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Dozens of cards replaced, the cube got bigger by 30 cards or so, and all sorts of surprises are inside. Let’s talk cube!

White

Adds:
Goldmeadow Harrier
Restoration Angel
Silverblade Paladin
Loyal Cathar
Couldshift
Lingering Souls
Angel of Jubilation
Divine Deflection
Entreat the Angels
Terminus

Drops:
Gideon’s Lawkeeper
Geist-Honored Monk
Soltari Crusader
Momentary Blink

So we begin with the white cards. For me, the shift to Gideon’s Lawkeeper, while cute, was short-lived. The small-yet-important synergy between Goldmeadow Harrier and Cloudgoat Ranger came up just enough to make me undo the switch last time.

The most surprising inclusion for White may be Cloudshift. Yes you can flashback Momentary Blink, but this card is far more powerful thanks to a single word. The phrasing on this card is incredibly important: You return the creature under your control. Not “owner’s” — YOURS. So if you have a creature under Control Magic and they Disenchant, you simply Cloudshift and keep the creature! (along with any sweet Enters the Battlefield bonuses!) Virtually any stealing/taking ability can benefit from this awesome and subtle benefit. This card is awesome.

As for the obvs, Lingering Souls obv obv obv. Card is ridiculous, has done lots of good work in Constructed and will continue to do so here in the cube. Loyal Cathar simply brings the beats. You need two drops in white aggro decks, and you need them to be resilient. He is both.

Silverblade Paladin is the first in a long line of Soulbond inclusions in the cube. This ability is SUPER powerful and if you haven’t played with it yet just wait–it gets real ugly real fast. Restoration Angel jumped into my cube the instant she was spoiled and is as good as you’d expect. Just value, value, value with that girl. Speaking of value, Angel of Jubilation is another in the “let’s make white aggro sweet” and hopefully even white weenie can get there with this sort of boost.

Our white miracles include the soul-crushing Entreat the Angels (probably my sickest foil pickup — $15 preorder!) and the Hallowed Burial with-an-upside Terminus. Pretty sure Terminus will be with us a while, but we’ll see. I like it a lot.

As for the rest fo the drops, Geist-Honored Monk is SO cute and basically already exists in my cube in the form of Cloudgoat Ranger. We don’t really need two (at least, I don’t). Lastly, Soltari Crusader is good, but Silverblade Paladin is way better And Divine Deflection? I’ve ran Shining Shoal before, and this is very similar. We’ll see how it plays out. I’m keeping a close eye on this spell.

Blue

Adds:
Fettergeist
Tandem Lookout
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Deadeye Navigator
Dungeon Geists
Silent Departure
Upheaval
Delver of Secrets

Drops:
Jace, Memory Adept
Tezzeret the Seeker
Sphinx of Jwar Isle

So I think this is the first time I’ve ever cut a Planeswalker from my cube (I think)…and here I’ve cut two of them! Both have their issues. Let’s discuss:

Jace, Memory Adept – This card is not remotely fair in a limited environment. And this is from someone who has cubed for years with Moxen, Black Lotus, Sol Ring and Library of Alexandria. Not. Remotely. Fair.

Players will hate draft it out of spite, and everyone groans when it hits. It makes you feel ashamed for playing it, and it was a constructed card that should remain there. I don’t like to errata cards (ie some errata his ability to “Mill six” instead of ten or what have you), but I don’t feel this is correct. I know Sword of Body and Mind is -close- to being as unfair as this, but I’ve tried to engineer several answers to that card in every color, and artifacts are a hell of a lot easier to deal with than Planeswalkers. And Sword doesn’t mill you ten just for playing it. Bleh.

Jace was replaced with Tamiyo, the Moon Sage. I’m pretty sure this is just a straight upgrade in fun.

Tezzeret the Seeker – I wanted you to be so much better than you were. Time and time again I left you in the sideboard, and time and time again you didn’t do much. Now perhaps in other more artifact-laden/friendly cubes he still shines, but I don’t think this ‘walker has aged well at all.

Moving on, I think Deadeye Navigator is a hell of a lot more interesting and exciting than Sphinx of Jwar Isle. One does incredibly silly things immediately and long-term, and the other is a good finisher. Well, Blue has plenty of finishers and this still -is- a 5/5 for six mana. But holy cow does that ability shine. Again, soulbond is fantastic and you should be using and abusing it in your cubes too.

Tandem Lookout solidifies this and makes for an awesome addition to U/W tempo. Fettergeist is basically the drawback-less Serendib Efreet. I’m okay with this.

What can be said about Delver of Secrets that hasn’t been already? A development mistake, now a Constructed all-star, and certainly a card you can enjoy in the cube. Rawr. Upheaval is back because…why did I take this out again? Oh yeah, people not knowing how to draft it. If there’s one card that the MTGO Cube is responsible for, it’s this one returning like a champ. Silent Depature is just value, wonderful value, and U/W Tempo is a deck I like to encourage and provide the tools for. Plus, control decks like it too! (just not as much)

Lastly, I love me a Dungeon Geists. Card is fantastic, a Faceless Butcher in blue, I loved it from the moment I saw it. Get in there!

Black

Adds:
Griselbrand
Geralf’s Messenger
Demonic Taskmaster
Phyrexian Obliterator
Unburial Rites
Tragic Slip
Dark Ritual
Death Cloud

Drops:
Grasp of Darkness
Mesmeric Fiend
Daggerclaw Imp

How good is Griselbrand? SO GOOD. Holy cow peeps, if you haven’t tasted the sweetness of drawing seven at instant speed for a mere seven life…it is sweet indeed. Hardcast like a boss or reanimate for value, this guy is the actual business. Get yours today

Let’s discuss these drops real quick. Grasp of Darkness ain’t no Tragic Slip. Just ain’t. And honestly, Grasp was not long for my cube anyway. I think I’d rather have Sudden Death. Mesmeric Fiend is a card I’ve loved for years, has been in the cube for absolute ages, and is finally making his exit. I LOVE THIS CARD. But nostalgia does not make it useful, nor does it make it powerful. As for Daggerclaw Imp, I like Demonic Taskmaster and Geralf’s Messenger WAY better than that guy. Far, far more.

So, Mr. Messenger and Mr. Taskmaster are beaters of the face variety, and is that Phyrexian Obliterator? You bet your ass! He’s large, in-charge, and doing some work. To help you cast those super mana-intensive spells, I added back in Dark Ritual. To give you another mana-intensive spell that I love (and can be drafted around), here’s Death Cloud. Resolving Death Cloud with a Planeswalker on board is SO FILTHY. In the very best of ways of course.

Lastly, Unburial Rites is obviously awesome. I wanted to add back in a reanimation spell to the cube, and it was provided.

Red

Adds:
Lightning Mauler
Vexing Devil
Faithless Looting
Hellrider
Archwing Dragon
Zealous Conscripts
Thunderous Wrath
Bonfire of the Damned
Dangerous Wager
Stonewright
Wildfire

Drops:
Rivalry
Rolling Earthquake
Sulfur Elemental
Puncture Blast
Magus of the Moon
Tin Street Hooligan

Phew, what a bunch of changes. Let’s discuss some funny-looking ones first.

Stonewright is fantastic. There. I said it. If you aren’t running it, you’re probably wrong. NEVER has Firebreathing been this cheap, nor have tricks bouncing/blinking been as powerful. This powers up blue fliers, white evasive creatures, black beatsticks, etc. Card is sweet.

Dangerous Wager is pretty solid in a cube environment. Almost guaranteed to just draw two cards with no drawback, I dig it right now. We’ll see how it ages. Vexing Devil splits many down the middle, but you can’t argue it’s value. I featured Browbeat for a time in my cube, and as we know this is far better than that. Even as a super Lava Spike, I think this card has long legs in the cube.

Lighting Mauler I loved from first sight. SUCH a fantastic card with such a huge upside. Again, soulbond. Again, in this cube. Love that mechanic.

Wildfire needed back in my cube. I want G/R Ramp to have powerful sweepers, and while I at one time had both Wildfire AND Destructive Force in at the same time, I don’t think that much is necessary. One works though, and I’d rather go with the cheaper of the two.  Let’s see… Faithless Looting is, apart from Lingering Souls, the best card in Dark Ascension. So yeah. I love me some red loots.

Hellrider and Archwing Dragon are simliar in the ‘surprise!’ factor, but do different things–one swarms, the other kills Planeswalkers and helps with the ‘reach problem’ of red decks and their vulnerability to sweeper effects. Thanks to evasion this is worlds better than Viashino Sandstalker, and I look forward to running this guy in and out of the battlefield often.

Thunderous Wrath and Bonfire of the Damned are my two miracle additions, and I expect them to be serious story-makers. Bonfire, of course, is still plenty playable for retail, but Wrath requires a little setup. Pretty sure RDW and U/R Counterburn will both love that card, and it’s variance swings make up for it in drama.

The last of the additions, Zealous Conscripts is a wonderful surprise from Avacyn Restored, giving an awesome Threaten ability on a very aggressively costed body (when combined with the ability, that is). Stealing ready-to-Ultimate Planeswalker is just living the dream, and other times you’re usually stealing a blocker and bashing face. And don’t forget the sweet Cloudshift interaction!

As for cuts, for Magus of the Moon he was both too bad (hurt your own manabase) or too powerful (provided too much edge for RDW) for my tastes. So out he goes. At least for now. Sulfur Elemental was cute as an uncounterable Balduvian Barbarians, but that doesn’t mean it should stay that way. Randomly hosing the White Weenie decks when Red Deck Wins was having no problems winning games was also something I didn’t want. Rolling Earthquake is no Bonfire of the Damned (in all kinds of ways).

I wanted Torch Fiend instead of Tin Street Hooligan. Puncture Blast felt like Rando Burn Spell #521, so out it went. Lastly, I wanted Rivalry to work, but damnit, those silly red enchantments just never do.

Green

Adds:
Ulvenwald Tracker
Avacyn’s Pilgrim
Strangleroot Geist
Mayor of Avabruck
Vorapede
Worldly Tutor
Farseek
Primeval Titan
Somberwald Sage
Wolfir Avenger

Drops:
Daybreak Ranger
Spectral Force
Kodama of the North Tree
Wild Nacatl
Ravenous Baloth

It’s hard out here for a Daybreak Ranger. I too thought the card had big potential…but as many cube drafts have shown, it just doesn’t have enough juicy targets, and the Fight ability isn’t always powerful enough to matter.

Spectral Force bows down to the awesome power of Wolfir Silverheart. That card is bonkers. Wolfir Avenger also does some good work, and yes, I did cut Wild Nacatl. No, I don’t feel bad about it. It SUPPOSED to be great, but it just never is. Naya is hard enough in the cube, and making her a turn 2 3/3 is so rare that when she does get to decent size later in the game, she’s far outclassed. Bleh.

Cutting Kodama of the North Tree hurt, not gonna lie. That guy’s been in the cube…basically since it’s inception. But dammit, Vorapede is a card, and does work. It’s scary, doesn’t have Shroud but enough resilience to be better in my eyes. Ulvenwald Tracker is really the Daybreak Ranger I wanted. Fight bear! Yeah! Mayor of Avabruck, as we know, can take over games single-handily, one of my favorite traits to a green monster (Jade Mage almost made it for the same reason), and with all these beats, I need Wordly Tutor back in here.

Primeval Titan just needs to exist here. Yes, he’s not as powerful as he could be, there’s no Valakut action in the cube (and thankfully so), but it’s Prime Time and he does good work with the lands he can/does find. And a 6/6 Trampler for six is just something I want/desire in my Green creatures right now. And without one, I feel I’m missing something. Somberwald Sage will help you run out that Titan or any other creature with a quickness, and I welcome Farseek back into the cube with open arms. Ravenous Baloth got sliced, another old school beater, but it’s just a worse version of Obstinate Baloth to me. And yes, I know all the arguments, but I’ve played with that clunky 4/4 for years. And when damage was on, it was good. And when damage was not, it was not as good.

Lastly we gots the ramp (Avacyn’s Pilgrim), and we gots the beats (Strangelroot Geist). Any questions?

Colorless/Artifact

Adds:
Sphere of the Suns
Palladium Myr

Drops:
Silent Arbiter
Crystal Ball

Palladium Myr is just for ramp’s sake. I want a Go Big deck to thrive, and cards like that ensure you get the mana necessary for those overpowering spells. Lastly, I wanted another mana rock, and Sphere of the Suns is a goodie.

As for the drops, Silent Arbiter just didn’t do what I wanted him to do this go-round. Back in the day when the creatures were worse and spells were better, I found Silent Arbiter gummed up the ground sufficiently. But as creatures have gotten more powerful and featured better triggered/enter the battlefield abilities (sup, Hero of Bladehold?), this card is outclassed. Crystal Ball is too slow. That’s all I gotta say about that.

Multicolor

Adds:
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Sigarda, Host of Herons
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Havengul Lich
The Mimeoplasm
Drops:
Plumeveil
Teferi’s Moat
Woolly Thoctar
Duergar Hedge-Mage
Tidehollow Sculler
Agony Warp

First, had to add big daddy Grand Arbiter Augustin IV back in. What can I say, I missed the guy. He does incredibly good work in the U/W control deck and is a force to be reckoned with. Welcome home!

Sigarda, Host of Herons is absurd. Pretty sure you know that, but I’m just letting you know if you didn’t. Absurd. Hope you got a wrath or something with Deathtouch.

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight is a fantastic card to splash for in U/W control (it only needs 1 red mana) and/or a fantastic reanimation target. She is fierce. Look out for this one. Sorin, Lord of Innistrad seems a bit yobv, doesn’t it? A powerful but not overpowered planeswalker in colors that needed one? I’ll take it!

Havengul Lich is a card U/B Control players die for, and is that the mofo’in The Mimeoplasm? Hell yeah! One of the bets reanimation targets evar, Build yourself a sicko Bant Ramp deck and watch the fireworks. Fun card!

As for my cuts, I just think Teferi’s Moat is a little -too- much. Now, I know, we have to be careful with Red Deck Wins, particularly in that I recently cut cards like Silver Knight out of my cube, but still. Card is dumb. Plumeveil has been a good, solid contender, but I’m happy with more interesting U/W options, preferably those that interact with the opponent through combat (ie not just blocking). Woolly Thoctar has gotten less and less impressive as the years have gone by. GTFO bro. Duergar Hedge-Mage was just…just…never quite good enough. He filled a role, his effect was super marginal and rarely impacting outside of destroying a few Swords here and there. Tidehollow Sculler was much the same as time went on–Mesmeric Fiend leaves us, and so does this card. Coincidence?

Lastly, Agony Warp was a weird card for me. I dislike giving U/B control a card that leads to ridiculous blowouts like this one can, and U/B aggro…? Yeah. Not really a thing, and not something I think needs this (if it exists).

Land

Adds:
Desolate Lighthouse
Slayers’ Stronghold
Gavony Township

Drops:
Barbarian Ring
Academy Ruins
Halimar Depths

So I guess the controversial card could be Academy Ruins here. Yes, I know Mindslaver lock blah blah. I know. And I know it’s cute to recur Engineered Explosives. But for me I’d much rather explore and try out different utility lands that archetypes are really clamoring for versus a cute interaction that doesn’t come up often.

As for Halimar Depths…do we really need to provide a better Island to blue decks? As for Barbarian Ring…Red Deck Wins doesn’t need this, and no one else wants it. I’d rather kick ass with Gavony Township, a card G/W really can appreciate, enjoy the power of R/W in Slayers’ Stronghold and watch U/R players giggle with Desolate Lighthouse shenanigans.

Conclusion

Phew! So that’s it! My god, almost 3,000 words, hundreds of hours of testing and thought, weekends of tweaks and updates. I’m sure you’ll let me know what you think in the forums, but as for this one, we’re done! See you guys when M13 is released!

- Evan

Below, I’ve provided the fourteen decklists and brief descriptions of the tournaments I entered. I feel that, by the end, I had a good grip on how to draft this cube and some insights on what works and what doesn’t in the format. I’ve done this so that readers can compare notes, perhaps gain some perspective, and inevitably refute my claims. I also feel obliged to add to the literature concerning cube drafting, as I’ve enjoyed the work of Evan Erwin, Aintrazi and Parnell, Thea Steele, and others so thoroughly. Additionally, I figure long declarations of near-spiritual allegiance to the sub-game of cube can only help foster supports from Wizards.
Anyway, here are my reports from 14 draft queues.

Deck 1, RG Ramp (0-1 in an 8-4)
1 Fertile Ground
1 Arc Lightning
1 Channel
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Crucible of Worlds
10 Forest
1 Strip Mine
1 Devoted Druid
1 Terastodon
1 Natural Order
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Naturalize
1 Sylvan Library
1 Overgrown Battlement
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Mutavault
1 Green Sun’s Zenith
1 Raging Ravine
1 Earthquake
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
5 Mountain
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Nevinyrral’s Disk
1 Avacyn’s Pilgrim
1 Plow Under
1 Werebear

Sideboard (relevant)
1 Burning of Xinye
1 Genesis
1 Lodestone Golem
1 Pillage
1 Masticore
1 Yavimaya Hollow
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Lead the Stampede
1 Krosan Grip

The Tournament: My original intention when going into Cube Weekend was to play a bunch of 8-4s and hopefully capitalize on the substantial amount of cubing I’ve done. I cockily entered round one, absolutely positive that my sweet combos (Crucible-Strip, Channel-Kozilek, Natural Order-Terastodon) would overwhelm my opponents’ laughably underpowered aggro strategies. Egg erupted from the crevices of my keyboard and coated my face in yolky shame as B/W aggro ran me down. Even with my turn 4 Garruks, I couldn’t contend with Dark Confidant, Armageddon, Lingering Souls and copious removal.

How I messed up the Build: Besides the boneheaded non-inclusion of Phyrexian Metamorph (I ignored my blue section during deck building), I should have played Burning of Xinye and possibly Ratchet Bomb. Metamorph is one of the highest picks in this format. It’s versatile for when you need a random extra blocker or attacker, essentially colorless, and extremely powerful when you’re doing some of the stuff I did in some of the decks below…

D2 UB Tempo (3-0 Swiss)
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Phyrexian Obliterator
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Impulse
1 Plague Sliver
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Mulldrifter
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Phyrexian Rager
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sinkhole
1 Skinrender
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Shriekmaw
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Underground Sea
1 Essence Scatter
1 Doom Blade
1 Stupor
1 Wake Thrasher
1 Unearth
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Gatekeeper of Malakir
5 Island
9 Swamp
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Undermine

Sideboard
1 Nightscape Familiar
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Capsize
1 Opposition
1 Tradewind Rider

… like Metamorphing Skinrender, a play right out of NMS drafts. This little deck, chock-full of value, was a blast to play. Besides rendering my opponents useless, I T2 Hymned, T3 Stupored, equipped SoFI to creatures that drew it for me, and Undermined an opponent at three life. At this point in the weekend, I felt the format rewarded tight, focused decks over splashy, more powerful strategies. My opponents were trying to do cubish things like play three colors and get Kozilek into play and I was all like Sinkhole, Gatekeeper.

How I Messed Up the Build: Lacerator was real bad. Decks like this are very good in the cube I draft in paper but there’s a much higher density of black spot removal in that cube. It’s tougher to effectively wall the black one-drops in the Wizards cube.

D3 Grixis (0-1 in a 4-3-2-2)
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Arc Lightning
1 Underground Sea
1 Dissipate
1 Impulse
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Skeletal Scrying
2 Mountain
1 Olivia Voldaren
3 Swamp
1 Char
1 Treachery
1 Preordain
1 Miscalculation
1 Agony Warp
1 Mutavault
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Frost Titan
1 Volcanic Island
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Memory Lapse
1 Chaos Warp
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Brainstorm
1 Magma Jet
1 Bloodstained Mire
6 Island
1 Time Warp
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Undermine
1 Fact or Fiction

Sideboard
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Pillage
1 Shrine of Burning Rage
1 Cruel Ultimatum
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Palinchron
1 Lotus Petal
1 Wasteland
1 Deep Analysis
1 Daze
1 Ankh of Mishra
1 Spell Pierce

Three-color control is my favorite archetype in every cube I’ve ever played except this one. I took burn to three games and the third was a real heartbreaker. My opponent had nothing in hand and a two-power dude in play. I had tapped some lands to get rid of some other guys on my turn. He ripped a Hellrider and attacked, knocking me down 3. On my turn, with my loads of land, I plopped down Olivia and killed the 2-drop. Then I Chaos Warped his Hellrider to see a lethal chain lightning on top of his deck.
I was slightly miffed, lamenting WotC’s affection for critters when all I wanted to do was blow them up and control their minds. More than the affinity for aggro, I feel this cube could use a few more lands. I really wanted to fit Cruel Ultimatum into the deck but there was no way the mana would allow it. I think a cube of that size could probably get some vivid lands without pushing Uxxxx control over the top.

How I Messed Up the Build: My card pool was pretty boss, if a little threat-light. I should have at least made room for the Sea Gate Oracle and maybe should have passed on Skeletal Scrying, given the rapid rate at which life declines in the format.

D4 BW Aggro (3-0 Swiss)
1 Bitterblossom
1 Phyrexian Obliterator
1 Scrubland
1 Dauthi Slayer
10 Swamp
1 Lingering Souls
1 Calciderm
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Faith’s Fetters
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Tangle Wire
1 Mox Diamond
1 Tidehollow Sculler
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
6 Plains
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Black Knight
1 Sign in Blood
1 Carnophage
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
Sideboard
1 Nantuko Vigilante
1 Living Death
1 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
1 Mortarpod
1 Loyal Cathar
1 Magus of the Tabernacle
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Dark Ritual

The Tournament: Lingering Souls is, like, pretty good. Many of my games went uncomfortably long, to the point where I felt my opponents’ more controlling builds would inevitably envelope my band of scrappy aggressors. However, my opponents often failed to answer Lingering Souls. Also, Vampiric Tutoring/Imperial Sealing for Bitterblossom is a powerful play, despite throwing away life and cards with abandon. Imperial Seal went ridiculously late in this (and other) drafts, and given the supply and demand for both power and flexibility in a given cube match, I don’t feel this should have been the case.

How I Messed Up the Build: Again, there’s less spot removal than one might assume in this cube, so Fiend Hunter probably should have been in the deck.

D5 BW Control (0-1 in a 4-3-2-2)
1 Bitterblossom
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Phyrexian Obliterator
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Memory Jar
1 Scrubland
1 Bane of the Living
1 Innocent Blood
1 Disenchant
1 Bloodgift Demon
1 Yosei, the Morning Star
1 Dismember
1 Godless Shrine
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Condemn
1 Renewed Faith
1 Liliana of the Veil
6 Plains
1 Sorin Markov
1 Nevinyrral’s Disk
1 Day of Judgment
9 Swamp
1 Bone Shredder
1 Skeletal Vampire

Sideboard
1 Magus of the Tabernacle
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Pulse of the Fields
1 Mana Leak
1 Hex Parasite
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Celestial Purge
1 Mentor of the Meek
1 Watery Grave
1 Careful Consideration
1 Time Warp
1 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
1 Control Magic

The Tournament: I intended to redraft my Swiss-winning BW Aggro deck again (even got the Vamp/Bitterblossom combo) but the aggro cards didn’t come. I don’t remember what I lost to but I do remember questioning my abilities after such dismal performances in the non-Swiss queues. This archetype has always been rock solid in my cube but it seemed horrible

How I Messed Up the Build: Not sure what my plans with Memory Jar were, but they did not work out. I hate playing infect cards in cube but it’s possible that Skithiryx would have been marginally better.

D6 RG Beats (2-1 in 4-3-2-2)
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 Volcanic Island
1 Char
1 Inferno Titan
1 Zo-Zu the Punisher
7 Forest
7 Mountain
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Torch Fiend
1 Phantom Centaur
1 Maze of Ith
1 Sylvan Library
1 Fire Ambush
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Hell’s Thunder
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Skullclamp
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Thunderblust
1 Taiga
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Volcanic Hammer
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Green Sun’s Zenith
1 Fire/Ice
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Flametongue Kavu

Sideboard
1 Burning of Xinye
1 Vinelasher Kudzu
1 Genesis Wave
1 Rude Awakening
1 Kodama’s Reach
1 Ohran Viper
1 Rorix Bladewing
1 Firespout
1 Taurean Mauler
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Scroll Rack
1 Brooding Saurian
1 Mold Shambler
1 Lion’s Eye Diamond

The Tournament: I don’t mind dropping some beats, as long as they’re heavy. Phantom Centaur was amazing against both the first round red deck and the second round BG Rock deck. Sylvan Library was also an all-star, and another card I inexplicably saw going late in drafts. I lost in the finals to a UW control deck with Meloku. I screwed up (or punted, as the kids say) in round 2, having won game one, after failing to Fire my Thunderblust and have the trampling, persisting ball of lightning sneak through the necessary trample damage past some Meloku tokens.

How I Screwed Up the Build: Taurean Mauler is another one that gets better with low levels of spot removal.

D7 Boros (1-1 in 4-3-2-2)
1 Devil’s Play
1 Mimic Vat
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Staggershock
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Mogg War Marshal
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Paladin en-Vec
1 Swamp
1 Plateau
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Soltari Priest
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Savannah Lions
1 Fire Ambush
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Ravages of War
1 Armageddon
1 Precursor Golem
1 Arc Trail
1 Goblin Legionnaire
1 Keldon Champion
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Chrome Mox
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Mountain
1 Sword of Body and Mind
7 Plains
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad

Sideboard
1 Glorious Anthem
1 Smokestack
1 Shining Shoal
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Stonecloaker
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Epochrasite

The Tournament: This deck had a pretty great Stoneforge package but I just couldn’t get there. It was very late at night when I drafted this; I believe I lost to mono-red after clicking on the wrong sword when searching with Stoneforge

How I Screwed Up the Build: Should I have played Glorious Anthem? The deck felt a little creature-light, but I really don’t know.

D8 RDW (1-1 in 4-3-2-2)
1 Isochron Scepter
1 Chandra Nalaar
1 Path to Exile
1 Char
1 Teetering Peaks
1 Searing Blaze
1 Molten Rain
1 Pillage
1 Brimstone Volley
1 Balance
1 Keldon Marauders
4 Plains
1 Sulfuric Vortex
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Goblin Ruinblaster
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Spikeshot Elder
1 Genju of the Spires
1 Keldon Champion
1 Giant Solifuge
1 Mogg War Marshal
1 Sacred Foundry
10 Mountain
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Goblin Guide
1 Fire/Ice
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Fireblast

Sideboard
1 Skizzik
1 Paladin en-Vec
1 Razormane Masticore
1 All Is Dust
1 Orcish Lumberjack
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Savannah Lions
1 Ravenous Baboons
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Chaos Warp
1 Reckless Charge

The Tournament: This deck was mono-red in spirit. It was also totally insane and I could not believe that none of the other seven drafters wanted to take a page from LSV’s guide to cubing. I also couldn’t believe I didn’t win this draft. I mean, that list is hot. In addition to having a glut of top-notch RDW cards like Sulfuric Vortex and Goblin Guide, I nabbed Balance and a nice little Isochron Scepter package. I cruised through round one against some blue deck and then stomped my Bant opponent game 1 of round two.

However, my satanically powerful draft deck was thwarted by Worship and Angels who were Exalted. I brought in Chaos Warp for the third game, but was once again undone by an army of Worhippers whose Devotion was Increasing.

How I Screwed Up the Build: It’s possible I should have gone mono-red, but this is cube and I wanna play Balance and Isochron Scepter, darn it.

D9 Counterburn (0-1, 4-3-2-2)
1 Mana Leak
1 Chandra Nalaar
1 Chandra, the Firebrand
1 Impulse
1 Staggershock
1 Electrolyze
1 Pyroclasm
1 Strip Mine
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Vedalken Shackles
8 Island
1 Fire Ambush
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Opt
1 Legacy’s Allure
1 Slagstorm
1 Chandra’s Phoenix
1 Volcanic Hammer
7 Mountain
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Time Warp
1 Chain Lightning
1 Sword of Feast and Famine

Sideboard
1 Vulshok Refugee
1 Skizzik
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Price of Progress
1 Flashfreeze
1 Phantasmal Bear
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Countryside Crusher
1 Intuition
1 Teetering Peaks
1 Mindslaver
1 Keldon Champion
1 Jackal Pup

The Tournament: Another cube classic that doesn’t quite translate to the WotC cube. Not much to say, except that I thought my deck was bad and I didn’t see anyone else trying to build it. I lost to a BG ramp deck after they Indrik Stomphowlered away my game-winning sword.

How I Screwed Up the Build: Most of my mistakes were made in the draft.

D10 (1-1, 4-3-2-2)
1 Treetop Village
1 Vorapede
1 Stomping Ground
1 Thornscape Battlemage
1 Woodland Cemetery
7 Forest
1 Strangleroot Geist
1 Eternal Witness
1 Necromancy
1 Phyrexian Rager
1 Scorned Villager
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Sylvan Library
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Green Sun’s Zenith
1 Raging Ravine
1 Maze of Ith
1 Grave Titan
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Chameleon Colossus
1 Blastoderm
1 Coalition Relic
1 Disfigure
1 Thoughtseize
1 Noble Hierarch
5 Swamp
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Batterskull

Sideboard
1 Gamble
1 Deathmark
1 Nostalgic Dreams
1 Plague Sliver
1 Oona’s Prowler
1 Restock
1 Ohran Viper
1 Wildfire
1 Thunderscape Battlemage
1 Entomb
1 Sign in Blood
1 Bloodghast

The Tournament: “Welcome back to attrition town,” I said to myself. I got to Metamorph a Flametongue Kavu killing a Bloodgift Demon, so my time in attrition town was rather enjoyable. Unfortunately, a lightning-quick UB deck rode me out of attrition town on a tempo rail.

How I Screwed Up the Build: The build seemed fine although I’m sure I made some poor draft picks given my wealth of options color-wise.

D11 (1-2 Swiss)
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Narcolepsy
1 Dissipate
6 Island
1 Nezumi Shortfang
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
7 Swamp
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Oona’s Prowler
1 Geralf’s Messenger
1 Daze
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Laquatus’s Champion
1 Dismiss
1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 Underground Sea
1 Stupor
1 Spellskite
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Disfigure
1 Old Man of the Sea
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Time Warp
1 Black Knight
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Polluted Delta

Sideboard
1 Isochron Scepter
1 Etched Oracle
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Tolaria West
1 Thieving Magpie
1 Tradewind Rider
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Lotus Petal
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
1 Powder Keg
1 Augury Adept
1 Spell Pierce
1 Negate

The Tournament: After my first-round win, this tournament became rather embarrassing. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong but something was very wrong, very wrong indeed. I did lose to the most entertaining deck of the weekend, however. In round three, a 4-color Mirari’s Wake/Heartbeat of Spring ramp deck used huge Eldrazis, Mind’s Desire, Future Sight, and Tendrils of Agony to fustigate me good. I got Tendrilsed for my last 6 points of life in game 2. It was awesome.

How I screwed Up the Build: The deck seemed both reasonably fast and reasonably power but perhaps it wasn’t focused enough. I probably should have gone a more controlling route, and omitting Meloku was definitely a mistake, but control was not working for me. At this point early Sunday morning, I was resigned to failure as a MTGO cuber but determined to fork over some more money to Wizards. Soon, the cube would set sail and I would be like Penelope, waiting for her beloved Odysseus to return.

D12 BW Aggro #2 (3-0, 4-3-2-2)
1 Bitterblossom
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Cataclysm
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Spellskite
1 Fiend Hunter
1 Balance
5 Swamp
1 Lingering Souls
1 Dismember
1 Sun Titan
1 Exalted Angel
1 Mutavault
1 Loyal Cathar
1 Silver Knight
1 Worship
1 Blade Splicer
1 Karn Liberated
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Stonecloaker
10 Plains
1 Spectral Lynx
1 Mortify
1 Honor of the Pure
1 Mishra’s Factory
1 Increasing Devotion
1 Catastrophe

Sideboard
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Nevinyrral’s Disk
1 Manriki-Gusari
1 Nezumi Shortfang
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Bloodghast
1 Dauthi Marauder
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Thoughtseize

The Tournament: Lingering Souls + Bitterblossom = wins seems to be a trend in my drafts. The tournament had some messy games. I had to fight the Eldrazis plunked down with Summoning Trap, getting MY Worship Chaos Warped, and getting my Bitterblossom, Jitte, and Spellskite all blown up by the same Engineered Explosives. I got there in the end, though, and felt slightly better about my skills, despite getting some lucky pickups during the draft.

How I Screwed Up the Build: I talked myself out of playing my black cards, which I think was a mistake. Since I was running manlands and Honor of the Pure, I wanted to avoid double black. In my matches, I found myself boarding in Liliana, Shortfang, Thoughtseize, and Dauthi Marauder, and boarding out garbage like Stonecloaker and Silver Knight.

D13 UW Control (3-0, 4-3-2-2)
1 Martial Coup
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Absorb
6 Island
1 Force of Will
1 Force Spike
1 Balance
1 Old Man of the Sea
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Counterspell
7 Plains
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Wrath of God
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Court Hussar
1 Dismiss
1 Maze of Ith
1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle
1 Daze
1 Impulse
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
1 Watery Grave
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Hallowed Burial
1 Lingering Souls
1 Hallowed Fountain

Sideboard
1 Glorious Anthem
1 Rout
1 Memory Jar
1 Loyal Cathar
1 Magus of the Tabernacle
1 Lu Xun, Scholar General
1 Wispmare
1 Pulse of the Fields
1 Ruhan of the Fomori
1 Legacy’s Allure
1 Aven Mindcensor
1 Dream Halls
1 Etched Oracle
1 Loam Lion
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Ranger of Eos
1 Flashfreeze

The Tournament: This deck was everything I wanted to do in cube and more. I dismantled a series of opponents, all blown into the stratosphere by a torrential hurricane of counterspells and wrath of gods, including Counterspell and Wrath of God. Then, there was Elspeth and there was Jace and there were Lingering Souls. Magic’s past and present met like chocolate and peanut butter, a sumptuous interplay embodying the delicate beauty of the cube. Did I really defeat my opponents by removing their library from the game or did they just weaken at the knees and crumble at the sight of everything Magic is and everything it aspires to be…

How I Screwed Up the Build: I should have maxed out on mass removal and played Rout. Also, as much as I adored this deck, I was happy to avoid Bitterblossom, Phyrexian Arena, or Sulfuric Vortex.

D14 RG Ramp #2 (Swiss 3-0)
1 Chandra Nalaar
1 Fertile Ground
1 Heartbeat of Spring
10 Forest
1 Pyroclasm
7 Mountain
1 Channel
1 Urabrask the Hidden
1 Wildfire
1 Sylvan Library
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Fire Ambush
1 Overgrown Battlement
1 Precursor Golem
1 Vorapede
1 Karn Liberated
1 Coalition Relic
1 Wall of Roots
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Explore
1 Acidic Slime
1 Platinum Angel
1 Plow Under
1 Rampant Growth

Sideboard
1 Stomping Ground
1 Mind Stone
1 Restock
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Lotus Petal
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Spellskite
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Rishadan Port
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Basalt Monolith

Tournament: A bittersweet last draft. Bookending my weekend of cubing, I decided to have fun and give RG another shot. I hoped to go 2-1, expected to go 1-2, and was pleasantly surprised when I won the draft. This deck was super fun to play and very effective this time around. I got off the Urabrask into Precursor Golem combo multiple times, restarted the game with Karn (I almost lost that one, missing the interaction between Flickerwisp and land that belongs to my opponent) and Channeled into Karn on turn 2 (and actually did lose that one when my mono red opponent dropped a post-board Pithing Needle). My finals match was against a pretty ill Venser/Opposition deck but there was too much Karnage for my opponent to handle. I would have tried to draft this again but it was after 2 AM on the East Coast and, alas, the queues had ceased, and sorrow fell once again upon the shores of Magic Online.

How I Screwed Up the Build: I neglected to add my mana fixing. Otherwise, it was absolutely perfect. Because I am a drafting genius.

Impressions

Based on my performance and the decks I observed doing well, I would suggest the following tier structure:

Tier 1: B/W Aggro, Mono Red, UW/UB Value
Tier 2: RG Beats, Ramp, BG Midrange

While there are plenty of viable options given the depth of cards in the format, these seemed to be the most coherent, reliable strategies. Lingering Souls is pretty out-of-control, but not in an oppressive way. I played with it and against it and it consistently created complex, stimulating games. I found white to be the most powerful color, but the balance between colors was actually quite a bit better than most cubes.

I had a great time, even if I’d personally opt for a smaller, more control-oriented list. I hope this event comes back ASAP, but this is probably the conclusion of most people who got in on the drafting fun before the queues ended. In the interim, if anybody knows about some tappedout cube drafts, I’d love to lay and be more-than willing to contribute some cards.

Happy Magic-ing
Charley Wolinsky, JuliusF online.

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

Do you like Magic?  Of course you do.  Cube drafting?  Probably – I haven’t found anyone who doesn’t.  How about Sci-Fi?  It’s not a far-fetched to say that sci-fi fans and magic fans have a bit of overlap.

With Innistrad on the horizon, Magic 2012 is fast settling into its role as the core set that will oversee Standard for the next year. The mythic titans return once again alongside a bunch of new Planeswalkers and various other format defining cards like Solemn Simulacrum and Skinshifter . We here at The Peasant Cube however concern ourselves not with mythic bombs and spikey rares, but with the strong – if not necessarily sexy – workhorses of the set. And while the set if full of good, fascinating and staple cards with black and silver expansion symbols, below are a selection of some of our favourites along with other peasant-legal cards that we think are among the most interesting. Both old and new are present and we’ve provided a brief commentary on the card along with a suggestion or two for alternatives.

Reprints

Acidic Slime

This is an all-round strong cards and it’s good to see it back for another year. Green is not short of Naturalize effects, and Creeping Mold and Ice Storm effects can be found in green without looking too hard. The advantage of having the Slime in the cube is twofold. It gives card advantage to a colour that is often lacking in that department. It also goes some lengths to breaking the redundancy in green; a pile with Krosan Grip, Seal of Primordium and Acidic Slime is more interesting/less repetitive than Grip, Naturalize and Creeping Mold. It also has a more interesting interaction with cards like Zombify and Momentary Blink.

As far as the stats go, a 2/2 for 5 mana is not normally something to brag about. It trades down with smaller, cheaper creatures, however having death touch means it also trades up with bigger, expensive creatures too. This means that, on the defensive at least, you don’t lose as too mana in the exchange.

Similar to: Creeping Mold, Indrik Stomphowler

Auramancer

This has returned in M12 to facilitate the sets enchantment sum-theme. While your cube may not have enchantments in the same quantity as the core set, the chances are the overall quality of the average enchantment is greater than M12’s. Auras such as Faiths Fetters, Control Magic and Armadillo Cloak often end up in the graveyard as your opponent gets rid of them or the creatures they enchant. Other enchantments, like the seals, Compulsion and Zektar Shrine Expedition put themselves in the bin doing half of the work for you. Auramancer may have identity issues. It is only be a 2/2 for 3 mana which means in may not be good in an aggressive weenie strategy and the card advantage may not be necessary in a control strategy. That said, I’m sure white weenie wouldn’t say no to rebuying a previously countered Rancor. Nor blue-white control to getting back a Volition Reins.

Similar to: Dowsing Shaman, Skull of Orm

Belltower Sphinx

I am personally a big fan of Belltower Sphinx. It is an alternate win condition card with utility outside of a dedicated mill strategy. This is something that a lot of alternate win conditions have difficulty achieving.

Aside

Strategies such as decking and poison are often parasitic; you need to fill your deck with as many cards with that goal as possible. If you don’t, your deck ends up weaker than a deck that wins through conventional means. From a cube builder’s perspective that means that if you include any mill cards, you need to include enough for it to be a viable strategy. If you don’t people will quickly realise its not a playable deck and what few cards you do have in the cube end up dead cards taking up valuable cube real-estate. What number of cards equates “enough” is a matter of opinion but you should take into consideration the size of your cube with regards to the percentage of cards that actually get seen in each draft.

End aside

Belltower Sphinx is a mill card disguised as a big flying creature. It is a win condition on two fronts and slots nicely into any blue mill deck while also being playable in control. This means that players not in a dedicated mill strategy (of which there are likely to be many) can play it and it won’t always end up 15th pick when nobody want to draft in that direction. In this respect it has a similar role to Broken Ambitions or Lurking Informant as opposed to cards like Millstone or Tome Scour which have one function only.

Similar to: Soratami Mindsweeper, Flint Golem

Gideon’s Lawkeeper

This isn’t strictly a reprint. It is however almost identical to Goldmeadow Harrier. Even their types are similar; they are both soldiers. One mana tappers are good because they act as cheap removal which can then upgrade when a bigger creature is summoned, similar to Prison Term. They also help to break up the redundancy of white removal which is often a variant of Pacifism or Sword to Plowshares. While tapping a creature down may not be able to deal with creatures that have abilities in the same way that ‘destroy’ or ‘exile’ effects or lethal damage can, being able to control when a player uses an ability with a

Similar to: Goldmeadow Harrier, Blinding Souleater, Benalish Trapper

Sengir Vampire

An old fan favourite, Sengir Vampire has made this list to celebrate being back at uncommon in the core set. Last seen in 10th edition as a rare, the vampire is a powerful creature for black and can be both top of the curve in a Bx aggressive deck, or a finisher in UB control. The leeching ability is often a win-more however just a couple of triggers can put it out of the range for most removal and creatures to deal with. Sengir Vampire mirrors Serra Angel in both stats and history, both playing similar roles in black and white respectively.

Similar to: Skyshroud Vampire, Fallen Angel

Thran Golem

Thran Golem is one of two reprinted cards in this list where M12 is their debut at uncommon. It is also a card that ties in with M12’s enchantment sub-theme. Unlike Auramancer however, it only interacts with auras that you are happy to put on your own creatures. These are scarce in comparison to Pacifism style auras due to the potential for loss of card advantage. There are some auras that have built in card advantage in order to mitigate the potential loss such as Rancor and Griffin Guide. Others, such as Armadillo Cloak and Pollenbright Wings are so powerful that even one hit from an enchanted Golem makes them worthwhile. While a 3/3 for 5 is unexciting, a 5/5 with flying, first strike and trample is game winning. Having just a couple of auras that can ‘turn on’ Thran Golem is probably enough and can make it a good inclusion in your cube without the need for an aura subtheme.

Similar to: Igneous Golem, Golem Artisan

Volcanic Dragon

Something that has been lacking in Magic’s history is common and uncommon dragons. The best we had are baby dragons or drakes. To fill the role of ‘dragon’ – i.e. big red flying beater – we’ve had to turn to cards such as Sabertooth Wyvern and Geyser Glider. All this ends with M12! Volcanic Dragon is the other card on our list of rares-turned-uncommon and will give a big boost to red decks in pauper cubes across the world. This is one of the cards I’m personally more excited about for my cube as red has been under represented in the past and was easily outclassed in the late game by other colours angels, demons, elementals, wurms and such.

Similar to: Nothing at un/common!

Zombie Infestation

This is an interesting win condition for black decks that draw a lot of cards or expect games to go long. It is also a discard outlet for cards with madness, getting Wonder in the bin or to make yourself hellbent etc. Zombie Infestation does a lot of the same things as Psychatog but is a bit less efficient. However in peasant cube there are less sweepers than most other formats whereas there is a lot of strong point removal making a bunch of 2/2s sometimes more relevant than a single big creature. While Zombie Infestation may not be a powerhouse, it in a win condition that can facilitate some nice interactions with other cards and mechanics giving the players unique tools to play with.

Similar to: Savage Conception, Skirk Ridge Exhumer

New

Arachnus Web

Green removal is always something that raises an eyebrow. It is usually clunky and overcosted. Arachnus Web actually looks pretty good as an Arrest variant. That is until you reach the last line of text. In M12 draft you have the chance to play the web alongside Arachnus Spinner which means that the web can be a source of card advantage and even though you have to sacrifice it when it’s on a big creature, you can bring it back again as long as its counterpart is still in play. In peasant cube you don’t have the ability to pair them together as Arachnus Spinner is a rare. Still, the web is the best of a bad bunch when it comes to green removal and if you’re dead set on giving green this type of ability, Arachnus Web may be the answer you have been looking for.

Similar to: Entangling Vines, Utopia Vow

Aven Fleetwing

The hexproof ability of this card is what really makes it stand out (that and the awesome artwork). While a 2/2 flier for 4 may not be the most efficient body ever printed, its ability to doge removal while flying over head makes this card a viable route to victory. The one sidedness of hexproof means that Aven Fleetwing can be enchanted or equipped to speed up the clock and make it more of a brawler in creature combat. Aven Fleetwing may not look all that impressive at first glance but the combination of unblockability and untargetablility means that it can take over games if people don;t pay it the attention it deserves.

Similar to: Advanced Hoverguard, Shimmering Glasskite

Azure Mage

There has been a debate in the past on whether having an ability like this on a fragile creature is better than having it on an enchantment or artifact. Sure, Treasure Trove can’t attack for two, but it can’t be bolted either. Much like how Dark Confidant is considered far and away better than Dark Tutelage, I think Azure Mage is much stronger for being stood on two legs. Being able to attack and block early while still having reach late game means this guy is rarely a dead draw. You may not be too happy if you see it in your opening hand but at least you will get some utility.

It should also be pointed out that the activated ability doesn’t require a tap as part if the cost. This not only means that you can throw it into the red zone and still draw a card, but when you hit eight mana you can start drawing two additional cards a turn which will make it very hard for you to lose in long, drawn out games.

Similar to: Enclave Cryptologist, Jayemdae Tome

Buried Ruin

Peasant-legal utility lands tend to be – other than a few exceptions – rather lackluster. Cards such as Gods’ Eye, Gate to the Reikai and Zoetic Cavern are enlisted to keep numbers up and drafting them interesting. Buried Ruin comfortably sits between completely broken and borderline useless and gives decks that can use it a powerful effect. Returning a Serrated Arrows, Armillary Sphere or any artifact creature can be crucial late game when the need for extra land is minimal and the need for extra spells is a premium.

Similar to: Not a whole lot, nothing at un/common

Jade Mage

Throughout Magic’s history, the majority of creatures that make 1/1 tokens tend to have built in mechanisms to stop the swarm coming too hard, too fast. The most common of these is a tap activation meaning that, without a way to untap, you can only create one token per turn. This is not the case with Jade Mage which can allow you to make multiple tokens a turn if you have enough mana. This is likely as the activation costs of three mana is actually quite cheap, especially at un/common. This means that two activations costs six, three cost nine etc. Compare this to an activation of four, which is more common in the past, which costs eight mana to activate twice and a whopping twelve mana to activate just three times. I don’t wish to labour the point but I want it to be clear that while three mana may not seem that cheap at first, it soon becomes obvious that only costing three is a big deal.

Similar to: Imperious Perfect, Selesnya Guildmage

Manalith

Recently we had a cycle of artifacts like this in the Shard of Arala Obelisks. Seven years prior to that, we had the invasion cameos. Manalith is a strict upgrade to all of these in a straight up comparison however including one over the other change significantly change the dynamic of your cube.

If you chose to include the cameos, each allied colour pair has access to one, completely on-colour cameo. If you choose to include the obelisks, each allied pair now has access to two 3-mana on-colour ramp artifacts. This not only increases competition for each card, but also increases the number of artifact colour fixing spells a deck can have. If you choose to have Manalith in your cube instead, you have just one card that fills all roles, instead of splitting them up between five cards. This means that there is more competition for the card when drafting (which translates to it getting picked higher) but also decreases how many artifact ramp spells a deck can play. This has a knock on effect that makes aggressive decks a bit more powerful.

It would be wrong to talk about mana artifacts without giving a brief mention of the ravinca signets which are stronger than the cameos I’ve talked about above. Usman Jamil wrote a great article about the signets here on starcitygames.com which I highly recommend.

Similar to: Alloy Myr, [/card]Darksteel Ingot[card]

Master Thief

Taking control of an opponents creature has always been a strong effect in limited as it not only gives you +1 creatures but also gives your opponent -1 creatures which effectively puts you ahead by two. This is why Mind Control is the best non-rare in M12 limited. While the number of creatures you can steal with Master Thief is limited to robots, the fact it can steal non-creatures opens it up to another world of possibilities. Stealing an untapped mana artifact can put you just as far ahead as stealing a creature can and any artifact win a one use ability or sacrifice ability such as Courier’s Capsule or Armillary Sphere counteracts the clause that you lose control of the artifact when Master Thief dies. Another interesting interaction is with equipment. If you steal your opponents Loxodon Warhammer and equip it to your own creature, when [/card]Master Thief[/card] is gone, the equipment will stay attached to your dude until the opponent pays the equip cost to put it on one of theirs. If they don’t have a creature to equip, the warhammer will stay on your guy even though your opponent control it once again.

Similar to: Aladdin

Sorin’s Thirst

The double black in the cost of this card make it an interesting draft pick. Something like Incinerate or Doom Blade will often be the first or second card to get picked out a booster because there is a good chance it will get played regardless of the colours that player ends up in. Sorin’s Thirst is comparable to the aforementioned cards in terms or power level however it is significantly more difficult to splash in a deck that isn’t running a lot of black. If you’re aiming to build a cube where splashing is difficult then Sorin’s Thirst is powerful removal that rewards players for going into black.

Similar to:Vicious Hunger, Devour in Shadow

Stormblood Berserker

The spiritual successor to Scab-Clan Mauler with an easier casting cost. Stormblood Berserker is an aggressive two-drop in a colour that history has shown needs a lot of help. The biggest problem here is that the best one-drop red creatures are often rare. There are no Goblin Guides or Grim Lavamancers to help make the beserkers a 3/3 on turn two and this may be something you’d have to keep in mind if you add this to your cube. One way around this is free spells such as Gut Shot or delayed spells like Rift Bolt or Seal of Fire. However aiming burn spells at the opponents head on turn two may be card disadvantage that only weakens the red deck in the long run.

Similar to: Plated Geopede, Keldon Marauders

[/card]Timely Reinforcements[/card]

Timely Reinforcements has recently been proving its strength in Caw-Blade decks which can take advantage of both the life gain against aggressive decks, and the creatures in any match up where a sword is good. In peasant cube, I’m sure it will be a solid all rounder providing decks with life and bodies when under pressure. Because of the Land Tax-esque restriction it may end up in the sideboard of tempo-based Wx aggro decks but it is most likely to find a home in white-blue control decks. Where ever it ends up, it is going to hose aggressive decks, especially red ones, and this is something that should be considered before you include it in your cube.

Simlar to: Even the Odds, Spectral Procession

Turn to Frog

Blue removal is often non-to-semi-permanent and tempo based such as Unsummon, Frozen Solid, Sleep or Mind Control. This means that blue needs to seek help from other colours and solely use that colours removal, or it needs to be in a tempo-based aggro deck. As green also lacks decent removal spells, blue-green decks often need to be tempo-orientated to be successful. Turn to Frog is the most recent card in a long line of Humble type effects and fills a specific role in the Ux tempo decks. It can shrink big creatures mid combat, it can almost fog a creature, and it can stop annoying combat abilities such as deathtouch and lifelink.

Similar to: Ovinise, Snakeform

Hopefully this short walk through Magic 2012 has brought a few new options to light for your own cubes; be it brand spanking new M12 cards or reprints, or older analogues you didn’t know exist. Please feel free to hit me up with any questions, queries or comment either here, on my site or direct on twitter.

Lennox
@mtg_lennox

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

We’d rather see one, two, or none per draft, and certainly not more than two in a deck, and that’s what leads us to limit the number that can be the in cube as a whole. However, I find it kind of soul-crushing (I know, rough life) to realize that Gideon Jura doesn’t get a spot, and that likely no blue planeswalker ever will get a chance, no matter how cool. It also bothers me philosophically, because I like the power level of the cube and run other broken cards – Umezawa’s Jitte, Sol Ring – but I just don’t love the games that occur with tons of planeswalkers.

One possible solution I’ve been thinking about lately is to group all planeswalkers into a section, and then to add a number of cards from that section to the draft pool to suit your tastes. Of course, this doesn’t work for cubes that use the entire card pool in each draft (as in 360-card cubes supporting 8 drafters), but for larger cubes or smaller groups, it’s a possibility. For example, we might end up with around 20 cards in the section, and then could add 3 from that section to a Winston draft pool.

This method is really just a way of assigning certain cards a higher rarity than others, and you could use it for any card type you found overpowered or stifling- equipment, fast mana, or color-fixing lands. I haven’t tried it out yet, and I’m not sure I will. But I wanted to throw the idea out there, and ask if other people have done this, or if you use any other method of making certain cards rarer than others.

So here’s my first post on one of my favorite hobbies: cube design.

I like to design different cubes for pure entertainment, although I rarely build them after designing them because the fun of the exercise was in the design. Plus, it’s a lot of work to put physical cubes together! Among the ones I’ve designed in the past are an all-creature cube, a Spirit-themed cube (think Kamigawa plus other interactions/Spirits throughout Magic), and a mono-blue cube (with artifacts of course).

Designing cubes with concrete goals about the games and strategies players can create is very interesting and difficult, often very similar to designing a completely different game from conventional Magic. I’d really wanted to explore some directions that vastly changed the power level of cards after my work with the Spirit cube, and decided my next project would be an all one-drops cube. I wanted it to be small, a cube designed for 2-4 players at most and really only built for Winston/Solomon drafting, two of my favorite formats to play idly.

The idea of a cube where Sol Ring isn’t even good was very alluring, and the idea of making cards like Flame Jab and Scythe Tiger awesome was really attractive to me. I built the cube once on my way to the Memphis Open, to get a feel for the ideas, and trimmed it down to about 270 cards: 90 cards too many. I decided to let it sit for a few weeks, and then come back at it. That’s what I did yesterday!

One odd rule I set myself was “no X spells,” because I didn’t want all the games to be about Fireball and Feral Hydra while so many other strategies got overshadowed, and because those cards don’t feel like one-drops. I decided kicker was fine, as all of those cards were actually built to be cast for one mana enough of the time. Although a little cheating, it makes Sol Ring and such stronger, and I wanted to justify including them while not breaking them.

Here’s the list:

Black

Creatures
1 Carnophage
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Circling Vultures
1 Death’s Shadow
1 Duskwalker
1 Entrails Feaster
1 Festering Goblin
1 Fume Spitter
1 Guul Draz Assassin
1 Guul Draz Vampire
1 Plagued Rusalka
1 Quag Vampires
1 Shadow Guildmage
1 Slithering Shade
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Zulaport Enforcer

Pseudo-dudes
1 Genju of the Fens
1 Quest for the Gravelord
1 Sarcomancy

Removal
1 Bone Splinters
1 Darkblast
1 Deathmark
1 Disfigure
1 Executioner’s Capsule
1 Ghastly Demise
1 Midnight Charm
1 Vendetta

Card Manipulation
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Phyrexian Reclamation
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Reanimate
1 Unearth

You might notice the absence of some cards that seem good, like Inquisition of Kozilek, Duress, etc. These cards are deceptively weak in a format where everyone can dump their hands quickly. In fact, black is one of the strongest colors in the cube thanks to its strong creatures and awesome removal, but it is limited by an intense vulnerability to both artifacts and Genjus.

Blue

Creatures
1 Drifter il-Dal
1 Enclave Cryptologist
1 Faerie Squadron
1 Kraken Hatchling
1 Skywatcher Adept

Pseudo-dudes
1 Genju of the Falls
1 Wind Zendikon

Removal
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Hydroblast
1 Mark of Eviction
1 Mind Harness
1 Pongify
1 Psychic Purge
1 Seal of Removal
1 Unsummon

Card Manipulation
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Curiosity
1 Preordain
1 Shared Discovery
1 Dizzy Spell
1 Mystical Tutor

Counterspells
1 Annul
1 Dispel
1 Disrupt
1 Divert
1 Force Spike
1 Mental Misstep
1 Spell Pierce
1 Turn Aside

I’m kind of worried about blue. It’s definitely only a support color, but it offers one of the best cards in the format—Ancestral Recall—and some of the strongest solutions to the Genjus. As my gut tells me that the Genjus are really strong, blue is more attractive as a result if I’m right. I also gave blue the color hosers but didn’t give them to red, because being able to attack red that way increases blue’s power level, while red doesn’t need to be picking on the crippled color.

White

Creatures
1 Akrasan Squire
1 Auriok Glaivemaster
1 Caravan Escort
1 Cenn’s Tactician
1 Devoted Caretaker
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Goldmeadow Harrier
1 Icatian Javelineers
1 Icatian Priest
1 Infantry Veteran
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Kitesail Apprentice
1 Mother of Runes
1 Mystic Penitent
1 Order of the Stars
1 Savannah Lions
1 Student of Warfare
1 Weathered Wayfarer

Pseudo-dudes
1 Genju of the Fields
1 Hyena Umbra

Removal
1 Condemn
1 Dispeller’s Capsule
1 Harm’s Way
1 Kirtar’s Desire
1 Mana Tithe
1 Path to Exile
1 Sunlance
1 Swords to Plowshares

Card Manipulation
1 Argivian Find
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Land Tax
1 Steelshaper’s Gift

White has a definite “equipment matters” theme but also offers you the ability to kill basically anything. It’s great as a beatdown and control color. I thought about just running ten more white cards than every other color and making it a color multiple players had to fight over, but didn’t like how that dynamic would play in Winston draft.

Green

Creatures
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Elvish Lyrist
1 Elvish Scrapper
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Granger Guildmage
1 Joraga Warcaller
1 Jungle Lion
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Llanowar Mentor
1 Mtenda Lion
1 Mwonvuli Ooze
1 Nettle Sentinel
1 Nimble Mongoose
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Pouncing Jaguar
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Rogue Elephant
1 Scavenger Folk
1 Scute Mob
1 Scythe Tiger
1 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk

Pseudo-creatures
1 Genju of the Cedars
1 Rancor

Removal
1 Crumble
1 Hornet Sting
1 Nature’s Claim
1 Oxidize

Card Manipulation
1 Glimpse of Nature
1 Noxious Revival
1 Sylvan Tutor
1 Utopia Sprawl
1 Worldly Tutor

I like green. Robust creatures, a little mana-fixing, and a healthy amount of artifact destruction mean that green decks are going to be pretty playable. It was the easiest color to design, because I knew exactly what I wanted. You’ll note I didn’t include pump spells—I don’t think that creature trading is going to be very good in the format, and green’s creatures are already pretty solid. Most games will come down to jockeying for board advantage against opposing removal and equipment, which pump spells won’t really assist. I may be wrong, at which point we’ll revisit the issue starting with Mutagenic Growth.

Red

Creatures
1 Bloodfire Dwarf
1 Bloodhall Ooze
1 Dragonmaster Outcast
1 Frostling
1 Goblin Guide
1 Goblin Patrol
1 Gorilla Shaman
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Kris Mage
1 Magus of the Scroll
1 Martyr of Ashes
1 Mogg Fanatic
1 Skitter of Lizards
1 Spikeshot Elder

Pseudo-dudes
1 Devastating Summons
1 Genju of the Spires

Removal
1 Crush
1 Overload
1 Burst Lightning
1 Chain Lightning
1 Death Spark
1 Firestorm
1 Flame Jab
1 Forked Bolt
1 Lava Dart
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Seal of Fire
1 Searing Touch
1 Shard Volley

Card Manipulation
1 Gamble

Red’s definitely got the best removal, but it’s not amazing at attacking and has no strong card manipulation available, relying on advantages gained by Death Spark, pingers, and the like. Firestorm is certainly one of the biggest bombs in the format however, and red is both really good and very dangerous. Green is likely to be the color that plays best against red, although black may have that honor thanks to Death’s Shadow and the ability to keep it around, not to mention the nigh-unbeatable Bloodchief Ascension.

Artifacts

Removal
1 Blazing Torch
1 Brittle Effigy
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Leonin Bola
1 Pithing Needle
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Shuriken
1 Viridian Longbow

Mana
1 Horizon Spellbomb
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Springleaf Drum
1 Wanderer’s Twig
1 Wayfarer’s Bauble

Enhancement
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Bonesplitter
1 Flayer Husk
1 Trusty Machete

Card Manipulation
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Skullclamp

These are just all awesome cards, although their value has changed from previous formats. The decks reliant on equipment and kicker creatures will consider Sol Ring and Mana Vault, while other decks will consider them unplayable. The Vault may wind up being bad enough to cut entirely, which will probably lead to Sylvok Lifestaff making it in. The fixers give players the option of splashing in powerful cards, although time will tell how viable fixing actually is in the format given the low land counts I expect most decks to run. Skullclamp and Cursed Scroll are certainly two of the very best cards in the format, but all of these are reasonable.

Gold

1 Figure of Destiny
1 Oona’s Gatewarden
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 Wax/Wane

There wasn’t a playable U/W hybrid, and the R/B ones were all basically worse versions of existing black and red cards, so I choose to eschew them and just do the R/W instead. These are pretty basic choices, with Figure one of the best creatures and Wax/Wane one of the more versatile spells against the Genju.

I’ll hopefully be building this over the next few weeks, and I’d like to find some time to play with it leading up to and at the Invitational. I’m going to be working on an all-old face cube and an all-new face cube in the near future, but I’d love to hear any quirky ideas for cubes or see others that you guys have worked on. I know Alex Bertoncini has a fun combo cube and a tribal cube, and lots of players have built peasant cubes that are really gas.

Feel free to post here or tweet them to me, @SecludedGlenn on Twitter.

- Glenn Jones

What to do:
Assume this is Pack 1 Pick 1. Imagine picking a card (Pick #1) and then imagine seeing this pack without that card (pick #2). Then imagine the pack without either of those cards (Pick #3), etc. You can vote in the polls below, but if you have something to add please comment as well.
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I’ve been playing cube drafts for about three years and it constitutes about 90 percent of my time playing Magic. I draft on a regular basis with a group of about twelve players from my local store ranging from low to high skill levels. I also draft with new players and out-of-state friends at pre-releases and PTQs. With such experience, I’d like to share a few of my thoughts about the keys to success in this format. The value of my advice will vary based upon the cards contained in each cube and player preferences, but these insights should be fairly universal and of use to any cube enthusiasts.

Efficient Use of Mana, More Than Any Other Factor, Wins Games

“I believe that long term success in Magic, and the definition of the best decks, is determined primarily by how much mana we can profitably consume.” -Michael J. Flores, Jockey for the Beatdown- 11/1/2010

Mike is spot-on. Regardless of your skill or the power level of the cards in your deck, the easiest way to lose games is by not making a play until turns there or four. Successful decks need to be able to use their mana every turn beginning on turn two (even if it’s cycling on realistically bluffing a counterspell). This rule has three important strategic applications:

1. Drafting & Constructing a Deck: be conscious of your curve and look for cards which provide multiple options at different mana costs. Additionally be aware of your color commitments; drafting several cards in two different colors with double (or more) colored casting costs will lead to inefficient mana use unless you are willing to highly prioritizing fixing. The most troublesome combinations for double many costs are in W/B and U/B.
2. Mulligan Decisions: As I general rule of thumb, I will mulligan away any hand in which my first action will be on turn four. I will mulligan away most hands in which my first action will be on turn three unless I have tempo-gaining cards such as Man-o-War, Venser, Shaper Savant, or Control Magic.
3. Game Play: The abundance of activated abilities and card draw ensure that Cube is a format in which you will almost always have something to do with your mana at any point in the game. Mana used now saves you from having to spend mana later for the same effect, so you should be looking to tap out (or come as close as possible) every turn. For example, given the option between keeping an Eternal Dragon in hand and cycling it turn two, you should almost always cycle it even if your hand is already land heavy. You’ll be taking one more card out of your deck, ensuring a late land drop, and giving yourself the option to recur the Dragon later. Another example: perhaps you hold back on turn three with Exclude and Repulse in hand. Your opponent attacks with some irrelevant 2/2 and passes the turn casting nothing. Here you should almost always Repulse the 2/2 to gain tempo rather than saving it in hopes or a more opportunistic use.

Draft a Fundamentally Blue, Red, or Combo Deck

This statement is not synonymous with the standard beatdown/control/combo archetype classification: you need to be playing with blue cards, red cards, or a combo deck. Additionally, if playing blue or red, those cards need to be doing some of the fundamental things which are the core strengths of these colors. These colors possess two key strengths largely absent from the remaining colors, each addressed below.

1. Abundance of relevant instants: the value of instant speed cards should be apparent to anyone who has played the game for any significant period of time (more options, the ability to essentially pool two turns of mana against an opponent’s one turn, surprise factor). In most limited formats instants are less powerful (or more costly) compared to sorcery-speed counterparts for the purpose of creating balanced limited formats. Most cube drafts owners, however, create their cube looking to include the most powerful cards in each given color. While balance is always a consideration in cube construction, it is usually focused upon card quantity within colors and casting cost, not power levels. As a result, cubes often contain an abundance of relevant, powerful instants in blue and red, the two colors which have, through the history of the game, been disproportionately given more powerful instants. While all colors have received many instant speed cards, not all are as relevant to cube. Examining each color:White: white’s instants vary from one-for-one spot removal (addressed below), artifact/enchantment tutors, damage redirection, disenchant effects, and lifegain. These cards often lack the ability to generate card advantage outside of limited situations.Black: almost all of black’s instants are spot removal, which is not very strong. Two important exceptions: Hatred (which can just win a game) and Corpse Dance (a card which can be played multiple times for great value depending on the deck).Green: green is severely lacking instants (my cube contains only Vines of the Vastwood, Stonewood Invocation, and Krosan Grip). Aside from the shallow pool of green instants to choose from, most green instants in other cubes open a player up to easy two-for-ones (most other pump spells, Harrow, etc.).

   Blue: Blue gets counterspells, card drawing, deck manipulation, tutoring, and bounce. Counterspells are rarely dead in this format, generate tempo, and sometimes draw extra cards. Bounce spells in my cube (Repeal and Repulse) can be grouped in with card drawing as generating card advantage and tempo. Tutoring and deck manipulation prevent dead draws and draw other powerful cards.

   Red: Red is almost exclusively burn spells and Threaten effects (Grab the Reins and Word of Seizing). The true value of red’s instants, discussed below, is their flexibility to fight for board advantage or to burn out your opponent for the win.

2. The ability to win despite board position: Blue and red have the greatest pool of cards that give a player the option to “play their game” regardless of board position. Nearly all of the cards in White, Black, and Green affect only the board or advance the player in a defensive manner (such as life gain) as opposed to an active manner to win the game. These colors tend to generate tempo by casting spells in their main phase, destroying permanents, and curving out with their permanents. Blue, however, can often disregard board position through tempo-generating cards, while red has the option of sending all burn spells to the opponent once the red player loses board advantage.

These two qualities give any deck which utilizes these strengths a significant advantage over other decks which fail to do so. This rule leaves the remaining colors (black, green, and white) to be played in conjunction with blue and red card or together in combo decks. Competitive combo decks, including blue or red decks without instants include:

1. Reanimator decks: best centered around some recursive engine such as Recurring Nightmare or Corpse Dance.
2. Blue-based artifact decks: best centered around tutors and cards such as Tinker, Tezzeret, the Seeker , and the Thopter Combo.
3. Reveillark decks: best centering around either Crystal Shard/Blink effects or the Body Double/ Karmic Guide combo.
4. Stax Decks: more of a synergistic deck than a combo deck. Best centered around sacrifice effects such as Braids, Cabal Minion and Smokestacks combined with cards like Bitterblossom, Bloodghast, Crucible of Worlds, and Strip Mine.

Draft Archetypes Instead of Cards

This rule naturally follows the previous rule, but requires a little more explanation. Your goal with your first few picks should be to draft cards which create an engine for you to inevitably win the game. Instead of drafting independently valuable cards (Wrath effects, most card draw effects, most green creatures) you should seek out cards which create a synergistic deck. For example, when I take an early Upheaval, cards such as Greater Gargadon, Aeon Chronicler, Shelldock Isle, Tarmogoyf, Psychatog, and Tombstalker greatly climb in my pick orders.

This isn’t to say you must open the pivotal cards early to build the deck. You can often anticipate certain cards being passed to you in later packs, especially in smaller cubes (e.g. Braids, Cabal Minion, Oath of Druids , Opposition). The cards you can reasonably anticipate will vary based upon cube composition and the other player’s preferences, but you will often be surprised at how often you “get there.”

A special note regarding beatdown decks: you might be thinking beatdown decks are a generic catch-all for small creature decks. These decks, however, can be drafted in several different directions. For example, R/G can be drafted as (1) a sligh deck with one and two-drop creatures and 10+ burns spells, (2) a tempo based LD Deck with many two and three-drops with cards such as Avalanche Riders, Pillage, Molten Rain, and Thoughts of Ruin, or (3) a more high end deck with mana elves and 5 and 6-drop creatures. These archetypes are usually much more powerful when focused than merged and as such, you should be drafting cards appropriate for your archetype usually by the beginning of pack 2.

Overvaluing Creature Removal

When making additions to my cube, I try to only add creatures which either (a) are extremely efficient in terms of power level to casting cost (e.g. Tarmogoyf, Goblin Guide, Student of Warfare, Meloku the Clouded Mirror), (b) are resilient to removal (e.g. Simic Sky Swallower, Puppeteer Clique, Hellspark Elemental), and/or (c) give a player some value upon coming into or leaving play (e.g. Solemn Simulacrum, Cloudgoat Ranger, Pestermite). Spot removal has moderate to high value against the first category, very low value to the second, and limited value to the third. Wrath effects share many of the same problems. For this reason, creature removal should rarely be taken early in cubes with less than 1000 cards. I will almost always play a few, but rarely use early picks to do so.

The Best Cards You’re Probably Passing

The following is a few cards from each color which I believe players tend to undervalue:

1. Guardian of the Guildpact: probably undervalued because of unfamiliarity. Very few things kill him, so he’s usually either an indestructible wall or unblockable, which makes him deadly with equipment.
2. Mana Tithe/ Force Spike: almost always a one-mana Counterspell. It can often mean the difference between a win and a loss for a control deck on the draw.
3. Remand: few cards gain tempo like Remand. This card can easily make me keep an otherwise must-mulligan 2-land hand. Similarly, Venser, Shaper Savant also provides backbreaking tempo and gains additional value if you have any means to reuse him.
4. Looter il-Kor: I have won more cube drafts because of this card than any other. He is passed very late, rarely draws a removal spell from most opponents, is deadly with equipment, and smoothes out your draws. I feel that if he hits an opponent three or more times that I cannot lose the game.
5. Corpse Dance: You can easily draft a deck around this card abusing ETB abilities or creatures which die during an endstep (Ball Lightning, Skizzik, Blistering Firecat).
6. Dusk Urchins: a solid creature at home both in a beatdown or a control deck, developing the board and drawing cards. It will almost always give you a two-for-one and sometimes more.
7. Greater Gargadon: one of the few first-pick quality red cards. This enormous threat prevents your opponent from targeting your creatures for value (e.g. Control Magic, Capsize with Buyback, Ribbons of Night). It also has great synergy with mass LD cards such as Armageddon, Upheaval, Balance, and Obliterate.
8. Ingot Chewer: I always try to run at least one or two maindeck answers to artifacts and this comes with a serviceable body attached. The evoke cost becomes very useful in playing around counterspells and for storm decks (if your cube supports those).
9. Rude Awakening: passed way too late way too often. Resolution usually = gg.
10. Briarhorn: a pump spell without the potential two-for-one opponent’s removal spell. Flash gives this card a very fundamentally blue feel.
11. Tanglewire: played turns 3-5 in an aggressive deck usually wins the game.
12. Epochrasite: the Rodney Dangerfield of artifacts. This card is amazing for stopping beats and plays very well with Upheaval or Armageddon effects.
13. Spellbound Dragon: I’m pretty sure Wizards intended this guy to cost six. It will filter hands while putting an opponent on a short clock.
14. Plaxmanta: blowout. After Looter il-Kor, this card has won me more games than any other. Card advantage and a massive tempo swing all for 2 mana.
15. Shelldock Isle: For forgoing 3 mana, you usually flip a card from your deck of a higher casting cost. Highlights include Upheaval, Obliterate, and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker. Be mindful of LD spells if you’re considering putting a combo piece underneath.

My No-Pass List

There are almost no cards I would draft over the following: Reveillark, Balance, Ancestral Recall, Vedalken Shackles, Upheaval, Treachery, Recurring Nightmare, Mind Twist, Sol Ring, Black Lotus, Umezawa’s Jitte, Skullclamp, Sword of Fire and Ice, and Library of Alexandria. With the exceptions of Upheaval and Sword of Fire and Ice, I would take all of the above cards over the five moxes most of the time.

Quick Note on Mulligan Rules

My group has a mulligan rule whereby if you have 0, 1, 6, or 7 lands in your opening hand, you may show your opponent your hand and take a free mulligan. You may repeat this process until you keep a hand or take a real mulligan. If you mulligan, you may once again take a free mulligan if you show a hand of 0, 1, 5, or 6 lands. This patterns continues of 0, 1, max hand size -1, max hand size. All players must play at least 15 lands to avail themselves to free mulligan. I highly recommend this rule as it makes cube drafting much more enjoyable than regular mulligan rules.

In Conclusion

These insights are, again, subject to cube contents and player preferences. While players can utilize any strategy with various degrees of success, these are the strategies which have provided me with the most success in this format. Hope you enjoyed!

-Doug Lambert