MTG Salvation

I was looking for this thread so I didn't have to make it. While I've used CubeTutor for years, and will probably continue to keep it updated, I've been very impressed with CubeCobra's functionality, and don't just see it as a "flashier, 2019 edition" website. I've really enjoyed a few things that I've wanted from CubeTutor that never really surfaced:

• Far superior ability to make changes on my mobile device (the only web-accessible device I'll bring with me to large events)
• The ability to sort by artist (so I don't have to keep track of a separate spreadsheet for cube signature-related reasons)
• More flexible sorting overall that's generally easier to do on mobile than clicking through a ton of filters (like sorting by set, so that I can make sure I pick up better copies of cards I want to pimp at large events without accidentally purchasing a second copy of something I already have)

There are definitely some things about CubeTutor that I miss, but CubeCobra is also actively adding features/fixing bugs and has a set release schedule of every other Friday, so there's some sense about when things will be fixed (at least bug-wise). Their Discord channel is also fairly prompt regarding acknowledgement of bugs/feature requests, so it's nice to know you're being heard (even if they haven't officially logged my request to have their price functionality match the exact foiling in the cube, which I requested as documentation for insurance purposes).

Quote from IMorphling89 »

Quote from Cythare »

Final planned swaps:

Colorless:
Coalition Relic -> Fabled Passage

Whoa, whoa. Your cuts all made sense until this one.

Cutting Coalition Relic? That card has been a stone cold staple for us. When you drop it turn 3 it ramps you up to 6 mana turn 4. The charge counter capability is really something special.

I would strongly recommend cutting Grand Coliseum, Terramorphic Expanse or Evolving Wilds instead.

Quote from NotScottMescudi »

Why is everyone cutting terramorphic expanse/evolving wilds for fabled passage? They're all such great lands in cube, just cut an artifact instead. Don't cut Coalition relic either though lol, something clunky like Lodestone Golem, a Talisman, or even that seventh sword. I think I'm cutting Blast zone for it, as that has only ever been used in UW control, and that's just too narrow for me.

I 100% don't want to cut another land for Fabled Passage - I'm intending to get it into cube to help with fixing. Admittedly, removing Coalition Relic also doesn't help with this goal.

I'm only running 5 Swords (I cut B&M and W&P when I added the MH1 Swords), so don't want to trim one, and categorize Talismans as guild cards, so they can't be cut for the new card.

Lodestone Golem is the other card that I was considering axing for Fabled Passage, though. I'll try out both cuts.

I also want to try out Gilded Goose, but haven't figured out the right cut for it yet, so it may stay out for now.

Final planned swaps:
White:
Accorder Paladin -> Charming Prince (am also considering Kor Skyfisher)

Blue:
Stratus Dancer -> Brazen Borrower

Black:
Drana, Liberator of Malakir -> Murderous Rider
Skinrender -> Rankle, Master of Pranks

Red:
Stormblood Berserker -> Embereth Shieldbreaker
Magma Jet -> Bonecrusher Giant
Stoke the Flames -> Castle Embereth

Green:
Wild Nacatl(?) -> Gilded Goose
Polukranos, World Eater -> Questing Beast
Rancor(?) -> Once Upon a Time
Vivien's Arkbow -> The Great Henge

Multicolor:
Sarkhan Vol -> Grumgully, the Generous
Vraska, Relic Seeker -> Garruk, Cursed Huntsman

Colorless:
Coalition Relic -> Fabled Passage

I'm not particularly interested in it for my cube, but man am I going to get tired of seeing Miracles players fetch this out against me in Legacy.

Sweet! Kinda want to cut something that isn’t a Terramorphic Expanse variant, so will have to think on this for a bit, but it’s a slam dunk include.

Just when I thought blue wouldn't get a card in this set! I guess it's time to retire Stratus Dancer. Seems like the cleanest swap.

Quote from TorontoJock »

Isn't this worse than Guardian Project?

I don't think so? It's worse on an empty board due to the increased cost, but with an average green midrange hand, the rest of the effects make it more interesting to me.

Also, you still draw the card here even if your opponent kills the creature in response to the trigger, but that's a fairly niche scenario anyways.

Oh neat! I didn't even think about persist.

The Great Henge 7GG
Legendary Artifact (M)
This spell costs X less to cast, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control.
t: Add GG. You gain 2 life.
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on it and you draw a card.

This card is expensive, but seems insane to me in limited and solid in cube, as it does basically everything. It's not unreasonable to expect it to come down on turn 4 or 5, where the ramp is still potentially useful for helping cast your top-end creatures, but can also be useful for helping maximize the Glimpse of Nature effect. Lifegain that also can't be responded to (since it's tacked onto a mana ability) is also gravy if your opponent is on aggro and has gotten you to a lower life total already.

The meat of the card is the last ability, which is a bit of a nonbo with Wickerbough Elder but otherwise helps ensure that you have the larger creatures and that you're more likely to draw more of them. Not triggering on tokens makes it a little weaker in go-wide shells, but I think on raw power and an insane hodge-podge of abilities, this card gets there for me.

Castle Ardenvale
Land
Castle Ardenvale enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains.
t: Add W.
2WW, t: Create a 1/1 white Human creature token.

Obviously, this isn't as powerful as Kjeldoran Outpost at first glance (setting aside the sacrificing a Plains). That said, is it crazy to consider the swap? There's a lot to be said for cleaner text, and I'm interested in the land creating Humans instead of Soldiers (no upside in the cube either way for the pilot, but it makes for more interesting tension against Stromkirk Noble and Yawgmoth, Thran Physician). Also, I like foils.

I'm also considering making room to run both, but am not sure that's correct.

Quote from Mergatroid_Jones »

I see a trend: "I'd always play this in my deck, and I'd happily draft if, but I can't justify a cut."

Since this is such an issue, it makes a lot of sense to me to have a utility land slot in each color. In such a way, this isn't competing with all your black cards, just all the black lands. We can all agree that utility lands are good in decks and good in draft, so that seems like the logical solution. I've been doing it this way for a while, and I think I'm ready to go up to a double cycle of mono-colored lands.

But I guess people don't want to add five slots, or make five cuts to do this.

I do have (approximately) a utility slot land in each color. While this cycle is cool, other than red, the slot is filled for the other colors with:

White: Kjeldoran Outpost
Blue: Academy Ruins/Tolarian Academy (and I'd also include other lands before Vantress)
Black: Volrath's Stronghold
Green: Treetop Village

I can't imagine this is a stronger effect than Volrath's Stronghold in the average black deck, and since you probably don't want to dome yourself for a bunch in a control shell, I'd expect that these would often end up in roughly the same decks (with Lochthwain skewing more towards aggro to Stronghold's midrange shells). Ensuring a specific creature is drawn next turn should generally be stronger than a random card off the top of your library. The fact that this taps for B helps, but isn't enough to push it over Stronghold.

EDIT: I may have misunderstood if your suggestion is a separate utility land draft, in which case that's an experience I can't speak to - I like having players have to value their land picks in the context of other picks, and haven't tried a separate draft yet.

Am I crazy to be considering cutting Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker for this? I don't really want to cut a creature but also don't want to trim down on burn spells too much, so that doesn't leave too many options. It's pretty much Sarkhan, Experimental Frenzy, or Through the Breach.

Somewhat sad if that's the case, because I'm also axing Sarkhan Vol for Grumgully, the Generous. Removing both Sarkhans in the same update is feelbad.

EDIT: I forgot that Sarkhan was supposed to be removed for Chandra, Acolyte of Flame (I never actually picked one up), so...oops.

This is the one that I think is most likely to make it in for me, if any of them (other than possibly the unrevealed white one). The blue and black ones are very cool, but I'm not sure that I have the space to make room in those colors. I can maybe make room for this one, although I'm not sure what the cut for this would be either. I'll have to think on that for a bit.

495 Unpowered:

White:
Accorder Paladin -> Charming Prince
Kjeldoran Outpost -> Castle Ardenvale

Black:
Drana, Liberator of Malakir -> Murderous Rider (not sure if this is the cut)
Skinrender -> Rankle, Master of Pranks

Red:
Stormblood Berserker -> Embereth Shieldbreaker
Magma Jet -> Bonecrusher Giant
Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker -> Castle Embereth

Green:
Polukranos, World Eater -> Questing Beast
Vivien's Arkbow -> Once Upon a Time (test)

Multicolor:
Sarkhan Vol -> Grumgully, the Generous (and also testing out Good-Fortune Unicorn over Dryad Militant)
Vraska, Relic Seeker -> Garruk, Cursed Huntsman

No planned changes to blue or colorless.

EDIT: No longer planning to add Robber of the Rich, so I'm leaving Hanweir Garrison in, and also added Castle Embereth to the planned swaps. And now also Castle Ardenvale!

This probably replaces Vraska,Relic Seeker for me. Incidentally, I like that you can have Garruk Relentless fight this to flip over and net a loyalty counter for both!