If you couldn't tell from my numerous posts in the WAR Spoilers thread, I've had a blast drafting this format and want to take some of the designs from WAR and create a cube around them.
This is a rough draft of what I think of the format, what's important, how it translates to Cube and what needs to be done to convert this format to a sweet cube environment.
I. WAR of the Spark Limited
I have some notes I keep with me when drafting online, as a rough outline of what some of the successful archetypes look like. I drew heavily from LSV and Marshall's Limited Resources Podcast to start with. An important note is that this focuses primarily on the common rarity, since that's what drives limited drafting.
U/R Spells
Gain value from the excellent removal spells alongside all-starts Spellgorger Weird and Burning Prophet
G/B "Rainbow Ramp"
Powerful fixing allows you to play any bomb you open, which is key in a bomb-oriented format. You get easy access to all of the Planeswalkers which is a huge advantage.
B/R Sacrifice
"The Heartfire Deck"
U/B Control
Leverage black's great removal and blue card draw to get wins
G/W Proliferate
This archetype isn't as deep as some others in my opinion, but can be back-breaking if it gets the right pieces going.
II. Key Cogs
Some of these cards are self-evident from the provided archetype overview and sample decks. The important thing here is that I love the play-style that these cards enable, and I want them to be strong roleplayers in the Cube.
Red's Never Felt This Smooth
These cards are simply amazing in tandem. Prophet does everything you could want a defensive two-drop to do, while generating some pressure of its own with a high spell-velocity deck. Jaya's Greeting is sweet removal as well.
Amass
The amass spells are awesome. They make the spells matter gears turn, enable sacrifice packages, and keep decks consistent. They provide good effects while commiting to the board at the same time, and play great with proliferate.
I like how Toll in particular helps check bombs while being expensive enough not to ruin games out of the gate.
The (Uncommon) Planeswalkers
It's probably time to address the elephant in the room: the planeswalkers.
Teyo plays very poorly unless you can put +1/+1 counters on the 0/3s, or can get big value out of sacraficing them. Worth noting, he produces 3 fodder. Not a keeper.
The Wanderer plays like an expensive removal spell with rebound if you can protect him, and a backbreaker if you can get a third activation. The passive is really good against the red decks.
Kasmina is value incarnate, and does everything you could want transitioning from the early game to the late game. Smooths draws, makes blockers, and protects your creatures during the earliest turns, then helps mitigate flood and dig for bombs in the later stages of play.
When Narset hits twice, she's an amazing Divination. Otherwise, she's not great, and doesn't impact the board at all. I don't like the passive at all. Skip for me.
What Davriel has going for him is that many decks don't have a proactive two-drop, and if you can plop him on an empty board on the play he can pressure a player's hand quickly and effectively. The passive can generate pressure if players are top-decking. If you get 3 activations off, it's strong, otherwise, it's a strange Mind Rot. His inclusion depends on what the final two-drop situation looks like, I think.
An odd-duck piece, for sure. You almost never want to kill an opposing creature if you don't have to, as gifting two cards to the Villian in exchange for their best creature is rarely worth it. So I see this as an expensive sac outlet that can wear out the opponent if it sticks around. On the fence.
Shock with rebound, and a passive that boosts your Jaya's Greetings and gives red creatures +1/+0. I like that you have to have the right deck for this to shine, but it's playable everywhere.
The perfect card for any sacrifice deck. Creates 3 excellent fodder, and the tokens can pick off small cretures, block x/2s, and be just plain annoying. Great role-player.
Curve-topping bomb, especially with proliferate.
Solid utility role-player for the rainbow decks, ramp decks, and exceptional with proliferate.
A speed bump mostly, buys time against 1 big threat but can't beat 2 large creatures. If a deck has a plan, he can help execute it, but Dovin needs to be played with a plan in mind or else you're thowing away a card and 3 mana.
Ashiok serves as a "commit to the board" or "push through some damage" check. If the Hero drops them on 3 and the Villian has been durdling around, it can steal a victory easliy. But it's a double-edged sword, as Ashiok doesn't impact the board by itself either, meaning it's useless in an aggressive match-up. Exile can matter sometimes. Ultimately I think it makes for an interesting sub-game; I will start with Ashiok and cut if it proves un-fun.
Great in aggressive decks, great in controlling decks, great with proliferate. Amass 2 is small enough that it's not oppressive, but if the Hero gets to minus twice a 4/4 menace for 4 is nothing to sneeze at. I also like that it can serve as a stall-breaker.
I'm not sure how to value Samut. I haven't played with it much, but the +2/+1 isn't amazing. Aggressive decks usually don't want to skip playing their 4/4 for 4 on curve. I'd love to hear about this one from everyone else.
Huatli doesn't do it for me. I'm usually not interested in a butts deck much, and her minus is hardly playable.
Plays like another expensive removal spell with rebound. I don't love hexproof so I double the passive will ever be relevant in my cube. Still, a kill their best 2 creatures isn't bad for six mana.
I love this card as a spells-matter payoff, and it plays nicely in the sacrifice decks too. The minus can make some crazy combos happen with the right creatures. 100% include.
V. A. L. U. E. Once of the few uncommon planeswalkers that really protects itself well, without being too much. An unchecked assassin can become a headache for the Villian.
Plays like a very flexible Cone of Flame, which is solid. I haven't seen the passive matter too much, nor am I looking to incorporate equipment at the moment.
If you can get a card out of the passive, its usually worth it. Two makes this great. Can combine with New Horizons to make a formidible big-mana play. At worst, gives a beater vigilance for a few turns.
Rare Gems
Some rares I've really enjoyed playing with. I just like their play-patterns, and want to see them have some kind of home in my cube.
Bomb Cuts
These cards were not fun to play with or against, on principle of GRBS. Unless the power level of the cube is appreciably higher than retail draft (which is possible), these won't have a place.
That pretty much concludes my review of my experience with War of the Spark limited. My next post will be outlining archetypes, and figuring out what the Cube fundementals will look like.
This is a rough draft of what I think of the format, what's important, how it translates to Cube and what needs to be done to convert this format to a sweet cube environment.
I. WAR of the Spark Limited
I have some notes I keep with me when drafting online, as a rough outline of what some of the successful archetypes look like. I drew heavily from LSV and Marshall's Limited Resources Podcast to start with. An important note is that this focuses primarily on the common rarity, since that's what drives limited drafting.
U/R Spells
Gain value from the excellent removal spells alongside all-starts Spellgorger Weird and Burning Prophet
Key Cards:
Sac. Package
Proliferate Package
Sac. Package
Proliferate Package
7-0 on Arena (best of 1), by /u/newbslayer
5-1 on Arena, by vennythekid
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5-1 on Arena, by vennythekid
Grixis Spells
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G/B "Rainbow Ramp"
Powerful fixing allows you to play any bomb you open, which is key in a bomb-oriented format. You get easy access to all of the Planeswalkers which is a huge advantage.
Key Cards:
Black has incredible removal in this set, which allows the deck time to gain access to its bombs
Sac. Package
Proliferate Package
Black has incredible removal in this set, which allows the deck time to gain access to its bombs
Sac. Package
Proliferate Package
5-1 on Arena by vennythekid
G/B Rainbow
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B/R Sacrifice
"The Heartfire Deck"
Key Cards:
Spells Package
Utilize great removal in R/B alongside Heartfire. A lot of the Amass spells produce great sacrifice fodder.
Spells Package
Utilize great removal in R/B alongside Heartfire. A lot of the Amass spells produce great sacrifice fodder.
U/B Control
Leverage black's great removal and blue card draw to get wins
Key Cards
Amass Package
Planeswalkers
Amass Package
Planeswalkers
3-0 on Magic Online, by /u/xxpashuxx
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G/W Proliferate
This archetype isn't as deep as some others in my opinion, but can be back-breaking if it gets the right pieces going.
Key Cards
5-0 on Arena by vennythekid
G/W/u Proliferate
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II. Key Cogs
Some of these cards are self-evident from the provided archetype overview and sample decks. The important thing here is that I love the play-style that these cards enable, and I want them to be strong roleplayers in the Cube.
Red's Never Felt This Smooth
These cards are simply amazing in tandem. Prophet does everything you could want a defensive two-drop to do, while generating some pressure of its own with a high spell-velocity deck. Jaya's Greeting is sweet removal as well.
Amass
The amass spells are awesome. They make the spells matter gears turn, enable sacrifice packages, and keep decks consistent. They provide good effects while commiting to the board at the same time, and play great with proliferate.
I like how Toll in particular helps check bombs while being expensive enough not to ruin games out of the gate.
The (Uncommon) Planeswalkers
It's probably time to address the elephant in the room: the planeswalkers.
Teyo plays very poorly unless you can put +1/+1 counters on the 0/3s, or can get big value out of sacraficing them. Worth noting, he produces 3 fodder. Not a keeper.
The Wanderer plays like an expensive removal spell with rebound if you can protect him, and a backbreaker if you can get a third activation. The passive is really good against the red decks.
Kasmina is value incarnate, and does everything you could want transitioning from the early game to the late game. Smooths draws, makes blockers, and protects your creatures during the earliest turns, then helps mitigate flood and dig for bombs in the later stages of play.
When Narset hits twice, she's an amazing Divination. Otherwise, she's not great, and doesn't impact the board at all. I don't like the passive at all. Skip for me.
What Davriel has going for him is that many decks don't have a proactive two-drop, and if you can plop him on an empty board on the play he can pressure a player's hand quickly and effectively. The passive can generate pressure if players are top-decking. If you get 3 activations off, it's strong, otherwise, it's a strange Mind Rot. His inclusion depends on what the final two-drop situation looks like, I think.
An odd-duck piece, for sure. You almost never want to kill an opposing creature if you don't have to, as gifting two cards to the Villian in exchange for their best creature is rarely worth it. So I see this as an expensive sac outlet that can wear out the opponent if it sticks around. On the fence.
Shock with rebound, and a passive that boosts your Jaya's Greetings and gives red creatures +1/+0. I like that you have to have the right deck for this to shine, but it's playable everywhere.
The perfect card for any sacrifice deck. Creates 3 excellent fodder, and the tokens can pick off small cretures, block x/2s, and be just plain annoying. Great role-player.
Curve-topping bomb, especially with proliferate.
Solid utility role-player for the rainbow decks, ramp decks, and exceptional with proliferate.
A speed bump mostly, buys time against 1 big threat but can't beat 2 large creatures. If a deck has a plan, he can help execute it, but Dovin needs to be played with a plan in mind or else you're thowing away a card and 3 mana.
Ashiok serves as a "commit to the board" or "push through some damage" check. If the Hero drops them on 3 and the Villian has been durdling around, it can steal a victory easliy. But it's a double-edged sword, as Ashiok doesn't impact the board by itself either, meaning it's useless in an aggressive match-up. Exile can matter sometimes. Ultimately I think it makes for an interesting sub-game; I will start with Ashiok and cut if it proves un-fun.
Great in aggressive decks, great in controlling decks, great with proliferate. Amass 2 is small enough that it's not oppressive, but if the Hero gets to minus twice a 4/4 menace for 4 is nothing to sneeze at. I also like that it can serve as a stall-breaker.
I'm not sure how to value Samut. I haven't played with it much, but the +2/+1 isn't amazing. Aggressive decks usually don't want to skip playing their 4/4 for 4 on curve. I'd love to hear about this one from everyone else.
Huatli doesn't do it for me. I'm usually not interested in a butts deck much, and her minus is hardly playable.
Plays like another expensive removal spell with rebound. I don't love hexproof so I double the passive will ever be relevant in my cube. Still, a kill their best 2 creatures isn't bad for six mana.
I love this card as a spells-matter payoff, and it plays nicely in the sacrifice decks too. The minus can make some crazy combos happen with the right creatures. 100% include.
V. A. L. U. E. Once of the few uncommon planeswalkers that really protects itself well, without being too much. An unchecked assassin can become a headache for the Villian.
Plays like a very flexible Cone of Flame, which is solid. I haven't seen the passive matter too much, nor am I looking to incorporate equipment at the moment.
If you can get a card out of the passive, its usually worth it. Two makes this great. Can combine with New Horizons to make a formidible big-mana play. At worst, gives a beater vigilance for a few turns.
Rare Gems
Some rares I've really enjoyed playing with. I just like their play-patterns, and want to see them have some kind of home in my cube.
Bomb Cuts
These cards were not fun to play with or against, on principle of GRBS. Unless the power level of the cube is appreciably higher than retail draft (which is possible), these won't have a place.
That pretty much concludes my review of my experience with War of the Spark limited. My next post will be outlining archetypes, and figuring out what the Cube fundementals will look like.
