Diakonov's Cube (450)

[Diakonov]

Welcome! I run an unpowered, 450-card cube.

My cube list: http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/34

These are some of the main themes:

Sacrifice effects
Landfall
Devotion (particularly in black)
Double strike
Prowess
Artifact synergy
Constellation

As you can see in the CubeTutor list, cards which are highlighted in yellow grant you an extra copy of that card when drafted. Those which are highlighted in green provide three extra copies. For the cards highlighted in red...

Drafting

additionally provides



Drafting

additonally provides



Drafting

additonally provides



A portion of the following narrow cards will be shuffled into the card pool before the draft.



At the end of the main draft is a Rochester draft of Utility Lands. Each player will get three picks. The pick order is based on the table-seating order. Each drafter chooses one land the first time through, then the order reverses, and each drafter takes two more.




* * * I will continue to update this original post as changes are made * * *

 

[Diakonov]

I'd like to start implementing Heroic & combat tricks, as well as more of a "graveyards matter" theme. If it's possible, I'd like to give a tiny bit more support to "artifacts matter" and "enchantments matter." The bottom line, though, is that I don't to push any one thing too hard. Do people have any ideas?

Secondly: dual lands. I agree with the philosophy of strongly encouraging aggro decks to be at least two-color, hence the double-picks of Kird Ape, Loam Lion, etc. At the same time, I'd like to provide incentive for slower decks to limit their colors through mechanics like Devotion. *Disregard obligatory Chromanticore* I have been considering changing all of my slower duals into faster ones. For example, Underground River in place of Dimir Aqueduct. What are people's opinions on that?

 

[Suicufnoc]

Big fan of the pain lands. Slow decks can only get away with so much life loss

 

[Alfonzo Bonzo]

Are your diamonds a nostalgia choice? Would be interested to know if players play them off color.

The group picks look like great fun, would be excited to play with those. Double pick gray merchant seems very potent, perhaps too much so?

I ran a filter for +1/+1 and couldn't find much of a theme I'm afraid. Ion storm, forgotten ancient and experiment one are the only cards that seem to care about counters particularly from what I could see.

If you don't want to push any one thing too hard, look for cards that work across multiple themes where possible. E.g. nighthowler works with heroic, graveyard matters and enchantment matters possibly. I think you can end up with too many archtypes if you're not careful. I think it might be challenging to run artifact matters and enchantment matters together for instance.

 

[FlowerSunRain]

I second the pain land suggestion. Cards whose downside involves tightening the game (i.e. less life) is generally better then those whose downside prevents you from playing the game (come into play tapped).

Double Gray Merchant seems like an absolute beating, but it certainly pushes black devotion. I love that deck in cube, so I'd be fishing for it constantly if I knew double merch was in there.

As someone who is trying the enchantress thing, I 'm going to warn you it takes up a LOT of space. You'll need to get really creative with crossover synergies to make it work. I really wouldn't try to push enchantress and artifacts matter at the same time unless you are going for an artifacts vs. enchantments theme cube (which, now that I type it, sounds awesome). The two are just so separate and take up so much space that it seems like it would have to be the centerpiece of your design.

Also, when did everyone start throwing chromanticore into their cubes? I'm seeing it everywhere these days, including in my own cube. I blame Miasmir's cube deck post for making it look so cool.

I ran a filter for +1/+1 and couldn't find much of a theme I'm afraid. Ion storm, forgotten ancient and experiment one are the only cards that seem to care about counters particularly from what I could see.

I found volt charge in there, but yeah,its a thin theme. Tezzeret's Gambit, Cytoplast Root-Kin, Solidarity of Heroes, the Ordeals, Renegade Krasis, Rage Forger, Contagion Clasp and Oona's Blackguard are all cards that could expand on it.

 

[Diakonov]

Are your diamonds a nostalgia choice? Would be interested to know if players play them off color.

Diamonds were because I enjoy the artifact-permanent aspect of mana rocks, but wanted to nerf signets. Players seem mostly underwhelmed besides Sky Diamond, so they will likely come out.

The group picks look like great fun, would be excited to play with those. Double pick gray merchant seems very potent, perhaps too much so?

Others have voiced the same concern, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't too weak of a pick as a one-of. The jury is still out on that one.

I ran a filter for +1/+1 and couldn't find much of a theme I'm afraid. Ion storm, forgotten ancient and experiment one are the only cards that seem to care about counters particularly from what I could see.

Here are the other cards that involve +1/+1 counters or interact more explicitly with them:
Champion of the Parish
Ajani's Pridemate
Fabled Hero
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Ajani, Caller of the Pride
Ajani Goldmane

Cloudfin Raptor
Glen Elendra Archmage
Thrummingbird

Carrion Feeder
Fume Spitter
Geralf's Messenger
Undying Evil

Stormblood Berserker
Pyreheart Wolf
Volt Charge
Mark of Mutiny

Scavenging Ooze
Strangleroot Geist
Polukranos, World Eater
Vorapede
Avenger of Zendikar
Curse of Predation

Rakdos Cackler
Falkenrath Aristocrat
Murderous Redcap
Raging Ravine
Kitchen Finks
Lotleth Troll

I agree, the theme is still pretty limited, but I'm OK with that. For most of the synergies here you don't really need to go all in to benefit. For example, Forgotten Ancient + Glen Elendra works just fine without being build-around-y. I'm probably going to cut Thrummingbird and Volt Charge, as they just demand too much from the theme.

If you don't want to push any one thing too hard, look for cards that work across multiple themes where possible. E.g. nighthowler works with heroic, graveyard matters and enchantment matters possibly. I think you can end up with too many archtypes if you're not careful. I think it might be challenging to run artifact matters and enchantment matters together for instance.

Good call on Nighthowler, those are exactly the kinds of suggestions I'm looking for. Yeah, doing both artifacts and enchantments matter might be too much...we'll see.

 

[Diakonov]

As someone who is trying the enchantress thing, I 'm going to warn you it takes up a LOT of space. You'll need to get really creative with crossover synergies to make it work. I really wouldn't try to push enchantress and artifacts matter at the same time unless you are going for an artifacts vs. enchantments theme cube (which, now that I type it, sounds awesome). The two are just so separate and take up so much space that it seems like it would have to be the centerpiece of your design.

Yes the more I think about it, the more "enchantments matter" seems like it will be tough to do. I sort of want to avoid cards that explicitly require piles of enchantments to be playable, such as enchantresses.

To give another example of what I'm going for when I say something like "artifacts matter, but a mild theme," I mean more Goblin Welder and less March of the Machines. I think it's fun to have some cards that can make use of a slightly higher concentration of a certain cardtype as opposed to your deck being completely reliant upon it. Thirst for Knowledge is another such example. I'm having trouble coming up with examples like that for enchantments, it seems like they're much more "all in."

EDIT: Actually, if the enchantment count gets high enough when I'm implementing Heroic, I could see adding Eidolon of Blossoms and/or Auramancer.

Also, when did everyone start throwing chromanticore into their cubes? I'm seeing it everywhere these days, including in my own cube. I blame Miasmir's cube deck post for making it look so cool.

My playgroup simply demanded it. Shrug, +1 Chromanticore, +1 Chromatic Lantern. But hey, works toward Heroic!

 

[Chris Taylor]

Perhaps talismans if you feel diamonds are too bad?

 

[Alfonzo Bonzo]

I think the talismans are pretty good too. But also what about



Re the +1/+1 counters, I admit I forgot about the proliferate cards, I would keep them! The cards that arbitrarily care about counters like carrion feeder I would see as more supplemental rather than integral to the theme, but see where you're coming from.

 

[Suicufnoc]

Swap out that fell war stone for a guardian idol and I love it

 

[Chris Taylor]

Personally I hate sphere, but I'm kinda alone in that around here.

Everflowing chalice sounds perfect for the proliferate cards

 

[Diakonov]

Can't decide which to boot.

 

[anotak]

boot scrivener for being worse than grizzly bears. boot graverobber for being either a 2/1 or insane with no middle ground. also flip cards are awkward to read and play with

 

[Chris Taylor]

Ugh all of them

 

[Alfonzo Bonzo]

Anotak has it dead on. I like the hexmage, but he's more of a necessary evil than anything else.

 

[Diakonov]

Ugh all of them

I see that you run Pain Seer. What do you think so far?

 

[Chris Taylor]

I see that you run Pain Seer. What do you think so far?

he hasn't been played yet. But if he is anything like stealer of secrets for B1, I`ll be happy.
Also, dat Gameday Art

 

[Diakonov]

With my next update, I think I may try breaking singleton AND keep the double-pick mechanic. For example, Gravecrawler will no longer be a double-pick and instead there will be two separately in the cube. Anyone have any other suggestions for that?

Mogg Fanatic and Fume Spitter continue to feel like garbage, despite me hoping to at least see Fume Spitter do some interesting things. Do people run those anymore?

Are Bone Shredder, Nekrataal and Skinrender too redundant? Is Elesh Norn too good?

Thinking of bringing Necromancy back in, as I may have over-nerfed reanimator.

Multiple Bonesplitters has been an intriguing idea.

I'm open to any other suggestions.

 

[Eric Chan]

Necromancy strikes me as the perfect power level for reanimator. As someone who's used Makeshift Mannequin, Dread Return, and even Zombify (!), what I really want a lot of times is to get my combo online by turn three.

If you have Murderous Redcap in addition to that trio of Nekrataals, then I'd say four is too many.

Elesh Norn was too good here, but then you might have a higher power level. It's mostly that it's pretty unfun to play against.

Not having damage on the stack killed Mogg Fanatic and friends. RIP.

Gravecrawler is a good one to split up, because it's plenty powerful, even when people are using multiple picks to accumulate them all.

 

[CML]

Necromancy is delightful

I also like

 

[Chris Taylor]

With my next update, I think I may try breaking singleton AND keep the double-pick mechanic. For example, Gravecrawler will no longer be a double-pick and instead there will be two separately in the cube. Anyone have any other suggestions for that?

Mogg Fanatic and Fume Spitter continue to feel like garbage, despite me hoping to at least see Fume Spitter do some interesting things. Do people run those anymore?

Are Bone Shredder, Nekrataal and Skinrender too redundant? Is Elesh Norn too good?

Thinking of bringing Necromancy back in, as I may have over-nerfed reanimator.

Multiple Bonesplitters has been an intriguing idea.

I'm open to any other suggestions.

At 450 I think the 4 murder etb guys is fine. Gives black control a chance of happening, as most people just splash for lingering souls and doom blade, and leave the big boy pants up to UW

Fanatic and Spitter haven't been great for a while here, 1 power attacking dudes just do so little Maybe if your cube has a metric fuckton of 1 toughness guys, but even then...

Elesh Norn is 7 mana. She better not be too good

I've got 2 splitters at 450 and love it. Eric has more and smaller, but I added a pile of custom equipment to fill the gaps between Jitte and Trusty Machete

 

[Diakonov]

So I'm thinking of cutting back one row of fixing. Each color pair has a painland (except GW, which has Horizon Canopy). Each of the allied color pairs has a fixing manland, and each of the enemy colors has a check-land (Isolated Chapel and friends).

What do I cut? Should everything be uniform, or should each color pair get a specific land?

EDIT: Blue aggro. Let's do it. Phantasmal Bear?


I THINK SO

 

[Eric Chan]

Are you looking to go from fifty fixers to forty, or from sixty to fifty? At 450, I think you want that extra fixing, so I probably wouldn't go below fifty. I actually run that much fixing in my ~390 list, and I couldn't see myself going lower. Gotta support those aggro decks!

Have you considered filter lands? Those are pretty good as far as untapped duals go.

I love Phantasmal Bear.

 

[FlowerSunRain]

While I was skeptical about it at first, copious access to mana fixing makes better games, makes fewer nongames and leads to more interesting deckbuilding. Giving incentives for fewer colors through things like devotion, synergy based design and awesome colorless lands is much more satisfying then doing so by making mana suck.

I guess what I mean to ask is what's the motivation for cutting the lands?

 

[Chris Taylor]

I guess what I mean to ask is what's the motivation for cutting the lands?

Wanting more multicolor cards