Thanks, steve_man. My section is exactly like yours plus the Dovin; I don't run Irrigated Farmland and talismans/signets. Anyone with some experience running him, preferably in a powered environment?
I would venture, though, that not *every* 3-cmc Azorius card is worth running...
I think most people plays catch-up with their cube - that really is part of the beauty with cube, it is ever ongoing. I've decided only to purchase foils of new cards going in the cube to avoid having to purchase the foiled versions later, this would put me back more than a grand at the current prices - so this condition will probably have to be dropped for this particular set. I do feel sorry for guys like wtwlf, though. However, I do think prices of some of these cards will go down - at least where I look, it is mainly the big sellers doing the presales, when people start opening boxes like crazy the prices on most cards will come down. Also, waiting a few months (years!) after sets come out is usually a prudent choice - cards that people think will stay often turn out to be subpar when actually played.
Thanks for everything, everyone. Been reading about MTG and cube in particular here for at least a decade, probably longer - just never felt the need to post too much.
I feel like the issue is it is only ever good if you play Mardu - if you are Boros, you'd need a discard outlet, which you can get, but not as organically.
In my 480 card cube, it hits 94 other targets, or about 1/5 of all cards. Given that most decks play both, and some heavily feature either, this sword will probably connect in quite a few situations. I think it will be a pretty strong card.
I agree with the above. I play SoWaP, and it is honestly quite awful, and I will happily replace it with this shiny thing. Protection against Azorius is also one of the best colour combinations to have protection against, in my opinion.
I run Burning-Tree Emissary, Bloodbraid, and Dragonlord. This replaces Dragonlord for me.
A top 10 for the RG section in no order now is?
Wren and Six
Dragonlord Atarka
Atarka's Command
Burning-Tree Emissary
Tattermunge Maniac
Huntmaster of the Fells
Sarkhan Vol
Domri, Anarch of Bolas
Bloodbraid Elf
Domri Rade
RG isn't GW when it comes to options, but it's nice that you have options and you can sculpt the section to what you want to do in it. Unlike BW and UR where most of the options don't feel great. And besides Bloodbraid Elf which is far and away the best option, everything else seems justifiable.
Replacing Atarka with this and keeping Burning-Tree Emissary seems like a design mistake, imo.
I would venture, though, that not *every* 3-cmc Azorius card is worth running...
2 Demonic Tutor
3 Vampiric Tutor
4 Hymn to Tourach
5 Recurring Nightmare
6 Damnation
7 Toxic Deluge
8 Thoughtseize
9 Liliana of the Veil
10 Griselbrand
11 Entomb
12 Grave Titan
13 Animate Dead
14 Living Dead
15 Dark Confidant
16 Nether Void
17 Bitterblossom
18 Pack Rat
19 Ophiomancer
20 Braids, Cabal Minion
1. Balance
2. Armageddon
3. Moat
4. Elspeth, Knight-Errant
5. Monastery Mentor
6. Land Tax
7. Palace Jailer
8. Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
9. Wrath of God
10. Hero of Bladehold
11. Swords to Plowshares
12. Stoneforge Mystic
13. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
15. Gideon Jura
16. Parallax Wave
17. Council's Judgment
18. Path to Exile
19. Mother of Runes
20. Karakas
Replacing Atarka with this and keeping Burning-Tree Emissary seems like a design mistake, imo.