Hello everyone and welcome to my cube thread! It is also my first post on this forum, but I've been lurking for some time now and taking advice from excellent conversations. My basic philosophy in designing this cube is that each color and each color combination should be outfitted with cards and strategies for winning both the long game and the short game. A second basic philosophy is that graveyard matters cards are awesome and Odyssey block was the bomb.
One thing that I've done to this cube is added rare mana fixing lands. I've added these in cycles, based heavily on what is cheap. The cycles currently in there are RTR block shock duals, ICE/APO pain lands, and ODY weak filter lands. I may add check lands sometime but probably not unless i go up in size.
Charmed Griffin seems like a really high risk for a pretty low reward.
I wouldn't want to play with Errand of Duty solely for the fact that I would have to explain banding to other people.
I doubt that 28 cycling cards is enough to support Astral Slide and/or Lightning Rift. They're neat cards, and peasant is really lacking when it comes to build-around-me cards, but I think these just aren't powerful enough to justify running a bunch of suboptimal cards.
Are you opposed to running functional reprints? Thought Scour would be a nice card to have.
Thought Eater has incredible art (but I think the card is mediocre).
Do you feel like that's too many red X-spells? I've found that they have a tendency to just end the game when they get cast, so I've limited how many I play (just Kaervek's Torch and Rolling Thunder).
Why is Regrowth banned for monetery reasons? I revised copy costs like a buck. I'm pretty sure Eternal Witness costs more.
Hey, you're right! I feel like I had searched and found that it was a ten dollar card, but that's just not the case.
Quote from Bizarro Bike »
Sensei's Divining Top isn't even good.
I love playing with this card. It makes me feel very in control of the game. You're probably right, though; it's definitely not a priority compared to other cards on that list.
Quote from Bizarro Bike »
I think I'd want a few more actual reanimation spells. You need plenty of those to make reanimator work.
Charmed Griffin seems like a really high risk for a pretty low reward.
I'm not sure, the risk's not terribly high. There's only a handful of artifacts and enchantments with cmc >4, so the Confiscate blowout doesn't come frequently. More often it draws out a Pacifism or something for a mild tempo loss, but neutral CA so who cares. Most often the opponent's got nothing. It's got no downside past like turn six. It's true the reward isn't jaw-dropping but Phantom Monsters can win games. I like it 10x the boring and fragile Assault Griffin.
I am opposed to running functional reprints actually. 'The spirit of singleton.' Thought Scour's gonna replace Mental Note.
Quote from Bizarro Bike »
Thought Eater has incredible art (but I think the card is mediocre).
If this cube had rares Thought Devourer would be in there so fast. I love these cards. Aggro decks go to blue for three things: tempo, counterspells, and fliers with decent stats. If you had a one drop on the play, there's no drawback. If you play it off-curve, there's no drawback either. I think it's decent especially compared to other combat creatures that blue could contribute at the two-drop spot. Welkin Tern gets played and that card dies to everything and can't play d. You're 100% correct about the art.
Steal Artifact can be devastating, or it can Conquer your rock which isn't bad value. Blue's got tons of looting so it's not hard to pitch if it's dead. I'll maindeck it in control. And I also look to sideboard applications, where Steal Artifact is excellent for any deck running blue. It's also a hilarious card to both win with and lose to.
I like this card. Black doesn't get a ton of fat creatures. Someone needs to survive the pestilence! It's great coming back from the graveyard. It's not high power or anything and could come out at some point.
I have, I need to pick up that card. I probably like Unholy Strength too much. It looks great on most of these cheap, worthless-in-the-late-game Black beater dorks.
It's okay. It can slot into alot of decks. Probably a good place to start if I'm trying to lose one-drops.
Quote from Bizarro Bike »
Do you feel like that's too many red X-spells? I've found that they have a tendency to just end the game when they get cast, so I've limited how many I play (just Kaervek's Torch and Rolling Thunder).
Hmm, you have a point. The four I've got are all first picks for sure. I'll keep my eye out for them; Lava Burst is the most in danger.
But, the turn four Cloudshift dream? Yeah yeah you're probably right. I'll be sad if I get to the point where I can't meaningfully bluff with morphs but that's not a good reason to include bad cards.
Yeah I was planning on picking up the cloak. I had forgotten about the Brownscale but it looks worth it, esp given weak green three drops. I love dredge, one of my favorite mechanics. Any love for Golgari Thug?
Quote from Bizarro Bike »
Do people actually put Urza's Bauble in their decks?
I put it in decks with Trinket Mage and Thirst for Knowledge! I think people should have the right to play 39 card decks if they want. It's likely just taking up a spot.
Yeah, so what do I do with Orzhov? I already had to cut Gerrard's Verdict which was heartbreaking. Sin Collector is on a short leash but I haven't had a chance to play with it yet so I don't really know.
Quote from Bizarro Bike »
It seems as though you're missing a green-specific land. Treetop Village is the obvious choice.
Green has one more card, Llanowar Elves is the green-specific land. I'll add a Treetop Village when I get one for sure.
Raven's Crime is a great idea, definitely doing it. But the other three? I've got Death Spark and Lava Dart, so Flame Jab seems redundant. I guess I could lose the dart but I've got nostalgia. I haven't played Syphon Life, but Syphon Soul is not good at all. What sorts of decks want this card? I haven't played with retrace cards really at all so I don't have a great conception of what makes a good retrace card.
Alchemy is a go, even though Dimir is packed. Grisly Salvage seems worse than what I've got in Golgari atm. Neither Tracker's Instincts nor Drown in Filth look very playable but I don't have experience with these cards.
re: astral slide and lightning rift; i would consider the following cubeable at 600 if you're specifically trying to make the two cards work.
I've also got Pale Recluse and Shimmering Barrier. The two Gempalm creatures you cited go with my light goblin and soldier tribal elements, but you're never happy to be casting Incinerator as a creature and neither option on the Avenger is very exciting. Marshalling Cry seems slow but worth a look. Double black on Unburden and Swat means you can't cast these in your slide/rift deck and on their own they are not great.
So the list you have would put me at 36 cyclers; right now I'm at 28. I'll play a little and if slide/rift seem like they would work with a modicum of additional support I'll add one or two of the cards that I've mentioned above. Those enchantments are so sweet. Add Enlightened Tutor to the list of banned for money cards
I've found that morph bluffing just doesn't occur all that often. The only morph creatures I play are those with significant upsides (Skirk Marauder, Nantuko Vigilante, a handful of others).
I have never played with Golgari Thug, so I can't say one way or the other. It seems fine, though.
Flame Jab is great. Once your aggro deck gets to four or five lands, you get free damage. It makes combat a lot riskier for your opponent. I haven't played with Syphon Soul or Savage Conception, but I'm putting Syphon into my list in my next update.
Alright cool, I'll check it out. It does seem to play fun with a bunch of the black cards currently in the cube, eg all the gy matters, plus stuff like Slaughter and extort dudes.
Quote from palingensia »
36 cyclers out of 600 cards isn't a lot (6%) i imagine the archetype would rarely come together with a pool of cards that big.
You're right I suppose. The deck wouldn't have to come together every time though. I'm fine with two sometimes dead cards if they can deliver an awesome deck on occasion.
The other thing is that cycling is awesome, really a great in limited, and I'd run a bunch of cycling cards in the cube regardless. Every cycling card on that list I'd play on its own merits. Cycling is also practically a graveyard matters mechanic, which I'm trying to push.
I glanced through your list and this seems like a fun cube to draft.
The section that looked the most unusual to me was your White/Blue section, here are my thoughts on the cards that stood out to me:
Judge's Familiar -> Azorius Charm?
I don't think Judge's Familiar does a lot, and I personally think it's a waste of a (valuable) WU slot. Azorius Charm, on the other hand, does a lot of different things and can fit into pretty much any kind of deck. To bad it doesn't literally have cycling.
Deputy of Acquittals -> Dramatic Rescue or Mistmeadow Witch?
I feel like Dramatic Rescue is situationally better than the deputy, but I honestly prefer the creature. I just wanted to highlight the comparison there. I do think you could consider Mistmeadow Witch over the Deputy if you're going for a blink theme, though.
Silver Drake -> Ascended Lawmage or Sky Hussar?
I'm not exactly sure why this creature's in here. These type of creatures are pretty clunky. I think Ascended Lawmage and/or Sky Hussar will generally do this card's job better in both aggro and control decks. If it were me, I'd do my best to get rid of all the 'vanilla' bounce dudes from Planeshift.
Skymark Roc -> Jelenn Sphinx?
I've never played with Skymark Roc, but it feels like a really clunky and weird card to me. I think Jelenn Sphinx synergizes well with a lot of your white creatures, and it is a card that can play both offense and defense at the same time. Ascended Lawmage and Sky Hussar are both viable replacements here, too.
Azorius Herald -> Lyev Skyknight or Glassdust Hulk? Azorius Herald isn't bad, but it never felt especially good to me, either. I think Lyev Skyknight can do a lot of the same things you want this guy to do (negate an attack's worth of damage, then start racing). Glassdust Hulk is a bit of a pet card for me, but it's solid (and has cycling), and encourages you to draft certain cards.
Curse of Chains -> Plumeveil or Wall of Denial?
Curse of Chains is redundant with white cards and blue cards. I feel like you should include unique cards in your multicolored slots, since they are less abundant than your monocolored slots. Plumeveil and Wall of Denial are both removal-esque, but don't have to commit to creatures. They definitely are more geared to control decks than Curse of Chains, but I feel like they are more accurate representations of how a blue white deck wants to deal with creatures.
Other cards to consider: Azorius Guildmage is really, really good. Like, absurdly good. Ethersworn Shieldmage isn't amazing, but it is tricky and fun to play with. I really enjoy casting the card. Kiss of the Amesha may not be the most impressive draw/lifegain spell, especially when compared to Sphinx's Revelation, but it's basically the peasant alternative to it.
Entomb is a rare. Necromancy is excellent. I like Makeshift Mannequin and Victimize as well, but less for traditional reanimator strats and more for getting value.
Oops I meant Exhume. Victimize does look neat. I think I'll try to squeeze in that and Necromancy.
I would cut Sin Collector, Tidehollow Sculler and Gift of Orzhova from WB to get Gerard's Verdict, Unburial Rites and Lingering Souls in there. Verdict is awesome.
Okay man but those are some cool cards. I think I'll cut the Sculler, keep the other two, and pull out some cards from the regular black and white sections to compensate all three of Verdict, Rites and Lingering Souls because why not.
I will likely try out Prowling Pangolin, but that notion is somewhat motivated by the fact that pangolins are the coolest animals on the planet.
Haha I was definitely under the impression that a pangolin was a made up animal.
Hmm I'll choose one or the other, black is filled with recursion spells already.
I've found that morph bluffing just doesn't occur all that often. The only morph creatures I play are those with significant upsides (Skirk Marauder, Nantuko Vigilante, a handful of others).
Well there's always the Zombie Cutthroat and Gathan Raiders threat. I play a decent amount of sealed, which makes bluffing easier.
Flame Jab is great. Once your aggro deck gets to four or five lands, you get free damage. It makes combat a lot riskier for your opponent. I haven't played with Syphon Soul or Savage Conception, but I'm putting Syphon into my list in my next update.
Okay I think I'll try to make space for Jab and Syphon Soul, probably taking out the Lava Dart.
Grisly Salvage and Drown in Filth are probably not good enough, but I do think Tracker's Instincts is solid.
Yeah wait on second thought Tracker's Insticts card looks pretty cool. I'm so anti sorcery speed card draw which colored my perception. It is great in UG Madness which is the best UG deck.
Corpse Connoisseur could be fun. I run Grixis Slavedriver as a control finisher. I like Vithian Stinger. I ran Fatestitcher for a while. Dregscape Zombie is boring, but solid. Ditto for Viscera Dragger. Rotting Rats could be a reanimation enabler. Shambling Remains is quite good if your BR section is aggressive. Maybe Kathari Screecher. Man, I love unearth.
I glanced through your list and this seems like a fun cube to draft. The section that looked the most unusual to me was your White/Blue section, here are my thoughts on the cards that stood out to me:
Thanks! I agree that I don't have much cohesion in my U/W section, it's mostly a collection of favorites and cards I had around.
Judge's Familiar -> Azorius Charm?
I don't think Judge's Familiar does a lot, and I personally think it's a waste of a (valuable) WU slot. Azorius Charm, on the other hand, does a lot of different things and can fit into pretty much any kind of deck. To bad it doesn't literally have cycling.
It's a good point, and I'm looking to cut one drops anyway. This one seemed more important for blue as an aggro creature. I don't know if I like Azorius charm as much as some of the cards further down on this list. Pretty sweet on a Scepter though!
Deputy of Acquittals -> Dramatic Rescue or Mistmeadow Witch?
I feel like Dramatic Rescue is situationally better than the deputy, but I honestly prefer the creature. I just wanted to highlight the comparison there. I do think you could consider Mistmeadow Witch over the Deputy if you're going for a blink theme, though.
I think that the Deputy is the best card of the three. I just got it so I want to give it a spin.
Silver Drake -> Ascended Lawmage or Sky Hussar?
I'm not exactly sure why this creature's in here. These type of creatures are pretty clunky. I think Ascended Lawmage and/or Sky Hussar will generally do this card's job better in both aggro and control decks. If it were me, I'd do my best to get rid of all the 'vanilla' bounce dudes from Planeshift.
The reason why I like Silver Drake, and also the Deputy above, over things like Mistmeadow Witch is that for many of these blue and white ETB creatures (Court Hussar and Azorius Herald, but also Lone Missionary and Man-o'-War) it's just as good to have the card in hand as it is in play, especially when your payoff is a monster in the air. Maybe also I have nostalgia for Planeshift gating guys. Silver Drake is the weakest between it, Horned Kavu and Cavern Harpy, so maybe it can get the axe and I won't feel too bad. I'm not a big fan of hexproof but Sky Hussar looks cool.
Skymark Roc -> Jelenn Sphinx?
I've never played with Skymark Roc, but it feels like a really clunky and weird card to me. I think Jelenn Sphinx synergizes well with a lot of your white creatures, and it is a card that can play both offense and defense at the same time. Ascended Lawmage and Sky Hussar are both viable replacements here, too.
I was considering the Sphinx, yeah. I have no idea about the Roc because I just got it. White does want more team boosters at the moment.
Azorius Herald -> Lyev Skyknight or Glassdust Hulk?
Azorius Herald isn't bad, but it never felt especially good to me, either. I think Lyev Skyknight can do a lot of the same things you want this guy to do (negate an attack's worth of damage, then start racing). Glassdust Hulk is a bit of a pet card for me, but it's solid (and has cycling), and encourages you to draft certain cards.
Azorius Herald isn't fantastic, it's true. I'm definitely trying to get a Lyev Skynight in there, I had forgotten about that card. You're right that the cards are similar in a weird way. Glassdust Hulk is goofy looking. I don't have many artifacts but I guess the card doesn't need artifacts in order to be serviceable. I'll put it next to Traumatic Visions and Jungle Weaver as cards on the bubble if cycling needs a little more help.
Curse of Chains -> Plumeveil or Wall of Denial?
Curse of Chains is redundant with white cards and blue cards. I feel like you should include unique cards in your multicolored slots, since they are less abundant than your monocolored slots. Plumeveil and Wall of Denial are both removal-esque, but don't have to commit to creatures. They definitely are more geared to control decks than Curse of Chains, but I feel like they are more accurate representations of how a blue white deck wants to deal with creatures.
I'm pretty set on Curse of Chains cause both of these colors can always use more removal and the single hybrid mana cost makes it a curiously high pick for me in draft. Also it's a gorgeous illustration by Drew Tucker, one of my favs. I'm close to playing Dream Fighter based on art alone. Wall of Denial does not look like much fun but maybe I should give U/W a dumb hexproof guy if that's what it's got to offer. Plumeveil is intriguing. I actually haven't played with any of the triple hybrid cycle cards; I just got the Ram-Gang that I have. Doesn't the mana get tough?
Other cards to consider: Azorius Guildmage is really, really good. Like, absurdly good. Ethersworn Shieldmage isn't amazing, but it is tricky and fun to play with. I really enjoy casting the card. Kiss of the Amesha may not be the most impressive draw/lifegain spell, especially when compared to Sphinx's Revelation, but it's basically the peasant alternative to it.
I like all of these card ideas. Probably the Guildmage and the Kiss more than the other one. But why oh why is Kiss of Amesha a sorcery
Oh, and I find that Nucklavee is almost strictly better than Izzet Chronarch.
Hmm maybe, both seem neat honestly, and I haven't played the Nucklavee. What would you get rid of out of Izzet to make room for both?
As much as I see where you're trying to come from, that's just a poor argument.
Nucklavee gets the following cards back from your graveyard, all of which are pretty good in a deck that's going to cast a 6-mana creature (AKA a control deck). Rift Bolt included.
So honestly, I think it's just plain wrong to argue that Izzet Chronarch is better when the cube already contains Archaeomancer. Nucklavee is more divergent (and interesting, IMHO), and ultimately better. Nucklavee never gets back lightning bolt, sure. Izzet Chronarch is a 2/2 that never gives you more than one card. For only one less mana.
As far as other cards that you could try cutting for Nucklavee, I always feel sour towards Desperate Ravings' random discard. Quicksilver Dagger is really good when it works, but really bad when it doesn't (when you get 2-for-1'd)--Nucklavee is almost always a 3-for-1 for you. If it were up to me, I'd cut the Chronarch. After that, it'd probably be the dagger so as to keep Desperate Ravings as another 2-mana instant for Isochron Scepter.
I agree with arguments for both Izzet Chronarch and Nucklavee. I think the one mana difference between the two is huge as well - it means you can more likely cast the spell the turn you get it back, allowing you to burn out a dude and stabilize the board more immediately than the beast. Zovc, I don't actually have Archaeomancer. I guess it would fit with the graveyard theme but Squire stats are not very inspiring. Do you think that this card is better than anything I've got at blue cmc 4 creatures at the moment?
Anyway in order to fit the Chronarch and the Nucklavee both, while not jeopardizing pet cards (Quicksliver Dagger is at least parity if they're tapped out! Blue and red have a ton of Fire Imp type creatures to enchant!), I'm going to expand the enemy color multicolor sections from 6 cards to 7. I'll compensate by finding cuts in each color, or maybe chopping away some artifacts and lands. Planned inclusions are: Nucklavee, Tracker's Instinct, Boros Signet, Unburial Rites/Lingering Souls/Gerrard's Verdict (minus Sculler plus one additional card from white or black).
I think Grisly Salvage and Spider Spawning, since it seems like you're really into graveyard matters style cards. Spider Spawning probably isn't the most powerful thing you can do in green for 5 mana, but having flashback helps, and it's definitely a fun build-around card.
I think Archaeomancer is a fine card, even with its bad stats. Retrieving a spell is a really strong effect. My cube has it and Mnemonic Wall. I'd probably swap out Aven Fogbringer for it.
I really wish Quicksilver Dagger let you ping creatures. Getting some extra reach is cool and all, but I think I'd rather have a straight card draw spell (like Thoughtflare or Blast of Genius).
Alright I'll queue up Grisly Salvage and Spider Spawning. I am pretty excited about the spawning. It seems like a pretty wacky card (1/2 with reach?) and I hope it's a fit.
[CARD]
Aven Fogbringer[/CARD] is a card I'm going to keep in to try out for a while. I've never played it in a format like this - with so many CIPT lands and especially Karoos - so I think it might work in blue tempo aggro. I'll sit on Archaeomancer and Mnemonic Wall; I'll probably try to find a place for the latter if something underperforms.
I couldn't settle on a Boros cut earlier so I took out their signet instead. Now I want to put it back in. It's true that aggro R/W doesn't want their signet, but neither do aggro decks of any color pair. All sorts of decks play the colors Red and White though - UW control splashing for X spells, RB reanimator splashing for Unburial Rites, Slide Rift, etc. These decks all love a signet.
So honestly, I think it's just plain wrong to argue that Izzet Chronarch is better
I wasn't arguing that Chronarch was better.
My argument was against you even sniffing the term "strictly" when cards like Bolt and Talrand's invocation exist.
And for the record, I'd rather get back Lightning bolt than fireball. If I'm getting back fireball, the game has gone on incredibly long and likely the blue deck has the edge. Bringing back bolt can make or break a game by keeping you alive right now.
I wasn't arguing that Chronarch was better.
My argument was against you even sniffing the term "strictly" when cards like Bolt and Talrand's invocation exist.
And for the record, I'd rather get back Lightning bolt than fireball. If I'm getting back fireball, the game has gone on incredibly long and likely the blue deck has the edge. Bringing back bolt can make or break a game by keeping you alive right now.
I still feel like you can build your deck around Nucklavee instead of Chronarch and have it be just as good, if not better.
The only case where Chronarch -> Lightning Bolt will save you where Nucklavee won't is if there is an evasive creature involved. Nucklavee can survive a fight with a lot more creatures than the wizard can. Furthermore, if you need to kill a creature, Flame Slash is in the cube and a reasonable card. I concede that needing six mana versus seven might leave you dead here, but I think a 4/4 for 6 and gets you two cards is a pretty good "I need to stabilize!" play. Probably just as reliable as a 2/2 for 6 that deals 3 damage to a creature when it enters the battlefield.
It just seems to me that, for every mark against the beast, he's still "almost strictly better." Like I said.
Zovc
Costing 1 less mana on a card that gets value out of letting you play more cards is not negligible. In fact, costing 1 less mana for a creature this high up on the mana cost scale no matter what it does is not negligible.
Being able to get back talrand's invocation on curve is not negligible.
Or foresee (both of the last two on curve)
Or path to exile.
Or doom blade.
Having access to the complete pool of instants and sorceries instead of just 3/4s of on color and half of another is a big deal.
You can try and say that it's a better card, but if you have to concede a half dozen scenarios where the other guy is a better card then you can't say it's superior to the degree you claim to.
Strictly means, as far as I know, a complete upgrade in every reasonable way. "Almost strictly" would just add an "almost" in there right before the "a". But it's not "almost a complete upgrade in every reasonable way". There are just too many ways where I would want the 5 drop with immensely more card selection than the 6 drop with a narrower cardpool but the chance for a 2 for 1 and a bigger body.
Got my first chance to draft the cube with 4 other people last night! It was a success I'd say. There are a number of changes to be made but on the whole it was a blast.
I think there was just too much removal sadly. The cards weren't shuffled great, which might have contributed to weird distributions. Still, I don't want removal.dec to be the default best look because colors like green and white get shafted that way. Fire Covenant and Jilt were uninspiring last night for me and will probably come out.
Other notes
- I didn't have all the cards in the cube list - a shipment is coming from the internet tomorrow - and as a consequence Red, Green and White had a few fewer cards than other colors. This could explain the ton of removal. I did throw some cards that I was intending to put in anyway to 'compensate'.
- My deck also had Surreal Memoirs. In this deck, it was king. Very fun, CA in a CA-light color, and pretty demoralizing. At one point I had only it in hand, no instants in the graveyard, facing down some phantom monster. I audibly prayed for the Lightning Bolt, and there it was on the top of my deck. My luckiest topdeck in recent memory.
-Extort dudes were quality all night. I'm gonna try to find a space for the 1/4 white defender or the 2/4 white creature. Opinions?
-A request was made for more unconditional countermagic. I'm happy to oblige. In addition to the Traumatic Visions, I'll look to get some combination of Dismiss, Forbid, Arcane Denial, and any version of Force of Will that I can find. Does anyone know of a good vendor that sells gold-bordered cards?
-Aggro suffered. It didn't seem viable. Because of all of the removal, because all the fixing but pain lands was control-focused, and because a slew of the cards I'm waiting on are aggro staples. Besides messing with the removal, I want another cycle of rare aggro-friendly lands. They'll probably replace the guildgates. I think I'll pony up cash for the Sulfur Falls cycle, and maybe also swap out talismen or signets for the Darkwater Catacombs cycle. I'd go for the Lorwyn filter lands but many of those are mad pricey still.
-Among the cards that I threw in last-minute was Armed // Dangerous. The player who drafted it had some crazy plays. The best was Juggernaut, Armed, bloodrush Ghor-Clan Rampager. The card stays in.
-Pretty much every green cmc 1 mana elf got into the draft, and they all got played. Avacyn's Pilgrim's coming in, and it will join Elves of the Deep Shadow in the green section rather than multicolored.
-Unstable Mutation is still the best aura that not enough people cube.
First off, don't worry. Everyone's cube starts with way too much removal. Cut some of the worse ones and replace them with dudes. Draft a few more times. If it still feels like too much, repeat that process. It'll work out.
Making aggro better has been a common theme in the Peasant forum for quite some time. Make sure you have a lot of 1 and 2 drop creatures, reduce the amount of removal, maybe cut down on some of the CA spells.
First off, don't worry. Everyone's cube starts with way too much removal. Cut some of the worse ones and replace them with dudes. Draft a few more times. If it still feels like too much, repeat that process. It'll work out.
Making aggro better has been a common theme in the Peasant forum for quite some time. Make sure you have a lot of 1 and 2 drop creatures, reduce the amount of removal, maybe cut down on some of the CA spells.
Thanks for the encouragement! It's so tough to cut removal because that's what's good at C/U.
As far as 1 and 2 drops - I'll see how my selections play out but I'm definitely looking around for ideas for additions. You've got a number of unblockable/ can't block guys in your 1 drop section: Tormented Soul, Solitari Foot Soldier, Goblin Fireslinger. On a range from nice to crucial, how important are these guys for aggro?
Quote from Leelue »
How will this card [Fire Covenant] be good in a deck with a dozen other removal spells? It's at its best in aggro, anyway.
Also, play forbid. Don't play force of will.
Haha it's a good point. Fine I'll keep it in in place of Wrecking Ball.
Force of Will is if nothing else very fun. I like the decision-making and surprise involved in free spells. But even gold-bordered championship editions are like ten dollars (!!!) and I'm too lazy/not crafty enough to proxy, so oh well.
Forbid is on order. I've got a round of changes underway and I'll try to update the original post and post the changes at some time.
One thing that I've done to this cube is added rare mana fixing lands. I've added these in cycles, based heavily on what is cheap. The cycles currently in there are RTR block shock duals, ICE/APO pain lands, and ODY weak filter lands. I may add check lands sometime but probably not unless i go up in size.
Basic Information
Type: Peasant (Commons and Uncommons) (more or less)
Size: 5450
Breakdown: 46 multi-color, 62 of each color, 32 artifacts, and 58 lands.
Powered or Unpowered: Unpowered
Portal: Yes
Proxies: No
"Un" Cards: No
Pimped: I try to use cards that aren't too beat up
Banned for power: Skullclamp, Sol Ring, Ghostly Prison/Propoganda, Behemoth Sledge, Timely Reinforcements
Banned until I want to spend even more money on magic cards: Force of Will, Maze of Ith, Demonic Tutor, Sensei's Diving Top, Library of Alexandria, Berserk, Mana Drain, Sylvan Library, Land Tax, Remand
http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/1807
Calvin and Hobbes
Cube Tutor
Your fixing looks plentiful. You have a ton of mana rocks, so I might consider cutting at least some of them.
I think I'd want a few more actual reanimation spells. You need plenty of those to make reanimator work.
Samurai of the Pale Curtain is pretty bad for a double-color two drop. I prefer Knight of Meadowgrain.
Charmed Griffin seems like a really high risk for a pretty low reward.
I wouldn't want to play with Errand of Duty solely for the fact that I would have to explain banding to other people.
I doubt that 28 cycling cards is enough to support Astral Slide and/or Lightning Rift. They're neat cards, and peasant is really lacking when it comes to build-around-me cards, but I think these just aren't powerful enough to justify running a bunch of suboptimal cards.
Are you opposed to running functional reprints? Thought Scour would be a nice card to have.
Thought Eater has incredible art (but I think the card is mediocre).
Scroll Thief is better than Ophidian.
Is Steal Artifact reliable enough to get maindecked?
How does this cube not have Careful Consideration? Think Twice might be worth running, too.
I've really liked Fleshbag Marauder in my grindy, GY-focused black decks.
How good is Prowling Pangolin?
Have you considered Tortured Existence? Over, say, Unholy Strength?
Stitch Together could be sweet.
Is Kris Mage any good?
Do you feel like that's too many red X-spells? I've found that they have a tendency to just end the game when they get cast, so I've limited how many I play (just Kaervek's Torch and Rolling Thunder).
Walker of the Grove > Towering Baloth, imo.
Dredge cards seem way better in this cube than in most others. Moldervine Cloak, perhaps? Golgari Brownscale might be cool, too.
Do people actually put Urza's Bauble in their decks?
Not having Unburial Rites seems like a gross oversight. Not to mention Lingering Souls.
It seems as though you're missing a green-specific land. Treetop Village is the obvious choice.
EDIT: Add more retrace cards. Raven's Crime, Syphon Life, Flame Jab, maybe Savage Conception.
EDIT 2: More self-mill cards might be a good idea. Grisly Salvage, Drown in Filth, Forbidden Alchemy and Tracker's Instincts all seem decent in this cube.
Unearth creatures also present some cool interactions.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
1 chartooth cougar
1 choking tethers
1 complicate
1 edge of autumn
1 expunge
1 fiery fall
1 gempalm avenger
1 gempalm incinerator
1 gleam of resistance
1 jhessian zombies
1 jungle weaver
1 krosan tusker
1 marshaling cry
1 miscalculation
1 noble templar
1 radiant's judgment
1 renewed faith
1 slice and dice
1 swat
1 traumatic visions
1 twisted abomination
1 unburden
1 unearth
1 viscera dragger
1 wild dogs
also cycling lands
so you could probably make them work if you really want to.
Hey, you're right! I feel like I had searched and found that it was a ten dollar card, but that's just not the case.
I love playing with this card. It makes me feel very in control of the game. You're probably right, though; it's definitely not a priority compared to other cards on that list.
Alright, cool. I've got Entomb, Death, Animate Dead, Dance of the Dead, Diabolic Servitude, Torrent of Souls, Dreams of the Dead. I agree that Unburial Rites is a must (aah what to cut from W/B). Stitched Together isn't bad, it's true, I've got prejudice for it's not working on turn two though. What next? Reanimate probably. Dread Return? Necromancy? Every other option I see seems close to Zombify power level, which is weak.
I'm not sure, the risk's not terribly high. There's only a handful of artifacts and enchantments with cmc >4, so the Confiscate blowout doesn't come frequently. More often it draws out a Pacifism or something for a mild tempo loss, but neutral CA so who cares. Most often the opponent's got nothing. It's got no downside past like turn six. It's true the reward isn't jaw-dropping but Phantom Monsters can win games. I like it 10x the boring and fragile Assault Griffin.
Haha whoops I thought that this was a slowtrip too, I think I confused it for Formation. Yeah it's gone.
I am opposed to running functional reprints actually. 'The spirit of singleton.' Thought Scour's gonna replace Mental Note.
If this cube had rares Thought Devourer would be in there so fast. I love these cards. Aggro decks go to blue for three things: tempo, counterspells, and fliers with decent stats. If you had a one drop on the play, there's no drawback. If you play it off-curve, there's no drawback either. I think it's decent especially compared to other combat creatures that blue could contribute at the two-drop spot. Welkin Tern gets played and that card dies to everything and can't play d. You're 100% correct about the art.
Ophidian is way cooler, better art, negligibly worse.
Steal Artifact can be devastating, or it can Conquer your rock which isn't bad value. Blue's got tons of looting so it's not hard to pitch if it's dead. I'll maindeck it in control. And I also look to sideboard applications, where Steal Artifact is excellent for any deck running blue. It's also a hilarious card to both win with and lose to.
Correct on both counts. I'll pick them up along with Fleshbag Marauder.
I like this card. Black doesn't get a ton of fat creatures. Someone needs to survive the pestilence! It's great coming back from the graveyard. It's not high power or anything and could come out at some point.
I have, I need to pick up that card. I probably like Unholy Strength too much. It looks great on most of these cheap, worthless-in-the-late-game Black beater dorks.
It's okay. It can slot into alot of decks. Probably a good place to start if I'm trying to lose one-drops.
Hmm, you have a point. The four I've got are all first picks for sure. I'll keep my eye out for them; Lava Burst is the most in danger.
But, the turn four Cloudshift dream? Yeah yeah you're probably right. I'll be sad if I get to the point where I can't meaningfully bluff with morphs but that's not a good reason to include bad cards.
Yeah I was planning on picking up the cloak. I had forgotten about the Brownscale but it looks worth it, esp given weak green three drops. I love dredge, one of my favorite mechanics. Any love for Golgari Thug?
I put it in decks with Trinket Mage and Thirst for Knowledge! I think people should have the right to play 39 card decks if they want. It's likely just taking up a spot.
Yeah, so what do I do with Orzhov? I already had to cut Gerrard's Verdict which was heartbreaking. Sin Collector is on a short leash but I haven't had a chance to play with it yet so I don't really know.
Green has one more card, Llanowar Elves is the green-specific land. I'll add a Treetop Village when I get one for sure.
Raven's Crime is a great idea, definitely doing it. But the other three? I've got Death Spark and Lava Dart, so Flame Jab seems redundant. I guess I could lose the dart but I've got nostalgia. I haven't played Syphon Life, but Syphon Soul is not good at all. What sorts of decks want this card? I haven't played with retrace cards really at all so I don't have a great conception of what makes a good retrace card.
Alchemy is a go, even though Dimir is packed. Grisly Salvage seems worse than what I've got in Golgari atm. Neither Tracker's Instincts nor Drown in Filth look very playable but I don't have experience with these cards.
What's good that's got unearth? Hellspark Elemental, right, what else?
I've also got Pale Recluse and Shimmering Barrier. The two Gempalm creatures you cited go with my light goblin and soldier tribal elements, but you're never happy to be casting Incinerator as a creature and neither option on the Avenger is very exciting. Marshalling Cry seems slow but worth a look. Double black on Unburden and Swat means you can't cast these in your slide/rift deck and on their own they are not great.
Alot of these Alara block cyclers look pretty clunky. I'm most swayed by Traumatic Visions, Jungle Weaver (in place of Wirewood Guardian?), and Viscera Dragger.
So the list you have would put me at 36 cyclers; right now I'm at 28. I'll play a little and if slide/rift seem like they would work with a modicum of additional support I'll add one or two of the cards that I've mentioned above. Those enchantments are so sweet. Add Enlightened Tutor to the list of banned for money cards
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
I would cut Sin Collector, Tidehollow Sculler and Gift of Orzhova from WB to get Gerard's Verdict, Unburial Rites and Lingering Souls in there. Verdict is awesome.
I will likely try out Prowling Pangolin, but that notion is somewhat motivated by the fact that pangolins are the coolest animals on the planet.
In addition to Tortured Existence, consider Phyrexian Reclamation.
I've found that morph bluffing just doesn't occur all that often. The only morph creatures I play are those with significant upsides (Skirk Marauder, Nantuko Vigilante, a handful of others).
I have never played with Golgari Thug, so I can't say one way or the other. It seems fine, though.
Flame Jab is great. Once your aggro deck gets to four or five lands, you get free damage. It makes combat a lot riskier for your opponent. I haven't played with Syphon Soul or Savage Conception, but I'm putting Syphon into my list in my next update.
Grisly Salvage and Drown in Filth are probably not good enough, but I do think Tracker's Instincts is solid.
Corpse Connoisseur could be fun. I run Grixis Slavedriver as a control finisher. I like Vithian Stinger. I ran Fatestitcher for a while. Dregscape Zombie is boring, but solid. Ditto for Viscera Dragger. Rotting Rats could be a reanimation enabler. Shambling Remains is quite good if your BR section is aggressive. Maybe Kathari Screecher. Man, I love unearth.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
Alright cool, I'll check it out. It does seem to play fun with a bunch of the black cards currently in the cube, eg all the gy matters, plus stuff like Slaughter and extort dudes.
You're right I suppose. The deck wouldn't have to come together every time though. I'm fine with two sometimes dead cards if they can deliver an awesome deck on occasion.
The other thing is that cycling is awesome, really a great in limited, and I'd run a bunch of cycling cards in the cube regardless. Every cycling card on that list I'd play on its own merits. Cycling is also practically a graveyard matters mechanic, which I'm trying to push.
The section that looked the most unusual to me was your White/Blue section, here are my thoughts on the cards that stood out to me:
Judge's Familiar -> Azorius Charm?
I don't think Judge's Familiar does a lot, and I personally think it's a waste of a (valuable) WU slot. Azorius Charm, on the other hand, does a lot of different things and can fit into pretty much any kind of deck. To bad it doesn't literally have cycling.
Deputy of Acquittals -> Dramatic Rescue or Mistmeadow Witch?
I feel like Dramatic Rescue is situationally better than the deputy, but I honestly prefer the creature. I just wanted to highlight the comparison there. I do think you could consider Mistmeadow Witch over the Deputy if you're going for a blink theme, though.
Silver Drake -> Ascended Lawmage or Sky Hussar?
I'm not exactly sure why this creature's in here. These type of creatures are pretty clunky. I think Ascended Lawmage and/or Sky Hussar will generally do this card's job better in both aggro and control decks. If it were me, I'd do my best to get rid of all the 'vanilla' bounce dudes from Planeshift.
Skymark Roc -> Jelenn Sphinx?
I've never played with Skymark Roc, but it feels like a really clunky and weird card to me. I think Jelenn Sphinx synergizes well with a lot of your white creatures, and it is a card that can play both offense and defense at the same time. Ascended Lawmage and Sky Hussar are both viable replacements here, too.
Azorius Herald -> Lyev Skyknight or Glassdust Hulk?
Azorius Herald isn't bad, but it never felt especially good to me, either. I think Lyev Skyknight can do a lot of the same things you want this guy to do (negate an attack's worth of damage, then start racing). Glassdust Hulk is a bit of a pet card for me, but it's solid (and has cycling), and encourages you to draft certain cards.
Curse of Chains -> Plumeveil or Wall of Denial?
Curse of Chains is redundant with white cards and blue cards. I feel like you should include unique cards in your multicolored slots, since they are less abundant than your monocolored slots. Plumeveil and Wall of Denial are both removal-esque, but don't have to commit to creatures. They definitely are more geared to control decks than Curse of Chains, but I feel like they are more accurate representations of how a blue white deck wants to deal with creatures.
Other cards to consider:
Azorius Guildmage is really, really good. Like, absurdly good.
Ethersworn Shieldmage isn't amazing, but it is tricky and fun to play with. I really enjoy casting the card.
Kiss of the Amesha may not be the most impressive draw/lifegain spell, especially when compared to Sphinx's Revelation, but it's basically the peasant alternative to it.
Oh, and I find that Nucklavee is almost strictly better than Izzet Chronarch.
My cube list on CubeTutor.
Both are very much under construction. Please stop by and talk about it!
Oops I meant Exhume. Victimize does look neat. I think I'll try to squeeze in that and Necromancy.
Okay man but those are some cool cards. I think I'll cut the Sculler, keep the other two, and pull out some cards from the regular black and white sections to compensate all three of Verdict, Rites and Lingering Souls because why not.
Haha I was definitely under the impression that a pangolin was a made up animal.
Hmm I'll choose one or the other, black is filled with recursion spells already.
Well there's always the Zombie Cutthroat and Gathan Raiders threat. I play a decent amount of sealed, which makes bluffing easier.
Okay I think I'll try to make space for Jab and Syphon Soul, probably taking out the Lava Dart.
Yeah wait on second thought Tracker's Insticts card looks pretty cool. I'm so anti sorcery speed card draw which colored my perception. It is great in UG Madness which is the best UG deck.
Okay on first pass I'll try to find a spot for Corpse Connoisseur, Grixis Slavedriver, Hellspark Elemental, Viscera Dragger, Dregscape Zombie, Shambling Remains. I'm tempted on the Screecher because I was looking for a Wind Drake with an upside. It's not unearth, but I need to find a Reassembling Skeleton for my cube too.
Thanks! I agree that I don't have much cohesion in my U/W section, it's mostly a collection of favorites and cards I had around.
It's a good point, and I'm looking to cut one drops anyway. This one seemed more important for blue as an aggro creature. I don't know if I like Azorius charm as much as some of the cards further down on this list. Pretty sweet on a Scepter though!
I think that the Deputy is the best card of the three. I just got it so I want to give it a spin.
The reason why I like Silver Drake, and also the Deputy above, over things like Mistmeadow Witch is that for many of these blue and white ETB creatures (Court Hussar and Azorius Herald, but also Lone Missionary and Man-o'-War) it's just as good to have the card in hand as it is in play, especially when your payoff is a monster in the air. Maybe also I have nostalgia for Planeshift gating guys. Silver Drake is the weakest between it, Horned Kavu and Cavern Harpy, so maybe it can get the axe and I won't feel too bad. I'm not a big fan of hexproof but Sky Hussar looks cool.
Skymark Roc -> Jelenn Sphinx?
I've never played with Skymark Roc, but it feels like a really clunky and weird card to me. I think Jelenn Sphinx synergizes well with a lot of your white creatures, and it is a card that can play both offense and defense at the same time. Ascended Lawmage and Sky Hussar are both viable replacements here, too.
I was considering the Sphinx, yeah. I have no idea about the Roc because I just got it. White does want more team boosters at the moment.
Azorius Herald isn't fantastic, it's true. I'm definitely trying to get a Lyev Skynight in there, I had forgotten about that card. You're right that the cards are similar in a weird way. Glassdust Hulk is goofy looking. I don't have many artifacts but I guess the card doesn't need artifacts in order to be serviceable. I'll put it next to Traumatic Visions and Jungle Weaver as cards on the bubble if cycling needs a little more help.
I'm pretty set on Curse of Chains cause both of these colors can always use more removal and the single hybrid mana cost makes it a curiously high pick for me in draft. Also it's a gorgeous illustration by Drew Tucker, one of my favs. I'm close to playing Dream Fighter based on art alone. Wall of Denial does not look like much fun but maybe I should give U/W a dumb hexproof guy if that's what it's got to offer. Plumeveil is intriguing. I actually haven't played with any of the triple hybrid cycle cards; I just got the Ram-Gang that I have. Doesn't the mana get tough?
I like all of these card ideas. Probably the Guildmage and the Kiss more than the other one. But why oh why is Kiss of Amesha a sorcery
Hmm maybe, both seem neat honestly, and I haven't played the Nucklavee. What would you get rid of out of Izzet to make room for both?
No.
Absolutely not.
One of these card can pick up Lightning bolts.
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
As much as I see where you're trying to come from, that's just a poor argument.
Nucklavee gets the following cards back from your graveyard, all of which are pretty good in a deck that's going to cast a 6-mana creature (AKA a control deck). Rift Bolt included.
1 Faithless Looting
1 Firebolt
1 Flame Slash
1 Pyroclasm
1 Arc Trail
1 Nightbird's Clutches
1 Molten Rain
1 Stone Rain
1 Pillage
1 Rift Bolt
1 Aftershock
1 Surreal Memoir
1 Slice and Dice
1 Disintegrate
1 Fireball
1 Rolling Thunder
1 Lava Burst
Nucklavee misses out on 10 red instants including Rites of Initiation, which probably doesn't go in decks that play Izzet Chronarch, Nucklavee, or Archaeomancer, Death Spark, which recurs itself, and Lava Dart which recurs itself and also belongs in a different deck.
So honestly, I think it's just plain wrong to argue that Izzet Chronarch is better when the cube already contains Archaeomancer. Nucklavee is more divergent (and interesting, IMHO), and ultimately better. Nucklavee never gets back lightning bolt, sure. Izzet Chronarch is a 2/2 that never gives you more than one card. For only one less mana.
What I'm trying to say is I'd rather get back Fireball with my Izzet Chronarch than I would Lightning Bolt, usually.
As far as other cards that you could try cutting for Nucklavee, I always feel sour towards Desperate Ravings' random discard. Quicksilver Dagger is really good when it works, but really bad when it doesn't (when you get 2-for-1'd)--Nucklavee is almost always a 3-for-1 for you. If it were up to me, I'd cut the Chronarch. After that, it'd probably be the dagger so as to keep Desperate Ravings as another 2-mana instant for Isochron Scepter.
My cube list on CubeTutor.
Both are very much under construction. Please stop by and talk about it!
Anyway in order to fit the Chronarch and the Nucklavee both, while not jeopardizing pet cards (Quicksliver Dagger is at least parity if they're tapped out! Blue and red have a ton of Fire Imp type creatures to enchant!), I'm going to expand the enemy color multicolor sections from 6 cards to 7. I'll compensate by finding cuts in each color, or maybe chopping away some artifacts and lands. Planned inclusions are: Nucklavee, Tracker's Instinct, Boros Signet, Unburial Rites/Lingering Souls/Gerrard's Verdict (minus Sculler plus one additional card from white or black).
Choose two: Golgari Guildmage, Grisly Salvage andSpider Spawning?
CubeTutor: www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/72
Thread: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=512410
I think Archaeomancer is a fine card, even with its bad stats. Retrieving a spell is a really strong effect. My cube has it and Mnemonic Wall. I'd probably swap out Aven Fogbringer for it.
I really wish Quicksilver Dagger let you ping creatures. Getting some extra reach is cool and all, but I think I'd rather have a straight card draw spell (like Thoughtflare or Blast of Genius).
There are at least four cards I would put into RW before Boros Signet. Truefire Paladin, Sunhome Guildmage, Boros Charm, Warleader's Helix, probably even something as boring as Boros Guildmage. RW decks don't want signets.
Upon further inspection, you already have seven cards listed in your RW section, while the other enemy pairs have six cards.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
[CARD]
Aven Fogbringer[/CARD] is a card I'm going to keep in to try out for a while. I've never played it in a format like this - with so many CIPT lands and especially Karoos - so I think it might work in blue tempo aggro. I'll sit on Archaeomancer and Mnemonic Wall; I'll probably try to find a place for the latter if something underperforms.
6 mana for sorcery speed card draw makes my stomach churn. I'll think about Thoughtflare. It's kind of boring though and I'm already going to add Careful Consideration and maybe Opportunity. Quicksilver Dagger's gonna stay in for now.
I couldn't settle on a Boros cut earlier so I took out their signet instead. Now I want to put it back in. It's true that aggro R/W doesn't want their signet, but neither do aggro decks of any color pair. All sorts of decks play the colors Red and White though - UW control splashing for X spells, RB reanimator splashing for Unburial Rites, Slide Rift, etc. These decks all love a signet.
I wasn't arguing that Chronarch was better.
My argument was against you even sniffing the term "strictly" when cards like Bolt and Talrand's invocation exist.
And for the record, I'd rather get back Lightning bolt than fireball. If I'm getting back fireball, the game has gone on incredibly long and likely the blue deck has the edge. Bringing back bolt can make or break a game by keeping you alive right now.
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
I still feel like you can build your deck around Nucklavee instead of Chronarch and have it be just as good, if not better.
The only case where Chronarch -> Lightning Bolt will save you where Nucklavee won't is if there is an evasive creature involved. Nucklavee can survive a fight with a lot more creatures than the wizard can. Furthermore, if you need to kill a creature, Flame Slash is in the cube and a reasonable card. I concede that needing six mana versus seven might leave you dead here, but I think a 4/4 for 6 and gets you two cards is a pretty good "I need to stabilize!" play. Probably just as reliable as a 2/2 for 6 that deals 3 damage to a creature when it enters the battlefield.
It just seems to me that, for every mark against the beast, he's still "almost strictly better." Like I said.
My cube list on CubeTutor.
Both are very much under construction. Please stop by and talk about it!
Costing 1 less mana on a card that gets value out of letting you play more cards is not negligible. In fact, costing 1 less mana for a creature this high up on the mana cost scale no matter what it does is not negligible.
Being able to get back talrand's invocation on curve is not negligible.
Or foresee (both of the last two on curve)
Or path to exile.
Or doom blade.
Having access to the complete pool of instants and sorceries instead of just 3/4s of on color and half of another is a big deal.
You can try and say that it's a better card, but if you have to concede a half dozen scenarios where the other guy is a better card then you can't say it's superior to the degree you claim to.
Strictly means, as far as I know, a complete upgrade in every reasonable way. "Almost strictly" would just add an "almost" in there right before the "a". But it's not "almost a complete upgrade in every reasonable way". There are just too many ways where I would want the 5 drop with immensely more card selection than the 6 drop with a narrower cardpool but the chance for a 2 for 1 and a bigger body.
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
I didn't enter the draft looking for an archetype; I was just trying to draft good cards. This put me in RBu Removal/Good cards. I had an embarrassment of removal by the end of the draft. Rift Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Ribbons of Night, Brimstone Volley, Darkblast and Wrecking Ball all did great work for me throughout the night. I drafted 187 creatures highly, and won most games by equipping Ghitu Slinger, Fire Imp and Nekrataal with a Trusty Machete and Lightning Greaves (in that order! I messed up once) and attacking into an empty board. Errant Ephemeron and Moroii were great beefy clocks. I won every match.
I think there was just too much removal sadly. The cards weren't shuffled great, which might have contributed to weird distributions. Still, I don't want removal.dec to be the default best look because colors like green and white get shafted that way. Fire Covenant and Jilt were uninspiring last night for me and will probably come out.
Other notes
- I didn't have all the cards in the cube list - a shipment is coming from the internet tomorrow - and as a consequence Red, Green and White had a few fewer cards than other colors. This could explain the ton of removal. I did throw some cards that I was intending to put in anyway to 'compensate'.
- My deck also had Surreal Memoirs. In this deck, it was king. Very fun, CA in a CA-light color, and pretty demoralizing. At one point I had only it in hand, no instants in the graveyard, facing down some phantom monster. I audibly prayed for the Lightning Bolt, and there it was on the top of my deck. My luckiest topdeck in recent memory.
-Incidentally, my deck would have loved either a Nucklavee or an Izzet Chronarch.
-The next best deck was a UWb control deck. [CARD]Unburial Rites
[/CARD] + Cloudgoat Ranger was a pain, especially since he had great card draw for it (Forbidden Alchemy, Fact or Fiction, Thirst for Knowledge). I had to split a FoF pile of Complicate, Skymark Roc, Unburial Rites, Cloudgoat Ranger and Serum Visions at one point. Miserable.
-Extort dudes were quality all night. I'm gonna try to find a space for the 1/4 white defender or the 2/4 white creature. Opinions?
-A request was made for more unconditional countermagic. I'm happy to oblige. In addition to the Traumatic Visions, I'll look to get some combination of Dismiss, Forbid, Arcane Denial, and any version of Force of Will that I can find. Does anyone know of a good vendor that sells gold-bordered cards?
-Aggro suffered. It didn't seem viable. Because of all of the removal, because all the fixing but pain lands was control-focused, and because a slew of the cards I'm waiting on are aggro staples. Besides messing with the removal, I want another cycle of rare aggro-friendly lands. They'll probably replace the guildgates. I think I'll pony up cash for the Sulfur Falls cycle, and maybe also swap out talismen or signets for the Darkwater Catacombs cycle. I'd go for the Lorwyn filter lands but many of those are mad pricey still.
-Among the cards that I threw in last-minute was Armed // Dangerous. The player who drafted it had some crazy plays. The best was Juggernaut, Armed, bloodrush Ghor-Clan Rampager. The card stays in.
-Pretty much every green cmc 1 mana elf got into the draft, and they all got played. Avacyn's Pilgrim's coming in, and it will join Elves of the Deep Shadow in the green section rather than multicolored.
-Unstable Mutation is still the best aura that not enough people cube.
Making aggro better has been a common theme in the Peasant forum for quite some time. Make sure you have a lot of 1 and 2 drop creatures, reduce the amount of removal, maybe cut down on some of the CA spells.
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
How will this card be good in a deck with a dozen other removal spells? It's at its best in aggro, anyway.
Also, play forbid. Don't play force of will.
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
Thanks for the encouragement! It's so tough to cut removal because that's what's good at C/U.
As far as 1 and 2 drops - I'll see how my selections play out but I'm definitely looking around for ideas for additions. You've got a number of unblockable/ can't block guys in your 1 drop section: Tormented Soul, Solitari Foot Soldier, Goblin Fireslinger. On a range from nice to crucial, how important are these guys for aggro?
Haha it's a good point. Fine I'll keep it in in place of Wrecking Ball.
Force of Will is if nothing else very fun. I like the decision-making and surprise involved in free spells. But even gold-bordered championship editions are like ten dollars (!!!) and I'm too lazy/not crafty enough to proxy, so oh well.
Forbid is on order. I've got a round of changes underway and I'll try to update the original post and post the changes at some time.