I really like the morph mechanic. I tried making it work in commander with like a Thrasios, Triton Hero + Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa, but it's not quite the full experience. I wanted there to be morphs flipping and unflipping up and down and surprises at every turn. Real decisions made based on what kind of mana players had up, and mind games. And above all really confusing awful board states.
Development
The goal was to make the morph creatures the stars of the show. The other creatures had to either directly help morphs or to compensate had to be clunky as well. Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit is an example of the former. Cruel Sadist is an example of the latter.
The more fun clunky creatures I found were those with lots of activated abilities.
Another interesting feature of morphs is that they have zero cmc. There was some attempt to have the cmc of cards mean something during onslaught so cards like Culling Scales were added. I believe Culling Scales is the one card that directly interacts with the cmc of permanents on the board, but this gave me an idea to try to fit cmc matters cards in the cube. Things like Vengeful Rebirth, Pyromancy, and Erratic Explosion were added. Split cards similarly have high cmc.
I have been wanting to add a few miracles, but Entreat the Angels and Temporal Mastery scared me a bit as being too swingy so I have shied away from that.
Weak removal was chosen to give the morphs more of a chance.
The multicolor sections are bit weird:
Each has 1 actual card that contributes to a plan, 2 split cards, and 1 Guildmage type dude. I'm not really sure all are hits. Err except Simic because it would be illegal to not run both Secret Plans and Sagu Mauler.
Archetypes are similarly kind loose. A little too loose for my liking, but I am unsure how to focus them without losing the core of my mission.
Currently, I was looking to include more build-around me cards like Opposition. I haven't tested this one just, but I think it would fit with the whole vive of the cube. I'm thinking also, and I know I just mentioned it that maybe miracles are friends could be okay, but I'm just not really familiar with their power level.
Cards that are currently a little bad Break Open <-- have seen it be last pick multiple times Nosy Goblin <-- I'm not sure this card does anything Revealing Wind <-- meeeeeeeeeh Burnished Hart <-- if it dies to removal after you cast it, it's usually a blow out.
Is the reanimation package worth it?
I am also banking on Ravnica Allegiance to come along and bring forth better Orzhov split cards. I think the current ones are pretty awful.
I'm a little bummed out that the cards I think are the most terrible are red, since overall red I think is the strongest most coherent color. Do you guys see any improvements or other ideas that could be improved?
Some useful information
Number of permanents with the word morph by section:
white - 16
blue - 18
black - 14
red - 14
green - 17
gold - 1
land - 1
I'm trying to upgrade from a pauper cube, I previously made. The lack of engine pieces and shallow multicolor options started to really frustrate me.
For this cube I tried developing a new draft methodology to try to improve the experience of the draft part of the game. Each player will draft 3, 14 card packs that contain the following:
2 white cards
2 blue cards
2 black cards
2 red cards
2 green cards
2 gold cards
1 artifact/conspiracy card
1 manafixing land (from the "land" section)
There are some mechanics I try to avoid mostly cause they don't really play very nice with the rest of the cube:
Monarch
Morph
Shadow/Horsemanship
Infect
Landwalk
Arcane Savant I think is the only really scary one.
Archetypes that I attempted to support. I really wanted to make the multicolor sections as flexible as possible and tried to give them cards that pulled in into a couple of decks. With the multicolor section I tried to to avoid having those cards be removal unless I felt it directly contributed to the plan somehow.
WU: Blink / Skies
UB: Evasive Dudes Getting In / Control
BR: Small Dude Aggro / Sacrifice Theme
RG: Big Dude Aggro
GW: +1,+1 Counters / Big Tokens
WB: Drain / Aristocrats
BG: Graveyard Shenanigans
GU: VALUE, AS MUCH VALUE AS I CAN POSSIBLY HOLD / Ramp
UR: Spells Matter / Storm Combo
RW: Small tokens swarm / Combat Hell
There is no 3 color support, but should be very doable I feel with the myriad of 3 color lands, and bounce lands.
Is there any additions that I made that look really awful or out of place? I only tested briefly on cubetutor by doing some drafts, but not using the methodology described (since that option was not available). The decks came out okay, and I had made some changes on that information. I would also be willing to add 2 more cards to every color to make the round 360 in case we ditch the new draft methodology. Any suggestions for these final cards? I'm thinking I want at least one more sac outlet, something like Nantuko Husk.
1/19/2018: If you cast any of the exiled cards, you do so as part of the resolution of the triggered ability. You can't wait to cast them later in the turn. Timing permissions based on a card's type are ignored, and the spells resolve before blockers are declared.
So I'm aware that a morph's converted mana cost is zero while on the battlefield, but how does this interact with cards like Bygone Bishop, and As Foretold? Can I cast a morph for free with As Foretold? Do I get a clue token from casting a morph?
Am I do the only one who wants Nicol Bolas to unveil his evil plan of releasing the 'enemy gatewatch' which consists of brainwashed planeswalkers from amonkhet?
I feel like this card puts the nail in the coffin of that idea. That would have been hilarious though.
Like lets say I have a Simic Initiate with one +1/+1 counter and a Winding Constrictor. Then I play a Grizzly Bears and choose to move the +1/+1 counter from my Simic Initiate does the bear become a 4/4?
I am asking because the wording of graft does not explicitly say "remove" and "place," although I would be surprised if it didn't.
Development
The goal was to make the morph creatures the stars of the show. The other creatures had to either directly help morphs or to compensate had to be clunky as well.
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit is an example of the former.
Cruel Sadist is an example of the latter.
The more fun clunky creatures I found were those with lots of activated abilities.
Another interesting feature of morphs is that they have zero cmc. There was some attempt to have the cmc of cards mean something during onslaught so cards like Culling Scales were added. I believe Culling Scales is the one card that directly interacts with the cmc of permanents on the board, but this gave me an idea to try to fit cmc matters cards in the cube. Things like Vengeful Rebirth, Pyromancy, and Erratic Explosion were added. Split cards similarly have high cmc.
I have been wanting to add a few miracles, but Entreat the Angels and Temporal Mastery scared me a bit as being too swingy so I have shied away from that.
Since morphs cost three mana, signets were added to make sure players had at least something to do on turn two. The games I thought would be slow so I added a bunch of card draw engines to make them run more smoothly. Mastery of the Unseen, Primordial Mist, Underworld Connections, Experimental Frenzy, Whisperwood Elemental.
Weak removal was chosen to give the morphs more of a chance.
The multicolor sections are bit weird:
Each has 1 actual card that contributes to a plan, 2 split cards, and 1 Guildmage type dude. I'm not really sure all are hits. Err except Simic because it would be illegal to not run both Secret Plans and Sagu Mauler.
Archetypes are similarly kind loose. A little too loose for my liking, but I am unsure how to focus them without losing the core of my mission.
Here is the list:
http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/85984
Currently, I was looking to include more build-around me cards like Opposition. I haven't tested this one just, but I think it would fit with the whole vive of the cube. I'm thinking also, and I know I just mentioned it that maybe miracles are friends could be okay, but I'm just not really familiar with their power level.
Here are the current changes I'm thinking about
-Decree of Justice, +Entreat the Angels
-Profane Command, +Entreat the Dead
-Gruesome Slaughter, +Sensei's Divining Top
-???, +Devastation Tide
Cards that are currently a little bad
Break Open <-- have seen it be last pick multiple times
Nosy Goblin <-- I'm not sure this card does anything
Revealing Wind <-- meeeeeeeeeh
Burnished Hart <-- if it dies to removal after you cast it, it's usually a blow out.
Is the reanimation package worth it?
I am also banking on Ravnica Allegiance to come along and bring forth better Orzhov split cards. I think the current ones are pretty awful.
I'm a little bummed out that the cards I think are the most terrible are red, since overall red I think is the strongest most coherent color. Do you guys see any improvements or other ideas that could be improved?
Some useful information
Number of permanents with the word morph by section:
white - 16
blue - 18
black - 14
red - 14
green - 17
gold - 1
land - 1
total: 81
I'm trying to upgrade from a pauper cube, I previously made. The lack of engine pieces and shallow multicolor options started to really frustrate me.
For this cube I tried developing a new draft methodology to try to improve the experience of the draft part of the game. Each player will draft 3, 14 card packs that contain the following:
2 white cards
2 blue cards
2 black cards
2 red cards
2 green cards
2 gold cards
1 artifact/conspiracy card
1 manafixing land (from the "land" section)
I tried avoiding the really op uncommons.
These are:
Enlightened Tutor
Land Tax
Mana Drain
Force of Will
Mystical Tutor
Demonic Tutor
Worldly Tutor
Sylvan Library
Skullclamp
Loxodon Warhammer
Sol Ring
Strip Mine
Library of Alexandria
Maze of Ith
The tutors strike me as unnecessary more than powerful, and strip mine if a big no-no with bounce lands.
I also tried avoiding obvious off color cards:
Harmonize
Beast Within
There are some mechanics I try to avoid mostly cause they don't really play very nice with the rest of the cube:
Monarch
Morph
Shadow/Horsemanship
Infect
Landwalk
The almost part is that I included several conspiracy cards regardless of rarity.
These are:
Arcane Savant
Caller of the Untamed
Archdemon of Paliano
Lore Seeker
Deal Broker
Paliano, the High City
Sovereign's Realm
Arcane Savant I think is the only really scary one.
Archetypes that I attempted to support. I really wanted to make the multicolor sections as flexible as possible and tried to give them cards that pulled in into a couple of decks. With the multicolor section I tried to to avoid having those cards be removal unless I felt it directly contributed to the plan somehow.
WU: Blink / Skies
UB: Evasive Dudes Getting In / Control
BR: Small Dude Aggro / Sacrifice Theme
RG: Big Dude Aggro
GW: +1,+1 Counters / Big Tokens
WB: Drain / Aristocrats
BG: Graveyard Shenanigans
GU: VALUE, AS MUCH VALUE AS I CAN POSSIBLY HOLD / Ramp
UR: Spells Matter / Storm Combo
RW: Small tokens swarm / Combat Hell
There is no 3 color support, but should be very doable I feel with the myriad of 3 color lands, and bounce lands.
Here is the list:
http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/127915
Is there any additions that I made that look really awful or out of place? I only tested briefly on cubetutor by doing some drafts, but not using the methodology described (since that option was not available). The decks came out okay, and I had made some changes on that information. I would also be willing to add 2 more cards to every color to make the round 360 in case we ditch the new draft methodology. Any suggestions for these final cards? I'm thinking I want at least one more sac outlet, something like Nantuko Husk.
Triggered and Activated abilities can only be countered with specific spells that mention these like Stifle, Disallow, and Voidslime
1/19/2018: If you cast any of the exiled cards, you do so as part of the resolution of the triggered ability. You can't wait to cast them later in the turn. Timing permissions based on a card's type are ignored, and the spells resolve before blockers are declared.
I feel like this card puts the nail in the coffin of that idea. That would have been hilarious though.
Like lets say I have a Simic Initiate with one +1/+1 counter and a Winding Constrictor. Then I play a Grizzly Bears and choose to move the +1/+1 counter from my Simic Initiate does the bear become a 4/4?
I am asking because the wording of graft does not explicitly say "remove" and "place," although I would be surprised if it didn't.
Daylight Field
Nonbasic land
Add W to your mana pool.
When ~ is tapped for mana transform.
Nighttime Moor
Add B to your mana pool.
When ~ is tapped for mana transform.
with the Shadows release?