Including a proliferate theme is easy. As a baseline, any planeswalker supports it.
Scrying 2 without a draw is a lot of set up for the oracle theme.
Scaleable kill spell with combat trick potential that does a fair reanimate lategame.
Its first & second effect more than make up for the third, which isn't too bad.
If you want a hype payoff for jamming Fires of Invention, look no further.
In Wilderness Reclamation's article (#0011), I wondered whether I could foster an "abilities" theme. At the time the answer was a clear no, & it stayed that way until I added Whip of Erebos yesterday.
Fires of Invention further increases the gap between the new "activate" & old flash theme, by saying it doesn't play well with the latter.
Was unsure whether I wanted any cards to be both enchantment & artifact, because of a self-imposed restriction. In Embercleave's article (#0010), I wrote that my aim is to only include artifacts with & enchantments without activated abilities. However, the realisation struck me that Whip of Erebos expands on that idea, rather than undermining it, by having an effect that is static & an activated ability, cleanly seperated.
Furthermore, I appreciate that both parts synergize internally very well. The lifelink anthem grants extra time to activate the repeatable Goryo's Vengeance, which in turn produces beaters that swing with yet more lifelink.
Oh yeah, & it's a sweet card.
Very white ability & this cube's first unconditional manasink. Would've been even cooler without the sorcery speed clause.
In his writings, a wise cube curator
says that the best is the enemy of the good.
Perhaps setting up for a proliferate theme. Herald of Anafenza'l be included regardless.
It's neat when every card has a reason to be drafted over another, even though not strictly neccesary. For Lightning Axe compared to Bone Shards, my main reason is instant speed.
Life has to be a resource worth spending to make Ulcerate work. For the life theme to work, it also needs to be worth gaining.
Within the graveyard theme, it is setup & payoff. Elsewhere, Faithless Looting is very red, very late card advantage & terrible opening hand remedy.
When those decisions are close in value, skillful players prosper. Plan ahead!
When unsure what to add I try to keep it simple.
Ravenous Chupacabra doesn't share Flametongue Kavu's problems.
The new draw theme. Brainstorm with Jace, the Mind Sculptor for extra life you can convert into a longer game, where Sheoldred, the Apocalypse is favored.
Some say deathtouch on a 4/5 isn't very relevant. This environment may be an exception to that notion.
First graveyard card that gets discounted in theme. Curve Rotting Regisaur into Honored Hydra for maximum lizard carnage.
Very cool to have 2 different ways to interact with the oracle theme on a single card.
Jace, the Mind Sculptor reads different in a cube without Flooded Strand, but is still a powerhouse.
Another part of green's identity is additional mana production, sometimes accompanied by color fixing. This environment already has amazing color fixing from the original dual land station, making it interesting to give ramp worse fixing than lands.
Part of green's identity is strength through resilience. Young Wolf's unique resistance to death allows for additional synergies over similar cards like Doomed Traveler. In Flickerwisp's article (#0007) I described its ability to remove +1/+1 counters. Did not foresee using that on friendly creatures.
Considering a draw theme with Sheoldred, the Apocalypse over Faerie Vandal. Latter is not great in unthemed midrange.
Serum Visions has a downside compared to counterpart Preordain, which within theme could be considered an upside. Creating one's own environment lets us shape contextual powerlevel beyond powergaming.
Tricks often need to get proactive value outside of the responsive usecase to be good. Usually, that proactive value feels different or extra. I appreciate Village Rites' high overlap between proactive & responsive use.
While Laelia, the Blade Reforged's last paragraph isn't clean, being the 1 month anniversary addition requires coolness over perfection.
She's the first oracle payoff that truly leans into the theme.