Aesthetic Swaps:
Executioner's Capsule is getting swapped to the original printing from Alara. I actually really like the colored artifact frame and the BRC frame doesn't do it justice. Bolas's Citadel still looks like an artifact, EC didn't.

The Dan Frazier art for Talisman of Curiosity is amazing. However, the MH1 printing has really great flavor text that really fits for my theme. I get to keep the retro frame with the H1R version which is nice.

Mechanical stuff:
Digsite Conservator - in my last small update I mentioned that I wanted to have more, limited, interaction with graveyards. This card fits the bill in multiple ways, limited targets, limited opportunities to activate. It also has an on theme name & relevant type (artifact). Discover is a new mechanic to the environment but at least it has reminder text.

Planar Nexus - this card might be too powerful. It represents a significant boost to the Urza-Tron lands which every player has access to while also being a filter & desert. Excited to try it out though.

For now, I'm not making any cuts to accommodate these additions. I'll get around to it.

Adjustments
Volatile Wanderglyph is coming in to try in place of Horned Stoneseeker. They are slightly different but have some overlap. Wanderglyph gets to play into discarding themes in addition to being an artifact and should be fun to pair with Loadstone Golem, Moonsnare Prototype, and Citanul Stalwart.

Krosan Archer is taking a break to try out Loaming Shaman. This card makes a bit more sense with the Centaur Gardens story which I really like. The real reason I'm trying it out though is I want a bit more ways to interact with the graveyard. I want it to be a very important and powerful zone, but I also want players to have some more defense against decks that relentlessly recycle cards in their 'yards. The shuffle is a bit softer than exile which I think should be a nice balance. Additionally, the 3/2 stat line is more in line with my gameplay goals as there are already quite a few high toughness creatures. Hopefully we don't miss the discard outlet too much.

I'm also moving Lore Seeker to the "maybeboard" with this update. I'll be keeping both the Lore Seeker and the Cogwork Librarian there and just throw them into drafts if players feel like seeing those cards show up. I like what they do in the draft but don't want to feel like either is taking a slot in the cube. I'm using this opportunity to try out Genesis. I really have no idea how this card will play in this environment but it seems like it would be a good card to discard. I'm curious to see how its play patterns turn out.

Finally, with INR, there are a few new retro frames I have access to - Collective Brutality and Cathar Commando. With that happening I'm also taking this chance to swap Thraben Inspector to retro as well.

I'm planning on another small update in the near-ish future to try to find a spot for Rhet-Tomb Mystic, Digsite Conservator, and Planar Nexus.

I added Polluted Delta, Windswept Heath, and Wooded Foothills to the cube around the time I added more shocks. I wanted to see how they would perform in this environment where there were relatively few targets for them.

What I found was that in decks where they were good, they were too strong while in decks where they weren't great in, they would frequently fail to find. This made games feel more swingy than I like while also adding a layer of complexity to an already challenging draft environment.

With that in consideration, I'm bringing back Horizon Canopy, Karplusan Forest, and Underground River.

Talismans of Creativity and Dominance are out. There are plenty of 2 mana mana accelerants so this gives space to try out other multicolor cards.

Gleaming Geardrake and Baleful Strix should both fit nicely in this environment. I was hesitant about Strix in the past but I think blue could use a bit of a boost in creature quality.

With OTJ comes the first major update associated with a new release. Generally, Desert Rose has looked to the past for new inclusions but the desert setting of Thunder Junction has provided me with a slew of new options.

:
Out: Savannah Lions, Generous Gift
In: Whitemane Lion, Saltblast

Saltblast gets house errata, "Affinity for deserts" which is greatly boosted with this update.

:
Out: Cult Conscript, Cut Down
In: Forsaken Miner, Desert's Due

Forsaken Miner is a more flavorful inclusion over Conscript and has similar functionality. Cut Down sits in a weird spot with this cube and feels like a dead card too often; Desert's Due is flavorful and powerful, a great pickup.

:
Out: Pyroclasm
In: Cataclysmic Prospecting

Pyroclasm is very above rate in this enviornment while Cataclysmic Prospecting is more in line with the flavor and power of Desert Rose. I am very happy to try this out.

:
Out: Loamcrafter Faun, Trophy Hunter
In: Dune Chanter, Colossal Rattlewurm

This is a big push in power for Green and will be monitored but Dune Chanter and Colossal Rattlewurm both fit perfectly in mechanics and flavor and simply demand to be tested.

:
Out: Millstone

Lands:
Out: Secluded Steppe, Lonely Sandbar, Bog Wreckage, Ghitu Encampment, Forgotten Cave, Slippery Karst, Survivors' Encampment, Mutavault, Crystal Quarry, Grasping Dunes, Vesuva
In: 10 Desert Duals, Arid Archway, Conduit Pylons

This change increases density of deserts, colored mana sources, and 2 color lands. I hope this opens up more pathways for players to find interesting decks.

Steam Vents & Fiery Islet - I've never really been happy with Fiery Islet from a thematic standpoint and it's inclusion was primarily due to owning a copy and it working within some of the established gameplay of Desert Rose. During a Scryfall search I came across the SLD printing of Steam Vents which I had not seen before. On theme art and flavor text will make this a significant aesthetic improvement. This will be the third shock land added bringing the total typed duals to 8 which lead into my next change...Fetch Lands.

I never intended to have fetch or shock lands in this environment. They could significantly warp the pace of games. There also didn't seem to be a reason to play fetch lands when the first iteration of this cube only had 10 typed lands total (5 basics and 5 cycling duals from Amonkhet). I have since added a second set of basics and now I'm looking to add a 3rd shock land meaning that having a reliable target with a fetch land is a now a possibility. Their inclusion will also boost Titania decks, something I've been wanting to do without just adding Zuran Orb.

The inclusion of fetch lands here will be limited to 3 allied colored selected to contrast with the 3 enemy colored shock lands. To accommodate these additions the following lands are on the chopping block:

Horizon Canopy - I love the Future Sight border and this effect is great, but its functionally too similar to Scattered Groves. This cut hurts but I think it will shift play patterns in a subtly positive way.

Underground River and Karplusan Forest are both fine and the 5th edition art works reasonably within the theme of the cube. These are not mechanically important though and are cut to preserve density of their typed dual counterparts in Fetid Pools and Sheltered Thicket respectively.

This update will be made when I get around to acquiring the Steam Vents and Windswept Heath that I am missing.

The goal of this update is to find a healthier balance of colors, increase removal & counter spell density, and reign in some of the more egregious power outliers that can lead to slower, longer games.

Notes on the "Maybeboard" - I'm moving Cogwork Librarian to the maybeboard alongside Lore Seeker. These will be kept in the cube box to be added to drafts when a pod feels like it.

Artifacts Out - Junk Diver & Barbed Sextant are both awesome for the flavor but are probably unnecessary density and are the weaker options for their effects. This opens up 2 slots and I'm using them to increase the number of green cards. Sensei's Divining Top & Trading Post are out for power level considerations. Both feel like power in this environment and have the potential to slow games down. Both lead to inevitable wins but not deterministic wins. Key to the City is in to maintain discard outlet density and to help break board stalls. Mazemind Tome as an advantage engine feels much healthier than Top or Post.

White - Origin Spellbomb always felt like a last pick and never felt impactful enough in games despite its various synergy potentials. Resolute Reinforcements also has synergy potentials and should be more attractive to more players. With Cogwork Librarian moved to the maybeboard, there is also room to add Sunlance.

Blue - Combat Courier is the weakest cantrip & creature in blue. Master Transmuter is in as a much splashier pick that will hopefully be a more important game piece. I also want to increase density of counter spells. To accommodate this, Hurkyl's Recall is out. I love this card but the density of bounce felt high enough while also having potentially too much disparity between its "floor" and "ceiling". Disdainful Stroke is out because it can't really be played around & hits so few cards while also feeling really bad when it does find its target. Remand is in as a signal that counter spells should be considered as tempo spells as much as hard control spells. Defabricate's exile clause feels important as a way to balance the plentiful graveyard synergies associated with artifacts in this environment. The stifle effect adds some flexibility that addresses some really powerful effects (Citadel, land abilities, strong etbs, etc.).

Black & Red - Red is overrepresented and over-tuned. Jackal Pup is out for the first issue and being arguably worst in its class. Lightning Axe is out for being a massive power outlier in regards to removal. This adds room to increase the number of black cards. Fatal Push & Collective Brutality are in as powerful removal spells that have meaningful limitations and encourage thoughtful drafting and deck building. Ophiomancer is out for power reasons. The steady stream of tokens can lead to frustrating board stalls. Woe Strider supports myriad themes as a token producer, sacrifice outlet, and aggressive recurring creature.

This small update is primarily intended to boost the power of Howling Mine with abilities that can tap artifacts. Prior to this update, only Citanul Stalwart had the ability to "shut off" Howling Mine for your opponents. Moonsnare Prototype is functionally similar, further solidifying a UG ramp identity while also having play in the late game. Lodestone Myr adds the Trample keyword to Desert Rose for the first time which should help break through clogged boards. Finally, Meria offers fun build around opportunities. To accommodate these additions, Unsummon, Thran Dynamo, and Bloodbraid Elf are out.

Skyfisher Spider & Poison-Tip Archer both care about destroying flying creatures and have sacrifice synergies. Archer edges Spider out in synergies though and has creature types that I want to represent more. This also makes Ancient Spider cooler in that it becomes the sole spider.

In my last update I broke singleton for Caves of Koilos & Llanowar Wastes. Thematic offerings for WB & BG dual lands left me wanting more. I was going to hold out to get the specific printings of Godless Shrine & Sandsteppe Citadel I wanted but I also wanted to get this update out there. In the meantime, I will use original printings of both as a placeholder. Godless Shrine doesn't need a lot of explanation, but Sandsteppe Citadel is the only 3 color land and is a stand in for a BG dual. I think this is ultimately fine as white is a very well represented color and could use the additional land slot. This also might help to bridge the possibility of Armageddon ending up in the same deck as Titania or The Gitrog Monster which I would personally like to see.

Nim Deathmantle was added to the cube alongside Self Assembler to combo with Ashnod's Altar and Myr Battlesphere. This was an extremely aspirational addition at the time and has never shown up in drafts due to the size of the cube. In addition to that it is the only card that has Intimidate in the cube and lacks reminder text. This is a major strike against it as it is a defunct ability and unintuitive. It is unfortunate to lose such a strong equipment that fits with the recycling themes of the Desert Rose but in its place I've brought in Sandwurm Convergence which is a flavor home run. This is the only card that references planeswalkers so that will be a sharpie errata so as not to distract players with unnecessary text (which I have done with Phyrexian Dragon Engine's meld text as well). I also like this addition because it gives green something to ramp into, helping fill out the GU "ramp" deck. This also works with the recent addition of the SLD Breeding Pool which I think evokes Dune's sandwurm's life cycle so that is really exciting for me.

Just retooling/rebalancing mana sources. Nomad Outpost, Godless Shrine, and Breeding Pool will be added at a later time (I didn't own these cards already).

Field of the Dead is maybe a power outlier in a way that works against some of my other goals and will be under scrutiny for the time being.

Maybeboard - Thopter//Sword are out because the cube is a bit bloated as things currently stand, this makes 2 card combos like this feel like potential traps. Zuran Orb is probably too linear of pick while also increasing density of life gain and is out of consideration for those reasons.

Mainboard - Runaway Boulder, Prized Statue, elsewhere flask and Set Adrift should all be discussed together. These swaps keep 2mv colorless cyclers and removal at the same density while adding a bit more synergy. Set Adrift has too much tension with cards like Cephalid Coliseum and recycling effects like Reconstruct, Recommission, Myr Retriever and the likes. Elsewhere Flask is likely the worst mana fixer and 2mv cycler, I like the flavor of it being a flask, but something has to give.

Prized Statue functions as a more interesting mana fixer that has higher potential for synergy. Runaway Boulder is an exciting new removal spell that also has higher synergy potential than Set Adrift.

Pianna is a card I keep getting reminded of, a great flavor fit that also builds out whites 3mv slot. Desert is currently the only nonbasic duplicate land making this a quick choice to cut. Going down a land is a bit of a concern but having added a 2mv accelerant in Prized Statue should alleviate some pain.

Desert Rose was drafted at cubecon! After some feedback and my own observations, I have some small adjustments, 10-15 cards.

Meticulous Excavation -> Touch the Spirit Realm
Removal density increase as well as increased utility.

Ashnod -> Cult Conscript; Doom Blade -> Bloodghast
This is an attempt to increase viability of dredging claw & smokestack specifically.

Dead//Gone -> Twinshot Sniper
Synergy increase.

Rough//Tumble -> Pyroclasm
Complexity decrease.

Arcbound Shikari -> Ashnod the Uncaring
I wanted to keep Ashnod as a character still present in the cube, bonus points that she is an aspirational build around. Shikari is out because RW doesn't need the additional support.

Wastes -> Vesuva
Wastes is the worst land in the cube, alsmost always a last pick, Vesuva will hopefully be more interesting to players.

Cradle of the Accursed -> Desert
Removal of unwanted artist representation while maintaining desert density.

MAYBEBOARD:
The following cards will be imminent additions but I need to narrow down cuts still.

Thopter Foundry & Sword of the Meek
This value combo plays well with Ashnod + Smokestack as well as being able to just end a game on its own. Might be too fiddly & introduces a unique token.

Zuran Orb
A handy way of boosting strategies that want lands in the yard while also being a 0 cost artifact for what that's worth. Specifically a boost to Titania, something to keep an eye on.

Prized Statue
Another member of the "ichor wellspring" family with important color fixing potential.

Runaway Boulder
Very cool card with myriad synergies in Desert Rose.

I've been searching for a green removal spell for a while. Beast Within was in early drafts of this cube but I just didn't quite like it for a few reasons, including flavor. I've been "shopping around" for 3MV green removal spells specifically for fliers, artifacts, and enchantments but again, flavor options are generally not wonderful in this camp. I almost decided on Shower of Arrows from the LotR set but again, didn't quite like the aesthetic, especially for such an aesthetics first cube. Desert Twister has been in consideration since the inception of Desert Rose but being 6MV makes it really unappealing. That said, a few months back it was suggested to me by @LuckyLooter to errata Desert Twister with "Affinity for deserts." and as of today, I'm going to embrace that. This may need a special note down the line, but for now, I'm happy with a sharpie on an inner sleeve. Hopefully it works as intended!