I wanted every game to be interactive; a problem with most powered cubes is that the games often end on turn 1 or 2 and over half the cards in the cube become irrelevant - it's not like a Brimaz, King of Oreskos is gonna do much against a turn 2 Blightsteel Colossus off of Tinker.
Aggro decks are hurt more than other archetypes by the singleton nature of the cube format; if you look at constructed aggro decks, most are made of 4-ofs while midrange and control lists mainly consist of 2- or 3-ofs. Therefore, the quantity of aggro cards needs to be very high so the packs have sufficient cards to support multiple aggro drafters. Signets were removed and mana rocks focus on colorless mana because I wanted to discourage greedy mana bases. Signets also hurt aggro by giving every guild the option to go bigger too quickly. Planeswalker quantities and curve are kept in check to prevent too many drawn-out walker battles.
I wanted to support all six major deck types - aggro, control, midrange, combo, tempo, and ramp. Supported combo decks include Sneak & Show, Reanimator, Wildfire/Stax, and Splinter Twin.
I'm also going to re-test Jitte, see if it's still too warping.
U Out:
Frost Walker (Frost Walker) Latch Seeker (mediocre evasive creature with no CA potential) Cloudfin Raptor (a terrible topdeck, requires a certain creature density) Time Walk (concerns with the power level of blue)
Gideon of the Trials (Mirran Crusader)
Glory-Bound Initiate (Paliano Vanguard)
Ravages of War (Ajani, Caller of the Pride)
Forsake the Worldly (Sunlance)
Declaration in Stone (Oust)
Blue:
Inkwell Leviathan (Shelldock Isle)
Black:
Dread Wanderer (Vampire Lacerator)
Liliana, Death's Majesty (Diabolic Servitude)
Never // Return (Herald of Torment)
Imperial Seal (Hypnotic Specter)
Design Philosophy
I wanted every game to be interactive; a problem with most powered cubes is that the games often end on turn 1 or 2 and over half the cards in the cube become irrelevant - it's not like a Brimaz, King of Oreskos is gonna do much against a turn 2 Blightsteel Colossus off of Tinker.
Aggro decks are hurt more than other archetypes by the singleton nature of the cube format; if you look at constructed aggro decks, most are made of 4-ofs while midrange and control lists mainly consist of 2- or 3-ofs. Therefore, the quantity of aggro cards needs to be very high so the packs have sufficient cards to support multiple aggro drafters. Signets were removed and mana rocks focus on colorless mana because I wanted to discourage greedy mana bases. Signets also hurt aggro by giving every guild the option to go bigger too quickly. Planeswalker quantities and curve are kept in check to prevent too many drawn-out walker battles.
Busted ramp (Black Lotus, Mana Crypt, Sol Ring) has been removed to ensure there are actual games of Magic being played. Other cards axed for warping games include Umezawa's Jitte, Entomb (reanimator players have to work a little to succeed), Ankh of Mishra, Griselbrand, Treachery, Ancestral Recall, True-Name Nemesis, and Skullclamp.
I wanted to support all six major deck types - aggro, control, midrange, combo, tempo, and ramp. Supported combo decks include Sneak & Show, Reanimator, Wildfire/Stax, and Splinter Twin.
WWWWWW
1 Champion of the Parish
1 Dragon Hunter
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Expedition Envoy
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
1 Mardu Woe-Reaper
1 Mother of Runes
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Student of Warfare
1 Thraben Inspector
//2CMC
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Hanweir Militia Captain
1 Imposing Sovereign
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Paliano Vanguard
1 Relic Seeker
1 Seeker of the Way
1 Selfless Spirit
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Wall of Omens
1 Aerial Responder
1 Blade Splicer
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Flickerwisp
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Mirror Entity
1 Monastery Mentor
1 Recruiter of the Guard
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
//4CMC
1 Gisela, the Broken Blade
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Restoration Angel
1 Sublime Archangel
1 Angel of Invention
1 Archangel Avacyn
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Reveillark
//6CMC
1 Sun Titan
//Big & Beautiful
1 Angel of Serenity
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Land Tax
1 Path to Exile
1 Sunlance
1 Oust
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Windbrisk Heights
1 Condemn
1 Cloudshift
1 Balance
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Unexpectedly Absent
1 Temporal Isolation
1 Honor of the Pure
//3CMC
1 Spear of Heliod
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
1 Council's Judgment
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Banishing Light
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Armageddon
1 Day of Judgment
1 Wrath of God
//5CMC
1 Gideon Jura
1 Dictate of Heliod
//6CMC
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
UUUUUU
1 Delver of Secrets
1 Enclave Cryptologist
//2CMC
1 Baral, Chief of Compliance
1 Gilded Drake
1 Harbinger of the Tides
1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Skyship Plunderer
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Stratus Dancer
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Wharf Infiltrator
1 Aether Adept
1 Deceiver Exarch
1 Man-o'-War
1 Pestermite
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Vendilion Clique
//4CMC
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Dungeon Geists
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Arcane Savant
1 Elder Deep-Fiend
1 Mulldrifter
//6CMC
1 Aetherling
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Torrential Gearhulk
1 Force of Will
1 Shelldock Isle
1 Brainstorm
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ancestral Vision
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Serum Visions
//2CMC
1 Arcane Denial
1 Condescend
1 Counterspell
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Deprive
1 Into the Roil
1 Mana Drain
1 Mana Leak
1 Memory Lapse
1 Miscalculation
1 Narcolepsy
1 Remand
1 Disallow
1 Exclude
1 Forbid
1 Intuition
1 Show and Tell
1 Psionic Blast
1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Jace Beleren
1 Repulse
1 Thirst for Knowledge
///4CMC
1 Cryptic Command
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Control Magic
1 Dig Through Time
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Bribery
1 Baral's Expertise
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Pact of Negation
BBBBBB
1 Bloodsoaked Champion
1 Carnophage
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Gravecrawler
1 Sarcomancy
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Gnarled Scarhide
//2CMC
1 Asylum Visitor
1 Bloodghast
1 Dark Confidant
1 Gifted Aetherborn
1 Heir of Falkenrath
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Pain Seer
1 Relentless Dead
1 Scrapheap Scrounger
1 Wretched Anurid
1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
1 Flesh Carver
1 Geralf's Messenger
1 Herald of Torment
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Liliana, Heretical Healer
1 Ophiomancer
1 Vampire Nighthawk
//4CMC
1 Abyssal Persecutor
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Nekrataal
1 Skinrender
1 Shriekmaw
1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
//6CMC
1 Grave Titan
1 Noxious Gearhulk
//Large & In Charge
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Raven's Crime
1 Thoughtseize
1 Reanimate
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Snuff Out
1 Volrath's Stronghold
//2CMC
1 Dance of the Dead
1 Chainer's Edict
1 Collective Brutality
1 Animate Dead
1 Life//Death
1 Bitterblossom
1 Smallpox
1 Ultimate Price
1 Go for the Throat
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Sinkhole
1 Night's Whisper
1 Bad Moon
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Pox
1 Necromancy
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Hero's Downfall
//4CMC
1 Languish
1 Diabolic Servitude
1 Damnation
1 Mind Twist
1 Living Death
1 Death Cloud
1 Profane Command
RRRRRR
1 Falkenrath Gorger
1 Firedrinker Satyr
1 Goblin Guide
1 Goblin Welder
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Jackal Pup
1 Legion Loyalist
1 Monastery Swiftspear
1 Stromkirk Noble
1 Zurgo Bellstriker
//2CMC
1 Abbot of Keral Keep
1 Ash Zealot
1 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
1 Ember Hauler
1 Goblin Bushwhacker
1 Goblin Wardriver
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Lightning Mauler
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 War-Name Aspirant
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Feldon of the Third Path
1 Fulminator Mage
1 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Hanweir Garrison
1 Imperial Recruiter
1 Pia Nalaar
1 Zo-Zu the Punisher
//4CMC
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Ember Swallower
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Hellrider
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Zealous Conscripts
//6CMC
1 Inferno Titan
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Firebolt
1 Burst Lightning
1 Faithless Looting
1 Chain Lightning
//2CMC
1 Incendiary Flow
1 Incinerate
1 Lightning Strike
1 Searing Blaze
1 Magma Jet
1 Collective Defiance
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Pillage
1 Molten Rain
1 Hammer of Purphoros
1 Char
1 Chaos Warp
1 Sulfuric Vortex
//4CMC
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
1 Earthquake
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Splinter Twin
1 Fiery Confluence
1 Sneak Attack
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
//6CMC
1 Wildfire
1 Burning of Xinye
1 Chandra, Flamecaller
GGGGGG
1 Arbor Elf
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Experiment One
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Kessig Prowler
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Noble Hierarch
//2CMC
1 Duskwatch Recruiter
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Strangleroot Geist
1 Sylvan Advocate
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Wall of Blossoms
1 Den Protector
1 Eternal Witness
1 Leatherback Baloth
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Tireless Tracker
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Courser of Kruphix
//4CMC
1 Polukranos, World Eater
1 Surrak, the Hunt Caller
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Vengevine
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Acidic Slime
1 Thragtusk
1 Vorapede
//6CMC
1 Greenwarden of Murasa
1 Primeval Titan
//Plus Size
1 Gaea's Revenge
1 Pelakka Wurm
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Utopia Sprawl
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Treetop Village
1 Rancor
1 Oath of Nissa
//2CMC
1 Sylvan Library
1 Rampant Growth
1 Nature's Lore
1 Farseek
1 Oath of Druids
1 Explore
1 Life from the Loam
1 Regrowth
1 Grapple with the Past
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Beast Within
1 Birthing Pod
1 Song of the Dryads
//4CMC
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Eureka
1 Natural Order
1 Harmonize
//5CMC
1 Primal Command
1 Nissa, Worldwaker
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Plow Under
1 Tooth and Nail
WUWUWU
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Venser, the Sojourner
1 Sphinx's Revelation
UBUBUB
1 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
1 Dragonlord Silumgar
1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
1 Recoil
RGRGRG
1 Sarkhan Vol
1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Kird Ape
Notes: I swap the Gruul walker out after every draft.
RWRWRW
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Lightning Helix
1 Boros Charm
1 Boros Reckoner
BGBGBG
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Pernicious Deed
1 The Gitrog Monster
1 Maelstrom Pulse
GUGUGU
1 Trygon Predator
1 Prime Speaker Zegana
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Shardless Agent
WBWBWB
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Lingering Souls
1 Vindicate
1 Anguished Unmaking
BRBRBR
1 Rakdos Cackler
1 Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast
1 Dreadbore
1 Kolaghan's Command
URURUR
1 Dack Fayden
1 Fire//Ice
1 Izzet Charm
1 Electrolyze
GWGWGW
1 Knight of the Reliquary
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Voice of Resurgence
WUBRG (Shard/Wedge)
1 Unburial Rites
1 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Tamiyo, Field Researcher
1 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Warden of the First Tree
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Breya, Etherium Shaper
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
Notes: These are flex slots. I try to keep them relatively balanced between colors.
XXXXXX
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Deal Broker
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Sundering Titan
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Hangarback Walker
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Fleetwheel Cruiser
1 Smuggler's Copter
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Spellskite
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Dismember
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1 Karn Liberated
1 All is Dust
1 Bonesplitter
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Grim Monolith
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Mind Stone
1 Mortarpod
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Scroll Rack
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Coalition Relic
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Tangle Wire
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Hedron Archive
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Smokestack
1 Batterskull
1 Memory Jar
1 Walking Ballista
1 Heart of Kiran
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
1 Mimic Vat
CCCCCC
Filter lands, check lands, original dual lands, shocklands, manlands, fetchlands, Ancient Tomb, Library of Alexandria, Maze of Ith, Strip Mine, Wasteland, Ash Barrens
Voltaic Brawler, Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder, Commit // Memory
4/21: Monowhite Aggro
4/21: Esper Combo (Gifts), Sultai Midrange, Azorius Control, Izzet Tempo, Selesnya Ramp (2nd place), Golgari Aggro, Rakdos Aggro
Check out my competitive Ezuri, Claw of Progress primer!
Check out my competitive Ezuri, Claw of Progress primer!
Out (1 card of each color):
Eidolon of Countless Battles (perennial low pick, people didn't know what it did)
Jace, Architect of Thought (need to cut down on walkers and 4 drops)
Innocent Blood (not sure why this is still here)
Flamewake Phoenix (added this for Survival/Pod synergies, Gruul drafters didn't catch on)
Kalonian Tusker (good sideboard card vs aggro, flew under the cut radar for years)
In (5 colorless):
Ash Barrens
Walking Ballista (I think this will be solid)
Emrakul, the Promised End (no idea how this will turn out)
Heart of Kiran
Mimic Vat (not sure why this wasn't in)
I'm also going to re-test Jitte, see if it's still too warping.
U Out:
Frost Walker (Frost Walker)
Latch Seeker (mediocre evasive creature with no CA potential)
Cloudfin Raptor (a terrible topdeck, requires a certain creature density)
Time Walk (concerns with the power level of blue)
U In:
Baral's Expertise
Skyship Plunderer
Baral, Chief of Compliance (not as hopeful about this as most)
Disallow
B Out:
Pain Seer (no one plays this)
Blind Creeper (more awkward than a Magic player in a normal social setting)
Malicious Affliction (BB Doom Blade)
B In:
Gifted Aetherborn (unlikely to last but it carries equipment well)
Nekrataal (not sure why this wasn't in)
Exhume (not sure why this wasn't in)
R Out:
Borderland Marauder
R In:
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
G Out:
Wolfir Avenger (a relic)
Wolfbitten Captive (mana-intensive)
G In:
Rishkar, Peema Renegade
Grapple with the Past (cheap card selection/recursion, helps people hit land drops, surprised more lists aren't playing this TBH)
GU Out:
A Kiora of some sort
GU In:
Shardless Agent
Check out my competitive Ezuri, Claw of Progress primer!
Check out my competitive Ezuri, Claw of Progress primer!
White:
Gideon of the Trials (Mirran Crusader)
Glory-Bound Initiate (Paliano Vanguard)
Ravages of War (Ajani, Caller of the Pride)
Forsake the Worldly (Sunlance)
Declaration in Stone (Oust)
Blue:
Inkwell Leviathan (Shelldock Isle)
Black:
Dread Wanderer (Vampire Lacerator)
Liliana, Death's Majesty (Diabolic Servitude)
Never // Return (Herald of Torment)
Imperial Seal (Hypnotic Specter)
Red:
Combat Celebrant (War-Name Aspirant)
Harsh Mentor (Goblin Wardriver)
Bloodrage Brawler (Ash Zealot)
Greater Gargadon (Chaos Warp)
Green:
Rhonas the Indomitable (Garruk, Primal Hunter) - walker reduction
Manglehorn (Troll Ascetic)
Gaea's Cradle (Gaea's Revenge)
Gold:
Nissa, Steward of Elements (Shardless Agent)
Mystic Snake (Kiora) - walker reduction
Vault of the Archangel (Sorin, Solemn Visitor) - walker reduction
Shard/flex:
Savage Knuckleblade (Sarkhan Unbroken) - walker reduction
Colorless:
Panharmonicon (Heart of Kiran) - card was boring, put in a janky build-around instead
Check out my competitive Ezuri, Claw of Progress primer!