Shards of Alara Cube Update!

Can you beleive that we've been doing the Cube updates completely in real life and on Facebook now? Crazy I know, but I thought it would be good to have a URL to point non-Facebookers to see what's in the Cube. Thus the blog has been (briefly) resurrected! I will post a complete list soon. If anyone is actually reading this, feel free to comment.
TooSarcastic


I'll try to keep this brief (ha!). You can skip all this and read the Add/Cuts and still be fine. After much discussion online and IRL, we have Shards of Alara Cube additions!
WHITE: The consensus seems to be that past revisions have pushed the enchantment theme a bit too far. Rhyno had a very powerful enchantment-based deck last draft, and it's something that I think will continue to be viable, but our additions in this color show a renewed focus on creature combat in White. Thanks to Andy for pointing out Battlegrace Angel; I missed it.
BLUE: There were zero Blue cards set aside as cuts by players of the last draft, which I think attests to the health (and power!) of the color. We needed to cut a few Blue cards, so I used my best judgment. Bagha mentioned spending some time looking into old Skies decklists for aggressive Blue flyers. We may see some of those older cards showing up in future iterations.
BLACK: Well, Black's creature base needed improvement. I think we took what we could from Shards to help. Brendan was unimpressed by Black Knight in his weenie deck, which may seem sacrilegious until looking at how many Black weenies do the job better than the old Human Knight. ALL of the additions from Shards were Zombies, so I went for the home run and added Archdemon of Unx. We now have three Zombie Lords, so I hoping we might actually be able to make Zombies what Goblins were supposed to be in the Cube. Hey- it's better than doing nothing!
RED: I think Red is most improved by this update. It loses some middling enchantments and gains ferocious dragons. Flameblast Dragons was mildly controversial, earning the "unfun" moniker from several drafters. We'll try him out. I suspect that he will turn out to be a big fish in a small pond in Shards draft, but less threatening in this format of edicts and tappers.
GREEN: This color will continue to be really good in the Cube, because I think the additions are head and shoulders above the cuts. I was happy with the help from drafters in pulling out weaker Green cards, because I would have missed them on my own.
MULTI: Okay, let me start by saying that balancing numbers in the Cube is complicated. Keeping an even color count allows drafters to make picks based on the power of the cards, not on the probability of seeing a specific color combination. To accommodate the increase in multi colored cards from Shards I cut one extra mono card from each color. Since the last revision all ten two-color combos had either five or six cards. So for example W/R had only five cards, so I knew I wouldn't have to cut anything to add Ajani Vengeant. But R/G already had six cards, so adding Sarkhan Vol meant cutting something else. With the increase in Multicolored cards I was able to sync up all the two-color pair combinations at six apiece. Add five three-color cards and we get 35 total Multi cards. Great, but Shards had no Cube-worthy W/U or U/B to get those color pairs up to six (although I considered adding Agony Warp). So I used the excellent new Beta Gatherer to look through all the possible two-color choices for each combination. While I was "under the hood" I took the opportunity to cut Æthertow (which was universally panned by the players at the last draft), replacing it with Iridescent Angel. I think there are better cards for W/U than Silkbind Faerie too, but it at least performs in the early game to set up a control deck. In my experience, every time I was playing Æthertow it was a last resort because I had no better bounce or removal in hand. Hope that long explanation made some sense!
ARTIFACTS: There is only one change here, the awesome Sigil. Jamison pointed out that Relic of Progenitus is NOT better than Phyrexian Furnace, because the targeted player chooses which card to remove, not the Relic's controller. That makes it poop, so it did not make the cut.
LAND: Despite Jeremy's impassioned speech for including Riptide Laboratory, we're not making any changes immediately here. Wasteland probably will come out soon, though.

Finally! Here are the changes.

WHITE
IN
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Knight of the White Orchid
Battlegrace Angel
OUT
Enduring Renewal (One of the worse emchantments in the Cube)
Rule of Law (See Enduring Renewal)
Kataki War's Wage (An artifact deck is not viable in this Cube)
Kinsbaile Cavalier (It was a nice idea, but I've never seen this card played)

BLUE
IN
Tezzeret the Seeker
OUT
Evacuation (one of the "worst" non-creature spells in U)
Surgespanner (meh)

BLACK
IN
Corpse Connoisseur
Viscera Dragger
Death Baron
Archdemon of Unx (Fuck it, let's just do this thing!)
OUT
Sarcomancy (Everyone but me hates this card, so it's finally out)
Nefashu, (That this ever made the cut lets you know that we have a Black creature problem)
Funeral Charm (It's flexible, but simply too underpowered to get played in Cube)
Skittering Skirge (Turns out in Cube a 3/2 flyer can't win games singlehandedly)
Black Knight (Hard to believe this guy was hated on so much, but there are 4 other two drops that do the same thing better in B, May be replaced by Hand of Cruelty down the road)

RED
IN
Predator Dragon
Flameblast Dragon
Hell's Thunder
Hissing Iguanar
OUT
Furnace of Rath (This and Pandemonium were kind of thrown in as non-burn red spells last time, but there were no good combo enablers for either)
Pandemonium (See Furnace of Rath)
Manabarbs (I shit you not when I added this I swear it cost 2R)
Orcish Lumberjack (Very niche card that can be amazing in the Tooth and Nail deck but is poop everywhere else, AND it's not even a Goblin)
Magus of the Arena (Flameblast Dragon is just better!)

GREEN
IN
Wild Nacatl
Mycoloth
Rhox Charger
OUT
Blanchwood Armor (Redundant with Moldervine Cloak, no other Green cards (except Tower Above, see below) push mono-G)
Tower Above (Overrun, Garruk, are better see Blanchwood re: mono-G)
vinelasher Kudzu (Green has better creatures)
Essence Warden (Not enough token generation in G to be stupid good, and really wants to be in a control deck, which G does badly)

Artifacts
IN
Sigil of Distinction
OUT
Lotus Petal (Storm.dec turned out to not be viable, other color-fixers and accelerants are just better)

Multi
IN
Ajani Vengeant
Sarkhan Vol
Realm Razer
Broodmate Dragon
Iridescent Angel *See beginning of this email for why we are adding older W/U and U/B cards to the Cube
Godhead of Awe *See beginning of this email for why we are adding older W/U and U/B cards to the Cube
Psychatog *See beginning of this email for why we are adding older W/U and U/B cards to the Cube
OUT
Burning-Tree Shaman (This was the "worst" R/G card IMHO)
Æthertow (There are definitely better W/U cards than this)

Land
IN
---
OUT
---

Thanks for all the help! Feel free to voice any disagreements with these choices, as well suggestions for older cards that may be better. I will post a complete upadated list soon.

Tom

PS- If anyone has an Elspeth or Ajani Vengeant to lend to the Cube, let me know!

Magicked Out

I've got absolutely nothing Magic related to impart here, and anyone looking for Magic related content need not read further. I've been out of the state the last few weeks, and have only recently returned. So I missed the prerelease and release, have not Cubed and only just today opened my first pack of Shards (my rare was the goblin making thingy that makes all your goblins attack). I just have a feeling that my Magic involvement is going to be less for the next few months than it has been in the past. It's not a huge deal, just don't how (if at all) it affects this here old blog.
Well, I might as well get to the shameless promotion part. I squeezed a few hours in today and did a hurried job finishing up a mix that I've been sitting on for a month or two. CBG has been kind enough to host this mix and he only needed to prompt me once to spell his website correctly when I was uploading to the FTP. It's all new to me. But this will likely be way more stable than the old host. Here's a tracklisting and obligatory blurb re: the mix. I'll post the link on Facebook tomorrow but you guys are cooler (Tabasco and The Captain were at the Crystal Method show that inspired the mix), so you can download it tonight.

All the Kids Are Doing It - TooSarcastic
(This is a direct link- right click to download).

Wrap It Up - Whitey
Mein Neues Fahrrad - Siriusmo
Pins - Alex Metric
Ross Ross Ross - SebastiAn
Dangerseekers (Shinichi Osawa Edit) - Kurt Uenala
Dial 1 - CLASSIXX
Gimme What You Got (Alex Metric Mix) - Black Daniel
Escape - The Toxic Avenger
Lime - EnMasse
Blipvertz - Rektchordz, Sam Hell
Stress - Justice
Time - Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Don't Believe The Hype (Proxy Remix) - Boys Noize
Papillon (Yuksek & Brodinski Remix) - The Subs
Free Things For Poor People (Alex Metric Remix) - Infadels
Blackout (Shinichi Osawa Remix) - The Whip
Floating - Jape

So this summer I heard the Crystal Method do a live electro house DJ set that really made me re-evaluate my opinion of electro house music. I had previously avoided such tracks because many seemed to drip with shallow, synthy 1980's nostalgia. But the Crystal Method managed to find tracks that both kicked ass and weren't scared to have a melody. I decided it was time to see why all the kids were so excited about this electro house stuff. Man, was I missing out! SebastiAn and Justice are heirs apparent to Daft Punk's French house crown, and Alex Metric is simply an astounding producer. I love Shinichi Osawa despite wanting to hate all his poppy synths. Hell, even the lyrics to half these tracks aren't too bad! When's the last time you heard that about dance music? I hope you enjoy listening to the mix as much as I did making it!

T

Shards mana bases in limited

Anyone have any advice on creating a smooth mana base in shards sealed/draft? I feel like i'm doing a fine job of building, but i seem to lose to my mana base regardless of how good my deck is. Maybe it's bad luck, but I feel like I must be doing something wrong...so what do you guys think? What is the correct mixture of obelisks/panoramas/tri-lands?

Comment, please.

Bladders Empty?

So, I take it that the pissing match is over. Fugie wonders why I haven't posted in more then a month (I used to believe that October thru March was my busy period at work with reduced production volumes & greated demands to schedule in annual maintenance work and capital projects, but now it seems that it is always very busy). Being busy is only part of it.

With the very vocal and very public break up of Fugie and coyoeugly earlier this summer and the recent pissing match about racism and "imappropriate" analogies I have no longer been motivated to play MTG much less post about it. As anyone who goes to olde fart night can attest to, I used to be part of the core group that showed up every week reguardless. And now I haven't gone more then three consecutive weeks in a row since April or March (by the way I missed yesterday).

I know better then to promise that I'll post next week, after the new Shards league starts, but you'll all have to wait until then to find out.

Until next time, may the mana gods not throw a temper tantrum in the soup isle

ML

Fugie is blogging

Fugie is blogging and community building over here. Check it out.

A farewell

Given recent events here, I think it's time for me to take a big step back from both the blog in specific and Magic in general. Fugie has already ridden off into the sunset and will be blogging over at the store site. I'll post a link once he starts it. If TooSarcastic or any of the other posters would like to continue with the blog, I'll be more than happy to turn over the keys. Otherwise, I will just leave this up and say good bye for a while.

Good luck, everybody.

---CBG

Line in the Sand

Fine, let's converse.
To understand my seething hatred right now, we have to set a baseline.

Read This First.

Now, my objections with that essay.

1. It implicitly calls me racist.

"because Fugie posted" ... "at least three racist comments" (Runquist, 24 September 2008).

Racist, as specifically defined by the University of Princeton's wordnet program (designed in long term to define every word in the English language) is "based on racial intolerance; a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others; discriminatory especially on the basis of race or religion."

All of any concern stems from one line:

"As the black man was once a slave to the white man, so now the white man is a slave to the island." (Black, 24 September 2008).

Look at the three baselines of being racist.

A. Based on racial intolerance.
This most certainly does not apply. First and foremost, this is historical fact, both halves of the statement. For those who doubt the historical impact, please refer here, here, and here.

B. A person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others.
This implies that I behave and speak in such a manner as to intentionally put down others based on race, sex, or creed. Nothing I have written even remotely points to that.

C. Discriminatory especially on the basis of race or religion.
This is once again not the case. The first phrase is still a cold unfeeling fact.

That being said, in the article, reviewing the decks the consistent best players play, format be damned, continual success is based on the use of the Island. There is no getting around it. No matter the format, Islands always make a strong enough impact. To consistently be a good player, you have to play Islands. Be it Finkel's most recent pro-tour win (p1p1 Mulldrifter) to Buehlers CMU/Cuneo Blue, Islands are a defining part of every top eight in every format. Wizards has broken the color so bad, it can't be fixed.

2. It defines that freedom of expression is at the behest of one man.

" That doesn't change the fact that I feel the need to confront these issues head on when they come up." (Runquist, 24 September 2008).

This was designed to be a community. Now, all the rules and mores are at the behest of one man. One lone gatekeeper controls te flow of information. I live a daily life where I have to censor myself in my speech, my writings, and my actions. Not because I am bigoted, but because the first reaction of the several bigots in the world is to claim I'm a bigot first. This is a first strike method used in custody battles and competing lawsuits. He (or she, as that may now be construed as sexist) who strikes first, wins. The fact that there is one lone censor means our thoughts and ideas must now meet the approval of a lone authority. This has happened before in history. I don't believe I need to draw any parallels.

3. The world needs a thicker skin.

Most of my life, no one ever stood up for me. If I was ever the target of bigoted remarks, based on weight, sex, and race, I was told to suck it up. The rest of the world is given a pass based on some characteristic that they claim makes them victim to those different then themselves.

Newsflash - the majority aren't the ones stifling any dialogue.

4. I have let the GU become a hotbed of racism and intolerance.

I'd like to note some facts. Before I took the helm of the GU magic program, average attendance was 10 on standard nights and 12 on draft nights. During my one year stewardship, those numbers increased to an average of 30 on standard nights and 24 on draft nights. Was that accomplished by being hostile and exclusionary? If so I need to write a book. Upon my departure, the followup stewardship knocked those numbers back down to 10 on standard nights and 8-12 on draft nights, with 25% of the nights not having enough players to have the event sanctioned. After my return, we are back to averaging 20 per regular weekend event. This wasn't accomplished through advertising, but by people realising that it was about to be a fair and balanced and safe and welcoming environment once again.

I have heard about the alleged issues at the GU. The few who have even mentioned this didn't stand up for themselves. More importantly, they never came to me. There is no situation where people should ever believe I would allow a hostile environment. To not address these alleged issues, and not request my intervention, can only lead me to believe that the accusers are trying to make some sort of personal or political point.

If people do not believe I stand against all that bullshit, I point to the removal of Owen and the only man who crusaded tirelessly for his removal to better the program.

Now I address why this affects me so personally. It resolves about why I write.

I write to make myself a better wordsmith. I write to leave my ideas to review and posterity. I write to express myself in a semi-permanent medium. My writing allows me to further be a rock in the magic community. And the conduct of the blog as of late indicates I will not get any of the above points to relate to my work. Therefore, I have no place in this blog.

-Fugie

Let's have a conversation about race.

Oh, MAN! Why do we have to have a conversation about race? Well kiddies, because Fugie posted a great post about the wonder of islands and proper threat assessment and inexplicably sprinkled it with at least three racist comments, the precise wording of which has been lost to time and the mists of our RSS feed. I edited the post without asking Fugie and in response, he pulled the post and sent this extraordinarily humorous response out into the world instead. I trust I don't have to explain why I still consider the blog a safe space for white folks despite Fugie's protestations to the contrary.

So first, why did I edit the post? I'd like the blog to be a space where everyone can feel comfortable and not feel like they are going to be made a target. Snide or derogatory comments of a racial nature make public spaces feel unwelcoming. It minimizes people's reactions as if those persons who are affected by the comment are not allowed to participate in the discussion.

Magic is primarily produced and played by white men. We can debate the reasons for this back and forth but the fact is not in doubt. A Misty Mountain prerelease will have several hundred patrons, only 2 or 3 of whom will be people of color and 2 or 3 of whom will be women. This has a self perpetuating effect as the very fact of this horribly skewed environment can be very intimidating for players who don't meet the norm. The only way to overcome this effect is to make an active effort to create safe spaces where women and people of color can participate fully. Make no mistake, racist and sexist comments are a form of assault and can cause emotional trauma. Even a seemingly minor comment can have a major effect on the motivation of players who don't fit the young, white male model. Why would anyone participate in a leisure activity where they have to be on guard all the time?

This very dynamic has hurt our local store in the past. A group of young, loud male children who think nothing of throwing around racist, antisemitic or homophobic slurs participates there on a regular basis and it has a significant effect on the store's bottom line. I know a number of people who limit their participation or don't play at all due to this situation.

So that's my point. This blog is supposed to be about Magic. It's not about race, or gender, or homophobia. That doesn't change the fact that I feel the need to confront these issues head on when they come up. I'm sorry, Fugie, if you felt hurt because I edited your post without your permission but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Return of the King

What? I'm not the king? Fugie is a better writer than me and TooSarcastic is like unto a literary god? Yeah, well, f*ck all y'alls! Man, I wish I had gone to grad school in Atlanta. I love saying y'all. So what did i learn during my little unannounced vacation (also, I just made up the fact that it was a vacation. I am actually just lazy)? Well, I learned that I am going to miss the big prerelease again despite the fact that it is on my birthday weekend. I learned that drafting SSE at the store is fun because people there still don't realize how ridiculous monored is. Fugie already posted about his 3-1 with monored. Mine had a happier ending due to awesome breakers. Hey people! Giantbaiting is not trash. At least, not under the ten 1-2cc creatures condition. 8 damage on turn 3 is hot. Especially followed by burn. Also, Steel of the Godhead is stupid.

What else did I learn? Umm, I learned that I would like to start playing with some monocolored cards. I started playing in 9th edition (return of the pain lands) and even I am fucking sick of reliable 3-5 color Good Stuff decks. So of course we have the 3 color block now. And blue is sick. Thank god for maindeck naturalize. Not that you'll ever get to resolve one. The nice thing about that planeswalker that breaks Vintage is...wait, did I start to say there was something nice about that? Oh yeah, at least you have to pay full price. For your one card combo that wins the game. Hope yr playing island, asshole.

Cube for the next 2 weeks

I will be out of town for the next 2 weeks starting Monday, give or take a day in the middle. If anyone wants Cube stewardship for that time, let me know. I am halfway through updating it for the last iteration, so it's kind of a mess, but I'm sure it can be taken care of.
T

TooSarcastic's Cube Draft List v.3.1

WHITE
Academy Rector
Adarkar Valkyrie
Ajani Goldmane
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Archon of Justice
Armageddon
Armored Ascension
Austere Command
Aven Mindcensor
Aven Riftwatcher
Balance
Blade of the Sixth Pride
Calciderm
Cloudchaser Kestrel
Condemn
Crovax, Ascendant Hero
Crusade
Descendant of Kiyomaro
Disenchant
Divine Offering
Empyrial Armor
Endless Horizons
Enlightened Tutor
Eternal Dragon
Exalted Angel
Faith's Fetters
Galepowder Mage
Genju of the Fields
Ghostly Prison
Glorious Anthem
Glory
Goldmeadow Harrier
Griffin Guide
Humility
Icatian Javelineers
Idyllic Tutor
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Jareth, Leonine Titan
Jötun Grunt
Kami of Ancient Law
Kataki, War's Wage
Knight of Meadowgrain
Knight of the Holy Nimbus
Kinsbaile Cavalier
Longbow Archer
Mirror Entity
Momentary Blink
Mother of Runes
Oblivion Ring
Order of the White Shield
Order of Whiteclay
Pacifism
Paladin en-Vec
Prison Term
Radiant's Dragoons
Replenish
Reveillark
Reya Dawnbringer
Rule of Law
Sacred Mesa
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Savannah Lions
Shaman En-Kor
Soltari Priest
Soul Warden
Spectral Procession
Stonecloaker
Stonehewer Giant
Story Circle
Swords to Plowshares
Temporal Isolation
Twilight Shepherd
Valor
White Knight
White Shield Crusader
Windborn Muse
Wrath of God
Yosei, the Morning Star

BLUE
Aeon Chronicler
Aquamoeba
Ancestral Vision
Arcanis the Omnipotent
Court Hussar
Body Double
Boomerang
Braingeyser
Brainstorm
Brine Elemental
Cache Raiders
Capsize
Clone
Compulsive Research
Confiscate
Consign to Dream
Control Magic
Counterspell
Cryptic Command
Deep Analysis
Desertion
Dissipate
Drift of Phantasms
Evacuation
Fact or Fiction
Fathom Seer
Force of Will
Force Spike
Frantic Search
Gifts Ungiven
Glen Elendra Archmage
Guile
Impulse
Jace Beleren
Keiga, the Tide Star
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Looter il-Kor
Magus of the Future
Mana Drain
Mana Leak
Man-o'-War
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Memory Lapse
Merchant Scroll
Merfolk Looter
Morphling
Mulldrifter
Mystical Teachings
Mystical Tutor
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Ophidian
Pestermite
Ponder
Propaganda
Psionic Blast
Ray of Command
Remand
Repeal
Repulse
Riftwing Cloudskate
Rhystic Study
Rushing River
Serendib Efreet
Spiketail Hatchling
Surgespanner
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Thieving Magpie
Tidespout Tyrant
Tidings
Time Walk
Unstable Mutation
Vendilion Clique
Venser, Shaper Savant
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Voidmage Prodigy
Wake Thrasher
Waterfront Bouncer
Willbender
Wonder

BLACK
Animate Dead
Ashling, the Extinguisher
Augur of Skulls
Avatar of Woe
Bad Moon
Beacon of Unrest
Bitterblossom
Black Knight
Bone Shredder
Braids, Cabal Minion
Chainer's Edict
Carnophage
Corrupt
Crypt Rats
Damnation
Dark Confidant
Dark Ritual
Darkblast
Dauthi Horror
Dauthi Slayer
Decree of Pain
Diabolic Edict
Diabolic Servitude
Duress
Dusk Urchins
Entomb
Eyeblight's Ending
Festering Goblin
Funeral Charm
Graveborn Muse
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
Hatred
Hymn to Tourach
Hypnotic Specter
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
Knight of Stromgald
Liliana Vess
Living Death
Lord of the Undead
Magus of the Abyss
Midnight Banshee
Mind Twist
Nameless Inversion
Nantuko Husk
Necromancy
Necropotence
Nefashu
Nezumi Graverobber
Night’s Whisper
Nihilith
Null Profusion
Okiba-Gang Shinobi
Oona's Prowler
Paralyze
Persecute
Pestilence
Phyrexian Arena
Plague Sliver
Priest of Gix
Profane Command
Raven's Crime
Sarcomancy
Shriekmaw
Skeletal Scrying
Skeletal Vampire
Skittering Skirge
Slaughter Pact
Smallpox
Stromgald Crusader
Sudden Death
Tendrils of Corruption
Terror
Thoughtseize
Twisted Abomination
Undead Warchief
Visara the Dreadful
Withered Wretch

RED
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Ancient Grudge
Anger
Avalanche Riders
Ball Lightning
Blood Knight
Bogardan Hellkite
Boom // Bust
Chandra Nalaar
Countryside Crusher
Dead // Gone
Demonfire
Earthquake
Empty the Warrens
Fiery Temper
Fire Imp
Fireblast
Firebolt
Flame Fusillade
Flame Javelin
Flametongue Kavu
Fork
Furnace of Rath
Gathan Raiders
Goblin Bombardment
Goblin Matron
Goblin Recruiter
Godo, Bandit Warlord
Gorilla Shaman
Greater Gargadon
Guerrilla Tactics
Hearth Kami
Hostility
Incinerate
Insurrection
Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
Jokulhaups
Kamahl, Pit Fighter
Keldon Marauders
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Kird Ape
Knollspine Dragon
Knollspine Invocation
Kumano, Master Yamabushi
Lash Out
Lava Hounds
Lightning Bolt
Magma Jet
Magus of the Arena
Magus of the Scroll
Mana Flare
Manabarbs
Mogg Fanatic
Mogg War Marshal
Molten Rain
Orcish Lumberjack
Pandemonium
Puncture Blast
Pyroclasm
Reckless Wurm
Rolling Thunder
Ryusei, the Falling Star
Shard Phoenix
Shivan Hellkite
Shock
Siege-Gang Commander
Squee, Goblin Nabob
Stigma Lasher
Sudden Shock
Sulfur Elemental
Tarfire
Taurean Mauler
Thundermare
Tin Street Hooligan
Threaten
Tribal Flames
Wheel of Fortune
Wildfire
Word of Seizing

GREEN
Arrogant Wurm
Basking Rootwalla
Berserk
Birds of Paradise
Blanchwood Armor
Blastoderm
Briarhorn
Call of the Herd
Caller of the Claw
Carven Caryatid
Civic Wayfinder
Chameleon Colossus
Channel
Chord of Calling
Cloudthresher
Cream of the Crop
Crop Rotation
Defense of the Heart
Devoted Druid
Essence Warden
Eternal Witness
Exploration
Fertile Ground
Fyndhorn Elves
Gaea’s Anthem
Garruk Wildspeaker
Giant Growth
Golgari Grave-Troll
Harmonize
Harrow
Hystrodon
Imperious Perfect
Indrik Stomphowler
Kodama of the North Tree
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Grip
Life from the Loam
Living Wish
Llanowar Elves
Might of Oaks
Mirri, Cat Warrior
Moldervine Cloak
Naturalize
Overrun
Phantom Centaur
Plow Under
Primal Command
Prismatic Omen
Quirion Ranger
Rancor
Regrowth
River Boa
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Saproling Burst
Scryb Ranger
Seal of Primordium
Seedborn Muse
Simian Grunts
Squall Line
Spectral Force
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Scrying
Tarmogoyf
Thelonite Hermit
Tooth and Nail
Tower Above
Troll Ascetic
Uktabi Orangutan
Verdant Force
Vinelasher Kudzu
Viridian Shaman
Wall of Blossoms
Wall of Roots
Weatherseed Treefolk
Werebear
Wickerbough Elder
Wild Mongrel
Wood Elves

MULTICOLORED
Æthertow
Angel of Despair
Armadillo Cloak
Ashenmoor Liege
Azorius Guildmage
Balefire Liege
Boartusk Liege
Boggart Ram-Gang
Brion Stoutarm
Burning-Tree Shaman
Creakwood Liege
Deathbringer Liege
Debtors' Knell
Dominus of Fealty
Doran, the Siege Tower
Duergar Hedge-Mage
Electrolyze
Figure of Destiny
Fire//Ice
Fires of Yavimaya
Firespout
Izzet Chronarch
Kitchen Finks
Lightning Helix
Loxodon Hierarch
Mirrorweave
Mortify
Murderous Redcap
Murkfiend Liege
Mystic Enforcer
Mystic Snake
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Overbeing of Myth
Oversoul of Dusk
Pernicious Deed
Psychatog
Putrefy
Rakdos Guildmage
Recoil
Rise of the Hobgoblins
Sapling of Colfenor
Savage Twister
Selesnya Guildmage
Shadowmage Infiltrator
Silkbind Faerie
Simic Sky Swallower
Snakeform
Stillmoon Cavalier
Suffocating Blast
Sygg, River Cutthroat
Teferi's Moat
Terminate
Trygon Predator
Vindicate
Void
Vulturous Zombie
Wort, Boggart Auntie
Zur the Enchanter

ARTIFACTS
Æther Vial
Azorius Signet
Bosh, Iron Golem
Bottle Gnomes
Crystal Shard
Cursed Scroll
Dimir Signet
Duplicant
Fellwar Stone
Gilded Lotus
Golgari Signet
Grim Poppet
Gruul Signet
Icy Manipulator
Izzet Signet
Juggernaut
Lightning Greaves
Lotus Petal
Loxodon Warhammer
Masticore
Mox Diamond
Mox Emerald
Mox Jet
Mox Pearl
Mox Ruby
Mox Sapphire
Nevinyrral's Disk
Orzhov Signet
Phyrexian Furnace
Platinum Angel
Rakdos Signet
Razormane Masticore
Scroll Rack
Selesnya Signet
Sensei's Divining Top
Simic Signet
Skullclamp
Sol Ring
Solemn Simulacrum
Sundering Titan
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Tormod's Crypt
Triskelion
Umezawa's Jitte

LANDS
Academy Ruins
Azorius Chancery
Badlands
Bayou
Bazaar of Baghdad
Blood Crypt
Boros Garrison
Breeding Pool
City of Brass
Dimir Aqueduct
Godless Shrine
Golgari Rot Farm
Gruul Turf
Hallowed Fountain
Izzet Boilerworks
Library of Alexandria
Murmuring Bosk
Mutavault
Orzhov Basilica
Overgrown Tomb
Plateau
Rakdos Carnarium
Sacred Foundry
Savannah
Scrubland
Selesnya Sanctuary
Simic Growth Chamber
Steam Vents
Stomping Ground
Strip Mine
Taiga
Temple Garden
Terramorphic Expanse
Tropical Island
Tundra
Underground Sea
Volcanic Island
Volrath's Stronghold
Watery Grave
Wasteland


Thanks to Fugie for the large chunk of cards he borrowed to the Cube. We still have maybe a third of the cards missing for this update. If you have a copy of any of the following, and don't mind borrowing it out for a while, let me know. I'll probably buy any of the bulk crap that is left hanging out there, but I can't justify doing that for Kokusho, Exalted Angel and a few others. I think this iteration will be more powerful, have more creatures and be a faster, more balanced format.

Endless Horizons
Exalted Angel
Glory
Isamaru
Serendib Efreet
Kokusho
Night's Whisper
Blastoderm
Æther Vial
Phyrexian Furnace
Rise of the Hobgoblins
Overbeing of Myth
Psychatog

T

OMFG

The 2008 election, as Magic:the Gathering. Yes, I know several of these cards don't work. Also, Michelle Obama is broken in fucking half. http://mightygodking.com/index.php/2008/09/02/stab-at-relevance/

Finally! TooSarcastic's Cube Cuts and Adds for Eventide

I got tired of trying to do it by committee and just did it myself. The reasoning ought to be obvious by now. I could write a nice long paragraph about each card choice, but I would enjoy writing it more than folks would enjoy reading it. Questions or disagreements can be posted in comments, where I can clarify specific concerns. If possible I would like to run it this way before changing things around again, but we can definitely tweak this list if the outcry is great enough. I really did try to include as many opinions as possible. I think people will be pleasantly surprised by how many high powered older cards we can still include to continue to increase the power level. A full listing of the new updated Cube will be up by the weekend.

Asterisked cards mean that I do not have a copy of this card and am requesting the folks who enjoy the format to borrow a copy to Cube. Think about how fun playing with these cards will be!

Cuts

Aegis of Honor
Arrest
Blazing Archon
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary
Enduring Renewal
Feudkiller's Verdict
Pariah
Wing Shards

Collective Restraint
Cunning Wish
Hydroblast
Spell Snare
Threads of Disloyalty
Tinker
Trinket Mage

Corpse Dance
Incremental Blight
Makeshift Mannequin
Night of Souls' Betrayal
Reanimate
Rend Flesh
Smother

Flamebreak
Ghostfire
Grapeshot
Grinning Ignus
Pyroblast
Seal of Fire

Protean Hulk
Spawnwrithe
Spidersilk Armor

Tolarian Academy

Coalition Relic
Pithing Needle
Serrated Arrows

Desolation Giant
Fiery Justice
Firemane Angel
Ghost Council of Orzhova
Goblin Legionnaire
Grave-Shell Scarab
Lightning Angel
Memory Plunder
Stormbind
Temporal Spring

Adds

Blazing Archon*
Endless Horizons*
Exalted Angel*
Glory*
Isamaru, Hound of Konda*
Jotun Grunts
Shaman En-Kor

Ancestral Visions
Glen Elendra Archmage
Cache Raiders
Morphling*
Serendib Efreet*
Wake Thrasher*

Ashling the Extinguisher*
Dusk Urchins
Kokusho the Evening Star*
Night’s Whisper*
Raven’s Crime
Withered Wretch*

Furnace of Rath
Kumano, Master Yamabushi
Mana Barbs
Puncture Blast
Stigma Lasher

Blastoderm*
Wickerbough Elder

City of Brass

Aether Vial*
Masticore
Phyrexian Furnace*

Snakeform
Overbeing of Myth*
Murkfiend Liege

Balefire Liege
Figure of Destiny
Duergar Hedgemage
Rise of the Hobgoblins*

Dominus of Fealty

Psychatog*

Creakwood Liege
Sapling of Colfenor

Stillmoon Cavalier*
Deathbringer Liege*

Wort, Boggart Auntie

Fires of Yamivaya

Thanks to Fugie for the card suggestions. Exalted Angel, Morphling and more would have fallen through the cracks if he hadn't mentioned them to me.
T

Breaking News!

Top 8 is me.

That is all.

House of Cards

I am trying to make this post consist of more than an apology for lack of content. In a past post I might have mentioned that house hunting is like a part time job. If that is true then buying a house is a full time job. I know it will be done with soon (assuming nothing "interesting" pops up during the home inspection or the bank appraisal) but man, there's like ten or twelve things that need to be done- NOW. Putting an offer in prior to a three day weekend was probably not the wisest of decisions, either.

The bottom line, if you haven't spotted it yet, is that I have been Magic free this weekend (although Harley Fest was worth skipping a draft for). Also, Fugie scooped up the topic of the new Banned and Restricted lists, (also I would have been talking out my ass about them anyway) so no joy there. We will try to strike pay dirt elsewhere.

Fugie also mentioned a regional banned list for EDH, citing Time Stretch winning games, often unfairly. I can't argue that. But hasn't the problem with those turn-taking combo decks always been the consistency? I mean there's a reason that Fugie was excited about getting his Capture of Jingzhou; it's an extra Time Walk in a singleton format. Obviously recursion pieces can also be duplicated as well. I guess my question isn't whether Time Stretch should be banned, but how much of a difference banning that one card would make. Just asking.

I am also very excited that we will be returning to the traditional block formula of one large set and two small sets. This is mostly because I have some unrealistic vision of drafting with packs from three different sets as more "pure" than having to draft with two packs from a large set. Also, there was a beauty to the fact that when you really wanted cards from the large set, you got three packs worth. Then, later, you only get two, so you could finish off your collection that was still missing while adding the second set's booster. By the time the third set rolled around and I'm sick of the large set, I only have to look at a single pack worth. Another positive of the three set block is that the draft format is shaken up two times in the block, not just once, like when Morningtide and Eventide were added. It makes the draft experience new again without necessitating an entirely new card pool. The only downside to the traditional block structure is that us drafters often collect less of the third set. I usually spend more money buying boosters of the third set (in a non-draft setting) than the others for this reason.

Finally, if there are any Magic players who are interested in house music I am probably going to be heading out on Friday night to catch a show at Three, a MKE night club. Some good DJs will be spinning there (John, from the Sound Republic, Chris Grant, and my neighbor from down the street Mr. Timms). It might be fun (read: amusing) to watch ol' TooSarcastic jumping up and down and shaking it on the dance floor. I was at Three last night with the Old Lady and we got two for one Absolut drinks- and it was after midnight. I don't know if the drinks are as economical on Fridays, but we were good and liquored up for cheap.

T

Selling my T2 and Ext. stuff

I am looking to sell this stuff for cash money. LMK if anyone is looking for anything (I prefer not to break playsets of duals/pains)

4 Watery Grave
5 Overgrown Tomb
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple Garden
4 Stomping Ground
4 Steam Vents
2 Godless Shrine (I have 4 but I lent 2 to a dumbass who hasn't returned them yet. I need to track that shitter down)
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Blood crypt
4 Breeding Pool

4 Brushland (IA)
4 Underground River (IA)
4 Sulferous Springs (IA)
4 Karplusan Forest (IA)
4 Adakar Wastes (IA)
4 Caves of Koilos (AP)
4 Shivan Reef (AP)
4 Yavimaya Coast (AP)
4 Llanowar Wastes (AP)
4 Battlefield Forge (AP)

4 Flagstones of Trokair
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth (1 Foil)
3 Nimbus Maze
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Scrying Sheets

4 Coalation Relic
4 Chameleon Colossus
4 Birds of Paradise (RAV)
4 Bogardan Hellkite
4 Damnation
4 Wrath of God (4th Ed.)
4 Lightning Angel
4 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
2 Aeon Chronicler
3 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
3 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Repeal (Foil)
4 Remand
4 Delay
4 Call of the Herd (TSP)
5 Saffi Eriksdotter (4 English, 1 Jap.)
2 Mystic Enforcer (TSP)
4 Mystic Snake (AP)
4 Glittering Wish
4 Serra Avenger
4 Spectral Force
2 Quagnoth
1 Teneb, the Harvester
3 Stormbind (TSP)
4 Sedge Sliver
4 Urza's Mine (AQ)
4 Urza's Tower (AQ)
4 Urza's Power Plant (AQ)

3 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Lightning Helix
4 Savannah Lions
X Kird Apes (of all editions)
4 Putrefy
4 Mortify
4 Vindicate
4 Plow Under (UD)
4 Living Wish
4 Troll Ascetic (MD)
3 Life from the Loam
3 Slaughter Pact (1 Foil)
3 Astral Slide (FNM Foil)
5 Eternal Witnesses (1 FNM Foil)
4 Loxodon Hierarch
4 Doran the Siege Tower
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Haunting Echoes
3 Gaddock Teeg
4 Chill (TE)
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
1 Urza's Factory (Russian Foil)
4 Seismic Assault (Xth Ed.)
4 Destructive Flow
4 Boom/Bust
2 Fact or Fiction
3 Chrome Mox

Cats with tits? That's nothing

I have no comment

Beating a Dead Cube Draft Horse

I know everyone is pretty bored with Cube Draft discussion, but honestly I've got nothing else Magic-related going on lately. Like CBG, I am kind of burned out with the whole 4 set per year thing. I am very glad I did not buy more than a box of Eventide, as it turned out to be shit. I think the move to multiformat Pro Tours is really good for Magic, but otherwise all that other policy change crap going on lately is really boring to me. But I am really pushing to have the next iteration of the Cube complete by Shards of Alara previews, so I will write this last post about it.

We had a great weekend for Cube Drafts, with GU hosting an 8 person Draft on Friday and a 12 person on Saturday. I was at first leery of store-based Cube drafts because so many of the people playing haven't contributed cards, and it was easier for all those pimped out cards to walk out the door surreptitiously. But I was wrong. People seem to genuinely enjoy the format, and every card is still accounted for after about a half dozen of these store based drafts. Not bad, considering how easy it is to even just misplace cards when they're scattered all over the store. There is a lot of love for this format. We also have more data to come to some conclusions about the soon-to-occur changes to the Cube.

COLOR FIXING
The Captain and I spoke about cutting the color-fixing in the Cube by one ten-card cycle, since three color decks and beyond are eminently achievable. But the response that I got when I asked people about the fixing was that they really like the flexibility. I seemed to be the only one who actually thought of it as a problem. This may be because I am trying to squeeze other good things in the Cube as well, so I am always looking for cuts. But maybe we can leave the color fixing as is for now. Major_Luck likes the idea of cutting the Ravnica shock lands for the five fetch lands. The fetches are probably more powerful (especially with ten original duals floating around) and they would free up five slots that could still be used to expand, oh I don't now, say the five enemy color combinations featured in Eventide? Clever, eh? The issue is far from settled however.

RECURSION
I deliberately forced a reanimator deck on Friday night. I can attest to its raw power. I played terribly and somehow still managed to make it to the finals, against Fugie, of all people. He got there with a three (or was it four?) color control deck, which also gives us some data about the format, even taking into account Fugie's notoriously rainbow-flavored deck building predilections. I think that we can safely pare back some of the reanimation, and even add a little graveyard hate, with no real damage to the archetype. Trust me, when a guy like me can mill 30 cards of his deck into the graveyard by turn six, and then win before decking himself, the archetype is too strong. I am no combo player.

MULTICOLOR
More multicolor cards should arrive with Eventide. That is really all there is to say about this change. Hybrid versus gold cards are not as important an issue as I first thought. As The Captain pointed out, in a pool of 540 cards, whether or not two of the cards can be played only in U/W decks vs. U and W decks just isn't significant.

AGGRO
Control is really quite juiced since our move to 540. Everyone is in agreement on this. Our cuts and adds should leave a more balanced picture than before.

CREATURES
Although our current configuration has a reasonable creature/spell mix (about 50% overall), the ratio of creatures to spells should be increased, if only slightly. It seems very difficult to draft enough creatures. Most of my recent decks have sported only 12 or so dudes. This is probably a function of how amazing controlling strategies are (why play 18 dudes when you can just counterspell/kill/bounce/sweep the board instead?) but it warrants a mention.

CUTS
You know it has to happen. We have to get rid of some cards to make room for other juicy stuff. I haven't thought huge amounts about this, but these are cards I would consider. I am skewing toward working toward the goals above, in case it isn't obvious. Let me know your own ideas as well, if you have any. I don't think the below links will work and am too lazy to change them.

Aegis of Honor
Divine Offering
Enduring Renewal
Kataki, War's Wage
Pariah
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary
Prison Term
Rule of Law

Braingeyser
Collective Restraint
Cunning Wish
Evacuation
Hydroblast
Propaganda
Threads of Disloyalty

Darkblast
Corpse Dance
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
Night of Souls' Betrayal
Nihilith
Priest of Gix
Rend Flesh
Living Death
Diabolic Servitude

Demonfire
Flamebreak
Ghostfire
Lava Hounds
Mana Flare
Pyroblast
Seal of Fire
Shock or Tarfire or Sudden Shock, just one of them.
Shard Phoenix

Basking Rootwalla
Carven Caryatid
Defense of the Heart
Mirri, Cat Warrior
Fyndhorn Elves
Spawnwrithe
Spidersilk Armor
Survival of the Fittest
Tower Above
Vinelasher Kudzu

Desolation Giant
Fiery Justice
Firemane Angel
Grave-Shell Scarab
Lightning Angel
Memory Plunder
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
Silkbind Faerie
Void
Vulturous Zombie

Icy Manipulator
Lotus Petal
Serrated Arrows

Volrath's Stronghold
Wasteland
Terramorphic Expanse Probably just to add City of Brass
Tolarian Academy
Maybe the Rav duals

I was going to have a new mix today, but I have no web host any more. I don't know what happened to all the data I uploaded, but the whole beatspro site appears to have vanished. That's what I get for expecting free online hosting for 1000 megs of files. I am looking at other options.

As usual, sorry for the length.
T