MTG Salvation

This is the Cube that I created from the cards I have in my collection. We don't get to draft too often so if there are any glaring problems with my card selection, feel free to provide input. Currently, we managed to get 2 drafts in so far so we still haven't fully explored its capabilities but it has been fun.

This is up to date with Return to Ravnica included. The current themes I tried to include are Aggro, Reanimator, Artifacts.

Deckstats:
http://deck.tk/6uGh4VAT

Changes:
Thirst for Knowledge -> Jace Beleren
Nemesis of Reason -> Baleful Strix
Yeva, Nature's Herald -> Deadbridge Goliath

These are a couple of changes that I wanted to make. After playing thirst for knowledge for a while, I agree that it wasn't particular that good in non-artifact decks. I decided to add in small jace as I had a misconception of it's play and other members agree that it is pretty good.

Since I was getting rid of Thrist, I decided to add in baleful strix to help the artifact deck. Now that I think about it, this should have been an easy include in the first place as the deck functions much better with cheap artifacts.

Finally, I decided to add in Deadbridge Goliath to help out with green decks going 'over the top'. Yeva was nice as a combat trick but I wanted to add another beefy green dude. I think Yeva was the weakest 4 drop I had. Deadbridge Goliath also works better in a late game scenario to help out evasive creatures with scavenge.

I think I am ok with the baleful strix for now. I really like the artifact deck and this seems to fit in well. Turning this into a 5/5 seems sweet with Tezzeret as I dont think I have anything else that flys and is an artifact. I think I will test this build for now.

Thanks for your input!

Hey man. Your cube looks pretty good. Here are a couple thoughts though.

White:
I would replace Martial Coup with Catastrophe. It comes out at around the same cost, but the added choice to destroy lands instead rather than get a bunch of tokens is absolutely amazing in many ways. I see that you're supporting the token sub-theme in white, so Coup has it's appeal, but I think Catastrophe is much more necessary, and will also add to the sub-theme.

Blue:
I feel like you have a wealth of finishers in your blue section. I might replace one of them with Time Spiral, and maybe replace Narcolepsy and Desertion with other counterspells. Arcane Denial is much better than it looks, and if ever you find a Mana Drain, get that card in there as fast as possible.

It looks like you have blue supporting reanimator with a lot of draw/discard, but I also see some tempo support. I personally support only tempo as a subtheme in my blue section in case you want to look at other options. Stifle, Daze, Standstill, Psionic Blast, and Tamiyo, the Moon Sage are great tempo support.

Black:
I think Demonic Tutor, Profane Command and Necromancy very much have a place in your black section. Easy cuts for me would be Cabal Therapy and Dispise, I also think that any of these could be cut as well, Puppeteer Clique, Bloodgift Demon, or Sewer Nemesis.

Red:
I would probably replace Flame Slash with Thundermaw Hellkite. Also, Fireslinger is another one of those cards that is so much better than how it appears.

More to come later.

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the comments! Its been a while since my last post but I wanted to fully test out the cube before going back at it with some changes. We finally got enough play sessions to finally make some upgrades.

White
Parallax Wave -> Day of Judgment
Seal of Cleansing -> Elesh Norn

Parallax Wave was generally used as a wrath and rarely used with CITP creatures. I might as well just give the control decks another tool. I found that we had a lot of enchantment/artifact removal around the table, I want to test out Elesh Norn to help out the tokens and give another reanimator target.

Blue
Tezzeret the Seeker -> Time Spiral

Based on Theogony's suggestion, I want to test this out. Tezzeret wasn't performing up to par as the artifact deck rarely came together.

Black
Bloodgift Demon -> Necromancy
Despise -> Profane Command

Bloodgift Demon was always mediocre when we played it. Since I am adding a bit more high impact creatures this update, I thought it was fine to cut. Replacing these cards are more reanimator spells. Despise is cut over Cabal Therapy since Therapy allows you to target yourself in a pinch.

Red
None

Don't have money for Thundermaw Hellkite yet.

Green
Great Sable Stag -> Yavimaya Elder
Exploration -> Plow Under

Stag wasn't anything special, and Green could always use some CA. Exploration didn't really work out as much as I hoped. It usually accelerated the person only once during the early games. Hardly came together with Life from the Loam so it was cut. Plow Under is a much higher impact card.

Simic
Simic Signet -> Simic Sky Swallower

Just adding another reanimator target. UG rarely was a color combination for the artifact deck anyways.

Orzhov
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad -> Unburial Rites

I want to push reanimator a bit more. Sorin was really good in aggro deck but I just wanted to test this out for better Gifts Packages.

Colorless
Razormane Masticore -> Karn Liberated
Star Compass -> Coldsteel Heart
Icy Manipulator -> Skullclamp

Wanted to change up finishers in the colorless section. I wanted to play with Karn and Razormane was the least liked card. Coldsteel Heart is simply better than Star Compass - Fixing and Acceleration. Since I cut back on Simic Signet, I don't mind having another fixer. Icy Manipulator wasn't performing well; Skullclamp seems like a weird card to replace it but giving aggro some more tools never hurts in my book.

So those are all the changes I plan to make. Let me know what you guys think!

As another 360 cuber, I don't think you need more reanimation support. Adding Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is great but you don't really need Unburial Rites. Sorin is incredible in cube, helping to enable the tokens deck or giving aggro a boost as the curve topper. If you want another reanimate effect, maybe try to work in Nezumi Graverobber in black. With Necromancy in your pool and maybe the grave robber, there is enough for a consistent reanimator deck each draft.

Icy Manipulator has been really good for us as it can hold off lethal attacks or keep an opponent off his mana. I would probably cut Erratic Portal instead, unless you really want to support blink.

Hmm. What would you think I should cut instead of Razormane Masticore? It never performed as how you described in most of the games we played with him. Razormane was usually being used as a defensive card; it usually just came down to stabilize the board. In that sense, Karn kind of fulfills a similiar role.

Erratic Portal has performed superb for us so I doubt I will cut it any time soon. Saving your guys from combat and resetting CITP abilities for 1 has been really great for the non-blue decks.

As for too much reanimation, we only draft with four people. Sometimes the reanimator deck doesn't get enough spells or discard outlets, that is why I wanted to increase the quantity of targets, reanimation, discard. I agree that Sorin, Lord of Innistrad is a much better card than Unburial Rites. But I primarily want to test the Gifts package. I don't plan on playing any Flip cards in this cube.

I will try replacing Martial Coup with Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite then and leave Seal in. I was excited to add Elesh Norn + Martial Coup but I forgot the Coup would destroy Elesh Norn.

I think SSS would be a nice card for reanimator and natural order. I don't know if our games will miss the signet as much as you say, but I will keep that in mind. I think it will place a bit higher emphasis on coldsteel heart.

Thanks for everyone's input!

I found Simic Signet to the most useless of the blue signets I used to run. I much prefer SSS.

I would cut Martial Coup first out of those three white cards. I like the synergy Seal has with Enlightened Tutor and Sun Titan. Elesh Norn is probably the best white card for cube >6cc. It's a superb reanimator target.

Sorin 2.0 should not be cut, like ever. It's the second best WB card and probably like the 5th best multicolored card in the realm of Cubedom.

Cheers,
rant

I guess the consensus is Sorin, Lord of Innistrad should never be cut. I guess I valued Lingering Souls too much. I still want to test out Unburial Rites so I guess I will replace Lingering Souls with Unburial Rites first.
[CARD]
Lingering Souls[/CARD] -> Unburial Rites
Martial Coup -> Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Sorin 2.0 and Seal stay.

Vindicate, Sorin, Lord of Innistrad and Lingering Souls are all staples, IMO. I wouldn't cut any of them.

I also think Razormane Masticore is totally expendable at 360.

I cut Simic Signet too. Unless green is a really light splash in the deck, green's ramp spells were just better. I preferred to use the slot for something more needed in the combination.

Hey Guys,
I just acquired a copy of Mana Drain. What would be the appropriate cut for it? I am thinking of cutting Mana leak for it. I really like miscalculation since it cycles later in the late game. Preferably keeping the ratio of counter magic the same.

Narcolepsy has been doing excellent for us so I don't think it'd be a cut at this moment. I know recognize it as being one of the weaker blue spells but its just so good at stopping aggression for blue.

Desertion would be my cut. Mana Leak is one of the top counters in cube.

Cheers,
rant

Thanks! I'll test that out then