MTG Salvation

Quote from fluttershy69 »

What are people's thoughts on Aven Riftwatcher? I noticed very few people actually cube the card, but it seems solid, especially in more aggressive cubes. Even though it is usually card disadvantage, it helps control decks to stabilize and can help win races in aggro mirrors.

I've always loved it. It's basically 4 life and 4 damage in a conveniently recursive body. The three toughness also helps stem a lot of bleeding in the skies.

thrummingbird + Serrated Arrows is a beating, the card has a lot of strong synergies.

Quote from Izor »

Just in case you're interested

Ixoran's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
8 Mountain 7 Swamp 1 Rakdos Carnarium 1 Dauthi Horror 1 Borderland Marauder 1 Frostburn Weird 1 Sparksmith 1 Blood Ogre 1 Ghitu Slinger 1 Vulshok Sorcerer 1 Marauding Maulhorn 1 Dross Golem 1 Slash Panther	1 Dead Weight 1 Diabolic Edict 1 Last Gasp 1 Nameless Inversion 1 Doom Blade 1 Pit Fight 1 Staggershock 1 Arc Lightning 1 Ashes to Ashes 1 Stab Wound 1 Kaervek's Torch	1 Bonesplitter 1 Vulshok Morningstar 1 Read the Bones

The only game I lost was when I couldn't find a black source for 7 turns on the draw and my opponent had a 5/5 Aradillo Cloak'd creature on turn 5 (with me having three black removal spells in hand, obviously). I mulliganed a lot, but won every single game when I did. I admit that the two pieces of equipment were also a big factor of this deck's success, but the 11 removal spells were what pushed it over the top.

That deck just seems really bomby. Vulshok/bonesplitter are arguably the best cards in the format(on merit of being colorless) and the rest of the deck is sweet. If you really feel it's a problem, I'd have to agree and say tweaking your removal is a good place to start.

Dawnglare Invoker is cubable. I've lost games to it in my regular cube. Also, It's normal mode of being a 2 power 3 mana flier is fine.

Wait, four mana, what? Fury shield seems much better on the defense, which is a weird place for boros to be. Seems like a fine but situational card to me though. Doesn't seem worth it if it's targeting a creature with less than 4 power, or you aren't blocking(or attacking) and killing their creature as well. Why not test it?

Seven new commons (and a really sweet uncommon) spoiled in the mechanics thread.
Jeskai Windscout is kinda interesting but is probably held back by it's 1 toughness.
Outlast would be interesting if we had more creatures with counters on them.

I'm not sure any of them are worth it for us, but I do think Mardu skullhunter should probably make the cut. It's pretty dang absurd on curve, and still card advantage later. I also have 5(6) black one drops. (6 is counting Flayer Husk)

THere's always Withdraw. I used to get a lot out of it when I cubed it.

Quote from Runner5678 »

Oh and about control. It sucks in my cube.

Seems fine to me.

Our Cubes Compared! (Nice CT# btw ;p)
I draft control in my cube all day pretty much. In terms of control cards, our cube's are mostly the same. My best advice is Terrus Wurm is siiick.

Also, reporting in on wakedancer. Been better than I hoped so far. Wakedancer+1-2 Mana Removal Spell is a strong play on most board states, and wakedancer+recursion gets out of hand fast. She's only been morbid on turn three once so far.

Quote from Al_Z_Heimer »

Well my problem, especially in blue, is to cut any of my cards. Do you have any suggestion what to cut from my list?

I used to run dreamscape, it's really good if you can get more than one activation, and if left unchecked, you can thin all the lands from your deck pretty easily. As for cuts, what about Fathom Seer or Trained Condor?

Also, how have slow motion and Confound been?(just curious, not suggesting them)

420 CUBE it! heh

My thoughts on Conspiracy
Reprints:
Brainstorm
I wish this was the mirage art but oh well, always a nice reprint.
Kor Chant
Sick new art, love it in the modern frame with flavour text.
Basic Land cyclers
I will be replacing all of mine with the foil conspiracy reprints. Most notably this is the first time for chartooth getting a foil(with the DD art).
Rarity Shifted
Charging Rhino
Pretty damn solid, but I'm not sure there is something worth cutting, still mulling this one over. Pretty terrifying with a morningstar equipped.
Elvish Aberration
I think this guy is really strong and should definately make it into some cubes. In my cube I can't really see playing this guy and Krosan Tusker, and I wouldn't cut Tusker for it.
WakeDancer
~4/4 for 3 is awesome, morbid isn't too hard to trigger, I'm very excited to see if this works out as well as it looks.
The new stuff
Dethrone
Abilities that help you catch up from behind in limited tend to be really awesome, but these guys are all situational, and mostly crummy topdecks late. Emissary seems like a decent but totally unexciting finisher.

• Enraged Revolutionary
  
• Grenzo's Cutthroat
  
• Marchesa's Emissary

Cogwork Librarian
I feel like this guy is a staple. He does so much work. Been cubing him since he was spoiled.
Cogwork Spy
Seems pretty marginal, but wind drake is almost never bad in limited.
Custodi Squire
Staple this guy to the cube. Guardian>Custodi Squire>Fetters>Honor Guard
Lurking Automaton
I think this guy is great, he should always be a 5/5,6/6, or 7/7 for 5.
Whispergear Sneak
I really really really like this guy. But when it comes to cube a 1/1 for 1 isn't at all playable, and so I don't think the effect is worth a slot.
The Conspiracies
I feel as though all of these are cubable. However, finding space for them seems hard. I'm still on the fence as whether or not to "maindeck" them in the cube or just have an extra set. These are also the only cards I think breaking the multiples rule might be worth it for.
Brago's favor
Super great with flashback/buyback/fatties
Immediate action
Good on most creatures, especially fatties.
Secrets of paradise
Solid all around.
Muzzio's Preparations
Probably the weakest one. It does combo though.
Sentinel dispatch
Unexciting but very solid.

For sure going in:
Cogwork Librarian
Lurking automaton
Custodi Squire
Wake Dancer

Quote from Runner5678

Is there a common land they could print that could be able to tap for two different types of colors turn 1?

Only thing I could think of was a Vivid-esque card like this:

Draining Reservoir
~ enters the battlefield with two depletion counters.
t: add 1
t, remove a depletion counter: add U or B

Better hope for some rarity downshifts in Vintage Masters. ( I want Loam Lion SO BAD)

Tendo Ice Bridge seems fair.

Quote from Al_Z_Heimer

Perilous Shadow is the best, with a big distance.

oops!
He wasn't on my search because it was for "{b}:"+"+1/+1"

Yeah, seems like the definitive 4CMC shade. 4 toughness and the easy pump.

Anyone have experience with Shade's Form?

Thoughts on the best Shade?
at CMC3 it seems like: Shade's Form
at CMC4: Darkling Stalker, Crypt Ripper and Lilliana's Shade all seem comparable.
I like Shade's Form/Lili's Shade personally I think.
I'm not necessarily going to include one, but I feel like my black section could use a shade if it starts to get much more mono black.

Quote from Al_Z_Heimer

The 2 for 1 life trade can become highly relevant. Let's say you had a fast start in an agressive deck. You have untapped 3 mountains and your opponent is already down to 13 life, while you are still at 20 life. Your opponent is tapped out and for any reason he can't block the Souleater. You just need to invest the 3 mountains and 18 life and the Souleater deals 13 damage on it's own.
Compared to the low powerlevel of many other red 2 drops, the Souleater definitly is one of the better.

This basically sells me on it now. Thanks.

Quote from Prince_Reyson

I picked up an Ostracize foil as a throw-in for a trade today, it seems like a reasonable removal spell that does something a little different. Does anyone have any experience with this? Taking a Mulldrifter or a Benthic Giant or something with this seems awesome. I've seen it in a few lists but couldn't tell you whose. Anyone tested this card? I'd be looking at it over something like Disfigure or Last Gasp.

My playgroup has had great experiences with ostracize. We have tested both, and my group has found that ostracize is consistently better, and my group asked me to leave ostracize in over duress. YMMV

I'd like to include both at some time in the future.