What are your favourite cards from cube this year? (released this year). Go.
General 2018: cube card favourites
- Thread starter Alfonzo Bonzo
- Start date
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Saw that coming
Is that not last year?
Strike it from the record!
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
RAWR!
Damnit, I forgot about Battlebond. And GS1. And Game Night. Although I don't really think there are any cubable cards from the last two, it's still an oversight.
https://scryfall.com/search?q=(set:...t&unique=cards&as=grid&order=released&dir=asc
Here's the more complete search.
https://scryfall.com/search?q=(set:...t&unique=cards&as=grid&order=released&dir=asc
Here's the more complete search.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
I'll do you one better.
Try searching for all cards first printed in 2018!
If you want to filter out the digital only cards, try this.
I'll do you one better.
Try searching for all cards first printed in 2018!
If you want to filter out the digital only cards, try this.
Ah, damn. I knew there had to be an easier way to do it. I didn't know about the year option. I didn't see it on the advanced options page. I should've checked the syntax guide.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
I'll do a top 3 by set end-of-year-list (excluding reprint-only releases)
Rivals of Ixalan
Zacama finally gave Naya a respectable ramp target, and boy is it respectable. This card is great and does it all! RAWR!
TIS is an insane curve topper. The abilities are nicely synergistic, you draw more cards, that you then get to play for cheaper, and the creatures get pumped. Pretty sweet value card, and I know I have multiple players that just can't resist value.
The Deathspitter is kind of an odd duck. I initially added it just to expand the enrage theme, and while it works great in the pinger deck (take an additional 2 each turn!), I found it is also simply excellent in aggressive strategies. It fulfills the power >= cmc requirement you're looking for in an aggro deck, which means it should trade with whatever blocker your opponent has most of the time (at least in the early game), but it also deals some final damage when it does die, meaning you still get some momentum out of it. Pleasantly surprised with this, and I'm happy I tried it out.
Dominaria
Teshar is a great new addition to a select group of white card advantage cards. The stat line is unassuming, but it does peck in for 2 points a turn, while also recurring threat after threat if your opponent doesn't deal with the bird. Now, granted, it's not especially hard to deal with, but at my power level at least, I've been pleasantly surprised how well this plays!
D'Avenant Trapper is my number two. Historic is just so easy to support in white with all the playable legendaries and white weenies' love for equipment. This is reasonably statted at 3 power for 3 mana, and it lets your team get in. The nice thing is, unlike the usual tapping suspects, your opponent can't predict how many defenders to leave up, because you could have multiple historic cards in hand for a double, or even triple tap. All in all this card supports aggressive strategies in white even better than I hoped for.
My last pick is Rona, which is just a nifty combination of card advantage and reanimation. It targets a reasonably wide array of cards, including such charming targets as Executioner's Capsule, Baleful Strix, and Phyrexian Scriptures. I love that it's a grindy card advantage machine that requires a bit of consideration during the draft and deckbuilding portions of the game, and that doesn't blatantly bury your opponent under card advantage.
Battlebond
This release added no new cards to my cube.
Global Series: Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling
This release added no new cards to my cube.
Core Set 2019
White card advantage! GIVE ME MOAR! The vigilance is surprisingly relevant on this body.
Departed Deckhand is great in the ninja deck, as both a (nearly) unblockable card to return, as well as a way to get those ninjas through in the later game.
Finally, yay, a good Tinker target that doesn't break the game! Not that I run Tinker, but I do run an artifact theme that extends throughout all colors but green, and this has been a very welcome addition.
Commander 2018
Try the number one, it's sweet! Plays better than it looks too!
Varina marriages a nice few themes. I suspect this is even better in other cubes, where lifegain matters and zombies are also supported.
Yuriko is the multicolored ninja I was looking for! Never mind the weird "commander ninjutsu" rider, it's just ninjutsu, and a damn fine one at that.
Guilds of Ravnica
They finally gave us the blue Young Pyromancer in Murmuring Mystic! Great card, another one that plays better than it looks!
Quasiduplicate is a card I currently have high hopes for. I've only seen it in some test games so far, but being able to generate two copies of a powerful card for such a low amount of mana is great.
And my final pick of the year, it's amazing how much convoke does for a more expensive Banishing Light. It's simply a great feeling to curve out a two drop and a removal spell on turn four and keep attacking.
Rivals of Ixalan
Zacama finally gave Naya a respectable ramp target, and boy is it respectable. This card is great and does it all! RAWR!
TIS is an insane curve topper. The abilities are nicely synergistic, you draw more cards, that you then get to play for cheaper, and the creatures get pumped. Pretty sweet value card, and I know I have multiple players that just can't resist value.
The Deathspitter is kind of an odd duck. I initially added it just to expand the enrage theme, and while it works great in the pinger deck (take an additional 2 each turn!), I found it is also simply excellent in aggressive strategies. It fulfills the power >= cmc requirement you're looking for in an aggro deck, which means it should trade with whatever blocker your opponent has most of the time (at least in the early game), but it also deals some final damage when it does die, meaning you still get some momentum out of it. Pleasantly surprised with this, and I'm happy I tried it out.
Dominaria
Teshar is a great new addition to a select group of white card advantage cards. The stat line is unassuming, but it does peck in for 2 points a turn, while also recurring threat after threat if your opponent doesn't deal with the bird. Now, granted, it's not especially hard to deal with, but at my power level at least, I've been pleasantly surprised how well this plays!
D'Avenant Trapper is my number two. Historic is just so easy to support in white with all the playable legendaries and white weenies' love for equipment. This is reasonably statted at 3 power for 3 mana, and it lets your team get in. The nice thing is, unlike the usual tapping suspects, your opponent can't predict how many defenders to leave up, because you could have multiple historic cards in hand for a double, or even triple tap. All in all this card supports aggressive strategies in white even better than I hoped for.
My last pick is Rona, which is just a nifty combination of card advantage and reanimation. It targets a reasonably wide array of cards, including such charming targets as Executioner's Capsule, Baleful Strix, and Phyrexian Scriptures. I love that it's a grindy card advantage machine that requires a bit of consideration during the draft and deckbuilding portions of the game, and that doesn't blatantly bury your opponent under card advantage.
Battlebond
This release added no new cards to my cube.
Global Series: Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling
This release added no new cards to my cube.
Core Set 2019
White card advantage! GIVE ME MOAR!
The vigilance is surprisingly relevant on this body.Departed Deckhand is great in the ninja deck, as both a (nearly) unblockable card to return, as well as a way to get those ninjas through in the later game.
Finally, yay, a good Tinker target that doesn't break the game! Not that I run Tinker, but I do run an artifact theme that extends throughout all colors but green, and this has been a very welcome addition.
Commander 2018
Try the number one, it's sweet! Plays better than it looks too!
Varina marriages a nice few themes. I suspect this is even better in other cubes, where lifegain matters and zombies are also supported.
Yuriko is the multicolored ninja I was looking for! Never mind the weird "commander ninjutsu" rider, it's just ninjutsu, and a damn fine one at that.
Guilds of Ravnica
They finally gave us the blue Young Pyromancer in Murmuring Mystic! Great card, another one that plays better than it looks!
Quasiduplicate is a card I currently have high hopes for. I've only seen it in some test games so far, but being able to generate two copies of a powerful card for such a low amount of mana is great.
And my final pick of the year, it's amazing how much convoke does for a more expensive Banishing Light. It's simply a great feeling to curve out a two drop and a removal spell on turn four and keep attacking.
Favorite 2018 Cards:
Half-trolling, half serious. There were a lot of good cards this year, it is hard to pick a favorite.
Half-trolling, half serious. There were a lot of good cards this year, it is hard to pick a favorite.
Oh Damn, I forgot someone really important. This guy here is my favorite wild mongrel, even without free discard. He's really strong on it's own.
Betwern him, Battlefield Scavenger, Bloodrage Brawler and Honored Hydra Amonkhet block really made Gruul madness a thing for me.
Betwern him, Battlefield Scavenger, Bloodrage Brawler and Honored Hydra Amonkhet block really made Gruul madness a thing for me.
good mentions
i do like this more than kitesail freebooter even tho its prob worse and slower- pilfering imp but the turn one plays. i like them both more than the sorcery versions but i do like the sorcery typing more. could work with spider spawning and Izoni, Thousand-Eyed and the others with rise from the tides stuff. izoni and crackling drake are good ones that got hit by double double cmc
if you run stupid stuff like somberwald sage and didnt completely cut ramp Josu Vess, Lich Knight
josu and zacama are good eldrazi alternatives
i do like this more than kitesail freebooter even tho its prob worse and slower- pilfering imp but the turn one plays. i like them both more than the sorcery versions but i do like the sorcery typing more. could work with spider spawning and Izoni, Thousand-Eyed and the others with rise from the tides stuff. izoni and crackling drake are good ones that got hit by double double cmc
if you run stupid stuff like somberwald sage and didnt completely cut ramp Josu Vess, Lich Knight
josu and zacama are good eldrazi alternatives
I can't tell if its recency bias or my hard on for Ravnica (Return to Ravnica was my first set), but that set representation wise absolutely dwarfs every other set of 2018 in terms of representation in my 360 cube. Counting cards from each set in my cube, I currently have:
Rivals of Ixalan: 5
Dominaria: 4
Core Set 2019: 3
Guilds of Ravnica: 19
But my favourite card printed in 2018 was actually a reprint in UMA!
In the past this was the one old bordered card that regularly tempted me to make an exception for my arbitrary modern border rule, but my obsessive cube designer impulses had me taking it out after short trial runs in spite of very positive results. Now I have no reason to stress!
Rivals of Ixalan: 5
Dominaria: 4
Core Set 2019: 3
Guilds of Ravnica: 19
But my favourite card printed in 2018 was actually a reprint in UMA!
In the past this was the one old bordered card that regularly tempted me to make an exception for my arbitrary modern border rule, but my obsessive cube designer impulses had me taking it out after short trial runs in spite of very positive results. Now I have no reason to stress!
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
I have no modern border rule, but I do very much prefer it over the old one. I might have squealed in glee when they revealed Frantic Search
I like that sets by numbers part.
Rivals of Ixalan: 11
Dominaria: 17 (plus the reprint Guilded Lotus, soon to be 16, because Final Parting is getting cut)
Battlebond: 0
Core Set 2019: 11
Commander 2018: 3
Guilds of Ravnica: 21
That's out of 450, or 428 if you want to discount the custom cards. Looks like a more balanced distribution. I run a multicolor cube too, so GRN was bound to have more goodies than the rest. I really enjoyed Dominaria as well though, lots of solid roleplayers, and RIX and M19 didn't disappoint either. Honestly, Battlebond is the only set that didn't get me excited this year.
I've been away from cube (and EDH for different reasons) pretty much all of this year. But have been playing a lot of standard and limited, and from that I want to mention one card that has been really out performing in standard for everyone:
This card can go in any deck, helps make any mediocre hand better, and is ramp/card advantage.
I can't believe this card took so long to take off. I guess RB aggro suppressed everything from Ixalan, even this sweet card.
Once my cube ever gets an upgrade before I roll it out, I am definitely giving this card a spin.
Honorary mentions go to my go to draft strategy in DOM:
I drafted waaaaaaayyyyyy too many of these cards during that time. Fight with Fire is just a great card.
This card can go in any deck, helps make any mediocre hand better, and is ramp/card advantage.
I can't believe this card took so long to take off. I guess RB aggro suppressed everything from Ixalan, even this sweet card.
Once my cube ever gets an upgrade before I roll it out, I am definitely giving this card a spin.
Honorary mentions go to my go to draft strategy in DOM:
I drafted waaaaaaayyyyyy too many of these cards during that time. Fight with Fire is just a great card.
Yeah Treasure Map is so awesome that I might even double up on it!
Also I really like Historic as a keyword.
Also I really like Historic as a keyword.
Alright, so I Quasiduplicated a Crackling Drake in a GRN draft last night in two separate rounds at FNM. I think I've got to give it a test run now. There's some potential here: