### Hello there fellow cube-enthusiasts! I'm not a spike player. I like brewing fun and synerginistic decks; so my cube is a hodgepodge of the durdle-types around which I like building and brewing. Some might suggest there's a wealth of 'sub-optimal' card choices, but there's hopefully more synergistic decks rather than some unfair cube experiences and the feel-bads of getting Channel-Emrakul'd in a Vintage cube... ##### *Cube Building 'Restrictions'* {m} Cards should be budget friendly - try to limit individual cards over £5 - with the current caveat of the duals - they're proxies; and if I can trade up then the £5 budget can be ignored {m} No cards from Universes Beyond sets {m} Most cards should try to be archetype-modal; Trying to reduce the number of 'last pick' cards to try and promote the deckbuilding 'fun' rather than "oh this is a 'X', but I'm drafting 'Y'" ##### *The Power Delta* As this is meant to be a durdle-themed cube, there are generally going to be some potential swingy cards, but as this is designed as cube where there are more likely gameplay intricacies, hopefully the card selections are maintaining a level of balance. However, I've also built this cube from a collection I started from back in 8th Edition, so I have still included cards like [[Umezawa's Jitte]] and [[Jace, the Mindsculptor]] just because I enjoyed playing with them as well, so yeah, there are some pet cards that have gotten around the terms and restrictions {m} Counterspells should generally be higher mana costs, be softer permission, or be blue-heavy, i.e. [[Miscalculation]] or [[Counterspell]]'s {u}{u} pips respectively {m} Black kill spells will mostly have some drawback, i.e. [[Eliminate]] or [[Bitter Triumph]] {m} Red has a burn problem, but there are more 'creature or planeswalker' type red spells than just typical 'Bolts. {m} Fewer artifact sources of coloured mana than quite a number of cubes to try and give green the main mana ramp themes - again trying to promote a bit more strategy, so yes, there's the typical 'brown' of [[Mind Stone]], but green gets the [[Rishkar, Peema Renegade]]'s and [[Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary]]'s of the cube --- There are plenty of cross-overs between archetypes, themes, and to a lesser degree the shards (I'm planning out these shard-e-types at the end of this primer), but the guilds have the following 'meta-types': --- >>> ## {W}{W/U}{U} - **Blink and You *Won't* Miss it!** - {W}{W/U}{U} <<< >>> >*“The safest place for you is not now”* >[[/Teferi's Time Twist]] >>> <<[[!Yorion, Sky Nomad]][[!Teferi's Time Twist]][[!Brago, King Eternal]]>> <<< I like the etb-style decks; being able to generate value from your creatures and permanents is fun. There's opportunity to use either {w} or {u} bases and use the flicker abilities with other colours. For example, {U/B} can utilize cards like [[Whip of Erebos]] and then exiling creatures with [[Teferi's Time Twist]] to keep them and negate the Whip's EoT clause --- >>> ## {U}{U/B}{B} - **'Rogue-jutsu'** - {U}{U/B}{B} <<< >>> > *It belongs to the merfolk now.* — Shipwreck prayer > [[Merfolk Looter|28e4e99d-5834-4f6c-b915-4f95edc1337f]] >>> <<[[!Thieves' Guild Enforcer]][[!Zareth San, the Trickster]][[!Soaring Thought-Thief]]>> <<< I'm a fan of the Ninjutsu mechanic (and the Kamigawa block in general), but lots of the Ninja are a bit too weak. But with the Rogues like [[Zareth San, the Trickster]] I can include the ninja-esque theme to keep combat interesting. The reanimator theme is a must as well, and the subtle milling elements from the Rogues as well as being able to pinch things from any graveyard like [[Beacon of Unrest|86572488-16e7-4df3-945a-93288cb0d5ce]], I think the {u/b} [[Reanimate]] deck feels right. --- >>> ## {B}{B/R}{R} - **'Discard-dos'** - {B}{B/R}{R} >>> > *“Knowledge is such a burden. Release it. Release all your fears to me.”* > —Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver >>> <<[[!Chainer, Nightmare Adept|d8089e7f-7619-43fe-8e0b-31ce5d988a1b]][[!Charming Scoundrel]][[!Faith of the Devoted]]>> <<< I wanted Rakdos to feel like it was more skillful to draft than just {r/b} aggro (I hope that the equipment decks fill that niche). So I wanted to get more disruptive and use the mechanics like Flashback and Madness to give more flavour to this guild. I think there is also some synergy with a pseudo-vampire subtheme as well as elements of aristocrats (looking at you [[Murderous Redcap]]) (which is a bit of a cross-over with the {w/b} taxes themes) --- >>> ## {R}{R/G}{G} - **'Norin-demonium'** - {R}{R/G}{G} >>> > *'When nature calls,* run *.'* >[[Primeval Titan]] >>> <<[[!Pandemonium]][[!Bramble Sovereign|0fae6a19-6a16-443e-adae-78a7380ee012]][[!Sneak Attack]]>> <<< I just wanted to abuse [[Norin the Wary]] in a deck and go back to my favourite standard season of Time Spiral-Lorwyn; homebrewing the Norin-demonium {g/r} deck to take on (and beat a few of) the Faeries decks in their prime was magical Christmas land for me. Here's to many a game wherein [[Ilharg, the Raze-Boar|c0109b60-09aa-4a03-92e7-0c651d976d51]] gets to '*[[Through the Breach]]*' a [[Craterhoof Behemoth]]! --- >>> ## {W}{G/W}{G} - **More than Just a Token Effort** - {W}{G/W}{G} >>> > *Once heard, the battle song of an angel becomes part of the listener forever.* >[[Glorious Anthem|2efbc588-019e-416a-938c-4ccbe7121335]] >>> <<[[!Divine Visitation]][[!Cadira, Caller of the Small|101af06e-24fa-40e5-9e53-77ef571b7f71]][[!Emmara, Soul of the Accord]]>> <<< Unfortunately, I find 'little-kid' decks a bit boring, so I have tried to push the Selesnyans toward the [[Divine Visitation]] and [[Cadira, Caller of the Small]]/[[Recruit the Worthy]] decks; getting to turn little bunnies into undercosted [[Angel]]s is a definite feels-good-man-situation! --- >>> ## {W}{W/B}{B} - **Death and Taxis** - {W}{W/B}{B} >>> > *Those who seek to upset the balance must be taxed for such ambitions.* >[[Mana Tithe]] >>> <<[[!Thalia, Guardian of Thraben|824423ff-6441-4be6-b754-810adf9ca6a2]][[!Athreos, God of Passage|52705c53-883e-4b6a-9c08-3fa35f6f17d5]][[!Dermotaxi]]>> <<< So... there's death and, well... taxis?! [[Dermotaxi]] just makes me want to play it just for the word play! But this is the Orzhov all over, [[Thalia, Guardian of Thraben]] and a bunch of Afterlife creatures supported by the God of the underworld... yeah, it's pretty linear, but after all, there's nothing more certain in life than... wanting get your opponent with a [[mana tithe]] :) --- >>> ## {U}{U/R}{R} - **Spell-unking!** - {U}{U/R}{R} > *“Learning to imitate a master is the first step in becoming one.”* —Uvilda, Prismari dean >[[Teach by Example]] <<[[!Sorcerer Class]][[!Jaya Ballard|fa25fedc-6038-48c8-b42a-817ac186492e]][[!Thousand-Year Storm]]>> <<< I like the 'big X' and mega-spellslinging feel that you can get from casual Commander and kitchen-table games, so that's what I've tried to emulate with the Izzet in my cube. There's still the [[Young Pyromancer]] and [[Balmor, Battlemage Captain]] decks, but why not try to cheaty-face a few big spells with [[Vadrik, Astral Archmage]] and [[Aminatou's Augury]]?! --- >>> ## {B}{B/G}{G} - **Recurring Nightmares** - {B}{B/G}{G} > *“I’ll return once you’ve ripened.”* — Ghoulcaller Gisa >[[Entomb]] <<[[!Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis]][[!Recurring Nightmare]][[!Old Rutstein|625b8023-2ef1-4b7b-9e48-4f774fee14e0]]>> <<< One of my favourite pauper decks is the {g/b} Threshold, and one of my favourite EDH builds is my [[Tasigur, the Golden Fang]] Sultai value deck... so here they are in the cube... although here I get to play with the powerhouse of [[Recurring Nightmare]] to build that value! --- >>> ## {R}{R/W}{W} - **The Stoneforge** - {R}{R/W}{W} > *From a distance the weapons look pristine, but in fact they are tarnished and dented, each as unique as the champion who carried it to battle.* >[[Armoury of Iroas]] <<[[!Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist|728b802c-969b-4865-b7a0-871c585d097a]][[!Akiri, Fearless Voyager]][[!Stoneforge Mystic]]>> <<< The equipment deck pretty much does exactly what it says on the tin. Although, abusing [[Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist|728b802c-969b-4865-b7a0-871c585d097a]]'s ability to shove a [[Captain's Hook]] on the opponent's creatures is a blast... what else can you want from {r/w}?! --- >>> ## {U}{U/G}{G} - **Evolve, Investigate, Conquer!** - {U}{U/G}{G} > *“I used to hurl rocks and eat scraps of meat burned over a fire. Look at what I’ve become and tell me Simic does not hold infinite possibility.”* >[[Vorel of the Hull Clade]] <<[[!Simic Ascendancy]][[!Kellan, Inquisitive Prodigy|f60fcb1e-6136-4330-ae9b-57742fbb114f]][[!Fleeting Memories]]>> <<< As I'm sure you've picked up from reading the other themes, I LOVE a durdle! So what's better than a durdle?? A durdle-wincon! Welcome, [[Simic Ascendancy]]. I loved trying to break the [[Helix Pinnacle]], but with the Ascendancy, you get to evolve your creatures too! And to further the Simic theme of constant search for improvement, there's the investigation sub-theme using the clues. --- Thanks for reading this far - I hope you'll give my cube a draft! I'd really enjoy hearing feedback or card ideas if you have any. --- ## Work in Progress Working on updating the cube with the 'shard' meta-types moving forwards. I'm looking to develop the cube with the following: >##### Bant {w}{u}{g} - "Investigators" >##### Esper {w}{u}{b} - "Vehicles/Artifacts" >##### Grixis {u}{b}{r} - "Madness/Flash back" >##### Jund {b}{r}{g} - "Pandemonium" ?? WIP - no clear direction yet >##### Naya {r}{g}{w} - "Token/Zoo" ?? WIP - no clear direction yet >##### Mardu {r}{w}{b} - "Vampires" Tribal aggro-sticrats >##### Temur {g}{u}{r} - "Big 'uns" (?) >##### Abzan {w}{b}{g} - "Persist combo" ?? WIP - some sort of 'counters matter' theme >##### Jeskai {u}{r}{w} - "Spells matter" (kind of low-hanging fruit) >##### Sultai {b}{g}{u} - "Self-Mill/Dredge"