Arcane Encyclopedia

Artifact

{3}, {T}: Draw a card.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

9 months ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.4.1! 4 months ago, Cumly Cube 1.4 was released. This was the final major update. As promised, minor tweaks would continue, both to fix any remaining imbalances and keep the card pool fresh. The following 19 swaps should help remove some dominant strategies, specifically by curtailing the power of the “green slop” archetype. The additions also add a lot of new excitement to the cube in only 19 cards; there are multiple cards that introduce the monarch into the game, making this a more central mechanic of Cumly Cube, and there is one card that can be used as a niche combo finish with a Cumly Cube staple.

Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

1. Artifact Mutation: too powerful
2. Aura Mutation: too powerful
3. Captain Sisay: too powerful
4. Chromatic Lantern: mana fixing should not be this easy
5. Druid of the Anima: too obvious a choice of Cumly
6. Endbringer: too powerful in multiplayer
7. Explosive Vegetation: mana fixing should not be this easy
8. Firemind Vessel: mana fixing should not be this easy
9. Gilded Goose: too obvious a choice of Cumly
10. Gilded Lotus: too much ramp
11. Glissa Sunseeker: too hateful against artifact decks
12. Growth Spasm: too much ramp
13. Growth Spiral: too much ramp
14. Jetmir, Nexus of Revels: too obvious a choice of Cumly
15. Joiner Adept: too obvious a choice of Cumly
16. Karakas: too powerful
17. Library of Alexandria: too powerful
18. Muldrotha, the Gravetide: too powerful
19. Worldfire: an iconic Cumly Cube card, but sadly too unbalanced due to the ability to float mana and cast your Cumly after, almost certainly winning the game. This strategy still exists with Apocalypse, but is less of a guarantee now

ADDED:

1. Afterlife Insurance: supports the Spirit creature type and instant synergies
2. Arcane Encyclopedia: supports artifact decks
3. Court of Ardenvale: the monarch is now supported more heavily in Cumly Cube
4. Eldrazi Confluence: supports Eldrazi decks
5. Fiend Hunter: supports the Human creature type
6. Horizon of Progress: a utility land to help with mana fixing
7. Moira, Urborg Haunt: supports the Spirit creature type and graveyard synergies
8. Palace Sentinels: the monarch is now supported more heavily in Cumly Cube, and supports the Human creature type
9. Papalymo Totolymo: supports the Dwarf creature type and noncreature synergies
10. Refocus: supports instant synergies
11. Rile: supports instant synergies and works well with Dinosaurs
12. Sage of Hours: supports the Human creature type and +1/+1 counter decks
13. Secluded Courtyard: encourages creature synergies
14. Sigarda, Champion of Light: supports the Angel creature type and the Human creature type
15. Staunch Throneguard: the monarch is now supported more heavily in Cumly Cube, and supports the Construct creature type
16. Thassa's Ire: supports enchantment decks and can do some very powerful things with certain creatures
17. The Golden Throne: supports sacrifice decks and facilitates possible great comebacks
18. Three Tree City: encourages creature synergies
19. Wizard's Rockets: a utility artifact to help with mana fixing

DemonDragonJ on Which is More Important: Total …

1 year ago

I often wonder which is more important for a card: its overall cost or its cost-to-effect ratio (i.e., its mana efficiency); for example, there is no question that Lightning Bolt is superior to both Shock and Searing Spear, but, between the other two cards, I would choose Shock over Searing Spear in the majority of situations, because Shock has a ratio of 2 damage for 1 mana, whereas Searing Spear has a ratio of 1.5 damage for 1 mana.

For a slightly more complicated example, compare Eladamri's Call to Shared Summons; the former card can find a creature for a mere 2 mana, which is very efficient, but it simply replaces one card in its controller's hand with another, whereas the latter card can search for two creatures, which leaves its caster with an additional card in hand, compared to before it is cast, but it is less efficient, costing 2.5 mana per creature found, so it is not as clear which card is superior, there.

Opportunity is literally a double version of Quick Study, as they both have the same ratio of cost to effect, but which is the superior card? Is it really better to spend six mana to draw four cards, as doing that would leave the caster with less mana to cast the spells that they draw? Also, Quick Study is strictly better than is Inspiration, as it costs 1 less mana to cast, but, between Concentrate and Tidings, I am not certain which is superior, since they both allow a player to draw one less card than their mana values.

On the subject of card drawing, in the realm of repeatable card drawing, Arcane Encyclopedia is strictly better than is Jayemdae Tome, as it costs only 3 mana to draw a single card, compared to 4, but Tower of Fortunes can draw four cards for 8 mana, which is a ratio of 2 mana per card, but that ability costs 8 mana, overall, so the question is if it is worth 8 mana to draw four cards.

Continuing that theme, there are numerous creatures (and one enchantment) that allow a player to repeatedly draw cards, such as Azure Mage, Spectral Sailor, Faerie Mastermind, Triskaidekaphile, or Treasure Trove, a ratio of 4 mana for one card, but Mystic Archaeologist can draw 2 two cards for 5 mana, a ratio of 2.5 mana per card, which is definitely far superior, in my mind.

Hedron Archive is literally two Mind Stones put together, and Dreamstone Hedron is literally a triple Mind Stone, so they all have the same cost-to-effect ratio, but I prefer the original Mind Stone, since the existence of Thran Dynamo and Gilded Lotus makes it difficult to justify using the other mana rocks, at least, for me.

To use the example of Skyward Eye Prophets, a 1/1 creature for 2 mana is perfectly acceptable, a 2/2 creature for 4 mana is slightly expensive, but nothing outrageous, but a 3/3 creature for 6 mana is simply too much, although, as a side note, I have a copy of that creature, in one of my decks, because I really like its ability.

For a further example, I would choose Mantis Rider over Lightning Angel in the majority of situations, since it provides a better rate than does the angel, and, similarly, I would choose Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers over Vernadi Shieldmate, since the former creature is more efficient for its cost.

I believe that I have provided a sufficient number of examples, for this discussion, so which trait do you believe is more important: overall mana cost or cost-to-effect ratio/mana efficiency? I certainly am interested to hear your thoughts on this matter.

xram666 on EDH Karona, Fals God (Kithkin Tribal)

3 years ago

I count only 2 draw option:

• Kithkin Mourncaller
• Augury Adept

So I would add at least another 5 draw options. Maybe:

• Distant Melody
• Mentor of the Meek
• Lifecrafter's Bestiary
• Arcane Encyclopedia

Also I count only 2 ramp spells. Maybe also 5 other ones:

• Burnished Hart
• Arcane Signet
• Commander's Sphere
• Wayfarer's Bauble
• Chromatic Lantern

Also I would include Mirror Entity: Nice synergy and a good win option.

With the high number of tappers I would also include Siren's Call

Also the number of Mass Removal is to low. Some options:

• Dusk / Dawn
• Citywide Bust

Imsomguy on Avacyn, Angel of Hope Voltron/Control EDH

3 years ago

You may want to replace the Jayemdae Tome with an Arcane Encyclopedia since it is strictly better

libraryjoy on Odric lunarch marshal deck

5 years ago

Possible includes: Herald of War, Thraben Doomsayer, Oblivion Ring, Might also look at some more instants and sorceries like a field wipe you can use when all your creatures are indestructible. You might also look at more card draw like Rogue's Gloves or even Arcane Encyclopedia.

Possible to remove: Thraben Valiant, Ikiral Outrider, Affa Protector, Attended Knight.

jakeelephant006 on Zirda's Discount Tool Store

5 years ago

This may see blasphemous, but I think it might be time to cut Skullclamp in favor of a more consistent draw source or equipment. I think the clamp is at its worst here. Which is to say, it's just an insurance policy on any creature you attach it to w/ a small power buff (which is a decently high floor). Plus, your creatures are pretty scarce in this deck so I can't envision you sacrificing even the two creatures that would die immediately to the clamp.

I think some things that would help this deck is finding some more good activated abilities that get reduced by your commander. Some examples could be Osgir, the Reconstructor , Steel Hellkite , Soul of New Phyrexia , Burnished Hart , Plargg, Dean Of Chaos // Augusta, Dean Of Order, War Room , Bonders' Enclave , Diviner's Wand , Arcane Encyclopedia , Staff of Domination , and--on the pricier side-- Umbral Mantle . The new Fighter Class is also a near auto include.

Also, I'm pretty high on Forging the Tyrite Sword and Axgard Armory .

RambIe on Discarding with Windgrace

5 years ago

it sounds like NTakamura is saying that the purpose of Arcane Encyclopedia is for windgrace fodder
if that is the case id suggest replacing it with Groundskeeper

NTakamura on Discarding with Windgrace

5 years ago

Grind I somewhat struggle with your recommendation because I already have discard and draw cards. I have Arcane Encyclopedia for draw when I have nothing to discard. I did however added Geier Reach Sanitarium and see how it plays.