The common land cycle will definitely find a way in, but I am still not sure how I want to approach it. Weighing ditching the signets or guildgates as most likely approaches.
Shambling Attendants, Treasure Cruise, and Hooting Mandrills all seem quite possibly good, but I am wary of overloading on delve cards (adding just these 3 is fine, but thinking more long-term with the set/block). Just have to keep the balance right.
I know that there have been plenty of discussion around manabase construction in these forums, but I am curious about a particular area and want to see what others are doing. Generally I run 35-40 (mana producing) lands backed by 4-20 ramp cards in my builds, but I am curious about how many "comes into play tapped" lands people run as a portion of your mana base. I realize it will almost certainly be a range for each of us, but if you can give a general sense (ie. 0-10%, 10-20%, 20-30%, etc.) of your mana base that would be great.
For the purposes of this discussion I am going to break things into three categories:
1. Lands that always come into play untapped and are essentially fully active immediately (ie. basics, original duals, things like High Market, etc.).
2. Pseudo-active lands (ie. Glacial Fortress, Ravnica Shocks, and friends), basically those that will often be active the turn the come into play but are not guaranteed. (Tainted Peak and Graven Cairns like cards I will count as active since they can tap for a colorless if nothing else).
3. Tapped lands. Everything from Terramorphic Expanse, to cycling lands, to manlands, trilands, whatever. If they are not active the turn they come into play as a mana producing land they fall into this category (I would count Temple of the False God here as well).
No need to do a close statistical analysis here, but I am just curious to see what others mana construction philosophies look like.
I like Ajani's Presence, worth testing for sure. Same goes for Sigiled Starfish, which I think is marginally better than Omenspeaker in the types of decks that would run it. Plus it's a starfish.
Yep, I think you summarized the weakest cards pretty well.
Brute Force is my main contender right now, mostly because I also run Rubblebelt Makka, which is just generally better.
I generally agree on your assessments and have kept a couple of those cards in largely out of demand from people I play with, but I am curious if you would suggest a substitute for Vithian Stinger from amongst the pingers that I am not running?
There are some auto-cube includes up there to begin with: Rancor and Armadillo Cloak for sure, but there are some other cards well worth considering on that list regardless of whether hexproof/auras is a theme for you. It has been fun for me.
The bouncelands and guildgates are great inclusions and I think provide enough color fixing for most decks. Desert and Terramorphic are pretty obvious includes. I don't include any functional reprints, otherwise Evolving Wilds would be in for sure. Rupture Spire is nice for people wanting to stretch colors, and I have considered Shimmering Grotto but just feel it is somewhat unnecessary. Quicksand and Fengraf are both unique land effects, and I find can make for some interesting situations, so I run them, plus having 25 lands keeps my cube math reasonably neat.
As for other land contenders, the panoramas feel slow for what they offer, the Zendikar cycle is way too inconsistent across colors, and cycling lands are fine but just not worth the space to me.
Not to derail the BNG discussions, but I picked up a beta Disintegrate recently and am thinking about what to cut for it from my red section, curious about others' thoughts:
I am largely indifferent to the new changes. The asymmetry of the top/bottom is what bugs me the most and I am not totally sold on the font change. But these are all pretty minor changes (especially compared with the old to modern card frame change), and I have a feeling I will get used to them fairly quickly.
This page will give you information on what cards are legal in a given format. Heroes vs. Monsters contains a number of cards that are legal in some, but not other formats (due to last printing of the card), but in general many of them are legal in Standard or Modern, which would be commonly played FNM formats.
After 2 days of prerelease sealed, my opinion about the most cards didn't changed, except for Gray Merchant of Asphodel. If it only has an additional devotion 2, it already is as good as Bleak Coven Vampire with Metalcraft and makes a difference of 8 life overall. I mean 8 life can be absolutly insane, especially because black is very BB-heavy. I think it's probably cubeable. Is it better than Rotting Legion and Pewter Golem?
I think it's probably better than either of them by a wide margin.
Of all the Theros cards that was the one I was most pleasantly surprised by. Cube is a different environment but I managed to win more than a couple games just by casting a Gray Merchant following combat.
The common land cycle will definitely find a way in, but I am still not sure how I want to approach it. Weighing ditching the signets or guildgates as most likely approaches.
Shambling Attendants, Treasure Cruise, and Hooting Mandrills all seem quite possibly good, but I am wary of overloading on delve cards (adding just these 3 is fine, but thinking more long-term with the set/block). Just have to keep the balance right.
Bitter Revelation and Disdainful Stroke both seem like maybes, but will definitely need some testing.
Nothing else is really piquing my interest yet.
For the purposes of this discussion I am going to break things into three categories:
1. Lands that always come into play untapped and are essentially fully active immediately (ie. basics, original duals, things like High Market, etc.).
2. Pseudo-active lands (ie. Glacial Fortress, Ravnica Shocks, and friends), basically those that will often be active the turn the come into play but are not guaranteed. (Tainted Peak and Graven Cairns like cards I will count as active since they can tap for a colorless if nothing else).
3. Tapped lands. Everything from Terramorphic Expanse, to cycling lands, to manlands, trilands, whatever. If they are not active the turn they come into play as a mana producing land they fall into this category (I would count Temple of the False God here as well).
No need to do a close statistical analysis here, but I am just curious to see what others mana construction philosophies look like.
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
Oppressive Rays
Supply-Line Cranes
Cloaked Siren
Sigiled Starfish
Flurry of Horns
Sigiled Skink
I think the only outlier in my list is the Lagonna-Band Trailblazer, which I think could be solid.
1. Damnation
2. Supreme Verdict
3. All is Dust
4. Mageta the Lion
5. Obliterate
6. Nature's Ruin
7. Rout
8. Oblivion Stone
9. Upheaval
10. Bonfire of the Damned
11. Martial Coup
12. Desolation Angel
13. Whirlwind
14. Pernicious Deed
15. Fracturing Gust
Brute Force is my main contender right now, mostly because I also run Rubblebelt Makka, which is just generally better.
I generally agree on your assessments and have kept a couple of those cards in largely out of demand from people I play with, but I am curious if you would suggest a substitute for Vithian Stinger from amongst the pingers that I am not running?
Land Destruction, assuming you want to support it:
- Aftershock
- Wrecking Ball
- Icefall
- Befoul
- Sinkhole
- Stone Rain
All somewhat versatile cards, except for Icefall, which has recursion.
Graveyard Recursion:
- Moldervine Cloak
- Grim Harvest
- Tortured Existence
- Werebear
- Undertaker
- Thrashing Mossdog
- Terrus Wurm
- Gravedigger
- Unearth
- Disturbed Burial
- Cadaver Imp
- Grisly Salvage
All of the above are worth considering, though some are a little more niche, or dependent on the number of cards in your cube.
Hexproof Auras:
- Silhana Ledgewalker
- Guardian of the Guildpact
- Primal Huntbeast
- Rubbleback Rhino
- Rancor
- Wingsteed Rider
- Armadillo Cloak
- Moldervine Cloak
- Observant Alseid
- Leafcrown Dryad
- Feral Invocation
- Ethereal Armor
- Knightly Valor
There are some auto-cube includes up there to begin with: Rancor and Armadillo Cloak for sure, but there are some other cards well worth considering on that list regardless of whether hexproof/auras is a theme for you. It has been fun for me.
Tokens:
- Raise the Alarms
- Attended Knight
- Mogg War Marshall
- Doomed Traveler
- Elgaud Inquisitor
- Cenn's Enlistment
- Empty the Warrens
- Rukh Egg
- Veteran Armorer
Those might be worth considering, I run a few of them. But this is by far the weakest of your theme lists to my eyes.
10 bouncelands
10 guildgates
Desert
Haunted Fengraf
Quicksand
Rupture Spire
Terramorphic Expanse
I do not run borderposts, FYI.
The bouncelands and guildgates are great inclusions and I think provide enough color fixing for most decks. Desert and Terramorphic are pretty obvious includes. I don't include any functional reprints, otherwise Evolving Wilds would be in for sure. Rupture Spire is nice for people wanting to stretch colors, and I have considered Shimmering Grotto but just feel it is somewhat unnecessary. Quicksand and Fengraf are both unique land effects, and I find can make for some interesting situations, so I run them, plus having 25 lands keeps my cube math reasonably neat.
As for other land contenders, the panoramas feel slow for what they offer, the Zendikar cycle is way too inconsistent across colors, and cycling lands are fine but just not worth the space to me.
Creatures: (39)
1x Goblin Patrol
1x Intimidator Initiate
1x Keldon Halberdier
1x Mogg Fanatic
1x Skitter of Lizards
2CMC: (13)
1x Ashmouth Hound
1x Fireslinger
1x Goblin Bushwhacker
1x Goblin Shortcutter
1x Gore-House Chainwalker
1x Keldon Marauders
1x Kiln Fiend
1x Kruin Striker
1x Mogg War Marshal
1x Plated Geopede
1x Sparksmith
1x Stingscourger
1x Torch Fiend
1x Blood Ogre
1x Crusher Zendikon
1x Fault Riders
1x Fervent Cathar
1x Ghitu Slinger
1x Hanweir Lancer
1x Manic Vandal
1x Ruinous Minotaur
1x Splatter Thug
1x Wall of Heat
1x Vithian Stinger
1x Vulshok Sorcerer
4CMC: (5)
1x Gorehorn Minotaurs
1x Ill-Tempered Cyclops
1x Rubblebelt Maaka
1x Rukh Egg
1x Slash Panther
1x Anarchist
1x Flowstone Crusher
6CMC: (2)
1x Chartooth Cougar
1x Tenament Crasher
Spells: (28)
1x Fireblast
1CMC: (10)
1x Brute Force
1x Burst Lightning
1x Chain Lightning
1x Faithless Looting
1x Firebolt
1x Flame Slash
1x Lava Dart
1x Lightning Bolt
1x Reckless Charge
1x Rift Bolt
1x Electrickery
1x Fire Whip
1x Incinerate
1x Nightbird's Clutches
1x Searing Blaze
1x Searing Spear
3CMC: (3)
1x Act of Treason
1x Arc Lightning
1x Brimstone Volley
1x Chandra's Outrage
1x Empty the Warrens
1x Magma Burst
5CMC: (1)
1x Pyrotechnics
XCMC: (4)
1x Fireball
1x Kaervek's Torch
1x Rock Slide
1x Rolling Thunder
I think it's probably better than either of them by a wide margin.
Of all the Theros cards that was the one I was most pleasantly surprised by. Cube is a different environment but I managed to win more than a couple games just by casting a Gray Merchant following combat.
Aqueous Form for Sigil of Sleep
Benthic Giant for Aven Fleetwing
Nimbus Naiad for Unstable Mutation
Boon of Erebos for Tormented Soul
Read the Bones for Order of the Ebon Hand
Ill-Tempered Cyclops for Dragon Hatchling
Nessian Asp for Tangle Hulk
Leafcrown Dryad for Burst of Strength
Fleetfeather Sandals for Traveler's Amulet
Also watching:
Observant Alseid
Wingsteed Rider
Breaching Hippocamp
Prescient Chimera
Cavern Lampad
Boulderfall
Deathbellow Raider
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Spearpoint Oread
Titan's Strength
Feral Invocation