Deep Analysis was actually the last one I cut of those 4. They are all very good though and so I'd say pick the one that you feel blue needs the most.
My take on all of them. Analysis is much better if you can discard it or you play a deck with stupid amounts of mana. The first mode is awful, so you really need to flash it back otherwise you are better off with virtually every other draw spell in cube. Vision is amazing in your opening hand and one of the worst top decks in cube, so very high variance. Treasure Cruise I just like a lot better because you can always make that worth casting. Conclave is fine if you want another manland. There are so many though it doesn't feel necessary at all. Cryptologist is fine but I now prefer running just looter il-kor and leaving alternatives for discard/card quality options.
I like Filigree Familiar and am currently running it to support the Artifacts Matters in my unpowered cube, it's nice to have in any deck that can synergies with artifacts / recursion.
Harvester is awkward and doesn't fit in many decks, IMO. Not aggressive enough for aggro, midrange has better things to do for 3 mana and control doesn't have the creatures to consistently Crew it for profit.
Crawler can be busted in a 4-color ramp deck, but it's pretty outclassed by Gilded Lotus. Would play in a large cube I guess.
My initial thoughts were Capsize, which feels inefficient these days, or Treasure Cruise, which too often gets cast for 4U or whatever. But other options would be Remand and Serum Visions.
So rank those spells? I know they all serve different purposes, but Cryptic is versatile enough that I feel I can consider all of these and not drastically shift the balance.
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Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
I like Serum Visions more than Treasure Cruise, it helps my combo decks be more consistent. Cruise also benefits from higher density of cheap cantrips like Serum Visions. Dunno how to do the greater than / equal to sign on phone, difficult to copy / paste it from the above post from my phone since it's surrounded by links
Treasure Cruise is an interesting beast. In a fully powered list, it looks terrible next to Ancestral Recall. And while that's a stupid bar to be holding cards too, it's very easy to draw that comparison and underrate the card. What I like about Cruise is that it's basically an "I win" card in certain builds (namely aggressive UR spell lists). You dump your hand (mostly spells) and then draw 3 cards for U. Very hard to lose.
The other cards are more flexible, so if you value that more then you should run those over cruise. Visions is likely the worst of the 1 mana blue cantrips (I think Opt is better because it's an instant - Ponder/Preordain/Brainstorm are clearly better in my mind, and I like Gitaxian Probe more too). Still, visions goes in pretty much any blue deck and you very rarely are unhappy drawing it. Remand is rarely bad (except late when they can just recast the card or you need it countered for good). Command is narrow in the decks that can play it, but it's often one of the best cards in your deck.
I'd personally cut either Capsize or Serum Visions. As others have said, Capsize is either broken or pretty bad. And Serum Visions just has too many better options above it.
If you support reanimator, run Constrictor and Mongrel. In my 450 powered, I run both and Advocate because support reanimator and green aggro.
At 450 powered I run both of those and Gremlins. I don't run either Bonfire or Dragonspeaker. If I had to choose, I'd cut Smash and keep Sarkhan because of his Wildfire applications.
Search is really only good in combo, storm, and reanimator. I think it's too narrow. That said, I don't run either of those. I'd probably try Thing in the Ice, just because I've never tested it.
Unless you really need the discard outlet, Advocate is probably the stronger card and definitely the more broadly playable. Every green deck with creatures will want it.
I like smash better in my cube because it is cheaper, instant, tempo efficient and hits planeswalkers. That might change in an unpowered cube, if it is considerably less important to answer artifacts on turn 2.
The most common story I had with Bonfire is it being a dead card in my hand. I prefer Sarkhan and agree both are weak.
Thing in the Ice flips remarkably often here. Blue likes its defensive two drops. Even if only 1-2 counters are removed, the opponent now has to take the possibility of transforming and change his/her gameplan. Plus Search is narrow.
Frantic Search being criminally underrated here. It's so easy to make up the card disadvantage in cube these days. And the fact you can dig two cards deep without giving up your T3 is huge. It's a slam dunk in every Ux tempo deck I build. It's not just good in combo.
I thought Frantic Search would've been acceptable considering it supports the reanimate archetype very well and free digging is pretty good. There are other very narrow cards like Entomb that are well received so what separates Entomb from Search?
I thought Frantic Search would've been acceptable considering it supports the reanimate archetype very well and free digging is pretty good. There are other very narrow cards like Entomb that are well received so what separates Entomb from Search?
I like frantic search. Dig, fuel reanimator if thats your deck, and have lands back up for counter magic. Seems alright to me.
I thought Frantic Search would've been acceptable considering it supports the reanimate archetype very well and free digging is pretty good. There are other very narrow cards like Entomb that are well received so what separates Entomb from Search?
tbf Entomb has a much higher ceiling as what pretty much amounts as a tutor in the decks it's applicable. I like search, but Entomb will win more games when it sees a deck.
I like Frantic Search for Reanimator support, I was playing it for a while but recently replaced it with Thirst for Knowledge since I'm currently testing artifacts matter in unpowered. I like that Search both bins my fatties / dig for and cast Reanimator pieces all on the same turn, but it's no Entomb. I'll P1P1 Entomb if I'm really in the mood to play Reanimator, but I'd never P1P1 Search.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance vs. Sneak Attack. While they are both really powerful cards for red, which one do you think is more important or more useful in the cube?
I can't picture a red section that doesn't want both of those cards.
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Chandra is a staple, but that probably doesn't mean you need to choose one over the other. Realistically the question you should be asking is, can my cube run Sneak Attack? How many Eldrazi are you running? How many creatures will not just hit for damage when they enter off Sneak Attack? Are you supporting any kiki-jiki type combos? If after those questions you find that your cube can run a good Sneak Attack package/deck, I'd probably find something else to cut, as I consider both staples.
Chandra is definitely a staple. Sneak Attack is an optional staple assuming you want to support Sneak Attack / Show and Tell / Oath strategies. I would not recommend Sneak Attack without Show and Tell.
I thought Frantic Search would've been acceptable considering it supports the reanimate archetype very well and free digging is pretty good. There are other very narrow cards like Entomb that are well received so what separates Entomb from Search?
Adding to what was said above me, that effect is more needed in black. It will see play in R/B or mono black reanimator. Blue already has quite a few discard outlets that are more maindeckable at its disposal.
Another upside of Entomb is enabling reanimation as soon as turn 2.
I thought Frantic Search would've been acceptable considering it supports the reanimate archetype very well and free digging is pretty good. There are other very narrow cards like Entomb that are well received so what separates Entomb from Search?
Entomb is more narrow, but the decks that want it REALLY want it.
Again, most I think are failing to appreciate the power of a free card quality spell like search. If you could start the game with 8 cards but had to discard 2, would you do that instead of taking 7 straight off the top (the only deck I wouldn't choose to do this with is a straight control deck)? That is what Frantic Search basically does for any deck that plays it.
But even that is understating it a bit since you are getting this effect usually on T3 after you've already started developing your board. At this point, you generally know what you need and search helps you get those cards without losing any tempo (but at the cost of one card in your hand - usually something you don't want anyway).
Take a simple example. You are playing some kind of Ux tempo deck. You go T1 dude, T2 dude. On T3, you probably don't want to overextend into another dude (maybe or maybe not). You might prefer some kind of anthem, some removal or maybe a counter to maintain your lead. Search helps you find that while discarding thet 2 power 1 drop that isn't useful on T4.
And that's ignoring all the scenarios where discarding actually helps you (delve, dredge, bloodghast, etc.). Frantic Search is busted.
Deep Analysis is the only one of those I no longer play. A good card, but blue has plenty better four drops so it had trouble making main decks.
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My take on all of them. Analysis is much better if you can discard it or you play a deck with stupid amounts of mana. The first mode is awful, so you really need to flash it back otherwise you are better off with virtually every other draw spell in cube. Vision is amazing in your opening hand and one of the worst top decks in cube, so very high variance. Treasure Cruise I just like a lot better because you can always make that worth casting. Conclave is fine if you want another manland. There are so many though it doesn't feel necessary at all. Cryptologist is fine but I now prefer running just looter il-kor and leaving alternatives for discard/card quality options.
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Retro combo cube thread
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Aethersphere Harvester, Filigree Familiar, Crystalline Crawler.
Harvester is awkward and doesn't fit in many decks, IMO. Not aggressive enough for aggro, midrange has better things to do for 3 mana and control doesn't have the creatures to consistently Crew it for profit.
Crawler can be busted in a 4-color ramp deck, but it's pretty outclassed by Gilded Lotus. Would play in a large cube I guess.
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My initial thoughts were Capsize, which feels inefficient these days, or Treasure Cruise, which too often gets cast for 4U or whatever. But other options would be Remand and Serum Visions.
So rank those spells? I know they all serve different purposes, but Cryptic is versatile enough that I feel I can consider all of these and not drastically shift the balance.
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Remand = Command > Serum Visions > Treasure Cruise > Capsize for me.
I like Serum Visions more than Treasure Cruise, it helps my combo decks be more consistent. Cruise also benefits from higher density of cheap cantrips like Serum Visions. Dunno how to do the greater than / equal to sign on phone, difficult to copy / paste it from the above post from my phone since it's surrounded by links
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The other cards are more flexible, so if you value that more then you should run those over cruise. Visions is likely the worst of the 1 mana blue cantrips (I think Opt is better because it's an instant - Ponder/Preordain/Brainstorm are clearly better in my mind, and I like Gitaxian Probe more too). Still, visions goes in pretty much any blue deck and you very rarely are unhappy drawing it. Remand is rarely bad (except late when they can just recast the card or you need it countered for good). Command is narrow in the decks that can play it, but it's often one of the best cards in your deck.
I'd personally cut either Capsize or Serum Visions. As others have said, Capsize is either broken or pretty bad. And Serum Visions just has too many better options above it.
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I'd go Prophetic bolt because the ability to snipe walkers with it is pretty sweet.
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I have a few for an unpowered version of my current cube:
1. Noose Constrictor vs Sylvan Advocate: I'm currently not running Mongrel
2. Smash to Smithereens vs Manic Vandal: I'm already running Release the Gremlins
3. Bonfire of the damned vs Sarkhan, Dragonspeaker: Bonfire for the stories?
4. Frantic Search vs Thing in the Ice: I'm surprised almost no one here runs frantic search. Just too narrow?
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At 450 powered I run both of those and Gremlins. I don't run either Bonfire or Dragonspeaker. If I had to choose, I'd cut Smash and keep Sarkhan because of his Wildfire applications.
Search is really only good in combo, storm, and reanimator. I think it's too narrow. That said, I don't run either of those. I'd probably try Thing in the Ice, just because I've never tested it.
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Unless you really need the discard outlet, Advocate is probably the stronger card and definitely the more broadly playable. Every green deck with creatures will want it.
I like smash better in my cube because it is cheaper, instant, tempo efficient and hits planeswalkers. That might change in an unpowered cube, if it is considerably less important to answer artifacts on turn 2.
The most common story I had with Bonfire is it being a dead card in my hand. I prefer Sarkhan and agree both are weak.
Thing in the Ice flips remarkably often here. Blue likes its defensive two drops. Even if only 1-2 counters are removed, the opponent now has to take the possibility of transforming and change his/her gameplan. Plus Search is narrow.
The list on cube cobra
Read my blog on cube - Latest post June 2nd 2022
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/modular-cube-5-colors.800/
Retro combo cube thread
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/retro-combo-cube.1454/
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I like frantic search. Dig, fuel reanimator if thats your deck, and have lands back up for counter magic. Seems alright to me.
tbf Entomb has a much higher ceiling as what pretty much amounts as a tutor in the decks it's applicable. I like search, but Entomb will win more games when it sees a deck.
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EDH: UGEdric
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Adding to what was said above me, that effect is more needed in black. It will see play in R/B or mono black reanimator. Blue already has quite a few discard outlets that are more maindeckable at its disposal.
Another upside of Entomb is enabling reanimation as soon as turn 2.
The list on cube cobra
Read my blog on cube - Latest post June 2nd 2022
Entomb is more narrow, but the decks that want it REALLY want it.
Again, most I think are failing to appreciate the power of a free card quality spell like search. If you could start the game with 8 cards but had to discard 2, would you do that instead of taking 7 straight off the top (the only deck I wouldn't choose to do this with is a straight control deck)? That is what Frantic Search basically does for any deck that plays it.
But even that is understating it a bit since you are getting this effect usually on T3 after you've already started developing your board. At this point, you generally know what you need and search helps you get those cards without losing any tempo (but at the cost of one card in your hand - usually something you don't want anyway).
Take a simple example. You are playing some kind of Ux tempo deck. You go T1 dude, T2 dude. On T3, you probably don't want to overextend into another dude (maybe or maybe not). You might prefer some kind of anthem, some removal or maybe a counter to maintain your lead. Search helps you find that while discarding thet 2 power 1 drop that isn't useful on T4.
And that's ignoring all the scenarios where discarding actually helps you (delve, dredge, bloodghast, etc.). Frantic Search is busted.
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/modular-cube-5-colors.800/
Retro combo cube thread
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/retro-combo-cube.1454/