I just had a mayor overhaul of my previously quite refined synergy driven peasant cube and would like some feedback regarding general oversights or problems.
The changes were made to flatten the power spectrum and make more general archetypes better draftable. I hope Timmis and Spikes are given more equal space as Jhonny now. Still it's desined to give Jhonnys room and time to be creative: tempo, amount of premium removal and card quality are lower than most equally sized peasant cubes.
No too hard 2-color archetypes, but rather generally playable multi purpose cards, that fit into strong synergies. Many micro "combo" archetypes opening up through 1-2 extra cards, that usually can be found when going into a third color. Picking up the right conspiracies super charges most of them, creating quite reliant powerful endless combos. 2-3 color decks should be normal, aggro (w/r) is supposed to be mono colored.
Rough themes by 2-color combinations:
UW - Resetting ETBs, tempo
WB - Aristocats, go wide, value, removal
WR - mass pump, go wide, (removal)
WG - bonus for creature etb, tokens
UB - value controll, reanimator
UR - spells matter, tempo, creatures copying spells
UG - creature/land untap, land enchantments, big ramp, tempo (multicolor seems bit one sided)
BR - aristocats, spell controll, mass removal, suicide aggro
BG - reanimator, creatures in grave, lands in grave
RG - big mana ramp, big mana control, big aggro
Some Shard Interaction
Mardu: Aristocats with combo potential [sac outlet] + [drainer] + [ETB creature with reanimate cmc <= 3] + [cmc-3 creature with etb blink] (under supported)
Jeskai: Spell copying + flicker spells + mana generating etb creatures / (untap creatures + tap for mana)
For myself it sometimes feels a bit on rails, because I know all the potential "combo" engines, which I then try to make happen to prove they are valid. Therefor I like some feedback, if it feels on rails for uninvolved drafters as well.
TL;DR: please suggest cuts/swaps and give oppinion about my high synergy cube
You should definitely have more rainbow lands if you're expecting people to play combos spanning 3 colours; I did some mock drafts and I couldn't really justify going into a 3rd colour for a 3 card combo with just 1-2 duals. Terramorphic Expanse, Evolving Wilds, Ash Barrens, City of Brass, Aether Hub, Gemstone Mine, Mirrodin's Core, and the Vivids are all much better than the gain lands if you're trying to splash. Also, I see why the original Karoos are in here, but I'd be fairly surprised if they're not overkill for the decks that combo with them.
I think that basically all the conspiracies are first pickable regardless of whether they help you combo or not. I'm not sure if that's an issue for you or not, but I figured I should point it out.
Had a draft yesterday so I can even share some insight of that.
But first right into your remarks.
Conspiracies: I view them first to third picks as well, not all drafters do so, this is something most will learn. Until that point it's nice to have the tension. Afterwards I need to reevaluate. Thanks for pointing out :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Assemble the Rank and Vile and Secrets of Paradise should be there as well, but before I wasn't so sure about them, partly because they don't directly support a endless combo. (Well other don't either)
Hermit Druid should be there, I agree. Reassembling Skeleton takes a value slot in an environment that cares mostly about #baneslayers or #comboPieces. As I try to keep #comboPieces general enough to fit other decks they often take up the slots of #valuePieces. Considering Assemble the Rank and Vile and Hermit Druid as addition, I like Reassambling Skeleton more than before, especially as black two drops are a bit low. The more I write about it, the better I like it. Thank you
Regarding the lands and fixing: did you save your drafts? I cant see any recurring user.
The non-me online drafters during the last 4 days had 4,5,6,8,10 fixing lands in their colors. the 4/5 drafters were 2 color decks. In addition to that, the bounce lands basically count for two and the trilands for 2,5 pips. From 4 of 6 paper drafters (in European non covid area) were 3 colors, only one had mana issues. So I feel the fixing is quite decent. Still I added Terramorphic Expanse, Evolving Wilds, Ash Barrens again . The others feel bad for land untap combos, they could ease the pick pressure though ...
Edit: I hope to trim about 20 - 30 cards still, this would make one land every 10 cards, therefor 4,5 per player. Assuming 4 2-color drafters with 3 lands and gives 4 3-color drafters with 6 lands. Actually that sounds too little indeed. Need to fix that!
That was quite some thought evoking content, it helped me well.
Dual lands just aren't great because you need so many of them. When you need at least 4 of them (6 being ideal) to have a decent 2 colour + splash mana base the fact that they enter tapped becomes a big deal. Rainbow lands help significantly in getting to an ideal mana base without the same issue, as you only need 2-3 of them for the same effect. I was looking at Grumgully, the Generous in my RW deck for the persist combo, but the cost of inclusion using only duals was just too high for the chance of a 3 card combo occurring to even pick it. Even ignoring their effect on mana bases, rainbow lands still massively outperform gain lands in drafting as they go in substantially more decks while taking up less space in the pack for the same amount of fixing.
I generally just do drafts until early pack 3 when I'm trying to figure out a cube, since at that point your strategy is basically entirely decided, so as a consequence my drafts don't get saved.
(TL;DR bellow)
I just had a mayor overhaul of my previously quite refined synergy driven peasant cube and would like some feedback regarding general oversights or problems.
The changes were made to flatten the power spectrum and make more general archetypes better draftable. I hope Timmis and Spikes are given more equal space as Jhonny now. Still it's desined to give Jhonnys room and time to be creative: tempo, amount of premium removal and card quality are lower than most equally sized peasant cubes.
Link: https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/tosynergyandbeyond
Cube concept:
No too hard 2-color archetypes, but rather generally playable multi purpose cards, that fit into strong synergies. Many micro "combo" archetypes opening up through 1-2 extra cards, that usually can be found when going into a third color. Picking up the right conspiracies super charges most of them, creating quite reliant powerful endless combos. 2-3 color decks should be normal, aggro (w/r) is supposed to be mono colored.
Rough themes by 2-color combinations:
UW - Resetting ETBs, tempo
WB - Aristocats, go wide, value, removal
WR - mass pump, go wide, (removal)
WG - bonus for creature etb, tokens
UB - value controll, reanimator
UR - spells matter, tempo, creatures copying spells
UG - creature/land untap, land enchantments, big ramp, tempo (multicolor seems bit one sided)
BR - aristocats, spell controll, mass removal, suicide aggro
BG - reanimator, creatures in grave, lands in grave
RG - big mana ramp, big mana control, big aggro
Some Shard Interaction
Mardu: Aristocats with combo potential [sac outlet] + [drainer] + [ETB creature with reanimate cmc <= 3] + [cmc-3 creature with etb blink] (under supported)
Abzan: persist combos of [sac outlet] + [drainer] + [persist] + [persist resetter]
Jund: persist combos of [sac outlet] + [drainer] + [persist] + [persist resetter]
Bant: between ETBs, Tap abilities, Blinking (from spells and permanents) many ways of infinite: ETB, mana, card draw, untaps
Grixis: cast non-creature from grave/repeatedly [payoff + spells]
Temur: Dramatic Reversal/similar + Isochron Scepter/similar + mana generating creatures / creature lands
Jeskai: Spell copying + flicker spells + mana generating etb creatures / (untap creatures + tap for mana)
For myself it sometimes feels a bit on rails, because I know all the potential "combo" engines, which I then try to make happen to prove they are valid. Therefor I like some feedback, if it feels on rails for uninvolved drafters as well.
TL;DR: please suggest cuts/swaps and give oppinion about my high synergy cube
I think that basically all the conspiracies are first pickable regardless of whether they help you combo or not. I'm not sure if that's an issue for you or not, but I figured I should point it out.
Is there a reason you're not playing more conspiracies? Assemble the Rank and Vile and Secrets of Paradise in particular seem very on theme. I'm also kinda surprised at Reassembling Skeleton and Hermit Druid not being included for the same reason.
thanks for the feedback!
Had a draft yesterday so I can even share some insight of that.
But first right into your remarks.
Conspiracies: I view them first to third picks as well, not all drafters do so, this is something most will learn. Until that point it's nice to have the tension. Afterwards I need to reevaluate. Thanks for pointing out :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Assemble the Rank and Vile and Secrets of Paradise should be there as well, but before I wasn't so sure about them, partly because they don't directly support a endless combo. (Well other don't either)
Hermit Druid should be there, I agree.
Reassembling Skeleton takes a value slot in an environment that cares mostly about #baneslayers or #comboPieces. As I try to keep #comboPieces general enough to fit other decks they often take up the slots of #valuePieces. Considering Assemble the Rank and Vile and Hermit Druid as addition, I like Reassambling Skeleton more than before, especially as black two drops are a bit low. The more I write about it, the better I like it. Thank you
Regarding the lands and fixing: did you save your drafts? I cant see any recurring user.
The non-me online drafters during the last 4 days had 4,5,6,8,10 fixing lands in their colors. the 4/5 drafters were 2 color decks. In addition to that, the bounce lands basically count for two and the trilands for 2,5 pips. From 4 of 6 paper drafters (in European non covid area) were 3 colors, only one had mana issues. So I feel the fixing is quite decent. Still I added Terramorphic Expanse, Evolving Wilds, Ash Barrens again . The others feel bad for land untap combos, they could ease the pick pressure though ...
Edit: I hope to trim about 20 - 30 cards still, this would make one land every 10 cards, therefor 4,5 per player. Assuming 4 2-color drafters with 3 lands and gives 4 3-color drafters with 6 lands. Actually that sounds too little indeed. Need to fix that!
That was quite some thought evoking content, it helped me well.
I generally just do drafts until early pack 3 when I'm trying to figure out a cube, since at that point your strategy is basically entirely decided, so as a consequence my drafts don't get saved.