Chris Taylor
Contributor
Not at all, since it won't actually revolutionize the cube, just add another aggro color. Gravecrawler and Birthing Pod are whole new decks, this is just blue's answer to Isaumaru
The Dandy Cube (Chris Taylor's Cube)
- Thread starter Chris Taylor
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Not at all, since it won't actually revolutionize the cube, just add another aggro color. Gravecrawler and Birthing Pod are whole new decks, this is just blue's answer to Isaumaru
Considering those new cards there, and seeing as how evoke costs are usually what the spell costs, Ashwind could probably be costed at just B, see innocent blood
Chris Taylor
Contributor
I think I'm going to take my cube down to 450 cards. I've found I'm doing less and less full 8 man drafts, and I've become increasingly frustrated with the inconsistency of the synergy based archetypes like gravecrawler, pod, and other less likely archetypes like blue tempo.
I've had kinda a recent crisis of faith about what to do with blue: I tried adding lots of aggro creatures and cloudfun raptors to encourage something of my blue drafters other than hard control, but the deck was akward and clunky, and had gaping holes in the 2 drop slot because WotC are dicks.
I find that generally, if you want to support an archetype but have to create more than half the custom cards for it to function, your drafters just wont like it (since it feels too much like fake magic surrounded by real magic). I had the same problem trying to make green aggro good, and the same feeling of unease.
So I've decided to scrap the blue aggro project.
I've got all the changes to bring the cube down to 450 (which I'll post later) but I'm kinda struggling with blue because I'm essentially building the whole color from the ground up.
A few things I do know:
-Opposition is going out. Nobody's played it in ages, and with the removal of my token strategies, it doesn't have a home anymore. Maybe it'll be missed, but I kinda dobut it.
-Ponder/Preordain/Deep Analysis --> Brainstorm x3. The reduced cube size plus all the fetches makes me optimistic about this. Jason said it was the easiest way to buff control without hosing aggro, so I figure it's worth a shot.
-I'm going to see if I can lower blue's curve. At the moment (pre changes) it looks like any other color section, except everything costs 1 more. It's got as many 3 drops as white has 2 drops, as many 4 drops as black has 3 drops, etc etc etc.
-I'm still keeping in all the bounce spells. Undo proved to be just a little bit worse than I'd wanted, so a custom version I'm quite in love with is coming in:
Wash Away
Sorcery
Multikicker
Return target creature to its owners hand. Then return X target creatures to their owners hands, where X is the number of times ~ was kicked.
The first time someone bounces 3 dudes with this for I'll be a happy man.
I've had kinda a recent crisis of faith about what to do with blue: I tried adding lots of aggro creatures and cloudfun raptors to encourage something of my blue drafters other than hard control, but the deck was akward and clunky, and had gaping holes in the 2 drop slot because WotC are dicks.
I find that generally, if you want to support an archetype but have to create more than half the custom cards for it to function, your drafters just wont like it (since it feels too much like fake magic surrounded by real magic). I had the same problem trying to make green aggro good, and the same feeling of unease.
So I've decided to scrap the blue aggro project.
I've got all the changes to bring the cube down to 450 (which I'll post later) but I'm kinda struggling with blue because I'm essentially building the whole color from the ground up.
A few things I do know:
-Opposition is going out. Nobody's played it in ages, and with the removal of my token strategies, it doesn't have a home anymore. Maybe it'll be missed, but I kinda dobut it.
-Ponder/Preordain/Deep Analysis --> Brainstorm x3. The reduced cube size plus all the fetches makes me optimistic about this. Jason said it was the easiest way to buff control without hosing aggro, so I figure it's worth a shot.
-I'm going to see if I can lower blue's curve. At the moment (pre changes) it looks like any other color section, except everything costs 1 more. It's got as many 3 drops as white has 2 drops, as many 4 drops as black has 3 drops, etc etc etc.
-I'm still keeping in all the bounce spells. Undo proved to be just a little bit worse than I'd wanted, so a custom version I'm quite in love with is coming in:
Wash Away
Sorcery
Multikicker
Return target creature to its owners hand. Then return X target creatures to their owners hands, where X is the number of times ~ was kicked.
The first time someone bounces 3 dudes with this for
I'll be a happy man.
Wash Away
Sorcery
Multikicker
Return target creature to its owners hand. Then return X target creatures to their owners hands, where X is the number of times ~ was kicked.
The first time someone bounces 3 dudes with this for
This is pretty elegant design, I approve!
I also really like your quote about errata. I think I may write a CFB article about cube errata in a couple months, would you be up for an interview?
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Sure. what about errata?
Err... cube errata and custom cards. It'd be like a Skype call or something style, I'd record it than transcribe the good parts for an article. I'll make a list of topics sometime.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Proably best to ground it something people might recognize: Andy Cooperfaus' Rebel Erratta and Undead Erratta (Zombies/Vampires ==> Zombivampires), and maybe touch lightly on Ali Antrazi's custom cube project.
Where you go from there I'm down for the ride, but starting with that should give people a bit of a grounding so they don't feel totally alien to the article
Where you go from there I'm down for the ride, but starting with that should give people a bit of a grounding so they don't feel totally alien to the article
Are people really that familiar with these examples?
Now that they're mentioned, I remember them (or at least can deduce), but wasn't sure what you meant before that.
I was thinking of something more general, kind of a discussion behind the philosophy of including custom cards, player reactions, etc.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
the rebel thing is an idea that has been floating around for a while now, and I mention the zombpyre thing because (IIRC) it has the same author (I think he mentioned it on Kranny's Podcast once?)
The full custom cube maybe. It makes a fine counterexample of a (perfectly valid) thing we don't want to do
The full custom cube maybe. It makes a fine counterexample of a (perfectly valid) thing we don't want to do
Chris Taylor
Contributor
That being said, anyone have any sweet ideas for blue decks?
Chris Taylor
Contributor
So for once I think cube tutor is actually current with my actual cube list (Other than the custom cards, but there's a few I've worked my way in there)
The drop down to 450 cards is complete!
Now to update my actual cube
The drop down to 450 cards is complete!
Now to update my actual cube
Laz
Developer
Sounds like some sweet ISD-era Gravecrawler/Burn at the Stake combo deck...
Congrats on managing the cut!
This would be a sweet article, and Chris you should be interviewed. Your view and approach is elegant, and the cards you try to make are to fit comfortably into a cube, and not be some super-powered-never-ever-see-print crap.
DOOOO EEETTTTTT!
Okay, but I have a pile of articles I need to write first.
BGN Set Review
Lifegain Part 2
Cube Testing
Tinder Review
My next stand-up set
Chris Taylor
Contributor
But will BNG review really take that long?
But will BNG review really take that long?
I actually finished writing it last night, but my Spoiler Spotlight needs to go up first. But I see what you mean.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
I just want to say I'm super flattered you guys keep thinking so well of my custom cards. Comments like this always bring a smile to my face
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Interesting Question: Is recurring nightmare broken because of cards like yosei, or (like tinker) can it be suited to your environment?
Recurring Nightmare from CubeTutor.com
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Chris Taylor
Contributor
Chris Taylor
Contributor
I'm kinda not sadly. There's only one card in my cube with erratta, and thats Wren's Run Vanquisher, which I just pretend says green instead of elf.
Custom cards are just kinda not there in my cube at the moment, I hope to be able to include them when he adds support for alters VIA uploading images of your own cards.
That way they'll at least show up in the draft right, even if the cardname isn't right.
Honestly I have no idea. My last draft was more than a month ago, but I've noticed a few trends:
- Gravecrawler has not come together once
- Ramp is pretty strong, and has a strong game against aggro. Possibly too strong
- There's like one guy in my LGS who knows how to build a control deck, and he tends towards URW
- People love aggro, but they love building aggro decks with sweet cards like inferno titan more
- I keep on thinking birthing pod sucks until someone gets some sweet brew with all 4 of them. Maybe this deck can be less all or nothing?
- I'm the only one who's caught on to the double strike deck so far (big surprise) but everyone I played against loved my build
- Nobody's ever made wildfire work. I could probably do it, but nobody wants to
- People kinda miss tokens, but not really