I run and love Aether Adept at 465, but with each new set that we get good blue cards in Aether Adept does look tempting as a cut. Man-o'-War is an amazing card, but Aether Adept gets passed a bit more often during drafts and doesn't make main decks as often because of that extra U. It's also one of the few commons/uncommons that's in my rare cube but not my Peasant cube, because the color fixing is that much worse without access to rare lands. I may well end up cutting Aether Adept in the next year or two, but before I do I'm really hoping I get to live the dream and draft just one deck that has Aether Adept, Man-o'-War, Venser, Shaper Savant, and Reflector Mage. Is that too much to ask?
UNPOPULAR OPINION: Blue is a loose color at 540 unpowered.
Without power and support of the artifact deck, I actually find blue to be one of the more loose colors in my cube (but still probably the most powerful). I support devotion because if I don't I'll find myself oversaturating blue with other functions like clones and reanimation support. Anybody else feeling my dilemma or have I just not been digging hard enough?
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "loose" here.
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
I like Adept if you support blue devotion strategies. Otherwise, losing the splashability makes it significantly worse than Man-o'-War, which is great because it can always resolve on time and is easily cast without a heavy blue commitment.
I agree it is much worse than Man-O-War. Not on the chopping block yet but definitely cuttable and will not survive for years. I like it more than some of the cards mentioned before like Riftwing Cloudskate or Waterfront Bouncer.
I mostly meant loose in that I feel like I'm easily able to switch cards in and out. With other colors I feel like a lot of room is taken up for redundancy in aggro beaters, removal spells, and archetype defining spells ect. With blue, there is a core suite of draw and counterspells and definitely a ton of uncuttable creatures and bombs. but for me there also seems to be a bit more of a free flowing supply of easy-in, easy-out stuff that is all completely cubable but also easily replaceable than I find in other colors. Like Kira, Great Glass Spinner, Coralhelm Commander, or even cards like Impulse.
I agree with the loose comment on blue, and it's not a (low) power level thing. It's a ridiculous abundance of solid options now available.
Aether Adept is fine. I was running it a short time when I went all in on Champion of the Parish. But there are so many other (better) options at this point and the human deck has gotten stale anyway.
I mostly meant loose in that I feel like I'm easily able to switch cards in and out. With other colors I feel like a lot of room is taken up for redundancy in aggro beaters, removal spells, and archetype defining spells ect. With blue, there is a core suite of draw and counterspells and definitely a ton of uncuttable creatures and bombs. but for me there also seems to be a bit more of a free flowing supply of easy-in, easy-out stuff that is all completely cubable but also easily replaceable than I find in other colors. Like Kira, Great Glass Spinner, Coralhelm Commander, or even cards like Impulse.
Yeah, it's a lot easier for a color to be flexible when 1/4 of isn't filled by aggro 1 and 2 drops.
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Feel bad for AoT, a good card overshadowed by his insane competition. Fourth best jace, competes against other four drops, other jaces and other draw spells. A card I don't run but I wouldn't second guess at a cube of any size.
Prefer RTR by a slight margin. It looks better aesthetically, but JvV looks like such a politician to me, fat, stuffy, uncomfortable.
I built football fields a few years ago, it was neat, travelled a lot.
We have it over WWK Jace right now (because WWK Jace is a little on the strong side for us) and it plays very well. Hard to make it fit in powered cubes under 720 I'd imagine.
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I primarily play limited, so most of my spoiler season comments view cards through that lens.
Jace, Architect of Thought is no Jace, the Mind Sculptor, but at $3 vs. $75 TCG Market price Jace, AoT makes a hell of a budget placeholder. I ran this card for a pretty long time before I got a copy of JtMS and it consistently impressed me as a great card for control decks. It protects itself and you very effectively against go-wide strategies and can dig for answers to anything else, and its double-Bribery ultimate can end the game if left unchecked. Even though the blue 4-CMC slot is uber-competitive if there weren't threeotherJaces that I like better, I'd probably still run this over Deep Analysis (here'swhy). Jace, AoT had a really good run in my cube, but getting my copy of Jace, Vryn's Prodigy was the final nail for the Architect. Nevertheless, I still consider Jace, AoT the best blue card I'm not running right now.
Aesthetically speaking, the original RTR art is way better, but I still ran the Duel Deck foil because I'm a sucker for small shiny objects that are cheaper than their non-foil counterparts.
BTW, Jace wasn't always the over-achiever he is today, pushing other versions of himself out of cubes worldwide. Here's a video of him in his college days.
Jace, AoT is just on the cusp of being good enough for 540, IMO. I also agree that he's a solid placeholder if you can't afford JTMS. I'd most definitely be running it at 630. I think the duel deck artwork is fine, but the RTR art is much better.
As far as building things, I used to work at a mobile home factory, so I've built a crap ton of mobile homes. That is to say that I helped build a good portion of every home that rolled out of that factory for nearly two years. Currently, I'm thinking very seriously about trying my hand at building a wooden squat rack for my basement home gym.
Jace, AoT is a good card that competes in a slot where good isn't good enough. If I recall, this is the card / PW that really pioneered the "until your next turn" type abilities, especially on planeswalkers.
Things that I've built? I didn't necessarily build it with my own hands, but I specced out every aspect of my dream bass guitar, had a company build the body and neck to my specifications, assembled all the other hardware / electronics and had somebody put it together for me.
I'm not a very handy person, but I do know what I want and how to get it
No way this gets into my cube over Beleren or Tezz.
The DD:JvV version looks like Vanilla Sky/Minority Report-era Tom Cruise (which kind of makes me want to rejoice in him having a tragic car accident again, but whatever).
What else have I built lately? I have two young boys... Lego... So. Much. Lego.
In last year's Power Rankings, Wurmcoil Engine didn't crack the top 30 overall, but it did place 10th on the colorless rankings.
Nick Nobody from MTG Cube at Blogspot suggests that many of us could be undervaluing the Engine as a first pick, placing it 11th in his list of best cube cards to first pick.
11. Wurmcoil Engine
A game ender that will go in any midrange or control deck. It leaves you very open and it a whole lot of card for your pick. Short of white removal or blue counter and control magic there is no way to efficiently deal with a Wurmcoil Engine. It stops attacks, is near impossible to race and provides far too much value to trade well with. For most aggro decks it is that little bit too high on the curve to play but can be done if the draft goes badly, at least you are not having to face off against it with your aggro deck as well!
On Riptide Lab, Wurmcoil Engine has been ranked on a different kind of list, CML's "Top 8 Most Oppressive Cube Cards", categorizing it as "game ruining b---s---" that a well-designed cube is better off without:
7. Wurmcoil Engine
The colorless Titan is good in most every deck, leading to easy draft decisions and easier games, once the lottery winner can tap six mana. Flexible to a fault and difficult to interact with, Wurmcoil Engine is what I have in mind when I rail against certain failures of NWO.
BONUS QUESTIONS
As a cube drafter, how highly do you pick Wurmcoil Engine?
As a cube manager, how do you feel about Wurmcoil Engine's role in cube?
What cards do you see as game ruining BS?
Aesthetically speaking, do you prefer your Wurmcoil Engine facing right or facing left?
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Pretty much the #1 pick in my cube. Once you're in a slower cube like Multiplayer, you have more opportunity to durdle with him, and he never disappoints. Currently ranked somewhere in the top four, alongside SoFaI, SoBaM and Blade of Selves.
I have lost count of the times I have wrecked face with Wurmcoil + Vizkopa Guildmage. My playgroup just keeps handing them to me.
I wouldn't call it game-ruining, though. If you're given the opportunity to durdle with it in Multiplayer, good luck to you. There are plenty of other equally-dangerous six-drops in the format, and Wurmcoil comes out on top owing mostly to his colourlessness. You know what's really game-ruining in Multiplayer? Turn 1 Limited Resources. I've lived that. It wasn't fun.
I think I prefer right-facing Wurmcoil - he looks like he's blocking out the sun more.
When you play 360 powered for long enough you find different cards oppressive than most people. I doubt I could find an oppressive six drop creature.
Cards that I've found too oppressive
: blightsteel colossus was in quite a lot of turn two tinker decks so he is still in the timeout zone
: double strike, when paired with time walk is just gross.
: I don't like the idea of opposition and splintertwin being able to just lock out the game with no counter play outside of blue so I avoid them atm.
That being said he's my favorite Titan. Probably my favorite 6 drop in cube too. He heals so much and the deathtouchers on his token is relevant. The pack card looks more distinctive than the promo, the tokens are more distinct so I like it.
As a cube drafter, how highly do you pick Wurmcoil Engine?
Relatively high, but not first pick. Once I know I'm playing a shell that wants it, I'll prioritize it, but usually not before that.
As a cube manager, how do you feel about Wurmcoil Engine's role in cube?
It's nice to have a playable colorless finisher that can go into a wide range of midrange and control decks. It's important because it's an artifact, for Tinker/Welder/Daretti shenanigans.
What cards do you see as game ruining BS?
Only cards that have to be house-ruled in order to function correctly.
Aesthetically speaking, do you prefer your Wurmcoil Engine facing right or facing left?
I prefer the one without the prerelease date stamp. I don't care which direction the Wurm is facing.
As a cube drafter, how highly do you pick Wurmcoil Engine?
I'll first pick it but there are drafts that will see Wurmcoil sitting in the sideboard, if I'm playing heavy aggro for instance.
As a cube manager, how do you feel about Wurmcoil Engine's role in cube?
A flexible, versatile finisher that almost singlehandedly beats aggro, fits in any color of long-game deck, and also fuels reanimator/tinker/welder shenanigans? It's a great tool to have.
What cards do you see as game ruining BS?
I disagree fundamentally with the premise of the article referenced. 'Game ruining BS' is phrasing that scrubs use. There are cards that can be oppressive, but my preferred solution is to build answers to oppressive cards into the cube. You might not always beat a turn 2 tinker, but I have lots of artifact removal, bounce spells, and sweepers to handle whatever they put into play.
I've only ever removed cards from my cube because my group requested it. Mind Twist is the only card that they've found unfun enough to want to cut.
Aesthetically speaking, do you prefer your Wurmcoil Engine facing right or facing left?
This is one of those cards that I can never imagine being bumped out of cube. I agree that I'm not super thrilled to first pick it (although there are obviously much worse first picks - I'd call a pack that had Wurmy as the best card a below average pack but not a horrendous one), but I'm thrilled ot have it in basically any deck that isn't aggro or some very narrow combo-like deck (storm if you support it, spells matte, etc).
Wurmcoil is a safe, but unexciting first pick. He can spot into most decks but I tend to first pick archetyp enablers first and Wurmcoil Engine doesn't enable anything except raw stats. I'd much rather first pick a Batterskull.
I prefer the original art, he looks bigger and has more green which makes him look more poisonous.
I love taking wurmcoil early since I'm often playing decks that want wurmcoil in them. Clearly wouldn't take it over power, but it's a great card in any deck that can play a 6 drop or wants to reanimate/cheat stuff out. It's just the perfect large creature IMO, or really close to it.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "loose" here.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
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My 630 Card Powered Cube
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Agree with this big time, but my blue section is definitely getting tighter.
Blue is the least loose color here at 720
The list on cube cobra
Read my blog on cube - Latest post June 2nd 2022
Aether Adept is fine. I was running it a short time when I went all in on Champion of the Parish. But there are so many other (better) options at this point and the human deck has gotten stale anyway.
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/modular-cube-5-colors.800/
Retro combo cube thread
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/retro-combo-cube.1454/
Yeah, it's a lot easier for a color to be flexible when 1/4 of isn't filled by aggro 1 and 2 drops.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
From CTA 720:
Jace, Architect of Thought
BONUS QUESTION
Aside from Magic decks and cubes, what have you built?
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Prefer RTR by a slight margin. It looks better aesthetically, but JvV looks like such a politician to me, fat, stuffy, uncomfortable.
I built football fields a few years ago, it was neat, travelled a lot.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=484979
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!
Interested in Custom Card Creation.
My Cube:Cardinal Custom Cube
A custom version of a third modern masters: MM2019
(filter->rarity to see in set rarity).
Aesthetically speaking, the original RTR art is way better, but I still ran the Duel Deck foil because I'm a sucker for small shiny objects that are cheaper than their non-foil counterparts.
BTW, Jace wasn't always the over-achiever he is today, pushing other versions of himself out of cubes worldwide. Here's a video of him in his college days.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
As far as building things, I used to work at a mobile home factory, so I've built a crap ton of mobile homes. That is to say that I helped build a good portion of every home that rolled out of that factory for nearly two years. Currently, I'm thinking very seriously about trying my hand at building a wooden squat rack for my basement home gym.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
Things that I've built? I didn't necessarily build it with my own hands, but I specced out every aspect of my dream bass guitar, had a company build the body and neck to my specifications, assembled all the other hardware / electronics and had somebody put it together for me.
I'm not a very handy person, but I do know what I want and how to get it
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
The DD:JvV version looks like Vanilla Sky/Minority Report-era Tom Cruise (which kind of makes me want to rejoice in him having a tragic car accident again, but whatever).
What else have I built lately? I have two young boys... Lego... So. Much. Lego.
My Stupidly Large Number of Current Decks
PucaTrade with me!
The Multiplayer Power Rankings
Cube: the Gittening (My Multiplayer Cube) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
The N00b Cube (Peasant cube for new players) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
In last year's Power Rankings, Wurmcoil Engine didn't crack the top 30 overall, but it did place 10th on the colorless rankings.
Nick Nobody from MTG Cube at Blogspot suggests that many of us could be undervaluing the Engine as a first pick, placing it 11th in his list of best cube cards to first pick.
On Riptide Lab, Wurmcoil Engine has been ranked on a different kind of list, CML's "Top 8 Most Oppressive Cube Cards", categorizing it as "game ruining b---s---" that a well-designed cube is better off without:
BONUS QUESTIONS
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Pretty much the #1 pick in my cube. Once you're in a slower cube like Multiplayer, you have more opportunity to durdle with him, and he never disappoints. Currently ranked somewhere in the top four, alongside SoFaI, SoBaM and Blade of Selves.
I have lost count of the times I have wrecked face with Wurmcoil + Vizkopa Guildmage. My playgroup just keeps handing them to me.
I wouldn't call it game-ruining, though. If you're given the opportunity to durdle with it in Multiplayer, good luck to you. There are plenty of other equally-dangerous six-drops in the format, and Wurmcoil comes out on top owing mostly to his colourlessness. You know what's really game-ruining in Multiplayer? Turn 1 Limited Resources. I've lived that. It wasn't fun.
I think I prefer right-facing Wurmcoil - he looks like he's blocking out the sun more.
My Stupidly Large Number of Current Decks
PucaTrade with me!
The Multiplayer Power Rankings
Cube: the Gittening (My Multiplayer Cube) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
The N00b Cube (Peasant cube for new players) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
Cards that I've found too oppressive
: blightsteel colossus was in quite a lot of turn two tinker decks so he is still in the timeout zone
: double strike, when paired with time walk is just gross.
: I don't like the idea of opposition and splintertwin being able to just lock out the game with no counter play outside of blue so I avoid them atm.
That being said he's my favorite Titan. Probably my favorite 6 drop in cube too. He heals so much and the deathtouchers on his token is relevant. The pack card looks more distinctive than the promo, the tokens are more distinct so I like it.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=484979
Relatively high, but not first pick. Once I know I'm playing a shell that wants it, I'll prioritize it, but usually not before that.
It's nice to have a playable colorless finisher that can go into a wide range of midrange and control decks. It's important because it's an artifact, for Tinker/Welder/Daretti shenanigans.
Only cards that have to be house-ruled in order to function correctly.
I prefer the one without the prerelease date stamp. I don't care which direction the Wurm is facing.
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!
I'll first pick it but there are drafts that will see Wurmcoil sitting in the sideboard, if I'm playing heavy aggro for instance.
A flexible, versatile finisher that almost singlehandedly beats aggro, fits in any color of long-game deck, and also fuels reanimator/tinker/welder shenanigans? It's a great tool to have.
I disagree fundamentally with the premise of the article referenced. 'Game ruining BS' is phrasing that scrubs use. There are cards that can be oppressive, but my preferred solution is to build answers to oppressive cards into the cube. You might not always beat a turn 2 tinker, but I have lots of artifact removal, bounce spells, and sweepers to handle whatever they put into play.
I've only ever removed cards from my cube because my group requested it. Mind Twist is the only card that they've found unfun enough to want to cut.
I don't particularly care
Here's my cube! Give it a draft!
375 unpowered cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/601ac624832cdf1039947588
Wurmcoil is a safe, but unexciting first pick. He can spot into most decks but I tend to first pick archetyp enablers first and Wurmcoil Engine doesn't enable anything except raw stats. I'd much rather first pick a Batterskull.
I prefer the original art, he looks bigger and has more green which makes him look more poisonous.
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
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