What are your thoughts on Dungeon Geists vs Icefall Regent? My initial reaction is that Icefall is better but I'm curious as to what your experience has been playing them both. I only have space for one so I'm trying to figure out which one I prefer
I haven't updated my cube since Khans and I've been sitting down and refining my list. One problem I've had is with black and figuring out how many one drops is enough because I need to add Bloodsoaked Champion. For reference, my cube is 360 and I currently have 7 one drops. My black section is:
Carnophage
Diregraf Ghoul
Gravecrawler
Sarcomancy
Tormented Hero
Vampire Lacerator
Gnarled Scarhide
Bloodghast
Dark Confidant
Dauthi Horror
Oona's Prowler
Pack Rat
Pain Seer
Vampire Hexmage
Hypnotic Specter
Ophiomancer
Vampire Nighthawk
Herald of Torment
Master of the Feast
Braids, Cabal Minion
Nekrataal
Skinrender
Shriekmaw
Grave Titan
Tombstalker
Planeswalker (1)
Liliana of the Veil
Instant (8)
Dark Ritual
Entomb
Vampiric Tutor
Diabolic Edict
Dismember
Doom Blade
Go for the Throat
Hero's Downfall
Sorcery (10)
I feel as though cutting a one drop is right because 8 seems like too many but I'm not sure. If I was to cut a one drop, which one would you recommend? I'm considering Tormented Hero vs Vampire Lacerator. I'm not sure if the extra point of toughness is worth a life every turn.
Unrelated, but I also plan on cutting Hypnotic Specter for Flesh Carver.
Personally, I love the new art and flavor text. It makes me smile whereas the old artwork does not. Of course, I've only been playing for a few years so the old art is not nostalgic for me, but I really do enjoy the new artwork. Plus, the MM foiling is great.
Blood Scrivener looks quite bad to me, so I'm interested in hearing what other people think once they have more time with the card. It could be that I'm completely wrong, but many of my aggressive decks do not tend to have empty hands that quickly and would have rather have a larger beater than a bear with lategame upside.
I also disagree some people's, including yours, opinion of Aetherling. While very very solid, I would put as the second best finisher after Sphinx of Jwar Isle. I think Aetherling is too mana intensive for a finisher, but I am looking forward to testing this card. If nothing else, it is flashier than Sphinx, so I'm hoping it is better because it will lead to better stories.
What is your opinion on Down//Dirty? Ignoring Down, Dirty is a three mana Regrowth. What size would you cube with it?
Regarding Land Tax: I found that when Land Tax, was good, it was great. Other times, it was very unimpressive and often sided out. I'm not opposed to adding it back in if you have another suggestion for a cut in white. Looking at my section, I was unsure of what to take out instead.
Regarding your comment, specifically "I stopped reading at...": It could just be me, but I found this quite rude. I made a post on my cube thread looking for feedback, suggestions, and help, and you responded with a short, dismissive comment. If you think Land Tax is that good, the same sentiment could have been expressed in a different tone. For someone that contributes so much to the community and whose opinion I have often held in high regard, I expected better.
I was out of the country for the fall semester, but I started cubing more when I got back. During this time, I've added some cards from RTR and GTC. I've also made some other general changes, one of which has been moving away from a rigid color section. I now don't mind having 2 hybrid cards for a color combination as I will cut one card from each color.
Changes (Out -> In):
W: Cut Land Tax
I needed to cut a card from white, and I always felt this was the least impactful. I often saw this sided out on the play, and I felt better about cutting a card with such high variance (dead on the play, amazing on the draw). I would not be opposed to putting this back in if I found another cut in white.
U: Jace Memory Adept -> Jace, Architect of Thought
My playgroup didn't like Jace 3, and after seeing him beat two aggro decks in a row, I'm inclined to agree.
R: Fire Imp -> Ash Zealot
Fire Imp was fine, but Ash Zealot is better.
G: Cut Krosan Tusker
Wall of Blossoms -> Hornet Queen
Troll Ascetic -> Experiment One
I only had Woodfall Primus as a large green fatty, and I wanted to work in another one. I think Hornet Queen is the second best out of all the options. Wall of Blossoms was a fine card, but I felt like it was a bit out of place. The green decks were already beating the aggro decks, so a wall wasn't needed as much. Krosan Tusker, while fine, felt like one of the weakest cards in green. Troll Ascetic was also decent, but I'm much happier playing the infinitely better Experiment One. Troll Ascetic was never great, but I kept it to help support both aggro and midrange decks. I don't think it's needed anymore.
Colorless: Ring of Gix -> Thran Dynamo
I was too afraid of artifact mana initially, so the Upheaval and Wildfire decks have been suffering. Ideally I'd like to work in one more mana rock. It will either be Worn Powerstone or Basalt Monolith.
I liked the flexibility of Dreadbore more than I liked the instant speed of Terminate. That being said, if I can fine one cut in Red and one in Black, both Terminate and Falkenrath Aristocrat will work themselves back in again as Rakdos Cackler and Murderous Redcap will be a hybrid section.
G/W: Add Dryad Militant
Add Knight of the Reliquary
Dryad Militant and Kitchen Finks are now the 2 hybrid g/w cards. While there may be arguably better G/W cards than Knight (Horizon Canopy?), I like that the card can lead to interesting decks and plays. In addition, the card can simultaneously support and midrange decks and aggro decks with several fetchlands.
B/G: Putrid Leech -> Lotleth Troll
Pretty east switch. Not only is Lotleth Troll threatening on its own, but that it is also a free discard outlet for the reanimator decks is amazing.
U/R: Prophetic Bolt -> Izzet Charm
Another easy switch. Prophetic Bolt was never bad, but it is certainly worse than Electrolyze, Fire // Ice, and Izzet Charm.
R/W: Slayer's Stronghold -> Boros Charm
Stronghold is good, but Boros Charm is ridiculous. How this card is only two mana is beyond me.
Some current topics I am considering:
1) I would like to add Melira Combo in the cube. Sac outlets and redcap/finks are already in the cube, and at her worst, Melira is a bear. Plus, I like that it does take some set up, unlike the Restoration Angel/Kiki-jiki win which can come out of nowhere and create feel bad moments.
2) I am considering cutting Erratic Portal for another mana artifact.
3) I am looking for one more cut in Red and one in Black to create a hybrid section in R/B.
4) I am considering swapping out Tombstalker for Abyssal Persecutor. I often felt like Tombstalker was over costed and think Abyssal Persecutor could be the top of the curve for a lot of aggro decks.
City and State: Berkeley, California
MTGS Screename: Baconeal
Powered: No
Un cards: No
Portal cards: Yes
Special theme: No
Number of Cards: 360
*Cube link: sig
Because I want to play Magic, not some mix between Magic and a memory game based on puns I don't find funny.
Well, it's not really a memory game because the cards are labeled. Also, because my play group is usually 4 people and I only do this whenever we have an 8 man pod, there are only 2 cards that are renamed as of now.
The names don't have to be bad puns. It's just meant to serve as a reward for the winner. Plus, it's kind of cool to see cards and remember how/when they got renamed.
I'd find it irritating with pithing needle and phyrexian revoker, but i don't see any harm otherwise
That's actually a really good point. I didn't think of that, but I'll probably implement a house rule preventing those two from being renamed.
Whatever float your boat, and use any house rule that is enjoyed by your playgroup, but I'd hate to Cube with that rule, enough to make me want to skip the draft and play some other format.
Really? Why? In case I didn't make it clear, the cards have been altered to have these names. Well, not really altered, but I did put the new name on a post-it-note on the perfect fit sleeve. It's not intended to actually affect gameplay.
It's been awhile since I've posted here, so an update is due.
Since I've put this together, I've managed to have 2 full 8 people drafts. They showed me why I really liked having a small cube. Everyone drafted fun but powerful decks with the archetypes well represented. At the first one I drafted a really cool B/G reanimator deck with Survival of the Fittest, Fauna Shaman, Squee, and Recurring Nightmare. The only target I had though was Sundering Titan, and I lost many games once they dealt with that. I needed at least one more reanimation target. I also played really poorly just so I could do awesome things. During one game, my opponent cast a turn 2 bitterblossom and I turn 2 reanimated my Sundering titan. Once he Doom Bladed it the next turn, I was pretty much out of the game, but it's cool that I was able to have a Titan that early. He also had a really cool B/W Smokestack deck with Bitterblossom and Land Tax.
I've decided that whenever I have an 8 man draft, whoever goes 3-0 gets to rename a card in the cube. After the first draft, Sun Titan is now Fun Titan. The second draft changed Silverblade Paladin to Shenanigan-blade Paladin. When these cards are cast, the player must refer to them with their new names. If not, they lose one life.
Changes:
M12 was a cool set, but I'm only making 2 changes with it here.
Knights of the Meadowgrain --> Ajani 2.0
Searing Blaze --> Searing Spear
I like the new Liliana, but I don't think she's good enough for 360. The same can be said for Thundermaw Hellkite, Flames of the Firebrand, and Sublime Archangel.
I am currently studying abroad for the semester, so I won't be able to cube again until mid/late January. I'll be looking carefully at everyone's analysis of cards so I can decide what to change when I get back. Realistically I don't think I'll end up changing that much because of the multi-colored focus, but we'll see. I am already considering new Jace, although I don't expect him to make the cut. I do like the new B/R sorcery speed Terminate that can hit planeswalkers. I'm debating cutting Murderous Redcap or Falkenrath Aristocrat.
My pauper cube is overjoyed to be getting common dual lands!
1. Molten-Tail Masticore - Amazing in aggressive decks, good in any deck with creatures. The fact that you can send the burn to your opponent's face really makes the card. Regen is just gravy.
2. Razormane Masticore - First strike is relevant. No mana required to burn creatures. One de-merit for costing a bit more to cast.
3. Masticore - Being able to sweep the field of small creatures is nice, but it will cost you mana-wise. Regen is nice.
The gap between #1 and #2/#3 is pretty big, IMO.
Some may swap the ranking of #2 and #3, but I like not having to pump mana into the Razormane. First strike means that in a 1-on-1 battle, he wins against pretty much any creature in the cube (assuming you burned the creature for 3 already).
This is how I had ranked them myself as well. I like, as you said, that Razormane Masticore can get through anything. He's a constant threat that won't go away.
Quote from wtwlf123 »
Razormane is pretty good. I'm adding him back in when I go to 500. But he missed the cut at both 360 and 450 for me.
I rank the two 4cc Masticores together at the top, and Razorcore at the bottom.
Molten-Tail is a better aggro card or aggressive mid-range card because you have a ton of fuel to feed to it, and it'll kill creatures that are bad for your deck (read: mid-sized creatures).
Masticore is better in control and slower mid-range decks because it's best against aggro beaters, which are what you need to fight off when you're playing control.
Razorcore is best in mid-range, where the damage he puts out will clear blockers in the mirror match, and the 5/5 first strike body gives you a relevant board presence. But he's an expensive creature for aggro, and a risky investment for control, so it typically has the lowest number of decks that will want it. The lack of regeneration hurts it quite a bit, as does the damage not stacking with the discard. Instant-speed removal is REALLY good against Razormane, and he can be killed by all the monkeys and vandals in the cube that the other Masticores can regenerate against.
I'd probably have Molten-Tail at the top, followed very closely by the original Masticore, and have Razormane trailing really far behind. But still a good creature. One of the main reasons I'm adding him back in is because he's a great creature for the Wildfire decks.
I had not really considered the utility of Masticore until you described. Initially, I though he was too weak, but you bring up some good points to consider. I think I need to really play with these cards more before I can have a good opinion.
................
I realized I didn't have rampant growth in my list. I'm unsure of whether it is worth putting in. My instinct is to cut one of the 3 mana ramp (Cultivae or Kodama's Reach), but I may cut another card because the 3 mana ramp spells are quite good. It just feels weird for green to not have a turn two ramp spell.
I'd leave Razorcore out of 360, and I also think both the lands are better anyways.
Interesting. I thought Razormane Masticore was pretty good. Being able to bolt creatures is nice, and having a 5/5 first striker is pretty good. How would you rank/evaluate the 3 Masticores for cube?
That's why I think it's more important to classify Wild Nacatl in the multicolor section than it is to classify Hierarch there.
That's a very good point, and I definitely agree with you. The correct decision is to probably classify Nacatl as multicolored, but that would require cutting a colorless, and I'd rather cut a green card.
@Metagame and wtwlf123:
I think you guys both raise perfectly good points, and there's a validity to both sides of the argument. Personally, I prefer Sphinx of Jwar Isle because I prefer the consistency, but I'm leaving in Keiga for now because he's more interesting. Once the novelty wears off, I'll probably switch back to Sphinx. I really wish I could include both though.
@Phantom Lotus:
You built the deck I was unsure about. I was in between R/W and R/B, and I ultimately thought R/B gave me more removal, Vampiric Tutor, and some major synergy with Graveborn Muse. I like the Reveillark thing though. I can see how that would be quite back breaking.
I am curious though. If you're already playing R/W, would you not splash for Lingering Souls and Vindicate? The pool has Scrubland, and I think both of those cards are very strong.
..................
Lastly, I'm planning on cutting a land for Razormane Masticore. I'm not sure if this the right decision. If it is, I don't know which one to cut. I'm in between Grand Coliseum and Gemstone Mine.
Carnophage
Diregraf Ghoul
Gravecrawler
Sarcomancy
Tormented Hero
Vampire Lacerator
Gnarled Scarhide
Bloodghast
Dark Confidant
Dauthi Horror
Oona's Prowler
Pack Rat
Pain Seer
Vampire Hexmage
Hypnotic Specter
Ophiomancer
Vampire Nighthawk
Herald of Torment
Master of the Feast
Braids, Cabal Minion
Nekrataal
Skinrender
Shriekmaw
Grave Titan
Tombstalker
Planeswalker (1)
Liliana of the Veil
Instant (8)
Dark Ritual
Entomb
Vampiric Tutor
Diabolic Edict
Dismember
Doom Blade
Go for the Throat
Hero's Downfall
Sorcery (10)
Duress
Reanimate
Thoughtseize
Chainer's Edict
Demonic Tutor
Hymn to Tourach
Toxic Deluge
Consuming Vapors
Damnation
Profane Command
Enchantment (6)
Animate Dead
Bitterblossom
Curse of Shallow Graves
Necromancy
Phyrexian Arena
Recurring Nightmare
http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/196
I feel as though cutting a one drop is right because 8 seems like too many but I'm not sure. If I was to cut a one drop, which one would you recommend? I'm considering Tormented Hero vs Vampire Lacerator. I'm not sure if the extra point of toughness is worth a life every turn.
Unrelated, but I also plan on cutting Hypnotic Specter for Flesh Carver.
Thanks for any help.
Blood Scrivener looks quite bad to me, so I'm interested in hearing what other people think once they have more time with the card. It could be that I'm completely wrong, but many of my aggressive decks do not tend to have empty hands that quickly and would have rather have a larger beater than a bear with lategame upside.
I also disagree some people's, including yours, opinion of Aetherling. While very very solid, I would put as the second best finisher after Sphinx of Jwar Isle. I think Aetherling is too mana intensive for a finisher, but I am looking forward to testing this card. If nothing else, it is flashier than Sphinx, so I'm hoping it is better because it will lead to better stories.
What is your opinion on Down//Dirty? Ignoring Down, Dirty is a three mana Regrowth. What size would you cube with it?
Regarding Land Tax: I found that when Land Tax, was good, it was great. Other times, it was very unimpressive and often sided out. I'm not opposed to adding it back in if you have another suggestion for a cut in white. Looking at my section, I was unsure of what to take out instead.
Regarding your comment, specifically "I stopped reading at...": It could just be me, but I found this quite rude. I made a post on my cube thread looking for feedback, suggestions, and help, and you responded with a short, dismissive comment. If you think Land Tax is that good, the same sentiment could have been expressed in a different tone. For someone that contributes so much to the community and whose opinion I have often held in high regard, I expected better.
Changes (Out -> In):
W: Cut Land Tax
I needed to cut a card from white, and I always felt this was the least impactful. I often saw this sided out on the play, and I felt better about cutting a card with such high variance (dead on the play, amazing on the draw). I would not be opposed to putting this back in if I found another cut in white.
U: Jace Memory Adept -> Jace, Architect of Thought
My playgroup didn't like Jace 3, and after seeing him beat two aggro decks in a row, I'm inclined to agree.
R: Fire Imp -> Ash Zealot
Fire Imp was fine, but Ash Zealot is better.
G: Cut Krosan Tusker
Wall of Blossoms -> Hornet Queen
Troll Ascetic -> Experiment One
I only had Woodfall Primus as a large green fatty, and I wanted to work in another one. I think Hornet Queen is the second best out of all the options. Wall of Blossoms was a fine card, but I felt like it was a bit out of place. The green decks were already beating the aggro decks, so a wall wasn't needed as much. Krosan Tusker, while fine, felt like one of the weakest cards in green. Troll Ascetic was also decent, but I'm much happier playing the infinitely better Experiment One. Troll Ascetic was never great, but I kept it to help support both aggro and midrange decks. I don't think it's needed anymore.
Colorless: Ring of Gix -> Thran Dynamo
I was too afraid of artifact mana initially, so the Upheaval and Wildfire decks have been suffering. Ideally I'd like to work in one more mana rock. It will either be Worn Powerstone or Basalt Monolith.
B/R: Falkenrath Aristocrat -> Rakdos Cackler
Terminate -> Dreadbore
I liked the flexibility of Dreadbore more than I liked the instant speed of Terminate. That being said, if I can fine one cut in Red and one in Black, both Terminate and Falkenrath Aristocrat will work themselves back in again as Rakdos Cackler and Murderous Redcap will be a hybrid section.
G/W: Add Dryad Militant
Add Knight of the Reliquary
Dryad Militant and Kitchen Finks are now the 2 hybrid g/w cards. While there may be arguably better G/W cards than Knight (Horizon Canopy?), I like that the card can lead to interesting decks and plays. In addition, the card can simultaneously support and midrange decks and aggro decks with several fetchlands.
B/G: Putrid Leech -> Lotleth Troll
Pretty east switch. Not only is Lotleth Troll threatening on its own, but that it is also a free discard outlet for the reanimator decks is amazing.
U/R: Prophetic Bolt -> Izzet Charm
Another easy switch. Prophetic Bolt was never bad, but it is certainly worse than Electrolyze, Fire // Ice, and Izzet Charm.
R/W: Slayer's Stronghold -> Boros Charm
Stronghold is good, but Boros Charm is ridiculous. How this card is only two mana is beyond me.
Some current topics I am considering:
1) I would like to add Melira Combo in the cube. Sac outlets and redcap/finks are already in the cube, and at her worst, Melira is a bear. Plus, I like that it does take some set up, unlike the Restoration Angel/Kiki-jiki win which can come out of nowhere and create feel bad moments.
2) I am considering cutting Erratic Portal for another mana artifact.
3) I am looking for one more cut in Red and one in Black to create a hybrid section in R/B.
4) I am considering swapping out Tombstalker for Abyssal Persecutor. I often felt like Tombstalker was over costed and think Abyssal Persecutor could be the top of the curve for a lot of aggro decks.
MTGS Screename: Baconeal
Powered: No
Un cards: No
Portal cards: Yes
Special theme: No
Number of Cards: 360
*Cube link: sig
For example, if you see Sun Titan in a pack, there will be a small strip of post it note that reads "Fun Titan."
The card does not have to be in the winner's deck, and I prefer if players do not choose my altered cards.
Well, it's not really a memory game because the cards are labeled. Also, because my play group is usually 4 people and I only do this whenever we have an 8 man pod, there are only 2 cards that are renamed as of now.
The names don't have to be bad puns. It's just meant to serve as a reward for the winner. Plus, it's kind of cool to see cards and remember how/when they got renamed.
That's actually a really good point. I didn't think of that, but I'll probably implement a house rule preventing those two from being renamed.
Really? Why? In case I didn't make it clear, the cards have been altered to have these names. Well, not really altered, but I did put the new name on a post-it-note on the perfect fit sleeve. It's not intended to actually affect gameplay.
Since I've put this together, I've managed to have 2 full 8 people drafts. They showed me why I really liked having a small cube. Everyone drafted fun but powerful decks with the archetypes well represented. At the first one I drafted a really cool B/G reanimator deck with Survival of the Fittest, Fauna Shaman, Squee, and Recurring Nightmare. The only target I had though was Sundering Titan, and I lost many games once they dealt with that. I needed at least one more reanimation target. I also played really poorly just so I could do awesome things. During one game, my opponent cast a turn 2 bitterblossom and I turn 2 reanimated my Sundering titan. Once he Doom Bladed it the next turn, I was pretty much out of the game, but it's cool that I was able to have a Titan that early. He also had a really cool B/W Smokestack deck with Bitterblossom and Land Tax.
I've decided that whenever I have an 8 man draft, whoever goes 3-0 gets to rename a card in the cube. After the first draft, Sun Titan is now Fun Titan. The second draft changed Silverblade Paladin to Shenanigan-blade Paladin. When these cards are cast, the player must refer to them with their new names. If not, they lose one life.
Changes:
M12 was a cool set, but I'm only making 2 changes with it here.
Knights of the Meadowgrain --> Ajani 2.0
Searing Blaze --> Searing Spear
I like the new Liliana, but I don't think she's good enough for 360. The same can be said for Thundermaw Hellkite, Flames of the Firebrand, and Sublime Archangel.
I am currently studying abroad for the semester, so I won't be able to cube again until mid/late January. I'll be looking carefully at everyone's analysis of cards so I can decide what to change when I get back. Realistically I don't think I'll end up changing that much because of the multi-colored focus, but we'll see. I am already considering new Jace, although I don't expect him to make the cut. I do like the new B/R sorcery speed Terminate that can hit planeswalkers. I'm debating cutting Murderous Redcap or Falkenrath Aristocrat.
My pauper cube is overjoyed to be getting common dual lands!
This is how I had ranked them myself as well. I like, as you said, that Razormane Masticore can get through anything. He's a constant threat that won't go away.
I had not really considered the utility of Masticore until you described. Initially, I though he was too weak, but you bring up some good points to consider. I think I need to really play with these cards more before I can have a good opinion.
................
I realized I didn't have rampant growth in my list. I'm unsure of whether it is worth putting in. My instinct is to cut one of the 3 mana ramp (Cultivae or Kodama's Reach), but I may cut another card because the 3 mana ramp spells are quite good. It just feels weird for green to not have a turn two ramp spell.
Interesting. I thought Razormane Masticore was pretty good. Being able to bolt creatures is nice, and having a 5/5 first striker is pretty good. How would you rank/evaluate the 3 Masticores for cube?
That's a very good point, and I definitely agree with you. The correct decision is to probably classify Nacatl as multicolored, but that would require cutting a colorless, and I'd rather cut a green card.
@Metagame and wtwlf123:
I think you guys both raise perfectly good points, and there's a validity to both sides of the argument. Personally, I prefer Sphinx of Jwar Isle because I prefer the consistency, but I'm leaving in Keiga for now because he's more interesting. Once the novelty wears off, I'll probably switch back to Sphinx. I really wish I could include both though.
@Phantom Lotus:
You built the deck I was unsure about. I was in between R/W and R/B, and I ultimately thought R/B gave me more removal, Vampiric Tutor, and some major synergy with Graveborn Muse. I like the Reveillark thing though. I can see how that would be quite back breaking.
I am curious though. If you're already playing R/W, would you not splash for Lingering Souls and Vindicate? The pool has Scrubland, and I think both of those cards are very strong.
..................
Lastly, I'm planning on cutting a land for Razormane Masticore. I'm not sure if this the right decision. If it is, I don't know which one to cut. I'm in between Grand Coliseum and Gemstone Mine.