Periodically I compare my 450 unpowered against five other 450 unpowered cubes that are regularly updated and with a similar design philosophy. Just happened to perform this review two days ago and was surprised to find running Gilded Goose was an outlier - four of the other five cubes no longer ran it. I personally think it still merits a slot, but it was food for thought.
Appreciate the write-up as always - always one of my top resources in my early evaluations. I also really love that this set seems to raise the floor of a a lot of cube staples as opposed to raising the ceiling of cube power level overall.
A few individual card thoughts:
Infernal Grasp- I keep seeing this called a terror-variant, but I don't think that is a good descriptor for this one. I think of Terror variants as 1B instant removal spells that kill everything but some subset of creatures. This is a Murder variant that provides a 1 colored mana discount in exchange for 2 life. I think there's a small space for the most efficient creature removal even in smaller cube lists and this is the best option for that slot now.
Augur of Autumn - I'm going to go on the record as stating this is being underrated already. I can't stress enough what an upgrade it is for only you to have knowledge of your upcoming draws. On top of that this has the potential, and not terribly unattainable, upside of letting you cast not only lands but creatures too directly from the top of your library? Sign me up.
Tovolar's Huntmaster - This card is just a trample away from making it for me. I think this is going to play like a more efficient Howling Giant as is. Grave Titan gives you 14 power among 5 bodies by the time it first attacks and trades up in the event your opponent should have something huge to block with. In short, Grave Titan is insane. This is no Grave Titan. That doesn't make this card bad though. 10 power for six mana is still very respectable and the 6 drop green slot is still pretty shallow. Green late game threats with large p/t's just need to have trample to get there for me.
I was initially going to cost these at 1,2, and 3 but the ability on BW1 is not something that can be done on a 1CC creature. Wizard construct is a flavor choice - the black mages in FF9 are Wizards, but also were created in an underground factory as a weapon of war -- some of them find their own purpose outside of war. The game discusses how they don't die, they stop.
I disagree that BW1 is doing too much at 2CC though. A 1/1 deathtouch is a common limited set inclusion that generally costs 1 mana (Hired Poisoner). For 1 additional mana it's not unreasonable for this to have the ability to fetch a single copy of a specific common. There's already examples of cards that do this and more at common(Squadron Hawk).
I do agree that BW 2 and 3 need a bit more tuning though if I want to maintain those costs (and I do). While we've already seen blue get a flash wind drake at common (Vexing Gull), black shouldn't have this without a drawback and this is that with upside.
Appreciate your suggestion on BW3 and I don't mind some small amount of parasitism, but I don't know that the entire vertical cycle should be parasitic. Wizard constructs already narrows the scope to Black Waltzs' and a few other creatures within this set (and changelings). Agree with the sorcery speed restriction as well.
Black Waltz 11B
Legendary Creature - Wizard Construct (U)
Deathtouch
When Black Waltz I enters the battlefield you may search your library for a card named Waltzing Wavecrasher. If you do, shuffle your library and then place Waltzing Wavecrasher on top.
1/1
Waltzing Wavecrasher2U
Creature - Cat Fish (C)
When Waltzing Wavecrasher enters the battlefield, if you control a creature named Black Waltz 1, tap target creature an opponent controls. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
3/2
Black Waltz II2B
Legendary Creature - Wizard Construct (U)
Flash, Flying
When Black Waltz II dies you may search your library for a creature named Black Waltz III and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library afterwards.
2/2
Black Waltz III3B
Legendary Creature - Wizard Construct (R)
Flying
Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.).
Exile a wizard construct from your graveyard: Remove a +1/+1 counter from Black Waltz III.
3/3
Notes: The generic portion of the mana cost and p/t's of each successive waltz matches with their number. Their abilities also shows the progression between Waltzes in that the first's ability tutors a common creature to the top of the library, the second's ability tutors a rare creature to the hand, and the third's ability brings itself back potentially over and over.
Waltzing Wavecrasher is a play on the Sealion from FFIX (hence the types Cat Fish). It has a synergy with Black Waltz 1 that enables it to be a sort of Frost Lynx+ when BW1 is on the battlefield. Black Waltz 2 is given flash and flying to match with the addition of wings and the teleport abilities from FF9, but like the game this creature is largely just the precursor to Black Waltz 3. BW 3 has undying to reflect its return in Disc 2 of FF9, and to add some spice to this card and make this more than a French vanilla, I added the final ability that can remove the +1/+1 counter from undying, and potentially allow this to recur repeatedly. I thought the exiling a wizard construct cost was evocative of when Black Waltz 3 destroys all of the black mages in FF9 and it places a limitation on the use of this ability.
Picked up everything except Ragavan....not paying $70.00+ for a red 1 drop - even arguably the best one ever printed. Might not be the greatest thing to wish for, but if Ragavan got hit with a banhammer, that'd be fine by me.
Definitely think this is better than Rakdos's Return. In select scenarios this can even be better than Fractured Identity in that your opponent will never reap any benefits from their own card, but you will. The problem with Extract Brain is there is a limited window for this card and your opponent has to have an ideal target in hand during that window. I think of this as Bribery with the pro of not being limited to creatures, but with the much larger cons of stealing from the hand as opposed to a whole library and being gold. This is narrowly outside for me, but I will keep my eyes out and look for reports from those who give it a shot.
That time of the year again! Share your includes, tests, or cards you're just keeping an eye on from AFR. Also include you cube size/type for reference! Post now and update as spoiler season continues or post when spoiler season concludes - whatever works for you.
Yep, that's it so far. Unless they've really been pulling their punches this preview season, this might be the worst set for cube since Dragon's Maze. That said, my wallet doesn't mind the breather after MH2. There's a couple other cards worthy of consideration if you don't mind the dungeon mechanic (venture), but mechanics like Monarch, Learn, or Venture don't appeal to me personally.
Bone Shards (but I don't run either)
Maul > Dancing Sword > Ancestral Blade - Maul is just narrowly outside of my 450 unpowered list, at 540 I would run it
Meloku > Kefnet > Iymrith (I run Meloku and Kefnet)
Ranger Class > Dustwatch (I don't/would not run either)
Gonna be awhile before I have testing feedback. Bought a set box because this is supposed to be one of the best value sets and I figured I can pull much of what I need and then sell/trade to get most of the rest - don't think that's going to happen with this box. No fetches and none of the Evoke cycle. It wasn't a complete bust by any means. One pack actually made up about 1/2 of the value of the whole box containing a Sword of Hearth and Home, Old style Damn, and a Foil Ignoble Hierarch. Also pulled Archon of Cruelty, a Foil Lose Focus, and a sketch Abundant Harvest. Also pulled Cabal Coffers which was neat.
I think this provides later game functionality where a lot of aggro decks would just fold to a decent midrange deck. Black in particular needs that as its aggro archetype is less explosive and more recursion focused.
A few individual card thoughts:
Infernal Grasp- I keep seeing this called a terror-variant, but I don't think that is a good descriptor for this one. I think of Terror variants as 1B instant removal spells that kill everything but some subset of creatures. This is a Murder variant that provides a 1 colored mana discount in exchange for 2 life. I think there's a small space for the most efficient creature removal even in smaller cube lists and this is the best option for that slot now.
Augur of Autumn - I'm going to go on the record as stating this is being underrated already. I can't stress enough what an upgrade it is for only you to have knowledge of your upcoming draws. On top of that this has the potential, and not terribly unattainable, upside of letting you cast not only lands but creatures too directly from the top of your library? Sign me up.
Tovolar's Huntmaster - This card is just a trample away from making it for me. I think this is going to play like a more efficient Howling Giant as is. Grave Titan gives you 14 power among 5 bodies by the time it first attacks and trades up in the event your opponent should have something huge to block with. In short, Grave Titan is insane. This is no Grave Titan. That doesn't make this card bad though. 10 power for six mana is still very respectable and the 6 drop green slot is still pretty shallow. Green late game threats with large p/t's just need to have trample to get there for me.
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
Fateful Absence
Consider
Suspicious Stowaway
Infernal Grasp
Falkenrath Pit Fighter
Testing
Borrowed Time - Not sure if I want a 3rd copy of this effect.
Memory Deluge
Bloodthirsty Adversary
Light up the Night
Augur of Autumn
Primal Adversary
Watching
Cathar Commando
Cathartic Pyre
Tovolar's Huntmaster
I disagree that BW1 is doing too much at 2CC though. A 1/1 deathtouch is a common limited set inclusion that generally costs 1 mana (Hired Poisoner). For 1 additional mana it's not unreasonable for this to have the ability to fetch a single copy of a specific common. There's already examples of cards that do this and more at common(Squadron Hawk).
I do agree that BW 2 and 3 need a bit more tuning though if I want to maintain those costs (and I do). While we've already seen blue get a flash wind drake at common (Vexing Gull), black shouldn't have this without a drawback and this is that with upside.
Appreciate your suggestion on BW3 and I don't mind some small amount of parasitism, but I don't know that the entire vertical cycle should be parasitic. Wizard constructs already narrows the scope to Black Waltzs' and a few other creatures within this set (and changelings). Agree with the sorcery speed restriction as well.
Thanks for your feedback.
Legendary Creature - Wizard Construct (U)
Deathtouch
When Black Waltz I enters the battlefield you may search your library for a card named Waltzing Wavecrasher. If you do, shuffle your library and then place Waltzing Wavecrasher on top.
1/1
Waltzing Wavecrasher 2U
Creature - Cat Fish (C)
When Waltzing Wavecrasher enters the battlefield, if you control a creature named Black Waltz 1, tap target creature an opponent controls. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
3/2
Black Waltz II 2B
Legendary Creature - Wizard Construct (U)
Flash, Flying
When Black Waltz II dies you may search your library for a creature named Black Waltz III and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library afterwards.
2/2
Black Waltz III 3B
Legendary Creature - Wizard Construct (R)
Flying
Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1/+1 counter on it.).
Exile a wizard construct from your graveyard: Remove a +1/+1 counter from Black Waltz III.
3/3
Notes: The generic portion of the mana cost and p/t's of each successive waltz matches with their number. Their abilities also shows the progression between Waltzes in that the first's ability tutors a common creature to the top of the library, the second's ability tutors a rare creature to the hand, and the third's ability brings itself back potentially over and over.
Waltzing Wavecrasher is a play on the Sealion from FFIX (hence the types Cat Fish). It has a synergy with Black Waltz 1 that enables it to be a sort of Frost Lynx+ when BW1 is on the battlefield. Black Waltz 2 is given flash and flying to match with the addition of wings and the teleport abilities from FF9, but like the game this creature is largely just the precursor to Black Waltz 3. BW 3 has undying to reflect its return in Disc 2 of FF9, and to add some spice to this card and make this more than a French vanilla, I added the final ability that can remove the +1/+1 counter from undying, and potentially allow this to recur repeatedly. I thought the exiling a wizard construct cost was evocative of when Black Waltz 3 destroys all of the black mages in FF9 and it places a limitation on the use of this ability.
450 Unpowered
In
Testing
Portable Hole
Watching
Ebondeath, Dracolich
Den of the Bugbear
Yep, that's it so far. Unless they've really been pulling their punches this preview season, this might be the worst set for cube since Dragon's Maze. That said, my wallet doesn't mind the breather after MH2. There's a couple other cards worthy of consideration if you don't mind the dungeon mechanic (venture), but mechanics like Monarch, Learn, or Venture don't appeal to me personally.
Bone Shards (but I don't run either)
Maul > Dancing Sword > Ancestral Blade - Maul is just narrowly outside of my 450 unpowered list, at 540 I would run it
Meloku > Kefnet > Iymrith (I run Meloku and Kefnet)
Ranger Class > Dustwatch (I don't/would not run either)
Condescend, Opt, Memory Lapse, Daze, Forbid, Fact or Fiction.
2) Cut one for Abundant Harvest:
Kazandu Mammoth, Bala Ged Recovery, Tooth and Nail, or none of the above.
3) Cut one for Ignoble Hierarch:
Gilded Goose, Hexdrinker, Paradise Druid.
4) Cut one for Damn
Vanishing Verse, Anguished Unmaking
I'd play both of the first two at 360. 4CC Karn barely makes it at 450 for me.