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Format | Legality |
1v1 Commander | Legal |
Archenemy | Legal |
Arena | Legal |
Big Apple Highlander | Legal |
Block Constructed | Legal |
Canadian Highlander | Legal |
Casual | Legal |
Commander / EDH | Legal |
Commander: Rule 0 | Legal |
Custom | Legal |
Duel Commander | Legal |
Gladiator | Legal |
Highlander | Legal |
Historic | Legal |
Historic Brawl | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Leviathan | Legal |
Limited | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Modern Beyond Horizons | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Oldschool 93/94 | Legal |
Pioneer | Legal |
Planar Constructed | Legal |
Planechase | Legal |
Premodern | Legal |
Quest Magic | Legal |
Vanguard | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Jayemdae Tome
Artifact
, : Draw a card.





trippy_mcfly on
Cumly Cube
2 weeks ago
Introducing Cumly Cube 1.3! Two years ago, Cumly Cube was updated to Cumly Cube 1.2, creating a balanced cube and wonderful play experience for all involved. Despite these changes, there remained some minor flaws in the card pool. I am now pleased to announce that, after extensive research and design, Cumly Cube has reached a final form. No card is too powerful. No card is too weak. Synergy is abundant. Both the draft and play experiences are dynamic, exciting, and new. There will be no more major updates to Cumly Cube 1.
120 cards have been removed, and 120 cards have been added. Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:
REMOVED:
ARTIFACT
- Everflowing Chalice: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
- Glass of the Guildpact: too weak
- Heraldic Banner: encouraged mono-colored decks
- Illuminated Folio: too weak
- Jayemdae Tome: too weak
- Loreseeker's Stone: too weak
- Mind Stone: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
- Null Rod: too much of a hate card
- Pithing Needle: too powerful with Urza's Saga
- Pyromancer's Goggles: too narrow
- Retrofitter Foundry: too powerful with Urza's Saga
CREATURE
- Bomat Courier: too powerful against slow starts
- Deathpact Angel: creates a Cleric token, not a supported creature type
- Dimir Cutpurse: too powerful
- Elves of Deep Shadow: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
- Golos, Tireless Pilgrim: too powerful
- Hostage Taker: too powerful
- Kalamax, the Stormsire: too powerful
- Loyal Retainers: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
- Monastery Mentor: too powerful
- Moonveil Dragon: pumping the team makes for anticlimactic endings
- Murktide Regent: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
- Ornithopter of Paradise: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
- Phantom Tiger: too weak
- Risen Reef: too powerful
- Shadrix Silverquill: creates Inkling tokens, not a supported creature type
- Tatyova, Benthic Druid: too powerful
- Thraben Inspector: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
- Toxrill, the Corrosive: creates Slug tokens, not a supported creature type
ENCHANTMENT
- Alpha Authority: hexproof makes for less interesting games
- Favorable Winds: too weak
- Offspring's Revenge: too narrow
- Pernicious Deed: too powerful of a board wipe
- Rally the Ranks: too weak
- Song of Freyalise: too typical a card for green
LAND (types are grouped together in this list)
- Tolarian Academy: too powerful
- Arid Mesa: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Bloodstained Mire: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Flooded Strand: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Marsh Flats: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Misty Rainforest: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Polluted Delta: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Scalding Tarn: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Verdant Catacombs: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Windswept Heath: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Wooded Foothills: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Badlands: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Bayou: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Plateau: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Savannah: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Scrubland: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Taiga: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Tropical Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Tundra: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Underground Sea: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Volcanic Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
- Hissing Quagmire: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
- Lavaclaw Reaches: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
- Lumbering Falls: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
- Shambling Vent: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
- Needle Spires: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
- Raging Ravine: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
- Stirring Wildwood: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
- Wandering Fumarole: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
INSTANT
- Abnormal Endurance: too typical a card for black
- Aerial Predation: too narrow
- Alchemist's Gift: too weak
- Arbor Armament: too weak
- Autumn's Veil: too narrow
- Betrayal of Flesh: too weak
- Bladebrand: too typical a card for black
- Brainstorm: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
- Cathartic Pyre: too much utility for an instant
- Comet Storm: one-sided board wipes need to be focused on creature type
- Consider: too typical a card for blue
- Crippling Chill: too typical a card for blue
- Crush: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
- Dawn Charm: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
- Dive Down: hexproof makes for less interesting games
- Divine Offering: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
- Dragon's Fire: too typical a card for red
- Electrify: too typical a card for red
- Fell the Pheasant: too narrow
- Gainsay: too narrow
- Gut Shot: too weak
- Heroic Intervention: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
- Hold the Line: too narrow
- Into the Core: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
- Lash of Thorns: too weak
- Make Your Mark: too weak
- Opt: too typical a card for blue
- Overload: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
- Pitfall Trap: too narrow
- Repulse: too typical a card for blue
- Scrap: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
- Seedtime: too narrow
- Shatter: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
- Smash: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
- Smashing Success: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
- Smite: too narrow
- Turn to Frog: turns a creature into a Frog, not a supported creature type
- Unsummon: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
SORCERY
- Blasphemous Act: too typical a card for red
- Chart a Course: too much utility
- Cleansing Wildfire: too much utility
- Cultivate: too typical a card for green
- Disentomb: too typical a card for black
- From the Ashes: too narrow
- Funeral Rites: too much utility
- Gitaxian Probe: too typical a card for blue
- Necromantic Summons: too typical a card for black
- Nighthaze: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
- Persist: too typical a card for black
- Pirate's Prize: too much utility
- Ponder: too much utility
- Reanimate: too typical a card for black
- Recover: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
- Serum Visions: too typical a card for blue
- Spitting Earth: too typical a card for red
- Thoughtcast: too typical a card for blue
ADDED:
ARTIFACT
- Coat of Arms: encourages building around creature types
- Patchwork Banner: encourages building around creature types
CREATURE
- Arahbo, the First Fang: supports the Avatar and Cat creature types
- Avatar of the Resolute: supports the Avatar creature type
- Autonomous Assembler: supports the Assembly-worker creature type
- Bag End Porter: supports the Dwarf creature type
- Breya, Etherium Shaper: supports the Human and Thopter creature types
- Captain Storm, Cosmium Raider: supports the Human and Pirate creature types
- Captivating Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type and supports enchantment decks
- Centaur Battlemaster: supports the Centaur creature type and functions as a strong payoff for prowess decks
- Chronicler of Heroes: supports the Centaur creature type
- Conclave Cavalier: supports the Centaur and Elf creature types
- Conclave Mentor: supports the Centaur creature type
- Crosis, the Purger: supports the Dragon creature type
- Fear of Exposure: supports the Nightmare creature type and supports enchantment decks
- Ghostly Changeling: supports all creature synergy decks
- Gimli of the Glittering Caves: supports the Dwarf creature type
- Glissa Sunseeker: supports the Elf creature type
- Graveshifter: supports all creature synergy decks
- Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea: supports the Elf creature type
- Haunt of the Dead Marshes: supports the Elf and Nightmare creature types
- He Who Hungers: supports the Spirit creature type
- Heedless One: supports the Avatar and Elf creature types
- Jungle Creeper: supports the Elemental creature type
- Jungle Delver: supports the Merfolk creature type
- Kataki, War's Wage: supports the Spirit creature type and functions as artifact hate
- Keiga, the Tide Star: supports the Dragon and Spirit creature types
- Kiora's Follower: supports the Merfolk creature type
- Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca: supports the Merfolk creature type
- Lagonna-Band Trailblazer: supports the Centaur creature type
- Marwyn, the Nurturer: supports the Elf creature type
- Master Skald: supports the Dwarf creature type
- Mine Layer: supports the Dwarf creature type
- Neighborhood Guardian: supports the Unicorn creature type
- Promised Kannushi: supports the Human and Spirit creature types
- Realmwalker: supports all creature synergy decks
- Reveka, Wizard Savant: supports the Dwarf creature type
- Seraphic Steed: supports the Angel and Unicorn creature types
- Soul of Zendikar: supports the Avatar and Beast creature types
- Steadfast Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type
- Stingmoggie: supports the Elemental creature type and functions as artifact hate
- Sygg, River Cutthroat: supports the Merfolk creature type
- Vineshaper Mystic: supports the Merfolk creature type
- Wistful Selkie: supports the Merfolk creature type
- Yargle and Multani: supports the Elemental and Spirit creature types
- Zacama, Primal Calamity: supports the Dinosaur creature type
ENCHANTMENT
- Aura of Silence: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
- Aura Shards: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
- Blessed Sanctuary: supports the Unicorn creature type
- Corrosion: functions as artifact hate
- Embargo: interesting prison piece for stasis decks
- Font of Fortunes: card advantage at a fair price for Cumly Cube
- Gate to Phyrexia: functions as artifact hate and supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
- Impending Disaster: a useful piece for aggressive decks or niche graveyard decks
- Shared Animosity: supports all creature synergy decks
LAND (types are grouped together in this list)
- Drowned Catacomb: completing the full set of check lands
- Glacial Fortress: completing the full set of check lands
- Hinterland Harbor: completing the full set of check lands
- Sulfur Falls: completing the full set of check lands
- Cascade Bluffs: completing the full set of filter lands
- Graven Cairns: completing the full set of filter lands
- Mystic Gate: completing the full set of filter lands
- Sunken Ruins: completing the full set of filter lands
- Wooded Bastion: completing the full set of filter lands
- Darkwater Catacombs: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
- Desolate Mire: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
- Ferrous Lake: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
- Fire-Lit Thicket: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
- Flooded Grove: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
- Overflowing Basin: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
- Skycloud Expanse: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
- Sunscorched Divide: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
- Viridescent Bog: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
INSTANT
- Accelerate: supports prowess decks
- And They Shall Know No Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
- Artifact Mutation: functions as artifact hate and supports the Saproling creature type
- Bandage: supports prowess decks and is also funny
- Brokers Charm: charms are an important part of Cumly Cube
- Charge Through: supports prowess decks
- Cremate: supports prowess decks
- Mirrodin Avenged: supports prowess decks
- Poison the Blade: supports prowess decks and offers deathtouch in green instead of its typical color, black
- Pressure Point: supportsli prowess decks and offers tapping in white instead of its typical color, blue
- Steady Progress: supports prowess decks as well as slower proliferate decks
- Sugar Rush: supports prowess decks and offers power boost in black instead of its typical color, red
- Treacherous Greed: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
- Turf Wound: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
- Warriors' Lesson: supports prowess decks and might end up as green Ancestral Recall
SORCERY
- Altar of Bone: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
- Aphetto Dredging: supports all creature synergy decks
- Apocalypse: total game resets are an important part of Cumly Cube, because you end up playing more Cumly Cube!
- Ashen Powder: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
- Blood for Bones: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
- Breath of Life: offers reanimation in white instead of its typical color, black
- Broken Bond: functions as artifact and enchantment hate yet also ramps
- Channel the Suns: a strange yet useful mana-fixer. Out with fetch lands, in with sorcery WUBRG!
- Cloak of Feathers: supports prowess decks
- Crippling Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
- False Dawn: supports prowess decks and might offer mana-fixing in niche situations? Even if this card is pretty useless, it screams Cumly Cube
- Grim Tutor: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
- Growth Spasm: offers ramp, mana-fixing, and supports the Eldrazi creature type
- Hymn of Rebirth: offers reanimation in green and white instead of its typical color, black
- Ice Storm: land destruction is a small part of Cumly Cube but a necessary balance, and not usually in green
- Jace's Triumph: there are Jace planeswalkers in Cumly Cube
- Mana Vapors: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
- Many Partings: offers mana-fixing and food
- Migratory Route: offers mana-fixing and supports the Bird creature type
- Obzedat's Aid: offers reanimation in black and white
- Ordered Migration: supports the Bird creature type
- Raise the Palisade: supports all creature synergy decks
- Resourceful Return: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks and artifact decks
- Ribbons of Night: offers direct damage in black instead of its typical color, red
- Rise of the Witch-king: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
- Riveteers Confluence: similar to a charm
- Safewright Quest: offers slight mana-fixing in green and white
- Solve the Equation: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
- Sweep the Skies: supports the Thopter creature type
- Temporal Machinations: supports artifact decks
- Unnatural Restoration: supports proliferate decks
- Urborg Repossession: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks
DemonDragonJ on Which is More Important: Total …
6 months 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.
wallisface on Mono Red Control/Mill (Premodern)
1 year ago
halanvaina just to play devils-advocate to your latest comment, I've posted replies to some of the mentioned cards and ideas. I hope this doesn't come across too rude - I just really feel like your deck is lacking some really fundamental deckbuilding guidelines and feels very non-functional because of this.
-
I don't see the point at-all of Feldon's Cane. You have absolutely no way to mill yourself unless you've played Crumbling Sanctuary and then failed to kill your opponent before they've killed you... the entire plan here feels flawed if that's the case. Crumbling Sanctuary itself is already faar too expensive mana-wise, and there's very-good odds you won't even be able to cast it before the game ends.
-
swapping one overcosted card for another doesn't really solve any problems... Kamahl, Pit Fighter is still too high a mana cost to be useful imo. I agree it is a very-strong improvement over Butcher Orgg, but that doesn't mean either should be played.
-
I'm not sure what you're hoping to achieve from Devastating Dreams? This looks like it hurts you much more than your opponent, especially considering your mana curve is so egregiously high.
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You seem to be relying a lot on Jayemdae Tome but I really can't see how the card is playable. Yes it lets you draw 4 cards but at the expense of effectively doing nothing for two full turns - i'm not sure how any deck doesn't just automatically lose when they're taking two turns off doing nothing impactful.
-
I get that Helm of Awakening is there to try and accelerate your mana curve, and that will help, but even then you've only included 2 of them, and your curve is still massively high. You need a LOT more mana acceleration, or to severely reduce your mana curve - and ideally you would do both.
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I'm not sure what problem you're trying to solve with Mangara's Tome, presumably card selection, but this really isn't the answer. Your mana resources are too limited already and either triggering or casting this thing likely means doing very little else in your turn. You're better-off drawing blindly from your deck than paying 2 mana to draw sudo-blindly anyway.
My biggest concern is your statement "While I do agree with opponents choosing two different options a terrible idea most of the time, the thing is with damage and fairly low cmc means that eventually your opponent will just have to do what I want."... the problem is that your deck doesn't have low cmc - I've checked other premodern decks and none of them are even remotely this slow. I don't believe the opponent will have to "choose what you want" because firstly if they're switching to the other choice, that means the first option would be hurting them more, so they're still taking the best path for their own survival, and making your life harder. And secondly, because I don't believe your deck is remotely fast enough to apply any pressure... your opponent will win long-before you put them into any kind of a bind.
I had a look at a bunch of competitive premodern decks here and there is a big gap between these decks and what you're currently running - namely that these decks can enact their plans much more quickly, and run a much lower mana-curve. I see premodern has archetypes like burn, which is effectively what you're doing but without all the extra steps and self-induced complications.
halanvaina on Mono Red Control/Mill (Premodern)
1 year ago
All right I updated the deck more over the past while.
Added Feldon's Cane to try to keep a grip on the late game. Took out Book Burning since it seemed to have too little impact on the game, at least compared to other things in the list. Took out Mogg Bombers for Lavaborn Muse for repeatable damage. Still going to keep the two beaters in the deck, but Took out Butcher Orgg for Kamahl, Pit Fighter. The fact he can tap to do a lighting bolt is better than the former. Another addition is Devastating Dreams as the finisher. Cards like Jayemdae Tome and (hopefully) Browbeat will draw me enough cards, and might even luck out & shuffle my graveyard into my libary afterward.
While I do agree with opponents choosing two different options a terrible idea most of the time, the thing is with damage and fairly low cmc means that eventually your opponent will just have to do what I want. It's not like Library of Lat-Nam, where its too expensive to play too much, and it's always going to be the far worse option. Least the way I see it. Also I'm going to replace Dwarven Ruins with Balduvian Trading Post when i can. Thing that sucks is I already ordered the cards before these recent revisions. So I guess I'll live with it until I see one. Same goes for the most of the other replacements.
000CBomb000 on Draw a Few Format?
1 year ago
I play Old School and in casual games we have a house rule that we draw two each turn, with no discarding required in the first turn only. It has several advantages:
- dramatically reduces the likelihood of mana flood/screw.
- it speeds up games, since you generally play a land and cast at least one spell per turn. Otherwise, with typical draw one, players tend to empty their hands quickly and the game slows down dramatically.
- it decreases the effectiveness of control decks like The Deck, which aren't fun to play against anyway. It increases the effectiveness of Aggro styles, which are more fun. Creatures are really janky in Old School and they need as much help as they can get.
- it reduces the advantage of Library of Alexandria, Braingeyser, and Jayemdae Tome, and reduces the disadvantage of Mind Twist, any of which can be nearly fatal in Old School matches.
There is even an Old School variant called "Gentleman's Rules" that bans Library and Mind Twist because they are so powerful in single-draw. In double draw, they are not a problem.
The only downsides:
- cards that punish card draw get much stronger. Chains of Mephistopheles and Underworld Dreams become very strong, almost problematic. If enacted in a tournament, it would definitely change the meta (maybe that's good!). We would likely have to restrict these.
- Sylvan Library becomes very strong, and may need to be restricted.
Some of those factors may be relevant to Commander. Definitely try it out!
Imsomguy on
Avacyn, Angel of Hope Voltron/Control EDH
2 years ago
You may want to replace the Jayemdae Tome with an Arcane Encyclopedia since it is strictly better
saber4734 on
Vampiric Rites and Vampiric Wrongs
3 years ago
Other possible cards for consistent card draw would be Mind's Eye, Seer's Sundial, Staff of Nin or Jayemdae Tome. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. And of the three only Mind's Eye costs anything.
acthompson on
OG Akroma EDH
4 years ago
Update 6/9/21: Having played this deck several times, uneven play patterns started becoming apparent. First, turns were taking too long. This was not because of complexity but rather indecision. Should I play and activate
Jayemdae Tome
or play
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
? Second, when
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
hit the battlefield I immediately became threat numero uno. Moreover, I couldn't maintain pressure without her. I had to rely too much on Akroma (although to be fair, let's all remember, it's OG mono-white so whatcha gonna do?). Third, while I could cycle though the deck it was at the cost of more impactful cards.
Abeyance
and
Shelter
are great but by themselves they don't do much.
Enter OG Akroma EDH v.2