So with each new set beginning with Shadowmoor we’ll take a look at the previous set and see what cards are ripe for cubing. This amount of time delay allows us to see the “real” powerful cards in the set and how they’ve proved themselves in limited and constructed in terms of power and efficiency. We’ll take these additions by color, in WUBRG order…

White additions: Reveillark, Feudkiller’s Verdict

White drops: Militia’s Pride, Serra Angel

For these two you could argue that Feudkiller’s Verdict isn’t quite the powerhouse it could’ve been in constructed, but in limited it is a sure-fire beating. This is a card that will fit perfectly in U/W control archetypes, and should be picked appropriately.

Reveillark, as we know, has reached all the way into Vintage, and that’s almost always a sure sign that it will find love in the Cube. This fits into almost anything playing White, and for those who love to spash this is a definite splash-worthy card.

As for what’s leaving, Militia’s Pride is one of those cards that looked pretty spectacular until you played with it (it worked a few times, but very rarely), and Serra Angel is just not as good as a 4/3 that returns all sorts of goodies from your hard. I liked her in there for historical sake, but it’s time to move on.

Blue additions: Vendilion Clique

Blue Drops: Rainbow Efreet

Remember, it’s not the number of cards added it’s the quality, and Vendilion Clique has certainly proven its quality after appearing in Patrick Chapin’s Chase Rare Control version 2.0 Hyper Fighting Edition at Grand Prix: Philly. It was an all-star for me last week when I played Kyle Sanchez’s Wizards deck at the StarCityGames $1K Open.

Rainbow Efreet is the card getting the axe this time. This is a solid creature, no doubt, but the powerful and unique effect that Vendilion provides at a scant three mana is worth the slot, I believe.

Black additions: Bitterblossom

Black Drops: Korlash, Heir to Blackblade

Oh, Bitterblossom. How awesome are you again? So very, very awesome. This card has been seen in winning lists all over the place, and I fully expect it to hit Extended quite hard after Invasion block and Odyssey block go the way of the dodo. This card’s fantastic for a simple reason: It turns life into dudes. Dudes with evasion. That never stop. Ever. Rawr.

While I don’t like that Black has two more spells than creatures thanks to this change, I believe everyone who has built my configuration will probably be a bit disappointed in Korlash. He’s great in mono black builds, but there are scant few of those, and plenty of other worthy cards that don’t require such a commitment…such as Bitterblossom!

Red additions: Countryside Crusher, Taurean Mauler, Shard Volley

Red Drops: Fortune Thief, Volcano Hellion, Pyrohemia

Finally, more than one card gets added to the cube! These guys are all kinds of awesome, and while Taurean Mauler has found no constructed love, I think most will agree he’s a limited powerhouse. Shard Volley adds Yet Another Burn Spell to the cube, and Countryside Crusher? Well, he’s a Prius, remember. He never runs out of gas. And in the aggressive archetypes you’ll be drafting him in, that’s just exactly what you’re looking for.

As for the losses, Fortune Thief was simply never picked. Though it is a fantastic trick, it’s just that–a trick, and not one most decks can afford. There are too many answers to a card like that. Meanwhile, Volcano Hellion was cute and all, but didn’t do near as much as Taurean Mauler and Countryside Crusher do with even less mana. Lastly, Pyrohemia was a card no one really wanted and no one really played. TIme to move forward.

Green Additions: Chameleon Colossus

Green Drops: Karstoderm

Ah, we’re back to one addition again, but this one is a monster. From the first moment I saw him I loved him, and Colossus has been rocking decklists the world over. His ability to dodge about 75% of the spot removal found in the cube is definitely a plus, and he’s a worthy early pick in a variety of aggressive archetypes. Fun, fun stuff.

Karstoderm unfortunately gets the boot, replaced with another 2GG fattie that just gets bigger over time.

Artifacts and Lands Additions: Mutavault, all Karoos

Artifacts and Lands Drops: Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, all Ice Age Pain Lands

Yes, you could see this one coming, but Mutavault is definitely going into the cube. As the second best man-land ever printed, he’s been seen in winning decklists for months and months, and will remain incredibly potent for years to come.

Urbog was dropped because while it had a great mondo combo with Korlash, no one ever ran it. Too bad, but hey, look! Mutavault!

The Karoos were added as a suggestion by Tom LaPille and it was the best suggest in a long time. These are taken very highly, allow for more rich manabases, and everyone seems to prefer them over the pain land equivalent(s). Sounds like a winner to me.

So those are your cube additions folks. I know that nine cards doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you consider how high the barrier of entry is for any card into the coveted cube, replacing 2% of those cards can be a challenge.

Until the next set update…