Cube Size: 540 Cards Breakdown: 72 per color, 77 colorless, 103 Multicolor Powered: No Snow: No Portal: Yes, budget permitting Unhinged/Unglued: No
- The cube is focused on having the best cards available, but without support for combo (Sorry Tendrils of Agony)
- Certain lands and artifacts are counted as "colored" cards (i.e. Treetop Village and Vedalken Shackles). This is also true for phyrexian cards (i.e. Dismember).
- Mana fixing lands (e.g. Tundra) are housed in the "multicolor" section. Colorless producing lands and 5 color lands are located in the "colorless" section.
Contents of the Cube - NOTE: For the most up to date list (and more statistics) follow the link to google docs!
Your cube looks like it is off to a great start. Do you have any rules/banned cards/etc. (no Portal? no Unhinged/Unglued?) we should know about so we can give better criticism? Any strategies you really want to push? Any problems you want help fixing?
I'm running out of time, so green just gets a quick note. At this size, you could use another mana dork and I suggest Arbor Elf and/or Devoted Druid. I'd cut Nature's Claim and Viridian Corrupter for them.
1. Portal: Portal cards are ok, though there are some budget concerns there. Things like Xiahou Dun aren't happening anytime soon.
2. Unhinged/Unglued: I haven't actually considered any cards from these two sets, so I'll leave them out for now.
3. Specific Strategies: I'd like the cube to be as balanced as possible - some aggro, some control, the burn deck etc. I don't particularly care for the G/x ramp deck, and I'm also not a huge fan of combo.
4. Problems: My experience with the cube is still in the early stages, but it seems like straight control is the weakest overall strategy. Some sort of aggro/control hybrid tends to win most games at the moment.
I'll update the changelog as I parse through your suggestions.
Nature's Claim is my favorite green (non-creature) spell to deal with artifacts/ enchantment. Only costing mana is such a massive advantage, since you not only can catch our opponent b surprise, but also it is easier to randomly have 1 open mana or play it during your turn in combination with another relevant card.
When your opponent starts with Sol Ring / Mana Vault otp, you really don't mind giving them the 4 life when that means dealing with those cards before they can do any harm.
If you compare the number of white creatures for 3, 4 and 5+ mana, it really doesn't look like Caciderm is the correct cut, not to mention that we are talking about one of the best white creatures > 3 mana.
Anyone have any thoughts about Dungeon Geists? I happened to open up a foil in one of my prize packs the other night that's looking pretty sad in my binder.
Part of a larger effort to replace the "hoser" creatures. Sure, red deck wins is powerful in cube, but Mistral Charger is better in a wider variety of decks.
Serendib Efreet is one of my favorite cards to pick up. I want his newer cousin to be just as good...but I'm not sure that it will be. I'll be keeping a close eye on this to see how it goes. As for Magpie, sadly it has been outclassed by recent creatures.
Drana is cute, but there isn't really a good way to abuse it. Clique is better against Terminate, and it can grab a whole host of crazy things to boot.
I think that most cubes have become too fast for Mindslaver to be good. Against aggro you are long dead and against midrange you may or may not be able to kill one of their own guys with their own removal spell if they don't blow up your artifact or smash in for enough damage. Forcing your control opponent to counter their own spells, playing card draw targeting you, looting away good cards and tapping them out afterwards sounds nice, but I would not bet that you get to activate the card against deck with counters bounce and noncreature removal.
You're probably right...I suppose cutting the often too slow Duplicant for a just as slow (if not slower) Mindslaver isn't the best.
I like both of those cards much better. Memory Jar is more explosive and does sick things, but it may not get picked up every draft. Ratchet Bomb is less bomby but more consistent. I like Memory Jar better, but either of these is fine.
What about Pilgrim's Eye? I thought that might make for a better cut. Shrine is pretty good too...
Didn't see the Eye (irony!), but yeah, I'd cut that first. I actually think all the shrines are too slow for cube. Burning Rage is the closest, but I still think there are better cards to run. And if I was going to run it, I'd run it as a red card.
I've been keeping an eye on the Shrines...I want them to be good, but I've never actually seen one hit play. As soon as I can get my hands on a Powder Keg and some other artifact (not sure what yet) I'll be switching them out.
Mike has been pretty underwhelming overall. He made many of the decks that he was drafted for, but he never really did anything all that relevant. The bear-sized unicorn with a potential upside should be much more useful.
Much like Mikeaus, Wolf Run has been similarly underwhelming. It's far too slow for aggro decks, and very much "win more" in R/G fatties.deck. Besides, what's more iconic than Taiga, Kird Ape, go?
I'm also currently looking for a home for Stonewright. I've been nothing but impressed with him in AVR limited, and I think he has some real opportunity to shine in the cube. Suggestions for a cut are welcome.
I like KWR slightly more than the monkey, but replacing Mike with the Unicorn is just wrong. The enchantment destruction bears don't have many good targets, while the Lunarch is flexible and has a strong reuseable ability that can take over games.
Perhaps the issue with Mikaeus is not so much that it is underwhelming, but that my players are waiting too long to use it (i.e. being too greedy). He has yet to take over a game, or do anything really relevant at all.
I'll keep him around for now and see what happens. White weenie is one of my favorite archetypes to draft, so hopefully I get the opportunity to showcase his power sometime soon and people take the hint.
As for Wolf Run, this one I'm more sure about. Like all of my previous adds/drops, there's always the potential for it to come back in if we find ourselves really wishing for the effect.
Also, does anyone have any experience with Flinthoof Boar? I'm trying to decide if it fits in the slot currently occupied by Boggart Ram-gang...
I played with it in the prerelease. I'm going to go out on a short limb and say it's better than Ram-Gang. It basically trades Wither for a massive increase in flexibility of paying its casting cost and/or tempo (playing it as a splashable two-drop and upgrading for free). Ram-Gang can technically be played in mono-green or -red (more likely than in green), and the Boar requires green, but I think the flexible casting cost is worth the multicolor requirement (mono-red never really hurts for playable cards, since it is so consistent).
Another thing, is that I don't think Wither, as a mechanic, really matters all that much in practice. There are few opportunities to force an attack or block that makes it relevant. So the Boar is more like an upgrade overall.
I played with it in the prerelease. I'm going to go out on a short limb and say it's better than Ram-Gang. It basically trades Wither for a massive increase in flexibility of paying its casting cost and/or tempo (playing it as a splashable two-drop and upgrading for free). Ram-Gang can technically be played in mono-green or -red (more likely than in green), and the Boar requires green, but I think the flexible casting cost is worth the multicolor requirement (mono-red never really hurts for playable cards, since it is so consistent).
Another thing, is that I don't think Wither, as a mechanic, really matters all that much in practice. There are few opportunities to force an attack or block that makes it relevant. So the Boar is more like an upgrade overall.
You've summed up my feelings on it pretty well. The thing that's hanging me up isn't the wither (I agree it's not all that awesome), but the fact that Ram-gang can fit into a deck that the boar can't - mono-red.
So the question is really whether the mono-red deck is actually after a 3/3 with haste for 3, or if the mono-red drafter is letting it pass by and picking it up on the wheel for lack of a better choice.
I think the only way I'm really going to resolve it is by testing the boar out...so as soon as I can get my hands on a copy I'll give that a shot.
First things first: Bye bye power 9. It's been fun, but since I'll never own you I'm afraid we'll have to part ways. Trading them in for the allied signets should help with fixing, which is something I tend to find lacking in certain drafts.
Basic Information & General Thoughts
Cube Size: 540 Cards
Breakdown: 72 per color, 77 colorless, 103 Multicolor
Powered: No
Snow: No
Portal: Yes, budget permitting
Unhinged/Unglued: No
- The cube is focused on having the best cards available, but without support for combo (Sorry Tendrils of Agony)
- Certain lands and artifacts are counted as "colored" cards (i.e. Treetop Village and Vedalken Shackles). This is also true for phyrexian cards (i.e. Dismember).
- Mana fixing lands (e.g. Tundra) are housed in the "multicolor" section. Colorless producing lands and 5 color lands are located in the "colorless" section.
Contents of the Cube - NOTE: For the most up to date list (and more statistics) follow the link to google docs!
White
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Goldmeadow Harrier
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
1 Mother of Runes
1 Savannah Lions
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Student of Warfare
//2 CC
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Cloistered Youth
1 Knight of Meadowgrain
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Lone Missionary
1 Nearheath Pilgrim
1 Precinct Captain
1 Soltari Monk
1 Soltari Priest
1 Soltari Trooper
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Stormfront Pegasus
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Wall of Omens
//3 CC
1 Blade Splicer
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Flickerwisp
1 Frontline Medic
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Mentor of the Meek
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Mirror Entity
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Soltari Champion
1 Stonecloaker
1 Calciderm
1 Emeria Angel
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Restoration Angel
//5 CC
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Karmic Guide
1 Reveillark
//6 CC
1 Exalted Angel
1 Sun Titan
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
//7 CC
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
//1 CC
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Land Tax
1 Mana Tithe
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
//2 CC
1 Balance
1 Disenchant
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Revoke Existence
1 Seal of Cleansing
//3 CC
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
1 Glorious Anthem
1 Midnight Haunting
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Ajani Goldmane
1 Armageddon
1 Day of Judgment
1 Decree of Justice
1 Elspeth, Knight-errant
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Parallax Wave
1 Wrath of God
//5CC
1 Elspeth Tirel
1 Gideon Jura
//6 CC
1 Akroma's Vengeance
1 Spectral Procession
Blue
1 Enclave Cryptologist
//2 CC
1 Augur of Bolas
1 Azure Mage
1 Gilded Drake
1 Looter il-Kor
1 Mindshrieker
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Willbender
//3 CC
1 Aether Adept
1 Calcite Snapper
1 Fettergeist
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Man-o'-War
1 Pestermite
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Vendilion Clique
//4 CC
1 Dungeon Geists
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Mulldrifter
1 Riftwing Cloudskate
//6 CC
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Frost Titan
1 Keiga, the Tide Star
//0 CC
1 Shelldock Isle
1 Ancestral Vision
//1 CC
1 Brainstorm
1 Condescend
1 Force Spike
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Repeal
//2 CC
1 Counterspell
1 Daze
1 Impulse
1 Into the Roil
1 Mana Drain
1 Mana Leak
1 Memory Lapse
1 Miscalculation
1 Remand
1 Standstill
1 Capsize
1 Compulsive Research
1 Crystal Shard
1 Forbid
1 Frantic Search
1 Jace Beleren
1 Psionic Blast
1 Show and Tell
1 Thirst For Knowledge
1 Tinker
1 Vedalken Shackles
//4 CC
1 Control Magic
1 Cryptic Command
1 Deep Analysis
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Opposition
//5 CC
1 Bribery
1 Force of Will
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Treachery
//6 CC
1 Time Spiral
1 Upheaval
Black
1 Carnophage
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Gravecrawler
1 Sarcomancy
1 Vampire Lacerator
//2 CC
1 Bloodghast
1 Dark Confidant
1 Dauthi Horror
1 Knight of Infamy
1 Nantuko Shade
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Pack Rat
1 Vampire Hexmage
//3 CC
1 Bone Shredder
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Geralf's Messenger
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Phyrexian Rager
1 Vampire Nighthawk
//4 CC
1 Abyssal Persecutor
1 Bane of the Living
1 Bloodline Keeper
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Nekrataal
1 Sewer Nemesis
1 Skinrender
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Puppeteer Clique
1 Shriekmaw
//6 CC
1 Grave Titan
1 Massacre Wurm
//0 CC
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Volrath's Stronghold
//1 CC
1 Dark Ritual
1 Disfigure
1 Duress
1 Entomb
1 Innocent Blood
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Mind Twist
1 Reanimate
1 Thoughtseize
1 Unearth
1 Vampiric Tutor
//2 CC
1 Animate Dead
1 Bitterblossom
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Chainer's Edict
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Doom Blade
1 Go for the Throat
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Night's Whisper
1 Profane Command
1 Sinkhole
1 Ultimate Price
1 Corpse Dance
1 Dismember
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Necromancy
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Yawgmoth's Will
//4 CC
1 Barter in Blood
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Damnation
1 Nether Void
1 Snuff Out
//6 CC
1 Sorin Markov
Red
1 Goblin Guide
1 Goblin Patrol
1 Goblin Welder
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Jackal Pup
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Reckless Waif
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Stromkirk Noble
//2 CC
1 Ash Zealot
1 Ember Hauler
1 Goblin Wardriver
1 Gore-house Chainwalker
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Kargan Dragonlord
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Lightning Mauler
1 Plated Geopede
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Torch Fiend
//3 CC
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Cunning Sparkmage
1 Fire Imp
1 Ghitu Slinger
1 Goblin Ruinblaster
1 Guttersnipe
1 Hell's Thunder
1 Keldon Vandals
1 Manic Vandal
1 Zo-Zu the Punisher
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Hellrider
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Keldon Champion
//5 CC
1 Siege-gang Commander
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Zealous Conscripts
//6 CC
1 Inferno Titan
//10 CC
1 Greater Gargadon
//1 CC
1 Burst Lightning
1 Chain Lightning
1 Devil's Play
1 Earthquake
1 Faithless Looting
1 Firebolt
1 Forked Bolt
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Reckless Charge
//2 CC
1 Arc Trail
1 Incinerate
1 Magma Jet
1 Pyroclasm
1 Searing Blaze
1 Searing Spear
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Volcanic Hammer
1 Arc Lightning
1 Char
1 Flames of the Firebrand
1 Molten Rain
1 Pillage
1 Rift Bolt
1 Slagstorm
1 Staggershock
1 Sulfuric Vortex
1 Wheel of Fortune
//4 CC
1 Chandra, the Firebrand
1 Koth of the Hammer
//5 CC
1 Chandra Nalaar
//6 CC
1 Fireblast
1 Wildfire
Green
1 Arbor Elf
1 Basking Rootwalla
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Experiment One
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Pouncing Jaguar
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
1 Wild Dogs
1 Wolfbitten Captive
//2 CC
1 Devoted Druid
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Mayor of Avabruck
1 River Boa
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Sakura-tribe Elder
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Strangleroot Geist
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Wall of Blossoms
1 Wall of Roots
1 Wild Mongrel
1 Call of the Herd
1 Eternal Witness
1 Ohran Viper
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Uktabi Orangutan
1 Viridian Shaman
1 Wolfir Avenger
1 Yavimaya Elder
//4 CC
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Deadbridge Goliath
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Phantom Centaur
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Vengevine
1 Wickerbough Elder
//5 CC
1 Acidic Slime
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Genesis
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Thornling
1 Thragtusk
1 Vorapede
1 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Primeval Titan
// 7 CC
1 Pelakka Wurm
//8 CC
1 Woodfall Primus
//0 CC
1 Treetop Village
//1 CC
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Nature's Claim
1 Rancor
//2 CC
1 Channel
1 Life from the Loam
1 Rampant Growth
1 Regrowth
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Sylvan Library
//3 CC
1 Awakening Zone
1 Cultivate
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Krosan Grip
//4 CC
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Harmonize
//5 CC
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Plow Under
Colorless
1 Epochrasite
1 Perilous Myr
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Spellskite
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Masticore
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Precursor Golem
1 Razormane Masticore
1 Triskelion
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Sundering Titan
//0 CC
1 Chrome Mox
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Diamond
//1 CC
1 Aether Vial
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Black Vise
1 Bonesplitter
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Mana Vault
1 Pithing Needle
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
1 Trusty Machette
1 Ankh of Mishra
1 Grim Monolith
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Mind Stone
1 Mortarpod
1 Powder Keg
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Scroll Rack
1 Sphere of the Suns
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Winter Orb
//3 CC
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Coalition Relic
1 Crystal Ball
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Jinxed Choker
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Mimic Vat
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Tangle Wire
1 Tumble Magnet
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Erratic Portal
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Phyrexian Processor
1 Smokestack
//5 CC
1 Batterskull
1 Memory Jar
//7 CC
1 Karn Liberated
// Lands
1 Ancient Tomb
1 City of Brass
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Maze of Ith
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
1 Rishadan Port
1 Strip Mine
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Wasteland
Multicolor
1 Absorb
1 Detention Sphere
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Venser, the Sojourner
1 Tundra
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Flooded Strand
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Azorius Signet
//Dimir
1 Baleful Strix
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Psychatog
1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
1 Polluted Delta
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Dimir Signet
//Rakdos
1 Rakdos Cackler
1 Dreadbore
1 Spike Jester
1 Falkenrath Aristocrat
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Badlands
1 Blood Crpyt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
//Gruul
1 Kird Ape
1 Domri Rade
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Ghor-clan Rampager
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Taiga
1 Stomping Ground
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Raging Ravine
1 Dryad Militant
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Windswept Heath
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Stirring Wildwood
//Orzhov
1 Lingering Souls
1 Sin Collector
1 Vindicate
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Obzedat, Ghost Council
1 Scrubland
1 Godless Shrine
1 Marsh Flats
1 Fetid Heath
1 Caves of Koilos
//Izzet
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Fire // Ice
1 Izzet Charm
1 Electrolyze
1 Prophetic Bolt
1 Volcanic Island
1 Steam Vents
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Izzet Signet
//Golgari
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Lotleth Troll
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Bayou
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Slayer's Stronghold
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Boros Charm
1 Boros Reckoner
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Plateau
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Arid Mesa
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Battlefield Forge
//Simic
1 Simic Charm
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Trygon Predator
1 Mystic Snake
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Tropical Island
1 Breeding Pool
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Simic Signet
//Shards
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Nichol Bolas, Planeswalker
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Check out the list on Google Docs for the most up to date version and other interesting statistics! Google Docs Spreadsheet
Your cube looks like it is off to a great start. Do you have any rules/banned cards/etc. (no Portal? no Unhinged/Unglued?) we should know about so we can give better criticism? Any strategies you really want to push? Any problems you want help fixing?
Additional colorless cards I'd consider: Smokestack, Rachet Bomb, Powder Keg, Phyrexian Processor, Masticore, Razormane Masticore, and Coalition Relic. Pilgrim's Eye looks really unimpressive and I'd probably also cut Brittle Effigy and Duplicant for being too slow.
White could use Seal of Cleansing and I prefer Ronom Unicorn and Kami of Ancient Law to Leonin Relic-Warder. You could cut Warder, Stonecloaker, Geist-Honored Monk, Pianna, Nomad Captain, and/or Silver Knight to bring these cards in.
Blue needs more Upheaval. I'd cut Vesuvan Shapeshifter or Sleight of Hand for it. Also Morphling > Riftwing Cloudskate or Ninja of the Deep Hours.
If you want to help black aggro, add (in order of importance) Gravecrawler, Skittering Skirge, Ogre Marauder, and/or Nezumi Cutthroat (IMO superior to Fallen Askari) Also, Braids, Cabal Minion is one of black's best creatures. I'd consider cutting Okiba-Gang, Despise, Terror, Victim of Night, and Life's Finale. I also think that Liliana Vess is fine at this size; I run her in a powered 500 card cube.
Red looks mostly good. I love Wildfire and Crater Hellion so I'd suggest those over Volcanic Fallout and either Urabrask, the Hidden or Instigator Gang. I'd also cut Comet Storm (your weakest X-spell, although Banefire is also a decent cut) for Faithless Looting. And you absolutely need Wheel of Fortune in here. Sudden Shock is too weak for cube standards these days, so trade that up to the Wheel.
I'm running out of time, so green just gets a quick note. At this size, you could use another mana dork and I suggest Arbor Elf and/or Devoted Druid. I'd cut Nature's Claim and Viridian Corrupter for them.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Some answers for you:
Specific rules (also added to the OP):
1. Portal: Portal cards are ok, though there are some budget concerns there. Things like Xiahou Dun aren't happening anytime soon.
2. Unhinged/Unglued: I haven't actually considered any cards from these two sets, so I'll leave them out for now.
3. Specific Strategies: I'd like the cube to be as balanced as possible - some aggro, some control, the burn deck etc. I don't particularly care for the G/x ramp deck, and I'm also not a huge fan of combo.
4. Problems: My experience with the cube is still in the early stages, but it seems like straight control is the weakest overall strategy. Some sort of aggro/control hybrid tends to win most games at the moment.
I'll update the changelog as I parse through your suggestions.
Calciderm ---> Restoration Angel
More AVR updates as I acquire cards...
What do you think about the following:
Explore ---> Nature's Claim OR Nantuko Vigiliante ---> Nature's Claim
Geist-Honored Monk ---> Calciderm
I'm thinking maybe Ninja of the Deep Hours ---> Dungeon Geists?
[Remixes] - [The Brutal Cube - 360 Powered] - [My Cube Article] - ['Print-This' Wishlist]
Sleight of Hand ---> Memory Lapse
Sleight of Hand has been very unexciting whenever its shown up, and control/tempo could really use another efficient counter to choose from.
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 also ended up with a Fettergeist. Anyone have any experience with it? I'm not sure if it makes the cut...
Silver Knight ---> Mistral Charger
Part of a larger effort to replace the "hoser" creatures. Sure, red deck wins is powerful in cube, but Mistral Charger is better in a wider variety of decks.
Thieving Magpie ---> Fettergeist
Serendib Efreet is one of my favorite cards to pick up. I want his newer cousin to be just as good...but I'm not sure that it will be. I'll be keeping a close eye on this to see how it goes. As for Magpie, sadly it has been outclassed by recent creatures.
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief ---> Puppeteer Clique
Drana is cute, but there isn't really a good way to abuse it. Clique is better against Terminate, and it can grab a whole host of crazy things to boot.
Grasp of Darkness ---> Tragic Slip
Victim of Night ---> Unearth
Victim seems like black removal spell #587, and it costs BB to boot. Unearth should help aggro decks everywhere.
Duplicant ---> Mindslaver
Another change I will be keeping a close eye on.
Brittle Effigy ---> Sphere of the Suns
Spitemare ---> Slayer's Stronghold
You're probably right...I suppose cutting the often too slow Duplicant for a just as slow (if not slower) Mindslaver isn't the best.
What do you think about something like Memory Jar or Ratchet Bomb in its place?
I like both of those cards much better. Memory Jar is more explosive and does sick things, but it may not get picked up every draft. Ratchet Bomb is less bomby but more consistent. I like Memory Jar better, but either of these is fine.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
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Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
What about Pilgrim's Eye? I thought that might make for a better cut. Shrine is pretty good too...
Didn't see the Eye (irony!), but yeah, I'd cut that first. I actually think all the shrines are too slow for cube. Burning Rage is the closest, but I still think there are better cards to run. And if I was going to run it, I'd run it as a red card.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Changes for now:
Pilgrim's Eye ---> Ratchet Bomb
Mindslaver ---> Memory Jar
I've been keeping an eye on the Shrines...I want them to be good, but I've never actually seen one hit play. As soon as I can get my hands on a Powder Keg and some other artifact (not sure what yet) I'll be switching them out.
Mikeaus, the Lunarch ---> Ronom Unicorn
Mike has been pretty underwhelming overall. He made many of the decks that he was drafted for, but he never really did anything all that relevant. The bear-sized unicorn with a potential upside should be much more useful.
**EDIT: See discussion below.
Great Sable Stag ---> Wolfir Avenger
Kessig Wolf Run ---> Kird Ape
Much like Mikeaus, Wolf Run has been similarly underwhelming. It's far too slow for aggro decks, and very much "win more" in R/G fatties.deck. Besides, what's more iconic than Taiga, Kird Ape, go?
I'm also currently looking for a home for Stonewright. I've been nothing but impressed with him in AVR limited, and I think he has some real opportunity to shine in the cube. Suggestions for a cut are welcome.
Perhaps the issue with Mikaeus is not so much that it is underwhelming, but that my players are waiting too long to use it (i.e. being too greedy). He has yet to take over a game, or do anything really relevant at all.
I'll keep him around for now and see what happens. White weenie is one of my favorite archetypes to draft, so hopefully I get the opportunity to showcase his power sometime soon and people take the hint.
As for Wolf Run, this one I'm more sure about. Like all of my previous adds/drops, there's always the potential for it to come back in if we find ourselves really wishing for the effect.
Out:
Paladin en-Vec
In:
Silverblade Paladin
Out:
Sudden Shock
In:
Searing Spear
Also, does anyone have any experience with Flinthoof Boar? I'm trying to decide if it fits in the slot currently occupied by Boggart Ram-gang...
I played with it in the prerelease. I'm going to go out on a short limb and say it's better than Ram-Gang. It basically trades Wither for a massive increase in flexibility of paying its casting cost and/or tempo (playing it as a splashable two-drop and upgrading for free). Ram-Gang can technically be played in mono-green or -red (more likely than in green), and the Boar requires green, but I think the flexible casting cost is worth the multicolor requirement (mono-red never really hurts for playable cards, since it is so consistent).
Another thing, is that I don't think Wither, as a mechanic, really matters all that much in practice. There are few opportunities to force an attack or block that makes it relevant. So the Boar is more like an upgrade overall.
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You've summed up my feelings on it pretty well. The thing that's hanging me up isn't the wither (I agree it's not all that awesome), but the fact that Ram-gang can fit into a deck that the boar can't - mono-red.
So the question is really whether the mono-red deck is actually after a 3/3 with haste for 3, or if the mono-red drafter is letting it pass by and picking it up on the wheel for lack of a better choice.
I think the only way I'm really going to resolve it is by testing the boar out...so as soon as I can get my hands on a copy I'll give that a shot.
First things first: Bye bye power 9. It's been fun, but since I'll never own you I'm afraid we'll have to part ways. Trading them in for the allied signets should help with fixing, which is something I tend to find lacking in certain drafts.
Out:
In:
Next, the blue section. These changes are on a trial basis for now...so I'm open to suggestions.
Out:
In:
Only one change in red, and it's long overdue:
Out:
Puncture Blast
In:
Wheel of Fortune
Green got some new toys too:
Out:
In:
Lands:
Out:
Library of Alexandria
In:
Ancient Tomb
Multicolored:
Out:
Boggart Ram-gang
In:
Flinthoof Boar