I'm doing a side-project right now that I'll write up about soon. It's going really well.
I'm looking for examples of cards that would be stellar / very good if they had no specific mana requirements (but the cmc of the card is unchanged). So, for an example: if Phyrexian Obliterator cost 4 instead of BBBB, it'd likely be pretty fantastic in cube.
These are some of the cards I've found that would become much more appealing:
So, um, it merely seems to me like you are listing cards with hard to fulfill color requirements. Basically any card is made better by the softening of its mana requirements, so it should be no surprise that the difference is even more noticeable in the case of these cards. Also, the mana requirement is partially a balancing factor for the power level of a card. Thus, cards with harder mana requirements probably have, on average, greater effects.
Scion of the Ur-Dragon would not be cubeable as a 5 4/4 flyer with {2}: Search your library for a Dragon permanent card and put it into your graveyard. If you do, Scion of the Ur-Dragon becomes a copy of that card until end of turn. Then shuffle your library.
The mana cost change would be irrelevant to this card's ability to be cubed. I'm interested in what cards are completely different on that spectrum. I want cards that are meh/bad/okay/decent as played, but if we change their color requirements to colorless -- which ones of those cards would suddenly be really awesome in a cube environment?
Basically any card is made better by the softening of its mana requirements, so it should be no surprise that the difference is even more noticeable in the case of these cards. Also, the mana requirement is partially a balancing factor for the power level of a card. Thus, cards with harder mana requirements probably have, on average, greater effects.
Yep, I totally agree with everything here and wasn't trying to state anything otherwise. What I'm looking for are the cards that actually become cubeable once you remove their specific mana requirements.
Total side note but I like how people are discussing running this over itself.
Well, it has to be said that Kolaghan is clearly better than Kolaghan. Considering what BR decks usually want and how stiff the competition in this guild is, there is no way that I would run Kolaghan over Kolaghan! Kolaghan might make it in as the sixth guild card or so. Kolaghan on the other hand ranks several places below that.
It was so funny to me when they described this as a downgrade to the original Zurgo during the Pax East panel. I was thinking if this is a downgrade, they should really "downgrade" all legendary creatures. Haha.
My deck designing is quite concise at this point:
1. Come up with deck idea
2. Realize this idea is somehow fundamentally similar to another deck I have or that is commonly played in my group
3. Decide I don't want to disassemble one of my existing decks
4. Give up and do nothing
I don't see the point of this new shroud mechanic. It's strictly worse than Hexproof. Threshold is pretty bad too, Delirium is a much better mechanic and probably easier to activate.
Otherwise this card is a pretty neat guy. Dodges removal and grows into a Primal Huntbeast. 3/5
I did some multi-colored research, some of these cards might not make sense right now because of the side project I'm working on, so if you see one that doesn't make any sense, it's because I'm doing things quickly.
Right, I see. I suppose Scion of the Ur-Dragon is a fine counter example. However, someone mentioned Phyrexian Arena and I suppose I would be more interested in such examples, myself. Cards which are not too prohibitive (and have the correspondingly bigger effects) but which would be superb to have as colorless cards because some other combinations than their actual colors would benefit from them. Even then, effects delegated according to the color pie, such as burn and countering, would likely be among the more desirable effects.
I am going to be a bit dull here and say that a functionally equivalent, colorless Merfolk Looter would be quite desirable, at least in Peasant. Likewise, I would not mind a Wild Mongrel as colorless. Pelakka Wurm? Nacatl War-Pride, mayhap. Beast Attack? Of course, these three are affected by the triple costs they contain.
I think an interesting thought experiment would be what bad multicolor cards would be cubeable if they were monocolored instead, or even if three-color cards become "good enough" by shaving a color out of their cost. Bumping three-colored cards like the Charms all the way to colorless is a bit too reductionist for me because of course they get way better, they were already borderline playable to begin with. Even colorless Scion of the Ur-Dragon looks fringe playable, honestly. There are no colorless 4/4 flyers for 5 with upside currently in Magic. As a baseline, I could see it as a random curve-topper in larger cubes.
Like:
Sprouting Thrinax 1GG
Creature - Lizard
When Sprouting Thrinax dies, put three 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens onto the battlefield.
3/3
Abzan Ascendancy 1WW
Enchantment
When Abzan Ascendancy enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
Yore-Tiller Nephilim 2BB
Creature - Nephilim
Whenever Yore-Tiller Nephilim attacks, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and attacking.
2/2
How did you guys get all the way through to here without mentioning Griselbrand?
Seriously, though, a lot of the Rav-era legends/guild leaders that are double mana in two separate colours are they guys I would run the heck out of. A couple of them are in my cube already - Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord and Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind. Imagine those two without colour requirements...
On top of that list, I would put The Dryad Triad in very quickly as well.
I'm looking for examples of cards that would be stellar / very good if they had no specific mana requirements (but the cmc of the card is unchanged). So, for an example: if Phyrexian Obliterator cost 4 instead of BBBB, it'd likely be pretty fantastic in cube.
These are some of the cards I've found that would become much more appealing:
CUBE TOP 10 - Help us vote for the best cards in cube
No, there is a misunderstanding here. I'm asking what cards become cubeable once we ignore colors of mana.
Take, for instance, this card: Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Scion of the Ur-Dragon would not be cubeable as a 5 4/4 flyer with {2}: Search your library for a Dragon permanent card and put it into your graveyard. If you do, Scion of the Ur-Dragon becomes a copy of that card until end of turn. Then shuffle your library.
The mana cost change would be irrelevant to this card's ability to be cubed. I'm interested in what cards are completely different on that spectrum. I want cards that are meh/bad/okay/decent as played, but if we change their color requirements to colorless -- which ones of those cards would suddenly be really awesome in a cube environment?
Yep, I totally agree with everything here and wasn't trying to state anything otherwise. What I'm looking for are the cards that actually become cubeable once you remove their specific mana requirements.
Something very similar!
Thank you for the suggestions! Some of these are actually excellent ones, a ton of those cards would be monsters with easier mana costs.
I particularly love the suggestion of Conflux, wow. Absolutely perfect for what I'm trying to do.
CUBE TOP 10 - Help us vote for the best cards in cube
Wait.....
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
*slow clap*
Phyrexian Arena is already run in some cubes, but it would be pretty amazing at 3
CUBE TOP 10 - Help us vote for the best cards in cube
prime speaker zegana
ash zealot
flame javelin (assuming it cost 3)
all of the command cycle
fated conflagration
Just so many.
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
I am going to be a bit dull here and say that a functionally equivalent, colorless Merfolk Looter would be quite desirable, at least in Peasant. Likewise, I would not mind a Wild Mongrel as colorless. Pelakka Wurm? Nacatl War-Pride, mayhap. Beast Attack? Of course, these three are affected by the triple costs they contain.
Like:
Creature - Lizard
When Sprouting Thrinax dies, put three 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens onto the battlefield.
3/3
Abzan Ascendancy 1WW
Enchantment
When Abzan Ascendancy enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.
Yore-Tiller Nephilim 2BB
Creature - Nephilim
Whenever Yore-Tiller Nephilim attacks, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped and attacking.
2/2
Woolly Thoctar 1RG
Creature - Beast
5/4
My Cube (DeckStats)
My Pauper Cube: 540 (CubeTutor link!)
Level 1 Judge
Modern: Jund Legacy: RUG Delver EDH: Captain Sisay
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!
Seriously, though, a lot of the Rav-era legends/guild leaders that are double mana in two separate colours are they guys I would run the heck out of. A couple of them are in my cube already - Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord and Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind. Imagine those two without colour requirements...
On top of that list, I would put The Dryad Triad in very quickly as well.
My Stupidly Large Number of Current Decks
PucaTrade with me!
The Multiplayer Power Rankings
Cube: the Gittening (My Multiplayer Cube) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
The N00b Cube (Peasant cube for new players) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG