Ready to see what’s changed? Let’s go!

View the cube in Google docs.

White

Drops:

Goldmeadow Harrier
Catastrophe
Kor Firewalker
Emeria Angel
Magus of the Disk
Steppe Lynx
Sunblast Angel
Celestial Crusader
White Sun’s Zenith
Silver Knight

Adds:
Gideon’s Lawkeeper
Cloistered Youth
Mentor of the Meek
Fiend Hunter
Geist-Honored Monk
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Grand Abolisher
Hero of Bladehold
Angelic Destiny
Blade Splicer

It’s hard out here for a hate bear. It was time to say goodbye to a true classic, Silver Knight and a recent amazing hoser, Kor Firewalker, for some more raw power and versatility. Now I love me a hate bear, and Grand Abolisher is actually doing some incredibly good work. The times it has shut down my counterspells and spells like Condemn are not imaginary and have swung games in the white weenie player’s favor.

The two pro red guys were also making it incredibly difficult for red decks to win at times. It’s a careful balance not to let U/W Control overtake your cube sessions, and I do all I can to ensure “guys in the red zone and burn to your face” is still a viable strategy. While I will miss my times with Silver Knight (as they are many), I will not miss the frustration as the RDW guy who watches his whole deck get trumped by a 2/2. Kor Firewalker was a much more potent dagger in this regard, obviously.

Goldmeadow Harrier simply got the upgrade to Gideon’s Lawkeeper (what can I say, I like pairing up my Planeswalkers with their minions), and Cloistered Youth is one HELL of a two drop. A two mana 3/3? Yessir! No need to give Kor Firewalker to the control decks–hit em where it hurts in aggro.

Other cuts include Yet Another Wrath/Armageddon Control Didn’t Need (Catastrophe), Too Slow Anymore (Magus of the Disk), Not Effective Enough (Sunblast Angel, often a 1-for-1, and if you made it to 6 mana vs Aggro and X-for-1′d this…then a lot has gone right anyway.) Had high hopes for White Sun’s Zenith but found it, again, just too much mana or too white or whatever metric you’d like to use for it living in sideboards too often and I’d rather put cards in there that add to existing archetypes or at least see play.

Super excited about Mentor of the Meek, I love my white Faceless Butcher that’s now cheaper in Fiend Hunter, God knows I love me a Cloudgoat Ranger and heeeeere’s Geist-Honored Monk! Mikaeus, the Lunarch is an unsung hero, able to fit anywhere on the curve and do some seriously good work with weenie decks. Another Ajani Goldmane is more than welcome. Lastly, I need to get Angelic Destiny in this cube and pronto. Angelic Rancor? Thank you! So sexy. Also, of course, a wonderful combo with Grand Abolisher. Oh, and Blade Splicer. Such value. Such. Value.

Lastly I switched out Emeria Angel for Hero of Bladehold (this was a late addition to this article). Hero of Bladehold is definitely strong enough for both aggro and control decks, and while Emeria Angel -was- a bit better for control, I’m happy giving aggro the better creature in this 4-drop slot.

Next!

Blue Cards

Drops:
Upheaval
Volition Reins
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

Adds:
Snapcaster Mage
Jace, Memory Adept
Phantasmal Image
Azure Mage

Sacred cows? What sacred cows? I’ve moved Upheaval in and out of my cube. It’s a hard card to appreciate. It’s a hard card to draft around. It’s a tough card to put yourself in a winning position, often exclusively with Psychatog and friends.

And I just want blue cards that are fun to play and fit into more decks. I think we have that.

Volition Reins is Yet Another Control Magic. I have lots of those, and they’re cheaper too. Vesuvan Shapeshifter got replaced by a two mana version. Way, way better. I’m beyond the Pickles Lock (and it was often a silly pipe dream anyway), so let’s just continue with raw efficiency.

Azure Mage is exactly the card to replace Kira, the Great Glass-Spinner. Kira is NOT where I want blue to be in this cube. It is the best color. It is control. It is about drawing cards and doing bits of damage here and there, things that Azure Mage excels at. As for Jace, Memory Adept, what’s better than three Jaces in your cube? I mean, really?

Black Cards

Drops:
Massacre Wurm
Fume Spitter
Wei Ambush Force
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Wretched Anurid
Sign in Blood

Adds:
Bloodline Keeper
Diregraf Ghoul
Vampire Interloper
Liliana of the Veil
Bloodgift Demon
Skeletal Scrying

So according to my Advanced Calculations (aka correcting my Excel formula) it appears I had 76 Black cards in my last update. Oops. Now we’re back on track, again killing some sacred cows.

Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni is a great card. A cool card. Flavorful as hell, still very popular, and will be rocking Commander and cubes for years to come. But for me, I have played with this card for–literally–six years. And it’s been a great six years. At first she was an all-star, a high pick, a heavy hitter who put fear in multiple opponents.

But over time, she began to get outclassed. I expected her to get a lot better with my black aggro push, but interestingly it only showed how expensive and narrow she really was. The aggro deck wasn’t making the control decks discard a lot of fatties, making her not as effective. You don’t want to bust her out without getting maximum value, and her spot on the curve in an aggro deck was often frustrating. Anyway, g’bye sweet rat. You’ll be missed. (But probably not.)

Just upgrading some aggro guys with Fume Spitter and friends into awesome dudes like Diregraf Ghoul, Vampire Interloper and Army-In-A-Box Bloodline Keeper. Sign in Blood was upgraded to Skeletal Scrying. Just a much better card drawing spell, instant speed, scalable, etc. One of those Wish-I-Had-It-In-There-For-Years cards.

Bloodgift Demon is pushed in all the right ways and I love it. Liliana of the Veil…do I really need to explain her inclusion? She is indeed a weapon of great power. I’m excited to see how many different control & aggro builds can use her best.

Red Cards

Drops:
Viashino Slaughtermaster
Red Sun’s Zenith
Fireslinger
Dwarven Blastminer
Skirk Marauder
Blast From the Past
Blistering Firecat
Ghitu Slinger
Wildfire

Adds:
Devil’s Play
Chandra’s Phoenix
Brimstone Volley
Instigator Gang
Chaos Warp
Stormblood Berserker
Reckless Waif

Yes that IS more drops than adds. Oops again, 2.0 beta edition. Moving on.

No one was more disappointed with Blast from the Past than I was. It’s a fine spell, really. Super fun. One problem: Super expensive. Yes, cute U/R decks love it. It can be goofy fun in G/R ramp. But the decks it saw the most play in, Mono Red, R/G aggro and R/B aggro, all wanted something cheaper, stronger, or more versatile. Feel free to imagine Brimstone Volley or Chaos Warp taking its slot.

Viashino Slaughtermaster is just SO awkward. It really wants to be scary in the ways Stormblood Berserker is. But it isn’t.

Upgrading Red Sun’s Zenith to Devil’s Play is pretty obvious. I traded up my Fireslinger and Ghitu Slinger for cards like Instigator Gang and Chandra’s Phoenix. The first is completely unstoppable when flipped, great at the top of the aggro curve,and Chandra’s Phoenix is just amazing. I have left another sacred cow on the chopping block with Blistering Firecat. I have fond, fond memories of this card. I wish it won as much as I was always convinced it would. It usually just died and ate a lot of mana in the process.

Wildfire? Pretty sacred. Don’t care. The decks that used to use this card have moved on, become more efficient at what they do, or just use different game plans. There was a day when Keiga, the Tide Star + Wildfire was one of the most powerful one-two punches in Magic. Those days are over.

Lastly, the #1 way Red decks win in my experience is by hitting their Turn 1 drops. And Reckless Waif is no Goblin Guide but hella close. Hella.

Green

Drops:
Sylvan Ranger
Devoted Druid
Farseek
Wolfbriar Elemental
Rampaging Baloths

Adds:
Skinshifter
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Garruk Relentless
Scavenging Ooze
Daybreak Ranger

Ah, upgrades and Planeswalkers. This one is short and sweet.

I love me a Garruk, I tell you. Three Jaces, Three Garruks. Fully okay with this. Garruk, Primal Hunter is just…absurd, and Garruk Relentless is just now making its way into Standard decks the world over. Scavenging Ooze is another winner from Commander, and I think we can all agree Skinshifter is a -wee- bit more exciting than Sylvan Ranger. I cut Devoted Druid because, well, I got plenty of 1-drop accelerators and this was simply the worst/clunkiest two mana accelerator.

Lastly, oh Wolfbriar Elemental. I know what I was trying to do with you, and I think everyone else saw it too. You want to be a mono green deck’s best friend. And those decks exist. But not in this format.

And is that the Kibler-favorite Daybreak Ranger? You bet it is. Replacing the far too unsexy Rampaging Baloths (Hell, Primeval Titan is better), this card is nuts pre and post-flip. I hope it hits Standard hard, as I think it deserves it and Kibler is certainly trying to make it happen. Regardless, when it flips it’s basically Visara the Dreadful if you have red mana. Not too shabby.

Colorless Cards

Drops:
Lashwrithe
Bonehoard
Obelisk of Alara
Sigil of Distinction

Adds:
Shrine of Burning Rage
Shrine of Loyal Legions
Mortarpod
Phyrexian Revoker

Okay, so Bonehoard is cute. Seriously, seriously cute. Moving on with my life now.

Also, Lashwrithe was not actually that bad. But “not actually that bad” is not a recommendation, it is a placation and settling for a card that could be more interesting, more played, and a hell of a lot less narrow.

Sigil of Distinction I’m just tired of giving +3/+3 or +2/+2 to any given creature. Another card that reads like it would be an auto-include into every cube, but in practice has very rarely been ‘good’ let alone great. Obelisk of Alara is cool. Flavorful, neat, does somewhat powerful things with somewhat not-demanding mana requirements. I’d rather have either Shrine than this card. Or Mortarpod. Or a proactive card like Phyrexian Revoker.

As for those additions, just how sick are those Shrines? Pretty damn sick! I love their power level and am very happy to remove cards that will see little play with cards that should see lots of play.

Phyrexian Revoker should’ve been in here for awhile. Somewhat of an oversight, sometimes for size reasons, etc. But aggro decks of all sorts will appreciate naming Jace, the Mind Sculptor as soon as possible.

MultiColor Cards

Drops:
Shambling Remains
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Voidslime

Adds:
Olivia Voldaren
Geist of Saint Traft
Edric, Spymaster of Trest

So, let’s play a little game of Sick Upgrades.

First? Shambling Remains => Olivia Voldaren

Have you ever untapped with Olivia in play? Have you? Seriously? Good lord that card is dumb. It makes Kumano, Master Yamabushi the Squire of this Stoneforge Mystic relationship.

Grand Arbiter Augustin IV => Geist of Saint Traft

So I draft this U/W Control deck. You know how much mana denial I have? Not much. You know how badly I want you to not use your infinite burn spells and removal spells on my guys? Lots. I can Wrath of God and bounce your guys. I just need something that is cheap, easy to defend and kills in four turns. OHEI Geisty!

Voidslime => Edric, Spymaster of Trest

So there was once a wee little counterspell that did wee little things in various degrees. In its few and far between Blue/Green control decks (that often want to be aggro-oriented with a touch of control–and doesn’t like tough mana requirements at times), it did some good work. It stopped a few powerful spells. It messed up some important triggers.

But then the Spymaster came into town. And he draws you cards. LOTS of cards. And is quickly on the board on Turn 2 with a variety of accelerants.

Did I mention he draws you cards? Voidslime never drew me a damn thing.

Lands

Drops:
Windbrisk Heights
Exotic Orchard

Adds:
Moorland Haunt
Kessig Wolf Run

Man do I love me a sweet nonbasic land. As our new Standard is slowly showing us, the best of the Innistrad rare lands are these two and it’s not close. Both do very powerful things incrementally or all at once, and often win the game soon after.

I loved Windbrisk Heights‘ reign in Standard. I’ve activated it a few times in the cube, too. I felt like it was great to try and put pressure on your opponent by threatening its use, I loved of course the tie-in with Spectral Procession, and Exotic Orchard felt like a great fixer. But Windbrisk Heights often didn’t do enough. Many times getting to the prerequisite creature amount would give you the 3-for-1 they were waiting on. Their removal spells would stop it from firing, and often you’d feel bad when you watched the whole game go by without triggering it, or you’d try so hard only to see an Elite Vanguard or something underneath.

As for Exotic Orchard…meh. I just felt like it was the worst of the fixer lands, while Moorland Haunt and/or Kessig Wolf Run are both much sexier. By miles. Lots. Bunches. Get outta here, and take your unreliable mana with you.

Conclusion

So that’s it! I apologize for the delay of course, but I think we’ve once again moved the goalposts. The cube is now more powerful, more streamlined, and I hope more fun. The idea is to give the most visceral experience possible, and I appreciate any and all feedback. Did I miss something from M12 or Innistrad? Should I have went all-in on Mayor of Avabruck and friends? Feel free to chime in.

Thanks again for your patience, and I expect to see you here again in February for a whole new set of changes with the release of Dark Ascension.

- Evan

Over 100 cards dropped!

EVERY color now 10 cards smaller!

HUGE sea changes in multiple colors, strategies abandoned, strategies reborn!

Let’s go!

View the new cube list on Google Docs.

So let’s start with the goals from our Scars of Mirrodin additions:

Blue Control Must Die – We’ve got almost an entire new color (Black), we’ve got plenty of streamlining of Red and Green (colors that should give Blue the most difficulty), and I’m made multiple cuts and adjustments to the color Blue itself. Preliminary results are good.

Lower the entire CMC of the Cube  - I think I did this, particularly in Black. I don’t calculate this myself, but I’ll throw this into a deck builder script and get some hard data.

Make Green Matter/Better – With 19 drops and nine brand new additions, I think I’ve made Green stronger, slimmer, but more effective. By moving them into a very creature-dependent mana ramp, I lower the converted mana cost of the color while also making them more focused at what the color is supposed to do–have scarier monsters and better acceleration than any other color.

So with those goals in mind, what do I have in mind after these changes?

Make Black Completely Different – Yes, that IS the removal of a lot of Reanimation spells and tools. The fact is, you can have Reanimator elements in your cube, but if no one is actually playing those reanimation spells, the goal is lost. Black has just been the worse half of U/x Control, so I want to really push the aggro element. I brought back cards like Stupor and I lowered the mana curve of the threats available to you. I hope this will give the color the aggro element (along with higher CMC stuff for the control decks to use) to make it dynamic and used by both types of decks, instead of just one.

Provide a new Cube Experience – Change is good. It’s time I threw out some old and brought in some new. TONS of cards left me with this update, and I’m looking to change up what the Cube is to me week-in and week-out. With some sacred cows killed (Doran, the Siege Tower), and some crappy cards finally put out to pasture (gg Molten Disaster), I think the Cube now feels fresh and different.

Look To Others For Guidance & Changes – The fact is, I’m very busy. I got one night a week for cubing, and that’s all of the data I can gather. But there are plenty out there talking about cube, from Usman Jamil on StarCityGames.com, to the awesome forums right here on this site to other forums out on the web. Hundreds of hours of playtesting I’m not putting in, and that’s why I’m taking others suggestions and posts at a much higher regard these days.

So with that said, let’s go:

White

Drops:

Arrest
Austere Command
Conquerer’s Pledge
Griffin Guide
Orim’s Chant
Pulse of the Fields
Return To Dust
Blade of the Sixth Pride
Knight of the White Orchid
Revoke Existence
Soltari Emissary
Spectral Lynx
Transcendent Master
Wall of Reverence
Marshal’s Anthem
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Hallowed Burial
Momentary Blink
Miraculous Recovery

Adds:

Stoneforge Mystic
Catastrophe
Porcelain Legionnaire
Kor Skyfisher
Goldmeadow Harrier
Mirran Crusader
White Sun’s Zenith
Temporal Isolation
Seal of Cleansing

Okay, where do we being? First, let’s just saying the lack of Stoneforge Mystic to my cube is a long, sad tale that should’ve been rectified when the card debuted (when I debated adding it and decided it ‘wasn’t good enough yet’…argh). I actually love the card Catastrophe and I’m very excited to see it in my cube now.

Other cards fill small rolls. Mirran Crusader is just ridiculous with equipment, stops a variety of powerful strategies, and has great and unique protection from colors. Bread-and-butter cards like Goldmeadow Harrier and Temporal Isolation I think will be welcome. White Sun’s Zenith gets no love but will be a control player’s best friend.

Blue

Drops:

Into the Roil
Negate
Repeal
Rite of Replication
Spreading Seas
Take Possession
Brine Elemental
Fathom Seer
Jushi Apprentice
Master Transmuter
Riftwing Cloudskate
Sunder
Legacy’s Allure
Deprive
Body Double
Gifts Ungiven

Adds:

Phyrexian Metamorph
Spell Pierce
Daze
Consecrated Sphinx
Upheaval
Opposition

So here we go with more sea changes. Blue loses some things, gains some things, and becomes even more of a sharp and deadly weapon (gulp–but hey, it IS the best color). Cards like Sunder looked totally sweet but didn’t work out, while the old classic Upheaval is missed. Opposition is a key card in U/G strategies and needs to exist. The entire Brine Elemental/Fathom Seer “Pickles Combo” (with Vesuvan Shapeshifter) is cute, but never actually came together. No seriously–in the past three years, I can’t remember it being put together beyond that one time when it first came out and everyone was anxious to try it. So…yeah, g’bye.

Jushi Apprentice is a card I adore–but it was just SO BAD on the battlefield. The blue decks NEVER want to use Jushi’s ability versus counting a spell or drawing cards with other, more efficient, spells and abilities. It was SO frustrating to see him just do nothing game after game after game. Finally I must remove him. Master Transmuter was a bad idea. ‘Nuff said.

Legacy’s Allure was always a turn or two too slow for me. Unfortunate but true. My final cuts were Body Double (no Mirror Entity = no infinite combo…and when it was in the cube, it was almost impossible to assemble) and Gifts Ungiven. I know, Gifts is insane etc, but part of these changes is trying new things. I’m not getting rid of my copy of the card or anything, but for now it’s off the official list I’m playing.

As for the additions, I’ve got big hopes for Phyrexian Metamorph (who looks insane), I’m happy to welcome Spell Pierce to the family, Desertion returns after a LONG hiatus, and is that Consecrated Sphinx? You bet it is

Black

Drops:

Choking Sands
Consuming Vapors
Corpse Dance
Dread Return
Persecute
Slaughter
Vendetta
Bane of the Living
Nightscape Familiar
Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
Phyrexian Plaguelord
Puppeteer Clique
Silent Specter
Stinkweed Imp
Throat Slitter
Visara the Dreadful
Withered Wretch
Zombie Cutthroat
Cabal Interrogator
Knight of Stromgald
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
Entomb
Exhume
Smother
Makeshift Mannequin

Adds:

Oona’s Prowler
Dismember
Graveborn Muse
Daggerclaw Imp
Massacre Wurm
Go For the Throat
Black Sun’s Zenith
Nezumi Cutthroat
Blind Creeper
Wretched Anurid
Dark Confidant
Pulse Tracker
Sheoldred, Whispering One
Stupor
Gatekeeper of Malakir

So. Now. Bout this. We have ourselves the largest change to the color black in the history of my cube. And I mean ever. This represents the removal of a huge Reanimator strategy and the inclusion of a pure aggro element.

Only card I’m iffy on removing: Withered Wretch. Still a bear, and does fix graveyard annoyances. Otherwise, let’s kill some sacred cows!

How bout that Stinkweed Imp cut? This card has been in my cube from the very beginning. What deck wants this card? Control. Aggro decks don’t want this, they want something to deal damage. This is a wall. It’s a wall that stops players from attacking. I’ve made an active decision to remove a few walls from the equation (like Wall of Reverence in White), and here is another. Stinkeweed Imp is an annoying wall, and it had to go.

Cards like Daggerclaw Imp are very straightforward. You know what you’re in for. You see what you got. Nezumi Cutthroat is in a deck that wants to kill you as fast as possible. The 3/3 for twos like Wretched Anurid and Blind Creeper work in conjunction with burn and edict effects (along with pure removal like Go For the Throat) to stomp you before you get started.

One of the things I’m curious about is if there are enough edict effects. There are plenty more to choose from (including the just-printed Geth’s Verdict).

Anyway, Dark Confidant has been in my cube for awhile but he’s officially joining the list; Sheoldred, Whispering One IS ridiculous when you untap with her or return her to play in anyway. Stupor is a card that follows up Hymn to Tourach in a 1-2 punch way that few decks can overcome.

All colors love Dismember, while Black Sun’s Zenith will make control decks happy.

Red

Drops:

Dragonmaster Outcast
Bogardan Hellkite
Hellkite Charger
Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
Obsidian Fireheart
Rakka Mar
Rorix Bladewing
Kumano, Master Yamabushi
Comet Storm
Dead / Gone
Flame Rift
Genju of the Spires
Heat Shimmer
Reckless Charge
Rack and Ruin
Incendiary Command
Molten Disaster
Beacon of Destruction
Volcanic Fallout

Adds:

Goblin Wardriver
Goblin Patrol
Rivalry
Stone Rain
Red Sun’s Zenith
Fireslinger
Blast from the Past
Frazzled Editor
Ghitu Slinger

Yes, that is the introduction of silver-bordered cards to my cube! I’m excited to get my fun on, with Frazzled Editor quite a house at times when you think about it, and good ole beatdown cards like Fireslinger and Ghitu Slinger returning to the color.

I’m sure you have to mouseover Rivalry. Yeah, that card is sweet. I love what that card does, represents, and how it punishes players in exactly the right way. This one is courtesy of Kenny Mayer, whose cube I really like and take a lot of inspiration from (find it here). I’ve cubed with Kenny many, many times, and we think alike on many aspects of this magical format.

Moving on, is that Stone Rain? Yes, Stone Rain! I’ve begun to realize that much of the power of Red is in its ability to stop you from developing your gameplan. When it’s not attacking or burning, it’s destroying your artifacts or lands. The ability to keep you off your 4+ mana spells is often crucial for Jackal Pups to get there.

As for the drops, they’re almost universally expensive spells that I felt weren’t crucial. I’m not a 100% on Rorix Bladewing (I’m not selling it off just yet or anything, just removing it from the list / format for now), but I’m happy with the rest of the cuts. It’s time to trim the fat and get to business.

Green

Drops:

Centaur Glade
Lignify
Wild Mongrel
Nimble Mongoose
Mold Shambler
Cloudthresher
Awakening Zone
Bestial Menace
Iwamori, of the Open Fist
Scute Mob
Stonewood Invocation
Elephant Guide
Restock
Squall Line
Moldervine Cloak
Harrow
Mitotic Slime
Explosive Vegetation

Adds:

Thrun, the Last Troll
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Oracle of Mul Daya
Green Sun’s Zenith
Explore
Indrik Stomphowler
Devoted Druid
Beast Within

So I’ve cut a LOT of chaff out of Green. I’m still not sure if I’ve provided enough early game beats (ie I may need to re-add Mire Boa and cards like Pouncing Jaguar), but I do want the focus for Green to be creature-based acceleration and big plays as a result. Cutting personal faves like Lignify, if that’s what it takes, that’s what I’ll do. Other cards that I liked that just weren’t powerful enough (Bestial Menace) will have to sit back for awhile and see how these changes affect this color moving forward.

Artifacts / Colorless

Drops:

Sword of Vengeance
Triskelavus
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
All is Dust
Puppet Strings
Platinum Angel
Darksteel Colossus
Masticore

Adds:

Tumble Magnet
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of War and Peace
Karn Liberated
Spellskite
Batterskull
Ankh of Mishra
Bonehoard
Lashwrithe
Trusty Machete
Ring of Gix

Yup — I actually added five cards to the Artifact/Colorless section. This includes the Swords, cards that took time to prove awesome like Tumble Magnet, sweet rares like Spellskite, and old favorites like Ankh of Mishra. Meanwhile, I got my Living Weapon groove on with Lashwrithe to help fuel the mono black and black-based aggro decks, and Ring of Gix is a necessary Icy Manipulator card I needed in the cube.

As for the drops, yes, I killed another sacred cow. I hate to say it, but Masticore is just not good enough anymore for my list. The two new versions? They’re great, and will remain so for some time. But the original has slowly but surely been outclassed. Nowadays I want my regenerating 4/4′s to be Hexproof and so on.

Lots of Equipment here, as mentioned, but Trusty Machete gets little respect and I think its time we brought the beats back to the cube. Karn Liberated is an obv, and has been a welcome addition.

Multicolor

Drops:

Dimir Guildmage
Spellbreaker Behemoth
Enlisted Wurm
Identity Crisis
Broodmate Dragon
Lighting Angel
Doran, the Siege Tower
Creakwood Liege
Life/Death
Snakeform
Lorescale Coatl
Call the Skybreaker
Bull Cerodon
Firemane Angel
Goblin Legionnaire
Mistmeadow Witch
Rafiq of the Many
Wrecking Ball
Burning-Tree Shaman

Adds:

Shambling Remains
Glissa, the Traitor

Yup, another huge sea change: For the first time since I’ve had a cube, the multicolor components are imbalanced. I’m ready to give the idea of ‘some combinations just have better cards / interactions’ than others. I’m tired of substandard U/G cards (looking at YOU Lorescale Coatl), R/W cards and so on. Sacred Cows like Doran, the Siege Tower may be cute and look powerful, but they’re not. It’s a three mana 5/5 that’s VERY hard to cast, it’s not in a format that can utilize it fully (like Lorwyn draft/sealed could), and it usually becomes a ‘virtual’ 5 or 6 drop because of it’s tough mana cost. Then you wait until Turn 5 or 6 to play a 5/5. And so on.

Regardless, cards that did little (Firemane Angel) or were just too narrow (Rafiq of the Many) don’t need to clog up our drafts and fill our sideboards with unplayables. We need cards that fill roles.

Which brings me to my only additions – Shambling Remains and Glissa, the Traitor. If you’re R/G or R/B, I want you to be scary. Remains guy does what those colors are now geared to do best. I trust it will come through. Glissa provides slow, incremental advantage, perfect for the G/B Rock deck.

Lands

No Changes. Pretty happy with my lands right now.

Conclusion

So here it is! It took a little too long to get here, but it’s here. The cube is now fitter, trimmer, and a new experience. I’ve gotten rid of some roadblocks, I’ve given new direction to colors and strategies that needed it, and I killed a TON of sacred cows. My cube is now down to a svelte 580 cards. Yay

Now it’s time to play, and figure out where to go from here. The Cube is your chance (and mine) to be the designer and developer of a format. This is my format, and it’s where I push what I want the colors to do and how they best interact. I trust these changes will make the cube the most balanced and fun format Magic can offer. I trust your own changes (and inclusions) will do the same for you and your playgroup.

Until next time, where we’ll go over M12!

- Evan “misterorange” Erwin

This cube update adds a whopping 40 cards to the cube bringing the total to 642 cards.

Ready to see what made it and what didn’t? Let’s go!

Status and Goals

Well, the first thing to note is the size – +40 and 642 means the cube is growing again. While I resisted for my last update, I couldn’t do it this time.

You can view the cube in all its glory over at Google Docs.

First let’s go over our goals from last time:

- Observe and Track Top Decks
- Look at the Power of Red
- Review Artifact Answers

So the first goal was reached in that blue control decks have a very hard time losing. Period. No matter what their form. So it’s time to get aggressive. Particularly I think the converted mana cost of my cube is just too high. Right now it’s all midrange and control decks and that needs to be lessened. I -want- people to be afraid to hear you drafted the R/G aggro or the R/W Aggro or the W/B Aggro deck instead of high-fiving their buddies and checking out the three Control Magic variants you got.

Secondly, I think if anything Red needed some -more- love, and I hope it got it in this update with more low cost answers. We’ll see how it works out.

As for artifact answers, I think the existing solutions (Blue steals/bounces/counters, Black kills stuff, Green and Red just crush them, White…needed Revoke Existence amongst other Disenchant variants) work just fine. I added a few cards, but I don’t think was near the issue I expected it to be.

Design Goals for Mirrodin Besieged

Blue Control Must Die – I want to make them suffer. I’m really glad we get to play with cards like Thrun, the Last Troll and Hero of Oxid Ridge from Besieged, because those are cards that make these decks cry. Hopefully my existing changes will help that.

Lower the Converted Mana Cost of the Entire Cube – Will do some math on this to prove I’m doing this, but right now all I know is I ‘feel’ like I’m top-heavy, and all of my feedback recently has proven this.

Make Green Matter Better - I’m trying to push their mana production with this update, but Black is always a weird animal in the cube, and Green is traditionally the worst color. Need to flip this around. Don’t make me add cards like Asceticism to the cube, I totally will!

Find my Mirrodin Besieged pre-orders at the end of the update

White Cards

Cut:

None

Added:

Elspeth Tirel
Revoke Existence
Sunblast Angel
Mana Tithe
Journey to Nowhere

Now this doesn’t represent the aggro update as well as other colors, but White wasn’t really the one hurting for good aggro strategies (these days R/W and W/B are fine combinations). Still trying not to add another Armageddon in the form of Ravages of War, because Armageddon is devastating in both control -and- aggro, and control is not something that needs a ton of tools.

As for the choices, Elspeth Tirel and Sunblast Angel -are- gifts to control decks, but Journey to Nowhere is great in aggro and control while Mana Tithe just crushes control when played correctly, and Revoke Existence is another problem solver and gives you outs to things like Wurmcoil Engine and removes Regrowth and recursion possibilities. Eternal Witness is awesome, don’t need to let them have that Recurring Nightmare back as soon as you Disenchant it

One of the cards I’ll note that is NOT in here is Leonin Arbiter. Had high hopes for that guy. Turns out not all Hate Bears(tm) can get there in the cube. Sure I love me a Gaddock Teeg but you sir are no Gaddock Teeg.

Blue Cards

Cut:

None

Added:

Volition Reins
Aether Adept
Negate
Repeal
Sunder

Yes, I know you’re all hovering over Sunder right now. That card, I’m just going to call it, is the Blue Armageddon. The card is -ridiculous- and leads to incredible blowouts. Got a ton of artifact mana? It’s awesome. Got a board advantage? End of turn Sunder, let’s see how long your forces last versus mine. The sky is the limit and Sunder is a card I loved from the instant I saw it in another’s cube, and playing it felt just as good as expected. A hidden gem!

Otherwise, I don’t have Confiscate but I do have Volition Reins. Why? Because you make em work for it sometimes. Blue needs no help and if I’m giving them this effect, I prefer the UUU version. I really wanted to add more creatures, but unfortunately they’re still underwhelming. Aether Adept finally sneaks in, but it’s not exciting.

Negate and Repeal return, cards that battle control deck mirrors and a useful tool that goes into lots of decks. I originally brought back Essence Scatter, but I don’t think that’s healthy at this point. I’m currently pushing aggro, so let’s see how much blue needs to suffer before it gets more anti-creature cards.

Black Cards

Drops:

None

Adds:

Fume Spitter
Wei Ambush Force
Grasp of Darkness
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
Skinrender

The beats return! While Fume Spitter isn’t really -beats- per se, he is a low drop and lowing my converted mana cost of all colors is a current goal of mine. Wei Ambush Force is a card I’m sure most had to look up, and Skinrender was almost eschewed for the return of Nezumi Cutthroat! The beats must return!

Grasp of Darkness is just amazing removal, and Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon ends any game quickly. Equipment + Skithiryx = GG almost any way you slice it. Virtually every equipment is amazing with that guy, and seeing the goodies from Mirrodin Besieged means I made the right choice in picking up a foil one a few months ago. Skinrender is all-upside and feel-good, even if it might be a bit too ‘mid-rangy’ for this update.

Red Cards

Drops:

Devastating Force
Arc-Slogger

Adds:

Arc Trail
Koth of the Hammer
Spikeshot Elder
Plated Geopede
Jackal Pup
Tin Street Hooligan
Viashino Slaughtermaster

Okay, firstly, Jackal Pup was an accidental deletion of some sort. Not sure how he got cut.

Anyway, love me some Spikeshot Elder, that card is goofy with equipment and really something the Red Deck needed in the Cube. Plated Geopede is another low-drop all-star and is welcome here. Arc Trail is wonderfully efficient, and we all know how good Koth of the Hammer is in a dedicated red strategy. Tin Street Hooligan returns after a long hiatus. With the powerful artifact influx this go-round, having a nice two-for-one is always sweet. Plus that guy just feels so good when the snooty blue player drops Vedalken Shackles.

Speaking of feel-good, Viashino Slaughtermaster returns. He’s double striking, low cost and awesome with any equipment. Welcome back!

Green Cards

Drops:

Primeval Titan

Adds:

Fyndhorn Elves
Joraga Treespeaker
Jungle Lion
Nimble Mongoose
Arbor Elf
Rampant Growth

Okay, first off – cutting Joraga Treespeaker last go around was a mistake. This is now rectified. She is indeed the Green Sol Ring and should be treated as such.

Meanwhile, whassup Mana Guys? Looking to make Green matter and more powerful, and their ability to surge ahead in mana I think is the key. Or at least a strategy we can try at this point. Nimble Mongoose is a card that should drive control decks crazy (while a few will wield him themselves), and Rampant Growth is a bread-and-butter card I’ve needed in here for awhile. Lastly Jungle Lion returns after a looooong hiatus because, well, sick beats, that’s why.

As for dropping Primeval Titan…I -know- how amazing he is in constructed. But this is one of those funny times where they shine brightly in constructed but suck bad in Cube. See also, Squadron Hawk.

Colorless / Artifact Cards

Drops:

Sword of Vengeance
Triskelavus

Adds:

Sword of Body and Mind
Wurmcoil Engine
Molten-Tail Masticore
Myr Battlesphere
Steel Hellkite
Precursor Golem
Perilous Myr
Ratchet Bomb
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Chimeric Mass
Mimic Vat

Wooooow that’s a lot of cards. Eleven(!) new cards, to be exact.

So firstly, let’s cover our losses. Sword of Vengeance just isn’t near as exciting as Sword of Body and Mind, obv. Triskelavus is a card I simply have left in for too many updates, costs a -ton- of mana, and ultimately isn’t worth it.

As for the goodies, the Mythics are representin’ – Wurmcoil Engine is, well, Wurmcoil Engine, I love me a Molten-Tail Masticore like few others, and is that Kozilek, Butcher of Truth?!

Yes, I finally put an Eldrazi in here. I admire Kenny Mayer putting Artisan of Kozilek in his cube as well, but I think one super-expensive guy is enough for me. The card advantage wrought is not to be underestimated, and if there’s one guy this side of Emrakul I could get behind, it’s this one. Again, not helping lower any Converted Mana Cost worries, but I’m making a big exception.

Speaking of expensive things, Myr Battlesphere is just one of the funnest cards ever, Chimeric Mass is finally getting some Constructed love in Kuldotha Red but I think will do just fine in the cube as well, while Steel Hellkite is obviously the stoneblade when unanswered and Precursor Golem can end games in a hurry. Mimic Vat and Ratchet Bomb bring up the rear for “utility cards,” both of them awesome when used correctly and a way for a great long-game with Vat or stopping you from dying too soon via Bomb.

The last card I wanted to talk about was Perilous Myr. Now it’s obvious I wouldn’t be putting this into the cube without some thought, and the thought is that aggro needs help. More generic awesome two-drops are never bad things, and it’s time to see how far I can push the lower drops that punish sweepers.

Multicolor Cards

Drops

Windreaver

Adds

Venser, the Sojourner

Oh my God yes, finally, a reason to get rid of Windreaver. Here to fill a quota, barely played even in sketchy Winston Draft decks. GTFO, you won’t be missed. Venser, however, Venser is sweet

Lands

Drops:

None

Adds:

Blackcleave Cliffs
Copperline Gorge
Darkslick Shores
Razorverge Thicket
Seachrome Coast

For the lands, it’s pretty straightforward – The Scars of Mirrodin lands are fantastic, work incredibly well (way better than first glance) and I love em enough to give them the nod. Aggro decks of all sorts want these lands, and that’s what I’m pushing with this update.

Conclusion

Well, the experiment continues. I did a huge push for lower casting costs spell and creatures, and hopefully didn’t just give blue more reasons to laugh at other colors. I almost feel like Blue, as an entire color, is the “Infect” of cube draft — if only two people are blue, you crush. If three or more are, your pool is spread so thin you have problems winning. Perhaps this isn’t something that goes away, but still, it’s something I want to combat.

So those are my inclusions – what are yours? I’m curious, as always.

For those wanting to know what I’m testing for Mirrodin Besieged, here ya go:

- Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
- Sword of Feast and Famine
- Hero of Bladehold
- Hero of Oxid Ridge
- Signal Pest
- Black Sun Zenith
- Phyrexian Revoker
- Thrun, the Last Troll
- Green Sun’s Zenith
- Black Sun’s Zenith
- Contested War Zone
- Slagstorm
- Leonin Relic-Warder
- Sphere of the Suns
- Go for the Throat

Update after publishing:

- Mirran Crusader
- Phyrexian Crusader
- Goblin Wardriver
- Lead the Stampede
- Glissa the Traitor
- Bonehoard

Wow, and they say this card isn’t a constructed-friendly set? Pfft.

So that’s the update, sorry for the delay, but viva la cube!

Status and Goals

First, view the new cube via Google Docs. The cube is now up to 602 cards.

Second, the cube is growing by ZERO cards this go-round. Yay! I’m happy that I resisted the urge to keep it growing.

In my last cube update for Rise of the Eldrazi I noted a few goals for my cube. Let’s see how they did:

Continuing Existing Themes – Check! This has worked very well so far. I’m really happy where my cube is right now in terms of archetypes and push/pull.

Lessen Blue Control – This is somewhat taking place. I feel like blue control is always going to be top tier in the cube unless you nerf the entire color, which is essentially the rub. Everyone likes drawing cards and controlling permanents, but you try to look for ways that WotC hated on these effects and emphasize them. One of the reasons I think Great Sable Stag will be in the cube for some time.

More Green Fixing, More Colorless Options – This one didn’t work very well. I added Trip Noose and Bottle Gnomes, both of which promptly left with this update. The fixing didn’t really stick, either. Joraga Treespeaker, while rocking ROE draft like nobody’s business, is not that great in the cube. Growth Spasm got out-Kodama’s Reached, as it were, by Cultivate, which replaced it. So there’s Awakening Zone that stuck, but colorless accel / chump blockers isn’t exactly “fixing” anything.

Design Goals for Scars of Mirrodin

Observe and Keep Track of Top Tier decks – While I have an idea of what’s Top Tier from countless cube drafts, I don’t actually keep track of any of this data. I think it’d be neat and would help influence decisions.

Look at the Power of Red: Red’s getting a little ridiculous as of late, and the mono-red drafter has been stomping pretty thoroughly lately. This goal will tie in with the first. There may be some red hate coming in soon.

Review Artifact Answers: This is where I think the influx of powerful artifacts from Scars of Mirrodin will need serious cube answers to boot. Note that Keldon Vandals made it over Manic Vandal from M11, but with the Scars of Mirrodin update I wouldn’t be surprised to see both. Wurmcoil Engine IS a card that needs an answer, as does Steel Hellkite, Myr Battlesphere, etc.

Let’s see what made it from M11:

White

M11 Tested: Sun Titan, War Priest of Thune

M11 Included: Sun Titan, War Priest of Thune

Adds: Sun Titan, War Priest of Thune

Drops: Loam Lion, Captain of the Watch

Now, as a man who loves Captain of the Watch, this was a tough cut for me. I didn’t like it, but I like my six drops powerful and scary, and while Captain is plenty powerful, scary she isn’t. Just remove her and they’ve wasted their six drop in a few measly 1/1′s?

Sun Titan, of course, doesn’t need a whole lot of introduction but does do some amazing stuff in the cube. Allowing you to sacrifice things with wild abandon plus playing extremely well with Wrath of God effects, he’s a house. War Priest of Thune is of course an upgraded Monk Realist, now with a sweet optional “may” in his text. This is nice when your deck has Faith’s Fetters and the like.

Re: Loam Lion, I certainly wanted the white Kird Ape to work, but unfortunately W/G Aggro isn’t anywhere close to the power of G/R Aggro. Awesome card, wrong cube, I guess.

Blue

M11 Tested: Frost Titan, Aether Adept, Jace’s Ingenuity, Preordain

M11 Included: Frost Titan, Preordain

Adds: Frost Titan, Preordain, Miscalculation, Inkwell Leviathan

Drops: Lighthouse Chronologist, Mnemonic Wall, Ethersworn Adjudicator, Mark of Eviction

So with this, we lost some crappy creatures (pretty much all of the drops were found to be bad after initial positive reviews). Mark of Eviction, while being a wonderfully open-ended card, isn’t enough in the long run when compared to the powerhouse spells surrounding it.

That said, the bar to get into the blue section of the cube is probably higher than any other. EVERY spell has to do something amazing or it’s just out. Preordain is, of course, one of those high watermark spells that is reaching into Vintage and seeing 4x play in Standard all over. Frost Titan is quickly being recognized as one of the best Titans (if not -the- best!) and is awesome in the cube.

As for the non-M11 additions and losses, Miscalculation is a card I’ve wanted in my cube for some time now, and it’s nice to get it officially in there. Inkwell Leviathan is there for the Tinker players out there. We need another sick blue fatty for both reanimation and Tinker decks.

Black

M11 Tested: Grave Titan, Liliana’s Specter, Dark Tutelage

M11 Included: Grave Titan, Doom Blade

Adds: Grave Titan, Doom Blade

Drops: Inquisition of Kozilek, Kagemaro, First to Suffer

So in this pretty straightforward: Grave Titan is the best black card printed in a long, long time (yet black still sucks these days– so sad), and Doom Blade is simply a staple Magic card and the new Terror. In zey go!

As for the tests, Dark Tutelage sucks (even Dark Confidant is sometimes hard to get rid of, and he’s the easiest to do in the cube), and Liliana’s Specter just isn’t powerful enough. Hypnotic Specter isn’t the most exciting duder, and this one is way, way worse than that rare.

The drops included Inquisition of Kozilek, who got sided out and blanked far too often. Kagemaro, First to Suffer is this weird creature where you want a fatty but usually only have a 2/2 or 3/3 and then by the time it gets impressive you have to sacrifice it to Wrath…yeah, awkward. Grave Titan is feel good 100% of the time, and I like that option much better.

Red

M11 Tested: Ember Hauler, Inferno Titan, Manic Vandal, Destructive Force

M11 Included: Ember Hauler, Inferno Titan

Adds: Ember Hauler, Inferno Titan, Destructive Force, Flame Rift

Drops: Lord of Shatterskull Pass, Tuktuk the Explorer, Sonic Burst, Hammer of Bogardan

Ah, Red. It is so good at what it does. Destroy, disrupt, burn, and Pillage. The fastest and most damage efficient creatures and the land destruction to back it up. It needs very little finesse.

That said, Inferno Titan is the sickness and needs a slot. Ember Hauler is in here and is an all-around awesome Shock on a stick.

Destructive Force is Wildfire #2 for my cube. All cubes have some form of redundant effect, and mine is no different (Ancestral Vision and Ancestral Recall, etc). Redundant effects allow you to influence what archetypes you find players building around. A big splashy effect like this one will drive a player down the road of fatties and control rather than the fast red that’s so dominant in my cube these days. We’ll see if another Wildfire helps.

As for what was cut, I think most can agree that Lord of Shatterskull Pass, was, in the end, Just A Duder. No more, no less. Tuktuk the Explorer was a 1/1 haste for three mana, and that’s terrible.

I switched Sonic Burst for Flame Rift, plain and simple. I cut Hammer of Bogardan for Destructive Force, because it was the worst burn spell in the cube and red wasn’t really hurting for those.

Green

M11 Tested: Fauna Shaman, Garruk’s Companion, Mitotic Slime, Obstinate Baloth, Primeval Titan, Sylvan Ranger, Cultivate

M11 Included: Fauna Shaman, Mitotic Slime, Obstinate Baloth, Primeval Titan, Sylvan Ranger, Cultivate

Adds: Fauna Shaman, Mitotic Slime, Obstinate Baloth, Primeval Titan, Sylvan Ranger, Cultivate

Drops: Joraga Treespeaker, Pouncing Jaguar, Growth Spasm, Moment’s Peace, Search for Tomorrow, Mire Boa, Ant Queen, Mycoloth

So this is another big green move. Green is so hard to get right! You move stuff in, you move stuff out. Here’s what happened, first of all:

Krosan Tusker and Ant Queen were left off the rolls by mistake. So I actually had 77 Green cards for awhile. Oops. People asking me how in the world did I not have Krosan Tusker in the cube were right to do so–and it was thanks to a clerical error Now thanks to my cube audit, I’m able to keep track of each and everything I am running (expect it to get an update shortly after this one.)

That said, holy cow was M11 good to green cards. They juiced em up nice and sexy-like, and wow was the result amazing. Fauna Shaman is your second Survival of the Fittest (remember what I was saying about redundant effects just a few paragraphs ago?), Primeval Titan is, well, amazing. Obstinate Baloth goes a long way to halt the red deck’s dominance, but it still probably isn’t enough.

I dropped the controversial Growth Spasm for the much-adored Cultivate, another redundant effect via Kodama’s Reach that works very well in multiples. I also have a real love for Sylvan Ranger, as I want to really emphasize that green is the mana fixer in the cube.

The drops were many, but necessary. Mire Boa I think would be better in a larger a cube. Mine doesn’t have black being a force, and as such River Boa Islandwalking is about 300% better than Mire Boa‘s Swampwalking. Mycoloth just wouldn’t see any play, and when it did, you’d usually get blown out with a Wrath of God effect, losing your devoured creatures AND the Mycoloth. No fun, outcha go.

Pouncing Jaguar, man, Pouncing Jaguar. Wanted this card to be good just like I want Wild Dogs to be good but they’re just not. At least in this cube, red is the king of the early drops and if you’re looking at two drops and higher, Albino Troll is still a fine man that sees plenty of play. His smaller cousin, notsomuch.

Search for Tomorrow was a tough cut because I like this card. I like Suspend and I like how this card is a supercharged Rampant Growth but in the end I liked Cultivate far better. Moment’s Peace is a card that just doesn’t fit into the feel of green in my cube right now. If you’re Green/Blue, green is giving you the beatsticks. If you’re G/W, you’re probably not control. If you’re G/R I know you ain’t. If you’re G/B, you kill things you don’t fog up the board. If you’re mono green you don’t play this either. It had nowhere left to be played, and so it is not.

Lastly, Joraga Treespeaker may be a fine woman in constructed or ROE limited, but in this cube she’s Just Another Mana Dudette, and the Sol Ring like status she enjoys in Rise of the Eldrazi limited is not seen here. Not enough in this format.

Artifacts

M11 Tested: Crystal Ball, Brittle Effigy, Sword of Vengeance

M11 Included: Crystal Ball, Brittle Effigy, Sword of Vengeance

Adds: Crystal Ball, Brittle Effigy, Sword of Vengeance

Drops: Bottle Gnomes, Smokestack, Trip Noose

Here is where I get to show the inverse of my love of redundant effects: Puppet Strings is a perfectly fine card that does what it does with efficiency. Trip Noose gives another tapper to control decks who didn’t need it, and doesn’t have the fun combo possibilities as Puppet Strings.

M11 sure does have some sweet artifacts, no? All of my inclusions made it, and I think they’re pretty self explanatory. Crystal Ball is a wonderful card for all sorts of decks, aggro or control. It provides reach when you really need it. Brittle Effigy has been stellar every time I play it early, as it keeps them from playing their best man until I use it, or late, when it saves my butt against some amazing creature.

Lastly Sword of Vengeance makes all of my dorks little Akroma, Angel of Wraths, and that’s never a bad thing. G/R decks fall over themselves to cascade into this from Bloodbraid Elf.

Multicolor & Lands

There were no updates to either of these sections of the cube. Got a recommendation, I’m listening!

Conclusion

So that’s another update. I apologize for the lateness of this post, but hey, it’s here and the changes I’ve made I think have made my cube more balanced and most of all more fun. M11 has given some fantastic tools for new decks (Destructive Force), amazing creatures (Primeval Titan, Fauna Shaman), and great utility cards (Crystal Ball).

I for one look forward to now throwing in my Scars of Mirrodin purchases into the cube and seeing what sticks!

Here’s a sneak peek (not pictured: Steel Hellkite):

Until then, happy cubing!

- Evan

These cards will be playtested in the next few months as I prepare my Scars of Mirrodin updates. This Friday expect to see my M11 update (hint: Fauna Shaman and Primeval Titan get there).

Read on for my Scars of Mirrodin pre-purchases. Updated: 9/30/10!

First up are the ‘free’ purchases, AKA Scars of Mirrodin Promos going into the cube I’m not actually purchasing:

Wurmcoil Engine
Steel Hellkite

These two will do a fine job of kicking ass in the cube, and not having to buy them is a bonus (Because both are certainly worthy).

Here’s my list of cards I’m actually purchasing:

Cerebral Eruption – Iffy, but worth trying. Enough players are addicted to crazy expensive spells that this could deal serious damage in a G/R aggro deck.

Chimeric Mass – Awesome control finisher that lives through most Wrath of God effects (Akroma’s Vengeance notwithstanding)

Darksteel Axe – Bonesplitter is awesome. Will two be doubly awesome or just clunky?

Elspeth Tirel – Obvious amazing card is obviously amazing.

Grasp of Darkness – Last Gasp is turbo-charged and now kills stuff like Masticore (and the new one) and super-bombs like Meloku the Clouded Mirror

Infiltration Lens – Block me Mr. Wall of Omens Control Deck, I dare ya!

Koth of the Hammer – This card is silly good and I’m excited to see it’s impact.

Leonin Arbiter – Love me some hate bears, and this is one of the strongest.

Memnite – A card with some potential in Aggro decks. Now that I’ve said so much about it, all I can think of is Turn 1 Bonesplitter, Memnite, Go.

Mimic Vat – CRAZY good in control decks, and possibly aggro as well. This card is ridiculously undervalued I think. You kill my Giant Solifuge, suddenly I get one every turn? Sick.

Molten-Tail Masticore – This card is amazing and will be great in Aggro and Control decks (though Control doesn’t have as many creatures, the ones it does will do serious damage.

Myr Battlesphere – Probably my favorite card in the set. Nothing at 7 mana has ever come close to this.

Necrotic Ooze – Ripe with potential and crazy interactions. My favorite kind of card for the cube.

Platinum Emperion – Another Tinker target and a finisher for Control decks. We need big monsters in the cube to tutor for (or Reanimate).

Precursor Golem – Another card with some fantastic interactions. Go ahead and spend some time pondering the Rite of Replication interaction.

Ratchet Bomb – Powder Keg is a cube staple. This even more so.

Skinrender – Crazy good at disabling or killing things, it’s like another Shriekmaw.

Spikeshot Elder – Add equipment for ridiculousness. If that equipment is, say, Umezawa’s Jitte or Sword of Fire and Ice, doubly so.

Sunblast Angel – Control decks like Wraths-On-A-Stick (hi there, Magus of the Disk)

Sword of Body and Mind — Oops! Missed this the first go-around because I was getting a copy from From the Vault: Relics and not the Scars of Mirrodin Foil (it was cheaper, and I like the FTV foiling process).

Venser, the Sojourner – Planeswalkers are auto-includes, let’s just face it.

Volition Reins – Confiscate bigger, badder, and untapping your permanents.

Feel free to let me know if I missed anything

Update: Thanks to a little reading around and some great feedback, I’m NOT purchasing these:

- Darksteel Juggernaut, Etched Champion, Kuldotha Phoenix, Riddlesmith, and Prototype Portal. All of them too little or not enough to warrant even testing. That said, I like Arc Trail, and will give that card a whirl. Thanks for the feedback!

Check out the complete cube audit.

Removal of the Signets / Karoos - Still in place! I can safely say I’m much happier with my cube now that these are gone. I don’t miss them and I feel they better define what Green is/does and keeps midrange/control in check (ie Aggro decks still have a chance!)

Lessen Shards Influence – Not missed a bit. Cards that are difficult to cast are hard to enjoy.

Redefine Black – Seems to have worked! B/R Aggro has shown up many times since the last update, and B/U Control now has a few more ways to win the game. This is nice.

The cube for this update has grown another 35 Cards for a total of 602 Cards in the cube. NOTE: This list was updated on 7/21/10 to replace Propaganda with Spreading Seas, Ondu Giant switched with Terastodon and Beastbreaker of Bala Ged with Avenger of Zendikar.

Ready to see my goals for my next update along with Rise of the Eldrazi additions? Let’s go!

ROE Update Goals

#1 – Continue Existing Themes

Essentially I’m happy where the colors are at this point. While I feel that there is definitely room for improvement in a variety of small areas (the amount of 1-drops in White, just to think out loud), I’m very happy with the mix of decks and strategies that have emerged in recent drafts. No color, sans Blue, seems completely overpowered. With that said…

#2 – Lessen Blue Control

This is mainly done through a few methods: Stronger mana denial (ie Land Destruction), better Discard, and better aggro. Aggro being pretty good in Green and Red, the colors I wanted to punish Blue the most, and I pushed quite a bit in regards to Land Destruction (Choking Sands, Dust Bowl), and discard (Inquisition of Kozilek, Persecute).

#3 – More Green Fixing, More Colorless Options

For this one I wanted to make sure Green was the color of ramp and fixing, so in go cards like Ondu Giant and Growth Spasm. As for the Colorless options, All is Dust was an obvious (and powerful choice). Trip Noose is very close to Puppet Strings, a card we’ve had success with, and I like giving Mono Red or Mono Black a way to deal with something that has protection from it (Kor Firewalker etc). Even Mono Blue can get some love out of that card. Juggernaut, a monster that hasn’t been in the cube for some time but is due to return.

White

Drops:
None

Adds:
Gideon Jura
Student of Warfare
Transcendent Master
Wall of Omens
Miraculous Recovery

Beyond the four Rise of the Eldrazi powerhouses, Miraculous Recovery enters the cube after much fanfare from other cube enthusiasts. This Zombify bigger, better and at Instant speed(!) is a whooping in a lot of decks and gives white some reach. I like it. The rest seem pretty self-explanatory. Gideon Jura is crazy good, Student of Warfare gives a must-deal-with threat that you can sit back and force them to deal with, Transcendant Master is WAY better in non-constructed formats than constructed, and Wall of Omens is Wall of Blossoms in White. Obvious color shift is obvious.

Blue

Drops:
Old Man of the Sea

Adds:
Deprive
Enclave Cryptologist
Lighthouse Chronologist
Mnemonic Wall
Sea Gate Oracle
Spreading Seas

This update mainly pertains to the Old Man of the Sea not getting there (it’s no Vedalken Shackles), and every single entry from Rise of the Eldrazi made it! The ability to re-use lands like Halimar Depths is No Joke, and even the innocent-looking Lighthouse Chronologist is a threat that must be stopped in a Blue-based control deck. Sea Gate Oracle was a card that looked really iffy when I pre-ordered it, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t even better than expected. Enclave Cryptologist is a one-drop Merfolk Looter, and all that that implies (ie It’s Good). Mnemonic Wall is somewhat annoying for aggro decks, but hey, it’s a 5-drop. Not quite Izzet Chronarch, but also doesn’t require Blue -and- Red mana (and doesn’t return two, yadda yadda)

Lastly I’m not 100% hating on blue as Propaganda shows up, the Ghostly Prison in the ‘wrong’ color, and it gives Blue control decks a way to slow down the onslaught.

Black

Drops:
None

Adds:

Red

Drops:
None

Adds:

Kargan Dragonlord
Lord of Shatterskull Pass
Staggershock
Tuktuk the Explorer
Reckless Charge 

This one sees plenty of Rise of the Eldrazi goodies, like Kargan Dragonlord who wins games by himself (and did so versus me just last week), the awesome Staggershock, and solid beater Lord of Shatterskull Pass along with innocent-looking Tuktuk the Explorer. I’ve had a lot of fun equipping Grafted Wargear onto Tuktuk, I suggest you try it out. Nice 8/7 Legendary Token for three mana, eh?

Reckless Charge is here to give R/x aggro a little boost. It’s a nice trick and fits right in.

Green

Drops:
Omnath, Locus of Mana
Hidden Gibbons

Adds:

Joraga Treespeaker
Beastbreaker of Bala Ged
Awakening Zone
Mire Boa
Vengevine
Growth Spasm
Ondu Giant

ROE Cards that didn’t work: Boar Umbra, Kazandu Tuskcaller, Momentous Fall

For this update we had some real clever additions from Rise I didn’t see coming: First, Joraga Treespeaker (just call her the Lorax – she speaks for the trees!) is awesome! The “Green Sol Ring” as some have dubbed her is worth the time to include. Beastbreaker of Bala Ged was another solid addition, providing beats that must be answered or they will trample you over. Awakening Zone has proven surprisingly powerful, kicking ass as a way to chump block every turn while also powering out expensive spells, while Growth Spasm and Ondu Giant give more ramping and fixing for Green. Lastly Mire Boa gives Green another regenerator -and- a way to hate on Black, while Vengevine…well, is ridiculous, even in cube.

As for the cards that didn’t work out, I would never have guessed Momentous Fall would be bad but…it’s bad. Very bad. If you’re sacrificing a creature with enough power/toughness to make it worth it, then you probably should’ve just kept beating face with it. Boar Umbra originally had Trample on it in R&D. I wish it had stayed there. Lastly Kazandu Tuskcaller is just too slow and fragile. Nice limited bomb in a slow format. Not the cube.

Colorless / Artifact

Drops:

Etched Oracle

Adds:

All is Dust
Pithing Needle
Trip Noose
Smokestack
Juggernaut
Bottle Gnomes

Let’s get this out of the way: Since the loss of Karoos, Signets, and Vivid Lands, I’ve never seen anyone either play or cash-in Etched Oracle. Out!

All of the additions I feel are solid. All is Dust and Pithing Needle solve a lot of problems for decks that have issues with various card types (for example, Red can’t do anything about Survival of the Fittest and Recurring Nightmare without All is Dust or Pithing Needle). Smokestack returns for another round of cube beatings, as I’ve warmed up to that card playing Stax in Legacy. Juggernaut is a card for colors like White and Blue who need a beatstick, Trip Noose is another Puppet Strings / Icy Manipulator-esque card to help control decks slow down fast aggro starts, and Bottle Gnomes is back from a hiatus to show us the meaning of “Slow down, burn deck!”

Multi

Drops:

Shambling Remains

Adds:

Sarkhan the Mad

While B/R Aggro is powerful with Shambling Remains, it’s a hell of a lot more powerful with Sarkhan the Mad. Nuff said.

Lands

Drops:

Dread Statuary

Adds:

Rishadan Port
Dust Bowl
Evolving Wilds
Vesuva
Grand Coliseum
Academy Ruins

For this update I feel like I have a lot of solid lands to play with going forward. Evolving Wilds is functionally Terramorphic Expanse, but this is not a negative, in my opinion. Giving slower mana fixing (ie doesn’t enter untapped) is fine and necessary. Vesuva is a wonderful card that solves many Legendary Land problems (this is basically the Library of Alexandra problem), the same thing that Dust Bowl is here to remedy as well. Grand Coliseum is a card I’m trying out as a ‘fixed’ City of Brass, and Rishadan Port is always welcome in the aggro deck.

Conclusion

So that’s the cube update for Rise of the Eldrazi! I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have playtesting these changes week in and week out. Join me in a few months when we see how those M11 Cube Additions hold up.

- Evan

M11 Preorders:

White
Sun Titan
War Priest of Thune

Blue
Aether Adept
Jace’s Ingenuity
Preordain

Black
Dark Tutelage
Liliana’s Specter
Grave Titan

Red
Ember Hauler
Fling
Inferno Titan
Manic Vandal

Green
Cultivate
Fauna Shaman
Mitotic Slime
Obstinate Baloth
Primeval Titan
Sylvan Ranger

Artifacts
Brittle Effigy
Crystal Ball
Sword of Vengeance

Picture of the foils! (note: Sun Titan was the Prerelease foil and is not pictured)

This update is HUGE in a variety of ways — one, we have a huge sea change in the manafixing portion of the cube. Two, we have a huge change in the multicolor section. While many cards were cut and many were added, the cube is now 567 Cards, shrinking 13 Cards from the Zendikar update.

My focus this go around:

Lessen the “Midrange” Decks – Karoos (Selesnya Sanctuary etc) and Signets (Boros Signet etc) do two things: One, they make control and “midrange” decks much stronger, and two they make Green weaker. So with that said, and for the first time ever since I’ve began playing the Cube Draft format, I have removed all Karoos and Signets! This change was not without full playtesting over many playtesting sessions, and it also led to the return of all of the Eventide filter lands (Mystic Gate etc).

Lessen the Shards Influence – With the removal of Karoos and Signets gone, the manafixing required to pull of many of the Shards inclusions — Esper Charm, Lavalanche, etc, was much more difficult. At the end of the day, I decided that I wanted a more two-color focused cube (and/or mono-color focused) than one that was 3+ color focused, as many of the decks were in my previous configuration.

Redefine Black – I have wanted Black to have another identity apart from “the other half of U/x Control” for awhile now — and I’ve found the angle I’m looking for: Shadow creatures! Dauthi Slayer and their ilk are more than enough to bring the beats in a way that is difficult to deal with and requires that decks focus on ways of dealing with them. White also got its share of Shadow beats (Soltari Emissary etc) and as such is even more aggressive than before, something I want White to represent and really wanted to provide to Black for an aggressive and difficult to deal with angle Black can use.

Ready for more? Let’s go!

White

Drops: None

Adds:
Kor Firewalker
Loam Lion
Marshal’s Anthem
Soltari Emissary
Kor Sanctifiers

In this pure addition update, Kor Firewalker is another Silver Knight with which to punish Red decks. While Mother of Runes is another powerful option, Kor Firewalker is like the Auriok Champion I’ve wanted for awhile. Loam Lion is, of course, the white Kird Ape and that’s pretty much all there is to say about that. Marshal’s Anthem is fantastic late and another Honor of the Pure for the White Weenie deck. Soltari Emissary is another in the Soltari clan like Soltari Priest and Soltari Monk, another two-drop to make white dangerous.

Lastly, Kor Sanctifiers is another versatile and powerful answer to artifacts (Mindslaver) and enchantments (Recurring Nightmare), while also getting in there for two. I like having well-rounded and versatile answers to everything, and that is one of White’s strengths.

Cards that almost made the cut: Journey to Nowhere, Temporal Isolation, and Scepter of Dominance

Blue

Drops:
Repeal

Adds:
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Old Man of the Sea
Ancestral Vision
Repulse
Calcite Snapper
Dismiss

For Blue, I really, really wanted to add as many creatures as possible. Unfortunately that came down to Old Man of the Sea and Calcite Snapper from Worldwake. Repeal was cut because most of the time it was just bouncing a creature, and what does that with value (for a whole lot cheaper?) Repulse! Ancestral Vision is just too good to ignore — what’s one more Ancestral Recall? — and should fit into any blue deck. Jace, the Mind Sculptor really needs no introduction (or justification) at this point. Dismiss, meanwhile, is just awesome and a Counterspell with value. It was almost Dismal Failure.

Cards that almost made the cut: Dismal Failure, Opportunity, Daze

Black

Drops:
Faerie Macabre
Cemetery Reaper
Grim Tutor

Adds:
Abyssal Persecutor
Dauthi Horror
Dauthi Slayer
Vampire Lacerator
Sarcomancy
Carnophage
Dauthi Marauder
Animate Dead

The beats have arrived! Yes, there is a whole suite of beaters here, replacing the underwhelming Faerie Macabre and Cemetary Reaper while speeding up the slow-rolling Grim Tutor.

We start with Worldwake powerhouse Abyssal Persecutor. He’s huge and ready to lay down some beats. But building an aggro curve was important to me. We start with one-drops Sarcomancy, Carnophage and Vampire Lacerator. We continue with Dauthi Horror, Dauthi Slayer, and Dauthi Marauder. We continue by giving Reanimator another tool with Animate Dead. I’m happy that the aggro injection that gives Black the punch it needs to have another angle and doesn’t just get regulated to control strategies all the time.

Cards that almost made the cut: Nezumi Cutthroat, Hand of Cruelty, Blind Creeper

Red

Drops:
Gorilla Shaman
Viashino Heretic
Impending Disaster

Adds:
Comet Storm
Dragonmaster Outcast
Skirk Marauder
Stigma Lasher
Sulfuric Vortex
Hell’s Thunder
Searing Blaze
Smash to Smithereens

So with Red I learned a few things:

1) Gorilla Shaman just wasn’t getting there. Each time he’d either do nothing or get killed or not deal enough damage to make him worth it. Essentially, something like Smash to Smithereens did what he did, at Instant speed and a lot cheaper, and still dealt the damage the red deck needs to win.

2) Viashino Heretic was a liiiiitle slow. Too slow. Cut!

3) Impending Disaster sucks. To everyone who told me so: You were right!

As for the additions, for Worldwake Comet Storm fits right in there for a ton of damage out of nowhere. Skirk Marauder is another powerful and versatile damage dealer, Stigma Lasher returns after leaving for a time to ensure no silly lifegain is going to ruin your day (something cards like Kor Firewalker do frighteningly well), while Sulfuric Vortex gives you the inevitability the Red deck needs that Impending Disaster couldn’t.

The other Worldwake Mythic, Dragonmaster Outcast is both powerful and easy to sneak under Counterspells early, while the final Worldwake addition, Searing Blaze, is just awesome sauce. Kill something AND deal the controller damage? Too sweet. Finally, Hell’s Thunder, the other half of Hellspark Elemental, gives the red deck the long game it needs to win.

Cards that almost made the cut: Jeska, Warrior Adept, Ravenous Baboons, Zo-Zu, the Punisher

Green

Drops:
Timbermare

Adds:
Search for Tomorrow
Vines of Vastwood
Bestial Menace
Mold Shambler
Wolfbriar Elemental
Omnath, Locus of Mana

Lots of goodies in this one! Worldwake was quite good to Magic, and while I couldn’t fit in Terastodon, I got a few of my favorites, including Bestial Menace, Wolfbriar Elemental and Omnath, Locus of Mana. All of them fill different roles but ultimately allow green to bring the beats and/or recover from mass removal (Wrath of God etc).

Search for Tomorrow is in here to push the fact that green is the manafixing color. No more can you rely on Karoos and Signets to get you there — instead, use Search for Tomorrow, Krosan Tusker and others. Vines of Vastwood has proven itself a powerful and useful option to foil removal spells and/or provide the last few points of damage, while Mold Shambler gives green an answer to Planeswalkers, something that, apart from beats, they really lack.

As for the cuts, I kept Timbermare in here probably a lot longer than I should have. It wasn’t getting it done for awhile, and we finally took it out to pasture. I was gentle, I promise.

Colorless

Drops:
Selesnya Signet
Dimir Signet
Boros Signet
Golgari Signet
Izzet Signet
Gruul Signet
Orzhov Signet
Simic Signet
Azorius Signet
Rakdos Signet

Adds:
Everflowing Chalice
Tangle Wire
Basilisk Collar
Lodestone Golem
Lightning Greaves

Yes, the Signets are gone, long live the Signets. While I appreciated the Signets, and enjoyed them immensely throughout the years, when Tom Lapille mentioned that they made green worse, I began to pay attention. When I noticed how powerful they made midrange and control strategies, along with Karoos, I decided to test the cube without them. And you know what? Choosing colors was much more interesting! All of a sudden committing to a color actually meant something! How exciting!

So I’m really happy dropping them. That said, Everflowing Chalice was a no-brainer for me, while Lodestone Golem may surprise some, it’s ability to punish control decks is not to be underestimated. Basilisk Collar is fantastic, as many know now, and Tangle Wire returns to the cube after a long absence and is definitely welcomed back. It’s ability to punish control decks is something aggro decks appreciate, and Lightning Greaves is another that returns to much fanfare.

As you probably noticed, this section was renamed to “Colorless” in anticipation of Rise of the Eldrazi’s addition. I wonder what those could be…?

Cards that almost made the cut: Ankh of Mishra, Worn Powerstone, Thran Dynamo

Multicolor

Adds:
None

Drops:
Maelstrom Archangel
Maelstrom Nexus
Cruel Ultimatum
Esper Charm
Sharuum the Hegemon
Hellkite Overlord
Lavalanche
Slave of Bolas
Realm Razer
Uril, the Miststalker
Bant Charm
Empyrial Archangel

Yes, the Great Shards Shedding has occurred. For many months, almost a year now, I’ve really been enthralled with Shards of Alara and the power wrapped in tri-color mana costs. But the things it did to the cube has begun to wear on me — suddenly massive manafixing was needed for every deck, and many of these cards were pass-outs time and time again, as only those in specific Shards could use that Shard’s most powerful cards. No longer!

While some of the cuts were pretty easy, ie the 5-Color cards like Maelstrom Nexus, since they were played so infrequently, other cuts were difficult. I really wanted Slave of Bolas in here, I felt that Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker was simply a more exciting card that rewarded dedicated Grixis control decks. Hellkite Overlord was almost chosen over Broodmate Dragon, but ultimately, Broodmate Dragon would go in the same reanimator decks Hellkite Overlord would be in.

I don’t really like losing Sharuum the Hegemon, but I feel like Sphinx of the Steel Wind is better in pretty much every way.

Ultimately, I’m really happy with the shedding of unnecessary cards, and feel like the cube did nothing but benefit it. I’m happier being a more two-color oriented cube than one that is 3+.

Lands

Drops:
Azorius Chancery
Boros Garrison
Dimir Aqueduct
Golgari Rot Farm
Gruul Turf
Izzet Boilerworks
Orzhov Basilica
Rakdos Carnarium
Selesnya Sanctuary
Simic Growth Chamber

Adds:
Cascade Bluffs
Fetid Heath
Fire-Lit Thicket
Flooded Grove
Graven Cairns
Mystic Gate
Rugged Prairie
Sunken Ruins
Twilight Mire
Wooded Bastion
Tectonic Edge
Halimar Depths
Gaea’s Cradle
Terramorphic Expanse
Dread Statuary

For this update, again, a huge sea change. In five years I had never played cube draft without Ravnica Karoos. And I admit, I was skeptical at first. But as I’ve played the cube many, many times without Karoos, I can’t say I miss them. I can’t say their absence makes control better (it doesn’t). Essentially, control decks were getting too good and the removing Karoos was a way to lessen their dominance in a very sly way. Again, thanks to the foresight of Tom Lapille, I’m having more meaningful cube matches and that’s always a positive.

So with that said, the addition of Shadowmoor / Eventide filter lands is another nod to two-color decks, and after a few drafts it became obvious they were needed to be re-added. The fixing, even in aggro builds, was necessary. As for the Worldwake additions, Tectonic Edge is another Wasteland of course, and gives decks another answer to cards like Library of Alexandria that can win games by itself. Halimar Depths is a powerful and welcome card in U/x control (or even mono blue control!), while Terramorphic Expanse is a quick and easy fixer and Dread Statuary brings the beats in any aggro deck. Lastly, Gaea’s Cradle is a card that simply has incredible potential no matter how you slice it. What the cube players do with it is up to them. What we’ve seen so far is tricks with Deranged Hermit and others.

Conclusion

So there we go! Worldwake additions are officially in there, some colors have a dramatic shift in tone (Black), and I’m really happy with the removal of Karoos and Signets. I don’t miss them at all, and if you’re following my template, I promise you won’t miss them either.

Note – I left in the Shards lands (Crumbling Sanctuary etc) because they fix two different two-color builds and have proven themselves as powerful fixers for a variety of decks. 5-Color Green to R/G Aggro, they fit like a charm.

What changes will Rise of the Eldrazi bring? I’m testing my own now, and you can look at my foil pre-orders as a hint as to the direction I’m headed. I’m looking forward to your reactions to these changes, what you added from Worldwake, and what you’re looking for from Rise of the Eldrazi!

- Evan