lightning Bolt
Burst Lightning
Faithless Looting
Reckless Charge
Arc Trail
Searing Spear
Incinerate
Volcanic Hammer
Pyroclasm
Magma Jet
Arc Lightning
Char
Stone Rain
Staggershock
Wheel of Fortune
Molten Rain
Pillage
Sulfuric Vortex
Koth of the Hammer
Chandra, the Firebrand
Chandra Nalaar
Fireblast
Wildfire
Earthquake
Fireball
Devil's Play
Green (55)
Birds of Paradise
Joraga Treespeaker
Llanowar Elves
Noble Hierarch
Wall of Blossoms
Fauna Shaman
Lotus Cobra
Wall of Roots
Sakura-Tribe Elder
River Boa
Tarmogoyf
Wild Mongrel
Scavenging Ooze
Strangleroot Geist
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Uktabi Orangutan
Wolfir Avenger
Eternal Witness
Ohran Viper
Troll Ascetic
Yavimaya Elder
Wickerbough Elder
Blastoderm
Chameleon Colossus
Thrun, the Last Troll
Vengevine
Thragtusk
Acidic Slime
Wolfir Silverheart
Deranged Hermit
Primeval Titan
Rampaging Baloths
Krosan Tusker
Terastodon
Woodfall Primus
Treetop Village
Worldly Tutor
Rancor
Vines of Vastwood
Regrowth
Farseek
Survival of the Fittest
Life From the Loam
Sylvan Library
Call of the Herd
Cultivate
Birthing Pod
Garruk Wildspeaker
Garruk Relentless
Bramblecrush
Plow Under
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Green Sun's Zenith
Guild + Multicolor (84)
Absorb
Venser, the Sojourner
Azorius Signet
Tundra
Hallowed Fountain
Celestial Colonnade
Psychatog
Shadowmage Infiltrator
Nemesis of Reason
Recoil
Dimir Signet
Polluted Delta
Creeping Tar Pit
Watery Grave
Blightning
Terminate
Olivia Voldaren
Murderous Redcap
Rakdos Signet
Blackcleave Cliffs
Bloodstained Mire
Blood Crypt
Bloodbraid Elf
Huntmaster of the Fells
Stormbind
Kird Ape
Taiga
Wooded Foothills
Raging Ravine
Stomping Ground
Qasali Pridemage
Knight of the Reliquary
Kitchen Finks
Mirari's Wake
Savannah
Windswept Heath
Temple Garden
Stirring Wildwood
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Vindicate
Desolation Angel
Lingering Souls
Orzhov Signet
Orzhov Basilica
Marsh Flats
Godless Shrine
Electrolyze
Prophetic Bolt
Fire // Ice
Izzet Signet
Izzet Boilerworks
Scalding Tarn
Steam Vents
Cascade Bluffs
Putrid Leech
Spiritmonger
Putrefy
Pernicious Deed
Golgari Signet
Bayou
Verdant Catacombs
Overgrown Tomb
Figure of Destiny
Lightning Helix
Ajani Vengeant
Boros Signet
Rugged Prairie
Arid Mesa
Boros Garrison
Sacred Foundry
Mystic Snake
Simic Sky Swallower
Trygon Predator
Simic Signet
Hinterland Harbor
Misty Rainforest
Breeding Pool
Simic Growth Chamber
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Broodmate Dragon
Wild Nacatl
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Colorless and Five-color lands (61)
Spellskite
Porcelain Legionnaire
Squee, Goblin Nabob
Lodestone Golem
Phyrexian Metamorph
Molten-Tail Masticore
Solemn Simulacrum
Razormane Masticore
Precursor Golem
Duplicant
Wurmcoil Engine
Triskelion
Sundering Titan
Myr Battlesphere
Chrome Mox
Everflowing Chalice
Aether Vial
Bonesplitter
Black Vise
Cursed Scroll
Mana Vault
Skullclamp
Ankh of Mishra
Isochron Scepter
Mind Stone
Prismatic Lens
Ratchet Bomb
Umezawa's Jitte
Winter Orb
Coalition Relic
Crucible of Worlds
Loxodon Warhammer
Mimic Vat
Oblivion Stone
Grafted Wargear
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Body and Mind
Tangle Wire
Thran Dynamo
Erratic Portal
Icy Manipulator
Nevinyrral's Disk
Batterskull
Gilded Lotus
Memory Jar
Karn Liberated
Vivid Meadow
Vivid Marsh
Vivid Crag
Vivid Grove
Vivid Creek
City of Brass
Ancient Tomb
Mishra's Factory
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Terramorphic Expanse
Gemstone Mine
I don't think signets make blue players greedy. I think they allow the blue player to accel his mana, which control decks need to do.
Random thoughts about your card choices:
I hope that Exalted Dragon is actually Eternal Dragon.
Jushi Apprentice was too slow for my cube. I cut it and don't miss it. Could easily be a good counter spell instead, such as Force Spike or Arcane Denial. Blue could also use Into the Roil, Treachery, Time Spiral, Dismiss, and Upheaval.
I'd cut Silent Specter, Mortivore, Visara, and Stinkweed Imp for sure. Add in Sarcomancy, Carnophage, and Dauthi Horror to help BX aggro. I prefer Sorin Markov to Pestilence.
Red needs more burn and smaller dudes. Aftershock and Chain Lightning are musts. Where is Hellspark Elemental?
I'd cut Multani and Silvos for Jungle Lionand Wild Dogs. I'd also really like to see Wall of Blossoms and Wall of Roots in here.
Sexy mostly calls it on the multicolor (and, yes Loam Lion, Wild Nacatl, and Kird Ape belong here) but I have some other suggestions.
UB: I prefer Recoil to Agony Warp.
BR: I like Blazing Specter, Bituminous Blast, and Murderous Redcap more than anything you are running except Terminate.
WG: I'd cut Watchwolf before Armadillo Cloak, but they both should get cut for Loam Lion.
WB: Desolation Angel, Stillmoon Cavalier, Gerrard's Verdict, and Mortify are the best WB cards besides Vindicate.
UR: Needs Fire / Ice.
Molten-Tail Masticore is lonely without his brothers, Masticore and Razormane Masticore. Duplicant, Steel Hellkite, and especially Platinum Angel are too expensive mana-wise for what you get.
Bonehoard has been surprisingly good--certainly better than Adventuring Gear. I'd consider Vedalken Shackles and Crystal Shard blue cards. Staff of Domination didn't do anythign exciting in my cube.
I don't really like the Alara tri-lands. I'd cut them for more artifacts or utility lands. Move the color-aligned lands (Kjeldoran Outpost, Academy Ruins) to their colors because they can only be run in decks with those colors unlike other lands. Add Treetop Village, Volrath's Stronghold, Faerie Conclave, Barbarian Ring, and Ghitu Encampment.
Hope that helps you. Welcome to the Cube Forum!
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Some of the cards hang around for nostalgic reasons... kaervek, wild ricochet, akroma, rite of replication all have big plays and good memories associated with them. Hard to cut them for more utility spells, but I see the reasoning
edt: do you guys play much 2 player winston? I find that some of the bigger cards that don't show up in 8-person drafts can be powerful in the slightly less streamlined decks
unjustifiably terrible:
bad stuff that I really like:
Genju of the Fields (it stacks!)
- Riptide Survivor
- Shaper Parasite
- Quicksilver Dragon
(I have an unreasonable love of morph)Wild Ricochet (my playgroup would walk out on me if I took this out... we love this card)
Kaervek the Merciless
Adventuring Gear (I love landfall and one drop equipment)
Nemesis of Reason (awesome name and art)
Genesis Wave
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
so here are my changes for today:
white
in:
blue
in:
black:
in:
red:
in:
green:
weatherseed treefolk
in:
multicolor:
in:
artifact:
in:
land:
phew!
some examples might be
adventuring gear over swords three and four (how aggressive am I, how many fetches have I drafted)
worn powerstone over sol ring (what does my deck do with 2 colorless, am I ramping to a six drop)
buried alive over recurring nightmare (what creatures do I want in the graveyard, how do I get them out)
jace TMS over time walk (do I have more than one island in my deck)
(that one was a joke)
as far as signets go, I was sick of losing to my buddy's four and five color control decks every time and wanted to challenge him a bit to get his mana right. I'm probably just bad at magic, but so far everyone is happy so things will stay this way for now.
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!
Also, your update is excellent.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
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!
OUT->IN
stonecloaker -> mistral charger
decree of justice -> stoneforge mystic (x)
gideon jura (x) -> land tax
honor of the pure -> momentary blink
palinchron (x) -> sphinx of lost truths
ponder -> narcolepsy
shaper parasite -> tinker (x)
quicksilver dragon -> inkwell leviathon (x)
mind control -> bribery (x)
pouncing jaguar -> wild dogs (x)
sinkhole (x) -> black sun's zenith
inquisition of kozilek -> duress
grasp of darkness -> recurring nightmare (x)
withered wretch -> sarcomancy (x)
sword of feast and famine -> nim deathmantle
mindslaver -> chimeric mass
steel hellkite -> sphinx of the steel wind (x)
scroll rack (x) -> sundering titan (x)
kaervek the merciless -> sarkhan the mad
niv-mizzet, the firemind -> gelectrode
(x) means proxy... removed other confusing marks just taking the sword out so it can stay in my trade binder as I'm looking to move it.
this confuses me even more, since there's a lot of proxies on both sides.
Out:
The Rack
Platinum Angel
Adventuring Gear
Careful Consideration
Merfolk Looter
Spinx of Lost Truths
Explore
Multani, Maro-Sorceror
Silvos, Rogue Elemental
Elephant Guide
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Dark Ritual
Silent Specter
Sudden Death
Black Sun's Zenith
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Serra Avenger
Eternal Dragon
Temporal Isolation
Miraculous Recovery
Fiery Temper
Rorix Bladewing
Wooly Thoctar
Lightning Angel
In:
Sword of Feast and Famine
Batterskull
Spellskite
Myr Battlesphere
Preordain
Consecrated Sphinx
Phyrexian Metamorph
Wall of Roots
Krosan Tusker
Life from the Loam
Tombstalker
Desolation Angel
Sarcomancy
Dismember
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Porcelain Legionairre
Mana Tithe
Journey to Nowhere
Burst Lightning
eta: I'm also considering resleeving. Can anyone comment on the relative thickness of Dragon Sleeve vs. KMC Matte + KMC Perfect Fit? I am currently using dragon sleeves but they are getting hard to shuffle and I don't like the miscuts. I'd like to use the perfect fits but I don't want to have to cut my cube too much to fit in the box.
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!
This. You don't need Elesh Norn, and you should count Desolation Angel as a WB card not as a black one. Would you ever run it in a deck with no white mana sources?
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
me neither, i would run these three cards at 360. eternal dragon is way ahead of elesh norn, but you could cut galepowder mage, genju of the fields, ghostly prison, or prison term instead. personally i prefer the dragon to sun titan as well, especially in a smaller list. it's worth noting that you're not running the original duals, though. that reduces the dragon's value.
i wouldn't cut dark ritual or black sun's zenith when you have stuff like gatekeeper of malakir, stinkweed imp, faceless butcher, and infest in your list, since i don't think those come close to making the cut at this size. i also prefer ritual and zenith to decree of pain, corpse dance, buried alive, innocent blood, and puppeteer clique.
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
Yeah I feel like dark ritual is a solid card, fast mana is always nice, and colored fast mana is just gravy in my book
The Great Cube Map!
My Powered Cube
Draft it here!
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
The first time I ever played against a constructed deck, I was hit on T2 by a Hypnotic Specter making me discard my only other land... something I will never forget. I lost this game.
It wasn't me telling you to cut it, that's for sure.
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!
"Love on first turn"
i'll assume the test of norn won't work out, so I'll switch it on my list, although I'll give it another couple drafts.
out:
infest
faceless butcher
elesh norn, grand cenobite
in:
dark ritual
black sun's zenith
eternal dragon
Sweet. These are much better changes, IMO.
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!
I like those changes a lot. When you say that the zenith hasn't been seeing play, do you mean that it hasn't been seeing play in black control decks? It's a little worse than damnation but still acts as one a lot of the time.
And yeah, dark ritual is like mana vault. But it adds colors, and is more likely to wheel. Turn 4 Grave Titans have happened plenty of times off of the ritual.
And how did Elesh Norn perform for you? I'm just curious
The Great Cube Map!
My Powered Cube
Draft it here!