Currently for me the main problems with Izzet are that Electrolyze, Prophetic Bolt, and Fire/Ice are just boring. They're also being outclassed as creatures improve. I find that counterburn leans a lot more on the counters these days and a lot less on the burn.
I run Fire/Ice, Izzet Guildmage, Wee Dragonauts, and Gelectrode. I'll probably cute Fire/Ice for Nivix Guildmage, and add Izzet Charm. I think that more interesting UR cards are yet to be revealed (for one, the U/R hybrid creature), in which case I'll cut Izzet Guildmage.
I'm too much a fan of the Dragonauts right now to cut them, in part because they make for such memorable plays--we had someone ponder, shard volley you, berserk on turn four for 17 damage. For the average case scenario, Guttersnipe is likely better. But sometimes high-variance cards are what you need.
I look at this card a lot like Basking Rootwalla. I typically don't want to cast the Rootwalla except as a bonus for its madness ability. Similarly, I want to discard Slitherhead to Survival of the Fittest/Fauna Shaman, a looter, or some other discard outlet--or, better yet, dredge it.
Also, the scavenge ability is great for your own creatures, of course. But it's also good for an opponent's Geralf's Messenger/Strangleroot Geist/Vorapede and even better on a Phantasmal Image. You probably don't want to use this trick with some of the bigger scavenge creatures.
Responding to another thread about vampires, one option for black is the tribal route. Of these, the best-supported is Zombies. There are a number of very good cards, many of which are widely played.
Not for the tighter, higher-power lists by any means. I think Call to the Grave is an excellent sideboard card against midrange creature decks, and can be powerful in other matchups as well--but only if players can draft enough zombies to make it relevant. Certain sacrifice combos with Gravecrawler can be cute, enjoyable, even powerful. This is where you probably want to start if you're adding Zombie tribal into your cube.
With just a few more decent vampires Kalastria Highborn may soon be playable in typical cubes, especially if you're running cards like Attrition. I think I would usually prioritize her over Nocturnus, because she is generally more interesting if not necessarily more powerful.
There are a lot of uses for this card:
1. As incremental gain in aggressive decks--get an extra damage out of your Hellspark Elemental, Keldon Marauders, or in response to removal--a la Greater Gargadon.
2. Trade your bad creatures for their good creatures--like Vendilion Clique, Snapcaster, Flickerwisp, etc.--to improve your attacks (especially good in a token-heavy strategy, where you might start taking out 2-toughness creatures)
3. As a finisher to get the last few points through a wall of blockers or Moat.
4. As a sacrifice outlet (Balance, Viridian Emissary, Yavimaya Elder, Living Death, Zealous Conscripts, Kiki-Jiki, Mimic Vat, etc. etc.)
The card is a useful cog in some decks and a build-around=me in others. Exactly the utility and versatility that cube cards require.
Player has creature, fastbond, strip mine and crucible of worlds in play.
[Wins with a complex sequence of plays]
I assume the opponent has no lands at this point anyways? And obviously the guy is at a high enough life total to basically cast channel/fireball.
The Gargadon/Geopede move is a good one though.
I would add that many of the most important cards are 1-CC.
If you can counter a turn 1 Sol Ring, Dark Ritual, Thoughtseize, Noble Hierarch, or Goblin Guide, you are well on your way to winning. Later in the game, counter their Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile on your finisher while you're tapped out. Tell that combat-trick Lightning Bolt to get out. Counter game-winning spells like Ancestral Recall, Reanimate, or any of the Mirage Tutors. Even countering a Ponder, Preordain, or Brainstorm can seal a game.
Looking at the total number of cards you might want to counter is not a very useful way of approaching the problem. Rather, look at how many 1-drops there are in the average deck, and consider how important they are. The answer: usually several, and typically very important.
Also, this card can be played by any color (and for free), as opposed to (for example) Hydroblast.
For one, it has the potential for a big effect, with relatively low cost.
It's situational, of course, as all two-for-one (or three-for one, or whatever) removal is. If they have just 1 creature, it's worse than terminate--but then, terminate does not net you card advantage.
Dismissing such a powerful, versatile, instant card seems to me a knee-jerk negative reaction. I would happily play this card against any deck that plans to have more than one creature out at a time.
Arc lightning is a powerful effect. It usually costs 3; Skirk Volcanist provides that effect on a 3-power stick for the same price (in addition to losing a couple of mountains). Losing mountains is not ideal, but it doesn't cost "mana" per se. The fact that it can only hit creature, I feel, is its major downside. This card is not Fireblast, but it's good for similar reasons.
I've been running this guy for a bit, and he can lead to some pretty explosive surprises. Two perfectly good creatures can be eliminated at instant speed while tapped out, often allowing for an alpha strike. Plus he swings for 3, which is no slouch.
Lastly, I should point out that most cubes need more morphs if designers actually want to make people guess about what those morphs are, and this is a fine one.
Yep, topdecking a bounce spell is often not that bad, but this is only really valuable (sometimes) in your opening hand.
This statement makes no sense to me at all.
Topdecking or not, the card is valuable if the following is true:
-- you have a creature that they cannot block or don't want to block
-- they don't have removal for your guy that they can't block, or don't want to spend removal on said card.
In topdeck mode, the prospect that they have instant-speed removal for something they can't block seems pretty questionable.
That said, I doubt Sigil of Sleep is good enough to compete with the more versatile, more powerful cards that constitute most cubes.
I run Fire/Ice, Izzet Guildmage, Wee Dragonauts, and Gelectrode. I'll probably cute Fire/Ice for Nivix Guildmage, and add Izzet Charm. I think that more interesting UR cards are yet to be revealed (for one, the U/R hybrid creature), in which case I'll cut Izzet Guildmage.
I'm too much a fan of the Dragonauts right now to cut them, in part because they make for such memorable plays--we had someone ponder, shard volley you, berserk on turn four for 17 damage. For the average case scenario, Guttersnipe is likely better. But sometimes high-variance cards are what you need.
Also, the scavenge ability is great for your own creatures, of course. But it's also good for an opponent's Geralf's Messenger/Strangleroot Geist/Vorapede and even better on a Phantasmal Image. You probably don't want to use this trick with some of the bigger scavenge creatures.
Oath is better early, but can backfire; Cemetery is better late.
1 Gravecrawler
1 Sarcomancy
1 Graveborn Muse
1 Cemetery Reaper
1 Lord of the Undead
1 Call to the Grave
Are Zombies
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Withered Wretch
1 Geralf's Messenger
1 Bone Dancer
1 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Glissa, the Traitor
1 Havengul Lich
1 Grimgrim, Corpse-Born
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1 Festering Goblin
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Diregraf Captain
1 Woebearer
1 Order of Yawgmoth
1 Tombstone Stairwell
Not for the tighter, higher-power lists by any means. I think Call to the Grave is an excellent sideboard card against midrange creature decks, and can be powerful in other matchups as well--but only if players can draft enough zombies to make it relevant. Certain sacrifice combos with Gravecrawler can be cute, enjoyable, even powerful. This is where you probably want to start if you're adding Zombie tribal into your cube.
There are a lot of uses for this card:
1. As incremental gain in aggressive decks--get an extra damage out of your Hellspark Elemental, Keldon Marauders, or in response to removal--a la Greater Gargadon.
2. Trade your bad creatures for their good creatures--like Vendilion Clique, Snapcaster, Flickerwisp, etc.--to improve your attacks (especially good in a token-heavy strategy, where you might start taking out 2-toughness creatures)
3. As a finisher to get the last few points through a wall of blockers or Moat.
4. As a sacrifice outlet (Balance, Viridian Emissary, Yavimaya Elder, Living Death, Zealous Conscripts, Kiki-Jiki, Mimic Vat, etc. etc.)
The card is a useful cog in some decks and a build-around=me in others. Exactly the utility and versatility that cube cards require.
I assume the opponent has no lands at this point anyways? And obviously the guy is at a high enough life total to basically cast channel/fireball.
The Gargadon/Geopede move is a good one though.
If you can counter a turn 1 Sol Ring, Dark Ritual, Thoughtseize, Noble Hierarch, or Goblin Guide, you are well on your way to winning. Later in the game, counter their Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile on your finisher while you're tapped out. Tell that combat-trick Lightning Bolt to get out. Counter game-winning spells like Ancestral Recall, Reanimate, or any of the Mirage Tutors. Even countering a Ponder, Preordain, or Brainstorm can seal a game.
Looking at the total number of cards you might want to counter is not a very useful way of approaching the problem. Rather, look at how many 1-drops there are in the average deck, and consider how important they are. The answer: usually several, and typically very important.
Also, this card can be played by any color (and for free), as opposed to (for example) Hydroblast.
For one, it has the potential for a big effect, with relatively low cost.
It's situational, of course, as all two-for-one (or three-for one, or whatever) removal is. If they have just 1 creature, it's worse than terminate--but then, terminate does not net you card advantage.
Dismissing such a powerful, versatile, instant card seems to me a knee-jerk negative reaction. I would happily play this card against any deck that plans to have more than one creature out at a time.
I would also consider
Arc lightning is a powerful effect. It usually costs 3; Skirk Volcanist provides that effect on a 3-power stick for the same price (in addition to losing a couple of mountains). Losing mountains is not ideal, but it doesn't cost "mana" per se. The fact that it can only hit creature, I feel, is its major downside. This card is not Fireblast, but it's good for similar reasons.
I've been running this guy for a bit, and he can lead to some pretty explosive surprises. Two perfectly good creatures can be eliminated at instant speed while tapped out, often allowing for an alpha strike. Plus he swings for 3, which is no slouch.
Lastly, I should point out that most cubes need more morphs if designers actually want to make people guess about what those morphs are, and this is a fine one.
This statement makes no sense to me at all.
Topdecking or not, the card is valuable if the following is true:
-- you have a creature that they cannot block or don't want to block
-- they don't have removal for your guy that they can't block, or don't want to spend removal on said card.
In topdeck mode, the prospect that they have instant-speed removal for something they can't block seems pretty questionable.
That said, I doubt Sigil of Sleep is good enough to compete with the more versatile, more powerful cards that constitute most cubes.
You may disagree with the MODO cube on one or two points, but it has a lot going for it. In particular, it is an excellent example of a large cube.