It's going to take a long while. There's a ton of changes (both IKO cards and others) and a bunch of moving parts. For now, you can eyeball the top 10 cards from my article (plus the other companions) as cards with a strong possibility of going in.
Not sure if I'm just imagining things, but it seems like you're rather suddenly interested in the other companions. I think they're starting to sink in with me, too. Was just curious if you had read a particular analysis, or done some testing of your own that has maybe boosted your opinion?
The mechanic is broken. They're very likely all good enough to perform in cube. Just like ...literally every Magic format, it didn't take too long to realize this. I was cautiously optimistic in my top 20 article, secretly hoping they wouldn't be as good as I thought, but I was wrong. I thought they were broken, and they're even better than I thought they'd be.
FYI, the incoming update is massive. It includes both the Ikoria update alongside a retooling of my classification system. Capping true "gold" cards at 6 per guild and 5 3+ color cards, but allowing hybrid and tribrid cards to compete for slots against cards from anywhere in their color identity (whichever one makes the most practical sense). The result will create what appears to be an imbalance in actual numbers per section, but retains overall cube balance when actual card play is factored in. There will be fewer monocolor cards in some sections than in others, and more cards in certain guilds than others, but once playability factors are considered, balance will be largely maintained throughout. This will result in less gold cards and fewer monocolored cards, but more hybrid cards and more colorless cards, creating a net increase in overall playability and flexibility. When my draft events were seeing a smaller percentage of the cube pool, this classification system was less desirable, since you could often wind up with 21 or 22 playables and fall short. Given how the cube is drafted and how high the pool percentages are, this change will be largely unnoticeable, and should give players more tools rather than less once they start deckbbuilding.
The updates are done! The OP is updated here. The change was so massive that the best way to visualize the changes is to look through the blog history on CubeCobra, found here:
The updates are done! The OP is updated here. The change was so massive that the best way to visualize the changes is to look through the blog history on CubeCobra, found here:
First off, CubebTutor doesn't have the new cards yet, so I had to do the update in CubeCobra. But in general, CubeCobra runs faster and smoother at the moment, so it has been my go-to for mock drafting.
Wow, interesting change! I'm surprised that you didn't re-add Deep Analysis. When I asked you about the cut a few months ago you said that it was the first card you were planning on putting back in. Did your, uh, analysis of the card change in the interim?
Anyway, I'm really interested in your changes to white. Would you mind walking me through your thinking on the cuts to Thalia, Heretic Cathar and Spectral Procession? Pretty surprised to see both on the block for you, considering they're in most smaller lists, including mine. (Imposing Sovereign, too, but much less so.)
I didn't add in any older blue cards, so Deep Analysis wasn't available as an add. My opinion on the card has not changed. It's a great card that I wish I had room for, but don't, given the current configuration.
My focus was on cards I could live without. Making white more focussed on combo and archetype play has made it a lot more successful. So the first round of cuts go to cards that don't meet that description.
My focus was on cards I could live without. Making white more focussed on combo and archetype play has made it a lot more successful. So the first round of cuts go to cards that don't meet that description.
Interesting. Was white always less successful for your group, or did it start lagging behind when you increased the card count and started focusing on archetype play in the other colors? In other words, would you keep the white archetype cards if your cube went down to 540/450/360?
Also: just saw you cut Arc Lightning and Flames of the Firebrand. You were probably the biggest proponent of those dividable burn spells on these boards. Have you found them to be underperforming of late, or are they just cuts because you wanted more combo/archetype pieces?
All the changes are predicated on their adjusted value in a combo-enabled environment.
When none of the color combinations were involved in combo strategies, white's value was equal to all the other colors. Once other colors started doing more unfair things, white needed to evolve to do its fair share of unfair things as well. After the cube started to explore combos, white wasn't contributing as much. Making it's combo/archetype support deeper has helped increase its relevancy.
Blasting Station >> Mana Altars >> Brood. The last one is in there for other combo support; Aminatou, Guardian, Hunter, Etc. I mean, it still works with an otherwise non-lethal persist combo loop, but that's a tertiary benefit.
In general I'm not a fan of sorting with hybrid cards taking up mono color slots and prefer the guild section model. In a larger cube, though, I can really start to see the argument for it since stuff like Dryad Militant is obviously better than the next mono white Savannah Lions clone and can free up space for something like Avacyn's Pilgrim in Selesnya. I don't think it's a change I would personally make for my own cube, but I see how it makes sense for you.
I am also still prepared to eat my hat on just how broken the eight card hand is for some of the companions. In constructed it seems that the cards themselves have a lot to do with how powerful always having that eighth card can be and if it's worth it to warp your deck around them. I'm not here to debate their merits, though, and I think it's probably right to test them all to see where they land on the power level scale. I'm currently planning on testing RG, WB, UR, and RW, but they'll all be in my conspiracy module. I look forward to seeing your results.
Anyway, I've been looking forward to seeing your update for this set. Thanks for all your input in the community, man!
@rant: Altar of Dementia is maybe the best Altar of the bunch, probably just behind Blasting Station. Both of the mana Altars are pretty much the same.
Light and Dark are obviously drafted separately. You can have 1 player do Sealed for each side, or you can do any 2-person draft event you want to divide the pool.
Freebie cards are freely available to both players to add into their decks when deckbuilding, just like basic lands in Magic.
Great, thanks! So normally you'd draft 3 packs of 15 per side and have a maximum of 4 players for a 360 cube (180LS/180DS)?
Also, could you explain a bit about archetypes, if any, in the SWCCG cube?
Well, you can play up to 8 that way, but each player would only draft 1 side of the force.
Less archetype play, and more focus on theaters. Mainly divided between space and ground. You can have decks designed to control a couple major battlegrounds and try and hold them, or decks designed to spread out and drain from multiple spots. Decks designed to play defense and those designed to attack. And then there's decks focussed on ground locations, space locations or a mixture of both. Lastly there's the difference between the decks that are playing the safe (cube objective) route, or those that are playing Prepared Defenses/Heading builds. Deciding to build without the objective revolves around starting locations and starting effects more than anything. I would recommend using the cube objectives to start, since you get safe, consistent play that way. But Choke decks and a handful of other glass-cannon strategies can be powered up by the starting interrupts instead.
Earthcraft is a sweet card, but i'm not sure how to best abuse it. Are the combo interactions deep enough to make it consistent in the cube? Squirrel Nest is the main one I can think of. I'm sure there's more, but they need to be both numerous enough and powerful enough to be worth including.
I have no issue with hate cards, as long as they'll see enough play outside of the matchups they're bullets for. I always have my eye on cards like Harsh Mentor and Containment Priest and the like.
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Not sure if I'm just imagining things, but it seems like you're rather suddenly interested in the other companions. I think they're starting to sink in with me, too. Was just curious if you had read a particular analysis, or done some testing of your own that has maybe boosted your opinion?
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My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
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My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
https://cubecobra.com/cube/blog/5d61aa23b8ec593ca4b76ca6/0
It was split into two posts, the cuts and the adds.
Enjoy the Companions everybody, at least until they're all (hopefully) banned and treated like Conspiracies in all formats.
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Love the experimenting.
Very curious how the tier 2 companions play out... I'm skeptical but interested.
Curious, do you prefer cube cobra to cube tutor? What's the primary advantage cobra has over tutor? never tried it.
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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!
Anyway, I'm really interested in your changes to white. Would you mind walking me through your thinking on the cuts to Thalia, Heretic Cathar and Spectral Procession? Pretty surprised to see both on the block for you, considering they're in most smaller lists, including mine. (Imposing Sovereign, too, but much less so.)
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My focus was on cards I could live without. Making white more focussed on combo and archetype play has made it a lot more successful. So the first round of cuts go to cards that don't meet that description.
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!
Interesting. Was white always less successful for your group, or did it start lagging behind when you increased the card count and started focusing on archetype play in the other colors? In other words, would you keep the white archetype cards if your cube went down to 540/450/360?
Also: just saw you cut Arc Lightning and Flames of the Firebrand. You were probably the biggest proponent of those dividable burn spells on these boards. Have you found them to be underperforming of late, or are they just cuts because you wanted more combo/archetype pieces?
My Cube on Cube Tutor
When none of the color combinations were involved in combo strategies, white's value was equal to all the other colors. Once other colors started doing more unfair things, white needed to evolve to do its fair share of unfair things as well. After the cube started to explore combos, white wasn't contributing as much. Making it's combo/archetype support deeper has helped increase its relevancy.
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!
Thanks!
Cheers,
rant
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Thanks!
Cheers,
rant
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I am also still prepared to eat my hat on just how broken the eight card hand is for some of the companions. In constructed it seems that the cards themselves have a lot to do with how powerful always having that eighth card can be and if it's worth it to warp your deck around them. I'm not here to debate their merits, though, and I think it's probably right to test them all to see where they land on the power level scale. I'm currently planning on testing RG, WB, UR, and RW, but they'll all be in my conspiracy module. I look forward to seeing your results.
Anyway, I've been looking forward to seeing your update for this set. Thanks for all your input in the community, man!
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@rant: Altar of Dementia is maybe the best Altar of the bunch, probably just behind Blasting Station. Both of the mana Altars are pretty much the same.
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My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Great, thanks! So normally you'd draft 3 packs of 15 per side and have a maximum of 4 players for a 360 cube (180LS/180DS)?
Also, could you explain a bit about archetypes, if any, in the SWCCG cube?
Less archetype play, and more focus on theaters. Mainly divided between space and ground. You can have decks designed to control a couple major battlegrounds and try and hold them, or decks designed to spread out and drain from multiple spots. Decks designed to play defense and those designed to attack. And then there's decks focussed on ground locations, space locations or a mixture of both. Lastly there's the difference between the decks that are playing the safe (cube objective) route, or those that are playing Prepared Defenses/Heading builds. Deciding to build without the objective revolves around starting locations and starting effects more than anything. I would recommend using the cube objectives to start, since you get safe, consistent play that way. But Choke decks and a handful of other glass-cannon strategies can be powered up by the starting interrupts instead.
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!
Can reoccurring creature sac themes utilize such an effect? Tokens? Or too narrow?
2. What’s your stance on combo hate cards? Such as Harsh Mentor to disrupt Kiki/Twin, time vault combo...etc? Not that he’s useless otherwise.
Thanks!
I have no issue with hate cards, as long as they'll see enough play outside of the matchups they're bullets for. I always have my eye on cards like Harsh Mentor and Containment Priest and the like.
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!