I seen this theory really caught on recently on MTG Salvation as an alternative for the green sections in Vintage Cube. I think its probably a good idea to open this as a thread for discussing Unga Bunga packages.
In summary, the Unga Bunga theory aims to move the green section away from hyper ramp (ramp in Eldrazi or 7-10 drops) into a more midrange shell that curve ends at 4-6 CMC. The problem with hyper ramp is the deck is inconsistent as it could easily draw the wrong half of its deck, single threats as often too easy to answer etc.
My personal thoughts on the theory:
- I found hyper ramp to be inconsistent, but also very non-interactive. However, its ramp (mana dorks, Grim Monolith etc.) as well as its pay offs (Eldrazi/ Hornet Queen) are pretty good in other shells. There are good things about the hyper ramp decks.
I found the most successful hyper ramp decks use their primary game plan to cheat into creatures with cards like Show and Tell, Channel, Shelldock Isle and often ramp into their targets as their backup plan I have yet to see a successful hyper ramp deck that is entirely ramp and payoffs.
- The problem I've complained extensively about is the difference in power level between 1-2 cmc mana dorks - I've thought about several ways to cut the 2 CMC dorks from my cube. I found cards like Kodama's Reach, Sylvan Cartaid are too slow but have been a necessity for supporting the necessary ramp for hyper ramp. I'm hoping introducing an Unga Bunga package can reduce the dependence on mana dorks - Green hyper ramp decks might need 8-10 ramp but Unga Bunga would play as low as 3-4.
- The part I disagree with the video is there are examples of successful hyper ramp decks in modern/ legacy and that is Tron/ CloudPost. One of the reasons is they have uncounterable threats and utility lands. I think this could be replicated with cards like Maelstrom Wanderer, Shelldock Isle, Academy Ruins, Field of the Dead, Urza's Saga etc.
I could see land tutors like Sylvan Scrying, Elvish Reclaimer, Knight of the Reliquary go up in value, especially if your cube naturally support Dark Depths already.
- Questing Beast and Hexdrinker feels like the perfect cards for this archetype - the haste is incredibly good at racing combo/ rushing into planeswalkers and the level up is really good if the archetype does go into the late game/ also good in traditional ramp style decks. With this I like to give this set of cardsPrimal Adversary, ulvenwald oddity, Outland Liberator and Vengevine a try in the future.
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
Short question about this new terminology: Is "Unga Bunga" just a new name for "Green Stompy"?
On the note of Hyperramp, I think the inconsistency discussion about hyperramp is actually an emergent discussion about Green card-filtering. A few years ago, we essentially had no Green card filtering and the consistency job of the deck was relegated to Natural Order. With Once Upon a Time, Abundant Harvest and other cards that might come in the future, this inconsistency issue will get smaller, because you are able to manipulate your ressources. Other axes of solving this problem include Green Sun's Zenith, Worldly Tutor and stuff, so I think hyperramp will still have a spot in my cube.
An important addendum to this is that I'm not sure about the role of Mono-Green hyperramp. Lately, I have found UG Ramp to be way superior, since again you increase consistency with a few cantrips, faster enablers (Show and Tell and Shelldock Isle) and glue like Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath or Hydroid Krasis.
Often in the last two years have I thought about cutting Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, since the Mono-Green hyperramp deck comes together so rarely and even if it does, he is just so fragile.
I think of Green stompy as a slightly bigger Zoo deck that curves around 3-4 while Unga Bunga is a green midrange deck that curves around 5-6 drops.
Maelstrom Wanderer has been really good for me - its very easy for a ramp deck to splash a third color off its dorks, the cascade is insane and somewhat viable for a ramp deck to setup and the haste/ cascade gets around counter spells/ planeswalkers.
I find no matter how you slice the threats, hyper ramp struggles as counter spells, burn, sweepers etc. I found its best variants are always the ones that play a few 3-4 threats like Courser/ Tireless Tracker/ Uro in addition to some fatty cheat spells in addition to some top end threats.
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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
Thanks Matt for an awesome video.
I seen this theory really caught on recently on MTG Salvation as an alternative for the green sections in Vintage Cube. I think its probably a good idea to open this as a thread for discussing Unga Bunga packages.
In summary, the Unga Bunga theory aims to move the green section away from hyper ramp (ramp in Eldrazi or 7-10 drops) into a more midrange shell that curve ends at 4-6 CMC. The problem with hyper ramp is the deck is inconsistent as it could easily draw the wrong half of its deck, single threats as often too easy to answer etc.
My personal thoughts on the theory:
- I found hyper ramp to be inconsistent, but also very non-interactive. However, its ramp (mana dorks, Grim Monolith etc.) as well as its pay offs (Eldrazi/ Hornet Queen) are pretty good in other shells. There are good things about the hyper ramp decks.
I found the most successful hyper ramp decks use their primary game plan to cheat into creatures with cards like Show and Tell, Channel, Shelldock Isle and often ramp into their targets as their backup plan I have yet to see a successful hyper ramp deck that is entirely ramp and payoffs.
- The problem I've complained extensively about is the difference in power level between 1-2 cmc mana dorks - I've thought about several ways to cut the 2 CMC dorks from my cube. I found cards like Kodama's Reach, Sylvan Cartaid are too slow but have been a necessity for supporting the necessary ramp for hyper ramp. I'm hoping introducing an Unga Bunga package can reduce the dependence on mana dorks - Green hyper ramp decks might need 8-10 ramp but Unga Bunga would play as low as 3-4.
- The part I disagree with the video is there are examples of successful hyper ramp decks in modern/ legacy and that is Tron/ CloudPost. One of the reasons is they have uncounterable threats and utility lands. I think this could be replicated with cards like Maelstrom Wanderer, Shelldock Isle, Academy Ruins, Field of the Dead, Urza's Saga etc.
I could see land tutors like Sylvan Scrying, Elvish Reclaimer, Knight of the Reliquary go up in value, especially if your cube naturally support Dark Depths already.
- Questing Beast and Hexdrinker feels like the perfect cards for this archetype - the haste is incredibly good at racing combo/ rushing into planeswalkers and the level up is really good if the archetype does go into the late game/ also good in traditional ramp style decks. With this I like to give this set of cardsPrimal Adversary, ulvenwald oddity, Outland Liberator and Vengevine a try in the future.
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
On the note of Hyperramp, I think the inconsistency discussion about hyperramp is actually an emergent discussion about Green card-filtering. A few years ago, we essentially had no Green card filtering and the consistency job of the deck was relegated to Natural Order. With Once Upon a Time, Abundant Harvest and other cards that might come in the future, this inconsistency issue will get smaller, because you are able to manipulate your ressources. Other axes of solving this problem include Green Sun's Zenith, Worldly Tutor and stuff, so I think hyperramp will still have a spot in my cube.
An important addendum to this is that I'm not sure about the role of Mono-Green hyperramp. Lately, I have found UG Ramp to be way superior, since again you increase consistency with a few cantrips, faster enablers (Show and Tell and Shelldock Isle) and glue like Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath or Hydroid Krasis.
Often in the last two years have I thought about cutting Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, since the Mono-Green hyperramp deck comes together so rarely and even if it does, he is just so fragile.
Maelstrom Wanderer has been really good for me - its very easy for a ramp deck to splash a third color off its dorks, the cascade is insane and somewhat viable for a ramp deck to setup and the haste/ cascade gets around counter spells/ planeswalkers.
I find no matter how you slice the threats, hyper ramp struggles as counter spells, burn, sweepers etc. I found its best variants are always the ones that play a few 3-4 threats like Courser/ Tireless Tracker/ Uro in addition to some fatty cheat spells in addition to some top end threats.
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