Hell, you could probably make a 15 card pack out of a powered cube where it is the last pick.
I really think the main point here is, there is no great power level reason to exclude Mind Twist. Fun is a completely legit reason to not run a card, but it is very subjective, so not really worth talking about too much.
On the play, is it ever a good play to skip your second land drop with this card out?
Oh, hell yes. Think of skipping your land drop as casting Standstill. Do it when you think you have the advantage, or will have the advantage if no more lands hit the board. If they do play a land, you get to draw 3. Even better, if you're wrong, all they get is a minor tempo bump (as opposed to the dreaded Standstill self break).
Also, feel free to skip your first land drop if you have mox pearl or diamond.
Great on its own. Cheap. Powerful synergy everywhere. Fits in everything from white weenie to U/W control. What's to debate?
Is this true? I'm not questioning Phantizle, I just have very little experience with the card. Is this something you should be doing turn 1 in an aggro deck?
No problem at all. I'm not sure it's something I'd go out of my way to get into an aggro deck (certainly not over other aggressive one drops) but I've played it in many WW decks. It assures you have all the mana you'll need, when you need it, and not drawing lands in the mid/late game is amazing. Plus, it works well with all the landfall critters and geddons.
My overall point is that the card is powerful, synergistic, and flexible. So if you only do two man Winchesters, play it, and if you only do 8 mana roasts, play it.
I wouldn't think that fast mana would greatly affect Twists power level. Sure, you can't get the random "Twist for four on turn two", but really that doesn't happen with any regularity worth caring about. In an unpowered enviornment, hands get emptied slower, so I'd imagine that would mitigate any fast mana brokeness (after all, both players can play moxen).
I'd play it, just because I play everything, but don't expect it to be more "fair".
Planeswalker are fun, powerful, and usually pretty darn versatile. Plus, they encourage people to built decks well (both to use them properly and to fight them). These are all things I want more of in cube.
I think "barbed burn" could be a good nickname for burn spells that damage both a creature and a player (usually its controller). At least it is better than "those Lunge-like cards" or something like that. Lunge looks too much like lung, while barbed burn sounds as mean as those effects are.
Barbed is okay, though it sounds like you can split the burn, plus, some of the cards aren't really burn in their main mode (Smash to Smithereens and Molten Rain, for example). I was thinking "Cracker Jack" cards, because you get a decent thing plus a bonus prize.
I agree that all swords should be played (and that L and S is the "weakest" sword). I think they reward good deck construction and good playskill. They may seem like dumb strap ons (?) but it takes a lot of skil;l to build decks to fully utilize them, and to construct decks to fight them.
I'm a gigantic fan of this card, and cards of its ilk (we need a nickname for cards that tack face damage onto desirable effects). When deployed properly, it furthers your game plan on two fronts for mearly two mana.
As for whether or not the card's upside of "best burn spell ever" is worth the downside of occasionally being Lava Dartish, only you and your cube can decide that one. i highly recommend testing it heavily, and I recommend pairing it with similar cards (like Smash to Smithereens) as they tend to have a multiplier effect.
I'm not even sure it needed the second ability to be an autoinclude. Double loot on turn three is just going to be awesome. Pushing the powerlevel of the gold walkers is a great call, and I hope it continues.
For us it was Upheaval. It took way to long for the group (including me) to understand its value. I think in general it's the "symmetric" effects that tend to fool people, because it is often unclear how much you can break them in a less consistent format than constructed. This is why I often see people under valuing Balance and Wheel of Fortune as well.
I really think the main point here is, there is no great power level reason to exclude Mind Twist. Fun is a completely legit reason to not run a card, but it is very subjective, so not really worth talking about too much.
Oh, hell yes. Think of skipping your land drop as casting Standstill. Do it when you think you have the advantage, or will have the advantage if no more lands hit the board. If they do play a land, you get to draw 3. Even better, if you're wrong, all they get is a minor tempo bump (as opposed to the dreaded Standstill self break).
Also, feel free to skip your first land drop if you have mox pearl or diamond.
and probably ten more cards I'm forgetting.
No problem at all. I'm not sure it's something I'd go out of my way to get into an aggro deck (certainly not over other aggressive one drops) but I've played it in many WW decks. It assures you have all the mana you'll need, when you need it, and not drawing lands in the mid/late game is amazing. Plus, it works well with all the landfall critters and geddons.
My overall point is that the card is powerful, synergistic, and flexible. So if you only do two man Winchesters, play it, and if you only do 8 mana roasts, play it.
Fire/Ice > Izzet Charm > Augury > Weird
I've never played any of those UW cards for a significant amount of time. I want Judge's familiar to be kickass though.
I'd play it, just because I play everything, but don't expect it to be more "fair".
I agree withthe immediacy point, but Bloodgift probably does more for your topdecks on average.
Barbed is okay, though it sounds like you can split the burn, plus, some of the cards aren't really burn in their main mode (Smash to Smithereens and Molten Rain, for example). I was thinking "Cracker Jack" cards, because you get a decent thing plus a bonus prize.
As for whether or not the card's upside of "best burn spell ever" is worth the downside of occasionally being Lava Dartish, only you and your cube can decide that one. i highly recommend testing it heavily, and I recommend pairing it with similar cards (like Smash to Smithereens) as they tend to have a multiplier effect.