MTG Salvation

Quote from steve_man

I would like to know what your thoughts are on the battle of the 4WW global sweepers for a 680 unpowered cube.

Akroma's Vengeance vs Austere Command

I run Austere Command. It's a very cool card, but I think I will be replacing it with the new Elspeth in a few weeks.

Catastrophe > Vengeance > Command

I'm looking to make a cut in Green for Regrowth. Just picked up a fancy Judge one. What do you think should go?

I'm leaning towards Natural Order because it's really not that impressive, but then neither is Tooth and Nail. Birthing Pod is my other choice but my playgroup LOVES it.

Natural Order is one of green's most powerful cards. I'd cut Tooth and Nail for Regrowth.

Natural Order >>> Birthing Pod >>> Tooth and Nail. But Regrowth is a really useful and versatile spell, so I'd definitely want to find a cut for it.

Austere Command can be completely one-sided depending on the boardstate. In Cube, many control decks rely on permanents, and I don't like what Akroma's Vengeance does to your side of the board.

Yeah cut tooth and nail.

Gilded Lotus or Thran Dynamo? Unpowered 450

I play Upheaval, but no Wildfire. I might even cut both... I still run Bolas as he is a popular build-around but he might be getting cut too

It depends. Dynamo if you're more supporting the artifact.dec or Eldrazi ramp; Lotus if you're doing more of a control/regular ramp support card.

Quote from Patrunkenphat7

Austere Command can be completely one-sided depending on the boardstate. In Cube, many control decks rely on permanents, and I don't like what Akroma's Vengeance does to your side of the board.

I agree with this. Often, A. Command can be a 1-sided wrath. Sure, it doesn't nuke everything at once, but as Patrunkenphat7 points out, you're cutting down on collateral.

I've been thinking long and hard about vengevine.
Has anyone really made great use of him?

I find it's just too rare I am casting 2 creatures a turn when he's in the graveyard to make up for the times that he's not really what I want to be doing in most of my green decks (4/3 haste)

... Nor is it really easy to build a deck that abuses him.

Has anyone else found this? or has the card performed very well for you?

Fwiw, I dont support green agro that much.

Quote from LucidVision

I've been thinking long and hard about vengevine.
Has anyone really made great use of him?

I find it's just too rare I am casting 2 creatures a turn when he's in the graveyard to make up for the times that he's not really what I want to be doing in most of my green decks (4/3 haste)

... Nor is it really easy to build a deck that abuses him.

Has anyone else found this? or has the card performed very well for you?

Fwiw, I dont support green agro that much.

Our aggresive decks are very happy with a hard hitting hasty beater like this. He rarely recurs, but when he does it tends to be pretty lethal. You don't need to support super fast aggro for him to be good, but you do need aggressive midrange decks at the very least.

I like Fireslinger in aggro. He shoots down blockers in the early turns and gives you some reach in the later turns.

Spike Jester or Vindicate? I've tried both cards out now, and they seem to be about the same power level. Spike Jester can be so fast and lethal in the right deck, but Vindicate goes in almost every RB deck we construct. I Run Olivia, Dreadbore, and Falkenrath, so this would be my 4th card to add. I would just cut Olivia, but my players love to play Jund/Grixis midrange decks that want Olivia.

Quote from mgreener_34

Spike Jester or Vindicate? I've tried both cards out now, and they seem to be about the same power level. Spike Jester can be so fast and lethal in the right deck, but Vindicate goes in almost every RB deck we construct. I Run Olivia, Dreadbore, and Falkenrath, so this would be my 4th card to add. I would just cut Olivia, but my players love to play Jund/Grixis midrange decks that want Olivia.

Are you sure you mean Vindicate and not Terminate? Vinidicate is a b/w card and one of the best cards in my cube, not a b/r card.

Quote from Hicham

Our aggresive decks are very happy with a hard hitting hasty beater like this. He rarely recurs, but when he does it tends to be pretty lethal. You don't need to support super fast aggro for him to be good, but you do need aggressive midrange decks at the very least.

Ya, Vengevine is pretty good. A 4/3 haste for 4 is no longer good enough on its own, so his recursion has to be used enough to make him worthwhile. Luckily for us, our green decks pack card draw and a lot of creatures. Keeping your extra mana elves back for a lategame VV push is a good play. If you can't recur him, a 4/3 for 4 is still very much on curve at worst, and it carries surprise value. Your opponent also has to play around it once it's in the 'yard.

Once in a while you can even get a nasty opener like getting it in play on T2 off a Wild Mongrel and Mana Elf.

Quote from Theogony_IX

Are you sure you mean Vindicate and not Terminate? Vinidicate is a b/w card and one of the best cards in my cube, not a b/r card.

Yup, you're correct, I meant to say Terminate. I wish I had a Vindicate to cut

Finally got a Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Not sure what to cut. Jace, Architect of Thought, and Tamiyo, the Moon Sage seem like pretty good candidates, or maybe something like Into the Roil. I am also a little torn on Opposition - I like the card, and understand its power, that deck just seems to never come together here.

Thoughts?

Quote from flutterguy

Finally got a Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Not sure what to cut. Jace, Architect of Thought, and Tamiyo, the Moon Sage seem like pretty good candidates, or maybe something like Into the Roil. I am also a little torn on Opposition - I like the card, and understand its power, that deck just seems to never come together here.

Thoughts?

I would cut:

Fettergeist
Kira
Dungeon Geists
Frost Titan
Into the Roil

before cutting the cards you mentioned. Especially the Titan, when I think you have enough high drops already.

Hmm, cutting the Titan is pretty interesting. Kira has actually been very good for us, so I plan to keep her. Frantic Search is a good thought, that card has really not done much and only fits in Reanimator...

Excited to keep the other two walkers. Though I am starting to think about capping walkers at some point. Not today though.

Hmmm...

Quote from mgreener_34

Yup, you're correct, I meant to say Terminate. I wish I had a Vindicate to cut

Since you have a Dreadbore, I'd go with Spike Jester as well.

I like Spike Jester so much I had to move Cackler and Redcap to red and black respectively in order to make room.

Edit: So I was looking through my blue section to see where I can make cuts to make room for the Theros goodness and a couple cards stood out: Into the Roil and Arcane Denial. Which one is more essential? (I'd like to say that I understand Psionic Blast is not popular here but it has been amazing for us since the inception of our cube. Terribly underrated and I won't be moving this.)

I'm very hesitant to move either card however so a question popped up in my head: How many big blue finishers does a small cube need?

I currently run Treachery, Bribery, Time Spiral, Upheaval and Aetherling and I'm now questioning whether it is enough or not. Would cutting one of these guys (I'm thinking Aetherling) be better than cutting Roil or Arcane?

Quote from hardb0dy

Edit: So I was looking through my blue section to see where I can make cuts to make room for the Theros goodness and a couple cards stood out: Into the Roil and Arcane Denial. Which one is more essential? (I'd like to say that I understand Psionic Blast is not popular here but it has been amazing for us since the inception of our cube. Terribly underrated and I won't be moving this.)

I'm very hesitant to move either card however so a question popped up in my head: How many big blue finishers does a small cube need?

I currently run Treachery, Bribery, Time Spiral, Upheaval and Aetherling and I'm now questioning whether it is enough or not. Would cutting one of these guys (I'm thinking Aetherling) be better than cutting Roil or Arcane?

I'd cut Into the Roil and keep Arcane Denial. I often find that when I want to cast Roil for 2, It's not really worth a card, and when I want it for 4, the bounce isn't that great. But then, I don't run Delver (or any transform cards), so maybe the tempo is better in your cube.

I'd also consider cutting Bribery, since I find it to be a sideboard card quite often. The effect is unique, but you can always win without it. (Maybe you should have Consecrated Sphinx as a blue finisher?)

Quote from Retra

I'd cut Into the Roil and keep Arcane Denial.

I agree with this.

Quote from Retra

I'd also consider cutting Bribery...

I don't agree with this.

Quote from hardb0dy

I currently run Treachery, Bribery, Time Spiral, Upheaval and Aetherling and I'm now questioning whether it is enough or not. Would cutting one of these guys (I'm thinking Aetherling) be better than cutting Roil or Arcane?

I think Aetherling is better than Bribery and Time Spiral as a finisher. I don't run Bribery at 360 any more. I don't think of Roil as a 360 card either.