The main thing to do is analyze the mechanics, and missing slots along your curve. For example, treasure is important in the set, and there are a lot of treasure cards running around now. I would also want to make sure that it's possible to build around Oswald Fiddlebender, with a focus on 1 drop artifacts, since treasures are plentiful. Moreover, there is an artifact subtheme that could be somewhat strengthened by adding some more artifacts. And another theme which is vaguely present is goblins. Hobgoblin Bandit Lord and Battle Cry Goblin suggest a subtheme in red that could be cultivated with a few key cards like Goblin Instigator, and maybe a lord, like my favorite, Goblin Trashmaster.
There's also a minor lifegain theme with cards like Celestial Unicorn. Something like Soul Warden and Fountain of Renewal seems good to support it. And related, there are a lot of enter the battlefield triggers in this set, so blink is quite good. Teleportation Circle is going to be a deck to build. I think one or two other blink enablers would be good. Nephalia Smuggler and Restoration Angel come to mind, but they don't really fit the flavor.
I think the manlands are a good idea for pretty much any cube. Original duals and fetches are the most powerful way to play, but I don't know that they're really needed for an environment like this which will be lower power and full of commons. But you can never go wrong with them if that's what you want to do.
There are a few cards you might want to leave out just because they won't play well in the set. Demilich for example looks like a trap to me. Wish maybe too.
Make sure there are ways to get rid of Ebondeath, Dracolich! That card will be a terror.
Many golems, elementals, dragons, and giants fit.
Trap cards from original zendikar seem like an easy include. Level up guys might work too, but a lot of them have zendikar-specific names
I guess I don't disagree with the crowd saying "make it available in a blackout!". I was really annoyed with Urza, Academy Headmaster. I also probably have a bias in that I know I always have plenty of dice, despite the fact that I don't own a smartphone. I figure that if d20 rolls are allowed, d12s are no problem, since you can just use a d20 and reroll higher numbers. A D8 might be a little less convenient.
Personally, I do think that rules should be written on cards so smartphones aren't necessary. I think the dungeon is an okay limited mechanic in the same way that contraptions are fine (it's a mini-game mechanic). But I hate the dungeon in proper games because it doesn't say what it does on the card. I don't like the monarch for the same reason. And I don't like that Old Gnawbone doesn't give reminder text for treasures.
I've used a d20 to replace a missing d12 plenty of times. It's clunky, but it doesn't take long compared to searching your library. I figure if you can use d20s on lots of cards, using a d12 on one or two in a commander deck is okay.
I don't get the fuss over a D12. If everyone is expected to have a D20, you can just roll until you get 12 or lower. I don't like adding game complexity, but compared to the dungeon mechanic, this is nothing. It's not like they're asking you to go to askurza.com or somehow know about massive erratas, or know exactly what everything on Garth One-Eye does without looking it up, or just have dungeon tokens on hand. There are other cards which ask far more than this one.
If you're playing cards that roll d20s, you should have some d20s on hand. But if you don't, it's not a big deal. The group will figure something out, and someone has a smart phone. The game already asks you to play cards differently from how they're printed because of erratas, and to know what mechanics do without reminder text. Figuring out how to roll a die is nothing.
Again, if you have access to a D20, you can always use it as a d12. You have a 40% chance of rerolling it, but it's not like rolling a die takes a long time.
Hey, this is a nice treat for the last day of spoilers. I haven't gotten around to adding Pilgrim of the Ages yet, and I'd rather draw a card than find a plains most of the time.
I like the manlands alright, but the cycle feels pretty middle-of-the-road, and not that exciting. I might play one or two that I happen to get.
Moon-Blessed Oracle and Oswald Fiddlebender are the most interesting cards in the set to me. Ultimately, it's a set with a lot of parasitic mechanics. I bet it's tons of fun in draft, but I don't like things like the Dungeon mechanic in cube.
I'm pretty interested in this. Level 2 isn't hard to get to, and can be very frustrating for the opponent. Level 3 isn't hard to get either. This looks like a lot of fun, unlike Luminarch Aspirant, which never seemed much fun to me (though I can see why it's a better card).
I think it's one of the better Raging Goblins out there, and has a better floor than Legion Loyalist, but it's still just a raging goblin variant. The ability is halfway between bushido 1 and flanking. But neither of those abilities are actually all that impactful.
It's not terrible, but I don't think it's doing a good enough impression of a 2/1.
Deathpriest of Myrkul2BB
Creature - Tiefling Cleric (Uncommon)
Skeletons, Vampires, and Zombies you control get +1/+1
At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died this turn, you may pay 1, if you do, create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token. "The Reaper commands you to rise!"
2/2
So first off, I know this isn't competing with Kalitas or Spawn of Mayhem, or Ebondeath, Dracolich or any of the other ridiculous mythic creatures they print.
Nonetheless, for those of us not playing those cards, this has a huge amount going on. It strikes me as a somewhat weaker Creakwood Liege for mono black. I personally like Goblin Trashmaster a lot, and I feel like this is a black equivalent with tribal buffs that are broad enough to hit a lot of random cards even outside of black.
I often find myself mostly excited by uncommons, and this one is for me.
Ward 1 just doesn't do quite enough. Like the other venture cards, it can get out of hand if you keep getting triggers, but you only get the trigger once a turn. I think if you want to play venture, you're likely to play a small group of the best ones, since they like each other so much. This is a guy who will really be teetering on the edge of being in that small group.
It's neat. I'm not sure sure it's good though. The sticking point for me is that you only get to play one of the cards. The interrogate option is kinda like a really strange cantrip spell. It's cool. And it's really odd, so it could turn out to be a lot better than it looks. But Shatter just isn't that strong a floor.
Interestingly, I predict my most common line for this would be to dig for a needed land drop.
Yeah, the name feels awkward-- nobody ever refers to +X magic weapons as such in character. I always thought having an integer for magic items like that was lame for D&D anyway.
I'm instantly reminded why I don't like the dungeon mechanic as I try to figure out what this does when it hits. Unable to remember, I'm forced to look it up. I just want the cards to say what they do.
For reference:
Again, it looks like what you're really after is that goblin buddy. In all dungeoneering, the coveted treasure is a 1/1 goblin. This gets there fast, and if it does, it's super worth the investment. The ability to do lots of other things is obviously crucial in-game, and it will feel a lot different with these on the field from analyzing in a vacuum.
Looter Il-Kor is an interesting comparison, but I think the two will play very dissimilarly. Just being a 2/1 versus a 1/1 makes attacking very different, not to mention the weirdness of the dungeon.
Everyone: STOP TRYING TO WIN THE CULTURE WAR BY POSTING ON THE INTERNET!!!
No matter how smart and compelling your post/ article seems to you, it is not going to change hearts and minds. None of us had ever heard of either of these two people before this nonsense: it is just an excuse to rehash a bigger issue that will never be resolved by making posts and counter-posts on message boards. (Yes, I know saying that here is hypocritical.)
It's like people don't even know that Anointed Procession will be eight bucks in five years. How is it this kind of card always follows this pattern? It seems investors would have destroyed that easy plunder by over-exploiting it.
Not that I mind. I'm happy when cards are cheap, and easily available. Order now for your casual fun purposes, or you'll end up paying way more for the same card. In the mean time, almost every other card in the set will tank in value. Business as usual.
There's also a minor lifegain theme with cards like Celestial Unicorn. Something like Soul Warden and Fountain of Renewal seems good to support it. And related, there are a lot of enter the battlefield triggers in this set, so blink is quite good. Teleportation Circle is going to be a deck to build. I think one or two other blink enablers would be good. Nephalia Smuggler and Restoration Angel come to mind, but they don't really fit the flavor.
I think the manlands are a good idea for pretty much any cube. Original duals and fetches are the most powerful way to play, but I don't know that they're really needed for an environment like this which will be lower power and full of commons. But you can never go wrong with them if that's what you want to do.
There are a few cards you might want to leave out just because they won't play well in the set. Demilich for example looks like a trap to me. Wish maybe too.
Make sure there are ways to get rid of Ebondeath, Dracolich! That card will be a terror.
Many golems, elementals, dragons, and giants fit.
Trap cards from original zendikar seem like an easy include. Level up guys might work too, but a lot of them have zendikar-specific names
Cards that fit flavor (whether or not they're good):
Slumbering Dragon
Expedition Map
Tangle (closest to entangle)
Web (doesn't really work like in d&d, or very well)
Teleport (same)
Scrying Glass (same)
Anti-Magic Aura
Lightning Bolt
Shining Armor
Dragon's Hoard
Elven Bow
Throwing Knife
Greatsword
Warlord's Axe
Kite Shield
Psionic Blast
Cloak and Dagger
Deathcult Rogue
Keymaster Rogue (lets you reuse venture ETBs)
Rogue's Gloves
Rogue's Passage
Seraphic Greatsword
Ancient Stone Idol
I'll come back with more ideas
Personally, I do think that rules should be written on cards so smartphones aren't necessary. I think the dungeon is an okay limited mechanic in the same way that contraptions are fine (it's a mini-game mechanic). But I hate the dungeon in proper games because it doesn't say what it does on the card. I don't like the monarch for the same reason. And I don't like that Old Gnawbone doesn't give reminder text for treasures.
I've used a d20 to replace a missing d12 plenty of times. It's clunky, but it doesn't take long compared to searching your library. I figure if you can use d20s on lots of cards, using a d12 on one or two in a commander deck is okay.
If you're playing cards that roll d20s, you should have some d20s on hand. But if you don't, it's not a big deal. The group will figure something out, and someone has a smart phone. The game already asks you to play cards differently from how they're printed because of erratas, and to know what mechanics do without reminder text. Figuring out how to roll a die is nothing.
Again, if you have access to a D20, you can always use it as a d12. You have a 40% chance of rerolling it, but it's not like rolling a die takes a long time.
Hey, this is a nice treat for the last day of spoilers. I haven't gotten around to adding Pilgrim of the Ages yet, and I'd rather draw a card than find a plains most of the time.
Maybe Rares:
I like the manlands alright, but the cycle feels pretty middle-of-the-road, and not that exciting. I might play one or two that I happen to get.
Moon-Blessed Oracle and Oswald Fiddlebender are the most interesting cards in the set to me. Ultimately, it's a set with a lot of parasitic mechanics. I bet it's tons of fun in draft, but I don't like things like the Dungeon mechanic in cube.
It's not terrible, but I don't think it's doing a good enough impression of a 2/1.
Deathpriest of Myrkul 2BB
Creature - Tiefling Cleric (Uncommon)
Skeletons, Vampires, and Zombies you control get +1/+1
At the beginning of your end step, if a creature died this turn, you may pay 1, if you do, create a 1/1 black Skeleton creature token.
"The Reaper commands you to rise!"
2/2
So first off, I know this isn't competing with Kalitas or Spawn of Mayhem, or Ebondeath, Dracolich or any of the other ridiculous mythic creatures they print.
Nonetheless, for those of us not playing those cards, this has a huge amount going on. It strikes me as a somewhat weaker Creakwood Liege for mono black. I personally like Goblin Trashmaster a lot, and I feel like this is a black equivalent with tribal buffs that are broad enough to hit a lot of random cards even outside of black.
I often find myself mostly excited by uncommons, and this one is for me.
For cube, devils are quite delightful, and I think the card will be decent enough, but never anything special.
Interestingly, I predict my most common line for this would be to dig for a needed land drop.
For reference:
Again, it looks like what you're really after is that goblin buddy. In all dungeoneering, the coveted treasure is a 1/1 goblin. This gets there fast, and if it does, it's super worth the investment. The ability to do lots of other things is obviously crucial in-game, and it will feel a lot different with these on the field from analyzing in a vacuum.
Looter Il-Kor is an interesting comparison, but I think the two will play very dissimilarly. Just being a 2/1 versus a 1/1 makes attacking very different, not to mention the weirdness of the dungeon.