Back to Basics
(179 Card Cube)
Blog Posts (20+)
Page 1 of 1+
JaySherman posted to Back to Basics -
Minor changes
  • Brought back Disenchant because I want the staple and that art is awesome, I won't be able to use it anywhere else.
  • Another haste creature to make red more proactive and less vulnerable to removal.
Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel

Swapped Manalith for Letter of Acceptance, because the letter (ha) isn't stricktly better, it has distracting text when what I want is people to think if they reaaaaally need ramp/fixing.

Arcane Encyclopedia is the kind of card that can ignite the spark of future control players by itself. Removed Twig to emphasize green as the fixing color. Maybe I'll even add a Lay of the Land.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
The Big Rework: white

White gets a lot of cheap-er creatures, so it should be an aggressive color. But it has a hint of defensiveness, in Bulwark Giant and Righteousness, for example.

I added Heliod's Pilgrim so people learn to pay attention to previous picks when drafting, or thinking about synergies when building the deck.

In the future I'll add a Defender and maybe I'll cut down on instant interaction, but for now it plays well.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
The Big Rework: blue

Blue gets a theme of looting and, of course, drawing lots of cards (explicited in the gorgeous Knights of Dol Amroth). Very few creatures, in relation with other colors, but it gets to be tricky with Zhalfirin Shapecraft and Run Away Together.

Sleep is a bit of a bomb but it is there to enlighten about the differences between big and small games and how each strategy goes about finishing the game (same as Cosmotronic Wave in red).

I would love to have a Wind Drake in here but sadly, there isn't any with reminder text and black border. An Air Elemental should suffice.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
The Big Rework: black

Black goes heavily into sacrifice and graveyard themes. For sacrifice, we have enablers and payoffs, and a great first-pickable, build-around, fodder card in Reassembling Skeleton.

Eventually I would like to have a reanimation spell instead of just "Raise Dead" effects, but for now it's just that as a way to provide card advantage in black. Also, Macabre Waltz and Mind Rot helps people understand that sometimes you don't play every land you draw.

It also got more varied removal, including the return of Murder. I think it is such a clear implementation and so resonant that it should be in. After that high mark, comparing Lich's Caress and Consign to the Pit can help someone get the idea that doing damage is more valuable than just gaining life (unless you have synergies). Consing can also spark the idea of splashing.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
The Big Rework: red

Red is getting dragons! I couldn't resist, they're so iconic (and with reminder text!).

I added a slight sacrifice theme to mix with tokens and black, and Goblin Smuggler to help with saboteur effects.

Maniacal Rage is another opportunity to learn about changing drawbacks into advantages, and also goes well with keywords and Heliod's Pilgrim.

I'll put Shock on the watchlist because is so efficient, but for now it is there and should be a high pick.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
The Big Rework: green

In general, I want green to have the bigger creatures per mana value, so they should just win combats on their own against similarly costed creatures from other colors, or at least have more total stats. That's why we have Centaur Courser, Axebane Beast, Grizzled Outrider and other vanilla creatures, they're are just efficient.

I added Crushing Canopy because is emblematic of green's color pie, and like it a lot of fight effects (and tricks) to hint that green mostly removes creatures by using its own.

Roaring Primadox and several creatures with ETBs are there to serve as build-arounds, and (along with Ancestral Statue) to suggest that some "drawbacks" can actually be features if the deck is built in a certain way.

Finally, I removed Llanowar Elves and Giant Growth because I think they are too good in this environment.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
The Big Rework: lands and artifacts

I'm removing everything that didn't have reminder text, and adding a generically good fixing land because fixing is good, and a colorless land (with reminder text!) to spark discussions about value in the land slot in general.

Prismite is just decent here and helps thinking about the cost of fixing. Diamond Knight might push someone to think about monocolored decks and know that not everything is fixing in the colorless land. Sparring Construct is nice to have for more aggressive colors.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel

I liked this idea but it is really hard to fit with the cube's core philosophy of having every keyword with reminder text (reminder text is italiced text between parentheses that explains what the keyword does).

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
Mainboard Changelist+1, -1

Removing references to "mana pool", lowering power level a bit.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
JaySherman posted to Back to Basics -

Murder is too good I think.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
JaySherman posted to Back to Basics -
Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
JaySherman posted to Back to Basics -
Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
JaySherman posted to Back to Basics -
Mainboard Changelist+1, -1

I think I want to have the "aura removal in blue" represented.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
JaySherman posted to Back to Basics -
Mainboard Changelist+1, -0

Blue should have the best flyer.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
JaySherman posted to Back to Basics -
Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
JaySherman posted to Back to Basics -

Removing Nimble-Blade Khenra because it's the only instance of prowess.

For effects like Uncaged Fury you should go to green's combat tricks.

Alan Pollack
WesternPaladin -

If I may ask, what does the x-sideboard tag refer to? I couldn't see any cards that care about things outside the game.

SubmitCancel
Page 1 of 1+