Recent Changes (1/29/09)

White
In
None
Out
None

Blue
In
None
Out
None

Black
In
None
Out
Shadow Guildmage

Red
In
None
Out
None

Green
In
None
Out
None

Artifact
In
None
Out
None

Gold/Hybrid
In
None
Out
Doran, the Siege Tower

Land
In
None
Out
None

Recent Changes (1/21/09)

White
In
Catastrophe
Sigiled Paladin
Out
Tithe
Knight of the White Orchid

Blue
In
None
Out
None

Black
In
Puppeteer Clique
Out
Cunning Lethemancer
Liege of the Pit

Red
In
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Out
Goblin Cadets
Lightning Dragon

Green
In
Sylvan Library
Kavu Titan
Out
Mycoloth

Artifact
In
None
Out
Vedalken Shackles

Gold/Hybrid
In
Glare of Subdual
Out
None

Land
In
None
Out
Vesuva
Miren, the Moaning Well

Recent Changes (1/13/09)

White
In
Rout
Out
None

Blue
In
None
Out
Time Spiral
Dominate

Black
In
Wei Assassins
Strangling Soot
Diabolic Servitude
Out
Cunning Lethemancer

Red
In
Frazzled Editor
Lava Hounds
Keldon Champion
Stingscourger
Out
None

Green
In
Molder Slug
Out
None

Artifact
In
None
Out
Ensnaring Bridge
Static Orb
Aether Vial

Gold/Hybrid
In
Death Grasp
Out
None

Land
In
None
Out
None

Living Wish!

I'm a fan of cards from the older sets that were around when I first started playing back in the days of Revised. As such, I love cards from Unlimited, Arabian Nights, Legends, and Antiquities.

That being said, as I was building the cube I wanted to make sure to include some of my old favorite cards. One favorite that I came across is the fabled Ring of Ma-Ruf and I thought it would be a really exciting cube card. However, this card is a bit overpriced so I said to myself "Why not try the Wish cards instead?" It turns out Living Wish was the only good one... It's actually a solid card that is extremely exciting. So now I'll explain how we treat Living wish in the cube.

If you include Living Wish in your cube-draft deck:

1. At the beginning of each match you get a new face-down stack of 50 random cards from the cube that were not part of the current draft. This is your "wish stack" for the duration of the match.

2. When you cast Living Wish you get to look at the wish stack and choose any legal target. (Creature or Land)

3. At the end of each game, replace the card you wished for back into the wish stack.

4. At the end of each match, the wish stack is returned to the cube.

It turns out that Living Wish is a very powerful card because it can find answers to certain situations that you hadn't even planned for.

There are always excellent targets -- 50 cards is a lot to choose from. It's even more cards than are in your entire 40-card draft deck! Also, we don't have a time-limit for how long you have to pick the card, but usually it is done within 2 minutes.

The best part is you get that exciting "outside-the-game" feeling because it's not like tournament magic where you're just "tutoring" from your sideboard. You're actually getting a card that you didn't think you'd be playing with when the draft finished.

For anyone looking for a new way to spice up the cube with a fun and powerful effect, I highly recommend trying Living Wish.

Banned Cards

There are the cards that I've left out of the cube deliberately because I believe they are either unfun or too strong and allow players to still win games regardless of poor play.

Banned
All Power 9
Library of Alexandria
Bazaar of Baghdad
Mana Crypt
Mana Vault
Sol Ring
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Mind Twist
Mind Shatter
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Forcefield
Vedalken Shackles (1/21/09)
Umezawa's Jitte (5/10/09) (Rebanned)

Unbanned
Skullclamp (3/17/09)
Land Tax (3/17/09)

Cards We Took Out

There are the cards that we either took out never added to the cube. I own these cards and they exist unsleeved inside the cube's box. These are cards that have proven to either be underwhelming, were not seeing enough play, or were cut because we were trying to keep the size of the cube down.

I'm listing these here so people can make a case for or against any of these cards.

White
Martyr of Sands
Descendant of Kiyomaro
Jotun Grunt
Sunlance
Pulse of the Fields
Momentary Blink
Empyrial Armor
Resurrection
Jareth, Leonine Titan
Pacifism
Ranger of Eos
Order of Whiteclay
Knight of the White Orchid
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Enlightened Tutor (3/17/09)
Magus of the Disk (3/17/09)
Magus of the Moat (3/17/09)
Magus of the Tabernacle (3/17/09)
Masako the Humorless (5/11/09)

Blue
Probe
Pestermite
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Mystical Tutor
Ophidian
Legacy's Allure
Brainstorm
Fathom Seer
Rishadan Airship
Rainbow Efreet
Hinder
Gifts Ungiven
Upheaval
Theiving Magpie
Time Spiral
Serum Visions
Mystical Teachings
Fleeting Image
Foresee
Boomerang
Pongify
Dominate
Collective Restraint (5/18/09)

Black
Buried Alive
Black Knight
Zombify
Skinthinner
Dauthi Maurader
Necropotence
Yawgmoth's Will
Ashling the Extinguisher
Kagemaro, First to Suffer
Braids, Cabal Minion
Withered Wretch
Contagion
Phyrexian Scuta
Aphetto Exterminator
Phyrexian Rager
Avatar of Woe
Mirri the Cursed
Grim Harvest
Doomed Necromancer
Plagued Rusalka
Carrion Feeder
Ancient Craving
Smallpox
Undead Gladiator
Cunning Lethemancer
Liege of the Pit
Shadow Guildmage
Exhume
Nantuko Husk
Strangling Soot
Thrashing Wumpus
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed (3/17/09)
Massacre (3/17/09)
Sudden Spoiling (3/31/09)
Scepter of Fugue (5/11/09)

Red
Martyr of Ashes
Fireslinger
Avalanche Riders
Skizzik
Mogg Flunkies
Sedge Sliver
Genju of the Spires
Sulfuric Vortex
Brute Force
Reckless Charge
Tribal Flames
Threaten
Arc Slogger
Boom/Bust
Wildfire
Orcish Lumberjack
Thunderscape Battlemage
Browbeat
Rathi Dragon
Pillage
Goblin Cadets
Lightning Dragon
Lava Hounds
Rakdos Pit-Dragon (3/17/09)
Manabarbs (3/17/09)
Molten Disaster (3/17/09)

Green
Cream of the Crop
Harrow
Dryad Sophisticate
Vine Trellis
Deadwood Treefolk
Crop Rotation
Abundance
Overrun
Thorn Elemental
Life from the Loam
Pattern of Rebirth
Moment's Peace
Spike Feeder
Jade Leech
Karstoderm
Thornscape Battlemage
Skyshroud Elite
Jungle Lion
Wild Dogs
Werebear
Verdant Force
Pouncing Jaguar
Tinder Wall
Basking Rootwalla
Hurricane
Mycoloth
Elephant Guide

Artifact
Etched Oracle
Gathan Raiders
Empyrial Plate
Lightning Greaves
Static Orb
Ensnaring Bridge
Phyrexian Processor
Isochron Scepter
Crucible of Worlds
Lifeline
Powder Keg
Darksteel Ingot
Epochrasite
Juggernaut
Aether Vial
Vedalken Shackles (1/17/09)
Metalworker (3/17/09)
Memnarch (3/17/09)
Voltaic Key (3/17/09)
Umezawa's Jitte (5/11/09)

Gold/Hybrid
Balefire Leige
Deathbringer Leige
Hit/Run
Firemane Angel
Armadillo Cloak
Electrolyze
Brion Stoutarm
Murderous Redcap
Prophetic Bolt
Suffocating Blast
Blazing Specter
Stormbind
Goblin Trenches
Fiery Justice
Pyre Zombie
Doran, the Siege Tower
Fires of Yavimaya
Rise/Fall (3/17/09)
Rise of the Hobgoblins (3/17/09)
Iridescent Angel (3/17/09)

Land
Gaea's Cradle
Strip Mine
Stalking Stones
Kjeldoran Outpost
Flagstones of Trokair
Vesuva
Miren, the Moaning Well