People have jokingly (or not so jokingly) asked for a FTV:Cube. While I believe we still may see it some day, I think FTV:20 makes a pretty good impression of it. I'm gonna give my personal perspective about the card and art choices, as well as how I think my own cube list will be affected.
#1 - 1993: Dark Ritual
I was hoping for this card in this slot. Dark Ritual is still a very powerful card, and turn 1 Hypnotic Specter, Necropotence, or something like Geralf's Messenger are nothing to sneeze at. This is also the first time foil for this particular art. Foils of this card are/were very expensive, some I'm happy to get my hands on one!
#2 - 1994: Swords to Plowshares
I had Winter Orb as my guess for this slot. My jaw dropped when I saw this was their choice. Stone cold staple at every cube size and a great art choice. I was hoping to get a foil copy during a judge conference or something, but this is just miles better. Also, existing foils were not cheap. I'm very happy with this choice :D.
#3 - 1995: Hymn to Tourach
We knew about this one. Another staple, and a first time foil with the nice MTGO Cube art. Another great choice.
#4 - 1996: Fyndhorn Elves
I was hoping to get this card here. Another first time foil, and once again with the MTGO Cube art. Very solid choice.
#5 - 1997: Impulse
We knew about this one as well. But confess - before that, we all thought this was going to be Control Magic. The art just SCREAMS Control Magic; my guess is they comissioned the art for that card and they had to switch it last minute. Nonetheless, a very solid card choice and a foil I was lacking, so I'm happy with this choice.
#6 - 1998: Wall of Blossoms Wasteland was a pipe dream, but a man has the right to dream :). A solid choice from an iconic deck, and one of my favorite cards. The only choice here for me is between this and the FNM version - we'll see.
#7 - 1999: Thran Dynamo
I was hoping for either this, Worn Powerstone (a first time foil), or Wildfire (with new art). I'm happy I'm getting Thran Dynamo. A friend of mine referred to this card as ":4mana:: win the game"; he's exaggerating, of course, but this is a powerful card - and also a hard-to-get foil, and one I'm happy to get for my cube.
#8 - 2000: Tangle Wire
I was hoping for Rishadan Port, but conformed with the idea we might have gotten Lin Sivvi. We got Tangle Wire instead. As Gavin Verhey mentions in his article, this card is very very good in cube. Triple-Time Walk good, if I might add. I like the art and didn't have the foil, so win-win for yours truly ;).
#9 - 2001: Fact of Fiction
Very solid choice here. I might have liked the Jace art more, but it was another foil I was lacking, so no complaints here.
#10 - 2002: Chainer's Edict
I won't lie: I was expecting Upheaval. But then again - it's a solid cube card, and it has amazing new art, so I'm not too upset.
#11 - 2003: Akroma's Vengeance
A solid choice for this year. Not many cubes play this card nowadays, according to eidolon's data (mine included). But you know what? I like this card, and one of my criteria for cube cards is: do I have this card in foil and does it look pretty? The answer for this card is* (*will be, in two-and-a-half weeks): yes! So this might be added in one of my next updates (in the place of something like Terminus, I guess?). I'm sure many of you might pass on this, and that's fine. But for me - one more pretty card :D.
#12 - 2004: Gilded Lotus
Finally, a Gilded Lotus that's actually gilded. This card plays in multiple archetypes in my cube, and I really like the art, so I'm glad to give it a spin.
#13 - 2005: Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Like Akroma's Vengeance, this card has seen better cube days. It was in my mind as a possible cut in the near future, but like the Vengeance, this printing may have helped its case.
#14 - 2006: Char
I was expecting Remand; maybe in Modern Masters 2. This card is solid, of course - but it's not very exciting, at least not for me.
As an aside: I got my pack foil from Goodking a few months ago - I'm guessing he cut it from his 360? Anyway, I'm happy to donate that pack foil to someone who needs it - just let me know ;).
#15 - 2007: Venser, Shaper Savant
Tremendous choice. I like the new art, and the foils went crazy expensive a few months ago - so, another home run for my cube! I'm excited! (But you may already guessed that.)
#16 - 2008: Chameleon Colossus
I just cut it in my last update to make room for something else. It will be back in the next update: this is another foil I was lacking, and as a creature, it still hits very hard. I was hoping for Bitterblossom in this slot, but this will do.
#17 - 2009: Cruel Ultimatum
Screw* multicolor card quotas; for me, this is too awesome not to run. I like the new art as well, although it's a bit in-your-face-i'm-nicol-bolas-and-i'm-in-charge; the old one was much more subtle. This is the same as Wall of Blossoms; I'm running it, I just don't know which version (although I'm inclined towards the new version).
(*this only applies here, of course. I like gold cards, but I agree that too much of them may make your cube experience worse. )
#18 - 2010: Jace, the Mind Sculptor
A few months ago, I decided I would try to foil out my cube as much as possible. But I said to myself - "I won't let it become an obsession; money is not infinite, and there is (almost) no way I can get stuff like JTMS". That's the same thing I told everyone else, always with that caveat - foil JTMS.
Well.
That went well :).
(Still not obsessing, of course - *cough* foil Polluted Delta *cough*)
#19 - 2011: Green Sun's Zenith
Very good choice. I would also be happy with a Sword, but they have to choose future Judge Promos somehow ;).
#20 - 2012: Kessig Wolf Run
It was either this or Entreat. It's a very unique effect that doesn't "eat" a card slot. I'm sure it's not good enough for smaller gold sections, but there have to be some advantages in having a large list, am I right?
#14 - 2006: Char
I was expecting Remand; maybe in Modern Masters 2. This card is solid, of course - but it's not very exciting, at least not for me.
As an aside: I got my pack foil from Goodking a few months ago - I'm guessing he cut it from his 360? Anyway, I'm happy to donate that pack foil to someone who needs it - just let me know ;).
Nice review though dude! It's a great set for cube, with some possible art updates and alternate choices and plenty of 'new' foils.
The card choices are good. 12 of the 20 cards are currently in my list, and a few more are decent for bigger cubes. But I won't have a single one of these actual versions in my cube. All of the alternate art is worse than the original art (even the Fyndhorn Elves; they went from one awful art to another) and the FTV foiling process is just terrible. I can see an argument for Hymn and Fyndhorn if you want to run foils and don't like alters, but every other card is available with better art, a better frame and/or a better foiling process in another printing (not to mention no ugly 20 set symbol). Which I'm glad for, because the price on this set is super high.
All in all, great card choices, but a let-down on everything else.
I think the FTV:20 is overall a great product - contains iconic cards. It definitely cannot cover everything of course, but I think this one did not fail.
Some of my wishlist for FTV20 that of course would not have happened are:
1) Original expansion symbol of the card - plus a Purple or new color of rarity (BTW - FTV sets should have s special rarity color)
2) Old frame for the old cards! - But I imagine people want new frames for these, so that is fine.
While I like special cards like foils, full art, etc. I really prefer having old frames because I am an old player. I want my cube to showcase old and new expansions, which basically means I simply want the first printing of cards. So no FTV for me.
I would say that the art on Elves, Hymn and Vengeance are a definite upgrade and the new Gilded Lotus is OK too. The foiling process is hopefully a little less 'glossy' than in previous years. Also the art on StP is fantastic - we already had it in the Elspeth box set, but it's a great foil choice. I love the flavour text on my old frame FNM one too much to remove it, though.
I would say that the art on Elves, Hymn and Vengeance are a definite upgrade and the new Gilded Lotus is OK too.
Really? I think there are multiple old art options for Hymn I like better. The Elves are a sidegrade from one terrible art to another. And the original Akroma's Vengeance art blows the new one out of the water! (not to mention the better frame and higher quality foil). With a non-foil version, the two Gilded Lotuses are comparable, but the original art looks glorious in foil.
Really? I think there are multiple old art options for Hymn I like better. The Elves are a sidegrade from one terrible art to another. And the original Akroma's Vengeance art blows the new one out of the water! (not to mention the better frame and higher quality foil). With a non-foil version, the two Gilded Lotuses are comparable, but the original art looks glorious in foil.
I don't think the old Fyndhorn art is even comparable to the new one. The old one is just disgusting and not foil and I'm glad we finally get a foil of this. I even like the art. I'm also happy to have a foil Hymn.
If we're talking alters then it's a completely different story. The ideal alter for me would be to take the new foil Hymn and have it done retro like how Klug did Demonic Tutor, Balance, Wheel... and having the same thing done to the Fyndhorn (for lols).
Also, though the set is expensive, the alternate/ideal foil versions of the cards are a lot more expensive. The StP (ABU art foil) alone is $150 on SCG.
Very happy with this set. I don't have a problem with the FTV foils myself. Yeah, I prefer regular foils but sometimes that's not an option. The difference isn't big enough to bother me. I also like the new frames better than the old ones.
The Fyndhorn Elves art is much better if unexciting. The Hymn art is marginally better than the other Hymn arts. The Venser art is a big step down, and the Chainer's Edict art isn't good. This Tangle Wire will hold the place in my cube for an eventual Nemesis foil, although this is another case where I don't think either art is great. I'm excited to get affordable foil versions for 9 cards currently in my cube.
Really? I think there are multiple old art options for Hymn I like better. The Elves are a sidegrade from one terrible art to another. And the original Akroma's Vengeance art blows the new one out of the water! (not to mention the better frame and higher quality foil). With a non-foil version, the two Gilded Lotuses are comparable, but the original art looks glorious in foil.
I fail to see the point in trying to get into an argument about this when everything here is subjective. Although I happen to agree on the foil front, especially for the Gilded Lotus.
Very happy with this set. I don't have a problem with the FTV foils myself. Yeah, I prefer regular foils but sometimes that's not an option. The difference isn't big enough to bother me. I also like the new frames better than the old ones.
The Fyndhorn Elves art is much better if unexciting. The Hymn art is marginally better than the other Hymn arts. The Venser art is a big step down, and the Chainer's Edict art isn't good. This Tangle Wire will hold the place in my cube for an eventual Nemesis foil, although this is another case where I don't think either art is great. I'm excited to get affordable foil versions for 9 cards currently in my cube.
Cheers,
rant
I pretty much agree with all of this, but I'll invest in non-FTV versions over time unless the art is a huge upgrade (see Mox Diamond). And the Nemesis Tangle Wire foil looks really good IMO.
People have jokingly (or not so jokingly) asked for a FTV:Cube. While I believe we still may see it some day, I think FTV:20 makes a pretty good impression of it. I'm gonna give my personal perspective about the card and art choices, as well as how I think my own cube list will be affected.
#1 - 1993: Dark Ritual
I was hoping for this card in this slot. Dark Ritual is still a very powerful card, and turn 1 Hypnotic Specter, Necropotence, or something like Geralf's Messenger are nothing to sneeze at. This is also the first time foil for this particular art. Foils of this card are/were very expensive, some I'm happy to get my hands on one!
#2 - 1994: Swords to Plowshares
I had Winter Orb as my guess for this slot. My jaw dropped when I saw this was their choice. Stone cold staple at every cube size and a great art choice. I was hoping to get a foil copy during a judge conference or something, but this is just miles better. Also, existing foils were not cheap. I'm very happy with this choice :D.
#3 - 1995: Hymn to Tourach
We knew about this one. Another staple, and a first time foil with the nice MTGO Cube art. Another great choice.
#4 - 1996: Fyndhorn Elves
I was hoping to get this card here. Another first time foil, and once again with the MTGO Cube art. Very solid choice.
#5 - 1997: Impulse
We knew about this one as well. But confess - before that, we all thought this was going to be Control Magic. The art just SCREAMS Control Magic; my guess is they comissioned the art for that card and they had to switch it last minute. Nonetheless, a very solid card choice and a foil I was lacking, so I'm happy with this choice.
#6 - 1998: Wall of Blossoms
Wasteland was a pipe dream, but a man has the right to dream :). A solid choice from an iconic deck, and one of my favorite cards. The only choice here for me is between this and the FNM version - we'll see.
#7 - 1999: Thran Dynamo
I was hoping for either this, Worn Powerstone (a first time foil), or Wildfire (with new art). I'm happy I'm getting Thran Dynamo. A friend of mine referred to this card as ":4mana:: win the game"; he's exaggerating, of course, but this is a powerful card - and also a hard-to-get foil, and one I'm happy to get for my cube.
#8 - 2000: Tangle Wire
I was hoping for Rishadan Port, but conformed with the idea we might have gotten Lin Sivvi. We got Tangle Wire instead. As Gavin Verhey mentions in his article, this card is very very good in cube. Triple-Time Walk good, if I might add. I like the art and didn't have the foil, so win-win for yours truly ;).
#9 - 2001: Fact of Fiction
Very solid choice here. I might have liked the Jace art more, but it was another foil I was lacking, so no complaints here.
#10 - 2002: Chainer's Edict
I won't lie: I was expecting Upheaval. But then again - it's a solid cube card, and it has amazing new art, so I'm not too upset.
#11 - 2003: Akroma's Vengeance
A solid choice for this year. Not many cubes play this card nowadays, according to eidolon's data (mine included). But you know what? I like this card, and one of my criteria for cube cards is: do I have this card in foil and does it look pretty? The answer for this card is* (*will be, in two-and-a-half weeks): yes! So this might be added in one of my next updates (in the place of something like Terminus, I guess?). I'm sure many of you might pass on this, and that's fine. But for me - one more pretty card :D.
#12 - 2004: Gilded Lotus
Finally, a Gilded Lotus that's actually gilded. This card plays in multiple archetypes in my cube, and I really like the art, so I'm glad to give it a spin.
#13 - 2005: Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Like Akroma's Vengeance, this card has seen better cube days. It was in my mind as a possible cut in the near future, but like the Vengeance, this printing may have helped its case.
#14 - 2006: Char
I was expecting Remand; maybe in Modern Masters 2. This card is solid, of course - but it's not very exciting, at least not for me.
As an aside: I got my pack foil from Goodking a few months ago - I'm guessing he cut it from his 360? Anyway, I'm happy to donate that pack foil to someone who needs it - just let me know ;).
#15 - 2007: Venser, Shaper Savant
Tremendous choice. I like the new art, and the foils went crazy expensive a few months ago - so, another home run for my cube! I'm excited! (But you may already guessed that.)
#16 - 2008: Chameleon Colossus
I just cut it in my last update to make room for something else. It will be back in the next update: this is another foil I was lacking, and as a creature, it still hits very hard. I was hoping for Bitterblossom in this slot, but this will do.
#17 - 2009: Cruel Ultimatum
Screw* multicolor card quotas; for me, this is too awesome not to run. I like the new art as well, although it's a bit in-your-face-i'm-nicol-bolas-and-i'm-in-charge; the old one was much more subtle. This is the same as Wall of Blossoms; I'm running it, I just don't know which version (although I'm inclined towards the new version).
(*this only applies here, of course. I like gold cards, but I agree that too much of them may make your cube experience worse. )
#18 - 2010: Jace, the Mind Sculptor
A few months ago, I decided I would try to foil out my cube as much as possible. But I said to myself - "I won't let it become an obsession; money is not infinite, and there is (almost) no way I can get stuff like JTMS". That's the same thing I told everyone else, always with that caveat - foil JTMS.
Well.
That went well :).
(Still not obsessing, of course - *cough* foil Polluted Delta *cough*)
#19 - 2011: Green Sun's Zenith
Very good choice. I would also be happy with a Sword, but they have to choose future Judge Promos somehow ;).
#20 - 2012: Kessig Wolf Run
It was either this or Entreat. It's a very unique effect that doesn't "eat" a card slot. I'm sure it's not good enough for smaller gold sections, but there have to be some advantages in having a large list, am I right?
------------------------------------------------------------
This ends my personal perspective on FTV:20. I hope you liked it. I would also love to hear any feedback you have about this article!
Former DCI L2 Judge
My old Cube podcast on ManaDeprived, with Goodking and artbcnco: http://manadeprived.com/podcasts/mtgin3d/
You can find me on Twitter as well.
Nice review though dude! It's a great set for cube, with some possible art updates and alternate choices and plenty of 'new' foils.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
All in all, great card choices, but a let-down on everything else.
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Some of my wishlist for FTV20 that of course would not have happened are:
1) Original expansion symbol of the card - plus a Purple or new color of rarity (BTW - FTV sets should have s special rarity color)
2) Old frame for the old cards! - But I imagine people want new frames for these, so that is fine.
While I like special cards like foils, full art, etc. I really prefer having old frames because I am an old player. I want my cube to showcase old and new expansions, which basically means I simply want the first printing of cards. So no FTV for me.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Really? I think there are multiple old art options for Hymn I like better. The Elves are a sidegrade from one terrible art to another. And the original Akroma's Vengeance art blows the new one out of the water! (not to mention the better frame and higher quality foil). With a non-foil version, the two Gilded Lotuses are comparable, but the original art looks glorious in foil.
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I don't think the old Fyndhorn art is even comparable to the new one. The old one is just disgusting and not foil and I'm glad we finally get a foil of this. I even like the art. I'm also happy to have a foil Hymn.
If we're talking alters then it's a completely different story. The ideal alter for me would be to take the new foil Hymn and have it done retro like how Klug did Demonic Tutor, Balance, Wheel... and having the same thing done to the Fyndhorn (for lols).
Also, though the set is expensive, the alternate/ideal foil versions of the cards are a lot more expensive. The StP (ABU art foil) alone is $150 on SCG.
The Fyndhorn Elves art is much better if unexciting. The Hymn art is marginally better than the other Hymn arts. The Venser art is a big step down, and the Chainer's Edict art isn't good. This Tangle Wire will hold the place in my cube for an eventual Nemesis foil, although this is another case where I don't think either art is great. I'm excited to get affordable foil versions for 9 cards currently in my cube.
Cheers,
rant
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Isn't Venser the only card that is getting up to date wording for the first time?
I fail to see the point in trying to get into an argument about this when everything here is subjective. Although I happen to agree on the foil front, especially for the Gilded Lotus.
I pretty much agree with all of this, but I'll invest in non-FTV versions over time unless the art is a huge upgrade (see Mox Diamond). And the Nemesis Tangle Wire foil looks really good IMO.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Modern: Jund Legacy: RUG Delver EDH: Captain Sisay
Like, far better.
And I love the new Akroma card. Too bad I don't run it anymore.
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This is unfortunately the worst part about it. Before I even opened the packaging the cards were already starting to bend :/
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