MTG Salvation

Another quick change. Trimming some under-performers and bolstering both the humans and wolves/werewolves tribal subthemes.

Hey wtwlf123!

I noticed that right now you have Sealed as the best way to draft 2-player with a 630 cube, with --% of usage.

Now that you have a 630-card cube (though it might not stay that way), have you thought of making your "official" 2-player draft an Impulse draft?

Essentially, 15 packs of 12 cards, such that you draft 1 and burn 3. This would yield a 57.1% usage rate of the cube and each pack would be seen twice.

Just thinking it would be cool to extend the Sight -> Glimpse -> (Impulse) cycle into something logical. Could also be applicable if your cube ever gets to 720.

-tjbizzle

Very cool idea! I'll have to test that out moving forward. I haven't needed anything beyond the Sight/Glimpse draft yet, but I like the idea of the take 1 burn 3 and "wheel" picks aspect of an Impulse draft. May need to consider that, especially if I move up to 720 (which certainly could happen).

I definitely want to keep the name and the concept, but I would modify the pack sizes. I think it's important that each pack gets seen multiple times (even if it was a 3-person Impulse draft, or a 4-player one at 720). I think I like 9 packs of 20 cards better, so a larger % of your pile comes from later picks, and people can't construct 65% of their deck from 1st pick cards.

I want to credit you with introducing the concept to me though.

Cool, yeah. I was thinking about 9 packs of 20 as well, but didn't know if 20 would feel like too large of an initial pick pack size. Now that you mention it, I do think it would be better especially when you go up to 4 players, so that it isn't all first picks.

If I get around to testing it, I'll let you know (and you should do the same)!

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm definitely going to tinker with it, try it out, and implement some kind of Impulse Draft methods for smaller events with larger cubes.

Just so it doesn't come as a tremendous shock when it happens, there's going to be another significant change to the cube structure happening in the near-ish future. It will cover a lot of changes, including an increase in size to 720, incorporating another new draft method to increase the pool % used when drafting (part of what facilitates the changes) and the new pool of cards is largely going to be focussed on combo play. You'll see cards that support the Kiki/Twin combo, cards that support Storm, Vault combo, Persist combo, some infinite mana combos, Grave/Dance Annihilator creature combos and a few others. I have players in my playgroup interested in exploring that design space, and if an increase in size and modification to draft methodology can facilitate the real estate and the logistics required to allow those strategies with less of an impact on the existing cube pool, I'm open to testing that configuration. It'll take a while to iron out the details, but I just wanted to put everyone on notice now that it's definitely going to happen. I have a lot of guest drafters and a lot of other folks that are interesting in playing combo decks and wondering why that element is excluded from my cube experience. Historically it's been in large part due to small draft pool % issues and the fact that they take up too much real estate in the cube. If I can solve both of those problems at the same time, I should be able to give combo a good chance to be competitive without hurting the validity of my current strategies.

Cheers, and happy cubing!

Awesome news. I was working toward a size 720 cube because my playgroup had some suggestions (mostly combo-oriented cards), so this will help guide me in that direction. Can't wait to see the changes!

Looking forward to reading about your draft method.

Impulse Draft (discussed a few posts above). 9 packs of 20. Pick 1, burn 3, pass. 5 picks per pack = 45 cards in draft pool. Just like Sight and Glimpse drafts, but with a 3rd burned card per pick.

Edited my post #3 (which covers draft methods) and updated my "pinned" Tweet on Twitter to include all the information about all the alternative draft methods we use.

I'm looking forward to seeing what your support for the storm archetype looks like. Several of my drafters love it, but I just can't see giving it a permanent home in a ~540 list. So I have a storm add on package and I stipulate to my group that if we get to 8 drafters, I'll toss storm into the pool. The package is 23 cards and, honestly, that still feels like too little to make the deck work even with the support that's just in the cube already (U cantrips, Dark Rit, Tutors, Power, etc).

Here's what I'm running in that add-on, if you're curious. I'm definitely interested in seeing how you support it and what you include, though. I'm not personally a fan of the archetype, so I'm probably doing something wrong here.

Upping your cube-size to 720 is very interesting. As many have, I took a grest deal of inspiration for my cube from yours when it was 450. Your list was always extremely strong and powered, so I'm interested in how you manage to expand your cube while making minimal loss in power-level. Do you think the differential between best and worst cards in your cube will get very large at such a size, especially since you play the very best cards in the history of magic?

Well the idea is to create a powerful and balanced custom limited environment. As long as I can maintain that maxim, I'm comfortable at whatever size that winds up being.

The powerlevel will be going UP with this next update. Very few cards are just "the next best card" for a given color/CMC; they're largely all support cards for powerful combo archetypes.

Sight/Glimpse/Impulse drafting is a big part of maintaining a powerful pool with a medium- to large-sized list. That continues to be the case moving forward.

@calibbretto: My storm package won't be too far off from that, from what I can tell. But a 4-player Impulse draft seeing 100% of the cube or a 5-player Glimpse draft seeing ~94% of the cube will help us with consistency.

OP has been updated with the rise to 720. CubeTutor changes coming soon. Then I'll update the change log, and post a quick primer discussing the additions. Thanks for your patience everybody!

The Rise to 720 - Combo unlocked!

I briefly discussed the philosophy change above of having the real estate to support combo without sacrificing consistency thanks to Impulse/Glimpse/Sight drafting making that a possibility. Here's a list of the additions and changes, and a brief explanation as to why the card's included.

WHITE

Thraben Inspector - Blink/bounce support, and a 1cc creature playable outside of aggro.
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit - Persist combo support, and decent in mono-white aggro.
Vizier of Remedies - Persist combo support.
Fiend Hunter - Decent creature that also works for sac outlet combo support w/ Sun Titan/Karmic Guide.
Thraben Doomsayer - Intruder Alarm combo support, and also works in Token decks and stax.
Village Bell-Ringer - Kiki/Twin combo support creature w/ flash.
Secure the Wastes - Token deck support + extra target for Spellseeker & an infinite mana sink.
Yosei, the Morning Star - Lock combo enabler w/ several cards, plus playable as a random midrange/control creature.
Sevinne’s Reclamation - Good support card for cheap permanent-based combo decks, and it's a great Gifts target.
Vivid Meadow - Good fixing for multicolor decks.
(Cloudgoat Ranger -> Karmic Guide) - Guide is an enabler for multiple white sacrifice combos.
(Glory-Bound Initiate -> Containment Priest) - Priest is a hate card for several scary creature decks.

BLUE

Baral, Chief of Compliance - Storm enabler and decent blue creature.
Deceiver Exarch - Kiki/Twin support creature w/ flash.
Pestermite - Kiki/Twin support creature w/ flash.
Gush - Good draw spell for storm/combo decks.
Brain Freeze - Storm win condition.
Frantic Search - Good storm card plus a very playable card in every graveyard deck.
Gifts Ungiven - Good enabler for combo decks of all kinds.
Turnabout - Storm support.
Mind’s Desire - Storm win condition.
Vivid Creek - Good fixing for multicolor decks.
(Condescend -> Intruder Alarm) - Supports Twin/Kiki and enablers Alarm combos.
(Exclusion Mage -> High Tide) - Storm support.
(God-Eternal Kefnet -> Arcane Artisan) - Fatty cheating support; needed for super-titan decks.
(Whirler Rogue -> Palinchron) - Infinite mana combo enabler.

BLACK

Viscera Seer - Cheap sac outlet for persist combo and Aristocrats.
Bloodline Keeper - Alarm combo plus it's a playable midrange monster, and provides backdoor Vampire tribal support.
Puppeteer Clique - Persist combo enabler, and decent on its own.
Cabal Ritual - Storm combo support.
Tendrils of Agony - Storm win condition.
Dark Petition - Combo enabler.
Yawgmoth’s Bargain - Storm enabler.
Profane Command - Mana sink, infinite mana win-con and backup reanimation for creature-based combo.
Yawgmoth’s Will - God card in Storm.
Vivid Marsh - Good fixing for multicolor decks.
(Asylum Visitor -> Mesmeric Fiend) - Cheap disruption to battle combo.
(Chainer’s Edict -> Mikaeus the Unhallowed) - Persist combo and Trike/Ballista combo enabler.
(Liliana, Dreadhorde General -> Shallow Grave) - Super titan archetype support.
(Never // Return -> Corpse Dance) - Super titan archetype support.
(Nezumi Graverobber -> Brain Maggot) - Cheap disruption to battle combo.
(Ruinous Path -> Collective Brutality) - Discard outlet, fights combo, cheap removal.
(Vraska’s Contempt -> Makeshift Mannequin) - Super titan archetype support.

RED

Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker - Kiki combo enabler. Duh.
Zealous Conscripts - Good card on its own, goes infinite w/ Kiki/Twin combos.
Desperate Ritual - Storm combo enabler.
Pyretic Ritual - Storm combo enabler.
Mana Flare - Storm/mana combo enabler.
Seething Song - Storm combo enabler.
Past in Flames - Storm combo win condition.
Splinter Twin - Kiki/Twin enabler. Duh.
Banefire - Uncounterable win condition/mana sink for infinite mana decks. Good target for Spellseeker.
Vivid Crag - Good fixing for multicolor decks.
(Bloodrage Brawler -> Goblin Bushwhacker) - Lots of decks want the global haste and the pump for go-wide tokens/aggro.
(Goblin Oriflamme -> Thunderblust) - Persist combo enabler, and randomly hits like a truck.
(Instigator Gang -> Krenko, Mob Boss) - Alarm combo enabler and good for token decks and Goblin decks.
(Pia Nalaar -> Combat Celebrant) - Twin/Kiki combo card and a good beater for aggro.
(Plated Geopede -> Reckless Bushwhacker) - Lots of decks want the global haste and the pump for go-wide tokens/aggro.
(Reckless Waif -> Bomat Courier) - Cheap artifact, aggro creature and discard outlet.
(Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker -> Empty the Warrens) - Storm win con, token deck support and goblin tribal support. Fun w/ Bushwhackers.
(Village Messenger -> Eidolon of the Great Revel) - Great mono-red creature, good anti-storm tech.

GREEN

Devoted Druid - Good ramp creature and infinite mana w/ Vizier.
Melira, Sylvok Outcast - Persist combo enabler.
Imperious Perfect - Intruder alarm enabler w/ one mana dork, decent in tokens & stax, and good in a variety of tribal themes.
Great Oak Guardian - Flash creature that's good on its own and goes infinite w/ Twin/Kiki.
Heartbeat of Spring - Storm/mana combo enabler.
Collected Company - Good for creature combo, and for generic aggro and midrange creature decks.
Primal Command - Good for super ramp and creature-based decks.
Shared Summons - Double-tutor for creature-based combo decks.
Chord of Calling - Tutor for creature-based combo decks.
Vivid Grove - Good fixing for multicolor decks.
(Vengevine -> Elvish Piper) - Fatty cheating support; needed for super-titan decks.

GUILD

Soulhherder - Flagpost card for blink/bounce ETB abuse decks.
Spell Queller - Cheap disruption against combo, good in tempo and flash decks.
Irrigated Farmland - Guild mana fixing.

Lim-Dul’s Vault - Good combo tutor.
Hostage Taker - Just a good card.
Fetid Pools - Guild mana fixing.

Dreadbore - Cheap efficient removal.
Murderous Redcap - Persist combo enabler.
Canyon Slough - Guild mana fixing.

Manamorphose - Storm enabler.
Rhythm of the Wild - Persist enabler and fires archetype enabler.
(Huntmaster of the Fells -> Sarkhan Vol) - Global haste, anthem, threaten ...card does a lot in the new configuration.
Sheltered Thicket - Guild mana fixing.

Eladamri’s Call - Tutor for creature-based combo strategies.
Good-Fortune Unicorn - Enabler for persist combo, and it's a decent anthem-on-legs.
Razorverge Thicket - Guild mana fixing.

Gerrard’s Verdict - Cheap card advantage and disruption.
Unburial Rites - Supports W/X reanimator; great w/ Gifts.
Caves of Koilos - Guild mana fixing.

Life // Death - Good reanimation support and random win condition w/ anthems.
Lotleth Troll - Good discard outlet and cheap aggressive beater.
Llanowar Wastes - Guild mana fixing.

Kiora’s Follower - Vault combo enabler, and okay on its own.
Bounding Krasis - Kiki/Twin support creature w/ flash.
Yavimaya Coast - Guild mana fixing.

Goblin Electromancer - Storm support.
Ral Zarek - Ok on its own & supports Vault combo.
(Fire // Ice -> Thousand-Year Storm) - Powerful storm support card.
Shivan Reef - Guild mana fixing.

Skyknight Vanguard - Boros token support.
Nahiri, the Harbinger - Decent walker that gets a lot better w/ super titan support.
Battlefield Forge - Guild mana fixing.

MULTICOLOR (Shards/Wedges being dissolved, all slots used for new generic "multicolor" section for all the best 3+ color cards compete against each other)

(Hellkite Overlord -> Tasigur, the Golden Fang) - Good creature, glad to have it back.
(Kykar, Wind’s Fury -> Soulfire Grand Master) - Combo w/ Time Walk.
(Nicol Bolas, the Ravager -> Nightscape Familiar) - Storm support.
(Yasova Dragonclaw -> Progenitus) - Super titan support.

COLORLESS

Lesser Masticore - Persist support card & discard outlet.
Lion’s Eye Diamond - Storm support card.
Lotus Bloom - Storm support card.
Lotus Petal - Storm support card.
Manifold Key - Time Vault combo w/ random upside ('Tog anyone?).
Altar of Dementia - Sac outlet for persist combo and Aristocrats.
Time Vault - Inn for Time Vault combo. Duh.
Ashnod’s Altar - Sac outlet for persist combo and Aristocrats (and a couple infinite mana combos).
Blasting Station- Sac outlet for persist combo and Aristocrats.
Phyrexian Altar- Sac outlet for persist combo and Aristocrats (and a couple infinite mana combos).
(Adaptive Automaton -> Quicksilver Amulet) - Fatty cheating support; needed for super-titan decks.
(Bag of Holding -> Kozilek, Butcher of Truth) - Super titan for the scariest creature decks.
(Precursor Golem -> Emrakul, the Aeons Torn) - Super titan for the scariest creature decks.
(Ugin, the Ineffable -> Blightsteel Colossus) - Super titan for the scariest creature decks.
(Undiscovered Paradise -> Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre) - Super titan for the scariest creature decks.
(Scroll Rack -> Nim Deathmantle) - Sac outlet combo card and infinite mana card w/ a few cards in the new configuration. Randomly good on its own.

What are the combos that fiend hunter/sun titan/karmic guide support? Want to make sure I’m not missing anything. Thanks for all the work you put in as always, especially in these big updates! So excited to play with the new combo packages

You combine them with a sac outlet and you get infinite triggers. So with a Goblin Bombardment and a Fiend Hunter + Sun Titan/Karmic Guide (Or Guide + 'Lark), you deal infinite damage. With an Altar of Dementia, you would get infinite mill. With an Altar, you'd get infinite mana. Etc.

That's an awesome list of changes. Really cool to read your justification for all of them. You'll have to update us with how you feel about the changes once you have tested the new infrastructure. I'm interested to see if your group likes the changes enough to keep them around.

I'll keep everybody updated on how we like things long term. There's certainly going to be some tinkering, but overall we like the changes.

I've been keeping an eye on the Citadel because it does look kinda spicy. We'll see how Storm fares with the current package first.

Omg I am so happy about your updates to includes storm/ combo. I'm going to keep a close eye on your new updates

Especially curious about how the aristocrats deck fairs.

Glad you like the update!

I'm actually curious how well storm fairs with the limited amount of fast mana in the form of Cabal/ Dark Ritual, Petal, Lotus etc

It uses all the available pieces, and sees a greater % of the pool than the Vintage MTGO cube does, so if it can work there, it can work here. Storm is never a consistent archetype, but it can be drafted, and it can win. It's just risky.

First round of changes after the bump to 720: