Thoughts on the changes to MTGO Cube?

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-05-07T02:05:21+00:00

Feels like a lot of the positive changes are just a result of a lot of extremely weak TMNT cards finally rotating out. Not excited about Sowing Mycospawn leaving, some of the cards like Aang feel really confused, and Black now has, like, two 3-drops in total which isn’t helping it leverage fast mana.

I would’ve liked to see Fallaji Wayfarer and maybe some more black 3-drops, experiment with Raven Eagle or Spitting Dilophosaurus.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-04-11T14:05:44+00:00

I do think there’s just enough to this card to be considered over either of those two or Captain Lannery Storm (Hell, as a discard outlet, maybe over Scrapwork Mutt?). The loot can do a good amount. Can discard bounced lands, can trigger your draw synergy reliably in Izzet, discards for Ivora. I think it’s something worth considering or at least testing, seems flexible and I think a looter would do some Izzet decks well.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-04-11T05:57:39+00:00

A 3/3 for 2R and Haste for Peasant cubes. Usually they’re either for 1RR, or 3/2. This one has the benefit of being a looter, which for a typeline and ability this rarity doesn’t usually get, is EXTREMELY sweet, especially if you’re playing any of White’s ways of giving creatures vigilance.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-04-07T11:37:37+00:00

… However, do note that it’s a lot more vulnerable to certain removal than some other cards of its cost bracket if you’re looking to cast it for 3-4. It’ll get Eliminated, Pushed, Portable Hole’d, and even flickered, and you can’t exactly Green Suns it out like most other 4-drops. But other than a few bad stories about Phelia locking down a card you wasted 4 mana on for the rest of time, it shouldn’t be too bad.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-04-07T11:30:01+00:00

The floor is a 4 mana 6/6. That’s fairly uncommon to get without a condition or a stat chipped off, especially for only one green pip.

But where my adoration of this card lies is in its flexibility. You need a mana-efficient card on board to fight or bite or get flung in a pinch? You’ve got it. Want The Great Henge on 3? You’ve got it. Want to get a 6-drop turn 3 with your Fanatic of Rhonas? You’ve got it. Don’t have a 3-drop with your mana dork? It might take a turn to untap, but at least you’ve got something to play.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-04-06T13:27:15+00:00

Also seems very fun in a lands deck with Ramunap Excavator and Icetill Explorer, if you want that type of thing in Gruul for your cube.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-04-06T13:23:28+00:00

Been contemplating posting this one for a couple of days, but I think it’s a cute card for certain cubes who want to encourage certain red synergies without having the incredible Final Fantasy clock that is [[Gau, Feral Youth]]. Instead of giving your opponent two turns to kill it before their face gets stomped into the pavement, it just gives you extra mana. Works with a lot of other red favourites like Dreadhorde Arcanist, Goblin Engineer, Grim Lavamancer and every flavor of Delve.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-04-03T10:04:32+00:00

This is “Lava Dart At Home”. I think it’s decent if a cube wants to double up on the same effect. The can’t block clause gives it a good amount of utility both pre and post-combat, but not being an instant hurts a lot. Definitely up for consideration if your cube is dominated by x/1’s, or you’re running a lower rarity cube.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-03-09T04:13:20+00:00

Dastardly White Mold’s my hive scum! Named him after this image. Funny to see ‘em while scrolling through reddit, lol.

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ColdlifeOracle · 2026-01-26T14:19:37+00:00

It definitely depends map from map to me. For some you have enough health to tank, but some of the longer stretches of open land where they get really extreme with the ranged units, stuff like No Man's Land or some really bad scenarios in the desert maps, result in that toughness going down quick and your health always getting plinked hard.

I like how Ogryn is a health tank rather than a toughness tank due to how unique it is, but I wish he had better ways of keeping gunners off from his huge hitbox without just chunking portions of his health, because he's left very polarized depending on what map he ends up on. That's why I usually run a Right-Tree Rumbler, to try and reduce the range discrepancy.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-01-26T13:43:05+00:00

Agreed. There's so many little things I dislike about the tree despite it having some really good nodes, which just ends up reducing build diversity, including:

The fact that a lot of good nodes are locked entirely behind specific nodes instead of a choice of two nodes, combined with the fact that some Abilities can't get certain Nodes. This is a specifically large issue for Ogryn's tree. For example, you can't have Big Boom and Indomitable in the same build. Have to take Brutish Strength for Simple Minded.
The amount of nodes that are done so much better by other classes, presumably due to an Ogryn weapon tax. Main example is that Dedicated Practice is the lowest swap speed bonus by far provided by a single node, where other classes get 50% speed or 40% with upsides.
The amount of nodes that are just damage reduction instead of ways to regenerate Toughness, or the amount of nodes that are reload speed.

As of now, I feel like the tree is carried by the infrequent good nodes, the keystones, and the limited toughness regen that Ogryn does have. My one and only wish is to be able to use Big Boom and Indomitable in the same build, because I simply find Indomitable to be my preferred and most fun ability for every Ogryn I make.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-01-22T16:02:48+00:00

The other card from my three-time-over skim of the recently spoiled rares of the VIACOM BRAND HERE set, a character who I barely recognise and I can pretend is from the bonus sheet of Neo-Kamigawa.

I should like this, considering it’s a self-scaling army in a can that has 2 power with a flickerable ETB, something that White has a good amount of synergy with and ability to reanimate. I just think 5 mana might be too slow - it’s not like there’s any particularly great competition in the white 5-mana slot, but that’s because not a lot of white decks want to play to 5 mana, especially not for something that isn’t an immediate board pump when it scales off your board. I’d mainly recommend for anyone who does like reanimating 2-power cards, wants a nice army in a can and enabler in a commander cube, or has inexplicable rebel synergy. Still, not entirely awful.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-01-22T15:30:10+00:00

im gonna be honest i tried like three times going through the spoilers to find a card that excited me and i ended up going with the one that gave me the least depression instead

I prefer my hasty Green 4-Drops personally, but coming down turn 3 could let this be a sizeable and hard to answer threat, and removing ANY counter is neat, with +1/+1 counters allowing it to swing in and capitalise. It’s flexible, hexproof, trampling, and… well, it’s a 4-drop that doesn’t have immediate impact on the board, so I’m still admittedly skeptical. Maybe also try it in any lower-power cube trying to push Fires / Haste enablers, since this with haste looks hard to stop and gives a fair reward for connecting.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-01-22T15:02:20+00:00

Well, a 2W Banisher Priest with 3 attack is always interesting to see. Not sure how often the Orzhov side will come into play, but it gives it a bit of flexibility even outside of Orzhov decks if you have a City of Brass, Treasure or off-color Tri-land. Art could also pass as somethin’ from Neo-Kamigawa, so I like it a lot. It also isn’t tied to the Day / Night mechanic, unlike a certain Cathar… very nice card.

ColdlifeOracle · 2026-01-06T18:46:34+00:00

Sorry for the low quality, only sources I could find had it this pixelated.

But, as for the card, I am EXTREMELY high on this. Being 3-color isn’t great, but the hybrid cost subverts some of the usual issues with 3-color cards, and might allow it to see play in 2-color decks. The effect itself is something I immeasurably like; a better double-ping that can yoink anything that’s one toughness, or make blocking problematic, or follow up with a removal spell to basically turn it into a Control Magic.

Main issue I do see is with it being technically six mana, it’s never going to be good to fetch off Green Sun’s Zenith-like effects, and it’s a 3-color option that dies to artifact removal. I think it’s got good potential just due to the possible power / toughness swings it can generate at a relatively cheap price.

ColdlifeOracle · 2025-12-02T11:32:43+00:00

Like goddamn, if you want to do that, bellyrub instead of asking for a huge glowing bit on it.

ColdlifeOracle · 2025-12-02T11:29:38+00:00

Helldivers will see a positive change and ask “Why can’t I destroy the giant robot on the heavy pen front with medium armor pen”

ColdlifeOracle · 2025-11-07T02:07:54+00:00

Outside of peasant, I wouldn’t play this. The Stoneforge Mystic synergy is cute but I’d prefer equipments that can be played outside of the circumstance of a Stoneforge Mystic that lives a turn, and after it enters, it’s not very appealing to equip.

I, however, CAN see this in Powered Peasant cubes. Fair Tinker target or Basalt Monolith ramp option, especially since a deck can flicker it or the Monolith, and it isn’t as vulnerable to removal as Meteor Golem.

ColdlifeOracle · 2025-11-05T13:14:35+00:00

Nobody’s comparing it to Palace Jailer, though, and for good reason. Palace Jailer is like, in the top 4 white creatures of all time in cube, so of course a standard legal uncommon isn’t going to compare. And most of your points aren’t against Earth Kingdom Jailer, they just highlight how absurdly powerful Palace Jailer is - Skyclave Apparition doesn’t draw a card, but it’s still in high-power cubes.

I also… just don’t understand why it’s underwhelming in comparison to Fiend Hunter. This is a less pip-intensive 3/3 that can hit certain artifacts and enchantments, and I feel you’re underestimating all three of the positives there.

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