The Dandy Cube (Chris Taylor's Cube)

[Chris Taylor]

Gains you 2, accellerates you 1.
Are we?

 

[Lucre]

I feel like I would only cube this card if I had some sort of strange theme it contributed to or if I was already playing every rampant growth and fertile ground that cost less than it.

 

[Chris Taylor]

I feel like I would only cube this card if I had some sort of strange theme it contributed to or if I was already playing every rampant growth and fertile ground that cost less than it.

I basically swap in a random 3cc accelleration effect each time I patch. I'll admit the one that gives you an eldrazi spawn is better, but then again UG ramp keeps winning, so...

 

[Chris Taylor]

Alright! I have emerged from my meditations! FSR's giant post on the design of his cube was really helpful in generating some ideas, so lets dive right in:

For a while I've been generally dissatisfied with my cube, but I couldn't put a finger on why. Blue didn't really do anything interesting, green was really good against everything except the UWR control deck that came together every single draft without fail, most of the decks I'd ended up building felt unfocused.

And that's really the core of it: Unfocused. Vampire Nighthawk is a real good black 3 drop, but he does seem out of place in a pod deck. I really did notice people struggling for on theme playables. So I dug down and really re-examined each card in my cube.


A lot of them are just in there because they're cool.


And yeah, that can happen with some cards, but too many of those cards and you end up with the unwieldy core set feeling some larger or more unfocused cubes can have. Honestly scrolling up and looking at my and lucas' discussion of verdant haven speaks volumes to the problems that were present, but not making the experience worse by a huge margin.
But that't not how I roll. Let's kick this cube back into high gear!

Juzam Efreet (Colorshifted serendib efreet) really holds no purpose anymore. Heartwood Empath (Green Shardless Agent) is actually anti-synergistic: Pod decks hate it. Literally all the custom equipment I have in is because I felt I needed a certain representation of equipment. All the custom mana rocks where just because I couldn't find a better way for wildfire to be viable without running 20 copies of mind stone, when my players had proved it was a fine control card with a few synergistic cards.

And the multicolor cards, oh the multicolor cards! I might not have made many of them up, but by god the cards I'd jammed in because there needed to be 4 of each color combination! What purpose does bloodbraid elf serve in this cube other than to convince nieve people that green was contributing to their otherwise mono-red aggro deck in any way? Did blue white need a dedicated tempo spell in azorious charm, or was it just filling space?

Do we really need vindicate and maelstrom pulse when I've tailored the noncreature permanents so carefully that naturalize is an outmoded concept? (I'm not sure if that's really correct, but I'm trying my hardest to ensure it becomes that way if it isn't)

So I sat down and asked myself what I wanted each color to do:

White
-Strongest Mass Removal
-Double Strike
-Tokens
-Prowress

Blue
-Prowress
-Self Mill
-Stallbreaking

Black
-Sacrifice Food
-Regrow Creatures
-Small token angle

Red
-Threaten
-Small token angle
-Prowress
-Wildfire
-Double Strike

Green
-Self Mill
-Birthing Pod
-Small token angle
-Bigger Sacrifice Food

As well, there's been a push almost across the board to move towards removal gravecrawler actually cares about, weather that's Oblivion Ring, Anger of the Gods, or Hinder (The really frustrating tinder knockoff) and to include +1/+1 counter cards.

I'm thinking these themes should make things easier to find overlap cards for, as there's looking to be a lot more overlap: Prowess, Double Strike and Tokens all love a turn 3 anthem weather your turn 2 was Gather the Townsfolk, Fencing Ace or Seeker of the Way. Milling yourself and finding a gravecrawler is sweet, but milling yourself and casting kessig cagebreakers is sweet too, as is finding a firebolt. Rebound Spells are great for prowess decks, and both distortion strike, Prey's Vengence, and emerge unscathed all work with double strike creatures as well.

And for once, a lot of this is being tied together with custom cards:

Roar of the Lion
Instant
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, then proliferate.
Flashback

Riverwheel Master
Creature - Human Monk
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, you may tap target permanent.
Prowess
2/2

Shrieking Flayer
Creature - Zombie
When ~ enters the battlefield, put the top 5 cards of your library into your graveyard, then shuffle a card from your graveyard into your library.
2/1

Operation Table
Artifact
, sacrifice a creature: Draw a card.

Chronoflitter
Instant
Put target creature on the top or bottom of it's owners library.

Sophie's Choice
Sorcery
Target opponent reveals their hand and you choose two cards from it. That player chooses one and discards it.
Flashback - Sacrifice a creature

Irredeemable Act
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast ~, sacrifice a creature
Untap target creature and gain control of it. It gains haste.
At the beginning of the next end step, sacrifice it.

Wild Charm
Instant
Choose one: Put a +1/+1 counter on each of your creatures, put a 2/2 bear into play, or any number of target creatures gain persist until end of turn.

Images for those (Can't wait to show you guys the flavor text on sophie's choice) and full patch notes going up soon!

 

[Lucre]

Torturer's Table
Creature - Construct
Deathtouch, defender
, Sacrifice another creature: Draw a card.
1/1

 

[FlowerSunRain]

The one mana rebound spells have been great for me and prowess just gives them even more dimension.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Full Patch notes:

Spoiler: in

Spoiler: out

good lord next time I do a patch this big I'm just saying fuck it. Y'all can figure it out for yourselves

 

[Chris Taylor]

Custom Changes will go here

 

[Chris Taylor]

The thing I'm most worried about right now is that any sort of self mill is poorly integrated. There's a few payoff cards like sewer nemesis, Spider Spawning and the various Stitched Drake cards, but it might end up being more of incedental synergy rather than a dedicated deck (I'm not sure where I want it to wind up at present)

I was wondering weather something like psychic spiral would be worth including, or weather I should go ham and add splinterfright and boneyard wurm and co.

Also, I'm not sure if Skaab Ruinator is castable at all. I considered a custom 5/6 flying that needed 2 creatures as food, but he was similar enough to ruinator I decided to see how he played initially.

Armored Skaab also might be too weak.

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

Because self-mill represents an alternate (and generally less efficient) form of card advantage, it can be outcompeted by more efficient draw spells, which can marginalize your self-mill cards. If people arn't playing self-mill as a way to get through their deck, than it becomes harder, but not impossible to justify spider spawning (or any of these cards really): it can always go into a generic G/x beats deck as a way to take advantage of naturally dead creatures in your yard. However, if your power level is high enough where a G/x beats deck can draft a more direct late game, its a low pick there as well.

Since both splinterfright and boneyard wurm require something be in the yard to even cast, those cards require some sort of cheap self-mill to even be viable. Splinterfright is a bit more justifiable, it can always come down as a late game 4/4 or 5/5 trampler for three, and powers itself; but boneyard wurm is likely to be a rather clunky and overly narrow threat. Splinterfright I would rank a mid-tier threat over here.

Skaab ruinator can be difficult to cast at times for us, and I have a lot of self mill.

Flashback cards are a strong self-mill reward, and operate across a broad power spectrum.

Looking forward to seeing the new cards. This is a really good portion of the magic card pool to design custom cards for i.m.o

 

[Chris Taylor]

Because self-mill represents an alternate (and generally less efficient) form of card advantage, it can be outcompeted by more efficient draw spells, which can marginalize your self-mill cards. If people arn't playing self-mill as a way to get through their deck, than it becomes harder, but not impossible to justify spider spawning (or any of these cards really): it can always go into a generic G/x beats deck as a way to take advantage of naturally dead creatures in your yard. However, if your power level is high enough where a G/x beats deck can draft a more direct late game, its a low pick there as well.

Since both splinterfright and boneyard wurm require something be in the yard to even cast, those cards require some sort of cheap self-mill to even be viable. Splinterfright is a bit more justifiable, it can always come down as a late game 4/4 or 5/5 trampler for three, and powers itself; but boneyard wurm is likely to be a rather clunky and overly narrow threat. Splinterfright I would rank a mid-tier threat over here.

Skaab ruinator can be difficult to cast at times for us, and I have a lot of self mill.

Flashback cards are a strong self-mill reward, and operate across a broad power spectrum.

Looking forward to seeing the new cards. This is a really good portion of the magic card pool to design custom cards for i.m.o

Hmmm... Maybe Skaab Ruinator should return to being the 4 mana 2 creature card I envisioned... I'll test him for a while and see. As I said Self Mill isn't a huge part of this enviornment.

good note about draw spells. I'm slightly less worried, as the draw spells I have right now are either brainstorm or cards that a self mill deck might like (Thirst for Knowledge, Compulsive Research, and Deep Analysis).
A mitigating factor is that most of the mill is found as a bonus on medicore creatures like armored skaab, rather than dedicated spells like dream twist, so you aren't losing a full card if there aren't many self mill incentives in your deck, just getting a little less bang for your buck.

Of what I've added (Bonehoard, Sewer Nemesis, Spider Spawning, Kessig Cagebreakers, Werebear, Stitched Drake x2, and Skaab Ruinator), It's looking like Spider spawning, ruinator and Bonehoard are the ones to keep an eye on.

Also, My brain has failed me as that predator's strike in my patch notes should almost certainly be a sylvan might instead -_-

 

[Chris Taylor]

New Custom Cards with this patch: (Finally got around to this! Anyone know an easier way to post bulk images hosted elsewhere?)

Spoiler

I'm not sure irredeemable act will stay, it might be too good and might be too cute.
Operation Table has had the sorcery restriction lifted, I'll see if that breaks it. I doubt it though, at it's best it's phyrexian arena with a hefty restriction.
Also technically grim affliction does need a new name since it costs 1B and not 2B, but I think my players will grok it better this way

What do you guys think? Any too pushed, not pushed enough, going about things the wrong way? Are some of my archetypes missing pieces?

 

[Eric Chan]

As someone who runs Vendetta, Spite seems a-ok! I really like Grim Affliction, too.

Riverwheel Master feels really pushed - being able to disable multiple blockers isn't even something red gets to do easily on a body, let alone blue. Maybe if the controller has to pay ? I can imagine having this trigger on your opponent's combat step, and they effectively lose the ability to attack and block.

Roar of the Lion seems pretty sweet. I don't know that it's better than Travel Preparations, especially with the high flashback cost, but I suppose you might be running a lot of planeswalkers.

 

[Chris Taylor]

As someone who runs Vendetta, Spite seems a-ok! I really like Grim Affliction, too.

Riverwheel Master feels really pushed - being able to disable multiple blockers isn't even something red gets to do easily on a body, let alone blue. Maybe if the controller has to pay ? I can imagine having this trigger on your opponent's combat step, and they effectively lose the ability to attack and block.

Roar of the Lion seems pretty sweet. I don't know that it's better than Travel Preparations, especially with the high flashback cost, but I suppose you might be running a lot of planeswalkers.

All credit to FSR for grim affliction by the way
Spite is kinda what I always wanted vendetta to be. Also this way you can get blown out by pump spells.

Riverwheel Master: I see what you're saying, but remember that there's barely any instants. disabling multiple blockers per turn is a thing that can happen, but at the moment he's acting a lot like Frenzied Goblin but actually good when he doesn't stun something.

good point on roar. It's certainly got a much higher upside (Ajani activation: Roar), and the planeswalker angle is real (As is the Everflowing Chalice angle!), but I like it because it puts both counters on one creature. Travel Prep is okay, but the single colorness of this and the fact that it works with a single creature in play (prep does to, but jeez) are why I've got it in here. Maybe the flashback could come down though.

 

[Jonas]

I love the art you've found for those cards!

 

[Chris Taylor]

I love the art you've found for those cards!

Thanks! I'm glad it's coming across well. I've got a giant pool of about 2000 pieces of artwork I pull from, and I always hope it's not getting stale.

 

[Chris Taylor]

I think I added too much removal again We had our 3rd draft in a row where the Black White 20 removal spells deck came together. It never wins, it's just a misery to play with and against.
For some reason I have a lot of trouble finding things to add that aren't removal/creatures

Here's the Crop:
White: 13

Spoiler

Black: 23

Spoiler

Red: 21

Spoiler

The Imperial Edicts in my black section are standins for Dark Feast (the sorcery murder) but the principal is the same.

Have you guys run into this? What do you do to mitigate the ammount of removal in your cube? Do you ever have problems with creature density?

 

[Eric Chan]

That feels a little on the heavy side, yeah. What percentage of spot removal and mass removal are you at in your cube now? I would count things like Unexpectedly Absent and even Gideon Jura as removal, too.

Also, are you at roughly 48 to 50% creature count overall? If you're significantly lower than those numbers, it might be contributing to your creature density issue.

edit: Looking at your CubeTutor, it feels like your creature count is on the low side. White and green work better in my experience when they're north of of 60% creatures, especially green, which I usually have at 2/3 creatures. Red and black could both use a little nudge towards more bodies, too.

 

[Chris Taylor]

That feels a little on the heavy side, yeah. What percentage of spot removal and mass removal are you at in your cube now? I would count things like Unexpectedly Absent and even Gideon Jura as removal, too.

Also, are you at roughly 48 to 50% creature count overall? If you're significantly lower than those numbers, it might be contributing to your creature density issue.

edit: Looking at your CubeTutor, it feels like your creature count is on the low side. White and green work better in my experience when they're north of of 60% creatures, especially green, which I usually have at 2/3 creatures. Red and black could both use a little nudge towards more bodies, too.

I don't think I'd count unexpectedly absent since it's been a long time since anyone cast it for more than x=0, but gideon does make sense. I've lowered the creature count to try and breakup ground stalls, which were common back a patch or two when my cube was hovering at around 75% creatures. It'll probably be better now with cards like overrun and spectral flight running around to break this up, but I'm constantly wary of creating an environment where these cards are truly necessary because I'm mostly cubing with new players, so attacking doesn't always come naturally to them. (You've been there, don't lie)

Overall, my percentages of removal are:
46/438 spot removal (11%) and
15/438 sweepers (3%) though slightly more if you count elesh norn

Black certainly needs the most help, as I'm noticing it has one 2 drop spell that isn't a doom blade expy, which is hymn to tourach (That should probably change)

 

[FlowerSunRain]

My approach is to keep staple effects (like removal) more scarce so that people will compete over it and use the space to have more situational cards (which people don't necessarily compete over, but instead need diversity). If some guy is just drafting 20+ removal cards like he hit the jackpot in a late 90's core set draft, removal is probably not scarce enough. Your removal set has a pretty significant power curve: what effects do you think this has? Is it interesting to pick between a bolt and a better threat, knowing that if you pick the threat you can probably grab a hammer later?

 

[Chris Taylor]

My approach is to keep staple effects (like removal) more scarce so that people will compete over it and use the space to have more situational cards (which people don't necessarily compete over, but instead need diversity). If some guy is just drafting 20+ removal cards like he hit the jackpot in a late 90's core set draft, removal is probably not scarce enough. Your removal set has a pretty significant power curve: what effects do you think this has? Is it interesting to pick between a bolt and a better threat, knowing that if you pick the threat you can probably grab a hammer later?

Honestly most people end up picking bolt over the threat, as my creature section usually has a lot more redundancy in place, whereas the difference between the premium removal spells (Path to Exile, Lightning Bolt, Doom Blade, and Counterspell) of which there isone copy, and their counterparts (Bonds of Faith, Volcanic Hammer, B1 Sorcery Murder, and Mana Leak) is less replaceable. It's also one of the few sources of instants in my cube, so they end up being more unique.

I guess the answer is that the threats are closer in power level? I'm thinking about the insane can't pass feel bad passing threats, and it's seeming like a short list (And they're all beatable):
Scavenging Ooze
Blood Artist
Mother of Runes (Though this might be due to the ubiquity of removal )
Restoration Angel
...Polukranos?
Jace TMS
Gideon

If I had to guess, I think the removal being better than the threats leaves games trending towards simple board states since players 1 for 1 with some regularity. It would likely make auras worse, but most of the auras I'm running are pretty removal resistant as well (Rancor, Griffin Guide, Ordeals depending on the creature they go on)

I've also noticed very little of my removal is conditional, which I do like (Nothing worse then getting hosed by drawing all doom blades against the mono black player) but at the same time it does mean that sequencing removal spells is mostly useless other than the difference between doom blade and oblivion ring.

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

I think the key is to have your removal and threat packages structured in such a way where it dosen't feel like the games are attrition based, the game pace dictated by removal exchanges; ultimately decided by whoever can stick a threat during a window where one player lacks an answer.

Adding conditions to removal is one solution, as is ramping up the power level of the threats (ETB, hexproof ect). You could also narrow your removal section or expand your threat section, as was already described.

If you want to avoid board stalls, i.m.o difficult to block creatures or spells that makes creatures difficult (or impossible) to block are the way to go. There are also some more exotic possibilities like exalted cards that might help, where they are at the right power level.

In my general experience (from the old cube), if people start seeing multiple wrath effects in a draft, at least one player tries to draft sweeper.dec, which makes everyone miserable.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Hey everyone! Back from a cube hiatus from when Warlords of Draenor released, I've subbed in a new patch (Now live on cube tutor) addressing the removal concerns and expanding on some of the themes I've grown to love.

I know you guys like seeing the art of the custom cards I put in, but I've done my best to actually have them be part of the draft process on cubetutor. Previously my cubetutor was just missing all the custom cards, but now as they comprise the lions share of blue creatures (and quite a few black ones as well) I've needed to come up with a half measure.
There's no real way of telling which cards are custom in the draft as of yet, so if you see something that looks out of place, imagine a custom better version of it there instead.
As well, I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that you can go to the visual spoiler/view my list and filter everything that has the tag "Custom" if you want a list of these cards.

White
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite > Angel of Serenity
Blade Splicer > Hallowed Spiritkeeper
Cataclysm > Ajani Goldmane
Bonds of Faith > Return to the Ranks
Oppressive Rays > Sunlance
+Phantom Nomad
+Kinsbaile Skirmisher
+Containment Priest
+Swift Justice
+Niveous Wisps
+Abzan Falconer
+Ordeal of Heliod

Custom Standins:
Return to the Ranks should be , instant, unearth
Kinsbaile Skirmisher should be , 2/1, When ~ enters the battlefield put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature
Niveous Wisps should be , instant, target creature gets +1/+0 and gains shadow until end of turn
Ordeal of Heliod should be , instant, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, then proliferate. Flashback

The Sunlance/Opressive Rays swap is a nod to Young Pyromancer and Runechanter's Pike, who fit in almost perfectly with the prowess deck. Almost.
Phantom Nomad has been surprisingly good, playing well with proliferate cards and anything that grants toughness (Where he becomes Cho Mano). At base, he's mostly safehold elite.
Ajani Goldmane has returned after finding out that Ajani Steadfast isn't quite as strong as he looked at first. Goldmane was removed a while ago for being too strong in the creature mirror, we'll see how he plays now.

Blue
+Delver of Secrets
+Delver of Secrets
+Delver of Secrets
+Screeching Skaab
+Jeskai Elder
+Jeskai Elder


+Time Ebb
+Spectral Flight
Skaab Ruinator > Reef Worm
Silent Departure > Gitaxian Probe
Armored Skaab > Gitaxian Probe

Custom Standins:
The Delvers are , 1/2 Prowess, whenever you cast a noncreature spell ~ gains flying until end of turn
The Jeskai Elders are , 1/1 Flying, Prowess, whenever you cast a noncreature spell you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.
Time Ebb is , Sorcery, put target creature on the top or bottom of its owner's library
Screeching Skaab is the same cost but has better mill in some undecided way.

Prowess has been a huge boon to blue tempo, but suffers with so few actual prowess creatures (Riverwheel Aerialists and Jeskai Windscout are a bit below the curve for cube) so I've added my own 1 and 2 drops.
The self mill angle is being expanded upon, and should become a bit more relevant next patch when I add some of the custom scavenge cards I've been brainstorming.
I'm warming up to the idea of phantasmal bear as the 1 drop of choice now that the blue creature deck is less equipment reliant (Runechanter's Pike is still good, but not as essential as it once was), but for now I'm trying out the prowess 1 drops instead to really hammer the theme home.
In other news, Silent Departure is really horrible (Not being an instant sucks) and maybe some gitaxian probes will make for some sweet prowess plays.
As for Screeching Skaab, I'm not sure if I just want it to mill 4, emulate Taigam's Scheming, or something else entirely. 2 cards is far too few though, I know that much.

Black
+Oona's Prowler
+Bloodthrone Vampire
+Flesh Carver
+Bloodgift Demon
Vendetta > Murderous Cut
Chainer's Edict > Night's Whisper
Imperial Edict > Night's Whisper
Imperial Edict > Night's Whisper
+Night's Whisper
Toxic Deluge > Phyrexian Arena

Custom Standins:
Night's Whisper (Yes, 4 copies) gains you 2 life instead of losing it
Imperal Edict is sorcery murder

Black got the most ham-fisted changes this time around. There was entirely too much removal, especially around the 2 cost slot, so I've cut a lot of it and added some creatures where I felt there were holes that needed filling.
I'll freely admit that bloodthrone vampire and Oona's prowler were added basically at random, and will probably come out for some of the custom scavenge creatures mentioned above.
Black control has been okay with the double damnnation, but Toxic Deluge was a bit too strong of a sweeper, and contributed to the lifeloss problems black had as a whole. Custom Night's Whispers have been added to adress this need, as well as supplement the black control/midrange decks.

Red
+Monastery Swiftspear
+Monastery Swiftspear
+Firedrinker Satyr
+Grim Lavamancer
+War-Name Aspirant
+Goblin Sharpshooter
Flame Slash > Reckless Charge
Ignite Disorder > Searing Blood
-Fiery Conclusion
Flames of the Firebrand > Arc Lightning
Blast from the Past > Volt Charge
Anger of the Gods > Brimstone Volley

Custom Standins:
Ignite Disorder was Arc Lightning with strive
Fiery Conclusion was slave of bolas with sac a creature as an additional cost.

Red is shaping up to be a very well connected color. Volt Charge is the most effective proliferate card available, since there's no red deck that doesn't like 3 damage. Monastery Swiftspear has been a solid aggressive creature, and kinda acts like a 1.75/1, if that makes any sense. A lot of red's creatures were good at trading up because of the power > mana cost idea, so it needed a bit of scaling back (though not much)

Green
+Satyr Wayfinder
+Gyre Sage
+Mutagenic Growth
Edge of Autumn > Farseek
Edge of Autumn > Farseek
Explore > Farseek
+Song of the Dryads
+Full Moon's Rise


Custom Standins:
Satyr Wayfinder is a 2/1 grisly salvage
Full Moon's Rise is a sorcery, choose one: put a 3/2 beast token into play, or put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control
Edge of Autumn and Explore were standins for old custom cards mentioned in prior posts (Nourishing Touch and Instinctive Behavior respectively)

The current custom satyr wayfinder is probably a bit too strong, but I'm testing it for now. Elvish Visionary has always been too weak for me here, so it's not wholly out of wack.
Full Moon's Rise is actually based blatantly ripped off a druid card from hearthstone: Power of the Wild. It's very strong in magic (since damage goes away at end of turn) but for it being Garruk's Companion or half of Abzan Ascendancy, I'm going to give it a shot.
Green/Black is likely where most of the custom scavenge cards are going to find themselves, and I think this will be opportunity to add a green 3 drop that beats down well (Unlike Eternal Witness)

 

[Chris Taylor]

Things to Note:
-I haven't taken the plunge on treasure cruse yet. Should I? do I need more than one?
-Are there any other cards from KTK I'm missing (Link) I was a bit sparse in adding KTK cards, since I was waiting for the dust to settle, then Warlords of Draenor came out.

 

[FlowerSunRain]

Wait, is your Night's Whisper a black divination that gains two life for ? That seems insane.

I like the custom prowess card rout for blue a lot. Jeskai Elder is probably fine as written, the one drop flier is super important. You could probably make the base body 1/1 flying. I think I like the design better then Delver, more play, less swingy.

Screeching Skaab does suck as written. You could give it a Sidsi-esque trigger (mill 2 when etb or attacks). Or just mill 4 to lower the amount of text.