At 360, it comes up a lot. Running a full suite of tutors and an ample supply of imprint targets definitely increases those odds. It's not hard at this size to have enough juicy targets. I'd imagine at your size it might be significant difference.
when you draft you sometimes have to pass better cards for imprint targets, meaning that if you see the Scepter later on there's a real chance the amount of targets you have in your pile is not sufficient to support it.
This is crucial for the deck to come together. Some will mistakenly pass suitable imprints thinking they can grab some later only to find they end up with 3 imprintable spells in their pool.
Non-aggro builds in red, white, and blue tend to be able to pick up a late scepter somewhat easily as those are the colors with the most density of targets.
It's above average. Early on it presents a lot of pressure quickly and really forces the opponent to do whatever necessary to remove the creature....which may be easy or it may require them to scramble a bit. Having a 4 turn clock on the second turn is pretty great. Late game once removal is exhausted, it can open up an opportunity to get in a heavy hit. It's not uncuttable, but I like what it does enough for now.
You guys have sold me, I put in Madcap Skills over one of my weaker burn spells. I've been looking for an excuse to put it in ever since I saw it do work in its limited environment.
When you time Madcap Skills correctly.. boy does it do a lot of damage and turns a small beater into a serious threat. It's so good at what it does because it's cheap, it provides a great type of evasion since it requires your opponent to have 2 creatures, and it curves out tremendously when it's follow up to a 1 drop!
Seems fine. The only cut that I find suspect is Pyreheart Wolf. That effect is incredibly powerful and he's hard to deal with. Reason for cutting?
Also, please update me on Spellshock once you get to test it. That card seems super fun to play. Not sure how consistent it would be, but it looks incredibly fun/annoying/interesting.
i could cut fervent cathar instead, that card hasn't been too hot lately. i don't have a reasonable explanation for cutting the wolf.
Edit: I do have a reason after thinking about why I considered cutting it. It's a 3 drop with 1 power that has no immediate board impact. It just feels a little awkward in my aggro decks and the body is pretty insubstantial. It also doesn't do that much when played in curve. Those qualities add up to me not really liking it.
I think war drums could be slightly better than the wolf. It provides an immediate board change so there's less time to react to it compared to the wolf (drop a couple other guys for blocks or leave mana up for removal). It's also more difficult to deal with. The only thing Pyreheart Wolf has on it is its ability to wear equipment, auras, etc. I may consider it if Spellshock doesn't work out.
I added Gush as part of the storm package. It seemed like a reasonable cut since I just cut storm and removed some blue aggro support. I really enjoy blue based control and realized I was stretching its resources a little thin in supporting storm and aggro as much as I was. I think it's a good card, but just not right for my cube at the moment.
Well I cut Gush to bring in Opportunity for the dedicated control decks. I didn't see Gush as being anything close to what a control deck wanted to run...netting one card in the mid to late game and returning two lands to your hand to do so is bad for the decks that are trying to do busted things with lots of mana late in the game. Aggro/Tempo decks aren't hurting for card draw options either. They have Tandem Lookout, Compulsive Research, Thirst for Knowledge, Looter il-Kor, Mask of Memory, Standstill, and Fact or Fiction all of which I like more than Gush.
I would say Gush is better than Thirst for Knowledge unless you have a ton of artifacts in your cube.
I run a good bit of artifacts for my cube size. About 10% of my cube is artifacts. It's also included to help enable reanimator.
And returning two lands at end of your opponents turn means you'll draw three cards before you drop your next land, if you draw a single land in those three you've set yourself back considerably. And if you're at the point in the game where that's irrelevan (or you can hardcast it) a card that nets you more cards would often be superior.
@Squirrely, that is actually a compelling argument. Turn 3 and earlier is just suicide with gush. I feel gush is better in a control deck but I do have to agree that thirst has more applications with additionally being able to pitch a card. Also didn't even notice it was an instant.
What is your opinion on Opportunity vs. Jace's Ingenuity?
I'll take opportunity over jace's ingenuity all day. You get more card for your mana, and it targets which means it can deck someone in the occasional control on control matchup. I remember one game where we'd each neutralized each other threats, I'd just won a counter war on the last turn, and my opponent had 3 cards left in his library to my 6. He proceeded to cast deep analysis, flashed it back, and compulsive research all targeting me to deck me...haha. I've had similar situations happen enough to make me value the targeting clause on draw spells.
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How frequently does the Isochron Scepter deck come together?
My Type 4 stack (Cube Tutor link)
This is crucial for the deck to come together. Some will mistakenly pass suitable imprints thinking they can grab some later only to find they end up with 3 imprintable spells in their pool.
Non-aggro builds in red, white, and blue tend to be able to pick up a late scepter somewhat easily as those are the colors with the most density of targets.
EDIT: Oh, I forgot one big thing to report back on about our draft. Blightning and Raven's Crime are siiiiick. The machinehead deck drafted those alongside Hypnotic Specter, Blazing Specter, and Hymn to Tourach and completely wrecked everyone's hands all night.
Cubetutor link - 380 Peasant Cube
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
Cubetutor link - 380 Peasant Cube
My Peasant Cube thread !!! (380 cards)
Draft my Peasant Cube on Cube Cobra !!!
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
My Peasant Cube thread !!! (380 cards)
Draft my Peasant Cube on Cube Cobra !!!
aaaaaaaagh why wasn't agent of heliod a 2/1 to justify playing it in aggro!?
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
12 cards to go.
-aven riftwatcher, +fiend hunter
-syndic of tithes, +leonin relic-warder
-keening apparition, +kami of ancient law
-quickling, +augur of bolas
-vaporkin, +careful study
-gush, +opportunity
-frantic search, +thirst for knowledge
-miscalculation, +memory lapse
-chainer's edict, +wight of precinct six
-vampire interloper, +rakdos guildmage
-pyreheart wolf, +ghitu slinger
-volcanic dragon, +spellshock
-pyrohemia, +hissing iguanar
-empty the warrens, +mogg war marshal
-rolling thunder, +fireball
moved tattermunge maniac to red
-howlgeist, +centaur glade
-strangleroot geist, +viridian emissary
-edge of autumn, +cultivate
-manamorphose, +penumbra spider
-blightning, +rix maadi guildmage
-elixir of immortality, +pierce strider
-gitaxian probe, +mask of memory
-guardian idol, +coldsteel heart
Khans update will happen once cards are in hand, and cubetutor is primed for it.
Also, please update me on Spellshock once you get to test it. That card seems super fun to play. Not sure how consistent it would be, but it looks incredibly fun/annoying/interesting.
My Peasant Cube thread !!! (380 cards)
Draft my Peasant Cube on Cube Cobra !!!
i don't have a reasonable explanation for cutting the wolf.Edit: I do have a reason after thinking about why I considered cutting it. It's a 3 drop with 1 power that has no immediate board impact. It just feels a little awkward in my aggro decks and the body is pretty insubstantial. It also doesn't do that much when played in curve. Those qualities add up to me not really liking it.
anyway, people didn't like gush in your group? I play it and win like... all day
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
I added Gush as part of the storm package. It seemed like a reasonable cut since I just cut storm and removed some blue aggro support. I really enjoy blue based control and realized I was stretching its resources a little thin in supporting storm and aggro as much as I was. I think it's a good card, but just not right for my cube at the moment.
My CubeCobra (draft 20 card packs, 2 packs.)
430, Peasant, Very Unpowered
Why you should take your hybrids out of your gold section
Manamath Article
My 540 CU/be thread
I run a good bit of artifacts for my cube size. About 10% of my cube is artifacts. It's also included to help enable reanimator.
And returning two lands at end of your opponents turn means you'll draw three cards before you drop your next land, if you draw a single land in those three you've set yourself back considerably. And if you're at the point in the game where that's irrelevan (or you can hardcast it) a card that nets you more cards would often be superior.
What is your opinion on Opportunity vs. Jace's Ingenuity?
My 540 CU/be thread