Subvert the Soul CycleXXB
Sorcery (R)
Each opponent sacrifices X creatures. For each creature sacrificed this way, you create a 1/1 black Genome creature token.
The name of the card and the Genome token are both FF9 references. Interested primarily in whether a scaling edict affect like this that also gives you a token for each creature sacrificed this way is printable.
Currently at 1 mana we have Innocent Blood which edicts everyone. At 2 mana we have Diabolic Edict (single player) or Liliana's Triumph which edicts all opponents at instant speed. This costs three mana and is sorcery speed which I think is plenty of downside to balance the token creation, scaling, and added multiplayer benefits.
Below are a few additional cards I've created since the last update.
The Lifa Tree
Legendary Land (R) : Add R or G. The Lifa Tree deals 1 damage to you. : Goad target creature. During that creature’s controllers turn they may goad target creature another player controls. (Until your next turn, that creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)
The Lifa Tree's primary role is to facilitate war (and by extension death) through the mist it creates. Giving the Lifa Tree the ability to cause a goad chain effect was a really fun way to translate this idea into MTG.
Zorn1U
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (U) 1, : Draw a card, then discard a card.
(Melds with Thorn)
1/2
Thorn1R
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (U) 1, : Discard a card: Draw a card.
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you both own and control Thorn and a creature named Zorn, exile them, then meld them into Meltigemini.
2/1
Meltigemini (Blue/Red color identity)
Legendary Creature - Demon (U)
Double strike
When Meltigemini enters the battlefield look at the top two cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand. Exile the other card. You may play the exiled card this turn.
3/3
Zorn and Thorn's defining feature is their antimetabole speaking patterns. I chose to represent this, by giving them mirrored abilities which utilize this pattern. Meld was the perfect mechanic to capture their transformation into Meltigemini. Meltigemini combined their power and toughness and rewards the player with both double strike and a mini expressive iteration for jumping through the hoops required to obtain Meltigemini.
Freya CrescentGW
Legendary Creature - Rat Knight (R)
Reach
You may exert Freya Crescent as it attacks. When you do, Freya Crescent deals combat damage equal to her toughness and may assign its combat damage as though it weren’t blocked. (An exerted creature won’t untap during your next untap step.)
2/3
My goal with Freya was to capture her signature dragoon "jump" ability in a way that is compatible with Magic and with the color pie. I decided upon this unique combination of reach, exert, and toughness matters to accomplish this.
Subvert the Soul CycleXXB
Sorcery (R)
Each opponent sacrifices X creatures they control. For each creature sacrificed this way, you create a 1/1 black Genome creature token.
This card is meant to represent Garland's plan to steal souls from Gaia to regenerate Terra. It's a scaling one sided edict affect that also gives you a token for each creature sacrificed this way.
Found enlist to be extremely underwhelming in limited play. Especially when it isn't paired with some form of evasion. I'm genuinely torn on whether this is better than even seasoned hallowblade. The decks that want these are aggressive and want the extra point of damage on turn 2. Whenever you enlist, you're also turning the enlisted creature off as both an attacker and blocker for a turn cycle - scry 2 helps to offset that some, but I'm not sold based on what I've seen thus far.
Based on early standard performance and limited experience from prerelease weekend my evaluations of a couple cards have changed. Preemptive disclaimer: I am aware that standard/limited performance doesn't directly translate to cube.
The biggest change is I've cooled down quite a bit on Evolved Sleeper. Thinking on exactly what it is that makes Figure of Destiny work so well where this doesn't - part of it is figure's final form is much more likely to close out a game and part of it is the types of decks that play Figure don't appear to suffer as much from investing into it.
Domain's stock has definitely gone up - especially for cubes running the triomes. A single triome cuts domain costs by 3. So a single Triome causes Radha's Firebrand's ability to go off on curve or Leyline Binding to become a Banishing Light with flash. Even if you don't run Triome's any combinations of 2 Dual/Shocks often puts your domain count at 3 or 4 by turn 2. As I don't run the OG dual-lands nor do I run triomes, I'm not sure if these will quite get there for me, but definitely something I think people need to look at their own cubes and evaluate.
This is a decent cube set with 7 cards that I will at least personally test. Appreciate that the cube cards from this set will be relatively inexpensive to obtain as well with only Serra Paragon being likely to be a somewhat expensive pickup.
I was literally just thinking about my disappointment over the 3CC blue creature slot options and this comes along. Not only does this upgrade the usual unsummon etb for disperse, but it also has alternate modes which either provide an evasive body or a card. Blue really does get everything only better.
Ertai Resurrected2UB
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Human Wizard
3/2
Flash
When Ertai Resurrected enters the battlefield, choose up
to one —
• Counter target spell, activated ability, or triggered
ability. Its controller draws a card.
• Destroy another target creature or planeswalker. Its
controller draws a card.
Dimir is not the deepest of guild sections - I think this will make a lot of lists.
Cult ConscriptB
Creature — Skeleton Warrior
2/1
Cult Conscript enters the battlefield tapped. 1B: Return Cult Conscript from your graveyard to
the battlefield. Activate only if a non-Skeleton creature
died under your control this turn.
Appears to be one of the top tier black recursive 1-drops. Can block, recurs to the battlefield, recursion trigger isn't too difficult to trigger.
Curious as to whether this is too nerfed. I could see a case for eliminating the "halving". Getting X mana is already going to be less than the typical mana value you would get from Mana Drain and just thinking about this compared to Cancel makes me think that maybe the halving isn't necessary?
2U (as written) = Counter target spell unless it's controller pays 2. Add U to your mana pool during your next precombat main phase.
2U (without the halving) = Counter target spell unless it's controller pays 2. Add UU to your mana pool during your next precombat main phase.
Not sure if the drawback of being a soft counterspell balances netting +2 colored mana at 3CC so I was playing it on the safe side by halving X.
Love how the ward cost interacts with the final ability. Your opponent has to pitch 2 cards (hope neither of those is a creature for their sake) and have a kill spell to kill this outside of combat.
Dripping CondescensionXU
Instant (R)
Counter target spell unless it's controller pays X. If a spell is countered this way, add an amount of U equal to half of X rounded up to your mana pool at the beginning of your next precombat main phase.
Was looking to make Mana Drain's fairer little brother. Landed on a Condescend variant that exchanges scrying for a lesser version of the Mana Drain ability. If cast for X = 1 or 2 this will only add 1 to your mana pool during your next main phase. If cast for X = 3 you get a mana leak that also adds two to your mana pool during your main phase. Made this a bit more powerful than mana drain in one way in that it provides U mana to the caster, not just colorless. This was one way I chose to offset the power drop of going from a hard counter to a soft counter and from gaining all of the mana value of the countered spell to only 1/2 mana.
Black Aggro needs serious love so I'm happy to see this one. Being able to pump and draw for 1 life at instant speed is good -- also wish the middle mode was a little better, but can work with this.
Gratzi - updated it.
Sorcery (R)
Each opponent sacrifices X creatures. For each creature sacrificed this way, you create a 1/1 black Genome creature token.
The name of the card and the Genome token are both FF9 references. Interested primarily in whether a scaling edict affect like this that also gives you a token for each creature sacrificed this way is printable.
Currently at 1 mana we have Innocent Blood which edicts everyone. At 2 mana we have Diabolic Edict (single player) or Liliana's Triumph which edicts all opponents at instant speed. This costs three mana and is sorcery speed which I think is plenty of downside to balance the token creation, scaling, and added multiplayer benefits.
The Lifa Tree
Legendary Land (R)
The Lifa Tree's primary role is to facilitate war (and by extension death) through the mist it creates. Giving the Lifa Tree the ability to cause a goad chain effect was a really fun way to translate this idea into MTG.
Zorn 1U
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (U)
1,
(Melds with Thorn)
1/2
Thorn 1R
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard (U)
1,
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you both own and control Thorn and a creature named Zorn, exile them, then meld them into Meltigemini.
2/1
Meltigemini (Blue/Red color identity)
Legendary Creature - Demon (U)
Double strike
When Meltigemini enters the battlefield look at the top two cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand. Exile the other card. You may play the exiled card this turn.
3/3
Zorn and Thorn's defining feature is their antimetabole speaking patterns. I chose to represent this, by giving them mirrored abilities which utilize this pattern. Meld was the perfect mechanic to capture their transformation into Meltigemini. Meltigemini combined their power and toughness and rewards the player with both double strike and a mini expressive iteration for jumping through the hoops required to obtain Meltigemini.
Freya Crescent GW
Legendary Creature - Rat Knight (R)
Reach
You may exert Freya Crescent as it attacks. When you do, Freya Crescent deals combat damage equal to her toughness and may assign its combat damage as though it weren’t blocked. (An exerted creature won’t untap during your next untap step.)
2/3
My goal with Freya was to capture her signature dragoon "jump" ability in a way that is compatible with Magic and with the color pie. I decided upon this unique combination of reach, exert, and toughness matters to accomplish this.
Subvert the Soul Cycle XXB
Sorcery (R)
Each opponent sacrifices X creatures they control. For each creature sacrificed this way, you create a 1/1 black Genome creature token.
This card is meant to represent Garland's plan to steal souls from Gaia to regenerate Terra. It's a scaling one sided edict affect that also gives you a token for each creature sacrificed this way.
The biggest change is I've cooled down quite a bit on Evolved Sleeper. Thinking on exactly what it is that makes Figure of Destiny work so well where this doesn't - part of it is figure's final form is much more likely to close out a game and part of it is the types of decks that play Figure don't appear to suffer as much from investing into it.
Domain's stock has definitely gone up - especially for cubes running the triomes. A single triome cuts domain costs by 3. So a single Triome causes Radha's Firebrand's ability to go off on curve or Leyline Binding to become a Banishing Light with flash. Even if you don't run Triome's any combinations of 2 Dual/Shocks often puts your domain count at 3 or 4 by turn 2. As I don't run the OG dual-lands nor do I run triomes, I'm not sure if these will quite get there for me, but definitely something I think people need to look at their own cubes and evaluate.
Aether Channeler
Evolved Sleeper
Cult Conscript
Testing
Serra Paragon
Cut Down
Ertai Resurrected
King Darien XLVIII
Watching
Guardian of New Benalia
This is a decent cube set with 7 cards that I will at least personally test. Appreciate that the cube cards from this set will be relatively inexpensive to obtain as well with only Serra Paragon being likely to be a somewhat expensive pickup.
I was literally just thinking about my disappointment over the 3CC blue creature slot options and this comes along. Not only does this upgrade the usual unsummon etb for disperse, but it also has alternate modes which either provide an evasive body or a card. Blue really does get everything only better.
Ertai Resurrected 2UB
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Human Wizard
3/2
Flash
When Ertai Resurrected enters the battlefield, choose up
to one —
• Counter target spell, activated ability, or triggered
ability. Its controller draws a card.
• Destroy another target creature or planeswalker. Its
controller draws a card.
Dimir is not the deepest of guild sections - I think this will make a lot of lists.
Cut Down B
Instant
Destroy target creature with total power and toughness 5
or less.
Generally stronger than disfigure, comparable to fatal push.
Cult Conscript B
Creature — Skeleton Warrior
2/1
Cult Conscript enters the battlefield tapped.
1B: Return Cult Conscript from your graveyard to
the battlefield. Activate only if a non-Skeleton creature
died under your control this turn.
Appears to be one of the top tier black recursive 1-drops. Can block, recurs to the battlefield, recursion trigger isn't too difficult to trigger.
2U (as written) = Counter target spell unless it's controller pays 2. Add U to your mana pool during your next precombat main phase.
2U (without the halving) = Counter target spell unless it's controller pays 2. Add UU to your mana pool during your next precombat main phase.
Not sure if the drawback of being a soft counterspell balances netting +2 colored mana at 3CC so I was playing it on the safe side by halving X.
Instant (R)
Counter target spell unless it's controller pays X. If a spell is countered this way, add an amount of U equal to half of X rounded up to your mana pool at the beginning of your next precombat main phase.
Was looking to make Mana Drain's fairer little brother. Landed on a Condescend variant that exchanges scrying for a lesser version of the Mana Drain ability. If cast for X = 1 or 2 this will only add 1 to your mana pool during your next main phase. If cast for X = 3 you get a mana leak that also adds two to your mana pool during your main phase. Made this a bit more powerful than mana drain in one way in that it provides U mana to the caster, not just colorless. This was one way I chose to offset the power drop of going from a hard counter to a soft counter and from gaining all of the mana value of the countered spell to only 1/2 mana.
Shivan Devastator: "Fake!"
Llanowar Loamspeaker: "Weak!"
Evolved Sleeper: "That's not bad..."
Black Aggro needs serious love so I'm happy to see this one. Being able to pump and draw for 1 life at instant speed is good -- also wish the middle mode was a little better, but can work with this.