This cube is designed as a homage to the original Innistrad and Dark Ascension (2x Dark Ascension and 1x Innistrad) draft formats. Cards from other sets (mainly from the other five sets focused on the plane of Innistrad) have been added to augment the experience and to make up for the lack of duplicate cards.
Some cards have been replaced by alternative options for power level reasons. Cards excluded from the cube due to their power in a limited environment are Avacyn, Angel of Hope (replaced by Archangel Avacyn) and Invisible Stalker (replaced by Suspicious Stowaway). Also, Creepy Doll has been replaced with Stuffy Doll because I want to avoid coin flipping damaging cards or personal items.
For functionality, this cube treats all werewolf cards as if they have the new Daytime/Nighttime mechanic, as I believe it functions more smoothly than the mechanic used for the first attempt at making Werewolves in the original Innistrad block.
Once the day/night cycle begins, the game rules check each untap step for a condition to be met, which will automatically cause day to turn to night or back again:
If it's day as a turn begins, and the previous turn's active player didn't cast a spell last turn, it becomes night.
If it's night as a turn begins, and the previous turn's active player cast two or more spells last turn, it becomes day.
The 16 Cards Affected By Functionality Changes For This Cube Are: Breakneck Rider, Daybreak Ranger, Duskwatch Recruiter, Gatstaf Shepherd, Hermit of the Natterknolls, Huntmaster of the Fells, Instigator Gang, Kessig Forgemaster, Kruin Outlaw, Lambholt Elder, Mayor of Avabruck, Mondronen Shaman, Reckless Waif, Scorned Villager, Village Messenger, and Wolfbitten Captive
The following 10 categories are the main strategies within the cube.
: Each of the allied color pair archetypes on Innistrad are creature based. The
focused archetype is Spirits. Spirits do not ask permission. They grant permission. Mausoleum Wanderer and Remorseful Cleric work to stabilize the game so an opponent doesn't get too greedy. A card like Drogskol Captain can give your creatures a boost and protection. So, if you're looking to soar above the competition, Spirits may be the archetype for you.
: BRAAAAAAAAAAAINS!!!!! The
archetype shows love for reanimated corpses, or Zombies. The Zombies archetype is centered around persistence. Gravecrawler may only be a 2/1 creature that cannot block. However, it can return from the graveyard when a Zombie is in play. Army of the Damned may put a 2/2 on the battlefield tapped, but it puts out 13 at once. This archetype can apply long-term pressure against opponents and wear them down for a win.
: Attacking, pain, and life-drain. The
archetype is focused on Vampires. Keeping it pure matters most to the Vampires. Edgar Markov(which does require a splash of white), Rakish Heir, Stromkirk Captain, Vampiric Fury, and many more cards encourage users to stay true to what matters most, creature type. Vampires are infamous for their bloodlust and sacrifice is very common in this archetype with cards such as Falkenrath Noble and Indulgent Aristocrat.
: They may seem like normal Humans but be wary of what happens when it becomes nighttime. The
archetype is Werewolves. This archetype encourages its users to be patient. Triggering a card like Huntmaster of the Fells or Mayor of Avabruck to flip can massively alter a game. In some situations it is best to force an early turn with Into the Night or Tovolar, Dire Overlord. If you feel like having more control over the daytime/nighttime cycle than The Celestus is the card for you.
: Humans are the focus of the
archetype. On their own Humans are fairly weak. However, when their numbers rise there power follows. Champion of the Parish can be a fairly underwhelming one drop in the wrong shell, but when in humans with cards like Hamlet Captain and Heron's Grace Champion it can get incredibly threatening. Mentor of the Meek is a very solid card for this archetype as it provides card advantage.
: Gains by loss is the focus of the
Aristocrats archetype. A creature such as Fleshtaker is used as a sack outlet in this build to fuel advantages. These advantages could be recursion with undying creatures like Butcher Ghoul, damage to an opponent due to a creature dying like with Blood Artist, or possibly both with Geralf's Messenger. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed helps this archetype function better as it grants undying to several more creatures.
: The Morbid mechanic is the central focus of the
archetype. Morbid rewards players if a creature has died this turn. Tragic Slip is a mediocre removal spell when used on a player's upkeep, but when the Morbid trigger hits -13/-13 until end of turn is devastating to nearly every creature in this cube. Cards that sacrifice at a moments notice, like Bloodflow Connoisseur really take this archetype to the next level. Deathreap Ritual is an additional bonus for this archetype (pulled from Conspiracy) that works as a draw engine to maintain card advantage in games that go long.
: This archetype develops into a big conclusion. The
archetype is Self-Mill. Creatures like Armored Skaab and Splinterfright are cast to help amass a large graveyard and get the deck up and running. Tracker's Instincts and Winding Way add additional value in a non creature capacity. A card like Gnaw to the Bone really helps this deck stabilize if needed in the mid-game. The game is closed out via a Kessig Cagebreakers, a Gutter Grime, or a Spider Spawning (which does require a splash of black for flashback).
: The main point of the
Spell Slinger archetype is to get insane value off of casting spells. Storm Skreelix and Vadrik, Astral Archmage can be cost reducers for the deck to allow users to do more with their mana. Past in Flames allows all spells to be reused with the flashback mechanic. Using a spell like Brimstone Volley or Devil's Play can be useful in finishing off opponents.
: Go Wide! Go Hard! The
draft archetype encourages attacking synergies. The more creatures turned sideways the better! Cards like Gisela, Blade of Goldnight and Odric, Lunarch Marshal have good synergy with a volume of creatures. Keyword abilities and attacking boosts, such as a well timed Rally the Peasants, really get this archetype clicking.