I feel like people will be severely underrating this card because she sort of does not affect the board immediately as she enters the battlefield.
But you do have to take into account that the 4/7 vigilance body is quite good at 5 mana, it is the first splash-able praetor ever and it's effect is subtle but really powerful. You get a huge body, with torpor orb and panharmonicon attached to it. The investment of 5 mana is well worth it and the game will turn fast in your favor since cube is based mostly on ETB creatures and sometimes other permanents such as O-Ring effects and so on.
I believe it will be a staple in Cube, Commander and some constructed formats.
It is also the hyped card of the set and it delivers. We haven't seen such a combination of effects on one card and the only thing that is misleading most people is the 5 mana cost which feels quite steep but I believe it will still be a powerhouse. Also, keep in mind that it makes the games a lot more fun for the holder with the doubling effects, while nerfing almost all cube creatures to vanillas, therefore making it less fun for the opponents.
Archivist of Oghma seems like a great inclusion in the MTG Cube, as besides fetchlands there are many tutors in the format. Like Opposition Agent, it is a nice surprise to play in response to cracking a fetchland. The opportunity cost of a 2/2 flash is good enough so that you will play it as a classic hate bear in any white-based deck and it seems to be decent enough in both Aggro (Refueling your hand is key and hard to achieve in aggro decks) and Control decks (where the life gaining can be very relevant also).
What do you guys think? I can see testing this at 540 Vintage Cube, especially as white 2-drops are so interchangeable.
Before wtwlf123 treats us with a nice Top20 for the current set, I always like seeing what other people want to test/watch for their own cubes.
I will talk about all changes as reasoning for changing is very important also.
There aren't many amazing cards for CUBE in this set but it is close to what I was expecting from a Standard set.
I intend on doing the following changes for my next update:
The Wandering Emperor - I am willing to try out this card over the 3rd variant of Oblivion Ring since it helps both aggro and control strategies. It is versatile enough that I will be testing it. Not sure it is going to last in the cube though. Lion Sash will most likely be the stand out card of the set, reconfigure being perfect for cube as it helps with not overextending. Also it is in white and works wonderfully with Stoneforge Mystic.
Watching March of Otherworldly Light. Too bad it does not hit Planeswalkers as they are everywhere in a cube environment.
Also watching Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire which feels a bit lackluster for cube but it might be enough against some aggro strategies.
Blue:
No changes
Watching Otawara, Soaring City - it can return planeswalkers before ultimating. It is hard to find a slot for it though.
My cube is already sporting a lot of 2 power 1-drops. I might let Diregraf Ghoul go instead of Vampire Lacerator as it cannot block when it comes into play. I am curios how Blade of the Oni plays. The reconfigure cost makes it look clunky but I can imagine a lot of scenarios where it can win games on the back of some 1/1 token or a 2 power early drop that's easy to find in a black aggro/stax deck.
Hive of the Eye Tyrant is easily replaceble and Takenuma, Abandoned Mire deserves some testing since it can return planeswalkers to hand at instant speed.
Pia Nalaar is definitely a nice aggro and midrange card but I am willing to try the Twinshot Sniper as it offers a lot of versatility in one card. Exchanging a 3-drop for a 4-drop that can sometimes be a 2-drop seems ok. The fact that it is also an artifact and a 2-power creature makes it a useful tool in some decks (thinking of Imperial Recruiter, Goblin Welder, Daretti, Scrap Savant, Goblin Engineer etc.) Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance is worth testing since if you get it going with Wrenn and Six it looks like a fun strategy in itself and that deck doesn't have a lot of support yet. My favorite strategy in MH1 limited was by far Green-Red Land-Matters and I would like to someday make it available to a certain degree in my Cube. Anger of the Gods falls on the late side of picks since double red cards usually tend to go in aggro strategies. People prefer Pyroclasm to stabilize in controlish decks.
Multicolor:
No changes.
Watching Kaito Shizuki as I've been cubing with Fallen Shinobi a lot lately and it is one of the most fun cards in the cube, being first picked by many for it's fun factor. Kaito Shizuki has amazing alt-art from the japanese artist and seems pretty close to being cubable.
EDIT after full set reveal:
Colorless: Eater of Virtue > Bonesplitter
It’s sad to see Bonesplitter go but this new card seems to be all upside. The few cases were you would like to have the creatures put into the graveyard after dying are not worth still using the splitter.
For me it's - Lair of the Hydra - that will be cut. It has underperformed the most out of all DND lands. Next on the chopping list is Hive of the Tyrant but I'm not sure about Takenuma yet.
Do you guys think there are any future implications for which this card does not say nonland permanent and instead it just mentions all the currently existing nonland permanents in MTG? Maybe a set in the nearby future will introduce a new type of permanent...
As MH1, this set shakes all cubes a lot. I am running a 540 Powered list and I am finding quite difficult to decide what to take out for the cards from this set. Nevertheless, I'll have to decide soon.
I'll list the cards in the order I believe they will resist the test of time in my cube.
That counts for 2 white, 2 black, 0 blue, 2 red, 2 green (yes, I play Noble Hierarch and Ignoble Hierarch in a green spot since they will always make any green deck and do not push people in the direction of the shards colors), 1 Orzhov, 1 Golgari, 1 Land.
I'm glad to not add any blue cards to the already over-filled blue slots. I am looking at Lose Focus but I'd rather play other counterspells for now (Memory lapse mystical archive art is dope and it works greatly in tempo decks and Arcane Denial is a beast with draw denial strategies).
Great article as always wtwlf123!
Thank you for the effort of writing these reviews. They help the community a lot.
This set doesn't seem to add much for powered cubes at 360-450 level but I guess that'a fine since pumping sets with 8+ playables every other month would put a huge strain on cube enthusiasts.
In the long run I see only keeping Prismari Command, Sedgemoor Witch and Baleful Mastery. I will also test Rip Apart but I am not quite sure it will hold a WR slot for a longer time, even though Boros is still my weakest guild.
As always, I am curious if there's any multicolor card that's flying under everyones radar and it surprises in the first few weeks (i.e. Uro or Hydroid Krasis).
For my 540 cube I intend on making these changings:
Imposing Sovereign -> Elite Spellbinder
Geralf's Messenger -> Sedgemoor Witch
Buried Alive (should"ve taken it out some time ago) -> Baleful Mastery
Fire//Ice -> Prismari Command
Plus testing these:
Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice -> Rip Apart
Garruk, Apex Predator > Witherbloom Command
Not sure about removing two highly costed rewards(Aurelia, Garruk) for removal spells but at least I have to see if they're worth it.
I'm quite surprised no one has started a thread regarding this beast of card for MTG cube. The World Tree is basically a free Chromatic Lantern and it can enable decks on its own, just like Gaea's Cradle or Tolarian Academy. I know the comparison seems farfetched but there are a few cards in the cube that ask for 5-color fixing and they could be getting a lot better thanks to The World Tree.
The last ability seems to put players off the card since cubes don't necessarily play a lot of God cards but I wouldn't look at the ability too much. It could even be flavour text and the card would still do a lot of work.
The only issue I find is trying to squeeze in my Lands section which has grown quite a lot in the last years, thanks to cards such as Fabled Passage or Prismatic Vista, or even the Pathway cycle which has proven to be quite good for the cube.
What do you guys think? Is it going to work in cubes or is too clunky, too slow or too weird?
White - Planar Disruption > Swift Reconfiguration
- Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines > Baneslayer Angel
Blue - No changes
Black - Sheoldred's Edict > Transmogrant's Crown
Red - No changes
Green - Cankerbloom > Outland Liberator
Multicolor - Atraxa, Grand Unifier > Soulfire Grand Master
Artifact - No changes
Lands - No changes, thinking of maybe adding fastlands sometime in the future instead of the manlands.
But you do have to take into account that the 4/7 vigilance body is quite good at 5 mana, it is the first splash-able praetor ever and it's effect is subtle but really powerful. You get a huge body, with torpor orb and panharmonicon attached to it. The investment of 5 mana is well worth it and the game will turn fast in your favor since cube is based mostly on ETB creatures and sometimes other permanents such as O-Ring effects and so on.
I believe it will be a staple in Cube, Commander and some constructed formats.
It is also the hyped card of the set and it delivers. We haven't seen such a combination of effects on one card and the only thing that is misleading most people is the 5 mana cost which feels quite steep but I believe it will still be a powerhouse. Also, keep in mind that it makes the games a lot more fun for the holder with the doubling effects, while nerfing almost all cube creatures to vanillas, therefore making it less fun for the opponents.
What do you guys think? I can see testing this at 540 Vintage Cube, especially as white 2-drops are so interchangeable.
I will talk about all changes as reasoning for changing is very important also.
There aren't many amazing cards for CUBE in this set but it is close to what I was expecting from a Standard set.
I intend on doing the following changes for my next update:
White:
The Wandering Emperor > Borrowed Time
Lion Sash > Seasoned Hallowblade
The Wandering Emperor - I am willing to try out this card over the 3rd variant of Oblivion Ring since it helps both aggro and control strategies. It is versatile enough that I will be testing it. Not sure it is going to last in the cube though.
Lion Sash will most likely be the stand out card of the set, reconfigure being perfect for cube as it helps with not overextending. Also it is in white and works wonderfully with Stoneforge Mystic.
Watching March of Otherworldly Light. Too bad it does not hit Planeswalkers as they are everywhere in a cube environment.
Also watching Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire which feels a bit lackluster for cube but it might be enough against some aggro strategies.
Blue:
No changes
Watching Otawara, Soaring City - it can return planeswalkers before ultimating. It is hard to find a slot for it though.
Black:
Blade of the Oni > Diregraf Ghoul
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire > Hive of the Eye Tyrant
My cube is already sporting a lot of 2 power 1-drops. I might let Diregraf Ghoul go instead of Vampire Lacerator as it cannot block when it comes into play. I am curios how Blade of the Oni plays. The reconfigure cost makes it look clunky but I can imagine a lot of scenarios where it can win games on the back of some 1/1 token or a 2 power early drop that's easy to find in a black aggro/stax deck.
Hive of the Eye Tyrant is easily replaceble and Takenuma, Abandoned Mire deserves some testing since it can return planeswalkers to hand at instant speed.
Red:
Twinshot Sniper > Pia Nalaar
Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance > Anger of the Gods
Pia Nalaar is definitely a nice aggro and midrange card but I am willing to try the Twinshot Sniper as it offers a lot of versatility in one card. Exchanging a 3-drop for a 4-drop that can sometimes be a 2-drop seems ok. The fact that it is also an artifact and a 2-power creature makes it a useful tool in some decks (thinking of Imperial Recruiter, Goblin Welder, Daretti, Scrap Savant, Goblin Engineer etc.)
Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance is worth testing since if you get it going with Wrenn and Six it looks like a fun strategy in itself and that deck doesn't have a lot of support yet. My favorite strategy in MH1 limited was by far Green-Red Land-Matters and I would like to someday make it available to a certain degree in my Cube. Anger of the Gods falls on the late side of picks since double red cards usually tend to go in aggro strategies. People prefer Pyroclasm to stabilize in controlish decks.
Green:
Boseiju, Who Endures > Lair of the Hydra
Lair of the Hydra is not comparable to the other DND lands and it also feels a lot worse than Treetop Village. Boseiju, Who Endures might be the best card in the set all together, also seeing it as the card that will stay in the cube the longest.
Multicolor:
No changes.
Watching Kaito Shizuki as I've been cubing with Fallen Shinobi a lot lately and it is one of the most fun cards in the cube, being first picked by many for it's fun factor. Kaito Shizuki has amazing alt-art from the japanese artist and seems pretty close to being cubable.
EDIT after full set reveal:
Colorless:
Eater of Virtue > Bonesplitter
It’s sad to see Bonesplitter go but this new card seems to be all upside. The few cases were you would like to have the creatures put into the graveyard after dying are not worth still using the splitter.
Check out my 555 Powered-cube on cube cobra.
I'll list the cards in the order I believe they will resist the test of time in my cube.
1. Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer - extended art
2. Ignoble Hierarch - retro art
3. Grist, the Hunger Tide - extended art
4. Damn - retro art
5. Urza's Saga - sketch art
6. Tourach, Dread Cantor - retro art
7. Abundant Harvest - Mystical Archive art
8. Solitude - extended art
9. Grief - extended art
10. Fury - extended art
11. Timeless Dragon - retro art
That counts for 2 white, 2 black, 0 blue, 2 red, 2 green (yes, I play Noble Hierarch and Ignoble Hierarch in a green spot since they will always make any green deck and do not push people in the direction of the shards colors), 1 Orzhov, 1 Golgari, 1 Land.
I'm glad to not add any blue cards to the already over-filled blue slots. I am looking at Lose Focus but I'd rather play other counterspells for now (Memory lapse mystical archive art is dope and it works greatly in tempo decks and Arcane Denial is a beast with draw denial strategies).
Thank you for the effort of writing these reviews. They help the community a lot.
This set doesn't seem to add much for powered cubes at 360-450 level but I guess that'a fine since pumping sets with 8+ playables every other month would put a huge strain on cube enthusiasts.
In the long run I see only keeping Prismari Command, Sedgemoor Witch and Baleful Mastery. I will also test Rip Apart but I am not quite sure it will hold a WR slot for a longer time, even though Boros is still my weakest guild.
As always, I am curious if there's any multicolor card that's flying under everyones radar and it surprises in the first few weeks (i.e. Uro or Hydroid Krasis).
Imposing Sovereign -> Elite Spellbinder
Geralf's Messenger -> Sedgemoor Witch
Buried Alive (should"ve taken it out some time ago) -> Baleful Mastery
Fire//Ice -> Prismari Command
Plus testing these:
Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice -> Rip Apart
Garruk, Apex Predator > Witherbloom Command
Not sure about removing two highly costed rewards(Aurelia, Garruk) for removal spells but at least I have to see if they're worth it.
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The World Tree is basically a free Chromatic Lantern and it can enable decks on its own, just like Gaea's Cradle or Tolarian Academy. I know the comparison seems farfetched but there are a few cards in the cube that ask for 5-color fixing and they could be getting a lot better thanks to The World Tree.
The last ability seems to put players off the card since cubes don't necessarily play a lot of God cards but I wouldn't look at the ability too much. It could even be flavour text and the card would still do a lot of work.
The only issue I find is trying to squeeze in my Lands section which has grown quite a lot in the last years, thanks to cards such as Fabled Passage or Prismatic Vista, or even the Pathway cycle which has proven to be quite good for the cube.
What do you guys think? Is it going to work in cubes or is too clunky, too slow or too weird?