This is a testing/includes thread. Post pictures using /ci or a text list using /c with what cards you plan to include and what cards you plan to test.
So, first up, this set has me more excited than any other set in a long time! Could be that it has to do with artifacts, landfall and graveyard (to a lesser extent) all being present here, that are also core tenets of my cube but I also really enjoy the science fiction world building they did. One of my recent favorites before EOE was Duskmourn, although the stories were fantastically shattered by part of the art direction, the survivors in particular.
Here are the cards I'm interested in for my graveyard/artifact synergy cube roughly in order of likelihood and excitement for inclusion.
Entering faster than the speed of light with their hyperdrive and not likely to escape the black hole that is Sothera (my cube):
I like all of these a lot, but Oracle of Muldaya 2.0 is the one that has me most excited. There was already ample discussion in the other thread and the only thing bad I can say about it is, that it might be too good for my cube (which might not keep me from including it).
Biotech Specialist looks like an interesting signpost for gruul artifacts/trinkets. That alone is a good reason for me to try it out but I also think the card is just powerful in a deck with enough artifacts. I will have to pay attention for ways to sacrifice artifacts in those colors, as it is not a death trigger.
Umbral Collar Zealot is just a very good rate (I do like 3/2 in cube way more than in limited) and has all the buzz words for my cube on it. Perfect, I tell you! And it will bolster aristocrats in black decks nicely.
Rust Harvester looks like a really cool sidegrade to Grim Lavamancer which is a good card in my cube. It can attack early, interacts nicely with artifacts and the graveyard, grows and hits any target. Two mana for the activation is not nothing, but the effect looks very strong to me.
Still faster than the speed of light with their Warp Drive and will probably end up in the black hole as well:
Cryogen Relic - looks like a nice little glue piece. It remains to be seen if it's strong enough but it has neat interactions. Currently I have The Everflowing Well in my cube and am not convinced this is better. Kavaron Harrier - Just a very solid beater with some nice synergies. A bit similar to Greasewrench Goblin in that way. Remnant Elemental - The longer I look at it, the more I convince myself to run it. Red unfortunately does not have premier landfall two drops like white (Glyph Elemental, Fearless Fledgeling) and green (Bristly Bill, Spine Sower, Springheart Nantuko, etc. etc.) and this being a 0/4 on defence does not help, but attacking as a 4/4 or more is not bad. The fail case of attacking as an 0/4 or 2/4 is bad though... At least I'll give it a try. Weapons Manufacturing - It's a cool build around, that will benefit from me including more artifacts into the colored sections (white and red in particular) If you don't get there during the draft, you can't play it though. I'll try it out and am cautiously optimistic.
Edge Rover - Looks like redundancy for Tough Cookie and might find play in landfall and artifact decks. It's also just generically decent as a 2/2 with reach. Meltstrider's Resolve - I'm always on the lookout for viable green removal and this seems decent. It provides a little buff and is an Enchantment for Delirium/Permanent purposes in the graveyard. Genemorph Imago - This is in a similar vein as the red landfall creature in that I was low initially but am coming around. Simic is neither a tempo, nor an aggro deck but I think the upside of turning creatures into 6/6s later on might be interesting to slower decks and simic can definitely ramp. Usually you'll target itself with the ability since it has flying. I'm curious!
Chances are dwindling to reach Sothera with their fusion afterburners at multiple g-forces:
Seam Rip - Not sure I need another Portable Hole, especially as that one synergizes in artifact decks, but the art here is sweet! Sunstar Expansionist - Is probably worse than the other two white landfall creatures mentioned above. Catch-up ramp is always situational and not that exciting. Desculpting Blast - Another unique token.. might revisit, if I really want a bounce spell. Fallers Faithful - Generically strong card with lots of use cases! The only "downside" is that good players will find many more applications with it than others and less experienced players may make bad plays, that lead to feel bads. Scrounge for Eternity - I'll revisit this card after drafting a bunch, to see if it's good enough or just reads well. Memorial Vault - Might be a cool value engine for control decks! Even random artifact tokens convert into an extra card. The hurdle is 4 mana and not being useful the turn you play it. Seedship Impact - There are a lot of strong 0-2MV artifacts/enchantments that need to be dealt with (Retrofitter Fountry, Currency Converter, Urza's Saga + tokens, etc.) and a lander token in exchange sounds nice. I might run it. Exploration Broodship - Not a weak card! A mix of Exploration and Conduit of Worlds. What bothers me is, that you can't drop lands immediately and that it would likely be the only spacecraft. Syr Vonda, Sunstar Exemplar - Is a very strong card, I wish he interacted with artifacts too but that might be too much. Secluded Starforge - I'll keep this in mind for utility lands.
Following in the footsteps of the Voyager 1 at 0G, these ones are unlikely to reach my cube, but they're neat and given time, they might still get there:
Most likely to still make it is the Labship, I guess. Moonlit Meditation is also an interesting card, as it reads like EDH bait but might be better than I think. ANY tokens can enter as a copy of something, reminds me a bit of Springheart Nantuko and there are for sure interesting cards to copy! It triggers only once each turn, otherwise it would go infinite with any creature that brings a token when it enters. Multiple Marionette Apprentices? Sign me up! Susurian Voidborn is interesting but a lot worse thane the Apprentice, and a 2/2 for three is a bit lackluster. Pinnacle Emissary is strong, but too similar to Third-Path Iconoclast, I'll let others try it first!
Some of these probably. Not a big fan of the direction a lot of the warp cards have, would much prefer it they were just another batch of evokes instead of discounted one-turn build-arounds.
Certain: Umbral Collar Zealot: I’ve been asking for a Viscera Seer with surveil for years, and while I’d prefer it be on a 1 mv body, the aggressive body is still welcome.
Icetill Explorer: Oracle of Mul Daya had been outclassed for a while but its absence has been felt. Explorer is going to be coo coo bananas in my graveyard-centric format
Near Certain: Lightstall Inquisitor: I’m a huge fan of soft taxing effects in white. This has a reasonable base body, and it’s always nice to have another 1 mv critter worth blinking. The opponent selecting the card may curb its impact, but I’m definitely testing
Uncertain but Interested: Rust Harvester: At first glance I was super excited about this card, but I’m skeptical of it cracking my cube’s 384. 2 mana is a lot more than Grim Lavamancer’s 1 red. Even in an artifact heavy environment, having an artifact or two that you want to exile is no small hoop to jump through. Having menace definitely gives it some early game play, and being an artifact is improtant. The prospect of scaling damage is intriguing.
Kavaron Harrier: Another good card that just might not make the cut at my cube size.
Scout for Survivors: I love the idea of a mini Living Death for white. I wish it was for any number of creatures up to 3 total mana so you could get extra silly with walking ballista and the like.
Interested but Doubtful: Tezzeret Cruel Captain: I liked this a lot more on first spoil, but I don’t think it nudges out Karn, Scion of Urza’s general utility and construct token generation
