In general I'm not a fan of sorting with hybrid cards taking up mono color slots and prefer the guild section model. In a larger cube, though, I can really start to see the argument for it since stuff like Dryad Militant is obviously better than the next mono white Savannah Lions clone and can free up space for something like Avacyn's Pilgrim in Selesnya. I don't think it's a change I would personally make for my own cube, but I see how it makes sense for you.
I am also still prepared to eat my hat on just how broken the eight card hand is for some of the companions. In constructed it seems that the cards themselves have a lot to do with how powerful always having that eighth card can be and if it's worth it to warp your deck around them. I'm not here to debate their merits, though, and I think it's probably right to test them all to see where they land on the power level scale. I'm currently planning on testing RG, WB, UR, and RW, but they'll all be in my conspiracy module. I look forward to seeing your results.
Anyway, I've been looking forward to seeing your update for this set. Thanks for all your input in the community, man!
What was the issue with Cavalier of Gales? I cut Morphling from my 555 to make room for him, but haven't had a chance to get a draft in since that swap.
I'm looking forward to seeing what your support for the storm archetype looks like. Several of my drafters love it, but I just can't see giving it a permanent home in a ~540 list. So I have a storm add on package and I stipulate to my group that if we get to 8 drafters, I'll toss storm into the pool. The package is 23 cards and, honestly, that still feels like too little to make the deck work even with the support that's just in the cube already (U cantrips, Dark Rit, Tutors, Power, etc).
Here's what I'm running in that add-on, if you're curious. I'm definitely interested in seeing how you support it and what you include, though. I'm not personally a fan of the archetype, so I'm probably doing something wrong here.
It might be the Friday night rum talking, but this interaction made me lol. I'd agree with Pringles that your cube pics on CT are definitely of... uhm... a lesser quality. That doesn't change the fact that you have a super sweet cube and even with the low quality images, I still drop by pretty regular to check out the visual spoiler.
I know it's a back handed comment, but I think he has a point. There are easy ways to remove the red/orange tint from your images.
Yeah, cube cuts aren't always just as simple as the next card on a "to be added" list. My own cube and wtwlf's are pretty similar, but even comparing the two using CubeTutor doesn't point out an obvious suggestion for what should be in over something like Eternal Dragon, which I don't run. That card does a very specific job, so even as a pet card, if you wanted to replace it, you'd need to decide what type of effect you need or want on that replacement card. Do you want another Wrath effect? Maybe go with Fumigate. Feel like you need more white aggro support? Maybe look at Savannah Lions or Adorned Pouncer. You could also use that slot for one of your own pet cards. There's several ways you could go and every one of them depends on the specific needs of a cube being played by your specific group.
Hey, wtwlf123! Big fan. After looking at a ton of cubes for inspiration, I decided that yours was the one that I wanted to replicate the most. I trimmed your most recent 540-list into 450 cards (and then added 1 more multicolor card to each guild - I just like too many multicolor cards).
If you're looking for a great 450 list that's very similar what wtwlf is doing with his current list, check out rantipole's 450 cube. That cube would be my starting point if I were looking for a 450 list and I don't believe wtwlf would take any issues with me recommending rant's cube here.
Ya, cuts are really tough, and curve considerations are quite noticeable. Every change requires a tough cut to get a good addition.
This is one of the best/worst things about owning a cube at a smaller size. Every change has a considerable impact on the format and needs to be truly thought out and intentional.
I can get on board with those changes. The Vivids can sometimes be a little oppressive in a draft environment that can so easily promote five color planeswalker control, but they are a great way to solve fixing problems without taking up ten slots, which is especially important as the cube gets smaller. They are the first cycle I'd cut if my drafts started leaning that way, but the first cycle I'd add if I felt like I didn't have enough fixing.
I'm more intrigued by the Polukranos to Tireless Tracker swap. I didn't think you were a big fan of Tracker.
That's disappointing because I'd have been interested in seeing what you added to yours from Unstable. However, I totally understand the reasoning. We use ours nearly every time we cube and my group loves it. Actually looking to finally take the dive into silver borders with Unstable. I've got a Booster Tutor going in for this weekend's draft.
For what it's worth, I also frequently compare my own cube to wtwlf's (and a few others) using CubeTutor's compare two cubes function. I don't do this because I want to run the same cube as him, but because I know he gets more reps in than I do and our groups generally enjoy the same archetypes (Wildfire for life, yo). So if I see that he's trying out something sweet or something I maybe didn't consider initially, it benefits me to try that card out in my own cube. On that same note, though, I think it's important to not let the cube inclusions of others fully dictate what you put in yours. To use wtwlf's example of Trinket Mage, we included him for a bit, but ultimately cut him because my group and I just weren't impressed. That may be due to us really only cubing once or twice a month, bad luck, or even poor play, but it wasn't a popular card and frequently went last in drafts. You have to kind of find that happy middle ground when you're looking at other cubes for ideas and guidance. No one else's cube is a perfect card for card guide for what your group wants to be doing on cube night. Just because wtwlf's group loves a specific card or archetype doesn't mean it'll translate well to your own group. So look at the archetypes and cards that you and your group love and mix those in with the cube staples that support more generalized archetypes. For me that's the perfect recipe for cubing, especially at the 540 size where the's still quite a bit of wiggle room to support those pet cards and archetypes.
Glimpse and Sight drafts both seem like great and interesting ways to draft for smaller crews. My group, however, seems to be reluctant to stray away from the traditional 3 packs of 15 that we're all used to. This has it's up and down sides as well. It's nice because at four people we can take the entirely shuffled cube and get three drafts out of it before we need to shuffle again. It also kind of sucks to only see a third of the card pool when you're drafting, so your [insert random archetype] deck might not come together like you hoped and some archetypes (Burn, Mono-Color Anything) just can't happen at all.
I think I'll try and convince my group to try one of these formats again the next time we're at a lower player count. Thanks for the write-up, man.
Did Disallow not work out for you guys? I noticed it's not in your potential changes, but your last comments in the SCD thread were still fairly positive about the card. What went wrong with it?
I am also still prepared to eat my hat on just how broken the eight card hand is for some of the companions. In constructed it seems that the cards themselves have a lot to do with how powerful always having that eighth card can be and if it's worth it to warp your deck around them. I'm not here to debate their merits, though, and I think it's probably right to test them all to see where they land on the power level scale. I'm currently planning on testing RG, WB, UR, and RW, but they'll all be in my conspiracy module. I look forward to seeing your results.
Anyway, I've been looking forward to seeing your update for this set. Thanks for all your input in the community, man!
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
Here's what I'm running in that add-on, if you're curious. I'm definitely interested in seeing how you support it and what you include, though. I'm not personally a fan of the archetype, so I'm probably doing something wrong here.
1 Compulsive Research
1 Dream Halls
1 Frantic Search
1 Mind's Desire
1 Palinchron
1 Repeal
1 Turnabout
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Dark Petition
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Past in Flames
1 Seething Song
1 Heartbeat of Spring
1 Mana Reflection
1 Recollect
1 Manamorphose
1 Thousand-Year Storm
1 City of Traitors
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Bloom
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
I know it's a back handed comment, but I think he has a point. There are easy ways to remove the red/orange tint from your images.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
If you're looking for a great 450 list that's very similar what wtwlf is doing with his current list, check out rantipole's 450 cube. That cube would be my starting point if I were looking for a 450 list and I don't believe wtwlf would take any issues with me recommending rant's cube here.
http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
The funny thing about this response is my reaction was "Yes! Our cubes are the same size again!"
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
This is one of the best/worst things about owning a cube at a smaller size. Every change has a considerable impact on the format and needs to be truly thought out and intentional.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
I'm more intrigued by the Polukranos to Tireless Tracker swap. I didn't think you were a big fan of Tracker.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
I think I'll try and convince my group to try one of these formats again the next time we're at a lower player count. Thanks for the write-up, man.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.