Some people would rather play Brain Freeze than Bitterblossom, argue that Signets are bad, Karros in the cube make the entire thing too slow, and imply that Mother of Runes sucks. Those people aren't going to be convinced of anything else. No matter if an entire cube community with years of cube experience, thousands and thousands of drafts and pro tour caliber players tells him otherwise. If they don't want help/advice, spend your time helping and debating with those that do.
We are a cube community here as well, with years of experience in cube, and pro tour players...
Maybe it's just a fact that apparently in Ontario and Manitoba we seem to cube different then the rest of the world, which is something I recognize, but doesn't in any way affect my response. Our cubes run more like highlander t1 games. I accept that "this" community loves cards like aftershock, artifact decks do not exist, etc.
I am open to advice. I have pointed out in reference to specific cards, that they have been tried and cut. Bitterblossom, as an example was in every cube here and is now in none. The words "it's bad" are not coming from my mouth, it just didn't make the cut.
We're basically here to help, and like your OP says, optimize your Cube.
That's why I posted the cube. We are all entitled to our opinions. To go back to bitterblossom, it's not cutting it right now... maybe in six months it may be able to again.
Maybe I should have put this in my first post: While versatility is good, any given card needs an inherit power level that can be useable in multiple archetypes. In spite of what this "forum" thinks, aftershock in not such a card here in Winnipeg.
Talismans are decent, but don't fix two colours at once, which is often relevant.
...erm..... yes?????
Tap a land, have signet filter it into 2 colours.
VS
Tap a land for colour and signet for other.
Bitterblossom is not an aggro card, it's too slow. One deck down. In control it will fog the biggest creature to 1 point. Two down. Combo... skullclamp/bitterblossom. Two cards, 1 mana, 1 life ->phyrexian arena, 1 card, 1 life
...moving on.
Bouncelands can play fine into aggro strategies. They let you keep a two-land hand that you'd otherwise be forced to mulligan
Been playing magic since it's onset. I've moderated some forums on other sites. Just generally lived the game, except for standard... never really been a fan in spite of my playing it on occasion. I've just grown tired of being anon especially since anon always has an opinion.
Bounce lands are fine in formats like EDH, not in cube.. unless your cube is slow, then go for it.
Talismans are useful right away, and require nothing else to make them good. Simple example, turn 2 talisman -> one drop VS turn 2 signet go. Sure the turn 4 can be the same, but now aggro deck, control deck, etc can all play these and still keep the pressure that archetype presents.
No karoo lands are not good in every deck type. If you are playing aggro with karoo lands...
Gift's has only been the nuts in reanimator, or in the combo deck that can gift's for will, regrowth, eternal witness, win condition. Generally it is just bin 2 good cards and get 2 cards that affect opponent the least.
@eidolon: Momentary blink is a white card, so it's in white. I'm assuming when you cube with your group games go slow. Bounce lands, 4 mana replacements for 1-2cc spells, etc. That won't cut it. I would hate on my second turn to play a bounce land, probably do nothing and walk into my opponents turn three goblin settler as an example. There is no reason to take karoos over duals when they are available. The same is true of the vivid lands. ETBT lands are brutal when there are superior alternatives. Hopefully that will cover some things that i will probably gloss over or just not address.
Knight of meadowgrain and austere command are in the second I find them in one of my piles of cards. Double white cards have to be good. Most people feel white is underpowered. By making white splashable it sees play more. Mother of runes was cut. One more mana generally got you a better creature that already has protection. And mother tended to die after it was played a lot. Debt of loyalty I like so far. If you can play it well, it proves itself over and over. There is no reason not to play kataki. A spalshable aggro body that hinders the artifact deck good.
Looter is actually in again... it was out for like a day. Glen Elendra and similar, I'm not sure how i feel about a lot of these still. I would rather have more "counterspell" cards then the more limited negate/force spike cards. I recognize they are required though all the same... so we will see. Simply no to the blue cuts, not sure what else to say there.
Shriekmaw should be there, my bad if it isn't. Prowler had proven to be bad. Bitterblosom was never good enough. Slaughter pact yes, when i find it like most cards that aren't in yet. Smother also yes. To most of the cuts, no. Gatekeeper was cut after some talks with one of our cube groups.
Almost all of those were in and then got cut. Don't even want to touch aftershock, no one here will take it. For the cuts, akroma has been talked about. We shall see where that goes. Creature based decks love bushwacker.
Still thinking about kodama. The walls are generally no. I want to put in some of the ramp spells. Scute mob... maybe, but it probably won't make it. It doesn't fit into a deck.
I know how it works in 2HG. We do not play 2HG, we play a team format if anything where it simply makes a teams life 10. Gaddock teeg is good in aggro. This is also where communication comes in too, "hey partner, if i play teeg do we win or lose?" Void is bad, too slow. In general, games are going average six turns depending on the "control deck." Namely if it is there and how controlish is it.
@wtwlf123: In spite of what you may think by the numbers, all colours are equally draftable. I'm always open to hear changes. My cube is always evolving as cards come in and out.
@magicmerl: Just a generic land reply. The cube is generally fast, as a result ETBT and karoo lands are slow and a liability.
Searchlight is good in my cube as the common way we cube is 2v2. The ability to help out a partner is great, so it essentially just replaced darksteel ingot.
Gift's Ungiven always seems to limited in what it can do. It always seems to be only good in a certain deck, and then that deck needs the appropriate cards to take advantage of it. That is essentially why entomb and intuition ended up being cut years ago. They were just too narrow.
I will apologize for the mind twist categorizing. Again, typed the list to get it up. I will fix it when i get the chance.
Condescend I'm thinking about. Ink Eyes will probably get back in. Just say no to seething song.
at TakeABow: I'll put it another way so you can comprehend what i said. It seems like "someone" is telling me I hate aftershock because I'm saying it is a bad card. I in fact don't hate the card, but it is still terrible.
I am fine that people here seem to find it good enough for cube. I find that my experience is better by never seeing it in cube.
No one has actually expressed why it is a good card. Versatility is the only answer I have tried to show that there are better cards to draft that can accomplish what aftershock can at a better cost, with no drawback, and are just plain superior in a focused deck.
I hope you can at least understand why it is a bad card. Power to you if you think it is cube worthy.
The land has proven itself. It allows for every deck the ability/chance at having a good mana base. It helps any deck to splash for a card. Aggro getting a timewalk is good, the aggro guy who can not only hate draft a time walk and play it, better.
It's not that there is a "gap" in the mana curve for creatures. It is more that optimal creatures have yet to be found tied in with what a given colour can offer. The "gap" as you have it illustrated is fine. Why do I want to open a pack of all turn seven plays when i can open packs that aid in drafting a mana curve for a deck? That is the best way I can think to explain that right now.
The 5W's is in the u/r slot becuase that is where it ended up. Didn't feel like swerve was cutting it so it got replaced. Not to say it won't be tried again though.
Mox Crystal is there in part because we all played 250, the format got ruined by the 5 color council/zombor. And now we have a bunch of 250 players here with mox crystals. It's close in power to an actual mox, so cube worthy as a result.
I'll try to make those name changes when i get the chance, it was my fault for just trying to get this up fast.
Afttershock has a drawback, but that's okay because it provides an ability not normally found in that color, in addition to playing with the color's strengths too
It's not ok becuase it has a drawback and doesn't at all play to the colours strengths. One of the first things i mentioned about this card was that there are spells in red that can do similar thing, but better and more cost effectively without any drawback.
Cards that can do things that are not of their respective colour can be found everywhere... that does not make them good, or cube worthy. Amnesia gives blue discard, skullscorch gives red discard, gate tp phyrexia gives black artifact destruction, etc.... these are all in the same boat as aftershock. Again I'm told that it is versatile, but its versatility is only that it can kill a creature of any toughness, or that seem to be the consensus from what I have been told here.
I can use it as artifact hate, LD in a land destruction deck, or as spot removal in a color that doesn't have any
Red has better artifact hate that more decks can splash for.
Stone rain, avalanche riders, pillage, etc. are all better forms of LD for an LD guy to take over aftershock.
Burn is spot removal and red, sorry that you forgot that.
And just as a side note, you seem to be misconstruing my opinion that aftershock is a bad card as the reason I hate it. I don't hate it. I've played it in fun decks. But that in no way affects its card quality which is still sub par at best.
I've drafted the storm deck, and had sucecss with it just as much as i've lost to it.
Not to glaze over it, but in general, i would never play aftershock in any constructed format even where i would know its versatility would be useful because its drawback and sorcery speed make it that bad. With that in mind, if the card can't even be considered ok for constructed it's going to have a hard time making the cut for cube with the "best cards in magic" present.
Phyrexian Alter is one of the few black cards I can think of that deals with artifacts. Just because it fills a niche in a colour does not make it cube worthy and that is basically the only reason I have recieved for playing aftershock. While i get told "it's versatile," it's clear the only reason it appears to see play is because it can just kill a creature. That fact it can do anything else is the justification for playing it while constantly ignoring its horrendous drawback.
On that note, I have posted my cube as about as accurate as the list i copied it from is. I have made cuts and additions without updating my list, so i apologize if some are still in it.
Since i was asked to show my cube this is the state it's in right now with approximations given as changes were probably made that i forgot to note as cards are constantly being introduced/removed to optimize the cube.
General info
Basic Info
Cube Size: ~460 Cards
Breakdown: ~56/colour, exception is blue. it's curently heavier to see how some cards fare
Standard or Theme Cube: Standard
Snow Lands: No
Average # Players: Four
How Often Drafted: four a week minimum
Card Selection
Powered?: Yes
Portal?: Yes
"Un-" Cards: Yes if deemed good
Banned Cards for Power-Level: No
Banned Cards for Time Constraints: No
Banned Cards for "Fun" factor: No
Cube Design
Standard or Multiplayer: open ended. used for any "draft" format
Sideboards?: No usually, yes for 1v1
Even Color Balance: almost
Perfect Creature/Non-Creature Balance: No, there shouldn't be
Gold Balance: yes
Hybrid/Split/Kicker as Gold: Yes/Yes/No
Color Triggers as Gold: No
Perfectly Balanced CMC: no, should not be balanced
Cube CMC: 2.75 or 0.42 if you count lands
How our 2v2 works:
Teams are randomly determined and seating goes Team A1 Team B1 Team A2 Team B2.
Draft follows standard drafting (left, right, left).
There is no talking/communication during the draft.
The players then make a deck out of the cards they drafted. There is no shared card pool. You are essentially trying to make a dake that can beat 2 people on it's own merit.
Then magic is played.
Each team starts with 25 life.
All players are viable targets. Something like Flame Rift will deal 8 damage to each team. A card like Time Walk affects only the person who plays it. Magister Sphinx simply makes a teams life 10.
One of the challenges is the "open discussion." You are talking to your partner across the table while trying to be as specific as possible, but while also trying to be vague so opponents don't know what you have planned.
Games are best 2/3.
If anything is not clear feel free to ask, on to the cube.
I mentioned the artifact deck in my first post for this very reason. It doesn't have to be a bad deck, and simply adding brain freeze to it means it can randomly combo and win without even having to be focused on that as a win condition.
Enablers for storm:
7 moxen, lotus petal, black lotus, mana crypt, engineered explosives, tormods crypt, sensei's diving top, mana vault, sol ring, phyrexian furnace, spellbombs, candelabra of tawnows, tolarian academy or any such land, erayo, voltaic key, 1cc cantrips in general, free spells like frantic search or snap, regrowth effects, yawgmoths will, ill gotten gains....
this list can go on and on. These are generically good cards that can find a home in a lot of possible decks. Again, adding brain freeze/tendril/empty the warrens to a cube allow a simple combo deck to exist. I will state again that empty the warrens is not necessarily a win condition, but a good back up, and not terrible on its own.
I'm sorry you don't like it, or fail to see the value in its flexibility
It's not that i don't like it, or fail to see it's flexibility. Fissure, befoul, creeping mold, etc. also have flexibility, but I won't play them in cube all the same.
I'll put it this way: I want to draft a "focused deck." If my opponent was forced/chose to take aftershock to deal with my "focused deck," then I have already won those match ups. If they were to take something like an ingot chewer that could just as equally deal with my deck, but it also poses a threat that i have to deal with.
Additionally, Aftershock fills a weakness of red...
Aftershock's ability to destroy creatures makes it never a dead card unlike the storm cards.
I'd have agreed if you at least conceded lands over creatures since every deck will need one land in play.
I'm used to cubing with fast decks being the norm be it combo, aggro, or control. These decks get online fast and a 4 mana sorcery that can't at the very least 2 for 1, regardless of the drawback, is terrible. I may just have to concede that some people like to play bad cards, i was that way too.
A control deck could easily play empty the warrens. Most blue decks that we see in cube around here play very few creatures and just steal the opponents best anyway. But getting there, random 1/1's to not die are good. And if red is present for the counter burn, that spell gets better exponentially.
Why would every deck want 4 1/1s for 4 mana...
I don't mean to say "every deck will play this card," but it can be included in every deck without sacrificing a spot. Its inherit card quality is good enough to play in any deck that can play red, that is not to say it also is immune to being cut as your drafted card pool will determine.
Milling myself for 9 still doesn't ensure that I hit one of my reanimation targets, while milling your opponent for 9 leads to more problems for you when they use their graveyard as a resource for recursion or delve
Just so we are clear, you just argued that milling your opponent is good because they are using their graveyard and that milling yourself is bad because you are using your graveyard.
We are a cube community here as well, with years of experience in cube, and pro tour players...
Maybe it's just a fact that apparently in Ontario and Manitoba we seem to cube different then the rest of the world, which is something I recognize, but doesn't in any way affect my response. Our cubes run more like highlander t1 games. I accept that "this" community loves cards like aftershock, artifact decks do not exist, etc.
I am open to advice. I have pointed out in reference to specific cards, that they have been tried and cut. Bitterblossom, as an example was in every cube here and is now in none. The words "it's bad" are not coming from my mouth, it just didn't make the cut.
That's why I posted the cube. We are all entitled to our opinions. To go back to bitterblossom, it's not cutting it right now... maybe in six months it may be able to again.
Maybe I should have put this in my first post: While versatility is good, any given card needs an inherit power level that can be useable in multiple archetypes. In spite of what this "forum" thinks, aftershock in not such a card here in Winnipeg.
...erm..... yes?????
Tap a land, have signet filter it into 2 colours.
VS
Tap a land for colour and signet for other.
Bitterblossom is not an aggro card, it's too slow. One deck down. In control it will fog the biggest creature to 1 point. Two down. Combo... skullclamp/bitterblossom. Two cards, 1 mana, 1 life ->phyrexian arena, 1 card, 1 life
...moving on.
What kind of aggro do you play?
▲
▲ ▲
Talismans are useful right away, and require nothing else to make them good. Simple example, turn 2 talisman -> one drop VS turn 2 signet go. Sure the turn 4 can be the same, but now aggro deck, control deck, etc can all play these and still keep the pressure that archetype presents.
No karoo lands are not good in every deck type. If you are playing aggro with karoo lands...
enough said.
@eidolon: Momentary blink is a white card, so it's in white. I'm assuming when you cube with your group games go slow. Bounce lands, 4 mana replacements for 1-2cc spells, etc. That won't cut it. I would hate on my second turn to play a bounce land, probably do nothing and walk into my opponents turn three goblin settler as an example. There is no reason to take karoos over duals when they are available. The same is true of the vivid lands. ETBT lands are brutal when there are superior alternatives. Hopefully that will cover some things that i will probably gloss over or just not address.
@magicmerl: Just a generic land reply. The cube is generally fast, as a result ETBT and karoo lands are slow and a liability.
Searchlight is good in my cube as the common way we cube is 2v2. The ability to help out a partner is great, so it essentially just replaced darksteel ingot.
Gift's Ungiven always seems to limited in what it can do. It always seems to be only good in a certain deck, and then that deck needs the appropriate cards to take advantage of it. That is essentially why entomb and intuition ended up being cut years ago. They were just too narrow.
I will apologize for the mind twist categorizing. Again, typed the list to get it up. I will fix it when i get the chance.
Condescend I'm thinking about. Ink Eyes will probably get back in. Just say no to seething song.
I am fine that people here seem to find it good enough for cube. I find that my experience is better by never seeing it in cube.
No one has actually expressed why it is a good card. Versatility is the only answer I have tried to show that there are better cards to draft that can accomplish what aftershock can at a better cost, with no drawback, and are just plain superior in a focused deck.
I hope you can at least understand why it is a bad card. Power to you if you think it is cube worthy.
It's not that there is a "gap" in the mana curve for creatures. It is more that optimal creatures have yet to be found tied in with what a given colour can offer. The "gap" as you have it illustrated is fine. Why do I want to open a pack of all turn seven plays when i can open packs that aid in drafting a mana curve for a deck? That is the best way I can think to explain that right now.
The 5W's is in the u/r slot becuase that is where it ended up. Didn't feel like swerve was cutting it so it got replaced. Not to say it won't be tried again though.
Mox Crystal is there in part because we all played 250, the format got ruined by the 5 color council/zombor. And now we have a bunch of 250 players here with mox crystals. It's close in power to an actual mox, so cube worthy as a result.
I'll try to make those name changes when i get the chance, it was my fault for just trying to get this up fast.
It's not ok becuase it has a drawback and doesn't at all play to the colours strengths. One of the first things i mentioned about this card was that there are spells in red that can do similar thing, but better and more cost effectively without any drawback.
Cards that can do things that are not of their respective colour can be found everywhere... that does not make them good, or cube worthy. Amnesia gives blue discard, skullscorch gives red discard, gate tp phyrexia gives black artifact destruction, etc.... these are all in the same boat as aftershock. Again I'm told that it is versatile, but its versatility is only that it can kill a creature of any toughness, or that seem to be the consensus from what I have been told here.
Red has better artifact hate that more decks can splash for.
Stone rain, avalanche riders, pillage, etc. are all better forms of LD for an LD guy to take over aftershock.
Burn is spot removal and red, sorry that you forgot that.
And just as a side note, you seem to be misconstruing my opinion that aftershock is a bad card as the reason I hate it. I don't hate it. I've played it in fun decks. But that in no way affects its card quality which is still sub par at best.
Not to glaze over it, but in general, i would never play aftershock in any constructed format even where i would know its versatility would be useful because its drawback and sorcery speed make it that bad. With that in mind, if the card can't even be considered ok for constructed it's going to have a hard time making the cut for cube with the "best cards in magic" present.
Phyrexian Alter is one of the few black cards I can think of that deals with artifacts. Just because it fills a niche in a colour does not make it cube worthy and that is basically the only reason I have recieved for playing aftershock. While i get told "it's versatile," it's clear the only reason it appears to see play is because it can just kill a creature. That fact it can do anything else is the justification for playing it while constantly ignoring its horrendous drawback.
On that note, I have posted my cube as about as accurate as the list i copied it from is. I have made cuts and additions without updating my list, so i apologize if some are still in it.
General info
Basic Info
Cube Size: ~460 Cards
Breakdown: ~56/colour, exception is blue. it's curently heavier to see how some cards fare
Standard or Theme Cube: Standard
Snow Lands: No
Average # Players: Four
How Often Drafted: four a week minimum
Card Selection
Powered?: Yes
Portal?: Yes
"Un-" Cards: Yes if deemed good
Banned Cards for Power-Level: No
Banned Cards for Time Constraints: No
Banned Cards for "Fun" factor: No
Cube Design
Standard or Multiplayer: open ended. used for any "draft" format
Sideboards?: No usually, yes for 1v1
Even Color Balance: almost
Perfect Creature/Non-Creature Balance: No, there shouldn't be
Gold Balance: yes
Hybrid/Split/Kicker as Gold: Yes/Yes/No
Color Triggers as Gold: No
Perfectly Balanced CMC: no, should not be balanced
Cube CMC: 2.75 or 0.42 if you count lands
How our 2v2 works:
Teams are randomly determined and seating goes Team A1 Team B1 Team A2 Team B2.
Draft follows standard drafting (left, right, left).
There is no talking/communication during the draft.
The players then make a deck out of the cards they drafted. There is no shared card pool. You are essentially trying to make a dake that can beat 2 people on it's own merit.
Then magic is played.
Each team starts with 25 life.
All players are viable targets. Something like Flame Rift will deal 8 damage to each team. A card like Time Walk affects only the person who plays it. Magister Sphinx simply makes a teams life 10.
One of the challenges is the "open discussion." You are talking to your partner across the table while trying to be as specific as possible, but while also trying to be vague so opponents don't know what you have planned.
Games are best 2/3.
If anything is not clear feel free to ask, on to the cube.
1 student of warfare
1 isamaru, hound of konda
1 savannah lion
1 elite vangaurd
1 swords to plowshares
1 path to exile
1 condemn
1 enlightened tutor
1 land tax
2cc
1 stoneforge mystic
1 mistrel charger
1 kor skyfisher
1 stormfront pegasus
1 acorder paladin
1 knight of the white orchid
1 knight of the meadow grain
1 kor firewalker
1 lone missionary
1 balance
1 disenchant
1 porcelain legionaire
1 blade splicer
1 kor hookmaster
1 mirran crusader
1 palladin en-vec
1 aven rift watcher
1 mystic crusader
1 orim's thunder
1 oblivion ring
1 flickerwisp
1 mentor of the meek
4cc
1 calciderm
1 hero of the bladehold
1 faith's fetters
1 parallax wave
1 ajani goldmane
1 wrath of god
1 day of judgement
1 moat
1 elspeth, knight errant
1 reveillark
1 karmic guide
1 baneslayer angel
6cc
1 sun titan
1 spell pierce
1 word of undoing
1 force spike
1 spell snare
1 stifle
1 preordain
1 ancestral recal
1 mental misstep
1 brainstorm
1 mystical tutor
1 annul
2cc
1 phantasmal image
1 erayo, soratami ascendent
1 spellstutter sprite
1 snapcaster mage
1 remove soul
1 jilt
1 snap
1 standstill
1 memory lapse
1 time walk
1 mana leak
1 miscalculation
1 remand
1 daze
1 counterspell
1 mana drain
1 see beyond
1 negate
1 kira, the glass spinner
1 trinket mage
1 man o' war
1 pestermite
1 vendillion clique
1 frantic search
1 compulsive research
1 timetwister
1 tinker
1 thirst for knowledge
1 complicate
1 windfall
1 jace beleren
1 forbid
4cc
1 sower of temptation
1 glen elendra archmage
1 venser, shaper savant
1 phyrexian metamorph
1 fact or fiction
1 cryptic command
1 deep analysis
1 jace, the mindsculptor
1 mulldrifter
1 timewarp
1 gush
1 submerge
1 bribery
1 force of will
1 misdirection
1 treachery
1 tezzert, the seeker
6cc
1 timespiral
1 upheaveal
1 consecrated sphinx
7+cc
1 inkwell leviathan
1 diregraf ghoul
1 vampire lacerator
1 carrion feeder
1 putrid imp
1 vampiric tutor
1 thoughtseize
1 duress
1 innocent blood
1 reanimate
1 dark ritual
1 inquisition of kozilek
2cc
1 child of night
1 dark confidant
1 bloodghast
1 diabolic edict
1 chainer's edict
1 doom blade
1 go for the throat
1 animate dead
1 dance of the dead
1 exhume
1 hymn to tourach
1 sign in blood
1 demonic tutor
1 zombie infestation
1 smother
1 nameless inversion
1 lillianas specter
1 bone shredder
1 fleshbag marauder
1 vampire nighthawk
1 lilliana of the veil
1 dismember
1 necromancy
1 recurring nightmare
1 hypnotic specter
1 stupor
4cc
1 skinrender
1 consuming vapours
1 damnation
1 makeshift manequinn
1 barter in blood
1 the abyss
1 massacre
1 puppeteer clique
1 shriekmaw
6+cc
1 kokusho the evening star
1 grave titan
1 sheoldred, whispering one
1 mind twist
1 black sun's zenith
1 mogg fanatic
1 goblin guide
1 goblin bushwacker
1 grim lavamancer
1 spikeshot elder
1 firestorm
1 lightning bolt
1 chain lightning
1 burst lightning
1 firebolt
1 red elemental blast
1 lava dart
1 reckless charge
1 pyroblast
1 forked bolt
1 ancient grudge
1 mogg war marshalll
1 tin street hooligan
1 ember hauler
1 stingscourger
1 pyroclasm
1 sudden shock
1 magma jet
1 goblin bombardment
1 incinerate
1 smash to smithereens
1 arc trail
3cc
1 chandra's phoenix
1 goblin runeblaster
1 fire imp
1 squee, goblin nabob
1 goblin chieftan
1 zo-zu the punisher
1 char
1 wheel of fortune
1 volcanic fallout
1 staggershock
1 koth the hammer
1 flametongue kavu
1 avalanche riders
1 anger
1 hero of oxid ridge
1 goblin goon
5cc
1 seige-gang commander
Xcc
1 earthquake
1 rolling earthquake
1 llanowar elves
1 basking rootwalla
1 wild nacatl
1 birds of paradise
1 noble hierarch
1 noxious revival
1 nature's claim
1 rancor
2cc
1 priest of titania
1 elvish visionary
1 were bear
1 rofellos, llanowar emisary
1 mire boa
1 river boa
1 tarmogoyf
1 wild mongrel
1 sakura tribe elder
1 lotus cobra
1 sylvan ranger
1 scavenging ooze
1 survival of the fittest
1 oath of druids
1 sylvan library
1 regrowth
1 bind
1 thornscape battlemage
1 viridian shaman
1 eternal witness
1 troll ascetic
1 ohran viper
1 great sable stag
1 wood elves
1 krosan grip
1 kodama's reach
4cc
1 vengevine
1 blastoderm
1 chameleon colossus
1 obstinate baloth
1 thrun, the last troll
1 garruk wildspeaker
1 harmonize
1 natural order
1 deranged hermit
6+cc
1 pimeval titan
1 pelakka wurm
1 woodfall primus
1 terastadon
1 gaea's revenge
1 mox opal
1 zuran orb
1 mana crypt
1 chrome mox
1 mox pearl
1 mox sapphire
1 mox jet
1 mox ruby
1 mox emerald
1 mox crystal
1 mox diamond
1 black lotus
1 lotus petal
1cc
1 pithing needle
1 sensei's divining top
1 mana vault
1 sol ring
1 expedition map
1 black vise
1 skullclamp
1 pyrite spellbomb
1 aether spellbomb
1 candelabra of tawnos
1 grim monolith
1 mind stone
1 fellwar stone
1 scroll rack
1 umazawa's jitte
1 chaos orb
1 lightning greaves
3cc
1 mimic vat
1 spectral searchlight
1 sword of light and shadow
1 sword of fire and ice
1 sword of war and peace
1 sword of body and mind
1 vedalken shackles
1 sword of feast and famine
4cc
1 solemn similacrum
1 masticore
1 lodestone golem
1 batterskull
1 memory jar
1 precursor golem
6+cc
1 duplicant
1 wurmcoil engine
1 sundering titan
1 myr battlesphere
Xcc
1 engineered explosives
10 duals
10 shock
10 fetch
1 blinkmoth nexus
1 mishra's factory
1 mutavault
1 raging ravine
1 celestial colonade
1 lavaclaw reaches
1 stirring wildwood
1 creeping tar pit
1 exotic orchard
1 city of brass
1 reflecting pool
1 wasteland
1 stripmine
1 bazaar of baghdad
1 academy ruins
1 maze of ith
1 library of alexandria
1 tolarian academy
1 tabernacle at pendrall vale
1 kessig wolf run
1 vesuva
1 vavimaya hollow
1 phyrexian tower
1 geist of saint traft
1 augury adept
1 sphjinx of the steel wind
1 magister sphinx
1 vindicate
1 figure of destiny
1 lightning helix
1 ajani vengeant
1 brion stoutarm
1 kitchen finks
1 shadowmage infiltrator
1 psychatog
1 tezzeret, slave of bolas
1 fire/ice
1 electrolyze
1 cerebral vortex
1 trygon predator
1 cold-eyed selkie
1 simic skyswallower
1 edric, spymaster of trest
1 blightning
1 murderous redcap
1 pernicious deed
1 maelstrom pulse
1 tattermunge maniac
1 boggart ram gang
1 giant soilfuge
1 bloodbraid elf
1 vexing shusher
Enablers for storm:
7 moxen, lotus petal, black lotus, mana crypt, engineered explosives, tormods crypt, sensei's diving top, mana vault, sol ring, phyrexian furnace, spellbombs, candelabra of tawnows, tolarian academy or any such land, erayo, voltaic key, 1cc cantrips in general, free spells like frantic search or snap, regrowth effects, yawgmoths will, ill gotten gains....
this list can go on and on. These are generically good cards that can find a home in a lot of possible decks. Again, adding brain freeze/tendril/empty the warrens to a cube allow a simple combo deck to exist. I will state again that empty the warrens is not necessarily a win condition, but a good back up, and not terrible on its own.
It's not that i don't like it, or fail to see it's flexibility. Fissure, befoul, creeping mold, etc. also have flexibility, but I won't play them in cube all the same.
I'll put it this way: I want to draft a "focused deck." If my opponent was forced/chose to take aftershock to deal with my "focused deck," then I have already won those match ups. If they were to take something like an ingot chewer that could just as equally deal with my deck, but it also poses a threat that i have to deal with.
Splashing a colour can also do that.
I'd have agreed if you at least conceded lands over creatures since every deck will need one land in play.
I'm used to cubing with fast decks being the norm be it combo, aggro, or control. These decks get online fast and a 4 mana sorcery that can't at the very least 2 for 1, regardless of the drawback, is terrible. I may just have to concede that some people like to play bad cards, i was that way too.
A control deck could easily play empty the warrens. Most blue decks that we see in cube around here play very few creatures and just steal the opponents best anyway. But getting there, random 1/1's to not die are good. And if red is present for the counter burn, that spell gets better exponentially.
I don't mean to say "every deck will play this card," but it can be included in every deck without sacrificing a spot. Its inherit card quality is good enough to play in any deck that can play red, that is not to say it also is immune to being cut as your drafted card pool will determine.
Just so we are clear, you just argued that milling your opponent is good because they are using their graveyard and that milling yourself is bad because you are using your graveyard.