Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Your black creatures section seems a bit top-heavy in terms of curve. Do you intend for a less aggro black? Because if not, I'd suggest cut some of the worse black cards in the 4CMC section, like Dimir House Guard and Moonglove Winnower for some more aggro critters.
Again, I see less of an aggro touch in green, the color that has the best creatures (usually). Is that a conscious decision? If not, here are some changes I'd suggest:
Also, you're not running River Boa and Mire Boa, two of the better critters of green for both control and aggro. Some of the weaker cards in the 2CMC section I'd cut for them are Thornweald Archer and Priest of Titania.
Plague Spore is almost always worse than Wrecking Ball. But the time you have six mana in a BR deck, you shouldn't need to destroy a land.
Your lack of Kird Ape in the RG section disturbs me greatly. As too is Qasali Pridemage (I'd cut the Steward).
I hate the Spellbombs in the artifact section, except perhaps Pyrite (which should really be in red). I also hate the Scarecrows. I'd cut all of them for more fixing artifacts and some critters. Mind Stone is top priority.
My signature has some Pauper cube resources. You should definitely join in the Cube Evaluation.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are some things I'd keep in mind. There are more cards I would probably cut, but I don't have enough experience to say for sure with these particular cards; there are also more cards I would add, but those come down to preference(such as Daze in addition to Force Spike and Mana Tithe).
Keep in mind that many of the cards I'm suggesting you cut I had previously played with in my own Pauper cube and they turned out to be terrible. Excise is one such example. I'll happily debate or explain in greater detail any of these choices later, but I'm off to bed right now.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Alright, time for the first (somewhat) major update to the cube list. I've drafted it several times with friends and after some feedback, here are the changes that are being made:
White was actually the most balanced color of the cube. There was plenty of aggro, plenty of control, and nothing was too out of hand or underpowered. This one change is really more of a test. I was never super thrilled to play Heavy Ballista and I wanted to try out a global pump effect. I doubt the cube will miss the Ballista, but we'll see how well Inspired Charge does.
Blue needed a major overhaul. It just didn't have enough ways to gain card advantage and it's permission was kinda lacking. So I cut the three worst creatures that no one was ever happy to play and three of the worst spells for a few more counterspells and avenues of card advantage and tempo advantage. I was so afraid of blue being overpowered that it just turned out to be the worst color. Hopefully this fixes that a bit.
First of all, Hymn was just too good. Surrounded by all true commons, Hymn was just a total beating. So I replaced it with Wrench Mind which serves the same purpose but should be on a much more appropriate power level. As for the creatures that are leaving, the 1/1 body on Cadaver Imp was always irrelevant and no one ever wanted to play the Skittering creatures. So I just strengthened the reanimation theme and put in Nameless Inversion because I'm not sure why it wasn't in there to begin with.
I've discovered that red is without a doubt the best color in the cube. But that should be okay because everyone also dips into it for its removal, or at least that's how it's gone so far. Lava Dart and Searing Blaze have been very disappointing, so they're being swapped out for some more straight up burn. And Gorilla Shaman is much less impressive without Moxes, Sol Rings, and Mana Crypts to blow up, so he's becoming the more aggressive Hearth Kami.
If there is one color that shouldn't be blown out by red, it should be green. To more solidify this, less relevant cards are being replaced by actual acceleration and creatures that don't die to Lightning Bolt. I have some more ideas for green that I will probably try out in the future, but I want to see how these changes work first. Hopefully green will now have a better late game.
Not many changes necessary here, but Probe was just terrible and Soul Manipulation helps fix the countermagic issue mentioned earlier. Plus, it's just good. The tempo swing from Temporal Spring wasn't too relevant and Snakeform adds utility to the two colors that needed the most help.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
I don't get cutting Waterfront Bouncer when you say that "permission was lacking". It is one of the best control creatures in the cube. I get adding Capsize, since that's OP, but cutting Bouncer is not the right call.
I dunno, in theory, the Bouncer seems really good. But I was never happy when I played him and neither was any one else. And most of my play group prefers control decks. But no one like him. Maybe we just didn't build our decks to utilize him well or just never got to a point where he was useful. Maybe he'll go back in later, but for now, I want some more spells.
I thought Mana Leak was already in my cube... fixed.
I've always preferred the Skittering creatures in control decks. They just don't make sense in an aggro deck. In a truly aggro deck, if I drop him on turn two, I'm gonna want to drop another creature on turn three to continue building my board state, especially since there's practically zero mass removal in this format. And mono black control isn't really supported in my cube. So he just didn't really have a home. He may go back in at some point, but enough people were disappointed in him that he's coming out for now.
And yes I meant Hearth Kami. Fixed. And again, I also thought Volcanic Hammer was already in my cube. But since I can't seem to find one at the moment, I put in a Fire Ambush. So again, fixed.
What are your thoughts on Hymn? I mean, I've read up on the pauper evaluation thread, and everyone swears by it being a staple, but I personally think it's just too good. No other color has a spell anywhere near that power level (maybe Capsize, but that's still not Hymn level, imo.)
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
That's cool. I've had nothing but good experiences with the Bouncer, but if your playgroup is different, then it shouldn't really stay.
Skittering Skirge is one of those, "Answer me or I will single-handedly destroy you" kind of cards. It demands an answer. Yeah, the anti-synergy with aggro is annoying, but it's still really powerful. I would play with it in any aggro-deck any time. But again, different experiences, so I can't really argue.
Hymn is powerful. Really powerful. It and Sinkhole are the two powerhouses of the color. If you think it makes the game unfun (as I did for Sinkhole, although my viewpoint is changing), then by all means cut it.
I love Exhume in powered cubes, but unfortunately in a commons cube, there are very few ways to abuse it. I'm not a huge fan of Grim Harvest, but maybe it will work a little better for me.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
I really hated to, because the first time I ever played it, I evoked a Mournwhelk and then Exhumed a Mneumonic Wall, retrieving the Exhume and then exhuming the Mournwhelk. But ever since then it's been a dud. There's just no way to really abuse it.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
I almost replaced Thought Courier with this guy, but I like the Apprentice so much less. It was another creature no one ever seemed happy to play. And the Cloudskater has been so nuts so far, especially late game when you can just bounce a land and then discard it, or reuse lands such as Halimar Depths. It's an excellent inclusion to the cube.
Null Champion was always lackluster but I never really knew what to replace it with. Then I remembered this guy. More aggressive and less mana intensive. I think he'll work out better. There aren't enough Dredge cards to make a Tortured Existence deck viable, so I went ahead and cut it for yet another card that I thought was already in my cube but for some reason wasn't. And Stir the Grave got cut for the same reason Exhume got cut - it just wasn't worth it.
The switch with Fire Ambush and Volcanic Hammer was simply because I was tired of having to tell people what it did (since it was in Chinese.) Well, that and I finally found a black bordered Portal Volcanic Hammer. Torch Slinger was underwhelming when unkicked and still underwhelming when kicked, so I believe Blisterstick Shaman will serve the same function but at a more reasonable cost. And Brute Force was a card that I never played when I drafted it. I always cut it for straight up burn. So I'm just replacing it in the cube with burn. I was deciding between Solar Blast and Shard Volley. I went with Solar Blast for two reasons: there is already a crap ton of 1-mana burn and red is already the best and most aggressive color. More 1-mana burn spells seems like a bad idea. 2) I really like the cycling effect and I think it give red some versatility. I hope it is well received.
Outside of mono green, Gaea's Touch is terrible. Unfortunately, mono green just doesn't seem very viable in the cube right now (or at least there's no reason to play it... if you're drafting all green cards, you should have enough mana fixers to splash at least one other color...) So it's coming out and the Granger should help mana fixing for green based multicolored decks.
I was taking a break from Magic during Mirrodin, so I didn't play with hardly any of the cards and I'm unfamiliar with most of them (the non-tournament ones, at least.) The first time three different people played with Opaline Bracers, they apparently thought it was Baton of Courage and tried to play it as such, and then were disappointed when they realized that's not what it was. I was never really thrilled to play with the Bracers either. So then I found Baton of Courage, realized it was common, and decided to just swap them out. Haven't tested it yet, but I think it will be interesting. And Flayer Husk >>> Leonin Scimitar, so obvious swap is obvious.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
I wouldn't say that the Skyhunter is clearly better. It is in heavy white decks, but the Idol is at least partially splashable. In any case, I'd cut Ghost Warden before I cut evasive 2/2 (although I probably would cut the Idol for Fledgling Griffin).
Blue changes are fine.
I can't at all support cutting Tortured Existence. It doesn't need much support other than your deck having creatures. I'd cut Grim Discovery for Disfigure instead.
I don't like Solar Blast in terms of power level. It is interesting, but neither of its modes is even slightly good enough to warrant inclusion. Most of the time, versatility would just push cards into playability, but sadly that's not happening for this.
I'd cut the Chromatic cards before I'd cut either equipment.
Well, Solar Blast is primarily a test. If it doesn't work, I may swap it out with Shard Volley and see how that works.
Tortured Existence, I just can't seem to find a use for. I and several others have actively tried to draft around it, and it just never worked. Survival of the Fittest, it is not.
I thought about Fledgling Griffin but decided to go with the Skyhunter instead. And I like the role that Ghost Warden fills. It's done very nicely so far. Remember, my cube only has 360 cards, so I don't have quite the room yours has. If I ever increase the size to 400 or 450, I would definitely be adding back in some/most of these.
You have a point about the chromatics. I'll give this version a few tests and see if it wants the equipment more than the mana fixing (and I can imagine it probably wants the equipment more.)
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
If you've had bad experiences with it, I can't really argue. But it's been quite solid over here.
Remember, my cube only has 360 cards, so I don't have quite the room yours has. If I ever increase the size to 400 or 450, I would definitely be adding back in some/most of these.
I don't really understand this comment. It doesn't make sense if you're talking about Ghost Warden (which is what I thought initially, since it directly followed it with no paragraph break), so I'll assume you're talking about your other changes overall...?
Edit: Also, if you like Ghost Warden, have you thought about Infantry Veteran?
I really don't have a problem with Ghost Warden, but I just want to test this out and see how well the Javelineers really are. Might stay like this, might not, this is just mainly a trial.
Basically, I have found games are more interesting and less prone to stalemating with equipment involved. So I'm replacing the ones I took out last (yes, the cube missed them) as well as adding in one of my new favorite equipments. I really didn't get much of a chance to test Baton of Courage, so expect that to go back in at some point, just not right now.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Next update, New Phyrexia style. (I went ahead and proxied some new cards up and also took this opportunity to make some other changes I had been thinking about.)
I originally put the replicas in as a sort of "pet" cycle, but several of them have since grown unimpressive. The white one isn't the only one to go. The Lancer is also underwhelming. Porcelain Legionnaire seems insane and I finally found a copy of the amazing Guardian of the Guildpact.
I've been looking for an excuse to get rid of Echo Tracer, so now seems like a fine time. Harbor Serpent has been okay, but it's usually just a 5/5 wall. And Miscalculation seems a bit more versatile than Essence Scatter.
Blind Zealot seems nuts. Seriously nuts. Overall, I wanted a little bit more removal for black, and I wanted to give Tortured Existence another shot[/card].
Again, just cutting some unimpressive cards for cards that I think would be better. The only card I was never really unhappy with was Shard Volley, but I think Dead/Gone will just be better.
Green got a bit of an overhaul. Of the cards that are leaving, Scarwood Treefolk is probably the only one I'll really miss, and he might go back in eventually because he was pretty good. Sylvan Ranger returns because I have wanted a tiny bit more mana fixing. Finally, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss is the first step of what might be a small land destruction sub set of my cube. I'm still thinking about it, but the Acid-Moss is good enough on its own that I think it will be a fine addition.
I've never really like the Behemoth, but was never really sure what to replace him with. Pale Recluse fills a similar role size-wise, and while it doesn't hit quite as hard, I expect it will prove to be far more useful. Quicksilver Dagger can't compare with Jilt at all. Mourning Thrull + any equipment is quite good, but when he's just a 1/1, he's not relevant enough. Blind Hunter is only a test, so the Thrull may go back in at some point.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Update: Lots of changes have been made to the cube over the last 10 months or so, I just never got around to updating it on here. Here are the differences between my current list and my previous one with a few notes to accompany. (These weren't necessarily the changes I made all at once. Some cards that I added in were taken out again before this update. This just shows the newest update compared to the most recent.)
You may notice the number for each color went up from 50 to 51. That's because I moved the Razor Golem cycle to the colored list from the artifact list. It seemed more appropriate.
One controversial thing to note is that I cut Brainstorm. I don't like playing Brainstorm unless I have a lot of shuffle effects at my disposal. With only 7 fetch lands in the cube and a minimal number of other cards that shuffle the library, I really don't think Brainstorm is very good in cube, especially not a commons cube. Others may disagree, but that may also be because they play the card differently than I and my play group play it.
The multicolored section received the biggest change, actually having cards added to it. This decision was based mostly on personal preference, as I really enjoy multicolored cards and want to support as many as possible. A few cards that I took out a while back have made their way back in because the cube has changed significantly since their departure and new archetypes have been discovered in which they go very well. Overall, I'm very pleased with these changes.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Newest update. Includes AVR and M13 changes. With the increase in popularity in my cube, I've increased the count to 405 to accommodate 9 players. A general philosophy that I'm trying to adhere to when evaluating cards for the cube is a higher priority for ETB effects. With the generally lower power level of cards at common, having a higher number of creatures that have effects when entering the battlefield adds to their value and, in my opinion, makes for more fun and interesting games. That's not to say that every creature will have an ETB effect, but I'm trying to increase that number when I can.
I've decided to give white a bit of a token theme (as much of a token theme as it can have at pauper level.) I think this will give it a little more identity compared to the other aggro colors and make its global pump effects such as Fortify, Marshaling Cry, and Guardians' Pledge more valuable. I've also tried pushing more life gain (and good damage prevention) to keep red in check.
The Transmuter, Oracle, and Mist Raven all add to the ETB theme (and I'm not sure why I didn't have SGO in here to begin with.) Narcolepsy returns and Encrust is added for functionality with Totem-Guide Hartebeest and to have more blue board control. Rewind will probably return at some point simply because I think hard counters are nice, but right now the control decks aren't using a lot of counter magic, making Rewind less appealing. I've wanted to try Daze out for a while in tempo builds, so we'll see how it works out. And Amass is there for more card draw (which I just can't get enough of. :))
Black has consistently been the color that needs the least amount of change, which is good. I like where black is at. The Skittering creatures return because black-centric control has become a favorite archetype among players, myself included, and they fit very will within the color much better than they did the last time they were in the cube. Zombie Cutthroat is added because I wanted more morphs, especially those that could be played in any color. I've been trying to find a way to fit in Rend Flesh forever, and Mark of the Vampire is another copy of Armadillo Cloak for decks that aren't in green and/or white.
More ETB effects, as you can see. Red has also adopted a lot of "can't block" effects, which I like and feel that it gives some identity to the color. The Neonate has been awful and I've been eagerly waiting to remove it. Searing Spear is an auto include, and with the recent increase of x/1s in the cube, Lava Dart has returned and is likely to be more effective than it was last time.
Despite it having an ETB effect, I have hated Kozilek's Predator for quite some time, and finally found a reason to remove it. Gladeheart has been put in for its life gain. I'm not sure how much I will like Primal Huntbeast, as he doesn't seem to do much, but I figure the aura/equipment heavy decks will like him. Sentinel Spider is an auto include. I wanted another Naturalize effect and Natural End adds some life gain to boot.
This was the only change in the multi color section, but I feel it's an important one, and one that I'm very excited about. I've always wanted Deft Duelist to be good, especially in some WU tempo deck. But even when I draft that deck, I never want to play the Duelist, and neither does anyone else. So I finally cut it. Silver Drake provides a very nice flying body, but more importantly helps to further the ETB theme with its gating ability, and white and blue have the highest concentration of ETB effects along with ways to abuse them with cards like Whitemane Lion and Momentary Blink. Silver Drake is another card adding to that functionality.
I've decided to remove the MTGO commons, which is why Phantom Monster left and why Aeolipile is leaving. I'm adding in the Bracers because a) I like equipment and there hasn't been any good common equipment lately and b) there are enough humans in the cube to make it useful, especially in white and red, the two colors that seem to use equipment the most.
I'm really hoping RTR has a good cycle of common mana fixing lands to include in the cube, as I really hate having lands make up less than 10% of the cube. It makes cutting cards for decks much more difficult.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Bear was never good, and I finally got a foil Delver, so naturally I had to try it out in the cube :D. This means I'll probably have to put Brainstorm back in... I like Chasm Drake and I always wanted it to be good (pair with green and give your fatties flying?) but his ability was almost always irrelevant. So I'm trying out Shoreline Ranger. And in playing Amass, I quickly realized Sift would be better. Then figured Frantic Search would be better than Sift and just put that back in.
I'm figuring by the time you get to five mana (the point where you can no longer cast Edge of Autumn,) you won't need to cast Rampant Growth anyway. So might as well give it some late game functionality.
Asking out a girl is like trying to cast a first turn Necropotence. Sometimes the other player will have the Force of Will to say no. You shouldn't let that stop you from trying it.
Dragoon's Commons Cube - 405 Cards
1 Benevolent Bodyguard
1 Deftblade Elite
1 Doomed Traveler
1 Gideon's Lawkeeper
1 Goldmeadow Harrier
1 Icatian Javelineers
1 Infantry Veteran
CMC 2
1 Blade of the Sixth Pride
1 Kami of Ancient Law
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Leonin Skyhunter
1 Loyal Cathar
1 Order of Leitbur
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Raise the Alarm
1 Squall Drifter
1 Stormfront Pegasus
1 Temple Acolyte
1 Wall of Glare
1 Whitemane Lion
1 Attended Knight
1 Aven Riftwatcher
1 Ballynock Cohort
1 Burrenton Bombardier
1 Daru Lancer
1 Kabuto Moth
1 Kitsune Blademaster
1 Kor Hookmaster
1 Soltari Visionary
CMC 4
1 Captain's Call
1 Cenn's Enlistment
1 Coalition Honor Guard
1 Guardian of the Guildpact
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Seraph of Dawn
1 Castle Raptors
1 Plover Knights
1 Totem-Guide Hartebeest
CMC 6
1 Noble Templar
1 Razor Golem
1 Hyena Umbra
1 Mana Tithe
1 Sunlace
CMC 2
1 Disenchant
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Pacifism
1 Temporal Isolation
1 Arrest
1 Embolden
1 Fortify
1 Guardian's Pledge
1 Marshaling Cry
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Prismatic Strands
1 Recumbent Bliss
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Delver of Secrets
CMC 2
1 Carnivorous Death-Parrot
1 Errant Ephemeron
1 Looter il-Kor
1 Merfolk Looter
1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 Soratami Cloudskate
1 Spined Thopter
CMC 3
1 Aether Adept
1 Man-o'-War
1 Neurok Replica
1 Prodigal Sorcerer
1 Rishadan Airship
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Shaper Parasite
1 Skywinder Drake
1 Stitched Drake
1 Stormbound Geist
1 Crookclaw Transmuter
1 Mist Raven
1 Shimmering Glasskite
CMC 5
1 Double Header
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Mulldrifter
1 Spire Monitor
CMC 6
1 Aethersnipe
1 Shoreline Ranger
1 Spire Golem
1 Vedalken Dismisser
1 Daze
1 Gush
CMC 1
1 Flood
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Silent Departure
CMC 2
1 Arcane Denial
1 Counterspell
1 Impulse
1 Mana Leak
1 Memory Lapse
1 Miscalculation
1 Narcolepsy
1 Compulsive Research
1 Encrust
1 Exclude
1 Frantic Search
1 Frost Breath
1 Repulse
1 Undo
CMC 4
1 Deep Analysis
1 Foresee
1 Into the Roil
1 Ray of Command
1 Capsize
CMC X
1 Condescend
1 Repeal
1 Carnophage
1 Fume Spitter
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Vault Skirge
CMC 2
1 Dauthi Horror
1 Dauthi Slayer
1 Fledgling Djinn
1 Foul Imp
1 Nezumi Cutthroat
1 Order of the Ebon Hand
1 Skittering Skirge
1 Surrakar Marauder
1 Vampire Interloper
1 Wretched Anurid
1 Blind Zealot
1 Crypt Rats
1 Dauthi Marauder
1 Liliana's Specter
1 Skinthinner
1 Skittering Horror
1 Stinkweed Imp
1 Zombie Cutthroat
CMC 4
1 Faceless Butcher
1 Gravedigger
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 The Fallen Apart
1 Dross Golem
1 Warren Pilferers
CMC 6
1 Twisted Abomination
CMC 7
1 Heartstabber Mosquito
1 Snuff Out
CMC 1
1 Dead Weight
1 Disfigure
1 Duress
1 Innocent Blood
1 Ostracize
1 Tortured Existence
1 Unearth
1 Disturbed Burial
1 Doom Blade
1 Grasp of Darkness
1 Grim Harvest
1 Last Gasp
1 Nameless Inversion
1 Sign in Blood
1 Terror
1 Wrench Mind
1 Ashes to Ashes
1 Crippling Fatigue
1 Eyeblight's Ending
1 Rend Flesh
CMC 4
1 Mark of the Vampire
1 Evincar's Justice
1 Pestilence
CMC 6
1 Corrupt
1 Death Denied
1 Goblin Patrol
1 Keldon Halberdier
1 Mogg Fanatic
CMC 2
1 Fireslinger
1 Goblin Bushwhacker
1 Goblin Shortcutter
1 Mogg Flunkies
1 Mogg War Marshal
1 Plated Geopede
1 Stingscourger
1 Torch Fiend
1 Blisterstick Shaman
1 Blood Ogre
1 Crossway Vampire
1 Fault Riders
1 Fervent Cathar
1 Gathan Raiders
1 Ghitu Slinger
1 Hanweir Lancer
1 Keldon Vandals
1 Manic Vandal
1 Skirk Marauder
1 Vulshok Sorcerer
1 Bladetusk Boar
1 Gorehorn Minotaurs
1 Slash Panther
CMC 5
1 Flowstone Crusher
1 Kuldotha Ringleader
CMC 6
1 Chartooth Cougar
1 Oxidda Golem
1 Fireblast
CMC 1
1 Chain Lightning
1 Faithless Looting
1 Firebolt
1 Flame Slash
1 Lava Dart
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Reckless Charge
1 Rift Bolt
1 Rites of Initiation
1 Seal of Fire
1 Incinerate
1 Lash Out
1 Nightbird's Clutches
1 Searing Spear
1 Volcanic Hammer
CMC 3
1 Arc Lightning
1 Brimstone Volley
1 Staggershock
1 Aftershock
1 Chandra's Outrage
CMC 5
1 Burst Lightning
1 Pyrotechnics
CMC X
1 Fireball
1 Kaervek's Torch
1 Rolling Thunder
1 Basking Rootwalla
1 Durkwood Baloth
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Jungle Lion
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Pouncing Jaguar
1 Wild Dogs
CMC 2
1 Ambush Viper
1 Darkthicket Wolf
1 Dawntreader Elk
1 Garruk's Companion
1 Mire Boa
1 River Boa
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Silhana Ledgewalker
1 Thornweald Archer
1 Wall of Roots
1 Wandering Wolf
1 Wild Mongrel
1 Borderland Ranger
1 Grazing Gladeheart
1 Lurking Crocodile
1 Nantuko Vigilante
1 Simian Grunts
1 Trusted Forcemage
1 Yavimaya Elder
CMC 4
1 Blastoderm
1 Festerhide Boar
1 Llanowar Empath
1 Penumbra Spider
1 Primal Huntbeast
1 Thundering Tanadon
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Wildheart Invoker
1 Sentinel Spider
1 Sprout Swarm
1 Tangle Hulk
CMC 7
1 Havenwood Wurm
1 Jungle Weaver
1 Siege Wurm
1 Tangle Golem
CMC 8
1 Kavu Primarch
1 Mutagenic Growth
CMC 1
1 Giant Growth
1 Prey Upon
1 Rancor
1 Edge of Autumn
1 Explore
1 Predator's Strike
1 Seal of Primordium
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Cultivate
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Natural End
1 Wildsize
1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Feeling of Dread
1 Momentary Blink
1 Silkbind Faerie
1 Silver Drake
Blue-Black
1 Agony Warp
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Probe
1 Recoil
1 Soul Manipulation
Black-Red
1 Agonizing Demise
1 Blightning
1 Strangling Soot
1 Terminate
1 Wrecking Ball
1 Branching Bolt
1 Horned Kavu
1 Kird Ape
1 Skuzzback Marauders
1 Wild Hunger
Green-White
1 Armadillo Cloak
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Safehold Elite
1 Sigil Blessing
1 Travel Preparations
White-Black
1 Blind Hunter
1 Pillory of the Sleepless
1 Shrieking Grotesque
1 Unmake
Black-Green
1 Consume Strength
1 Golgari Rotwurm
1 Putrid Leech
1 Shambling Shell
1 Assault Zeppelid
1 Coiling Oracle
1 Gaea's Skyfolk
1 Temporal Spring
Blue-Red
1 Izzet Chronarch
1 Jilt
1 Ogre Savant
1 Steamcore Weird
Red-White
1 Cerodon Yearling
1 Goblin Legionnaire
1 Orim's Thunder
1 Skyknight Legionnaire
1 Paper Tiger
1 Perilous Myr
1 Phyrexian War Beast
1 Pilgrim's Eye
1 Rock Lobster
1 Scissors Lizard
1 Scuttlemutt
1 Skyreach Manta
1 Steel Wall
1 Ulamog's Crusher
Mana Fixing
1 Armillary Sphere
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Expedition Map
1 Mind Stone
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Prophetic Prism
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Azorius Signet
1 Dimir Signet
1 Rakdos Signet
1 Gruul Signet
1 Selesnya Signet
1 Izzet Signet
1 Boros Signet
1 Orzhov Signet
1 Golgari Signet
1 Simic Signet
1 Adventuring Gear
1 Bladed Bracers
1 Blazing Torch
1 Bonesplitter
1 Copper Carapace
1 Flayer Husk
1 Kitesail
1 Leonin Scimitar
1 Opaline Bracers
1 Strider Harness
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Vulshok Gauntlets
1 Vulshok Morningstar
1 Whispersilk Cloak
Utility
1 Moonglove Extract
1 Serrated Arrows
1 Tumble Magnet
1 Azorius Chancery
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Rakdos Carnarium
1 Gruul Turf
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Boros Garrison
1 Orzhov Basilica
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Fieldmist Borderpost
1 Mistvein Borderpost
1 Veinfire Borderpost
1 Firewild Borderpost
1 Wildfield Borderpost
Panoramas
1 Bant Panorama
1 Esper Panorama
1 Grixis Panorama
1 Jund Panorama
1 Naya Panorama
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Halimar Depths
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Teetering Peaks
1 Khalni Garden
Other Lands
1 Rupture Spire
1 Shimmering Grotto
1 Quicksand
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Evolving Wilds
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Bam. Long time no see.
How is Lymph Sliver treating you? Doesn't seem worth it.
I've always been interested in Voidmage Apprentice and Harbor Serpent. Tell us know how they work for you!
Is there a reason you're not running Frantic Search or Flood?
Your black creatures section seems a bit top-heavy in terms of curve. Do you intend for a less aggro black? Because if not, I'd suggest cut some of the worse black cards in the 4CMC section, like Dimir House Guard and Moonglove Winnower for some more aggro critters.
I think you should cut Weed Strangle for Terror.
Is the reason you're not playing with Chain Lightning a matter of availability?
I like Puncture Blast, but I wouldn't run it over Flame Ambush (or Chain Lightning for that matter).
Fireball > Disintegrate most of the time.
Again, I see less of an aggro touch in green, the color that has the best creatures (usually). Is that a conscious decision? If not, here are some changes I'd suggest:
-Traproot Kami, -Wellwisher, -Deepwood Drummer, +Jungle Lion, +Pouncing Jaguar, +Wild Dogs
Also, you're not running River Boa and Mire Boa, two of the better critters of green for both control and aggro. Some of the weaker cards in the 2CMC section I'd cut for them are Thornweald Archer and Priest of Titania.
Creeping Mold has never been common.
I would play Groundswell before Symbiosis.
Minister of Impediments should be cut for Curse of Chains or Momentary Blink. Seriously, 3 mana isn't worth it for a tapper.
Plague Spore is almost always worse than Wrecking Ball. But the time you have six mana in a BR deck, you shouldn't need to destroy a land.
Your lack of Kird Ape in the RG section disturbs me greatly. As too is Qasali Pridemage (I'd cut the Steward).
I hate the Spellbombs in the artifact section, except perhaps Pyrite (which should really be in red). I also hate the Scarecrows. I'd cut all of them for more fixing artifacts and some critters. Mind Stone is top priority.
My signature has some Pauper cube resources. You should definitely join in the Cube Evaluation.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Cards I don't think will be worth it:
Cards you are missing:
Multicolor Swaps
Minister of Impediments/ Silkbind Faerie or Momentary Blink
Horned Kavu /Kird Ape
Violent Outburst/ Tinstreet Hooligan or Scab-Clan Mauler
Steward of Valeron/Qasali Pridemage
Fire at Will/Squee's Embrace
Coiling Oracle/Winged Coatl
Morning Thrull/Blind Hunter
Unmake/Castigate
Keep in mind that many of the cards I'm suggesting you cut I had previously played with in my own Pauper cube and they turned out to be terrible. Excise is one such example. I'll happily debate or explain in greater detail any of these choices later, but I'm off to bed right now.
Pauper Cube
I cube, I play EDH, and I can't afford Legacy. The other formats can suck it.
Heavy Ballista => Inspired Charge
Mysteries of the Deep => Gush
Snapback => Mana Leak
Mistblade Shinobi => Undo
Spiketail Drakeling => Faerie Trickery
Oona's Grace => Rewind
Waterfront Bouncer => Capsize
Hymn to Tourach => Wrench Mind
Cadaver Imp => Disturbed Burial
Skittering Skirge => Grim Discovery
Skittering Horror => Nameless Inversion
Gorilla Shaman => Hearth Kami
Lava Dart => Seal of Fire
Searing Blaze => Fire Ambush
Moment's Peace => Explore
Sylvan Ranger => Wall of Roots
Hungry Spriggan => Scarwood Treefolk
Mold Shambler => Jungle Weaver
Probe => Soul Manipulation
Temporal Spring => Snakeform
Pentad Prism => Wayfarer's Bauble
Runed Stalactite => Sylvok Lifestaff
Bojuka Bog => Piranha Marsh
12/30/2010
Exhume => Grim Harvest
2/5/2011
Glint Hawk Idol => Leonin Skyhunter
Voidmage Apprentice => Soratami Cloudskater
Null Champioin => Surrakar Marauder
Torturned Existence => Disfigure
Stir the Grave => Death Denied
Fire Ambush => Volcanic Hammer
Torch Slinger => Blisterstick Shaman
Brute Force => Solar Blast
Gaea's Touch => Yavimaya Granger
Opaline Bracers => Baton of Courage
Leonin Scimitar => Flayer Husk
2/16/2011
Ghost Warden => Icatian Javelineers
Viashino Runner => Keldon Halberdier
Solar Blast => Shard Volley
Chromatic Sphere => Leonin Scimitar
Chromatic Star => Copper Carapace
Baton of Courage => Opaline Bracers
5/3/2011
Soldier Replica => Porcelain Legionnaire
Soltari Lancer => Guardian of the Guildpact
Echo Tracer => Spined Thopter
Harbor Serpent => Spire Monitor
Essence Scatter => Miscalculation
Mournwhelk => Blind Zealot
Dregscape Zombie => Vault Skirge
Grim Discovery => Tortured Existence
Shade's Form => Ashes to Ashes
Moriok Replica => Eyeblight's Ending
Hissing Iguanar => Slash Panther
Viashino Outrider => Keldon Vandals
Shard Volley => Dead/Gone
Fiery Fall => Reckless Charge
Gorilla Chieftain => Thundering Tanadon
Acorn Harvest => Mutagenic Growth
Sylvok Replica => Sylvan Ranger
Golgari Brownscale => Jolrael's Centaur
Werebear => Sprout Swarm
Scarwood Treefolk => Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
Sigiled Behemoth => Pale Recluse
Quicksilver Dagger => Jilt
Mourning Thrull => Blind Hunter
3/26/2012
Caravan Escort => Doomed Traveler
Shade of Trokair => Infantry Veteran
Steppe Lynx => Gideon's Lawkeeper
Knight of Cliffhaven => Kor Skyfisher
Soltari Trooper => Loyal Cathar
Apex Hawks => Benalish Cavalry
Cage of Hands => Recumbent Bliss
Judge Unworthy => Kitsune Blademaster
AWOL => Daru Lancer
Breath of Life => Coalition Honor Guard
Inspired Charge => Guardians' Pledge
Thought Courier => Merfolk Looter
Calcite Snapper => Skywinder Drake
Neurok Invisimancer => Stormbound Geist
Illusionary Forces => Stitched Drake
Tidewater Minion => Chasm Drake
Brainstorm => Phantasmal Bear
Narcolepsy => Silent Departure
Think Twice => Carnivorous Death-Parrot
Faerie Trickery => Frost Breath
Frantic Search => Vedalken Dismisser
Dark Ritual => Dead Weight
Diabolic Edict = Vampire Interloper
Martyr of Ashes => Bloodcrazed Neonate
Dragon Fodder => Mogg Flunkies
Hearth Kami => Torch Fiend
Battering Craghorn => Blood Ogre
Mudbutton Torchrunner => Crossway Vampire
Vulshock Replica => Brimstone Volley
Raging Minotaur => Gorehorn Minotaurs
Viashino Fangtail => Kuldotha Ringleader
Dead/Gone => Faithless Looting
Pyrite Spellbomb => Nightbird's Clutches
Arbor Elf => Jungle Lion
Sylvan Ranger => Dawntreader Elk
Civic Wayfinder => Borderland Ranger
Yavimaya Granger =>Lurking Crocodile
Elephant Ambush => Festerhide Boar
Greater Basilisk => Ambush Viper
Lignify => Prey Upon
Snake Umbra => Darkthicket Wolf
Pale Recluse => Safehold Elite
Snakeform => Temporal Spring
Fire at Will => Orim's Thunder
Lotus Petal => Pristine Talisman
Viridian Longbow => Blazing Torch
Kabira Crossroads => Sejiri Steppe
Pirhanna Marsh => Bojuka Bog
+Feeling of Dread
+Silkbind Faerie
+Forbidden Alchemy
+Probe
+Agonizing Demise
+Strangling Soot
+Scuzzback Marauders
+Wild Hunger
+Sigil Blessing
+Travel Preparations
+Shrieking Grotesque
+Golgari Rotwurm
+Gaea's Skyfolk
+Ogre Savant
+Cerodon Yearling
+Crystallization
+Stormscape Apprentice
+Shadow Guildmage
+Resounding Thunder
+Wild Nacatl
7/24/2012
Benalish Cavalry => Deftblade Elite
Phantom Monster => Crookclaw Transmuter
Rewind => Daze
Bloodcrazed Neonate => Goblin Shortcutter
Kozilek's Predator => Grazing Gladeheart
Deft Duelist => Silver Drake
Aeolipile => Bladed Bracers
+ Temple Acolyte
+ Attended Knight
+ Captain's Call
+ Seraph of Dawn
+ Embolden
+ Sea Gate Oracle
+ Mist Raven
+ Narcolepsy
+ Encrust
+ Amass the Components
+ Skittering Skirge
+ Skittering Horror
+ Zombie Cutthroat
+ Rend Flesh
+ Mark of the Vampire
+ Fault Riders
+ Fervent Cathar
+ Hanweir Lancer
+ Lava Dart
+ Searing Spear
+ Wandering Wolf
+ Primal Huntbeast
+ Sentinel Spider
+ Tangle Hulk
+ Natural End
8/2/2012
Phantasmal Bear => Delver of Secrets
Chasm Drake => Shoreline Ranger
Amass the Components => Frantic Search
Rampant Growth => Edge of Autumn
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White was actually the most balanced color of the cube. There was plenty of aggro, plenty of control, and nothing was too out of hand or underpowered. This one change is really more of a test. I was never super thrilled to play Heavy Ballista and I wanted to try out a global pump effect. I doubt the cube will miss the Ballista, but we'll see how well Inspired Charge does.
Snapback =>
Call to HeelMana LeakMistblade Shinobi => Undo
Spiketail Drakeling => Faerie Trickery
Oona's Grace => Rewind
Waterfront Bouncer => Capsize
Blue needed a major overhaul. It just didn't have enough ways to gain card advantage and it's permission was kinda lacking. So I cut the three worst creatures that no one was ever happy to play and three of the worst spells for a few more counterspells and avenues of card advantage and tempo advantage. I was so afraid of blue being overpowered that it just turned out to be the worst color. Hopefully this fixes that a bit.
Cadaver Imp => Disturbed Burial
Skittering Skirge => Grim Discovery
Skittering Horror => Nameless Inversion
First of all, Hymn was just too good. Surrounded by all true commons, Hymn was just a total beating. So I replaced it with Wrench Mind which serves the same purpose but should be on a much more appropriate power level. As for the creatures that are leaving, the 1/1 body on Cadaver Imp was always irrelevant and no one ever wanted to play the Skittering creatures. So I just strengthened the reanimation theme and put in Nameless Inversion because I'm not sure why it wasn't in there to begin with.
Lava Dart => Seal of Fire
Searing Blaze =>
Lava SpikeFire AmbushI've discovered that red is without a doubt the best color in the cube. But that should be okay because everyone also dips into it for its removal, or at least that's how it's gone so far. Lava Dart and Searing Blaze have been very disappointing, so they're being swapped out for some more straight up burn. And Gorilla Shaman is much less impressive without Moxes, Sol Rings, and Mana Crypts to blow up, so he's becoming the more aggressive Hearth Kami.
Sylvan Ranger => Wall of Roots
Hungry Spriggan => Scarwood Treefolk
Mold Shambler => Jungle Weaver
If there is one color that shouldn't be blown out by red, it should be green. To more solidify this, less relevant cards are being replaced by actual acceleration and creatures that don't die to Lightning Bolt. I have some more ideas for green that I will probably try out in the future, but I want to see how these changes work first. Hopefully green will now have a better late game.
Temporal Spring => Snakeform
Not many changes necessary here, but Probe was just terrible and Soul Manipulation helps fix the countermagic issue mentioned earlier. Plus, it's just good. The tempo swing from Temporal Spring wasn't too relevant and Snakeform adds utility to the two colors that needed the most help.
Runed Stalactite => Sylvok Lifestaff
Bojuka Bog => Piranha Marsh
Basically, every card that's coming in serves the same function as the card it is replacing, except it just does a much better job of it.
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I don't get cutting Waterfront Bouncer when you say that "permission was lacking". It is one of the best control creatures in the cube. I get adding Capsize, since that's OP, but cutting Bouncer is not the right call.
I would take out Call to Heel for the Bouncer.
Rewind is not better than Mana Leak.
Skittering Skirge is really powerful. Could you elaborate why no one ever wanted to play it?
Do you mean Hearth Kami? Because Hana Kami is green.
I would add Volcanic Hammer before Lava Spike.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
I thought Mana Leak was already in my cube... fixed.
I've always preferred the Skittering creatures in control decks. They just don't make sense in an aggro deck. In a truly aggro deck, if I drop him on turn two, I'm gonna want to drop another creature on turn three to continue building my board state, especially since there's practically zero mass removal in this format. And mono black control isn't really supported in my cube. So he just didn't really have a home. He may go back in at some point, but enough people were disappointed in him that he's coming out for now.
And yes I meant Hearth Kami. Fixed. And again, I also thought Volcanic Hammer was already in my cube.
What are your thoughts on Hymn? I mean, I've read up on the pauper evaluation thread, and everyone swears by it being a staple, but I personally think it's just too good. No other color has a spell anywhere near that power level (maybe Capsize, but that's still not Hymn level, imo.)
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Skittering Skirge is one of those, "Answer me or I will single-handedly destroy you" kind of cards. It demands an answer. Yeah, the anti-synergy with aggro is annoying, but it's still really powerful. I would play with it in any aggro-deck any time. But again, different experiences, so I can't really argue.
Hymn is powerful. Really powerful. It and Sinkhole are the two powerhouses of the color. If you think it makes the game unfun (as I did for Sinkhole, although my viewpoint is changing), then by all means cut it.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Exhume => Grim Harvest
I love Exhume in powered cubes, but unfortunately in a commons cube, there are very few ways to abuse it. I'm not a huge fan of Grim Harvest, but maybe it will work a little better for me.
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With the Skyhunter now a common, he is clearly superior to the Idol with so few artifacts to reliably activate the Idol every turn.
I almost replaced Thought Courier with this guy, but I like the Apprentice so much less. It was another creature no one ever seemed happy to play. And the Cloudskater has been so nuts so far, especially late game when you can just bounce a land and then discard it, or reuse lands such as Halimar Depths. It's an excellent inclusion to the cube.
Tortured Existence => Disfigure
Stir the Grave => Death Denied
Null Champion was always lackluster but I never really knew what to replace it with. Then I remembered this guy. More aggressive and less mana intensive. I think he'll work out better. There aren't enough Dredge cards to make a Tortured Existence deck viable, so I went ahead and cut it for yet another card that I thought was already in my cube but for some reason wasn't. And Stir the Grave got cut for the same reason Exhume got cut - it just wasn't worth it.
Torch Slinger => Blisterstick Shaman
Brute Force => Solar Blast
The switch with Fire Ambush and Volcanic Hammer was simply because I was tired of having to tell people what it did (since it was in Chinese.) Well, that and I finally found a black bordered Portal Volcanic Hammer.
Outside of mono green, Gaea's Touch is terrible. Unfortunately, mono green just doesn't seem very viable in the cube right now (or at least there's no reason to play it... if you're drafting all green cards, you should have enough mana fixers to splash at least one other color...) So it's coming out and the Granger should help mana fixing for green based multicolored decks.
Leonin Scimitar => Flayer Husk
I was taking a break from Magic during Mirrodin, so I didn't play with hardly any of the cards and I'm unfamiliar with most of them (the non-tournament ones, at least.) The first time three different people played with Opaline Bracers, they apparently thought it was Baton of Courage and tried to play it as such, and then were disappointed when they realized that's not what it was. I was never really thrilled to play with the Bracers either. So then I found Baton of Courage, realized it was common, and decided to just swap them out. Haven't tested it yet, but I think it will be interesting. And Flayer Husk >>> Leonin Scimitar, so obvious swap is obvious.
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Blue changes are fine.
I can't at all support cutting Tortured Existence. It doesn't need much support other than your deck having creatures. I'd cut Grim Discovery for Disfigure instead.
I don't like Solar Blast in terms of power level. It is interesting, but neither of its modes is even slightly good enough to warrant inclusion. Most of the time, versatility would just push cards into playability, but sadly that's not happening for this.
I'd cut the Chromatic cards before I'd cut either equipment.
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
Tortured Existence, I just can't seem to find a use for. I and several others have actively tried to draft around it, and it just never worked. Survival of the Fittest, it is not.
I thought about Fledgling Griffin but decided to go with the Skyhunter instead. And I like the role that Ghost Warden fills. It's done very nicely so far. Remember, my cube only has 360 cards, so I don't have quite the room yours has. If I ever increase the size to 400 or 450, I would definitely be adding back in some/most of these.
You have a point about the chromatics. I'll give this version a few tests and see if it wants the equipment more than the mana fixing (and I can imagine it probably wants the equipment more.)
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I don't really understand this comment. It doesn't make sense if you're talking about Ghost Warden (which is what I thought initially, since it directly followed it with no paragraph break), so I'll assume you're talking about your other changes overall...?
Edit: Also, if you like Ghost Warden, have you thought about Infantry Veteran?
My Pauper Cube ♤ The Pauper Cube Thread Common Knowledge — 1 2
I really don't have a problem with Ghost Warden, but I just want to test this out and see how well the Javelineers really are. Might stay like this, might not, this is just mainly a trial.
Solar Blast => Shard Volley
Runner is unimpressive and the Halberdier just seems better. And yes, Solar Blast was terrible. Should have put Shard Volley in to begin with.
Chromatic Star => Copper Carapace
Baton of Courage => Opaline Bracers
Basically, I have found games are more interesting and less prone to stalemating with equipment involved. So I'm replacing the ones I took out last (yes, the cube missed them) as well as adding in one of my new favorite equipments. I really didn't get much of a chance to test Baton of Courage, so expect that to go back in at some point, just not right now.
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Soltari Lancer => Guardian of the Guildpact
I originally put the replicas in as a sort of "pet" cycle, but several of them have since grown unimpressive. The white one isn't the only one to go. The Lancer is also underwhelming. Porcelain Legionnaire seems insane and I finally found a copy of the amazing Guardian of the Guildpact.
Harbor Serpent => Spire Monitor
Essence Scatter => Miscalculation
I've been looking for an excuse to get rid of Echo Tracer, so now seems like a fine time. Harbor Serpent has been okay, but it's usually just a 5/5 wall. And Miscalculation seems a bit more versatile than Essence Scatter.
Dregscape Zombie => Vault Skirge
Grim Discovery => Tortured Existence
Shade's Form => Ashes to Ashes
Moriok Replica => Eyeblight's Ending
Blind Zealot seems nuts. Seriously nuts. Overall, I wanted a little bit more removal for black, and I wanted to give Tortured Existence another shot[/card].
Viashino Outrider => Keldon Vandals
Shard Volley => Dead/Gone
Fiery Fall => Reckless Charge
Again, just cutting some unimpressive cards for cards that I think would be better. The only card I was never really unhappy with was Shard Volley, but I think Dead/Gone will just be better.
Acorn Harvest => Mutagenic Growth
Sylvok Replica => Sylvan Ranger
Golgari Brownscale => Jolrael's Centaur
Werebear => Sprout Swarm
Scarwood Treefolk => Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
Green got a bit of an overhaul. Of the cards that are leaving, Scarwood Treefolk is probably the only one I'll really miss, and he might go back in eventually because he was pretty good. Sylvan Ranger returns because I have wanted a tiny bit more mana fixing. Finally, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss is the first step of what might be a small land destruction sub set of my cube. I'm still thinking about it, but the Acid-Moss is good enough on its own that I think it will be a fine addition.
Quicksilver Dagger => Jilt
Mourning Thrull => Blind Hunter
I've never really like the Behemoth, but was never really sure what to replace him with. Pale Recluse fills a similar role size-wise, and while it doesn't hit quite as hard, I expect it will prove to be far more useful. Quicksilver Dagger can't compare with Jilt at all. Mourning Thrull + any equipment is quite good, but when he's just a 1/1, he's not relevant enough. Blind Hunter is only a test, so the Thrull may go back in at some point.
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Shade of Trokair => Infantry Veteran
Steppe Lynx => Gideon's Lawkeeper
Knight of Cliffhaven => Kor Skyfisher
Soltari Trooper => Loyal Cathar
Apex Hawks => Benalish Cavalry
Cage of Hands => Recumbent Bliss
Judge Unworthy => Kitsune Blademaster
AWOL => Daru Lancer
Breath of Life => Coalition Honor Guard
Inspired Charge => Guardians' Pledge
You may notice the number for each color went up from 50 to 51. That's because I moved the Razor Golem cycle to the colored list from the artifact list. It seemed more appropriate.
Calcite Snapper => Skywinder Drake
Neurok Invisimancer => Stormbound Geist
Illusionary Forces => Stitched Drake
Tidewater Minion => Chasm Drake
Brainstorm => Phantasmal Bear
Narcolepsy => Silent Departure
Think Twice => Carnivorous Death-Parrot
Faerie Trickery => Frost Breath
Frantic Search => Vedalken Dismisser
One controversial thing to note is that I cut Brainstorm. I don't like playing Brainstorm unless I have a lot of shuffle effects at my disposal. With only 7 fetch lands in the cube and a minimal number of other cards that shuffle the library, I really don't think Brainstorm is very good in cube, especially not a commons cube. Others may disagree, but that may also be because they play the card differently than I and my play group play it.
Diabolic Edict = Vampire Interloper
Black came out pretty much unchanged.
Dragon Fodder => Mogg Flunkies
Hearth Kami => Torch Fiend
Battering Craghorn => Blood Ogre
Mudbutton Torchrunner => Crossway Vampire
Vulshock Replica => Brimstone Volley
Raging Minotaur => Gorehorn Minotaurs
Viashino Fangtail => Kuldotha Ringleader
Dead/Gone =>. Faithless Looting
Pyrite Spellbomb => Nightbird's Clutches
Sylvan Ranger => Dawntreader Elk
Civic Wayfinder => Borderland Ranger
Yavimaya Granger =>Lurking Crocodile
Elephant Ambush => Festerhide Boar
Greater Basilisk => Ambush Viper
Rampant Growth => Prey Upon
Snake Umbra => Darkthicket Wolf
+Feeling of Dread
+Silkbind Faerie
Blue-Black
+Forbidden Alchemy
+Probe
Black-Red
+Agonizing Demise
+Strangling Soot
Red-Green
+Scuzzback Marauders
+Wild Hunger
Green-White
Pale Recluse => Safehold Elite
+Sigil Blessing
+Travel Preparations
White-Black
+Shrieking Grotesque
Black-Green
+Golgari Rotwurm
Green-Blue
Snakeform => Temporal Spring
+Gaea's Skyfolk
Blue-Red
+Ogre Savant
Red-White
Fire at Will => Orim's Thunder
+Cerodon Yearling
Shards
+Crystallization
+Stormscape Apprentice
+Shadow Guildmage
+Resounding Thunder
+Wild Nacatl
The multicolored section received the biggest change, actually having cards added to it. This decision was based mostly on personal preference, as I really enjoy multicolored cards and want to support as many as possible. A few cards that I took out a while back have made their way back in because the cube has changed significantly since their departure and new archetypes have been discovered in which they go very well. Overall, I'm very pleased with these changes.
I think this is a widely adopted change, as the Longbow is pretty much never played.
Pirhanna Marsh => Bojuka Bog
The two Worldwake lands are far more relevant than the two Zendikar ones.
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+ Temple Acolyte
+ Attended Knight
+ Captain's Call
+ Seraph of Dawn
+ Embolden
I've decided to give white a bit of a token theme (as much of a token theme as it can have at pauper level.) I think this will give it a little more identity compared to the other aggro colors and make its global pump effects such as Fortify, Marshaling Cry, and Guardians' Pledge more valuable. I've also tried pushing more life gain (and good damage prevention) to keep red in check.
Rewind => Daze
+ Sea Gate Oracle
+ Mist Raven
+ Narcolepsy
+ Encrust
+ Amass the Components
The Transmuter, Oracle, and Mist Raven all add to the ETB theme (and I'm not sure why I didn't have SGO in here to begin with.) Narcolepsy returns and Encrust is added for functionality with Totem-Guide Hartebeest and to have more blue board control. Rewind will probably return at some point simply because I think hard counters are nice, but right now the control decks aren't using a lot of counter magic, making Rewind less appealing. I've wanted to try Daze out for a while in tempo builds, so we'll see how it works out. And Amass is there for more card draw (which I just can't get enough of. :))
+ Skittering Horror
+ Zombie Cutthroat
+ Rend Flesh
+ Mark of the Vampire
Black has consistently been the color that needs the least amount of change, which is good. I like where black is at. The Skittering creatures return because black-centric control has become a favorite archetype among players, myself included, and they fit very will within the color much better than they did the last time they were in the cube. Zombie Cutthroat is added because I wanted more morphs, especially those that could be played in any color. I've been trying to find a way to fit in Rend Flesh forever, and Mark of the Vampire is another copy of Armadillo Cloak for decks that aren't in green and/or white.
+ Fault Riders
+ Fervent Cathar
+ Hanweir Lancer
+ Lava Dart
+ Searing Spear
More ETB effects, as you can see. Red has also adopted a lot of "can't block" effects, which I like and feel that it gives some identity to the color. The Neonate has been awful and I've been eagerly waiting to remove it. Searing Spear is an auto include, and with the recent increase of x/1s in the cube, Lava Dart has returned and is likely to be more effective than it was last time.
+ Wandering Wolf
+ Primal Huntbeast
+ Sentinel Spider
+ Tangle Hulk
+ Natural End
Despite it having an ETB effect, I have hated Kozilek's Predator for quite some time, and finally found a reason to remove it. Gladeheart has been put in for its life gain. I'm not sure how much I will like Primal Huntbeast, as he doesn't seem to do much, but I figure the aura/equipment heavy decks will like him. Sentinel Spider is an auto include. I wanted another Naturalize effect and Natural End adds some life gain to boot.
This was the only change in the multi color section, but I feel it's an important one, and one that I'm very excited about. I've always wanted Deft Duelist to be good, especially in some WU tempo deck. But even when I draft that deck, I never want to play the Duelist, and neither does anyone else. So I finally cut it. Silver Drake provides a very nice flying body, but more importantly helps to further the ETB theme with its gating ability, and white and blue have the highest concentration of ETB effects along with ways to abuse them with cards like Whitemane Lion and Momentary Blink. Silver Drake is another card adding to that functionality.
I've decided to remove the MTGO commons, which is why Phantom Monster left and why Aeolipile is leaving. I'm adding in the Bracers because a) I like equipment and there hasn't been any good common equipment lately and b) there are enough humans in the cube to make it useful, especially in white and red, the two colors that seem to use equipment the most.
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Chasm Drake => Shoreline Ranger
Amass the Components => Frantic Search
Bear was never good, and I finally got a foil Delver, so naturally I had to try it out in the cube :D. This means I'll probably have to put Brainstorm back in... I like Chasm Drake and I always wanted it to be good (pair with green and give your fatties flying?) but his ability was almost always irrelevant. So I'm trying out Shoreline Ranger. And in playing Amass, I quickly realized Sift would be better. Then figured Frantic Search would be better than Sift and just put that back in.
I'm figuring by the time you get to five mana (the point where you can no longer cast Edge of Autumn,) you won't need to cast Rampant Growth anyway. So might as well give it some late game functionality.
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