It's possible I should have included Polukranos. My thinking was that it doesn't play with Bellowest, help with a Lab Man win, or make for a compelling Gifts pile. It is a perfectly standalone good threat/answer though, and a great late-game Greenwarden target. I don't think I'm likely to ever have 3 creatures in my graveyard for Ruinator in that list.
General The Draft Exchange
- Thread starter Kirblinx
- Start date
Took the KYOOB for a spin. I LOVE this kind of deck. It reminds me of my first cube deck ever, and I've had a soft spot for Boros Control ever since. Started with Gideon Jura, followed up with Lightning Bolt, 3rd picked Arid Mesa, and then proceeded to take every planeswalker and burn spell I could get my hands on. Got rewarded by having both Wildfires wheel to me.
If anyone wants to draft my cube, I'd appreciate it if they took a crack at my current 540 list for the cube contest.
P1P1 DTT seems like by far the best in the pack if it's supported at all. I have trouble imagining Jinxed Idol doing much of anything.
P2 Loam, seems to go well with Dig. Geralf's Messenger seems really narrow and Bloodhall Priest is on the weak side.
P3 Counterspell, hard to go wrong there.
P4 TITI since I have 3 triggers already. Codex Shredder looks too slow to do anything.
P5 Titania. Hope I see fetches.
P6 Memory Lapse. Pulse of Murasa feels too slow.
P7 Mana Leak over Flooded Grove. I need fixing, but really want to see fetches.
P8 Augur of Bolas. I should have a high enough spell density.
P9 Pendelhaven. Probably not going to do anything in my deck.
P10 Unsubstantiate, solid wheel.
P11 Acidic Slime over Venser.
P12 Fire/Ice over Experiment One, Codex Shredder. I have uses for the mill but it's not going to be worth spending a card.
P13 Deep Analysis over Crush of Tentacles. Hard choice, I like both of these.
P14 Nacatl, P15 Bow of Nylea
P2P1 Snapcaster, easy decision. I see Ishkanah but delirium is going to be hard.
P2 Reclamation Sage. Genesis is there but I think it's way too slow, and I don't have blue permanents for Master of Waves.
P3 Farseek. I see Chief Engineer, don't think there are enough artifacts worth convoking.
P4 Arbor Elf since I don't have any 1 drops yet. Polukranos is there, could be a playable threat.
P5 Mind Control because it's the only on-color pick but I hope I don't need to run it.
P6 Mystic Confluence over Mystical Tutor, Awakening Zone. Greater Good is there but I don't feel like it's good for anything.
P7 Tamiyo over Solemn. Card is good.
P8 Curious Homunculus over Compulsive Research. I should have a decent chance of flipping it.
P9 Izzet Guildmage over Chord of Calling. Both are weak in my deck I think.
P10-11 No playable options. Chief Engineer and Frostburn Weird come back.
P12 Polukranos came back.
P13-15 No playable options.
P3P1 Wooded Foothills. I really need fetchlands. Grave-Troll is there but I don't have any way to discard it.
P2 Remand over Preordain, Greenwarden. I can use the tempo counter.
P3 Evolving Wilds over Lab Man. This is my first mana fixer.
P4 Rise from the Tides over Mayor, Traverse the Ulvenwald. I don't think I can hit delirium and Rise should be decent.
P5 Harbinger of the Tides over Stitched Mangler.
P6 Serendib Efreet.
P7 Hedron Crab over Song of the Dryads. Song is good but I might want some self-mill.
P8 Scatter to the Winds.
P9 Elves over Scav Ooze.
P10 Time Warp over Skaab Ruinator, World Breaker. I think three creatures in graveyard is a hard condition for this pool.
Rest of the draft nothing playable, Lab Man doesn't come back.
P2 Loam, seems to go well with Dig. Geralf's Messenger seems really narrow and Bloodhall Priest is on the weak side.
P3 Counterspell, hard to go wrong there.
P4 TITI since I have 3 triggers already. Codex Shredder looks too slow to do anything.
P5 Titania. Hope I see fetches.
P6 Memory Lapse. Pulse of Murasa feels too slow.
P7 Mana Leak over Flooded Grove. I need fixing, but really want to see fetches.
P8 Augur of Bolas. I should have a high enough spell density.
P9 Pendelhaven. Probably not going to do anything in my deck.
P10 Unsubstantiate, solid wheel.
P11 Acidic Slime over Venser.
P12 Fire/Ice over Experiment One, Codex Shredder. I have uses for the mill but it's not going to be worth spending a card.
P13 Deep Analysis over Crush of Tentacles. Hard choice, I like both of these.
P14 Nacatl, P15 Bow of Nylea
P2P1 Snapcaster, easy decision. I see Ishkanah but delirium is going to be hard.
P2 Reclamation Sage. Genesis is there but I think it's way too slow, and I don't have blue permanents for Master of Waves.
P3 Farseek. I see Chief Engineer, don't think there are enough artifacts worth convoking.
P4 Arbor Elf since I don't have any 1 drops yet. Polukranos is there, could be a playable threat.
P5 Mind Control because it's the only on-color pick but I hope I don't need to run it.
P6 Mystic Confluence over Mystical Tutor, Awakening Zone. Greater Good is there but I don't feel like it's good for anything.
P7 Tamiyo over Solemn. Card is good.
P8 Curious Homunculus over Compulsive Research. I should have a decent chance of flipping it.
P9 Izzet Guildmage over Chord of Calling. Both are weak in my deck I think.
P10-11 No playable options. Chief Engineer and Frostburn Weird come back.
P12 Polukranos came back.
P13-15 No playable options.
P3P1 Wooded Foothills. I really need fetchlands. Grave-Troll is there but I don't have any way to discard it.
P2 Remand over Preordain, Greenwarden. I can use the tempo counter.
P3 Evolving Wilds over Lab Man. This is my first mana fixer.
P4 Rise from the Tides over Mayor, Traverse the Ulvenwald. I don't think I can hit delirium and Rise should be decent.
P5 Harbinger of the Tides over Stitched Mangler.
P6 Serendib Efreet.
P7 Hedron Crab over Song of the Dryads. Song is good but I might want some self-mill.
P8 Scatter to the Winds.
P9 Elves over Scav Ooze.
P10 Time Warp over Skaab Ruinator, World Breaker. I think three creatures in graveyard is a hard condition for this pool.
Rest of the draft nothing playable, Lab Man doesn't come back.
I was actually getting cut out of green, and red was open, so that could have gone better. This archetype feels like it really needs more fetches to work at 540, and the cube could probably use more fetchables too. I didn't even see a looter, so this deck is going to be bad. Loam is probably not even worth running.
I drafted the KYOOB and first-picked Griselbrand, as is my wont. Turn 3 Grave Titan off the Monolith also feels like a strong play.
I'm still fiddling with my contest entry and it's not quite ready for testing. That said - Sharzad, my main cube, just got updated and made larger with a recent patch. I may add the last 30 cards to hit 450 and accommodate ten players - especially if I start taking it to the LGS when I get back home - but for now I feel so much less constrained than I was at 360.
http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/4863
I'm still fiddling with my contest entry and it's not quite ready for testing. That said - Sharzad, my main cube, just got updated and made larger with a recent patch. I may add the last 30 cards to hit 450 and accommodate ten players - especially if I start taking it to the LGS when I get back home - but for now I feel so much less constrained than I was at 360.
http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/4863
New stuff in Sharzad, checking it out!
I first picked Forgotten Huntress because it seems awesome and drafted a R/G aggro deck. I'm not sure if I have quite enough CoCo targets to run it, and I would have liked a few more 1 drops. I also would have liked to see more mountain fetches for the colorless fixer, but they didn't show up.
I first picked Forgotten Huntress because it seems awesome and drafted a R/G aggro deck. I'm not sure if I have quite enough CoCo targets to run it, and I would have liked a few more 1 drops. I also would have liked to see more mountain fetches for the colorless fixer, but they didn't show up.
Drafted the KYOOB!
I first picked Consecrated Sphinx, then Path to Exile as an efficient removal spell. I saw both Erratic Portal and crystal shard, but wound up cutting them for lacking enough good targets. I was hoping to find an opposition in later packs, but didn't get there. Regardless, I like the way the deck turned out. The two wraths hold it together long enough for it to really grind out value.
I first picked Consecrated Sphinx, then Path to Exile as an efficient removal spell. I saw both Erratic Portal and crystal shard, but wound up cutting them for lacking enough good targets. I was hoping to find an opposition in later packs, but didn't get there. Regardless, I like the way the deck turned out. The two wraths hold it together long enough for it to really grind out value.
Drafting GiftsForgiven's project.
I started out drafting reanimator, but CubeTutor crashed. Tried again and I first picked Goblin Guide. I picked up a bit of green and build towards a R/G aggro deck, but ended up with exactly enough red cards to go monored and not have to worry about the manabase. It's possible splashing Xenagos would have been better, but I probably wouldn't risk it. Summoner's Bond would name Goblin Guide and Kruin Striker to make a 1-2 or 1-2-1+2 curve more likely.
I tried another draft. First picked Sov Realm and went wild. Realm has particular synergy with Gitrog Monster (every turn, draw 2, exile 1, net +1 land), Balance (you can exile as much of your hand as you want first), and Koth (all your lands are Mountains).
I started out drafting reanimator, but CubeTutor crashed. Tried again and I first picked Goblin Guide. I picked up a bit of green and build towards a R/G aggro deck, but ended up with exactly enough red cards to go monored and not have to worry about the manabase. It's possible splashing Xenagos would have been better, but I probably wouldn't risk it. Summoner's Bond would name Goblin Guide and Kruin Striker to make a 1-2 or 1-2-1+2 curve more likely.
I tried another draft. First picked Sov Realm and went wild. Realm has particular synergy with Gitrog Monster (every turn, draw 2, exile 1, net +1 land), Balance (you can exile as much of your hand as you want first), and Koth (all your lands are Mountains).
I like your mono-red deck. In general, I've been having a bit of trouble making mono-red 'great' in my cube, any advice on that would be helpful.
I am in love with that Soverign's Realm deck! I haven't tried the card in person, but I hope that I can draft a deck half as dirty as this one!
Drafted the KYOOB. This is my second pass, because my first go-around was hoping to be a sweet UB reanimator deck, but I couldn't find any reanimation pieces (Besides Living Death)! Was a major dissapointment to first pick Griselbrand and not be able to go in on it. This is probably due to the large cube size just teching me out of reanimates for this draft. Oh well.
So I restarted, unlike what poor old me wouldn't have been able to do IRL, and quickly found myself in monowhite midrange aggro. This deck seems... too fair... for the KYOOB environment, but there are some killer plays so ???. Had a bear of a time finding 2 drops, and would have been awesome to open an Opposition or something. That would have mad my blue splash like 1000% better. I believe I splashed it in for the Reflector Mage, after P1P1 Hero of Bladehold into P1P2 Sublime Archangel
Here's the deck!
So I restarted, unlike what poor old me wouldn't have been able to do IRL, and quickly found myself in monowhite midrange aggro. This deck seems... too fair... for the KYOOB environment, but there are some killer plays so ???. Had a bear of a time finding 2 drops, and would have been awesome to open an Opposition or something. That would have mad my blue splash like 1000% better. I believe I splashed it in for the Reflector Mage, after P1P1 Hero of Bladehold into P1P2 Sublime Archangel
Here's the deck!
I think mono-red is entirely viable in your cube, but if it hasn't been performing, there is room to improve its creature pool. Mogg War Marshal, Kruin Striker, Chandra's Phoenix, and Avalanche Riders are on the weaker side. Hanweir Garrison and Grim Lavamancer are fantastic, and there are some more mana-efficient aggro creatures out there. Flip Chandra is scarily capable of closing out the game, and it's safe to say new Chandra will be as well. You're also missing Lightning Strike. Tempt with Vengeance rarely performed for us and I cut it. There were plenty of games where it just couldn't make lethal because of the chump blockers it provided.
Drafted Sigh, A Cube:
I like how it turned out. Fairly aggressive, but it seems to have the tempo it needs to steal a game.
I like how it turned out. Fairly aggressive, but it seems to have the tempo it needs to steal a game.
Dom Harvey
Contributor
These kinds of fair, interactive decks are the reason I got into cubing in the first place. +1
Drafted the Experimental 3.2 cube. I decided that I liked blue cards, followed quickly by deciding that I liked white cards. SUCCESS!
Drafted GiftsForgiven's "Current Iteration", first-picked Show and Tell. A late Arcane Savant didn't have a good enough target to run, sadly.
I'd appreciate if whoever goes next drafts my contest cube, available here:
www.cubetutor.com/draft/63360
I'd appreciate if whoever goes next drafts my contest cube, available here:
www.cubetutor.com/draft/63360
Drafting safra's contest cube, I first picked Chandra FC, tool Kolaghan's Command early, and went into a black/red control build with a few eldrazi. Fairly straightforward, the early removal should often be enough to get to the late-game bombs.
I also took another crack at GiftsForgiven's current iteration that came out well. Its plan A is to dig for Arcane Savant (with Temporal Manipulation exiled), find a way to recur it and combo out. The beatdown backup plan is also pretty viable.
I also took another crack at GiftsForgiven's current iteration that came out well. Its plan A is to dig for Arcane Savant (with Temporal Manipulation exiled), find a way to recur it and combo out. The beatdown backup plan is also pretty viable.
Drafted the KYOOB blind.
First Picked Volatile Chimera and I also got a few good hits on it. I included them on the list. I should have picked more fixing since I think its too light but I counterpicked things like Thalia and Pack Rat. Other than that I didn't get anything too crazy just a standard Izzet deck. Also I ran Prophetic Bolt because I have no idea how good it is so in a real draft I would have been curious to try it out.
First Picked Volatile Chimera and I also got a few good hits on it. I included them on the list. I should have picked more fixing since I think its too light but I counterpicked things like Thalia and Pack Rat. Other than that I didn't get anything too crazy just a standard Izzet deck. Also I ran Prophetic Bolt because I have no idea how good it is so in a real draft I would have been curious to try it out.
And I also just realized I put plains instead of mountains. Lol well you get the idea.
I took Thalia and Thalia's Lieutenant early on. Went into green on Tireless Tracker because it was looking open. I got passed Hymn in pack 2, which really makes the deck. I have a few ways to break Smokestack symmetry. I may have overvalued Terramorphics, and I think I took one of my first ones over the second Champion of the Parish. Ended up a bit tight on playables, but it worked out.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
So, posting decklists on an iPad is a nightmare, but I [edit:] got it to work! I drafted the KYOOB!
The missing card is Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, the Lightning Bolt vehicle
I started with a Grave Titan and saw some very powerful black and white cards after that. Somehow the BW fixing showed up together with a bonkers card each time, but I did get a decent amount of fixing for red. Purphoros will never be a creature in this deck, but it is absolutely unfair with either Grave Titan or Elspeth, Sun's Champion, and he's preeeeetty good pals with Brimaz as well I think it's worth the risk.
My own cube is in a shambles, so someone can go draft Safra's contest cube!
http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/63360
The missing card is Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, the Lightning Bolt vehicle
I started with a Grave Titan and saw some very powerful black and white cards after that. Somehow the BW fixing showed up together with a bonkers card each time, but I did get a decent amount of fixing for red. Purphoros will never be a creature in this deck, but it is absolutely unfair with either Grave Titan or Elspeth, Sun's Champion, and he's preeeeetty good pals with Brimaz as well
I think it's worth the risk.My own cube is in a shambles, so someone can go draft Safra's contest cube!
http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/63360
Drafted the Exploratory Sketch, as requested . Sweet concept! The bounceland manabase is near and dear to me, as I used to run it in my own cube, and I love seeing all the potential here. I particularly like Bouncelands for their ability to reduce non-games by being land advantage (even if they are pretty slow). Their is a bit of a "familiar" shell to this deck, and I think that would play best into a split strategy of advancing the board while holding up counters or removal. Example being Peregrine Drake untapping a land into 6 mana for a Quarantine Field to "wipe" the villian's board while still having the 2/3 flier. Neat! While I was drafting I did see the "eggs". Not sure how valuable those are for the format? I didn't pick any, but I guess cheap artifact cantrips are nice. I'd be inclined to focus in the chromatic baubles for better distribution among drafters. Anyways, here's the deck!
. Sweet concept! The bounceland manabase is near and dear to me, as I used to run it in my own cube, and I love seeing all the potential here. I particularly like Bouncelands for their ability to reduce non-games by being land advantage (even if they are pretty slow). Their is a bit of a "familiar" shell to this deck, and I think that would play best into a split strategy of advancing the board while holding up counters or removal. Example being Peregrine Drake untapping a land into 6 mana for a Quarantine Field to "wipe" the villian's board while still having the 2/3 flier. Neat! While I was drafting I did see the "eggs". Not sure how valuable those are for the format? I didn't pick any, but I guess cheap artifact cantrips are nice. I'd be inclined to focus in the chromatic baubles for better distribution among drafters. Anyways, here's the deck!
Decided to take the Sigh cube for a spin. Was jonesing to draft a control deck so I took Languish P1P1 and followed up with FoF. I had an interesting decision point towards the end of pack 1 and decided to grab a couple of white lands to see where that led. Pack 2 started out pretty rough and I ended up just taking Finkel over Soul of Innistrad. Late in the pack I snapped up a Decree of Justice to bulk up the white splash a bit more. Opened up pack 3 with a Monastery Mentor, looking to move into a more tempo-oriented deck, and Preordain made a flawless followup.
It was an interesting draft to say the least, and I had trouble finding my lane either in the control deck or in the tempo plan. I wanted to draft the cube blind, so I wasn't prepared for so little cheap removal and was somewhat caught off guard by the need to use creatures to fill in the early interaction slots. Perhaps you could consider "signposting" this better with more obviously defensive early creatures (looking at the list now, Gnarlwood Dryad and Wall of Omens strike me as the kind of thing you could use more of).
If anyone's interested I'd like to see what they think of my cube:
cubetutor.com/viewcube/59190
It was an interesting draft to say the least, and I had trouble finding my lane either in the control deck or in the tempo plan. I wanted to draft the cube blind, so I wasn't prepared for so little cheap removal and was somewhat caught off guard by the need to use creatures to fill in the early interaction slots. Perhaps you could consider "signposting" this better with more obviously defensive early creatures (looking at the list now, Gnarlwood Dryad and Wall of Omens strike me as the kind of thing you could use more of).
If anyone's interested I'd like to see what they think of my cube:
cubetutor.com/viewcube/59190
Your cube blurb is extremely up my alley. Here's a bomberman deck that goes off with the classic LED>Pyrite Spellbomb combo, I feel like the 2-ofs would be really good at getting this up consistently and Salvagers is great against counterspells or artifact removal. I didn't see any Welder targets more appetizing than Pentavus, which feels far too slow; if I want to turn infinite mana into an arbitrarily large army of 1/1s I'll loop LED with Myrsmith out (t1 looting, t2 myrsmith, t3 crack LED hold priority cast salvagers activate combo off is the dream line).
PS: Balance as discard outlet???
Please draft my contest cube.
Gave StormEntity's cube a shot, wound up drafting this neat U/R Tempo/Madness deck.