I took quite a while to warm to Hazoret... But it plays really well in practice. I run a fair number of cards which enable and/or profit from discard, so switching Haz on or making good use of her reach ability is straightforward.
I also run Rhonas as midrange beef and aggro finisher, but the rest of the AMK God cycle aren't all that.
Hazoret is one of those cards that I'm waiting to rotate out of standard before picking up, so I don't have any experience with the card. It looks great as an aggro finisher and a discard outlet for combo decks, but I worry that her downsides might make her too inconsistent for those roles despite the flexibility.
Do you have a story about a memorable moment when you destroyed one of your own permanents to win the game (that wasn't Abyssal Persecutor or something else with an obvious drawback)?
I was considering adding but I ended up opting for Ass Whuppin' (as a strictly more fun Vindicate).
Instant speed is really sweet but I think I am happier to have it sorcery speed, keep the 3 life and the ability to hit lands. Paying 3 life seems like it will be steeper in practice than it seems, especially against the agro decks.
I don't remember any specific plays outside of blowing my own stuff up before a balance or saccing my board to a Greater Gargadon (or both in the same deck :sunny:). I have killed my 2-3 counter smokestack on my opponents EoT a couple of time, that can be a big swing of your opponent was banking on me having to sac a couple of permanents beyond smokestack.
Wait, how is Ass Whuppin' a Vindicate? Even in an all Un-cube, you still can't hit basic lands with it...
Anguished Unmaking is solid, but it's expendable.
In the last draft, I Hero's Downfalled my own creature in response to a Treachery to prevent the lands from untapping. Which game me enough tempo recovery to win the game on the following turn.
Wait, how is Ass Whuppin' a Vindicate? Even in an all Un-cube, you still can't hit basic lands with it...
I just house ruled-out the "silver-boarded" restriction so it just destroys a permanent, seemed much better than a proxy. At some point I might sharpie it out but my drafters all know what it is so I haven't bothered, it would make it look more like an Un card as well with a word scored out. Not for everyone, but its fun for me and the foils were dirt cheap.
I added it during my big Un-update and it felt fitting. It is one of the few cards that kills Knight of the Kitchen Sink and at some point will destroy something in another players game and that will amuse me greatly.
I wouldn't fault anyone for including Anguished Unmaking in their Orzhov. Removal like these are simply staple in cube. That said, I am not using this but will certainly try it if I got a hold of a copy. In my 450 are Sorin LoI, Vindicate, , Lingering Souls, and Unburial Rites - the last one being a possible replacement for Anguished Unmaking.
Yeah, Ballista is so gross. I, like many others, slept on it at first, and now I regularly take it incredibly high in a variety of decks. There's almost no deck I wouldn't play it in, including combo builds since it's a literal win condition for when you're making infinite mana.
Walking Ballista is really good. If I'm ever able to cast it for 4 and shoot two x/1s, I'm usually pretty happy, and it scales up well. Even doing a Mogg Fanatic impression for 2 isn't bad in some cases.
My favorite card from last year is the flavorful version of Ineffable Blessing. Before that card, Mono Red had been a little too fast for my unpowered, so I took a cue from the MTGO Legacy cube and started supporting Purphoros, God of the Forge with cards like Beetleback Chief and Hordeling Outburst to slow the Red deck down a bit. After Ineffable Blessing, that really feels like it spawned a new archetype in RGx Tokens.
It's decent, but its no Vindicate. Given Orzhov's other options, I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon. I could see playing Unburial Rites over it if you're into that though.
My Cubes - The Busted Cube. A fully functional, almost 100% custom cube. The project started out by asking "What if other colors got cards on the power level of Mana Drain,Ancestral Recall, and Time Walk?" Draft and enjoy!
Haven't been cubing with Walking Ballista, but I've been thinking about it. Is it good enough along with Hangarback Walker for a 450 unpowered?
Favorite card this year has to be Clocknapper. Locking people out with Recurring Nightmare and Crystal Shard has been an absolute blast, not to mention random flicker effects.
We've only ever cut one real Magic card from the cube for power level concerns at 450 unpowered (we've cut plenty of overpowered custom cards), and that was Symbol Status. You rarely lose the game after casting it. It crossed the line when my friend went 3-0 with his Oath of Druids deck on the back of that card. Card didn't really incentivize G/X tokens, although its great in that deck, it just went into every green deck. Was happy to swap it for Ineffable Blessing when I got the chance.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My Cubes - The Busted Cube. A fully functional, almost 100% custom cube. The project started out by asking "What if other colors got cards on the power level of Mana Drain,Ancestral Recall, and Time Walk?" Draft and enjoy!
It's prob good enough at 360, honestly, it has so much application. I would play it before Hangarback, being able to attack + pump has been more valuable then having terminate-protection.
I love Walking Ballista for its flexibility. It can't be allowed to stick around for long before it gets out of control; it can't really be removed without doing some damage on the way out; it's playable starting on T4 but becomes better and better the more mana you have access to; it can enable really sneaky plays; it can take over a game by itself. It's not the most efficient card in the cube, but it's gonna be there a long time.
My favorite card in the past year is probably Kari Zev.
Walking Ballista is pretty good. It does work in the majority of matchups and is highly versatile. Being a late game instant speed mana sink and stopping your opponents safely resolving X toughness critters can be a strong lock. Sometimes being a 2 mana colourless Gut Shot is enough too, when you have to stop that critical one drop play - that's not an uncommon use of the card.
My favourite card of the year might be Chandra or Ramunap Excavator. Treasure Map is right up there too.
ojutai is pretty sweet and i would play him in larger cubes or ones that are multicoloured themed for sure. the competetiveness of the azorius guild is what keeps him out for most but depending on the achetypes you are trying to establish he is a fine fit and could be swapped for something like geist if you need more control finishers.
Ojutai is currently on the sidelines and it's not fair but that's the life of a multicolored card. With Clocknapper I have much less of a need for an actual blue-creature-5 (sometimes you want a 5 you can recur, not just a stolen one) and while Ojutai plays well when it hits the board I feel like I need/want the other azorius cards more.
The fact that a card as powerful and downright cool as Ojutai is riding most people's sidelines is a testament to just how deep Azorius is in cube. So many good options. We've come a long way from the days of Absorb debates.
Ojutai looks sweet and has a lot of flavor. Unfortunately, Fractured Identity is already taking up the 5 mana Azorius card for me and I think I have like 4 other cards I'd rather run than the dragon. Also, Walking Ballista played out better than expected. I expected it to be clunky, but it was usually able to pick off a card before it met its end. It's hilarious with +1 counter generators.
I also run Rhonas as midrange beef and aggro finisher, but the rest of the AMK God cycle aren't all that.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Anguished Unmaking
Do you have a story about a memorable moment when you destroyed one of your own permanents to win the game (that wasn't Abyssal Persecutor or something else with an obvious drawback)?
Instant speed is really sweet but I think I am happier to have it sorcery speed, keep the 3 life and the ability to hit lands. Paying 3 life seems like it will be steeper in practice than it seems, especially against the agro decks.
I don't remember any specific plays outside of blowing my own stuff up before a balance or saccing my board to a Greater Gargadon (or both in the same deck :sunny:). I have killed my 2-3 counter smokestack on my opponents EoT a couple of time, that can be a big swing of your opponent was banking on me having to sac a couple of permanents beyond smokestack.
Anguished Unmaking is solid, but it's expendable.
In the last draft, I Hero's Downfalled my own creature in response to a Treachery to prevent the lands from untapping. Which game me enough tempo recovery to win the game on the following turn.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
I just house ruled-out the "silver-boarded" restriction so it just destroys a permanent, seemed much better than a proxy. At some point I might sharpie it out but my drafters all know what it is so I haven't bothered, it would make it look more like an Un card as well with a word scored out. Not for everyone, but its fun for me and the foils were dirt cheap.
I added it during my big Un-update and it felt fitting. It is one of the few cards that kills Knight of the Kitchen Sink and at some point will destroy something in another players game and that will amuse me greatly.
Walking Ballista
What's your favorite card to be printed in the last year?
My favorite card in the last year is probably Ramunap Excavator.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Clocknapper, our new 5 drop god.
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
My favorite card from last year is the flavorful version of Ineffable Blessing. Before that card, Mono Red had been a little too fast for my unpowered, so I took a cue from the MTGO Legacy cube and started supporting Purphoros, God of the Forge with cards like Beetleback Chief and Hordeling Outburst to slow the Red deck down a bit. After Ineffable Blessing, that really feels like it spawned a new archetype in RGx Tokens.
[180 classic cube]
Got to Cast Out my own Elspeth, Sun's Champion in response to a Zealous Conscripts to keep my opponent off creatures to block lethal in 2 turns. Then he played Thundermaw Hellkite, so I had to Reclamation Sage my own Cast Out to minus. Was a pretty fun game.
Regular 450 unpowered cube (with some custom cards) - 450 Unpowered
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
Favorite card this year has to be Clocknapper. Locking people out with Recurring Nightmare and Crystal Shard has been an absolute blast, not to mention random flicker effects.
Interesting to note, Ineffable Blessing is not a may, so decking can be a real possibility. Opponent decked me with a topdecked Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver after I was forced to play a Myr Battlesphere and draw 5.
We've only ever cut one real Magic card from the cube for power level concerns at 450 unpowered (we've cut plenty of overpowered custom cards), and that was Symbol Status. You rarely lose the game after casting it. It crossed the line when my friend went 3-0 with his Oath of Druids deck on the back of that card. Card didn't really incentivize G/X tokens, although its great in that deck, it just went into every green deck. Was happy to swap it for Ineffable Blessing when I got the chance.
Regular 450 unpowered cube (with some custom cards) - 450 Unpowered
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
My favorite card in the past year is probably Kari Zev.
My favourite card of the year might be Chandra or Ramunap Excavator. Treasure Map is right up there too.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Dragonlord Ojutai
In your games, who has cast Anticipate more? You or Ojutai?
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
[180 classic cube]
Probably roughly the same.
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
Follow me. I tweet.
http://www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/63569
450 Unpowered Cube Cobra