What is good with cube is you can draft any kind of deck. Some players really prefer some strategies more than others. Personally, I can draft anything and play anything. I really enjoy cube and it is by far my favorite MTG format when I want to have fun with friends. So, I wrote an article about it here.
I prefer to draft the unpowered cubes like legacy Cube because midrange and control decks have the same power level as combo decks. Vintage cube makes the game totally different, combo decks are stronger and the best way to win against them is an aggressive or disruption deck. Fair decks have very low chances of making it in this jungle.
Disclaimer: Cube Draft is a single card copy format. So, when you counter pick a card you are sure to not have to face it. However, this is only true for the Single-elimination Draft, if you join the draft league counter picks don’t matter since you play against opponents from different pods.
Saying that, let’s draft an 8-man together!
Pack 1
Pick 1
To see My Pick Click Here
For me, the top 4 cards in this pack are: 《Koth of the Hammer》, 《Polluted Delta》, 《Entomb》 and 《Tinker》. 《Winter Orb》 is a good card but it’s power decreases too much with the presence of moxes and signets.
《Koth of the Hammer》 is the top high curve card of mono red and it’s a decent first pick considering there is no other card for the deck in the pack. 《Entomb》 is clearly for reanimator deck only. I think reanimator is a bad deck if 2 players are drafting it at the same time. I prefer to wait and see if 《Entomb》 is coming back or not, in this case I know I will be the only one to draft it and I could easily change my mind and draft it. 《Polluted Delta》 is a safe choice, I am not super happy to pick it as first pick considering all the great cards I can get in the vintage cube but I have good chance of playing it.
《Tinker》 is a crazy card who can put into play an early 《Blightsteel Colossus》 or 《Inkwell Leviathan》 which are by far the 2 best artifacts you can get with. What I like with a Pick One 《Tinker》 is cards you want with are not popular for other decks and I can have it later. Also, nobody but me saw it and this is great.
Pick 2
To see My Pick Click Here
《Gitaxian Probe》 is a great card for combo decks. It digs deeper into your 40 card deck and I can get information about my opponent’s hand to know if I am safe or not. 《Eureka》 is a good alternative way to put the big artifacts I will play for 《Tinker》 from my hand into play.
But here I will pick 《Swords to Plowshares》, it is the best card of the pack and one of the best MTG removal spells, probably the best in Vintage Cube. Also, the card is so good against 《Blightsteel Colossus》 and if I get it, I will not feel super confidant if I am facing White decks.
Pick 3
To see My Pick Click Here
I will not be greedy and I will pick this 《Inkwell Leviathan》. I passed an 《Entomb》, if someone took it, he could pick 《Inkwell Leviathan》 and it will be a disaster for my deck.
Pick 4
To see My Pick Click Here
Nothing is really great for my artifact deck here. I pick 《Kuldotha Forgemaster》 as an alternative 《Tinker》 but I need a lot of cheap artifact if I want to play it. Problem, cheap artifact are moxes and everybody pick them highly. But I could possibly get enough signets and such.
Pick 5
To see My Pick Click Here
Nothing is really great for me in this pack. I already have a white card as 《Swords to Plowshares》 and 《Karakas》 is a great card against other combo decks who play 《Emrakul, the Aeons Torn》, 《Griselbrand》 or another insane big dude. Also, the card can combo well with some blue cards like 《Vendilion Clique》 or 《Venser, Shaper Savant》.
Pick 6
To see My Pick Click Here
I am not sure to get a 《Blightsteel Colossus》. Having only one target for my deck is not optimal. 《Sphinx of the Steel Wind》 is much better than 《Inkwell Leviathan》 in some matchups like Mono Green Ramp and Mono Red.
Pick 7
To see My Pick Click Here
I am little sad about this 《Pithing Needle》 but 《Tezzeret the Seeker》 is a great card for an artifact deck toolbox. I don’t have cheap artifacts yet, but I will pick some for my 《Tinker》 anyway. One more reason now with this Tezzeret in my deck.
Pick 8
To see My Pick Click Here
Nothing great here, I will pick 《Cast Out》. I can play it and it could be a good card against me.
Pick 9
To see My Pick Click Here
《Goblin Welder》 is not that bad but I still prefer to pick 《Mesmeric Fiend》 for the Combo Mirror Match or against control decks with counter spells.
Pick 10
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 11
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 12
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 13
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 14
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 15
Pack 2
Pick 1
To see My Pick Click Here
Difficult choice between 《Venser, Shaper Savant》 who can be awesome with my 《Karakas》 or an artifact like 《Mox Diamond》, 《Dimir Signet》 or 《Gilded Lotus》. I have no cheap artifact now, it is not reasonable to not pick one here. 《Mox Diamond》 is too “all-In” for me and I prefer to pick 《Dimir Signet》, even if its slower.
Pick 2
To see My Pick Click Here
There is another way to put big artifact into play easily, it is 《Mana Drain》. This card is just too good especially if your spells have a lot of colourless mana symbol in their mana cost.
Pick 3
To see My Pick Click Here
《Lotus Bloom》 become a 《Black Lotus》 with 《Tezzeret the Seeker》 but it is not great the rest of the time. I prefer to pick 《Spellskite》 who can protect my other artifacts, slow down aggressive decks and still works for my main plan.
Pick 4
To see My Pick Click Here
《Jace, Vryn's Prodigy》 is not good in my deck, the only card I can flashback is 《Swords to Plowshares》. 《Impulse》 could be great but I prefer to take the 《Counterspell》. Having it as backup for 《Tinker》 is great, I will play a lot of islands anyway since I picked 《Mana Drain》. Having 《Counterspell》 backup for 《Tinker》 is great.
Pick 5
To see My Pick Click Here
《Daretti, Scrap Savant》 is just too perfect for my deck, much better than 《Goblin Welder》. 《Daretti, Scrap Savant》 is not taking removals, it puts big artifacts in the graveyard, he is digging into good cards and cycling extra lands and he can bring back artifacts from the graveyard same turn he comes into play if you already have a target. Let’s play red.
Pick 6
To see My Pick Click Here
Nothing great, but 《Electrolyze》 is good for killing small annoying dudes and cycling. Much better than a removal that is not drawing a card.
Pick 7
To see My Pick Click Here
I could pick 《Izzet Charm》 but I think 《Through the Breach》 is an alternative plan for my deck. I also don’t want to face it.
Pick 8
To see My Pick Click Here
I need a lot of blue sources for my 2 double Blue Counter Spells, fixing the mana is important, especially if I am also playing white cards.
Pick 9
To see My Pick Click Here
Merry Christmas, 《Venser, Shaper Savant》 came back. 《Karakas》 and him will do a dance together.
Pick 10
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 11
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 12
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 13
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 14
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 15
Pack 3
Pick 1
To see My Pick Click Here
Same as booster 2, I choose to pick a signet. This one is fixing blue and white, perfect for my deck. 《Basalt Monolith》 and 《Thirst for Knowledge》 are 2 cards I would love to see come back.
Pick 2
To see My Pick Click Here
This pack is really difficult. I have to choose between mana fixing, 《Steam Vents》, one more counter spell, 《Mana Leak》 and a card which helps me to find key cards, 《Ponder》. What I like with 《Mana Leak》 is it works well with my signet. But I don’t want to stack so many counterspells in my Combo Deck and I will pick 《Ponder》 to be able to find 《Tinker》.
Pick 3
To see My Pick Click Here
Unfortunately, I disconnected during this pick and MTGO randomly chooses 《Inspiring Vantage》 for me. Not that bad considering I am playing these 2 colours but I would pick 《Tolarian Academy》 or 《Sundering Titan》 over it.
Pick 4
To see My Pick Click Here
Same here I was disconnected but the loss is smaller, I have no fetch lands, brainstorm was not great for my deck. I got an unplayable 《Oona's Prowler》. I would have picked 《Disenchant》 in this pack.
Pick 5
To see My Pick Click Here
I reconnected here and slamed this 《Ugin, the Spirit Dragon》 who is just amazing with 《Mana Drain》.
Pick 6
To see My Pick Click Here
Easy Pick 《Hedron Archive》 after getting 《Ugin, the Spirit Dragon》. My deck has a good plan B now.
Pick 7
To see My Pick Click Here
《Mindslaver》 is just the best card I could get here. 《Tinker》, 《Mana Drain》 and 《Daretti, Scrap Savant》. My deck is already perfect for this card. Fun times incoming.
Pick 8
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 9
To see My Pick Click Here
Everybody is playing artifacts. It can search for a mox or signet from an opponent’s deck every turn. Also, it is a legendary creature I can protect with 《Karakas》.
Pick 10
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 11
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 12
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 13
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 14
To see My Pick Click Here
Pick 15
Final Decklist
Round | Opp | Result |
Round 1 | Naya Ramp | 2-0 |
Round 2 | Esper Control | 2-0 |
Round 3 | Mono Green Ramp | 2-1 |
Thank you for reading,
Jeremy DEZANI
Recommended Items
Share in Twitter
Share in Facebook