@eidolon: you got the point. 4 players is my average playgroup. That means there is a 40% chance that someone plays a specific two colour combination. this mens less then half of the time duals/gold cards are going to be useless. In contrast, when you play 8-man drafts, there is an 80% chance that someone plays a specific two colour combination, making the duals/gold cards more valuable on average.
well, calibretto, your last two posts seem a bit narrow minded to me. If you don't want to make the effort to think about what other people are saying and just shout something back, why make the effort at all. To your first comment I say that you can experience how different effects affect limited play by playing the different block drafts. I never said that cube is the same as block drafts. To your second comment I say read my post before in more detail to understand why vindicat is a much more situational pick than sulfuric vortex, especially in cubes where splashes are not supported by the land section.
The dual lands (classic, fetch, pain, whatever) suffer the same problems as the multicolour cards: they are too situational picks. When you are in the two colours of the dual/gold, the pick is great, otherwise it's meh. This probably also depends on the number of players that are drafting the cube, 10% probability per two colour combination. When you play sealed more often you will see why the duals are suboptimal.
Like I said "Seems like I'm one of the fews that agree with what the starter of this threat thinks."
The main point is personal preference. My cube (I have to update my posted cube) has no multicolour cards (few hybrids and split cards are in their "main" colour) because they are too situational picks or lead to crazy splashes and that's something I want to prevent (like I said, personal preference). Everyone has played drafts with multiple different blocks with their specific flavour to experience different draft/sealed environments. If you liked Alara or the other multicolour blocks the most, go for it, push the multicolour and manafixing as far as you can. For my personal taste of MTG these blocks were the exceptions and not the rule of how MTG is played, therefore I don't want to push multicolour strategies. The dual lands, which would reflect the limited environment of ravnica/guildpact/dissension, are too situational picks (remember these drafts) and that's something I want to prevent (again personal preference).
Seems like I'm one of the fews that agree with what the starter of this threat thinks. All the duals, rainbow, whatever-lands are great cards but in addition with artifact colour fixing it is too easy to draft 5c-good-stuff-deck (ok, I admitt, I want to push 2 or monocolour decks and keep people away from multicolour shenanigans or crazy splashes, unless you play green). Additionally, the colour fixing lands dilute greens strenght of manafixing (I desperately want to push green, because it's always like "ah, no one drafts green" and then someone jumps onto it to profit from it, but almost never is someone starting to draft green in the beginning.
To sum up why the colourfixing lands are inappropriate for my personal cube taste:
-dilute packs
-allow crazy splashes or even 5c-good-stuff (that's individual preference)
-inflation of colour fixing removes one of the defining abilities of green by giving it to every colour (therefore, I also don't run the signets/talismans)
My own cube is still a bit messy, nevertheless I'm interested to hear about how you create boosters from the pool. I take 2 cards from every section and fill to 15 randomly (although colour balanced).
Playstyle: Focus on sealed deck play -> Compared to a „regular“ cube that means more redundancy in certain effects and less different archetypes are supported. Another design focus is „interaction“.
Banned list: Black Lotus, Original Moxen, Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Mana Crypt, Library of Alexandria, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Mind Twist, Wheel of Fortune, Dark Ritual, Sylvan Library, Winter Orb, Moat, Channel
Watch list: Mana Drain, Time Twister
W: White supports aggro and control with essential parts. Creatures with pump effects or evasion, armies in a can and the Wrath & Geddon effects are the defining parts of whites identity.
U: Blue supports mostly the classical draw-go style. Counterspells, card draw/selection and resilient finishers are the defining parts of blues identity.
B: Black supports aggro and control with disruption and removals. Discard, creature destruction and engine cards (Recurring Nightmare) are defining parts of blacks identity.
R: Red supports aggro and Wildfire. Burn is the defining part of reds identity.
G: Green supports midrange and ramp. Mana dorks, etb creatures, heavy beaters and creature tutoring are the defining parts of greens identity.
:azorius:: Azorius is usually control, sometimes tempo-control. Signature deck: UW Super Friends, draft priorities: 1. walkers, 2. sweepers, 3. mana rocks. moat is insane in this deck.
:orzhov:: Orzhov can be aggro, midrange or control. Signature deck: BW Stax, draft priorities: 1. mana denial (geddon, braids, stax, tangle wire, winter orb), 2. recurring threats/token generators, 3. mana rocks.
:boros:: Boros is usually aggro, sometimes midrange, rarely control. Signature deck: RW Beatdown, draft priorities: 1. geddon/vortex/equipment, 2. burn spells, 3. agressive one and two drops. The shadow creatures are great in this deck.
:selesnya:: Selesnya is usually midrange, sometimes ramp-control. Signature deck: GW Midrange, draft priorities: 1. geddon/equipment, 2. mana dorks, ETBs, fatties 3. white spot removal. Stone Forge Mystic fits perfectly in this kind of deck. If you have a higher curve, Natural Order is great.
:dimir:: Dimir is usually control, sometimes tempo-control. Signature deck: UB Artifacts, draft priorities: 1. Artifact fatties, tinker, upheaval 2. mana rocks, removal 3. tutors. This is THE deck for Tinker and Upheavel, in combination with the available tutors and mana rocks in these colours.
:izzet:: Izzet is usually counter-burn, sometimes tempo-control. Signature deck: UR Counter-Burn, draft priorities: 1. Resilient finishers, 2. counterspells/card draw/card selection, 3. mass burn/instant burn.
:simic:: Simic is usually ramp-control, sometimes tempo-control. Signature deck: UG Ramp, draft priorities: 1. fatties/equipment, 2. mana dorks, 3. control magic effects. This is THE deck for Natural Order.
:rakdos:: Rakdos is usually aggro, sometimes midrange, rarely control. RB Aggro, important picks: 1. targeted discard/equipment, 2. agressive one and two drops, 3. burn/removal.
:golgari:: Golgari is usually midrange, sometimes ramp-control. Signature deck: GB SurRec, important picks: 1. engines (Recurring Nightmare, Survival of the Fittest etc), 2. etb creatures, 3. tutors
:gruul:: Gruul is usually midrange or ramp-control. Signature deck: RG Wildfire, important picks: 1. Wildfire/Earthquake, 2. walkers/5+ toughness finishers, 3. ramp.
The freestyle section allows to find space for cards that don't fit in a traditional section. Cards like Hybrid, Phybrid, Squee, colour aligned artifacts, the Zoo creatures, off colour flashback/kicker/split go into this section. To keep a rough balance, each colour should have +- the same number of "aligned" cards in the freestyle section. This section gives more design freedom, while it is still possible to keep the colours more or less balanced.
Colourless cards fit into more decks and there is never a "colour screw" happening when you play them. This design concept helps to increase the number of playable cards for a sealed deck.
1 player 10%
2 players 19%
3 players 27,1%
4 players 34,4%
5 players 41%
6 players 46,9%
7 players 52,2%
8 players 57%
...
n players 1-0,9^n
Even with 8 players there is only a 57% percent chance that a dual/gold card will fit into someones colours of the deck.
The main point is personal preference. My cube (I have to update my posted cube) has no multicolour cards (few hybrids and split cards are in their "main" colour) because they are too situational picks or lead to crazy splashes and that's something I want to prevent (like I said, personal preference). Everyone has played drafts with multiple different blocks with their specific flavour to experience different draft/sealed environments. If you liked Alara or the other multicolour blocks the most, go for it, push the multicolour and manafixing as far as you can. For my personal taste of MTG these blocks were the exceptions and not the rule of how MTG is played, therefore I don't want to push multicolour strategies. The dual lands, which would reflect the limited environment of ravnica/guildpact/dissension, are too situational picks (remember these drafts) and that's something I want to prevent (again personal preference).
To sum up why the colourfixing lands are inappropriate for my personal cube taste:
-dilute packs
-allow crazy splashes or even 5c-good-stuff (that's individual preference)
-inflation of colour fixing removes one of the defining abilities of green by giving it to every colour (therefore, I also don't run the signets/talismans)
Theme: Regular
Power: Unpowered
Playstyle: Focus on sealed deck play -> Compared to a „regular“ cube that means more redundancy in certain effects and less different archetypes are supported. Another design focus is „interaction“.
Banned list: Black Lotus, Original Moxen, Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Mana Crypt, Library of Alexandria, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Mind Twist, Wheel of Fortune, Dark Ritual, Sylvan Library, Winter Orb, Moat, Channel
Watch list: Mana Drain, Time Twister
U: Blue supports mostly the classical draw-go style. Counterspells, card draw/selection and resilient finishers are the defining parts of blues identity.
B: Black supports aggro and control with disruption and removals. Discard, creature destruction and engine cards (Recurring Nightmare) are defining parts of blacks identity.
R: Red supports aggro and Wildfire. Burn is the defining part of reds identity.
G: Green supports midrange and ramp. Mana dorks, etb creatures, heavy beaters and creature tutoring are the defining parts of greens identity.
:orzhov:: Orzhov can be aggro, midrange or control. Signature deck: BW Stax, draft priorities: 1. mana denial (geddon, braids, stax, tangle wire, winter orb), 2. recurring threats/token generators, 3. mana rocks.
:boros:: Boros is usually aggro, sometimes midrange, rarely control. Signature deck: RW Beatdown, draft priorities: 1. geddon/vortex/equipment, 2. burn spells, 3. agressive one and two drops. The shadow creatures are great in this deck.
:selesnya:: Selesnya is usually midrange, sometimes ramp-control. Signature deck: GW Midrange, draft priorities: 1. geddon/equipment, 2. mana dorks, ETBs, fatties 3. white spot removal. Stone Forge Mystic fits perfectly in this kind of deck. If you have a higher curve, Natural Order is great.
:dimir:: Dimir is usually control, sometimes tempo-control. Signature deck: UB Artifacts, draft priorities: 1. Artifact fatties, tinker, upheaval 2. mana rocks, removal 3. tutors. This is THE deck for Tinker and Upheavel, in combination with the available tutors and mana rocks in these colours.
:izzet:: Izzet is usually counter-burn, sometimes tempo-control. Signature deck: UR Counter-Burn, draft priorities: 1. Resilient finishers, 2. counterspells/card draw/card selection, 3. mass burn/instant burn.
:simic:: Simic is usually ramp-control, sometimes tempo-control. Signature deck: UG Ramp, draft priorities: 1. fatties/equipment, 2. mana dorks, 3. control magic effects. This is THE deck for Natural Order.
:rakdos:: Rakdos is usually aggro, sometimes midrange, rarely control. RB Aggro, important picks: 1. targeted discard/equipment, 2. agressive one and two drops, 3. burn/removal.
:golgari:: Golgari is usually midrange, sometimes ramp-control. Signature deck: GB SurRec, important picks: 1. engines (Recurring Nightmare, Survival of the Fittest etc), 2. etb creatures, 3. tutors
:gruul:: Gruul is usually midrange or ramp-control. Signature deck: RG Wildfire, important picks: 1. Wildfire/Earthquake, 2. walkers/5+ toughness finishers, 3. ramp.
1 Dauntless Bodyguard
1 Dragon Hunter
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Giver of Runes
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
1 Mardu Woe-Reaper
1 Mother of Runes
1 Skymarcher Aspirant
1 Student of Warfare
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Venerable Knight
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Adorned Pouncer
1 Glory-Bound Initiate
1 Relic Seeker
1 Selfless Spirit
1 Stoneforge Mystic
//3CC
1 Blade Splicer
1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
1 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
1 Monastery Mentor
1 Hero of Bladehold
1 Leonin Warleader
1 Restoration Angel
//5CC
1 Angel of Invention
1 Archangel Avacyn
1 Baneslayer Angel
1 Lyra Dawnbringer
1 Path to Exile
1 Swords to Plowshares
//2CC
1 Balance
1 Winds of Abandon
//3CC
1 Gideon Blackblade
1 Gideon of the Trials
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Council's Judgment
1 Banishing Light
1 Grasp of Fate
1 Armageddon
1 Day of Judgment
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Ravages of War
1 Serra the Benevolent
1 Wrath of God
1 Gideon Jura
1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
1 Looter il-Kor
1 Snapcaster Mage
//3CC
1 Brazzen Borrower
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 God-Eternal Kefnet
1 Sower of Temptation
//5CC
1 Cavalier of Gales
1 Mulldrifter
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Torrential Gearhulk
1 Force of Will
//1CC
1 Brainstorm
1 Force Spike
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
1 Portent
1 Preordain
1 Personal Tutor
1 Serum Visions
//2CC
1 Arcane Denial
1 Chart a Course
1 Condescend
1 Counterspell
1 Impulse
1 Mana Drain
1 Mana Leak
1 Memory Lapse
1 Miscalculation
1 Negate
1 Remand
1 Search for Azcanta
1 Jace Beleren
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Vedalken Shackles
//4CC
1 Control Magic
1 Cryptic Command
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
//5CC
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Treachery
1 Tezzeret, Artifice Master
1 Upheaval
//8CC
1 Dig Through Time
1 Bloodsoaked Champion
1 Carnophage
1 Diregraf Ghoul
1 Dread Wanderer
1 Gnarled Scarhide
1 Gravecrawler
1 Gutterbones
1 Sarcomancy
1 Tormented Hero
1 Vampire Lacerator
1 Bloodghast
1 Dark Confidant
1 Kitesail Freebooter
1 Oona's Prowler
1 Pack Rat
1 Relentless Dead
1 Scrapheap Scrounger
//3CC
1 Flesh Carver
1 Liliana, Heretical Healer
1 Murderous Rider
1 Ophiomancer
1 Nekrataal
1 Ravenous Chupacabra
1 Skinrender
//5CC
1 Shriekmaw
1 Doom Whisperer
//6CC
1 Grave Titan
1 Snuff Out
1 Volrath's Stronghold
//1CC
1 Defile
1 Duress
1 Fatal Push
1 Imperial Seal
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Thoughtseize
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Bitterblossom
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Ultimate Price
1 Go For the Throat
1 Hymn to Tourach
//3CC
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Recurring Nightmare
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Damnation
1 Languish
//5CC
1 Liliana, Death's Majesty
1 Falkenrath Gorger
1 Firedrinker Satyr
1 Goblin Glory Chaser
1 Goblin Guide
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Jackal Pup
1 Stromkirk Noble
1 Zurgo Bellstriker
1 Borderland Marauder
1 Goblin Cratermaker
1 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Thriving Grubs
1 War-name Aspirant
1 Young Pyromancer
//3CC
1 Bonecrusher Giant
1 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Krenko, Tin Street Kingpin
1 Hanweir Garrison
1 Legion Warboss
1 Najeela, the Blade-Blossom
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Hellrider
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
//6CC
1 Inferno Titan
1 Burst Lightning
1 Chain Lightning
1 Firebolt
1 Lightning Bolt
//2CC
1 Abrade
1 Arc Trail
1 Lightning Strike
1 Magma Jet
1 Incinerate
1 Searing Spear
1 Arc Lightning
1 Collective Defiance
1 Flames of the Firebrand
1 Sulfuric Vortex
//4CC
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Fiery Confluence
1 Koth of the Hammer
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
//6CC
1 Wildfire
1 Burning of Xinye
//XCC
1 Earthquake
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Arbor Elf
1 Avacyn's Pilgrim
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Elves of Deep Shadow
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Hexdrinker
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Kessig Prowler
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Noble Hierarch
//2CC
1 Fauna Shaman
1 Lotus Cobra
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Wildborn Preserver
1 Eternal Witness
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Tireless Tracker
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Yavimaya Elder
//4CC
1 Master of the Wild Hunt
1 Nightpack Ambusher
1 Polukranos, World Eater
1 Thrun, The Last Troll
1 Wickerbough Elder
//5CC
1 Conclave Naturalists
1 Deep Forest Hermit
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Indrik Stomphowler
1 Thragtusk
1 Vorapede
1 Carnage Tyrant
//7CC
1 Hornet Queen
//XCC
1 Voracious Hydra
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Sylvan Tutor
1 Once upon a Time
1 Survival of the Fittest
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Garruk Wildspeaker
1 Natural Order
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Fractured Identity
1 Tundra
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Flooded Strand
1 Celestial Colonnade
//Orzhov
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Scrubland
1 Godless Shrine
1 Marsh Flats
1 Silent Clearing
//Boros
1 Ajani Vengeant
1 Plateau
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Arid Mesa
1 Sunbaked Canyon
//Selesnya
1 Knight of Autumn
1 Savannah
1 Temple Garden
1 Windswept Heath
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Hostage Taker
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
1 Polluted Delta
1 Creeping Tar Pit
//Izzet
1 Dack Fayden
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Volcanic Island
1 Steam Vents
1 Fiery Islet
//Simic
1 Nissa, Steward of Elements
1 Tropical Island
1 Breeding Pool
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Waterlogged Grove
//Rakdos
1 Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast
1 Badlands
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Pernicious Deed
1 Bayou
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Nurturing Peatland
//Gruul
1 Domri, Anarch of Bolas
1 Taiga
1 Stomping Ground
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Raging Ravine
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Kitchen Finks
1 Murderous Redcap
1 Rakdos Cackler
//Tribrid
1 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Warden of the First Tree
1 Yasova Dragonclaw
1 Dismember
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
//Hybrid Artifact
1 Talisman of Conviction
1 Talisman of Creativity
1 Talisman of Curiosity
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Talisman of Hierarchy
1 Talisman of Impulse
1 Talisman of Indulgence
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Talisman of Resilience
1 Talisman of Unity
1 Phyrexian Revoker
//4CC
1 Solemn Simulacrum
//5CC
1 Precursor Golem
1 Wurmcoil Engine
//7CC
1 Myr Battlesphere
//8CC
1 Sundering Titan
1 Ancient Stone Idol
//XXCC
1 Walking Ballista
1 Hangarback Walker
1 Bonesplitter
1 Skullclamp
//2CC
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of Sinew and Steel
1 Sword of Truth and Justice
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Grim Monolith
1 Mind Stone
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Coalition Relic
1 Worn Powerstone
//4CC
1 Hedron Archive
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Cursed Scroll
1 Pithing Needle
1 Sensei's Divining Top
//2CC
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Scroll Rack
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
1 Mimic Vat
1 Oblivion Stone
//4CC
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Karn Liberated
//8CC
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
//XCC
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Prismatic Vista
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Fabled Passage
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Ash Barrens
1 City of Brass
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Grand Coliseum
1 Mana Confluence
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Blast Zone
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Mutavault