To me it seems like the people who got incredibly mad about flip cards which ended up not being a deal at all (and a bunch of them play Garruk 2.0).
I got incredibly mad about flip cards and I only play them in cube because I can play them as normal, one-faced cards by using opaque sleeves and providing the back sides separately as "tokens".
I am not incredibly mad about Cogwork Librarian. It is an interesting idea, even though a bit gimmicky. I have simply decided not to cube a card that will see zero actual play and moved on.
Conspiracy will be sold as regular 15-card boosters. The rarities will most likely work just like in a regular set. Can you imagine multiple Cogworks being opened in the same draft? Plus whatever other draft-changing cards there are?
In a cube-related note... Conspiracy has 60 new cards. For reference Commander 2013 had 51 new cards, and look at how many were included in most cubes. Even if you don't like the two shown so far, this set still has much potential.
Maybe there will be an uncommon or rare version of the same effect that will be both playable and have an effect on the draft.
I am really hopeful for that. Even if it were a 3/3 for 3 I would be a lot more excited as that is not something we actually get out of artifacts and can be at least a hole filler for decks that didn't get it elsewhere in the draft(attacks and blocks decently, comes down on curve).
My dream would have put this on a mediocre 2-drop mana rock. Maybe one that just tapped for colorless, or tapped for mana that your lands can produce. That would have made for a more interesting decision.
While this will have an effect on draft, my guess it will almost always go 3-6 pick in the first 2 packs, whenever someone doesn't see a card in their colors. I feel it will be like a lot of the Un-Cards I tried. Most were gimmicks that made people chuckle. The library is amusing for a while but will fail to generate 'amazing' stories so because it wont win you a game.
I hope there is something better than the librarian. I understand in real boosters to get the asfan up they have to be common, and not amazing. Maybe there will be an uncommon or rare that is tasty like this and is at least marginal. I feel like the choice of taking the Librarian is fun but not hard. Early in the draft and late in the pack it is good to great, but at the end people will just dump them for anything ok. No one is going to mind giving it up.
I think my drafters would love this in my 360 unpowered cube. We often do 4-6 man drafts with 5 packs of 9 or 4 packs of 11. This thing really shines in that. I've very often opened very fair packs and later opened Jitte and mindtwist same pack. Yeah, this is rad. As far as not being able to use it in your deck, how often do you really get on color and necessary picks handed to you last anyway? If I'm playing RW aggro and the last thing handed to me is Exclude, then what difference does it make if it's cogwork librarian?
It just doesn't feel right to me to put an unplayable card into my cube. All the other cards in my cube see some play, even if it doesn't happen during each draft. Sure, you'll always pick up a few cards that just don't fit into your deck. That's the nature of drafting. However, those very same cards will likely make it into a maindeck during the next few drafts. If a cards never gets maindecked, I cut it. If I see a card where I am totally certain that it will never get maindecked, I don't include it. Cogwork Librarian is certainly one of those cards.
When I saw this, I really liked the idea of influencing the draft, but not the actual creature. So, I blanked some foils and made wildcards of my own.
To start off, I put 4 in my 400 cube, which might be too many, but I was more interested in seeing it in action than anything else. The way we play it, you can switch it out for an extra card, like Librarian, but at the end of the pack, whoever is holding it trades it in for a random card from the undrafted part of the cube. This way, the card is worth taking no matter what pick it is.
I think Conspiracy is going to be very meta, and that seems to be a topic of contention. Never before have we had a set specifically designed for draft , and this set is going to explore the design space that resides specifically in that format. I think we're going to see some really fun cards come out of this set, and a lot of them are going to be pretty interesting for Cube.
If you are playing mostly sealed or non-booster draft formats, then this card is not for you because it pales in comparison to other artifact creatures.
If you are drafting, however, this card is REALLY fun and adds another layer of skill testing which will be previously unexplored territory. I can't wait to see what else is in here.
Typical draft decks have 44-45 cards selected, yet we play at most in the low 30's...that's PLENTY of room for a card in your pool that added a lot to the draft experience.
It has been awesome here. Picked pretty high(often second pick), often used more then four times per draft and considered fun by our group. It has never been played but it has had its influence before the actual playing. We only draft Rochester, where it might be even stronger then in regular booster draft.
It has been used to pick up two power cards (Mox and a Sword, Jitte and Tinker,...) or to pick up key cards for narrower archetypes. We all know the feeling when you are drafting Reanimator and have to choose between a reanimation spell and a good discard outlet. Or you are playing artifact.dec and get Tinker and Tezzeret in one pack. This card helps to enable the narrower strategies by lowering variance.
i have to echo what Hicham said, the card has been really good here as well. 1st & 2nd picked & often used 3 to 4 times per draft. i actually got to live the dream yesterday, i took the librarian @ some pt during pack 1 drafting & opened up ancestral & black lotus in my 2nd pack! =) hell its even been played once by a drafter who's deck was threat-lite. although in fairness to that player, our 2 mana 3/3 proof is better then the 4 mana 3/3 that was spoiled
It would never, ever make a final 40 unless something went horribly wrong. And even in that case, I'd splash a completely off-color card instead of playing a Hill Giant in my cube deck. Come on people, this is a draft-impact exclusive card. Nobody would ever actually play this in a cube deck ...right?
The way we play it, you can switch it out for an extra card, like Librarian, but at the end of the pack, whoever is holding it trades it in for a random card from the undrafted part of the cube. .
This is how I currently run it. In draft formats where you take piles of cards instead of singles, it sometimes makes picking the final pile interesting because you are picking a random card.
My play group asked how this might interact with Booster Tutor.
Since it is an UN-Card I would rule that booster tutor is drafting from that new pack, and they could exchange the librarian for a card in that pack to permanently add to their pool. I am normally not much of a house rule person but I think this interaction is neat.
I would think that it doesn't interact with Booster Tutor at all. You're not drafting when you use Booster Tutor, you're selecting a single card from a defined card pool to add to your hand, so the rules text on the card don't apply.
My justification for this is two fold. Drafting takes place during a certain part of the game. A part when casting Booster Tutor is impossible. And Drafting requires that you pass the pack to the next person in a sequence to pick a card until the pack is empty.
How do you people play Booster Tutor? As written (you open a still sealed booster of an actual set) or as a house-rule (open a Cube "booster" of 15 undrafted cards)?
You are already using house-rules. Another one, for the same un-card, should not be a problem.
Sometimes we have used cube packs, but when we draft at the store the card is played as is. I am not much for house rules but booster tutor is so loved we look to expand its usefullness.
How do you people play Booster Tutor? As written (you open a still sealed booster of an actual set) or as a house-rule (open a Cube "booster" of 15 undrafted cards)?
You are already using house-rules. Another one, for the same un-card, should not be a problem.
That isn't actually a house rule, since MaRo (Silver-Bordered Rules Guru) has said you can crack cube packs with it.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Rest in RIP My Signature, I guess. 2015-2016, we hardly knew ye.
Total side note but I like how people are discussing running this over itself.
Well, it has to be said that Kolaghan is clearly better than Kolaghan. Considering what BR decks usually want and how stiff the competition in this guild is, there is no way that I would run Kolaghan over Kolaghan! Kolaghan might make it in as the sixth guild card or so. Kolaghan on the other hand ranks several places below that.
It was so funny to me when they described this as a downgrade to the original Zurgo during the Pax East panel. I was thinking if this is a downgrade, they should really "downgrade" all legendary creatures. Haha.
My deck designing is quite concise at this point:
1. Come up with deck idea
2. Realize this idea is somehow fundamentally similar to another deck I have or that is commonly played in my group
3. Decide I don't want to disassemble one of my existing decks
4. Give up and do nothing
I don't see the point of this new shroud mechanic. It's strictly worse than Hexproof. Threshold is pretty bad too, Delirium is a much better mechanic and probably easier to activate.
Otherwise this card is a pretty neat guy. Dodges removal and grows into a Primal Huntbeast. 3/5
I got incredibly mad about flip cards and I only play them in cube because I can play them as normal, one-faced cards by using opaque sleeves and providing the back sides separately as "tokens".
I am not incredibly mad about Cogwork Librarian. It is an interesting idea, even though a bit gimmicky. I have simply decided not to cube a card that will see zero actual play and moved on.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
Cogwork Librarian is a common. Woo!
Calvin and Hobbes
Cube Tutor
Hm, that explains why it is only a 3/3 for 4.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
In a cube-related note... Conspiracy has 60 new cards. For reference Commander 2013 had 51 new cards, and look at how many were included in most cubes. Even if you don't like the two shown so far, this set still has much potential.
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!
I am really hopeful for that. Even if it were a 3/3 for 3 I would be a lot more excited as that is not something we actually get out of artifacts and can be at least a hole filler for decks that didn't get it elsewhere in the draft(attacks and blocks decently, comes down on curve).
My dream would have put this on a mediocre 2-drop mana rock. Maybe one that just tapped for colorless, or tapped for mana that your lands can produce. That would have made for a more interesting decision.
While this will have an effect on draft, my guess it will almost always go 3-6 pick in the first 2 packs, whenever someone doesn't see a card in their colors. I feel it will be like a lot of the Un-Cards I tried. Most were gimmicks that made people chuckle. The library is amusing for a while but will fail to generate 'amazing' stories so because it wont win you a game.
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!
Cube list thread
Cubetutor
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
To start off, I put 4 in my 400 cube, which might be too many, but I was more interested in seeing it in action than anything else. The way we play it, you can switch it out for an extra card, like Librarian, but at the end of the pack, whoever is holding it trades it in for a random card from the undrafted part of the cube. This way, the card is worth taking no matter what pick it is.
It's been a hit so far.
If you are playing mostly sealed or non-booster draft formats, then this card is not for you because it pales in comparison to other artifact creatures.
If you are drafting, however, this card is REALLY fun and adds another layer of skill testing which will be previously unexplored territory. I can't wait to see what else is in here.
Typical draft decks have 44-45 cards selected, yet we play at most in the low 30's...that's PLENTY of room for a card in your pool that added a lot to the draft experience.
-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
It has been used to pick up two power cards (Mox and a Sword, Jitte and Tinker,...) or to pick up key cards for narrower archetypes. We all know the feeling when you are drafting Reanimator and have to choose between a reanimation spell and a good discard outlet. Or you are playing artifact.dec and get Tinker and Tezzeret in one pack. This card helps to enable the narrower strategies by lowering variance.
I feel compelled to repeat everything I hear
I'd play it in a Metalworker deck.
<.<
Check out my expected lands table at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Airj6A6lYAz_dG05T2JETnVTak1xQ0tqOHNSdEJLWVE&hl=en_US#gid=0
This is how I currently run it. In draft formats where you take piles of cards instead of singles, it sometimes makes picking the final pile interesting because you are picking a random card.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Since it is an UN-Card I would rule that booster tutor is drafting from that new pack, and they could exchange the librarian for a card in that pack to permanently add to their pool. I am normally not much of a house rule person but I think this interaction is neat.
My justification for this is two fold. Drafting takes place during a certain part of the game. A part when casting Booster Tutor is impossible. And Drafting requires that you pass the pack to the next person in a sequence to pick a card until the pack is empty.
360 Unpowered Cube | Cubetutor
You are already using house-rules. Another one, for the same un-card, should not be a problem.
That isn't actually a house rule, since MaRo (Silver-Bordered Rules Guru) has said you can crack cube packs with it.