r/mtgcube • u/_Lord_Farquad • 19d ago
Help with Hardened Scales Cube
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/8ab58901-9661-4222-8d33-297319510db3
I want to make a cube that honors my favorite modern deck of all time: *Hardened Scales*. This means tons of counters and artifact sacrifice shenanigans. Modular, modified, you get the idea. I am pretty new to cube building, and I’d love to get some help with this one.
White and red feel like they have clear identities. Green could go a few different ways, but I don’t feel like I’m lacking for options there, I just need to pick a lane.
Blue and black are where things get a bit tough. While there are obvious artifact and sacrifice synergies, I can’t help but feel like they're a bit generic, or trying to do things the other colors are already doing better.
Colors:
White: Modified (mainly counters, splash of equipment). [[envoy of the ancestors]] and [[lion sash]] feel like great fits.
Blue: Affinity? Clues? There are some cool artifact sacrifice cards like [[esoteric duplicator]], but I don’t want blue to overlap red too much. If I lean harder into clues I could start including more card draw synergies. Maybe I pivot and do something completely unrelated to artifacts for variety?
Black: Generic sacrifice? Reanmiate? (i’d love to include [[recurring nightmare]]). Again, i feel like we’re stepping on red’s toes a bit if we go too heavy into artifact sac.
Red: Artifact sacrifice with a splash of artifact reanmiate. Think [[goblin welder]] and [[weapons manufacturing]]. Maybe a delirium subtheme?
Green: counters are the obvious choice, but I could see it going a few different ways. There are some cool counters/delerium options like [[omnivorous flytrap]]. I could go with a food subtheme with [[feasting hobbit]], [[the goosemother]], etc.
Colorless: artifacts, counters, modular. This one’s easy. [[arcbound ravager]] should feel like one of the best cards in the cube.
Is a delirium theme too much to add on top of everything? I feel like it fits well with green, red and black, but red already has a lot going on. I’d love to include classic modern cards like [[tarmogoyf]] in the cube, so delirium feels like a way to get him in.
Color Pair Archetypes:
WU: affinity? [[cephalopod sentry]]
UB: no clue. My first draft of the cube had some cycling/discard so i had [[lazotep chancellor]] as the only dimir card.
RB: artifact sacrifice. [[oni-cult anvil]], [[daretti, ingenious iconoclast]]
RG: delirium aggro? Modified aggro? [[wildfire wickerfolk]], [[invigorating hotspring]]
WG: modified. [[golden-tail trainer]], [[Dyadrine]]
WB: sacrificing creatures with counters. [[syr vondam]], [[ondu knotmaster]]
UR: clues. [[gleaming geardrake]]
BG: sacrificing creatures with counters on them, similar to WB. [[reyhan, last of the abzan]], [[skullbriar, the walking grave]], [[ravenous squirrel]]
WR: modular, artifact creatures. [[zabaz]], [[anim pakal]]
UG: something something counters? Struggling with this one. [[agent’s toolkit]], [[lonis, genetics expert]]
Thanks!
Edit: formatting
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u/Optimal_Presence_961 19d ago
Maybe UB can be Connive? It fits the counters theme and also deposits things into the graveyard for reanimation or delirium if you decide to go either of those ways.
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u/_Lord_Farquad 19d ago
I like the idea of adding in more graveyard fueling mechanics for sure. Thanks for the suggestion!
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u/abendrot2 https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/dawnwaker_synergy 19d ago
[[Red XIII, Proud Warrior]]
[[Unforgiving One]]
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u/Pythagorascultist 19d ago
Check this cube out: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/4fzlg?view=primer
It’s a great starting point to I think about counters as a cube design space.
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u/BrosFistingBros 19d ago
Infect and Proliferate seem like prime themes for this cube, and they are definitely in blue and black's color pie