Wickerbough Elder is a great card, in my opinion, and still has a place in my cube. I like that you can play it without a target, holding up the ability to destroy an artifact or enchantment, and that it sticks around after using its ability.
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Hero is a great aggro curve-topper that excels at pushing damage through, letting your other creatures trade with blockers, and just generally killing your opponent. How often has Hero of Bladehold or another aggressive four-drop sealed the deal in your playgroup?
I have the promo of Hero of Bladehold and hate the art. The original is so much better. I'll have to make the swap.
I like the Rofellos art because it reflects the experience of casting a t3 Titan.
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EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: URDelver
Modern: UGRDelver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
Angel is a high-impact creature for the top of White's curve, and also plays very well with a blink/bounce theme. It's also evasive and presents a decent clock if unanswered.
I used to play this as a placeholder for Elesh Norn. Norn is better.
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I can't say I'm pleased to see you and must warn you I may have to do something about it.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: URDelver
Modern: UGRDelver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
Ran her but I was never super impressed, people didn't play her and she didn't seem to get cast even if she made decks. Her ETB is pretty nuts and even if opponent has removal you still get to bounce the creatures. If you are blinking her you can get a load of cards back from your graveyard between attacks.
Smash has been the premier artifact destruction card of choice for many aggressive red decks over several years and across a variety of formats. Does that list of years and formats extend to right now in your personal cubes? How often does it get relegated to sideboards, or is it strong enough to pack in your maindecks?
What have you ever broken that wasn’t yours, and what implications did you face?
Smash used to be really important. But between the printing of Abrade and the rules change that prevents Smash from blasting 'walkers anymore, it's a fringe include at 540 for me at best.
I tried it years ago but it didn't work out for me. Maybe my artifact density was lower when I ran it but since the printing of Abrade I haven't given re-adding it a second thought.
I once drunkely sat on a housemates laptop, he was not pleased but I didn't face too much in the way of implications because despite the screen being broken the laptop still worked with a monitor.
I replaced Smash to Smithereens with Abrade like many others, it seems. Having the option of killing a creature or artifact seems better than destroying an artifact and hitting your opponent for three. Even though both options of Abrade do less than Smash does, clearing away blockers also helps push through damage, and Abrade is more useful for non-aggro decks while also being good in aggro.
I still run Smash at 540 unpowered, and as my cube's resident aggro drafter, I find it to be a huge beating when on curve. Blowing up their Spellskite or Grim Monolith on turn 2 is a great way to overcome being on the draw.
I worked in a shop that fabricated and installed granite and marble countertops, operating a 3-axis CNC machine. In my three years there, I broke a countertop in almost every way that you can. Misprogramming a tool so that it dug out a sink in the wrong place, bumping a finished piece while it was on a cart, dropping a finished top. It was not the best place for me to work, in retrospect.
Abrade is very nice but we prefer Smash. Our RDWs want the shatter more than the 2 mana bolt, so Smash is nicer for helping to win the race. But I do like both, and I think it's good to try to include both when possible.
It doesn't have to be either/or. No cube inclusions ever do. But when new cards come out, it does change the evaluations of existing cards. And if you only have room for 1 shatter variant in red, Abrade is a million times better. Especially once you factor in the nerf that Smash got with the planeswalker damage change. I also play both. But it's not as important as it was before Abrade came out, and it's not as good as it was before the rules change. Both of those factors are game-changers for Smash, IMHO.
It doesn't have to be either/or. No cube inclusions ever do. But when new cards come out, it does change the evaluations of existing cards. And if you only have room for 1 shatter variant in red, Abrade is a million times better. Especially once you factor in the nerf that Smash got with the planeswalker damage change. I also play both. But it's not as important as it was before Abrade came out, and it's not as good as it was before the rules change. Both of those factors are game-changers for Smash, IMHO.
I will have to disagree strongly that Abrade is "a million times better" than Smash in cube. Red is the most aggressive colour in Magic and our Red section (as I imagine many are) is therefore heavily slanted towards Aggro. Red is the pivotal colour for making aggro work in the cube. And in Aggro, Smash is clearly superior to Abrade.
I agree that in general and in most formats Abrade is clearly a better card. I'm not even sure which of the two we would cut if it ever came down to it (there's probably other 2 cmc spells we would cut before either one of them). But I think there's a clear case to be made that Smash is up there with Abrade, and certainly not a million times worse.
Note that this is based on my play experience with a 360 powered cube, where the concentration of artifacts in decks tends to be very high, and where aggro struggles to be relevant, even against control. At that number of cards and with power the cube environment is almost vintage-esque (less broken, obviously).
I just had a look on MTGTop8 - Abrade and Smash are 2 of 11 red instants that see Vintage play. And several of those are multicolour, such as Izzet Charm and Kolaghan Command, whereas others are clearly sideboard cards, such as Red Elemental Blast. In short, I don't really see why you shouldn't play both. We happily do - at 360.
Even in agro I think I would prefer Abrade since it can deal with blockers, Smash to Smithereens cares about my opponents board more than I would like it too and is a dead card unless they have an artifact. I mean there are matches where Smash to Smithereens is clearly better, but if I'm going into a match blind I would run abrade 100% without even thinking about it. The flexibility of killing a blocker or destroying an artifact is much more appealing to me than destroying an artifact to deal 3 damage to a player.
If playing both works for you, then you do you, but in less artifact dense cubes Smash a very real drawback. I'm my cube Smash to Smithereens was an unexciting sideboard card but abrade makes most red decks. I think it just comes down to if you prefer flexibility or raw power; I prefer the cards that can deal with either of 2 types of problem, over the narrower 2-for 1 option.
I would say vintage is an entirely different animal, there are a ton of cards that are good there but don't play so well in cube; Delver of Secrets is a prime example, it is its own archetype in eternal formats but fell quite far short in cube (for me anyway).
The ability to kill blockers and swing in the team represents more damage on average than the 3-damage strapped to the shatter does. When the removal matters, it's infinitely more important.
I have had the polar opposite experience. For me, the smaller and tighter the cube list is, the more aggro is dominant. I think blue control gets harder and harder to compete with the bigger the cube gets.
But it shouldn't matter. With enough tinkering, any cube of any size should ultimately be balanced between aggro, midrange and control decks winning an equal percentage of drafts.
In standard it allows red acces to powerful card advantage, often drawing 4 or 5 cards vs control, or 2 or 3 vs more midrange oriented energy decks. In legacy Delver it usually gets 5 cards or so due to the formats general lack of creatures after the Deathrite ban.
What sleeper cards have you guys ever predicted that others didn’t believe you?
Courier is a solid beater, especially in decks that do a really good job of keeping the path clear and have some ways to take advantage of the fact he's an artifact.
Wickerbough Elder
Wickerbough Elder is a great card, in my opinion, and still has a place in my cube. I like that you can play it without a target, holding up the ability to destroy an artifact or enchantment, and that it sticks around after using its ability.
Do you have a favorite hat? How often do you wear a hat?
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Hero of Bladehold
Hero is a great aggro curve-topper that excels at pushing damage through, letting your other creatures trade with blockers, and just generally killing your opponent. How often has Hero of Bladehold or another aggressive four-drop sealed the deal in your playgroup?
What card in your cube needs new art the most?
grand coliseum needs new are so badly. they printed a freaking doubling season with the art that coliseum should have had. so disapointing.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
The card that needs new art the most off the top of my head is Ravenous Chupacabra. I bet I underdraft it just because it looks ugly.
I like the Rofellos art because it reflects the experience of casting a t3 Titan.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: UR Delver
Modern: UGR Delver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
Angel of Serenity
Angel is a high-impact creature for the top of White's curve, and also plays very well with a blink/bounce theme. It's also evasive and presents a decent clock if unanswered.
Where do you feel the most serene?
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: UR Delver
Modern: UGR Delver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Out in some nature is nice and serene.
Smash to Smithereens
Smash has been the premier artifact destruction card of choice for many aggressive red decks over several years and across a variety of formats. Does that list of years and formats extend to right now in your personal cubes? How often does it get relegated to sideboards, or is it strong enough to pack in your maindecks?
What have you ever broken that wasn’t yours, and what implications did you face?
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
I once drunkely sat on a housemates laptop, he was not pleased but I didn't face too much in the way of implications because despite the screen being broken the laptop still worked with a monitor.
Cheers,
rant
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I worked in a shop that fabricated and installed granite and marble countertops, operating a 3-axis CNC machine. In my three years there, I broke a countertop in almost every way that you can. Misprogramming a tool so that it dug out a sink in the wrong place, bumping a finished piece while it was on a cart, dropping a finished top. It was not the best place for me to work, in retrospect.
Here's my cube! Give it a draft!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Even in agro I think I would prefer Abrade since it can deal with blockers, Smash to Smithereens cares about my opponents board more than I would like it too and is a dead card unless they have an artifact. I mean there are matches where Smash to Smithereens is clearly better, but if I'm going into a match blind I would run abrade 100% without even thinking about it. The flexibility of killing a blocker or destroying an artifact is much more appealing to me than destroying an artifact to deal 3 damage to a player.
If playing both works for you, then you do you, but in less artifact dense cubes Smash a very real drawback. I'm my cube Smash to Smithereens was an unexciting sideboard card but abrade makes most red decks. I think it just comes down to if you prefer flexibility or raw power; I prefer the cards that can deal with either of 2 types of problem, over the narrower 2-for 1 option.
I would say vintage is an entirely different animal, there are a ton of cards that are good there but don't play so well in cube; Delver of Secrets is a prime example, it is its own archetype in eternal formats but fell quite far short in cube (for me anyway).
/disagree
The ability to kill blockers and swing in the team represents more damage on average than the 3-damage strapped to the shatter does. When the removal matters, it's infinitely more important.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
I'm not sure I understand this. Are aggro decks not good enough to be competitive?
(Both Smash and Abrade are great. Abrade is overall better, but I play both, personally.)
I used to write cube articles on StarCityGames, now for GatheringMagic and podcast about cube (w/Antknee42.)
But it shouldn't matter. With enough tinkering, any cube of any size should ultimately be balanced between aggro, midrange and control decks winning an equal percentage of drafts.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Bomat Courier
In standard it allows red acces to powerful card advantage, often drawing 4 or 5 cards vs control, or 2 or 3 vs more midrange oriented energy decks. In legacy Delver it usually gets 5 cards or so due to the formats general lack of creatures after the Deathrite ban.
What sleeper cards have you guys ever predicted that others didn’t believe you?
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!