On just aesthetics, CE is vastly better. A good condition UNL dual is also very pretty, though.
For more practical reasons, though, I'd personally choose Revised so I can "borrow" Cube cards to build Legacy decks as needed. Also I'd feel silly spending $30 on a square-cut Plateau when I can get an MP tournament-legal one for about $40. Of course, "tournament legal" might be a bit of a stretch, since nobody actually uses a Plateau for anything
--
Original white-border cards are cool. I'll always take a P3K version over whatever reprint, and the Starter Tidings would probably be my choice if I ever decided to play that in Cube.
Revised specifically just looks awful, though. There's little reason to choose 4th-5th-6th versions of anything (aside from a cool Earthquake in 5th), and for 7th-8th-9th you can get black-border foils.
UNL as mentioned above is nice, I guess. Wouldn't begrudge anyone for using UNL cards like Wheel of Fortune or Lightning Bolt. Some of the cards are oddly expensive now though due to the 93-94 format... and I can't think of any reason to spend $16 on a UNL Counterspell instead of a 7th or Masques foil for a similar price.
My first cards were white bordered, too (4th edition), but I quickly realized that black borders just looked better.
The real problem comes with mixing different borders though. It would be ok if all the cards in your deck were white bordered (obviously worse than black bordered, but still ok). However, if just some cards are white bordered, but most are black bordered, then it is just an ugly incoherent mess. Since it is impossible to have a good 100% white bordered cube, the only logical conclusion is to try to go 100% black bordered.
Since it is impossible to have a good 100% white bordered cube, the only logical conclusion is to try to go 100% black bordered.
Don't tell that to this guy. Some people have a real affection and nostalgia for white bordered cards, especially if they got into Magic just a few years after it started.
Clear wording tends to trump aesthetics for me, so there are a few cards where the white bordered version is the ideal version. The term "Continuous Artifact" is completely obsolete, so an Alpha or Beta Black Vise is strictly out of the question for me, and the wording of the FTV reprint is an absolute mess. As long as it's only being used for duels, a Revised or 4th Edition Vise is the way to go. The wording on Nevinyrral's Disk is an absolute mess on the Alpha and Beta edition, but I love the iconic original art, so the 5th Edition Disk is the best one. Ankh of Mishra's wording is outdated in every version before 5th Edition. This bothers me because the 5th and 6th Edition arts don't actually have Ankhs on them, but having players not be able to tell what Ankh does when they read it is worse. Every single black bordered edition of Wild Growth uses the word "target" instead of "enchanted", so again, white bordered is the only way to go.
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
My first cards were white bordered, too (4th edition), but I quickly realized that black borders just looked better.
The real problem comes with mixing different borders though. It would be ok if all the cards in your deck were white bordered (obviously worse than black bordered, but still ok). However, if just some cards are white bordered, but most are black bordered, then it is just an ugly incoherent mess. Since it is impossible to have a good 100% white bordered cube, the only logical conclusion is to try to go 100% black bordered.
You have a weird and bad definition of "logic" here
In CE vs UNL, normally I would choose the black border but the pimp factor of an original dual trumps the CE.
I only have the 3 cheapest duals and even then the oohs and ahhs of the drafters are priceless.
But I like it to have all cards in my cube to look different. And in magics history we've had A LOT of different frames and looks on cards, and white borders are just a part of that as well.
I've realized that there are two main types of cubers when it comes to this topic:
The historian. Prefers cards to be from their original releases and tries to capture all of the game's different types of frames and special printings in the cube. The goal is to make the cube a collection of Magic's long and winding history.
The aesthete. Prefers a unified and clean look for the cube and detests the messiness that comes from throwing a bunch of very different card styles and layouts together. Wants the cube to look as if it was made from a single cloth.
I started close to the historian, but moved more and more towards being an aesthete. At this point, I am probably one of the most puristic aesthetes on this board.
The real problem comes with mixing different borders though. It would be ok if all the cards in your deck were white bordered (obviously worse than black bordered, but still ok). However, if just some cards are white bordered, but most are black bordered, then it is just an ugly incoherent mess. Since it is impossible to have a good 100% white bordered cube, the only logical conclusion is to try to go 100% black bordered.
You have a weird and bad definition of "logic" here
Statement 1: Mixing white and black borders looks worse than going purely with one or the other.
Statement 2: There are too few white bordered cards available to make a purely white bordered cube that is as good as one without that restriction.
Conclusion: Making a purely black bordered cube is the best option.
You can disagree with either of those two statements or even with both of them, but the conclusion from those two statements is perfectly logical. If there are three options and you eliminate two of them, then the third one is logically the winner. There is nothing weird about this. It's basically math.
CMA Maelstrom Wanderer vs foil EMA Maelstrom Wanderer? The foiling on Commander's Arsenal was so terrible, but the original art is a bit better than the new one. Thoughts?
I actually really like the new art for Maelstrom Wanderer. If you're set on a foil, then that's the one to go for imo. If you like the original art that much better, maybe a sweet extended art alter would be your jam instead of a CMA foil.
Original is best imo, then Eternal Masters, then Judge art. Although, if you're set on foils, then that would change. I think the Eternal Masters foils will be the most sought after in the future. Hard to tell though.
Does anyone else think that the new Wasteland is very ugly? The yellow art just doesn't mesh with the boring grey frame. I think the most recent Judge foil art is way superior.
Agree with you about the new Wasteland art. I'm not a fan.
The new Force of Will art looks amazing though. I prefer Original > EMA > Judge, but since it can be harder to "pimp" the Alliances one, foiled EMA ones are pretty hot for the cube.
I normally prefer old frame foils, but I don't really care for new art on old frame or old art on new frame. It always seems like the art was made with the frame in mind and I think the art on Crucible just looks better on the silver frame.
I normally prefer old frame foils, but I don't really care for new art on old frame or old art on new frame. It always seems like the art was made with the frame in mind and I think the art on Crucible just looks better on the silver frame.
Have you seen how sexy the judge promo is in person though? I think Ron Spencer is one of the older artists anyway, so his work transcends old frame/new frame.
I actually really like the new EMA Wasteland, I prefer the JR old border one in this particular instance - but it's hard to get hold of. The new Judge Wasteland art is good too.
For more practical reasons, though, I'd personally choose Revised so I can "borrow" Cube cards to build Legacy decks as needed. Also I'd feel silly spending $30 on a square-cut Plateau when I can get an MP tournament-legal one for about $40. Of course, "tournament legal" might be a bit of a stretch, since nobody actually uses a Plateau for anything
--
Original white-border cards are cool. I'll always take a P3K version over whatever reprint, and the Starter Tidings would probably be my choice if I ever decided to play that in Cube.
Revised specifically just looks awful, though. There's little reason to choose 4th-5th-6th versions of anything (aside from a cool Earthquake in 5th), and for 7th-8th-9th you can get black-border foils.
UNL as mentioned above is nice, I guess. Wouldn't begrudge anyone for using UNL cards like Wheel of Fortune or Lightning Bolt. Some of the cards are oddly expensive now though due to the 93-94 format... and I can't think of any reason to spend $16 on a UNL Counterspell instead of a 7th or Masques foil for a similar price.
The real problem comes with mixing different borders though. It would be ok if all the cards in your deck were white bordered (obviously worse than black bordered, but still ok). However, if just some cards are white bordered, but most are black bordered, then it is just an ugly incoherent mess. Since it is impossible to have a good 100% white bordered cube, the only logical conclusion is to try to go 100% black bordered.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
Don't tell that to this guy. Some people have a real affection and nostalgia for white bordered cards, especially if they got into Magic just a few years after it started.
Clear wording tends to trump aesthetics for me, so there are a few cards where the white bordered version is the ideal version. The term "Continuous Artifact" is completely obsolete, so an Alpha or Beta Black Vise is strictly out of the question for me, and the wording of the FTV reprint is an absolute mess. As long as it's only being used for duels, a Revised or 4th Edition Vise is the way to go. The wording on Nevinyrral's Disk is an absolute mess on the Alpha and Beta edition, but I love the iconic original art, so the 5th Edition Disk is the best one. Ankh of Mishra's wording is outdated in every version before 5th Edition. This bothers me because the 5th and 6th Edition arts don't actually have Ankhs on them, but having players not be able to tell what Ankh does when they read it is worse. Every single black bordered edition of Wild Growth uses the word "target" instead of "enchanted", so again, white bordered is the only way to go.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
You have a weird and bad definition of "logic" here
I only have the 3 cheapest duals and even then the oohs and ahhs of the drafters are priceless.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
The historian. Prefers cards to be from their original releases and tries to capture all of the game's different types of frames and special printings in the cube. The goal is to make the cube a collection of Magic's long and winding history.
The aesthete. Prefers a unified and clean look for the cube and detests the messiness that comes from throwing a bunch of very different card styles and layouts together. Wants the cube to look as if it was made from a single cloth.
I started close to the historian, but moved more and more towards being an aesthete. At this point, I am probably one of the most puristic aesthetes on this board.
Statement 1: Mixing white and black borders looks worse than going purely with one or the other.
Statement 2: There are too few white bordered cards available to make a purely white bordered cube that is as good as one without that restriction.
Conclusion: Making a purely black bordered cube is the best option.
You can disagree with either of those two statements or even with both of them, but the conclusion from those two statements is perfectly logical. If there are three options and you eliminate two of them, then the third one is logically the winner. There is nothing weird about this. It's basically math.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
The EMA one by a freakin mile. The shooting star in the text box is insufferable.
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Original is best imo, then Eternal Masters, then Judge art. Although, if you're set on foils, then that would change. I think the Eternal Masters foils will be the most sought after in the future. Hard to tell though.
Does anyone else think that the new Wasteland is very ugly? The yellow art just doesn't mesh with the boring grey frame. I think the most recent Judge foil art is way superior.
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
The new Force of Will art looks amazing though. I prefer Original > EMA > Judge, but since it can be harder to "pimp" the Alliances one, foiled EMA ones are pretty hot for the cube.
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Crucible of Worlds Foil Judge Promo.
It's hard to decide... what do you think?
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Have you seen how sexy the judge promo is in person though? I think Ron Spencer is one of the older artists anyway, so his work transcends old frame/new frame.
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Judge foil. I really like cards like this with little text as old frame.
The swords I don't know about. Those I probably prefer in new frame.
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On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms: