The biggest problem design wise with the Titans is that they are so powerful they make the other options for late game finishers mostly irrelevant
Other late game finishers were irrelevant before the titans came along. The titans basically fixed what was wrong with 6 drops in the past by giving them an immediate impact on the game.
I do like that the inferno titan has 3 balls on his weapon because it matches really well with his arc lightning ability. Other than that the arts are kind of bad and unimaginative.
Obviously somewhat limited in applications, but they definitely made him powerful. I 5/5 is pretty serious protection for a planeswalker, the card selection from looking at the top 5 is pretty great, and he can kill jace even if they fateseal. A card that will certainly get me brewing.
Howling Mine that you can activate during your opponent's end step so they don't reap the benefits immediately?
Yeah, I like this. A lot.
Also effectively draws you an extra card, since it draws you one the turn it comes into play (although more likely the opponents first end-step after it came into play).
Where is the artifact that works well with lich? I don't see it. If it's a card your opponent won't want to kill, why are you playing it in your deck. Whenever I played against turbofog I really wanted to kill their howling mines. A good artifact that works well with lich is something like prophetic prism. It allows you to curve into t3 lich, makes 3 black more managable outside of a mono-black deck, and if your opponent kills it it's not a 2 for 1 since it's already done it's job and replaced itself.
Staggershock is pretty ridiculous, will easily be one of the best red cards in my cube. I think in commons cube splitting up the damage is straight up better than just having 2R deal 4 to anything.
The dude recall is pretty much dependent on eldrazi spawn to be good in limited/constructed.
Yeah, generally about once a set they print a really surprising common. I was hoping for some reason the white WoB would be common, but that will certainly do. I hope it's spoiled correctly.
I'm very excited for the Spoiler to get filled with cards.
This will most definitely be another good set for us Common Cubers. I had to copy&paste almost every second Common in that ***** as of now...
So yeah, "some" more candidates:
Puncture Light
1w
Instant
Destroy target attacking or blocking creature with power 3 or less.
I can definitely see this in my Cube over Judge Unworthy for example.
I don't know, there is value in the scry aspect of judge unworthy. You get to manipulate your draws a little. It's more of a hit or miss card, but I've always been a fan. Still this card is above average for a removal spell so I'll have to consider it.
Soulbound Guardians
4w
Creature - Kor Spirit
Defender, flying
4/5
A nice defensive creature. I'm afraid that the fact that it's so onesided leads to it not making the cut.
A little one sided and a little late to the party. Probably not adding it.
Distortion Smite
u
Sorcery
Target creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn and is unblockable this turn.
Rebound
Oh boy... Unblockable is literally the best evasion out there and it looks tasty as hell.
I think in many other colors this would be a consideration, but I'd say a fair portion of my blue cards already fly. Maybe I'm not giving it enough credit.
More stuff for blue aggro decks. That's pure Win! Maybe it's just me but I think due to the fact that it the level up is colorless, it might be quite a splashable card.
I like this card a lot too. Level up cards are often cheaper than they appear. For instance how often would I actually use that blue mana on turn 1, not very.
Bloodthrone Vampire
1b
Creature - Vampire
Sacrifice a creature: Bloodthrone Vampire gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
1/1
Yeah, it's one of those guys again. Bigger cubes might wanna check it out. I don't like it too much.
not for me as well.
Cadaver Imp
1bb
Creature - Imp
Flying
When Cadaver Imp enters the battlefield, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
Cheaper Gravedigger with Evasion? Holy cow! That dude is instantly recruted!
Can't argue with that.
Last Kiss
2b
Sorcery
Target creature or player takes 2 damage and you gain 2 life.
This one is also a little on the weaker side of the bunch. Quite playable, I'd say.
Playable, but for my cube at least I tend to limit the amount of removal, so only the very best gets in. Not sure this qualifies. It's strong but it's just so hard for removal to crack my cube.
Zulaport Enforcer
b
Creature - Human Warrior
Level up 4
[Level 1-2]: (3/3)
[Level 3+]: Zulaport Enforcer can't be blocked except by black creatures. (5/5)
1/1
I think this one's weaker than the blue 1/1 with level up I got all excited about. Still a possible candidate for bigger cubes.
Agreed.
Akoum Borderfoot
4rr
Creature - Giant Warrior
When Akoum Borderfoot enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
4/5
Okay-ish. Nothing too impressive.
yep
Flame Slash
r
Sorcery
Flame Slash deals 4 damage to target creature.
This one on the other hand is sweet. Very cheap and potent removal. I'd say this one is in for sure.
The burn in my cube is already pretty sweet. Sorcery speed hurts, but it's pretty close to StP in a commons cube. Pretty sweet card that will probably have to be given a shot.
Prophetic Prism
2
Artifact
When Prophetic Prism enters the battlefield, draw a card.
1, {T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Last but not least some fixing. It's about equal to what Prismatic Lens does. I might or might not add it.
Not acceleration, but it does fix mana while replacing itself. Looks like some sort of weird chromatic sphere variant.
So as you can see there are a lot of good things going on. All you have to do now is add some comments.
A few more that I like
Caravan Escort
W
Creature- Human Knight
Level Up 2
1/1
1-4: 2/2
5: First Strike 5/5
I don't really like pouncing jaguar, but I like this card. The level up to get to a 2/2 fits your mana curve, so it really isn't much more expensive to make it a pouncing jaguar to begin with since the echo cost can lead you to have unspent mana anyways, particularly if payed on turn 2. Can be leveled at any time, I know a grey ogre isn't particularly impressive but it has the option to be played as one. And his final level is both manageable to get to in the long game and worthwhile. It's a nice aggro card that can give you some late game power. Basically I hate echo, but I like level up.
"Totem-Guard Bubal"
4W
Creature — Antelope (Common)
When Totem-Guard Bubal enters the battlefield, you may search you library for an aura card, reveal it, put it into your hand and shuffle your library.
2/5
Ok this is a bit of a stretch, but how many pacifism/journey to nowhere cards would you need to make this guy good in a control deck? I know I for one have a lot of those types of cards in my cube. Probably not going to add, but it is interesting. Just thought I'd discuss it a bit as I like 187s.
Kor "Much better than Venerable Monk"
1W
Creature - Kor Cleric
When Kor "Much better than Venerable Monk" enters the battlefield, you gain 4 life.
2/1
Very efficient. Although it's kind of a schizophrenic card, has an aggressive body but an ability control would want.
Narcolepsy
1U
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if enchanted creature is untapped, tap it.
Essentially a blue pacifism (well an all blue curse of chains), very good.
Sea Gate Oracle 2U
Human Wizard Common
When ~ EtB, look at the top 2 cards of your library. Pick one of those and put it into your hand, put the other on the bottom of your library.
1/3
This is just very good, very excited to get to play a dumbed down court hussar. Love good 187s.
Spider Umbra
G
Enchantment - Aura
Enchanted creature gets +1+1 and has reach.
Totem armor
I like 1 mana totem armors. Not as good as getting first strike but still good.
It's going to be hard deciding what to add to the cube, but there are some cards that will definitely be going in.
I would try the level up looter as one of your new 5 cards for blue. I liked him a lot when I drafted him. It's just a nice feeling to loot starting turn 2. Then after I stabilized I was able to get him to his highest level and completely take over the game.
This was the game i got plow undered for my only 2 lands off some mana vault (i think that was the card) shenanigans. He really powered me through that.
See Beyond
1U
Sorcery
Common
Draw two, then thuffle a card from your hand into your library.
This card is pretty sweet, true it doesn't provide real card advantage since it's a for 2, but it can still provide sweet virtual card advantage if you shuffle a dead card in (most often a land). Even if it doesn't it's still a pretty nice card.
Ondu Giant
3G
Creature
2/4
When it comes into play, rampant growth.
Hmm, a bit of a longshot, but it's a 2/4 that helps you splash.
Skywatcher Adept
U
Lvl up 3
1/1
1-2: Flying 2/2
3: Flying 4/2
Not terrible if played on turn 1, at which point he can become a skyknight legionairre on turn 3. A pretty modest final level too. A card to consider.
So I'd say
See Beyond: Definately
Skywatcher Adept: Maybe
Ondu Giant: Doubtful
Looks like blue got regress though, and how fitting, since the color appears to be regressing in ROTE. Still about 150 cards to go, so I'm not too worried just yet.
Lets be honest here, if you recur him once the ability is worth it.
I agree, and it's kind of hard to just dismiss it as hard to do when we've never really been conditioned to try and do that sort of thing before. Getting a free 4/3 haste is huge and well worth altering your play for. He's a very quick clock and necesitates dealing with. So it's not like you'll be sitting with your 2 guys in your hand waiting to recur him for very long. Either your opponent or vengevine will be dead soon enough. And I also don't think people fully appreciate how good a 4/3 haste for 4 is by itself.
I'm not going to argue about it too much though, because if he's as good as I think he is he'll speak for himself soon enough.
Other late game finishers were irrelevant before the titans came along. The titans basically fixed what was wrong with 6 drops in the past by giving them an immediate impact on the game.
My votes
02 faith's fetters
03 oblivion ring
04 kor skyfisher
05 cenn's enlistment
06 cage of hands
07 journey to nowhere
08 temporal isolation
09 pacifism
10 kabuto moth
11 soltari trooper
12 kor sanctifiers
13 blinding beam
14 sunlance
15 kor hookmaster
16 burrenton bombadier
17 knight of sursi
18 heavy ballista
19 knight of cliffhaven
20 castle raptors
R and B titans are ridiculous cube bombs, obvious power creep in terms of 6cc creatures in m11.
Also effectively draws you an extra card, since it draws you one the turn it comes into play (although more likely the opponents first end-step after it came into play).
The dude recall is pretty much dependent on eldrazi spawn to be good in limited/constructed.
A few more that I like
Caravan Escort
W
Creature- Human Knight
Level Up 2
1/1
1-4: 2/2
5: First Strike 5/5
I don't really like pouncing jaguar, but I like this card. The level up to get to a 2/2 fits your mana curve, so it really isn't much more expensive to make it a pouncing jaguar to begin with since the echo cost can lead you to have unspent mana anyways, particularly if payed on turn 2. Can be leveled at any time, I know a grey ogre isn't particularly impressive but it has the option to be played as one. And his final level is both manageable to get to in the long game and worthwhile. It's a nice aggro card that can give you some late game power. Basically I hate echo, but I like level up.
"Totem-Guard Bubal"
4W
Creature — Antelope (Common)
When Totem-Guard Bubal enters the battlefield, you may search you library for an aura card, reveal it, put it into your hand and shuffle your library.
2/5
Ok this is a bit of a stretch, but how many pacifism/journey to nowhere cards would you need to make this guy good in a control deck? I know I for one have a lot of those types of cards in my cube. Probably not going to add, but it is interesting. Just thought I'd discuss it a bit as I like 187s.
Kor "Much better than Venerable Monk"
1W
Creature - Kor Cleric
When Kor "Much better than Venerable Monk" enters the battlefield, you gain 4 life.
2/1
Very efficient. Although it's kind of a schizophrenic card, has an aggressive body but an ability control would want.
Narcolepsy
1U
Enchantment - Aura
Enchant Creature.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if enchanted creature is untapped, tap it.
Essentially a blue pacifism (well an all blue curse of chains), very good.
Sea Gate Oracle 2U
Human Wizard Common
When ~ EtB, look at the top 2 cards of your library. Pick one of those and put it into your hand, put the other on the bottom of your library.
1/3
This is just very good, very excited to get to play a dumbed down court hussar. Love good 187s.
Spider Umbra
G
Enchantment - Aura
Enchanted creature gets +1+1 and has reach.
Totem armor
I like 1 mana totem armors. Not as good as getting first strike but still good.
It's going to be hard deciding what to add to the cube, but there are some cards that will definitely be going in.
This was the game i got plow undered for my only 2 lands off some mana vault (i think that was the card) shenanigans. He really powered me through that.
It's about time you added all the manlands :).
1U
Sorcery
Common
Draw two, then thuffle a card from your hand into your library.
This card is pretty sweet, true it doesn't provide real card advantage since it's a for 2, but it can still provide sweet virtual card advantage if you shuffle a dead card in (most often a land). Even if it doesn't it's still a pretty nice card.
Ondu Giant
3G
Creature
2/4
When it comes into play, rampant growth.
Hmm, a bit of a longshot, but it's a 2/4 that helps you splash.
Skywatcher Adept
U
Lvl up 3
1/1
1-2: Flying 2/2
3: Flying 4/2
Not terrible if played on turn 1, at which point he can become a skyknight legionairre on turn 3. A pretty modest final level too. A card to consider.
So I'd say
See Beyond: Definately
Skywatcher Adept: Maybe
Ondu Giant: Doubtful
Looks like blue got regress though, and how fitting, since the color appears to be regressing in ROTE. Still about 150 cards to go, so I'm not too worried just yet.
I agree, and it's kind of hard to just dismiss it as hard to do when we've never really been conditioned to try and do that sort of thing before. Getting a free 4/3 haste is huge and well worth altering your play for. He's a very quick clock and necesitates dealing with. So it's not like you'll be sitting with your 2 guys in your hand waiting to recur him for very long. Either your opponent or vengevine will be dead soon enough. And I also don't think people fully appreciate how good a 4/3 haste for 4 is by itself.
I'm not going to argue about it too much though, because if he's as good as I think he is he'll speak for himself soon enough.