Discussing "I think the rules should be like this because flavor flavor" is confusing and only serves to mess with people looking for an answer who think that you're talking about actual rules. Consider your post: Lots of players have a weird notion that planeswalkers are players. This is strictly and entirely false. Your discussion on "but look at the flavor!" will only confuse people.
Even Magic General is an iffy place to post about it, since you're just going to confuse people. Again, you're not discussing "this rule would make sense because a problem exists," you're discussing "I want flavor in the rules" and that just isn't realistic.
No, I said nothing about flavor concerns. It's about mechanics. Planeswalkers, like players, are targets announced during the declare attackers step, which may be blocked for with creatures.
Which forum is the appropriate place to discuss the rules, in terms of how well they work, and how they could be improved?
I recently created a thread regarding the rules comparing the dealing of combat damage to planeswalkers as opposed to players. After hearing what the rule was, I started talking about what I thought about it. But before that discussion got very far, I was met with a very curt and dismissive message from a mod:
Originally Posted by SSJ Alakazam I can't be the only person who sees the line between planeswalkers and players being blurred by the rule which allows damage from spells like Lava Spike to be redirected to planeswalkers.
The truth is, planeswalkers and players are similar. The burn-redirect rule recognizes that, but it doesn't cover all of the similarities, which makes it arbitrary and confusing.
No, they are not similar. A planeswalker is not a player. Period, end of discussion. Thread locked.
It may be clear to him, but it obviously isn't to me. He didn't explicitly say that my discussion was not in the right place, but I suppose it was implied.
I can't be the only person who sees the line between planeswalkers and players being blurred by the rule which allows damage from spells like Lava Spike to be redirected to planeswalkers.
The truth is, planeswalkers and players are similar. The burn-redirect rule recognizes that, but it doesn't cover all of the similarities, which makes it arbitrary and confusing.
No, planeswalkers aren't players, they're just a type of permanent. Lava Spike does NOT treat them like players. You cannot actually target a planeswalker with Lava Spike. What you can do is redirect the damage your Lava Spike would deal to your opponent to a planeswalker he or she controls as Lava Spike resolves. Lava Spike's target is your opponent.
Is there really a difference between a burn spell targeting a 'walker and redirecting to them? It seems like the exact same thing.
Are planeswalkers players? I know, I can hear the answer already "Of course not. They're planeswalkers." But Lava Spike treats them like players. Does Sword of Body and Mind and kin?
It seems like the Swords do NOT treat planeswalkers like players, but that would be a bit confusing and inconsistent, wouldn't it?
If what I've read in this thread is any evidence, I have to say that Final Fantasy XIII is very underrated. Given the heft and history of the franchise, it's understandable that expectations for the game were very high. But it sounds like people want to hate the game, and constantly compare it to perfection in their minds.
What too many people fail to do is judge a game on its own terms. What FFXIII set out to do, I think it did very well. I wish it had towns. I wish it had a world map. I wish you could control all of your characters. But does that make a bad game? Of course not. Did you enjoy any of the Kingdom Hearts games? How many of your characters were you able to control there?
That the graphics and score are very impressive is a given, but I think the story is misunderstood. To me, the way we are thrust into the events surrounding the discovery of the Bodhum Vestige is realistic. Rather than having our hand held and being given the history and background of the story, we experience it the same way the characters do. While some of them know plenty that we don't, most of them are just as clueless as we are. Rather than worrying about what we don't know, we must piece things together for ourselves, as the characters figuring out what's going on. That was much more engaging for me than the way it's normally done in JRPGS. The story is layered and complex, both in terms of loyalties and chronology. Both aspects keep us interested, as we learn more about the Fal'cie and their victims.
The battle system is also quite clever, and while the auto-attack option is used most of the time, you still need to pay close attention to the battle and modify your strategy to stay on top - whether it be by changing target of your team leader's attack, using a group attack like Blitz, using an item, summoning, or - of course - changing paradigms in a timely and accurate manner. I found the battles to be fun and enthralling.
I think, unfortunately, people are not able to enjoy this game because of nostalgia. No, it isn't like many other games in the series. But I think it's best for you to reserve judgment as to whether or not that's an improvement until giving the game a chance, which it sounds like many haven't.
Let's face it, the vast majority of FF classics have NOT aged well. FF1-9 are slow and meandering, with VERY little direction given. To have no idea where you're supposed to go, and just wander until you find out, was acceptable in games in the 80s and 90s. But no longer. Yes, I greatly enjoyed games like FFIV, V, and VI, and even re-played VIII last year, but compared to modern games, like FFX, FFXII and FFXIII, they seem to come up quite short. Not all old games are like that, of course. I think Chrono Trigger, for example, has stood the test of time.
(Lufia II, I'm sad to say, has not aged well either. While it has some interesting mechanics, and great music, the plot is laughable simple, and the difficulty far too low.)
I also have to note that FFT has aged horrifically. I played and beat the game several years ago, but it's really become unplayable since. The interface is just terrible, which ruins the game. FFTA was a huge improvement, I think.
As for XIII-2, I'm both unsurprised and excited it's being made. Here's hoping it holds up the legacy of its direct predecessor.
The entire idea of statutory rape is that one party is too young to give valid consent. By your logic statutory rape is a misnomer and should not be illegal.
Good point. I suppose I do think that. Consent is paramount.
Similarly, if person A consents to being locked in a cage by person B, person B should not be charged with kidnapping (which they would be if caught, under current law).
While I completely disagree with the Republicans' view on this issue, this move seems totally consistent with their position. Statutory rape isn't really rape, since consent is given. That's solid logic.
The problem, of course, comes from having the state force women to carry a child to term against their will.
Great idea for a thread! Since there are clearly many more than three very significant issues that the U.S. should deal with in 2011, having to choose only three is a great way to show your own perspective and priorities. Here are mine:
1. plutocracy / corporatism
I think this is THE biggest, most malevolent, most fundamental issue facing the United States in 2011. Put simply, money buys influence. Rather than experience or knowledge, cash is what decides who will be elected to public office, which laws will be passed, and what topics are part of the mainstream public discourse. Myriad problems that need to be addressed are never addressed, because they threaten the bottom line of corporations.
2. seeking sustainability
We use resources far more quickly than they are replenished naturally, and we have done very little to invest in renewable energy. Lip service is always paid to sustainability, but little of substance is actually done to move towards it. Our consumer culture, driven by mass media, stands in direct opposition to the idea of using less, and designing product life cycles that allow for true recycling of material, rather than downcycling, which is most common. This is a very pressing issue.
3. electoral reform
Our current electoral system is a mishmash of poorly overseen standards, and it costs vast amounts of money to actually win a state of national office. The high cost of elections comes from the fact that corporations essentially buy votes, and candidates need the money because TV ads are very expensive, and the elections usually last for several months. This is a grave threat to democracy. Also, the way our elections are run now immensely favor the Two Big Parities, essentially drowning out any and all other views.
As I see it, all other big issues, like militarism, education issues, the economy, the war on drugs/prison reform, are all greatly affected by the three above issues.
Media consolidation is one of the greatest problems facing the United States. As the vast majority of influential media outlets are owned by an ever-shrinking tiny group of people, discourse continues to be torn to shreds.
The prime directive of the media conglomerates is to make money. They do not report on topics that show them in a bad light, which means ignoring many very important issues such as electoral reform, sustainability, and - of course - plutocracy.
It would be a good start to make media conglomerates illegal. If someone owns a film studio, they should not be allowed to own a newspaper, a TV station, radio station, or magazine. Of course, the Big Five have massive stakes in all of those areas.
It results in a few elites becoming ungodly wealthy, and the rest of us suffering from a lack of choice and a lack of good information.
This is the second EDH deck I've ever designed, and I think it's going to be a blast! I've looked over several decklists, along with plenty of my own research to come up with this. What surprised me about the lists that I saw was that they do not take maximum advantage of Eldrazi, which seem to be the best options for Braidsing into play. Blue Braids seems very powerful, so here we go!
Oh, and please note that budget restraints were taken into consideration, so this is not an optimal build. However, I did dish out some serious cash for a few pricey cards that I feel are necessary: Ulamog, Kozilek, and Kira. Also, I could see myself investing in some of them in the future, so long as I'm still playing EDH. :-P I have included the budgetbusters in the description of their appropriate section below.
Oh, one more note. I have a rather quirky way of categorizing cards. My playgroup asks questions like "What is this card going to be used most for?" when grouping them. So Daring Apprentice goes with countermagic, not creatures, and my creature section is specifically for the creatures which would almost always be played via Braids.
Braids' Men
I kept the creature count as high as I could while still allowing ample room for mana acceleration and the essential 'other' cards such as Skullclamp, Paradox Haze, and Minion Reflector.
All of the strongest colorless Eldrazi creatures are featured here; Emrakul is absent due to his recent banning, which my playgroup adheres to. Fortunately, there are still 5 Eldrazi to murder the opponent. Annihilator is the perfect partner for Braids', forcing the opponent not only to sacrifice whatever they played via Braids, but also at least one other permanent. Pathrazer of Ulamog is insane here, since his evasion ability allows me to save my control spells for only the largest and most menacing of threats.
Several creatures here have very powerful control effects: Empress Galina causes huge amounts of trouble stealing generals permanently. Tidespout Tyrant makes an already oppressive board into hell-on-earth for my opponent. Hoverguard Sweepers and Aven Augur are a given, both clearing the way for my titanic monsters to smash face. Roil Emental is another must-answer, lest my creature lineup swell to critical mass. Guile thrives here with my large countermagic suite.
Probably one of my favorite cards in the deck is the unassuming Onslaught uncommon, Riptide Shapeshifter. If you were to try to hardcast him, he's just too expensive to be any good, regardless of his power. But Braids actually makes him relevant. First of all, he's like a sixth Eldrazi. If that were all he did, he would still have a slot here. But he does SO MUCH MORE. He can call several types for which there is a single creature in my deck, tutoring them ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD. It can grab...
-Tidespout Tyrant (Djinn)
-Platinum Angel (Angel)
-Guile (Incarnation)
-Empress Galina (Merfolk)
-Steel Hellkite (Dragon)
Oh, and something along the lines of "Flip a coin. If heads, play Inkwell Leviathan. If tails, play Stormtide Leviathan" is also crazy...oh, and did I mention he does this at instant speed?
Stealing Theft is another great ally for Braids', allowing me to take full advantage of my opponent's most powerful creatures. Sadly there are few good options here, so there's not too much to say. Blatent Thievery sucks in 1v1. Oh well.
Countermagic
Braids allows me to use my mana for things other than dropping large creature threats, and counterspells seem like one of the best ways to keep control of the board. This suite is focused on protecting Braids. While my budget does not allow for Force of Will, there are several good options to protect her the turn I cast her, such as Foil, Thwart, or even Snapback cast in response to her being targetted, and Kira, Great Glass Spinner, Daring Apprentice, or Spiketail Drakeling hitting the board the turn before her, ensuring that she sticks around.
The fact that that three creatures appear in this section forces my opponent to make more tough decisions. Letting Diplomatic Escort live could cause them a world of trouble later on, but if they kill it, they've got one less killspell with which to deal with my creatures. It's a win-win Plus, said creatures can turn sideways in a pinch.
There's not a lot to say about the rest of this section, as it pretty much just includes cheap, hard counters. Despite the fact that I should have plenty of mana for control spells, keeping a low curve here and in my bounce section allows me to maximize the number of responses I can make in a turn, utterly owning the board as a result.
Bounce The awesome thing about this deck is that it doesn't need a whole lot of time to win. Once it resolves a few of its large creatures, there's a very short clock. This makes bounce spells almost as good as spot removal.
Unsummon, Seal of Removal, and Snap all answer creature threats on the cheap. Snapback can be played for free in a pinch, which is awesome. The versatility and power of Into the Roil and Rushing River are pretty impressive I think. The latter is like an instant-speed Undo, especially since losing a land shouldn't be a big deal in this deck.
And just when my opponent thought he had a chance, Crystal Shard and Dissipation Field are in it for the long run, molesting him for the rest of the game.
---
Acceleration
Braids is the glue that holds this deck together, so there should be no expense spared to ensure that she sticks and sticks around. Playing her turn 3 is a huge deal, so each and every card in this section enables that. Silver Myr is a decoy and a ramper, and Guardian Idol could add the last few points of damage in a pinch. Mana Vault, if in hand on the first turn, allows for a TURN TWO BRAIDS. Mind Stone gives card advantage when its mana ability is less important.
I think this section might have to increase by one card, from 5 to 6, but since there are two ramping lands, I'm not sure yet, since I've not yet built the deck physically and tested it.
---
Other
This section is too disparate to describe generally, so I'll just break it down card-by-card:
- Pongify was made for this deck. What's better than bouncing a creature? In this deck, I would say "killing it for U, and giving them an innocuous vanilla 3/3". Although it does give them a blocker, so I'm not sure how this one will turn out.
- Paradox Haze allows me to Braids two cards per turn, which is truly fast and furious. A staple in the archetype, I think.
- Vanishing is the only spell I've found so far which allows me to disable Braids' ability for my opponent. Sure, I could leave that two mana open for a counterspell, which I sometimes will, but it's probably better to use that two mana to prevent the threat from coming out in the first place. This is another Braids staple.
- Nim Deathmantle is a beast. It only costs two to throw down, and its middle ability is a repeatable Resurrection on steroids. It makes even the physically milder creatures in this deck truly monstrous. The fact that you can equip it to a creature in play is icing on the cake. Oh, and it's unspeakably powerful with the Eldrazi.
- Minion Reflector works really hard in this deck. It will probably be cast with Braids, which is a bit slower than powering out a creature with Braids. However, I think he makes up for that in spades, and in speedy fashion as well. Doubling one of my bombs repeatedly should give me quite the edge.
- Skullclamp is too powerful a card-drawing engine NOT to include. As my friend who helped me build this deck noted "I'm starting to think this card should be run in every deck where it's legal." It only equips for one, allowing me to easily keep mana open for other things.
- Although Neurok Stealthsuit may arguably be a poor man's Lightning Greaves, I think I would run them both if I could. Not only does it protect Braids, but it's instant equip ability is Kiraesque, virtually protecting all of my creatures.
Note: I built this cube with ilmaestro and use it on a regular basis.
I can't find the post, but someone stated in this thread that they used Flame Javelin over Lightning Blast because the former is usually cast for RRR. It seems clear to me that doing so requires a very expensive manabase. Without spending hundreds of dollars on land, Lightning Blast seems better.
There's enough powerful ones on your list that I would absolutely maindeck Disenchant effects.
We're moving in that direction, with the inclusion of cards like Kor Sanctifiers and Orim's Thunder. The trepidation is having a dead card. I'm open to the idea of trying out Disenchant though, as it's clearly much more efficient removal than the two aforementioned cards.
Doom Blade + Doom Blade is not the same thing at all.
Both Kodama's Reach and Cultivate are part of Magic's history. I see no reason to exclude them because they do the same thing.
And Savannah Lions and Elite Vanguard are different creature types.
It seems to me a superficial understanding of the concept of a singleton format to maintain that what makes a card unique is it's name. I'm frankly shocked that so many people break the spirit of this rule by using functional reprints. While it's true that neither Cultivate nor Elite Vanguard are functional reprints, they are virtually identical. Tell me, when was the last time the arcane subtype of Kodama's Reach made a difference? The creature type of Savannah Lion or Elite Vanguard? Never, I imagine, unless you some kind of tribal cube. I know Siege-Gang Commander is very popular, which I admit I don't get, but that's just one tribal card out of hundreds.
What makes a singleton format interesting and fun is that is strongly encourages variety. If you're using reprints, you're discouraging variety by excluding unique cards.
I don't want you to change your cube to be more like everyone elses. But cubes become more similar as cards get upgraded. It's simple fact. Tournament-caliber decks and net-decking" is no different. People choose certain cards because they're simply the most efficient choices. Not because it's popular, or there's a ton of "group-think" going on. Every cube on this forum is different. Every single one. But a lot of the cards are similar. Why? Because they've proven themselves to be powerful in multiple lists, in multiple groups, etc. Jackal Pup isn't good because I say so. It's good because it's good. There's nothing wrong with doing fun and unique cubes with interesting and uncommon card selections. But if you're trying to make the most powerful cube you can, some cards can hack it, and others can't. It's really as simple as that.
Part of the trouble, I think, with some of the inappropriate suggestions is that a bit more description of what this cube is about is in order. Yes, as the OP stated, it is something of a budget cube, but also has more ramping and big creatures than most, because we think big creatures a lot of fun, and we're got a bit of a morph theme. So, for example, red Akroma is a perfect fit for our cube. She morphs, she easily wins games when she attacks, she can be flashed in with Quicksilver Amulet or Mindwrack Liege.
To me, cube drafting is about having the most fun drafts possible, at its core. For many people, apparently this means encouraging shorter games using many of the oldest, and in some cases broken, cards in the game. For ilmaestro and myself, we prefer to see a bit more variety.
There are always interesting exceptions, though, like Sol Ring. In a cube like ours which uses more big creatures, it, and probably Worn Powerstone and some of its ilk, work very well.
No, I said nothing about flavor concerns. It's about mechanics. Planeswalkers, like players, are targets announced during the declare attackers step, which may be blocked for with creatures.
Magic General it is then. Thanks.
I recently created a thread regarding the rules comparing the dealing of combat damage to planeswalkers as opposed to players. After hearing what the rule was, I started talking about what I thought about it. But before that discussion got very far, I was met with a very curt and dismissive message from a mod:
It may be clear to him, but it obviously isn't to me. He didn't explicitly say that my discussion was not in the right place, but I suppose it was implied.
The truth is, planeswalkers and players are similar. The burn-redirect rule recognizes that, but it doesn't cover all of the similarities, which makes it arbitrary and confusing.
Is there really a difference between a burn spell targeting a 'walker and redirecting to them? It seems like the exact same thing.
Gotcha. I think that's stupid, but thank you for the clarification.
It seems like the Swords do NOT treat planeswalkers like players, but that would be a bit confusing and inconsistent, wouldn't it?
What too many people fail to do is judge a game on its own terms. What FFXIII set out to do, I think it did very well. I wish it had towns. I wish it had a world map. I wish you could control all of your characters. But does that make a bad game? Of course not. Did you enjoy any of the Kingdom Hearts games? How many of your characters were you able to control there?
That the graphics and score are very impressive is a given, but I think the story is misunderstood. To me, the way we are thrust into the events surrounding the discovery of the Bodhum Vestige is realistic. Rather than having our hand held and being given the history and background of the story, we experience it the same way the characters do. While some of them know plenty that we don't, most of them are just as clueless as we are. Rather than worrying about what we don't know, we must piece things together for ourselves, as the characters figuring out what's going on. That was much more engaging for me than the way it's normally done in JRPGS. The story is layered and complex, both in terms of loyalties and chronology. Both aspects keep us interested, as we learn more about the Fal'cie and their victims.
The battle system is also quite clever, and while the auto-attack option is used most of the time, you still need to pay close attention to the battle and modify your strategy to stay on top - whether it be by changing target of your team leader's attack, using a group attack like Blitz, using an item, summoning, or - of course - changing paradigms in a timely and accurate manner. I found the battles to be fun and enthralling.
I think, unfortunately, people are not able to enjoy this game because of nostalgia. No, it isn't like many other games in the series. But I think it's best for you to reserve judgment as to whether or not that's an improvement until giving the game a chance, which it sounds like many haven't.
Let's face it, the vast majority of FF classics have NOT aged well. FF1-9 are slow and meandering, with VERY little direction given. To have no idea where you're supposed to go, and just wander until you find out, was acceptable in games in the 80s and 90s. But no longer. Yes, I greatly enjoyed games like FFIV, V, and VI, and even re-played VIII last year, but compared to modern games, like FFX, FFXII and FFXIII, they seem to come up quite short. Not all old games are like that, of course. I think Chrono Trigger, for example, has stood the test of time.
(Lufia II, I'm sad to say, has not aged well either. While it has some interesting mechanics, and great music, the plot is laughable simple, and the difficulty far too low.)
I also have to note that FFT has aged horrifically. I played and beat the game several years ago, but it's really become unplayable since. The interface is just terrible, which ruins the game. FFTA was a huge improvement, I think.
As for XIII-2, I'm both unsurprised and excited it's being made. Here's hoping it holds up the legacy of its direct predecessor.
Organizing a deck by color makes is very difficult to read.
One thing that I notice is that you have non-land mana fixing O_O. That's going to make it mighty difficult to cast all of those spells.
Solid inexpensive fixers include:
-Darksteel Ingot
-Scuttlemutt
-Fertile Ground
Good point. I suppose I do think that. Consent is paramount.
Similarly, if person A consents to being locked in a cage by person B, person B should not be charged with kidnapping (which they would be if caught, under current law).
The problem, of course, comes from having the state force women to carry a child to term against their will.
1. plutocracy / corporatism
I think this is THE biggest, most malevolent, most fundamental issue facing the United States in 2011. Put simply, money buys influence. Rather than experience or knowledge, cash is what decides who will be elected to public office, which laws will be passed, and what topics are part of the mainstream public discourse. Myriad problems that need to be addressed are never addressed, because they threaten the bottom line of corporations.
2. seeking sustainability
We use resources far more quickly than they are replenished naturally, and we have done very little to invest in renewable energy. Lip service is always paid to sustainability, but little of substance is actually done to move towards it. Our consumer culture, driven by mass media, stands in direct opposition to the idea of using less, and designing product life cycles that allow for true recycling of material, rather than downcycling, which is most common. This is a very pressing issue.
3. electoral reform
Our current electoral system is a mishmash of poorly overseen standards, and it costs vast amounts of money to actually win a state of national office. The high cost of elections comes from the fact that corporations essentially buy votes, and candidates need the money because TV ads are very expensive, and the elections usually last for several months. This is a grave threat to democracy. Also, the way our elections are run now immensely favor the Two Big Parities, essentially drowning out any and all other views.
As I see it, all other big issues, like militarism, education issues, the economy, the war on drugs/prison reform, are all greatly affected by the three above issues.
The prime directive of the media conglomerates is to make money. They do not report on topics that show them in a bad light, which means ignoring many very important issues such as electoral reform, sustainability, and - of course - plutocracy.
It would be a good start to make media conglomerates illegal. If someone owns a film studio, they should not be allowed to own a newspaper, a TV station, radio station, or magazine. Of course, the Big Five have massive stakes in all of those areas.
It results in a few elites becoming ungodly wealthy, and the rest of us suffering from a lack of choice and a lack of good information.
Oh, and please note that budget restraints were taken into consideration, so this is not an optimal build. However, I did dish out some serious cash for a few pricey cards that I feel are necessary: Ulamog, Kozilek, and Kira. Also, I could see myself investing in some of them in the future, so long as I'm still playing EDH. :-P I have included the budgetbusters in the description of their appropriate section below.
Oh, one more note. I have a rather quirky way of categorizing cards. My playgroup asks questions like "What is this card going to be used most for?" when grouping them. So Daring Apprentice goes with countermagic, not creatures, and my creature section is specifically for the creatures which would almost always be played via Braids.
1x Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1x It That Betrays
1x Artisan of Kozilek
1x Pathrazer of Ulamog
1x Darksteel Colossus
1x Platinum Emperion
1x Platinum Angel
1x Steel Hellkite
1x Tidespout Tyrant
1x Hoverguard Sweepers
1x Inkwell Leviathan
1x Guile
1x Stormtide Leviathan
1x Empress Galina
1x Roil Elemental
1x Riptide Shapeshifter
1x Quicksilver Gargantuan
1x Body Double
1x Aven Augur
1x Sphinx of Magosi
1x Arcanis the Omnipotent
1x Mulldrifter
1x Tidal Kraken
Stealing (4)
1x Treachery
1x Control Magic
1x Mind Control
1x Volition Reigns
1x Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1x Foil
1x Thwart
1x Intervene
1x Turn Aside
1x Confound
1x Counterspell
1x Diplomatic Escort
1x Mana Leak
1x Remand
1x Redirect
1x Daring Apprentice
1x Dream Fracture
1x Spiketail Drakeling
1x Dismiss
Bounce (9)
1x Seal of Removal
1x Unsummon
1x Snap
1x Snapback
1x Into the Roil
1x Capsize
1x Rushing River
1x Crystal Shard
1x Dissipation Field
Accelration (5)
1x Everflowing Chalice
1x Mind Stone
1x Guardian Idol
1x Silver Myr
1x Mana Vault
1x Pongify
1x Paradox Haze
1x Vanishing
1x Nim Deathmantle
1x Minion Reflector
1x Skullclamp
1x Neurok Stealthsuit
Land (36)
1x Dread Statuary
1x Mishra’s Facotry
1x Gargoyle Castle
1x Zoetic Cavern
1x Blasted Landscape
1x Crystal Vein
1x Miren, the Moaning Well
1x Mikokoro, Center of the Sea
1x Saprazzan Skerry
1x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
26x Island
Braids' Men
I kept the creature count as high as I could while still allowing ample room for mana acceleration and the essential 'other' cards such as Skullclamp, Paradox Haze, and Minion Reflector.
All of the strongest colorless Eldrazi creatures are featured here; Emrakul is absent due to his recent banning, which my playgroup adheres to. Fortunately, there are still 5 Eldrazi to murder the opponent. Annihilator is the perfect partner for Braids', forcing the opponent not only to sacrifice whatever they played via Braids, but also at least one other permanent. Pathrazer of Ulamog is insane here, since his evasion ability allows me to save my control spells for only the largest and most menacing of threats.
Platinum Empyrion and Platinum Angel buy a little time if needed.
Several creatures here have very powerful control effects: Empress Galina causes huge amounts of trouble stealing generals permanently. Tidespout Tyrant makes an already oppressive board into hell-on-earth for my opponent. Hoverguard Sweepers and Aven Augur are a given, both clearing the way for my titanic monsters to smash face. Roil Emental is another must-answer, lest my creature lineup swell to critical mass. Guile thrives here with my large countermagic suite.
Probably one of my favorite cards in the deck is the unassuming Onslaught uncommon, Riptide Shapeshifter. If you were to try to hardcast him, he's just too expensive to be any good, regardless of his power. But Braids actually makes him relevant. First of all, he's like a sixth Eldrazi. If that were all he did, he would still have a slot here. But he does SO MUCH MORE. He can call several types for which there is a single creature in my deck, tutoring them ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD. It can grab...
-Tidespout Tyrant (Djinn)
-Platinum Angel (Angel)
-Guile (Incarnation)
-Empress Galina (Merfolk)
-Steel Hellkite (Dragon)
Oh, and something along the lines of "Flip a coin. If heads, play Inkwell Leviathan. If tails, play Stormtide Leviathan" is also crazy...oh, and did I mention he does this at instant speed?
budgetbusters: Blightsteel Colossus, Wrumcoil Engine, Venser, Shaper Savant, Keiga, the Tide Star, Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
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Stealing
Theft is another great ally for Braids', allowing me to take full advantage of my opponent's most powerful creatures. Sadly there are few good options here, so there's not too much to say. Blatent Thievery sucks in 1v1. Oh well.
budgetbuster: Gilded Drake
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Countermagic
Braids allows me to use my mana for things other than dropping large creature threats, and counterspells seem like one of the best ways to keep control of the board. This suite is focused on protecting Braids. While my budget does not allow for Force of Will, there are several good options to protect her the turn I cast her, such as Foil, Thwart, or even Snapback cast in response to her being targetted, and Kira, Great Glass Spinner, Daring Apprentice, or Spiketail Drakeling hitting the board the turn before her, ensuring that she sticks around.
The fact that that three creatures appear in this section forces my opponent to make more tough decisions. Letting Diplomatic Escort live could cause them a world of trouble later on, but if they kill it, they've got one less killspell with which to deal with my creatures. It's a win-win
There's not a lot to say about the rest of this section, as it pretty much just includes cheap, hard counters. Despite the fact that I should have plenty of mana for control spells, keeping a low curve here and in my bounce section allows me to maximize the number of responses I can make in a turn, utterly owning the board as a result.
budgetbusters: Force of Will, Misdirection, Cryptic Command
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Bounce
The awesome thing about this deck is that it doesn't need a whole lot of time to win. Once it resolves a few of its large creatures, there's a very short clock. This makes bounce spells almost as good as spot removal.
Unsummon, Seal of Removal, and Snap all answer creature threats on the cheap. Snapback can be played for free in a pinch, which is awesome. The versatility and power of Into the Roil and Rushing River are pretty impressive I think. The latter is like an instant-speed Undo, especially since losing a land shouldn't be a big deal in this deck.
Capsize is destroyer of worlds.
And just when my opponent thought he had a chance, Crystal Shard and Dissipation Field are in it for the long run, molesting him for the rest of the game.
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Acceleration
Braids is the glue that holds this deck together, so there should be no expense spared to ensure that she sticks and sticks around. Playing her turn 3 is a huge deal, so each and every card in this section enables that. Silver Myr is a decoy and a ramper, and Guardian Idol could add the last few points of damage in a pinch. Mana Vault, if in hand on the first turn, allows for a TURN TWO BRAIDS. Mind Stone gives card advantage when its mana ability is less important.
I think this section might have to increase by one card, from 5 to 6, but since there are two ramping lands, I'm not sure yet, since I've not yet built the deck physically and tested it.
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Other
This section is too disparate to describe generally, so I'll just break it down card-by-card:
- Pongify was made for this deck. What's better than bouncing a creature? In this deck, I would say "killing it for U, and giving them an innocuous vanilla 3/3". Although it does give them a blocker, so I'm not sure how this one will turn out.
- Paradox Haze allows me to Braids two cards per turn, which is truly fast and furious. A staple in the archetype, I think.
- Vanishing is the only spell I've found so far which allows me to disable Braids' ability for my opponent. Sure, I could leave that two mana open for a counterspell, which I sometimes will, but it's probably better to use that two mana to prevent the threat from coming out in the first place. This is another Braids staple.
- Nim Deathmantle is a beast. It only costs two to throw down, and its middle ability is a repeatable Resurrection on steroids. It makes even the physically milder creatures in this deck truly monstrous. The fact that you can equip it to a creature in play is icing on the cake. Oh, and it's unspeakably powerful with the Eldrazi.
- Minion Reflector works really hard in this deck. It will probably be cast with Braids, which is a bit slower than powering out a creature with Braids. However, I think he makes up for that in spades, and in speedy fashion as well. Doubling one of my bombs repeatedly should give me quite the edge.
- Skullclamp is too powerful a card-drawing engine NOT to include. As my friend who helped me build this deck noted "I'm starting to think this card should be run in every deck where it's legal." It only equips for one, allowing me to easily keep mana open for other things.
- Although Neurok Stealthsuit may arguably be a poor man's Lightning Greaves, I think I would run them both if I could. Not only does it protect Braids, but it's instant equip ability is Kiraesque, virtually protecting all of my creatures.
budgetbusters: Sword of Fire and Ice, Sword of Feast and Famine, Lightning Greaves, Jace Beleren, Twanos's Coffin, Eye of Ugin
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Land
Crystal Vein and Saprazzan Skerry accelerate into Braids. Dread Statuary, Mishra's Factory, Zoetic Cavern, and Gargoyle Castle allow for a bit more reach in terms of damage, in a pinch. Miren, the Moaning Well could gain me quite a of life, after only sacrificing a dying creature or two. There should be plenty of blue mana here for the deck; a little more than 2/3 of its manabase produces U.
budgetbusters: Riptide Laboratory, Sol Ring
I can't find the post, but someone stated in this thread that they used Flame Javelin over Lightning Blast because the former is usually cast for RRR. It seems clear to me that doing so requires a very expensive manabase. Without spending hundreds of dollars on land, Lightning Blast seems better.
We're moving in that direction, with the inclusion of cards like Kor Sanctifiers and Orim's Thunder. The trepidation is having a dead card. I'm open to the idea of trying out Disenchant though, as it's clearly much more efficient removal than the two aforementioned cards.
It seems to me a superficial understanding of the concept of a singleton format to maintain that what makes a card unique is it's name. I'm frankly shocked that so many people break the spirit of this rule by using functional reprints. While it's true that neither Cultivate nor Elite Vanguard are functional reprints, they are virtually identical. Tell me, when was the last time the arcane subtype of Kodama's Reach made a difference? The creature type of Savannah Lion or Elite Vanguard? Never, I imagine, unless you some kind of tribal cube. I know Siege-Gang Commander is very popular, which I admit I don't get, but that's just one tribal card out of hundreds.
What makes a singleton format interesting and fun is that is strongly encourages variety. If you're using reprints, you're discouraging variety by excluding unique cards.
I admit I've never used Willbender before, but I'm pretty much sold now - especially considering the morph theme in this cube.
For 7W? A bit, yes.
Part of the trouble, I think, with some of the inappropriate suggestions is that a bit more description of what this cube is about is in order. Yes, as the OP stated, it is something of a budget cube, but also has more ramping and big creatures than most, because we think big creatures a lot of fun, and we're got a bit of a morph theme. So, for example, red Akroma is a perfect fit for our cube. She morphs, she easily wins games when she attacks, she can be flashed in with Quicksilver Amulet or Mindwrack Liege.
To me, cube drafting is about having the most fun drafts possible, at its core. For many people, apparently this means encouraging shorter games using many of the oldest, and in some cases broken, cards in the game. For ilmaestro and myself, we prefer to see a bit more variety.
There are always interesting exceptions, though, like Sol Ring. In a cube like ours which uses more big creatures, it, and probably Worn Powerstone and some of its ilk, work very well.