Lens over signet for added colorless support and a less narrow fixer. Testing out the Seer. Crystal Shard finally got the axe, it's been underperforming for a very, very long time and at some point nostalgia has to give way to reality.
2 lovely alters leaving the cube, sad times but c'est la vie. We do have a ton of new alters that I haven't yet taken pics of, which I'm planning to do soon - I rebooted my altering hobby last summer and have altered 39 cards since. It will get harder and harder to find cards that are not likely to be cut any time soon though, cutting alters sucks.
A while ago we had I was thinking about the next upgrade of our cube. As always it was a difficult balance between archetype support, power level and keeping enough redundancy for aggro. Sadly this meant not being able to include a couple of really cool cards and archetype.
The simple way to solve this would be to increase ourcube size. But this would would force to add more reduncdancy and lower the power level of the cube. Another problem was that aggro has not been doing stellar this last year. Increasing the size would hurt aggro more then midrange and control, so I kept looking for a different solution.
Then I thought, why not add more cards to a booster, but keeping the number of drafted cards the same. We do 8 man Rochester, so this would mean having boosters bigger then 15 cards and then discarding the left over cards. But this could just as well work for regular booster draft. Draft your normal 15 (or 12) cards, then put the cards that were not chosen aside.
Doing this with one card extra will make a small difference, but you could go to boosters of 20 cards if you dare. Depending on how many extra cards you put in the pool, the effect on the balance of your cube will be bigger. If you don't add cards to your cube, you can reduce redundancy as you see a lot more cards. This could mean reducing the number of fixers, one drops, archtype specific cards,... These cards can be replaced by more narrow cards if prefered. Or pet cards you have been dying to include. Or you could include a test package.
We went for a different approach. We are about to add around 40 cards to our 450 cube. But we will have 18 cards boosters. This will result in seeing more cards with no need to change redundancy levels. There is a slight increase in variance, not so much in seeing a card or not, but you have a slightly higher change of having more of 'your' cards in the same booster. In a way you put a bigger cube inside a smaller one. Or a small one inside a bigger one if you prefer.Hence the Russian Doll/Babushka name I came up with. So we will have a 470 cube with a 40 card archetype expansion. Or a 510 cube with a 470 core cube if you prefer. The difference is mainly semantical.
For us this meant that we could suddenly add support for Blink, green aggro, zoo aggro, zombie tribal, big red, infinite mana combo and human tribal. This without lowerig support for the archetypes we currently support. We can increase overlap in archetypes, increase synergies all around without having to worry too much about the narrowness of certain cards. We increase the size of our cube, add more options, but with the same (or even higher) power level. We kept it rather sober, but you could go for 25 card boosters and this would totally change how you construct your cube. I have the feeling that there are a myriad of possibilities that this system opens up.
Chances are I am not the first to come up with this idea, but I haven't heard of people really pushing this in the design of their cube.
If anyone has a better idea for a name, don't be shy.
More details in the next update post that will follow soon.
Lastly, I *finally* took the time to snap pictures of all the alters I did since the last time. They're all up in the OP and on Cube Tutor (link in sig) for your viewing pleasure As usual there are some great ones and some that came out less good (but I'm proud of them anyway). Enjoy!
I love those borderless fullart alters! A cube that consists entirely of those would look absolutely stunning. I think that would be the highest form of bling/pimp.
I am surprised to see that you add Combustible Gearhulk as your only Gearhulk. That is the one of the five that is lowest on most people's lists. Is it just to add a red artifact fatty for Welder and Daretti?
How did Throne of the High City work for you? I am mildly interested in that card, but I'm not sure if it is worth it.
Thanks Star Slayer! There are some amazing alters out there (done by actual, real artists ), but I too like the clean look of all extended art alters. Finishing the cube is certainly a pipe dream - it changes far too fast for that to be possible - but the alter percentage does continue creeping upwards and decks with 10+ alters do happen, so that's already really cool!
About the Combustible Gearhulk inclusion, I understand your confusion It's probably not the strongest gearhulk in a vacuum, but actually all have a hard time beating the competition - Verdurous Gearhulk probably comes closest, but we still like Wolfir Silverheart better. The red one ended up making it in because in that color [in our cube], being an artifact can actually be an advantage, with Goblin Welder, Trash for Treasure and Daretti, Scrap Savant in the mix. Also, an additional 6-drop was welcome to bolster big red/Wildfire decks. So basically, color context caused us to test the red gearhulk and not the others.
Throne of the High City is an experiment, we thought we'd throw it in together with the 3 other monarch cards (Custodi Lich, Palace Jailer, Regal Behemoth) in order to thoroughly test the monarch mechanism. Monarch has been pretty strong so far, but it's as yet unclear whether the Throne will make it in the long run. To be continued
The red one ended up making it in because in that color [in our cube], being an artifact can actually be an advantage, with Goblin Welder, Trash for Treasure and Daretti, Scrap Savant in the mix. Also, an additional 6-drop was welcome to bolster big red/Wildfire decks.
Those are the exact reasons for which I am going to try the red Gearhulk, too. (Oh, and having Crater Hellion as an easy cut.) I was just suprised that this was the only one on your list. Thanks for the explanation!
The reason for dropping the conspiracies is that their impact has become too big, they basically break the game in a way that is even worse than the usual broken cards because they are 'always on'. They were top tier picks, and ending up with 3 or 4 of them seriously increased your chances of winning, even against decks with the same number of 'regular' power cards. Also, they were abused all the time: Iterative Analysis and Double Stroke on cards with flashback, Sentinel Dispatch with Tinker, Muzzio's Preparations with persist creatures, etc. So in reality they were often comboed largely with the same cards. Worldknit and Sovereign's Realm were interesting to draft but quite disruptive (especially with both in the pool).
Anyway, after Conspiracy: Take the Crown the conspiracies went from insane to overly disruptive, so we decided to just cut them all (for now).
I have also cut back on the conspiracy cards. Hymn of the Wilds, Sovereign's Realm and Worldknit are really fun to draft around, but they are just too powerful and/or draft warping. I still kept a few because I like their general idea though: Advantageous Proclamation, Emissary's Ploy, Sentinel Dispatch and Weight Advantage. Those have a reasonable power level. Have you tried the latter? WA is a fun draft-around card that isn't too insane and makes you really work for getting the most out of it.
Running a few select ones rather than over a dozen also means that you won't encounter them as often and that players rarely have more than one. Have you considered cutting back to a few favorites rather than cutting them all?
We did consider it, but it's kinda hard to draw the line on which to include and which to exclude. A blanket ban was easier, but if we feel like it some of them might make a return sometime in the future. First we're going cold turkey, then we'll see
We haven't tried Weight Advantage, it didn't seem powerful enough to us to compete with the average rochester deck.
Thought I'd post on the state of the cube anno 2023
The cube has been hovering around the 540 size for a while now. With the downsize went most of the combo stuff. CubeCobra is still up to date, ONE update will be carried out next.
- Yawgmoth's Bargain
- Oath of Jace
- Greenwarden of Murasa
- Trash for Treasure
- Oath of Gideon
- Sublime Archangel
- Captain's Claws
- Helm of Awakening
- Meren of Clan Nel Toth
- Venser, the Sojourner
New cube total = 469Clever Impersonator (Crystal Shard)
Prismatic Lens (Izzet Signet)
Thought-Knot Seer
Lens over signet for added colorless support and a less narrow fixer. Testing out the Seer. Crystal Shard finally got the axe, it's been underperforming for a very, very long time and at some point nostalgia has to give way to reality.
2 lovely alters leaving the cube, sad times but c'est la vie. We do have a ton of new alters that I haven't yet taken pics of, which I'm planning to do soon - I rebooted my altering hobby last summer and have altered 39 cards since. It will get harder and harder to find cards that are not likely to be cut any time soon though, cutting alters sucks.
Specific thread about the new system : http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/the-cube-forum/688355-russian-dolls-draft-how-to-put-a-big-cube-inside-a
More details in the next update post that will follow soon.
I feel compelled to repeat everything I hear
Asylum Visitor (Tormented Hero)
Heir of Falkenrath // Heir to the Night (Dauthi Horror)
Relentless Dead
Cemetery Reaper
Geralf's Messenger
Necropotence
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
From Under the Floorboards
High Tide
Thing in the Ice // Awoken Horror
Crystal Shard
Ghostly Flicker
Dream Halls
Future Sight
Palinchron
Duskwatch Recruiter // Krallenhorde Howler (Uktabi Orangutan)
Gaea's Cradle
Experiment One
Wolfbitten Captive // Krallenhorde Killer
Exploration
Tireless Tracker
Oracle of Mul Daya
Titania, Protector of Argoth
Falkenrath Gorger (Jackal Pup)
Sin Prodder (Abbot of Keral Keep)
Fireblast
Mana Flare
Trash for Treasure
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Jokulhaups
Form of the Dragons
Thalia's Lieutenant (Soltari Trooper)
Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn the Purifier (Vryn Wingmare)
Cloudshift
Hanweir Militia Captain // Westvale Cult Leader
Stonecloaker
Academy Rector
Humility
Dictate of Heliod
Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince (Tectonic Edge)
Helm of Awakening
Adaptive Automaton
Crucible of Worlds
Helm of Possession
Mindslaver
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Wild Nacatl
Kird Ape
Loam Lion
Momentary Blink
Venser, the Sojourner
Sorin, Grim Nemesis
Lion's Eye Diamond
Lotus Petal
Battlefield Forge
Sulfurous Springs
Caves of Koilos
Karplusan Forest
Llanoward Wastes
Brushland
Adarkar Wastes
Izzet Boilerworks
Simic Growth Chamber
Dimir Aqueduct
New cube total = 526
First of all, I need to report on 2 updates: Eldritch Moon and Conspiracy: Take the Crown. As ever, the format is IN (OUT)
EMN
Dark Salvation (From Under the Floorboards)
Distended Mindbender (Gnarled Scarhide)
Liliana, the Last Hope (Mardu Strike Leader)
Wharf Infiltrator (Renowned Weaponsmith)
Imprisoned in the Moon (Crystal Shard)
Docent of Perfection (Dream Halls)
Kessig Prowler (Sylvan Advocate)
Decimator of the Provinces (Titania, Protector of Argoth)
Hanweir Garrison (Sin Prodder)
Collective Defiance (Firebolt)
Bedlam Reveler (Hordeling Outburst)
Wildfire (Jokulhaups)
Burning of Xinye (Form of the Dragon)
Selfless Spirit (Hanweir Militia Captain)
Thalia, Heretic Cathar (Humility)
Gisela, the Broken Blade (Academy Rector)
Unexpectedly Absent (Stonecloaker)
Emrakul, the Promised End
CN2
Custodi Lich (Kalithas, Traitor of Ghet)
Arcane Savant (Future Sight)
Crystal Shard (Wharf Infiltrator)
Languish (Damnation)
Eldritch Evolution (Evolutionary Leap)
Regal Behemoth (Thrun, the Last Troll)
Tooth and Nail
Recruiter of the Guard (Dictate of Heliod)
Palace Jailer (Silverblade Paladin)
Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast (Kird Ape)
Pernicious Deed (Loam Lion)
Kaya, Ghost Assassin
Hymn of the Wilds
Sovereign's Realm
Summoner's Bond
Emissary's Ploy
Throne of the High City (Dust Bowl)
Horn of Greed (Helm of Possession)
Underground River (Dimir Aqueduct)
New cube total = 530
Lastly, I *finally* took the time to snap pictures of all the alters I did since the last time. They're all up in the OP and on Cube Tutor (link in sig) for your viewing pleasure As usual there are some great ones and some that came out less good (but I'm proud of them anyway). Enjoy!
IN (OUT)
Angel of Invention (Cloudgoat Ranger)
Shelldock Isle (High Tide)
Scrapheap Scrounger (Reassembling Skeleton)
Massacre Wurm (Distended Mindbender)
Chandra, Torch of Defiance (Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker)
Combustible Gearhulk
Fleetwheel Cruiser
Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
New cube total = 533
I am surprised to see that you add Combustible Gearhulk as your only Gearhulk. That is the one of the five that is lowest on most people's lists. Is it just to add a red artifact fatty for Welder and Daretti?
How did Throne of the High City work for you? I am mildly interested in that card, but I'm not sure if it is worth it.
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
About the Combustible Gearhulk inclusion, I understand your confusion It's probably not the strongest gearhulk in a vacuum, but actually all have a hard time beating the competition - Verdurous Gearhulk probably comes closest, but we still like Wolfir Silverheart better. The red one ended up making it in because in that color [in our cube], being an artifact can actually be an advantage, with Goblin Welder, Trash for Treasure and Daretti, Scrap Savant in the mix. Also, an additional 6-drop was welcome to bolster big red/Wildfire decks. So basically, color context caused us to test the red gearhulk and not the others.
Throne of the High City is an experiment, we thought we'd throw it in together with the 3 other monarch cards (Custodi Lich, Palace Jailer, Regal Behemoth) in order to thoroughly test the monarch mechanism. Monarch has been pretty strong so far, but it's as yet unclear whether the Throne will make it in the long run. To be continued
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
Earthquake (Collective Defiance)
Fumigate
Renegade Freighter (Skysovereign, Consul Flagship)
(Mindslaver)
(Emrakul, the Aeons Torn)
Saheeli Rai (Ral Zarek)
New total = 532
Add:
Ash Barrens
Cut:
New card total = 518
The reason for dropping the conspiracies is that their impact has become too big, they basically break the game in a way that is even worse than the usual broken cards because they are 'always on'. They were top tier picks, and ending up with 3 or 4 of them seriously increased your chances of winning, even against decks with the same number of 'regular' power cards. Also, they were abused all the time: Iterative Analysis and Double Stroke on cards with flashback, Sentinel Dispatch with Tinker, Muzzio's Preparations with persist creatures, etc. So in reality they were often comboed largely with the same cards. Worldknit and Sovereign's Realm were interesting to draft but quite disruptive (especially with both in the pool).
Anyway, after Conspiracy: Take the Crown the conspiracies went from insane to overly disruptive, so we decided to just cut them all (for now).
Running a few select ones rather than over a dozen also means that you won't encounter them as often and that players rarely have more than one. Have you considered cutting back to a few favorites rather than cutting them all?
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
We haven't tried Weight Advantage, it didn't seem powerful enough to us to compete with the average rochester deck.
Just wanted to showcase a cool deck I drafted, it was very competitive and fun to play (for me, at least). Here it is:
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Eternal Witness
1 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
1 Oracle of Mul Daya
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Primeval Titan
1 Hornet Queen
1 Personal Tutor
1 Fastbond
1 Exploration
1 Time Walk
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Horn of Greed
1 Nissa, Steward of Elements
1 Time Warp
1 Mirari's Wake
1 Rude Awakening
10 Forest
3 Island
1 Breeding Pool
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Temple Garden
1 Adarkar Wastes
The cube is currently sitting around 640 cards and supports a number of combo archetypes such as storm, turboland, polymorph and persist.
The cube has been hovering around the 540 size for a while now. With the downsize went most of the combo stuff. CubeCobra is still up to date, ONE update will be carried out next.
My list of potential includes: