Seems like Swords are becoming less urgent to pick as they have become more common.
Great creatures like Batterskull (always called Buttcrusher in my head for unknown reasons) and Wurmcoil Engine are immensly powerfull, but feel less crucial as acceleration and broken equipment.
I also was surprised to see Winter Orb so low on some people's lists. How can it not be awesome? Maybe in less aggro-centric cubes?
I also was surprised to see Winter Orb so low on some people's lists. How can it not be awesome? Maybe in less aggro-centric cubes?
For my cube, I think it's just because no one can play it correctly. Control does not want it in order to play their expensive bombs and it slows down mid-range too much. It's been tried for aggro, but it's never been that wonderful as there's either speed bumps that need to be removed first or the situation is flipped with removal on your stuff afterwards. It always tends to stay in the SB whenever its drafted.
To me its crazy to see people rate Winter Orb over Skullclamp, if I'm going aggro, then I'm gonna pick the most insanely overpowered equipment ever printed over pretty much anything.
Skullclamp is one of those cards where it is far more broken in constructed than in cube. However it is still a good card, but not as amazing as it would be if you built a deck around that card.
EDIT: That being said, Skullclamp>Winter Orb any day
The reason why we are doing the Top 5 is because the 2-colored section is not as deep as other sections, and many times, cards that would not be found in most cubes (or even uncubable) would need to be included just for the sake of completion
For reference I will include 2010 Top 10, and also any new prints WU
Reasoning
Spitting Image- By far the best card. It can be used in Gx Ramp decks, and Ux Control decks as a finisher. It gives any deck inevitability, it turns into massive card advantage by making all of your lands into "Make a copy of the best creature in the board".
Simic Sky Swallower/Mystic Snake- Self-explainable
Edric, Spymaster of Trest- I haven't played with him, but his effect seems more powerful than Trygon Predator.
Easy list, IMO. Shame we couldn't include the DKA adds for this one. Having the WWK lands available to vote on here would change a LOT, too. The U/W and U/B ones are comfortably my top cards in those sections.
God UW is a terrible combination. UB isn't so hot either. In fact blue in general has such crappy gold cards. I think Qasali Pridemage and Loam Lion are both "better" than Wake, but I'd take wake ahead of them.
I wasn't really considering P1P1s with this round. I would probably pick Wake above Loam Lion in that pack and I don't even like or run Wake, so I didn't think that would be representative of my 'true' ratings. Like you said Lasserini, it's a different question altogether from raw power.
2 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Mox Diamond
4 ABU Moxen
5 Black Lotus
6 Mana Crypt
7 Sword of Fire and Ice
8 Sword of Feast and Famine
9 Sword of Body and Mind
10 Sword of War and Peace
11 Sword of Light and Shadow
12 Grim Monolith
13 Wurmcoil Engine
14 Sensei's Divining Top
15 Mana Vault
16 Skullclamp
17 Batterskull
18 Mimic Vat
19 Solemn Simulacrum
20 Tangle Wire
2 Black Lotus
3 Umezawa's Jitte
4 ABU Moxen
5 Mox Diamond
6 Winter Orb
7 Mana Crypt
8 Sword of Fire and Ice
9 Skullclamp
10 Mana Vault
11 Tangle Wire
12 Grim Monolith
13 Sword of War and Peace
14 Sword of Body and Mind
15 Coalition Relic
16 Sword of Light and Shadow
17 Sword of Feast and Famine
18 Solemn Simulacrum
19 Smokestack
20 Batterskull
Seems like Swords are becoming less urgent to pick as they have become more common.
Great creatures like Batterskull (always called Buttcrusher in my head for unknown reasons) and Wurmcoil Engine are immensly powerfull, but feel less crucial as acceleration and broken equipment.
I also was surprised to see Winter Orb so low on some people's lists. How can it not be awesome? Maybe in less aggro-centric cubes?
HM: Scroll Rack, Cursed Scroll, Wurmcoil Engine, Karn Liberated
I feel compelled to repeat everything I hear
For my cube, I think it's just because no one can play it correctly. Control does not want it in order to play their expensive bombs and it slows down mid-range too much. It's been tried for aggro, but it's never been that wonderful as there's either speed bumps that need to be removed first or the situation is flipped with removal on your stuff afterwards. It always tends to stay in the SB whenever its drafted.
Skullclamp is one of those cards where it is far more broken in constructed than in cube. However it is still a good card, but not as amazing as it would be if you built a deck around that card.
EDIT: That being said, Skullclamp>Winter Orb any day
Trade List
Voting for 2-colored Top 5 has been opened
Please vote for the Top 5 of each color.
The reason why we are doing the Top 5 is because the 2-colored section is not as deep as other sections, and many times, cards that would not be found in most cubes (or even uncubable) would need to be included just for the sake of completion
For reference I will include 2010 Top 10, and also any new prints
WU
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
2 Wall of Denial
3 Absorb
4 Teferi's Moat
5 Plumeveil
6 Momentary Blink
7 Azorius Guildmage
8 Court Hussar
9 Swans of Bryn Argoll
10 Dismantling Blow
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Venser, the Sojourner
1 Feeling of Dread
WB
1 Vindicate
2 Desolation Angel
3 Mortify
4 Stillmoon Cavalier
5 Debtors' Knell
6 Tidehollow Sculler
7 Angel of Despair
8 Death Grasp
9 Unmake
10 Gerrard's Verdict
1 Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter
1 Unburial Rites
UB
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
2 Shadowmage Infiltrator
3 Psychatog
4 Recoil
5 Agony Warp
6 Undermine
7 Nemesis of Reason
8 Soul Manipulation
9 Wydwen, the Biting Gale
10 Lim-Dul's Vault
1 Evil Twin
1 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
1 Forbidden Alchemy
UR
1 Fire // Ice
2 Prophetic Bolt
3 Electrolyze
4 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
5 Gelectrode
6 Suffocating Blast
7 Izzet Chronarch
8 Nucklavee
8 Spellbound Dragon
10 Call the Skybreaker
1 Nin, the Pain Artist
1 Desperate Ravings
UG
1 Simic Sky Swallower
2 Mystic Snake
3 Trygon Predator
4 Voidslime
5 Snakeform
6 Temporal Spring
7 Spitting Image
8 Lorescale Coatl
9 Coiling Oracle
10 Plaxcaster Frogling
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Memory’s Journey
BR
1 Terminate
2 Bituminous Blast
3 Murderous Redcap
4 Void
5 Blazing Specter
6 Blightning
7 Wrecking Ball
8 Shambling Remains
9 Fulminator Mage
10 Ashenmoor Gouger
1 Olivia Voldaren
1 Sarkhan the Mad
1 Bump in the Night
BG
1 Pernicious Deed
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Putrefy
4 Spiritmonger
5 Putrid Leech
6 Lord of Extinction
7 Creakwood Liege
8 Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
9 Life // Death
10 Grave-Shell Scarab
1 Spider Spawning
RW
1 Ajani Vengeant
2 Lightning Helix
3 Figure of Destiny
4 Brion Stoutarm
4 Duergar Hedge-Mage
6 Goblin Trenches
7 Soltari Guerillas
8 Goblin Legionnaire
9 Orim's Thunder
10 Spitemare
1 Basandra, Battle Seraph
1 Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer
1 Rally the Peasants
RG
1 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Giant Solifuge
3 Kird Ape
4 Stormbind
5 Sarkhan Vol
6 Boggart Ram-Gang
7 Firespout
8 Rumbling Slum
9 Burning Tree-Shaman
10 Vithian Renegades
GW
1 Kitchen Finks
2 Qasali Pridemage
3 Mirari's Wake
4 Loam Lion
5 Loxodon Hierarch
6 Behemoth Sledge
7 Glare of Subdual
8 Armadillo Cloak
9 Wilt-Leaf Liege
10 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Travel Preparations
Trade List
For example
UG
2 Simic Sky Swallower
3 Mystic Snake
4 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
5 Trygon Predator
Reasoning
Spitting Image- By far the best card. It can be used in Gx Ramp decks, and Ux Control decks as a finisher. It gives any deck inevitability, it turns into massive card advantage by making all of your lands into "Make a copy of the best creature in the board".
Simic Sky Swallower/Mystic Snake- Self-explainable
Edric, Spymaster of Trest- I haven't played with him, but his effect seems more powerful than Trygon Predator.
Trade List
That is correct, for reference, all multi-colored cards in the 2010 CPR are counted as multi-colored in the 2011 CPR
Trade List
2 Venser, the Sojourner
3 Absorb
4 Wall of Denial
5 Geist of Saint Traft
2 Shadowmage Infiltrator
3 Psychatog
4 Recoil
5 Undermine
2 Bituminous Blast
3 Terminate
4 Blazing Specter
5 Blightning
2 Stormbind
3 Sarkhan Vol
4 Vithian Renegades
5 Kird Ape
2 Mirari's Wake
3 Qasali Pridemage
4 Loam Lion
5 Loxodon Hierarch
2 Desolation Angel
3 Stillmoon Cavalier
4 Mortify
5 Unmake
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Putrid Leech
4 Putrefy
5 Spiritmonger
2 Trygon Predator
3 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
4 Simic Sky Swallower
5 Voidslime
2 Prophetic Bolt
3 Fire/Ice
4 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
5 Izzet Chronarch
2 Figure of Destiny
3 Lightning Helix
4 Duergar Hedge-Mage
5 Brion Stoutarm
Trade List
1. Absorb
2. Wall of Denial
3. Geist of Saint Traft
4. Momentary Blink
5. Deft Duelist
UB
1. Shadowmage Infiltrator
2. Psychatog
3. Recoil
4. Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
5. Oona, Queen of the Fae
WB
1. Vindicate
2. Stillmoon Cavalier
3. Gerrard's Verdict
4. Desolation Angel
5. Mortify
UR
1. Prophetic Bolt
2. Electrolyze
3. Fire//Ice
4. Gelectrode
5. Spellbound Dragon
WG
1. Kitchen Finks
2. Qasali Pridemage
3. Loam Lion
4. Knight of the Reliquary
5. Wilt-Leaf Liege
UG
1. Trygon Predator
2. Simic Sky Swallower
3. Mystic Snake
4. Edric, Spymaster of Trest
5. Temporal Spring
BR
1. Murderous Redcap
2. Terminate
3. Blightning
4. Olivia Voldaren
5. Bituminous Blast
WR
1. Ajani Vengeant
2. Figure of Destiny
3. Lightning Helix
4. Brion Stoutarm
5. Orim's Thunder
RG
1. Bloodbraid Elf
2. Kird Ape
3. Sarkhan Vol
4. Stormbind
5. Burning-Tree Shaman
BG
1. Pernicious Deed
2. Maelstrom Pulse
3. Putrid Leech
4. Putrefy
5. Glissa, the Traitor
---
Easy list, IMO. Shame we couldn't include the DKA adds for this one. Having the WWK lands available to vote on here would change a LOT, too. The U/W and U/B ones are comfortably my top cards in those sections.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
01 Venser, the Sojourner
02 Geist of Saint Traft
03 Wall of Denial
04 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
05 Absorb
//RW Boros
01 Ajani Vengeant
02 Figure of Destiny
03 Lightning Helix
04 Brion Stoutarm
05 Orim's Thunder
//UB Dimir
01 Shadowmage Infiltrator
02 Psychatog
03 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
04 Oona, Queen of the Fae
05 Recoil
//BG Golgari
01 Pernicious Deed
02 Maelstrom Pulse
03 Putrefy
04 Putrid Leech
05 Spiritmonger
01 Bloodbraid Elf
02 Kird Ape
03 Sarkhan Vol
04 Stormbind
05 Firespout
//UR Izzet
01 Fire // Ice
02 Electrolyze
03 Prophetic Bolt
04 Gelectrode
05 Nin, the Pain Artist
//BW Orzhov
01 Vindicate
02 Mortify
03 Gerrard's Verdict
04 Desolation Angel
05 Stillmoon Cavalier
//BR Rakdos
01 Murderous Redcap
02 Olivia Voldaren
03 Terminate
04 Bituminous Blast
05 Blazing Specter
01 Kitchen Finks
02 Qasali Pridemage
03 Loam Lion
04 Mirari's Wake
05 Wilt-Leaf Liege
//UG Simic
01 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
02 Trygon Predator
03 Simic Sky Swallower
04 Mystic Snake
05 Coiling Oracle
Bah! 16 was supposed to be Crystal Shard, I believe. Stupid cut and paste.
01 Absorb
02 Geist of Saint Traft
03 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
04 Wall of Denial
05 Momentary Blink
UB
01 Psychatog
02 Shadowmage Infiltrator
03 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
04 Recoil
05 Forbidden Alchemy
BR
01 Murderous Redcap
02 Terminate
03 Bituminous Blast
04 Olivia Voldaren
05 Blightning
RG
01 Bloodbraid Elf
02 Kird Ape
03 Stormbind
04 Sarkhan Vol
05 Tin-Street Hooligan
GW
01 Kitchen Finks
02 Loam Lion
03 Qasali Pridemage
04 Mirari's Wake
05 Loxodon Hierarch
WB
01 Vindicate
02 Desolation Angel
03 Stillmoon Cavalier
04 Gerrard's Verdict
05 Mortify
WR
01 Ajani Vengeant
02 Figure of Destiny
03 Lightning Helix
04 Goblin Trenches
05 Duergar Hedge-Mage
UR
01 Fire // Ice
02 Electrolyze
03 Prophetic Bolt
04 Jilt
05 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
UG
01 Mystic Snake
02 Simic Sky Swallower
03 Trygon Predator
04 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
05 Coiling Oracle
BG
01 Pernicious Deed
02 Maelstrom Pulse
03 Putrefy
04 Putrid Leech
05 Spiritmonger
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!
2 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
3 Wall of Denial
4 Azorius Guildmage
5 Curse of Chains
Dimir
2 Shadowmage Infiltrator
3 Recoil
4 Psychatog
5 Oona, Queen of the Fae
Rakdos
2 Rare-B-Gone
3 Blightning
4 Bituminous Blast
5 Murderous Redcap
Gruul
2 Sarkhan Vol
3 Giant Solifuge
4 Kird Ape
5 Boggart Ram-Gang
Selesnya
2 Qasali Pridemage
3 Loam Lion
4 Mirari's Wake
5 Eladamri's Call
Orzhov
2 Gerrard's Verdict
3 Stillmoon Cavalier
4 Tidehollow Scutter
5 Mortify
Golgari
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Lord of Extinction
4 Putrid Leech
5 Putrefy
Simic
2 Trygon Predator
3 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
4 Temporal Spring
5 Mystic Snake
Izzet
2 Electrolyze
3 Gelectrode
4 Jilt
5 Fire // Ice
Boros
2 Figure of Destiny
3 Lightning Helix
4 Duergar Hedge-Mage
5 Brion Stoutarm
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
2 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Wall of Denial
4 Momentary Blink
5 Azorius Guildmage
WB
1 Vindicate
2 Desolation Angel
3 Mortify
4 Unburial Rites
5 Tidehollow Sculler
UB
1 Psychatog
2 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
3 Oona, Queen of the Fae
4 Forbidden Alchemy
5 Recoil
UR
1 Fire // Ice
2 Prophetic Bolt
3 Electrolyze
4 Desperate Ravings
5 Gelectrode
1 Simic Sky Swallower
2 Trygon Predator
3 Voidslime
4 Mystic Snake
5 Coiling Oracle
BR
1 Terminate
2 Bituminous Blast
3 Olivia Voldaren
4 Wrecking Ball
5 Blazing Specter
BG
1 Pernicious Deed
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Putrefy
4 Putrid Leech
5 Life // Death
RW
1 Ajani Vengeant
2 Lightning Helix
3 Figure of Destiny
4 Duergar Hedge-Mage
5 Spitemare
1 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Kird Ape
3 Boggart Ram-Gang
4 Firespout
5 Giant Solifuge
WG
1 Kitchen Finks
2 Qasali Pridemage
6 Behemoth Sledge
9 Wilt-Leaf Liege
10 Knight of the Reliquary
You can find me on MTGO. My username is gereffi.
You can't vote for Dark Ascension cards.
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!
1. Wall of Denial
2. Venser, the Sojourner
3. Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
4. Azorious Guildmage
5. Dismantling Blow
UB
1. Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
2. Shadowmage Infiltrator
3. Psychatog
4. Dimir Guildmage
5. Nemesis of Reason
BR
1. Murderous Redcap
2. Bituminous Blast
3. Olivia Voldaren
4. Terminate
5. Void
RG
1. Bloodbraid Elf
2. Sarkhan Vol
3. Vengeful Rebirth
4. Kird Ape
5. Giant Solifuge
GW
1. Kitchen Finks
2. Mirari's Wake
3. Qasali Pridemage
4. Loam Lion
5. Knight of the Reliquary
WB
1. Vindicate
2. Desolation Angel
3. Mortify
4. Tidehollow Sculler
5. Gerrard's Verdict
UR
1. Prophetic Bolt
2. Electrolyze
3. Fire/Ice
4. Illuminate
5. Izzet Chronarch
BG
1. Pernicious Deed
2. Maelstrom Pulse
3. Putrefy
4. Spiritmonger
5. Putrid Leech
RW
1. Ajani Vengeant
2. Lightning Helix
3. Figure of Destiny
4. Orim's Thunder
5. Duergar Hedge-Mage
GU
1. Mystic Snake
2. Trygon Predator
3. Edric, Spymaster of Tryst
4. Simic Sky Swallower
5. Snakeform
Thoughts about gold:
God UW is a terrible combination. UB isn't so hot either. In fact blue in general has such crappy gold cards. I think Qasali Pridemage and Loam Lion are both "better" than Wake, but I'd take wake ahead of them.
Good point, my initial search overlooked it for some reason, I will update the nine new 2 color flashback cards from INN
Trade List
I have Forbidden Alchemy in my top 5 for UB, as one example.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
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My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
1. Kitchen Finks
2. Mirari's Wake
3. Loam Lion
4. Qasali Prodemage
5. Knight of the Reliquary
WU
1. Geist of Saint Traft
2. Venser, the Sojourner
3. Wall of Denial
4. Grand Arbiter Augustine IV
5. Absorb
UB
1. Psychatog
2. Shadowmage Infiltrator
3. Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
4. Nemesis of Reason
5. Oona, Queen of the Fae
BR
1. Murderous Redcap
2. Bituminous Blast
3. Terminate
4. Blightning
5. Blazing Specter
RG
1. Bloodbraid Elf
2. Stormbind
3. Kird Ape
4. Sarkhan Vol
5. Giant Solifuge
GU
1. Simic Sky Swallower
2. Mystic Snake
3. Edric Spymaster of Trest
4. Trygon Predator
5. Voidslime
UR
1. Electrolyze
2. Fire // Ice
3. Prophetic Bolt
4. Jilt
5. Gelectrode
RW
1. Ajani Vengeant
2. Figure of Destiny
3. Lightning Helix
4. Goblin Trenches
5. Duergar Hedgemage
WB
1. Vindicate
2. Desolation Angel
3. Stillmoon Cavalier
4. Gerrard's Verdict
5. Mortify
BG
1. Pernicious Deed
2. Maelstrom Pulse
3. Putrefy
4. Spiritmonger
5. Putrid Leech
360 Unpowered Cube | Cubetutor
2 Loam Lion
3 Mirari's Wake
4 Qasali Pridemage
5 Behemoth Sledge
UW
2 Venser, the Sojourner
3 Wall of Denial
4 Absorb
5 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
UB
2 Shadowmage Infiltrator
3 Oona, Queen of the Fae
4 Recoil
5 Forbidden Alchemy
BR
2 Blightning
3 Terminate
4 Olivia Voldaren
5 Sarkhan the Mad
RG
2 Stormbind
3 Kird Ape
4 Sarkhan Vol
5 Giant Solifuge
GU
2 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
3 Trygon Predator
4 Simic Sky Swallower
5 Snakeform
UR
2 Electrolyze
3 Prophetic Bolt
4 Jilt
5 Desperate Ravings
WR
2 Figure of Destiny
3 Lightning Helix
4 Duergar Hedge-Mage
5 Goblin Trenches
WB
2 Gerrard's Verdict
3 Stillmoon Cavalier
4 Mortify
5 Desolation Angel
GB
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Putrefy
4 Putrid Leech
5 Spiritmonger
Just an FYI, the thread title still says "2011 Cube Power Rankings Voting & Discussion (Currently voting on colorless top 20)".