Me again! I think you should do a Combo Guide of some sort, if doing a whole archetype article is too time consuming, since your cube has settled with the combo direction for quite a while. And pin it in your post! Sometimes, I get the "I know this card can do something busted but I'm not that familiar with it, so I'll just miss it I guess" kind of feeling when I draft your cube. Especially in White, which involves slightly complicated trigger ordering. Lark, Leonin Relic-Warder, Sun Titties, Parallax Wave(?), Fiend Hunter comes to mind. And all the cards that interact with them so that noobs like me get a heads up while drafting.
Speaking of combos, I feel Time Vault is just toooo oppressing and cheap, and creates the most feel-bads. I don't like losing to it, I hate winning with it even more. I'm fine with all the rest. I don't know why.
If you don't like the Vault combo, it's easy to cut from your cube!
There are a lot of interactions and combos, and the white ones can be hard to dissect. An archetype/combo guide is on my radar, but for now, I don't have the time to jam one out. I'm both an essential worker and taking online courses, so I don't have the same extra quarantine time that other do, for better or worse. I'm still just as busy as I've always been, lol.
But if you have questions about specific cards and what to watch for/pair with them, let me know and I'll try and answer them as they crop up.
It's an awesome card in blink decks, and a signpost card for players indicating that they should be watching for interactions with it. Also fun in the Turns deck by pairing Thassa with Eternal Witness and any of the Time Walk/Time Warp effects. Blinking for free every turn makes for a strong engine, and being indestructible makes it quite reliable.
If they ban Lurrus from vintage will you ban it from your cube? I guess the same goes for any other companions/cards from standard sets? Excited to try them regardless.
As I noted in the IKO Includes thread, I'm expanding my cube to 630 from 495, and am adding the persist combo and twin-style combos. Having never really run combos in my cube before (other than cheating big, dumb idiots onto the battlefield), I'm wondering how to get a good sense of the quantity of effects to run in a cube of a given size. I ended up devoting a lot of space to them, potentially to the detriment of other cards that could otherwise be in the cube. In the theoretical world where I'm cubing in paper again sooner rather than later, we usually have 6-8 people draft, so a good chunk of the 630 would always be left on the sidelines.
For persist, I'm running:
8 actual persist creatures
9.5 sacrifice outlets (Kalitas only works with one of them)
8 ways to keep the combo going
For Twin, I'm running:
8 creatures that untap things plus Intruder Alarm
Splinter Twin, Kiki-Jiki, and Restoration Angel
Saheeli Rai and Felidar Guardian
I have no idea if that's too many (it doesn't feel like too few, though). If it helps, I can provide you with all of the actual cards, and appreciate any insight you can provide!
You'll have to playtest it and tinker with the numbers to get it right. Too many variables to accurately predict how many cards you'll need.
I would suggest experimenting with Sight and Glimpse drafting when you increase in size though. 6 player drafts of 630 are kinda rough for combo and archetype play; you see a really small % of the cube in that event structure.
Cards that reference "Outside of the Game" as a zone have been banned.
This Effectively removes Wishes and Companions as legal cards for my card pool. This change is made to protect the cube environment from the Companion mechanic (my only escape in Magic from that monstrosity) and simplifies the draft process when dealing with sideboardless events (which we do sometimes for various logistical reasons).
In their spots, I've added cheap interaction and the Saffi/Rallier sacrifice combos. The change log will be up on CubeCobra soon. The OP here is already updated.
Cards that reference "Outside of the Game" as a zone have been banned.
I am curious as to why you didn't ban the mechanic itself, leaving the cards legal. Especially since Lurrus and Lutri seem like decent cards on their own.
I'm also surprised by this, although I get that they're absurdly powerful. Gives me pause about whether I want to actually pick them up for mine when the set is released. Out of curiosity, were certain ones more problematic than others and this is the cleanest way to handle it, or were all 10 actually a problem? Did they also warp the drafting portion?
They were that bad, huh? I expected broken but too broken for wtwlf is surprising.
Not banned because they're too good. My cube plays Sol Ring and Black Lotus and Ancestral Recall. I don't ban cards for being "too good".
The mechanic pushed me into wanting to ban all sideboard interactions, which is something I've wanted to do for a long while anyways. Occasionally we draft without sideboards, and I want to make sure that all the cards in my cube function equally well regardless of how the event is structured. I just didn't have any cards that cared about sideboards until now. I did the same thing with the "draft matters" cards already; banning them because they don't work in Sealed Deck, which is a format we occasionally play.
That being said, the Companion mechanic is utter garbage, and Magic with Companions doesn't feel like Magic. So I'm glad there's a solution with ends up purging them from my cube environment in a less-than-arbitrary way.
If you like Companions, go for it. If you don't like it, it might kill Magic for you altogether, because there will never be Magic without them in any format ever again ...barring unprecedented blanket errata and bannings. I want to have at least one Magic haven that's free from how dumb of a mechanic this is, and I'm glad my cube can serve as that shelter.
Quote from Resarox »
I am curious as to why you didn't ban the mechanic itself, leaving the cards legal.
Because I'm not interested in playing with modified fake/neutered cards. I executed a decision I've been pondering for a while, which leads to them no longer being legal. It's a cleaner solution for everyone involved. I have no interest in doing pre-draft explanations of how people are intended to only use part of a card's text every time we play. No thanks.
I'm also surprised by this, although I get that they're absurdly powerful. Gives me pause about whether I want to actually pick them up for mine when the set is released. Out of curiosity, were certain ones more problematic than others and this is the cleanest way to handle it, or were all 10 actually a problem? Did they also warp the drafting portion?
The mechanic changes the game. I'm glad I have an opportunity to preserve a format where I'll never encounter that mechanic ever again. Because in every single other Magic format that exists, you will either play Companions or hemorrhage free value and start at a tremendous disadvantage. It's absolutely awful.
I was curious about the roll of Sevinne’s Reclamation in your cube. I assume that it’s there to support persist and other permanent-based combo decks, but I was curious how strong and/or narrow you’ve found the card to be. It works well with gifts ungiven, but that’s a card I’ve never particularly liked in cube (even though gifts storm is my modern deck of choice.)
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the card. I’ve really liked your previous recommendation of pushing white into a more combo oriented direction and am wondering if Sevinne’s Reclamation is worth an include in a 540-sized cube with persist support.
Sevinne's Reclamation is quickly becoming one of my favorite white cards. It represents very good value, as splashable 3-for-1 card advantage that impacts the board. But you nailed it on the head with the combo support. Sure, it's a cool Gifts target, but it really shines in any permanent-based combo shell, where it can be immensely helpful with consistency. I think it's a great card for both value decks and in combo decks, and the recent play it's been seeing in the eternal formats reflects how I've been using it in the day it was spoiled.
Hey there! So I noticed that you had a few updates from CubeCobra that aren't reflected on your CubeTutor list. Have you given up on CT completely at this point? Also saw that the numbers for each color section aren't even anymore - is that intentional or still a work in progress?
Apologies of these have already been answered elsewhere!
Edit: Nevermind, I see both were answered on the previous page!
Would you consider Bubbling Muck a good addition for storm support? High Tide is pretty busted, this is not too far behind at all. And Palinchron gets a new friend!
I don't think so. Pretty much all of the cards that generate extra mana off of High Tide are blue. And it's already fringe enough as it is. Being an instant has been important too.
I think you’re right. It’s either busted or not played at all. Fringe it is. As with most storm cards. But I still doubt the instant being relevant in most situations.
Speaking of combos, I feel Time Vault is just toooo oppressing and cheap, and creates the most feel-bads. I don't like losing to it, I hate winning with it even more. I'm fine with all the rest. I don't know why.
There are a lot of interactions and combos, and the white ones can be hard to dissect. An archetype/combo guide is on my radar, but for now, I don't have the time to jam one out. I'm both an essential worker and taking online courses, so I don't have the same extra quarantine time that other do, for better or worse. I'm still just as busy as I've always been, lol.
But if you have questions about specific cards and what to watch for/pair with them, let me know and I'll try and answer them as they crop up.
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!
Yes. My cube is Vintage legal.
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!
For persist, I'm running:
8 actual persist creatures
9.5 sacrifice outlets (Kalitas only works with one of them)
8 ways to keep the combo going
For Twin, I'm running:
8 creatures that untap things plus Intruder Alarm
Splinter Twin, Kiki-Jiki, and Restoration Angel
Saheeli Rai and Felidar Guardian
I have no idea if that's too many (it doesn't feel like too few, though). If it helps, I can provide you with all of the actual cards, and appreciate any insight you can provide!
Draft my cube! (630 cards)
I would suggest experimenting with Sight and Glimpse drafting when you increase in size though. 6 player drafts of 630 are kinda rough for combo and archetype play; you see a really small % of the cube in that event structure.
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!
Cards that reference "Outside of the Game" as a zone have been banned.
This Effectively removes Wishes and Companions as legal cards for my card pool. This change is made to protect the cube environment from the Companion mechanic (my only escape in Magic from that monstrosity) and simplifies the draft process when dealing with sideboardless events (which we do sometimes for various logistical reasons).
In their spots, I've added cheap interaction and the Saffi/Rallier sacrifice combos. The change log will be up on CubeCobra soon. The OP here is already updated.
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!
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
I am curious as to why you didn't ban the mechanic itself, leaving the cards legal. Especially since Lurrus and Lutri seem like decent cards on their own.
Draft my cube! (630 cards)
Not banned because they're too good. My cube plays Sol Ring and Black Lotus and Ancestral Recall. I don't ban cards for being "too good".
The mechanic pushed me into wanting to ban all sideboard interactions, which is something I've wanted to do for a long while anyways. Occasionally we draft without sideboards, and I want to make sure that all the cards in my cube function equally well regardless of how the event is structured. I just didn't have any cards that cared about sideboards until now. I did the same thing with the "draft matters" cards already; banning them because they don't work in Sealed Deck, which is a format we occasionally play.
That being said, the Companion mechanic is utter garbage, and Magic with Companions doesn't feel like Magic. So I'm glad there's a solution with ends up purging them from my cube environment in a less-than-arbitrary way.
If you like Companions, go for it. If you don't like it, it might kill Magic for you altogether, because there will never be Magic without them in any format ever again ...barring unprecedented blanket errata and bannings. I want to have at least one Magic haven that's free from how dumb of a mechanic this is, and I'm glad my cube can serve as that shelter.
Because I'm not interested in playing with modified fake/neutered cards. I executed a decision I've been pondering for a while, which leads to them no longer being legal. It's a cleaner solution for everyone involved. I have no interest in doing pre-draft explanations of how people are intended to only use part of a card's text every time we play. No thanks.
The mechanic changes the game. I'm glad I have an opportunity to preserve a format where I'll never encounter that mechanic ever again. Because in every single other Magic format that exists, you will either play Companions or hemorrhage free value and start at a tremendous disadvantage. It's absolutely awful.
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’d love to hear your thoughts on the card. I’ve really liked your previous recommendation of pushing white into a more combo oriented direction and am wondering if Sevinne’s Reclamation is worth an include in a 540-sized cube with persist support.
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!
Draft my cube! (630 cards)
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!
Apologies of these have already been answered elsewhere!
Edit: Nevermind, I see both were answered on the previous page!
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!