Saint VessiaWW
Planeswalker - Vessia M
Whenever you gain life, put that many loyalty counters on Saint Vessia.
0: Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control this turn, gain life equal to its power.
-X: Exile target creature with power X or less.
[2]
Echoes from Beyond3UB
Enchantment - Aura R
Enchant creature card in a graveyard
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a creature token onto the battlefield that is a copy of enchanted creature card.
Rite of Retribution3WW
Sorcery R
Kicker 2B
Destroy all creatures. If Rite of Retribution was kicked, return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Flintlock Soul Gourmand
I feel this is probably best comparable to Sulfuric Vortex. The damage will likely be symmetrical most of the time, but the deck playing this will always be ahead on the damage race. My initial impression was that the card is really clunky and an attempt at a more aggressive Lord of the Pit variant, but the more I think about it, the more I feel the card is mechanically sound. I don't really care for the name, but overall a solid card.
SelesnyaNewLife Hellhole
Most of the time, I think this is just going to read "Whenever a creature dies, this deals 2 damage to each player." I understand this can also trigger when a creature card is milled, discarded, regrown, or reanimated, but I can't imagine that those four scenarios combined will be more common than a creature simply dying. It does have build-around potential, though.
GG Crono Haunting Presence
This is probably my favorite design of the round. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite meet the round requirements as it has two black mana symbols in its cost. That aside, I feel the card is pretty well balanced as it is and the ability feels like a very black form of deck manipulation. I would definitely play this card, though I do feel that the effect may not need to be symmetrical. But I'm looking at the ability as more of an upside than a downside.
Raikou Rider Abyssal Grasp
It's a simple design, nothing flashy, with adequate flavor. The complexity level is appropriate for common. This is obviously at its best in an aggro deck where you're happy either bleeding them every turn or removing their blocker, though it does get worse the later the game goes, as is the norm for punisher mechanics. I like it, not much more to say.
Doombringer Masked Ghoul
So my first inclination is that this card is very underpowered. Bloodcrazed Hoplite, Nyxborn Eidolon, Child of Night and other recent creatures show that you can indeed have a 2/1 for 1B with an upside, even at common. As it stands, your card could very easily stay a vanilla 2/1 the entire time it is on the battlefield because it asks a great deal of you for it to be good, especially for an uncommon. Mechanically, this card wants your opponent to block it, but there are some problems with this--1) to have its ability trigger and the Masked Ghoul still survive, you'll almost always need a combat trick, putting you down a card, 2) this card doesn't apply enough pressure to make the opponent feel the need to block it, and 3) triggering upon being blocked gives your opponent complete control over how good your creature is. It can simply be ignored, in which case you have a Gray Ogre. Again, at uncommon. If I were to make suggestions for its current iteration, I would say this should at most cost 1B and could even potentially cost B, or its p/t should be adjusted to a 3/1. But even beyond that, I have doubts that this mechanic will actually play very well.
Echoes from Beyond3UB
Enchantment - Aura R
Enchant creature card in a graveyard
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a creature token onto the battlefield that is a copy of enchanted creature card. Memories last forever. Especially the bad ones.
Rite of Retribution3WW
Sorcery R
Kicker 2B
Destroy all creatures. If Rite of Retribution was kicked, return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. To save the one you love, no amount of sacrifice is too great.
Rite of Retribution3WW
Sorcery
Kicker 2B
Destroy all creatures. If Rite of Retribution was kicked, return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Mindfire Indrik3URG
Creature - Beast M
Trample
Whenever Mindfire Indrik deals combat damage to a player, draw a card, then Mindfire Indrik deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of cards in your hand.
4/4
Avacyn's Grace1W
Instant U
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn and is indestructible this turn.
Flashback WWW "When the hour seems darkest, I will still protect you."
Escaping Knowledge1UU
Enchantment - Aura R
Enchant player
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to enchanted player, that creature's controller draws a card.
Deceit1UB
Creature - Incarnation R
Deceit is unblockable.
As long as Deceit is in your graveyard and you control an Island and a Swamp, creatures you control are unblockable. "After a time had passed, Deceit reopened and emerged from the Riftstone. And no one was the wiser."
--Scroll of Beginnings
2/2
Search5GU
Sorcery R
Draw a card for each land you control.
///////////////////////////////////////////// Destroy1UR
Sorcery R
Destroy deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of cards in your hand. Fuse (You may cast one or both halves of this card from your hand.)
Cold Feet1W
Enchantment - Aura C
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't attack and its activated abilities can't be activated.
Whenever three or more creatures attack, enchanted creature can't block this turn. "On second though..."
Order of the Ember FistRR
Creature - Human Wizard Berserker R
Haste
Whenever Order of the Ember Fist attacks, target creature gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn. "What can you do when your foe is as deft with sorcery as he is with steel?"
--Arman Sharoc, deserter
2/1
Yeah, I can't really see the entirety of "cube" having a ban list. Ban lists apply to a format, and each cube is its own format, dictated by its creator. While I can agree Sinkhole's effect for its cost certainly seems rare to mythic, it's still not very good in this format.
Also, great article Lanxal. You covered everything masterfully.
Planeswalker - Vessia M
Whenever you gain life, put that many loyalty counters on Saint Vessia.
0: Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control this turn, gain life equal to its power.
-X: Exile target creature with power X or less.
[2]
Enchantment - Aura R
Enchant creature card in a graveyard
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a creature token onto the battlefield that is a copy of enchanted creature card.
Rite of Retribution 3WW
Sorcery R
Kicker 2B
Destroy all creatures. If Rite of Retribution was kicked, return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
No submission
Flintlock
Soul Gourmand
I feel this is probably best comparable to Sulfuric Vortex. The damage will likely be symmetrical most of the time, but the deck playing this will always be ahead on the damage race. My initial impression was that the card is really clunky and an attempt at a more aggressive Lord of the Pit variant, but the more I think about it, the more I feel the card is mechanically sound. I don't really care for the name, but overall a solid card.
SelesnyaNewLife
Hellhole
Most of the time, I think this is just going to read "Whenever a creature dies, this deals 2 damage to each player." I understand this can also trigger when a creature card is milled, discarded, regrown, or reanimated, but I can't imagine that those four scenarios combined will be more common than a creature simply dying. It does have build-around potential, though.
GG Crono
Haunting Presence
This is probably my favorite design of the round. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite meet the round requirements as it has two black mana symbols in its cost. That aside, I feel the card is pretty well balanced as it is and the ability feels like a very black form of deck manipulation. I would definitely play this card, though I do feel that the effect may not need to be symmetrical. But I'm looking at the ability as more of an upside than a downside.
Raikou Rider
Abyssal Grasp
It's a simple design, nothing flashy, with adequate flavor. The complexity level is appropriate for common. This is obviously at its best in an aggro deck where you're happy either bleeding them every turn or removing their blocker, though it does get worse the later the game goes, as is the norm for punisher mechanics. I like it, not much more to say.
Doombringer
Masked Ghoul
So my first inclination is that this card is very underpowered. Bloodcrazed Hoplite, Nyxborn Eidolon, Child of Night and other recent creatures show that you can indeed have a 2/1 for 1B with an upside, even at common. As it stands, your card could very easily stay a vanilla 2/1 the entire time it is on the battlefield because it asks a great deal of you for it to be good, especially for an uncommon. Mechanically, this card wants your opponent to block it, but there are some problems with this--1) to have its ability trigger and the Masked Ghoul still survive, you'll almost always need a combat trick, putting you down a card, 2) this card doesn't apply enough pressure to make the opponent feel the need to block it, and 3) triggering upon being blocked gives your opponent complete control over how good your creature is. It can simply be ignored, in which case you have a Gray Ogre. Again, at uncommon. If I were to make suggestions for its current iteration, I would say this should at most cost 1B and could even potentially cost B, or its p/t should be adjusted to a 3/1. But even beyond that, I have doubts that this mechanic will actually play very well.
2. Flintlock
3. GG Crono
4. SelesnyaNewLife
5. Doombringer
6. (nameless one)
Enchantment - Aura R
Enchant creature card in a graveyard
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a creature token onto the battlefield that is a copy of enchanted creature card.
Memories last forever. Especially the bad ones.
Sorcery R
Kicker 2B
Destroy all creatures. If Rite of Retribution was kicked, return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
To save the one you love, no amount of sacrifice is too great.
Sorcery
Kicker 2B
Destroy all creatures. If Rite of Retribution was kicked, return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Creature - Elf Druid C
Sacrifice Golgari Rot Farmer: Return target land card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
2/2
Creature - Beast M
Trample
Whenever Mindfire Indrik deals combat damage to a player, draw a card, then Mindfire Indrik deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of cards in your hand.
4/4
Instant U
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn and is indestructible this turn.
Flashback WWW
"When the hour seems darkest, I will still protect you."
Enchantment - Aura R
Enchant player
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to enchanted player, that creature's controller draws a card.
Creature - Incarnation R
Deceit is unblockable.
As long as Deceit is in your graveyard and you control an Island and a Swamp, creatures you control are unblockable.
"After a time had passed, Deceit reopened and emerged from the Riftstone. And no one was the wiser."
--Scroll of Beginnings
2/2
Sorcery R
Draw a card for each land you control.
/////////////////////////////////////////////
Destroy 1UR
Sorcery R
Destroy deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of cards in your hand.
Fuse (You may cast one or both halves of this card from your hand.)
Enchantment - Aura C
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't attack and its activated abilities can't be activated.
Whenever three or more creatures attack, enchanted creature can't block this turn.
"On second though..."
Creature - Human Wizard Berserker R
Haste
Whenever Order of the Ember Fist attacks, target creature gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
"What can you do when your foe is as deft with sorcery as he is with steel?"
--Arman Sharoc, deserter
2/1
Also, great article Lanxal. You covered everything masterfully.