It's been a while since I've made a cube update and with Ravnica around the corner there's no better time. The changelog is pretty long so I'll just talk about the ones that stand out.
Unearth -> Consume Spirit
Murder -> Diabolic Edict
Remove Soul -> Stealer of Secrets
Dross Golem -> Dead Reveler
Village Ironsmith -> Splatter Thug
Penumbra Bobcat -> Korazda Monitor
Cabal Pit -> Cabal Coffers
Nacatl War-Pride -> Stampeding Serow
Sengir Vampire -> Throat Slitter
Demonic Taskmaster -> Nezumi Graverobber
Lust for War -> Street Spasm
Lava Hounds -> Slith Firewalker
Krosan Verge -> Azorius Keyrune
Dreadship Reef -> Izzet Keyrune
Barbarion Ring -> Dimir Keyrune (Gatecrash)
Kiss of Amesha -> Azorius Charm
Spawning Pit -> Izzet Charm
Crystal Ball -> Selesnya Charm
Contagion Clasp -> Golgari Charm
Armillery Sphere -> Relic of Progenitus
Cutting Armillery Sphere was a difficult choice but I decided I had to make a few sacrifices to make way for the Guildgates.
Armadillo Cloak -> Sundering Growth
Recoil -> Hussar Patrol
Henchfiend of Ukor -> Vassal Soul
Some of the gold card switches made to accommodate Ravnica.
Azorius Signet -> Azorius Guildgate
Izzet Signet -> Izzet Guildgate
Dimir Signet -> Rakdos Guildgate
Rupture Spire -> Golgari Guildgate
Shimmering Grotto -> Selesnya Guildgate
From the start I have been wary about having Signets in the cube. I resolved to just have the suitable three but now that there are other forms of basic fixing (in addition to the Keyrunes as replacements) I am fine with cutting the Signets. As for the five-color lands, I prefer it not to be possible to draft 4-5 color decks without any worries of color issues. There is still tons of fixing but now it doesn't apply to all five colors at once.
Tectonic Rift -> Avalanche Riders
I've been afraid to include too many good LD spells because they aren't particularly fun and also punish people for playing bouncelands. I will probably come to regret this one once Avalanche Riders is given Persist or something like that but I don't consider the Cube: Legacy rules when making additions to the cube.
Ravnica Additions:
Gore-house Chainwalker
Gatecreeper Vine
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Fencing Ace
Thrill-kill Assassin
Bloodfray Giant
Dreg Mangler
Hellhole Flayer
Skymark Roc
Dryad Militant
Rakdos Cackler
Lyev Skyknight
Moving on, I've decided to make a few changes to the rules of Cube: Legacy to accommodate for new players who have not used the cube before. It is not incredibly fun when half of the cubers have a considerable amount of edge over you, whether it be numerous named cards or knowing exactly what every card does. There's no way to fix this issue completely, but I want to take steps so that it is lessened.
The change I'm making to help with this problem is abandoning the achievements part of the game. It had a few of its own flaws (difficult to keep track of while battling) but barrier to entry is the real problem, so instead the reward sheet will now be used for winners of the cube. The winner of a cube draft will now get to roll a die to earn one of the achievements.
I think this is a big step forward for the game. There are less rules over all, less things to keep track of during gameplay, and less of a barrier to entry. That means more fun!
As always, if you are curious about something or think I missed something feel free to post below or on twitter.
Thursday, September 27
C:L Comprehensive Ability Sheet
Updated 9/27
I figured it would be a better idea to just list the comprehensive ability sheet rather than list the abilities that are currently on the rotating sheet. I keep the following amount on each successive tier on the active list at a time: 2, 5, 4, 3, 2.
I figured it would be a better idea to just list the comprehensive ability sheet rather than list the abilities that are currently on the rotating sheet. I keep the following amount on each successive tier on the active list at a time: 2, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Fifth Tier abilities (1 pt):
- Reach
- Wither
- Trample
- Vigilance
- Scry 1 or ETB scry 1
- Basic land type-walk
Fourth Tier abilities (3 pts):
- Flash
- Haste
- Flying
- Breath
- Exalted
- Shadow
- Populate or ETB Populate
- First Strike
- +1 toughness
- Regenerate for C
- Protection from a color
- Gain 2 life or ETB gain 2 life
- Cycling equal to C or 2 (+1 if the card was printed with madness)
- Draw a card then discard a card or ETB draw a card then discard a card
- Ninjutsu equal to 1C if CMC is <5, 2C if CMC is 5-6, and 3C if CMC is 7+
- Madness equal to 1C if CMC is <5, 2C if CMC is 5-6, and 3C if CMC is 7+
- Morph equal to C if CMC is <4, 1C if CMC is 4-5, 3C if CMC is 6, and 3CC if CMC is 7+ (you may pay an additional point to change ETB abilities to "turned face up" ones; put only on creatures)
Third Tier abilities (6 pts, 7 pts if it's the second sticker for a card):
- Graft 1
- Shroud
- Unleash
- +1 power
- Defender
- Protection from a card type
- Scavenge XCC where X is 1 less than the creature's power
- Deal 2 damage to target player or ETB deal 2 damage to target player
- Miracle equal to C if CMC is <6, 1C if CMC is 6-7, and 2C if CMC is 8+
- Unearth equal to 1C if CMC is <5, 2C if CMC is 5-6, and 3C if CMC is 7+
- Switch a keyword ability with one worth the same amount of points or less that appears on the comprehensive ability sheet
- Glass-spin (whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability for the first time in a turn, counter that spell or ability)
Second Tier abilities (9 pts, 10 if it's the second sticker for a card):
- Persist
- Dredge 3
- Hexproof
- Recover 2C
- Echo equal to mana cost
- Draw a card or ETB draw a card
- Increase or decrease a numeral in a textbox by 1
- When this card deals damage to a player draw a card
- Suspend 2 equal to up to 2C less than CMC, but not less than C
- When this card deals damage to a player that player discards a card at random
- Change colored mana symbols in a card's mana cost or text box to phyrexian mana symbols
First Tier abilities (12 pts, 14 if it's the second sticker for a card):
- Graft 2
- Undying
- Cascade
- Rebound
- Flashback
- Indestructible
- Double Strike
- Creatures you control get +1/+1 (put on only permanents)
Ability Reset (4 pts): Remove all ability stickers from a card. This option is usable on any card but not after the card has become a part of a cube in progress.
When buying an ability for a card that has one or more counterparts (double faced cards, Squadron Hawks, etc.), for each counterpart you may pay 1 more to give it the same ability.
The winner of each cube draft gets to roll a die to obtain one of the following rewards to be used at the appropriate time:
- Obtain a random first or second tier ability sticker.
- At a time when you could normally buy a sticker, move a sticker on a card in your pool to a different card that has no stickers. Repeat this process.
- The current cube is now a 3v3 team cube. You pick the teams. Use after drafting is completed (winning team members each win a reward).
- Everyone reveals their first picks. You choose one of them for yourself, the rest are randomly redistributed. Use only after P1P1.
- Choose either the drafter to your left or your right. Look at that player’s picks and exchange one card from their picks with a card from yours. Use between packs during the draft.
- Challenge a player to a heads up best of 5 sealed deck match. Wager an amount of points of your choosing.
- Add a rare of your choice to the Cube. Make it count because the cube owner may veto ridiculous suggestions and you only have two chances to get it right.
- Name a card in your pool in your honor. That card costs 1 less for you to cast and 1 more for your opponents.
Tuesday, September 25
Zombies And A Control Mockup
First, this is the deck that I expect to be strong at the beginning of the format. I feel that the format will hinge on this deck or something close to it:
4 Gravecrawler
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Blood Artist
4 Rakdos Shred-Freak
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Falkenrath Aristocrat
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Brimstone Volley
1 Tragic Slip
4 Blood Crypt
4 Dragonskull Summit
2 Mountain
13 Swamp
The fear of this deck stems from the fact that it's hyper-aggressive (12 one-drops) and that it has threats that are hard to answer/ require specific removal (Gravecrawler, Geralf's Messenger, Falkenrath Aristocrat). There are answers to these cards but they tend to be limited in some way. Azorius Charm isn't permenant, Oblivion Ring/Detention Sphere and Sever the Bloodline are clunky, and Knight of Glory is not difficult to answer (BG even has Golgari Charm). Sensory Deprivation and Pacifism might actually be reasonable options seeing as they're both maindeckable and hit any creature, but they don't stop Gravecrawler and Messenger forever (and then there's Abrupt Decay and Golgari Charm).
As far as a control deck goes, I'm having a hard time figuring out a reasonable configuration (as is the case with any unknown format). This is what I've currently got cooking:
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Izzet Charm
4 Mizzium Mortars
2 Desperate Ravings
4 Lingering Souls
4 Rakdos Keyrune
4 Jace, Architect of Thought
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1 Devil's Play
3 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Clifftop Retreat
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
2 Island
3 Mountain
The color breakdown of the deck is very odd. The only white cards are Lingering Souls and Sphinx's Revelation and the only black costs are Souls, Rakdos Keyrune, and a Nicol Bolas. With 10-11 lands untapping the M10 lands I think the mana could actually work out.
The first black card I decided to play was Lingering Souls. It just feels really powerful with Planeswalkers, against certain creatures, and is also a potent win condition. The second black card was Rakdos Keyrune which is miles better than other Keyrunes in control decks. Being able to cast Pillar of Flame off it is one of the reasons for that. I might not actually want any Keyrunes in this deck but Sphinx's Revelation has me pining for them. Nicol Bolas was actually an afterthought. I wanted a game ender and he seemed least vulnerable and also versatile.
Sphinx's Revelation gives the deck access to a huge swing. It might also be the reason we want to keep our curve low. Casting it for 2 is not the worst thing you can do for five mana, but once you pass that point it gets pretty powerful.
Who knows whether or not the deck is actually good. It might not even fare well against the deck I had most in mind when making it, but we'll have to wait and see. Until then it'll just be Cube, Pauper, Modern, and Sealed for me.
4 Gravecrawler
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Blood Artist
4 Rakdos Shred-Freak
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Falkenrath Aristocrat
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Brimstone Volley
1 Tragic Slip
4 Blood Crypt
4 Dragonskull Summit
2 Mountain
13 Swamp
The fear of this deck stems from the fact that it's hyper-aggressive (12 one-drops) and that it has threats that are hard to answer/ require specific removal (Gravecrawler, Geralf's Messenger, Falkenrath Aristocrat). There are answers to these cards but they tend to be limited in some way. Azorius Charm isn't permenant, Oblivion Ring/Detention Sphere and Sever the Bloodline are clunky, and Knight of Glory is not difficult to answer (BG even has Golgari Charm). Sensory Deprivation and Pacifism might actually be reasonable options seeing as they're both maindeckable and hit any creature, but they don't stop Gravecrawler and Messenger forever (and then there's Abrupt Decay and Golgari Charm).
As far as a control deck goes, I'm having a hard time figuring out a reasonable configuration (as is the case with any unknown format). This is what I've currently got cooking:
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Izzet Charm
4 Mizzium Mortars
2 Desperate Ravings
4 Lingering Souls
4 Rakdos Keyrune
4 Jace, Architect of Thought
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1 Devil's Play
3 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Clifftop Retreat
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
2 Island
3 Mountain
The color breakdown of the deck is very odd. The only white cards are Lingering Souls and Sphinx's Revelation and the only black costs are Souls, Rakdos Keyrune, and a Nicol Bolas. With 10-11 lands untapping the M10 lands I think the mana could actually work out.
The first black card I decided to play was Lingering Souls. It just feels really powerful with Planeswalkers, against certain creatures, and is also a potent win condition. The second black card was Rakdos Keyrune which is miles better than other Keyrunes in control decks. Being able to cast Pillar of Flame off it is one of the reasons for that. I might not actually want any Keyrunes in this deck but Sphinx's Revelation has me pining for them. Nicol Bolas was actually an afterthought. I wanted a game ender and he seemed least vulnerable and also versatile.
Sphinx's Revelation gives the deck access to a huge swing. It might also be the reason we want to keep our curve low. Casting it for 2 is not the worst thing you can do for five mana, but once you pass that point it gets pretty powerful.
Who knows whether or not the deck is actually good. It might not even fare well against the deck I had most in mind when making it, but we'll have to wait and see. Until then it'll just be Cube, Pauper, Modern, and Sealed for me.
Tuesday, September 18
UW Control in Legacy
I'm very busy getting ready for the Invitational this weekend (since I'm leaving in less than 36 hours) so my blog post might be on the short side, but I know that a few people were interested in some of my thoughts on the deck that I won in LA with this past weekend so I want to at least talk about that. I got the list from Jesse Hampton a few days before the event. I didn't have time to test with the deck so I just went with exactly what he gave me with a few changes in the board.
The biggest problems I had with Reid Duke's original list (which I played with in a few vids on MTGOAcademy) were Trinket Mage, Land Tax, a low land count, and a low fetchland count. Those issues were all absent from the new version of the deck.
Trinket Mage is just too expensive. You get to play a small package to go with it, sure, but the cost isn't really worth it. I would much rather play an Enlightened Tutor to fill the same role but for cheaper and have the added utility of searching for Oblivion Ring, Counterbalance, Moat, etc. AND using it as a counterspell with Counterbalance in play.
Land Tax, while seemingly great, is actually shit in this format as well as in this deck. I ended up playing one in the board for other control decks and when I had it turn one against the mirror match it was pretty powerful.
The low land count was probably rationalized by Reid by the two Land Taxes. I found that to be a huge weakness in the deck. The deck can't afford to miss early land drops and also can't rely on Land Tax when it does. His low fetchland count was also a mystery to me since they are insane with Top and Counterbalance. I went all the way up to ten and have no regrets about it.
So, here is the updated list:
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Counterbalance
1 Oblivion Ring
4 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Brainstorm
1 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Entreat the Angels
3 Terminus
5 Island
2 Plains
2 Arid Mesa
4 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
4 Polluted Delta
2 Tundra
2 Volcanic Island
1 Karakas
Sideboard:
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Counterbalance
1 Land Tax
1 Moat
1 Sphere of Law
1 Humility
1 Disenchant
3 Pyroblast
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Terminus
1 Engineered Explosives
The only real change to the maindeck is getting rid of the Shackles and replacing it with a real spell. The sideboard needed more hedges against Goblins and Patrick Sullivan so I added a few cards for that. I think it's a really strong deck and look forward to playing it this weekend.
If you have any other questions or comments you can leave them here or on twitter. Thanks for reading and don't forget to check me out this weekend at the Invitational!
The biggest problems I had with Reid Duke's original list (which I played with in a few vids on MTGOAcademy) were Trinket Mage, Land Tax, a low land count, and a low fetchland count. Those issues were all absent from the new version of the deck.
Trinket Mage is just too expensive. You get to play a small package to go with it, sure, but the cost isn't really worth it. I would much rather play an Enlightened Tutor to fill the same role but for cheaper and have the added utility of searching for Oblivion Ring, Counterbalance, Moat, etc. AND using it as a counterspell with Counterbalance in play.
Land Tax, while seemingly great, is actually shit in this format as well as in this deck. I ended up playing one in the board for other control decks and when I had it turn one against the mirror match it was pretty powerful.
The low land count was probably rationalized by Reid by the two Land Taxes. I found that to be a huge weakness in the deck. The deck can't afford to miss early land drops and also can't rely on Land Tax when it does. His low fetchland count was also a mystery to me since they are insane with Top and Counterbalance. I went all the way up to ten and have no regrets about it.
So, here is the updated list:
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Counterbalance
1 Oblivion Ring
4 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Brainstorm
1 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Entreat the Angels
3 Terminus
5 Island
2 Plains
2 Arid Mesa
4 Flooded Strand
1 Glacial Fortress
4 Polluted Delta
2 Tundra
2 Volcanic Island
1 Karakas
Sideboard:
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Counterbalance
1 Land Tax
1 Moat
1 Sphere of Law
1 Humility
1 Disenchant
3 Pyroblast
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Terminus
1 Engineered Explosives
The only real change to the maindeck is getting rid of the Shackles and replacing it with a real spell. The sideboard needed more hedges against Goblins and Patrick Sullivan so I added a few cards for that. I think it's a really strong deck and look forward to playing it this weekend.
If you have any other questions or comments you can leave them here or on twitter. Thanks for reading and don't forget to check me out this weekend at the Invitational!
Sunday, September 2
Custom Planeswalkers For My Cube
I like doing neat things with my cube and since it's a nonrare cube there are no Planewalkers in it. I wanted that to change so I designed a cycle of Walkers that I thought would be fair and fun. This is the third iteration of them and I'd like to know your thoughts! Some were designed with certain aspects of the cube in mind. Be aware that the power level is intended to be that of uncommons and that they are being played with other nonrares.
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