It can definitely be a beating if not dealt with, but when it is dealt with, you've been 2-for-oned (unless you put a cantrip on it and got to activate it at least once). One of our players stuck Memory Lapse on it yesterday, which was a beating. Azorius Charm on it would be sick. I also like imprinting Fire/Ice a lot.
It can definitely be a beating if not dealt with, but when it is dealt with, you've been 2-for-oned (unless you put a cantrip on it and got to activate it at least once). One of our players stuck Memory Lapse on it yesterday, which was a beating. Azorius Charm on it would be sick. I also like imprinting Fire/Ice a lot.
Memory Lapse is my personal favourite. Booster Tutor on a stick is actually one of the most interesting cube games I've ever seen. When I think about adding/cutting cards in cube, whether they will go under the Scepter is something I think about.
Easily one of my favorite cube cards, just sucks there aren't many targets at large cube sizes. You guys should try to convince me to run it, I'd love to.
A great card that can take over games, but is still answerable due to the power level of cube. It's a very fair card, actually. You need to activate it three times to break the card disadvantage of imprint.
Whether the Scepter is playable depends on how much artifact hate there is in your cube. In mine there is a lot, and as a result, in dozens of drafts it has only worked well in one deck (UW Control), which could protect it with permission. It does those crazy draws with Counterspell, Memory Lapse, Fire/Ice, etc, but with artifact hate going around it's too easy a 2 for 1.
That being said, I like it as a card that can be built around without including other useless cards jsut because of their synergy. Cube 2 mana instants are typically playable in any deck of that color.
As a side note, imprinting Raise the Alarm was unexpectedly good in that deck. It drew opponents into overextending so that the Wraths were completely brutal, and then worked as a win condition.
For me the stick has yet to see play because so far it never gets to see a worthwhile spell while it sits on my hand. Will give it a few more iterations though. It is such a unique card in cube I am giving it another chance.
I agree, the increase in artifact hate correlates with the downturn in the Scepter's value. A lot of cubeable artifact hate has been printed since Mirrodin. But then again, Wizards also keeps printing aggressively costed instants (Abrupt Decay and charms, just from the most recent set), so it retains enough value to stay in for me.
w/w/w/w/w was really not very good in our experience.
Wait, what? How is being able to counter a creature, or destroy an artifact, land, or enchantment not very good? While each mode is a little overcosted, having a card that is able to do all those things has been actually pretty good. Obviously the card sees the most play in 3+ color decks, but it sees play in a lot of blue decks that also have non-white colors as well (even though the white mode is used occasionally) since countering a creature spell is often what you want to be doing in blue decks.
Oh, and imprinting it on either Chrome Mox or Isochron Scepter is the nut. A very fun and funny card.
Real quick: It is only a 2-1 if you imprint something that isn't a counterspell and you only activate it once.
As far as targets go, the Cube has a LOT of amazing targets; I'm not sure what kind of worthwhile targets you are waiting for...
This is a card that someone wants to draft early and plan around but picking up cheap instants later. I have several guys who will snap pick it when they see it, so it stays.
The new charms definitely help by providing more targets.
On isochron scepter? I cut WWWWW because it was mediocre as well, but on scepter it was pretty much sinkhole with 3 other random abilities.
Its UNBELIEVABLE to imprint in general (Scepter and Chrome Mox) but we were never sold on it overall. However, perhaps that because we playing almost exclusively two color decks at the time. Might float giving it another look with the guys.
Sceptre rarely worked out for us. It wasn't usually drafted early because it was inconsistent, and it wasn't always possible to get enough cards to run it even in the sort of decks it could have worked. As I gradually increased the amount of enchantment kill in my cube it got even worse.
It is the sort of card I'd like to try again, though. In what archetypes does it fit apart from UR counter-burn?
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
Love the card -- Failed to make it work in cube. Perhaps in a 6-8player draft its viable to draft enough targets to make it worthwhile, but for us it sadly didn't work out.
Its a shame, but it was just a wasted cube spot around here.
If you are only ever having 4 people in a draft and not seeing enough instants for your decks, is your Cube perhaps too large for your playgroup?
I think Cube size and balance is something that needs to be considered based on your typical group size when drafting/playing for the maximum play experience. I'm frankly a little shocked that your draft decks don't ever have enough cheap instants for Isochron; I imagine the influx of new imprint-able spells in the past couple of sets (Charms, Searing Spear, Ultimate Price, etc.) would have to increase the number of targets in most Cubes.
The scepter sees play in any control deck around here that has a decent number of targets, especially ones with access to 3+ colors as you can pick from a wider variety of spells. While prominent in UR counterburn, the Scepter also sees play in high-spell/burn count Boros or Rakdos decks. Green is the only color that really cannot use the Scepter very well, followed by White (unless you have the instant removal spells).
Good thinking. A lot of those would be absolutely backbreaking in a Scepter. Heh, at least two of them can even protect the scepter itself
If anyone adds Isochron Scepter back in and it performs better than you expect it to, please let this thread know. I really love the card but I'm not going to add it back in until I get some really good feedback from people that were originally unimpressed.
Always got drafted, usually got decked, RARELY got played. Was very hard to pull off, too often didn't go as bonkers as it needed. Ended up cutting it for Crucible of Worlds. Was not easy to cut, as it truly is a great card, but I guess if your cube doesn't hit the criteria, proven through playtesting, it's too much of a pet card to keep it in.
I love this card, but I never get to play with it because people I play with always overvalue it and snatch it up early. I probably wouldn't pick this card until I know it would fit well in my deck, but I think it is a great card to have in the Cube.
My friend runs it. It's a fun card, but you need to get it early to build around it. That, and you need to draw it and another card for it to be good. Scepter has done some good things and can end a game, but it sits in sideboards enough of the time. If you're ok with that, it's a good card to run. I'm not the biggest fan of it, but if it's early in a draft I don't mind picking up a scepter and seeing if I can make it work.
Isochron Scepter is an old favorite that has long lost its fame. I think alongside Abrupt Decay + Charms it can shine.
Notable targets:
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=484979
All the charms from the RTR block work with it.
I think it's pretty good if you get it early and can build around it. It obviously favors non-green decks.
Lightning Helix is also sweet. Doom Blade/Go for the throat depending on the matchup. Etc.
EDH
BGW Ghave, Guru of Spores WGB
RUG Riku of Two Reflections GUR
WB Teysa, Orzhov Scion BW
Looking forward to Shu Yun and Alesha.
Memory Lapse is my personal favourite. Booster Tutor on a stick is actually one of the most interesting cube games I've ever seen. When I think about adding/cutting cards in cube, whether they will go under the Scepter is something I think about.
My Tribal Cube
EDH Decks
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
WUBSen TripletsWUB
BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG
-AA
I use descriptive language. Assume that I'm being nice and respectful. (I'll tell you when I'm not.)
My Cube: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/9029
Blimpy's Aggro-Focused Cube (powered 360)
I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve my cube. Take a look and ask a question, or give a constructive critique whenever you can.
My Cube (DeckStats)
My Pauper Cube: 540 (CubeTutor link!)
Level 1 Judge
w/w/w/w/w was really not very good in our experience.
On isochron scepter? I cut WWWWW because it was mediocre as well, but on scepter it was pretty much sinkhole with 3 other random abilities.
The Great Cube Map!
My Powered Cube
Draft it here!
That being said, I like it as a card that can be built around without including other useless cards jsut because of their synergy. Cube 2 mana instants are typically playable in any deck of that color.
As a side note, imprinting Raise the Alarm was unexpectedly good in that deck. It drew opponents into overextending so that the Wraths were completely brutal, and then worked as a win condition.
540 card Unpowered Cube
My Cube (DeckStats)
My Pauper Cube: 540 (CubeTutor link!)
Level 1 Judge
Wait, what? How is being able to counter a creature, or destroy an artifact, land, or enchantment not very good? While each mode is a little overcosted, having a card that is able to do all those things has been actually pretty good. Obviously the card sees the most play in 3+ color decks, but it sees play in a lot of blue decks that also have non-white colors as well (even though the white mode is used occasionally) since countering a creature spell is often what you want to be doing in blue decks.
Oh, and imprinting it on either Chrome Mox or Isochron Scepter is the nut. A very fun and funny card.
Real quick: It is only a 2-1 if you imprint something that isn't a counterspell and you only activate it once.
As far as targets go, the Cube has a LOT of amazing targets; I'm not sure what kind of worthwhile targets you are waiting for...
-AA
I use descriptive language. Assume that I'm being nice and respectful. (I'll tell you when I'm not.)
My Cube: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/9029
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=484979
The new charms definitely help by providing more targets.
360 Uncommons only Cube!
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Its UNBELIEVABLE to imprint in general (Scepter and Chrome Mox) but we were never sold on it overall. However, perhaps that because we playing almost exclusively two color decks at the time. Might float giving it another look with the guys.
It is the sort of card I'd like to try again, though. In what archetypes does it fit apart from UR counter-burn?
My 380 Beginners’ Cube on Cube Tutor
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
But it might do some heavy lifting again with the all the charms, as wtwlf mentioned. Just so much hate for it.
Deckbox tradelist/for sale
Draft my cube on cubetutor!
Check out my blog on Cube Archetypes!
If you are only ever having 4 people in a draft and not seeing enough instants for your decks, is your Cube perhaps too large for your playgroup?
I think Cube size and balance is something that needs to be considered based on your typical group size when drafting/playing for the maximum play experience. I'm frankly a little shocked that your draft decks don't ever have enough cheap instants for Isochron; I imagine the influx of new imprint-able spells in the past couple of sets (Charms, Searing Spear, Ultimate Price, etc.) would have to increase the number of targets in most Cubes.
The scepter sees play in any control deck around here that has a decent number of targets, especially ones with access to 3+ colors as you can pick from a wider variety of spells. While prominent in UR counterburn, the Scepter also sees play in high-spell/burn count Boros or Rakdos decks. Green is the only color that really cannot use the Scepter very well, followed by White (unless you have the instant removal spells).
-AA
I use descriptive language. Assume that I'm being nice and respectful. (I'll tell you when I'm not.)
My Cube: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/9029
If anyone adds Isochron Scepter back in and it performs better than you expect it to, please let this thread know. I really love the card but I'm not going to add it back in until I get some really good feedback from people that were originally unimpressed.
Blimpy's Aggro-Focused Cube (powered 360)
I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve my cube. Take a look and ask a question, or give a constructive critique whenever you can.
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic