Realistically solving the problem of Dual Lands.

Cube expansion depends to some extent on the inclusion of fetches and duals.

Buying the original Duals is completely unrealistic around here. I would also like to keep this cube without proxies.

All other solutions broke some other self-imposed rule. Interestingly, after thinking a bit, the rule that I would least mind breaking was the one regarding the frame.

The original Ravnica is still nostalgic for me somehow, unlike the reprints and horrible retrobordered versions.

Therefore, I intend to break the rule of only including old border cards to include the 10 shock lands from the original Ravnica block. Art still clashes a lot, but, as I said, it seemed to me to be the lesser of two (or more) evils.

Cutting the cube to 360 before expanding to 450.

I'm intending to take it to play on my LGS and I wanted a more reliable environment.

As soon as I manage to buy what is needed for the expansion to 450, these cards will return along with the new ones.

Finally deciding what to cut from the list for expanding the cube to 450.

Reassessing a recent cut.

Repentance doesn't hit every creature in the cube, but it does hit the vast majority.

However, it is more flexible than Exile, and can be used in both Aggro and Control.

This inclusion was a stretch. I don't imagine that anyone will include this in any deck without the existence of some payoff for Cycling and I don't believe that this is a very possible route in that context.

This update is a continuation of the previous one - despite the distance in time.

A few months ago I included cycling lands as part of the rotisserie land draft that is done after players build their decks and I could see that players like them, but not enough to compete with fixing, so if I wanted them picked, I would need to make a second round of rotisserie just for the cycling lands.

This has been tested, and it works, but I wish I had less steps - three is too many hahaha.

So I decided that it was necessary to include them in the core of the cube (total - fixing lands) and, to keep it at 360 cards, there was a need to cut some things.

These were the cuts:

Repentance - Kills most creatures in the cube, but costs one mana more than Muzzle, the card it was competing with. Now that I think about it, maybe the cut should be Exile, which isn't useful for aggro decks. I'll probably make that fix soon after. But here is the record of logic.

Dismantling Blow - Seal of Cleansing, Disenchant and Cloudchaser are enough enchantment removal.

Worldly Counsel - Worst Impulse with extra set up cost.

Dismiss - very expensive counter with little upside to compensate.

Aphetto Exterminator - Lots of mana for the effect, leaving behind a very puny body.

Addle - among similar effects, this is the one that costs the most mana and has the highest possibility of error and "feel bad" for the caster.

Rhystic Lightning and Magma Burst - Slash caught the most expensive burn spells. Perhaps at some point one of them will return in the place of some creature. Or maybe I'll get a Fire Ambush.

Broodhatch Nantuko - I like this guy, but less so than the other options at different points on the curve. He has a lot of potential, but I'm not sure how much set up is involved in realizing that potential.

Ghazbán Ogre - the cut was between him and Wild Dogs, but I kept the latter because of Cycling. I don't know how relevant the Thoughness difference will be here. Maybe i'll swap one for the other again in the future.

Previously my intention was for such lands to be available to all players. However, over time my annoyance grew with the fact that these would be the only cards whose art could appear more than once¹ (or eight times to be precise). Therefore, I decided to include them in the pool.

The most common game mode around here has been Sealed with 4 players. Fixing lands have been excluded from the pool at first and have been chosen by players in a Rotisserie Draft after building the base of the deck. Therefore, their inclusion will not dilute the existing fixing.

In the rare event of a 6-8 person draft, fixing lands will likely be seeded in the boosters.

¹ Each basic land in the cube also features different art.

MULTICOLOR

In general, when making the cuts and inclusions, I tried to prioritize cards that I considered more interesting and cut the most generic effects – even in their most powerful versions. It wasn't always possible, however, as the multicolor pool, especially for enemy pairs, is pretty shallow. Spectral Lynx, Life //Death and Aether Mutation are examples of these less interesting additions – but I hope they'll be effective nonetheless.

One of my all-time favorite cards. Included in the hope that it will facilitate the emergence of UB Midrange decks that look to reuse ETBs to generate value.

Included as an efficient and hard-to-remove beater. WG can be as fair as possible, but I also want it to be deeply resilient.

The only 3-color card in the cube is another pet card of mine. There's not much else behind the reason for the inclusion. It is noteworthy, however, that it occupies a place that would have been assigned to a card because Jilt was included as a blue card.

This inclusion is a test. Introduced thinking about stimulating a micro synergy with auras and in the midst of a color combination that has many wraths. I'm not sure what to expect actually, but it seemed like a more interesting addition than the rest of the cards in the pool.

ARTIFACTS & LANDS

One of the things this update tries to solve is to establish a better balance between allied and enemy color pairs. Therefore, some lands specifically geared towards allied pairs were cut in favor of the Lairs from Invasion. Besides that, some Rainbow and Utility lands were included to compensate for the increased number of cards in the cube.

As for the artifacts, in addition to the remaining diamonds, Aeolipile and Serrated Arrows were included as removals to compensate for the increase in the number of cards in the cube. In addition, I removed the custom Ashnod's Battlegear and included Power Matrix, another card that probably should have already been included a long time ago.

I'm increasing the size of the cube to 400 cards and taking the opportunity to do some changes and tests. I will try to explain the reason behind the choices below.

WHITE

Topple, Seal of Cleansing and Infantry Veteran were included just to increase the density of the effects by keeping up with the increase in the total number of cards and compensating for the withdrawal of some multicolored cards.

Sacred Mesa seems slow and costly, which limits its viability. Pegasus Stampede seems more versatile, having a place in aggro decks as well.

While I preferred the temporary protection effect and liked the cycling option of Akroma's Blessing, I decided to expand a micro synergy based on auras, as well as being convinced of the versatility of Flickering Ward.

Trying to incorporate a very relevant effect for aggro that has an old and fragile version in Old Border. I hope it's a card that plays its role well, but I'm a little apprehensive about it.

I've avoided including Armageddon in my cube from the start, but I've little by little included partial effects that I believe can offer more interesting decision and gameplay moments as well, as they are a little more versatile. The foundation for such an analysis is however none. This is just an expectation. This inclusion is a test and I hope it goes well.

Inclusion mainly so that control decks can make their land drops more securely, but also to support Wildfire decks. There is a little synergy with the cube’s few discard outlets.

BLUE

Power Sink, Jilt, and Probe were included only to increase the density of the effects by keeping up with the increase in the total number of cards and compensating for the withdrawal of some multicolored cards.

Peek looked very low impact and didn't offer any filtering. Worldly Counsel will likely be an instant speed Sleight of Hand most of the time, costing one more. It's testing to see if that makes it unfeasible.

Cloud Spirit and Rishadan Airship are efficient, but not very versatile and uninteresting. I decided to test Fleeting Image and Wormfang Drake in their places because I believe they give rise to more interesting interactions.

This is a test. I hope that Barrin, Master Wizard will fit into the same decks that want to Opposition, but also have an interesting interaction with grindy decks in UB or UW.

This card was part of my custom MDFC. I decided to abolish the system and add the card to the main list. Still hoping that someone will make it work.

Equilibrium was even included in an older version of the cube, but I cut it when I gave up forcing an ETB-value-bound archetype into UW. Recently, however, I started to wonder if UB could benefit from the presence of tools to reuse ETBs. Furthermore, I believe that most Tempo decks can make good use of the card. This inclusion is also a test.

BLACK

Skittering Skirge, Reanimate, Ashes to ashes, Crippling Fatigue and Decree of Pain were included only to increase the density of the effects by keeping up with the increase in the total number of cards and compensating for the withdrawal of some multicolored cards.

A Midrange creature that has some synergy with Reanimator and Graveyard Stuff in general. No biggie, but it looks like an interesting roleplayer in many decks.

RED

Goblin Balloon Brigade, Rorix, Blade Wing, Fiery Temper and Reckless Abandon were included only to increase the density of the effects by keeping up with the increase in the total number of cards and compensating for the withdrawal of some multicolored cards.

Goblin Warchief always seemed unnecessary and the in the cost didn't help. I particularly dislike Echo in Keldon Vandals, but it is an aggressive creature with a relevant ETB.

I've been wanting to include some combat trick in Red and I think few can be as relevant as this card.

Another tool to ensure reach for Aggro and Midrange decks. It features combo potential as well as interacts well with recursive decks.

GREEN

Diligent Farmhand, Ghazbán Ogre, Werebear and Weatherseed Treefolk were included only to increase the density of the effects by keeping up with the increase in the total number of cards and compensating for the withdrawal of some multicolored cards.

I am cutting most of the edited cards. In the case of these two, the main reason was to give green greater possibilities of fixing associated with the ramp. The perception that there is no need to concentrate almost all the ramp in T1 on an old bordered, unpowered and not optimized cube also contributed.

I dislike barriers. And yet I included one barrier in place of the other. I would imagine however that the Tinder Wall represents a less significant hurdle for Aggro decks, as well as offering the possibility of more explosive starts for Midrange decks.

Aggro and Midrange decks don't have much wrath protection in my cube. I probably should have included this card before, but I ended up dropping it in favor of others. No more! As the number of cards in the cube has increased, space has opened up for the effect, and I hope it will have a lot of relevance.

Previously it was part of my custom MDFC and has now been reinstated to the main list. I am aware that the dream of an army of squirrels is difficult to achieve, but it seems to me that the card has interesting interactions with Opposition, Smokestack and the like.