Hi all,
I took a crack at making my first cube a few months ago and after a few playtests I have finally figured out a list of 540 cards I am more or less ready to get constructed feedback on. I would really appreciate your thoughts/ comments on how I could balance some things or if some interactions were too cute to be worth adding. I currently would like to keep my number at 540 and I have not added some cards due their price tag (i.e. Lilliana of the Vail and Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy) but hopefully I can get them soon.
My goals:
- 540 cards- Unpowered
- Singleton
- Utilize 2 and 3 card synergies to provide a different play experience than a typical legacy cube.
- Creature types matter (Spirit/Goblin/Zombie themes)
- Avoid having cards that only are useful when paired with one other card. (i.e. Painter’s Servant &Grindstone, Painter’s Servant can be used in conjunction with Jaya Ballard, Task Mage or Teysa Orzhov Scion and Grindstone can be a mediocre win condition in a slow control/lock deck)
A small caveat, even though I have added a bunch of combo pieces into the cube, most of the winning decks have tended to be more mid-range well rounded decks that can interact with what their opponent is doing. The fact that only two thirds of the cube is drafted in an eight man pod has helped balance how many times you actually see a particular 2 card combo in a typical draft. So all in all, it feels a lot less degenerate than it looks.
Errata’s
At first I was trying to avoid errataing cards but with the amount of archetypes I was trying to push I figured doing some under the hood changes would allow some of my slots to be more versatile. I have decided to only change cards that the general population is less familiar so that the subtle changes would not go overlooked as most of my drafters would have to read the cards anyways.
Tallowisp – Now reads “Whenever you cast a Spirit or Arcane spell, you may search your library for an ENCHANTMENT card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library”
Kiri-Onna – Now costs (2)(U)
Kemuri-Onna – Now costs (1)(B) and is a 3/1
Yuki-Onna – Now costs (2)(R)
Haru-Onna – Now costs (1)(G)
Hypergenesis – Now has a casting cost of (2)(G)(G) I was too cheap to buy Eureka.
Kiri-Onna – Now costs (2)(U)
Kemuri-Onna – Now costs (1)(B) and is a 3/1
Yuki-Onna – Now costs (2)(R)
Haru-Onna – Now costs (1)(G)
Hypergenesis – Now has a casting cost of (2)(G)(G) I was too cheap to buy Eureka.
I wanted to avoid having white feel like a bunch of Savanah Lions and powerful control cards so instead I added a few engine cards and a strong spirit theme that could allow white to make up for the loss of speed and increase its grinding and hate bear potential .
Kami of False Hope – There are a few ways to reoccur this guy every turn and create a soft fog lock (i.e. Mimic Vat, Enduring Renewal and Angel of Flight Alabaster to name a few)
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit – I almost fainted when I saw this card spoiled. She is a spirit and is an infinite combo with persist creatures and a sacrifice outlet. #Swoon
Tallowisp – This guy is a powerful engine for such little cost. All the spirit enchantment creatures printed in Theros block now go and find more of their kin with this guy out. Also he helps find a lot of the 1 of enchantments you need to combo off.
Rest in Peace – Graveyard hate card or combo’s off with Helm of Obedience
Enduring Renewal – This card does not have very many infinite combo’s in this cube. It however works well as a value card to make all your creatures extremely hard to deal with as well as make your sacrifice outlets + enter the battlefield triggers very potent.
Hopeful Eidolon – this is an okay combo with Tallowisp, Phantom Nantuko, and life gain is actually a hard thing to come by in my cube.
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit – I almost fainted when I saw this card spoiled. She is a spirit and is an infinite combo with persist creatures and a sacrifice outlet. #Swoon
Tallowisp – This guy is a powerful engine for such little cost. All the spirit enchantment creatures printed in Theros block now go and find more of their kin with this guy out. Also he helps find a lot of the 1 of enchantments you need to combo off.
Rest in Peace – Graveyard hate card or combo’s off with Helm of Obedience
Enduring Renewal – This card does not have very many infinite combo’s in this cube. It however works well as a value card to make all your creatures extremely hard to deal with as well as make your sacrifice outlets + enter the battlefield triggers very potent.
Hopeful Eidolon – this is an okay combo with Tallowisp, Phantom Nantuko, and life gain is actually a hard thing to come by in my cube.
I was less adventurous with Blue. I pretty much kept to a similar legacy shell but changed some of the card choices to interact more favorably in a combo format.
Kiri-Onna – I recently was having issues with the Aluren deck. The typical Cavern Harpy Parasitic Strix seemed really bad to rely on. So I added in the Oona cycle as a way to infinitely cast your creatures/ return them with Aluren and one spirit. This also allowed me to replace Parasitic Strix with Thief of Hope which has been a much better card for other decks.
Tandem Lookout – He is mostly included in the cube as a mediocre draw engine as well as an infinite combo with Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Deadeye Navigator – I wasn’t sure if this guy was worth it at first, but every time someone has him in their deck, he over performs. He plays a similar role to Brago, King Eternal in the Blue White flicker deck.
Thopter Spy Network – I just added this cards and I have my reservations. I am trying to push a small artifacts matter subtheme and I felt this was an okay way to reward people for playing artificats. (I originally had Sword of the Meek&Thopter Foundry in the cube, but I decided these were too narrow to be worth people drafting)
Tandem Lookout – He is mostly included in the cube as a mediocre draw engine as well as an infinite combo with Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Deadeye Navigator – I wasn’t sure if this guy was worth it at first, but every time someone has him in their deck, he over performs. He plays a similar role to Brago, King Eternal in the Blue White flicker deck.
Thopter Spy Network – I just added this cards and I have my reservations. I am trying to push a small artifacts matter subtheme and I felt this was an okay way to reward people for playing artificats. (I originally had Sword of the Meek&Thopter Foundry in the cube, but I decided these were too narrow to be worth people drafting)
Black is the color that got all the Savanah Lions I tried pushing a zombie theme to make these efficient beaters have a little more reach later on in the game.
Kemuri-Onna – I recently was having issues with the Aluren deck. The typical Cavern Harpy Parasitic Strix seemed really bad to rely on. So I added in the Oona cycle as a way to infinitely cast your creatures/ return them with Aluren and one spirit. This also allowed me to replace Parasitic Strix with Thief of Hope which has been a much better card for other decks.
Reassembling Skeleton – After a few playtests I felt like black needed another dork to bring back to life. I am not sure about this slot just yet
Reassembling Skeleton – After a few playtests I felt like black needed another dork to bring back to life. I am not sure about this slot just yet
I tried to make red maintain its aggressive identity as well as give it some fun combo tools. To do this I pushed goblins as a creature type that matters, however, I am not sure if I have incentivized players enough for taking this route.
Jaya Ballard, Task Mage – Jaya is a okay card with Painter’s Servant and she gives red a little utility. I am not sure if red decks want to play her just yet but I have my hopes.
Yuki-Onna – I wanted to include the whole Onna cycle, and this one just replaces my Manic Vandal slot.
Chain of Plasma – Another okay removal spell that interacts well with Swans of Bryn Argoll
Aggravated Assault – This card has allowed Red Green decks to play unfair and create infinite mana/ infinite attack phases once they animate all their lands with either Dead/Alive or Rude Awakening. There are a few other tools and decks this card fits into but that is the main use.
Yuki-Onna – I wanted to include the whole Onna cycle, and this one just replaces my Manic Vandal slot.
Chain of Plasma – Another okay removal spell that interacts well with Swans of Bryn Argoll
Aggravated Assault – This card has allowed Red Green decks to play unfair and create infinite mana/ infinite attack phases once they animate all their lands with either Dead/Alive or Rude Awakening. There are a few other tools and decks this card fits into but that is the main use.
I wanted to steer green clear of the typical lots of mana elves into a big threat playstyle it usually has. I have a few mana creatures but not as many as you would see in a typical cube. This ended up forcing green to be more of a support color. It has a lot of value cards and combo pieces other colors want. Even though it lacks a strong identity it is one of my more drafted color people pair with their main color.
Scute Mob – This is probably one of green’s weaker cards. I was in need of an more aggressive card and I felt like Scute Mob had more upside then a card like Experiment Onein this type of cube.
Haru-Onna – I recently was having issues with the Aluren deck. The typical Cavern Harpy Parasitic Strix seemed really bad to rely on. So I added in the Oona cycle as a way to infinitely cast your creatures/ return them with Aluren and one spirit. This also allowed me to replace Parasitic Strix with Thief of Hope which has been a much better card for other decks.
Wall of Blossoms – This card may be obsolete with the addition of Haru-Onna
Phantom Nantuko – He is another recent add that needs to be tested. He is a resilient threat that is extremely annoying to deal with once you suit him up with a few of the bestow cards. I am not sure if this is something I should be promoting or if it is more or less a cute care bear trap.
Moment's Peace – There are a few ways to reoccur this card for infinite fogs. Mainly this allows control decks and combo decks to have some breathing room against the more aggressive decks.
Earthcraft & Squirrel Nest – I figured letting green be unable to play fair was okay to do. Also these cards can function without each other in play.
Pattern of Rebirth – This card just screams I wish I had a Natural order.
Haru-Onna – I recently was having issues with the Aluren deck. The typical Cavern Harpy Parasitic Strix seemed really bad to rely on. So I added in the Oona cycle as a way to infinitely cast your creatures/ return them with Aluren and one spirit. This also allowed me to replace Parasitic Strix with Thief of Hope which has been a much better card for other decks.
Wall of Blossoms – This card may be obsolete with the addition of Haru-Onna
Phantom Nantuko – He is another recent add that needs to be tested. He is a resilient threat that is extremely annoying to deal with once you suit him up with a few of the bestow cards. I am not sure if this is something I should be promoting or if it is more or less a cute care bear trap.
Moment's Peace – There are a few ways to reoccur this card for infinite fogs. Mainly this allows control decks and combo decks to have some breathing room against the more aggressive decks.
Earthcraft & Squirrel Nest – I figured letting green be unable to play fair was okay to do. Also these cards can function without each other in play.
Pattern of Rebirth – This card just screams I wish I had a Natural order.
From what has been drafted so far these are the type of decks I have seen in the ten color combinations.
-Azorius- Flicker effects, Spirits, Control
-Dimir- Zombies, Reinimator, Artifacts, Control
-Rakdos- Goblins, Sacrifice subtheme, Aggressive
-Gruul- Aggressive curve with value cards and a strong top end.
-Selesnya- Tokens, Hate Bears, Aggressive
-Orzhov- Removal, Value Creatures, Control
-Golgari- Sacrifice and recursion, Grindy and Controlling
-Simic- Tempo and aggressive, very mid-range feeling.
-Izzet- Card advantage and creature removal, Can be either control, combo, or aggressive.
-Boros- either very aggressive, or can be a slow and grindy control deck.
Swans of Bryn Argoll – This card is a 2 card combo with Chain of Plasma as well as an annoying flying threat that doesn’t die that easily. It leads to some interesting board states.
Phyerxian Devourer – This behemoth is intended to combo off with Laboratory Maniac, Fling or Necrotic Ooze
Phyerxian Devourer – This behemoth is intended to combo off with Laboratory Maniac, Fling or Necrotic Ooze
Thanks, for reading. And again I appreciate any feedback you guys may give!
