First, none of the less experienced players were happy to see dual lands in their pack. In their eyes, it was a waste of a slot that could be something jaw-dropping like a Titan or a Sword.
Second, they were particularly susceptible to frustration over being mana-screwed (as most of them ran dual color decks).
Isn't the solution to BOTH problems that they should value mana fixing more highly?
If you have roughly 2 lands per booster, cutting the lands means that you are effectively giving them two more spells per pack. I don't know if that's intentional or not.
It's pretty good, with the only section I disagree with being the red one. I don't see Devil's Play as being the best red cube card printed this year. And I'm a little surprised that Brimstone Volley, Stormkirk Noble and Moltensteel Dragon all miss the top 5.
Has anyone any experience with a monocolored cube? I was wondering what a cube is like when you don't have to worry about colors.
Just replace basic lands with Utopia (a painless City of Brass) and use a normal cube.
I liked the LSV draft. I think he resisted being a blue control deck for too long, and also don't think he should have cut Bitterblossom (like everyone else here). But most of the rest was spot on. Masticore isn't great. Neither is SDT without shuffles. Manafixing IS that important. etc etc.
OK, so reverse that for the alternative cards. You have Plains, Plains, Battlefield Forge, and now you can't cast your red CC cards. Note that in the Prairie case, you can still cast your 1 drops on T2, but in the Forge case, you can't cast your CC spells at all.
Given the preponderance of CC cards in aggro (especially white), Priaire fills a role that other fixers just can't.
Well, there are two responses to that.
Firstly, it's more important to be able to cast your 1-drops than your 2 drops (since you could cast another 1 drop on turn 2), plus you are attacking earlier.
Secondly, I think it's bad cube design to have a plethora of CC bears in aggro. Rugged Prairie does the job of letting you cast CC bears, but it's only one card in the whole cube, that you can't count on drafting, and can't count on drawing in order to be able to consistently curve out. It's a better plan to run many more 1C bears than CC bears (so, things like Mistral Charger instead of White Knight) simply because you will be able to more reliably curve out with them.
The article was 'solving' the problem of clunky CC bears through Rugged Prairie. I solved that problem by running fewer CC bears.
He said that Jitte was the only card he'd want for Boros aggro over Rugged Prairie, which I think is absurd. I think the Prairie is a pretty bad land (particularly for aggro where colored mana on T1 is clutch), and even if it was a Plateau, there's still a bunch of cards I'd rather have for my deck.
He said in the comments of his article that he was joking when he said that Jitte was the only card he would pick over Battlefield Forge. He agreed with cards like Ajani Vengeant, Goblin Guide and Figure of Destiny as being more important. It's just that the filler cards like Manic Vandals, Blistering Firecat, Savannah Lions etc that he rates below the manafixing.
He just jokingly exaggerated (on the internet, with emoticons or joke tags). He thought it would be obvious that Jitte wasn't the only better card and nobody would think that was true. But, this is the internets. He was wrong.
Nothing is wrong with the statement simply made in itself. But if you read the message above the message, he essential say that you should include Gift Given over Gift Ungiven.
Well, from a power level standpoint, he is correct. I can attest from personal experience that Gifts Given is ten times the card that Gifts Ungiven is. GG is one of the top 10 blue cards in cube. *Maybe* top 5.
But as the card would be put into your hand, then, by
217.1a If an object would go to any library, graveyard, or hand other than its owner’s, it goes to the corresponding zone of its owner’s instead.
would send it to the owner hand instead. I think he say something along the line of 101.1 go more to support card more like Exploration or Mirror Gallery. For that, he just say that Gifts Given doesn't "directly break the rule".
I'm no judge myself, so I don't really know if the statement is right or wrong. I mean, I'll be happier if Gifts Given works the way you guys tell me. I'll finally take it off my binder to play it in some games.
I think your friend is wrong. (I'm also a judge, for what that's worth, which is zilch on the internet).
Gifts Given clearly and directly says the cards are put into your hand. Which means that 101.1 overrides 217.1a, and the cards are put into your hand. However, GG doesn't make you the owner of the cards, so 217.1a means that it will go to their graveyard in due course as the game plays out.
The only potential ambiguity I see with Gifts Given is the interaction with cards like Brainstorm (which has actually happened for me once, although at the time I didn't want to put their cards back with brainstorm anyway). My interpretation is that you can't put their cards back on top of your library (if you did they would go back onto their owners library, as per 217.1a). But this is unenforceable since both zones are hidden information from your opponent(s).
217.1a If an object would go to any library, graveyard, or hand other than its owner’s, it goes to the corresponding zone of its owner’s instead.
There's that rule. I guess that rule might override this rule, though. Anyhow, since the game rule doesn't allow it. Putting a rule in like that make it "errata" in that very act.
101.1. Whenever a card's text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. The only exception is that a player can concede the game at any time (see rule 104.3a).
How is Top possibly bad without shuffles? It fixes your draw step so that you draw the most optimal card in your top three. Shuffle effects make it better, sure, but it's still pretty good without them.
Oooh, I'll chime in here.
I don't think that the cost (a card invested and 1 mana per turn) is worth it if you can't shuffle away the dross. This is different from Sylvan Library which is basically always worth it.
I still agree with Phantizle's excellent breakdown of the article however.
However on the other hand, articles that get people talking about and excited about cube are a good thing.
p.s. card tags are your friend.
Isn't the solution to BOTH problems that they should value mana fixing more highly?
If you have roughly 2 lands per booster, cutting the lands means that you are effectively giving them two more spells per pack. I don't know if that's intentional or not.
I run Balance, Aramgeddon, Ravages of War and Catastrophe in a 180 cube.
So, something like 4-5-8?
It's pretty good, with the only section I disagree with being the red one. I don't see Devil's Play as being the best red cube card printed this year. And I'm a little surprised that Brimstone Volley, Stormkirk Noble and Moltensteel Dragon all miss the top 5.
Just replace basic lands with Utopia (a painless City of Brass) and use a normal cube.
I liked the LSV draft. I think he resisted being a blue control deck for too long, and also don't think he should have cut Bitterblossom (like everyone else here). But most of the rest was spot on. Masticore isn't great. Neither is SDT without shuffles. Manafixing IS that important. etc etc.
I thought his opponent played pretty well in the matchup actually. He certainly seemed to test spell and pick his fights better than LSV did.
Well, there are two responses to that.
Firstly, it's more important to be able to cast your 1-drops than your 2 drops (since you could cast another 1 drop on turn 2), plus you are attacking earlier.
Secondly, I think it's bad cube design to have a plethora of CC bears in aggro. Rugged Prairie does the job of letting you cast CC bears, but it's only one card in the whole cube, that you can't count on drafting, and can't count on drawing in order to be able to consistently curve out. It's a better plan to run many more 1C bears than CC bears (so, things like Mistral Charger instead of White Knight) simply because you will be able to more reliably curve out with them.
The article was 'solving' the problem of clunky CC bears through Rugged Prairie. I solved that problem by running fewer CC bears.
And what I think you meant to say was this:
Yes? (of course, that is really 100%, but w/e)
Can we all stop getting hung up over a loosly phrased post?
He said in the comments of his article that he was joking when he said that Jitte was the only card he would pick over Battlefield Forge. He agreed with cards like Ajani Vengeant, Goblin Guide and Figure of Destiny as being more important. It's just that the filler cards like Manic Vandals, Blistering Firecat, Savannah Lions etc that he rates below the manafixing.
He just jokingly exaggerated (on the internet, with emoticons or joke tags). He thought it would be obvious that Jitte wasn't the only better card and nobody would think that was true. But, this is the internets. He was wrong.
Well, from a power level standpoint, he is correct. I can attest from personal experience that Gifts Given is ten times the card that Gifts Ungiven is. GG is one of the top 10 blue cards in cube. *Maybe* top 5.
Edit: Yeah, I think it's the 5th best blue card, behind Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Upheaval, Jace, the Mind Sculptor. And ahead of Tinker.
Well, it doesn't break that rule. It invokes that rule to enable you putting two of their cards into your hand.
I think your friend is wrong. (I'm also a judge, for what that's worth, which is zilch on the internet).
Gifts Given clearly and directly says the cards are put into your hand. Which means that 101.1 overrides 217.1a, and the cards are put into your hand. However, GG doesn't make you the owner of the cards, so 217.1a means that it will go to their graveyard in due course as the game plays out.
The only potential ambiguity I see with Gifts Given is the interaction with cards like Brainstorm (which has actually happened for me once, although at the time I didn't want to put their cards back with brainstorm anyway). My interpretation is that you can't put their cards back on top of your library (if you did they would go back onto their owners library, as per 217.1a). But this is unenforceable since both zones are hidden information from your opponent(s).
101.1. Whenever a card's text directly contradicts these rules, the card takes precedence. The card overrides only the rule that applies to that specific situation. The only exception is that a player can concede the game at any time (see rule 104.3a).
Oooh, I'll chime in here.
I don't think that the cost (a card invested and 1 mana per turn) is worth it if you can't shuffle away the dross. This is different from Sylvan Library which is basically always worth it.
I still agree with Phantizle's excellent breakdown of the article however.
However on the other hand, articles that get people talking about and excited about cube are a good thing.
Looking at your cube, the only guys I would cut are Jungle Lion and Pouncing Jaguar.
Twinblade Slasher is a fine card even if you don't support aggro.
The cards I'd be looking to include over them are sex monkey and call of the herd or Ohran Viper.