It's been a while! I've been quietly maintaining my cube over the past few years since my last update, and my cube has evolved a lot over time. What was originally a fairly casual and fun cube (375, no planeswalkers, 12% Un-cards) slowly became a more powerful experience, with the gradual addition of planeswalkers, powerful artifacts, and eventually Power 9 itself. With the update of Unstable and loads of new interesting cards, I've taken a hard look at my cube to bring it back to its roots, while maintaining a powerful cube environment reflective of the history of magic. I hope you enjoy my cube as much as I've enjoyed curating it!
I will get around to updating my thread with the latest, but in the meantime please check out my cube on Cubetutor.
Cube Size: 400
Breakdown: 51 Each Color, 80 Guild, 65 Colorless (10% Un-cards)
Average Draft: 2-4 players
Fires would be a good addition for you RG section, and fogey is pretty amazing in that kind of deck (ie with anything that lets it gain haste, such as fires or reckless charge).
Just got to say, you've definitely earned distinction as an MTGS hero
Quote from Stardust »
Because he's the hero MTGS deserves, and the one it needs right now. So we'll global him. Because he can take it. Because he's not just our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. An expired rascal.
Quote from LuckNorris »
ExpiredRascals you sir are a god-like hero.
Quote from Lanxal »
ER is a masterful god who cannot be beaten in any endeavour.
Thanks for the advice! Blast from the Past and Fires of Yavimaya are good adds, I just need to get my hands on them first. Old Fogey might be a bit of a stretch, since I'm not even sure how it works (do counters slide off when it phases out? do you have to pay echo every time?).
Posted my update to 375. I'm not sure if anyone looks at my lists, but I'd love to hear if anyone has any feedback. I hope my cube will help anyone in the community looking to build something fun, enjoyable, and Un.
In:
Bloodghast
Liliana's Specter
Sewer Nemesis
Pestilence Demon
Dance of the Dead
Go for the Throat
Smallpox
Pox
Profane Command
Cabal Coffers
Out:
Pack Rat
Vile Bile
Vampire Nighthawk
Abyssal Persecutor
Bringer of the Black Dawn
Disfigure
Unearth
Kill! Destroy!
Diabolic Servitude
Endless Whispers
Dawn of the Dead
Green:
In:
Ghazban Ogre
Ghazban Ogress
Mtenda Lion
Pouncing Jaguar
Wild Dogs
Wild Nacatl
Wolfbitten Captive
Fauna Shaman
Mayor of Avabruck
Strangleroot Geist
Eternal Witness
Mul Daya Channelers
obstinate Baloth
Incoming
Treetop Village
Tiny update due to some exciting cards finally being acquired!
Changelog:
12/02/2013
liliana's specter -> mind twist
promise of power -> recurring nightmare
roar of the wurm -> survival of the fittest
??? -> maze of ith
i haven't cut anything for maze yet since i was hoping for some input - i know maze is typically considered to be a "spell" instead of a land, so should i be cutting a colourless nonland? any suggestions for what should get the axe?
So I picked up an exciting pile of new cards recently, and I'm looking to make some changes.
Changelog 07/03/2013
Painlands -> Shocklands
this is going to take a while to fully acquire, but I figure its worth the change. I'm proxying until I get all 10 (though I already have 4 of them!)
Silvos, Rogue Elemental -> Vengevine
this is a simple change from one dumb beater into a more relevant, interesting, and ultimately interactive one
Terramorphic Expanse -> Lodestone Golem
I'm finally realizing my goal of not including ANY functional reprints (including stuff like Aether Adept and Man-o'-War), due to my strong belief of Cube as a singleton format. And I also found a useful card that might help make the artifact archetype stand out more.
Mortify -> Gerrard's Verdict
I have no idea why I wasn't playing Verdict earlier - I've had a love for that card since I was at the kitchen table level. It's going in over the "least interesting" BW option, which imo is mortify.
Vulturous Zombie -> Putrefy
In this case, it's a bit of the opposite. I'm switching out a less consistent creature (though Zombie can get pretty fun) for something more consistent and useful. Still no Deed incoming, so I guess I'll keep waiting on that.
Dimir Charm -> Duskmantle Seer
I'm very excited about the new Ux tempo/aggro archetype, so I'm making this swap to accommodate the new deck. Funny enough, it seems like most of my other UB picks are already in that archetype.
Vedalken Heretic -> Trygon Predator
Heretic was always filler for me and I finally picked up a Predator. Now I have to replace Simic Charm... SSS or Zegana? or something else?
Here are the other cards I picked up for addition to the cube. Any suggestions/recommendations for cuts?
I wish I had something more specific to offer up, but the cube comparison results spell it all out. Almost every single one of those "Recommended Cards" is a card I wouldn't want to cube without, and almost every single one of those "Unusual Cards" is expendable.
I'd start with the most affordable missing cards. Pick up all the cards on the "Recommended Cards" list that is < $1, and replace the cards at the top of the "Unusual Cards" list first.
Once you make the affordable changes, run the cube through the comparison data again. It will play a lot better in the interim, and it won't cost you much to update it. Then you can slowly acquire the more expensive cube staples and rotate out the last of the filler cards for those.
Generally the recommendations you are going to receive will be "play the best cube cards!!!!!1111oneone", which isn't what you say you are trying to do. Try Topsy-Turvy, as is being currently discussed in the card discussion forum and seems great.
I think Necropotence is much better than Necro-impotence, but I've never actually played Necro-impotence. Having to pay lots of life to untap seems like it really isn't worth it.
There is a comment on gatherer that explains how Old Fogey actually works:
Turn 0:
> Old Fogey enters play with 0 Age counters and 3 Fading counters.
Turn 1:
> Old Fogey phases out at the beginning of the untap step.
Turn 2:
> Old Fogey phases in at the beginning of the untap step.
> Cumulative Upkeep, Echo, and Fading triggers are placed on the stack at the beginning of the upkeep step in order of the controlling players choice.
> Upon Cumulative Upkeep resolution, Old Fogey gains 1 Age counter (1 total), then is sacrificed unless {1} is paid.
> Upon Echo resolution, Old Fogey is sacrificed unless {G}{G} is payed.
> Upon Fading resolution, 1 Fading counter is removed (2 remaining)
Turn 3:
> Old Fogey phases out at the beginning of the untap step.
Turn 4:
> Old Fogey phases in at the beginning of the untap step.
> Cumulative Upkeep and Fading triggers are placed on the stack at the beginning of the upkeep step in order of the controlling players choice.
> Upon Cumulative Upkeep resolution, Old Fogey gains 1 Age counter (2 total), then is sacrificed unless {1}{1} is paid.
> Upon Fading resolution, 1 Fading counter is removed (1 remaining)
Turn 5:
> Old Fogey phases out at the beginning of the untap step.
Turn 6:
> Old Fogey phases in at the beginning of the untap step.
> Cumulative Upkeep and Fading triggers are placed on the stack at the beginning of the upkeep step in order of the controlling players choice.
> Upon Cumulative Upkeep resolution, Old Fogey gains 1 Age counter (3 total), then is sacrificed unless {1}{1}{1} is paid.
> Upon Fading resolution, 1 Fading counter is removed (0 remaining)
Turn 7:
> Old Fogey phases out at the beginning of the untap step.
Turn 8:
> Old Fogey phases in at the beginning of the untap step.
> Cumulative Upkeep and Fading triggers are placed on the stack at the beginning of the upkeep step in order of the controlling players choice.
> Upon Cumulative Upkeep resolution, Old Fogey gains 1 Age counter (4 total), then is sacrificed unless {1}{1}{1}{1} is paid.
> Upon Fading resolution, 1 Fading counter cannot be removed, and Old Fogey is sacrificed.
Upon declaring attackers, Old Fogey may be placed in a band with one or more creatures with "Bands with other Dinosaurs", and any number of creatures with the Dinosaur subtype. Once an attacking band has been announced, all creatures remain a part of that band until end of combat. If a creature is removed from combat, it is also removed from a band.
If Old Fogey or another creature in its band becomes blocked, all creatures in the band become blocked.
If Old Fogey or another creature in its band becomes blocked, the active player (rather than defending player) chooses how combat damage is dealt to creatures in the attacking band. This damage may be divided as the player chooses.
If Old Fogey and one or more creatures with "Bands with other Dinosaurs" or the "Dinosaur" subtype block a creature, the defending player decides how combat damage is dealt to the blocking creatures (rather than the active player). This damage may be divided as the player chooses.
Old Fogey cannot be blocked by Homarids and cannot be targeted by spells or abilities from a Homarid source. All damage dealt to Old Fogey from a Homarid source is prevented.
If defending player controls a land with both the Snow supertype and Plains subtype, Old Fogey is unblockable.
If Old Fogey is blocked by a creature without Flanking, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
If Old Fogey is blocked by more than one creature, it gains +2/+2 until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first.
@KraZug: Thanks for your feedback. You're right, I'm not trying to create the most powerful environment possible for cube (if all of us were, I think there would be more power). Instead I'm trying to create as powerful and fun of an environment as possible. By my and my cubers' definitions, this naturally included Un cards. Topsy Turvy (and Framed!) are the next two inclusions. I'm on this forum to hopefully get some advice about how I can continue to improve my cube without necessarily making the power level so high that I have to start cutting Un cards - Eidolon's analysis is certainly helping. I ended up running Necropotence over Necro-Impotence for the same reasons you just mentioned. Old Fogey has enjoyed playability so far as a very interesting 2 drop in green that can break games in half (esp with haste).
@Wtwlf: thanks for your feedback. You're right - there's a long way to go for my cube (especially in terms of dollar value) before I get to a reasonable level of power. However, I recently picked up a pile of cards that I need to make some cuts to add, and Eidolon's list seems like a good place to start.
In light of my recent move to more and more powerful cards, I have decided to open my cube to planeswalkers. I'm not including some PWs in the list right now due to budget constraints.
Here is a quick draft of PWs I plan to run:
W:
ajani, caller of the pride
ajani goldmane
gideon jura
U:
jace beleren
tezz, seeker
B:
liliana of the dark realms
R:
Koth
Chandra Nalaar
G:
garruk relentless
garruk wildspeaker
gold:
tezz, aob
sorin, loi
ajani vengeant
nicol bolas
My questions:
1. How "gamebreaking" is Elspeth, Knight-Errant? Compared to the other PWs in that range for White, how would you rank them? Just wondering if her price tag is justifiable for cube.
2. Why is Chandra Nalaar run in almost every list, but Chandra Ablaze is not? I personally found Ablaze to be more interesting, while Nalaar felt a bit... shallow (do you just sit there and +1 until you need to remove a threat?)
3. Is Nicol Bolas worth a spot in the cube?
4. To what degree does Tezzeret the Seeker need artifact support in order to be useful? In other cubes I've seen Grim/Basalt Monolith (I don't run those right now) which obviously work well with Tezzeret. Is my list going to be okay with just a few 2-3 CMC mana rocks?
5. How useful is Garruk Primal Hunter? The green heavy cost seems a bit prohibitive - is it worth inclusion?
Thanks for the analysis! Now you're going to drive me crazy while I hunt down the last two missing cards... my master excel has 380 so I know they're there somewhere.
I took a quick run through your list and i'm happy to say that many of the cards you mentioned in the "must acquire" list are on my shopping/trading list, and many of the weird cards will certainly be some of the first to go. Some other cards were excluded because I don't allow functional reprints or colourshifting (so Manic Vandal is out, since Uktabi Orangutans is in).
EDIT: and ajani pridemage was definitely supposed to be ajani goldmane.
EDIT2: think the two missing were Chrome Mox and Reflecting Pool
Erratic Portal -> Tangle Wire
Surprisingly, Erratic Portal hasn't seen play once in my cube's history so far. I'm considering adding crystal shard to blue (once I find one), so hopefully that will encourage more blink decks. Tangle Wire is coming in to support Tezzeret and the artifact deck.
Mortarpod -> City of Traitors
Looking to test the City of Traitors! There's crucible, there's KotR - this card should be interesting at the very least. Mortarpod hasn't seen play in a while though.
My First Tome -> Black Vise
Sorry to say but Tome is just not worth it anymore (it's been fun though). I'm digging the 0-2 CMC artifacts for Tezzeret, so Black Vise is in.
Lord of the Pit -> Grave Titan
Although Lord of the Pit is an old favourite and has certainly seen play, he's just not cutting it anymore. I really love the DvD art though Grave Titan comes in as a better beater with less restrictions.
Wretched Anurid -> Vampire Hexmage
Now that I have so many planeswalkers, I need some ways to get rid of them. Although I still HIGHLY recommend Anurid for aggro decks, I'm putting him away for now.
Vendetta -> Demonic Tutor
This was a hard cut, simply because I was running out of cards to remove. Demonic Tutor was highly recommended to me, and Eidolon's list told me I could afford to cut one piece of black removal - so there you go.
Pouncing Jaguar -> Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
This is a preemptive cut. I don't have a Rofellos on hand yet, but hopefully I will soon! Jaguar always felt "not enough" and Rofellos is very powerful, I've heard.
Mine! Mine! Mine! -> Natural Order
Originally included to combo with Laboratory Maniac, since cutting the Maniac I can't really run this anymore.
Elvish House Party -> Deranged Hermit
I've always kept EHP in because of how ridiculously powerful it gets, especially when we cube in the evenings (12/12 for 6 seems good). The lack of evasion and ETB effects just killed it for me though, so we're getting the army of the can.
Hunted Dragon -> Inferno Titan
I originally included the Dragon because of the 6 hasty flying power. Unfortunately, it has yet to see play. I'm cutting it for Inferno Titan for now, but I might look into adding Thundermaw in the post-rotation future.
Day of the Dragons -> Tinker
Time to bring in the Tinker combo! Unfortunately no one has played Day before, despite it being a really awesome card.
Wall of Omens -> Isamaru, Hound of Konda
I've been looking for an excuse to cut Wall for a while now. It seems a little too derpy for me, and Isamaru is a welcome boost to white aggro. maybe i should be cutting something else?
Condemn -> Path to Exile
I had no idea no one ran Condemn anymore. This is a preemptive cut but I'll pick up a PtE after MM cracks.
Stirring Wildwood -> Horizon Canopy
Another preemptive cut, but a pretty reasonable one I think. I've been looking to cut the manland for a while now.
Gwafa Hazid -> Supreme Verdict
Gwafa Hazid has always been a cute card for our cube, and has won a couple games in the past, but I think it's time to upgrade him out.
Thanks Rant. I haven't been a fan of any of those cards you mentioned so far, but I'd be willing to let Day of the Dragons and Mine! Mine! Mine! take the axe for now (Day hasn't really seen play... ever, and Mine! was part of a combo with Laboratory Maniac which I cut recently).
However, I'll have to enlighten you on Look at me, I'm R&D!. this card is an absolute powerhouse in anthem decks. if you drop this and select your numbers as 1 and 2, all your 1/1s become 2/2s and all anthem effects suddenly give +2/+2. i've had a player drop captain of the watch (when she was in) with a Look at Me! in play, and it certainly wasn't fair by any means. it can make cards in your hand cost less, or planeswalkers bump up for more. it's a card that forces you to think about how you're going to use it, and creates for some very interesting board states - two features I value highly in a cube card.
BAM! Big updates here. I keep my Excel most up to date so I just reconciled between MTGS and my Excel file, which caused some duplication with previous cuts from my last post.
I've also started to use Cubetutor much more frequently, so the changes here are in bulk. Feedback is always appreciated, but in general I'm just increasing the power level of the cube.
It's been a while but I've finally gotten around to updating my cube. Link is the same as before, but the cube experience has really powered up since my thread was last changed.
Please check out my cube here: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/43. I'll get around to updating this post (hopefully with photos!) in the next few days. Thanks!
I will get around to updating my thread with the latest, but in the meantime please check out my cube on Cubetutor.
Cube Size: 400
Breakdown: 51 Each Color, 80 Guild, 65 Colorless (10% Un-cards)
Average Draft: 2-4 players
Modern: Jund Legacy: RUG Delver EDH: Captain Sisay
EDH Decks:
Fires would be a good addition for you RG section, and fogey is pretty amazing in that kind of deck (ie with anything that lets it gain haste, such as fires or reckless charge).
Body Count: GRRRUUUUUUUUUUU
إن سرقت إسرق جمل
Level 1 Judge
My Cube for use with 6th ed. Rules
Does anyone have any insight regarding playing necropotence vs. necro-impotence? or should i just run both?
Feel free to suggest changes or ask about card choices!
Changelog:
01/02/2013
Colourless:
In:
Guardian Idol
Winter Orb
Chromatic Lantern
Nevinyrral's Disk
Strip Mine
Grand Coliseum
Out:
Stuffy Doll
Howling Mine
Blinkmoth Urn
Mask of Memory
Swiftfoot Boots
Desert
Mirrodin's Core
Black:
In:
Bloodghast
Liliana's Specter
Sewer Nemesis
Pestilence Demon
Dance of the Dead
Go for the Throat
Smallpox
Pox
Profane Command
Cabal Coffers
Out:
Pack Rat
Vile Bile
Vampire Nighthawk
Abyssal Persecutor
Bringer of the Black Dawn
Disfigure
Unearth
Kill! Destroy!
Diabolic Servitude
Endless Whispers
Dawn of the Dead
Green:
In:
Ghazban Ogre
Ghazban Ogress
Mtenda Lion
Pouncing Jaguar
Wild Dogs
Wild Nacatl
Wolfbitten Captive
Fauna Shaman
Mayor of Avabruck
Strangleroot Geist
Eternal Witness
Mul Daya Channelers
obstinate Baloth
Incoming
Treetop Village
Out:
Basking Rootwalla
Devoted Druid
Nest Invader
Overgrown Battlement
Quirion Dryad
Arrogant Wurm
Carven Caryatid
Yeva, Nature's Herald
Fat Ass
Grizzly Fate
Stone-Cold Basilisk
Moldgraf Monstrosity
Worldspine Wurm
Beast Within
Druid Repository
Decree of Savagery
Red
In:
Jackal Pup
Mogg Fanatic
Lightning Mauler
Torch Fiend
Avalanche Rider
Hero of Oxid Ridge
Kumano, Master Yamabushi
Arc Trail
Incinerate
Searing Blaze
Molten Rain
Pillage
Out:
Anger
Stonewright
Molten Hydra
Cunning Sparkmage
Hurloon Wrangler
Pygmy Giant
Goblin S.W.A.T. Team
Torchling
Reckless Charge
Breath of Darigaaz
Strategy, Schmategy
Fiery Gambit
Empty the Warrens
Blue
In:
Looter il-Kor
Waterfront Bouncer
Civilized Scholar
Mulldrifter
Spell Pierce
Counterspell
Standstill
Capsize
Dismiss
Academy Ruins
Faerie Conclave
out:
Wonder
Magus of the Bazaar
Willbender
Gush
Greater Morphling
Circular Logic
Denied
Psychic Network
Spell Counter
Mind's Desire
White
In:
Mother of Runes
Savannah Lion
Steppe Lynx
Accorder Paladin
Lone Missionary
Out:
Auriok Steelshaper
Kor Skyfisher
Fiend Hunter
Waylay
Crusade
Harsh Mercy
Solitary Confinement
Gold:
Selesnya:
In:
Dryad Militant
Loam Lion
Mirari's Wake
Out:
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Selesnya Charm
Anurid Brushhopper
Golgari:
In:
Lotleth Troll
Glissa the Traitor
Verdant Catacombs
Out:
Golgari Charm
Vigor Mortis
Orzhov:
In:
Marsh Flats
Dimir:
In:
Mask of Riddles
Out:
Phyrexian Infiltrator
Simic:
In:
Simic Charm
Misty Rainforest
Out:
Memory's Journey
Izzet:
In:
Hypersonic Dragon
Izzet Charm
Prophetic Bolt
Scalding Tarn
Out:
Call the Skybreaker
Whirlpool Warrior
Boros:
In:
Firemane Avenger
Boros Charm
Arid Mesa
Out:
Glory of Warfare
Skyknight Legionnaire
Gruul
In:
Kird Ape
Bloodbraid Elf
Out:
Tin Street Hooligan
Decimate
Rakdos:
In:
Blightning
Murderous Redcap
Out:
Rakdos Charm
Blazing Specter
Anyone have any recommendations for adding:
Maze of Ith
Survival of the Fittest
Abyssal Persecutor
Elesh Norn
Changelog:
12/02/2013
liliana's specter -> mind twist
promise of power -> recurring nightmare
roar of the wurm -> survival of the fittest
??? -> maze of ith
i haven't cut anything for maze yet since i was hoping for some input - i know maze is typically considered to be a "spell" instead of a land, so should i be cutting a colourless nonland? any suggestions for what should get the axe?
Changelog 07/03/2013
Painlands -> Shocklands
this is going to take a while to fully acquire, but I figure its worth the change. I'm proxying until I get all 10 (though I already have 4 of them!)
Silvos, Rogue Elemental -> Vengevine
this is a simple change from one dumb beater into a more relevant, interesting, and ultimately interactive one
Terramorphic Expanse -> Lodestone Golem
I'm finally realizing my goal of not including ANY functional reprints (including stuff like Aether Adept and Man-o'-War), due to my strong belief of Cube as a singleton format. And I also found a useful card that might help make the artifact archetype stand out more.
Mortify -> Gerrard's Verdict
I have no idea why I wasn't playing Verdict earlier - I've had a love for that card since I was at the kitchen table level. It's going in over the "least interesting" BW option, which imo is mortify.
Vulturous Zombie -> Putrefy
In this case, it's a bit of the opposite. I'm switching out a less consistent creature (though Zombie can get pretty fun) for something more consistent and useful. Still no Deed incoming, so I guess I'll keep waiting on that.
Dimir Charm -> Duskmantle Seer
I'm very excited about the new Ux tempo/aggro archetype, so I'm making this swap to accommodate the new deck. Funny enough, it seems like most of my other UB picks are already in that archetype.
Vedalken Heretic -> Trygon Predator
Heretic was always filler for me and I finally picked up a Predator. Now I have to replace Simic Charm... SSS or Zegana? or something else?
Here are the other cards I picked up for addition to the cube. Any suggestions/recommendations for cuts?
Unusual cards:
Recommended cards:
Gideon's Lawkeeper
Icatian Javelineers
Prismatic Wardrobe
Cloistered Youth
Precinct Captain
AWOL
Charm School
Emcee
Look at Me, I'm R&D
Pianna, Nomad Captain
Staying Power
Celestial Crusader
False Prophet
Kor Sanctifiers
Ladies' Knight
Magus of the Disk
Once More with Feeling
Mageta the Lion
Akroma's Vengeance
Captain of the Watch
Look at Me, I'm the DCI
Decree of Justice
White Sun's Zenith
Kjeldoran Outpost
->
Elite Vanguard
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Weathered Wayfarer
Stormfront Pegasus
Soltari Trooper
Knight of Meadowgrain
Soltari Monk
Soltari Priest
Blade Splicer
Mirror Entity
Flickerwisp
Silverblade Paladin
Mirran Crusader
Restoration Angel
Calciderm
Hero of Bladehold
Spectral Procession
Reveillark
Baneslayer Angel
Sunblast Angel
Sun Titan
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Enlightened Tutor
Path to Exile
Land Tax
Revoke Existence
Ajani, Caller of the Pride
Ajani Goldmane
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Elspeth Tirel
Gideon Jura
Catastrophe
Kor Haven
Daze
Censorship
Enclave Cryptologist
Mise
Opt
Spell Pierce
Arcane Denial
Standstill
Waterfront Bouncer
Capsize
Civilized Scholar
Complicate
Disruptive Pitmage
Grand Architect
Laboratory Maniac
Number Crunch
Proteus Staff
Tandem Lookout
Thirst for Knowledge
Common Courtesy
Dismiss
Free-for-All
Into the Roil
Thieving Magpie
Dream Halls
Morphling
Draining Whelk
Day of the Dragons
Inkwell Leviathan
->
Phantasmal Image
Snapcaster Mage
Augur of Bolas
Fettergeist
Æther Adept
Vendilion Clique
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Glen Elendra Archmage
Dungeon Geists
Sower of Temptation
Control Magic
Bribery
Treachery
Keiga, the Tide Star
Consecrated Sphinx
Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Force of Will
Mystical Tutor
Ancestral Vision
Remand
Impulse
Narcolepsy
Mana Drain
Exclude
Compulsive Research
Tinker
Forbid
Jace Beleren
Crystal Shard
Vedalken Shackles
Gifts Ungiven
Jace, Architect of Thought
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Cryptic Command
Desertion
Jace, Memory Adept
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Shelldock Isle
Booster Tutor
Ow
Vendetta
Dance of the Dead
Enter the Dungeon
Exhume
Nezumi Graverobber
Reassembling Skeleton
Smallpox
Wretched Anurid
Bane of the Living
Dusk Urchins
Farewell to Arms
Grinning Demon
Jumbo Imp
Necropotence
Pox
Reckless Spite
Silent Specter
Handcuffs
Living Death
Seizan, Perverter of Truth
Lord of the Pit
Army of the Damned
Decree of Pain
Pestilence Demon
Cabal Coffers
->
Gravecrawler
Fume Spitter
Sarcomancy
Dark Confidant
Dauthi Horror
Vampire Interloper
Knight of Infamy
Pack Rat
Vampire Hexmage
Dauthi Marauder
Bone Shredder
Liliana's Specter
Vampire Nighthawk
Arrogant Bloodlord
Desecration Demon
Shriekmaw
Bloodgift Demon
Puppeteer Clique
Grave Titan
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Massacre Wurm
Tombstalker
Vampiric Tutor
Thoughtseize
Inquisition of Kozilek
Duress
Despise
Ultimate Price
Chainer's Edict
Demonic Tutor
Night's Whisper
Bitterblossom
Liliana of the Veil
Consuming Vapors
Barter in Blood
Damnation
Volrath's Stronghold
Rocket-Powered Turbo Slug
Goblin Tutor
Mass Hysteria
Face to Face
Blast from the Past
Blistering Firecat
Countryside Crusher
Fire Imp
Tuktuk the Explorer
Deal Damage
Keldon Champion
Six-y Beast
Touch and Go
Hunted Dragon
Kumano, Master Yamabushi
Yet Another Aether Vortex
Wildfire
Form of the Dragon
Blasphemous Act
Fireball
->
Spikeshot Elder
Tattermunge Maniac
Hellspark Elemental
Stormblood Berserker
Plated Geopede
Hearth Kami
Gore-House Chainwalker
Manic Vandal
Chandra's Phoenix
Hell's Thunder
Hellrider
Zealous Conscripts
Thundermaw Hellkite
Crater Hellion
Inferno Titan
Chain Lightning
Reckless Charge
Rift Bolt
Magma Jet
Smash to Smithereens
Whipflare
Mizzium Mortars
Shrine of Burning Rage
Brimstone Volley
Staggershock
Wheel of Fortune
Flames of the Firebrand
Koth of the Hammer
Chandra Nalaar
Ghazban Ogre
Ghazban Ogress
Mtenda Lion
Pouncing Jaguar
Wild Dogs
Wild Nacatl
Wolfbitten Captive
B-I-N-G-O
Channel
Mayor of Avabruck
Old Fogey
Werebear
Caller of the Claw
Hystrodon
Krosan Tusker
Mul Daya Channelers
Birthing Pod
Chain of Acid
Monkey Monkey Monkey
Obstinate Baloth
Symbol Status
Vengevine
Indrik Stomphowler
Elvish House Party
Mine, Mine, Mine!
Pelakka Wurm
Biorhythm
Incoming!
Rude Awakening
Terastodon
->
Fyndhorn Elves
Noble Hierarch
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Tinder Wall
Tarmogoyf
Mire Boa
River Boa
Scavenging Ooze
Lotus Cobra
Devoted Druid
Wall of Blossoms
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Uktabi Orangutan
Viridian Shaman
Carven Caryatid
Wolfir Avenger
Blastoderm
Thrun, the Last Troll
Chameleon Colossus
Deadbridge Goliath
Master of the Wild Hunt
Thragtusk
Genesis
Wolfir Silverheart
Vorapede
Gaea's Revenge
Hornet Queen
Green Sun's Zenith
Nature's Claim
Edge of Autumn
Life from the Loam
Sylvan Library
Nostalgic Dreams
Kodama's Reach
Garruk Wildspeaker
Natural Order
Plow Under
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Tranquil Thicket
Gerrard's Verdict
Ass Whuppin'
Desolation Angel
Unburial Rites
Scrubland
Life // Death
Lotleth Troll
Glissa, the Traitor
Vulturous Zombie
Bayou
Behemoth Sledge
Mirari's Wake
Savannah
Rare-B-Gone
Badlands
Kird Ape
Stormbind
"Ach! Hans, Run!"
Taiga
Lightning Helix
Sunhome Guildmage
Duergar Hedge-Mage
Plateau
Dimir Charm
Mask of Riddles
Psychatog
Shadowmage Infiltrator
Underground Sea
Lorescale Coatl
Tropical Island
Hypersonic Dragon
Volcanic Island
Azorius Charm
Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer
Meddling Kids
Drogskol Reaver
Tundra
->
Detention Sphere
Supreme Verdict
Talisman of Progress
Azorius Signet
Azorius Chancery
Flooded Strand
Baleful Strix
Nemesis of Reason
Talisman of Dominance
Dimir Signet
Dimir Aqueduct
Polluted Delta
Dreadbore
Shambling Remains
Falkenrath Aristocrat
Blackcleave Cliffs
Bloodstained Mire
Domri Rade
Sarkhan Vol
Kessig Wolf Run
Copperline Gorge
Wooded Foothills
Qasali Pridemage
Armada Wurm
Gavony Township
Horizon Canopy
Windswept Heath
Vindicate
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Obzedat, Ghost Council
Lingering Souls
Fetid Heath
Caves of Koilos
Izzet Signet
Izzet Boilerworks
Cascade Bluffs
Putrefy
Maelstrom Pulse
Pernicious Deed
Vraska the Unseen
Llanowar Wastes
Golgari Rot Farm
Ajani Vengeant
Boros Reckoner
Slayers' Stronghold
Rugged Prairie
Battlefield Forge
Simic Signet
Simic Growth Chamber
Yavimaya Coast
Deathrite Shaman
Figure of Destiny
Sundering Growth
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Kitchen Finks
Kaleidostone
Etched Oracle
Etched Monstrosity
Realm Razer
Who/What/When/Where/Why
->
Noxious Revival
Spellskite
Squee, Goblin Nabob
[CARD]Murmuring Bosk[/CARD}
Ashnod's Coupon
Cheatyface
Jack-in-the-Mox
Æther Vial
Banshee's Blade
Guardian Idol
Isochron Scepter
Mortarpod
Water Gun Balloon Game
Chromatic Lantern
Loxodon Warhammer
My First Tome
Worn Powerstone
Chaos Confetti
Erratic Portal
Icy Manipulator
Mindless Automaton
Gilded Lotus
Memory Jar
Mirari
Letter Bomb
Mindslaver
Mirror Mirror
Sundering Titan
Everflowing Chalice
City of Ass
Grand Coliseum
Urza's Factory
->
Phyrexian Revoker
Bonehoard
Razormane Masticore
Batterskull
Wurmcoil Engine
Umezawa's Jitte
Grafted Wargear
Sword of War and Peace
Sword of Body and Mind
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Pithing Needle
Black Vise
Cursed Scroll
Ankh of Mishra
Scroll Rack
Powder Keg
Tangle Wire
Crucible of Worlds
Mimic Vat
Oblivion Stone
Karn Liberated
Engineered Explosives
Chrome Mox
Mana Vault
Sol Ring
Grim Monolith
Mind Stone
Coalition Relic
Reflecting Pool
Gemstone Mine
Terramorphic Expanse
Vivid Creek
Vivid Grove
Mutavault
Tectonic Edge
Rishadan Port
Wasteland
Dust Bowl
I'd start with the most affordable missing cards. Pick up all the cards on the "Recommended Cards" list that is < $1, and replace the cards at the top of the "Unusual Cards" list first.
Once you make the affordable changes, run the cube through the comparison data again. It will play a lot better in the interim, and it won't cost you much to update it. Then you can slowly acquire the more expensive cube staples and rotate out the last of the filler cards for those.
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 think Necropotence is much better than Necro-impotence, but I've never actually played Necro-impotence. Having to pay lots of life to untap seems like it really isn't worth it.
There is a comment on gatherer that explains how Old Fogey actually works:
Turn 0:
> Old Fogey enters play with 0 Age counters and 3 Fading counters.
Turn 1:
> Old Fogey phases out at the beginning of the untap step.
Turn 2:
> Old Fogey phases in at the beginning of the untap step.
> Cumulative Upkeep, Echo, and Fading triggers are placed on the stack at the beginning of the upkeep step in order of the controlling players choice.
> Upon Cumulative Upkeep resolution, Old Fogey gains 1 Age counter (1 total), then is sacrificed unless {1} is paid.
> Upon Echo resolution, Old Fogey is sacrificed unless {G}{G} is payed.
> Upon Fading resolution, 1 Fading counter is removed (2 remaining)
Turn 3:
> Old Fogey phases out at the beginning of the untap step.
Turn 4:
> Old Fogey phases in at the beginning of the untap step.
> Cumulative Upkeep and Fading triggers are placed on the stack at the beginning of the upkeep step in order of the controlling players choice.
> Upon Cumulative Upkeep resolution, Old Fogey gains 1 Age counter (2 total), then is sacrificed unless {1}{1} is paid.
> Upon Fading resolution, 1 Fading counter is removed (1 remaining)
Turn 5:
> Old Fogey phases out at the beginning of the untap step.
Turn 6:
> Old Fogey phases in at the beginning of the untap step.
> Cumulative Upkeep and Fading triggers are placed on the stack at the beginning of the upkeep step in order of the controlling players choice.
> Upon Cumulative Upkeep resolution, Old Fogey gains 1 Age counter (3 total), then is sacrificed unless {1}{1}{1} is paid.
> Upon Fading resolution, 1 Fading counter is removed (0 remaining)
Turn 7:
> Old Fogey phases out at the beginning of the untap step.
Turn 8:
> Old Fogey phases in at the beginning of the untap step.
> Cumulative Upkeep and Fading triggers are placed on the stack at the beginning of the upkeep step in order of the controlling players choice.
> Upon Cumulative Upkeep resolution, Old Fogey gains 1 Age counter (4 total), then is sacrificed unless {1}{1}{1}{1} is paid.
> Upon Fading resolution, 1 Fading counter cannot be removed, and Old Fogey is sacrificed.
Upon declaring attackers, Old Fogey may be placed in a band with one or more creatures with "Bands with other Dinosaurs", and any number of creatures with the Dinosaur subtype. Once an attacking band has been announced, all creatures remain a part of that band until end of combat. If a creature is removed from combat, it is also removed from a band.
If Old Fogey or another creature in its band becomes blocked, all creatures in the band become blocked.
If Old Fogey or another creature in its band becomes blocked, the active player (rather than defending player) chooses how combat damage is dealt to creatures in the attacking band. This damage may be divided as the player chooses.
If Old Fogey and one or more creatures with "Bands with other Dinosaurs" or the "Dinosaur" subtype block a creature, the defending player decides how combat damage is dealt to the blocking creatures (rather than the active player). This damage may be divided as the player chooses.
Old Fogey cannot be blocked by Homarids and cannot be targeted by spells or abilities from a Homarid source. All damage dealt to Old Fogey from a Homarid source is prevented.
If defending player controls a land with both the Snow supertype and Plains subtype, Old Fogey is unblockable.
If Old Fogey is blocked by a creature without Flanking, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
If Old Fogey is blocked by more than one creature, it gains +2/+2 until end of turn for each creature blocking it beyond the first.
@Wtwlf: thanks for your feedback. You're right - there's a long way to go for my cube (especially in terms of dollar value) before I get to a reasonable level of power. However, I recently picked up a pile of cards that I need to make some cuts to add, and Eidolon's list seems like a good place to start.
Here is a quick draft of PWs I plan to run:
W:
ajani, caller of the pride
ajani goldmane
gideon jura
U:
jace beleren
tezz, seeker
B:
liliana of the dark realms
R:
Koth
Chandra Nalaar
G:
garruk relentless
garruk wildspeaker
gold:
tezz, aob
sorin, loi
ajani vengeant
nicol bolas
My questions:
1. How "gamebreaking" is Elspeth, Knight-Errant? Compared to the other PWs in that range for White, how would you rank them? Just wondering if her price tag is justifiable for cube.
2. Why is Chandra Nalaar run in almost every list, but Chandra Ablaze is not? I personally found Ablaze to be more interesting, while Nalaar felt a bit... shallow (do you just sit there and +1 until you need to remove a threat?)
3. Is Nicol Bolas worth a spot in the cube?
4. To what degree does Tezzeret the Seeker need artifact support in order to be useful? In other cubes I've seen Grim/Basalt Monolith (I don't run those right now) which obviously work well with Tezzeret. Is my list going to be okay with just a few 2-3 CMC mana rocks?
5. How useful is Garruk Primal Hunter? The green heavy cost seems a bit prohibitive - is it worth inclusion?
Thanks for the feedback, community.
I took a quick run through your list and i'm happy to say that many of the cards you mentioned in the "must acquire" list are on my shopping/trading list, and many of the weird cards will certainly be some of the first to go. Some other cards were excluded because I don't allow functional reprints or colourshifting (so Manic Vandal is out, since Uktabi Orangutans is in).
EDIT: and ajani pridemage was definitely supposed to be ajani goldmane.
EDIT2: think the two missing were Chrome Mox and Reflecting Pool
Erratic Portal -> Tangle Wire
Surprisingly, Erratic Portal hasn't seen play once in my cube's history so far. I'm considering adding crystal shard to blue (once I find one), so hopefully that will encourage more blink decks. Tangle Wire is coming in to support Tezzeret and the artifact deck.
Mortarpod -> City of Traitors
Looking to test the City of Traitors! There's crucible, there's KotR - this card should be interesting at the very least. Mortarpod hasn't seen play in a while though.
My First Tome -> Black Vise
Sorry to say but Tome is just not worth it anymore (it's been fun though). I'm digging the 0-2 CMC artifacts for Tezzeret, so Black Vise is in.
Lord of the Pit -> Grave Titan
Although Lord of the Pit is an old favourite and has certainly seen play, he's just not cutting it anymore. I really love the DvD art though
Wretched Anurid -> Vampire Hexmage
Now that I have so many planeswalkers, I need some ways to get rid of them. Although I still HIGHLY recommend Anurid for aggro decks, I'm putting him away for now.
Vendetta -> Demonic Tutor
This was a hard cut, simply because I was running out of cards to remove. Demonic Tutor was highly recommended to me, and Eidolon's list told me I could afford to cut one piece of black removal - so there you go.
Pouncing Jaguar -> Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
This is a preemptive cut. I don't have a Rofellos on hand yet, but hopefully I will soon! Jaguar always felt "not enough" and Rofellos is very powerful, I've heard.
Mine! Mine! Mine! -> Natural Order
Originally included to combo with Laboratory Maniac, since cutting the Maniac I can't really run this anymore.
Elvish House Party -> Deranged Hermit
I've always kept EHP in because of how ridiculously powerful it gets, especially when we cube in the evenings (12/12 for 6 seems good). The lack of evasion and ETB effects just killed it for me though, so we're getting the army of the can.
Hunted Dragon -> Inferno Titan
I originally included the Dragon because of the 6 hasty flying power. Unfortunately, it has yet to see play. I'm cutting it for Inferno Titan for now, but I might look into adding Thundermaw in the post-rotation future.
Day of the Dragons -> Tinker
Time to bring in the Tinker combo! Unfortunately no one has played Day before, despite it being a really awesome card.
Wall of Omens -> Isamaru, Hound of Konda
I've been looking for an excuse to cut Wall for a while now. It seems a little too derpy for me, and Isamaru is a welcome boost to white aggro. maybe i should be cutting something else?
Condemn -> Path to Exile
I had no idea no one ran Condemn anymore. This is a preemptive cut but I'll pick up a PtE after MM cracks.
Captain of the Watch -> Sun Titan
I always liked Captain, but everyone seems to like Sun Titan more. Any advice?
Stirring Wildwood -> Horizon Canopy
Another preemptive cut, but a pretty reasonable one I think. I've been looking to cut the manland for a while now.
Gwafa Hazid -> Supreme Verdict
Gwafa Hazid has always been a cute card for our cube, and has won a couple games in the past, but I think it's time to upgrade him out.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
However, I'll have to enlighten you on Look at me, I'm R&D!. this card is an absolute powerhouse in anthem decks. if you drop this and select your numbers as 1 and 2, all your 1/1s become 2/2s and all anthem effects suddenly give +2/+2. i've had a player drop captain of the watch (when she was in) with a Look at Me! in play, and it certainly wasn't fair by any means. it can make cards in your hand cost less, or planeswalkers bump up for more. it's a card that forces you to think about how you're going to use it, and creates for some very interesting board states - two features I value highly in a cube card.
I've also started to use Cubetutor much more frequently, so the changes here are in bulk. Feedback is always appreciated, but in general I'm just increasing the power level of the cube.
Swaps: (OUT -> IN)
Artifacts:
Black:
Green:
Red:
Blue:
White:
Guild:
Please check out my cube here: http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/43. I'll get around to updating this post (hopefully with photos!) in the next few days. Thanks!