MTG Salvation

What I like about Whipcorder is that is one of the better WW creatures outside of white aggro. It can be played well in mid-range and control decks that value the tapping effect, or as a great "bluff" morph creature in WR or WB decks. However, he's also playable in aggro too... if that's the route you're going.

What I enjoy about Stormbind is that it another great way for aggro decks to finish-off control decks without going through the red zone. I can't get enough of those effects in the cube, really. Not to mention that it's fantastic in mid-range or control to continue to pseudo-topdeck removal spells turn after turn to fend-off aggro creatures, then turn the burn to the face as a great finisher. Combine it with draw spells and the like to make it really, really strong.

Ya, the Gilded Drake is super-sick with any kind of bounce spell. It becomes downright abusive with permanent bounce like Capsize, Waterfront Bouncer, Tradewind Rider, etc... even with Erratic Portal and Crystal Shard if your opponent is tapped out.

Quote from Aznopium

everything i see Gilded Drake, i know it could be awesome. trading it for somebodies fatty or CIP creature or something. What is the best play u seen with it? I had it in for awhile, will probably will reconsider it when i think more bout my cube.

Gilded Drake + Capsize.

Stormbind is busted. I wouldn't take it out. Nor would I remove Grim Monolith. Temporal Isolation is great because it's an aggro card as well as a control card, thus, making it far more versatile than Wing Shards or Condemn... even though both of those cards are good.

Also, Pouncing Jaguar, Jungle Lion and Albino Troll are all fantastic cards. I wouldn't cut 'em either.

A 4/4 for 4 with a drawback isn't good enough for the cube. a 4/4 for 4 with a good ability is. Same goes for a 3/3 for 3. Both Cathodion and Su-Chi will see play in cubes if mana-burn is removed from the game.

They're not "basically vanilla creatures". They're incredibly efficient artifact creatures with a good ability to boot. They will most definitely be cube-worthy IMO.

Quote from metamind

I think they will both be cube-worthy, and I'll surely play them, but they aren't amazing in any way.

No, not amazing I suppose... they're just really solid creatures.

Quote from calibretto

i also fail to see how this change turns hardly playable creatures like cathodion into an amazing creature. if anything it just makes it a notch or two above something like trained armodon. it's still not playable and not even close to cube worthy.

I think they'd both be immediately cube-worthy. Trained Armadon is bad because it's a 3/3 for 1GG with no special abilities. Cathodion would immediately go to a 3 for a 3/3 with a good ability... as a colorless creature. Artifact creatures don't have efficient bodies like that without significant drawbacks. Same goes for Su-Chi. There are a lot of decks that could abuse the mana when it leaves play upside to the card, and even more archetypes that could benefit from a strong 3/3 for 3 or 4/4 for 4. The only reason they're not really cube worthy now is because of mana burn.

4 for a 4/4 with no drawbacks would be a good card. Throw in the fact that it has the potential to be abusive with mana-tricks and you've got a great card. That's what you'd have with a Su-Chi and no mana-burn.

Quote from metamind

Plus, I never saw anyone lose to mana burn.

No, but I've won games when players have taken 1-2 points of mana burn during the course of the game. Perhaps they don't die if they can manage their mana properly?

It's been an integral part of the game since day one. If they remove it, they will be destroying a LOT of important decision-making that happens throughout the game.

On the "upside"... both Su-Chi and Cathodion will be amazing.

We have THREE revised Dual Lands that can be hit by Bloodstained Mire. No contest.

Quote from Altaurus321

Hmmm, maybe thats why red is considered the weakest in my cube, not enough burn. My whole thing was i didn't want to just have red be burn, so i limited the amount i put in the cube. But i guess that lowered its power to much...

I'd start exchanging out red cards that do random things for ones that do direct damage until half of the red cards can deal damage to players (without attacking). Red will be a much more competitive color when this happens. Remember, they don't have to be "burn" spells per se, just cards that can kill your opponent without attacking (count cards like Grim Lavamancer and Fireslinger when determining your 50%).

Is there any truth to the rumor that they're getting rid of Mana Burn?! Are they trying to ruin the game?

Sure, but if my cube was bigger, I would compensate all those additions with a greater number of low casting-cost aggro cards to keep the average casting cost of the cards in the cube low.

It doesn't matter how many people are going to potentially be playing the cube. So long as it's 360 cards or more, you should be fine.

I draft 1 on 1 a lot of the time in my cube, and it has no bearing on which cards go in or out of the cube. The list should just contain the most awesome cards of each color, and the colors should be balanced. Other than that, it's up to you!

Quote from Silent Edge

We're taking the best of the best period.

These happen to be blue cards.