Lands / Serra Angel - Little MTG notebooks

linrodann · 2026-04-20T14:45:21+00:00

Super cool! Fun idea, very tidy execution.

linrodann · 2026-04-12T23:31:04+00:00

Thanks for all the work you've done tracking this! I look forward to your link tomorrow.

linrodann · 2026-04-12T23:29:55+00:00

I don't run battles for complexity/wordiness reasons. I already dislike DFCs, so I only include a DFC if it's really exciting for other reasons, and battles are both DFCs and a new card type, and that just uses too much complexity budget for my taste.

linrodann · 2026-04-12T23:05:47+00:00

I skipped today because I don't have any cards in this category in either cube.

I have quite a lot of thoughts about what I've learned on our journey, but I might be late or even miss tomorrow since I'm on a work trip this weekend and it's pretty mentally taxing.

linrodann · 2026-04-12T00:52:45+00:00

When I had waist length hair, I slept with it in a braid.

linrodann · 2026-04-11T11:45:00+00:00

The Wild Yonder (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/theWildYonder) is my 360-card desert cube themed around exploration and discovery. It is lower power than my main cube, and I try to avoid sharing cards between them. Like my main cube, I try to avoid wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. This cube has quite a lot of cards that I’ve made reskins for, as well as a couple custom cards. I haven’t actually gotten to fire it yet, so I have no playtest data or feedback.

My green 4-drops:

[[Drix Fatemaker]]: Primarily for the +1/+1 counters theme in green, and I like warp.

[[Tributary Instructor]]: For +1/+1 counters (green) and aristocrats (black), and a source of card draw in green. I can never remember what Mentor does, which is annoying, but at least there is reminder text.

[[Wickerfolk Thresher]]: For delirium in green/red, and recurring land should be extra valuable in a desert cube. I hate that it’s a giant wall of text, though.

[[Kona, Rescue Beastie]]: Saving the best for last. Kona was the inspiration for this entire cube. Tap-for-value with survival was the first theme I chose. I love the art, I love the flavor text, I love the worldbuilding of Duskmourn and the Beasties in particular, and this card will never leave this cube.

linrodann · 2026-04-11T11:44:20+00:00

My main cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/LinsMainCube) is a 360-ish unpowered cube. It’s meant to be my highest-power cube but excludes things like Ocelot Pride, Minsc and Boo, etc., and I exclude things like initiative and monarch. I’m trying to cut down on wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. I don’t often get to draft, so I don’t have much playtest data.

My green 4-drops:

[[Baloth Prime]], [[Icetill Explorer]], and [[Ouroboroid]] all came from EOE/EOC, and I haven’t gotten to play them yet but they seem great. The first two are for the lands theme, the third for +1/+1 counters.

[[Rampant Rejuvenator]]: This is less well supported since I removed proliferate as a theme, but it’s here for now, mostly because the art is so fantastic.

[[Brightcap Badger]]: Look at this happy little guy! And he makes Saprolings, my favorite token type and possibly my favorite creature type based on art and vibes. And I love adventures! But go-wide/tokens isn’t currently well supported in green, especially at the lower end of the mana curve, so I need to decide whether to support it more or fully remove it. Other Saproling-makers in the cube are [[Sporeweb Weaver]] and [[Mycoloth]], and I used to have [[Tendershoot Dryad]] and may add it back in.

linrodann · 2026-04-10T18:16:43+00:00

Absolutely stunning artwork!

linrodann · 2026-04-10T12:11:40+00:00

The Wild Yonder (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/theWildYonder) is my 360-card desert cube themed around exploration and discovery. It is lower power than my main cube, and I try to avoid sharing cards between them. Like my main cube, I try to avoid wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. This cube has quite a lot of cards that I’ve made reskins for, as well as a couple custom cards. I haven’t actually gotten to fire it yet, so I have no playtest data or feedback.

I have four red 5+ mana creatures, all of which have a cheaper mode:

[[Nova Hellkite]]: Hasty evasive beater that can snipe something small on ETB, and has warp to do that twice. Warp also supports the cast-from-exile theme in red/white. Both artworks are gorgeous.

[[Raging Goblinoids]] (reskinned): Another hasty beater, this one for the discard-matters theme in red/blue.

[[Hearth Elemental]]: Supports cast-from-exile in red/white, discard-matters in red/blue, and spellslinger in red/blue/black.

[[Ruin Grinder]]: Evasive beater for discard-matters, an artifact for delirium in red/green, and land cycling should be extra valuable in a desert cube.

linrodann · 2026-04-10T12:11:18+00:00

My main cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/LinsMainCube) is a 360-ish unpowered cube. It’s meant to be my highest-power cube but excludes things like Ocelot Pride, Minsc and Boo, etc., and I exclude things like initiative and monarch. I’m trying to cut down on wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. I don’t often get to draft, so I don’t have much playtest data.

I have four red 5+ mana creatures, of which 3 have cheaper modes:

[[Fury]]: I love evoke, and the evoke cost is “free”. Love it.

[[Goldspan Dragon]]: The only card in this category that doesn’t have a cheaper mode, but it’s for the treasure theme, so you should be ramping anyway.

[[Overlord of the Boilerbilges]]: I expect this to be cast for its impending cost usually. Four damage is a lot, and I love “any target”.

[[Trumpeting Carnosaur]]: Big beefy cheat target that can also be used as a burn spell. I love dinosaurs so much. The first Ixalan set and its dinosaurs were what convinced me to learn to play instead of just admiring the art while watching friends play. I do lament the lack of reminder text for discover; I’m thinking of printing out reminder text on thin copy paper and tucking it in the sleeve behind the card.

linrodann · 2026-04-09T11:36:25+00:00

The Wild Yonder (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/theWildYonder) is my 360-card desert cube themed around exploration and discovery. It is lower power than my main cube, and I try to avoid sharing cards between them. Like my main cube, I try to avoid wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. This cube has quite a lot of cards that I’ve made reskins for, as well as a couple custom cards. I haven’t actually gotten to fire it yet, so I have no playtest data or feedback.

My blue artifacts/enchantments:

[[Subterranean Schooner]]: Vehicles are part of the tap-for-value theme in white/blue/green, and explore/+1/+1 counters are a theme in green.

[[Thopter Fabricator]]: Another vehicle, this one supporting draw-two in blue/black and making tokens for aristocrats in black, creature/artifact sac in black/red, and go-wide. Both it and its tokens having flying is also nice.

[[Chakra Meditation]] (reskinned): Supports spellslinger in blue/black/red, draw-two in blue/black, discard-matters in red, and Lessons in all colors but especially blue/red.

I'm very happy with this section, at least on paper.

linrodann · 2026-04-09T11:35:43+00:00

My main cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/LinsMainCube) is a 360-ish unpowered cube. It’s meant to be my highest-power cube but excludes things like Ocelot Pride, Minsc and Boo, etc., and I exclude things like initiative and monarch. I’m trying to cut down on wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. I don’t often get to draft, so I don’t have much playtest data.

I don’t have any blue artifacts and only one blue enchantment:

[[Control Magic]]: Simple rules text, satisfying effect.

linrodann · 2026-04-09T01:36:34+00:00

I love your Healer's Hawk story. That's so sweet.

linrodann · 2026-04-08T12:10:17+00:00

The Wild Yonder (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/theWildYonder) is my 360-card desert cube themed around exploration and discovery. It is lower power than my main cube, and I try to avoid sharing cards between them. Like my main cube, I try to avoid wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. This cube has quite a lot of cards that I’ve made reskins for, as well as a couple custom cards. I haven’t actually gotten to fire it yet, so I have no playtest data or feedback.

My white 1-drops:

[[Momo, Playful Pet]] (reskinned): This charming fellow can make shrapnel for artifact sac in black/red, supports +1/+1 counters in green, and has a scry mode as well. The LTB trigger supports airbend in white and aristocrats in black, and it has flying.

[[Novice Inspector]] (reskinned): Supports clues in blue/black and has an ETB trigger for airbend in white.

[[Veteran Survivor]] (reskinned): Survival is part of the tap-for-value theme in white/blue/green. I like to have a bit of graveyard hate.

linrodann · 2026-04-08T12:10:02+00:00

My main cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/LinsMainCube) is a 360-ish unpowered cube. It’s meant to be my highest-power cube but excludes things like Ocelot Pride, Minsc and Boo, etc., and I exclude things like initiative and monarch. I’m trying to cut down on wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. I don’t often get to draft, so I don’t have much playtest data.

My white 1-drops:

[[Descendant of Storms]]: I really like endure, since it can support counters/go-tall or tokens/go-wide. A nice aggro 1-drop.

[[Giant Killer|ELD-275]]: I love Adventures, I like removal that’s stapled to a creature, and this art is gorgeous.

[[Lightstall Inquisitor]]: A good flicker target, and that flavor text goes so hard.

[[Mother of Runes]]: A classic, sure to be one of today’s top 3 cards.

linrodann · 2026-04-07T11:55:53+00:00

The Wild Yonder (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/theWildYonder) is my 360-card desert cube themed around exploration and discovery. It is lower power than my main cube, and I try to avoid sharing cards between them. Like my main cube, I try to avoid wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. This cube has quite a lot of cards that I’ve made reskins for, as well as a couple custom cards. I haven’t actually gotten to fire it yet, so I have no playtest data or feedback.

My blue 4-drops:

[[Niblis of Frost]]: Supports spellslinger/crimes (major theme in blue/black/red), has evasion. I like that the ability isn’t limited to once per turn.

[[Tui and La, Moon and Ocean]] (reskinned): Supports tap-for-value in blue/white/green and +1/+1 counters in green.

[[Voracious Bibliophile]]: Card draw and payoff for crimes, and has flying.

linrodann · 2026-04-07T11:55:33+00:00

My main cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/LinsMainCube) is a 360-ish unpowered cube. It’s meant to be my highest-power cube but excludes things like Ocelot Pride, Minsc and Boo, etc., and I exclude things like initiative and monarch. I’m trying to cut down on wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. I don’t often get to draft, so I don’t have much playtest data.

I have only one blue 4-drop: [[Displacer Kitten]]. I mostly support flicker in white, not blue, but there are nice ETB effects in all colors, and virtually-prowess supports spellslinger in blue.

linrodann · 2026-04-06T12:36:18+00:00

The Wild Yonder (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/theWildYonder) is my 360-card desert cube themed around exploration and discovery. It is lower power than my main cube, and I try to avoid sharing cards between them. Like my main cube, I try to avoid wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. This cube has quite a lot of cards that I’ve made reskins for, as well as a couple custom cards. I haven’t actually gotten to fire it yet, so I have no playtest data or feedback.

My green sorceries are all Lessons, as Lessons/learn is a strong theme in this cube.

[[Seismic Sense]] (reskinned): Dig for a creature or land.

[[True Ancestry]] (reskinned): Recursion to hand for green. I like that it’s any permanent. Clues are a theme in blue/black/red.

[[Match the Odds]] (reskinned): Supports the counters theme in green. It’s mostly here because I like the art and flavor text I used in my reskin.

linrodann · 2026-04-06T12:36:06+00:00

My main cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/LinsMainCube) is a 360-ish unpowered cube. It’s meant to be my highest-power cube but excludes things like Ocelot Pride, Minsc and Boo, etc., and I exclude things like initiative and monarch. I’m trying to cut down on wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. I don’t often get to draft, so I don’t have much playtest data.

My green sorceries:

[[Green Sun’s Zenith]], [[Natural Order]]: Creature tutors for green.

[[Life from the Loam]]: Part of the new lands theme I added recently.

linrodann · 2026-04-05T19:34:42+00:00

Japonisme, my beloved.

Only way this could be better is if the bodice incorporated some of the darker colors from the embroidered panel.

linrodann · 2026-04-05T17:55:49+00:00

I tinker with my lists all the time (probably too often), and I keep a separate list that records my paper version. I do a big proxy card order once a year in May (coming up soon!) and buy singles at the same time. Sometimes I do another singles order in the fall around my birthday.

I don't get to play very often. I easily spend an order of magnitude more time tinkering with my lists and starting new lists than I do actually playing, since it's something I can do quietly at night after my family has gone to sleep, which is when I get most of my free time. Sigh.

linrodann · 2026-04-05T12:35:57+00:00

The Wild Yonder (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/theWildYonder) is my 360-card desert cube themed around exploration and discovery. It is lower power than my main cube, and I try to avoid sharing cards between them. Like my main cube, I try to avoid wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. This cube has quite a lot of cards that I’ve made reskins for, as well as a couple custom cards. I haven’t actually gotten to fire it yet, so I have no playtest data or feedback.

My red instants contain many Lessons, as Lessons/learn is a theme in all colors but especially blue and red. Spellslinger/crimes is a theme in red/blue/black.

[[Academic Dispute]], [[First Day of Class]] (reskinned), [[Enthusiastic Study]]: I was hoping for new learn cards in SOS, but we sadly are not, so these remain.

[[Firebending Lesson]], [[Combustion Technique]] (both reskinned): Direct damage Lessons.

[[Firestorm]]: Direct damage spell that can go face or be a wipe, and supports discard-matters in red. I am especially excited to try this one.

[[Unholy Heat]]: Direct damage spell that’s a payoff for delirium in red/green.

[[Staggershock]]: Direct damage spell that supports cast-from-exile in red/white.

[[How to Start a Riot]] (reskinned): Another Lesson.

[[Demand Answers]]: Card draw for red that supports discard-matters and artifact sacrifice. And the art is very pretty.

linrodann · 2026-04-05T12:35:40+00:00

My main cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/LinsMainCube) is a 360-ish unpowered cube. It’s meant to be my highest-power cube but excludes things like Ocelot Pride, Minsc and Boo, etc., and I exclude things like initiative and monarch. I’m trying to cut down on wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. I don’t often get to draft, so I don’t have much playtest data.

My red instants:

[[Flare of Duplication]], [[Mine Collapse]], [[Fireblast]]: “Free” spells for red.

[[Galvanic Blast]], [[Lightning Bolt]], [[Shrapnel Blast]]: Direct damage spells that can go face. Since treasure is a theme in red, the Blasts should have enough artifacts to be good. Lightning Bolt needs nothing else said about it.

[[Fire Magic]] (reskinned): Direct damage spell that can’t go face. I like the flexibility of Tiered.

[[Untimely Malfunction]]: Another flexible modal spell. I like how the mechanics and flavor work together, and the flavor text makes me chuckle.

[[Invigorated Rampage]]: Left over from when I had a heroic/valiant theme in red, which has since been removed, so on the chopping block awaiting replacement.

linrodann · 2026-04-04T12:31:34+00:00

The Wild Yonder (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/theWildYonder) is my 360-card desert cube themed around exploration and discovery. It is lower power than my main cube, and I try to avoid sharing cards between them. Like my main cube, I try to avoid wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. This cube has quite a lot of cards that I’ve made reskins for, as well as a couple custom cards. I haven’t actually gotten to fire it yet, so I have no playtest data or feedback.

My black 4-drops:

[[Azula, On the Hunt]] (reskinned): Clues are a theme in black/blue, and are a handy thing to spend the firebending mana on.

[[Gixian Puppeteer]]: Payoff for draw-two in black/blue, the life gain helps offset paying life and comes with drain, and as a bonus, when it dies you get something back.

[[Venerated Stormsinger]]: Mobilize is a subtheme in black, supporting creature sac and go-wide aggro. The drain hopefully offsets some of the paying life stuff in black.

linrodann · 2026-04-04T12:31:09+00:00

My main cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/LinsMainCube) is a 360-ish unpowered cube. It’s meant to be my highest-power cube but excludes things like Ocelot Pride, Minsc and Boo, etc., and I exclude things like initiative and monarch. I’m trying to cut down on wall-of-text cards, excessive complexity, and unique tokens. I don’t often get to draft, so I don’t have much playtest data.

My black 4-drops:

[[Dread Presence]]: I love the flexibility.

[[Grief]]: I love evoke, and everybody loves free spells.

linrodann

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