So with the announcement that the Khans of Tarkir block is going to be another gold set (in this case the wedges, finally) I figured it was time to get a little bit better grip on the gold section in my cube. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, there are tons of cards that I am not playing that are 100% legit and good enough for inclusion...the options lately are just so numerous that there are lots of cards that I have to exclude on the basis of the competition. Secondly, because there are so many options now, I have the opportunity to streamline each guild, wedge and shard into more focused archetypes. That wasn't possible before because some guilds had only two or three cards that were any good which would have meant I had to include a lot of sub-par to bad cards just to accomplish this goal. Each section in my multicolors has a unique identity and lends itself naturally to one or two archetypes that would benefit from more focused support. When people see a gold card I want them to be able to say "I can draft a deck where this is amazing" and "this is what kind of deck I want to build if I am in these two colors". It might sound like this isn't that different from just "adding the best cards" but I think we can do better. I will explain the mechanical identity of each guild, the cards that already encompass that guild, and finally any changes that are made to improve the guild's focus. And with that...let's get started
The Senate
Azorius decks come in two flavors. There are the UW control decks and there are UW evasive aggro decks. Most of the cards in this section fulfill vital spots in both of these main two decks. Azorius Guildmage, Detention Sphere, and Minister of Impediments in particular fit into any deck and can serve a very versatile and useful function. Supreme Verdict and Wall of Denial fit soundly into primarily control decks. Geist of Saint Traft, Venser, the Sojourner and Lavinia of the Tenth are best in aggressive decks but are not particularly bad if you play them in your control decks either.
In Out
This is a pretty big upgrade when it comes to improving control decks. Wall of Denial does one thing very well. It prevents your opponent's biggest creature from dealing you combat damage. Note that I didn't say prevent it from attacking as it can definitely do that. It also doesn't do much if your opponent swarms you. It's pretty much just another Guard Gomazoa except that card can actually kill X/1's. The shroud is nice since it also makes it near unkillable outside of wrath effects but...you cast it and then it sits there for the rest of the game. It's just so boring. The life-gain and card advantage from Sphinx's Revelation just makes such a huge difference when compared to Wall of Denial. It's also much more interesting. Sphinx's Revelation can make someone want to go into a deck whereas Wall of Denial is much more apt to be a late pick that you are happy to have if you are already established in the archetype. I am looking for more excitement.
The Legion
Boros is all about aggressive creatures, burn, and killing your opponents as quickly as possible. All of the cards listed accomplish these goals with little to no interruptions. The sole exception would be Aurelia, the Warleader and her Aurelia's Fury. Aurelia herself is a nice curve topper in a Boros deck that is a little bit slower. Her Fury does about a billion awesome things but, in the same vein, is very mana intensive if you want to get maximum value out of it. I don't think that any of these cards need to be altered at the moment but I will be keeping an eye on those last two if better Boros cards come out in the future.
The House
Dimir naturally lends itself very well to a controlling strategy through removal and disruption. However, there is also secretly a pretty good evasive aggro deck that can be built which uses its removal less on big threats and more on keeping pressure on the opponent. Dimir Charm, Baleful Strix, Ashiok, Ribbons and Oona fit very well into the control build while Duskmantle Seer and Shadowmage fit into the aggro build. Far // Away is very interesting because it actually fits into both. The aggro deck can use it as a tempo play, likely only playing one of the two abilities, while the control deck is much more apt to wait and fuse it for both effects. As with Boros, I think the cards here are very well tuned and fit very nicely with what the guild has to offer potential deckbuilders. I see the need for no changes and am very content with what we have going on.
The Swarm
Golgari decks tend to be very grindy and win through eventual card advantage whether it be via recursion, repeatable and versatile removal or threats that incrementally win the game. They use the graveyard as a resource and are usually pretty mid-rangey in terms of speed. When I look at this collection of cards as a whole, one thing immediately stands out. Of the 8 cards included in the guild, half of them are strict removal spells. Putrefy, Maelstrom Pulse, Pernicious Deed and Abrupt Decay are all top notch removal spells that target non-creatures as well as creatures....but that's all they are and they are all pretty interchangeable. Lotleth Troll and Deathrite Shaman are cornerstone building blocks for what the guild wants to accomplish and Garruk is a new addition that should follow in that tradition. Dreg Mangler follows in those footsteps with the scavenge ability, but isn't terribly exciting, especially in a color combination we have established as not particularly aggressive. I see an area that could use a spark of imagination and improvement.
In Out
Varolz is kind of like Dreg Mangler on crack. It gives all of your creatures scavenge which works well in the late game where you gain all sorts of value off of lost dudes. It also gives you a sacrifice outlet which is something that you will be seeing popping up in the next update with black. Regeneration isn't as powerful in cube as many other places due to the nature of the removal in cube but there are plenty of scenarios where it is very annoying. Not costing any mana is a nice bonus that makes the ability a lot better. Lastly, this is the kind of card that people can draft around and get a great feel for what the guild does.
In Out
Taking out the most redundant and least flexible of the removal spells (also the most expensive) that were clogging up the Golgari section. Grisly Salvage gives the color combination another nice way to fill its graveyard for reanimator or other shenanigans. It also fixes your mana or gives you a creature should you like one. Having access to one of these also gives the color some card advantage without having to pay life, something that it should appreciate...I say card advantage because I imagine putting those cards into the graveyard means they aren't going completely to waste. This card has really overperformed everywhere I have seen it, even when you aren't completely abusing it at 100% efficiency. I look forward to its use in cube too.
The Clans
The Gruul deck typically has a lot of creatures sprinkled with only the highest quality non-creature spells. These are usually burn spells. While they encompass a lot of creatures, these decks typically aren't going to be swarming your opponent with one drops but playing creatures that are bigger than anything else on the board, earlier than your opponent can interact with them. Cards like Kird Ape, Giant Solifuge, Huntmaster of the Fells, Boggart Ram-Gang, Flinthoof Boar and Bloodbraid Elf fit into this camp. Domri Rade and Ghor-Clan Rampager give the color combo a much needed non-creature presence, providing card advantage, removal and a combat trick while still not detracting from the gameplan. Needless to say, they all fit perfectly. Kird Ape is really the only odd ball. Seeing as I have recently cut down on the all-in aggro plan in green, Kird Ape loses a little bit of value. Loam Lion isn't included in Selesnya because it has been really disappointing and I can't say anything different about Kird Ape. When it works it is incredible but it is just awful when it doesn't. Also, Boggart-Ram Gang is one great Gruul card from getting cut. It is pretty much a mono-red to gold card as it never gets played in mono green and it is so hard to cast. No changes for now, but both of those cards are being watched for something better. This is a very difficult guild for those last two slots. Other contenders at the moment would be Fanatic of Xenagos and Scab-Clan Mauler. What do you think?
Izzet
The League
Izzet is almost entirely based in and around counter spells, burn and tempo aggro. It is looking for cards that draw cards, can deal damage to creatures AND players, swing tempo and counter spells. The cards in this guild really quickly went from the shallowest guild to easily one of the more fine tuned and consistent. There are no options other than those I have included that I think are good enough and in the correct vein. The only card that I could see being on the ropes would be either Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind or Ral Zarek. Niv-Mizzet is nuts but is expensive for the guild. Ral Zarek has a strange +1 ability but is otherwise perfect. Again, no changes but this time, much like with Dimir, I think we are set barring insane new cards.
The Syndicate
Orzhov has always been a mixed bag and is probably one of the most flexible guilds. You can legitimately play reanimator, tokens, control, midrange and even aggro. Because of this lack of focus (or flexibility if you want to look on the bright side) typically the gold cards are among the most individually powerful but least synergistic. It is very difficult to look at one of these cards and say "That's what my deck does" because so many of them fit into multiple decks swimingly. Lingering Souls, for example, is good in any type of deck due to its pure power. The same with Obzedat and Blind Hunter. Ashen Rider is almost exclusively for reanimator and control while Putrid Warrior is almost exclusively aggro. Unburial Rites fits into a number of decks, some better than others, but rarely finds itself in the sideboard. The two removal spells, Vindicate and Mortify, are very powerful and flexible and fit, again, into any deck type. The weakest of these options is probably either Ashen Rider (mana cost and restrictive) or Putrid Warrior...but that card has surprisingly always overperformed. I don't think any existing options are better than those as even a powerful card like Sorin, Lord of Innistrad is boring and one-dimensional. My real inner voice wants me to look at Debtor's Knell again because...you know...Debtor's Knell. But it's just so much mana and I don't think a big expensive finisher is something that this guild really needs.
The Cult
Rakdos is primarily all in aggressive decks but there is also a deck that utilizes sacrifice effects for value. This is something that will be focused on a little more in the next update. Either way, one thing the guild doesn't need is any expensive spells clogging up the upper limit. Both black and red have some pretty good options as curve toppers already for the aggressive decks as it is. Luckily, all of the options here fit that mold. Rakdos Cackler fits perfectly into the aggressive decks as a low drop. Dreadbore destroys planeswalkers while also being unconditional removal. There seems to be a glut of four drops with Aristocrat, Olivia, Redcap and Mogis but they are all just so way above the curve in terms of power and all except Mogis fit into the other type of deck very well. Anyone who hasn't played with Torrent of Souls might look confused but this is pretty close to an overrun in the Rakdos decks and gains a lot of value with any tokens you might have. The only outcast would be Grenzo. He doesn't really fit very well into the aggressive deck or sacrifice deck per se, but both of those decks don't have a lot of card advantage and he is likely to hit on most creatures should he reveal them, even if X = 0. This makes him a 2/2 that can get more bodies while still swinging. Very powerful. Another guild that I am very content with all of the options.
The Conclave
Much like the Gruul guild, Selesnya tends to win games by playing lots and lots of creatures that are abnormally large. The difference is that while Gruul finds reach through burn and haste, Selesnya tends to find reach through going wide with tokens and anthems. The decks tend to be somewhere around mid-range in terms of speed. This is reflective with most of the cards as all of them except Ajani cost less than four mana. Gavony Township provides the anthem effect while the other cards all provide large bodies that tend to be hard to kill (Fleecemane Lion) or give some sort of ancillary benefit (Pridemage). Ajani provides much needed card advantage while also going wide with your creatures. They all fit very well. Selesnya is probably the deepest guild when it comes to other options but right now I like the ones I have here. None of them feel out of place and all of them are powerful and consistent.
The Combine
Simic decks usually end up spending the early game ramping and controlling their way into numerous expensive finishers. As such, the gold section appreciates finishers, early game control and ramp/card advantage which help get to the late game. Their is also a mid-range creature deck there somewhere. Most of the cards here fit into these categories pretty easily and do a good job. Prime Speaker Zegana and Progenitor Mimic are nice finishers while Kiora ramps and Edric boosts the creature deck. Simic Charm provides a surprising amount of value and flexibility. Shardless Agent and Trygon Predator are very good cards that give a lot of extra value and card advantage. Leafdrake Roost on the other hand is pretty slow, and while it does give eventuality it just doesn't do it fast enough. I am willing to part with Mr. Leafdrake Roost at this point.
In Out
I have been really impressed with Kiora's Follower so far. It's got a respectable body for the cost (not great but not terrible) and the ability to untap any other permanent is way better than it looks at first. Being able to untap a land to ramp fits in this color combo perfectly. You can also untap your artifacts for extra uses, creatures to block, not to mention that you can actually have super fun in multiplayer untapping opponent's creatures to surprise unsuspecting opponents. I still think this is the weakest of the Simic cards but things like Plasm Capture and Mystic Snake are devastating when they work but it is so difficult to just keep four mana up in cube and not be punished for it by looking for the right thing to counter. You almost have to counter whatever you can regardless of impact just to not have the wasted mana and value. That's not terrible but it's frustrating at times. Also those mana costs are unwieldly. I look forward to better Simic cards in the future as I see room for improvement.
Bant is usually split between some sort of aggro tempo deck and some sort of rampy control deck. It is quite versatile. This is something of a theme when you see white included in the mix. Crystallization is here as a flexible removal spell but isn't particularly exciting and it does something the guild already has a lot of.. Just as a side note, all the tri color tapped lands are awesome and are all staying in.
In Out
Bant Charm is very versatile, providing a removal spell that hoses reanimation, countering instants (which seems very narrow but does come up quite a bit), and destroying an artifact. Because of the removal spell, this is rarely a dead card but there are times when this is a complete blowout as a counterspell or artifact removal. All together this is more interesting and flexible than Crystallization.
Esper is all about control. This might come in the form of reanimator, counter magic or lots of removal...whatever the case they are almost always control decks. Sphinx of the Steel wind is almost only good in reanimator and even then...it has double protection...that is something I am trying to get rid of over time. Yes, that means the Swords cycle is probably coming out eventually as well. That means I need a replacement for the Sphinx that is control orientated.
In Out
Esper Charm fits perfectly into control decks and while none of the abilities seem to be particularly devastating, together they result in a card that is never dead. Destroying the enchantment is the most narrow but can be very important in the right matchup and it lets you have an answer to those permanents without having to devote a whole slot in your deck to it. Don't have an enchantment to destroy and late game your opponent is playing top deck mode? Draw two cards and get some gas yourself. It is very versatile and goes farther in getting rid of another protection card which is a double bonus.
In contrast to the previous two shards, Thraximundar is perfect in its role and excitement factor. Grixis is very removal grindy and typically wins with large effects that your opponent can't deal with. If they do, it typically is able to reuse them or use your own threats against you. This is what this card does. Having haste means it is a massive threat immediately and usually wins the game the turn after it is cast if not immediately. The only other options that are close in coolness are near impossible to cast (Cruel Ultimatum and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker). I am very happy with my hastey Zombie Assassin.
Jund typically is very removal heavy and wins via large creatures and a lot of reach with burn and reanimation shenanigans. Similar to Grixis but less control in nature and more mid-range. There aren't a lot of exciting options for Jund other than gigantic exciting dragon creature from pure doom and destruction....oh...wait...that is really pretty exciting. Sure, it costs eight mana but the other options are just so underwhelming or equally hard to cast. I am leaning on the excitement and Timmy aspect of the dragon here.
Naya is very creature heavy and typically is about as aggro as a three color deck can get. The tri color card should probably be a finisher or something else exciting that interacts well with you having a lot of creatures or relying on large individual creatures to win a game. Realm Razer fits this perfectly. At six mana you are going to rely on the fact that you have a better board presence. If you do, this is pretty much an Armageddon. That is a very powerful effect, especially when you put it on a pretty good body. Add in to that fact that these decks don't have many very expensive spells and you shouldn't miss too much ground in getting back on your feet afterwards. This is devastating against control decks. I like it.
Every single one of these is almost assuredly getting replaced with something from the new set. Ghave and Lightning Angel are the most interesting but Lightning Angel isn't nearly as good as it used to it. Ghave is really interesting but it's very mana intensive and expensive to do anything with. I look forward to the new goodies from Tarkir!
Well that was interesting. Some changes were made and I felt a little more rounded with all of the new gold changes that were made recently. Now I am all ready for Khans of Tarkir!
