Hello Everyone! Finally I have finished My Mirran Cube which is based on Mirrodin/Artifacts.
Nice thing about this is that it is really cheaper to build as I don't have to use the tournament staples (except for a few).
I haven't actually drafted this thing so I am excited how it goes; I will provide updates later.
Hope to hear for some comments.
Design Considerations:
- More than 50% Artifacts
- Colors are splashable as much as possible, as if colour will almost not matter (ties with colourless theme)
- Pentacolor fixing enables splashes as well as sunburst
- Put in Mirran artifact themes as much as possible (Affinity, Modular, Sunburst, Metalcraft)
- Meant for multiplayer, but duel is also OK.
- Banned list: Mass artifact removal. Artifacts that are too powerful (Jitte, Moxes, Sol Ring), Infect
- Archtypes (Aggro + equipment, Tokens, Combo: there are some infinite combos imbedded about)
- The 16th card in evey pack is either a Myr Servitor or a Cloudpost
White enables artifact recursion, artifact removal, weenies and interaction with equipment.
Dominaria makes some good artifact contributions, thanks to the historic mechanic. I was quite disappointed that green did not get even a single card on the mechanic (nat even an Eternal Witness type). I feel that it is such a wasted opportunity as green is a color that loves history, and of course in an artifact cube green is definitely lacking still.
I also removed the multiple Cloudposts and Servitors, for now. The Cube has enough interesting interactions and ramp already that I want to try it without them. So far, they are not missed.
Additions: Powder Keg --> Sparring Construct
I love artifact 1 drops as it enables aggro in any color. 1/1 My not be powerful, but when it dies, it has some utility and enables a bit of a voltron. Perhaps one day I will put hexproof creatures in green to facilitate the archetype. I am removing Powder Keg simply because I am using it another cube (sorry). Anyway I still have Ratchet Bomb
Hover Myr -- > Voltaic Construct
The french vanilla with vigilance will be replaced by something with pseudo vigilance, with a possible upside. This will have so much synergy I am excited to play with this.
Necrogen Spellbomb --> Divest
Selective removal is better on small quantities and black will have less trouble removing artifacts. We lose some artifact synergy but this is definitely an upgrade.
Embersmith --> Orcish Vandal
I'm putting a card more suited to the sac theme of red, and at the same time deals more damage, without the mana requirements.
I am seeking out in the forums for suggestions regarding black's identity.
To give a background, it is very easy to splash a color or even multiple colors with all the penta-fixing.
So it's not really giving identity to specific colors, but putting individual powerful cards in the color.
Cards like the Nim have very little allure, so what themes can be used in black instead?
My initial inclinations are:
1) Stax and sac effects (Disciple of the Vault)
2) Goodstuff (Skinrender etc)
3) Wait for the next artifact bloack or return to Alara (Esper - if the identity remains)
As someone who also has an artifact theme cube myself, I guess I can chime in with black suggestions.
My black themes are based heavily around sacrificing things, as I've found that's one of the more interesting and fun to play themes within black (I've seen it pushed in other cubes as well). I have no idea if it's powerful enough, but my own cube seems to have solid representation from black due to the fact that it gets some powerful & interesting artifact theme cards and just a bunch of generically powerful removal. Drawing from my own cube, here's some suggestions:
Sacrifice enablers are things like: Carrion Feeder (aggro), Priest of Yawgmoth (ramp), Syndicate Trafficker (aggro), Fleshbag Marauder (control), Shadowborn Demon (control), Gate to Phyrexia, and if you want to go really heavy, Smothering Abomination.
To make sacrifice themes work, you need recursion. Helpfully, artifacts are good at recursion: Bloodghast, Skeleton Shard, and Ovalchase Daredevil all come back from the dead indefinitely.
To help sacrifice more, you can also use things like Sly Requisitioner, Pawn of Ulamog, and Smothering Abomination to keep generating cards/dudes to sacrifice.
And for sacrificing payoffs... Skirsdag High Priest, Moriok Rigger, Disciple of the Vault, and Blood Artist love it when you sacrifice things for cheap.
It helps when your themes play into other colors; because I'm based on the Antiquities set specifically I use cards like Argivian Archaeologist and Orcish Mechanics to support the theme in other colors (white resurrects, black sacrifices creatures, and red sacrifices artifacts) but you can easily find sacrifice outlets and engine cards in other colors, whether it's Metallic Mastery/Harness By Force in red or Sun Titan/Auriok Salvagers in white.
I've found it makes the game more interesting than The Rock (efficient green beaters and cheap black removal... which I'll admit is my BG theme) but it also has the potential to do really powerful things like jam early Sundering Titans or Greater Gargadons, swarm the board with white metalcraft guys backed up by Painsmith and Disciple of the Vault, or generate long engines where you overwhelm your opponent with Trading Post, Skeleton Shard, and Unwinding Clock.
Also, I know you're Mirran themed, but oh man is Praetor's Grasp cool in an artifact cube.
Hope that inspires you!
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Wow thank you for your suggestions!! And I even took a peek out of your cube.
I do want to push black tinto the sac/recursion theme, especially when paired with red. I will look at your suggested cards into consideration. Perhaps those are the missihg cards that will push the archtype.
I will have a massive update due to Kaladesh. I will lose a lot of tbe Mirran theme but it will have more artifact interactions, and black gained the most of it IMO.
Thanks again and see you around. It's nice to meet a fellow artifact cuber.
Any other makers of artifact cubes here? Next problem I am having is green... it has the least artifact synergy. The invistigate and fabricate cards help a bit, but they really are not very powerful. Green can have a token theme with white, and also a Stax theme, as it has the most removal (the tokens help). Anything else out there?
Any other makers of artifact cubes here? Next problem I am having is green... it has the least artifact synergy. The invistigate and fabricate cards help a bit, but they really are not very powerful. Green can have a token theme with white, and also a Stax theme, as it has the most removal (the tokens help). Anything else out there?
I see you have infect and energy themes. Do they work well in draft? I find them too linear and does not interact well with the artifact theme. How are the themes performing? How about the +1/+1 theme?
I see you have infect and energy themes. Do they work well in draft? I find them too linear and does not interact well with the artifact theme. How are the themes performing? How about the +1/+1 theme?
The infect was partly because black and green are the two colors with least artifact themed cards. And for green it overlaps really well with the ‘counters matters’ theme. But if I were ro remove one theme it would probably be infect as it is linear, even though it’s also ok to have a few infect creatures in control decks.
With energy, pure energy decks aren’t really possible, and it’s more of a minor theme. But again I probably wouldn’t miss it much if I removed it.
The counters and +1/+1 theme is very succesful, because it goes in so many different decks. Infect, modular, fabricate, etc.
I see you have infect and energy themes. Do they work well in draft? I find them too linear and does not interact well with the artifact theme. How are the themes performing? How about the +1/+1 theme?
The infect was partly because black and green are the two colors with least artifact themed cards. And for green it overlaps really well with the ‘counters matters’ theme. But if I were ro remove one theme it would probably be infect as it is linear, even though it’s also ok to have a few infect creatures in control decks.
With energy, pure energy decks aren’t really possible, and it’s more of a minor theme. But again I probably wouldn’t miss it much if I removed it.
The counters and +1/+1 theme is very succesful, because it goes in so many different decks. Infect, modular, fabricate, etc.
</blockquote>
Thanks, I think I will be going "all out" on the +1/+1 counters theme and will share the results.
Nice thing about this is that it is really cheaper to build as I don't have to use the tournament staples (except for a few).
I haven't actually drafted this thing so I am excited how it goes; I will provide updates later.
Hope to hear for some comments.
Design Considerations:
- More than 50% Artifacts
- Colors are splashable as much as possible, as if colour will almost not matter (ties with colourless theme)
- Pentacolor fixing enables splashes as well as sunburst
- Put in Mirran artifact themes as much as possible (Affinity, Modular, Sunburst, Metalcraft)
- Meant for multiplayer, but duel is also OK.
- Banned list: Mass artifact removal. Artifacts that are too powerful (Jitte, Moxes, Sol Ring), Infect
- Archtypes (Aggro + equipment, Tokens, Combo: there are some infinite combos imbedded about)
- The 16th card in evey pack is either a Myr Servitor or a Cloudpost
White enables artifact recursion, artifact removal, weenies and interaction with equipment.
1 Kor Duelist
1 Kitesail Apprentice
1 Ardent Recruit
1 Court Homunculus
1 Glint Hawk
1 Dispatch
1 Dispeller’s Capsule
1 Auriok Sunchaser
1 Sunspear Shikari
1 Puresteel Paladin
1 Myrsmith
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Suture Priest
1 Circle of Protection: Artifacts
1 Kemba, Kha Regent
1 Tempered Steel
1 Auriok Salvagers
1 Indomitable Archangel
1 Master Splicer
1 Leonin Abunas
1 Sanctum Gargoyle
1 Stonehewer Giant
Blue has artifact tutors, and random broken interactions with artefacts.
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Annul
1 Riddlesmith
1 Vedalken Engineer
1 Thrummingbird
1 Etherium Sculptor
1 Artificer’s Intuition
1 Treasure Mage
1 Trinket Mage
1 Wing Splicer
1 Master of Etherium
1 Esperzoa
1 Domineer
1 Halt Order
1 Fabricate
1 Vedalken Archmage
1 Arcum Dagsson
1 Master Transmuter
1 Filigree Sages
1 Steal Artifact
1 Argivian Restoration
1 Sharding Sphinx
1 Reshape
Black has a some artifact interactions from Esper, as well as a Disciple of the Vault Blood artist subtheme.
1 Disciple of the Vault
1 Salvage Titan
1 Executioner’s Capsule
1 Glaze Fiend
1 Salvage Slasher
1 Blood Artist
1 Doom Blade
1 Painsmith
1 Vampire Hexmage
1 Blood Seeker
1 Gate to Phyrexia
1 Nameless Inversion
1 Phyrexian Gremlins
1 Fleshgrafter
1 Moriok RIgger
1 Nim Lasher
1 Attrition
1 Grim Affliction
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Falkenrath Noble
1 Beacon of Unrest
1 Geth, Lord of the Vault
Red has an aggro theme. Artifact sacrifice as well as artifact removal.
1 Slag Fiend
1 Goblin Gaveleer
1 Goblin Welder
1 Electrostatic Bolt
1 Galvanic Blast
1 Atog
1 Embersmith
1 Reckless Reveler
1 Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer
1 Shrapnel Blast
1 Ferrovore
1 Krark-Clan Grunt
1 Dismantle
1 Smash
1 Metallic Mastery
1 Ion Storm
1 Volt Charge
1 Trash for Treasure
1 Artillerize
1 Kuldotha Phoenix
1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
1 Megatog
Green has the most anti artifact spells, as well as interaction with the +1/+1 subtheme.
1 Hidden Guerrilas
1 Brown Ouphe
1 LIfesmith
1 Carapace Forger
1 Baloth Cage Trap
1 Citanul Druid
1 Tel-Jilad Chosen
1 Tel-Jilad Justice
1 Channel
1 Earthcraft
1 Viridian Revel
1 Vital Splicer
1 Glissan Sunseeker
1 Ooze Flux
1 Death’s Presence
1 Parallel Lives
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Molder Slug
1 Rebuking Ceremony
1 Primal Vigor
1 Doubling Season
1 Fengran Marauder
1 Maul Splicer
CMC 2
1 Tidehollow Sculler
1 Zameck Guildmage
1 Thopter Foundry
1 Time Sieve
1 Sundering Growth
1 Demonspine Whip
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Shattering Blow
1 Vorel of the Hull Clade
1 Sarcatog
1 Behemoth Sledge
1 Mizzium Transreliquat
1 Lithatog
1 Arsenal Thresher
1 Corpsejack Menace
1 Glassdusk Hulk
1 Sphinx Summoner
1 Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer
1 Bringer of the White Dawn
1 Bringer of the Blue Dawn
1 Bringer of the Black Dawn
1 Bringer of the Red Dawn
1 Bringer of the Green Dawn
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
CMC 1
1 Phyrexia’s Core
1 Buried Ruin
1 Glimmervoid
1 Mirrodin’s Core
1 Great Furnace
1 Vault of Whispers
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Ancient Den
1 Tree of Tales
1 Pentad Prism
1 Sphere of the Suns
1 Prophetic Prism
1 Mycosynth Wellspring
1 Elsewhere Flask
1 Ichor Wellspring
1 Kaleidostone
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Cloud Key
1 Semblance Anvil
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Myr Reservoir
1 Basalt Monolith
1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Paradise Mantle
1 Trusty Machete
1 Darksteel Axe
1 Blade of the Bloodchief
1 Skullclamp
1 Slagwood Armor
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Bonesplitter
1 Flayer Husk
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Cranial Plating
1 Nim Deathmantle
1 Mortarpod
1 Illusionist’s Bracers
1 Sword of the Meek
1 Happer of Ruin
1 Vulshok Morningstar
1 Vulshok MOrningstar
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Sword of Vengeance
1 Deathrender
1 Sword fot he Paruns
1 Bonehoard
1 Strandwalker
1 Memnite
1 Choronomaton’
1 Arcbound Worker
1 Hex Parasite
1 Signal Pest
1 Vault Skirge
1 Wall of Junk
1 Jhoira’s Toolbox
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Hovermyr
1 Glint Hawk Idol
1 Arcbound Ravager
1 Sliversmith
1 Epochastrite
1 Myr Retriever
1 Arcbound Slith
1 Arcbound Stinger
1 Immolating Souleater
1 Steel Overseer
1 Myr Sire
1 Perilous Myr
1 Pili-Pala
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Spined Thopter
1 Coretapper
1 Copper Myr
1 Iron Myr
1 Leaden Myr
1 Silver Myr
1 Gold Myr
1 Pilgrom’s Eye
1 Alloy Myr
1 Burnished Hart
1 Scuttlemutt
1 Brass Squire
1 Myr Galvanaizer
1 Myr Welder
1 Shimmer Myr
1 Wizard Replica
1 Moriok Replica
1 Goblin Replica
1 Sylvok Replica
1 Suntouched Myr
1 Myr Propagator
1 Scarecrone
1 Junk Diver
1 Ferropede
1 Rust Tick
1 Serrated Biskelion
1 Palladium Myr
1 Adaptive Automaton
1 Cathodion
1 Moltensteel Dragon
1 Thundering Tanadon
1 Slash Panther
1 Lodestone Myr
1 Rustspore Ram
1 Frogmite
1 Arcbound Crusher
1 Dross Scorpion
1 Solemn Simulactrum
1 Voltaic Construct
1 Pierce Strider
1 Rusted Relic
1 Synod Centurion
1 Arcbound Hybrid
1 Juggernaut
1 Needlebug
1 Mindless Automaton
1 Etched Oracle
1 Arcbound Reclaimer
1 Thopter Squadron
1 Etched Monstrosity
1 Precursor Golem
1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
1 Darksteel Juggernaut
1 Mycosynth Golem
1 Darksteel Sentinel
1 Composite Golem
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Pentavus
1 Razormane Masticore
1 Thopter Assembly
1 Triskelion
1 Triskelavus
1 Platinum Angel
1 Myr Enforcer
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Grim Poppet
1 Bosh, Iron Golem
1 Arcbound Overseer
1 Suncrusher
1 Solarion
1 Platinum Emperion
1 Chimeric Mass
1 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Urza’s Factory
1 Blinkmoth Well
1 Welding Jar
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Origin Spellbomb
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Aether Spellbomb
1 Voltaic Key
1 Brittle Effigy
1 Pithing Needle
1 Apostle’s Blessing
1 Expedition Map
1 Gremlin Mine
1 Spawning Pit
1 Power Conduit
1 Energy Chamber
1 Throne of Geth
1 Contagion Clasp
1 Relic Barrier
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Culling Dais
1 Strionic Resonator
1 Null Rod
1 Sun Droplet
1 Golem’s Heart
1 Shrine of Loyal Legions
1 Golem Foundry
1 Evolution Vat
1 Crystal Shard
1 Staff oF Domination
1 Blasting Station
1 Skeleton Shard
1 Nuisance Engine
1 Crystal Ball
1 Tezzeret’s Gambit
1 Conversion Chamber
1 Tumble Magnet
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Sculpting Steel
1 Mimic Vat
1 Imi Statue
1 Serum Tank
1 Birthing Pod
1 Oblivion Stine
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Trading Post
1 Phyrexian Processor
1 Trigon of Corruption
1 Infused Arrows
1 Lux Cannon
1 Clock of Omens
1 Unwinding Clock
1 Prototype Portal
1 Well of Lost Dreams
1 Mirrorworks
1 Clearwater Goblet
1 Myr Matrix
1 Contagion Engine
1 Obelisk of Alara
1 Salvaging Station
1 Mindslaver
1 Legacy Weapon
1 Summoning Station
1 Spine of Ish Sah
1 Darksteel Forge
Dominaria makes some good artifact contributions, thanks to the historic mechanic. I was quite disappointed that green did not get even a single card on the mechanic (nat even an Eternal Witness type). I feel that it is such a wasted opportunity as green is a color that loves history, and of course in an artifact cube green is definitely lacking still.
I also removed the multiple Cloudposts and Servitors, for now. The Cube has enough interesting interactions and ramp already that I want to try it without them. So far, they are not missed.
Additions:
Powder Keg --> Sparring Construct
I love artifact 1 drops as it enables aggro in any color. 1/1 My not be powerful, but when it dies, it has some utility and enables a bit of a voltron. Perhaps one day I will put hexproof creatures in green to facilitate the archetype. I am removing Powder Keg simply because I am using it another cube (sorry). Anyway I still have Ratchet Bomb
Hover Myr -- > Voltaic Construct
The french vanilla with vigilance will be replaced by something with pseudo vigilance, with a possible upside. This will have so much synergy I am excited to play with this.
Blood Artist --> Cabal Paladin
Blood Artist is a complement to Disciple of the Vault. This is an easy replacement. Black has now three of the effects, including Disciple of the Vault and Marionette Master
Necrogen Spellbomb --> Divest
Selective removal is better on small quantities and black will have less trouble removing artifacts. We lose some artifact synergy but this is definitely an upgrade.
Pillage, Pirate's Pillage Champion of the Flame, Valduk, Keeper of the Flame
I am adding new "equipment matters" cards in red as this complements the aggro-equipment theme as well. I am removing these two but may test them later, especially Pirate's Pillage
Embersmith --> Orcish Vandal
I'm putting a card more suited to the sac theme of red, and at the same time deals more damage, without the mana requirements.
<to be continued>
To give a background, it is very easy to splash a color or even multiple colors with all the penta-fixing.
So it's not really giving identity to specific colors, but putting individual powerful cards in the color.
Cards like the Nim have very little allure, so what themes can be used in black instead?
My initial inclinations are:
1) Stax and sac effects (Disciple of the Vault)
2) Goodstuff (Skinrender etc)
3) Wait for the next artifact bloack or return to Alara (Esper - if the identity remains)
I'd like to know what the group thinks. Thanks!
My black themes are based heavily around sacrificing things, as I've found that's one of the more interesting and fun to play themes within black (I've seen it pushed in other cubes as well). I have no idea if it's powerful enough, but my own cube seems to have solid representation from black due to the fact that it gets some powerful & interesting artifact theme cards and just a bunch of generically powerful removal. Drawing from my own cube, here's some suggestions:
- Sacrifice enablers are things like: Carrion Feeder (aggro), Priest of Yawgmoth (ramp), Syndicate Trafficker (aggro), Fleshbag Marauder (control), Shadowborn Demon (control), Gate to Phyrexia, and if you want to go really heavy, Smothering Abomination.
- To make sacrifice themes work, you need recursion. Helpfully, artifacts are good at recursion: Bloodghast, Skeleton Shard, and Ovalchase Daredevil all come back from the dead indefinitely.
- To help sacrifice more, you can also use things like Sly Requisitioner, Pawn of Ulamog, and Smothering Abomination to keep generating cards/dudes to sacrifice.
- And for sacrificing payoffs... Skirsdag High Priest, Moriok Rigger, Disciple of the Vault, and Blood Artist love it when you sacrifice things for cheap.
- It helps when your themes play into other colors; because I'm based on the Antiquities set specifically I use cards like Argivian Archaeologist and Orcish Mechanics to support the theme in other colors (white resurrects, black sacrifices creatures, and red sacrifices artifacts) but you can easily find sacrifice outlets and engine cards in other colors, whether it's Metallic Mastery/Harness By Force in red or Sun Titan/Auriok Salvagers in white.
- I've found it makes the game more interesting than The Rock (efficient green beaters and cheap black removal... which I'll admit is my BG theme) but it also has the potential to do really powerful things like jam early Sundering Titans or Greater Gargadons, swarm the board with white metalcraft guys backed up by Painsmith and Disciple of the Vault, or generate long engines where you overwhelm your opponent with Trading Post, Skeleton Shard, and Unwinding Clock.
- Also, I know you're Mirran themed, but oh man is Praetor's Grasp cool in an artifact cube.
Hope that inspires you!180 Winston Dueling Cube!
Antiquities War-themed Artifact Cube!
I do want to push black tinto the sac/recursion theme, especially when paired with red. I will look at your suggested cards into consideration. Perhaps those are the missihg cards that will push the archtype.
I will have a massive update due to Kaladesh. I will lose a lot of tbe Mirran theme but it will have more artifact interactions, and black gained the most of it IMO.
Thanks again and see you around. It's nice to meet a fellow artifact cuber.
I would like to see a delta between yours and my Artifact cube.
My Tribal cube
My 93/94 old school cube
My Artifact cube
My Hearthstone Quiz App for iOS
Sorry for the late reply. Here it is.
Can you share yours as well?
Any other makers of artifact cubes here? Next problem I am having is green... it has the least artifact synergy. The invistigate and fabricate cards help a bit, but they really are not very powerful. Green can have a token theme with white, and also a Stax theme, as it has the most removal (the tokens help). Anything else out there?
http://cubetutor.com/visualspoiler/67219
And the comparison http://www.cubetutor.com/comparecubes/67219/101025
My Tribal cube
My 93/94 old school cube
My Artifact cube
My Hearthstone Quiz App for iOS
I see you have infect and energy themes. Do they work well in draft? I find them too linear and does not interact well with the artifact theme. How are the themes performing? How about the +1/+1 theme?
The infect was partly because black and green are the two colors with least artifact themed cards. And for green it overlaps really well with the ‘counters matters’ theme. But if I were ro remove one theme it would probably be infect as it is linear, even though it’s also ok to have a few infect creatures in control decks.
With energy, pure energy decks aren’t really possible, and it’s more of a minor theme. But again I probably wouldn’t miss it much if I removed it.
The counters and +1/+1 theme is very succesful, because it goes in so many different decks. Infect, modular, fabricate, etc.
My Tribal cube
My 93/94 old school cube
My Artifact cube
My Hearthstone Quiz App for iOS
Thanks, I think I will be going "all out" on the +1/+1 counters theme and will share the results.