Yeah, I had to sit on this through the day and my final conclusion is that the matches where I want that early removal, the 2 life is kind of a big deal considering that most the other options like this hit those aggressive cards at a pretty impressive rate. I think this is a pretty easy pass for me, considering.
Seems exciting if you are pushing a lands theme. Otherwise I am pretty meh on it for my general Cube, but I probably will squeak it into my Commander Module perhaps.
I am gonna tell you right now, that objective framing public statements like what the RC did in this ban, are hogwash. I know this because I have been involved professionally with a ton of product dev/design statements and changelogs.
But hey, you can take this as a simp and be okay with it - and that is fine. It is why these statements are made and why things are explained as they are... people eat it up and are okay with a lay statement, but that doesn't mean there is complete conviction or logic behind it.
No kidding! In the past 5 years they've banned 0-2 cards every year, for a huge total of SEVEN CARDS! That is outrageous! Like, how am I supposed to keep up with this?!
I mean, you can be cheeky all you want - but the rules committee clearly doesn't actually believe in any of the ***** they say. The justifications for leaving the other predatory cards similar to Hullbreacher are absolutely comical.
The reason the bans are out of control is because the format is inherently self regulating up to the point in which a governing body does not believe it to be so. Which is ironic considering how much weight they put on the idea of 'social games' and 'social groups'.
Anyways, as I said, the format is better off without Hullbreacher.
But these bannings are f***ing out of control. Cards like these should find their way out of the meta via group discussions - not the whim of a rules committee. The problem is that it is easier to squeeze cards out of play groups by simple discussion without impacting other groups where LGS postings of a default banned list often override the notion of social contracts. Mass land destruction is kind of a testament to that, as is often times Stax.
I am curious if any 4 Color Gifts players are still around and what their thoughts are these days. I feel like the deck has seen some pretty interesting cards like Kaya's Guile, Damn, Subtlety, and Solitude. There are other out there as well, but mainly I was just curious what people are looking at these days.
Personally, I have been watching my list and the potential inclusions and I was unsure how I feel about G these days. Is it just me or are cards like Abrupt Decay and Assassin's Trophy losing steam in the format?
How are people feeling about discard packages in the format right now? Still good or are countermagic packages better?
I know Teferi, Time Raveler is cooling off in the format - but I do feel like it is a really solid MB card in 4 Color Gifts. Just to buy that 1 turn to slip in gifts can be so nice. I have also been particularly interested in the interaction with suspend, and also the card Suspend. I have been wondering if this is enough to just buy time into the Gifts package and hinder the recast with Teferi, Time Raveler or Iona, Shield of Emeria. Having played Suspend since release, alongside Teferi, it has been an excellent removal spell overall. You can also delay creatures into wider board sweeps which is handy.
When it comes to a midrange package, I fancy the idea of casting and kicking Tourach, Dread Cantor off a Noble or a Bird and growing a Goyf. I think this offers some sweetness to the inevitability factor of the Midrange Gifts where they have to start answering things or prep for a Gifts. Cards like Siege Rhino at the top can help recoup life from shocks as well, giving you a bit more breathability with setting up your mana for plays that are more mana intense.
Anyways, would love to see some lists if anyone is still here and still playing the deck. I have been playing with the idea of some of the older, more midrange lists as well as the more controlling packages.
Outside of cool interactions here and there, this card is kind of... terrible value. I guess if you are really that desperate for another entomb option in a large cube, then sure. By itself, this card is incredibly boring for a sub par effect on a cost comparative analysis.
That... seems like a lot of unnecessary math if one was to try and balance colors, guilds, etc.
Personally, I would just consider this a green mana dork and move one. The inclusion of black makes the card better, but running it just as a wonky BoP is fine. I tend to just simplify cards like this and separate what is a core function and what is extra and file it based on core function. Players can then decide if the extra mile is worth it or not. You will eventually shake out if the card is even worth the slot or not.
I do agree its pretty unnecessary - its more or less just to justify running more multi color cards.
I would just try to evaluate things on some sort of baseline and place them accordingly. Noble Hierarch, for example, is just a green mana dork. At its worse case scenario it just provides off color ramp, but it's best case scenario is that it fixes mana in WUG. In the case of Deathrite Shaman, it is slightly more complex - but the same rules for classifying remain. The B ability should just be considered fluff for any player in the additional color. Much easier than doing math and rather effective in my experience.
I slot Lingering Souls into W using this method - as well as other cards.
That... seems like a lot of unnecessary math if one was to try and balance colors, guilds, etc.
Personally, I would just consider this a green mana dork and move one. The inclusion of black makes the card better, but running it just as a wonky BoP is fine. I tend to just simplify cards like this and separate what is a core function and what is extra and file it based on core function. Players can then decide if the extra mile is worth it or not. You will eventually shake out if the card is even worth the slot or not.
Kaldheim and Strixhaven have come and gone, and this update is a bit late to the party. While both sets were a bit underwhelming for me, there were a couple interesting additions with Kaldheim. It is exciting to see a bit more snow cards in the game, and probably one of the most exciting is included in this update, so lets jump into it, shall we?
DESIGN NOTES: While I have always been a big fan of what Imprisoned in the Moon brings to blue when it comes to removal, the card is often passed up by players in favor of removal in a color that does a better job. Having removal in blue is a great concept, but the color is often paired with white, black, or red, which gives it access to better removal in the vast majority of scenarios. Imprisoned in the Moon has been removed to make way for Ascendant Spirit which should give more to blue aggro, without hampering a slot for a rather unutilized card.
Rakdos's Return has long been a underused card in the Rakdos guild for our Cube. Immersturm Predator should hopefully bring more use to the guild while pairing nicely with midrange strategies within the cube.
|MH2| Modern Horizons II UPDATE 0.6.0
Modern Horizons has been one of the most impactful modern sets released when it comes to the Cube format. Act 2 has been shaping up to be yet another slam dunk for the format. Modern Horizons II brings some fresh takes on classics throughout the history of the game, and plenty of nods to the juicy lore within. I am excited to explore many of the cards within the set and see how they shape up for others!
DESIGN NOTES:Solitude is a pretty exciting card for almost any core archetype and its addition will hopefully serve to cover each of them in a well-rounded way. Unfortunately, Gisela, the Broken Blade is being removed to make way for Solitude as it has overlap in flying and lifelink but is less flexible when playing from behind. Solitude should similarly be able to slot into decks looking to apply pressure early, but also give slower decks a reasonable way to swing more situations back into their favor. Karmic Guide has also been moved from the 360 card module to the 450 card module to make room for this change, and while Karmic Guide has been an all-star option for many decks, it will also help taper the power of Reanimator decks a bit at smaller draft tables.
Damn is an extremely flexible card, that allows players to make more meaningful choices during draft without having to commit to both W and B. Players will be able to benefit from combining the colors, without having to try and force one or the other. At it's core, a baseline use of targeted removal has slotted this card into B and like other hybrids in the Cube, will not take place of a multicolor card since it can be drafted without regard for one color over the other. Heartless Act has been a great addition, but has been removed to make room for Damn without taking away too much power from the slot of a targeted removal spell.
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is a welcome addition to red aggro, providing a way for aggressive decks to build to bigger options or run things back a bit after a board wipe. Predominately focusing on aggressive creatures with low casting costs, red has also been paired with slower and more controlling decks like Reanimator, Combustible Gearhulk has been removed to taper these decks down a bit while giving Red a little more of a push with the introduction of Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Ignoble Hierarch is a welcome upgrade over the classic Elves of Deep Shadow, giving midrange decks a bit more flexibility in mana dork options and color ranges.
Swords are very popular tools and offer a great bit of nostalgia for players in our Cube. Sword of Hearth and Home is one step closer to the entire cycle in our Cube, and will offer aggressive and midrange decks some nice options and create some fun gameplay - go get 'em Solitude! Icy Manipulator has long been a card included in Cube for nostalgic purposes, but many newer people to the Cube group are less attached to the card and it has now been removed.
Grist, the Hunger Tide looks to be a fantastic addition to Golgari, and has allowed us to remove Vraska the Unseen while maintaining our planeswalker count. Sultai Super Friends is a very popular deck in our Cube drafts and Grist, the Hunger Tide should offer some exciting options when trying to work a board with the deck. Additionally, Stax decks will have an option to use Grist and perhaps encourage more people to explore the archetype.
I just wouldn't put it in a multicolor slot because the modal design of the card isn't really something that requires you to be in both colors. Seems like a waste of a good guild slot.
Even if you want to consider it a wrath first and a spot removal spell second - slot it in white then...
This card is depressing to me. There’s no real reason to print a strictly better Wrath of God. I don’t draft exclusively with pros, so there’s a high chance this card is passed accidentally because the white mana symbols weren’t read properly. For that reason alone, I won’t cut Wrath for it. But maybe you should depending on your playgroup!
I’m not trying to be a design boomer here, it’s great and hype and cool, but the strictly better design space used in quite a handful of these MH2 cards is grossly unnecessary and a little rude, lol.
I don't think I would consider this strictly better. Sure, it is modal, but it is definitely an Either/Or and I don't think that inherently makes it a strictly better. Most certainly a creep up in power level though.
Personally, I have no intentions of cutting any wrath effect for this card. I read this card at surface level: BB destroy target creature. That is where I am going to slot this card in. The Overload is an inherent perk of the card if someone who is in W wants to use it without dipping into B and if the person dips into both, they have a lot of flexibility in colors where I think that flexibility is actually pretty important. I love that I can slot this into a B card slot and let people enjoy each aspect of its multi-color nature while not forcing them into WB, ad they still can get what they want from the card. The modal nature of this card is pretty incredible when it comes to allowing players to make meaningful choices - and that is a beautiful thing.
As for boomer cube mentality, I used to be like this. In many ways I still am, as I tend to choose fewer cards from some of these new sets than a lot of people do. However I will say that I think sometimes you just have to let that go and remember that nostalgia is important and is not necessarily lost with the inclusion of new, meaningful, additions.
I don't think I will slot it in an Orzhov slot though. It works well in a black slot where a W drafter can also draft it without having to even really go into B
But hey, you can take this as a simp and be okay with it - and that is fine. It is why these statements are made and why things are explained as they are... people eat it up and are okay with a lay statement, but that doesn't mean there is complete conviction or logic behind it.
I mean, you can be cheeky all you want - but the rules committee clearly doesn't actually believe in any of the ***** they say. The justifications for leaving the other predatory cards similar to Hullbreacher are absolutely comical.
The reason the bans are out of control is because the format is inherently self regulating up to the point in which a governing body does not believe it to be so. Which is ironic considering how much weight they put on the idea of 'social games' and 'social groups'.
Anyways, as I said, the format is better off without Hullbreacher.
But these bannings are f***ing out of control. Cards like these should find their way out of the meta via group discussions - not the whim of a rules committee. The problem is that it is easier to squeeze cards out of play groups by simple discussion without impacting other groups where LGS postings of a default banned list often override the notion of social contracts. Mass land destruction is kind of a testament to that, as is often times Stax.
Personally, I have been watching my list and the potential inclusions and I was unsure how I feel about G these days. Is it just me or are cards like Abrupt Decay and Assassin's Trophy losing steam in the format?
How are people feeling about discard packages in the format right now? Still good or are countermagic packages better?
I know Teferi, Time Raveler is cooling off in the format - but I do feel like it is a really solid MB card in 4 Color Gifts. Just to buy that 1 turn to slip in gifts can be so nice. I have also been particularly interested in the interaction with suspend, and also the card Suspend. I have been wondering if this is enough to just buy time into the Gifts package and hinder the recast with Teferi, Time Raveler or Iona, Shield of Emeria. Having played Suspend since release, alongside Teferi, it has been an excellent removal spell overall. You can also delay creatures into wider board sweeps which is handy.
When it comes to a midrange package, I fancy the idea of casting and kicking Tourach, Dread Cantor off a Noble or a Bird and growing a Goyf. I think this offers some sweetness to the inevitability factor of the Midrange Gifts where they have to start answering things or prep for a Gifts. Cards like Siege Rhino at the top can help recoup life from shocks as well, giving you a bit more breathability with setting up your mana for plays that are more mana intense.
Anyways, would love to see some lists if anyone is still here and still playing the deck. I have been playing with the idea of some of the older, more midrange lists as well as the more controlling packages.
I would just try to evaluate things on some sort of baseline and place them accordingly. Noble Hierarch, for example, is just a green mana dork. At its worse case scenario it just provides off color ramp, but it's best case scenario is that it fixes mana in WUG. In the case of Deathrite Shaman, it is slightly more complex - but the same rules for classifying remain. The B ability should just be considered fluff for any player in the additional color. Much easier than doing math and rather effective in my experience.
I slot Lingering Souls into W using this method - as well as other cards.
Personally, I would just consider this a green mana dork and move one. The inclusion of black makes the card better, but running it just as a wonky BoP is fine. I tend to just simplify cards like this and separate what is a core function and what is extra and file it based on core function. Players can then decide if the extra mile is worth it or not. You will eventually shake out if the card is even worth the slot or not.
UPDATE 0.5.0
Kaldheim and Strixhaven have come and gone, and this update is a bit late to the party. While both sets were a bit underwhelming for me, there were a couple interesting additions with Kaldheim. It is exciting to see a bit more snow cards in the game, and probably one of the most exciting is included in this update, so lets jump into it, shall we?
UPDATE 0.6.0
Modern Horizons has been one of the most impactful modern sets released when it comes to the Cube format. Act 2 has been shaping up to be yet another slam dunk for the format. Modern Horizons II brings some fresh takes on classics throughout the history of the game, and plenty of nods to the juicy lore within. I am excited to explore many of the cards within the set and see how they shape up for others!
Even if you want to consider it a wrath first and a spot removal spell second - slot it in white then...
I don't think I would consider this strictly better. Sure, it is modal, but it is definitely an Either/Or and I don't think that inherently makes it a strictly better. Most certainly a creep up in power level though.
Personally, I have no intentions of cutting any wrath effect for this card. I read this card at surface level: BB destroy target creature. That is where I am going to slot this card in. The Overload is an inherent perk of the card if someone who is in W wants to use it without dipping into B and if the person dips into both, they have a lot of flexibility in colors where I think that flexibility is actually pretty important. I love that I can slot this into a B card slot and let people enjoy each aspect of its multi-color nature while not forcing them into WB, ad they still can get what they want from the card. The modal nature of this card is pretty incredible when it comes to allowing players to make meaningful choices - and that is a beautiful thing.
As for boomer cube mentality, I used to be like this. In many ways I still am, as I tend to choose fewer cards from some of these new sets than a lot of people do. However I will say that I think sometimes you just have to let that go and remember that nostalgia is important and is not necessarily lost with the inclusion of new, meaningful, additions.
- Solitude
- Damn
- Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
- Ignoble Hierarch
- Grist, the Hunger Tide
- Sword of Hearth and Home
I will likely keep an eye on Grief and Urza's Saga goin forward.I don't think I will slot it in an Orzhov slot though. It works well in a black slot where a W drafter can also draft it without having to even really go into B