Long-time lurker here! I created a cube about 3-4 years ago, using some spare 150 dollar i had around. It was pretty much a crap-rare cube but it was a lot of fun to play with. The more i played with it, the more i wanted to expand, include new cards, etc. When i made the decision to take it more seriously, i had a look at other cubes and cards i was interested in playing. This eventually resulted in me deciding to go for a modern-only cube, ignoring the ban-list and making exceptions for commander-only-cards. My main reason for doing this is because i felt like some of the legacy cards (channel, power 9, etc) made the cube too.. unfair/swingy, etc. Combined with my love for multicolor cards, i came up with my current cube. It's by no means finished, and i'm buying upgrades for it every month, but i'm very happy with how things have progressed since the start.
One thing i've noticed, is that blue seems to struggle in the cube. Even with the recent addition of snapcaster mage, blue seems to remain a splash color. Now, this could be because of the people i play with just not liking blue, but i fear it might have something to do with my choice of going modern-only. Looking at other people's cubes, blue always seems to have the biggest amount of non-modern cards. The more power i add to the cube, the further blue seems to relatively fall behind.
I was wondering how others deal with power-disparity between colors? Do you accept it, do you purposefully weaken other colors or do you have other solutions?
I don't have a lot of cash currently, so i wanted to make a budget deck. Seeing B/G constellation being quite fun and seemingly cheap, i decided to try and make a budget version of it.
It currently only has the elves as ramp, so the curve is quite low (apart from the garruk, which i already own). Polukranos also seems very strong, despite having very little synergy with the deck and since i own 1 copy, i decided to throw it in.
Apart from those cards, i think the deck is pretty straight-forward. Mill myself with the satyr wayfinder and nyx weaver then use those milled cards to use pharika together with eidolon of blossoms and/or doomwake giant.
The only real big problem i foresee, is a planeswalker heavy meta. With murderous cut, elvish into polukranos and the life from whip, i can see myself living early turns vs quicker decks. But i don't really have any ways to get rid of planes walkers. I used to have herald of torment on the spot where boon satyr is, but after a lot of fishing, i decided it wasn't a good idea for a deck that wants 1 green mana T1, and 2 black turn 2/3.
Total costs of this deck will be around 40$ (at a european store i go to), excluding the garruk and polukranos i already own. But i'd love any comments/suggestions on this build. Any BUDGET cards (under 1$) i should consider?
From the looks of things, the Gruul deck has too high of a curve. You're either going to luck into the nut draw of Experiment One into Flinthoof Boar into Fanatic of Xenagos into Bloodbraid Elf and probably kill by turn four, or you're going to bumble around with a bunch of 5+ drops in your hand.
Overall though, the design of both decks makes them incredibly swingy.
I would recommend, for starting decks, beginning with simple monocolored decks using primarily core set cards. Don't focus on an existing archetype. Your decks should look like glorified limited decks.
I see what you're trying to say. Currently the 1-2-3 curve, is 6,8,8, meaning that in most opening hands, you'll have at least 2 plays in 3 turns. I added the 4 6CMC+ creatures, mainly as finishers. You'll never want more than 1 in your first 15 cards, which works out most of the time. I added the 5-drops mainly to smooth out the curve and not have weird plays T5.
I actually have a few mono-colored decks, which play as draft-decks, but i find them incredibly dull to play, that's why i wanted to add some more fun Your observation of both decks being swingy is quite correct, i designed them that way, i love swingy decks
Personally i think the reanimator deck is quite weaker, mainly due to low amount of early blockers you have. I know you want to leave up mana for counter/kill spells, but solid early defenders are still critical.
Hmnn, for the reanimator control i would think would need a few early drops to use against aggro decks
Also i am not sure why you needed Luminate primordial or Sheoldred, whispering one, i would actually go with more of an early drop that allows you to leave up mana for counter/kill spells. Something like Phantom Warrior is an excellent aggressive creature that isn't very mana intensive.
I have doomblade, mana leak, and the 4 charms to combat early drops. I added the primordial and sheoldred because they're fatties i have in my trade-binder They are both reanimator targets, only being played when it's late-game. Sheoldred combo's nicely with the sphinx, giving me tons of card-draw, the primordial is mainly used to get rid of gruul's super-fatties. I have no idea why you recommend phantom warrior, it's a reanimator deck, why would i want to play a 2/2 for 3cmc?
It's a simple reanimator control deck, put together with cards i have lying around in my trade-folder. It's nothing amazing, but should be fun to play. I'd like to balance it out against:
This is a rather straight-forward gruul deck. Spidery Grasp is mainly used to combat the sphynx from the reanimator deck. Please don't mind the mana-bases of either deck, those are work in progress. I get the feeling the control/reanimator deck seems a bit stronger, but without playtesting it's hard to determine.
Does anybody have any idea how to better balance these 2 decks? Mind you, these are decks on a very small budget. Cards over $1 aren't welcome (apart from the ones that are already in the deck). Emphasis lies in fun cards and learning about keywords, strategies, the stack, etc.
One thing i've noticed, is that blue seems to struggle in the cube. Even with the recent addition of snapcaster mage, blue seems to remain a splash color. Now, this could be because of the people i play with just not liking blue, but i fear it might have something to do with my choice of going modern-only. Looking at other people's cubes, blue always seems to have the biggest amount of non-modern cards. The more power i add to the cube, the further blue seems to relatively fall behind.
I was wondering how others deal with power-disparity between colors? Do you accept it, do you purposefully weaken other colors or do you have other solutions?
4 Elvish Mystic
2 Hornet Queen
1 Polukranos, World Eater
4 Satyr Wayfinder
//Enchantment Creature (17)
3 Boon Satyr
3 Doomwake Giant
4 Eidolon of Blossoms
1 Nighthowler
4 Nyx Weaver
2 Pharika, God of Affliction
2 Murderous Cut
//Enchantment Artifact (2)
2 Whip of Erebos
//Planeswalker (1)
1 Garruk, Apex Predator
//Sorcery (4)
4 Commune with the Gods
//Land (23)
4 Evolving Wilds
9 Forest
4 Jungle Hollow
6 Swamp
I don't have a lot of cash currently, so i wanted to make a budget deck. Seeing B/G constellation being quite fun and seemingly cheap, i decided to try and make a budget version of it.
It currently only has the elves as ramp, so the curve is quite low (apart from the garruk, which i already own). Polukranos also seems very strong, despite having very little synergy with the deck and since i own 1 copy, i decided to throw it in.
Apart from those cards, i think the deck is pretty straight-forward. Mill myself with the satyr wayfinder and nyx weaver then use those milled cards to use pharika together with eidolon of blossoms and/or doomwake giant.
The only real big problem i foresee, is a planeswalker heavy meta. With murderous cut, elvish into polukranos and the life from whip, i can see myself living early turns vs quicker decks. But i don't really have any ways to get rid of planes walkers. I used to have herald of torment on the spot where boon satyr is, but after a lot of fishing, i decided it wasn't a good idea for a deck that wants 1 green mana T1, and 2 black turn 2/3.
Total costs of this deck will be around 40$ (at a european store i go to), excluding the garruk and polukranos i already own. But i'd love any comments/suggestions on this build. Any BUDGET cards (under 1$) i should consider?
I see what you're trying to say. Currently the 1-2-3 curve, is 6,8,8, meaning that in most opening hands, you'll have at least 2 plays in 3 turns. I added the 4 6CMC+ creatures, mainly as finishers. You'll never want more than 1 in your first 15 cards, which works out most of the time. I added the 5-drops mainly to smooth out the curve and not have weird plays T5.
I actually have a few mono-colored decks, which play as draft-decks, but i find them incredibly dull to play, that's why i wanted to add some more fun
I have doomblade, mana leak, and the 4 charms to combat early drops. I added the primordial and sheoldred because they're fatties i have in my trade-binder
1 Elixir of Immortality
//Creature (11)
1 Angel of Serenity
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Luminate Primordial
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Sphinx of Uthuun
4 Vexing Sphinx
2 Wall of Omens
1 Ætherspouts
2 Azorius Charm
2 Dimir Charm
3 Doom Blade
2 Esper Charm
3 Forbidden Alchemy
3 Mana Leak
//Sorcery (10)
3 Lingering Souls
1 Raven's Crime
3 Treasure Cruise
3 Unburial Rites
4 Arcane Sanctum
8 Island
1 Swamp
3 Vivid Creek
3 Vivid Marsh
3 Vivid Meadow
It's a simple reanimator control deck, put together with cards i have lying around in my trade-folder. It's nothing amazing, but should be fun to play. I'd like to balance it out against:
4 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Borborygmos
1 Borborygmos Enraged
2 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Experiment One
4 Fanatic of Xenagos
4 Flinthoof Boar
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager
2 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
2 Savageborn Hydra
3 Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
2 Troll Ascetic
2 Rancor
//Instant (2)
2 Spidery Grasp
//Land (23)
4 Evolving Wilds
6 Forest
1 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Mountain
4 Vivid Crag
4 Vivid Creek
This is a rather straight-forward gruul deck. Spidery Grasp is mainly used to combat the sphynx from the reanimator deck. Please don't mind the mana-bases of either deck, those are work in progress. I get the feeling the control/reanimator deck seems a bit stronger, but without playtesting it's hard to determine.
Does anybody have any idea how to better balance these 2 decks? Mind you, these are decks on a very small budget. Cards over $1 aren't welcome (apart from the ones that are already in the deck). Emphasis lies in fun cards and learning about keywords, strategies, the stack, etc.