MTG Salvation

Fair points on Darigaaz, Clique, and Melira. I think that I have enough other persist enablers to not run Melira, but I can see the value in Clique. I only have 7 other persist creatures, but 9 enablers (one only works with Finks, though). It's not like those cards are breaking the bank, though.

Voice is the one above that I'm most excited about - I've had this signed foil DGM copy just staring at me since I've cut it, so I'm excited to get it back in the cube.

I knew I was missing something, largely because this slot underwent a few iterations. While I cut Melira, I also added Renata, Called to the Hunt. Obviously a 2-drop and a 4-drop aren’t equivalent, but it results in the same quantity of enablers, and lets me play an overall more relevant card in both slots.


The evolution of the slot was Yavimaya Elder -> Nightpack Ambusher -> Ripjaw Raptor -> Renata.

Renata makes sense and is better in more decks than Melira.

Cheers,
rant

Did a virtual cube draft and made a couple additional swaps:

-With the increased blink theme, Clocknapper felt too strong in a way that everyone reported as distinctly unfun. Prior to my recent cube overhaul, it could only really be bounced by Crystal Shard or copied with a clone, which limited the strength of it and likelihood that it would come together. I'm adding Whirler Rogue back in for now as a creature that still benefits from the blink theme, but does it in a way that isn't as unfun.
-Tombstalker felt extremely underwhelming and is showing its age. I'm cutting it for Order of Midnight as a flier for aggro decks, a small flier for midrange decks, and an extra spell for Umori decks.
-Gush is out for Forbid. I had Forbid in before, and added Gush in thinking it would be exciting, but the tempo loss isn't great in my cube.
-Asylum Visitor is out for Liliana, Death's Majesty. Asylum Visitor is fine but still somewhat underwhelming. I like this Liliana a lot, so am going to give her another go.
-Chandra, Flamecaller is out for Chandra, Awakened Inferno. I want to test the M20 Chandra, and this swap seems like the best way to do it.

Those changes seem good, but I think I prefer Flamecaller. I still like Tombstalker but it really can't fit into most cubes these days. I think Doom Whisperer really sealed 'stalker's fate.

Have you thought about finding room for Dance of the Dead?

Cheers,
rant

Dance of the Dead should be in the list. I added it when I went from 495 to 630.

I also like Chandra, Flamecaller slightly more myself, but since I'm just doing virtual drafts for now during lockdown, there's no cost to swapping temporarily, and I don't really want a draft with both of them in it.

FWIW, I've also added Brokkos, Apex of Forever in place of Tasigur to see how it looks in this weekend's draft(s). I'm hopeful, but not optimistic.

Making some additional changes to support the artifact archetype. Also planning to review the symmetrical use of Signets & Talismans across guilds, but haven't gotten around to that yet.

Red:
Chandra, Awakened Inferno -> Daretti, Scrap Savant
Legion Warboss -> Shrine of Burning Rage
Arc Lightning -> Ghirapur Aether Grid

Colorless:
Lightning Greaves -> Basalt Monolith
Unexpectedly Absent -> Blightsteel Colossus
Baral, Chief of Compliance -> Mindslaver
Order of Midnight -> Thaumatic Compass
Banefire -> Treasure Map
Devoted Druid -> Inventors' Fair

Fiddled with a few additional minor changes. I'm cutting most of the nonblue signets (Orzhov and Rakdos are also staying in), and then axing Jegantha, Kaheera, Umori, and Keruga. I think the other 6 companions are fine with the changes to companion, but we'll see.

Gruul Signet -> Klothys, God of Destiny
Jegantha, the Wellspring -> Fires of Yavimaya

Selensya Signet -> Glare of Subdual
Kaheera, the Orphanguard -> Trostani Discordant

Golgari Signet -> Deathrite Shaman
Umori, the Collector -> Grim Flayer

Keruga, the Macrosage -> Edric, Spymaster of Trest

Boros Signet -> Tajic, Legion's Edge

I always liked Lotleth Troll and Life // Death over Grim Flayer. I'd probably want Qasali Pridemage more than the other two Selesnya cards you are adding, but that would depend on how much artifacts and enchantments are tearing it up.

Cheers,
rant

Life // Death is already in the Golgari section, but I'm down to bring in Lotleth Troll. My experience with both Lotleth Troll and Grim Flayer is pretty limited. Regarding Qasali Pridemage, I didn't really want to have both it and Knight of Autumn taking up two guild slots, but it does increase the chance that one of them makes it into the draft at this size.

Finished my changes for M21. Notably, this isn't the same as the changes I posted in the testing thread.

Accorder Paladin -> Seasoned Hallowblade
Gisela, the Broken Blade -> Basri's Lieutenant

Fae of Wishes -> Ghostly Pilferer
Meloku the Clouded Mirror -> Barrin, Tolarian Archmage

Liliana's Triumph -> Eliminate

Stormblood Berserker -> Heartfire Immolator

Fires of Yavimaya -> Radha, Heart of Keld

EDIT: I've also chosen to swap out Glare of Subdual for Ajani, the Greathearted.

Not really a fan of several of these changes.

I prefer Accorder Paladin to several cards you are running in white: Harmonious Archon, Finale of Glory, Secure the Wastes, Gideon of the Trials, Kjeldoran Outpost. It's a great aggro creature.

Meloku is good enough to stick around on its o wn, but it also combos well with Barrin. I like it more than Thing in the Ice, Sea-Dasher Octopus, Whirler Rogue, one of the Tezzerets, Chart a Course, and Deep Analysis.

I like Berserker more than Immolator, although there probably equal. My cut for Immolator would be Ghirapur Aether Grid or maybe Shrine of Burning Rage.

Cheers,
rant

Regarding Seasoned Hallowblade, I hadn't actually considered cutting something at a different CMC for some reason. I like cutting Finale of Glory here, I think.

For Barrin, I didn't realize the synergy with Meloku. Whirler Rogue was my other consideration, although I'm trying to do more to make artifacts enticing. This is also why Ghirapur Aether Grid is in the cube - I'm testing it to see if it helps with that archetype. If the latter ends up really underperforming, it's a reasonable spot to add Berserker back in. I'll have to think on the other options with Meloku.

Circling back, I made the noted swap above of Finale of Glory and brought Accorder Paladin back in. I still like Harmonious Archon in tokens, and Secure the Wastes has been a much better roleplayer than Finale due to being an instant.

I also decided to cut Deep Analysis to bring back Meloku. I think it's notably below most of the others for me and is also a change that doesn't affect either artifacts or reanimator strategies.

Still on the fence about Aether Grid/Shrine. I agree that making room for the extra creature is probably correct, but haven't had an opportunity to add test either of the other two noted (as they were both added during my cube expansion). It's probably just a question of which is better to keep - although I'm expecting the cut to be Ghirapur Aether Grid.

Unrelated, I'm also considering The Eldest Reborn and Elspeth Conquers Death to the cube now based on others' notes, possibly for Corpse Dance and Sevinne's Reclamation, largely because I don't own the latter two. I'm not convinced Reclamation isn't worth also having, though, since they go in different decks.

Considering making the following changes, but I'm not sure if these are the best swaps:

Dragon Hunter -> Thraben Inspector
Gideon of the Trials -> Elspeth Conquers Death

Corpse Dance -> The Eldest Reborn

Wild Mongrel -> Mayor of Avabruck
Gemrazer -> Nightpack Ambusher

Foreboding Ruins -> Sulfurous Springs (this one should have just always been Sulfurous Springs)
Obosh, the Preypiercer -> Falkenrath Aristocrat

Forgot to actually make the above adjustments here. I ended up making most of them, but didn't add Thraben Inspector. Additionally, I made a two more switches:

Force of Negation -> Spell Pierce
Nightpack Ambusher -> Birthing Pod

The switch to Spell Pierce was for a couple reasons - I didn't own a Force of Negation and didn't see myself picking one up too soon, and reading others' experiences with it as on-par with Spell Pierce made me decide to add it back in.

I mostly added Birthing Pod because I really like the new judge foil, and Nightpack Ambusher seemed like a fine card to cut since that was a sort of "up in the air" slot.

Zendikar Rising is...a doozy of a set.

White:
Leonin Relic-Warder -> Luminarch Aspirant
Thalia, Heretic Cathar -> Skyclave Apparition
Winds of Abandon -> Emeria's Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave

Blue:
Ghostly Pilferer -> Thieving Skydiver
Spell Pierce -> Sea Gate Stormcaller
Gifts Ungiven -> Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore
Jace Beleren -> Jace, Mirror Mage
Ancestral Vision -> Jwari Disruption -> Jwari Ruins
Thirst for Knowledge -> Sea Gate Restoration // Sea Gate, Reborn

Black:
Nezumi Graverobber -> Nullpriest of Oblivion
Night Incarnate -> Skyclave Shade
Vampire Nighthawk -> Nighthawk Scavenger
Eliminate -> Bloodchief's Thirst
Profane Command -> Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt

Red:
Abbot of Keral Keep -> Kargan Intimidator
Flames of the Firebrand -> Shatterskull Smashing // Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass

Green:
Mayor of Avabruck -> Tangled Florahedron // Tangled Vale
Manglehorn -> Kazandu Mammoth // Kazandu Valley
Den Protector -> Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
Oath of Nissa -> Turntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood

Multicolor:
Cinder Glade -> Cragcrown Pathway // Timbercrown Pathway
Canopy Vista -> Branchloft Pathway // Boulderloft Pathway
Concealed Courtyard -> Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway
Spirebluff Canal -> Riverglide Pathway // Lavaglide Pathway
Inspiring Vantage -> Needleverge Pathway -> Pillarverge Pathway

In addition to these, I'm still looking at adding the UB pathway, Hagra Mauling, and possibly Valakut Awakening.

I don't think I'd want to lose Manglehorn. I like it better than some of the other cards you are keeping. Maybe cut Beanstalk Giant?

Cheers,
rant

Quote from rantipole »

I don't think I'd want to lose Manglehorn. I like it better than some of the other cards you are keeping. Maybe cut Beanstalk Giant?

Cheers,
rant

Manglehorn was already a card that was sort of on the line for me in unpowered - there just wasn't another 3-drop I really wanted. Hesitant to cut Beanstalk Giant instead but it might be correct. Beanstalk was a replacement for Kodama's Reach, which I'd still been running, but it's possible I don't need that high a density of that effect.

Unrelated, I've also made two additional swaps:

The Eldest Reborn -> Hagra Mauling // Hagra Broodpit
Fetid Pools -> Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway

I've made some additional changes, some to add ZNR cards, and some to smooth out duals.

Red:
Stromkirk Noble -> Spikefield Hazard
Shrine of Burning Rage -> Valakut Awakening
Magma Jet -> Roil Eruption

Multicolor:
Prairie Stream -> Adarkar Wastes
Temple of Enlightenment -> Seachrome Coast
Sunken Hollow -> Underground River
Temple of Deceit -> Fetid Pools (adjusting the cut for the Pathway land)
Sheltered Thicket -> Karplusan Forest
Razorverge Thicket -> Brushland
Fetid Heath -> Caves of Koilos
Temple of Malady -> Llanowar Wastes
Temple of Mystery -> Yavimaya Coast
Temple of Epiphany -> Shivan Reef

EDIT: Added Caves of Koilos, and this felt better than a new post.

I've made some Commander Legends updates, and also added support for draw-denial as well as Humans. Finally, there were a couple swaps that didn't get documented.

White:
Dragon Hunter -> Champion of the Parish
Accorder Paladin -> Thalia's Lieutenant
Skyclave Apparition -> Mirror Entity
Spectral Procession -> Court of Grace

Blue:
Arcane Artisan -> Hullbreacher
Jace, Mirror Mage -> Jace Beleren
Treasure Cruise -> Arcane Denial
Condescend -> Court of Cunning
Tezzeret, Artifice Master -> Fall from Favor

Black:
Drana, Liberator of Malakir -> Opposition Agent
Gnarled Scarhide -> Xathrid Necromancer
Plague Engineer -> Bastion of Remembrance

Red:
Light Up the Stage -> Wheel of Misfortune

Green:
Sylvan Caryatid -> Mayor of Avabruck
Cultivate -> Court of Bounty

Multicolor:
Drown in the Loch -> Notion Thief
Lurrus of the Dream-Den -> General Kudro of Drannith
Tasigur, the Golden Fang -> Leovold, Emissary of Trest

Overall good changes, but I'd keep Arcane Denial. It's still the only hard counter that costs 1U. Maybe cut Chart a Course or don't add Treasure Cruise instead?

Cheers,
rant

I'm cutting Treasure Cruise to add Arcane Denial, not the other way around. I'd considered Arcane Denial in the past, but never got around to finding a cut for it until now.

Oh right! Misread that. Great!

Cheers,
rant

After deciding I was less enthused about some of the Commander Legends releases and planning to get a set of the TWD cards from someone who ordered two, I've made a few additional changes:
Court of Grace -> Rick, Steadfast Leader
Court of Cunning -> Condescend
Fall from Favor -> Hypnotic Sprite
Court of Bounty -> Nightpack Ambusher
Reflector Mage -> Glenn, the Voice of Calm

Not convinced on all of these yet. I may keep Reflector Mage and cut Geist instead, but am undecided.

EDIT: I know this is from a month ago, but I've also decided to cut Rotting Regisaur to add Order of Midnight, and didn't feel like a post just for that.