Hedron Archive

Artifact

{T}: Add {C}{C}.

{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this: Draw two cards.

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
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Standard Brawl	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

4 months ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.4! Two months ago, Cumly Cube was updated to Cumly Cube 1.3, which was touted as balanced and without any notable flaws. There is no more insidious poison than hubris! Many cards remained that were too strong, or close to unplayable. Many archetypes existed in the cube but had too little support to ever be worth drafting. Many cards failed to fit the ethos of Cumly Cube. With 89 more cuts and adds, I am now pleased to announce that, this time, Cumly Cube has reached a final form! Perhaps a few cards are still too strong, too weak, or out of place, but the vast majority of the draft pool is now in an acceptable state. Any further changes to Cumly Cube 1 will exist as minor updates, swapping out only a few cards at a time. This means that there will never be a Cumly Cube 1.5, only 1.4.1, 1.4.2, etc.

Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

ARTIFACT

1. Basilisk Collar: equipment is not part of Cumly Cube 1
2. Hedron Archive: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
3. Mox DiamondGC: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
4. Mox Opal: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
5. Mox Tantalite: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
6. Sensei's Divining Top:cut to weaken the artifact archetype

CREATURE

1. Academy Manufactor: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
2. Archfiend of Spite: madness is not part of Cumly Cube 1
3. Arsenal Thresher: too weak
4. Augmenting Automaton: too weak
5. Autonomous Assembler: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
6. Baleful Force: too weak
7. Battleground Geist: cut for a better Spirit card
8. Belligerent Hatchling: too weak
9. Bloodpyre Elemental: too generic of a red card
10. Bloom Hulk: there are better proliferate engines available in Cumly Cube
11. Copperhorn Scout: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
12. Crosis, the Purger: too annoying to play against
13. Deathrite Shaman: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
14. Deus of Calamity: too weak
15. Dutiful Replicator: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
16. Dwynen's Elite: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
17. Emperor's Vanguard: cut to weaken green
18. Farhaven Elf: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
19. Fear of Exposure: cut to weaken green
20. Fertilid: cut to weaken green
21. Galazeth Prismari: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
22. Geyserfield Stalker: too weak
23. Greater Gargadon: suspend is not part of Cumly Cube 1
24. Hallowed Priest: cut for an identical card to support the Cat creature type
25. Heedless One: cut for a similar card to better support the Elf creature type
26. Hematite Golem: too weak
27. Hunted Horror: too weak
28. Impetuous Devils: too generic of a red card
29. Jeskai Student: too weak
30. Junktroller: too weak
31. Lashweed Lurker: emerge is not part of Cumly Cube 1
32. Llanowar Visionary: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
33. Lodestone Golem: we have seen enough of this card in other formats
34. Lunar Avenger: too weak
35. Maze Behemoth: cut to weaken green
36. Mishra's Self-Replicator: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
37. Morselhoarder: too weak
38. Night Incarnate: too generic of a black card
39. Omnath, Locus of the Roil: cut to weaken the Elemental creature type
40. Phantom Nishoba: too weak
41. Quirion Ranger: cut to weaken the Elf creature type
42. Scalding Devil: cut to make room for more interesting Devil creatures
43. Self-Assembler: Assembly-Workers have been cut from Cumly Cube 1
44. Seton, Krosan Protector: cut to weaken green
45. Soul of Zendikar: cut to weaken green
46. Teferi's Sentinel: too weak
47. Thought Monitor: cut to weaken the artifact archetype
48. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell: too generic of a red card
49. Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre: cut to make room for more balanced Eldrazi creatures
50. Walking Ballista: cut to remove an infinite combo payoff accessible from the Cumly Zone

ENCHANTMENT

1. Aura ShardsGC: too powerful
2. Blood Moon: we have seen enough of this card in other formats
3. Impending Disaster: too weak
4. In Bolas's Clutches: cut for a similar but more expensive version of this effect
5. Night Soil: cut due to the presence of two other very similar cards
6. Revel in Riches: too powerful
7. Urban Utopia: cut to weaken green

LAND

1. Ancient TombGC: too powerful
2. Flagstones of Trokair: too weak
3. Mishra's WorkshopGC: too powerful
4. Urza's Saga: too powerful

INSTANT

1. Accelerate: too generic of a red card
2. Bedevil: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
3. Fading Hope: too generic of a blue card
4. Fissure: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
5. Fracture: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
6. Frazzle: too generic of a blue card
7. Inside Out: too weak
8. Lens Flare: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
9. Schismotivate: too weak
10. Seize the Initiative: too weak
11. Volt Charge: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences

PLANESWALKER

1. Karn Liberated: too generic and powerful of a draft pick
2. Nissa of Shadowed Boughs: animating lands is not part of Cumly Cube 1

SORCERY

1. Broken Bond: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
2. Chain Reaction: too generic of a red card
3. False Dawn: too weak
4. Grim Tutor: too powerful
5. Ice Storm: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
6. Lava Flow: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
7. Sinkhole: spot removal has been removed in favor of removal found in commands, charms, and confluences
8. Tezzeret's Gambit: too powerful
9. Wildfire: too generic of a red card

ADDED:

ARTIFACT

1. Banner of Kinship: encourages building around creature types
2. Conduit of Worlds: supports graveyard synergies
3. Pillar of Origins: encourages building around creature types

CREATURE

1. Aetherjacket: supports the Thopter creature type
2. Ajani's Pridemate: replaces Hallowed Priest to support the Cat creature type and lifegain synergies
3. Akroan Conscriptor: supports spellslinger synergies
4. Alibou, Ancient Witness: supports the Golem creature type and other artifact decks
5. Ancient Cellarspawn: supports the Demon, Horror, and Nightmare creature types
6. Angelic Aberration: supports the Angel and Eldrazi creature types
7. Axgard Artisan: supports the Dwarf creature type
8. Bloodwater Entity: supports spellslinger synergies
9. Brass Herald: supports the Golem creature type and encourages building around creature types
10. Campus Guide: supports the Golem creature type
11. Chief of the Foundry: supports the Construct creature type and other artifact decks
12. Chrome Courier: supports the Thopter creature type
13. Cursed Wombat: supports the Nightmare creature type and +1/+1 counter decks
14. Darksteel Colossus: supports the Golem creature type
15. Duergar Hedge-Mage: supports the Dwarf creature type
16. Eidolon of Blossoms: supports the enchantment archetype
17. Endbringer: supports the Eldrazi creature type
18. Essence Depleter: supports the Eldrazi creature type
19. Gimli, Mournful Avenger: supports the Dwarf creature type
20. Gishath, Sun's Avatar: supports the Dinosaur creature type
21. Herald of Slaanesh: supports the Demon creature type
22. Hunting Velociraptor: supports the Dinosaur creature type
23. Immaculate Magistrate: replaces Heedless One to support the Elf creature type
24. It That Heralds the End: supports the Eldrazi creature type
25. Kozilek's Channeler: supports the Eldrazi creature type
26. Mayhem Devil: supports the Devil creature type
27. Patrician Geist: replaces Battleground Geist to support the Spirit creature type
28. Petravark: supports the Beast creature type
29. Pillardrop Warden: supports the Dwarf and Spirit creature types
30. Precursor Golem: supports the Golem creature type
31. Prosperous Pirates: supports the Pirate creature type
32. Quandrix Pledgemage: supports the Merfolk creature type and spellslinger synergies
33. Roaming Throne: supports the Golem creature type and encourages building around creature types
34. Rootwater Hunter: supports the Merfolk creature type
35. Shambling Suit: supports the Construct creature type and other artifact decks as well as enchantment decks
36. Shantotto, Tactician Magician: supports the Dwarf creature type and spellslinger synergies
37. Smokebraider: supports the Elemental creature type
38. Solarion: supports the Construct creature type
39. Species Specialist: encourages building around creature types
40. Squealing Devil: supports the Devil creature type
41. Tayam, Luminous Enigma: supports the Beast and Nightmare creature types
42. The Balrog of Moria: supports the Demon creature type
43. The Lady of Otaria: supports the Dwarf creature type
44. Three Tree Mascot: adds mana fixing and encourages building around creature types
45. Titans' Vanguard: supports the Eldrazi creature type
46. Torch Fiend: supports the Devil creature type
47. Ulamog's Dreadsire: supports the Eldrazi creature type
48. Vengeful Devil: supports the Devil creature type
49. Venomcrawler: supports the Demon creature type
50. Wavecrash Triton: supports the Merfolk creature type and spellslinger synergies
51. Zara, Renegade Recruiter: supports the Pirate creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Destructive Flow: offers a land destruction engine that can provide a large advantage in some decks
2. Efficient Construction: supports the Thopter creature type
3. Keldon Twilight: offers a creature destruction engine for aggressive decks
4. Lay Claim: replaces In Bolas's Clutches as a more expensive control spell
5. Might Makes Right: encourages large creatures and can be used in conjunction with sacrifice synergies as a creature destruction engine
6. Porphyry Nodes: offers a creature destruction engine for slower decks
7. Retreat to Kazandu: supports landfall synergies
8. Shivan Harvest: offers a land destruction engine and supports sacrifice synergies
9. Sunken Hope: offers a creature bounce engine for slower decks
10. Whirlwind of Thought: supports spellslinger synergies

LAND

1. Foundry of the Consuls: supports the Thopter creature type

INSTANT

1. Atarka's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
2. Aura Mutation: quite similar to Artifact Mutation
3. Brokers Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
4. Cabaretti Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
5. Dromoka's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
6. Kolaghan's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
7. Lorehold Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
8. Maestros Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
9. Maestros Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
10. Obscura Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
11. Obscura Confluence: confluences have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
12. Ojutai's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
13. Pulse of the Fields: supports lifegain synergies
14. Quandrix Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
15. Riveteers Charm: rounding out the charms in Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
16. Silumgar's Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
17. Silverquill Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility
18. Siren's Ruse: supports the Pirate creature type and blink synergies

PLANESWALKER

1. Saheeli, Filigree Master: supports the Thopter creature type
2. Vraska, Golgari Queen: supports sacrifice synergies

SORCERY

1. Renegade Tactics: replaces Accelerate as a less typical red card
2. Roar of the Crowd: encourages building around creature types
3. Temporary Insanity: stealing creatures is a small but important part of Cumly Cube
4. Witherbloom Command: commands have been added to Cumly Cube to provide interaction and versatility

DreadKhan on Colorless

5 months ago

If you find you get wiped a lot, the first things you'd want are lots of land and ramp, so you can keep recasting your Commander. You've already got 40 lands, so that's probably fine. The next thing that helps vs wipes is card draw, wipes are really bad if the opponent can just play more creatures on their next turn. Maybe Hedron Archive and Dreamstone Hedron could do some work? You mostly want them for the ramp, but the ability to just draw some cards later on can be pretty clutch (I wouldn't use them in a deck with colours at this point, but in colourless I feel less absurd recommending them).

I don't have a dedicated colourless deck (even my Eldrazi are in a Gruul deck), but if you want to sneak more card draw in here, I know of Tome of Legends (very good as you both need to get your Commander out while also needing to swing), Hylda's Crown of Winter (probably the best thing I'm going to mention), Mind's Eye (a famously 'meh' card in any deck with colours, maybe better in here), Fountainport (draw or make a token seems fine?), Skullclamp (this is mostly for when you don't have your Commander and need to dig for cards, but if you do you can throw it on your Commander and as long as they actually kill Graaz you get 2 cards out of it), Marketback Walker (the idea is you play it for a bunch of mana, Graaz gives it +5/+3 (even if you cast if for 0 mana), and when it dies it refills your hand), All-Fates Scroll (I'm not sure if this is too weird, but you're already on Field of the Dead), The Deck of Many Things (it's a lot less risky if you aren't good at drawing extra cards), and finally Ugin, the Ineffable (not a great card, but it makes blockers that give you a card when they die, and it can kill something when it comes out. If you can keep Ugin alive you'd be able to play Graaz the next turn). Some of those wouldn't be good in a deck with access to colours, some I find I play in one or two colour decks.

If you like using Flash, there is Emergence Zone, which can be much sneakier than something that sits there working like Vedalken Orrery. It's one and done, not sure if that works for you.

Oh yeah, just thought of them, but you could protect your Commander from certain wipes with stuff like Mithril Coat, Darksteel Plate, and Tyrite Sanctum, the best is Coat, by a country mile. If people know Graaz isn't going to die maybe they don't wipe? Oh, just thought of it but Darksteel Myr might actually work in here, it's a 5/3 Indestructible when your Commander is out, and it's a blocker when he's not I guess? Sucks if everyone has Trample, or if everyone runs Farewell in your area!

shock7123 on Artifact Aggro on a $50 Budget

10 months ago

Out of curiosity, when you say hyper budget, how budget are we talking? Is there a monetary limit you're trying to stay under?

For starters, your mana ramp and card draw is incredibly limited. Especially for an aggro strategy, running out of cards in hand and mana to use is especially detrimental. You have some card selection with Akal Pakal, First Among Equals, but that can be a slow process when you're not flashing out artifacts on each turn. Some cards I might recommend:

Thought Monitor and Thoughtcast - cheat these out with affinity for easy one-time value. Prices are around $0.50 and $1.00, respectively.

Mask of Memory - equip onto a flyer or other evasive creature for consistent looting. ~$0.31

Hedron Archive - 6 mana over a couple of turns to be able to draw 2 isn't bad. ~$0.12

Aether Syphon - If you have the extra mana to pay into this, 2 mana to draw an extra card per turn is decent. ~$0.08

Transplant Theorist - loot whenever you play an artifact, plus get the ability to tuck cards back into your library to theoretically be able to replay later. ~$0.06

Coveted Jewel - 6 mana draw 3, then add 3 mana back. If you get attacked and don't have the ability to block one, sure, that opponent gets control of the jewel. However, it tends to start a minigame where people will just attack the Coveted Jewel's controller rather than you. ~$0.18

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.

multimedia on Brew my deck for me

1 year ago

Consider High Tide for ramp and/or with spells that can untap your Islands Turnabout, Frantic Search, Snap? Just Tide + Turnabout + you control 4 Islands could give you 10 mana turn 4. Mystic Sanctuary is a fantasic land that's an Island. Castle Vantress isn't an Island, but it's a good land for instant repeatable scry.

Consider Thought Vessel and/or Decanter of Endless Water? Mana rocks for ramp that can also potentially give you no max hand size before you control Nezahal. Reliquary Tower is a land for no max hand size.

Consider Forensic Researcher, Kelpie Guide, etc.? They can untap a land or a land that can make more than 1 mana Arid Archway, Guildless Commons even the same turn the land ETB. They can also untap a mana rock or even better a mana rock that can make more than 1 mana Sol Ring, Worn Powerstone, Palladium Myr, Thran Dynamo, Hedron Archive, Gilded Lotus, etc. They can also untap Nezahal to be a blocker.

A spell advantage blue has are instants that let you look at top X cards of your library and put one or more of any of them into our hand (any card(s) into hand is the advantage). Consider Impulse, Memory Deluge, Dig Through Time, Supreme Will, Thassa's Intervention, etc.? When you're casting instants on opponents' turns then Wavebreak Hippocamp is repeatable card draw. Being a 3 drop you can more safely play it and leave up mana for instant opponent interaction.

inni794 on Liesa but Angels

1 year ago

Thanks to both multimedia and TheoryCrafter for the suggestions.

A few of them I've acted on, for example, I didn't realise I couldn't use multiple Legion Angel in sideboard, and then Seraph Sanctuary, plus replacing Unmake with the Strictly better Utter End.

Added a Hedron Archive for more ramp, and Divine Visitation (a card I had already and was figuring out which deck to put in), along with another token generator in Dramatic Finale.

However, every addition I've made for your suggestions is just cards I already had (or found randomly when looking through my now 10 year old collection and forgot/didn't know I owned).

For the rest, though I agree with some of them on a concept level, including some of the lower power angels, my friend already has an angel deck and I'm trying to make mine slightly different from hers so as to not have overlap, so some of this was a conscious choice to be different, or some cases, I simply don't have more copies of the cards and don't want to buy more (HI Arcane Signet/Phyrexian Arena.

Again, thanks for your suggestions :)

hyalopterouslemur on Going beyond 40 lands if …

1 year ago

A good ratio is 40 lands, and then 10 for mana accel, 10 for instant answers, 10 for card draw, and one boardwipe which will favor you. But it's just a guideline.

In green, you have five mana ramp spells for {1}{G}. All green decks should presumably use all five if possible. (Monogreen gains nothing from Farseek, and Three Visits is a very rare card because Portal: Three Kingdoms. Hermit Druid decks are advised to just use mana rocks.) Toss in Sol Ring and Arcane Signet and we're at 7. The rest can be diamonds, signets, Mind Stone, Thought Vessel (if you're drawing a ton of cards), or Coldsteel Heart (which is strictly better than diamonds because you get to choose your color).

At three mana, you get Cultivate, Kodama's Reach, and Chromatic Lantern. Wood Elves and Farhaven Elf can be good, if you have ways to sacrifice them or otherwise abuse the 1/1 body.

At four, Skyshroud Claim and Migration Path are my favorites. I also like Hedron Archive.

Profet93 on Gary Murder Scene

1 year ago

I personally like to run 37, but everyone is different. It really depends on your avg cmc, amount of ramp you have, wincon, etc.... For your deck, I would see how your current 34 lands hold up. If you find yourself needing more, bump it up to 36-37. Regardless, you definitely need some more ramp. Jet Medallion, Arcane Signet (perhaps over or in additional to charcoal diamond), Mind Stone and maybe even a Hedron Archive.

For lands I recommend cutting Hive and westvale for Deserted Temple to untap coffers and Thespian's Stage to copy it or another utility land. Perhaps add in a Crypt of Agadeem. An Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth while unnecessary, is helpful. Albeit, it does provide symmetry to bublicking muck.

While a bit niche and unnecessary, if your playgroup is okay with combos, a Rings of Brighthearth is helpful. It allows double commander activations as well as some of your other creatures. Not to mention Rings + coffers + temple + swamps (urborg to make u need less swamps) = {INFINITY}{B}

I would add like 1-4 more removal cards personally depending on how much interaction you want in the deck. You might want to add another board wipe (or 2). All is Dust hits enchantments but not artifacts while Oblivion Stone hits everything. A rest in peace could be difficult for your deck to deal with and I don't see you running anything to deal with that. Perhaps a Feed the Swarm?

First try out your deck and see what you are lacking, either before or after my suggestions. Hope this helps, let me know what you think of each suggestion.