The Magic Online Vintage Cube Update
Posted on May 24, 2024
By Chris Wolf & Ryan Spain
Hello, Vintage Cube fanatics!
The Magic Online Vintage Cube—currently running on MTGO with the list announced earlier this month—will conclude a two-week run (plus bonus time) this Monday, May 27th. You won’t miss it for long, though, as it’s coming right back a couple days later with some small updates for another two-week run starting Wednesday, May 29th!
Per this article, the previous update was a “return to center” for the Magic Online Vintage Cube—an effort that produced a large changelist. This update is the opposite, representing a new kind of update we will likely be deploying more often in the future: a small “polish pass” on a major update that comes shortly if not immediately after the initial run. This allows us to refine the archetypes in the major update while supporting a longer overall run by injecting some freshness and variety in into the experience halfway through. The size of these updates will depend on how much polishing we feel the experience needs, and in this case, we are happy with the results. We still have a few underperformers and failed experiments to address, but mostly archetypes are playing out how we hoped and don’t feel the need to change much. Storm remains the fun gamble it has always been, but our efforts to improve its odds with additional support cards took up slots without helping, so many of the changes represent pulling back on that support. The card-card-by-card design comments below speak for themselves, so check out the changes and the reasons below, and let us know how they work out for you in the queues starting next week!
CHANGE LIST
Color | In | Design Comment | Color | Out | Design Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue | Simulacrum Synthesizer | Without the affinity support cards around it, Simulacrum Synthesizer might not see the success in Vintage Cube that it has seen in Constructed, but with some freed-up space, we want to give it a shot. | Blue | Portent | The increased number of cantrips definitely didn't hurt, but they haven't provided the impact we had hoped. So we're dropping the least user-friendly one to make room for the Synthesizer. |
Blue | Smirking Spelljacker | This narrowly missed the cut last time, so we're giving it a tryout with some extra space this time. Five is an investment in Vintage Cube, but "free" is a fine payoff! | Blue | Phantom Interference | 2-mana counterspells are always solid in Cube, but this one definitely feels replaceable, so we're adding some other, sightly bigger control cards instead. |
Blue | Stoic Sphinx | A powerful control finisher that threatens to one-shot most Planeswalkers and end games quickly while creating interesting decisions points for both players. | Blue | Snap | With both Bubbling Muck and Lotus Field not doing so well and leaving the Cube again, we decided that Snap could go as well, making space for some fun new cards with Vintage Cube potential. |
Black | Dark Petition | Dark Petition is coming in to replace Bubbling Muck for a more versatile card that still supports the Storm archetype. | Black | Bubbling Muck | This was an experiment to give the Storm archetype another mana-doubling option, but it didn't quite work out, so we'll give Black another tutor instead. |
Red | Simian Spirit Guide | Fast mana is an integral feature of Vintage Cube, so we're adding the Spirit Guides over some replacement-level cards. | Red | Pyrite Spellbomb | Pyrite Spellbomb can be an all-star with Lurrus, but was underwhelming otherwise, so it can take a seat. |
Green | Elvish Spirit Guide | Fast mana is an integral feature of Vintage Cube, so we're adding the Spirit Guides over some replacement-level cards. | Green | Courser of Kruphix | The Courser supports Fastbond and Exploration, but not well enough to make this a Vintage Cube requirement. We are going with a different kind of fast mana in this slot. |
Green | Force of Vigor | With heavier artifact support, we're bringing back the Force to double up on artifact (and enchantment) destruction. | Green | Nature's Claim | Swapping for a 2-for1 Naturalize effect. |
Green | Garruk Relentless | Garruk Relentless hasn't been in for a while, and he looks particularly well-positioned given that creatures with two power are some of the stars of Vintage Cube. His ability to take one out and live to transform should help him pull his weight in this environment. | Green | Invigorate | Invigorate is a fine performer for green when it sees a main deck, but that hasn't been often. We'll see if there is more love for Garruk Relentless. |
Azorius | No More Lies | Assimilation Aegis has proved narrow and underwhelming, so we're bringing back No More Lies, which will go in any Azorius deck. | Azorius | Assimilation Aegis | An interesting try, but Azorius can use the any-deck flexibility of No More Lies. |
Boros | Winota, Joiner of Forces | Winota has made strong appearances in Constructed, and there are enough interesting Humans around to be worth giving her a shot in Vintage Cube. | Boros | Showdown of the Skalds | Showdown is a solid performer for Boros, but isn't so essential that we can't give some other options a shot! |
Golgari | Glissa Sunslayer | The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride has been a fun addition to the Vintage Cube, and we thought this Golgari slot was better spent on another beater over generic removal. | Golgari | Abrupt Decay | Cutting generic removal to lean into the Golgari beats that The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride is throwing down. |
Gruul | Halana and Alena, Partners | Orcish Lumberjack Gruul Beats has been a strong archetype in Vintage Cube for a while now, and with more +1/+1 counter synergies around, we felt that it would be a good time to give the Partners another spin. | Gruul | Escape to the Wilds | Escape to the Wilds is still a good way to refuel, but it has fewer land synergies with which to shine, so we'll bench it for now. |
Simic | Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath | The new Oko has largely underperformed, so we're bringing Uro back. | Simic | Oko, the Ringleader | Oko has largely underperformed, so we're bringing Uro back. |
Multicolor | Fabled Passage | A slightly worse Prismatic Vista is never going to be your go-to fixing, but when it's your comes-around fixing when you desperately need some, you'll find the Passage more than passable. | Multicolor | Lotus Field | While the Balance screen shots were delightful, Lotus Field was in to support a cluster of storm cards, mana-doublers and untappers that didn't quite work out, so we're letting go of it again. |
FULL LIST
Card Name | Color |
---|---|
Adanto Vanguard | White |
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar | White |
Aven Interrupter | White |
Balance | White |
Benevolent Bodyguard | White |
Blade Splicer | White |
Cathar Commando | White |
Collector's Cage | White |
Containment Priest | White |
Council's Judgment | White |
Damn | White |
Elite Spellbinder | White |
Elspeth, Knight-Errant | White |
Enlightened Tutor | White |
Ephemerate | White |
Esper Sentinel | White |
Flickerwisp | White |
Giver of Runes | White |
Glimmer Lens | White |
Guardian Scalelord | White |
Hero of Bladehold | White |
Intrepid Adversary | White |
Karakas | White |
Leonin Relic-Warder | White |
Leyline Binding | White |
Lion Sash | White |
Loran of the Third Path | White |
Luminarch Aspirant | White |
Mana Tithe | White |
Monastery Mentor | White |
Mother of Runes | White |
Mox Pearl | White |
Oust | White |
Palace Jailer | White |
Parallax Wave | White |
Path to Exile | White |
Portable Hole | White |
Prismatic Ending | White |
Reprieve | White |
Samwise the Stouthearted | White |
Sanguine Evangelist | White |
Selfless Spirit | White |
Serra Paragon | White |
Sevinne's Reclamation | White |
Skyclave Apparition | White |
Solitude | White |
Staff of the Storyteller | White |
Steel Seraph | White |
Stoneforge Mystic | White |
Student of Warfare | White |
Sunfall | White |
Swords to Plowshares | White |
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben | White |
The Wandering Emperor | White |
Thraben Inspector | White |
Timeless Dragon | White |
Touch the Spirit Realm | White |
Unexpectedly Absent | White |
Usher of the Fallen | White |
Virtue of Loyalty | White |
Winds of Abandon | White |
Wrath of God | White |
Aether Spellbomb | Blue |
Akal Pakal, First Among Equals | Blue |
Ancestral Recall | Blue |
Brain Freeze | Blue |
Brainstorm | Blue |
Brazen Borrower | Blue |
Chart a Course | Blue |
Chrome Host Seedshark | Blue |
Consider | Blue |
Counterspell | Blue |
Cryptic Coat | Blue |
Cryptic Command | Blue |
Daze | Blue |
Dig Through Time | Blue |
Displacer Kitten | Blue |
Dream Halls | Blue |
Duelist of the Mind | Blue |
Echo of Eons | Blue |
Faerie Mastermind | Blue |
Flash | Blue |
Force of Negation | Blue |
Force of Will | Blue |
Forensic Gadgeteer | Blue |
Frantic Search | Blue |
Gitaxian Probe | Blue |
Hard Evidence | Blue |
High Tide | Blue |
Hullbreacher | Blue |
Jace Reawakened | Blue |
Jace, the Mind Sculptor | Blue |
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy | Blue |
Kappa Cannoneer | Blue |
Kitesail Larcenist | Blue |
Ledger Shredder | Blue |
Lórien Revealed | Blue |
Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel | Blue |
Mana Drain | Blue |
Mana Leak | Blue |
Memory Lapse | Blue |
Mind's Desire | Blue |
Miscalculation | Blue |
Mox Sapphire | Blue |
Mystic Confluence | Blue |
Mystical Tutor | Blue |
Narset, Parter of Veils | Blue |
Otawara, Soaring City | Blue |
Phantasmal Image | Blue |
Ponder | Blue |
Preordain | Blue |
Proft's Eidetic Memory | Blue |
Remand | Blue |
Serum Visions | Blue |
Shelldock Isle | Blue |
Show and Tell | Blue |
Simulacrum Synthesizer | Blue |
Smirking Spelljacker | Blue |
Snapcaster Mage | Blue |
Spell Pierce | Blue |
Spellseeker | Blue |
Stern Scolding | Blue |
Stoic Sphinx | Blue |
Subtlety | Blue |
Thieving Skydiver | Blue |
Thought Scour | Blue |
Three Steps Ahead | Blue |
Time Spiral | Blue |
Time Walk | Blue |
Time Warp | Blue |
Timetwister | Blue |
Tinker | Blue |
Tishana's Tidebinder | Blue |
Tolarian Academy | Blue |
Treachery | Blue |
Treasure Cruise | Blue |
Trinket Mage | Blue |
True-Name Nemesis | Blue |
Turnabout | Blue |
Upheaval | Blue |
Urza, Lord High Artificer | Blue |
Animate Dead | Black |
Archon of Cruelty | Black |
Baleful Mastery | Black |
Beseech the Mirror | Black |
Bitter Triumph | Black |
Bolas's Citadel | Black |
Bone Shards | Black |
Cabal Ritual | Black |
Caustic Bronco | Black |
Collective Brutality | Black |
Concealing Curtains | Black |
Corpse Dance | Black |
Cut Down | Black |
Dark Confidant | Black |
Dark Petition | Black |
Dark Ritual | Black |
Dauthi Voidwalker | Black |
Deep-Cavern Bat | Black |
Demonic Tutor | Black |
Duress | Black |
Entomb | Black |
Evolved Sleeper | Black |
Exhume | Black |
Fatal Push | Black |
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor | Black |
Goryo's Vengeance | Black |
Grave Titan | Black |
Graveyard Trespasser | Black |
Grief | Black |
Griselbrand | Black |
Harvester of Misery | Black |
Hostile Investigator | Black |
Hymn to Tourach | Black |
Imperial Seal | Black |
Infernal Grasp | Black |
Inquisition of Kozilek | Black |
Kaervek, the Punisher | Black |
Life/Death | Black |
Liliana of the Veil | Black |
Long Goodbye | Black |
Mind Twist | Black |
Mox Jet | Black |
Necromancy | Black |
Night's Whisper | Black |
Orcish Bowmasters | Black |
Phyrexian Fleshgorger | Black |
Preacher of the Schism | Black |
Rain of Filth | Black |
Reanimate | Black |
Recurring Nightmare | Black |
Shallow Grave | Black |
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | Black |
Sheoldred's Edict | Black |
Snuff Out | Black |
Tenacious Underdog | Black |
Tendrils of Agony | Black |
Thoughtseize | Black |
Tourach, Dread Cantor | Black |
Toxic Deluge | Black |
Troll of Khazad-dûm | Black |
Unearth | Black |
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth | Black |
Vampiric Tutor | Black |
Virtue of Persistence | Black |
Wishclaw Talisman | Black |
Yawgmoth's Will | Black |
"Name Sticker" Goblin | Red |
Abrade | Red |
Arc Trail | Red |
Birgi, God of Storytelling | Red |
Bonecrusher Giant | Red |
Bonehoard Dracosaur | Red |
Broadside Bombardiers | Red |
Burst Lightning | Red |
Chain Lightning | Red |
Chandra, Torch of Defiance | Red |
Death-Greeter's Champion | Red |
Delayed Blast Fireball | Red |
Dragon's Rage Channeler | Red |
Dreadhorde Arcanist | Red |
Elemental Eruption | Red |
Embereth Shieldbreaker | Red |
Etali, Primal Conqueror | Red |
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker | Red |
Faithless Looting | Red |
Fiery Confluence | Red |
Fireblast | Red |
Firebolt | Red |
Flame Slash | Red |
Flametongue Kavu | Red |
Fury | Red |
Generous Plunderer | Red |
Goblin Rabblemaster | Red |
Goldspan Dragon | Red |
Grim Lavamancer | Red |
Gut, True Soul Zealot | Red |
Headliner Scarlett | Red |
Highway Robbery | Red |
Inti, Seneschal of the Sun | Red |
Laelia, the Blade Reforged | Red |
Lava Dart | Red |
Legion Extruder | Red |
Lightning Bolt | Red |
Magda, Brazen Outlaw | Red |
Magda, the Hoardmaster | Red |
Mine Collapse | Red |
Mizzix's Mastery | Red |
Monastery Swiftspear | Red |
Mox Ruby | Red |
Oliphaunt | Red |
Pyrokinesis | Red |
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer | Red |
Rampaging Raptor | Red |
Rite of Flame | Red |
Robber of the Rich | Red |
Runaway Steam-Kin | Red |
Scrapwork Mutt | Red |
Seasoned Pyromancer | Red |
Seething Song | Red |
Simian Spirit Guide | Red |
Slickshot Show-Off | Red |
Sneak Attack | Red |
Soul-Scar Mage | Red |
Through the Breach | Red |
Thundermaw Hellkite | Red |
Trumpeting Carnosaur | Red |
Underworld Breach | Red |
Unholy Heat | Red |
Voldaren Epicure | Red |
Wheel of Fortune | Red |
Arbor Elf | Green |
Augur of Autumn | Green |
Avacyn's Pilgrim | Green |
Birds of Paradise | Green |
Boseiju, Who Endures | Green |
Bristly Bill, Spine Sower | Green |
Channel | Green |
Craterhoof Behemoth | Green |
Delighted Halfling | Green |
Elvish Mystic | Green |
Elvish Spirit Guide | Green |
Endurance | Green |
Esika's Chariot | Green |
Eternal Witness | Green |
Eureka | Green |
Exploration | Green |
Fastbond | Green |
Force of Vigor | Green |
Gaea's Cradle | Green |
Garruk Relentless | Green |
Garruk Wildspeaker | Green |
Generous Ent | Green |
Goldvein Hydra | Green |
Green Sun's Zenith | Green |
Gruff Triplets | Green |
Haywire Mite | Green |
Hexdrinker | Green |
Ignoble Hierarch | Green |
Legolas's Quick Reflexes | Green |
Llanowar Elves | Green |
Lotus Cobra | Green |
Mox Emerald | Green |
Natural Order | Green |
Nishoba Brawler | Green |
Nissa, Ascended Animist | Green |
Nissa, Who Shakes the World | Green |
Noble Hierarch | Green |
Oath of Druids | Green |
Once Upon a Time | Green |
Ornery Tumblewagg | Green |
Outland Liberator | Green |
Paradise Druid | Green |
Pest Infestation | Green |
Pick Your Poison | Green |
Questing Beast | Green |
Railway Brawler | Green |
Ramunap Excavator | Green |
Ranger Class | Green |
Regrowth | Green |
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary | Green |
Sandstorm Salvager | Green |
Scavenging Ooze | Green |
Sentinel of the Nameless City | Green |
Smuggler's Surprise | Green |
Sylvan Caryatid | Green |
Sylvan Library | Green |
Sylvan Safekeeper | Green |
Tarmogoyf | Green |
Tireless Tracker | Green |
Titania, Protector of Argoth | Green |
Tough Cookie | Green |
Ulvenwald Oddity | Green |
Utopia Sprawl | Green |
Vaultborn Tyrant | Green |
Woodfall Primus | Green |
Worldspine Wurm | Green |
Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth | Green |
Celestial Colonnade | Azorius |
Flooded Strand | Azorius |
Fractured Identity | Azorius |
Hallowed Fountain | Azorius |
Meticulous Archive | Azorius |
No More Lies | Azorius |
Seachrome Coast | Azorius |
Shorikai, Genesis Engine | Azorius |
Talisman of Progress | Azorius |
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria | Azorius |
Teferi, Time Raveler | Azorius |
Tundra | Azorius |
Arid Mesa | Boros |
Elegant Parlor | Boros |
Figure of Destiny | Boros |
Forth Eorlingas! | Boros |
Inspiring Vantage | Boros |
Otharri, Suns' Glory | Boros |
Plateau | Boros |
Sacred Foundry | Boros |
Sunbaked Canyon | Boros |
Talisman of Conviction | Boros |
Winota, Joiner of Forces | Boros |
Zirda, the Dawnwaker | Boros |
Baleful Strix | Dimir |
Creeping Tar Pit | Dimir |
Darkslick Shores | Dimir |
Fallen Shinobi | Dimir |
Kaito Shizuki | Dimir |
Lazav, Wearer of Faces | Dimir |
Lim-Dul's Vault | Dimir |
Polluted Delta | Dimir |
Talisman of Dominance | Dimir |
Undercity Sewers | Dimir |
Underground Sea | Dimir |
Watery Grave | Dimir |
Bayou | Golgari |
Blooming Marsh | Golgari |
Glissa Sunslayer | Golgari |
Grist, the Hunger Tide | Golgari |
Nurturing Peatland | Golgari |
Overgrown Tomb | Golgari |
Pillage the Bog | Golgari |
Tear Asunder | Golgari |
The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride | Golgari |
Underground Mortuary | Golgari |
Verdant Catacombs | Golgari |
Commercial District | Gruul |
Copperline Gorge | Gruul |
Halana and Alena, Partners | Gruul |
Manamorphose | Gruul |
Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes | Gruul |
Orcish Lumberjack | Gruul |
Raging Ravine | Gruul |
Stomping Ground | Gruul |
Taiga | Gruul |
Territorial Kavu | Gruul |
Wooded Foothills | Gruul |
Wrenn and Six | Gruul |
Dack Fayden | Izzet |
Expressive Iteration | Izzet |
Fiery Islet | Izzet |
Magma Opus | Izzet |
Saheeli, Sublime Artificer | Izzet |
Scalding Tarn | Izzet |
Spirebluff Canal | Izzet |
Steam Vents | Izzet |
Talisman of Creativity | Izzet |
Third Path Iconoclast | Izzet |
Thundering Falls | Izzet |
Volcanic Island | Izzet |
Ashen Rider | Orzhov |
Concealed Courtyard | Orzhov |
Godless Shrine | Orzhov |
Lingering Souls | Orzhov |
Lurrus of the Dream-Den | Orzhov |
Marsh Flats | Orzhov |
Scrubland | Orzhov |
Shadowy Backstreet | Orzhov |
Silent Clearing | Orzhov |
Tidehollow Sculler | Orzhov |
Vindicate | Orzhov |
Badlands | Rakdos |
Blackcleave Cliffs | Rakdos |
Blood Crypt | Rakdos |
Bloodstained Mire | Rakdos |
Bloodtithe Harvester | Rakdos |
Carnage Interpreter | Rakdos |
Fire Covenant | Rakdos |
Kolaghan's Command | Rakdos |
Raucous Theater | Rakdos |
Restless Vents | Rakdos |
Talisman of Indulgence | Rakdos |
Valki, God of Lies | Rakdos |
Arwen, Mortal Queen | Selesnya |
Horizon Canopy | Selesnya |
Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar | Selesnya |
Lush Portico | Selesnya |
Qasali Pridemage | Selesnya |
Razorverge Thicket | Selesnya |
Savannah | Selesnya |
Temple Garden | Selesnya |
Torsten, Founder of Benalia | Selesnya |
Windswept Heath | Selesnya |
Botanical Sanctum | Simic |
Breeding Pool | Simic |
Hedge Maze | Simic |
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy | Simic |
Misty Rainforest | Simic |
Oko, Thief of Crowns | Simic |
Sail into the West | Simic |
Talisman of Curiosity | Simic |
Tamiyo, Collector of Tales | Simic |
Tropical Island | Simic |
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath | Simic |
Waterlogged Grove | Simic |
Atraxa, Grand Unifier | Multicolor |
Bring to Light | Multicolor |
Cruel Ultimatum | Multicolor |
Fabled Passage | Multicolor |
Huatli, Poet of Unity | Multicolor |
Indatha Triome | Multicolor |
Jetmir's Garden | Multicolor |
Ketria Triome | Multicolor |
Leovold, Emissary of Trest | Multicolor |
Mana Confluence | Multicolor |
Omnath, Locus of Creation | Multicolor |
Prismatic Vista | Multicolor |
Raffine's Tower | Multicolor |
Raugrin Triome | Multicolor |
Relic of Sauron | Multicolor |
Savai Triome | Multicolor |
Spara's Headquarters | Multicolor |
Thopter Foundry | Multicolor |
Xander's Lounge | Multicolor |
Zagoth Triome | Multicolor |
Ziatora's Proving Ground | Multicolor |
Aetherflux Reservoir | Colorless |
Agatha's Soul Cauldron | Colorless |
Ancient Tomb | Colorless |
Basalt Monolith | Colorless |
Batterskull | Colorless |
Black Lotus | Colorless |
Blightsteel Colossus | Colorless |
Candelabra of Tawnos | Colorless |
Chromatic Star | Colorless |
Chrome Mox | Colorless |
City of Traitors | Colorless |
Coalition Relic | Colorless |
Coveted Jewel | Colorless |
Crucible of Worlds | Colorless |
Currency Converter | Colorless |
Dismember | Colorless |
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn | Colorless |
Everflowing Chalice | Colorless |
Grim Monolith | Colorless |
Helm of Awakening | Colorless |
Kaldra Compleat | Colorless |
Karn, Scion of Urza | Colorless |
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth | Colorless |
Library of Alexandria | Colorless |
Lion's Eye Diamond | Colorless |
Lotus Petal | Colorless |
Mana Crypt | Colorless |
Mana Vault | Colorless |
Manifold Key | Colorless |
Memory Jar | Colorless |
Mind Stone | Colorless |
Mishra's Bauble | Colorless |
Mishra's Research Desk | Colorless |
Mishra's Workshop | Colorless |
Mox Diamond | Colorless |
Mox Opal | Colorless |
Mutagenic Growth | Colorless |
Myr Battlesphere | Colorless |
Mystic Forge | Colorless |
Nettlecyst | Colorless |
Nexus of Becoming | Colorless |
Palantír of Orthanc | Colorless |
Pentad Prism | Colorless |
Phyrexian Metamorph | Colorless |
Phyrexian Revoker | Colorless |
Portal to Phyrexia | Colorless |
Relic of Progenitus | Colorless |
Retrofitter Foundry | Colorless |
Sensei's Divining Top | Colorless |
Shadowspear | Colorless |
Skullclamp | Colorless |
Smuggler's Copter | Colorless |
Sol Ring | Colorless |
Soul-Guide Lantern | Colorless |
Strip Mine | Colorless |
Sword of the Meek | Colorless |
The Mightstone and Weakstone | Colorless |
The One Ring | Colorless |
Triplicate Titan | Colorless |
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre | Colorless |
Umezawa's Jitte | Colorless |
Urza's Saga | Colorless |
Walking Ballista | Colorless |
Wasteland | Colorless |
Zuran Orb | Colorless |