Size: 360 + ~5 card testing package Breakdown: ~50 per color, 60 multicolor, 50 colorless, small hybrid section that steals from mono-colored sections Powered: No Un-cards: No Singleton?: Yes Ban List:Sol Ring, Power 9 Draft Info: Usually 4-8 players, 1/month
Reserved - archetypes, guides, and cube deck hall of fame
General Guidelines
Cube drafts work like a normal limited draft, except that the power level of the cards is much higher. There are no bad cards and support has been added for specific strategies such as reanimator. Because of this, a good cube deck can look a lot like a constructed deck, albeit with no duplicates. If you draft well, you'll end up with a focused deck with a specific strategy and gameplan in mind. If you just draft cards in your chosen colors, you'll have powerful cards, but you'll do less well.
You'll usually be building a 40 card deck containing 17 lands and 23 non-lands. The rest of the guide will cover the types of decks (aggro, midrange, and control), supported archetypes, and cards to watch out for in each, along with example decklists.
Theaters
Most decks can be classified as aggro, midrange, or control. Each type of deck will be built differently and look for different cards during the draft, though there is significant overlap in some areas such as spot removal. Aggro decks try to end the game as quickly as possible, overwhelming the opponent with low-cost threats. Midrange decks are slower, playing higher cost but stronger cards that overwhelm aggro decks in the midgame. Control decks are usually light on creatures, favoring removal, card draw, and a few game ending threats. They are often too slow to respond to aggro decks, but can grind out advantages over the slower midrange decks.
This looks like a case of rock-paper-scissors, but individual card or strategic choices can easily skew matchups. For example, aggro decks are weak to mass removal like Wrath of God. An early wrath killing 3-4 creatures from the aggro deck can easily end the game. Control decks with lots of mass removal or early defensive cards like Wall of Omens can have an edge over aggro decks. On the other hand, aggro decks with enough reach (generally direct damage that can end the game on a stalled board position) can maintain their edge against control even in the face of these cards.
Some cubes (and many magic formats) include combo decks. My cube does not include any combos that immediately end the game, but features many synergies that threaten to take control of the game unless answered. I do not include combo as a theater, but card synergies are extremely important to drafting a strong deck. Important ones will be covered in the archetype guide.
Aggro decks focus on having a low curve to allow them to quickly play out their threats and overpower the opponent before they can play stronger, more expensive cards.
Strategy: Play many low cost creatures with two power or more to pressure the opponent. Disrupt the opponent by controlling their resources (e.g. discard like Thoughtseize or mana denial like Winter Orb) to prevent them from answering your creatures. When the game goes late, rely on reach (Lightning Bolt, Char, or a colorless option like Cursed Scroll) to finish the opponent off.
Curve: the mana curve usually tops out at 4, sometimes 5 for an extremely aggressive card (e.g. Thundermaw Hellkite). Higher cost cards are only good if the game has gone on too long, at which point your opponent is already at a distinct advantage if their deck is designed for a slower game. You should generally prefer consistency over raw power in an aggro deck - Sun Titan and Wurmcoil Engine are very powerful, but a low cost card that fills our your curve will serve you better. A good aggro deck has many 2-power 1-drops (e.g. Savannah Lions) to ensure having 2-3 aggressive creatures on the board on turn 2-3. Aim to draft 6-7 in your colors if possible. With a lower curve, you can often play only 15-16 lands. The curve usually tapers off at the top end, with only a few cards costing 4.
Colors and Key Cards: R: A classic aggressive color with strong creatures and burn spells to end the game. Red is probably the most aggressive color in the cube and will feature in many or most aggro decks. Key cards: fast, high power creatures like Goblin Guide and Hellrider, burn like Lightning Bolt and Sulfuric Vortex. W: White has some of the best low cost creatures in the cube. Strong removal can prevent the opponent's creatures from interfering with your attacks. Key cards: low cost high power creatures like Isamaru, Hound of Konda and Hero of Bladehold, mana disruption like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Armageddon. B: Black has some solid lost cost creatures and very good hand disruption to make your opponent discard their answers (e.g. Wrath of God). Creatures are generally a bit weaker than white or red, so black often supports one of those colors. Key cards: aggressive creatures like Gravecrawler, Dark Confidant, and Scrapheap Scrounger, hand disruption like Thoughtseize and Hymn to Tourach. G: Green has fewer aggressive 1-drops than the other colors, so it is generally a support color in aggro. Key cards: aggressive creatures like Wild Nacatl, Yasova Dragonclaw, and Bloodbraid Elf, creature enhancement in Rancor, and mana disruption in Plow Under. U: Blue has the worst aggressive creatures of any color. Aggro decks are usually not blue, but you can play a hybrid aggro-control deck that seeks to play threats from another color, then protect them with countermagic. Key cards: aggressive or evasive creatures like Vendilion Clique and Serendib Efreet, countermagic like Force Spike and Mana Leak. X: Colorless cards provide equipment and some mana disruption. Look for the swords (e.g. Sword of Fire and Ice), Bonesplitter, Grafted Wargear, Winter Orb, and Tangle Wire.
Matchups: Midrange: Midrange decks will overpower you in the mid-game with large threats like Baneslayer Angel or Thragtusk. Include some removal like Path to Exile or Dismember to kill their bombs and allow you to keep attacking. When a midrange deck does take control of the game, use reach to finish them off. Control: Your speed exploits the weakness of slow control decks. Look for threats like resilient creatures (Gravecrawler, Bloodghast, or Mutavault) that will pressure them even if they play mass removal and wipe your board. Alternately, pressure their mana to prevent them from playing high cost cards (Armageddon, Strip Mine).
This deck has a slightly unusual top end, playing a 5-drop and 3 4 cost planeswalkers. It has a huge amount of burn, however, so it can afford to get an early lead, then finish the opponent off without needing to attack. This deck went 3-0 in its draft.
This deck is a little light on creatures, but has a lot of reach via burn and many powerful non-creature cards (Sulfuric Vortex, Winter Orb, Grafted Wargear, Koth of the Hammer). The curve tops out at 4, although this deck is a little top heavy for a pure aggro deck with a large number of 3/4 drops. This deck went 3-0 in its draft.
Midrange decks prefer to control the early game long enough for their higher cost, powerful cards to take over the game. Rather than winning with raw speed, midrange decks rely on higher card quality (Angel of Invention is a better late game draw than an aggro deck's Savannah Lions). What differentiates a midrange deck from a control deck, if both have higher curves than aggro? Midrange decks usually focus heavily on board position, seeking to pressure the opponent in the midgame. Control decks focus first and foremost on controlling what the opponent is doing and preventing them from building a strong board position, then winning when they have nothing else.
Strategy: Midrange decks vary greatly in strategy. Some consist of the best cards in the deck's colors ("goodstuff" decks), favoring power over synergy. Others exploit some specific synergy or combo to pressure the opponent (e.g. Opposition and token producers or Recurring Nightmare) - review the archetypes list and examples for more information. The unifying concept is a preference for card quality over speed and a desire to pressure the opponent in the midgame - midrange decks are still proactive, compared to generally reactive control decks.
Curve: Midrange curves generally peak at converted mana costs of 2-4, playing fewer 1-drops than aggro but taking powerful cards that cost 5 or more. A ramp focused deck may have a much higher curve.
Matchups: Aggro: You win by slowing the game down and overpowering their low cost creatures with more powerful ones. Life gain can put the game out of reach (Thragtusk also trades with multiple attackers). You lose if they have significant reach (burn) to end the game after your creatures land or if they have cheap removal for your more powerful creatures. When sideboarding, ensure that you have enough early creatures and removal to stall the game until your superior creatures take over. Control: You don't have the early board presence to pressure control, so their superior answers and card advantage can often overwhelm you. You win when control doesn't have enough answers for your threats, either because they recur or come in large numbers. Planeswalkers are an additional source of pressure since control decks rarely have the board presence to remove them via combat. You lose if you apply too little pressure or see all your key threats answered. Beware Control Magic effects if your strategy hinges on producing a single large threat (reanimator, Tinker and Natural Order decks).
Recurring Nightmare gets a lot of value out of cycling through the disruptive creatures in this deck or bringing back a large threat that attacked via Sneak Attack. Vampiric Tutor and Survival of the Fittest find the necessary pieces. Strong synergy based midrange deck that went 2-1 in matches.
Tons of green ramp or Natural Order get large threats out quickly to pressure the opponent. Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary is especially strong in such a heavily green deck and can lead to a turn 3 Primeval Titan. Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger is usually meant to be cheated into play, but this deck has a good chance of hard casting it. It went 3-0 in matches.
Control your opponent, remove their threats, then win the game. Card advantage is very important to control decks so they maintain enough answers and get ahead of the opponent. Few threats or finishers are needed since they are ideally only played once the game is in control. Their main weakness is that they are slow and can be prone to aggressive decks or decks with inevitability and reach.
Strategy: Draft the best targeted removal, mass removal, and card draw or card advantage engines. Planeswalkers that can protect themselves (Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast) can be strong. To end the game, draft a few threats in the form of hard to answer creatures (Ætherling) or planeswalkers (Elspeth, Sun's Champion). The options available will vary with the colors, but the basic gameplan is the same. For example, a green control deck will be much more creature focused than a blue one.
Curve: Curves likely peak in the 3-4 range with several cards costing 5 or more. Do not neglect cards that cost 1-2, though you will not want the early aggressive creatures in your deck. You must interact on the early turns to have a chance against a good aggro draw, whether by removal, countermagic, or a defensive creature. If possible, aim for several mass removal effects and plan to be ready to play them as soon as possible.
Matchups: Aggro: A good aggro draw will pressure you from turn 1, preventing you from having time to reach the late game. Keep hands that interact in the first few turns (Wall of Omens) and can cast a mass removal effect on turn 3-4 if needed to remove 2-3 opposing creatures. Mid or late game, threats that gain life can put the game out of reach for the aggro player. Midrange: You have a leg up on midrange decks because they generally don't pressure you in the early game, and you have the advantage in removal and card advantage come late game. Beware decks whose plan includes setting you back on resources (Smokestack, Wildfire). Control decks can be especially weak to resolved planeswalkers if your removal is mostly creature focused.
This deck is unusually creature heavy (a result of this being sealed instead of a draft), but most of the creatures are good on offense and defense. They also allow the deck to be more proactive when needed and punish poor draws from the opponent. Strong card draw, planeswalkers, and removal control the opponent until a threat can end the game. This deck went 2-0 in matches.
This is my "cube" for the Ascension deckbuilding game. It combines cards from most of the sets with some of the promo cards. I play with 10 new event cards shuffled into the center deck and the events themselves shuffled off to the side.
Here's a big update including changes from Oath of Gatewatch and Commander 2015. Green is getting some significant changes - green aggro cards are not getting played at the moment. I'm going to drop aggro support for now until more support cards are available and will be re-introducing the lands matters cards. I'd like to get more signal on them now that I'm more consistently getting 6-8 people in drafts and Ravages of War and Burning of Xinye are in. I also hope that the return to Inistrad will include cards for the archetype, as Shadows over Inistrad has several green cards that discard lands or return lands from the graveyard. I'm also moving the phyrexian mana cards into their respective colors because they rarely get splashed in decks that can't pay the full mana cost.
R
+Fiery Confluence, -Pyroclasm
+Burning of Xinye, -Squee, Goblin Nabob
Squee got very little play. I will memorialize him with the tale of the best game he ever contributed to though. I was playing a slow red deck focused on Mimic Vat and Feldon vs. an Esper control deck. My opponent powered out a turn two Gideon off of a Mana Vault. I responded with Squee, who valiantly chump blocked for almost 10 turns while I found land drops and the cards I needed to win. In the meantime, my opponent was also having mana troubles and couldn't pay to untap Mana Vault for most of the game. Goodbye Squee.
Any suggestions? I feel like white 3-drops are getting pretty crowded, so I'm not sure I have room for the current set + Soltari Champion.
I'd like to have aggro support in green in theory, but no one's been picking the borderline cards at the moment. I am looking forward to the opportunity to explore some other things in green for a bit, then bring it back if we get a few more good aggressive 1/2-drops.
I'm cutting back on the colorless support a bit, but leaving in a few cards to see if they're worth it without dedicated support (Dimensional Infiltrator and Reality Smasher; I have higher confidence in Kozilek). Eternal Masters has made a few staples cheaper, so I'm trying them out. Lastly, one player wants to try Master of Waves and I've been fond of Thassa, God of the Sea, so blue loses a few cards that see less play to make room.
Black somehow ended up with too many cards, so there's some rebalancing among the colors along with the removal of the hybrid card Soulfire Grand Master.
In 2015 I added more dedicated support for the artifact deck (Tezzerets, Daretti, Sphinx of the Steel Wind), reanimator (Feldon, discard outlets, Dance of the Dead), and Sneak Attack and Burning of Xinye in red. In retrospect, I'm very happy since those decks started coming together far more often, whereas they happened very rarely before. Sneak Attack hasn't seen a ton of success, but it's been played in reanimator shells and especially alongside Feldon. Artifact decks fared better than reanimator overall, going 16-7 in total games vs. reanimator's 13-22 record.
Color balance: R: 38-34 in games, 53% win rate U: 45-42 in games, 52% win rate B: 47-55 in games, 46% win rate W: 49-58 in games, 46% win rate G: 33-40 in games, 45% win rate
These numbers are based on aggregate win rates for decks playing a color as a major component, not a splash. Win rates are fairly close. Play rate goes W>B>U>G>R.
No ideas at the moment for what to add over Kozilek. Some of the other colorless specific cards make room for a few more mana rocks - my players have been having trouble getting enough lately.
No Liliana, the Last Hope yet - I'm not sure if she's good enough for 360 and cutting black non-creatures at 3 cards is tough.
Edit: Oops, had already removed Thought-Knot Seer, so no need for another colorless card.
Huge update, including Kaladesh. OP is updated, cube tutor is still out of date.
I got my hands on the original duals, so I'm cutting mostly manlands or a few other cards for them and moving to dual/fetch/shock for the guilds.
Dropping the lands matter theme in green to bring green aggro back in. I'd still like another good 1-drop and better aggressive options up the curve, but aggro has been underperforming, so hopefully this helps. The theme didn't work very consistently (again) and will have less support without the manlands.
Hurts to lose Nekrataal but I don't see a better cut. Maybe leave out Sinkhole? I like SoWaP better than the Vehicle but 5 Swords at 360 might be oppressive.
Mind Twist isn't just for aggro. I think every black deck wants it. I think it may be trouble in unpowered, but it might be OK to have such a powerful card without much of the fast mana.
Yeah, black cuts (and cuts in general) just continue to get harder. Cutting Sinkhole is a definite possibility, especially with the manlands leaving, but it would probably go to make room for Mind Twist if it tests well. Worst case for Mind Twist probably involves a Mox and Grim Monolith to make the opponent discard ~5 on turn 2-3, but that still requires investing several cards to make the play. We'll see how it fares in the group.
I've felt for a while that the 4 swords I've been running was a bit much at 360, and SoWaP is the most inconsistent. Occasionally, it completely seals the deal, with the trigger dealing 5-6 damage, but most of the time I see it, the triggers are largely irrelevant, unlike with the other swords.
Size: 360 + ~5 card testing package
Breakdown: ~50 per color, 60 multicolor, 50 colorless, small hybrid section that steals from mono-colored sections
Powered: No
Un-cards: No
Singleton?: Yes
Ban List: Sol Ring, Power 9
Draft Info: Usually 4-8 players, 1/month
1 Dragon Hunter
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
1 Mardu Woe-Reaper
1 Mother of Runes
1 Savannah Lions
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Student of Warfare
CMC 2:
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Imposing Sovereign
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Selfless Spirit
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Wall of Omens
1 Blade Splicer
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Flickerwisp
1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
1 Mirror Entity
1 Monastery Mentor
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
CMC 4:
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Restoration Angel
1 Angel of Invention
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Reveillark
CMC 6:
1 Sun Titan
1 Unexpectedly Absent
CMC 1:
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Land Tax
1 Mana Tithe
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
CMC 2:
1 Balance
1 Disenchant
1 Banishing Light
1 Council's Judgment
1 Oblivion Ring
CMC 4:
1 Armageddon
1 Day of Judgment
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Parallax Wave
1 Ravages of War
1 Spectral Procession
1 Wrath of God
1 Gideon Jura
CMC 6+:
1 Catastrophe
1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Man-o'-War
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Serendib Efreet
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Whirler Rogue
CMC 5:
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Mulldrifter
1 Ætherling
1 Condescend
1 Faerie Conclave
1 Force of Will
CMC 1:
1 Brainstorm
1 Force Spike
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
CMC 2:
1 Arcane Denial
1 Counterspell
1 Daze
1 Mana Leak
1 Memory Lapse
1 Miscalculation
1 Remand
1 Crystal Shard
1 Forbid
1 Jace Beleren
1 Show and Tell
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Tinker
1 Vedalken Shackles
CMC 4:
1 Control Magic
1 Cryptic Command
1 Deep Analysis
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Opposition
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Treachery
CMC 6+:
1 Dig Through Time
1 Upheaval
1 Bloodsoaked Champion
1 Carnophage
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Gnarled Scarhide
1 Gravecrawler
1 Sarcomancy
1 Tormented Hero
CMC 2:
1 Asylum Visitor
1 Bloodghast
1 Dark Confidant
1 Heir of Falkenrath
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Pack Rat
1 Scrapheap Scrounger
1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
1 Flesh Carver
1 Mardu Strike Leader
1 Ophiomancer
CMC 4:
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Skinrender
CMC 5:
1 Custodi Lich
1 Shriekmaw
1 Grave Titan
1 Griselbrand
1 Mind Twist (test)
1 Profane Command
1 Snuff Out
1 Volrath's Stronghold
CMC 1:
1 Dark Ritual
1 Dismember
1 Duress
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Reanimate
1 Thoughtseize
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Animate Dead
1 Bitterblossom
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Exhume
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Sinkhole
CMC 3:
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Necromancy
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Damnation
1 Languish
1 Falkenrath Gorger
1 Firedrinker Satyr
1 Goblin Guide
1 Goblin Welder
1 Greater Gargadon
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Jackal Pup
1 Zurgo Bellstriker
CMC 2:
1 Abbot of Keral Keep
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Lightning Mauler
1 Plated Geopede
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Feldon of the Third Path
1 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Hanweir Garrison
1 Manic Vandal
1 Sin Prodder
CMC 4:
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Hellrider
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
CMC 6+:
1 Inferno Titan
1 Fireblast
1 Rolling Earthquake
CMC 1:
1 Burst Lightning
1 Chain Lightning
1 Faithless Looting
1 Firebolt
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Arc Trail
1 Incinerate
1 Magma Jet
1 Searing Spear
1 Smash to Smithereens
CMC 3:
1 Arc Lightning
1 Char
1 Sulfuric Vortex
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
1 Fiery Confluence
1 Sneak Attack
CMC 6+:
1 Burning of Xinye
1 Wildfire
1 Treetop Village
CMC 1:
1 Arbor Elf
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Experiment One
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Jungle Lion
1 Kessig Prowler
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Wolfbitten Captive
1 Duskwatch Recruiter
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Sylvan Advocate
1 Tarmogoyf
CMC 3:
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Eternal Witness
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Tireless Tracker
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Polukranos, World Eater
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Wickerbough Elder
CMC 5:
1 Acidic Slime
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Kalonian Hydra
1 Thragtusk
CMC 6+:
1 Primeval Titan
1 Hornet Queen
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Oath of Nissa
1 Rancor
CMC 2:
1 Oath of Druids
1 Regrowth
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Sylvan Library
1 Cultivate
1 Song of the Dryads
CMC 4:
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Natural Order
1 Plow Under
CMC X:
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Bayou
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Verdant Catacombs
White/Black:
1 Lingering Souls
1 Vindicate
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Godless Shrine
1 Marsh Flats
1 Scrubland
White/Red:
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Arid Mesa
1 Plateau
1 Sacred Foundry
White/Green:
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Windswept Heath
1 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Reflector Mage
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Flooded Strand
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Tundra
Blue/Green:
1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
1 Trygon Predator
1 Breeding Pool
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Tropical Island
Black/Red:
1 Dreadbore
1 Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast
1 Kolaghan's Command
1 Badlands
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
Blue/Red:
1 Dack Fayden
1 Saheeli Rai (test)
1 Ral Zarek
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Steam Vents
1 Volcanic Island
1 Baleful Strix
1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Polluted Delta
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
Green/Red:
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Stomping Ground
1 Taiga
1 Wooded Foothills
Flexible:
1 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
1 Dryad Militant
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Rakdos Cackler
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 Warden of the First Tree
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Yasova Dragonclaw
1 Phyrexian Revoker
CMC 4:
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Sundering Titan
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Bonesplitter
1 Skullclamp
CMC 2:
1 Smuggler's Copter
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Fleetwheel Cruiser
CMC 5:
1 Batterskull
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mox Diamond
CMC 2:
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Grim Monolith
1 Mindstone
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Coalition Relic
1 Worn Powerstone
CMC X:
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Pithing Needle
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Scroll Rack
1 Winter Orb
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Mimic Vat
1 Tangle Wire
1 Smokestack
CMC X:
1 Engineered Explosives
1 City of Brass
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Mana Confluence
1 Maze of Ith
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault
1 Rishadan Port
1 Strip Mine
1 Tendo Ice Bridge
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Wasteland
1 Saheeli Rai
buy:
Judge Foil Ravages of War
Duel Deck Sun Titan
Mana Drain
Nether Void
+Carnage Tyrant?
+Recruiter of the Guard, -Hallowed Spiritkeeper
+Karakas, -Mirror Entity
+Spellskite, -Faerie Conclave
+Consecrated Sphinx, -Aetherling
+Chart a Course, -Thirst for Knowledge
+Mind Twist, -Sinkhole
+Nether Void, -Languish
+Abrade, -Smash to Smithereens
+Kari Zev, Skyship Raider, -Plated Geopede
+Imperial Recruiter, -Sin Prodder (Pia Nalaar)
+Ramunap Excavator, -Yavimaya Elder
+Eureka, -Duskwatch Recruiter
+Fractured Identity, -Reflector Mage
+Sorcerous Spyglass, -Tendo Ice Bridge?
General Guidelines
Cube drafts work like a normal limited draft, except that the power level of the cards is much higher. There are no bad cards and support has been added for specific strategies such as reanimator. Because of this, a good cube deck can look a lot like a constructed deck, albeit with no duplicates. If you draft well, you'll end up with a focused deck with a specific strategy and gameplan in mind. If you just draft cards in your chosen colors, you'll have powerful cards, but you'll do less well.
You'll usually be building a 40 card deck containing 17 lands and 23 non-lands. The rest of the guide will cover the types of decks (aggro, midrange, and control), supported archetypes, and cards to watch out for in each, along with example decklists.
Theaters
Most decks can be classified as aggro, midrange, or control. Each type of deck will be built differently and look for different cards during the draft, though there is significant overlap in some areas such as spot removal. Aggro decks try to end the game as quickly as possible, overwhelming the opponent with low-cost threats. Midrange decks are slower, playing higher cost but stronger cards that overwhelm aggro decks in the midgame. Control decks are usually light on creatures, favoring removal, card draw, and a few game ending threats. They are often too slow to respond to aggro decks, but can grind out advantages over the slower midrange decks.
This looks like a case of rock-paper-scissors, but individual card or strategic choices can easily skew matchups. For example, aggro decks are weak to mass removal like Wrath of God. An early wrath killing 3-4 creatures from the aggro deck can easily end the game. Control decks with lots of mass removal or early defensive cards like Wall of Omens can have an edge over aggro decks. On the other hand, aggro decks with enough reach (generally direct damage that can end the game on a stalled board position) can maintain their edge against control even in the face of these cards.
Some cubes (and many magic formats) include combo decks. My cube does not include any combos that immediately end the game, but features many synergies that threaten to take control of the game unless answered. I do not include combo as a theater, but card synergies are extremely important to drafting a strong deck. Important ones will be covered in the archetype guide.
Aggro decks focus on having a low curve to allow them to quickly play out their threats and overpower the opponent before they can play stronger, more expensive cards.
Strategy: Play many low cost creatures with two power or more to pressure the opponent. Disrupt the opponent by controlling their resources (e.g. discard like Thoughtseize or mana denial like Winter Orb) to prevent them from answering your creatures. When the game goes late, rely on reach (Lightning Bolt, Char, or a colorless option like Cursed Scroll) to finish the opponent off.
Curve: the mana curve usually tops out at 4, sometimes 5 for an extremely aggressive card (e.g. Thundermaw Hellkite). Higher cost cards are only good if the game has gone on too long, at which point your opponent is already at a distinct advantage if their deck is designed for a slower game. You should generally prefer consistency over raw power in an aggro deck - Sun Titan and Wurmcoil Engine are very powerful, but a low cost card that fills our your curve will serve you better. A good aggro deck has many 2-power 1-drops (e.g. Savannah Lions) to ensure having 2-3 aggressive creatures on the board on turn 2-3. Aim to draft 6-7 in your colors if possible. With a lower curve, you can often play only 15-16 lands. The curve usually tapers off at the top end, with only a few cards costing 4.
Colors and Key Cards:
R: A classic aggressive color with strong creatures and burn spells to end the game. Red is probably the most aggressive color in the cube and will feature in many or most aggro decks. Key cards: fast, high power creatures like Goblin Guide and Hellrider, burn like Lightning Bolt and Sulfuric Vortex.
W: White has some of the best low cost creatures in the cube. Strong removal can prevent the opponent's creatures from interfering with your attacks. Key cards: low cost high power creatures like Isamaru, Hound of Konda and Hero of Bladehold, mana disruption like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Armageddon.
B: Black has some solid lost cost creatures and very good hand disruption to make your opponent discard their answers (e.g. Wrath of God). Creatures are generally a bit weaker than white or red, so black often supports one of those colors. Key cards: aggressive creatures like Gravecrawler, Dark Confidant, and Scrapheap Scrounger, hand disruption like Thoughtseize and Hymn to Tourach.
G: Green has fewer aggressive 1-drops than the other colors, so it is generally a support color in aggro. Key cards: aggressive creatures like Wild Nacatl, Yasova Dragonclaw, and Bloodbraid Elf, creature enhancement in Rancor, and mana disruption in Plow Under.
U: Blue has the worst aggressive creatures of any color. Aggro decks are usually not blue, but you can play a hybrid aggro-control deck that seeks to play threats from another color, then protect them with countermagic. Key cards: aggressive or evasive creatures like Vendilion Clique and Serendib Efreet, countermagic like Force Spike and Mana Leak.
X: Colorless cards provide equipment and some mana disruption. Look for the swords (e.g. Sword of Fire and Ice), Bonesplitter, Grafted Wargear, Winter Orb, and Tangle Wire.
Matchups:
Midrange: Midrange decks will overpower you in the mid-game with large threats like Baneslayer Angel or Thragtusk. Include some removal like Path to Exile or Dismember to kill their bombs and allow you to keep attacking. When a midrange deck does take control of the game, use reach to finish them off.
Control: Your speed exploits the weakness of slow control decks. Look for threats like resilient creatures (Gravecrawler, Bloodghast, or Mutavault) that will pressure them even if they play mass removal and wipe your board. Alternately, pressure their mana to prevent them from playing high cost cards (Armageddon, Strip Mine).
Example Decklists:
1 Dragon Hunter
1 Firedrinker Satyr
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Zurgo Bellstriker
1 Lightning Mauler
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Mirror Entity
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Magma Jet
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Char
Sorceries
1 Chain Lightning
1 Arc Lightning
1 Flames of the Firebrand
Planeswalkers
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Arid Mesa
1 Flooded Strand
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Mutavault
This deck has a slightly unusual top end, playing a 5-drop and 3 4 cost planeswalkers. It has a huge amount of burn, however, so it can afford to get an early lead, then finish the opponent off without needing to attack. This deck went 3-0 in its draft.
1 Dryad Militant
1 Firedrinker Satyr
1 Goblin Guide
1 Jackal Pup
1 Jungle Lion
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 River Boa
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Manic Vandal
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Incinerate
1 Magma Jet
1 Searing Spear
Sorceries
1 Call of the Herd
1 Flames of the Firebrand
Artifacts
1 Winter Orb
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Tangle Wire
1 Sulfuric Vortex
Planeswalkers
1 Koth of the Hammer
Lands
8 Mountain
4 Forest
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Wasteland
1 Wooded Foothill
This deck is a little light on creatures, but has a lot of reach via burn and many powerful non-creature cards (Sulfuric Vortex, Winter Orb, Grafted Wargear, Koth of the Hammer). The curve tops out at 4, although this deck is a little top heavy for a pure aggro deck with a large number of 3/4 drops. This deck went 3-0 in its draft.
1 Dryad Militant
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Experiment One
1 Jungle Lion
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Student of Warfare
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Imposing Sovereign
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Lone Missionary
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 River Boa
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Soltari Priest
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Soltari Champion
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Green Sun's Zenith
Enchantments
1 Journey to Nowhere
Artifacts
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
Planeswalkers
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Lands
9 Plains
6 Forest
1 Horizon Canopy
This deck features many strong creatures as well as ways to boost their power (Soltari Champion, Hero of Bladehold, Grafted Wargear, Sword of Fire and Ice, and Elspeth, Knight-Errant). A solid, straight-forward deck that follows the formula: lots of 2-power 1-drops, strong creatures, equipment, and a curve that ends at 4. This deck went 2-1 in matches.
Midrange decks prefer to control the early game long enough for their higher cost, powerful cards to take over the game. Rather than winning with raw speed, midrange decks rely on higher card quality (Angel of Invention is a better late game draw than an aggro deck's Savannah Lions). What differentiates a midrange deck from a control deck, if both have higher curves than aggro? Midrange decks usually focus heavily on board position, seeking to pressure the opponent in the midgame. Control decks focus first and foremost on controlling what the opponent is doing and preventing them from building a strong board position, then winning when they have nothing else.
Strategy: Midrange decks vary greatly in strategy. Some consist of the best cards in the deck's colors ("goodstuff" decks), favoring power over synergy. Others exploit some specific synergy or combo to pressure the opponent (e.g. Opposition and token producers or Recurring Nightmare) - review the archetypes list and examples for more information. The unifying concept is a preference for card quality over speed and a desire to pressure the opponent in the midgame - midrange decks are still proactive, compared to generally reactive control decks.
Curve: Midrange curves generally peak at converted mana costs of 2-4, playing fewer 1-drops than aggro but taking powerful cards that cost 5 or more. A ramp focused deck may have a much higher curve.
Colors and Key Cards:
R: Strong token producers (Goblin Rabblemaster, Siege-Gang Commander) that pressure the opponent and cards that answer your opponent's threats (Chain Lightning, Flametongue Kavu, Inferno Titan). With the right deck design, Wildfire and Burning of Xinye set the opponent behind while leaving your threats alive.
W: White features strong removal (Swords to Plowshares) and many creatures that are hard to answer efficiently and build up advantages over time (Angel of Invention, Brimaz, King of Oreskos, Elspeth, Knight-Errant). Strong support for token based decks.
B: Efficient removal (Dismember, Hero's Downfall), card advantage and disruption engines (Braids, Cabal Minion, Custodi Lich, Liliana of the Veil), and strong support for reanimator decks (Reanimate, Recurring Nightmare).
G: Mana dorks (Llanowar Elves) and other ramp spells accelerate you into casting powerful threats earlier. Green has cards that are great at stopping aggro (Courser of Kruphix and Thragtusk), resilient threats to pressure the opponent (Thrun, the Last Troll), and numerous cards with enter the battlefield effects that disrupt the opponent (Reclamation Sage, Acidic Slime, Woodfall Primus).
U: Efficient countermagic and card advantage engines. Fewer strong creature threats than other colors. Strong support for artifact focused decks (Tinker, Tezzeret the Seeker) and decks focused on enter the battlefield effects (Crystal Shard, Waterfront Bouncer). Weaker support than other colors for token strategies, although Opposition shines in creature focused decks.
X: Higher cost equipment (Swords, Batterskull) can be better leveraged in slower, threat heavy midrange decks. Colorless ramp helps you play high cost threats earlier.
Matchups:
Aggro: You win by slowing the game down and overpowering their low cost creatures with more powerful ones. Life gain can put the game out of reach (Thragtusk also trades with multiple attackers). You lose if they have significant reach (burn) to end the game after your creatures land or if they have cheap removal for your more powerful creatures. When sideboarding, ensure that you have enough early creatures and removal to stall the game until your superior creatures take over.
Control: You don't have the early board presence to pressure control, so their superior answers and card advantage can often overwhelm you. You win when control doesn't have enough answers for your threats, either because they recur or come in large numbers. Planeswalkers are an additional source of pressure since control decks rarely have the board presence to remove them via combat. You lose if you apply too little pressure or see all your key threats answered. Beware Control Magic effects if your strategy hinges on producing a single large threat (reanimator, Tinker and Natural Order decks).
Example Decklists:
1 Baleful Strix
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Eternal Witness
1 Fire Imp
1 Manic Vandal
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Acidic Slime
1 Mulldrifter
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Sundering Titan
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Brainstorm
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Impulse
1 Kolaghan's Command
Sorceries
1 Regrowth
Artifacts
1 Skullclamp
Enchantments
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Sneak Attack
Planeswalkers
1 Dack Fayden
Lands
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Raging Ravine
1 Stomping Ground
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
4 Island
1 Swamp
2 Mountain
3 Forest
Recurring Nightmare gets a lot of value out of cycling through the disruptive creatures in this deck or bringing back a large threat that attacked via Sneak Attack. Vampiric Tutor and Survival of the Fittest find the necessary pieces. Strong synergy based midrange deck that went 2-1 in matches.
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Tireless Tracker
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Polukranos, World Eater
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Primeval Titan
1 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Lightning Bolt
Sorceries
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Natural Order
Artifacts
1 Skullclamp
Enchantments
1 Oath of Nissa
1 Sylvan Library
1 Song of the Dryads
Planeswalkers
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
Lands
1 Mutavault
1 Rishadan Port
1 Stomping Ground
1 Tendo Ice Bridge
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
11 Forest
1 Mountain
Tons of green ramp or Natural Order get large threats out quickly to pressure the opponent. Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary is especially strong in such a heavily green deck and can lead to a turn 3 Primeval Titan. Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger is usually meant to be cheated into play, but this deck has a good chance of hard casting it. It went 3-0 in matches.
Control your opponent, remove their threats, then win the game. Card advantage is very important to control decks so they maintain enough answers and get ahead of the opponent. Few threats or finishers are needed since they are ideally only played once the game is in control. Their main weakness is that they are slow and can be prone to aggressive decks or decks with inevitability and reach.
Strategy: Draft the best targeted removal, mass removal, and card draw or card advantage engines. Planeswalkers that can protect themselves (Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast) can be strong. To end the game, draft a few threats in the form of hard to answer creatures (Ætherling) or planeswalkers (Elspeth, Sun's Champion). The options available will vary with the colors, but the basic gameplan is the same. For example, a green control deck will be much more creature focused than a blue one.
Curve: Curves likely peak in the 3-4 range with several cards costing 5 or more. Do not neglect cards that cost 1-2, though you will not want the early aggressive creatures in your deck. You must interact on the early turns to have a chance against a good aggro draw, whether by removal, countermagic, or a defensive creature. If possible, aim for several mass removal effects and plan to be ready to play them as soon as possible.
Colors and Key Cards:
R: Red has few dedicated control cards, but Fiery Confluence, Arc Lightning, and Rolling Earthquake act as strong removal against aggro. Strong support for the artifact deck.
W: Strong targeted (Swords to Plowshares, Oblivion Ring) and mass removal (Wrath of God, Day of Judgment). Good finishers that can also help stabilize the game (Baneslayer Angel, Elspeth, Sun's Champion).
B: Like white, black has strong removal options (Damnation, Toxic Deluge, Languish). Ophiomancer, Skinrender, and Shriekmaw can trade with multiple opposing threats.
G: Green has good ramp and high cost threats or disruption in creature form, but little in the way of creature removal. Aim for creatures that stabilize the game while advancing your plan (Sakura-Tribe Elder, Courser of Kruphix) or creatures that can set your opponent back while trading for a threat (Acidic Slime, Thragtusk).
U: No removal, but blue has strong card advantage options (Fact or Fiction, Deep Analysis), countermagic (Counterspell) and finishers (Ætherling, Jace, the Mind Sculptor). Control magic effects can be very strong against decks that focus on casting a single, large threat (Control Magic, Treachery).
X: Look for card selection tools (Sensei's Divining Top, Scroll Rack), mass removal (Ratchet Bomb), ramp (Mind Stone), and higher cost cards that stabilize the game and are hard to remove (Batterskull, Wurmcoil Engine).
Matchups:
Aggro: A good aggro draw will pressure you from turn 1, preventing you from having time to reach the late game. Keep hands that interact in the first few turns (Wall of Omens) and can cast a mass removal effect on turn 3-4 if needed to remove 2-3 opposing creatures. Mid or late game, threats that gain life can put the game out of reach for the aggro player.
Midrange: You have a leg up on midrange decks because they generally don't pressure you in the early game, and you have the advantage in removal and card advantage come late game. Beware decks whose plan includes setting you back on resources (Smokestack, Wildfire). Control decks can be especially weak to resolved planeswalkers if your removal is mostly creature focused.
Example Decklists:
1 Wall of Omens
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Reflector Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Mulldrifter
1 Sun Titan
1 Aetherling
Instants
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Incinerate
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Dig Through Time
1 Ponder
1 Council's Judgment
1 Day of Judgment
Artifacts
1 Coalition Relic
Enchantments
1 Banishing Light
1 Treachery
Planeswalkers
1 Dack Fayden
1 Jace Beleren
1 Ral Zarek
Lands
1 Flooded Strand
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Maze of Ith
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Wandering Fumarole
5 Plains
4 Island
1 Mountain
This deck is unusually creature heavy (a result of this being sealed instead of a draft), but most of the creatures are good on offense and defense. They also allow the deck to be more proactive when needed and punish poor draws from the opponent. Strong card draw, planeswalkers, and removal control the opponent until a threat can end the game. This deck went 2-0 in matches.
2013 Summary
2014 Summary
2015 Summary
2016 Summary
W
+Soltari Champion, -Lone Missionary
+Archangel Avacyn
-Eldrazi Displacer (test)
U
+Kira, Great Glass-Spinner, -Academy Ruins
+Thassa, God of the Sea, -Impulse
+Master of Waves (test)
B
+Heir of Falkenrath, -Master of the Feast
+Asylum Visitor, -Blood Scrivener
-Tormented Hero
-Tombstalker
+Sinkhole, -Bearer of Silence (test)
R
+Falkenrath Gorger, -Goblin Glory Chaser
+Sin Prodder
G
+Duskwatch Recruiter, -Wall of Roots
+Tireless Tracker, -Viridian Shaman
WUBRG
-Soulfire Grand Master
X
+Maze of Ith, -Thought-Knot Seer
W
+Dryad Militant, -Spear of Heliod
+Porcelain Legionnaire, -Exalted Angel
+Hallowed Spiritkeeper, -Soltari Champion
+Ravages of War, -Faith's Fetters
+Eldrazi Displacer for testing
U
+Dimensional Infiltrator, -Waterfront Bouncer
+True-Name Nemesis, -Aether Adept
+Phyrexian Metamorph, -Into the Roil
+Mystic Confluence, -Crystal Shard
B
+Tormented Hero
+Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, -Priest of the Blood Rite
+Dismember, -Malicious Affliction
+Bearer of Silence for testing
R
+Fiery Confluence, -Pyroclasm
+Burning of Xinye, -Squee, Goblin Nabob
G
+Arbor Elf, -Wolfbitten Captive
+Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, -Strangleroot Geist
+Sylvan Advocate, -Troll Ascetic
+Titania, Protector of Argoth, -Vorapede
+Oath of Nissa
+Edge of Autumn, -Jungle Lion
+Evolutionary Leap, -Curse of Predation
-Terastodon from the test slot
WUBRG
+Dragonlord Atarka, -Tattermunge Maniac
+Sarkhan Vol, -Huntmaster of the Fells
+Grenzo, Dungeon Warden, -Murderous Redcap
+Reflector Mage, -Venser, the Sojourner
+Kiora, the Crashing Wave, -Simic Sky Swallower
+Knight of the Reliquary, -Dryad Militant (moves to the white section)
-Wild Nacatl
+Hissing Quagmire, -Llanowar Wastes
+Wandering Fumarole, -Shivan Reef
+Needle Spires, -Battlefield Forge
X
+Thought-Knot Seer, -Dismember
+Reality Smasher, -Nevinyrral's Disk
+Kozilek, the Great Distortion, -Porcelain Legionnaire
+Tendo Ice Bridge, -Phyrexian Metamorph
-Mana Vault from the test slot
+Drana, Liberator of Malakir, -Curse of Shallow Graves
+Lumbering Falls, -Yavimaya Coast
+Shambling Vent, -Caves of Koilos
+Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, -Masticore
+Kytheon, Hero of Akros, -Elite Vanguard
+Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, -Enclave Cryptologist
+Aether Adept, -Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
+Whirler Rogue, -Dungeon Geists
+Liliana, Heretical Healer, -Vampire Nighthawk
+Priest of the Blood Rite, -Carrion Feeder
+Languish, -Consuming Vapors
-Unearth
+Goblin Glory Chaser, -Stromkirk Noble
+Pia and Kiran Nalaar, -Avalanche Riders
+Smash to Smithereens, -Pillage
This is my "cube" for the Ascension deckbuilding game. It combines cards from most of the sets with some of the promo cards. I play with 10 new event cards shuffled into the center deck and the events themselves shuffled off to the side.
2 Disciple of Oziah
Cost 2
1 Seer of the Forked Path
2 Temple Librarian
Cost 3
2 Arha Sensei
1 Askara of Fortune
1 Elder Skeptic
1 Journeyman Outrider
3 Wandering Askara
1 Forgotten Scripture
1 Journeyman Sage
1 Neophyte Mentor
2 Scryer of the Lidless Eye
2 Timestream Seer
Cost 5
1 Ascetic of the Lidless Eye
1 Canon Templar
1 Miles, Golden Prodigy
2 Tower Askara
2 Voidforged Paladin
1 Oziah the Peerless
1 Raj, Psionic Master
Cost 7
1 Eye of Destiny
1 Vedah, Sage of Swords
2 Disciple of Cetra
1 Wolf Acolyte
Cost 2
2 Everbloom Clique
2 Great Omen Raven
Cost 3
2 Runic Lycanthrope
2 Wolf Shaman
1 Beast Staff
2 Dandelion Witch
2 Honey Siren
1 Ring of Life
2 Timestream Seer
Cost 5
1 Lionheart
1 Stone Circle
2 Stone Circle Elder
1 Eye of the Serpent
1 Nairi, Henge Queen
1 Remus, Pack Guardian
1 Syril, Runic Alpha
Cost 7
1 Cetra, Weaver of Stars
1 Serpentcall
1 Grease Monk
Cost 2
2 Brazer Drone
Cost 3
2 Burrower Mark II
1 Recyclicrab
Cost 4
1 Deep Drone
1 Energy Monk
1 Personal Wormhole
2 Reactor Monk
2 Scrap Flinger
1 Spark Sprayer
2 Autobuilder 5.0
1 Canon Templar
1 Combustion Idol
1 Control Room
Cost 6
1 Alset, Monk Prodigy
1 Cog Maw
1 Socket Altar
1 The Grand Design
1 Dream Machine
1 Hedron Link Device
1 Project Alpha
Cost 8
1 Hedron Cannon
1 Weapon 303V
2 Disciple of Emri
Cost 2
1 Abolisher
2 Spike Vixen
Cost 3
1 Mistress of Blades
1 Nethersnare
1 Nihilmancer
2 Shade of the Black Watch
2 Shadow Stalker
2 Arbiter of the Precipice
1 Canopic Jar
1 Initiate's Gauntlets
2 Soul Assassin
Cost 5
2 Black Watch Elite
1 Ethereal Huntress
1 Shadowcaster
2 Voidforged Paladin
1 Belthar, Soul Collector
Cost 7
1 Emri, the Unmaker
1 Muramasa
1 Sadranis, Dark Emissary
1 Foundation Burrower
Power 3
2 Cackling Jackal
2 Fettered Soul
2 Ravenous Gorph
2 Sower of Discontent
Power 4
3 Minotaur
4 Mistake of Creation
2 Vandal Soul
2 Noxious Soul
2 Polaris Demon
2 Sea Tyrant
2 Vaultbreaker Wurm
1 Wailing Spectre
Power 6
1 Acidic Crawler
1 Bazu, Duke of Scorn
1 Fire Tyrant
2 Hoarding Tyrant
1 Sower of Betrayal
1 Tarik, the Trickster
1 Adayu the Tormented
1 Akam, the Genie
1 Avatar of the Fallen
1 Kythis, the Gatekeeper
Power 8
1 Nemesis
W
+Dryad Militant, -Spear of Heliod
+Porcelain Legionnaire, -Exalted Angel
+Hallowed Spiritkeeper, -Soltari Champion
+Ravages of War, -Faith's Fetters
+Eldrazi Displacer for testing
Dryad Militant takes a white slot with the removal of green aggro. This and other changes removed several psuedo-anthem effects, so I may need to add some back in.
U
+Dimensional Infiltrator, -Waterfront Bouncer
+True-Name Nemesis, -Aether Adept
+Phyrexian Metamorph, -Into the Roil
+Mystic Confluence, -Crystal Shard
Crystal Shard and Waterfront Bouncer are staples for many, but never caught on for my group. I would love more support for a blink deck, but these don't get played. True-Name is in for a while - I left it out before because I was worried it would be oppressive.
B
+Tormented Hero
+Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, -Priest of the Blood Rite
+Dismember, -Malicious Affliction
+Bearer of Silence for testing
R
+Fiery Confluence, -Pyroclasm
+Burning of Xinye, -Squee, Goblin Nabob
Squee got very little play. I will memorialize him with the tale of the best game he ever contributed to though. I was playing a slow red deck focused on Mimic Vat and Feldon vs. an Esper control deck. My opponent powered out a turn two Gideon off of a Mana Vault. I responded with Squee, who valiantly chump blocked for almost 10 turns while I found land drops and the cards I needed to win. In the meantime, my opponent was also having mana troubles and couldn't pay to untap Mana Vault for most of the game. Goodbye Squee.
G
+Arbor Elf, -Wolfbitten Captive
+Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary, -Strangleroot Geist
+Sylvan Advocate, -Troll Ascetic
+Titania, Protector of Argoth, -Vorapede
+Oath of Nissa
+Edge of Autumn, -Jungle Lion
+Evolutionary Leap, -Curse of Predation
-Terastodon from the test slot
Green aggro support comes out for now and the Titania package comes back in. Hopefully Titania and Evolutionary Leap push more build around green decks.
WUBRG
+Dragonlord Atarka, -Tattermunge Maniac
Extra NO target in the Dragonlord to account for losing Simic Sky Swallower.
+Sarkhan Vol, -Huntmaster of the Fells
+Grenzo, Dungeon Warden, -Murderous Redcap
+Reflector Mage, -Venser, the Sojourner
+Kiora, the Crashing Wave, -Simic Sky Swallower
+Knight of the Reliquary, -Dryad Militant (moves to the white section)
-Wild Nacatl
+Hissing Quagmire, -Llanowar Wastes
+Wandering Fumarole, -Shivan Reef
+Needle Spires, -Battlefield Forge
X
+Thought-Knot Seer, -Dismember
+Reality Smasher, -Nevinyrral's Disk
+Kozilek, the Great Distortion, -Porcelain Legionnaire
+Tendo Ice Bridge, -Phyrexian Metamorph
-Mana Vault from the test slot
Probably too many high cost colorless creatures, but I'll let the group decide which Eldrazi we want or if we want both. If both stay in, I may add Channel in the future.
First post and cube tutor haven't been updated with the changes yet.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
I'd like to have aggro support in green in theory, but no one's been picking the borderline cards at the moment. I am looking forward to the opportunity to explore some other things in green for a bit, then bring it back if we get a few more good aggressive 1/2-drops.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
I'm cutting back on the colorless support a bit, but leaving in a few cards to see if they're worth it without dedicated support (Dimensional Infiltrator and Reality Smasher; I have higher confidence in Kozilek). Eternal Masters has made a few staples cheaper, so I'm trying them out. Lastly, one player wants to try Master of Waves and I've been fond of Thassa, God of the Sea, so blue loses a few cards that see less play to make room.
Black somehow ended up with too many cards, so there's some rebalancing among the colors along with the removal of the hybrid card Soulfire Grand Master.
W
+Soltari Champion, -Lone Missionary
+Archangel Avacyn
-Eldrazi Displacer (test)
U
+Kira, Great Glass-Spinner, -Academy Ruins
+Thassa, God of the Sea, -Impulse
+Master of Waves (test)
B
+Heir of Falkenrath, -Master of the Feast
+Asylum Visitor, -Blood Scrivener
-Tormented Hero
-Tombstalker
+Sinkhole, -Bearer of Silence (test)
R
+Falkenrath Gorger, -Goblin Glory Chaser
+Sin Prodder
G
+Duskwatch Recruiter, -Wall of Roots
+Tireless Tracker, -Viridian Shaman
WUBRG
-Soulfire Grand Master
X
+Maze of Ith, -Thought-Knot Seer
Wub Midrange 3-0
Ug Midrange 2-1
RG Aggressive Midrange 1-2
BR Pox 0-3
Winning deck:
1 Dryad Militant
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Mother of Runes
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Imposing Sovereign
1 Blade Splicer
1 Flickerwisp
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Mulldrifter
1 Reveillark
1 Unexpectedly Absent
1 Dismember
1 Memory Lapse
Artifacts
1 Mimic Vat
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Batterskull
Enchantments
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Gideon Jura
1 Jace Beleren
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Lands
10 Plains
7 Island
BRw Aggro 2-0
WUb Control 1-1
BG Pox 1-1
WU Midrange 0-2
Winning Deck:
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Dark Confidant
1 Pack Rat
1 Reassembling Skeleton
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Manic Vandal
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Falkenrath Aristocrat
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Burst Lightning
1 Magma Jet
1 Staggershot
Sorceries
1 Firebolt
1 Arc Trail
1 Dreadbore
1 Molten Rain
Artifacts
1 Mox Diamond
1 Skull Clamp
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Curse of Shallow Graves
1 Oblivion Ring
Planeswalkers
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Lands
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 City of Brass
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Strip Mine
1 Plains
4 Swamp
6 Mountain
WG Aggro 2-1
GWu Ramp 2-1
UGwr Control 1-1
UBw Reanimator/Blink 1-1
WB Midrange 0-2
Winning deck:
1 Dryad Militant
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Experiment One
1 Jungle Lion
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Student of Warfare
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Imposing Sovereign
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Lone Missionary
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 River Boa
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Soltari Priest
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Soltari Champion
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Green Sun's Zenith
Artifacts
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
Enchantments
1 Journey to Nowhere
Planeswalkers
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Lands
1 Horizon Canopy
9 Plains
6 Forest
WG Aggro 2-1
GWu Ramp 2-1
UGwr Control 1-1
UBw Reanimator/Blink 1-1
BR Midrange 1-1
WB Midrange 0-2
Winning deck:
1 Dryad Militant
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Experiment One
1 Jungle Lion
1 Steppe Lynx
1 Student of Warfare
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Imposing Sovereign
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Lone Missionary
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 River Boa
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Soltari Priest
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Silverblade Paladin
1 Soltari Champion
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Green Sun's Zenith
Artifacts
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
Enchantments
1 Journey to Nowhere
Planeswalkers
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Lands
1 Horizon Canopy
9 Plains
6 Forest
Rg Aggro 3-0
WUbg Control 2-1
Br Aggro 1-2
WU Midrange 0-3
Winning deck:
1 Dryad Militant
1 Firedrinker Satyr
1 Goblin Guide
1 Jackal Pup
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 Jungle Lion
1 River Boa
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Manic Vandal
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Molten-Tail Masticore
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Incinerate
1 Magma Jet
1 Searing Spear
Sorceries
1 Call of the Herd
1 Flames of the Firebrand
Artifacts
1 Winter Orb
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Tangle Wire
1 Sulfuric Vortex
Planeswalkers
1 Koth of the Hammer
Lands
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Wasteland
1 Wooded Foothills
8 Mountain
4 Forest
WB Aggressive Midrange 3-0
Uw Control 2-1
RGu Ramp 2-1
BGr Aggro 1-2
UB Pox 0-3
Winning deck:
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Dark Confidant
1 Lone Missionary
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Soltari Monk
1 Soltari Priest
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Wall of Omens
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Restoration Angel
1 Skinrender
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Snuff Out
Sorceries
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Vindicate
Artifacts
1 Bonesplitter
1 Batterskull
Enchantments
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Parallax Wave
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Caves of Koilos
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Windswept Heath
8 Plains
4 Swamp
URw Midrange 2-0
WB Aggro 1-1
GWub Ramp 1-1
UBr Tempo 0-2
Winning deck:
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Omenspeaker
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Siege-Gang Commander
Instants
1 Brainstorm
1 Into the Roil
1 Searing Spear
1 Chain Lightning
1 Preordain
1 Arc Trail
1 Flames of the Firebrand
1 Molten Rain
1 Pillage
1 Wildfire
Artifacts
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Batterskull
1 Memory Jar
1 Faith's Fetters
Planeswalkers
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Lands
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents
1 Strip Mine
1 Windswept Heath
1 Plains
5 Island
6 Mountain
WR Midrange-y Aggro 2-1
WUB Reanimator Control 2-1
UG Control 2-1
RGw Midrange 0-3
3-way tie among the 2-1 decks
BR Aggro 3-1
WGu Midrange 2-1
UB Control 2-1
WB Token Aggro 1-1-1
RG Aggro 1-2
WGr Midrange 1-2
UG Control 0-2-1
Winning deck:
1 Carnophage
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Firedrinker Satyr
1 Gnarled Scarhide
1 Gravecrawler
1 Jackal Pup
1 Ash Zealot
1 Blood Scrivener
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Fire Imp
1 Master of the Feast
1 Ophiomancer
1 Hellrider
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Dismember
Sorceries
1 Duress
1 Arc Trail
1 Hymn to Tourach
Artifacts
1 Bonesplitter
1 Tangle Wire
Enchantments
1 Sulfuric Vortex
Lands
1 Arid Mesa
1 Blood Crypt
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Mana Confluence
1 Marsh Flats
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Wasteland
5 Swamp
4 Mountain
WR Aggro 2-0
5 Color Worldknit Control 1-1
UG Control 1-1
WG Midrange 0-2
Winning deck:
1 Dryad Militant
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Student of Warfare
1 Ash Zealot
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Soltari Monk
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Mirror Entity
1 Soltari Champion
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Hellrider
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Burst Lightning
1 Magma Jet
1 Staggershock
Sorceries
1 Chain Lightning
1 Arc Lightning
Artifacts
1 Bonesplitter
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Batterskull
Planeswalkers
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Arid Mesa
1 Clifftop Retreat
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Strip Mine
7 Plains
6 Mountain
WRu Burn 3-1
UBr Tempo 3-2
WB Midrange-y Aggro 3-1
UG Swords and Clones Midrange 2-1
RGu Midrange 0-3
WB Midrange 0-3
Winning deck:
1 Greater Gargadon
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Deal Broker
1 Fire Imp
1 Guttersnipe
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Baneslayer Angel
Instants
1 Burst Lightning
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Path to Exile
1 Boros Charm
1 Searing Spear
1 Char
1 Staggershock
1 Chain Lightning
1 Arc Trail
1 Balance
1 Earthquake
Artifacts
1 Cursed Scroll
Enchantments
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Sulfuric Vortex
Planeswalkers
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Ral Zarek
Lands
1 City of Brass
1 Flooded Strand
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Mutavault
1 Steam Vents
3 Plains
7 Mountain
Honorable Mention:
1 Carnophage
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Gnarled Scarhide
1 Rakdos Cackler
1 Baleful Strix
1 Bloodghast
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Master of the Feast
1 Shadowmage Infiltrator
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Duskmantle Seer
1 Falkenrath Artistocrat
1 Meloku, the Clouded Mirror
1 Shriekmaw
1 Dark Ritual
1 Daze
1 Mana Leak
1 Memory Lapse
Sorceries
1 Duress
1 Dreadbore
1 Hymn to Tourach
Enchantments
1 Bitterblossom
Plainswalkers
1 Dack Fayden
Lands
1 Arid Mesa
1 Blood Crypt
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Mana Confluence
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Shivan Reef
1 Watery Grave
4 Island
4 Swamp
1 Mountain
Worldknit Resource Denial Control 4-0
WGb Midrange 1-0-2
RG Ramp 1-1-1
WB Midrange Tokens 1-2
WU Blue Devotion 0-2-1
UR Midrange 0-2
Winning deck:
1 Bloodsoaked Champion
1 Bloodghast
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Wild Mongrel
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Ophiomancer
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Nekrataal
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Primeval Titan
1 Simic Sky Swallower
Instants
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Cryptic Command
1 Chain Lightning
1 Reanimate
1 Thoughtseize
1 Balance
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Life from the Loam
1 Regrowth
1 Lingering Souls
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Consuming Vapors
1 Damnation
1 Wildfire
Artifacts
1 Pithing Needle
Enchantments
1 Animate Dead
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Venser, the Sojourner
Conspiracies
1 Worldknit
Lands
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Breeding Pool
1 Flooded Strand
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Raging Ravine
1 Verdant Catacombs
8 Plains
8 Mountain
WB Tokens 4-1
UB Tempo 2-1
WG Midrange 2-1
Worldknit Midrange 1-2
BG Ramp Reanimator 1-2
Monored Aggro 0-3
Winning deck:
1 Bloodsoaked Champion
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Blood Scrivener
1 Bloodghast
1 Dark Confidant
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Blade Splicer
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Flesh Carver
1 Mirror Entity
1 Ophiomancer
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Magus of the Abyss
1 Reveillark
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
Sorceries
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Lingering Souls
1 Vindicate
Artifacts
1 Mox Diamond
1 Sword of War and Peace
Enchantments
1 Sarcomancy
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Mana Confluence
1 Mutavault
6 Plains
7 Swamp
Rwug Wildfire 3-0
BR Aggro 2-1
Gu Upheaval Ramp 1-1
UB Tempo 1-1
Worldknit Midrange 1-1
WGr Titania 1-2
Uwbr Artifact Reanimator 1-2
WUb Planeswalker Control 0-2
Winning deck:
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Thragtusk
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Inferno Titan
1 Wurmcoil Engine
Instants
1 Burst Lightning
1 Magma Jet
1 Staggershock
Sorceries
1 Chain Lightning
1 Arc Trail
1 Balance
1 Pyroclasm
1 Flames of the Firebrand
1 Wildfire
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Coalition Relic
Enchantments
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Song of the Dryads
Planeswalkers
1 Dack Fayden
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
Lands
1 Battlefield Forge
1 Flooded Strand
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Paliano, the High City
1 Raging Ravine
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Shivan Reef
1 Plains
1 Island
7 Mountain
1 Forest
URwg Blink 6-2
Uw Artifact Ramp Control 5-3
Wb Aggro Tokens 3-5
BG Reanimator 2-6
Winning deck:
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Feldon of the Third Path
1 Fire Imp
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Avalanche Riders
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Masticore
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Mulldrifter
1 Thragtusk
1 Force Spike
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Impulse
1 Magma Jet
1 Memory Lapse
Artifacts
1 Skullclamp
1 Crystal Shard
1 Mimic Vat
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
Enchantments
1 Treachery
1 Venser, the Sojourner
Lands
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Mana Confluence
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Shivan Reef
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
5 Island
4 Mountain
1 Forest
Wb Aggro 6-2
BGr Reanimator 5-2
UR Tinker 3-2
WRb Tokens Aggro 3-3
WGur Sneak Attack Control 2-5
UB Tempo 1-6
Winning deck:
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Mardu Woe-Reaper
1 Savannah Lions
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Blood Scrivener
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Soulfire Grand Master
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Blade Splicer
1 Flickerwisp
1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
1 Mirror Entity
1 Soltari Champion
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries
1 Lingering Souls
Artifacts
1 Cursed Scroll
Enchantments
1 Oblivion Ring
Planeswalkers
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Lands
1 Arid Mesa
1 Godless Shrine
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Marsh Flats
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Strip Mine
Uwb Tinker 4-0
WB Midrange 2-2
WU Control 0-4
Winning deck:
1 Enclave Cryptologist
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Venser, Shaper Savant
1 Mulldrifter
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Instants
1 Condescend
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Impulse
1 Into the Roil
1 Remand
1 Tinker
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Deep Analysis
Artifacts
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Mox Diamond
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Pithing Needle
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Grim Monolith
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Animate Dead
Planeswalkers
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
Lands
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Caves of Koilos
1 Godless Shrine
12 Island
1 Swamp
BG Aggressive Midrange 3-2
WU Control 2-3
Winning deck:
1 Bloodsoaked Champion
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Gravecrawler
1 Blood Scrivener
1 Bloodghast
1 Lotleth Troll
1 Eternal Witness
1 Liliana, Heretical Healer
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Skinrender
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Thragtusk
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Snuff Out
Sorceries
1 Duress
1 Unearth
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Maelstrom Pulse
Artifacts
1 Sword of War and Peace
Enchantments
1 Animate Dead
Planeswalkers
1 Garruk Relentless
Lands
1 City of Brass
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Rishadan Port
1 Volrath's Stronghold
8 Swamp
4 Forest
Wu Midrange Tokens 6-1
Ubr Control 5-4
WBR Midrange Tokens/<2 Power Matters 3-5
BG Reanimator 2-6
Winning deck:
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
1 Mother of Runes
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Imposing Sovereign
1 Soulfire Grand Master
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Blade Splicer
1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
1 Man-o'-War
1 Mirror Entity
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Brainstorm
1 Condescend
Sorceries
1 Spectral Procession
1 Catastrophe
Artifacts
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Tangle Wire
Enchantments
1 Parallax Wave
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Lands
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Mutavault
12 Plains
4 Island
WG Midrange 3-2
WG Midrange 2-2
WU Control 2-3
Winning deck:
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Mother of Runes
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Eternal Witness
1 Mirror Entity
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Thragtusk
1 Sun Titan
1 Sundering Titan
1 Spectral Procession
1 Wrath of God
1 Catastrophe
Artifacts
1 Mox Diamond
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Crucible of Worlds
Enchantments
1 Survival of the Fittest
Lands
1 Flooded Strand
1 Marsh Flats
1 Rishadan Port
1 Verdant Catacombs
6 Plains
7 Forest
BR Artifact Reanimator 4-2
UB Midrange 4-2
RGu Wildfire 3-2
UBg Control 4-5
WR Aggro 3-5
WGu Ramp 2-4
Winning deck:
1 Feldon of the Third Path
1 Flesh Carver
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Inferno Titan
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Sundering Titan
Instants
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Dismember
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Kolaghan's Command
1 Faithless Looting
1 Reanimate
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Toxic Deluge
Artifacts
1 Pithing Needle
1 Scroll Rack
1 Mimic Vat
Enchantments
1 Animate Dead
1 Dance of the Dead
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Sneak Attack
1 Daretti, Scrap Savant
Lands
1 Blood Crypt
1 City of Brass
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Mana Confluence
1 Polluted Delta
7 Swamp
5 Mountain
BGw Midrange 6-1
UB Tempo 4-2
BR Midrange 4-2
WR Wildfire Control 4-2
WR Aggro 2-4
BRg Aggro 1-4
BGu Reanimator 0-6
Winning deck:
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Wall of Roots
1 Ophiomancer
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Shriekmaw
1 Vorapede
1 Dismember
Sorceries
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Natural Order
Artifacts
1 Sword of War and Peace
Enchantments
1 Pernicious Deed
Planeswalkers
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Plains
4 Swamp
9 Forest
UR Tempo 4-2
WGr Ramp 3-2
BR Midrange 2-2
WUb Control 1-4
Winning deck:
1 Goblin Guide
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Plated Geopede
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Aether Adept
1 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Manic Vandal
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Hellrider
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Counterspell
1 Daze
Sorceries
1 Firebolt
1 Arc Lightning
1 Wheel of Fortune
Planeswalkers
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
Lands
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Wasteland
6 Island
8 Mountain
In 2015 I added more dedicated support for the artifact deck (Tezzerets, Daretti, Sphinx of the Steel Wind), reanimator (Feldon, discard outlets, Dance of the Dead), and Sneak Attack and Burning of Xinye in red. In retrospect, I'm very happy since those decks started coming together far more often, whereas they happened very rarely before. Sneak Attack hasn't seen a ton of success, but it's been played in reanimator shells and especially alongside Feldon. Artifact decks fared better than reanimator overall, going 16-7 in total games vs. reanimator's 13-22 record.
Color balance:
R: 38-34 in games, 53% win rate
U: 45-42 in games, 52% win rate
B: 47-55 in games, 46% win rate
W: 49-58 in games, 46% win rate
G: 33-40 in games, 45% win rate
These numbers are based on aggregate win rates for decks playing a color as a major component, not a splash. Win rates are fairly close. Play rate goes W>B>U>G>R.
+Selfless Spirit, -Kor Skyfisher
+Thalia, Heretic Cathar, -Soltari Champion
+Wharf Infiltrator, -Dimensional Infiltrator
+Imprisoned in the Moon, -Thirst for Knowledge
+Hanweir Garrison, -Fire Imp
+Prismatic Lens, -Kozilek, the Great Distortion
+Guardian Idol, -Reality Smasher
+Emrakul, the Promised End, -Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
No ideas at the moment for what to add over Kozilek. Some of the other colorless specific cards make room for a few more mana rocks - my players have been having trouble getting enough lately.
No Liliana, the Last Hope yet - I'm not sure if she's good enough for 360 and cutting
black non-creatures at 3cards is tough.Edit: Oops, had already removed Thought-Knot Seer, so no need for another colorless card.
UR Counterburn 4-0
UG Ramp 4-2
Uwbr Artifact Control 4-2
BG Midrange Reanimator 3-3
W Token Midrange 2-2
RGw Aggro 1-4
WBR Aggro 1-6
Winning deck:
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Man-o'-War
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Dungeon Geists
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
Instants
1 Condescend
1 Force of Will
1 Burst Lightning
1 Force Spike
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Daze
1 Memory Lapse
1 Remand
1 Cryptic Command
1 Firebolt
1 Preordain
1 Arc Trail
1 Flames of the Firebrand
Artifacts
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
Planeswalkers
1 Ral Zarek
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
Lands
1 Mana Confluence
1 Rishadan Port
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Steam Vents
7 Island
5 Mountain
URGb Sneak Attack/Recurring Nightmare 5-2
Wu Aggressive Tokens 4-2
WUbr Artifact Control 4-3
UGw Upheaval 4-4
BR Aggro 3-5
BG NO/Reanimator 1-5
Winning deck:
1 Baleful Strix
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Eternal Witness
1 Fire Imp
1 Manic Vandal
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Acidic Slime
1 Mulldrifter
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Sundering Titan
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Brainstorm
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Impulse
1 Kolaghan's Command
Sorceries
1 Regrowth
Artifacts
1 Skullclamp
Enchantments
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Sneak Attack
Planeswalkers
1 Dack Fayden
Lands
1 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Raging Ravine
1 Stomping Ground
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
4 Island
1 Swamp
2 Mountain
3 Forest
UB Tempo 6-1
BGr Reanimator 4-2
WU Control 4-3
WB Aggro 4-4
BR Midrange 4-4
GWr Titania & Armageddon 3-4
WRG Wildfire 2-4
WRb Tokens 1-6
Winning deck:
1 Baleful Strix
1 Dimensional Infiltrator
1 Looter Il-Kor
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Duskmantle Seer
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Shriekmaw
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Condescend
1 Force of Will
1 Snuff Out
1 Arcane Denial
1 Daze
1 Mana Leak
1 Memory Lapse
1 Miscalculation
1 Demonic Tutor
Artifacts
1 Vedalken Shackles
Enchantments
1 Bitterblossom
1 Treachery
Lands
1 Creeping Tar Pit
10 Island
6 Swamp
WB Aggro Tokens 6-1
UGr Blue Devotion 4-2
WUbr Artifact Control 4-3
WB Aggro 3-4
RG Midrange 2-4
BGr Wildfire 1-6
Winning deck:
1 Carnophage
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Gravecrawler
1 Rakdos Cackler
1 Savannah Lions
1 Student of Warfare
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Asylum Visitor
1 Kor Skyfisher
1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
1 Liliana, Heretical Healer
1 Mardu Strike Leader
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Sun Titan
1 Snuff Out
Sorceries
1 Profane Command
1 Vindicate
1 Armageddon
1 Ravages of War
Artifacts
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Smokestack
Planeswalkers
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Lands
1 Arid Mesa
1 Blood Crypt
1 Godless Shrine
1 Mana Confluence
1 Rishadan Port
5 Plains
7 Swamp
WUr Control 4-0
WBur Control 3-2
RG Midrange 2-3
WR Aggro 0-4
Winning deck:
1 Wall of Omens
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Reflector Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Cloudgoat Ranger
1 Mulldrifter
1 Sun Titan
1 Aetherling
Instants
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Incinerate
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Dig Through Time
1 Ponder
1 Council's Judgment
1 Day of Judgment
Artifacts
1 Coalition Relic
Enchantments
1 Banishing Light
1 Treachery
Planeswalkers
1 Dack Fayden
1 Jace Beleren
1 Ral Zarek
Lands
1 Flooded Strand
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Maze of Ith
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Wandering Fumarole
5 Plains
4 Island
1 Mountain
Gr Ramp 6-1
UB Control 5-3
URb Wildfire Control 4-2
BGw Stax 2-4
WR Aggro 2-5
WBr Midrange 2-6
Winning deck:
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Tireless Tracker
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Polukranos, World Eater
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Primeval Titan
1 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Lightning Bolt
Sorceries
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Natural Order
Artifacts
1 Skullclamp
Enchantments
1 Oath of Nissa
1 Sylvan Library
1 Song of the Dryads
Planeswalkers
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
Lands
1 Mutavault
1 Rishadan Port
1 Stomping Ground
1 Tendo Ice Bridge
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
11 Forest
1 Mountain
BG Ramp 6-2
Rw Aggro 5-3
WRub Control 4-4
BRg Aggro 0-6
Winning deck:
1 Arbor Elf
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Warden of the First Tree
1 Duskwatch Recruiter
1 Pack Rat
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Mardu Strike Leader
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Skinrender
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Shriekmaw
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Hornet Queen
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Dark Ritual
Artifacts
1 Coalition Relic
1 Worn Powerstone
Enchantments
1 Rancor
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Song of the Dryads
Planeswalkers
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
Lands
8 Swamp
9 Forest
BG Midrange 6-2
BRg Aggro 5-3
Uwbrg Planeswalkers 4-4
UBw Blue Devotion 4-5
WG Midrange 4-6
WR Aggro 1-4
Winning deck:
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Dryad Militant
1 Bloodghast
1 Lotleth Troll
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Pack Rat
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
1 Flesh Carver
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Polukranos, World Eater
1 Skinrender
1 Wickerbough Elder
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Dark Ritual
1 Dismember
Sorceries
1 Profane Command
1 Maelstrom Pulse
Artifacts
1 Batterskull
Enchantments
1 Bitterblossom
Planeswalkers
1 Garruk Relentless
Lands
8 Swamp
9 Forest
WR Aggro Burn 6-1
Bwg Midrange Reanimator 3-3
WRb Armageddon Control 3-4
WR Aggro 0-4
Winning deck:
1 Dragon Hunter
1 Firedrinker Satyr
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Zurgo Bellstriker
1 Lightning Mauler
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Mirror Entity
1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Magma Jet
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Char
Sorceries
1 Chain Lightning
1 Arc Lightning
1 Flames of the Firebrand
Planeswalkers
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Arid Mesa
1 Flooded Strand
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Mutavault
W
+Angel of Invention, -Cloudgoat Ranger
+Elspeth, Sun's Champion, -Archangel Avacyn
U
+Faerie Conclave, -Wharf Infiltrator
+Waterfront Bouncer, -Thassa, God of the Sea
-Master of Waves (test)
+Crystal Shard, -Imprisoned in the Moon
+Show and Tell
+Thirst for Knowledge, -Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
B
+Tormented Hero, -Liliana, Heretical Healer
+Scrapheap Scrounger, -Nezumi Graverobber
+Custodi Lich, -Phyrexian Arena
+Griselbrand, -Nekrataal
+Sinkhole
+Exhume, -Dance of the Dead
+Mind Twist (test)
R
+Abbot of Keral Keep, -War-Name Aspirant
-Flames of the Firebrand
+Chandra, Torch of Defiance, -Koth of the Hammer
+Fireblast, -Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
G
+Jungle Lion, -Edge of Autumn
+Kessig Prowler, -Wild Mongrel
+Wolfbitten Captive, -Life from the Loam
+Kalonian Hydra, -Titania, Protector of Argoth
+Oath of Druids, -Evolutionary Leap
WUBRG
-Lotleth Troll
-Kiora, the Crashing Wave
+Wild Nacatl
+Tattermunge Maniac, -Sarkhan Vol
+Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast, -Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
+Saheeli Rai (test)
+Badlands, -Lavaclaw Reaches
+Bayou, -Hissing Quagmire
+Plateau, -Needle Spires
+Savannah, -Knight of the Reliquary
+Scrubland, -Shambling Vent
+Taiga, -Raging Ravine
+Tropical Island, -Lumbering Falls
+Tundra, -Detention Sphere
+Underground Sea, -Duskmantle Seer
+Volcanic Island, -Wandering Fumarole
X
+Smuggler's Copter, -Guardian Idol
+Fleetwheel Cruiser, -Sword of War and Peace
+Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, -Evolving Wilds
Mind Twist isn't just for aggro. I think every black deck wants it. I think it may be trouble in unpowered, but it might be OK to have such a powerful card without much of the fast mana.
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
I've felt for a while that the 4 swords I've been running was a bit much at 360, and SoWaP is the most inconsistent. Occasionally, it completely seals the deal, with the trigger dealing 5-6 damage, but most of the time I see it, the triggers are largely irrelevant, unlike with the other swords.