Okay, this is my Cube. My original idea when I was trying to put this together was to try and build a cube with all the sweet limited cards that never found a home in constructed formats. You know the great ones like Transcendent Master, Burn Trail, Regress, Steel Hellkite, etc. It seemed like a great idea but without any experience Cubing I was worried about actually creating a good balance in the power level of all those cards. So in the end I abandoned that concept and used the forums here to check out a ton of lists for ideas and ended up with this fairly standard list. It's a work in progress and I especially want to do some upgrades in the land department.
I want to eventually expand to 450 cards but I plan on waiting until I acquire the rest of the fetchlands as well as shocks. Duals would be nice but I don't know if that'll ever happen.
One cool thing about this cube is that it's probably ~60% Japanese. I'm not a huge fan of foreign cards but I live in Tokyo and draft mostly with Japanese players and it's just way easier if they can read the cards. English is a common second language here, but hell, I can barely understand some of the wording on these old cards so it just makes life easier. And trying to explain an old card like Diabolic Servitude in Japanese is still a little bit above my ability.
Anyway, take a look at my list and let me know what you think.
Basic Info:
Cube Size: 360 Cards
Breakdown: 50 Each Colour, 38 Colorless , 42 Land, 30 Multicolour
Standard or Theme Cube: Standard
Snow Lands: No
Average # Players: 2-6
How Often Drafted: A couple of times a month usually with 4 players and every now and then 6-8.
Card Selection:
Powered? : No
Portal? : Yes
"Un-" Cards? : No
Banned Cards for Power-Level? : No
Banned Cards for Time Constraints? : No
Banned Cards for "Fun" factor? : No
Cube Design:
Standard or Multiplayer: Standard
Sideboards? : Yes (but no sideboard only cards)
Even Colour Balance: Yes
Perfect Creature/Non-Creature Balance: No
Gold Balance: Yes
Gold As Played/As Printed: As Played
Out/In 01/07/2013:
1 Narcolepsy------------------> 1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae-----> 1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
1 Angel of Despair------------> 1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Falkenrath Arisocrat---------> 1 Olivia Voldaren
1 Sol Ring--------------------> 1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Fellwar Stone--------------> 1 Mox Diamond
Got lucky and made a big trade with a good friend to pick up a few staples I was missing. I also decided to take out Sol Ring a few drafts ago because it's just so much better than everything else. It's just a really frustrating card to play against. Losing to a sick Reanimator or Tinker deck, that can be frustrating as well but those decks require good drafting. Sol Ring is just a card you take whenever you see it and put it into any pile and if you're lucky enough to play it in the first few turns of a game it is very difficult to lose. I think with power it's fine but in my Unpowered environment it's just too much. In the unlikely event I ever make the jump to power I'll definitely bring it back but for now it's on the bench.
Also brought back Olivia over Aristocrat. I know it hurts R/B aggro but no one was playing the Aristocrat and I was consistently seeing her as a last pick. Olivia is a popular card and just really fun and powerful so my playgroup was happy to see her back over the Aristocrat.
Out/In 11/14/2012:
1 Time Warp-----------------> 1 Bribery
1 Dismiss---------------------> 1 Cryptic Command
1 Forked Bolt-----------------> 1 Chain Lightning
1 Flames of the Firebrand---> 1 Magma Jet
1 Hex Parasite----------------> 1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Birthing Pod-----------------> 1 Windbrisk Heights
Made some more trades and also won some drafts and used some store credit to make a few changes to the cube.
I've enjoyed playing Time Warp but it definitely hasn't felt like a powerful or game changing effect. It has won a game or two but for the most part when I've played it, it's felt a lot like an Explore. I recently traded for Bribery and decided I would give it a shot over the extra turn. Same mana cost so it was a pretty easy trade.
I won a draft at one of my local shops and I used the store credit to pick up my first Cryptic Command. I am sad to see Dismiss go because it's been a great budget replacement for the real deal but it's time is over and a New Age of terror has begun!
I've been wanting to trade for a Chain Lightning for a long time with no success. I finally bit the bullet when I found a Fire and Lightning version for a decent price at one of my shops.
I'm not sure about switching Flames of the Firebrand to Magma Jet but I recently picked up a Magma Jet in a trade and was eager to try it out. Flames is potentially stronger than some of my other spells in red but I felt like I already had the effect with Arc Lightning and it just felt kind of boring to be running two cards that do the exact same thing even if that thing is Awesome Sauce...
Unfortunately Hex Parasite has not made it into play yet and since it's strictly a sideboard card unless you're on the Tinker plan I decided to switch it and Birthing Pod out to finish my cycle of color affiliated lands. I just completed the cycle when I picked up a Volrath's Stronghold. I haven't seen Birthing Pod played much either. It's just one of those cards that's really Hit or Miss. I could definitely see putting it back in at some point because it is a powerful effect but for now I'm going to see what happens with it on the sidelines.
Out/In 10/12/2012:
1 Underworld Connection--> Liliana of the Drak Realms
1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen-----> Griselbrand
1 Hellspark Elemental----> 1 Plated Geopede
1 Urabrask the Hidden---> 1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Great Sable Stag-------> 1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Plumeveil---------------> 1 Detention Sphere
1 Razorverge Thicket----> 1 Temple Garden
Made a lot of trades recently and I was able to make a few upgrades.
I didn't get any drafts in with Underworld Connections but I got cold feet about trying out the card since there is a good amount of land destruction in my Cube. It was great at the prerelease but after I thought about it some more I was worried it would end up in sideboards or unplayed. So I decided to try out a Liliana of the Dark Realms instead. I won her a month or two ago in my last M13 draft and I've been itching to try her out ever since. So I'll see how she plays out.
Griselbrand came in because my drafters requested another beefy dude for reanimater/ramp strategies. I also won this guy in a random Avacyn draft we did a couple of weeks back and have never had a chance to play with him so it was an easy swap.
Thrun came in because I think the Stag is pretty boring and I'm hoping this guy becomes a powerful tool against control decks.
I've already discussed most of these changes but there were some I decided to make after playing in a few prereleases this weekend.
Cyclonic Rift just felt so broken everytime I played it that I decided to bring it in over Recoil. They're both fantastic spells and I really like the card draw on Recoil but Rift is just so unfair when you overload it that I think it's worth running.
Underworld Connections, I got to try this one out in my Rakdos deck and it just completely took over games. I know Ravnica is a lot different from Cube because all of the land destruction spells are so overcosted that they're unplayable. So once this hits play it's almost impossible to get rid of. In a Cube environment I realize this will be much easier to deal with for red or green decks but I think trying it out is worth the risk. It's more or less another Phyrexian Arena with the drawback of added vulnerability and the plus of being instant speed with an off switch. Will that be enough to make it in the cube, only time and drafting will tell.
Hypersonic Dragon, Prophetic Bolt has failed to impress me in all of our games. It's weird because the card just seems so awesome but it always feels too slow against aggro and against larger control finishers it just doesn't do enough damage. I played Izzet over the weekend and I honestly just really enjoyed playing Hypersonic Dragon. I don't feel like he's a big upgrade or anything but I think he'll be fun to try out for a little while. Mainly until I can get my hands on a Niv-Mizzit, Dracogenius. At this point, I don't really feel like Izzet has a card that really makes me want to play the colors so even though Niv-Mizzit isn't perfect I think he'll definitely prompt some people to draft Izzet.
Out/In 09/16/2012:
1 Hero of Oxid ridge---> 1 Keldon Champion
1 Olivia Voldaren-------> 1 Falkenrath Aristocrat
1 Shrine of Burning Rage--> 1 Winter Orb
1 Ring of Gix------------> 1 Tangle Wire
1 Nihil Spellbomb-------> 1 Nevinyrral's Disk
Most of these changes were made in order to encourage aggro.
Keldon Champion was a request from one of my friends and I feel that him and the Hero are close enough that either can fill the spot nicely. The Champion does have the advantage of being guaranteed damage whereas Hero is better when you have a few attackers or your opponent is relying on low power blockers. But like I said it's close enough that I don't mind switching this guy back in.
Changing Olivia to Falkenrath Aristocrat was really tough for me. I really like Olivia but I wanted to see if adding the Aristocrat would help R/B aggro. That said I really enjoy Olivia and she is so good in control decks that I may end up switching her back in if Aristocrat is disappointing or not being played.
Shrine hasn't been played much and despite how good it is, especially in mono-red, I felt like Ankh had a similar effect and adding Winter Orb could help a wider range of aggro decks.
Since I had already added Icy Manipulator I felt like taking out Ring of Gix and adding Tangle Wire would be better for aggro and also give me a little more variety.
Here I'll briefly discuss some of the unusual cards I've included in the cube. In all honesty, most of them are present for budget reasons.
White: Increasing Devotion: Just a great card that combos really nicely with Ajani. Being able to make an army out of nowhere is always nice. Transcendent Master: This guy is a definite pet card of mine. I had the good fortune of drafting this guy in a couple of RoE drafts and just loved him. He's a lot like Kargan Dragonlord, in that, if they can't answer him once he gets leveled he can run away with the game. He also works well with Sun Titan and is just a solid play early or late. Harm's Way: I definitely have a soft spot for awesome limited cards that never see play anywhere else like this guy. I mean it was such an insane card back in M10 drafting that everyone thought it would see play. But it just never panned out. I do love this card and the foil looks sweet but it will probably get changed out when I pick up some of my other wants. Geist-Honored Monk: Honestly I just like this card aesthetically a lot more than Cloudgoat Ranger. I know the ranger is a better card, I think I just have something against Kithkin tokens that makes me not want to run it. That said, I think it's close enough that I'm not missing out on too much by running her instead of him. And I've had a lot of success with the Monk, the fact that the tokens have flying is awesome.
Blue: Talrand, Sky Summoner: This guy is just one of my favorite cards ever. And after having the good fortune of drafting with him a few times I had to fit him in and see how he did in the Cube. I replaced Willbender who never really saw any play and was the only morph card in the Cube. I've yet to see Talrand in action but I see him as a control finisher that's cheap enough to leave up counter magic after he hits play or he could also be good in tempo decks. Lu Xun, Scholar General: This guy is just fun, completely unblockable in the cube so he can draw a card every turn and if you have any swords it can get out of hand quick. Frantic Search: More filler but still an awesome card. It's free filtering and is always a solid play. Frost Titan: I made it a point when I put this together to include all the Titans and since this is the King of Titan vs. Titan combat he had to be included. His ability is awesome too since he can shut down any permanent. His built in Miscalculate can also cause problems for opponents who need to deal with him.
Black: Gul Draz Assassin: Another pet card of mine and another card I loved/hated back in RoE drafting. Originally he was just a card included for that reason alone but he's really proven himself as a powerful card that has to be dealt with or he can just run away with games. I think the great thing about him is that you can drop him then use an early turn where you have nothing else to do to level him up. Then your opponent is forced to play around him leveling up to level 2 and removing early plays. This forces opponents to alter their early game or use a removal spell that they may have preferred holding onto for a later threat. I think he really shines late game though when you can drop him and then have a 4/4 that can start eatting away your opponents board. Just a fun card I don't think I'd ever cut. Bloodline Keeper: The King of Innistrad drafting and a card I really enjoy playing. Just takes over games when he sticks around. He definitely isn't as good in the cube as he was in INS because there are so many ways to deal with him but he can still be a real pain. Diabolic Servitude: This is just a fun and powerful card that a lot of people don't know about.
Red:. Aftershock: Even at the cost of 3 life I really like the flexibility the spell offers. I may be overrating this card but as a relatively newer player(Kamigawa-break-Eventide-present) the fact that this is red and can destroy a creature is just so awesome.
Green: Elves of Deep Shadow: I honestly can't stand the art on Fyndhorn Elves, it is just awful, so even though this is off color and deals damage to you I'll keep running it until they reprint a decent looking Fyndhorn Elves. Channel: I put this in just for the combo with Kozilek but in all of our drafting it hasn't happened yet. When I manage to find a decent priced Regrowth I'll probably just switch this out. Mayor of Avabruck: I like him a lot and he can really punish slow starts from your opponent. The great thing about cube drafting is that you can pass on your turn and still have something to do on your opponents. Yeva, Nature's Herald: I saw the preview and just fell in love with this card. She did some work last time I played against her, seriously, instant speed Eternal Witness is pretty brutal. Master of the Wild Hunt: Originally a filler card until I got some better stuff. This guy has managed to stick around a lot longer than I expected. Picking off creatures is just really solid in green and getting a free 2/2 Wolf every turn is great. Avacyn's Pilgrim: I desperately wanted Wizards to reprint Noble Hierarch in M13 so I could switch the Pilgrim out but it just didn't happen and I haven't been able to buy or trade for a Hierarch. Wolfir Silverheart: This card really impressed me back in Avacyn restored drafting. Of course Avacyn Restored drafting was pretty bad. I still like this guys flavor and with all the great creatures his soulbond can really surprise people. Thragtusk: Another card I wasn't really looking to add but one of me friends gave it to me as a gift for the cube. So it got a spot and has been a really solid card so far. Terastodon: I haven't managed to pick up a Woodfall Primus but I've been really impressed with the big Elephant. Hitting 3 permanents when he comes into play is insane and can be used defensively to build an army if you're in really bad shape or offensively to deal with anything but creatures. I would probably still change him out for the Primus but I'm not in a big rush to make the switch.
Artifact:
Lands:
All these choices are based off budget. Right now I'm looking to finish getting all the fetchlands(5 more to go) and then when RTR comes out I can work on knocking out all the shocks which will really give me a solid land base. I'm not a fan of proxies so I'll probably never get the original duals. The cost is simply too high and the opportunities to trade for them are so rare.
A lot of the cards here are excluded for budget reasons. Obviously some of the cards I already have in the cube are more expensive but I've managed to pick those up from drafting and trades. For reference I have trouble spending more than $5-$10 for a single card. I just hate spending more than that and it's the main reason I'm missing a lot of these staples. Well that and it's really hard to trade out here because stores actually don't allow trading inside the store. You can still work out trades but it's such a hassle and most players don't even have trade binders that I've given up on even trying.
Cloudgoat Ranger: I chose Geist-Honored Monk for aesthetic reasons over this guy even though he is a stronger card. Mirror Entity: I am looking to add one of these to the cube but haven't picked one up just yet. Soltari Trooper: I just can't stand the art on these cards, I really wanted to add them but they look like melted wax figures. I'm running Soltari Monk and Priest because I find their artwork acceptable. Exalted Angel: This would be a clear upgrade over Odric but I haven't been able to pick one up.
Upheaval: I actually picked one of these up a few weeks ago but I haven't worked it into the list because blue has been so strong in all of our drafts. So I didn't want to add it and strengthen the best color. When I start feeling like I have a better balance between Control, Aggro, and Color I'll definitely work this in because it is so good. Vendilion Clique: I'd really like to add this but it's so expensive. Remand: I was going to add this but when I started looking for them I realized the price was around $10. I know it's a great spell but I just couldn't bring myself to pay that for an Uncommon. I am hoping to see a reprint in RTR and if so I'll add it. Glen Elendra Archmage: Great card I haven't picked up. I'll definitely get one at some point but I'm pretty happy with my four drops so I'm not in a rush. Consecrated Sphinx: Sphinx of Jwar Isle has been awesome and Frost Titan is one of my favorites so even though I have a copy of this guy I haven't really felt like working him in. I'll probably start periodically switching him in over Sphinx of Jwar Isle just for a little variety.
Dark Confidant: Another budget exclusion, but one I'm not too worried about. This guy is insane but I see him more as a constructed card where you can build the deck to mitigate the potential loss of life. That's just not possible in a limited environment. Of course, this is coming from a guy who has never played with Dark Confidant and if I ever do get my hands on one he'll get tossed in immediately. Thoughtseize: Budget exclusion.
Noble Hierarch: I'm still mad she didn't get a reprint in M13. Deranged Hermit: I don't like squirrels. Scavenging Ooze: Budget Exclusion. Tarmogoyf: Budget Exclusion Fyndhorn Elves: The art is so bad I can't bring myself to run this even if it is better than a few of the other mana elves I'm running.
Sword of War and Peace: After this rotates from standard I'm going to try and trade for this since the price drops. Lightning Greaves: I didn't realize this one was a staple but I could definitely see running it. Crucible of Worlds: Another budget exclusion but I'm looking to trade for one.
1) Pack Rat: This card has the potential to be insane in the cube since it's a Black 2 drop that can win games by itself. Not only is it just a solid card but it also supports reanimator. Cool card and I'll probably switch it in for Stromgald Crusader.
2) Ash Zealot: This one is an easy include as well. She is exactly what I've been waiting for in an aggressive red two drop. The only trouble I've had is figuring out what to replace. I've narrowed it down to either Blood Knight or Ember Hauler and despite the fact that Blood Knight is one of my favorites I think he's the pick.
3) Izzet Charm: This card is awesome and I think I'm going to switch it in for Fire//Ice. I know this may be a strange choice to take out but it's always bothered me that Fire//Ice is a split card with two solid stand alone spells that can work just fine in mono-Red or any Blue/x deck. I also feel like these two are close enough that I'm really not missing out on much.
4) Dreadbore: An easy upgrade here for Terminate. I hate losing the instant speed but being able to kill any creature or especially any Planeswalker in one shot is just so good. You just can't have enough ways to effectively deal with Planeswalkers. I am a little bummed this is a rare because I would have liked to have seen a promo version because I'm not crazy about the art.
5) Vraska, the Unseen: As we all know Planeswalkers are just so good and this is another sweet one. Hitting any nonland permanent is awesome and her other abilities are pretty sweet as well. Really excited about trying her out but I know it could be a while because she is definitely a chase Mythic for this set.
6) Lotleth Troll: Spiritmonger is extremely dated at this point and even though he's a fun card Lotleth Troll is a huge upgrade in terms of power and synergy.
7) Detention Sphere: Another easy upgrade over Plueveil. This card is just so good and will definitely give my Azorius section some more power.
8) Rakdos Cackler: I'm so glad we got this card. Exactly what aggressive decks need and just a fantastic one drop. My plan is to do something a little unorthodox and toss him into my red section. I know most people will put him in their Rakdos section but I really hate taking a spot with him because I feel like the vast majority of the time this guy is going into mono-Red, Boros, or Red/Black. I just don't feel like black get's as much use out of this creature as Red.
9) Dryad Militant: I could see doing something similar with Militant as I'm planning to do with Rakdos Cackler but I've been trying to upgrade my Behemoth's Sledge for a while now with no luck so she is so much easier to swap in.
10) Deathrite Shaman: I really like this card and I know he doesn't crack the top 3 of Golgari so in order to work him in I'm going to try something similar to Rakdos Cackler and switch him in for Carnophage in my black section. To me, green has better more dependable options for ramp. While black has nothing else that comes close to this. I mean he ramps, has reach, and maybe even gains some life. So I think that will lead to him being a higher pick for black decks. I have no idea if this will work out but at worst I'm missing out on Carnophage for a few weeks while I try this guy out. I really do think this guy could be very good so I'm excited about playing him.
Looking through your list of exclusion, you noted that blue was stronger than any other color. I think this will always be the case unless you work hard to nerf it, but something you can do to balance it a bit is to include some specific cards from your exclusions list. Increasing your aggro support will hurt the dominance of control and blue as a whole. I think at the 360 level is where you can find the greatest balance among your colors. The larger your cube gets the greater the disparity between your colors' average power level.
A wealth of smaller creatures that hit hard and fast is important to support aggro (Steppe Lynx, Geopede, Soltari - [get them altered to change the art], Putrid Leech). I think even without Fetches and Shocks, cards like Wild Nacatl and Kird Ape are still reasonably strong inclusions. Cards that help keep the game in the early stages is also important (looking at you, Braids, Wasteland).
With a lot of those kinds of cards in place, it becomes easier to include cards like Day, Upheaval, Bribery because with the strength of your aggro going up, your control cards will need to rise to meet it.
I realize that most of your exclusions were based on budgetary reasons, and I totally relate. I use proxies to step around that particular issue. I would never be able to afford my cube is all the cards were real. But I think understanding how to balance your archetypes is important, and so I posted.
I'm a little late on my Gatecrash update but so far I've only managed to pick up a Boros Charm from my small list of Gatecrash wants. I'm also planning on adding Boros Reckoner, Frontline Medic, Legion Loyalist, and Prime Speaker Zegana.
Reckoner is the card I'm most excited about from the set and I thought he'd be an easy pickup but his price rose quickly and I haven't found anyone trading them. I definitely feel my three card Boros section is too small to squeeze him in so I'm going to toss him in red over Ghitu Slinger just so I can try him out. I mean the card is so powerful and he's a freakin' Minotaur Wizard shooting lightning bolts out of his hands! I think every cube needs that awesomeness.
Frontline Medic is another card I really like and I'm going to bring it in over either Fiend Hunter or Transcendent Master. Both cards have been solid but I really like this guy and want to spend some time playing him.
Legion Loyalist is just a cool little goblin I wanna try because I like the effect and I'm just not a big fan of Mogg Fanatic. But this cards a little high right now to warrant picking up so I'm going to wait for Gatecrash to cool off a little before I grab one.
Prime Speaker Zegana just seems like a sweet card for U/G and if I can find one I'll definitely try her out over SSS just to have something new to play with for a while. I think SSS is the better card but Zegana has a sweet ability and some interesting interactions that I think could make for a nice change of pace from SSS. But she's also very expensive right now thanks largely to EDH so I'll also be waiting until she gets cheaper or I get lucky before trying to pick her up.
I want to eventually expand to 450 cards but I plan on waiting until I acquire the rest of the fetchlands as well as shocks. Duals would be nice but I don't know if that'll ever happen.
One cool thing about this cube is that it's probably ~60% Japanese. I'm not a huge fan of foreign cards but I live in Tokyo and draft mostly with Japanese players and it's just way easier if they can read the cards. English is a common second language here, but hell, I can barely understand some of the wording on these old cards so it just makes life easier. And trying to explain an old card like Diabolic Servitude in Japanese is still a little bit above my ability.
Anyway, take a look at my list and let me know what you think.
Basic Info:
Cube Size: 360 Cards
Breakdown: 50 Each Colour, 38 Colorless , 42 Land, 30 Multicolour
Standard or Theme Cube: Standard
Snow Lands: No
Average # Players: 2-6
How Often Drafted: A couple of times a month usually with 4 players and every now and then 6-8.
Card Selection:
Powered? : No
Portal? : Yes
"Un-" Cards? : No
Banned Cards for Power-Level? : No
Banned Cards for Time Constraints? : No
Banned Cards for "Fun" factor? : No
Cube Design:
Standard or Multiplayer: Standard
Sideboards? : Yes (but no sideboard only cards)
Even Colour Balance: Yes
Perfect Creature/Non-Creature Balance: No
Gold Balance: Yes
Gold As Played/As Printed: As Played
The Cube!
White
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Student of Warfare
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Mother of Runes
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Dryad Militant
CMC 2
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Cloistered Youth
1 Soltari Priest
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Precinct Captain
1 Knight of Meadowgrain
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Wall of Omens
1 Frontline Medic
1 Spectral Procession
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Blade Splicer
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Soltari Champion
1 Transcendent Master
CMC 4
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Restoration Angel
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Reveillark
1 Baneslayer Angel
CMC 6
1 Sun Titan
Noncreature
1 Condemn
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
1 Land Tax
1 Harm's Way
CMC 2
1 Balance
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Disenchant
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
1 Glorious Anthem
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Arrest
CMC 4
1 Ajani Goldmane
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Armageddon
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Day of Judgment
1 Wrath of God
1 Gideon Jura
1 Increasing Devotion
CMC 6
1 Catastrophe
Land
1 Windbrisk Heights
Blue
Creatures
1 Enclave Cryptologist
CMC 2
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Looter Il-Kor
CMC 3
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Man-o'-War
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Æther Adept
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Dungeon Geists
1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
1 Sower of Temptation
CMC 5
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Mulldrifter
1 Frost Titan
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Noncreature
1 Force of Will
CMC 1
1 Brainstorm
1 Preordain
1 Force Spike
1 Ponder
1 Ancestral Vision
CMC 2
1 Counterspell
1 Daze
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Into the Roil
1 Mana Leak
1 Impulse
1 Miscalculation
1 Memory Lapse
1 Jace Beleren
1 Forbid
1 Psionic Blast
1 Crystal Shard
1 Far//Away
1 Frantic Search
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Tinker
1 Vedalken Shackles
CMC 4
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Deep Analysis
1 Control Magic
1 Cryptic Command
1 Bribery
1 Treachery
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
CMC X
1 Condescend
Land
1 Shelldock Isle
Black
Creatures
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Gravecrawler
1 Guul Draz Assassin
CMC 2
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Pack Rat
1 Blood Scrivener
1 Reassembling Skeleton
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Bloodghast
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Bone Shredder
CMC 4
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Nekrataal
1 Skinrender
1 Desecration Demon
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Shriekmaw
CMC 6+
1 Grave Titan
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Griselbrand
Noncreature
1 Snuff Out
CMC 1
1 Dark Ritual
1 Disfigure
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Duress
1 Entomb
1 Reanimate
CMC 2
1 Bitterblossom
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Doom Blade
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Go for the Throat
1 Animate Dead
1 Chainer's Edict
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Necromancy
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Recurring Nightmare
CMC 4
1 Liliana of the Dark Realms
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Diabolic Servitude
1 Damnation
1 Profane Command
1 Mind Twist
Land
1 Volrath's Stronghold
Red
Creature
1 Goblin Guide
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Greater Gargadon
1 Jackal Pup
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Legion Loyalist
1 Rakdos Cackler
CMC 2
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Plated Geopede
1 Ash Zealot
1 Torch Fiend
1 Kargan Dragonlord
1 Lightning Mauler
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Ember Hauler
1 Manic Vandal
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Keldon Vandals
1 Boros Reckoner
1 Pyrewild Shaman
CMC 4
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Keldon Champion
1 Hellrider
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
CMC 6
1 Inferno Titan
1 Fireblast
CMC 1
1 Burst Lightning
1 Firebolt
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Faithless Looting
1 Chain Lightning
CMC 2
1 Searing Spear
1 Arc Trail
1 Incinerate
1 Pyroclasm
1 Magma Jet
1 Sulfuric Vortex
1 Arc Lightning
1 Molten Rain
1 Staggershock
1 Brimstone Volley
1 Char
1 Pillage
CMC 4
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Aftershock
1 Chandra Nalaar
CMC X
1 Earthquake
1 Devil's Play
Land
1 Ghitu Encampment
Green
Creature
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Arbor Elf
CMC 2
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Strangleroot Geist
1 Mayor of Avabruck
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Wild Mongrel
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Wall of Roots
1 Call of the Herd
1 Wolfir Avenger
1 Eternal Witness
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Viridian Shaman
CMC 4
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Phantom Centaur
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Yeva, Nature's Herald
1 Acidic Slime
1 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Genesis
1 Thragtusk
1 Vorapede
1 Indrik Stomphowler
CMC 6-8
1 Primeval Titan
1 Avenger of Zendikar
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Rancor
CMC 2
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Channel
1 Explore
1 Sylvan Library
1 Regrowth
1 Beast Within
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Cultivate
CMC 4
1 Bramblecrush
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Plow Under
CMC X
1 Green Sun's Zenith
Land
1 Treetop Village
Colorless
Creature
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Phyrexian Revoker
CMC 3
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Masticore
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Wurmcoil Engine
CMC 7+
1 Karn, Liberated
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Sundering Titan
1 Bonesplitter
1 Skull Clamp
CMC 2
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Batterskull
1 Mox Diamond
CMC 1
1 Mana Vault
CMC 2
1 Mind Stone
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Coalition Relic
1 Chromatic Lantern
CMC X
1 Everflowing Chalice
Land
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
1 City of Brass
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Pithing Needle
1 Dismember
CMC 2
1 Ankh of Mishra
1 Winter Orb
1 Mimic Vat
1 Tangle Wire
CMC 4
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Smokestack
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Venser, the Sojourner
1 Detention Sphere
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Celestial Colonnade
Orzhov
1 Vindicate
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Lingering Souls
1 Caves of Koilos
1 Godless Shrine
1 Fetid Heath
Boros
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Boros Charm
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Arid Mesa
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Sacred Foundry
Selesneya
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Voice of Resurgence
1 Temple Garden
1 Stirring Wildwood
1 Brushland
1 Psychatog
1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Watery Grave
Izzet
1 Izzet Charm
1 Ral Zarek
1 Turn//Burn
1 Steam Vents
1 Shivan Reef
1 Scalding Tarn
Simic
1 Mystic Snake
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Trygon Predator
1 Hinterland Harbor
1 Breeding Pool
1 Flooded Grove
Rakdos
1 Dreadbore
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Olivia Voldaren
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Blood Crypt
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Lotleth Troll
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Vraska the Unseen
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Twilight Mire
Gruul
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Flinthoof Boar
1 Kird Ape
1 Raging Ravine
1 Stomping Ground
1 Karplusan Forest
Shards
1 Nicol Bolas
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Out/In 01/07/2013:
1 Narcolepsy------------------> 1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae-----> 1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
1 Angel of Despair------------> 1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Falkenrath Arisocrat---------> 1 Olivia Voldaren
1 Sol Ring--------------------> 1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Fellwar Stone--------------> 1 Mox Diamond
Got lucky and made a big trade with a good friend to pick up a few staples I was missing. I also decided to take out Sol Ring a few drafts ago because it's just so much better than everything else. It's just a really frustrating card to play against. Losing to a sick Reanimator or Tinker deck, that can be frustrating as well but those decks require good drafting. Sol Ring is just a card you take whenever you see it and put it into any pile and if you're lucky enough to play it in the first few turns of a game it is very difficult to lose. I think with power it's fine but in my Unpowered environment it's just too much. In the unlikely event I ever make the jump to power I'll definitely bring it back but for now it's on the bench.
Also brought back Olivia over Aristocrat. I know it hurts R/B aggro but no one was playing the Aristocrat and I was consistently seeing her as a last pick. Olivia is a popular card and just really fun and powerful so my playgroup was happy to see her back over the Aristocrat.
Out/In 11/14/2012:
1 Time Warp-----------------> 1 Bribery
1 Dismiss---------------------> 1 Cryptic Command
1 Forked Bolt-----------------> 1 Chain Lightning
1 Flames of the Firebrand---> 1 Magma Jet
1 Hex Parasite----------------> 1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Birthing Pod-----------------> 1 Windbrisk Heights
Made some more trades and also won some drafts and used some store credit to make a few changes to the cube.
I've enjoyed playing Time Warp but it definitely hasn't felt like a powerful or game changing effect. It has won a game or two but for the most part when I've played it, it's felt a lot like an Explore. I recently traded for Bribery and decided I would give it a shot over the extra turn. Same mana cost so it was a pretty easy trade.
I won a draft at one of my local shops and I used the store credit to pick up my first Cryptic Command. I am sad to see Dismiss go because it's been a great budget replacement for the real deal but it's time is over and a New Age of terror has begun!
I've been wanting to trade for a Chain Lightning for a long time with no success. I finally bit the bullet when I found a Fire and Lightning version for a decent price at one of my shops.
I'm not sure about switching Flames of the Firebrand to Magma Jet but I recently picked up a Magma Jet in a trade and was eager to try it out. Flames is potentially stronger than some of my other spells in red but I felt like I already had the effect with Arc Lightning and it just felt kind of boring to be running two cards that do the exact same thing even if that thing is Awesome Sauce...
Unfortunately Hex Parasite has not made it into play yet and since it's strictly a sideboard card unless you're on the Tinker plan I decided to switch it and Birthing Pod out to finish my cycle of color affiliated lands. I just completed the cycle when I picked up a Volrath's Stronghold. I haven't seen Birthing Pod played much either. It's just one of those cards that's really Hit or Miss. I could definitely see putting it back in at some point because it is a powerful effect but for now I'm going to see what happens with it on the sidelines.
Out/In 10/12/2012:
1 Underworld Connection--> Liliana of the Drak Realms
1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen-----> Griselbrand
1 Hellspark Elemental----> 1 Plated Geopede
1 Urabrask the Hidden---> 1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Great Sable Stag-------> 1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Plumeveil---------------> 1 Detention Sphere
1 Razorverge Thicket----> 1 Temple Garden
Made a lot of trades recently and I was able to make a few upgrades.
I didn't get any drafts in with Underworld Connections but I got cold feet about trying out the card since there is a good amount of land destruction in my Cube. It was great at the prerelease but after I thought about it some more I was worried it would end up in sideboards or unplayed. So I decided to try out a Liliana of the Dark Realms instead. I won her a month or two ago in my last M13 draft and I've been itching to try her out ever since. So I'll see how she plays out.
Griselbrand came in because my drafters requested another beefy dude for reanimater/ramp strategies. I also won this guy in a random Avacyn draft we did a couple of weeks back and have never had a chance to play with him so it was an easy swap.
Thrun came in because I think the Stag is pretty boring and I'm hoping this guy becomes a powerful tool against control decks.
Out/In 09/30/2012:
1 Paladin en-Vec-----> 1 Steppe Lynx
1 Repeal--------> 1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Carnophage--------> 1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Sign in Blood-------> 1 Underworld Connections
1 Blood Knight--------> 1 Ash Zealot
1 Skinshifter----------> 1 Lotus Cobra
1 Behemoth Sledge---> 1 Dryad Militant
1 Terminate----------> 1 Dreadbore
1 Fire//Ice------------> 1 Izzet Charm
1 Spiritmonger--------> 1 Lotleth Troll
1 Prophetic Bolt-------> 1 Hypersonic Dragon
1 Moltensteel Dragon--> 1 Bonesplitter
1 Graven Cairns-------> 1 Blood Crypt
1 Sulfur Falls-----------> 1 Steam Vents
I've already discussed most of these changes but there were some I decided to make after playing in a few prereleases this weekend.
Cyclonic Rift just felt so broken everytime I played it that I decided to bring it in over Recoil. They're both fantastic spells and I really like the card draw on Recoil but Rift is just so unfair when you overload it that I think it's worth running.
Underworld Connections, I got to try this one out in my Rakdos deck and it just completely took over games. I know Ravnica is a lot different from Cube because all of the land destruction spells are so overcosted that they're unplayable. So once this hits play it's almost impossible to get rid of. In a Cube environment I realize this will be much easier to deal with for red or green decks but I think trying it out is worth the risk. It's more or less another Phyrexian Arena with the drawback of added vulnerability and the plus of being instant speed with an off switch. Will that be enough to make it in the cube, only time and drafting will tell.
Hypersonic Dragon, Prophetic Bolt has failed to impress me in all of our games. It's weird because the card just seems so awesome but it always feels too slow against aggro and against larger control finishers it just doesn't do enough damage. I played Izzet over the weekend and I honestly just really enjoyed playing Hypersonic Dragon. I don't feel like he's a big upgrade or anything but I think he'll be fun to try out for a little while. Mainly until I can get my hands on a Niv-Mizzit, Dracogenius. At this point, I don't really feel like Izzet has a card that really makes me want to play the colors so even though Niv-Mizzit isn't perfect I think he'll definitely prompt some people to draft Izzet.
Out/In 09/16/2012:
1 Hero of Oxid ridge---> 1 Keldon Champion
1 Olivia Voldaren-------> 1 Falkenrath Aristocrat
1 Shrine of Burning Rage--> 1 Winter Orb
1 Ring of Gix------------> 1 Tangle Wire
1 Nihil Spellbomb-------> 1 Nevinyrral's Disk
Most of these changes were made in order to encourage aggro.
Keldon Champion was a request from one of my friends and I feel that him and the Hero are close enough that either can fill the spot nicely. The Champion does have the advantage of being guaranteed damage whereas Hero is better when you have a few attackers or your opponent is relying on low power blockers. But like I said it's close enough that I don't mind switching this guy back in.
Changing Olivia to Falkenrath Aristocrat was really tough for me. I really like Olivia but I wanted to see if adding the Aristocrat would help R/B aggro. That said I really enjoy Olivia and she is so good in control decks that I may end up switching her back in if Aristocrat is disappointing or not being played.
Shrine hasn't been played much and despite how good it is, especially in mono-red, I felt like Ankh had a similar effect and adding Winter Orb could help a wider range of aggro decks.
Since I had already added Icy Manipulator I felt like taking out Ring of Gix and adding Tangle Wire would be better for aggro and also give me a little more variety.
Here I'll briefly discuss some of the unusual cards I've included in the cube. In all honesty, most of them are present for budget reasons.
White:
Increasing Devotion: Just a great card that combos really nicely with Ajani. Being able to make an army out of nowhere is always nice.
Transcendent Master: This guy is a definite pet card of mine. I had the good fortune of drafting this guy in a couple of RoE drafts and just loved him. He's a lot like Kargan Dragonlord, in that, if they can't answer him once he gets leveled he can run away with the game. He also works well with Sun Titan and is just a solid play early or late.
Harm's Way: I definitely have a soft spot for awesome limited cards that never see play anywhere else like this guy. I mean it was such an insane card back in M10 drafting that everyone thought it would see play. But it just never panned out. I do love this card and the foil looks sweet but it will probably get changed out when I pick up some of my other wants.
Geist-Honored Monk: Honestly I just like this card aesthetically a lot more than Cloudgoat Ranger. I know the ranger is a better card, I think I just have something against Kithkin tokens that makes me not want to run it. That said, I think it's close enough that I'm not missing out on too much by running her instead of him. And I've had a lot of success with the Monk, the fact that the tokens have flying is awesome.
Blue:
Talrand, Sky Summoner: This guy is just one of my favorite cards ever. And after having the good fortune of drafting with him a few times I had to fit him in and see how he did in the Cube. I replaced Willbender who never really saw any play and was the only morph card in the Cube. I've yet to see Talrand in action but I see him as a control finisher that's cheap enough to leave up counter magic after he hits play or he could also be good in tempo decks.
Lu Xun, Scholar General: This guy is just fun, completely unblockable in the cube so he can draw a card every turn and if you have any swords it can get out of hand quick.
Frantic Search: More filler but still an awesome card. It's free filtering and is always a solid play.
Frost Titan: I made it a point when I put this together to include all the Titans and since this is the King of Titan vs. Titan combat he had to be included. His ability is awesome too since he can shut down any permanent. His built in Miscalculate can also cause problems for opponents who need to deal with him.
Black:
Gul Draz Assassin: Another pet card of mine and another card I loved/hated back in RoE drafting. Originally he was just a card included for that reason alone but he's really proven himself as a powerful card that has to be dealt with or he can just run away with games. I think the great thing about him is that you can drop him then use an early turn where you have nothing else to do to level him up. Then your opponent is forced to play around him leveling up to level 2 and removing early plays. This forces opponents to alter their early game or use a removal spell that they may have preferred holding onto for a later threat. I think he really shines late game though when you can drop him and then have a 4/4 that can start eatting away your opponents board. Just a fun card I don't think I'd ever cut.
Bloodline Keeper: The King of Innistrad drafting and a card I really enjoy playing. Just takes over games when he sticks around. He definitely isn't as good in the cube as he was in INS because there are so many ways to deal with him but he can still be a real pain.
Diabolic Servitude: This is just a fun and powerful card that a lot of people don't know about.
Red:.
Aftershock: Even at the cost of 3 life I really like the flexibility the spell offers. I may be overrating this card but as a relatively newer player(Kamigawa-break-Eventide-present) the fact that this is red and can destroy a creature is just so awesome.
Green:
Elves of Deep Shadow: I honestly can't stand the art on Fyndhorn Elves, it is just awful, so even though this is off color and deals damage to you I'll keep running it until they reprint a decent looking Fyndhorn Elves.
Channel: I put this in just for the combo with Kozilek but in all of our drafting it hasn't happened yet. When I manage to find a decent priced Regrowth I'll probably just switch this out.
Mayor of Avabruck: I like him a lot and he can really punish slow starts from your opponent. The great thing about cube drafting is that you can pass on your turn and still have something to do on your opponents.
Yeva, Nature's Herald: I saw the preview and just fell in love with this card. She did some work last time I played against her, seriously, instant speed Eternal Witness is pretty brutal.
Master of the Wild Hunt: Originally a filler card until I got some better stuff. This guy has managed to stick around a lot longer than I expected. Picking off creatures is just really solid in green and getting a free 2/2 Wolf every turn is great.
Avacyn's Pilgrim: I desperately wanted Wizards to reprint Noble Hierarch in M13 so I could switch the Pilgrim out but it just didn't happen and I haven't been able to buy or trade for a Hierarch.
Wolfir Silverheart: This card really impressed me back in Avacyn restored drafting. Of course Avacyn Restored drafting was pretty bad. I still like this guys flavor and with all the great creatures his soulbond can really surprise people.
Thragtusk: Another card I wasn't really looking to add but one of me friends gave it to me as a gift for the cube. So it got a spot and has been a really solid card so far.
Terastodon: I haven't managed to pick up a Woodfall Primus but I've been really impressed with the big Elephant. Hitting 3 permanents when he comes into play is insane and can be used defensively to build an army if you're in really bad shape or offensively to deal with anything but creatures. I would probably still change him out for the Primus but I'm not in a big rush to make the switch.
Artifact:
Lands:
All these choices are based off budget. Right now I'm looking to finish getting all the fetchlands(5 more to go) and then when RTR comes out I can work on knocking out all the shocks which will really give me a solid land base. I'm not a fan of proxies so I'll probably never get the original duals. The cost is simply too high and the opportunities to trade for them are so rare.
A lot of the cards here are excluded for budget reasons. Obviously some of the cards I already have in the cube are more expensive but I've managed to pick those up from drafting and trades. For reference I have trouble spending more than $5-$10 for a single card. I just hate spending more than that and it's the main reason I'm missing a lot of these staples. Well that and it's really hard to trade out here because stores actually don't allow trading inside the store. You can still work out trades but it's such a hassle and most players don't even have trade binders that I've given up on even trying.
Cloudgoat Ranger: I chose Geist-Honored Monk for aesthetic reasons over this guy even though he is a stronger card.
Mirror Entity: I am looking to add one of these to the cube but haven't picked one up just yet.
Soltari Trooper: I just can't stand the art on these cards, I really wanted to add them but they look like melted wax figures. I'm running Soltari Monk and Priest because I find their artwork acceptable.
Exalted Angel: This would be a clear upgrade over Odric but I haven't been able to pick one up.
Upheaval: I actually picked one of these up a few weeks ago but I haven't worked it into the list because blue has been so strong in all of our drafts. So I didn't want to add it and strengthen the best color. When I start feeling like I have a better balance between Control, Aggro, and Color I'll definitely work this in because it is so good.
Vendilion Clique: I'd really like to add this but it's so expensive.
Remand: I was going to add this but when I started looking for them I realized the price was around $10. I know it's a great spell but I just couldn't bring myself to pay that for an Uncommon. I am hoping to see a reprint in RTR and if so I'll add it.
Glen Elendra Archmage: Great card I haven't picked up. I'll definitely get one at some point but I'm pretty happy with my four drops so I'm not in a rush.
Consecrated Sphinx: Sphinx of Jwar Isle has been awesome and Frost Titan is one of my favorites so even though I have a copy of this guy I haven't really felt like working him in. I'll probably start periodically switching him in over Sphinx of Jwar Isle just for a little variety.
Dark Confidant: Another budget exclusion, but one I'm not too worried about. This guy is insane but I see him more as a constructed card where you can build the deck to mitigate the potential loss of life. That's just not possible in a limited environment. Of course, this is coming from a guy who has never played with Dark Confidant and if I ever do get my hands on one he'll get tossed in immediately.
Thoughtseize: Budget exclusion.
Noble Hierarch: I'm still mad she didn't get a reprint in M13.
Deranged Hermit: I don't like squirrels.
Scavenging Ooze: Budget Exclusion.
Tarmogoyf: Budget Exclusion
Fyndhorn Elves: The art is so bad I can't bring myself to run this even if it is better than a few of the other mana elves I'm running.
Sword of War and Peace: After this rotates from standard I'm going to try and trade for this since the price drops.
Lightning Greaves: I didn't realize this one was a staple but I could definitely see running it.
Crucible of Worlds: Another budget exclusion but I'm looking to trade for one.
Mutavault: Budget
Trade Thread(with lots of Japanese cards)
EDH:
BRG Kresh the Bloodbraided
Trade Thread(with lots of Japanese cards)
EDH:
BRG Kresh the Bloodbraided
1) Pack Rat: This card has the potential to be insane in the cube since it's a Black 2 drop that can win games by itself. Not only is it just a solid card but it also supports reanimator. Cool card and I'll probably switch it in for Stromgald Crusader.
2) Ash Zealot: This one is an easy include as well. She is exactly what I've been waiting for in an aggressive red two drop. The only trouble I've had is figuring out what to replace. I've narrowed it down to either Blood Knight or Ember Hauler and despite the fact that Blood Knight is one of my favorites I think he's the pick.
3) Izzet Charm: This card is awesome and I think I'm going to switch it in for Fire//Ice. I know this may be a strange choice to take out but it's always bothered me that Fire//Ice is a split card with two solid stand alone spells that can work just fine in mono-Red or any Blue/x deck. I also feel like these two are close enough that I'm really not missing out on much.
4) Dreadbore: An easy upgrade here for Terminate. I hate losing the instant speed but being able to kill any creature or especially any Planeswalker in one shot is just so good. You just can't have enough ways to effectively deal with Planeswalkers. I am a little bummed this is a rare because I would have liked to have seen a promo version because I'm not crazy about the art.
5) Vraska, the Unseen: As we all know Planeswalkers are just so good and this is another sweet one. Hitting any nonland permanent is awesome and her other abilities are pretty sweet as well. Really excited about trying her out but I know it could be a while because she is definitely a chase Mythic for this set.
6) Lotleth Troll: Spiritmonger is extremely dated at this point and even though he's a fun card Lotleth Troll is a huge upgrade in terms of power and synergy.
7) Detention Sphere: Another easy upgrade over Plueveil. This card is just so good and will definitely give my Azorius section some more power.
8) Rakdos Cackler: I'm so glad we got this card. Exactly what aggressive decks need and just a fantastic one drop. My plan is to do something a little unorthodox and toss him into my red section. I know most people will put him in their Rakdos section but I really hate taking a spot with him because I feel like the vast majority of the time this guy is going into mono-Red, Boros, or Red/Black. I just don't feel like black get's as much use out of this creature as Red.
9) Dryad Militant: I could see doing something similar with Militant as I'm planning to do with Rakdos Cackler but I've been trying to upgrade my Behemoth's Sledge for a while now with no luck so she is so much easier to swap in.
10) Deathrite Shaman: I really like this card and I know he doesn't crack the top 3 of Golgari so in order to work him in I'm going to try something similar to Rakdos Cackler and switch him in for Carnophage in my black section. To me, green has better more dependable options for ramp. While black has nothing else that comes close to this. I mean he ramps, has reach, and maybe even gains some life. So I think that will lead to him being a higher pick for black decks. I have no idea if this will work out but at worst I'm missing out on Carnophage for a few weeks while I try this guy out. I really do think this guy could be very good so I'm excited about playing him.
Trade Thread(with lots of Japanese cards)
EDH:
BRG Kresh the Bloodbraided
A wealth of smaller creatures that hit hard and fast is important to support aggro (Steppe Lynx, Geopede, Soltari - [get them altered to change the art], Putrid Leech). I think even without Fetches and Shocks, cards like Wild Nacatl and Kird Ape are still reasonably strong inclusions. Cards that help keep the game in the early stages is also important (looking at you, Braids, Wasteland).
With a lot of those kinds of cards in place, it becomes easier to include cards like Day, Upheaval, Bribery because with the strength of your aggro going up, your control cards will need to rise to meet it.
I realize that most of your exclusions were based on budgetary reasons, and I totally relate. I use proxies to step around that particular issue. I would never be able to afford my cube is all the cards were real. But I think understanding how to balance your archetypes is important, and so I posted.
360 Unpowered Cube | Cubetutor
Reckoner is the card I'm most excited about from the set and I thought he'd be an easy pickup but his price rose quickly and I haven't found anyone trading them. I definitely feel my three card Boros section is too small to squeeze him in so I'm going to toss him in red over Ghitu Slinger just so I can try him out. I mean the card is so powerful and he's a freakin' Minotaur Wizard shooting lightning bolts out of his hands! I think every cube needs that awesomeness.
Frontline Medic is another card I really like and I'm going to bring it in over either Fiend Hunter or Transcendent Master. Both cards have been solid but I really like this guy and want to spend some time playing him.
Legion Loyalist is just a cool little goblin I wanna try because I like the effect and I'm just not a big fan of Mogg Fanatic. But this cards a little high right now to warrant picking up so I'm going to wait for Gatecrash to cool off a little before I grab one.
Prime Speaker Zegana just seems like a sweet card for U/G and if I can find one I'll definitely try her out over SSS just to have something new to play with for a while. I think SSS is the better card but Zegana has a sweet ability and some interesting interactions that I think could make for a nice change of pace from SSS. But she's also very expensive right now thanks largely to EDH so I'll also be waiting until she gets cheaper or I get lucky before trying to pick her up.
Trade Thread(with lots of Japanese cards)
EDH:
BRG Kresh the Bloodbraided