This update is why I couldn't commit to a 540 cube. Even though their are more great options I don't think there are enough new great options to justify a 90 card jump without having to include some cards that I really don't want to. I think I'm going to slowly transition to a 500 card cube, replace any remaining lackluster cards and then add cards in sets (1 of each color, 1 of each guild) as I obtain them.
I'm replacing a few slots like Village Messenger to Bomat Courier or Thalia's Lancers to God-Eternal Oketra and once I'm to the point where I don't want to replace I'll wait until I have an option I want for each color (or guild) and then add them together.
Nice update! Love seeing Birthing Pod, Prime-speaker and Fastbond. While they are bit tricky to get going, when you do get them going, it's the best thing ever.
I was worried that since I've based a lot of my card choices around your cube and the input you give to this community, that the increase to 630 would make it too difficult to compare and contrast future card inclusions due to the difference in needs for your new 630 cube to my 540 list. But, you happened to add a ton of cards that I run in my 540! It's nice to know that when you do add a card later that I can still consider your thoughts on how it impacts your environment to help me decide from my own since there is still be a great deal of similarity.
I was wondering, with the new support to "lands in the yard", did you consider Gitrog monster at all, or maybe even Titania? (I run both, and was super excited to see the new Ren and Six, Vista, and horizons lands. (I also see you added deathrite, Fastbond, and Zuran orb, which are the main reasons I'm asking)
TL;DR
I like your cube, I like Gitrog, and I like a lot of these choices
I like to use the "lands matter" engine cards for sacrifice/discard fodder and card advantage, but none of the payoff cards (Titania/Gitrog/Etc) excite me enough to support it as an archetype.
Glad you testing a bunch of cards from Horizons! Interested to know how the jump to 630 performs for you.
I'm scaling back to 485 due to complaints from a few key cube members who want the cube to be a little more broken.
I personally like slightly bigger cubes as it makes additions/cuts/tests much less stressful and you see a greater variety of interactions. Difference in power between cards ranked 400-700 are so much smaller than the gap between 100 and 400.
What kind of draft format/# of players have you been running these days?
4-player glimpse drafts. At 630, it simulates a 12-man draft and uses ~86% of the cube. It's the perfect balance, really. I get variance between drafts, consistency with my archetypes and a great powerlevel balance. With room to run additional archetypes, test more cards and play cards that make my cube experience unique.
Prismatic vista, the horizon lands, the talisman, urza, yawgmoth, goblin engineer, seasoned pyromancer, hexdrinker, the new hermit and both swords are great. But every card I've been testing has been quite good.
*GASPS*
But this set is so hard to evaluate cards, I need your inner wisdom! Every review or opinion on each card that I read is drastically different. I just can't seem to put everything in to perspective like your reviews usually do.
I have a question about the token/anthem deck support. I'm reworking my 360 cube after a long hiatus, but worried I'll have too few payoff cards for the archetype, given that most of the anthem effects don't seem to be 360 power level anymore.
Purphoros is a powerful card in the right deck. If you want to toss in a signpost card to let drafters know that tokens are a thing, Purphoros is a way to get the point across.
Hi wtwlf! What sleeves are you currently using for you cube? Mine is due for a re-sleeve, and I'm not sure what's preferred these days. I'm currently using KMC perfect fits in KMC hyper mattes from about 3 years ago, before KMC sleeves took a dive in quality.
I'm replacing a few slots like Village Messenger to Bomat Courier or Thalia's Lancers to God-Eternal Oketra and once I'm to the point where I don't want to replace I'll wait until I have an option I want for each color (or guild) and then add them together.
I was wondering, with the new support to "lands in the yard", did you consider Gitrog monster at all, or maybe even Titania? (I run both, and was super excited to see the new Ren and Six, Vista, and horizons lands. (I also see you added deathrite, Fastbond, and Zuran orb, which are the main reasons I'm asking)
TL;DR
I like your cube, I like Gitrog, and I like a lot of these choices
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 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'm scaling back to 485 due to complaints from a few key cube members who want the cube to be a little more broken.
I personally like slightly bigger cubes as it makes additions/cuts/tests much less stressful and you see a greater variety of interactions. Difference in power between cards ranked 400-700 are so much smaller than the gap between 100 and 400.
What kind of draft format/# of players have you been running these days?
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!
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 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!
But this set is so hard to evaluate cards, I need your inner wisdom! Every review or opinion on each card that I read is drastically different. I just can't seem to put everything in to perspective like your reviews usually do.
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 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!
7 White Planeswalkers seems very dense. I'm trying to cap at 5:
Gideon Blackblade
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Serra, the Benevolent
Gideon Jura
Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Seems wrong to cut Knight-Errant but I feel like the other two 4 drops are better.
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!
Blink/Bounce (ETB Abuse)
The artifact.dec
Reanimator
Aristocrats
Loam Shenanigans
Thieves (Narset/Leovold Draw)
Pod
Wildfire
Moat/Quake
Spells Matters
Fatty Cheating (Oath/Sneak/Show)
Super Ramp
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!
It seems to me like these cards are more or less auto-includes that give some payoff, ignoring non-combat effects like Opposition:
Accorder Paladin
Hero of Bladehold
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Angel of Invention
Elspeth, Sun's Champion (ult only)
Hellrider
Garruk Wildspeaker (ult only)
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Many are creatures or somewhat conditional effects, so I'm wondering if more support is merited and what you think the next clear inclusions are. I'm not sure any of these are strong enough, which is why I'm agonizing over this a bit. My feelings on the next tier of candidates:
Drana, Liberator of Malakir
Purphoros, God of the Forge
Goblin Bombardment and potentially other aristocrats support, but I don't think there's room at 360
and the best actual anthems:
Goblin Oriflamme
Spear of Heliod
Curse of Predation
Force of Virtue
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!
Do you value Gideon cc4 over Elspeth cc4?
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 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!