Cubing with Big Nass #5

Posted on December 24, 2012

Welcome to the return of Cubing with Big Nass! I must admit that I had some trepidation to adding the Power Nine to the Magic Online Cube, but it’s been kind of fun in a messed-up kind of way. Many of the games are so crazy and noninteractive that I just have to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. There are definitely some good games to be had, and I hope that you’ll join me in watching them over the next few weeks. I’m going to start things off with a doozy of a deck.

As always, a text recap follows the video links.

Draft

Match 1, Game 1

Match 1, Game 2

Match 1, Game 3

Match 2, Game 1

Match 2, Game 2

Match 3, Game 1

Match 3, Game 2

Pack 1, Pick 1:

My Pick:

I know a lot of people would slam Balance here, but I really don’t like the card all that much. I find it to be overrated. Often, the card is Wrath of God, sacrifice a land, and discard your hand. Unless your deck is built around generating maximum value from Balance, there are plenty of better cards. Sword of Body and Mind is fine, and choosing it lets me avoid committing to anything.

Pack 1, Pick 2:

My Pick:

I honestly don’t know how good Vraska the Unseen is in Cube, so I’m just speculating here. The pack is pretty bad, so I’m not giving up a whole lot.

Pack 1, Pick 3:

My Pick:

The bounce lands are quite good. Golgari Rot Farm helps me cast Vraska, and nothing else in the pack really leaps out at me.

Pack 1, Pick 4:

My Pick:

A fourth-pick Ancestral Vision is pretty exciting. It may not be Ancestral Recall, but it’s still among the best blue cards.

Pack 1, Pick 5:

My Pick:

Again, there’s nothing too exciting here. Preordain is among my favorite Magic cards, so this comes down to personal preference. Treetop Village would be a fine pick if I were definitely on the Golgari plan.

Pack 1, Pick 6:

My Pick:

This is just to keep my options open.

Pack 1, Pick 7:

My Pick:

Supreme Verdict is definitely worse than Wrath of God—or even Day of Judgment—but it’s still one of the better sweepers out there.

Pack 1, Pick 8:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 9:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 10:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 11:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 12:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 13:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 14:

My Pick:

Pack 1, Pick 15:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 1:

My Pick:

Big, expensive win conditions are very replaceable in Cube, but Grave Titan is a bit of an exception. Unless you’re tremendously far behind, the Gravefather can completely swing a game around for you. I hate passing Karn Liberated, but I gotta do what I gotta do.

Pack 2, Pick 2:

My Pick:

What can I say? I love planeswalkers.

Pack 2, Pick 3:

My Pick:

OKAY, THIRD-PICK ANCESTRAL RECALL. THIS IS REAL.

Pack 2, Pick 4:

My Pick:

At this point, I just want to make sure I have a nice mana base. I should be able to pick up enough spot removal.

Pack 2, Pick 5:

My Pick:

Draft all the planeswalkers!

Pack 2, Pick 6:

My Pick:

See? That wasn’t so hard.

Pack 2, Pick 7:

My Pick:

This is coming together quite nicely.

Pack 2, Pick 8:

My Pick:

As much as I love Dark Confidant, I don’t think this is a good deck for it. Sphinx of Jwar Isle is more likely to make the deck.

Pack 2, Pick 9:

My Pick:

ALL. THE. PLANESWALKERS.

Pack 2, Pick 10:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 11:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 12:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 13:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 14:

My Pick:

Pack 2, Pick 15:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 1:

My Pick:

Consecrated Sphinx is another exception to the 6-drop-win-conditions-are-replaceable rule.

Pack 3, Pick 2:

My Pick:

Swords to Plowshares is a premium removal spell, but stealing a creature is often better than killing it. I already have a Path to Exile anyway.

Pack 3, Pick 3:

My Pick:

Old Man of the Sea is something of a pet card of mine, but even I have to admit that Sower of Temptation is just better.

Pack 3, Pick 4:

My Pick:

Why not? Mono-planeswalker control over here.

Pack 3, Pick 5:

My Pick:

Serendib Efreet is just a solid man, and I am kind of in need of early plays.

Pack 3, Pick 6:

My Pick:

All right, I think I can stop taking planeswalkers. Ajani, Caller of the Pride isn’t even good in my deck, whereas Diabolic Edict does a pretty good job of keeping me alive.

Pack 3, Pick 7:

My Pick:

Stoneforge Mystic is a good one, but I only have Sword of Body and Mind to fetch with it. Besides, how can I pass up another planeswalker?

Pack 3, Pick 8:

My Pick:

Land Tax is another card I don’t rate all that highly. If I have it, I’ll play it, but I kind of need the Wall of Omens against aggressive decks.

Pack 3, Pick 9:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 10:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 11:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 12:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 13:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 14:

My Pick:

Pack 3, Pick 15:

My Pick:

This draft converter created by Benjamin Peebles-Mundy.

Visit the draft converter today!

Here’s what I submitted:

"W/U/B Planeswalker Control Cube"

Yeah, the old double-Ancestral, quad-planeswalker control deck. My mana base is kind of sketchy, but overall, I’m quite happy with it. I even have a good sideboard. I can bring in more removal and creatures against aggressive decks or bring in Nezumi Shortfang against the slower decks.

After being a little lucky against my Round 1 storm opponent, I easily won my next two rounds despite playing somewhat loosely.

Hope you guys enjoyed the recap, and I’ll be back next week with another Cube Draft. Until next time, take care.

Nassim Ketita

arcticninja on Magic Online

http://www.youtube.com/nketita

TAGS articles, draft, video, limited, magic online, casual, analysis, modo, mtgo, cube, nassim ketita, recap