General CBS

[Mondschwein]

did you guys already play with the energy cards? I'm very unsure about them as I obv do not want to include some poisonous cards, but the only cards I could see being played without any other energy support are the following:

Lathnu Hellion,Aether Theorist,Shielded Aether Thief

Those are roleplayers on their own and if I'd were to implement an energy subtheme, I would start adding those first.
The next ones are decent without further support:

Aether Hub,Harnessed Lightning,Glint-Sleeve Siphoner,Servant of the Conduit,Confiscation Coup

..but obv get a lot better if you already have some energy-providing cards.
The next ones are also very playable without cards that use the energy they produce, however, they're slightly weaker than other cards already existing in their spots and only produce energy to make the aforementioned ones more playable or even quite strong.

Rogue Refiner,Glimmer of Genius

Scrying 2 then drawing 2 is nice for a four mana instant that also provides you with energy, but it's not quite as strong (or interesting) as Fact or Fiction or Gifts Ungiven, if you ask me. The refiner brings a reasonable body with a cantrip attached to it which is good on its own, but it also is a multicolour investment you have to do for it, so the energy it brings better bring some benefit.

That's it imho, the other cards are too poisonous or not interesting enough (Greenbelt Rampager), are GRBS (Aethersphere Harvester) or have some play to them but may cause trouble (I don't like Whirler Virtuoso as I hate too many small fliers on the board, especially in other colours than white). If I'd add all those cards I don't think 'that deck' will happen too often, as those cards are playable in other decks as well while not many in numbers. The most obvious solution to me would be doubling up on some cards:
- doubling up on Aether Theorist and Shielded Ather Thief, providing us with early blue blockers that get better with time
- getting rid of a dork/ramp spell and add another Servant of the Conduit
- adding one more Glint-Sleeve Siphoner (or just cut it for Pain Seer which might get better now we have vehicles)
- doubling up on Harnessed Lightning, Aether Hub and Glimmer of Genius, maybe cutting FoF for the latter

Spoiler: which leaves us with

..at least that would be it for me, and I think this does not look too promising, but I'd have to test it.

It's all theory-crafting right now, maybe someone else is able to tell about their first experience with those in cube?
I just don't know which of those cards I should implement, right now I like Aether Thief, Aether Theorist and Lathnu Hellion and am thinking about adding just those three, but maybe energy actually is a thing in cube.

EDIT: how does the code for spoilers work here? might be useful in such a post.

 

[sigh]

On the toolbar, it is the red "!" Triangle for spoilers, or the code is [ spoiler ] and [ /spoiler ], without the spaces.

I'm trying out Dynavolt Tower, as it feeds itself energy, and is a strong payoff. Not sure it works fast enough in a vaccuum, but still giving it a shot for spell-decks of any color.

 

[Mondschwein]

Thanks, didn't even think to mouse over that one lol

I find Dynavolt Tower to be a tad too slow, you need to play 2,5 spells per activation (1,5 for the first). But maybe this is the missing piece for energy to be consistent enough in cube, dunno.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

That's it imho, the other cards are too poisonous or not interesting enough (Greenbelt Rampager), are GRBS (Aethersphere Harvester) or have some play to them but may cause trouble (I don't like Whirler Virtuoso as I hate too many small fliers on the board, especially in other colours than white).

I've got an energy theme in my cube that I've tested quite a bit, so I've got some input.

Greenbelt Rampager is awesome with evolve, and plays really well with other energy cards, essentially turning 'on' a lot of the smaller pay-off cards as many times as you can spare . It's also a good beater on turn two (by paying on your first turn and on your second turn). Depending on the rest of your cube, this card really has a lot more play to it than you think.

You're right about Aether Harvester. That card is not fun (imo).

Whirler Virtuoso is cool. The only way you are really getting an embarrassing amount of Thopters out of it is when you have either Panharmonicon or Era of Invention out, and that's a fine scenario really, at least in my opinion. On its own it never makes more than two or three Thopters usually, which is well in line. I think it's a pretty cool energy payoff card in Izzet colors.

Then there's some cards you missed.

Thriving Grubs is a card that is perfectly fine on its own. People still play Borderland Marauder and Gore-House Chainwalker, simply because 3/2 is a good stat line for red aggressive decks. Grubs have that 3/2 stat line, and can block as a 3/2 as well in a pinch.

Longtusk Cub is a nice beater that grows bigger and bigger. It's usually not too hard to get it through at least once if you land it early, and after that it can snowball nicely. It's definitely playable even without other energy cards, though it obviously gets better with them, as you can often start beating with a 3/3.

Thriving Rhino offers good stats and, like the above two cards by the way, plays very well with the +1/+1 counters theme a lot of us are playing. It's pretty unassuming, but a good card on the curve nonetheless. As a 3/4 for it's definitely playable without further energy support.

Bristling Hydra is another card that doesn't need other energy cards to be good. It's a 4/3 that shrugs off the first removal spell aimed at it and grows in the process. It's the threat of growing that matters as well, as you can often attack into a 3-power defense, knowing that your opponent can't really block because he'll two-for-one himself. Sometimes that's still your opponent's best option so he can at least use the removal spell in his hand to get rid of it.

Glint-Sleeve Siphoner is much better than you think. It's the first 2/1 menace for we've got, already making it one of the best bodies available in black at that cost! I think it's much less dependant on other specific cards to draw cards than Pain Seer, though the interaction between vehicles and inspire is cool

 

[StormEntity]

though the interaction between vehicles and inspire is cool

Damn, I wish they'd made some kind of incredibly pushed Inspired card. King Macar and Pain Seer just don't push the limits quite far enough. Something like:

Merfolk Scholar U
0/1 Inspired: draw a card

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Damn, I wish they'd made some kind of incredibly pushed Inspired card. King Macar and Pain Seer just don't push the limits quite far enough. Something like:

Merfolk Scholar U
0/1 Inspired: draw a card

King Macar, the Gold-Cursed isn't pushed enough for you? Granted, it's slow, but that guy is a machine gun!

 

[sigh]

Can confirm that the Siphoner is very good. The fact that you can cash in for your first card after just one swing is really nice, in case the board gets clogged later. Will probably switch it in over the Asylum Visitor

 

[Mondschwein]

The thing is that I want my individual choices to be balanced and I don't see cards like the Thriving-cycle being picked over other cards in their respective colours and mana slots ever. For me personally, Longtusk Cub falls into the category of being just boring, the same goes for Rampager (hell, I don't even play many Revolt cards that this guy could trigger).

Glint-Sleeve Siphoner on the other hand looks pretty playable (it seems you got me wrong on that one) but for it to be better than Dark Confidant you really have to play more cards providing energy. I guess I'll just stick with the confidant.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

The thing is that I want my individual choices to be balanced and I don't see cards like the Thriving-cycle being picked over other cards in their respective colours and mana slots ever. For me personally, Longtusk Cub falls into the category of being just boring, the same goes for Rampager (hell, I don't even play many Revolt cards that this guy could trigger).

Glint-Sleeve Siphoner on the other hand looks pretty playable (it seems you got me wrong on that one) but for it to be better than Dark Confidant you really have to play more cards providing energy. I guess I'll just stick with the confidant.

 

[sigh]

The thing is that I want my individual choices to be balanced and I don't see cards like the Thriving-cycle being picked over other cards in their respective colours and mana slots ever. For me personally, Longtusk Cub falls into the category of being just boring, the same goes for Rampager (hell, I don't even play many Revolt cards that this guy could trigger).

Glint-Sleeve Siphoner on the other hand looks pretty playable (it seems you got me wrong on that one) but for it to be better than Dark Confidant you really have to play more cards providing energy. I guess I'll just stick with the confidant.

Does it need to "be better than confidant", so to speak? It's a different effect with different strengths and weaknesses. Like:
-Attacks better than confidant
-Loses you a consistent amount of life, as opposed to confidants random amount
-Siphoner interacts with energy, confidant doesn't
-confidant will draw you more cards
-confidant draws without needing to attack

So I think here we have two different effects that can work together, rather than just doubling on the slot

Edit: Onder beat me to it, and much more effectively

 

[Grillo_Parlante]

Honestly, at his power level my instinct is that he would just not run any of the energy cards. There are maybe a couple that would be playable independently, but its kind of ineloquent signaling (and expecting players to remember) a separate resource mechanic that in actuality only exists on one or two cards. Its kind of just needless complexity for cards you can live without.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Honestly, at his power level my instinct is that he would just not run any of the energy cards. There are maybe a couple that would be playable independently, but its kind of ineloquent signaling (and expecting players to remember) a separate resource mechanic that in actuality only exists on one or two cards. Its kind of just needless complexity for cards you can live without.

Naturally I'm going full energy support

 

[Dom Harvey]

There are a few self-contained Energy cards that are interesting - namely Aethergeode Miner - but the most appealing ones to me are the unique effects offered by Dynavolt Tower and Aetherworks Marvel* which both require a lot more support than you can reasonably give

*Though with Marvel you can try to combo it with Goblin Bombardment, Scapeshift, whatever

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Dynavault Tower isn't actually that hard to support in a lower power environment, but you should probably think of it as a card. There's a lot of cards in that color that support a cool spells matter theme, which also happens to play refreshingly different from creature-based strategies, even though you'll often be using tokens (per Young Pyromancer and Rise from the Tides) and/or creatures (Kiln Fiend and friends) to win. The density of creatures is a lot lower in those decks, letting you be much more reactive than traditional strategies. I love those decks, and Dynavault Tower is a worthy addition to the archetype.

Aetherworks Marvel has been anything but a marvel though. That card was seriously hard to make work in my cube (which has a sacrifice theme even) and the payoff usually wasn't even that big, because I cut down a lot of the expensive cards, and the high end cards that I do play are, for the most, not really good in the sacrifice deck. I cut it after a few tries.

 

[Mondschwein]

I don't like Relentless Dead anymore as a black two-drop. What else could I play? My suggestions would be:

Rotting Rats - discard outlet, zombie, unearth
Skirsdag High Priest - rewarding the sac theme but is it reliable? sac'ing and tapping three seems like a big commitment
Undertaker - another discard outlet, and not as strong as Tortured Existence, but also able to discard lands

I liked Relentless Dead because it's a zombie, it's offensive and recursive but even if that's a lot, it doesn't pay off for the cost.
Right now, it seems like I'm adding the rats, although I'm really tempted to add Undertaker instead

 

[Aston]

I'm a big fan of Skirsdag High Priest, it's got some setup cost but the payoff is usually worth it. Other options for that slot might be Nether Traitor, (second?) Bloodghast, the new menace energy guy.

 

[Diakonov]

Oona's Prowler is solid and gives you another discard outlet.

 

[Mondschwein]

I originally had the prowler in this list but cut it while writing down the advantages of the others, it's an aggressive flyer and a discard outlet, sure, but it also is an outlet for the opponent and dies to 1/1 flying tokens.

I still don't know if I like the energy guy, it seems like a hybrid of Looter il-Kor and Dark Confidant, both being better at fulfilling a specific role. The only energy card I like as a standalone card is Shielded Aether Thief.

Aston, did you already play with 2x Bloodghast? Besides the first one, I already have 2x Bloodsoaked Champion, 1x Gravecrawler and 1x Scrapheap Scrounger as recursive beaters.

For now, I'll stick with Rotting Rats, it's a cool card on paper, let's see if it is in actual play, too.

 

[Aston]

It's a change I've been meaning to make for ages but haven't gotten around to. I have 1x Bloodghast and 1x Nether Traitor at the moment.

 

[sigh]

I actually pulled this off successfully once last night! Proceeded to go off that next turn and crush for like 25. Details at 11.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Duel decks aren't really my thing, but:

That's some nice art. I'd love some opinions on weather the flavor text is cheesy or actually good. (Both?)

Also, draft observations:

BOAR TOKEN? Really? What is this the one green 3/3 token that isn't a beast? (Or elephant, if Maro was in charge for that block)

 

[shamizy]

Duel decks aren't really my thing, but:

That's some nice art. I'd love some opinions on weather the flavor text is cheesy or actually good. (Both?)

Story-wise, it was pretty good considering what he's referring to. After he rekt the Gatewatch and nearly drowned Gideon to death, he released Kozilek from his slumber and Zendikar should have been doomed. But then plot armor ensues and Zendikar is saved by a group of planeswalkers who can apparently handle TWO COSMIC GODLY HORRORS with no issues. Oh, and they somehow jump Ob Nixilis and beat him up which makes no sense because this battle happened in the span of hours, not days.

Ob Nixilis was like the only good part of the entire BFZ block, the rest of it was straight trash.

 

[Onderzeeboot]

Ob Nixilis was like the only good part of the entire BFZ block, the rest of it was straight trash.

I kinda liked Kiora's stories, nice display of the hubris you'ld expect from someone who wields as much power as a planeswalker.

 

[GiftsForgiven]

Can't beat the Dack Duress promo:

 

[Fulcrum]

Can't beat the Dack Duress promo:

This is the first time I've seen this in better than 240p. This is great.