Expressive Iteration.
(took a quick look but didn't find a thread for this one)
It has been heavily played in multiple constructed formats. Does it translate well to cube? Anybody tried it?
It's definitely a good card. A baseline sorcery speed Anticipate ain't bad considering the ceiling is a 2-cmc pseudo Divination. My only issue is space, for me this doesn't beat out the versatility of Izzet Charm / Prismari Command / Dack Fayden or the ubiquity of Lutri, the Spell Chaser.
It's definitely a good card. A baseline sorcery speed Anticipate ain't bad considering the ceiling is a 2-cmc pseudo Divination. My only issue is space, for me this doesn't beat out the versatility of Izzet Charm / Prismari Command / Dack Fayden or the ubiquity of Lutri, the Spell Chaser.
I think it's better than Izzet Charm, but worse than the other 3 you mentioned.
As a result, it just barely on the outside looking in for my cube.
I think it's better than Izzet Charm, but worse than the other 3 you mentioned.
As a result, it just barely on the outside looking in for my cube.
Expressive Iteration is definitely the better constructed card, but I like the utility belt aspect of Izzet Charm more for cube. It's much more versatile and has the ability to both stop and enable broken plays.
I under-estimated expressive iteration when I saw it spoiled.
The "you must play one of these cards this turn" downside of the card is less than I thought. There's a high % chance you'll be able to hit a land off of 3 cards and if you are in the late game, you'll probably have enough mana to want to do something proactive with 2 non-land cards.
In the majority of decks, I think it's better than a 2 mana divination, not worse. The ability to dig an extra card deeper more than offsets the requirement to play one of the two cards the turn you cast the spell.
That being said, I love izzet charm. The counter non-creature spell mode is much better in cube than it is in constructed and every mode is often relevant.
I haven't played enough with iteration in cube to be confident, but I'd guess it is better than izzet charm in cube.
I really have been enjoying this card, but I do think Izzet Charm is better; not as an overall Magic card, but in my cube. It's simply a better fit, since it's an instant, interacts directly with the board, counters problematic spells, and helps contribute to the success of multiple archetypes since it's a discard outlet.
I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
On the bench but I really love these cards:
The Royal Scions
Prismari Command
Ral Zarek
Hot damn, Prismari Command is so good that you have it both in your cube and a second one in your bench
I really should be cutting these two, but I'm reluctant.
Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
Fire // Ice
I think Saheeli or Fire // Ice is a good swap for Expressive Iteration. Personally not the biggest fan of 3-cmc Saheeli. I've seen it do some stupid things, but at the same time it's a 3-cmc do nothing.
Expressive Iteration.
(took a quick look but didn't find a thread for this one)
It has been heavily played in multiple constructed formats. Does it translate well to cube? Anybody tried it?
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!
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
I think it's better than Izzet Charm, but worse than the other 3 you mentioned.
As a result, it just barely on the outside looking in for my cube.
360 card powered Chicago cube:
https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/e7r
2020 Numerical Power Rankings:
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/the-cube-forum/cube-card-and-archetype/817969-2020-numerical-cube-power-rankings
2018 CubeTutor Power Rankings:
https://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/the-cube-forum/cube-card-and-archetype/803301-cubetutor-power-rankings-2018-by-color-and-cmc
Expressive Iteration is definitely the better constructed card, but I like the utility belt aspect of Izzet Charm more for cube. It's much more versatile and has the ability to both stop and enable broken plays.
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
The "you must play one of these cards this turn" downside of the card is less than I thought. There's a high % chance you'll be able to hit a land off of 3 cards and if you are in the late game, you'll probably have enough mana to want to do something proactive with 2 non-land cards.
In the majority of decks, I think it's better than a 2 mana divination, not worse. The ability to dig an extra card deeper more than offsets the requirement to play one of the two cards the turn you cast the spell.
That being said, I love izzet charm. The counter non-creature spell mode is much better in cube than it is in constructed and every mode is often relevant.
I haven't played enough with iteration in cube to be confident, but I'd guess it is better than izzet charm in cube.
Last Updated 02/07/24
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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!
Goblin Electromancer
Izzet Charm
Dack Fayden
Prismari Command
Saheeli Rai
Thousand-Year Storm
I really should be cutting these two, but I'm reluctant.
Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
Fire // Ice
On the bench but I really love these cards:
The Royal Scions
Prismari Command
Ral Zarek
I could see playing him, but I'm really not sure if I could cut into any of the above UR cards as of right now.
My UR section and BG section is already over. I'm not sure if I can add any more cards to the list.
I'm a bit reluctant to test this right now considering how stacked this guild is. Does anyone want to suggest any cuts?
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
Hot damn, Prismari Command is so good that you have it both in your cube and a second one in your bench
I think Saheeli or Fire // Ice is a good swap for Expressive Iteration. Personally not the biggest fan of 3-cmc Saheeli. I've seen it do some stupid things, but at the same time it's a 3-cmc do nothing.
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra