Indeed, Captain's Claws often wheels and is sideboarded even in decks that could want to play it. I think that's a reasonable cut - thanks, solves my problem nicely =)
In White I support Control, Blink, Aggro, Tokens and Skies (with blue). I'd take the Captain, but Im unsure if the small bodies it provides are enough for a control deck to finish the game. The Angels evasive, bigger body seems better there, but the Captain should be awesome for blink and tokens. I'm torn back and forth here.
Sunblast is a high variance card. Sometimes it's a one-sided wrath and feels a bit like ripping a flush on the river card (you feel good, no one else does).
Why not play Yosei, the Morning Star? It's right at the power level you are looking for and it's a proven finisher (used to be a cube staple).
Captain of the Watch. I found Sunblast Angel to be unreliable as a wrath effect. Magister of Worth is what you want instead for this kind of effect. Captain should be great with the blink and tokens themes you're already supporting in your cube now. If you bring in the Captain, I recommend swapping in some more Soldiers and Soldier token makers (Savannah Lions --> Elite Vanguard, Geist-Honored Monk --> Cloudgoat Ranger, etc.) to give it a bit of synergy.
1 - Sphinx's Revelation vs Dragonlord Ojutai vs Spell Queller ? What order ?
Revelation > Ojutai > Spell Queller
White and blue both have fantastic finishers available for 4-5 mana. Outai's good but not really necessary and Spell Queller seems cute but not as good as Geist of Saint Traft or Reflector Mage. When Sphinx's Revelation can't seal the game for a control deck, usually nothing else can.
2 - Chandra's Phoenix vs Hell's Thunder vs Goblin Heelcutter ? What order ?
I'm a huge fan of Heelcutter, it really helps aggro decks against the difficult midrange matchup. I've never run Hell's Thunder, so no comment on how good it is vs. Phoenix.
3 - Bedlam Reveler vs Crater Hellion ? (in void)
Hard to say not having tested Reveler, but that seems like as good a cut as any to test Reveler
4 - Chromatic Lantern vs Fellwar Stone
Fellwar Stone, because ramping from 2 to 4 is clutch, but I prefer running the full cycle of Signets to get that job done in my cube.
Cut 2
- Geist of Saint Traft
- Reflector Mage
- Supreme Verdict
- Detention Sphere
That's a brutal cut, but I'd probably cut Verdict and Sphere and consider replacing your Faith's Fetters with Grasp of Fate or Parallax Wave depending on which effect you think you need the redundancy in more.
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I'm guessing Queller > Ojutai > Revelation. Blue has many superior draw spells to Revelation, which is a control only card and only really worth casting late game. Ojutai fills a hole the blue top end leaves and is hard to deal with. Queller is playable in more decks, and I'd guess it would make most decklists that play both blue and white.
My gut tells me Trooper, but I don't know. I can't say I've played much with Relic Seeker yet and Skyfisher isn't as strong in unpowered but might still be better than the others.
I'd cut Monk and Priest first before I cut Trooper.
I'd cut Monk first because black can get around protection very easily, red cannot.
While that's true, I think there are more matchups where black decks are afraid of the Monk beats than red decks that are afraid of the Priest beats. A lot of red's archetypes are aggressive, and a creature that can't block your beaters just isn't as big of a priority to remove than the Monk is against black control decks. Just my $0.02.
Niblis is a more interesting card to me, but it is obviously more fragile against red in particular. I don't like Frost Titan and am trying to find ways to remove him...
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If it's between those two I prefer Sunblast Angel.
Sunblast is a high variance card. Sometimes it's a one-sided wrath and feels a bit like ripping a flush on the river card (you feel good, no one else does).
Why not play Yosei, the Morning Star? It's right at the power level you are looking for and it's a proven finisher (used to be a cube staple).
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Char vs Staggershock
Char, as red has troubles with 4 toughness creatures
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2 - Chandra's Phoenix vs Hell's Thunder vs Goblin Heelcutter ? What order ?
3 - Bedlam Reveler vs Crater Hellion ? (in void)
4 - Chromatic Lantern vs Fellwar Stone ?
Hell's Thunder > Heelcutter > Phoenix
Stone > Lantern
Reveller > Hellion
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Phoenix > Heelcutter > Thunder (none are particularly good)
Reveler >> Hellion
Lantern > Stone, if you want to support 5CC.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
I mean, it depends a bit on what you want to support, big red / red control or spells matters, but in a vacuum, I'd clearly say Hellion > Reveler.
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Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
As a big red finisher / sweeper, Chandra is more useful.
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Queller > Revelation > Ojutai
Heelcutter >>> Phoenix ≥ Thunder
Reveler > Hellion
Stone > Lantern
Char > Staggershock
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Liliana, Heretical Healer vs Liliana of the Veil? (I also have lifegain and reanimator)
Braids, Cabal Minion vs Grave Pact kinda vs Phyrexian Plaguelord? (I also have tokens, Grave Pact seems more narrow but stronger, Plaguelord was a friend's suggestion)
Braids no contest.
---
Cut 2
- Geist of Saint Traft
- Reflector Mage
- Supreme Verdict
- Detention Sphere
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Captain of the Watch. I found Sunblast Angel to be unreliable as a wrath effect. Magister of Worth is what you want instead for this kind of effect. Captain should be great with the blink and tokens themes you're already supporting in your cube now. If you bring in the Captain, I recommend swapping in some more Soldiers and Soldier token makers (Savannah Lions --> Elite Vanguard, Geist-Honored Monk --> Cloudgoat Ranger, etc.) to give it a bit of synergy.
Revelation > Ojutai > Spell Queller
White and blue both have fantastic finishers available for 4-5 mana. Outai's good but not really necessary and Spell Queller seems cute but not as good as Geist of Saint Traft or Reflector Mage. When Sphinx's Revelation can't seal the game for a control deck, usually nothing else can.
I'm a huge fan of Heelcutter, it really helps aggro decks against the difficult midrange matchup. I've never run Hell's Thunder, so no comment on how good it is vs. Phoenix.
Hard to say not having tested Reveler, but that seems like as good a cut as any to test Reveler
Fellwar Stone, because ramping from 2 to 4 is clutch, but I prefer running the full cycle of Signets to get that job done in my cube.
That's a brutal cut, but I'd probably cut Verdict and Sphere and consider replacing your Faith's Fetters with Grasp of Fate or Parallax Wave depending on which effect you think you need the redundancy in more.
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I'm guessing Queller > Ojutai > Revelation. Blue has many superior draw spells to Revelation, which is a control only card and only really worth casting late game. Ojutai fills a hole the blue top end leaves and is hard to deal with. Queller is playable in more decks, and I'd guess it would make most decklists that play both blue and white.
Heelcutter > Hell's Thunder > Chandra's Phoenix
Fellwar Stone > Chromatic Lantern
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Liliana of the Veil & Braids, both by pretty big margins.
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Accorder Paladin
Imposing Sovereign
Kor Skyfisher
Relic Seeker
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Soltari Trooper
Stoneforge Mystic
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Wall of Omens
My gut tells me Trooper, but I don't know. I can't say I've played much with Relic Seeker yet and Skyfisher isn't as strong in unpowered but might still be better than the others.
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I'd cut Monk first because black can get around protection very easily, red cannot.
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While that's true, I think there are more matchups where black decks are afraid of the Monk beats than red decks that are afraid of the Priest beats. A lot of red's archetypes are aggressive, and a creature that can't block your beaters just isn't as big of a priority to remove than the Monk is against black control decks. Just my $0.02.
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I actually have Fiend Hunter to cut for Thalia 2.0. I might cut the pair and re-add my buddy Lone Missionary however.
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Niblis is a more interesting card to me, but it is obviously more fragile against red in particular. I don't like Frost Titan and am trying to find ways to remove him...
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