I'm having a hard time deciding on my wild cards for guild mana-fixing. I have five slots per guild (for a 720 unpowered cube), and don't use dual lands. Fetchlands and shocklands are obviously autoincludes, which leaves three.
It seems to be the consensus that the Worldwake manlands are autoincludes as well: I guess I have a hard time justifying that in my head for aggro (i.e. Lavaclaw Reaches), so maybe someone can convince me
I consider signets and talismans to be in this category, and I wonder if they're pushed out now that we have bouncelands, manlands, painlands, filter lands, and M12/Innistrad dual lands to choose from. Perhaps certain guilds benefit from ramp though, and might want signets or talismans? Thoughts?
I've seen people say filter lands are for midrange. Why is this?
How might you arrange your five slots for each guild?
Given I have 19 other cards for multicolor support (artifacts and lands), is 50 + 19 enough to support a 720 cube?
I've seen people say filter lands are for midrange. Why is this?
Generally because aggro needs colored mana on turn 1, and control decks need to be able to split their mana between phases and turns as efficiently as possible.
I also don't think that 5 fixers per pair is enough, I'd go with 6.
What about the Scars duals? I prefer them to painlands, as I tend to find painlands good for aggro, and if you draw a scars land first or second turn it is perfect for aggro, and anytime after that at least you're not taking damage. Enlighten me if I'm mistaken.
What about the Scars duals? I prefer them to painlands, as I tend to find painlands good for aggro, and if you draw a scars land first or second turn it is perfect for aggro, and anytime after that at least you're not taking damage. Enlighten me if I'm mistaken.
You're not mistaken. I like them for the aggro combinations a lot.
I don't see how they're better than painlands in aggro, for the following reasons:
-drawing a scars land early game isn't much better than drawing a painland. it's better, but not alot better. taking a couple damage early game isn't a big deal for aggro
-drawing a painland mid/late game is much better than drawing a scars. a scars land misses you a land for the turn. a painland won't, and will most likely be used for colorless anyways b/c you'll have the colors you need by then
I guess I see painlands as the more consistent alternative for aggro.
Either option is fine for aggro. It's nice to take less damage in the aggro mirror if possible, and the late-game ETBT tapped doesn't matter as much to aggro as other archetypes. I could see either one though.
I don't see how they're better than painlands in aggro, for the following reasons:
-drawing a scars land early game isn't much better than drawing a painland. it's better, but not alot better. taking a couple damage early game isn't a big deal for aggro
This is basically correct, they are not much better in the early game, but they are better, which is what matters. Early game in aggro is more mana intensive so if a painland is your first drop you are likely to take 3 or 4 damage from it before you can start going to colorless, and that's a free lightning bolt for your opponent.
-drawing a painland mid/late game is much better than drawing a scars. a scars land misses you a land for the turn. a painland won't, and will most likely be used for colorless anyways b/c you'll have the colors you need by then
Your life total is also, typically, lower during the late game making that 1 damage worse, and if you're playing an aggro deck you shouldn't have to many high mana costs to deal with coupled with Cube being singleton(mainly) the likelyhood of having and needing to play your six drop on turn six with you're only option being a scars land is pretty low; Otherwise just play it turn five and drop a different land turn six. Think also of Armageddon or any other land pop, every LD in your opponents deck makes the scars land better than the painlands, because they are limiting your mana supply which means you are more likely to have to take damage from your painland and more likely to be able to play a scars land untapped.
It seems to be the consensus that the Worldwake manlands are autoincludes as well: I guess I have a hard time justifying that in my head for aggro (i.e. Lavaclaw Reaches), so maybe someone can convince me
I consider signets and talismans to be in this category, and I wonder if they're pushed out now that we have bouncelands, manlands, painlands, filter lands, and M12/Innistrad dual lands to choose from. Perhaps certain guilds benefit from ramp though, and might want signets or talismans? Thoughts?
I've seen people say filter lands are for midrange. Why is this?
How might you arrange your five slots for each guild?
Given I have 19 other cards for multicolor support (artifacts and lands), is 50 + 19 enough to support a 720 cube?
Sorry for all the questions!
edit: ack! wrong subforum, sorry mods
Generally because aggro needs colored mana on turn 1, and control decks need to be able to split their mana between phases and turns as efficiently as possible.
I also don't think that 5 fixers per pair is enough, I'd go with 6.
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!
My cube on Deckstats
You're not mistaken. I like them for the aggro combinations a lot.
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!
-drawing a scars land early game isn't much better than drawing a painland. it's better, but not alot better. taking a couple damage early game isn't a big deal for aggro
-drawing a painland mid/late game is much better than drawing a scars. a scars land misses you a land for the turn. a painland won't, and will most likely be used for colorless anyways b/c you'll have the colors you need by then
I guess I see painlands as the more consistent alternative for aggro.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
This is basically correct, they are not much better in the early game, but they are better, which is what matters. Early game in aggro is more mana intensive so if a painland is your first drop you are likely to take 3 or 4 damage from it before you can start going to colorless, and that's a free lightning bolt for your opponent.
Your life total is also, typically, lower during the late game making that 1 damage worse, and if you're playing an aggro deck you shouldn't have to many high mana costs to deal with coupled with Cube being singleton(mainly) the likelyhood of having and needing to play your six drop on turn six with you're only option being a scars land is pretty low; Otherwise just play it turn five and drop a different land turn six. Think also of Armageddon or any other land pop, every LD in your opponents deck makes the scars land better than the painlands, because they are limiting your mana supply which means you are more likely to have to take damage from your painland and more likely to be able to play a scars land untapped.
My cube on Deckstats