My cube is crafted for the Winston format. I've designed it to have certain idiosyncracies which I believe better suit the Winston environment. Notable among these are: Red has no control element, and is geared entirely towards aggro; Green has no hard aggro element, and focuses on mana and utility; White is very aggression focused, at the expense of heavy-control cards; No combo cards.
Basic Info Cube Size: 360 Cards Breakdown: See Cube Contents Average Draft: 2-4 players Card Selection Powered?: No Portal?: Yes "Un-" Cards: No Any "Banned" Cards: Yes Cube Design Sideboards?: No Functional Reprints?: Yes Perfectly Balanced CMC: No
Looks like I will have to cut 4 cards. Cube Community, help me out here? Can you suggest four cuts, no more than one cut per section? edit: Any card in the "Card Choices Explained" sections is going to stay in the cube for a bit, especially the cards that are currently under testing. It would be most helpful to me if I could receive suggestions for cuts of cards which are more "established" - maybe suggest cuts of cards that are redundant, or don't fit the section theme as well.
Blimpy: When I ran Kird Ape I didn't like it all that much. Admittedly aggro was weaker at that time so it probably didn't live to its full potential. I'm leaving the pair out for two reasons now. First, because I want true gold cards to be cards that are worth going into another color for (if not for power then because at least its an interesting card), and I don't think Kird Ape or Loam Lion meet this criteria. Second, I've removed most of the hard-aggro elements out of green, and I am perfectly happy with that. I'm fine with red, white, and black carrying the brunt of the aggro workload. I know that those two cards are very well loved around here, though. If someone would like to make a case to me based on my current list and current drafting style (Winston), I'd be receptive.
Eidolon, thanks for your help, and I've made your suggested changes.
Yup. All of those cards could easily come out. Especially at 360.
I'd add the Kird Ape and Loam Lion back in. Aggro's bread and butter are the 2-power 1-drops, and the archetype needs as many of them as it can get to compete with the other theaters at 360 (or at any size, really). We almost exclusively play Winston/Sealed, and both of those creatures are mainstays that are nowhere close to the block. Naya aggro is an excellent archetype, and it's easy to throw together even in small groups, and have it be competitive. Ape, Lion and Nacatl are all total ballers in that deck.
Thank you for the feedback. I agree that those cards are most likely to be lowest in raw power level...
I should have included this in my original post, but any card in the "Card Choices Explained" sections is going to stay in the cube for a bit, especially the cards that are currently under testing. It would be most helpful to me if I could receive suggestions for cuts of cards which are more "established" - maybe suggest cuts of cards that are redundant, or don't fit the section theme as well.
Blink has been a sick deck for my cubes, and I've never run the Stag at any size. He also has Galepowder Mage too, which is already extra additional support for the archetype that most cubes don't have.
In the spirit of the Power Rankings, I've rearranged my cube contents according to ranking by CMC, at least according to how they play in the cube.
I'll probably keep Glimmerpoint Stag in for now as a test.
Thinking about cutting:
Chaos Warp
Creeping Mold
Putrefy
& one more, which will almost certainly be a Blue spell. Considering Into the Roil, Force Spike, or Impulse. I'm not going to cut a blue creature or Arcane Denial. Thoughts?
Just wanted to reassert my support for Sarkhan Vol. Ran him yesterday in a 5 color bad cards deck. I was going to cut him because my deck wasn't very aggressive, and had very few creatures. I decided to just leave him in and see how he would perform, and he won me every game he came down.
The quickest was a +1, +1, make 5 dragons. I won another game off threatening an Exalted Angel. In a third, he helped me get several points of damage in just by pumping and giving haste, even though I only had two creatures on board.
I'm quite happy to keep him in over Kird Ape, even if the Ape fills a slightly more important niche in the cube.
I've drafted 5-colour-goodstuff.dec a few times, particularly when I ran the full complement of signets, but I'm unfamiliar with this archetype. It sounded quite effective.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
I thought I had cut her but apparently I left her in. Nevertheless, she's still very good in an unpowered list and she proved her worth earlier this week.
The best thing about her is that it's so dang hard to get rid of her. The worst thing about her is that the discard ability isn't very useful after one or two activations, since they can just play whatever they topdeck. By that time, though, you can use her to repeatedly tutor, or just soak up insane amounts of damage.
She rarely wins games on her own, but she provides a heck of a wall against your opponent.
Re: Despise, I don't understand why more cubes aren't playing it.
I would rather have Despise against Blue, Green, Red, Multi, and probably Black. I would rather have Duress when dealing with White and probably Colorless.
I think the best way to see whether Despise is good enough for your cube is to start recording down which cards you tend to nab with your Cliques and Thoughtseizes.
I think the best way to see whether Despise is good enough for your cube is to start recording down which cards you tend to nab with your Cliques and Thoughtseizes.
They're almost always powerful spells. Creatures are easier to deal with. My Thoughtsieze and Clique choices mirror Duress selections far more often than I ever remove creatures with them. Catastrophe, Wildfire, Geddon and Upheaval are the most common selected cards to snag with the Clique, and Thoughtseize loves to hit countermagic and cards like Tinker, Balance, Bitterblossom, Tutors, broken equipment and fast mana.
I don't really understand what you're asking to cut and keep with the red cards. I don't like Molten Rain a ton either, but I like it more than the dragon and the gang and Forked Bolt.
Proposed AVR + Aggro & Control Buff + Graveyard Matters update
I’m in the process of testing out these changes, so they may not be solidified for a while. I’d certainly appreciate comments, but if you do make them please don’t be too brief.
My cube is used almost exclusively for Winston drafting. Lately, three color midrange has been by far the most dominant archetype. The Winston format itself contributes to that trend and that cannot be helped, but I also believe that there are a few other factors which I am attempting to address in this update. I believe that three color midrange is dominating partly because of the glut of amazing four-drop creatures available in the cube, which gives players a strong incentive to draft a slightly slower deck, and the colorless bombs which are available and make multi-color mana bases less punishing. I wanted to take the opportunity to assist aggro by adding in some key artifacts that help the archetype, as well as including some new low-cost red creatures to help out. Red will provide the creature foundation of virtually all aggro decks. I want to help control by adding in sweepers that will help control 3, 4, and 5 drop creatures, and also a tool or two to help with the planeswalkers that are so strong in midrange. A few new high-end creatures are also thrown in act as control finishers – they are difficult for midrange to cast but provide incentive to draft slower control decks. At the same time, I want to shift green even more into its ramp and midrange role. Finally, I wanted to make the graveyard matter more in games, and to that end I added in some additional discard engines. I believe that discard engines are more important than adding in reanimation spells, and I want to get them up to a sufficient count before adding in cards which deal primarily with the graveyard. This is also a convenient time to switch in some new Avacyn Restored cards.
Aggressive Additions
Smokestack <- Razormane Masticore: Razormane has proven weak here, and its best role is at hosing aggro. I have kept Smokestack out for a long time but it’s coming in now for its dual role as an artifact which can help out aggro as well as enable graveyard play. It’s coming in alongside Life from the Loam.
Cursed Scroll <- Lodestone Golem: The golem is a great aggro creature but it is in that very clogged four-drop spot, and has not seen play in quite a while. I’ve never played with Cursed Scroll, but I suspect it’ll be just fine for aggro decks.
Winter Orb <- Loxodon Warhammer: I love Loxodon Warhammer, but as with most equipment it’s best in midrange decks. The power level of these two is not even comparable.
Spined Thopter <- Grand Coliseum: Grand Coliseum is a decent land but I believe that it is unneeded at the 360 level. Gemstone Mine is better for aggro decks; taking this land out should make it a bit more difficult for midrange decks to be greedy. I don’t have high hopes for Spined Thopter but I think it has potential.
Trusty Machete <- Ankh of Mishra: This is actually the swap I’m most unsure of. I know that Ankh is a great card but it hasn’t done much in a while. Trusty Machete should at least be reliable, even though its maximum potential is lower. I suspect that the Machete will generally do just as much damage as the Ankh over the course of most games, while being better for token decks.
Lightning Mauler <- Moltensteel Dragon: This is an easy swap. Lightning Mauler may be the best red two-drop ever printed. Moltensteel Dragon is a fine card but artifact removal is plentiful enough in this cube that the Dragon has become a liability. Again, taking out a four-drop is just a higher priority than removing a spell or three-drop.
Torch Fiend <- Goblin Ruinblaster: I am trying to cram as many viable two-drops into red as I can. Ruinblaster is obviously good for punishing greedy mana-bases, but is another four-drop.
Shrine of the Burning Rage <- Markov Blademaster: I actually really wanted to keep the Blademaster now that I want to bring Lightning Mauler and Stonewright in. I am considering whether one of the other three drops would be a better cut. Blistering Firecat, for example, is never a surprise anymore and does not greatly benefit from the new red Soulbound creatures.
Vexing Devil <- Testing Zone: Yes, I know this is controversial, but someone has to test it.
Gravecrawler <- Sinkhole: Sinkhole is a good card but BB is a very crowded slot. The LD is not as needed as the other forms of disruption, especially the discard spells which have synergy with reanimation cards. I might boot out Bane of the Living instead though, because it hasn’t been that great in a long time.
Vampire Interloper <- Liliana's Specter: Interloper is just far easier to cast. I’d rather have the extra 2-4 damage than the early game card discard. Specter is only impressive with some way to abuse is. Interloper is obviously underwhelming, but what can you do.
Control Club
Enclave Cryptologist <- Keiga, the Tide Star: I’m not sure that I want the Cryptologist at all. It’s a bit underwhelming at 360. However, it does fit both the control and the graveyard themes. Keiga is not really needed with the amount of finishers in blue – I’d rather have the Sphinx and Titan.
Rune Snag <- Mystical Tutor: Rune Snag will be just as fine as Miscalculation 95% of the time, and gives control an extra needed counterspell. Mystical Tutor has not been cast in a very long time – it may come back in when there are more combos in my cube, or if it turns out that the extra counterspell is not needed.
Ancestral Vision <- Tinker: Tinker is just not going to happen here without more mana rocks. Ancestral Vision is a controversial card, but I want to test it out for a bit. I think it’s one of those cards that fares very differently in different cubes.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage <- Gifts Ungiven: Tamiyo is universally good whereas Gifts is best in non-Winston formats. I don’t need the graveyard support so much that I want to keep this typically lackluster card in the cube.
Confiscate <- Old Man of the Sea: Old Man is very good and really dominates a lot of games. I wanted to keep him in as long as possible but I think Confiscate will be a nice card. Stealing planeswalkers is obviously the biggest upside here. It’s certainly a slow card, but to be honest I would rather steal a planeswalker than use Keiga to steal a creature.
Terminus <- Glorious Anthem: I do want to keep the token theme but the fact is that Anthem is almost always left in the sideboard in favor of creature-based anthems. I think Terminus will do just fine as a Wrath and is more interesting than DOJ, especially given its huge huge upside. Of course the ideal is miracle out a Terminus and keep counterspell mana up or drop a creature, but I think it’ll function just as well when hardcast. The fact that I’m adding in additional graveyard support cards means that the shuffle into library clause gets bonus use.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite <- Knight of Meadowgrain: Knight never impressed us without equipment attached. Trusty Machete is coming in, but the Knight just doesn’t have enough raw power to keep it in over all the other white cards. Elesh will be great in control, and both in and against token decks.
Massacre Wurm <- Graveborn Muse: Graveborn Muse has been on its way out for a long time now. The body isn’t good enough and the lifeloss is very relevant. Massacre Wurm might be really bad, but I see its use mainly to stifle ramp a little bit and to punish token decks. Whether it retains its spot against Kukusho remains to be seen.
Green Sun's Zenith <- Worldly Tutor: I’m not fond of the card disadvantage of Wordly Tutor. I think I’d be willing to sacrifice the flexibility for the extra draw step and the ability to cast GGG or multicolored cards more easily.
Arbor Elf <- Harrow: Arbor Elf is a perfectly fine mana elf. I don’t have many mana rocks, so it’ll nearly always be cast off a forest. The ability to untap duals will be well-received. Counterspelled Harrow is just too painful.
Utopia Sprawl <- Ohran Viper: a card to combine with Arbor Elf. I think Green needs the ramp more than it needs a relatively generic blocker.
Worn Powerstone <- Birthing Pod: The Powerstone has already more than proven its worth after a couple games, and Birthing Pod has never done anything. I don’t expect the pod to be good in more than 1 out of 20 Winston drafts. I didn’t get a chance to test Pod out much, I think that the raw utility of the Powerstone warrants this premature booting.
Somberwald Sage <- Krosan Tusker: A ramp card with immense potential comes in for a utility card with consistent but unexciting performance. Tusker might come back in when more reanimator spells are added, but for now I’d rather have the dynamism that comes with Sage.
Primeval Titan <- Great Sable Stag: The fourth of the 3-drops to be cut. As a matter of gameplay, I generally dislike color protection, especially when one creature has protection from two colors because of the extremely swingy nature of those cards. Stag is fantastic against one deck and fine against the rest. Titan fits into the buffed ramp theme and has been getting rave reviews on the forum.
Wolfir Silverheart <- Kodama of the North Tree: I’m sad to see this leave at the same time that GSZ is coming in, but Silverheart makes better use of the added 1-drops.
Desolate Lighthouse <- Sword of War and Peace: I decided to remove two of the swords because games were being decided by swords far too often. I know the typical answer is to add in more artifact removal, but I’d prefer to remove these swords for several reasons. First, they are colorless and so can be played easily by players with greedy mana bases. Second, they punish decks for going mono- or dual-color. Third, they are far better in midrange than any other archetype. Finally, I think that having five swords dilutes the uniqueness of each one. I am removing the W&P because it’s the weakest sword but also is the most resistant to creature removal and is the sword that most often just wins against the correct colors. The Lighthouse is not fantastic but should be fine for a test.
Slayers’ Stronghold <- Sword of Light and Shadow: L&S is the sword which second-most just wins games based on correct color-combination, and in my opinion is the second weakest sword. It hoses aggro the most, so it’s the second sword to come out. I’m sure the Stronghold will be in for a long time.
Lingering Souls <- Vault of the Archangel: I like the Vault more than most, but I have to bow to raw power. The fact that Souls makes tokens is a plus.
Stupor <- Sewer Nemesis: I think the discard is actually more important than having another dumb beater. I know Sewer mills a bit by itself, but I’d rather turn three Stupor than spend my turn four play on Sewer when I could be doing a number of other broken things. I want to say that the Sewer has never let me down, though. Just a fantastic creature.
Living Death <- Tombstalker: It’s a fun card, can be used to reanimate, can be built around, and is a wrath for control in a pinch. Tombstalker has been fair for most of its cube life.
Closing Notes:
I think that many of these changes might be reversed after some testing, but I’m quite content with them now. I think my cube is finally at the point where I’m nearly satisfied with every card and every cut is actually becoming tough. The last domains where I would like to see improvement are in red and black’s two and three drops. I also don’t know how to squeeze Psychatog in. Other than that, I’m quite happy and looking forward to more cubing.
Of all of your cuts (some of which I'm not so sure about), I have the most disagreement with this one:
Rune Snag <- Mystical Tutor: Rune Snag will be just as fine as Miscalculation 95% of the time, and gives control an extra needed counterspell. Mystical Tutor has not been cast in a very long time – it may come back in when there are more combos in my cube, or if it turns out that the extra counterspell is not needed.
If I'm playing control, I'm always happy to see the tutor. It often reads "At the beginning of your next main phase, wrath the board." I can't say as much for a Turn 6 Rune Snag :/
It's really good in Reanimator, too.
If your play group isn't casting it, I can't help but think "ur doin' it rong"
I wish I could say. I've only gotten the Pilgrim once and I was drafting an aggressive deck and it wasn't needed. I'm really not sure whether I'll keep it. Stonewright I have very high hopes for but have not had a chance to play it. Taking the bar this summer so drafting time is limited.
My cube is crafted for the Winston format. I've designed it to have certain idiosyncracies which I believe better suit the Winston environment. Notable among these are: Red has no control element, and is geared entirely towards aggro; Green has no hard aggro element, and focuses on mana and utility; White is very aggression focused, at the expense of heavy-control cards; No combo cards.
Basic Info
Cube Size: 360 Cards
Breakdown: See Cube Contents
Average Draft: 2-4 players
Card Selection
Powered?: No
Portal?: Yes
"Un-" Cards: No
Any "Banned" Cards: Yes
Cube Design
Sideboards?: No
Functional Reprints?: Yes
Perfectly Balanced CMC: No
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Mother of Runes
1 Savannah Lions
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Student of Warfare
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Land Tax
1 Mana Tithe
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
//2CC
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Cloistered Youth
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Soltari Monk
1 Soltari Priest
1 Soltari Trooper
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Stormfront Pegasus
1 Nearheath Pilgrim
1 Disenchant
1 Journey to Nowhere
//3CC
1 Blade Splicer
1 Flickerwisp
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Mirror Entity
1 Soltari Champion
1 Spectral Procession
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
//4CC
1 Glimmerpoint Stag
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Kor Sanctifiers
1 Restoration Angel
1 Armageddon
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Parallax Wave
1 Ravages of War
1 Wrath of God
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Reveillark
1 Elspeth Tirel
1 Gideon Jura
//6CC+
1 Sun Titan
1 Terminus
1 Catastrophe
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch
1 Force of Will
1 Force Spike
1 Arcane Denial
1 Counterspell
1 Mana Leak
1 Memory Lapse
1 Miscalculation
1 Remand
1 Rune Snag
1 Forbid
1 Cryptic Command
1 Condescend
1 Enclave Cryptologist
//1CC
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Ancestral Vision
1 Coralhelm Commander
1 Looter il-Kor
1 Mindshrieker
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Impulse
1 Standstill
1 Cyclonic Rift
//3CC
1 AEther Adept
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Man-o'-War
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Wake Thrasher
1 Crystal Shard
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Vedalken Shackles
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Control Magic
1 Deep Analysis
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
//5CC
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Mulldrifter
1 Bribery
1 Treachery
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
//6CC+
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Frost Titan
1 Time Spiral
1 Upheaval
1 Confiscate
1 Snuff Out
1 Volrath's Stronghold
//1CC
1 Carnophage
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Gravecrawler
1 Sarcomancy
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Despise
1 Duress
1 Thoughtseize
1 Dark Ritual
//2CC
1 Bloodghast
1 Dark Confidant
1 Dauthi Horror
1 Dauthi Slayer
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Pack Rat
1 Reassembling Skeleton
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Vampire Interloper
1 Bitterblossom
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Doom Blade
1 Go for the Throat
1 Chainer's Edict
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Smallpox
//3CC
1 Geralf's Messenger
1 Hypnotic Specter
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Necromancy
1 Necropotence
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Stupor
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Pox
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Abyssal Persecutor
1 Bloodline Keeper
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Nekrataal
1 Skinrender
1 Liliana of the Dark Realms
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Damnation
//5CC
1 Shriekmaw
1 Living Death
//6CC+
1 Grave Titan
1 Massacre Wurm
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Profane Command
1 Fireblast
//1CC
1 Goblin Guide
1 Goblin Patrol
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Jackal Pup
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Reckless Waif
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Stromkirk Noble
1 Vexing Devil
1 Stonewright
1 Burst Lightning
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Faithless Looting
1 Chain Lightning
1 Firebolt
1 Reckless Charge
1 Gore-House Chainwalker
1 Fireslinger
1 Hearth Kami
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Ash Zealot
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Plated Geopede
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Lightning Mauler
1 Torch Fiend
1 Incinerate
1 Magma Jet
1 Shrine of the Burning Rage
1 Mizzium Mortars
1 Arc Trail
1 Searing Blaze
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Fire Imp
1 Kruin Outlaw
1 Manic Vandal
1 Staggershock
1 Arc Lightning
1 Brimstone Volley
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Char
1 Sulfuric Vortex
//4CC
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Hellrider
1 Koth of the Hammer
//5CC
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Inferno Titan
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
1 Arbor Elf
1 Rancor
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Utopia Sprawl
//2CC
1 Ambush Viper
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Mayor of Avabruck
1 River Boa
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Skinshifter
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Wall of Roots
1 Wild Mongrel
1 Strangleroot Geist
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Sylvan Library
//3CC
1 Eternal Witness
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Uktabi Orangutan
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Wolfir Avenger
1 Somberwald Sage
1 Life from the Loam
1 Cultivate
//4CC
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Yeva, Nature's Herald
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Bramblecrush
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Acidic Slime
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Thornling
1 Vorapede
1 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Plow Under
//6+CC
1 Primeval Titan
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Vraska the Unseen
//BR Rakdos
1 Olivia Voldaren
1 Falkenrath Aristocrat
1 Dreadbore
//BW Orzhov
1 Vindicate
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Lingering Souls
//GW Selesnya
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Selesnya Charm
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Sarkhan Vol
//UB Dimir
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Havengul Lich
//UG Simic
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Trygon Predator
//UR Izzet
1 Electrolyze
1 Izzet Charm
//UW Azorius
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Venser, the Sojourner
1 Azorius Charm
1 Detention Sphere
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Slayers’ Stronghold
//Hybrid
1 Rakdos Shred-Freak
1 Rakdos Cackler
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Dryad Militant
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Spellskite
1 Spined Thopter
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Batterskull
1 Wurmcoil Engine
//Other
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mana Vault
1 Grim Monolith
1 Trusty Machete
1 Winter Orb
1 Coalition Relic
1 Mimic Vat
1 Tangle Wire
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Smokestack
1 Dismember
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Bonesplitter
1 Skullclamp
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Badlands
1 Bayou
1 Plateau
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Taiga
1 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
//Ravnica Shocklands
1 Blood Crypt
1 Breeding Pool
1 Godless Shrine
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 Watery Grave
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
//Other
1 City of Brass
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Maze of Ith
1 Mutavault
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Rishadan Port
1 Strip Mine
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Wasteland
1/28 Post DKA Changes
Strangleroot Geist <- Call of the Herd
Vorapede <- Hornet Queen
Markov Blademaster <- Forked Bolt
Hellrider <- Instigator Gang
Falkenrath Aristocrat <- Myr Battlesphere
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad <- Gerrard's Verdict
Havengul Lich <- Shadowmage Infiltrator
Vault of the Archangel <- Oblivion Stone
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben <- Delver of Secrets
Cut <- Leonin Relic-Warder
Cut <- Countryside Crusher
Cut <- Putrefy
Cut <- Creeping Mold
Moved to Hybrid <- Murderous Redcap
Moved to Hybrid <- Kitchen Finks
Moved to Hybrid <- Figure of Destiny
Improve Aggro + Graveyard Interaction Changes see post for explanations
Smokestack <- Razormane Masticore
Cursed Scroll <- Lodestone Golem
Winter Orb <- Loxodon Warhammer
Spined Thopter <- Grand Coliseum
Trusty Machete <- Ankh of Mishra
Enclave Cryptologist <- Keiga, the Tide Star
Rune Snag <- Mystical Tutor
Psychatog <- Tinker
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage <- Gifts Ungiven
Confiscate <- Old Man of the Sea
Waterfront Bouncer <- Into the Roil
Lightning Mauler <- Moltensteel Dragon
Torch Fiend <- Goblin Ruinblaster
Shrine of the Burning Rage <- Markov Blademaster
Vexing Devil <-
Stonewright <-
Gravecrawler <- Sinkhole
Vampire Interloper <- Liliana's Specter
Stupor <- Sewer Nemesis
Massacre Wurm <- Graveborn Muse
Living Death <- Tombstalker
Nearheath Pilgrim <-
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite <- Knight of Meadowgrain
Restoration Angel <- Galepowder Mage
Silverblade Paladin <- Paladin En-Vec
Terminus <- Glorious Anthem
Ulvenwald Tracker <- Obstinate Baloth
Green Sun's Zenith <- Worldly Tutor
Primeval Titan <- Great Sable Stag
Arbor Elf <- Harrow
Utopia Sprawl <- Ohran Viper
Worn Powerstone <- Birthing Pod
Somberwald Sage <- Krosan Tusker
Wolfir Silverheart <- Kodama of the North Tree
Life from the Loam <- Twinblade Slasher
Desolate Lighthouse <- Sword of War and Peace
Slayers’ Stronghold <- Sword of Light and Shadow
Lingering Souls <- Vault of the Archangel
Post M-13 Changes
Ajani, Caller of the Pride <- Exalted Angel
Liliana of the Dark Realms <- Liliana Vess
Yeva, Nature's Herald <- Vengevine
Geralf's Messenger <- Bane of the Living
Smallpox <- Graveborn Muse
Dark Ritual <- Nether Void
Necropotence <- Kokusho, the Evening Star
<- Blistering Firecat
Searing Blaze <- Molten Rain
Zealous Conscripts <- Chaos Warp
Wolfir Avenger <- Chameleon Colossus
Preordain <- Willbender
Post RTR + Pox Subtheme Changes
Pack Rat <- Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
Ash Zealot <- Kargan Dragonlord
Gore-House Chainwalker <- Ashmouth Hound
Mizzium Mortars <- Flame Slash
Jace, Architect of Thought <- Dismiss
Cyclonic Rift <- Jace Beleren
Selesnya Charm <- Phantom Centaur
Azorius Charm <- Cursed Scroll
Vraska the Unseen <- Genesis
Izzet Charm <- Desolate Lighthouse
Dreadbore <- Pillage
Rakdos Cackler <- Phyrexian Arena
Dryad Militant <- Ajani Goldmane
Rakdos Shred-Freak <- Ember Hauler
Detention Sphere <- Kor Skyfisher
Pox <- Temporal Isolation
Carrion Feeder <- Hell's Thunder
Reassembling Skeleton <- Nantuko Shade
Blimpy's Aggro-Focused Cube (powered 360)
I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve my cube. Take a look and ask a question, or give a constructive critique whenever you can.
edit: Any card in the "Card Choices Explained" sections is going to stay in the cube for a bit, especially the cards that are currently under testing. It would be most helpful to me if I could receive suggestions for cuts of cards which are more "established" - maybe suggest cuts of cards that are redundant, or don't fit the section theme as well.
Blimpy: When I ran Kird Ape I didn't like it all that much. Admittedly aggro was weaker at that time so it probably didn't live to its full potential. I'm leaving the pair out for two reasons now. First, because I want true gold cards to be cards that are worth going into another color for (if not for power then because at least its an interesting card), and I don't think Kird Ape or Loam Lion meet this criteria. Second, I've removed most of the hard-aggro elements out of green, and I am perfectly happy with that. I'm fine with red, white, and black carrying the brunt of the aggro workload. I know that those two cards are very well loved around here, though. If someone would like to make a case to me based on my current list and current drafting style (Winston), I'd be receptive.
Eidolon, thanks for your help, and I've made your suggested changes.
I'd add the Kird Ape and Loam Lion back in. Aggro's bread and butter are the 2-power 1-drops, and the archetype needs as many of them as it can get to compete with the other theaters at 360 (or at any size, really). We almost exclusively play Winston/Sealed, and both of those creatures are mainstays that are nowhere close to the block. Naya aggro is an excellent archetype, and it's easy to throw together even in small groups, and have it be competitive. Ape, Lion and Nacatl are all total ballers in that deck.
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 should have included this in my original post, but any card in the "Card Choices Explained" sections is going to stay in the cube for a bit, especially the cards that are currently under testing. It would be most helpful to me if I could receive suggestions for cuts of cards which are more "established" - maybe suggest cuts of cards that are redundant, or don't fit the section theme as well.
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!
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'll probably keep Glimmerpoint Stag in for now as a test.
Thinking about cutting:
Chaos Warp
Creeping Mold
Putrefy
& one more, which will almost certainly be a Blue spell. Considering Into the Roil, Force Spike, or Impulse. I'm not going to cut a blue creature or Arcane Denial. Thoughts?
And I agree that Arcane Denial shouldn't be cut.
Those other cuts are reasonable at 360. Putrefy kills a lot of good stuff in the cube though.
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!
The quickest was a +1, +1, make 5 dragons. I won another game off threatening an Exalted Angel. In a third, he helped me get several points of damage in just by pumping and giving haste, even though I only had two creatures on board.
I'm quite happy to keep him in over Kird Ape, even if the Ape fills a slightly more important niche in the cube.
I like him quite a bit, and he's a very close #4 gold card for Gruul.
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've drafted 5-colour-goodstuff.dec a few times, particularly when I ran the full complement of signets, but I'm unfamiliar with this archetype. It sounded quite effective.
My 380 Beginners’ Cube on Cube Tutor
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
How has Liliana Vess been performing?
The best thing about her is that it's so dang hard to get rid of her. The worst thing about her is that the discard ability isn't very useful after one or two activations, since they can just play whatever they topdeck. By that time, though, you can use her to repeatedly tutor, or just soak up insane amounts of damage.
She rarely wins games on her own, but she provides a heck of a wall against your opponent.
I would rather have Despise against Blue, Green, Red, Multi, and probably Black. I would rather have Duress when dealing with White and probably Colorless.
I think the best way to see whether Despise is good enough for your cube is to start recording down which cards you tend to nab with your Cliques and Thoughtseizes.
They're almost always powerful spells. Creatures are easier to deal with. My Thoughtsieze and Clique choices mirror Duress selections far more often than I ever remove creatures with them. Catastrophe, Wildfire, Geddon and Upheaval are the most common selected cards to snag with the Clique, and Thoughtseize loves to hit countermagic and cards like Tinker, Balance, Bitterblossom, Tutors, broken equipment and fast mana.
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!
Call of the Herd v Wild Mongrel
Forked Bolt v Molten Rain
Molten Rain v Moltensteel Dragon v Instigator Gang
Wild Mongrel is way better than Call of the Herd.
I rank your red cards like this:
1 Molten Rain
2 Forked Bolt
3 Moltensteel Dragon
4 Instigator Gang
I don't really understand what you're asking to cut and keep with the red cards. I don't like Molten Rain a ton either, but I like it more than the dragon and the gang and Forked Bolt.
Blimpy's Aggro-Focused Cube (powered 360)
I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve my cube. Take a look and ask a question, or give a constructive critique whenever you can.
Call of the Herd -> Strangleroot Geist
Hornet Queen -> Vorapede
Forked Bolt -> Markov Blademaster
Instigator Gang -> Hellrider
Myr Battlesphere -> Falkenrath Aristocrat
Gerrard's Verdict -> Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Shadowmage Infiltrator -> Havengul Lich
Oblivion Stone -> Vault of the Archangel
Delver of Secrets -> Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Leonin Relic-Warder -> cut
Countryside Crusher -> cut
Putrefy -> cut
Creeping Mold -> cut
Murderous Redcap -> Moved to Hybrid
Kitchen Finks -> Moved to Hybrid
Figure of Destiny -> Moved to Hybrid
I’m in the process of testing out these changes, so they may not be solidified for a while. I’d certainly appreciate comments, but if you do make them please don’t be too brief.
My cube is used almost exclusively for Winston drafting. Lately, three color midrange has been by far the most dominant archetype. The Winston format itself contributes to that trend and that cannot be helped, but I also believe that there are a few other factors which I am attempting to address in this update. I believe that three color midrange is dominating partly because of the glut of amazing four-drop creatures available in the cube, which gives players a strong incentive to draft a slightly slower deck, and the colorless bombs which are available and make multi-color mana bases less punishing. I wanted to take the opportunity to assist aggro by adding in some key artifacts that help the archetype, as well as including some new low-cost red creatures to help out. Red will provide the creature foundation of virtually all aggro decks. I want to help control by adding in sweepers that will help control 3, 4, and 5 drop creatures, and also a tool or two to help with the planeswalkers that are so strong in midrange. A few new high-end creatures are also thrown in act as control finishers – they are difficult for midrange to cast but provide incentive to draft slower control decks. At the same time, I want to shift green even more into its ramp and midrange role. Finally, I wanted to make the graveyard matter more in games, and to that end I added in some additional discard engines. I believe that discard engines are more important than adding in reanimation spells, and I want to get them up to a sufficient count before adding in cards which deal primarily with the graveyard. This is also a convenient time to switch in some new Avacyn Restored cards.
Aggressive Additions
Smokestack <- Razormane Masticore: Razormane has proven weak here, and its best role is at hosing aggro. I have kept Smokestack out for a long time but it’s coming in now for its dual role as an artifact which can help out aggro as well as enable graveyard play. It’s coming in alongside Life from the Loam.
Cursed Scroll <- Lodestone Golem: The golem is a great aggro creature but it is in that very clogged four-drop spot, and has not seen play in quite a while. I’ve never played with Cursed Scroll, but I suspect it’ll be just fine for aggro decks.
Winter Orb <- Loxodon Warhammer: I love Loxodon Warhammer, but as with most equipment it’s best in midrange decks. The power level of these two is not even comparable.
Spined Thopter <- Grand Coliseum: Grand Coliseum is a decent land but I believe that it is unneeded at the 360 level. Gemstone Mine is better for aggro decks; taking this land out should make it a bit more difficult for midrange decks to be greedy. I don’t have high hopes for Spined Thopter but I think it has potential.
Trusty Machete <- Ankh of Mishra: This is actually the swap I’m most unsure of. I know that Ankh is a great card but it hasn’t done much in a while. Trusty Machete should at least be reliable, even though its maximum potential is lower. I suspect that the Machete will generally do just as much damage as the Ankh over the course of most games, while being better for token decks.
Lightning Mauler <- Moltensteel Dragon: This is an easy swap. Lightning Mauler may be the best red two-drop ever printed. Moltensteel Dragon is a fine card but artifact removal is plentiful enough in this cube that the Dragon has become a liability. Again, taking out a four-drop is just a higher priority than removing a spell or three-drop.
Torch Fiend <- Goblin Ruinblaster: I am trying to cram as many viable two-drops into red as I can. Ruinblaster is obviously good for punishing greedy mana-bases, but is another four-drop.
Shrine of the Burning Rage <- Markov Blademaster: I actually really wanted to keep the Blademaster now that I want to bring Lightning Mauler and Stonewright in. I am considering whether one of the other three drops would be a better cut. Blistering Firecat, for example, is never a surprise anymore and does not greatly benefit from the new red Soulbound creatures.
Vexing Devil <- Testing Zone: Yes, I know this is controversial, but someone has to test it.
Stonewright <- Testing Zone: I actually think that this card will be fantastic. Just the knowledge that any of red’s hasted creatures might come in with firebreathing changes the game dynamic completely. Has nice synergy with Spikeshot Elder, Stromkirk Noble, Spikeshot Elder, Stormblood Berserker, Hellspark Elemental, Hell’s Thunder, Chandra’s Phoenix, Blistering Firecat, Markov Blademaster, and to the rest of the hasted creatures to a lesser degree.
Gravecrawler <- Sinkhole: Sinkhole is a good card but BB is a very crowded slot. The LD is not as needed as the other forms of disruption, especially the discard spells which have synergy with reanimation cards. I might boot out Bane of the Living instead though, because it hasn’t been that great in a long time.
Vampire Interloper <- Liliana's Specter: Interloper is just far easier to cast. I’d rather have the extra 2-4 damage than the early game card discard. Specter is only impressive with some way to abuse is. Interloper is obviously underwhelming, but what can you do.
Control Club
Enclave Cryptologist <- Keiga, the Tide Star: I’m not sure that I want the Cryptologist at all. It’s a bit underwhelming at 360. However, it does fit both the control and the graveyard themes. Keiga is not really needed with the amount of finishers in blue – I’d rather have the Sphinx and Titan.
Rune Snag <- Mystical Tutor: Rune Snag will be just as fine as Miscalculation 95% of the time, and gives control an extra needed counterspell. Mystical Tutor has not been cast in a very long time – it may come back in when there are more combos in my cube, or if it turns out that the extra counterspell is not needed.
Ancestral Vision <- Tinker: Tinker is just not going to happen here without more mana rocks. Ancestral Vision is a controversial card, but I want to test it out for a bit. I think it’s one of those cards that fares very differently in different cubes.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage <- Gifts Ungiven: Tamiyo is universally good whereas Gifts is best in non-Winston formats. I don’t need the graveyard support so much that I want to keep this typically lackluster card in the cube.
Confiscate <- Old Man of the Sea: Old Man is very good and really dominates a lot of games. I wanted to keep him in as long as possible but I think Confiscate will be a nice card. Stealing planeswalkers is obviously the biggest upside here. It’s certainly a slow card, but to be honest I would rather steal a planeswalker than use Keiga to steal a creature.
Terminus <- Glorious Anthem: I do want to keep the token theme but the fact is that Anthem is almost always left in the sideboard in favor of creature-based anthems. I think Terminus will do just fine as a Wrath and is more interesting than DOJ, especially given its huge huge upside. Of course the ideal is miracle out a Terminus and keep counterspell mana up or drop a creature, but I think it’ll function just as well when hardcast. The fact that I’m adding in additional graveyard support cards means that the shuffle into library clause gets bonus use.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite <- Knight of Meadowgrain: Knight never impressed us without equipment attached. Trusty Machete is coming in, but the Knight just doesn’t have enough raw power to keep it in over all the other white cards. Elesh will be great in control, and both in and against token decks.
Massacre Wurm <- Graveborn Muse: Graveborn Muse has been on its way out for a long time now. The body isn’t good enough and the lifeloss is very relevant. Massacre Wurm might be really bad, but I see its use mainly to stifle ramp a little bit and to punish token decks. Whether it retains its spot against Kukusho remains to be seen.
White Avacyn Good-Stuff
Restoration Angel <- Galepowder Mage
Silverblade Paladin <- Paladin En-Vec
Nearheath Pilgrim <- Testing Zone
Green Ramp Buffed
Green Sun's Zenith <- Worldly Tutor: I’m not fond of the card disadvantage of Wordly Tutor. I think I’d be willing to sacrifice the flexibility for the extra draw step and the ability to cast GGG or multicolored cards more easily.
Arbor Elf <- Harrow: Arbor Elf is a perfectly fine mana elf. I don’t have many mana rocks, so it’ll nearly always be cast off a forest. The ability to untap duals will be well-received. Counterspelled Harrow is just too painful.
Utopia Sprawl <- Ohran Viper: a card to combine with Arbor Elf. I think Green needs the ramp more than it needs a relatively generic blocker.
Worn Powerstone <- Birthing Pod: The Powerstone has already more than proven its worth after a couple games, and Birthing Pod has never done anything. I don’t expect the pod to be good in more than 1 out of 20 Winston drafts. I didn’t get a chance to test Pod out much, I think that the raw utility of the Powerstone warrants this premature booting.
Somberwald Sage <- Krosan Tusker: A ramp card with immense potential comes in for a utility card with consistent but unexciting performance. Tusker might come back in when more reanimator spells are added, but for now I’d rather have the dynamism that comes with Sage.
Primeval Titan <- Great Sable Stag: The fourth of the 3-drops to be cut. As a matter of gameplay, I generally dislike color protection, especially when one creature has protection from two colors because of the extremely swingy nature of those cards. Stag is fantastic against one deck and fine against the rest. Titan fits into the buffed ramp theme and has been getting rave reviews on the forum.
Wolfir Silverheart <- Kodama of the North Tree: I’m sad to see this leave at the same time that GSZ is coming in, but Silverheart makes better use of the added 1-drops.
Ulvenwald Tracker <- Obstinate Baloth: Baloth is the weakest of the four drops.
Gold & Two Swords Removed
Desolate Lighthouse <- Sword of War and Peace: I decided to remove two of the swords because games were being decided by swords far too often. I know the typical answer is to add in more artifact removal, but I’d prefer to remove these swords for several reasons. First, they are colorless and so can be played easily by players with greedy mana bases. Second, they punish decks for going mono- or dual-color. Third, they are far better in midrange than any other archetype. Finally, I think that having five swords dilutes the uniqueness of each one. I am removing the W&P because it’s the weakest sword but also is the most resistant to creature removal and is the sword that most often just wins against the correct colors. The Lighthouse is not fantastic but should be fine for a test.
Slayers’ Stronghold <- Sword of Light and Shadow: L&S is the sword which second-most just wins games based on correct color-combination, and in my opinion is the second weakest sword. It hoses aggro the most, so it’s the second sword to come out. I’m sure the Stronghold will be in for a long time.
Lingering Souls <- Vault of the Archangel: I like the Vault more than most, but I have to bow to raw power. The fact that Souls makes tokens is a plus.
Graveyard Matters
Waterfront Bouncer <- Into the Roil
Life from the Loam <- Twinblade Slasher
Stupor <- Sewer Nemesis: I think the discard is actually more important than having another dumb beater. I know Sewer mills a bit by itself, but I’d rather turn three Stupor than spend my turn four play on Sewer when I could be doing a number of other broken things. I want to say that the Sewer has never let me down, though. Just a fantastic creature.
Living Death <- Tombstalker: It’s a fun card, can be used to reanimate, can be built around, and is a wrath for control in a pinch. Tombstalker has been fair for most of its cube life.
Closing Notes:
I think that many of these changes might be reversed after some testing, but I’m quite content with them now. I think my cube is finally at the point where I’m nearly satisfied with every card and every cut is actually becoming tough. The last domains where I would like to see improvement are in red and black’s two and three drops. I also don’t know how to squeeze Psychatog in. Other than that, I’m quite happy and looking forward to more cubing.
If I'm playing control, I'm always happy to see the tutor. It often reads "At the beginning of your next main phase, wrath the board." I can't say as much for a Turn 6 Rune Snag :/
It's really good in Reanimator, too.
If your play group isn't casting it, I can't help but think "ur doin' it rong"
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My Cube on Cube Tutor
I wish I could say. I've only gotten the Pilgrim once and I was drafting an aggressive deck and it wasn't needed. I'm really not sure whether I'll keep it. Stonewright I have very high hopes for but have not had a chance to play it. Taking the bar this summer so drafting time is limited.