Creeping Tar Pit is one of only 2 manlands I ever first pick (the other is Celestial Colonnade) as it's so good at giving control and tempo decks inevitability while fixing their mana. Now that we have a full cycle of manland duals, I can't imagine ever cutting any of them, but CTP is still the creme de la creme.
If I'd run manlands AS powerful as Tar-Pit, I would have to bring more targeted LD back in different colors. It is really pushed.
Not necessarily, running plentiful instant speed creature removal is another way to keep manlands in check.
As for Elementals, I'd have to say my favorite one is Shriekmaw. I love kill spells, 187 creatures, modal spells, and pushed uncommons. Shriekmaw is all 4.
Menace plus an extra body makes it pretty easy for Kari Zev to get some damage through early, and she's amazing with any kind of anthem effect on the table. First strike and 3 toughness also makes her a much better blocker for aggro mirrors than most red 2-drops. There will be situations where a Borderland Marauder will be better, but on the whole I think Kari Zev is certainly better, and a lot more interesting.
I'm gonna have to go with a classic here and say Cornelius from the original Planet of the Apes series is my favorite pop culture primate.
Ponder doesn't look like the most exciting card at first glance, but having one in your deck can help you dig for land early, and for action later making your decks and games run smoother. Ponder, Preordain, and Impulse are the only pure card-selection cantrips I run, and although I feel like I should make room for more, cuts in blue are hard to find.
I'm actually fortunate enough to have 2 alters of Ponder, one for each cube. One is a signed alter of the Dan Scott art, and my wife did a border extension of the nipple Ponder. I prefer the original Lorwyn art.
This definitely gets there on power level just for the P/T bump and the ability to make dragons when it connects. Unfortunately, too many of the people I cube with just aren't cool with Un-cards and Conspiracy cards, so this will have to stay out.
Yeah, I asked a similar bonus question for Cryptic Command about 6 months ago, but this is the first time Mystic Confluence has come up. I'm not gonna lie, though, I am starting to run out of ideas for bonus questions, as well as relevant cards to bring up for discussion.
I don't know if Mystic Confluence plays better than Cryptic Command in other formats, but I agree that it's definitely a better cube card than CC not only because of the easier color requirements, but also because of the potential for more card advantage. Control players who get the chance to play Mystic Confluence for the first time in my cube pretty much always fall in love, and that doesn't seem to happen with most Commander cards.
Alesha's been great for me as well, giving Boros and Rakdos aggro decks the chance to do more interesting and broken stuff than just turning dude(tte)s sideways, while still turning dude(tte)s sideways. It's the kind of build-around I'm always happy to have in cube and add to my decks whenever I have the chance.
However, my favorite decks to play are tempo decks, so Man-o'-War is easily my favorite creature with power 2 or less.
Looters enable all kinds of things, including graveyard synergies. Mask of Memory, Deal Broker, and Smuggler's Copter are the best artifact loot cards I know of. You might also like Mindless Automaton, which plays a lot better in slower formats than it probably appears at first glance.
Not necessarily, running plentiful instant speed creature removal is another way to keep manlands in check.
As for Elementals, I'd have to say my favorite one is Shriekmaw. I love kill spells, 187 creatures, modal spells, and pushed uncommons. Shriekmaw is all 4.
Creeping Tar Pit
BONUS QUESTION
What's your favorite Elemental card?
Dig Through Time
BONUS QUESTION
What's the most mana you've ever paid to cast this card in a cube match?
I'm gonna have to go with a classic here and say Cornelius from the original Planet of the Apes series is my favorite pop culture primate.
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
BONUS QUESTION
Who's your favorite pop culture primate?
I'm actually fortunate enough to have 2 alters of Ponder, one for each cube. One is a signed alter of the Dan Scott art, and my wife did a border extension of the nipple Ponder. I prefer the original Lorwyn art.
Also, Gonti, Lord of Luxury is another Rogue that sees some cube play.
Ponder
BONUS QUESTION
How many purely card-selection cantrips are you running in your blue section?
I don't know if Mystic Confluence plays better than Cryptic Command in other formats, but I agree that it's definitely a better cube card than CC not only because of the easier color requirements, but also because of the potential for more card advantage. Control players who get the chance to play Mystic Confluence for the first time in my cube pretty much always fall in love, and that doesn't seem to happen with most Commander cards.
My 3 favorite bounce spells are Man-o'-War, Reflector Mage, and Crystal Shard.
BONUS QUESTION
Choose three. You may choose the same question more than once:
Solemn Simulacrum
BONUS QUESTION
What invitational cards do you run with the original invitational art?
However, my favorite decks to play are tempo decks, so Man-o'-War is easily my favorite creature with power 2 or less.
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
BONUS QUESTION
What's your favorite creature with power 2 or less?