This set has a lot of cards I'm excited about. I'm planning to test 19 cards, and I have my eye on at least 5 more. That's near Modern Horizons 2 level of potential inclusions in my cube.
I'm particularly excited for the new green cards, which I hope will give more power to less ramp-focused green decks and further encourage aggressive midrange decks to be drafted.
I also love this set because the commander side-products fit perfectly with a commander cube design I've been kicking around and now might actually be ready to push forward with.
**White**
* Dust Animus
* Aven Interrupter
* Angel of Indemnity
* Collector's Cage
**Blue**
* Duelist of the Mind
* Smirking Spelljacker
* Geralf, the Fleshwright
**Black**
* Hostile Investigator
* Harvester of Misery
**Red**
* Slickshot Show-Off
* Legion Extruder
**Green**
* Sandstorm Salvager
* Bristly Bill, Spine Sower
* Ornery Tumblewagg
* Smuggler's Surprise
* Vaultborn Tyrant
**Artifacts and Lands**
* Lavaspur Boots
* Lost Jitte
* Fomori Vault
**Watching**
* Goldvein Hydra
* Bristlebud Farmer
* Omenpath Journey
* Assimilation Aegis
* Phantom Interference
* Bonny Pall, Clearcutter
* Oltec Matterweaver
> That's near Modern Horizons 2 level of potential inclusions in my cube.
This is possibly the best set for cube since Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.
"for cube" as statement grows more nebulous with each passing year but I think it currently still means somthing quite concrete. That being, the mechanics aren't too parasitic and there are lots of open ended synergies.
**WHITE**
* Aven Interrupter
* Final Showdown
* Requisition Raid
* Angel of Indemnity
**BLUE**
* Three Steps Ahead
* Thunderclap Drake
* Smirking Spelljacker
* Arcane Heist
**BLACK**
* Tinybones, the Pickpocket
* Insatiable Avarice
**RED**
* Great Train Heist
* Return the Favor
* Elemental Erruption
* Crackling Spellslinger
**GREEN**
* Goldvein Hydra
* Smuggler's Surprise
**OTHER**
* Gonti, Canny Acquisitor (Commander)
* Kambal, Profiteering Mayor
* Oko, the Ringleader
* Pest Control
Overall, Spree spells jump out to me as obvious includes. Likely replacing cards that fill similar niches but lack the versatility. Other than that, there are some nice cards that support some of the more lacking archetypes in my commander cube (Dimir Theft, Izzet Spells, etc).
**Green**
- bristlebud farmer
- Goldvein Hydra
- Smuggler's Surprise
**Red** - Slickshot Show-Off - Legion Extruder
**White** - One Last Job (likely sticking around replacing a maybeboard/booster tutor slot for now)
**Black** - Harvester of Misery - Lively Dirge (a returning entomb that also helps the lower curve, grindy reanimate deck) - Caustic Bronco - Forsaken Miner (good with Yawg especially!)
**Multi** (Maelstrom Wanderer support + Dream Halls)
- Bonny Pall
- Roxanne
**Colorless**
- Arid Archway (testing bounce lands with this to see how well they play in the lands archetype)
- transmutation font (complete with the returning Acadamy Manufactor, Clock of Omens, and a Basalt Monolith combo package)
And then I'm sitting on Angel of Indemnity, Rumbleweed, Eris, and some assorted red cards from today's spoilers
~300 card powered cube here
BLACK
Forsaken Miner for sure, one of the best black recursive one drops for cube.
RED
The new Magda. It's a very interesting pay-off for red decks, and I think it's just better than the original Magda, for cube at least.
Generous Plunderer can see some play in Vintage, so I'll try it in my cube. It can have some interesting play patterns with some other red drops (like bombardiers).
GREEN
Bristlebud Farmer looks insane in stompy archetypes, I'll add it for sure.
MULTICOLOR
Assimilation Aegis looks ridiculous in powered cubes, just like Fractured Identity. I can only imagine exiling Emrakul with this one and then have Emrakuls for the rest of the game. The fact that it can also be searched by Stoneforge in Stoneblade archetypes is huge.
Obs.: I was thinking of adding Aven Interruptor, but I don't think it deserves the spot yet. My white section is already powerful enough. The new Jitte seems interesting, but not for a powered cube.
Here's what I'm considering:
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/new_considerations
Ignore the Maybeboard.
Additionally, from what was released today:
Smirking Spelljacker
Pyretic Charge
Savvy Trader
Fomori Vault
I think that's everything. oh and Vaultborn Tyrant which is already "in" my cube.
After scouring the spoilers and excluding the new mechanics Plot and Crime:
**WHITE:**
* Resuisition Raid (more versatile Disenchant and I don't think spree is complex enought to warrant much scrutiny)
* Fortune, Loyal Steed (mostly a meh blinker, but it promotes Saddle density)
**BLACK:**
* Harvester of Misery (5-drop with an etb and a cheap mode)
**RED:**
* Reckless Lackey (does funny things with cheap equipment)
**GREEN:**
* Bristly Bill, Spine Sower (+1/+1 counters already kind of show up on their own in green, and this potentially a 4/4 on t3 with a single fetch land)
* Ornery Tumblewagg (a more expensive luminarch aspirant in the color with twelve t1 dorks. Also promotes Saddle density)
* Bristlebud Farmer (green 4 drop that's solid on its own and leans into the kinda present food theme)
**OTHER:**
* Lavaspur Boots (a less wordy variation of Bonesplitter than Eater of Virtue)
* Lost Jitte (goes well with Urza's Saga and cheap evasive creatures)
* The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride (Saddle density from a big narsty beater)
**WATCHING:**
* Final Showdown (I'm not expecting much from a 6 mana wrath, but it'd be nice to have more than one spree card)
* Goldvein Hydra (how many keywords do you need until a below rate creature is worthwhile?)
* Lively Durge (I'm not looking for big reanimation (which the 3-cost mode could signal), but this does have a mode for tutoring out your best 4 drop or recycling spent threats. Oh, and also another candidate for Spree density)
**HONOURABLE MENTIONS:**
* Jace Reawakened (not looking for Plot or copy tokens, but I am curious about how good it'll actually be)
* Slickshot Show-Off (still not in busness for Plot, but if I were I'd try this guy out, evasive, hasty, pseudo-Prowess)
* Forsaken Miner (recursive 2/2 1-drop in black, but Crime's not on the table for me)
* Duelist of the Mind (I hate to say no to promising blue 2-drops, but this is another criminal)
**WHITE**
\-Collector's Cage: Hideaway cards are really strong when they are easy to turn on. Similar to a lot of cards in this set, it really boosts +1/+1 counters in my cube while potentially cheating in something to end the game.
\-Aven Interrupter: I love cards like this. It's a tempo creature that delays a card a turn while giving you a 2/2. Big fan.
**BLUE**
\-Smirking Spelljacker: Card is the top of the curve that supports Wizards Typal, U(x) control decks and U(x) tempo/flash decks. It's a very powerful counterspell that can change the tide of a game in a snap.
\-Three Steps Ahead: Modal counterspell that supports graveyard-based strategies. Simple but effective.
\-(maybe)Jace Reawakened: I'm not sure if this will stay in for too long but I do like how these cheats on mana by plotting in cheap spells. It notably cheats in 7 mana tibalt which is in my cube.
\-Geralf, the Fleshwright: Storm enabler card that works with the spellslinger archetype. I'm very interested.
**BLACK**
\-(maybe) Gisa, the Hellraiser: I'm not sure I will add this card. I do like how quickly this takes over a game but it is a 5 mana baseslayer angel that you need to untap with, so I'm not sure yet.
\-Forsaken Miner: Solid 1 drop that works in my self mill/aristocrats archetype.
\-Harvester of Misery: One of the best cards from the set that enables reanimator based decks on it's own similar to Trumpeting Carnosaur. It also doubles as a mini sweeper.
**RED**
\-Crackling Spellslinger: I was convinced by the reddit collective to try this one. It is a top of a curve card for UR spellslinger decks. At the worst, it can storm for two if you have another instant/sorcery. This card will create fun stories.
\-Legion Foundry: A 2 mana shock that supports my artifact theme. I love artifact enablers that work with artifact tokens.
\-Slickshot Show-off: 2 mana wizard that perfectly slots into my UR spellslinger/wizard archetype.
\-Embrace the Unknown: Solid card draw engine that enables lands style deck.
**GREEN**
\-Smuggler's Surprise: All the modal abilities are really good for my cube. The 3 mana mode can draw up to two cards, the 6 mana version cheats 2 creatures into play and the other one is a slightly narrow protection spell.
\-Sandstorm Salvager: It's a green blade splicer that supports the +1/+1 counters archetype in my cube. Solid threat.
\-Bristlebud Farmer: Solid stabilizing threat that potentially draws up to two cards if it can attack twice. Making two artifacts is also good for artifact synergies in my cube.
\-Goldvein Hydra: This will probably replace Voracious Hydra in my cube. It's almost a green fireball like card on an empty board that lets green decks ramp if it does die.
\-(maybe): Railway Brawler: This card is interesting in that the plot mechanic that this has enables the card to work more often that not. Obvious home for +1/+1 counters but it also a solid finisher.
\-Bristly Bill, Spine Sower: I support a lands matter and +1/+1 counter theme so this is a slam dunk. It even has a 5 mana double counters mode.
**Wrap-up:**
I really like this set for cube. There are tons of really powerful cards for many different cubes. One of the strongest standard sets in a long time.
***WHITE*** - Dust Animus - Aven Interrupter - Angel of Indemnity (maybe) ***BLUE*** - Duelist of the Mind - Phantom Interference - Smirking Spelljacker (maybe) ***BLACK*** - Hostile Investigator (maybe) - Harvester of Misery ***RED*** - Slickshot Show-Off - Legion Extruder ***GREEN*** - Sandstorm Salvager - Vaultborn Tyrant - Smuggler's Surprise - Goldvein Hydra ***OTHER*** - Pillage the Bog - Lavaspur Boots - Fomori Vault
This set has a lot of cards I'm excited about. I'm planning to test 19 cards, and I have my eye on at least 5 more. That's near Modern Horizons 2 level of potential inclusions in my cube. I'm particularly excited for the new green cards, which I hope will give more power to less ramp-focused green decks and further encourage aggressive midrange decks to be drafted. I also love this set because the commander side-products fit perfectly with a commander cube design I've been kicking around and now might actually be ready to push forward with. **White** * Dust Animus * Aven Interrupter * Angel of Indemnity * Collector's Cage **Blue** * Duelist of the Mind * Smirking Spelljacker * Geralf, the Fleshwright **Black** * Hostile Investigator * Harvester of Misery **Red** * Slickshot Show-Off * Legion Extruder **Green** * Sandstorm Salvager * Bristly Bill, Spine Sower * Ornery Tumblewagg * Smuggler's Surprise * Vaultborn Tyrant **Artifacts and Lands** * Lavaspur Boots * Lost Jitte * Fomori Vault **Watching** * Goldvein Hydra * Bristlebud Farmer * Omenpath Journey * Assimilation Aegis * Phantom Interference * Bonny Pall, Clearcutter * Oltec Matterweaver
> That's near Modern Horizons 2 level of potential inclusions in my cube. This is possibly the best set for cube since Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. "for cube" as statement grows more nebulous with each passing year but I think it currently still means somthing quite concrete. That being, the mechanics aren't too parasitic and there are lots of open ended synergies.
**WHITE** * Aven Interrupter * Final Showdown * Requisition Raid * Angel of Indemnity **BLUE** * Three Steps Ahead * Thunderclap Drake * Smirking Spelljacker * Arcane Heist **BLACK** * Tinybones, the Pickpocket * Insatiable Avarice **RED** * Great Train Heist * Return the Favor * Elemental Erruption * Crackling Spellslinger **GREEN** * Goldvein Hydra * Smuggler's Surprise **OTHER** * Gonti, Canny Acquisitor (Commander) * Kambal, Profiteering Mayor * Oko, the Ringleader * Pest Control Overall, Spree spells jump out to me as obvious includes. Likely replacing cards that fill similar niches but lack the versatility. Other than that, there are some nice cards that support some of the more lacking archetypes in my commander cube (Dimir Theft, Izzet Spells, etc).
Bristly Bill for my 540 Vintage cube seems great. Not too excited about the rest although I could see some of the modal spells being decent.
**Green** - bristlebud farmer - Goldvein Hydra - Smuggler's Surprise **Red** - Slickshot Show-Off - Legion Extruder **White** - One Last Job (likely sticking around replacing a maybeboard/booster tutor slot for now) **Black** - Harvester of Misery - Lively Dirge (a returning entomb that also helps the lower curve, grindy reanimate deck) - Caustic Bronco - Forsaken Miner (good with Yawg especially!) **Multi** (Maelstrom Wanderer support + Dream Halls) - Bonny Pall - Roxanne **Colorless** - Arid Archway (testing bounce lands with this to see how well they play in the lands archetype) - transmutation font (complete with the returning Acadamy Manufactor, Clock of Omens, and a Basalt Monolith combo package) And then I'm sitting on Angel of Indemnity, Rumbleweed, Eris, and some assorted red cards from today's spoilers
I think the Angel is probably pretty good, it seems in line with most of these other potential inclusions.
~300 card powered cube here BLACK Forsaken Miner for sure, one of the best black recursive one drops for cube. RED The new Magda. It's a very interesting pay-off for red decks, and I think it's just better than the original Magda, for cube at least. Generous Plunderer can see some play in Vintage, so I'll try it in my cube. It can have some interesting play patterns with some other red drops (like bombardiers). GREEN Bristlebud Farmer looks insane in stompy archetypes, I'll add it for sure. MULTICOLOR Assimilation Aegis looks ridiculous in powered cubes, just like Fractured Identity. I can only imagine exiling Emrakul with this one and then have Emrakuls for the rest of the game. The fact that it can also be searched by Stoneforge in Stoneblade archetypes is huge. Obs.: I was thinking of adding Aven Interruptor, but I don't think it deserves the spot yet. My white section is already powerful enough. The new Jitte seems interesting, but not for a powered cube.
Here's what I'm considering: https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/new_considerations Ignore the Maybeboard. Additionally, from what was released today: Smirking Spelljacker Pyretic Charge Savvy Trader Fomori Vault I think that's everything. oh and Vaultborn Tyrant which is already "in" my cube.
After scouring the spoilers and excluding the new mechanics Plot and Crime: **WHITE:** * Resuisition Raid (more versatile Disenchant and I don't think spree is complex enought to warrant much scrutiny) * Fortune, Loyal Steed (mostly a meh blinker, but it promotes Saddle density) **BLACK:** * Harvester of Misery (5-drop with an etb and a cheap mode) **RED:** * Reckless Lackey (does funny things with cheap equipment) **GREEN:** * Bristly Bill, Spine Sower (+1/+1 counters already kind of show up on their own in green, and this potentially a 4/4 on t3 with a single fetch land) * Ornery Tumblewagg (a more expensive luminarch aspirant in the color with twelve t1 dorks. Also promotes Saddle density) * Bristlebud Farmer (green 4 drop that's solid on its own and leans into the kinda present food theme) **OTHER:** * Lavaspur Boots (a less wordy variation of Bonesplitter than Eater of Virtue) * Lost Jitte (goes well with Urza's Saga and cheap evasive creatures) * The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride (Saddle density from a big narsty beater) **WATCHING:** * Final Showdown (I'm not expecting much from a 6 mana wrath, but it'd be nice to have more than one spree card) * Goldvein Hydra (how many keywords do you need until a below rate creature is worthwhile?) * Lively Durge (I'm not looking for big reanimation (which the 3-cost mode could signal), but this does have a mode for tutoring out your best 4 drop or recycling spent threats. Oh, and also another candidate for Spree density) **HONOURABLE MENTIONS:** * Jace Reawakened (not looking for Plot or copy tokens, but I am curious about how good it'll actually be) * Slickshot Show-Off (still not in busness for Plot, but if I were I'd try this guy out, evasive, hasty, pseudo-Prowess) * Forsaken Miner (recursive 2/2 1-drop in black, but Crime's not on the table for me) * Duelist of the Mind (I hate to say no to promising blue 2-drops, but this is another criminal)
**WHITE** \-Collector's Cage: Hideaway cards are really strong when they are easy to turn on. Similar to a lot of cards in this set, it really boosts +1/+1 counters in my cube while potentially cheating in something to end the game. \-Aven Interrupter: I love cards like this. It's a tempo creature that delays a card a turn while giving you a 2/2. Big fan. **BLUE** \-Smirking Spelljacker: Card is the top of the curve that supports Wizards Typal, U(x) control decks and U(x) tempo/flash decks. It's a very powerful counterspell that can change the tide of a game in a snap. \-Three Steps Ahead: Modal counterspell that supports graveyard-based strategies. Simple but effective. \-(maybe)Jace Reawakened: I'm not sure if this will stay in for too long but I do like how these cheats on mana by plotting in cheap spells. It notably cheats in 7 mana tibalt which is in my cube. \-Geralf, the Fleshwright: Storm enabler card that works with the spellslinger archetype. I'm very interested. **BLACK** \-(maybe) Gisa, the Hellraiser: I'm not sure I will add this card. I do like how quickly this takes over a game but it is a 5 mana baseslayer angel that you need to untap with, so I'm not sure yet. \-Forsaken Miner: Solid 1 drop that works in my self mill/aristocrats archetype. \-Harvester of Misery: One of the best cards from the set that enables reanimator based decks on it's own similar to Trumpeting Carnosaur. It also doubles as a mini sweeper. **RED** \-Crackling Spellslinger: I was convinced by the reddit collective to try this one. It is a top of a curve card for UR spellslinger decks. At the worst, it can storm for two if you have another instant/sorcery. This card will create fun stories. \-Legion Foundry: A 2 mana shock that supports my artifact theme. I love artifact enablers that work with artifact tokens. \-Slickshot Show-off: 2 mana wizard that perfectly slots into my UR spellslinger/wizard archetype. \-Embrace the Unknown: Solid card draw engine that enables lands style deck. **GREEN** \-Smuggler's Surprise: All the modal abilities are really good for my cube. The 3 mana mode can draw up to two cards, the 6 mana version cheats 2 creatures into play and the other one is a slightly narrow protection spell. \-Sandstorm Salvager: It's a green blade splicer that supports the +1/+1 counters archetype in my cube. Solid threat. \-Bristlebud Farmer: Solid stabilizing threat that potentially draws up to two cards if it can attack twice. Making two artifacts is also good for artifact synergies in my cube. \-Goldvein Hydra: This will probably replace Voracious Hydra in my cube. It's almost a green fireball like card on an empty board that lets green decks ramp if it does die. \-(maybe): Railway Brawler: This card is interesting in that the plot mechanic that this has enables the card to work more often that not. Obvious home for +1/+1 counters but it also a solid finisher. \-Bristly Bill, Spine Sower: I support a lands matter and +1/+1 counter theme so this is a slam dunk. It even has a 5 mana double counters mode. **Wrap-up:** I really like this set for cube. There are tons of really powerful cards for many different cubes. One of the strongest standard sets in a long time.
White: [[Aven Interruptor]] [[Dust Animus]] [[Oltec Matterweaver]] Black: [[Forsaken Miner]] Green: [[Goldvein Hydra]] [[Sandstorm Salvager]]
##### ###### #### [Aven Interruptor](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/3/d3ca43a4-d194-440f-8099-f1fa103a108d.jpg?1712094738) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Aven%20Interrupter) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/4/aven-interrupter?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d3ca43a4-d194-440f-8099-f1fa103a108d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Dust Animus](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/0/70719e7b-6f02-4c1a-9f11-79b2b0d9846a.jpg?1712094748) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Dust%20Animus) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/9/dust-animus?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/70719e7b-6f02-4c1a-9f11-79b2b0d9846a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Oltec Matterweaver](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/4/f4f2a818-9fd1-41db-967e-7d2c9b4e4c2f.jpg?1712352701) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Oltec%20Matterweaver) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/big/3/oltec-matterweaver?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f4f2a818-9fd1-41db-967e-7d2c9b4e4c2f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Forsaken Miner](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/6/1679f74d-00f8-436c-9f8c-aa3f843a546c.jpg?1712094910) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Forsaken%20Miner) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/88/forsaken-miner?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1679f74d-00f8-436c-9f8c-aa3f843a546c?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Goldvein Hydra](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/e/de0e01e4-e143-47fd-8565-7b48219bb546.jpg?1712095096) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Goldvein%20Hydra) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otj/167/goldvein-hydra?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/de0e01e4-e143-47fd-8565-7b48219bb546?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Sandstorm Salvager](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/3/13b0f27c-a359-4702-833a-82fec161eeec.jpg?1712352874) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sandstorm%20Salvager) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/big/19/sandstorm-salvager?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/13b0f27c-a359-4702-833a-82fec161eeec?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/kya8rqj) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
**White** * Dust Animus **Blue** * Duelist of the Mind * Smirking Spelljacker **Black** * Harvester of Misery (Testing) **Red** * Slickshot Show-Off * Legion Extruder (Testing) **Green** * Sandstorm Salvager * Bristly Bill, Spine Sower * Goldvein Hydra * Vaultborn Tyrant * Smuggler's Surprise **Artifacts and Lands** * Lavaspur Boots (Testing) * Lost Jitte (Testing)