General Unpopular Fun/Effective Cards in Your Cube

[Diakonov]

I'm continually looking for new cards to exploit for the sake of keeping things fresh and interesting. When I look through people's cube lists I always find a bunch of new cards that I never would have thought to consider.

Here are some unusual cards in my cube that have been interesting:

Marble Diamond
Sky Diamond
Charcoal Diamond
Fire Diamond
Moss Diamond

Hokori, Dust Drinker

Magus of the Future
Steal Artifact

Contagion
Oubliette
Yawgmoth's Agenda

Ertai, the Corrupted

 

[Goldenpineapple]

Cards I get the most funny looks and "really?"s over that prove themselves pretty much every time? I'll leave out a few cards normally considered 'potentially playable' or something by most, like pyreheart wolf. Normally-unrecognized cards here:

Swift Justice
Sorin's Vengeance
Crushing Vines
Crystal Ball
Mystic Speculation

 

[Arjan]

I've a mill/selfmill-theme in my cube, but I am afraid I am the only one who really wants to use this guy in combination with Glimpse the unthinkable or Hedron Crab.

 

[FlowerSunRain]

I'm thinking about Mystic Speculation and have always liked contagion (which sadly has no place in my current design). Steal artifact was also a stud way back when and is probably pretty good in other cubes, but would be extremely narrow in mine.

Because of my enchantments theme and odd color choices, I have a lot of weird cards.

 

[Laz]

Is Carry Away more effective than Steal Artifact in many cubes? Probably way more sideboard-y, but Steal Artifact is pretty sideboard-y anyway.

Maybe Magnetic Theft would be interesting... As it can be used on your own Equipment to overcome high equip costs, move things at instant speed, as well as stealing opponent's stuff.

 

[Chris Taylor]

Magnetic theft is cool, but they do retain control of the equipment. So they spend jitte counters for example.

 

[Laz]

Magnetic theft is cool, but they do retain control of the equipment. So they spend jitte counters for example.

Also... the Sword of X & Y triggers...

Hmm, it would be fine in my cube, and have cute interactions with Grafted Wargear, but that is because my Equipment would be considered pretty unpowered (2x Bonesplitter, 2x Grafted Wargear, Runechanter's Pike, Haunted Plate Mail). If I put 3-4 more pieces in, I might think about Magnetic Theft...

 

[Chris Taylor]

Also... the Sword of X & Y triggers...

Hmm, it would be fine in my cube, and have cute interactions with Grafted Wargear, but that is because my Equipment would be considered pretty unpowered (2x Bonesplitter, 2x Grafted Wargear, Runechanter's Pike, Haunted Plate Mail). If I put 3-4 more pieces in, I might think about Magnetic Theft...

I wanna say it's just too cute. Though damn, Dat art

 

[Lucre]

Blue mana disruption with annex and boomerangs and sunders and venser

Lots of blue cards can return or freeze lands for a bit

 

[FlowerSunRain]

Blue mana disruption with annex and boomerangs and sunders and venser

Lots of blue cards can return or freeze lands for a bit

It sounds like you are listing off my blue section. Except for boomerang. While not strictly inferior, the printing of Unexpectedly Absent has made Boomerang into a bit of a feelbad in comparison. I'm not sure I want Cyclonic Rift in my cube (I can't decide if that effect "feels" like seven mana, particularly if comboed with mana breach or sunder, but even though it can hit lands, boomerang's power level just seems dated. If it had islandcycling or something I would play the fuck out of it.

If Glowing Anemone only cost 3. . .

 

[CML]

there's an aven that does the same thing with a nicer body

 

[FlowerSunRain]

Who also costs 4. I was trying to be a little less greedy in my imaginary cards.

 

[ahadabans]

Snakeform

I love this card. It is almost always a 2 for 1, and it's removal in two colors that have crap options. Oh, and it's hybrid and super splashable. And even if it doesn't give you a two for one, it draws a card. Can't say enough good things about Snakeform.

 

[Diakonov]

Because of my enchantments theme and odd color choices, I have a lot of weird cards.

In the vein of Laz's suggestion of Magnetic Theft, I would imagine that Enchantment Alteration would be pretty busted in your cube. I once 4-for-1'd someone during a Saga modo draft with that card. I had two creatures on the ground and my opponent was attacking with a flyer and a creature with Serra's Embrace attached. Enchantment Alter the embrace to my dude, block and kill both of his creatures, all for one blue mana.

Snakeform

I love this card. It is almost always a 2 for 1, and it's removal in two colors that have crap options. Oh, and it's hybrid and super splashable. And even if it doesn't give you a two for one, it draws a card. Can't say enough good things about Snakeform.

I love this card as well. I ought to work it back in somehow.

 

[ahadabans]

I love this card as well. I ought to work it back in somehow.

I started putting hybrids into the mono colored sections. Especially stuff like Snakeform that costs one hybrid mana. I just threw it into my green 3 drop section (which has plenty of fringe cards so was the easiest place to insert something like this). Snakeform is not quite good enough to justify a multi-colored slot IMO. But hybrids really don't play like multi-colored, so they never felt right there anyway.

 

[FlowerSunRain]

In the vein of Laz's suggestion of Magnetic Theft, I would imagine that Enchantment Alteration would be pretty busted in your cube. I once 4-for-1'd someone during a Saga modo draft with that card. I had two creatures on the ground and my opponent was attacking with a flyer and a creature with Serra's Embrace attached. Enchantment Alter the embrace to my dude, block and kill both of his creatures, all for one blue mana.

This is the exact reason why I will definitely NOT run this card. Its both extremely situational AND extremely abusive at the same time.

Seriously, though, the thought process on this card is hilarious. "Hey, [auras] are already weak and prone to card disadvantage, so lets make a card that specifically hoses them, in the strongest color, make it an instant and cost it as low as possible!"

 

[Eric Chan]

Snakeform

I love this card. It is almost always a 2 for 1, and it's removal in two colors that have crap options. Oh, and it's hybrid and super splashable. And even if it doesn't give you a two for one, it draws a card. Can't say enough good things about Snakeform.

Holy crap, that's an awesome suggestion. I've been looking for more situational removal spells, rather than universal ones like Dismember, and Snakeform fits the bill. I like that it's more of a combat trick than anything else - you still have to actually kill the creature somehow, usually through attacking or blocking it. This one is going in my cube straight away.

 

[Lucre]

I don't necessarily mean Boomerang really, just anything that gets to set your opponent back by one of the essential aspects of a turn or deal with any size of threat.

I think tradewind rider probz also makes the cut right?

 

[FlowerSunRain]

I don't necessarily mean Boomerang really, just anything that gets to set your opponent back by one of the essential aspects of a turn or deal with any size of threat.

I think tradewind rider probz also makes the cut right?

Another card plucked straight from my list!

 

[ahadabans]

Holy crap, that's an awesome suggestion. I've been looking for more situational removal spells, rather than universal ones like Dismember, and Snakeform fits the bill. I like that it's more of a combat trick than anything else - you still have to actually kill the creature somehow, usually through attacking or blocking it. This one is going in my cube straight away.

What makes it so good is the cantrip attached to it. I've even had times late in the game where I top decked it, cast it on my opponent's creature with no real play (other than to get another card), and then drawn into something that I could use. It essentially is a cycle for 3 even when you can't get the removal piece going. With that said, it is surprisingly consistent as a removal spell (it even auto kills any creature with a -1/-1 counter on it like persist guys). Moreover, it hoses on death triggered abilities (like Wurmcoil for instance, or undying/persist dudes, etc.). And green rarely has trouble attacking/blocking, casting this and getting a two for one.

Again, I highly recommend this card.

 

[Lucre]

I'm just happy when you put in more removal that is actually instant or sorcery.

 

[Tzenmoroth]

I like the idea of this thread a lot and always want to find more hidden gems, so here are some cards I run that might be considered unpopular. Or maybe you all run them, I have no idea. I probably found some of them because of forum but still.

 

[Kirblinx]

I like the idea of this thread a lot and always want to find more hidden gems, so here are some cards I run that might be considered unpopular. Or maybe you all run them, I have no idea. I probably found some of them because of forum but still.

:Insert pile of cards here:

I think most people have accepted the fact that the green and black curses are pretty obscene. If anyone has drops them down on turn three I have never seen the caster lose.
I run Grizzly Fate, Phyrexian Reclamation, Shelter and Guardian of the Guildpact in my peasant list, all of which are pretty sweet. Gaurdian with a Bonesplitter is always scary.

I feel you need the right environment for Haakon and Obsessive Search to be good, which is why I have never seen them.

Pain's reward seems interesting, does it play well?

Ith and Betrayal of Flesh seem a bit costly and don't feel they impact as much as their costs imply, which is why some eyebrows might be raised when they appear in the pack before you.

Cream of the Crop I'll give a second recommendation. Even though I have never played it in a limited enviroment, I have it in nearly all my commander decks. Sure it never gives you card advantage but the amount of card quality it generates is astounding. You just chain guy into guy into guy.

 

[Dom Harvey]

When you mouse over 'Ith' it gives you Argivian Blacksmith

 

[Jason Waddell]

Holy crap, that's an awesome suggestion. I've been looking for more situational removal spells, rather than universal ones like Dismember, and Snakeform fits the bill. I like that it's more of a combat trick than anything else - you still have to actually kill the creature somehow, usually through attacking or blocking it. This one is going in my cube straight away.

Yeah, I've been doing the same. I think I just have it floating around in some unclassified section, but it is definitely cubeworthy. I mean, it's vaguely in design space of Electrolyze, while requiring a bit more setup and planning to get value out of.

Also, you can combine it with Electrolyze and season to taste.