I have read a few AER Cube reviews so far and since I am maintaining an artifact cube, having an artifact block excites me a lot. Kaladesh and Aether Revolt brings a lot of new artifact identities to the colors as well as enhances the current ones established in past artifact blocks.
At first I was hesitant to put up an article for lack of audience but I figured that an artifact set only comes by once in a while, so it is a chance to share what insight I have for artifact cubes. Granted, artifact cubes are not as established as the classic cubes but I aim to put in explanation why they are ranked so, and it is mostly due to a combination of power and synergy. All of these are thorycrafting, and these have not been tested yet. You can view this list as the "for testing" list.
The Good: A Manic Vandal with replicate, in an artifact cube it acts like a better Decree of Justice while decimating your opponent. The Bad: It could be too powerful for cube. Verdict: If you ban mass artifact removal such as Vandalblast or Shattering Spree then this is a viable, less powerful option.
Personally I still find it too swingy. This warrants testing but I excluded it from the list.
The Good: If this cost 5 due to Improvise, then this is already decent. This can reliably drop on turn 4 and supports an all out “Affinity” archetype, including Metalwork Colossus and the usualaffinityguys. The Bad: Simply too vanilla for a 5-7 drop. Verdict: For small cubes (360-450), This needs testing if it supports the Affinity/Ramp archetype.
The Good: Nothing much to say about an Atog clone, but it works very well in this environment. Red is the king of sac effects and this goes well with the theme. With a lot of artifacts in play, he messes up combat math big time and can simply win you the game if unblocked. The Bad: If you don’t like functional reprints, then you may revert back to good old Atog. Verdict: He provides good redundancy for the Rx agro archetype.
The Good: If you do not have this yet then it is time to add this cute version. A mox for Affinity and Improvise, a carrier of equipment, and worst case, fodder for Shrapnel Blast. The Bad: By itself, does nothing Verdict: For 0 mana, it does provide a lot of interactions. This is a late pick, depending if you already have enough equipment, +1/+1 counters, or Affinity cards.
The Good: 4/4 for 4 that grows is decent, as the Crew ability is minimal and can easily be satisfied by the multitude of Myr, Servo, and Thopter Tokens. +1/+1 counter interaction is, well, a plus. The Bad: Vehicles are hard to put in an environment with good equipment. Currently there is not enough data on the viability of vehicles. Verdict: This is a safe inclusion for Vehicles because of Crew 1. But if you are to support Vehicles, then there are better ones.
The Good: Compared to Mechanized Production, it is much less prone to disruption (and two-for-one). Having a chump blocker for every machine you assemble will help you prolong your life and make that combo. The Bad: 4cc is a bit slow but not so much of an issue with blue. And as far as 4cc enchantments go, [card]Thopter Spy network[card] is a much better, though less splashable, option. Verdict: Worse than Thopter Spy Network, but a good second choice if you have space, probably if you have a 30-40 card blue section.
The Good: It can cost as low as 2cc thru improvise. It then supports further improvisation, evasion or sac foddler. The Bad: Izzet already has two great planeswalkers that loves artifacts: Dack Fayden and Saheeli Rai. They could push this card out of the small Izzet section Verdict: The third Izzet card. Might go in smaller cubes if you don’t like two planeswalkers or find Dack too powerful.
The Good: Gives green some scry and drawing abilities. Green is a very underdeveloped section in the artifact cube as there are too few cards that interact with artifacts. The Bad: Does not really have synergies with green’s identity (which is usually tokens, Investigate, or +1/+1 counters) Verdict: A worse crystal ball if you don’t utilize the Green trigger. The Green trigger, while potentially powerful , does not interact well with other mechanics. Needs testing if draw proves to be powerful but an otherwise boring card.
The Good: 4 power on a 3cc body with ramping potential is good by itself. The Bad: If you don’t maximize the +1/+1 interactions, it may be replaced with better cards. Verdict: Use it if you have a high +1/+1 counters theme. It is sad that green yet has to have a decent identity/synergy for artifacts.
The Good: Orzhov does not really have a lot to choose from, mostly just cards from Esper or Restoration Gearsmith. This grindy card replaces almost anything you have into tokens and this also provides a sac outlet. The Bad: The tokens can only be maxed at once a turn and your opponent can time removal on his/her turn to avoid your benefit. Verdict: Passively produces tokens, sac outlet and scry = synergy potential right there. Not the bomb we want, but this is the best combo card in the guild. Go for Darklit Gargoyle or Tidehollow Sculler if you want aggro options.
The Good:Black is slowly having a resource recycling mechanic and this is a great addition. This can scarily double Atog or Arcbound Ravager’s food or a simple way to maintain Affnity/Metalcraft levels. The Bad: 2/2 is a bit lame for a 5cc, even with Improvise. Hope it was 1/3 or 1/4 but this is acceptable. Verdict: Black is wide open and this is great addition.
The Good: It is three artifacts in one card. Unlike Myr Sire, you can have the two tokens at the same time. The Bad: Without a sac outlet, this is a very very bad Memnite. Verdict:This can replace/Add to Myr Sire in the 2cc artifact slot. Or perhaps replace some 3cc or 4cc slot card if you are into tokens and sac engines.
The Good: The tempo is similar to Ash Barrens, but with the added Artifact benefit. A cog, too! So it works with Salvaging Station and Auriok Salvagers The Bad: There is not too much drawback, except for the subtle tempo difference between this and Terramorphic Expanse. Verdict: If you still have Terramorphic Expanse, replace it with this. The benefits will outweigh the small drawback.
The Good: Unlike Glimmervoid, you can use it to cast an artifact and enable the second ability. Having a 5cc land in this environment is great because it opens you up to all possible synergies, which is most of the time just a splash away The Bad: Nothing bad to say about his card. Verdict: This is a staple in an artifact cube, right alongside Glimmervoid.
The Good: Removal at potentially 1 mana plus potentially gaining a ton of life. This is great against big beaters and can help you survive against aggro. I just love Black’s Improvise cards. The Bad: As far as black removal goes, there are a lot of better options. Verdict: Put his in if you want to go all theme artifact cube. If not, just put in a simple Doom Blade
The Good: Just a simple piker, but in an artifact cube, you can support Golems, Myr, Servos and Thopters, most of which are token swarms. The Bad: It is slightly hard to draft a tribal deck in an artifact cube, so this may end up pumping just a small section of your army. Verdict: If your cube has a strong tribal/token component, which most cube has, then this is a great addition.
The Good: A great twist on the Junk Diver. In fact, it works well with it. Adds to the artifact recycling synergy. This is a decent target for Birthing Pod. It has decent stats as well. The Bad: Could prove to be too slow and will whiff sometimes. Verdict: The stats with the card advantage attached is enough for it to be included in small cubes.
The Good: Unlike other Tezzerets, he has ramp and removal. The Bad: [/card]Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas[/card] is simply better overall, netting card advantage and sets up 5/5 walls to pretect himself. Verdict: Any of the three UB Tezzerets will be fine in the Dimir slot. They are all very good.
The Good: This artifact version of Spectral Procession may lose flying, but again gains you all the artifact bonus, times three. Plus it can potentially “cost” 1 mana. The Bad: At his point, the bad sections will be simple nitpicks: and in this case the WW makes it not splashabe. But maybe that is a good thing. Verdict: An auto include in cube, supporting tokens and all affinity mechanics.
The Good: It has cost reduction. It is a sac outlet. It can kill creatures. It even has card disruption. In constructed, this is a build a round me card but in an artifact cube it feels very much at home. Overall, Kaladesh block gave black the most tools and identity better than previous artifact blocks. I hope next block it is green’s turn. The Bad: The discard ability seems out of place in the design of this card. It definitely makes it over the top powerful though. Verdict:This is an autoinclude and one of the most powerful creatures in black.
The Good: Nothing beats the versatility of this creature. In an environment full of tokens, 4: 1 damage goes a long way. This increases +1/+1 counter synergies in the cube, with modular, sunburst, and random items such as Steel Overseer. This is not a replacement for Trike but a great addition. The Bad: Just watch out that it does not work with reanimation spells, unlike Triskelion. Verdict:Hangarback Walker’s little brother is just too versatile to not include in the artifact cube, even in the smallest of sizes.
That's all folks! Thank you for making it to the end, and hope to hear feedback from you guys.
Thank you very much for this. As a cube brewer, I quite enjoyed it. Here are some simple thoughts on a few of the cards you missed. Most of them probably don't need to be considered for small lists, but one or two might have been overlooked.
Gremlin Infestation: Relic Bane is great, and this is arguably better. People fail to realize how powerful a one-sided Sulfuric Vortex is. Defiant Salvager: Free artifact-sac outlets are hard to find outside of red, even at sorcery speed. This is closer than you think to the black Atog. Treasure Keeper: This is goodstuff, and not good enough for small cubes, but it's great with sacs and recursion, and it rarely whiffs in a permanent-heavy format. Winding Constrictor: Golgari is not all that tight, and counter shenanigans abound from +1/+1s, to Charge, to Poison, to Energy. Consulate Crackdown: Kaboom! White gets its very own Vandalblast. Personally, I think these cards are too mean, but it at least deserves mention. Tropy Mage: My favorite card from the set. I don't see why you shouldn't run the fulltrio.
Crackdown Construct: Some cubes are all in on the infinity combos, and this goes infinite with many things. Merchant's Dockhand: Too slow for most formats, but a durdler's best friend. Sram, Senior Edificer: Puresteel Paladin's brother is not bad, having an easier cost, and picking up stray auras, and vehicles. Depending on your build, Sram can easily be better. Paradox Engine: In cubes that let turbo strategies get out of hand, this goes off. It is also a way to work the Time Vault. Universal Solvent: This card is bad, but in a mono-brown cube, removal is at a premium.
Implements: The 1cc implements are worth considering, since they work essentially like half of Ichor Wellspring, while costing 1 for things like Auriok Salvagers. These are weak to be sure, but shenanigans are fun. My favorite is Implement of Improvement. Planar Bridge: Who doesn't wanna win with this card? With Tron and Turbo sorts of strategies, it's certainly worth considering, although this is trying awkwardly to be both an enabler and a finisher at the same time.
Belive me, all the cards you mentioned were all considered. AER is truly a great artifact set. Trophy Mage, for example, is edged out by Trinket and Treasure Mages, as well as Reshape and Fabricate. Defiant Salvager feels like I missed on that one. It even interacts with +1/+1 counters. Winding Constrictor might end up using the 2nd slot in Golgari. Consulate Crackdown is indeed broken in thsi format. I try to limit all mass artifact destruction to the likes of Powder Keg, etc. and definitely not one sided ones.
Implements - they are closer to spellbombs than Ichor Wellspring, as they do nothing as they ETB. Among the "Cogs", I currently run Origin Spellbomb, Dispeller's Capsule, Nihil Spellbomb, Necrogen Spellbomb, Executioner's Capsule, and Pyrite Spellbomb. The rest does not have much impact or they have better options. Among the implements, the one I like most is the black one, since it adds a discard spell but does cost 2.
With that said, the cards you mentioned are on the "Test list". Having an artifact cube is fun and unique; because it relies more on interactions rather than power.
I have read a few AER Cube reviews so far and since I am maintaining an artifact cube, having an artifact block excites me a lot. Kaladesh and Aether Revolt brings a lot of new artifact identities to the colors as well as enhances the current ones established in past artifact blocks.
At first I was hesitant to put up an article for lack of audience but I figured that an artifact set only comes by once in a while, so it is a chance to share what insight I have for artifact cubes. Granted, artifact cubes are not as established as the classic cubes but I aim to put in explanation why they are ranked so, and it is mostly due to a combination of power and synergy. All of these are thorycrafting, and these have not been tested yet. You can view this list as the "for testing" list.
Here goes...
Release The Gremlins
The Good: A Manic Vandal with replicate, in an artifact cube it acts like a better Decree of Justice while decimating your opponent.
The Bad: It could be too powerful for cube.
Verdict: If you ban mass artifact removal such as Vandalblast or Shattering Spree then this is a viable, less powerful option.
Personally I still find it too swingy. This warrants testing but I excluded it from the list.
Barricade Breaker
The Good: If this cost 5 due to Improvise, then this is already decent. This can reliably drop on turn 4 and supports an all out “Affinity” archetype, including Metalwork Colossus and the usual affinity guys.
The Bad: Simply too vanilla for a 5-7 drop.
Verdict: For small cubes (360-450), This needs testing if it supports the Affinity/Ramp archetype.
Ravenous Intruder
The Good: Nothing much to say about an Atog clone, but it works very well in this environment. Red is the king of sac effects and this goes well with the theme. With a lot of artifacts in play, he messes up combat math big time and can simply win you the game if unblocked.
The Bad: If you don’t like functional reprints, then you may revert back to good old Atog.
Verdict: He provides good redundancy for the Rx agro archetype.
Ornithopter
The Good: If you do not have this yet then it is time to add this cute version. A mox for Affinity and Improvise, a carrier of equipment, and worst case, fodder for Shrapnel Blast.
The Bad: By itself, does nothing
Verdict: For 0 mana, it does provide a lot of interactions. This is a late pick, depending if you already have enough equipment, +1/+1 counters, or Affinity cards.
Untethered Express
The Good: 4/4 for 4 that grows is decent, as the Crew ability is minimal and can easily be satisfied by the multitude of Myr, Servo, and Thopter Tokens. +1/+1 counter interaction is, well, a plus.
The Bad: Vehicles are hard to put in an environment with good equipment. Currently there is not enough data on the viability of vehicles.
Verdict: This is a safe inclusion for Vehicles because of Crew 1. But if you are to support Vehicles, then there are better ones.
Efficient Construction
The Good: Compared to Mechanized Production, it is much less prone to disruption (and two-for-one). Having a chump blocker for every machine you assemble will help you prolong your life and make that combo.
The Bad: 4cc is a bit slow but not so much of an issue with blue. And as far as 4cc enchantments go, [card]Thopter Spy network[card] is a much better, though less splashable, option.
Verdict: Worse than Thopter Spy Network, but a good second choice if you have space, probably if you have a 30-40 card blue section.
Maverick Thopterist
The Good: It can cost as low as 2cc thru improvise. It then supports further improvisation, evasion or sac foddler.
The Bad: Izzet already has two great planeswalkers that loves artifacts: Dack Fayden and Saheeli Rai. They could push this card out of the small Izzet section
Verdict: The third Izzet card. Might go in smaller cubes if you don’t like two planeswalkers or find Dack too powerful.
Lifecrafter’s Bestiary
The Good: Gives green some scry and drawing abilities. Green is a very underdeveloped section in the artifact cube as there are too few cards that interact with artifacts.
The Bad: Does not really have synergies with green’s identity (which is usually tokens, Investigate, or +1/+1 counters)
Verdict: A worse crystal ball if you don’t utilize the Green trigger. The Green trigger, while potentially powerful , does not interact well with other mechanics. Needs testing if draw proves to be powerful but an otherwise boring card.
Rishkar, Peema Renegade
The Good: 4 power on a 3cc body with ramping potential is good by itself.
The Bad: If you don’t maximize the +1/+1 interactions, it may be replaced with better cards.
Verdict: Use it if you have a high +1/+1 counters theme. It is sad that green yet has to have a decent identity/synergy for artifacts.
Hidden Stockpile
The Good: Orzhov does not really have a lot to choose from, mostly just cards from Esper or Restoration Gearsmith. This grindy card replaces almost anything you have into tokens and this also provides a sac outlet.
The Bad: The tokens can only be maxed at once a turn and your opponent can time removal on his/her turn to avoid your benefit.
Verdict: Passively produces tokens, sac outlet and scry = synergy potential right there. Not the bomb we want, but this is the best combo card in the guild. Go for Darklit Gargoyle or Tidehollow Sculler if you want aggro options.
Sly Requisitioner
The Good:Black is slowly having a resource recycling mechanic and this is a great addition. This can scarily double Atog or Arcbound Ravager’s food or a simple way to maintain Affnity/Metalcraft levels.
The Bad: 2/2 is a bit lame for a 5cc, even with Improvise. Hope it was 1/3 or 1/4 but this is acceptable.
Verdict: Black is wide open and this is great addition.
Servo Schematic
The Good: It is three artifacts in one card. Unlike Myr Sire, you can have the two tokens at the same time.
The Bad: Without a sac outlet, this is a very very bad Memnite.
Verdict:This can replace/Add to Myr Sire in the 2cc artifact slot. Or perhaps replace some 3cc or 4cc slot card if you are into tokens and sac engines.
Renegade Map
The Good: The tempo is similar to Ash Barrens, but with the added Artifact benefit. A cog, too! So it works with Salvaging Station and Auriok Salvagers
The Bad: There is not too much drawback, except for the subtle tempo difference between this and Terramorphic Expanse.
Verdict: If you still have Terramorphic Expanse, replace it with this. The benefits will outweigh the small drawback.
Spire of Industry
The Good: Unlike Glimmervoid, you can use it to cast an artifact and enable the second ability. Having a 5cc land in this environment is great because it opens you up to all possible synergies, which is most of the time just a splash away
The Bad: Nothing bad to say about his card.
Verdict: This is a staple in an artifact cube, right alongside Glimmervoid.
Battle at the Bridge
The Good: Removal at potentially 1 mana plus potentially gaining a ton of life. This is great against big beaters and can help you survive against aggro. I just love Black’s Improvise cards.
The Bad: As far as black removal goes, there are a lot of better options.
Verdict: Put his in if you want to go all theme artifact cube. If not, just put in a simple Doom Blade
Metallic Mimic
The Good: Just a simple piker, but in an artifact cube, you can support Golems, Myr, Servos and Thopters, most of which are token swarms.
The Bad: It is slightly hard to draft a tribal deck in an artifact cube, so this may end up pumping just a small section of your army.
Verdict: If your cube has a strong tribal/token component, which most cube has, then this is a great addition.
Scrap Trawler
The Good: A great twist on the Junk Diver. In fact, it works well with it. Adds to the artifact recycling synergy. This is a decent target for Birthing Pod. It has decent stats as well.
The Bad: Could prove to be too slow and will whiff sometimes.
Verdict: The stats with the card advantage attached is enough for it to be included in small cubes.
Tezzeret the Schemer
The Good: Unlike other Tezzerets, he has ramp and removal.
The Bad: [/card]Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas[/card] is simply better overall, netting card advantage and sets up 5/5 walls to pretect himself.
Verdict: Any of the three UB Tezzerets will be fine in the Dimir slot. They are all very good.
Sram’s Expertise
The Good: This artifact version of Spectral Procession may lose flying, but again gains you all the artifact bonus, times three. Plus it can potentially “cost” 1 mana.
The Bad: At his point, the bad sections will be simple nitpicks: and in this case the WW makes it not splashabe. But maybe that is a good thing.
Verdict: An auto include in cube, supporting tokens and all affinity mechanics.
Herald of Anguish
The Good: It has cost reduction. It is a sac outlet. It can kill creatures. It even has card disruption. In constructed, this is a build a round me card but in an artifact cube it feels very much at home. Overall, Kaladesh block gave black the most tools and identity better than previous artifact blocks. I hope next block it is green’s turn.
The Bad: The discard ability seems out of place in the design of this card. It definitely makes it over the top powerful though.
Verdict:This is an autoinclude and one of the most powerful creatures in black.
Walking Ballista
The Good: Nothing beats the versatility of this creature. In an environment full of tokens, 4: 1 damage goes a long way. This increases +1/+1 counter synergies in the cube, with modular, sunburst, and random items such as Steel Overseer. This is not a replacement for Trike but a great addition.
The Bad: Just watch out that it does not work with reanimation spells, unlike Triskelion.
Verdict: Hangarback Walker’s little brother is just too versatile to not include in the artifact cube, even in the smallest of sizes.
That's all folks! Thank you for making it to the end, and hope to hear feedback from you guys.
Defiant Salvager: Free artifact-sac outlets are hard to find outside of red, even at sorcery speed. This is closer than you think to the black Atog.
Treasure Keeper: This is goodstuff, and not good enough for small cubes, but it's great with sacs and recursion, and it rarely whiffs in a permanent-heavy format.
Winding Constrictor: Golgari is not all that tight, and counter shenanigans abound from +1/+1s, to Charge, to Poison, to Energy.
Consulate Crackdown: Kaboom! White gets its very own Vandalblast. Personally, I think these cards are too mean, but it at least deserves mention.
Tropy Mage: My favorite card from the set. I don't see why you shouldn't run the full trio.
Merchant's Dockhand: Too slow for most formats, but a durdler's best friend.
Sram, Senior Edificer: Puresteel Paladin's brother is not bad, having an easier cost, and picking up stray auras, and vehicles. Depending on your build, Sram can easily be better.
Paradox Engine: In cubes that let turbo strategies get out of hand, this goes off. It is also a way to work the Time Vault.
Universal Solvent: This card is bad, but in a mono-brown cube, removal is at a premium.
Implements: The 1cc implements are worth considering, since they work essentially like half of Ichor Wellspring, while costing 1 for things like Auriok Salvagers. These are weak to be sure, but shenanigans are fun. My favorite is Implement of Improvement.
Planar Bridge: Who doesn't wanna win with this card? With Tron and Turbo sorts of strategies, it's certainly worth considering, although this is trying awkwardly to be both an enabler and a finisher at the same time.
Low-power cube enthusiast!
My 1570 card cube (no longer updated)
My 415 Peasant+ Artifact and Enchantment Cube
Ever-Expanding "Just throw it in" cube.
Belive me, all the cards you mentioned were all considered. AER is truly a great artifact set.
Trophy Mage, for example, is edged out by Trinket and Treasure Mages, as well as Reshape and Fabricate.
Defiant Salvager feels like I missed on that one. It even interacts with +1/+1 counters.
Winding Constrictor might end up using the 2nd slot in Golgari.
Consulate Crackdown is indeed broken in thsi format. I try to limit all mass artifact destruction to the likes of Powder Keg, etc. and definitely not one sided ones.
Implements - they are closer to spellbombs than Ichor Wellspring, as they do nothing as they ETB. Among the "Cogs", I currently run Origin Spellbomb, Dispeller's Capsule, Nihil Spellbomb, Necrogen Spellbomb, Executioner's Capsule, and Pyrite Spellbomb. The rest does not have much impact or they have better options. Among the implements, the one I like most is the black one, since it adds a discard spell but does cost 2.
With that said, the cards you mentioned are on the "Test list". Having an artifact cube is fun and unique; because it relies more on interactions rather than power.
Thanks again for the feedback.