After seeing its success in standard, I'm wondering whether this could earn a spot in cube as well?
It's quite awesome for UWx control or UGw Ramp. Once you have stabilized the board, you get to draw a ton of cards and get out of burn range at the same time.
Where would you rank it in the order of Azorius cards? I'm currently running
I dislike Wall of Denial because it's non-interactive, so I would swap out the wall, tho it's good at what it does. The charm's options are so-so I've found. I've only read about Revelation and it seems like an awesome card to resolve. I'd make a swap for either and see how it goes.
I would rank it pretty low. Lower then all those cards you mentioned. Absorb would be rated higher too for me. Unless you have a ton of extra mana rocks in your cube I cannot see this being fast enough.
In my experience the hard part for UW decks is not being in control in late game, but surviving long enough to get that control. This card doesn't help you survive, it makes your endgame better. If you think your UW control needs this , try it out. I'd rather have something else.
It would be pretty good in Commander or Multiplayer cubes, but I have no clue how those really play.
I think more and more people are realizing that Azorious Charm is just a cheaper Time Ebb with Cycling. It's alright, but it's narrow. Revelation is relevant against more matchups because instant draw is good against control while not dead against aggro because of the life.
I just added Sphinx's Revelation in my most recent update. I honestly don't know that it'll stay, but a few people in our group seem to think it'll do well.
As far as what to cut, swapping Wall of Denial with Revelation seems like an upgrade.
I think it could've seen some play before WU got good cards. But with Venser, Geist, Verdict and Sphere available nowadays, it's just sunk amongst better competition.
I think it could've seen some play before WU got good cards. But with Venser, Geist, Verdict and Sphere available nowadays, it's just sunk amongst better competition.
Exactly this.
Not a bad card, but not in the same league as many other U/W options. I'd also run a few more cards in addition to the ones listed above (Dismantling Blow and Azorius Signet/Talisman are still awesome).
I agree that, with Verdict and Sphere, UW is no longer so short of options that it needs this card. As well as other cards mentioned I'd run Grand Emperor Augustin IV over it. Signets and Talismans also compete for guild slots in my cube, and I'd rather run those as well.
I haven't played it, but I feel like I need to be casting Sphinx's Revelation for at least 7 mana for it to be approaching a good card. I wish it was target player. It would amuse me no end to win the game by milling at the same time as giving my opponent a bunch of life.
"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
I am playing the Sphinx right now. I took out the wall, it was fine power level wise, but was oen of the most unfun cards I was running. I don't currently own a Venser and he might replace SR but people have been happy playing it.
Caveat I run an unpowered cube, that sometimes gets played multiplayer. I have only seen it cast for 5+ in one game, and that was clearly a game winner. It was a splash in a G/W heavy ramp deck as the only blue card.
But even with it cast for 2-3 I have seen it prevent a win and dig answer a couple of times. And most importantly my group likes it.
I really like the idea of this card, there is just no way it can work with that cost. If they print a UWXBraingeyser that gained life, I might have to consider it.
I think one online writer said it best, it's a good card when you can play one releveation for 3 life and 3 cards and then a few turns later play another one for 6 life and 6 cards and then etc etc. Can't chain them like this here.
Damage swings in my games get to be so huge that I don't think the life gain from this card would be very helpful, outside of some kind of combo (that incidentally would also have to protect you from drawing yourself to death).
Just another example of how cards in different formats have different results. When you have four-of and a deck built around exploiting it it's just unfair. In cube, eh, it's a card that doesn't really scratch the top 8 of Azorius cards.
Dunno what people are groaning about. It's a stroke of genius that is less splashable but has the potential to gain you a bunch of life. In the decks that want to play this spell, that life might be relevant - late-game control might not have that much life thanks to aggro.
When has UUW ever been hard to cast in high power cubes by like turn 8? You can even do it by them off basic lands.
Dunno what people are groaning about. It's a stroke of genius that is less splashable but has the potential to gain you a bunch of life. In the decks that want to play this spell, that life might be relevant - late-game control might not have that much life thanks to aggro.
When has UUW ever been hard to cast in high power cubes by like turn 8? You can even do it by them off basic lands.
I don't care about the double blue. I care that it doesn't do anything until I have four mana, and is a terrible effect for the cost until I have eight mana. At that point, I'd probably rather just have Opportunity and two mana up for a counter.
I like the card, but it's not what my WU decks need or want - there are plenty of finishers and "stablization" cards at very high mana costs. This really doesn't do anything until 6+ mana, and it's arguably not even that great at 6 mana.
In standard it's insane right now, but that's an entirely different format. Standard doesn't have the kind of ridiculously powerful aggressive decks that cube does, nor does it really have much in the way of counterspells.
We just included it as part of a push to bring back control after midrange started taking over. It's been pretty sweet so far. I'm surprised at how many times I've seen it cast for X=4, and that can be pretty demoralizing, honestly. It's a lot of gas and life all at once.
I put this in my cube over Grand Arbiter. It hasn't seen play yet, but I think the instant speed is what pushes it over the top. People should not be writing this card off as easily as they are
I put this in my cube over Grand Arbiter. It hasn't seen play yet, but I think the instant speed is what pushes it over the top. People should not be writing this card off as easily as they are
Stroke of Genius has a much easier casting cost, and it can be played in 4x as many decks. And it was bad.
Stroke of Genius has a much easier casting cost, and it can be played in 4x as many decks. And it was bad.
Stroke of Genius didn't have life gain attached, which I think is a big difference. Having played the card, i've been happy leveraging my life as a resource more knowing I will be able to live and draw a bunch more cards.
Stroke of Genius didn't have life gain attached, which I think is a big difference. Having played the card, i've been happy leveraging my life as a resource more knowing I will be able to live and draw a bunch more cards.
I am not really anti life gain, but gaining three or four life in the late game in return for playing a card which is almost unusable against aggro seems superfluous. My control decks want life gain strapped to cheap cards and effects, because that's when it matters. If my UW control deck has assembled seven mana against a red aggro deck without dying, this card probably isn't going to be the difference between winning and losing.
After seeing its success in standard, I'm wondering whether this could earn a spot in cube as well?
It's quite awesome for UWx control or UGw Ramp. Once you have stabilized the board, you get to draw a ton of cards and get out of burn range at the same time.
Where would you rank it in the order of Azorius cards? I'm currently running
and I'm thinking of running it over Wall of Denial or Azorius Charm. I don't run Geist of Saint Traft because of availability.
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In my experience the hard part for UW decks is not being in control in late game, but surviving long enough to get that control. This card doesn't help you survive, it makes your endgame better. If you think your UW control needs this , try it out. I'd rather have something else.
It would be pretty good in Commander or Multiplayer cubes, but I have no clue how those really play.
I feel compelled to repeat everything I hear
As far as what to cut, swapping Wall of Denial with Revelation seems like an upgrade.
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Exactly this.
Not a bad card, but not in the same league as many other U/W options. I'd also run a few more cards in addition to the ones listed above (Dismantling Blow and Azorius Signet/Talisman are still awesome).
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I haven't played it, but I feel like I need to be casting Sphinx's Revelation for at least 7 mana for it to be approaching a good card. I wish it was target player. It would amuse me no end to win the game by milling at the same time as giving my opponent a bunch of life.
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"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
Caveat I run an unpowered cube, that sometimes gets played multiplayer. I have only seen it cast for 5+ in one game, and that was clearly a game winner. It was a splash in a G/W heavy ramp deck as the only blue card.
But even with it cast for 2-3 I have seen it prevent a win and dig answer a couple of times. And most importantly my group likes it.
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Damage swings in my games get to be so huge that I don't think the life gain from this card would be very helpful, outside of some kind of combo (that incidentally would also have to protect you from drawing yourself to death).
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When has UUW ever been hard to cast in high power cubes by like turn 8? You can even do it by them off basic lands.
I don't care about the double blue. I care that it doesn't do anything until I have four mana, and is a terrible effect for the cost until I have eight mana. At that point, I'd probably rather just have Opportunity and two mana up for a counter.
In standard it's insane right now, but that's an entirely different format. Standard doesn't have the kind of ridiculously powerful aggressive decks that cube does, nor does it really have much in the way of counterspells.
I would pass on this, even in large cubes.
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Stroke of Genius has a much easier casting cost, and it can be played in 4x as many decks. And it was bad.
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Stroke of Genius didn't have life gain attached, which I think is a big difference. Having played the card, i've been happy leveraging my life as a resource more knowing I will be able to live and draw a bunch more cards.
360 Uncommons only Cube!
I am not really anti life gain, but gaining three or four life in the late game in return for playing a card which is almost unusable against aggro seems superfluous. My control decks want life gain strapped to cheap cards and effects, because that's when it matters. If my UW control deck has assembled seven mana against a red aggro deck without dying, this card probably isn't going to be the difference between winning and losing.