"Cube is like drafting hyperbole" ~someone on Cube Drafting, no doubt.
I'll be editing this OP in the next few days (weeks?) to include more stuff about this project's design.
I don't want to crowd the main forums with this project, so I'm making my own thread. I've been incorporating some of the ideas here already into this post as well.
I don't have a list just yet, but I have an idea. I want to make Powered Cube, but Riptide style.
All the great shenanigans of Riptide (TM) Cubes, but when they're allowed to play with power.
This is a format defined first and foremost by its mana:
And secondly defined by the wide availability of card advantage engines
Here's a general project outline, as this will take me some time and thinking to nail down:
1. Figure out which cards I want to consider. Certainly, the P9 + Cube GRBS List will be included, and we'll go from there.
2. Figure out what the archetypes that these cards form. Once I have a sense of what might go together, the support cards, etc. might fall into place easier.
3. Put a complete 360 together, and draft, draft, draft. Figure out what's cool about the environment, and what's not. It's likely never going to be "balanced" per se, as the card advantage engines and fundamentally broken cards will prevent that. But that doesn't mean it can't be fun/interesting/thought provoking.
Here are the archetypes I'm thinking will be cool in this environment. They'll likely need work and tuning to put them on the same playing field as each other:
U/W: Draw-Go Control/Miracles Control
U/B: Storm and Reanimator Combo
B/R: Hand-disruption coupled with aggro threats
R/G: Ramp
G/W:
W/B: Stax
B/G: Grindy (Survival/Nightmare) Midrange
G/U: ?
U/R: Prowess/Spell-based Aggro, Combo-Control (Sneak Attack, Twin)
R/W: Death and Taxes
1. "Spell-Based Aggro"
The most efficient Prowess beaters come together with the highest velocity spells to create an ultimate aggro deck. Powered by Ancestral Recall and backed up by Magic's best counter-suite.
2. "Sac-Aggro"
With the best sacrifice outlets are available, the deck goes far and wide, grinding advantage whilst providing resiliency. Driven by the ever-hungry Skullclamp, it's sure to put a clamp on your opponent's lifetotal.
3. "Hatebear" Aggro
Taxing the explosive fast mana decks, this archetype provides an "answer" to the shenanigans of the format. Looking to slow the explosiveness of opposing decks whilst laying down a slew of aggressive options, this deck takes the role of "anti-fun" with pride.
I'm wondering if Thorn of Amethyst, Sphere of Resistence, or Trinisphere have a place here [in this format] or no.
3. "Birthing Pod" "Midrange"
TheBirthing Pod archetype gets souped up to be the hyper-grindy midrange deck in the format. Fueled by the fast mana of the format and made resilient by Recurring Nightmare, this keeps the creature decks fighting in a world of Ancestral Recalls. This is likely the main midrange plan for the environment, as anything else might struggle to keep up with the format.
4. "Reanimator"
Something stirs in the graveyard...
5. "Hyper-Ramp"
Premium fast mana available format-wide will be an interesting issue to deal with concerning ramp decks. Casting fatties will have to be just as strong as playing other strategies like storm.
6. "Storm"
Storm is traditionally very difficult to incorporate into a limited format, as traditional formats require poisonous Storm cards that clog the drafts and only work well in the Storm decks. Powered Cubes are different, and this one especially, because the fast mana and strong cantrips the feed the deck are already omnipresent. I want to include some tutors as well.
7. "Control"
The UW control decks might be able to play a miracles-style counter-top TOL manipulation game. On the other hand, it might be too cute/slow to set up.
Maybe its enough to just give control some Planeswalkers and powerful countermagic.
Another large question I'm pondering is the inclusion of Mental Misstep as a multiple. It could end up being a strong tempo/control/disruptive play or it could be a metagame disaster. Also answers Ancestral Recall.
8. UR Combo "Control"
Primarily a control deck playing combo elements out of a UR shell. I love these decks and am excited to try them out with power. The counter-suite is similar to control, but likely with more emphasis on the "free" counters, like Force and Misdirection. This archetype is super flexible and could also play all-in combo rather than a control game, or could play combo elements alongside the more aggressive UR cards.
*Cards that I want to consider/haven't gotten to yet*
(Please suggest stuff too!)
Planeswalkers: which ones?
Storm Cards
Stax Cards
Workshop?
I'll be editing this OP in the next few days (weeks?) to include more stuff about this project's design.
I don't want to crowd the main forums with this project, so I'm making my own thread. I've been incorporating some of the ideas here already into this post as well.
I don't have a list just yet, but I have an idea. I want to make Powered Cube, but Riptide style.
All the great shenanigans of Riptide (TM) Cubes, but when they're allowed to play with power.
This is a format defined first and foremost by its mana:
And secondly defined by the wide availability of card advantage engines
Here's a general project outline, as this will take me some time and thinking to nail down:
1. Figure out which cards I want to consider. Certainly, the P9 + Cube GRBS List will be included, and we'll go from there.
2. Figure out what the archetypes that these cards form. Once I have a sense of what might go together, the support cards, etc. might fall into place easier.
3. Put a complete 360 together, and draft, draft, draft. Figure out what's cool about the environment, and what's not. It's likely never going to be "balanced" per se, as the card advantage engines and fundamentally broken cards will prevent that. But that doesn't mean it can't be fun/interesting/thought provoking.
Here are the archetypes I'm thinking will be cool in this environment. They'll likely need work and tuning to put them on the same playing field as each other:
Grillo (once again) provided me with an excellent direction in which to take this project, suggesting I lay out the archetypes by color-pair to keep them organized, unique, but with overlap.
U/W: Draw-Go Control/Miracles Control
U/B: Storm and Reanimator Combo
B/R: Hand-disruption coupled with aggro threats
R/G: Ramp
G/W:
W/B: Stax
B/G: Grindy (Survival/Nightmare) Midrange
G/U: ?
U/R: Prowess/Spell-based Aggro, Combo-Control (Sneak Attack, Twin)
R/W: Death and Taxes
1. "Spell-Based Aggro"
The most efficient Prowess beaters come together with the highest velocity spells to create an ultimate aggro deck. Powered by Ancestral Recall and backed up by Magic's best counter-suite.
2. "Sac-Aggro"
With the best sacrifice outlets are available, the deck goes far and wide, grinding advantage whilst providing resiliency. Driven by the ever-hungry Skullclamp, it's sure to put a clamp on your opponent's lifetotal.
3. "Hatebear" Aggro
Taxing the explosive fast mana decks, this archetype provides an "answer" to the shenanigans of the format. Looking to slow the explosiveness of opposing decks whilst laying down a slew of aggressive options, this deck takes the role of "anti-fun" with pride.
I'm wondering if Thorn of Amethyst, Sphere of Resistence, or Trinisphere have a place here [in this format] or no.
3. "
The
4. "Reanimator"
Something stirs in the graveyard...
5. "Hyper-Ramp"
Premium fast mana available format-wide will be an interesting issue to deal with concerning ramp decks. Casting fatties will have to be just as strong as playing other strategies like storm.
6. "Storm"
Storm is traditionally very difficult to incorporate into a limited format, as traditional formats require poisonous Storm cards that clog the drafts and only work well in the Storm decks. Powered Cubes are different, and this one especially, because the fast mana and strong cantrips the feed the deck are already omnipresent. I want to include some tutors as well.
7. "Control"
The UW control decks might be able to play a miracles-style counter-top TOL manipulation game. On the other hand, it might be too cute/slow to set up.
Maybe its enough to just give control some Planeswalkers and powerful countermagic.
Another large question I'm pondering is the inclusion of Mental Misstep as a multiple. It could end up being a strong tempo/control/disruptive play or it could be a metagame disaster. Also answers Ancestral Recall.
8. UR Combo "Control"
Primarily a control deck playing combo elements out of a UR shell. I love these decks and am excited to try them out with power. The counter-suite is similar to control, but likely with more emphasis on the "free" counters, like Force and Misdirection. This archetype is super flexible and could also play all-in combo rather than a control game, or could play combo elements alongside the more aggressive UR cards.
*Cards that I want to consider/haven't gotten to yet*
(Please suggest stuff too!)
Planeswalkers: which ones?
Storm Cards
Stax Cards
Workshop?
