Know most people don't run sideboard cards here... but if you don't mind running a couple that have wide-reaching applications, I think this is one of the best/versatile ones around. In a high powered cube with a lot of counter magic, it ends up being a mid-pick.
In smaller high powered cubes, blue is a very dominant color and being able to force your cheaty spells through FOR VALUE, is absurdly powerful. Unlike a card like Null Rod, while good, isn't grossly opressive by itself, and it's sideboardable against upwards of half the decks that are in the field.
The only "sideboard" cards I run are Red elemental blast, Veil of summer and a few anti agro cards (Obstinate Baloth, Timely reinforcements). I like their inclusion.
We team draft every time we cube, so there are times where you can deduce that the opponent decks have a disperportinate number of blue/black or agro decks, and these cards are versatile enough that they do see some main deck play.
Drafting for sideboard is an important limited skill, and I like having a few cards that explicitly support that, without being TOO narrow.
I personally think this color hosing cycle should be all added into the cube:
White - Celestial Purge - Hoses Red and Black
Blue - Aether Gust - Hoses Red and Green (seems weak, but as a blue player, I would like this effect)
Green - Veil of Summer - Hoses Blue and Black
I'm still waiting for a good playable Red card that removes Blue- White and a good Black card that removes Green - White. (If this cycle was complete, this was be an auto include in my cube)
EDIT:
Black - Noxious Grasp - Hoses Green -White
Red - Fry - Hoses Blue- White (I don't think this is a terrific card, but the number of white planeswalkers in my cube is problematic)
But back to Veil of Summer. I think this is more of a meta game/ draft group call. I've personally played larger cube drafts where I was on a Gx ramp deck where I frustrating could not beat a Ux control deck. I think cubes are lacking efficient answers to problematic cards. I do like the efficient of color hosing cards, especially how effective these card can be against problematic planeswalkers/ spells and the number of good back and forth between games.
The other consideration is what percentage of your decks are tri color or four color. Cards such as Ancient Grudge/ Disenchant could easily played in the mainboard given the number of artifacts/ enchantments in the environment. Suppose you drafted green as a non-splash color and this card is "correct" to play mainboard 60-70% of the time, then I think this card would be okay.
(Mod - I went a bit off topic with discussing the enemy color hosers, but I feel this is should be more of a cycle discussion rather than SCD)
I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
I don't want to open a new thread for this but I've noticed REB / Pyroblast have seen play in Vintage Cubes. Does anyone have any experience with those 2?
I don't want to open a new thread for this but I've noticed REB / Pyroblast have seen play in Vintage Cubes. Does anyone have any experience with those 2?
I’ve ran between 0-2 for a decade. It’s a premium sideboard card that is picked higher than filler.
I like having the rare strategic pick dynamic of deciding between a middling card for your deck or a premium sideboard card.
2 copies created a few too many feel
Bad moments for the blue drafter that I settled at one for years now.
I’ve ran between 0-2 for a decade. It’s a premium sideboard card that is picked higher than filler.
I like having the rare strategic pick dynamic of deciding between a middling card for your deck or a premium sideboard card.
2 copies created a few too many feel
Bad moments for the blue drafter that I settled at one for years now.
I would like to think they're good mainboard options, especially for decks like Reanimator, Storm or Wildfire that has looting and need protection against counter magic and occasionally they can be sideboard in, especially given how disproportionately powerful blue is.
I’ve ran between 0-2 for a decade. It’s a premium sideboard card that is picked higher than filler.
I like having the rare strategic pick dynamic of deciding between a middling card for your deck or a premium sideboard card.
2 copies created a few too many feel
Bad moments for the blue drafter that I settled at one for years now.
I would like to think they're good mainboard options, especially for decks like Reanimator, Storm or Wildfire that has looting and need protection against counter magic and occasionally they can be sideboard in, especially given how disproportionately powerful blue is.
Is that consistent with your observation?
You can main deck them for sure... but it's closer to a 23rd main deck playable unless your deck realllly folds to counterspells, then yeah it's solid in the main deck.
Our play group plays a team format, so main decking sideboard cards is more viable. If none if your team is blue, it's much more reasonable to maindeck REB.
Our play group plays a team format, so main decking sideboard cards is more viable. If none if your team is blue, it's much more reasonable to maindeck REB.
Know most people don't run sideboard cards here... but if you don't mind running a couple that have wide-reaching applications, I think this is one of the best/versatile ones around. In a high powered cube with a lot of counter magic, it ends up being a mid-pick.
In smaller high powered cubes, blue is a very dominant color and being able to force your cheaty spells through FOR VALUE, is absurdly powerful. Unlike a card like Null Rod, while good, isn't grossly opressive by itself, and it's sideboardable against upwards of half the decks that are in the field.
The only "sideboard" cards I run are Red elemental blast, Veil of summer and a few anti agro cards (Obstinate Baloth, Timely reinforcements). I like their inclusion.
We team draft every time we cube, so there are times where you can deduce that the opponent decks have a disperportinate number of blue/black or agro decks, and these cards are versatile enough that they do see some main deck play.
Drafting for sideboard is an important limited skill, and I like having a few cards that explicitly support that, without being TOO narrow.
Last Updated 06/28/23
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
White - Celestial Purge - Hoses Red and Black
Blue - Aether Gust - Hoses Red and Green (seems weak, but as a blue player, I would like this effect)
Green - Veil of Summer - Hoses Blue and Black
I'm still waiting for a good playable Red card that removes Blue- White and a good Black card that removes Green - White. (If this cycle was complete, this was be an auto include in my cube)
EDIT:
Black - Noxious Grasp - Hoses Green -White
Red - Fry - Hoses Blue- White (I don't think this is a terrific card, but the number of white planeswalkers in my cube is problematic)
But back to Veil of Summer. I think this is more of a meta game/ draft group call. I've personally played larger cube drafts where I was on a Gx ramp deck where I frustrating could not beat a Ux control deck. I think cubes are lacking efficient answers to problematic cards. I do like the efficient of color hosing cards, especially how effective these card can be against problematic planeswalkers/ spells and the number of good back and forth between games.
The other consideration is what percentage of your decks are tri color or four color. Cards such as Ancient Grudge/ Disenchant could easily played in the mainboard given the number of artifacts/ enchantments in the environment. Suppose you drafted green as a non-splash color and this card is "correct" to play mainboard 60-70% of the time, then I think this card would be okay.
(Mod - I went a bit off topic with discussing the enemy color hosers, but I feel this is should be more of a cycle discussion rather than SCD)
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
I’ve ran between 0-2 for a decade. It’s a premium sideboard card that is picked higher than filler.
I like having the rare strategic pick dynamic of deciding between a middling card for your deck or a premium sideboard card.
2 copies created a few too many feel
Bad moments for the blue drafter that I settled at one for years now.
Last Updated 06/28/23
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
I would like to think they're good mainboard options, especially for decks like Reanimator, Storm or Wildfire that has looting and need protection against counter magic and occasionally they can be sideboard in, especially given how disproportionately powerful blue is.
Is that consistent with your observation?
You can main deck them for sure... but it's closer to a 23rd main deck playable unless your deck realllly folds to counterspells, then yeah it's solid in the main deck.
Our play group plays a team format, so main decking sideboard cards is more viable. If none if your team is blue, it's much more reasonable to maindeck REB.
Last Updated 06/28/23
Streaming Standard/Cube on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/heisenb3rg96
Strategy Twitter https://www.twitter.com/heisenb3rg
Well blue is so disproportionately powerful so I don;t feel that bad.
That makes sense