This is a good pack. The two equipment are obviously great choices, but there's copter, Liliana, Reanimate, Meloku, and Port all vying for attention. In the end, I'd take the Sword but be very sad about passing Batterskull and Reanimate.
I'd either stay open with something like Sword or Batterskull, or I'd move in on a deck direction with Reanimate. Slightly less likely to do the latter in this particular pack, since the Liliana might encourage the player(s) to my left to build a black graveyard-centric deck, and they'd steal tools I'd want for my own build. Mystical Tutor is also a great card, and something I often 2nd or 3rd pick after scooping up a build-around spell.
I'd either stay open with something like Sword or Batterskull, or I'd move in on a deck direction with Reanimate. Slightly less likely to do the latter in this particular pack, since the Liliana might encourage the player(s) to my left to build a black graveyard-centric deck, and they'd steal tools I'd want for my own build. Mystical Tutor is also a great card, and something I often 2nd or 3rd pick after scooping up a build-around spell.
This would be my concern too. If I open a pack with multiple top picks in the same archetype I'll usually find a reason to pass them all rather than grab one and hope for a wheel. Too much chance of inducing competition with a near neighbor.
For me it's between the two equipment and the vehicle. I really like Batterskull and Sword, but I'd probably lean toward the Copter just because it goes into the same midrange decks as the two equipment as well as the aggro decks I tend to enjoy the most in cube.
To chime in just a bit about powered and the early draft choices, I really like the IRL interactions of my friends during the draft when they're passed a card like Mind Twist. The "What the hell did you take?" and look at the person sitting beside them is great. I think it adds a bit of fun to the experience to have that sort of back and forth with the other drafters. Then again it should be noted that our cube nights are typically on the extreme side as far as how casual we are.
Black is tough in this pack because Liliana / Reanimate will probably cause a lot of fighting for recursion effects. Sword / Batterskull keep me the most open, but I'd take Mystical Tutor from this pack since it can lead to really degenerate things. I always love building around high powered instants and sorceries.
I love me some Sword of Body and Mind, but I've never been the type to pick Batterskull very highly unless I already have the Stoneforge Mystic.
Dack as its the most powerful, Rabblemaster as its the most generically powerful, and then Welder since it's a big archetype piece and I like that deck as either RB or UR so it gives me options. Can even be RG too, the only color the welder deck fails to see success/play with is RW.
Goblin Rabblemaster and Dack stand out to me in this pack in terms of power / ease of build around. I’d probably go with Dack just because I think he’s pound for pound the most powerful planeswalker in all of Magic.
Venser, Force, Pyro, maybe Hermit. Venser as it's the most generically good, Force next as a free counter is stellar, and Pyro as the best card after that IMO. I like Hermit and could take that too. Lot of pretty good cards in this pack.
I'd pick Pyromancer and try and build a shell for him. Otherwise, the safe pick is probably Venser. I don't want to 1st-pick any of the other cards in that pack.
Picking Mind Stone and planning to wheel reality smasher is a possibility. I think Mind Stone is actually a respectable pick here, but not the one I'd go with.
I could see an argument for it, but I would feel pretty bad. It's the safest, but I think the power level of the other cards is worth it whereas mind stone is a fairly redundant spell and could even wheel.
Pyromancer, Venser, and Hermit all stand out to me, would probably go with Pyromancer since that's a card I still need more experience building around.
Venser, Force, Pyro, maybe Hermit. Venser as it's the most generically good, Force next as a free counter is stellar, and Pyro as the best card after that IMO. I like Hermit and could take that too. Lot of pretty good cards in this pack.
I don't think that FoW is a great card to P1P1. Free counterspell is great, but it comes at a real cost of card disadvantage. That and the fact that you have to be very heavy blue to actually support FoW. Picking Pyromancer and trying to wheel the Force of Will would be a good move though.
Pyromancer, Venser, and Hermit all stand out to me, would probably go with Pyromancer since that's a card I still need more experience building around.
Venser, Force, Pyro, maybe Hermit. Venser as it's the most generically good, Force next as a free counter is stellar, and Pyro as the best card after that IMO. I like Hermit and could take that too. Lot of pretty good cards in this pack.
I don't think that FoW is a great card to P1P1. Free counterspell is great, but it comes at a real cost of card disadvantage. That and the fact that you have to be very heavy blue to actually support FoW. Picking Pyromancer and trying to wheel the Force of Will would be a good move though.
There's no way the force wheels, it's one of those few cards that you'll never see come back due to the mystical nature of it (which is weird, but pretty much every magic player that is aware of cube is also aware of FoW, and because it's such a widespread card in constructed someone always sees it and thinks 'Force, I know that card is good'), and I don't think being blue heavy is ever a problem in cube. I ultimately would not take it first, but I think in cube when you have back-breaking plays you need to protect the card disadvantage is often and quickly mitigated, especially when in blue. Like, if I'm tapping out t4 for a Planeswalker, especially one like JTMS or something, Force is doing serious work and then the extra turns of the PWer lasting around make up for the gone blue spell.
I ultimately wouldn't take force p1p1 here, but I value it a bit more than you do it seems as I could totally see doing it, especially in a fairly weak pack like this. I get the line of thinking, but I think that's generally a bit overblown in unpowered/powered cubes, because there are so many plays you need to tap out for.
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In this pack, there are a lot of good options. Remand or Enlightened Tutor are great cards with the latter giving you some cool direction, but I could see Gideon or any of the other monocolored walkers too.
I like Gideon the most but with this pack I think I would go with Lili. There are too many other good white cards in the pack and I would want to avoid putting my left-hand neighbors in the same colors as me.
I think my pick would be Ophiomancer because its good and Stax is a thing or Venser, the Sojourner because I haven't tried the blink archtype in a while.
Assuming this is a lower-powered rare cube (Something I might assume from seeing this pack), I would take the Ophiomancer as I believe that to be the strongest card in the pack.
Assuming this is a weaker pack in an otherwise strong cube, I would take the fetch.
It's a fairly average strength cube (IMO) with a few weaker placeholders until I get better options (e.g. OG Lili). There was an obvious first pick but I replaced it hoping to foster some discussion.
I’d take that hot looking Colonnade and swap in a real one while you weren’t looking.
All my custom alters are available for sale, including my Vampire Nighthawk I glued a foil batman to.
With the stunning piece in question I was trying to evoke the feeling of playtest cards.
Cheers,
rant
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This would be my concern too. If I open a pack with multiple top picks in the same archetype I'll usually find a reason to pass them all rather than grab one and hope for a wheel. Too much chance of inducing competition with a near neighbor.
To chime in just a bit about powered and the early draft choices, I really like the IRL interactions of my friends during the draft when they're passed a card like Mind Twist. The "What the hell did you take?" and look at the person sitting beside them is great. I think it adds a bit of fun to the experience to have that sort of back and forth with the other drafters. Then again it should be noted that our cube nights are typically on the extreme side as far as how casual we are.
MTGS Average Peasant Cube 2023 Edition
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I love me some Sword of Body and Mind, but I've never been the type to pick Batterskull very highly unless I already have the Stoneforge Mystic.
_____________________________
Pack of the day, what's your P1P1?
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
Pack of the day, what’s your P1P1?
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
I could see an argument for it, but I would feel pretty bad. It's the safest, but I think the power level of the other cards is worth it whereas mind stone is a fairly redundant spell and could even wheel.
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
I don't think that FoW is a great card to P1P1. Free counterspell is great, but it comes at a real cost of card disadvantage. That and the fact that you have to be very heavy blue to actually support FoW. Picking Pyromancer and trying to wheel the Force of Will would be a good move though.
____________________________________________
Pack of the day, what's your P1P1?
My High Octane Unpowered Cube on CubeCobra
Cheers,
rant
My Cube
CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/5f5d0310ed602310515d4c32
Cube Tutor: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1963
There's no way the force wheels, it's one of those few cards that you'll never see come back due to the mystical nature of it (which is weird, but pretty much every magic player that is aware of cube is also aware of FoW, and because it's such a widespread card in constructed someone always sees it and thinks 'Force, I know that card is good'), and I don't think being blue heavy is ever a problem in cube. I ultimately would not take it first, but I think in cube when you have back-breaking plays you need to protect the card disadvantage is often and quickly mitigated, especially when in blue. Like, if I'm tapping out t4 for a Planeswalker, especially one like JTMS or something, Force is doing serious work and then the extra turns of the PWer lasting around make up for the gone blue spell.
I ultimately wouldn't take force p1p1 here, but I value it a bit more than you do it seems as I could totally see doing it, especially in a fairly weak pack like this. I get the line of thinking, but I think that's generally a bit overblown in unpowered/powered cubes, because there are so many plays you need to tap out for.
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In this pack, there are a lot of good options. Remand or Enlightened Tutor are great cards with the latter giving you some cool direction, but I could see Gideon or any of the other monocolored walkers too.
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
Hope the quality is ok, my phone camera isn't great but I thought it might be fun to see people physical cards.
Edit: Yea the image is garbage quality but hopefully people can make out what they are since they are all fairly common cube cards (I think).
It's a fairly average strength cube (IMO) with a few weaker placeholders until I get better options (e.g. OG Lili). There was an obvious first pick but I replaced it hoping to foster some discussion.
All my custom alters are available for sale, including my Vampire Nighthawk I glued a foil batman to.
With the stunning piece in question I was trying to evoke the feeling of playtest cards.
I feel like I did a pretty ok job. $100 ONO.