Also, Mirari's Wake should be an AMAZING card in your Cube Aha. It's an untap and win card, and with a lean away from fast decks it should be an automatic inclusion. In the earlier days of my Cube, I used to run it off of a double splash sometimes
Agree with wtwlf. Also, Bogardan is a better card for reanimator and Sneak Attack, not to mention being utterly disgusting with Recurring Nightmare or stuck on a Mimic Vat.
How do these changes look? Are there any other cards I'm missing that have been integral to blue tempo?? Also, what are your experiences with Coralhelm Commander?
Just some background for my cube: 450 Unpowered, slightly lower power level than most (no swords/jitte), but besides that, no limitations.
Here is the rest of my blue section if you think better cuts can be made:
I think I'd keep Into the Roil over Delver of Secrets. The bounce is always valuable to tempo decks, and the more creature-oriented your U-based tempo decks get, the harder it'll be for Delver to do consistent work for you.
I'm thinking of changing up my counterspell suite a bit. Here are some of the unconventional counters, of which I'd probably like to include two of the three:
Here's some context: My cube is a 360 modern border only, so I can't run Force of Will, making Pact of Negation seem like an OK substitute. From being modern border only, the cube lacks power 9 or a "storm deck", but still has powerful spells like Demonic Tutor, Balance, and Armageddon which were printed in Duel Decks, From the Vaults, or Judge Foils respectively.
I already run Condescend as a UX counterspell, but Syncopate has been a champ lately, hitting stuff like Vengevine, making the exile relevant. My cube seems to have a bit more graveyard intensive GB decks with things like Life from the Loam and Gravecrawler.
Pact of Negation seems to have very little discussion around it. There were only two relevant posts in the Dark Horse thread and no MCD revolving around it. I am interested in what people think of it in a more mid-range styled cube such as mine.
I am working on finalizing my list, though I unfortunately don't have it here to show you. From the modern border convention it makes acquiring new cards a larger investment than usual, like having to find a Judge Vindicate instead of an Apocalypse one.
I ran Pact of Negation but ended up cutting it after a while. The "free" side of the spell is nice, but unless you win that turn, you lose a lot of the tempo you tried to gain when you have to pay the upkeep cost the next turn.
Force spike on the other hand, I would probably play in a cube of any size. Definite keeper.
I like Pact of Negation in slower cubes. I ran that for awhile until I started running proxies (I didn't and still don't have a copy of Force of Will). I think running one zero mana counter keeps people honest since they have to fear the blue mage even when they are fully tapped out.
If you want a "Free" counter spell and don't want to run pact, you could go with Daze (assuming you aren't running it already). It's basically force spike, which I agree is a very good card.
Definitely Wolfir. In fact its a card I would like to get back in my cube. I keep going back and forth with it and Genesis. I lean to Genesis because its so unique.
IMO, Genesis is a cube measuring stick of sorts. If your cube is too fast for decks to get Genesis online, it will not be worth a slot. But for slower cubes, it represents one of the best CA engines possible in a color that desperately needs them. In my cube, Genesis is completely uncuttable.
If my cube ever gets too fast to where Genesis isn't boss, it will have gone down a path I never intended. It has the highest ceiling out of every green 5 drop ever printed. It is the green version of Karmic Guide.
I like Thornling more than Silverheart. There's a grip of better 5-drops competing with Silverheart's spot, but Thornling is more of a 6-7+cc creature, where the competition isn't as fierce. It has evasion and staying power in addition to an immediate board impact. I hate to see my 5+cc investments die without guaranteeing me value, and the haste and indestructibility get me there.
Genesis is slow, but that's okay, because it's a card engineered to help green in the control matchup. I'm always down for giving green midrange decks a tool to assist in situations where they have the hardest time. And it's a boss with Sneak Attack too, which is a fun combo to pull off.
I agree Thornling and Silverheart are competing at different points on the curve. Thornling has an advantage in that it green six drops are surprisingly lacking. Silverheart hits hard, but is often weak in midrange's worst matchup against control. Spot removal or bounce can easily turn into a combat trick for the control player, removing the pump from your random dude and allowing it to be blocked to death by an Aether Adept or similar.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
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Also, Mirari's Wake should be an AMAZING card in your Cube Aha. It's an untap and win card, and with a lean away from fast decks it should be an automatic inclusion. In the earlier days of my Cube, I used to run it off of a double splash sometimes
-AA
I use descriptive language. Assume that I'm being nice and respectful. (I'll tell you when I'm not.)
My Cube: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/9029
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Thanks all for recommending Mirari's Wake. I'm going to give it another go.
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/modular-cube-5-colors.800/
Retro combo cube thread
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/retro-combo-cube.1454/
In -> Out
Master of Waves -> Frost Titan
Thassa, God of the Sea -> Augur of Bolas
Coralhelm Commander -> Omenspeaker
Aether Adept -> Cyclonic Rift
Remand -> Into the Roil
How do these changes look? Are there any other cards I'm missing that have been integral to blue tempo?? Also, what are your experiences with Coralhelm Commander?
Just some background for my cube: 450 Unpowered, slightly lower power level than most (no swords/jitte), but besides that, no limitations.
Here is the rest of my blue section if you think better cuts can be made:
Thanks!
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Draft!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Here's some context: My cube is a 360 modern border only, so I can't run Force of Will, making Pact of Negation seem like an OK substitute. From being modern border only, the cube lacks power 9 or a "storm deck", but still has powerful spells like Demonic Tutor, Balance, and Armageddon which were printed in Duel Decks, From the Vaults, or Judge Foils respectively.
I already run Condescend as a UX counterspell, but Syncopate has been a champ lately, hitting stuff like Vengevine, making the exile relevant. My cube seems to have a bit more graveyard intensive GB decks with things like Life from the Loam and Gravecrawler.
Force Spike I am unsure of, much like Mana Tithe.
Pact of Negation seems to have very little discussion around it. There were only two relevant posts in the Dark Horse thread and no MCD revolving around it. I am interested in what people think of it in a more mid-range styled cube such as mine.
I am working on finalizing my list, though I unfortunately don't have it here to show you. From the modern border convention it makes acquiring new cards a larger investment than usual, like having to find a Judge Vindicate instead of an Apocalypse one.
Thanks for any help or comments!
My current trade thread.
Force spike on the other hand, I would probably play in a cube of any size. Definite keeper.
My vote is for Force Spike and Syncopate.
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I'm not a fan of either of the other two, but I like Syncopate more than Pact, because I can use it before I have 5 mana available.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
If you want a "Free" counter spell and don't want to run pact, you could go with Daze (assuming you aren't running it already). It's basically force spike, which I agree is a very good card.
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/modular-cube-5-colors.800/
Retro combo cube thread
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/retro-combo-cube.1454/
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/modular-cube-5-colors.800/
Retro combo cube thread
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/retro-combo-cube.1454/
Kicking asses in style
thanks to me for this wonderfull sig.
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I 100% go Pegasus. I always go with evasion.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/3pq
Exactly this. Has more impact than Thornling, which rarely was game winning here.
Wolfir often has the opponent gasping when you attack: 'That is how much/how much?' :D:o
I feel compelled to repeat everything I hear
Definitely Wolfir. In fact its a card I would like to get back in my cube. I keep going back and forth with it and Genesis. I lean to Genesis because its so unique.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/3pq
If my cube ever gets too fast to where Genesis isn't boss, it will have gone down a path I never intended. It has the highest ceiling out of every green 5 drop ever printed. It is the green version of Karmic Guide.
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/modular-cube-5-colors.800/
Retro combo cube thread
http://riptidelab.com/forum/threads/retro-combo-cube.1454/
Genesis is slow, but that's okay, because it's a card engineered to help green in the control matchup. I'm always down for giving green midrange decks a tool to assist in situations where they have the hardest time. And it's a boss with Sneak Attack too, which is a fun combo to pull off.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
My 380 Beginners’ Cube on Cube Tutor
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass