General The Draft Exchange

Drafted Swoopydoo and came away with what I think is a pretty tight little peregrine drake list:

bant Peregrine Drake from CubeTutor.com












Wish I'd had a way to discard Trostani's Summoner for 'llark value, but it looks like a real blast to play. Ghostly Flicker + e-wit like we all know and love, and then a lot of incidental ways to get mana out of the drake and value flicker. My cube's in my sig: I'm doing an IRL draft of it this Sunday so if you have pointed feedback I would really love it.
 
Drafted safra's cube. I found it quite difficult to draft because the individual power level of cards is quite high, but I go the distinct feeling that if you get certain pieces to come together, you could end up with some TRULY busted decks. When I tried to follow those strands to construct some kind of engine, I always felt I was just short of getting 100% there: however, that's probably just a matter of familiarity with the list. I will mention, the customs are great. "Impressionable Selkie" is a fantastic name.

For my first draft, I first picked cataclysm, then scuttling doom engine. From there I tried to build some kind of recursion engine but really didn't get there. Didn't end up with any real reanimation, the manabase is pretty bad, and there's only Venser/Mom to defend Lab Man post Doomsday. Behold some garbage:

Esper CataclysmDay from CubeTutor.com












Second draft I forced a deck I'm comfortable with: Pod. I decided on Naya after picking up Imperial Recruiter. I was secretly hoping to get Kiki and Resto to have the complete nuts. Didn't find it, and didn't get many mana dorks, but the deck still looks decent. Stuck CoCo in and went for a pure value/toolbox version of the deck. Tutorable land, enchantment, artifact, and graveyard hate, with an abundance of ETB triggers.

(whoops forgot to include the lands, but my mana base was pretty good)

Naya Pod from CubeTutor.com











My last draft feels significantly higher in power level than the previous two. This time I proceeded by just picking the strongest cards first pack and seeing where that took me. I very quickly found my self in UWR control. To be fair that's where I gravitate towards in most cubes. But also to be fair I'm not gonna turn down Jace. I had kiki-combo and approach as win cons, several board sweepers, some nice card draw and removal. My counter magic suite was a bit lacking, but I'm not sure how much that matters. I think the overall power level would have spiked a lot with some mana rocks: drafting again I would start taking the talismans MUCH higher than I did in these drafts.

As an aside, I have no idea if Tabernacle is good or playable. I was gonna play 18 lands since I had approach, but decided to stick Tabernacle in as the 18th land instead.

Jeskai Control from CubeTutor.com










 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Drafted the Mox Cube blind. Tried to force storm, since all the important pieces were coming along in the first few picks. Only saw Mind's Desire. The lack of cheap cantrips is disturbing. I think I passed one Brainstorm, but that's about it. I feel this deck is going to struggle to find its pieces, and I didn't realize beforehand my only real options for card draw were the more expensive spells. Should have picked up a Deep Analysis when I had the chance, I guess...

Onderzeeboot's Failed Storm draft of Combo Cube on 04/01/2019 from CubeTutor.com











I did a giant overhaul for my cube, switching the energy theme in Temur for storm support. I also removed the rule that drafting a three color card gives you a corresponding triland at the behest of my own players. There might not be enough fixing at the moment. If you do try to go three colors, please let me know how your mana options felt :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: dbs
Then I'll draft Ondi's now ...

P1P1 Bob into Bloodsoaked Champion. I like some black aggro. Pick 4 is out of black and unexiting so I go with Isamaru. Kari Zev and Sin Prodder make me consider going into red, but I didn't get much more afterwards and only orzhov fixing so I'm staying there.

I'm mostly happy with that deck, just a little worried over my shallow 2-drop slot.

Orzhov Graveyard Aggro from CubeTutor.com









 
Drafted Ondi's :
P1P1 was Temur Sabertooth which is a card i'm in love with (in the final build the tiger should/could be something else), then Marath came and i putted together a pretty stacked counters deck.
How Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist feels? in the commander games i played with her i always felt she was kind of un-interactive.




Did one of Ravnic' casual too:
I kind messed up here i think whith the picks(i'm not the best best drafter/player around you see) and ended up with a mixed pool which probably can be built two ways: abzan graveyard value(which is not bad as sideboard plans) and orzhov token.
i really love uncoventional card choiches!
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Mirri is sweet, never felt unfun to me. The environment is completely different though, plus if she's not your commander, it's a lot harder to get her back :)

She's good at providing that aggro reach grillo was talking about in that quoted post in another thread a couple of days ago :)
 
Drafted Swoopydo's cube blind without looking at the list, I think it came together pretty well:

Rise of the Bant











Began with P1P1 Jace, Architect of Thought and was thinking about leaning towards something U/x Control based but then I saw a bunch of green cards come my way and enough ways to fix my mana that I decided to go Bant. My win-con seems to biding time until I can cast a nasty Rise From The Tides and/or Temur Sabertooth loops. Looks like a blast to play!
 
Deck looks great, would just replace Talrand with Scrap Trawler.

I'll draft yours now ...

P1P1 was Curse of Chains, removal that keeps me open. After that I saw a Drake Haven and decided to go for this. I followed with Dr. Teeth. Roar of the Wurm made me add green. I love how that deck looks, it's a juicy, different (compared to my) way to approach madness in cube, would love to play this.

Sultai Midrange Madness from CubeTutor.com










 
Drafted Sharzad. First picked Zur, then saw a second pick Kestia, the Cultivator and I knew all was lost. Drafted this beautiful beautiful boondoggle. Your cube is higher powered than I'm used to, so I'm guessing I would get trounced while having more fun than anyone else at the table :)

4-Color Zur & Kestia Power Couple from CubeTutor.com











Edit to identify the customs:

Satyr Wayfinder = Leyline Angler (1/1 Human Druid, when ETBs grab a land or enchantment from top 4, put the rest in yard.)
Eidolon of Blossoms = Root-Maze Enchantress (2G, so ZURABLE, standard enchantress text, plus Ground Seal.)
Obzedat's Aid = Out of Sight (2WB Sorcery--choose destroy permanent or return permanent form yard to battlefield. Entwine 3.)
Shefet Dunes = Abandoned Pasture (Plains that scrys)
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
It's always so cool to see old designs (in this case Leyline Angler) pop up in other people's cubes! This "I made that!" feeling is the best :)

I do wonder if Yahenni's Expertise isn't a bit too ambitious. Double black with only six black mana sources, seven if we count the Farseek? Isn't the mana rock just better in that case? Might let you run a Mountain instead of a Forest too, so you can actually cast that Jeskai Ascendancy if it ever winds up in your hand.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
I have a problem.

Oketra's Monument!!!! from CubeTutor.com











I swear the Oketra's Monument obsession is more than just a gimmick! I just can't help myself. I first picked Champion of the Parish and picked up a second one a couple of packs later, and from then it was set. Monument didn't even appear until halfway through pack 2.

Customs: Kor Skyfisher is Angelic Augmentor, which is the same card but an artifact and returns another permanent.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Drafted Aston's. See Sword of Fire and Ice pack one and automatically think "Ugh." to myself. I once lost a really shitty Modern Masters draft to that card, simply because I happened to be blue red, so I've turned pretty sour on the Swords. Those are my personal feelings towards the card though, don't let that hold you back if you and your playgroup do like the card! Anyway, the pack is stacked. There's also Chrome Mox and Coalition Relic. I like the Relic, and pick it, hoping to cast Titans on turn four. Seems fair. There's a few options in the next pack, nothing too bonkers. Let's pick Daze and be a dick to others. No, wait, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy has to be better, right? Pick 3 has a Miscalculation and an Enclave Cryptologist, but Badlands is great fixing! P3p4, Thousand-Year Storm! And we already got baby Jace to flashback spells! Let's pick up cantrips and burn and hope to never face that silly sword! P1p5 Manamorphose, check. P1p6 Everflowing Chalice, 'cause ramp is important too if you want to win on a six drop (passing two burn spells). P1p7 Baral! P8 Preordain! P9 Chrome Mox wheeled! P10 So did Daze! But I think Scroll Rack is better now that we're comboing off. P11 Cryptologist wheeled, but so did Chainer's Edict. Think Edict is clutch against cheaty decks. P12 Expedition Map. P13 Tezz, Agent of Bolas over Volcanic Fallout. P14 Crystal Shard. P15 Genesis Wave.

Pack two starts with a choice between Enlightened Tutor, Fastbond, and Shelldock Isle. Pff... Talk about choices. I have no fixing yet (apart from the Relic), so I pick Shelldock Isle, but the other two are defensible too, I feel. P2 Scalding Tarn over Taiga and Incinerate. P3 Volcanic Island over Wasteland and Burst Lightning. P4 Wooded Foothills over Gifts and Experimental Frenzy. P5 Kess, Dissident Mage looking goooood! Passing Fire // Ice and Force of Will. P6 Venser, Shaper Savant or Oblivion Sower. Venser is probably better, but picking Sower. P7 Electrolyze over FTK and Top. Hey, cantrip and burn! P8 doesn't really contain something in our colors, but Oracle of Mul Daya is potentially sweet, if we can splash it! P9 on the wheel contains Cultivate and Kearny's, God of Storms as notables. I pick the Cultivate after debating for too long. We don't need red yet for anything other than 1K Storm and Electrolyze, and our red fixing is prettty good right now. The rest gives me Jace Beleren, Wasteland, Experimental Frenzy, Council's Judgment, Goblin Ruinmaster, Atlantic.

Pack three! Pff... This pack... Control Magic, Inferno Titan, Lightning Bolt, Rashmi, Eternity Crafter, and Misty Rainforest! Control Magic has to be good there, right? I have honestly no idea what the right pick is there... P2 Shrine of Burning Rage implies back to UR. P3 Into the Roil. P4 Fireblast is a great finisher of the chain. P5 Stomping Ground over Firebolt makes the splash live! Lots of land in the next pack, but I choose dependable Sea Gate Oracle. P7 Rec Sage is useful for the sideboard against that one sword... P8 I accidentally pick Hordeling Outburst in the hopes of building my own Empty the Warrens, but Consecrated Sphinx was still in the pack. Yeah... P9 Mind Tone wheels, then Green Sun's Zenith, Mystic Snake, Fact of Fiction over Mana Leak, Cloudgoat Ranger, Temple agarden, and finally, Recruiter of the Guard.

Leading to this deck. Think it's a bit too fragile.

Onderzeeboot's draft of Aston's Cube on 14/01/2019 from CubeTutor.com











http://www.cubetutor.com/cubedeck/1046216
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Did a bonus draft of Aston's. This cube is much higher power than I'm used to, playing cards I consciously cut from my own cube over the years in order to achieve a more even power band. I find it kinda hard to navigate. So, let's do it again!

P1p1 Birthing Pod, doing it! Then Metamorph, Shriekmaw, the second Birthing Pod, le Farseek, Battleball, Gray Merchant, Vengevine, Unburial Rites, Wild Mongrel, Oversold Cemetary, Griselbrand, Living Death, Sun Titan, Angel of Serenity.

Going into pack 2 knowing I need to pick up two-, three-drops, and six-drops.

P2p1 Steel Hellkite stares at me, but there's also Mimic Vat... Oh, and Elesh Norn. Yeah, I think Elesh is a pretty busted target, I'll find a six drop later, I hope... Aaaaand... Primeval Titan, done it! Savannah (over Xathrid Necromancer, but I need the fixing), Chrome Mox (from a dead pack), Nekrataal, Vampire Nighthawk, Godless Shrine, Overgrown Tomb, Mimic Vat, Overgrown Tomb, Expedition Map, 1K Storm, Mirari's Wake, Garruk Relentless, Ayli.

P3p1 Solemn Simulacrum, Fauna Shaman, Mortify, Scrapheap Scrounger, Traverse, Genesis, Rec Sage, Wall of Omens, Scrubland, Squadron Hawk, KotR, Woe-Reaper, Baral, Porcelain Legionnaire, Volcanic Fallout.

Have to go, but there's a deck in here! http://www.cubetutor.com/cubedeck/1046478

Edit: Is this a good chain?

Onderzeeboot's draft of Aston's Cube on 14/01/2019 from CubeTutor.com











Mana's not perfect, but this looks pretty decent. Notable sideboard options:



I honestly don't know how to fit these all in, but some might be better than my maindeck choices? I should probably cut a card for Living Death? Looks like that one can run away with the game with all the cards going to my yard with Mongrel, Fauna Shaman, and Birthing Pod. Not playing Chrome Mox is also probably a mistake?
 
Thanks for the drafts, Onder! For what it's worth, I've errata'd out the protection on the swords, so whilst they're still very good, you at least don't get randomly hosed by being U/R against SoFI.

I'm most interested in your Thousand Year Storm deck, as that card's only been in for literally one IRL draft so far (and the deck didn't end up doing all that well). Your approach looks a lot more consistent, and I hadn't pegged Fireblast as such a good finisher with it.
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Thanks for the drafts, Onder! For what it's worth, I've errata'd out the protection on the swords, so whilst they're still very good, you at least don't get randomly hosed by being U/R against SoFI.
That fills my heart with gladness! :D I'm guessing you don't have a paid account on CubeTutor then? That would allow you to upload custom scans, but it does cost you $5 a month. I run enough customs that I'm very happy with the option, but I can imagine it's a bit much if all you have is Swords minus protection. Plus, you're essentially paying for the software as is, I don't think it's getting updated anymore, though new sets are still being added.

Wait, there's a blogpost by the developer that I haven't had the time to read yet, but I'll link it here: https://cubetutor.wordpress.com/2018/10/02/the-cubetutor-controversy/

I'm most interested in your Thousand Year Storm deck, as that card's only been in for literally one IRL draft so far (and the deck didn't end up doing all that well). Your approach looks a lot more consistent, and I hadn't pegged Fireblast as such a good finisher with it.
Yeah, it does look fun, especially with both baby Jace and Kess flashing back spells. I do think it's a cheap cantrip or two short of a perfect decklist, I was really scrambling for those last playables and would have loved it if I had an extra Opt, Serum Visions, or somesuch. Maybe I should have actually picked up a few more burn spells.
 
Drafted Onder's cube:

UR Pyromancer from CubeTutor.com










First picked expansion explosion, then young pyromancer, then raven's crime. Gave up on black eventually when I found a flame jab. I like how this deck is low to the ground but sneakily very grindy, hence the 17 lands. Plenty of mana sinks and uses for extra lands. I'm also very interested in your format where Pyre Hound and Ral Zarek are my four drops!
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
For those wondering why Mystic Speculation is in the 3 cmc column; it's a custom (Reevaluate) that costs {2}{U} and does Mystic Speculation + investigate, but instead of buyback it returns to your hand at the beginning of your upkeep like old Squee does. Also, Guttersnipe is a custom as well, namely Chandra's Monument, a {3} cost artifact that reduces the cost of red instants and sorceries by {1} and makes a 1/1 red Elemental with haste whenever you cast an instant or sorcery (of any color). Basically Oketra's Monument for red instants and sorceries :)

Deck looks rally sweet aestradm, that's pretty much a perfect incarnation of UR spells! :) I love how you make double use of the Reevaluate, with both draw + discard spells and a bunch of cards that benefit from recasting the sorcery over and over again. Props!

Edit: Woah, I completely got confused by me scrolling back and forth. Sorry for calling you Rowan there for a minute astraedm
 

Onderzeeboot

Ecstatic Orb
Drafted astraedm's. I m'emrakul-ed p1p1, into Search for Tomorrow over elves, because "delirium". Ravenous Chupacabra or Walking Ballista is an interesting p3, but since I seem to be interested in ramping and diversifying card types, it's got to be the Ballista. P4 Eternal Witness sounds great, though I pass the Horizon Canopy with pain in my heart. P5 I could pick up the Traverse the Ulvenwald, but maybe that wheels? I pick up another artifact creature and excellent early defense drop in Perilous Myr. P6 is hard. Like, I've got to choose between Dismember, Duskwatch Recruiter, Satyr Wayfinder, and Garruk Relentless. I decide to go with the new card type and pick up Garruk. Hey, it also works great with Perilous Myr! P7 I have to choose between Harrow and Life from the Loam. As much as I like Loam, Harrow ramps and puts two different card types into the bin, so it's got to be the pick, right? P8 is crazy, three different green ramp spells, Krosan Tusker and Porcelain Legionnaire. I take the Edge of Autumn. P9 Sakura-Tribe Elder wheels. I note that I'm still mono green and getting passed tons of green cards. Looks like I'm in the right color. No idea what my second color will be yet. P10 both the Elves wheel, but by now it looks like I'm more about t2 ramp into four drops, and there happens to be a Nullhide Ferox in the pack. Problem is, I do want to cast noncreature spells... I really don't feel I want the elves though, so I pick up Herald of Anguish instead. P11 Vessel of Nascency is exactly what I want. P12 is a stray Breeding Pool. P13 a Maelstrom Wanderer, sure! P14 Dismember wheels for some unfathomable reason. P15 is the Excellent Vizier of Many Faces.

P2p1 has a Show and Tell, but I wonder how good that is. Obviously putting an Emrakul into play turn 3 is good, but I also don't mind my opponents casting this against me. I've got a bit of mixed signals, but my mana fixing is so good, I think I can simply go for the Nicol Bolas, the Ravager. Which p2 Fauna Shaman can go fetch. P3 everyone knows mana fixing is good, but cantripping is where's it at. I pick up Nexus of Fate. P4 Oracle of Mul Daya. P5 Exclusion Mage. P6 Cinder Glade. P7 is full of yummy targets! Sandwurm Convergence, Ishkanah, and Pelakka Wurm all vie for my attention. Like, I've been building towards delirium right? Yeah, it's got to be the spider! P8 is another hard one. Acidic Slime is generally good, Scavenging Ooze is too, and also wrecks us, and Urban Evolution is gaaaaas. Shit, gotta draw cards, right? I pick the Evolution. P9 Vengevine wheels. P10 Ripjaw Raptor. P11 Hinterland Harbor (ha, yesss). P12 Temple of Malady (I'm telling you, no one else in Gx :)). P13 Temple Garden? P14 Loaming Shaman. P15 Oh lordy, Pelakka Wurm.

Pack 3 starts us of with a p1 Verdant Catacombs. P2 has Carnage Tyrant and Harmonize, but come on, I've got plenty of big targets, and there's also a Spring // Mind that ramps and draws cards! See, p3 Dragonlord Atarka is a better ramp target anyway :) p4 Muldrotha is tempting, but Nissa's Renewal is a bit of much needed ramping. Eh... Life gain! P5 Noble Hierarch or Dimir Aqueduct? Hierarch should wheel, shouldn't it? I pick the Aqueduct. P6 Mindslaver. P7 Courser of Kruphix. P8 Oblivion Sower. P9 Siege Rhino? P10 Arachnogenesis. P11 Collective Brutality. P12 Uh... Collected Company? P13 Grenzo, Dungeon Warding (this ought to be fun, if I can run it). P14 Forsake the Worldly. P15 Lightning Axe. Aw... Hierarch didn't wheel!

Onderzeeboot's 4-color Ramp draft of Synergy Cube 450 on 16/01/2019 from CubeTutor.com












Ok, this ramp deck is ridiculous! I'ld be having so much fun with this, I imagine I'ld be cackling with glee non-stop :') I considered splashing white for Siege Rhino over Ripjaw, but that would probably be straight up insane :D
 
Top