I heard they were going to reprint swords in the return, one of which is kari Zev's sword shown in both kari zev's expertise and Kari Zev, Skyship Raider which was obviously lacking in aether revolt. finally they will complete the sword cycle we have all been waiting for.
I heard they were going to reprint swords in the return, one of which is kari Zev's sword shown in both kari zev's expertise and Kari Zev, Skyship Raider which was obviously lacking in aether revolt. finally they will complete the sword cycle we have all been waiting for.
Yep, Kari's is the RG variety, Sword of Fruit (G) and Punch (R).
Threads is solid, but I think it's a little too narrow in the cube to justify the 1UU cost. I like it as a 1-of sideboard card in constructed because there's some decks that this is just a 3cc Control Magic against, but those scenarios are rarer in the cube, and even low-to-the-ground decks will be killing you with 3 and 4-drops pretty regularly.
haven't tried out threads before. but am interested to hear what others have to say.
Kamigawa was before i started playing competetively but right in the middle of when my mom would buy me packs for going to the dentist haha. so i ended up with a few divining tops and things!
Seems like Threads might be good in a really heavy blue devotion package with Opposition, Whirler Rogue, Thassa, Master of Waves, etc. I've thought about adding the devotion support cards before, probably also doing something similar in black, and adding Nykthos. The problem is that there isn't really a payoff, especially in black, and with blue, the strategy is tempo-based and has no use for Nykthos. I just really like the devotion mechanic and Nykthos is sort of a Cabal Coffers / Gaea's Cradle substitute that can go into lots more decks. It all seems cool, but until there is a better payoff for having pips, it's probably not worth warping the cube so much.
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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
I think Threads is pretty good for cube because of the focus on cheap, efficient creatures, though I don't run it.
Kamigawa was a super weak set, but I liked the art and feel of the set. The big problems I had was that literally everyone I played with was still only playing Mirrodin Affinity, and after a few hundred straight games of playing against mono-blue affinity, then Jitte affinity just killed my desire to play.
I think for WotC, it taught them that when they have a strong set, they need to make the next set a proper foil to the previous set, so that people end up moving, and shifting focus, else one specific thing takes over forever... like Affinity did.
Aggro would have to be pretty seriously out of hand before I'd be seriously looking at something this narrow for my cube. However, the MTGO cube designers seem to like having strong sideboard-only options.
Kamigawa block was out during my long hiatus, but with all the unusual (and parasitic) mechanics it looks like a really interesting set to draft.
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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.
Threads feels great when it works, however there are a lot of cards you want to take where it doesn't. I think it's a bit better on the MODO cube due to how midrange is super prevalent and how strong mono red is, but it still feels meh there.
I was not playing enough to know what was going on.
Threads gets better as we get more powerful 2-drops, but it's nowhere near where I want it to be yet.
Kamigawa block is where I started to earn my stripes, I played a lot during that time. Champions x3 was pretty fun to play as long as you were okay with super grindy games, haha. I recall LSV saying that CHK / CHK / CHK is the champagne of draft formats.
I really want to return to Kamigawa, but Mark Rosewater said something about "how do I go up to my bosses and convince them that we should revisit one of the most critically / financially worst sets of all time?" I think people loved the world of Kamigawa, the cards and mechanics just weren't up to par. I feel they can definitely do the world justice this time around. Hopefully they'll at least have a multi-planar block that involves Kamigawa in a way.
I like some of the filter lands, especially the white ones as it seems like it's the color with the harshest mana requirements. That being said, I don't run any of the filter lands.
I'm a big coffee drinker. I don't sleep through the night due to my shoulders (I have the arthritis of a 90 year old man in both of them...) so it's SUPER helpful for keeping-my-job reasons.
I remember a while back some cubers really pushing for especially the B/W white due to mana requirements in those colors. Not sure if that's as much of an issue these days though. Worth noting they do help out with the Eldrazi colorless requirements.
Ultimately though, in most color combinations, there are about 5 better options ahead of these.
I run the BW filter land right now and it's been useful. Many BW decks are full of WW and BB cards at various points on the curve, so it's handy to filter. I also run the Eldrazi Displacer and Bearer of Silence so it's a bonus there too!
I drink lots of coffee, yes. Black if it's good. Cream if it's so-so. Cream and sugar if it's terrible.
Agree with wtwlf on these lands. Until I'm at that size cube, I don't think I'm interested.
I drink coffee, preferably with Silk brand soy creamer and a little bit of sugar. I've cut back to one mug a day most days, but today I had an extra late so I can type like The Flash!
I don't run the filters and I always questioned the logic about including Fetid Heath because BW has intensive mana costs. Like, that can't possibly make a difference when you're building your deck. You can't count on that effect showing up and making your mana smoother. It doesn't count as an extra source. It's an incidental help, but when I'm constructing manabases, I just want to know if I can cast my CC spells on T2, and that requires 13 sources to hit. Heath doesn't count as two sources.
As far as coffee, I'm a nut. I used a French press for years, but since I started teaching, I've been using a Kalita 185 pour-over rig, and when I get my grind spot-on and the beans are especially fresh, it competes for the best cups I've ever had. I've actually got two rigs, one for home and one for school. I try to keep my consumption to 20oz a day, but on some days, it's more like 36oz. That's probably bad for me, but I gave up smoking a pipe over a year ago, don't drink beer as regularly as I used to, etc, and I need a goddamn vice. My coffee is always blacker than the blackest black times infinity. I get my beans from a local roaster, Black Coffee Roasting Company, once a week on their roaster's choice day. With filters and beans, it's a habit that cost me just over $10 a week. Affordable luxury.
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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
I've always liked the filter lands. My original cube configuration was dual / fetch / shock / pain / filters. I wasn't too big a fan of the idea of manlands, but I eventually tested the manlands over the filter lands and never looked back. Colorless matters definitely raised the stocks of filter lands and they will definitely be included if / once I ever go up to 630 or we get more colorless cards.
I'm a tea person. I always have a collection of full leaf teas on hand and I have an electric tea kettle that not only boils the water fast, but also has variable temperature controls that I can boil the water to. Most restaurants use the same scalding hot water they use for coffee on tea and that's just plain wrong for non-black teas.
If you get a green tea at Starbucks or something, I'd recommend getting the water in one cup and the tea bag in another. Let the hot water cool down for a minute or two with the top off, then pour the water over the tea bag into the cup. It's important to pour the water over the tea bag / leaves, the whirlpool effect it creates makes it steep better. It drives me crazy whenever I see a waiter pour my hot water into my cup and then insert the tea bag afterwards.
Shoot me a PM if anybody wants to learn more about the teas that I drink.
Before enemy manlands came out and I proxied my ABU duals, I did run Fetid Heath to try to help Orzhov aggro decks run a bit more smoothly because of the concentration of WW and BB 2-drops. After all, it's the only dual where you could play a Savannah Lions off a Plains on Turn 1 into Turn 2 Bloodghast. However, not being able to make colored mana on their own makes them awkward in aggro decks in their own way, and much worse in 3+ color decks. For example, in a Grixis control deck a two land opener with Swamp and Cascade Bluffs is a much rougher keep than Swamp and just about any other Izzet dual. Even if you're supporting C costs, overall I think painlands are a better option. Making matters worse, most of them have only been reprinted as Expeditions, so the original printings of most of them cost $20+. Twilight Mire costs $35 TCG Market! Unless you happen to already have them on hand, you're supporting C costs, and your cube is on the large side I just don't think there's much reason to run these for most cube managers.
I start my day with two cups of Vietnamese coffee (they sell it in Chinese grocery stores here). I like my coffee like I like my president: black, strong, and hot.
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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 love Flamecaller. Although she wasn't the Chandra we always wanted (which we eventually got in Kaladesh), she fills in a rather barren slot in the 6-cmc finisher slot. I think this Chandra is one of the best designed planeswalkers because she's very explosive and all her abilities are live right out the gate. Most planeswalkers like to grind for value overtime, but Chandra can shake up the board or outright kill you immediately.
My favorite non-blue finisher that first comes to mind would probably be Thundermaw Hellkite. 5/5 flying, haste, unblockable on the first turn, Hellkite just eats players and planeswalkers for breakfast.
Chandra is awesome. Hits hard because she can immediately attack for 6, she can generate card advantage and feed the 'yard while digging for outs, and she can sweep the board of tokens & aggressive/utility creatures. And she works with token/sacrifice strategies too since her attack produces multiple bodies.
Favorite non-blue finisher is probably Grave Titan.
http://www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/63569
Threads of Disloyalty
BONUS QUESTION
Were you playing much during the Kamigawa block? If so, what did you think of it at the time?
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Yep, Kari's is the RG variety, Sword of Fruit (G) and Punch (R).
Kamigawa block was during one of my hiatuses.
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!
Kamigawa was before i started playing competetively but right in the middle of when my mom would buy me packs for going to the dentist haha. so i ended up with a few divining tops and things!
Kamigawa was part of my 14 year break from MTG.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: UR Delver
Modern: UGR Delver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
Kamigawa was a super weak set, but I liked the art and feel of the set. The big problems I had was that literally everyone I played with was still only playing Mirrodin Affinity, and after a few hundred straight games of playing against mono-blue affinity, then Jitte affinity just killed my desire to play.
I think for WotC, it taught them that when they have a strong set, they need to make the next set a proper foil to the previous set, so that people end up moving, and shifting focus, else one specific thing takes over forever... like Affinity did.
Kamigawa block was out during my long hiatus, but with all the unusual (and parasitic) mechanics it looks like a really interesting set to draft.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
I was not playing enough to know what was going on.
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
Rugged Prairie and the rest of the SHM/EVE filter lands
BONUS QUESTION
Are you a coffee drinker? If so, how do you like it?
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Kamigawa block is where I started to earn my stripes, I played a lot during that time. Champions x3 was pretty fun to play as long as you were okay with super grindy games, haha. I recall LSV saying that CHK / CHK / CHK is the champagne of draft formats.
I really want to return to Kamigawa, but Mark Rosewater said something about "how do I go up to my bosses and convince them that we should revisit one of the most critically / financially worst sets of all time?" I think people loved the world of Kamigawa, the cards and mechanics just weren't up to par. I feel they can definitely do the world justice this time around. Hopefully they'll at least have a multi-planar block that involves Kamigawa in a way.
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
I'm a big coffee drinker. I don't sleep through the night due to my shoulders (I have the arthritis of a 90 year old man in both of them...) so it's SUPER helpful for keeping-my-job reasons.
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
Ultimately though, in most color combinations, there are about 5 better options ahead of these.
I drink lots of coffee, yes. Black if it's good. Cream if it's so-so. Cream and sugar if it's terrible.
I do like coffee, yes. And I generally drink it with a splash of Bailey's.
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 drink coffee, preferably with Silk brand soy creamer and a little bit of sugar. I've cut back to one mug a day most days, but today I had an extra late so I can type like The Flash!
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
No coffee, thanks.
As far as coffee, I'm a nut. I used a French press for years, but since I started teaching, I've been using a Kalita 185 pour-over rig, and when I get my grind spot-on and the beans are especially fresh, it competes for the best cups I've ever had. I've actually got two rigs, one for home and one for school. I try to keep my consumption to 20oz a day, but on some days, it's more like 36oz. That's probably bad for me, but I gave up smoking a pipe over a year ago, don't drink beer as regularly as I used to, etc, and I need a goddamn vice. My coffee is always blacker than the blackest black times infinity. I get my beans from a local roaster, Black Coffee Roasting Company, once a week on their roaster's choice day. With filters and beans, it's a habit that cost me just over $10 a week. Affordable luxury.
EDH: UGEdric
Pauper: UR Delver
Modern: UGR Delver
Draft my cube: Eric's 390 Unpowered
I'm a tea person. I always have a collection of full leaf teas on hand and I have an electric tea kettle that not only boils the water fast, but also has variable temperature controls that I can boil the water to. Most restaurants use the same scalding hot water they use for coffee on tea and that's just plain wrong for non-black teas.
If you get a green tea at Starbucks or something, I'd recommend getting the water in one cup and the tea bag in another. Let the hot water cool down for a minute or two with the top off, then pour the water over the tea bag into the cup. It's important to pour the water over the tea bag / leaves, the whirlpool effect it creates makes it steep better. It drives me crazy whenever I see a waiter pour my hot water into my cup and then insert the tea bag afterwards.
Shoot me a PM if anybody wants to learn more about the teas that I drink.
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
I start my day with two cups of Vietnamese coffee (they sell it in Chinese grocery stores here). I like my coffee like I like my president: black, strong, and hot.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Chandra, Flamecaller
BONUS QUESTION
What's your favorite non-blue control finisher?
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
My favorite non-blue finisher that first comes to mind would probably be Thundermaw Hellkite. 5/5 flying, haste, unblockable on the first turn, Hellkite just eats players and planeswalkers for breakfast.
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
I think my favorite nonblue control finisher is Elspeth, Sun's Champion but Grave Titan is a strong contender.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Favorite non-blue finisher is probably Grave Titan.
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!