I'd go with a 540 cube. It gives you some much needed flexibility with figuring out which cards to keep / cut. Also, it can draft up to 12 people (or, for less than 12 people, it offers variance in drafting... where you won't necessarily see the same card pool every time).
Instead of going off someone's list, I'd go off eidolon's Cube Comparison Results Thread. It provides what you are looking for (what cards are typical in a cube) while also showing card preferences (how many cubes run Hornet Queen vs Pelakka Wurm vs Terastodon). Look for the 3rd post down "Average Cubes."
It would be a good idea to look at people's powered and unpowered lists to see which cards belong in which. For example, my unpowered cube isn't going to run Gorilla Shaman because I'm not worried about providing an answer to moxen.
I wouldn't charge to cube. In my experience, my playgroup was so stoked to be a part of the cube that they'd often give me foils for the cube or trade them to me heavily in my favor.
I'd rather pay the extra mana and be able to use the card in all my decks instead of just my mono-white ones. Especially since it usually comes down at the end of my curve anyways, so the extra mana doesn't matter much. On T2, I want to be dropping my 2-drops instead of an anthem that might pump one creature.
I wish I could have put it in my own words, but this sums it up exactly.
You mentioned on a different thread how these rankings are just a hypothesis, and some cards prove better or worse over time. How would this list look now?
Later on, one of them asked me what I was playing, and I replied it was a game largely of resource management and anticipating risk played with 450 unique cards. I am now two weeks into my new job as lead clinician of a team of 35 people. I am certain this is related.
You mean to say that you didn't reply "Double-you-tee-eff, noob?! Haven't you ever heard of emm-tee-jee before?!" Weird.
Anyway, I know a lot of people have already brought up proxy cubes as an alternative, but it doesn't have to be one or the other: Chapman has both.
He has his pimped-out awesome legit cube for when he's somewhere safe and with people he trusts, and he has his proxy cube for when he wants to take it into public.
I ran Sudden Spoiling for the longest time, hoping to have a blast fudging combat. I finally cut it because it was too hard to get the right scenario to abuse it the best. Especially now that there are so many solid cube cards (I have a really hard time finding cuts at 540), there is no room for cards like this =/
What are the (updated) top 5 or 6 izzet cards?
Spider seems anti-synergistic with Wildfire (it kills all your little dudes).
Ragebeast seems very conditional.
I'd rather play with Bobo.
Also:
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
Play TT 2nd Main.
Attack.
Sac TT 1st Main.
Attack.
I'd go with a 540 cube. It gives you some much needed flexibility with figuring out which cards to keep / cut. Also, it can draft up to 12 people (or, for less than 12 people, it offers variance in drafting... where you won't necessarily see the same card pool every time).
Instead of going off someone's list, I'd go off eidolon's Cube Comparison Results Thread. It provides what you are looking for (what cards are typical in a cube) while also showing card preferences (how many cubes run Hornet Queen vs Pelakka Wurm vs Terastodon). Look for the 3rd post down "Average Cubes."
It would be a good idea to look at people's powered and unpowered lists to see which cards belong in which. For example, my unpowered cube isn't going to run Gorilla Shaman because I'm not worried about providing an answer to moxen.
I wouldn't charge to cube. In my experience, my playgroup was so stoked to be a part of the cube that they'd often give me foils for the cube or trade them to me heavily in my favor.
You know what else will change the way you look at the card?
...picturing Phantom Centaur equipped with a sword.
I wish I could have put it in my own words, but this sums it up exactly.
In addition to aggro, it works with fatties that bring friends. If I happen to snag a Cloudgoat Ranger and a Myr Battlesphere or Hornet Queen and went into WX fatty / ramp / tokens, I'd run Glorious Anthem and not Honor the Pure in that deck.
I have a collection of goofy pic cards that I'll post when I get home tonight.
By far, my favourite is Flight (5th + 6th edition pic).
Also... Clergy en-vec
Other resources:
Another thread about un cubes
The un-cube
If I'm going to bounce a dude, I want to control exactly when and who. Cloudskate is a little bit of a gamble, as well as easier to play around.
You mean to say that you didn't reply "Double-you-tee-eff, noob?! Haven't you ever heard of emm-tee-jee before?!" Weird.
Anyway, I know a lot of people have already brought up proxy cubes as an alternative, but it doesn't have to be one or the other: Chapman has both.
He has his pimped-out awesome legit cube for when he's somewhere safe and with people he trusts, and he has his proxy cube for when he wants to take it into public.
I'm thinking of adding in Gitaxian Probe and am having a hard time finding a cut.
I think this is the right one. The beetle gives him the terror ability, and the sword gives him first strike.
Funny... before you mentioned it, I never really saw the whole beetle thing (I do that with mtg pics sometimes).
I guess Nekrataal is supposed to be Imhotep from The Mummy...?