Demonic Tutor

Magic: the Gathering in the UK

A cube of the best common and uncommon draft picks from the last 22 sets. Here's what we have so far.

What do you think?

Lists particularly in need of review by people who know what they are doing are: ROE, COK, BOK, SOK, LRW, MOR, GPT, DIS, 5DN.

# ROE
Beastbreaker of Bala Ged
Brimstone Mage
Corpsehatch
Dawnglare Invoker
Domestication
Enclave Cryptologist
Flame Slash
Forked Bolt
Hada Spy Patrol
Heat Ray
Joraga Treespeaker
Last Kiss
Narcolepsy
Nirkana Cutthroat
Oust
Pelakka Wurm
Smite
Staggershock
Vendetta
Wall of Omens

# WWK
Bestial Menace
Calcite Snapper
Cunning Sparkmage
Leatherback Baloth
Loam Lion
Refraction Trap
Searing Blaze
Tideforce Elemental
Tomb Hex
Vapor Snare

# ZEN
Baloth Woodcrasher
Burst Lightning
Disfigure
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Grazing Gladehart
Hideous End
Inferno Trap
Journey to Nowhere
Kor Skyfisher
Living Tsunami
Marsh Casualties
Merfolk Seastalkers
Plated Geopede
Punishing Fire
River Boa
Shepherd of the Lost
Torch Slinger
Trusty Machete
Vampire Nighthawk
Vines of Vastwood

# M10
Air Elemental
Armored Ascension
Blinding Mage
Cudgel Troll
Doom Blade
Dragon Whelp
Fireball
Goblin Artillery
Harm's Way
Howl of the Night Pack
Lightning Bolt
Merfolk Looter
Mind Control
Overrun
Pacifism
Pyroclasm
Serra Angel
Sleep
Tendrils of Corruption

# ARB
Behemoth Sledge
Bituminous Blast
Bloodbraid Elf
Enlisted Wurm
Esper Stormblade
Marisi's Twinclaws
Qasali Pridemage
Slave of Bolas
Terminate
Vengeful Rebirth

# CFX
Ember Weaver
Esper Cormorants
Grixis Slavedriver
Parasitic Strix
Path to Exile
Sedraxis Alchemist
Shambling Remains
Viashino Slaughtermaster
Volcanic Fallout
Wild Leotau

# ALA
Agony Warp
Branching Bolt
Bull Cerodon
Executioner's Capsule
Fatestitcher
Infest
Jund Charm
Knight of the Skyward Eye
Magma Spray
Naya Charm
Necrogenesis
Oblivion Ring
Resounding Thunder
Rhox Charger
Rhox War Monk
Sprouting Thrinax
Tower Gargoyle
Vithian Stinger
Wild Nacatl
Woolly Thoctar

# EVE
Ballynock Trapper
Cankerous Thirst
Desecrator Hag
Hatchet Bully
Noggle Bandit
Puncture Blast
Savage Conception
Snakeform
Unmake
Wickerbough Elder

# SHM
Biting Tether
Boggart Ram-Gang
Burn Trail
Devoted Druid
Firespout
Grief Tyrant
Hungry Spriggan
Incremental Blight
Kitchen Finks
Kulrath Knight
Mistmeadow Witch
Murderous Redcap
Plumeveil
Prison Term
Rune-Cervin Rider
Seedcradle Witch
Silkbind Faerie
Spectral Procession
Torrent of Souls
Trip Noose

# MOR
Boldwyr Intimidator
Meadowboon
Obsidian Battle-Axe
Rivals' Duel
Spitebellows
Stonybrook Schoolmaster
Swell of Courage
Thornbite Staff
Violet Pall
War-Spike Changeling

# LRW
Briarhorn
Changeling Berserker
Cloudgoat Ranger
Crib Swap
Dreamspoiler Witches
Eyeblight's Ending
Final Revels
Goldmeadow Harrier
Imperious Perfect
Knight of Meadowgrain
Lash Out
Makeshift Mannequin
Marsh Flitter
Mulldrifter
Nameless Inversion
Neck Snap
Shriekmaw
Tarfire
Thundercloud Shaman
Warren Pilferers

# FUT
Arc Blade
Foresee
Gathan Raiders
Ichor Slick
Imperiosaur
Infiltrator il-Kor
Kavu Primarch
Nacatl War-Pride
Spin into Myth
Sprout Swarm

# PLC
Calciderm
Shaper Parasite
Necrotic Sliver
Deadwood Treefolk
Shade of Trokair
Harmonize
Pyrohemia
Dead / Gone
Enslave
Stonecloaker

# TSP
Basalt Gargoyle
Brine Elemental
Careful Consideration
Castle Raptors
Crookclaw Transmuter
Durkwood Baloth
Errant Ephemeron
Firemaw Kavu
Griffin Guide
Looter il-Kor
Nightshade Assassin
Riftwing Cloudskate
Spiketail Drakeling
Sporesower Thallid
Strangling Soot
Sudden Death
Sulfurous Blast
Temporal Isolation
Tromp the Domains
Weatherseed Totem

# GPT
Blind Hunter
Electrolyze
Gelectrode
Mortify
Pillory of the Sleepless
Repeal
Savage Twister
Thunderheads
Wee Dragonauts
Wildsize

# DIS
Condemn
Guardian of the Guildpact
Leafdrake Roost
Minister of Impediments
Plumes of Peace
Rakdos Guildmage
Rakdos Ickspitter
Rise / Fall
Sky Hussar
Wrecking Ball

# RAV
Belltower Sphinx
Boros Guildmage
Carven Caryatid
Compulsive Research
Drooling Groodion
Faith's Fetters
Galvanic Arc
Greater Mossdog
Keening Banshee
Lightning Helix
Mark of Eviction
Moldervine Cloak
Moroii
Oathsworn Giant
Putrefy
Selesnya Guildmage
Shambling Shell
Trophy Hunter
Vedalken Dismisser
Watchwolf

# SOK
Captive Flame
Death Denied
Ghost-Lit Raider
Hail of Arrows
Hand of Cruelty
Hand of Honor
Manriki-Gusari
O-Naginata
Rushing-Tide Zubera
Stampeding Serrow

# BOK
Genju of the Cedars
Genju of the Falls
Genju of the Fields
Genju of the Spires
Horobi's Whisper
Matsu-Tribe Sniper
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Okiba-Gang Shinobi
Shimmering Glasskite
Throat Slitter

# COK
Befoul
Cage of Hands
Distress
Ghostly Prison
Hanabi Blast
Hideous Laughter
Hinder
Kabuto Moth
Kami of Ancient Law
Kitsune Blademaster
Mystic Restraints
Nezumi Graverobber
No-Dachi
Otherworldly Journey
Pull Under
Rend Flesh
Ronin Houndmaster
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Sensei's Divining Top

# 5DN
Cranial Plating
Devour in Shadow
Eternal Witness
Furnace Whelp
Grafted Wargear
Loxodon Anchorite
Magma Jet
Sunburst Manta
Vedalken Mastermind
Vulshok Sorcerer

# DST
Barbed Lightning
Chittering Rats
Juggernaut
Leonin Battlemage
Leonin Bola
Loxodon Mystic
Nemesis Mask
Skullclamp
Test of Faith
Vulshok Morningstar

# MIR
Aether Spellbomb
Barter in Blood
Betrayal of Flesh
Blinding Beam
Bonesplitter
Crystal Shard
Grab the Reins
Icy Manipulator
Isochron Scepter
Leonin Skyhunter
Lightning Greaves
Loxodon Warhammer
Mask of Memory
One Dozen Eyes
Predator's Strike
Pyrite Spellbomb
Slith Firewalker
Terror
Thirst for Knowledge
Viridian Shaman

# Fixing
Akoum Refuge
Graypelt Refuge
Jwar Isle Refuge
Kazandu Refuge
Sejiri Refuge
Rupture Spire
Arcane Sanctum
Crumbling Necropolis
Jungle Shrine
Savage Lands
Seaside Citadel
Azorius Chancery
Boros Garrison
Dimir Aqueduct
Golgari Rot Farm
Gruul Turf
Izzet Boilerworks
Orzhov Basilica
Rakdos Carnarium
Selesnya Sanctuary
Simic Growth Chamber
Azorius Signet
Boros Signet
Dimir Signet
Golgari Signet
Gruul Signet
Izzet Signet
Orzhov Signet
Rakdos Signet
Selesnya Signet
Simic Signet

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If you know about Kamigawa it would be great if you did a list. My Kamigawa experience is one triple Betrayers Winston draft with Kieran :) Stone Rain and Eye of Nowhere definitely need to be removed but there are probably several others.

Don't the Hondens require Shrines?

Paul Hodgson said:
Yep, shard is fabulous.
For COK - Stone Rain? Really? How about Cage of Hands, Blood Rites, Frostwielder or one of the Hondens (Blue one is fine by itself).
The problem with KAM block is that it's massively incestuous - a lot of the first picks rely on Spirits or Arcane. e.g. glacial ray, teller of tales etc. The core set mechanics are insular, splice and soulshift make for powerful, resilient decks, but not if the card pool isn't setup to support them.

Blue Honden is a personal howling mine, there might be an argument for including the rest of them but they're pretty weak standalone. Take out eye of nowhere and stone rain for cage of hands and strength of cedars, I'll review the rest when I get home tonight (and BOK and SOK). I did far too much drafting of that set online...

Thomas David Baker said:
If you know about Kamigawa it would be great if you did a list. My Kamigawa experience is one triple Betrayers Winston draft with Kieran :) Stone Rain and Eye of Nowhere definitely need to be removed but there are probably several others.

Don't the Hondens require Shrines?

Paul Hodgson said:
Yep, shard is fabulous.
For COK - Stone Rain? Really? How about Cage of Hands, Blood Rites, Frostwielder or one of the Hondens (Blue one is fine by itself).
Right, finally read the second half of te list properly, proposed changes:
COK: -eye of nowhere, stone rain + cage of hands, nezumi shortfang (hes like surrakar marauder but better..)
MIR: -skeletal shard + granite shard
DAR: -grimclaw bats -darksteel gargoyle, + nemesis mask, test of faith (both sick cards)
BOK: -matsu tribe sniper, hundred talon trike, horobi's whisper + throat slitter, okiba gang shinobi, jetting glasskite,
FD: -trinket mage, guardian idol + loxodon anchorite, vedalken mastermind
sok: -feral lightning + stampeding serrow
dis: -paladin of prav +Gaurdian of the guildpact

Im fairly sure most of those changes would be correct..
Yeah agree with Charlie,

You should add mystical teachings as well, even though it wasn't that sick in the format it would probably end up being pretty good in this format, interacts v well with faeries etc.

Halimar wavewatch is definitely correct, it's blues best common! Trinket mage should stay - he can tutor for top/clamp/splitter/bola/lands. I think LOR block should have a few changelings as they will embelish the tribal and spirit based effects from the different blocks while staying strong - bring on the changelings!

5DN needs the sunburst manta - best common.

No betrayal of flesh in mirrodin? That was like the best non-rare card!

I love the idea of this cube - you might want to add some shroud guys as it seems 50% of the cube is removal.
Thanks for the suggestions guys.

What should we remove from 5DN for Sunburst Manta? And from ROE for Halimar Wavewatch?

Shroud-wise we have Hada Spy Patrol, Calcite Snapper, Calciderm plus Lightning Greaves and Vines of Vastwood. Not that much. There aren't many candidates for inclusion, either, though: Algae Gharial, Aspect of Mongoose, Clout of the Dominus, Deft Duelist, Hisoka's Guard, Naya Hushblade, Protective Bubble, Whispersilk Cloak. Not sure any of those is a first pick or makes the cube much better?
Rob Wagner said:
... Trinket mage should stay - he can tutor for top/clamp/splitter/bola/lands. .

I'm pretty sure Tom isn't including the artifact lands, which brings down Trinket Mages usefulness a bit. At first I disagreed with Charlie that he should come out, but the more I think about he may be correct. The mage will quite often be too narrow to make your deck.

I did propose Btrayal of Flesh in my list of MIR cards.

Guardian of the Guildpact will probably be almost a 1st pick in this cube.
Trinket Mage targets: Trusty Machete, Executioner's Capsule, O-Naginata, Sensei's Divining Top, Leonin Bola, Skullclamp, Æther Spellbomb, Bonesplitter, Pyrite Spellbomb. Seems like he would be pretty cool if you got even one of these. I did fish out the artifact lands when building it but not sure what they would come in for, they'd really only be there to support TM himself.

What should we take out for Betrayal of Flesh? Leonin Skyhunter?
Latest Changes:

LRW: -Oblivion Ring; +Thundercloud Shaman (leaving in Neck Snap which is just wrong but I bow to public opinion about having 2 O Rings)

SHM: -Briarberry Cohort; +Spectral Procession

EVE: -Soul Snuffers; +Cankerous Thirst

MIR: -Skeleton Shard; +Betrayal of Flesh

DST: -Grimclaw Bats, Darksteel Gargoyle; + Nemesis Mask, Test of Faith

5DN: +Sunburst Manta, Loxodon Anchorite, Vedalken Mastermind; -Baton of Courage, Guardian Idol, Trinket Mage

COK: -Stone Rain, Eye of Nowhere; +Kabuto Moth, Cage of Hands

BOK: -Genju of the Fens, Hundred-Talon Strike; +Throat Slitter, Okiba-Gang Shinobi

SOK: -Feral Lightning; +Stampeding Serrow

DIS: -Paladin of Prahv; +Guardian of the Guildpact


Additional proposed additions that need to find cards to come out to be enacted:

MIR: Viridian Longbow, Granite Shard.

COK: Nagao, Bound by Honor, Strength of Cedars, Nezumi Shortfang, Blood Rites, Frostwielder, Honden of Seeing Winds.

BOK: Split-Tail Miko, Jetting Glasskite
Possible BOK cuts for these: Genju of the Fields, Matsu-Tribe Sniper, Horobi's Whisper, Shimmering Glasskite

SOK: Secretkeeper
Possible SOK cuts: Death Denied

ROE: Halimar Wavewatch

5DN: Trinket Mage (for Cranial Plating???)
MIR - one dozen eyes isn't that great tbh, perhaps take that out for Longbow?

Tom, what are the latest stats on card types, CMC, colour distribution etc? Are there any tweaks needed to balance anything out?
Stats after these changes:

CMC: {0} => 21, {1} => 36, {2} => 79, {3} => 99, {4} => 64, {5} => 33, {6} => 21, {7} => 5
Color: 59 Colorless, 53 R, 52 W, 47 B, 44 U, 42 G, 10 BR, 7 UW, 7 GW, 6 GR, 6 BG, 5 BW, 4 RU, 3 RW, 3 GRW, 2 GU, 2 BGR, 2 BUW, 2 BU, 1 BRU, 1 GUW
Types: 160 Creature, 74 Instant, 38 Artifact, 35 Sorcery, 30 Enchantment, 21 Land

I think that's fine - I'm not desperate to make it completely balanced.
I have to say I though this cube was really fun to draft. Cheers Tom!

Also Glacial Ray was a first pick from COK
Also I thought I would had my 2 cents to Champions block because I really enjoyed drafting it:

Earthshaker
Frostwielder
Gutwrencher Oni
Hearth Kami
Honden of Seeing Winds (a windmill slam first pick)
Initiate of Blood
Innocence Kami
Kodama's Reach
Mothrider Samuri
Nagao, Bound by Honor (windmill slam)
Nezumi Cutthrout
Order of the Sacred Bell
Orochi Sustainer
Pain Kami
Painwracker Oni
Soratami Savant
Teller of Tails
Yamabushi's Flame

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