I'm a cube newbie and have recently built a commons/uncommons cube based on eric klugs cube. The playgroup I play with really enjoys combo strategies.
If I had the extra cash i would simply upgrade into rares/etc but I would like to do as little of that as possible.
The current cube supports a small reanimation theme but I and others in my playgroup feel that they are best (in the context of this cube)as value spells. Simply put, the reanimation targets aren't powerful enough. I realize that options are very limited when it comes to C/Ube but is there any way to incorporate other combo strategies?
In addition, klugs cube doesn't have signets. Some of my playgroup has expressed a desire for them in the cube. how do these tend to change the draft environment?
I've just started to design a CUbe myself, and am also looking to support combo; there's a few you can do, the question is how much you want to dilute the 'card value' in order to do so ~ I'm a fan of synergy over power myself, but other more experienced cubers might disagree.
For Storm, it's not too hard to slide it in if you support a U/R 'Spells Matter' theme; e.g. Young Pyromancer, Guttersnipe, Kiln Fiend, Spellheart Chimera/Nivex Cyclops along with cheap/free cantrips - Preordain, Gitixian Probe, Mutagenic Growth etc. Just slide in Warrens (which can be value anyway) and Tendrils - this can also support a 'build around' theme with Isochron Scepter, which I love. It also means you can rock some interesting Suspend spells!
Also, Remanding the storm spell feels fantastic
There's a bunch of 2 & 3 Card combos which slot in fairly well:
Carrion Feeder or Goblin Bombardment/Kitchen Finks/Foundry Street Denizen
Eternal Witness/Ghostly Flicker/Cloud of Faeries or Peregrine Drake
More Forced:
SDT/Counterbalance - better if you run a lot of Search effects/Noxious Revival
Sword of the Meek/Thopter Foundry
Midnight guard/Presence of Gond
Power Artifact/Basalt Monolith
Non Infinite:
Skullclamp/Reassembling Skeleton
Fat Morph Target/Blink Effect
Imperial Recruiter/Blink Effect
Aethervial + Recursion + Familiar Ruse
Ghostly Flicker + Eternal Witness + X Recursion + Strip Mine
Land Enchantments + Arbor Elf/Simic Untapper + Quiron Range/Scyrb Range for ridiculous ramp
As you noticed, true combo decks don't really exist in peasant. There are plenty of decks with great synergy, but basically nothing that will immediately win the game outright. Trying to shoehorn in traditional cube combo strategies (like storm, reanimator or Tinker) hasn't really worked out for any of us because so many of the necessary cards are rares. That's just one of the limitations of the format.
Storm can't really exist without some form of fast mana, and basically all of the good ones are rares. You could play actual rituals, but they're unplayable in any deck that isn't storm, so they really aren't worth spending a slot on. The UR spells matter deck is sweet, and I think most of us support it, but it's not storm.
You could include two-card combos like Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek, but those cards aren't any good without the other (also, if you do assemble the combo, it's probably unbeatable, and that's no fun).
Not everyone has chosen to exclude the Signets, but I don't think anyone plays with all ten anymore. I got rid of them a few years ago and haven't missed them. There are two reasons I don't use them: They make control decks stronger (and aggro struggles as it is), and they make green weaker by making one of its primary strengths available to decks without requiring them to play green. I don't mind non-green decks having access to mana ramp, nor do I mind non-green decks having access to mana fixing, but I don't want them to have both in one card.
The only combo I know of in peasant that wins the game outright is Fire covenant + spitemare
Also, I would never call going to a rare cube "upgrading". Not only is it a vastly different experience, I vastly prefer peasant cubing since I feel like I'm playing realistic games of magic.
Don't play combo pieces that are dead without the other piece. Lookin at you thopter+sword.
Aggro only struggles in peasant cube at higher card counts, like Bike's cube. Or if you've somehow made grave mistakes/are still building. Including signets won't suddenly topple aggro. I only run the ones that fit in the cube's color restrictions based on how I classify them (as hybrid cards, which should be different than gold cards whenever plausible). That's a whole 'nother conversation though.
I don't think it's possible to make combo a consistently winning archetype in peasant, but it's pretty easy to support a couple combos if you have players who like trying to force them for fun. Some players are totally happy going 0-3 in matches but winning a single game by going infinite with Presence of Gond and Midnight Guard, and if you have players like that I don't think it's a big deal to use 4-5 cube slots to give them fun toys. Also as previously mentioned, there's a lot of overlap between supporting storm and "spells matter" so you may not be able to cast Empty the Warrens for lethal on its own, you can probably get 6-8 tokens enough times to help close out a game.
I'm a cube newbie and have recently built a commons/uncommons cube based on eric klugs cube. The playgroup I play with really enjoys combo strategies.
If I had the extra cash i would simply upgrade into rares/etc but I would like to do as little of that as possible.
The current cube supports a small reanimation theme but I and others in my playgroup feel that they are best (in the context of this cube)as value spells. Simply put, the reanimation targets aren't powerful enough. I realize that options are very limited when it comes to C/Ube but is there any way to incorporate other combo strategies?
In addition, klugs cube doesn't have signets. Some of my playgroup has expressed a desire for them in the cube. how do these tend to change the draft environment?
Thanks in advance.
I've just started to design a CUbe myself, and am also looking to support combo; there's a few you can do, the question is how much you want to dilute the 'card value' in order to do so ~ I'm a fan of synergy over power myself, but other more experienced cubers might disagree.
For Storm, it's not too hard to slide it in if you support a U/R 'Spells Matter' theme; e.g. Young Pyromancer, Guttersnipe, Kiln Fiend, Spellheart Chimera/Nivex Cyclops along with cheap/free cantrips - Preordain, Gitixian Probe, Mutagenic Growth etc. Just slide in Warrens (which can be value anyway) and Tendrils - this can also support a 'build around' theme with Isochron Scepter, which I love. It also means you can rock some interesting Suspend spells!
Also, Remanding the storm spell feels fantastic
There's a bunch of 2 & 3 Card combos which slot in fairly well:
Carrion Feeder or Goblin Bombardment/Kitchen Finks/Foundry Street Denizen
Eternal Witness/Ghostly Flicker/Cloud of Faeries or Peregrine Drake
More Forced:
SDT/Counterbalance - better if you run a lot of Search effects/Noxious Revival
Sword of the Meek/Thopter Foundry
Midnight guard/Presence of Gond
Power Artifact/Basalt Monolith
Non Infinite:
Skullclamp/Reassembling Skeleton
Fat Morph Target/Blink Effect
Imperial Recruiter/Blink Effect
Aethervial + Recursion + Familiar Ruse
Ghostly Flicker + Eternal Witness + X Recursion + Strip Mine
Land Enchantments + Arbor Elf/Simic Untapper + Quiron Range/Scyrb Range for ridiculous ramp
I'm sure there's more, but that's off the top.
Storm can't really exist without some form of fast mana, and basically all of the good ones are rares. You could play actual rituals, but they're unplayable in any deck that isn't storm, so they really aren't worth spending a slot on. The UR spells matter deck is sweet, and I think most of us support it, but it's not storm.
You could include two-card combos like Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek, but those cards aren't any good without the other (also, if you do assemble the combo, it's probably unbeatable, and that's no fun).
Not everyone has chosen to exclude the Signets, but I don't think anyone plays with all ten anymore. I got rid of them a few years ago and haven't missed them. There are two reasons I don't use them: They make control decks stronger (and aggro struggles as it is), and they make green weaker by making one of its primary strengths available to decks without requiring them to play green. I don't mind non-green decks having access to mana ramp, nor do I mind non-green decks having access to mana fixing, but I don't want them to have both in one card.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Also, I would never call going to a rare cube "upgrading". Not only is it a vastly different experience, I vastly prefer peasant cubing since I feel like I'm playing realistic games of magic.
Don't play combo pieces that are dead without the other piece. Lookin at you thopter+sword.
Aggro only struggles in peasant cube at higher card counts, like Bike's cube. Or if you've somehow made grave mistakes/are still building. Including signets won't suddenly topple aggro. I only run the ones that fit in the cube's color restrictions based on how I classify them (as hybrid cards, which should be different than gold cards whenever plausible). That's a whole 'nother conversation though.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Sounds like a nightmare
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article