Cube Size: 540 Breakdown: 85 per color, 40 multicolor (4 per guild, plus potential hybrids), 45 colorless and 30 fixing lands Theme: Peasant (Any card that has been printed at common or uncommon from any black- or white-bordered, English-language set sold in physical booster packs and meant for two-player games can be considered. This excludes box sets like Commander, foreign language reprint sets and supplemental products like Conspiracy. When considering cards from early expansions with unusual rarity systems, I default to Gatherer's classification.)
Proxies: No Online Rarities: No Snow Cards: No "Un" Cards: No Functional Reprints: Yes
Standard or Multiplayer: Standard Sideboards: Yes Color Balance: Yes Gold Balance: Yes Hybrid/Kicker/Split/Color Triggers as Gold: Yes (However, groups of matching hybrid cards can replace one card from each of their respective colors and exist in their own section rather than in the gold section. Non-fuse split cards count as hybrids.) Perfectly Balanced CMC: No
I changed some numbers around (giving the colors a few extra cards). I moved color-specific lands into the actual color sections and cut a few of the less useful lands. I also corrected the ten card deficit that my cube somehow managed to pick up.
I'd probably cut Shrieking Grotesque before Tidehollow Sculler. The ability to see their hand and choose the card is a big advantage especially if you drop him early.
What about LD? I can totally see why one would qualify it as unfun, but in cube it's not too bad in my experience. You often destroy one or rarely two lands per game and that's something that certainly affects your game plan, but it doesn't prevent you from doing things altogether. At the cost of ruining a couple of games (which tend to be over quickly, so little frustration there), you get a pretty valuable tool for red aggro and an interesting addition to red's identity which is a little one-dimensional otherwise. I didn't run it until a few months ago, but I've been happy with what it is now.
As I'm thinking about my multicolor and land section, what are your experiences with your utility lands? Are Desert, Stalking Stones, Quicksand, Dread Statuary worth it?
If you happened to be looking for GW cards, have you ever thought of Juniper Order Ranger? I've only included it very recently, but the results so far are promising. From making tokens very, very relevant to making Kitchen Finks even stronger to being arbitrarily big (with Murderous Redcap killing itself a few million times), it's pretty cool, but even if that doesn't happen, it's solid at least.
Overall, I feel our lists are pretty similar. Quite a few of the uncommon (not the rarity) choices in my cube are represented in yours as well, that gives me some confidence that they're maybe not that stupid after all
Specialities about the cube: U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
My problem with Tidehollow Sculler is that he hardly ever gets to attack. I understand that seeing their hand is way better than just a blind discard, but I like the fact that Shrieking Grotesque has evasion. I'll think about it.
There were a few LD spells in the first iteration of my cube, but I removed them at the same time I removed Maze of Ith (which seemed to me to be the biggest reason to have LD in the first place). I've been avoiding re-adding LD for a long time because I have a personal distaste for it, but it could definitely be a good inclusion. I'll ask my playgroup about it.
The colorless utility lands show up most frequently in mono-color decks, but I think my playgroup is overly wary of playing them in two color decks. I'll play Desert or Quicksand in pretty much any two-color control deck. Desert can be quite the card against anything with tokens. Stalking Stones doesn't get played all that frequently and might get cut, but I don't know what I'd replace it with. It still shows up in creature-light control decks on occasion. Dread Statuary has been fine in mono-color aggro decks. And I just put Zoetic Cavern in, so I haven't had any experience with it yet.
If I find a copy of Juniper Order Ranger, I'll try it out. I haven't thought about that card since it was in that combo deck a few years back.
I've been doing a few DII draft over the last couple days and a few cards that I initially passed on have really stood out to me as quite good: Niblis of the Urn, Stormbound Geist and Falkenrath Noble. I'm going to try these guys out, but I haven't decided what I'm going to cut to find room for them.
I can get behind Niblis of the Urn, although 1/1 is pretty small for a creature that wants to be atttacking, Stormbound Geist is good if you don't mind its drawback (and I like such decks to exist), but do you really have room for such a black four-drop? Four-drop are usually among the most crowded spots and black is no exception with Skinrender, Nekrataal etc. You do have quite a few of them and I don't see what you'd want to cut. Maybe Keening Banshee? Marsh Flitter?
For the Niblis, I'd try cutting Spectral Rider because I have high standards with CC beaters and I'm not sure Rider meets them. For the Geist, maybe Wall of Frost, Pestermite or the very comparable Rishadan Air Ship.
Specialities about the cube: U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
And here is my Avacyn Restored update. I'm once again reducing the size of my multicolor section and cutting some of the less desirable cards in it. I'm adding two cards to each color. Secondly, I changed a bunch of cards around for some new stuff (and not just AVR cards; I finally got my hands on some older stuff I've been meaning to include).
-Barbarian Ring (Threshold is just too difficult to achieve.)
-Ghitu War Cry
-Firecat Blitz (I thought that this could be an interesting variation on the Fireball effect. Turns out it's just bad.)
-Dimir Guildmage (It might actually be time to finally cut Psychatog. Dr. Teeth has failed to impress us at all lately; the only reason he's still in is because he happens to be a friend's favorite card.)
-Terminate (This could be heresy, I know, but it is JUST another removal spell in the two colors with the most removal. Though, perhaps I like Rakdos Guildmage too much.)
-Tattermunge Maniac (I know I just added this guy, but it was him or Fires of Yavimaya. I suppose I could cut Firespout because RG doesn't really want a sweeper, but I don't think I could convince my playgroup that's a good idea.)
The power of Wash Out varies wildly depending on what your opponent's deck is like. It's obviously awesome against mono-color decks and tokens, but against a slower deck with a bunch of value creatures, it's less than spectacular. I think it's best compared to Sleep; it can buy you a lot of time or clear the way for an attack. I like it, but it's not something I feel is absolutely necessary in every peasant cube.
I've been looking for something to replace the Raiders for a while. Hypnotist obviously doesn't go in every deck, but he's broken in anything with expendable creatures or tokens. In the first draft to feature him, one of my friends picked him early along with Golgari Germination and a bunch of green value dudes. He played it on turn four and made me discard my six-card hand. I lost that game.
I honestly don't know why the Iguanar was still in here. Nobody ever played it. I'm not super excited about the Hound, but it's an aggressive two-drop and we need lots of those.
I love Caryatid, but I felt green had too many defensive creatures. I'm entirely sold on the Triumph yet, having never actually played it in a real draft, but I hear good things.
It's difficult to articulate why we don't like Psychatog. One game out of ten where he gets cast, he'll be awesome, but those other nine, he's just really lackluster. Nobody ever wants to discard to him for fear of removal and rarely is your graveyard so full that you can pump him more than once or twice.
Descendant is inconsistent, even in the one archetype he's supposed to support (WU control). There have been a few comments about there not being enough artifact/enchantment removal, so I'm going to make an effort to increase those numbers a bit.
Anatomist was too slow and mana-intensive. Cutting Preordain may be wrong, but I've always felt like the blue cantrips never did anything super relevant (and they didn't get maindecked very often).
I have found that I prefer Ronom Unicorn/Kami of Ancient Law to War Priest of Thune. That may seem counterintuitive, because the latter generates CA at least, but I prefer being able to drop my guy on curve, bashing a few times, then trading to waiting for their enchantment and then playing an irrelevantly small dude.
In other news, don't cut Preordain! It's by far the best of the blue cantrips (of which I run three at 450) and blue cantrips are good. Maybe you're misplaying them? In other words: How do you tell if a Brainstorm is played too early? Answer: It is played. These cards get a lot more powerful as the game progresses and in this case, you should resist your urge to maximize mana efficiency through playing them on turn one. Wait until you're about to run out of gas, then play Preordain, put away a land and draw a business spell. You've just virtually drawn two cards with one mana, and you're probably still able to cast that business spell right away.
But still, Force Spike is awesome. I would definitely try to find another cut for Preordain and I don't see cutting it from any blue maindeck ever. If you play it over the 23rd best card, you practically have 22 cards (with a better average quality) and a card that helps you get even more out of them.
Specialities about the cube: U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
I'm already playing Kami of Ancient Law in addition to War Priest of Thune. I understand exactly what you mean; I was just trying to create some variety in my enchantment removal. I may end up swapping out the Priest for Ronom Unicorn anyway.
As for Preordain, I suppose you're right. I could probably cut one of the 3cc defensive guys instead (most likely Wall of Frost). That said, I have no intention of putting Brainstorm back in; I don't think it's very good without lots of shuffle effects.
I'm already playing Kami of Ancient Law in addition to War Priest of Thune. I understand exactly what you mean; I was just trying to create some variety in my enchantment removal. I may end up swapping out the Priest for Ronom Unicorn anyway.
As for Preordain, I suppose you're right. I could probably cut one of the 3cc defensive guys instead (most likely Wall of Frost). That said, I have no intention of putting Brainstorm back in; I don't think it's very good without lots of shuffle effects.
Yeah, Brainstorm is a little tricky and I mostly play it because it's freaking Brainstorm, the card that holds Legacy together. It's an okay card in C/Ube, at a level where it's based completely on personal preference.
Specialities about the cube: U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
Dropping double color two drops in favor of easier to cast two drops. The Child is a placeholder until I can find my foil Onyx Mage (it's around here somewhere).
I'm in favor of cutting CC two drops. Benalish Cavalry was a guy I added when cutting white CC guys and I have not regretted it. Lives through combat with every x/1 and almost every bear in the cube which is like 40% of creatures total. He doesn't seem like much but is definitely a SOLID french vanilla bear that is good in multiple decks and is worth considering.
I'll be interested to see how Onyx Mage turns out for you. I'm currently running Child of the Night (which I'm pretty meh on) but not Onyx Mage.
I'm in favor of cutting CC two drops. Benalish Cavalry was a guy I added when cutting white CC guys and I have not regretted it. Lives through combat with every x/1 and almost every bear in the cube which is like 40% of creatures total. He doesn't seem like much but is definitely a SOLID french vanilla bear that is good in multiple decks and is worth considering.
I'll be interested to see how Onyx Mage turns out for you. I'm currently running Child of the Night (which I'm pretty meh on) but not Onyx Mage.
Onyx Mage has never done enough for me, but I don't know what to include over it at that size. Augur of Skulls is pretty meh too...
Specialities about the cube: U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
Onyx Mage has been in my cube before, and he was fine. Certainly not spectacular, but fine. Once you get to four mana in an aggro deck, you can make some pretty brazen attacks with this guy in play, confident that whatever they block will trade.
Onyx Mage has been in my cube before, and he was fine. Certainly not spectacular, but fine. Once you get to four mana in an aggro deck, you can make some pretty brazen attacks with this guy in play, confident that whatever they block will trade.
Blind Creeper is certainly acceptable. He does nothing except attack for three if you need it, and that is already pretty cool. The worst Creeper ever played was right before a suspended Search for Tomorrow that resolved, boosting me to four mana, letting me play a signet and a spell after that. But still, the payoff is a 3/3 for two, and that's usually worth the risk.
Specialities about the cube: U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
Nobody is using blue as the primary color for aggro decks, and control decks have better blockers available. Power Sink is something I've wanted to try out for a while now.
Looking at Americanadian's cube made me think some more about my one drops. Echo is a really annoying mechanic, and Goblin Patrol just does not provide enough of a relevant body to make up for the fact that you can't play a two drop on turn two (Pouncing Jaguar might get the axe as well). Mogg Fanatic is not a bad card, but the other two cards have better upsides if you draw them late (and they're still good on turn one).
It's somewhat ironic that I'm cutting a ramp spell for a great ramp target, but it wasn't seeing much play, and it is the last of the colorless ramp-and-fixing-in-one cards (which I don't want in my cube). I'm going to put Ulamog's Crusher in, too, once I find one.
Value creatures are sweet and all, but red needs beaters. Hellbent is difficult to achieve, and the upside just wasn't high enough to justify playing the Megaliths.
Alchemy is a sweet card, but I don't know if it's powerful enough to warrant inclusion over Recoil. Dimir Guildmage wasn't very good, though. The other consideration was Mystical Teachings, but I feel like it's too expensive (plus, I have a distaste for tutors in highlander formats).
Favorable Winds and Homicidal Seclusion are a few more cards I'm considering. Seclusion in particular has far exceeded my expectations in draft.
The flashback cost on Battle Screech is essentially tap one additional white creature you control if you can flash it back the same turn as you play the front end.
Lightning Blast seems weak, and looking at your list you already have a lot of burn. In fact your red spells are almost entirely burn. Have you thought about including cards like Reckless Charge, Dead // Gone or Haze of Rage?
There is a lot of burn. It's not something I'm super worried about. There's usually one or two aggressive red decks and an XR control deck fighting over them, so they go pretty quickly.
Reckless Charge has been in my list before, but it wasn't played very often. I like the card, but if nobody's using it, why not make room for something that will get played?
Dead // Gone was also in my list for a long time, but was pretty weak.
Haze of Rage is a sweet card, but seems a little expensive. Storm is not a particularly good mechanic in limited, but I might try it out if I find one.
One idea I've been throwing around is adding land destruction spells (Stone Rain, Molten Rain and Pillage in addition to the already present Avalanche Riders). I'm just not sure how my friends will react to that; LD is not especially popular around here.
And my only concern about the flashback cost on Battle Screech is that if you don't have another white creature in play when you cast it (or it gets removed), then it's going to be a huge tempo loss later on.
This is my peasant cube.
Cube Size: 540
Breakdown: 85 per color, 40 multicolor (4 per guild, plus potential hybrids), 45 colorless and 30 fixing lands
Theme: Peasant (Any card that has been printed at common or uncommon from any black- or white-bordered, English-language set sold in physical booster packs and meant for two-player games can be considered. This excludes box sets like Commander, foreign language reprint sets and supplemental products like Conspiracy. When considering cards from early expansions with unusual rarity systems, I default to Gatherer's classification.)
Proxies: No
Online Rarities: No
Snow Cards: No
"Un" Cards: No
Functional Reprints: Yes
Elite Vanguard and Expedition Envoy are both strictly worse than Mardu Woe-Reaper and Dragon Hunter
Gideon's Lawkeeper
Goldmeadow Harrier
Mistral Charger
Stormfront Pegasus
Merfolk Looter
Thought Courier
Mind Control
Persuasion
both of which are strictly worse than Control Magic
Nantuko Husk
Phyrexian Ghoul
Dragon Fodder
Krenko's Command
Elvish Mystic
Fyndhorn Elves
Llanowar Elves
Borderland Ranger
Civic Wayfinder
District Guide
Cultivate
Kodama's Reach
Evolving Wilds
Terramorphic Expanse
Some of these were removed for being unfun, rather than just overly powerful.
Behemoth Sledge
Capsize
Fire Covenant
Ghostly Prison
Isochron Scepter
Land Tax
Library of Alexandria
Loxodon Warhammer
Mana Drain
Maze of Ith
Mother of Runes
Propaganda
Shrine of Burning Rage
Shrine of Loyal Legions
Skullclamp
Sol Ring
Strip Mine
Timely Reinforcements
Wall of Denial
Sideboards: Yes
Color Balance: Yes
Gold Balance: Yes
Hybrid/Kicker/Split/Color Triggers as Gold: Yes (However, groups of matching hybrid cards can replace one card from each of their respective colors and exist in their own section rather than in the gold section. Non-fuse split cards count as hybrids.)
Perfectly Balanced CMC: No
WWhiteW:
Dragon Hunter
Elite Vanguard
Expedition Envoy
Gideon's Lawkeeper
Goldmeadow Harrier
Mardu Woe-Reaper
Mother of Runes
Steppe Lynx
Accorder Paladin
Ajani's Pridemate
Cloistered Youth
Consul's Lieutenant
Daring Skyjek
Gather the Townsfolk
Kami of Ancient Law
Kor Skyfisher
Lone Missionary
Mistral Charger
Niblis of the Urn
Porcelain Legionnaire
Raise the Alarm
Seeker of the Way
Serene Steward
Shrine of Loyal Legions
Soltari Trooper
Stormfront Pegasus
Suture Priest
Syndic of Tithes
Wall of Omens
Attended Knight
Emancipation Angel
Fiend Hunter
Flickerwisp
Kor Hookmaster
Midnight Haunting
Sandsteppe Outcast
Stonecloaker
Battle Screech
Calciderm
Cenn's Enlistment
Glimmerpoint Stag
Goldnight Commander
Kor Sanctifiers
Master Splicer
Relief Captain
Seraph of Dawn
Spectral Procession
Timely Hordemate
Belfry Spirit
Cloudgoat Ranger
Elite Scaleguard
Feudkiller's Verdict
Sentinel of the Eternal Watch
Triplicate Spirits
Secluded Steppe
Cloudshift
Enlightened Tutor
Genju of the Fields
Harm's Way
Path to Exile
Sunlance
Swords to Plowshares
Angelic Renewal
Disenchant
Guided Strike
Intangible Virtue
Journey to Nowhere
Otherworldly Journey
Pacifism
Shelter
Temporal Isolation
Banishing Light
Griffin Guide
Lashknife Barrier
Oblivion Ring
Prismatic Strands
Stasis Snare
Blinding Beam
Faith's Fetters
Great Teacher's Decree
Faerie Conclave
Cloudfin Raptor
Enclave Cryptologist
Errant Ephemeron
Infiltrator il-Kor
Looter il-Kor
Merfolk Looter
Omenspeaker
Quickling
Riftwing Cloudskate
Spined Thopter
Thought Courier
Vaporkin
Waterfront Bouncer
Welkin Tern
Eldrazi Skyspawner
Frost Lynx
Illusory Angel
Jhessian Thief
Latch Seeker
Man-o'-War
Nimbus Naiad
Pestermite
Sea Drake
Sea Gate Oracle
Silumgar Sorcerer
Tandem Lookout
Archaeomancer
Clone
Mist Raven
Talrand's Invocation
Thieving Magpie
Whirler Rogue
Wing Splicer
Mulldrifter
Murder of Crows
Jetting Glasskite
Riverwheel Aerialists
Lonely Sandbar
Genju of the Falls
Gitaxian Probe
Mystical Tutor
Ponder
Preordain
Serum Visions
Counterspell
Daze
Favorable Winds
Impulse
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Miscalculation
Remand
Remove Soul
Snap
Standstill
Complicate
Compulsive Research
Crystal Shard
Exclude
Forbid
Hour of Need
Psionic Blast
Repulse
Rushing River
Careful Consideration
Coastal Piracy
Control Magic
Deep Analysis
Fact or Fiction
Foresee
Into the Roil
Ray of Command
Sleep
Gush
Mind Control
Persuasion
Tidings
Treasure Cruise
Condescend
Power Sink
Carnophage
Carrion Feeder
Diregraf Ghoul
Gnarled Scarhide
Plagued Rusalka
Tenacious Dead
Tormented Hero
Vampire Lacerator
Basilica Screecher
Blood Artist
Blood-Chin Rager
Brood of Cockroaches
Carrier Thrall
Dauthi Horror
Fledgling Djinn
Mardu Skullhunter
Nezumi Cutthroat
Nezumi Graverobber
Reassembling Skeleton
Sultai Emissary
Thrill-Kill Assassin
Vampire Interloper
Wight of Precinct Six
Zulaport Cutthroat
Bone Shredder
Chittering Rats
Dauthi Marauder
Hypnotic Specter
Liliana's Specter
Mogis's Marauder
Nantuko Husk
Pawn of Ulamog
Phyrexian Ghoul
Phyrexian Rager
Vampire Nighthawk
Bellowing Saddlebrute
Corpse Augur
Falkenrath Noble
Marsh Flitter
Moan of the Unhallowed
Nekrataal
Orc Sureshot
Skinrender
Fallen Angel
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Rakshasa Gravecaller
Shriekmaw
Twisted Abomination
Gurmag Angler
Barren Moor
Darkblast
Duress
Inquisition of Kozilek
Phyrexian Reclamation
Quest for the Gravelord
Raven's Crime
Reanimate
Undying Evil
Unearth
Vampiric Rites
Animate Dead
Dance of the Dead
Demonic Tutor
Go for the Throat
Hymn to Tourach
Night's Whisper
Ultimate Price
Ashes to Ashes
Curse of Shallow Graves
Dismember
Drown in Sorrow
Haunted Crossroads
Necromancy
Read the Bones
Victimize
Barter in Blood
Diabolic Servitude
Hideous Laughter
Makeshift Mannequin
Snuff Out
Contagion
Death Denied
Ghitu Encampment
Frenzied Goblin
Goblin Glory Chaser
Jackal Pup
Monastery Swiftspear
Reckless Waif
Stonewright
Borderland Marauder
Dragon Fodder
Fireslinger
Gore-House Chainwalker
Hellspark Elemental
Humble Defector
Keldon Marauders
Krenko's Command
Lightning Mauler
Makindi Sliderunner
Mogg War Marshal
Plated Geopede
Stormblood Berserker
Torch Fiend
War-Name Aspirant
Young Pyromancer
Acolyte of the Inferno
Blood Ogre
Boggart Brute
Cunning Sparkmage
Fire Imp
Ghirapur Gearcrafter
Guttersnipe
Hissing Iguanar
Hordeling Outburst
Manic Vandal
Pyreheart Wolf
Splatter Thug
Vulshok Sorcerer
Avalanche Riders
Beetleback Chief
Bloodfray Giant
Embodiment of Fury
Flametongue Kavu
Goblin Heelcutter
Keldon Champion
Seismic Elemental
Shockmaw Dragon
Forgotten Cave
Burst Lightning
Chain Lightning
Coordinated Assault
Faithless Looting
Firebolt
Genju of the Spires
Lightning Bolt
Reckless Charge
Weapon Surge
Arc Trail
Incinerate
Madcap Skills
Magma Jet
Pyroclasm
Searing Blood
Shrine of Burning Rage
Tormenting Voice
Arc Lightning
Brimstone Volley
Lust for War
Mark of Mutiny
Raid Bombardment
Staggershock
Threaten
Blind with Anger
Flameshot
Stoke the Flames
Traitorous Instinct
Shower of Coals
Pyrokinesis
Slice and Dice
Fireball
Treetop Village
Arbor Elf
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Elvish Mystic
Experiment One
Fyndhorn Elves
Joraga Treespeaker
Llanowar Elves
Wild Nacatl
Beastbreaker of Bala Ged
Darkthicket Wolf
Devoted Druid
Heir of the Wilds
Jade Mage
Leafcrown Dryad
Nest Invader
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Snapping Gnarlid
Undercity Troll
Wall of Blossoms
Wall of Roots
Wild Mongrel
Borderland Ranger
Civic Wayfinder
Crocanura
Eternal Witness
Imperious Perfect
Reclamation Sage
Scion of the Wild
Trophy Hunter
Wolfir Avenger
Yavimaya Elder
Blastoderm
Briarhorn
Druid's Familiar
Kozilek's Predator
Penumbra Spider
Predator's Howl
Seed Guardian
Temur Sabertooth
Wickerbough Elder
Acidic Slime
Beast Attack
Conclave Naturalists
Grizzly Fate
Nessian Asp
Scatter the Seeds
Sprout Swarm
Brood Monitor
Gravetiller Wurm
Great Oak Guardian
Skysnare Spider
Pelakka Wurm
Plated Crusher
Roar of the Wurm
Tranquil Thicket
Genju of the Cedars
Mutagenic Growth
Rancor
Search for Tomorrow
Utopia Sprawl
Wild Growth
Worldly Tutor
Edge of Autumn
Explore
Naturalize
Rampant Growth
Regrowth
Sylvan Library
Cultivate
Curse of Predation
Growth Spasm
Harrow
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Tusker
Squirrel Nest
Harmonize
Blessings of Nature
Centaur Glade
Restock
Hurricane
WU
Momentary Blink
Arctic Aven
Lyev Skyknight
Reflector Mage
Thunderclap Wyvern
UB
Baleful Strix
Psychatog
Moroii
Haunter of Nightveil
Ribbons of Night
BR
Rix Maadi Guildmage
Fire Covenant
Blazing Hellhound
Bituminous Blast
Swift Warkite
RG
Kird Ape
Fires of Yavimaya
Bloodbraid Elf
Ghor-Clan Rampager
Gruul War Chant
GW
Qasali Pridemage
Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
Juniper Order Ranger
Enlisted Wurm
Trostani's Summoner
WB
Zealous Persecution
Drana's Emissary
Lingering Souls
Maw of the Obzedat
Unburial Rites
UR
Izzet Charm
Electrolyze
Gelectrode
Jilt
Turn // Burn
BG
Catacomb Sifter
Dreg Mangler
Golgari Germination
Deathreap Ritual
Baloth Null
RW
Boros Charm
Lightning Helix
Truefire Paladin
Rally the Peasants
Skyknight Legionnaire
GU
Kiora's Follower
Bounding Krasis
Shardless Agent
Trygon Predator
Aether Mutation
-1 white card
-1 blue card
Curse of Chains
Silkbind Faerie
-1 black card
-1 red card
Rakdos Cackler
Murderous Redcap
-1 red card
-1 green card
Burning-Tree Emissary
Gruul Guildmage
-2 green cards
-2 white cards
Dryad Militant
Safehold Elite
Selesnya Guildmage
Kitchen Finks
-1 white card
-1 blue card
-1 red card
Azorius Guildmage
Fire // Ice
Spitemare
-1 blue card
-1 black card
-1 red card
Inkfathom Infiltrator
Rakdos Guildmage
Frostburn Weird
Epochrasite
Perilous Myr
Palladium Myr
Galvanic Juggernaut
Pierce Strider
Su-Chi
Darksteel Sentinel
Bane of Bala Ged
Breaker of Armies
Ulamog's Crusher
Artisan of Kozilek
Bonesplitter
Leonin Bola
Sylvok Lifestaff
Trusty Machete
Lightning Greaves
Mask of Memory
Mortarpod
Vulshok Morningstar
Grafted Wargear
Coldsteel Heart
Fellwar Stone
Guardian Idol
Isochron Scepter
Mind Stone
Prismatic Lens
Spawning Pit
Star Compass
Blasting Station
Pristine Talisman
Worn Powerstone
Icy Manipulator
Serrated Arrows
Everflowing Chalice
Ancient Tomb
Desert
Foundry of the Consuls
Mishra's Factory
Quicksand
Urza's Factory
Vivid Meadow
Vivid Creek
Vivid Marsh
Vivid Crag
Vivid Grove
Seaside Citadel
Arcane Sanctum
Crumbling Necropolis
Savage Lands
Jungle Shrine
Sandsteppe Citadel
Mystic Monastery
Opulent Palace
Nomad Outpost
Frontier Bivouac
Sejiri Refuge
Jwar Isle Refuge
Akoum Refuge
Kazandu Refuge
Graypelt Refuge
Scoured Barrens
Swiftwater Cliffs
Jungle Hollow
Wind-Scarred Crag
Thornwood Falls
City of Brass
Evolving Wilds
Gemstone Mine
Mirrodin's Core
Terramorphic Expanse
And here is a link to the up-to-date list on Cube Tutor.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
I changed some numbers around (giving the colors a few extra cards). I moved color-specific lands into the actual color sections and cut a few of the less useful lands. I also corrected the ten card deficit that my cube somehow managed to pick up.
-Akroma's Blessing
-Alabaster Mage
+Shelter
+Pacifism
+Forbidding Watchtower
+Gideon's Lawkeeper
+Lone Missionary
+Spectral Rider
+Fiend Hunter
-Volition Reins
-Fathom Seer
-Fatestitcher
-Air Elemental
+Grasp of Phantoms
+Faerie Conclave
+Halimar Depths
+Phantasmal Bear
+Tower Geist
+Air Servant
+Spire Monitor
-Dismember (moved to colorless)
-Dakmor Plague
+Phyrexian Reclamation
+Victimize
+Fledgling Djinn
+Vampire Hexmage
+Sanguine Guard
+Daggerclaw Imp
-Browbeat
-Captive Flame
-Sulfurous Blast
-Stingscourger
-Hearth Kami
-Bladetusk Boar
+Rhystic Lightning
+Ghitu War Cry (it has better art than Captive Flame)
+Firecat Blitz
+Ghitu Encampment
+Barbarian Ring
+Jackal Pup
+Reckless Waif
+Mogg Fanatic
+Torch Fiend
-Harrow
-Wildsize
-Ulvenwald Mystics
+Rampant Growth
+Treetop Village
+Avacyn's Pilgrim
+Darkthicket Wolf
+Gatstaf Shepherd
+Strangleroot Geist
+Borderland Ranger
-Supply // Demand
-Tower Gargoyle
+Sunscape Battlemage
+Stormscape Battlemage
-Kiss of the Amesha
+Momentary Blink
-Savage Twister
+Tattermunge Maniac
-Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
+Loam Lion
-Intimidation Bolt
+Rally the Peasants
-Artisan of Kozilek
+Galvanic Juggernaut
-Vault Skirge
-Slash Panther
-Thundering Tanadon
+Dismember
+Act of Aggression
+Mutagenic Growth
-Krosan Verge
-Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree (I'm actually kind of sad to see this go, but there wasn't any room is GW.)
-Cabal Pit
-Centaur Garden
-Skarrg, the Rage Pits
-Forbidding Watchtower (moved to white)
-Fearie Conclave (moved to blue)
-Halimar Depths (moved to blue)
-Ghitu Encampment (moved to red)
-Barbarian Ring (moved to red)
-Treetop Village (moved to green)
+Zoetic Cavern
There might be an error or two in that; I compiled it late last night.
The reason I haven't put Lingering Souls in yet is because I do not own one. Probably going to cut Tidehollow Sculler for it.
There will be another update when the new set is out. I'll be ordering some cards I haven't been able to find and new sleeves.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
What about LD? I can totally see why one would qualify it as unfun, but in cube it's not too bad in my experience. You often destroy one or rarely two lands per game and that's something that certainly affects your game plan, but it doesn't prevent you from doing things altogether. At the cost of ruining a couple of games (which tend to be over quickly, so little frustration there), you get a pretty valuable tool for red aggro and an interesting addition to red's identity which is a little one-dimensional otherwise. I didn't run it until a few months ago, but I've been happy with what it is now.
As I'm thinking about my multicolor and land section, what are your experiences with your utility lands? Are Desert, Stalking Stones, Quicksand, Dread Statuary worth it?
If you happened to be looking for GW cards, have you ever thought of Juniper Order Ranger? I've only included it very recently, but the results so far are promising. From making tokens very, very relevant to making Kitchen Finks even stronger to being arbitrarily big (with Murderous Redcap killing itself a few million times), it's pretty cool, but even if that doesn't happen, it's solid at least.
Overall, I feel our lists are pretty similar. Quite a few of the uncommon (not the rarity) choices in my cube are represented in yours as well, that gives me some confidence that they're maybe not that stupid after all
450, Peasant*, unpowered**
Specialities about the cube:
U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
There were a few LD spells in the first iteration of my cube, but I removed them at the same time I removed Maze of Ith (which seemed to me to be the biggest reason to have LD in the first place). I've been avoiding re-adding LD for a long time because I have a personal distaste for it, but it could definitely be a good inclusion. I'll ask my playgroup about it.
The colorless utility lands show up most frequently in mono-color decks, but I think my playgroup is overly wary of playing them in two color decks. I'll play Desert or Quicksand in pretty much any two-color control deck. Desert can be quite the card against anything with tokens. Stalking Stones doesn't get played all that frequently and might get cut, but I don't know what I'd replace it with. It still shows up in creature-light control decks on occasion. Dread Statuary has been fine in mono-color aggro decks. And I just put Zoetic Cavern in, so I haven't had any experience with it yet.
If I find a copy of Juniper Order Ranger, I'll try it out. I haven't thought about that card since it was in that combo deck a few years back.
Thanks for the feedback.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Gravedigger -> Entomber Exarch
Garruk's Companion -> Beastbreaker of Bala Ged
I've been doing a few DII draft over the last couple days and a few cards that I initially passed on have really stood out to me as quite good: Niblis of the Urn, Stormbound Geist and Falkenrath Noble. I'm going to try these guys out, but I haven't decided what I'm going to cut to find room for them.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
I can get behind Niblis of the Urn, although 1/1 is pretty small for a creature that wants to be atttacking, Stormbound Geist is good if you don't mind its drawback (and I like such decks to exist), but do you really have room for such a black four-drop? Four-drop are usually among the most crowded spots and black is no exception with Skinrender, Nekrataal etc. You do have quite a few of them and I don't see what you'd want to cut. Maybe Keening Banshee? Marsh Flitter?
For the Niblis, I'd try cutting Spectral Rider because I have high standards with CC beaters and I'm not sure Rider meets them. For the Geist, maybe Wall of Frost, Pestermite or the very comparable Rishadan Air Ship.
450, Peasant*, unpowered**
Specialities about the cube:
U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
-Sigiled Paladin
-Timely Reinforcements (I feel like I have to be very careful with anti-aggro cards. I already have Story Circle and Ghostly Prison in white, and I really don't feel like I need another one.)
-Shade of Trokair
-Inspired Charge
+Niblis of the Urn
+Loyal Cathar
+Troubled Healer (A lot of the Pauper cube guys are having success with this card.)
+Seraph of Dawn (I got first in an AVR draft last night. This card won me a few games by itself.)
+Stir the Pride
+Charge Across the Araba (Klug recently added this to his cube and it looks SWEET.)
-Genju of the Falls (The only Genju that nobody ever wanted to play.)
-Shimmering Glasskite
-Spire Monitor
+Withdraw
+Fettergeist
+Stormbound Geist
+Latch Seeker
+Mist Raven
+Pulse Tracker
+Falkenrath Noble
-Barbarian Ring (Threshold is just too difficult to achieve.)
-Ghitu War Cry
-Firecat Blitz (I thought that this could be an interesting variation on the Fireball effect. Turns out it's just bad.)
+Keldon Megaliths (I have no idea if Hellbent will be any easier to get than Threshold. But I'm hopeful.)
+Goblin Patrol
+Lightning Mauler
+Fervent Cathar
+Spikeshot Goblin (This guy was a beast in MD5.)
-Rhox Charger
-Festerhide Boar (I like the Boar, but he seemed like the weakest four drop after the Charger. I might try to get him back in.)
+Explore
+Wolfir Avenger
+Vital Splicer
+Briarpack Alpha
-Silkbind Faerie
-Dimir Guildmage (It might actually be time to finally cut Psychatog. Dr. Teeth has failed to impress us at all lately; the only reason he's still in is because he happens to be a friend's favorite card.)
-Terminate (This could be heresy, I know, but it is JUST another removal spell in the two colors with the most removal. Though, perhaps I like Rakdos Guildmage too much.)
-Tattermunge Maniac (I know I just added this guy, but it was him or Fires of Yavimaya. I suppose I could cut Firespout because RG doesn't really want a sweeper, but I don't think I could convince my playgroup that's a good idea.)
-Hedge Troll
-Enlisted Wurm
+Juniper Order Ranger (As far as I can tell, this allows for the first infinite combo in my cube. This plus Kitchen Finks or Murderous Redcap plus Spawning Pit.)
-Tidehollow Sculler (Yeah, I like Shrieking Grotesque more than the Sculler. Come at me.)
-Blind Hunter
+Lingering Souls
-Izzet Chronarch
-Ebony Treefolk
-Rally the Peasants
-Jungle Barrier (Is this a better cut than Lorescale Coatl? I honestly don't know which I like more.)
-Trigon of Rage
-Spined Thopter (This is another card I might put back in at some point. I just had to cut something.)
+Specter's Shroud (VALUUUUUUEEEEE)
+Fireshrieker
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
-Shepherd of the Lost
+Goldnight Redeemer
-Viashino Cutthroat
+Searing Blaze
-Fires of Yavimaya
+Tattermunge Maniac
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
-Wei Night Raiders
+Sadistic Hypnotist
I've been looking for something to replace the Raiders for a while. Hypnotist obviously doesn't go in every deck, but he's broken in anything with expendable creatures or tokens. In the first draft to feature him, one of my friends picked him early along with Golgari Germination and a bunch of green value dudes. He played it on turn four and made me discard my six-card hand. I lost that game.
-Hissing Iguanar
-Inner-Flame Acolyte
+Ashmouth Hound
+Hanweir Lancer
I honestly don't know why the Iguanar was still in here. Nobody ever played it. I'm not super excited about the Hound, but it's an aggressive two-drop and we need lots of those.
-Worldly Tutor
-Carven Caryatid
-Scatter the Seeds
+Trusted Forcemage
+Druid's Familiar
+Triumph of Ferocity
I love Caryatid, but I felt green had too many defensive creatures. I'm entirely sold on the Triumph yet, having never actually played it in a real draft, but I hear good things.
-Psychatog
+Dimir Guildmage
It's difficult to articulate why we don't like Psychatog. One game out of ten where he gets cast, he'll be awesome, but those other nine, he's just really lackluster. Nobody ever wants to discard to him for fear of removal and rarely is your graveyard so full that you can pump him more than once or twice.
-Unmake
+Blind Hunter
It would seem that a hard-to-cast removal spell is less popular with my friends than a sweet value dude. Shows how much I know.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Two thumbs up for adding Hanweir Lancer. You won't regret it!
-Descendant of Kiyomaro
+War Priest of Thune
Descendant is inconsistent, even in the one archetype he's supposed to support (WU control). There have been a few comments about there not being enough artifact/enchantment removal, so I'm going to make an effort to increase those numbers a bit.
-Preordain
-Vedalken Anatomist
+Force Spike
+Waterfront Bouncer
Anatomist was too slow and mana-intensive. Cutting Preordain may be wrong, but I've always felt like the blue cantrips never did anything super relevant (and they didn't get maindecked very often).
-Dead // Gone
+Arc Trail
I don't know how or why it happened, but apparently Arc Trail got removed from my cube at some point and I failed to notice.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
In other news, don't cut Preordain! It's by far the best of the blue cantrips (of which I run three at 450) and blue cantrips are good. Maybe you're misplaying them? In other words: How do you tell if a Brainstorm is played too early? Answer: It is played. These cards get a lot more powerful as the game progresses and in this case, you should resist your urge to maximize mana efficiency through playing them on turn one. Wait until you're about to run out of gas, then play Preordain, put away a land and draw a business spell. You've just virtually drawn two cards with one mana, and you're probably still able to cast that business spell right away.
But still, Force Spike is awesome. I would definitely try to find another cut for Preordain and I don't see cutting it from any blue maindeck ever. If you play it over the 23rd best card, you practically have 22 cards (with a better average quality) and a card that helps you get even more out of them.
450, Peasant*, unpowered**
Specialities about the cube:
U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
As for Preordain, I suppose you're right. I could probably cut one of the 3cc defensive guys instead (most likely Wall of Frost). That said, I have no intention of putting Brainstorm back in; I don't think it's very good without lots of shuffle effects.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Yeah, Brainstorm is a little tricky and I mostly play it because it's freaking Brainstorm, the card that holds Legacy together. It's an okay card in C/Ube, at a level where it's based completely on personal preference.
450, Peasant*, unpowered**
Specialities about the cube:
U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
+Blade of the Sixth Pride
-Wall of Frost
+Preordain
-Hand of Cruelty
+Child of Night
Dropping double color two drops in favor of easier to cast two drops. The Child is a placeholder until I can find my foil Onyx Mage (it's around here somewhere).
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
I'll be interested to see how Onyx Mage turns out for you. I'm currently running Child of the Night (which I'm pretty meh on) but not Onyx Mage.
Onyx Mage has never done enough for me, but I don't know what to include over it at that size. Augur of Skulls is pretty meh too...
450, Peasant*, unpowered**
Specialities about the cube:
U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
That said, I might try out Blind Creeper instead.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Blind Creeper is certainly acceptable. He does nothing except attack for three if you need it, and that is already pretty cool. The worst Creeper ever played was right before a suspended Search for Tomorrow that resolved, boosting me to four mana, letting me play a signet and a spell after that. But still, the payoff is a 3/3 for two, and that's usually worth the risk.
450, Peasant*, unpowered**
Specialities about the cube:
U tempo, B aggro, R slow-ish are supported. G aggro is not.
Currently trying to support tokens in all colors but blue, in different ways: W pumps them, B sacrifices them, R suicides them, G has decent-sized ones.
cube list outdated
*literal C/U definition according to gatherer
**some cards are banned. Library of Alexandria, Land Tax, Sol Ring.
+Power Sink
Nobody is using blue as the primary color for aggro decks, and control decks have better blockers available. Power Sink is something I've wanted to try out for a while now.
-Child of Night
+Blind Creeper
Yep.
-Goblin Patrol
-Mogg Fanatic
+Stonewright
+Frenzied Goblin
Looking at Americanadian's cube made me think some more about my one drops. Echo is a really annoying mechanic, and Goblin Patrol just does not provide enough of a relevant body to make up for the fact that you can't play a two drop on turn two (Pouncing Jaguar might get the axe as well). Mogg Fanatic is not a bad card, but the other two cards have better upsides if you draw them late (and they're still good on turn one).
-Wayfarer's Bauble
+Artisan of Kozilek
It's somewhat ironic that I'm cutting a ramp spell for a great ramp target, but it wasn't seeing much play, and it is the last of the colorless ramp-and-fixing-in-one cards (which I don't want in my cube). I'm going to put Ulamog's Crusher in, too, once I find one.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
+Battle Screech
Peregrine is kind of awkward. I want to try out another token producer (even though the flashback cost is pretty bad).
-Dauthi Mercenary
+Dance of the Dead
+Victimize
Black was missing a card.
-Keldon Megaliths
-Oxidda Scrapmelter
-Spitebellows
+Hearth Kami
+Kruin Striker
+Lightning Blast
Value creatures are sweet and all, but red needs beaters. Hellbent is difficult to achieve, and the upside just wasn't high enough to justify playing the Megaliths.
-Dimir Guildmage
+Forbidden Alchemy
Alchemy is a sweet card, but I don't know if it's powerful enough to warrant inclusion over Recoil. Dimir Guildmage wasn't very good, though. The other consideration was Mystical Teachings, but I feel like it's too expensive (plus, I have a distaste for tutors in highlander formats).
Favorable Winds and Homicidal Seclusion are a few more cards I'm considering. Seclusion in particular has far exceeded my expectations in draft.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Lightning Blast seems weak, and looking at your list you already have a lot of burn. In fact your red spells are almost entirely burn. Have you thought about including cards like Reckless Charge, Dead // Gone or Haze of Rage?
Reckless Charge has been in my list before, but it wasn't played very often. I like the card, but if nobody's using it, why not make room for something that will get played?
Dead // Gone was also in my list for a long time, but was pretty weak.
Haze of Rage is a sweet card, but seems a little expensive. Storm is not a particularly good mechanic in limited, but I might try it out if I find one.
I've been meaning to add Faithless Looting, but I don't own one.
One idea I've been throwing around is adding land destruction spells (Stone Rain, Molten Rain and Pillage in addition to the already present Avalanche Riders). I'm just not sure how my friends will react to that; LD is not especially popular around here.
And my only concern about the flashback cost on Battle Screech is that if you don't have another white creature in play when you cast it (or it gets removed), then it's going to be a huge tempo loss later on.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)