I would happily replace Swiftspear, Waif, and Jackal Pup if more consistently efficient creatures showed up. They're fine, but this is cube--I want good! The others I'm pretty happy with since I try to keep realistic expectations.
If at some point in the future we got a handful of better 2 power one drops in red, Pup would be long gone. Its probably the 5th best aggro one drop in red. I think that isn't going to happen for another couple of years though.
Not counting hybrids, I rank Jackal Pup behind Goblin Guide, Firedrinker Satyr, and Zurgo, so as 4th best red one-drop Pup's uncuttable but unexciting at this point. I'd love to see some better options in this slot but Wizards has been much more cautious about red 1-drops than they have about 1-drops in white and black, probably because no one likes an RDW-dominated Standard meta.
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
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I'm not saying Pup is a staple, but it's at least not in my 360 chopping block. I'll probably cut Glorychaser and maybe Stromkirk Noble before it. But since it's not on the chopping block, I'm pretty happy with it.
For now, I don't think the colorless options available merit a large overhaul of current cube lands or the size of my colorless section. I will include about 10 wastes and I'm contemplating switching out my checklands for painlands or filterlands.
In the main list, or as a deckbuilding option? Because I think in cube they should absolutely not be taking deck slots. (Which should make including colorless cards a lot easier as anything that could fetch a basic could fetch a singleton waste, and you don't have to worry about include/picking colorless sources as an absolute.
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Check out the thread for my cube if you have the time, and tell me how terrible it is.
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
I include them in my basic land section. There's no real reason to put them into the main body of the cube in this format, when they can be so many other options instead.
My concern with Oath of Nissa is, it is a nice green cantrip, but for the very large majority of green decks, wouldn;'t you prefer to have a birds on turn 1?
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
My concern with Oath of Nissa is, it is a nice green cantrip, but for the very large majority of green decks, wouldn;'t you prefer to have a birds on turn 1?
Who said to remove Birds of Paradise from your deck to play this card? Play both, and be happy when you have Oath with no mana dork on T1, or really happy when you draw Oath instead of a mana dork on T6.
That's like saying "Preordain is nice, but wouldn't I just rather have an Ancestral Recall instead?"...
My concern with Oath of Nissa is, it is a nice green cantrip, but for the very large majority of green decks, wouldn;'t you prefer to have a birds on turn 1?
Who said to remove Birds of Paradise from your deck to play this card? Play both, and be happy when you have Oath with no mana dork on T1, or really happy when you draw Oath instead of a mana dork on T6.
That's like saying "Preordain is nice, but wouldn't I just rather have an Ancestral Recall instead?"...
My problem is that green has 7 1-mana birds. 1) I cannot think of a scenario(or deck) where this would be better than one of those birds. I understand is has alot of value, but if no deck (and I personally cannot think of a green deck that would prefer this over the deck) can run it, then its not a good card
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Anyone who thinks a cantrip is best played on turn 1 doesn't understand how to play magic well. The longer the game goes, the more valuable they become.
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Professor
Powered 540 Cube fully foiled and altered
Legacy: Death and Taxes / RUG Delver
Vintage: Shops
I mean, sometimes it's best to play them turn 1. That's the strength of a cantrip--they tend to be baseline good no matter when you are playing them as card selection for such a cheap cost is so huge.
In certain colors. I'd still happily take one in red, though we have gotten closer.
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In the main list, or as a deckbuilding option? Because I think in cube they should absolutely not be taking deck slots. (Which should make including colorless cards a lot easier as anything that could fetch a basic could fetch a singleton waste, and you don't have to worry about include/picking colorless sources as an absolute.
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
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!
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
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Who said to remove Birds of Paradise from your deck to play this card? Play both, and be happy when you have Oath with no mana dork on T1, or really happy when you draw Oath instead of a mana dork on T6.
That's like saying "Preordain is nice, but wouldn't I just rather have an Ancestral Recall instead?"...
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!
My problem is that green has 7 1-mana birds. 1) I cannot think of a scenario(or deck) where this would be better than one of those birds. I understand is has alot of value, but if no deck (and I personally cannot think of a green deck that would prefer this over the deck) can run it, then its not a good card
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
Again, it doesn't replace a mana dork. Don't cut a Bird/Elf for Oath.
Play Oath + Mana Dorks. Not one or the other.
Oath isn't a 1cc creature, it's a cantrip. It doesn't have to be slammed down on T1. You can squeeze it into your curve anywhere it's needed.
tl;dr - The cards aren't competing for the same slot in the deck, or in the cube.
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!
Professor
Powered 540 Cube fully foiled and altered
Legacy: Death and Taxes / RUG Delver
Vintage: Shops
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic