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Vintage Cube October 2021 Update

Howdy, gamers!

Vintage Cube updates? Vintage Cube updates.

Just in time for the spooky season, Innistrad: Midnight Hunt is here, bringing with it a host of changes to Vintage Cube. Last time, we saw Modern Horizons do some work shaking things up, and monocolor aggro decks got a bit of a power boost in various Naya colors.

This time, we're looking at expanding the parts of the sandbox that include build-arounds and reactive cards.

Dive into the details below and check out the updated Magic Online Vintage Cube list for the latest breakdown.

The Sandbox

In this case, "The Sandbox" refers to the entire environment and what tools are available. For example, last update, I removed the cards Niv-Mizzet Reborn and Birthing Pod. Both decks are linchpins of their respective archetypes, and this unfortunately did some damage to narrow the range of archetypes that can be played. That ran antithetical to the general goals I have when curating cubes, in that it shifts the range of ways that people can engage with cubes and play Magic in ways they find compelling and fun.

So, as you may have guessed, those are back in. To that end, this update to the cube has a handful of other cards being added for the sake of allowing other kinds of archetypes. These enablers are generally going to be effects that are harder to replace in their respective archetypes or have more unique effects.

These are cards like Karmic Guide and Rite of Harmony. Some of their use cases may be obvious, but having a Karmic Guide to grab with Survival of the Fittest, for example, is a way to provide additional consistency to green-rooted reanimator decks that would otherwise be more difficult to obtain.

Enablers aren't the only part of expanding the sandbox, however. Part of what's important is providing reasonable countermeasures against things.

Some of the cards in the newest update are explicitly to push against some of the stronger things in the cube and make it main deckable. Sure, something narrow like Crush is going to be strong against the artifact decks in the environment, but it's so rarely making main decks that it won't always come up in the matches where it matters. Cathar Commando, on the other hand, is the type of card that will make it more likely that that artifact removal shows up when it's needed, even if the creature itself isn't the strongest thing to be doing in 100% of instances.

One of the least-exciting-but-most-necessary parts of environment cultivation is ensuring that players are able to cast their spells on time. Thankfully, Innistrad: Midnight Hunt has a new dual land cycle that's incredible for Cube, one that I'm excited to add to the environment. Some flashier cards are being cut for them, but the amount of traditional mana fixing felt just a hair under, and I suspect this will help bring that to a better place.

Finally, we've got some goodies from supplemental tabletop products coming to Vintage Cube: the new and improved Wheel of Misfortune and Laelia, the Blade Reforged. Both cards are Cube all-stars, and I couldn't be more excited to try them out here.

As always, I'll be scarfing down candy diligently watching how this version of the cube plays out and am excited to see the new decks people build. I'll see you in the queues!

Full Cube List

Card Name	Color
Giver of Runes	White
Kytheon, Hero of Akros	White
Sungold Sentinel	White
Mother of Runes	White
Student of Warfare	White
Thraben Inspector	White
Containment Priest	White
Selfless Spirit	White
Soulfire Grand Master	White
Stoneforge Mystic	White
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben	White
Tithe Taker	White
Wall of Omens	White
Leonin Relic-Warder	White
Blade Splicer	White
Skyclave Apparition	White
Monastery Mentor	White
Recruiter of the Guard	White
Intrepid Adversary	White
Adeline, Resplendent Cathar	White
Flickerwisp	White
Vryn Wingmare	White
Silverblade Paladin	White
Restoration Angel	White
Loyal Warhound	White
Hero of Bladehold	White
Linvala, Keeper of Silence	White
Karmic Guide	White
Seasoned Hallowblade	White
Elspeth Conquers Death	White
Baneslayer Angel	White
Lyra Dawnbringer	White
Sun Titan	White
Spectral Procession	White
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite	White
Karakas	White
Mox Pearl	White
Condemn	White
Palace Jailer	White
Land Tax	White
Mana Tithe	White
Path to Exile	White
Swords to Plowshares	White
Balance	White
Disenchant	White
Honor of the Pure	White
Oust	White
Banishing Light	White
Cathar Commando	White
Council's Judgment	White
Gideon Blackblade	White
Usher of the Fallen	White
Armageddon	White
Faith's Fetters	White
Ravages of War	White
Damn	White
Elspeth, Knight-Errant	White
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar	White
Elite Spellbinder	White
Parallax Wave	White
Wrath of God	White
Elspeth, Sun's Champion	White
Solitude	White
Cave of the Frost Dragon	White
Unexpectedly Absent	White
Gideon Jura	White
Adanto Vanguard	White
Archangel Avacyn	White
Iona, Shield of Emeria	White
Thassa's Oracle	Blue
Spell Pierce	Blue
Baral, Chief of Compliance	Blue
Daze	Blue
Mana Leak	Blue
Phantasmal Image	Blue
Remand	Blue
Snapcaster Mage	Blue
Thieving Skydiver	Blue
Counterspell	Blue
Mana Drain	Blue
Deceiver Exarch	Blue
Pestermite	Blue
Spellseeker	Blue
Trinket Mage	Blue
Shark Typhoon	Blue
Force of Negation	Blue
Narset, Parter of Veils	Blue
Vendilion Clique	Blue
Memory Deluge	Blue
Control Magic	Blue
Glen Elendra Archmage	Blue
Jace, the Mind Sculptor	Blue
Sower of Temptation	Blue
Urza, Lord High Artificer	Blue
Venser, Shaper Savant	Blue
Mulldrifter	Blue
Bribery	Blue
Commit // Memory	Blue
Tezzeret the Seeker	Blue
Treachery	Blue
Consecrated Sphinx	Blue
Frost Titan	Blue
Torrential Gearhulk	Blue
Upheaval	Blue
Inkwell Leviathan	Blue
Shelldock Isle	Blue
Ancestral Vision	Blue
Mox Sapphire	Blue
Gitaxian Probe	Blue
Ancestral Recall	Blue
Brainstorm	Blue
Mystical Tutor	Blue
Ponder	Blue
Preordain	Blue
Brain Freeze	Blue
Chart a Course	Blue
Portent	Blue
Miscalculation	Blue
Time Walk	Blue
Emry, Lurker of the Loch	Blue
Frantic Search	Blue
Show and Tell	Blue
Thirst for Knowledge	Blue
Timetwister	Blue
Tinker	Blue
Fact or Fiction	Blue
Mystic Confluence	Blue
Turnabout	Blue
Cryptic Command	Blue
Gush	Blue
Force of Will	Blue
Mind's Desire	Blue
Time Spiral	Blue
Palinchron	Blue
Treasure Cruise	Blue
Dig Through Time	Blue
Repeal	Blue
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy	Blue
Riftwing Cloudskate	Blue
Sea Gate Stormcaller	Blue
Suspicious Stowaway	Blue
Brazen Borrower	Blue
Time Warp	Blue
High Tide	Blue
Opposition	Blue
Duress	Black
Fatal Push	Black
Inquisition of Kozilek	Black
Thoughtseize	Black
Cabal Ritual	Black
Collective Brutality	Black
Dark Confidant	Black
Bloodchief's Thirst	Black
Kitesail Freebooter	Black
Bone Shards	Black
Valki, God of Lies	Black
Night's Whisper	Black
Power Word Kill	Black
Wishclaw Talisman	Black
Hymn to Tourach	Black
Scrapheap Scrounger	Black
Bone Shredder	Black
Ophiomancer	Black
Opposition Agent	Black
Rotting Regisaur	Black
Toxic Deluge	Black
Hero's Downfall	Black
Woe Strider	Black
Murderous Rider	Black
Nighthawk Scavenger	Black
Damnation	Black
Gonti, Lord of Luxury	Black
Ebondeath, Dracolich	Black
Liliana, the Last Hope	Black
Ravenous Chupacabra	Black
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician	Black
Shriekmaw	Black
Dark Petition	Black
Liliana, Death's Majesty	Black
Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia	Black
Bazaar of Baghdad	Black
Rishadan Port	Black
Mox Jet	Black
Dark Ritual	Black
Entomb	Black
Imperial Seal	Black
Putrid Imp	Black
Reanimate	Black
Vampiric Tutor	Black
Animate Dead	Black
Demonic Tutor	Black
Exhume	Black
Oona's Prowler	Black
Pack Rat	Black
Shallow Grave	Black
Infernal Grasp	Black
Corpse Dance	Black
Necromancy	Black
Recurring Nightmare	Black
Yawgmoth's Will	Black
Liliana of the Veil	Black
Makeshift Mannequin	Black
Tendrils of Agony	Black
Unburial Rites	Black
Living Death	Black
Grave Titan	Black
Yawgmoth's Bargain	Black
Massacre Wurm	Black
Sheoldred, Whispering One	Black
Griselbrand	Black
Mind Twist	Black
Bitterblossom	Black
Tasigur, the Golden Fang	Black
Archon of Cruelty	Black
Bolas's Citadel	Black
Goblin Guide	Red
Goblin Welder	Red
Grim Lavamancer	Red
Soul-Scar Mage	Red
Monastery Swiftspear	Red
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer	Red
Bomat Courier	Red
Abbot of Keral Keep	Red
Dire Fleet Daredevil	Red
Bloodthirsty Adversary	Red
Embereth Shieldbreaker	Red
Runaway Steam-Kin	Red
Young Pyromancer	Red
Eidolon of the Great Revel	Red
Shrine of Burning Rage	Red
Char	Red
Goblin Rabblemaster	Red
Imperial Recruiter	Red
Magda, Brazen Outlaw	Red
Seething Song	Red
Wheel of Fortune	Red
Seasoned Pyromancer	Red
Sulfuric Vortex	Red
Avalanche Riders	Red
Flametongue Yearling	Red
Hazoret the Fervent	Red
Hellrider	Red
Pia and Kiran Nalaar	Red
Rampaging Ferocidon	Red
Glorybringer	Red
Thundermaw Hellkite	Red
Siege-Gang Commander	Red
Goldspan Dragon	Red
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker	Red
Inferno Titan	Red
Den of the Bugbear	Red
Strip Mine	Red
Wasteland	Red
Mox Ruby	Red
Burst Lightning	Red
Chain Lightning	Red
Firebolt	Red
Unholy Heat	Red
Lightning Bolt	Red
Abrade	Red
Smoldering Egg	Red
Desperate Ritual	Red
Incinerate	Red
Lightning Strike	Red
Flame Spill	Red
Pyretic Ritual	Red
Pyroclasm	Red
Light Up the Stage	Red
Birgi, God of Storytelling	Red
Daretti, Scrap Savant	Red
Past in Flames	Red
Sneak Attack	Red
Chandra, Torch of Defiance	Red
Laelia, the Blade Reforged	Red
Koth of the Hammer	Red
Splinter Twin	Red
Through the Breach	Red
Dragon's Rage Channeler	Red
Fireblast	Red
Wheel of Misfortune	Red
Banefire	Red
Zealous Conscripts	Red
Empty the Warrens	Red
Faithless Looting	Red
Mana Flare	Red
Arbor Elf	Green
Avacyn's Pilgrim	Green
Birds of Paradise	Green
Ignoble Hierarch	Green
Elvish Mystic	Green
Fastbond	Green
Fyndhorn Elves	Green
Joraga Treespeaker	Green
Llanowar Elves	Green
Noble Hierarch	Green
Birthing Pod	Green
Oath of Druids	Green
Regrowth	Green
Sakura-Tribe Elder	Green
Survival of the Fittest	Green
Sylvan Caryatid	Green
Sylvan Library	Green
Wall of Roots	Green
Channel	Green
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary	Green
Cultivate	Green
Search for Tomorrow	Green
Rift Sower	Green
Courser of Kruphix	Green
Circle of Dreams Druid	Green
Oracle of Mul Daya	Green
Eureka	Green
Court of Bounty	Green
Natural Order	Green
Storm the Festival	Green
Wrenn and Seven	Green
Tovolar's Huntmaster	Green
Primeval Titan	Green
Augur of Autumn	Green
Green Sun's Zenith	Green
Finale of Devastation	Green
Gaea's Cradle	Green
Mox Emerald	Green
Nature's Claim	Green
Nissa, Vastwood Seer	Green
Devoted Druid	Green
Fauna Shaman	Green
Gilded Goose	Green
Scavenging Ooze	Green
Wall of Blossoms	Green
Beast Within	Green
Ramunap Excavator	Green
Reclamation Sage	Green
Eternal Witness	Green
Garruk Relentless	Green
Elder Gargaroth	Green
Garruk Wildspeaker	Green
Hexdrinker	Green
Polukranos, World Eater	Green
Questing Beast	Green
Thragtusk	Green
Acidic Slime	Green
Biogenic Ooze	Green
Deranged Hermit	Green
Nissa, Who Shakes the World	Green
Toski, Bearer of Secrets	Green
Magus of the Order	Green
Avenger of Zendikar	Green
Craterhoof Behemoth	Green
Woodfall Primus	Green
Tireless Tracker	Green
Heartbeat of Spring	Green
Terastodon	Green
Plow Under	Green
Angrath's Rampage	Rakdos
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger	Rakdos
Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast	Rakdos
Kolaghan's Command	Rakdos
Rakdos's Return	Rakdos
Yorion, Sky Nomad	Azorius
Teferi, Time Raveler	Azorius
Fractured Identity	Azorius
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria	Azorius
Geist of Saint Traft	Azorius
Figure of Destiny	Boros
Lightning Helix	Boros
Showdown of the Skalds	Boros
Nahiri, the Harbinger	Boros
Wear // Tear	Boros
Lonis, Cryptozoologist	Simic
Oko, Thief of Crowns	Simic
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath	Simic
Trygon Predator	Simic
Hydroid Krasis	Simic
Tidehollow Sculler	Orzhov
Lingering Souls	Orzhov
Vindicate	Orzhov
Ashen Rider	Orzhov
Liesa, Forgotten Archangel	Orzhov
Manamorphose	Gruul
Wrenn and Six	Gruul
Arlinn, the Pack's Hope	Gruul
Huntmaster of the Fells	Gruul
Dragonlord Atarka	Gruul
Baleful Strix	Dimir
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver	Dimir
Ludevic, Necrogenius	Dimir
Fallen Shinobi	Dimir
The Scarab God	Dimir
Kitchen Finks	Selesnya
Knight of Autumn	Selesnya
Knight of the Reliquary	Selesnya
Rite of Harmony	Selesnya
Mirari's Wake	Selesnya
Goblin Electromancer	Izzet
Dack Fayden	Izzet
Expressive Iteration	Izzet
Thousand-Year Storm	Izzet
Expansion // Explosion	Izzet
Assassin's Trophy	Golgari
Maelstrom Pulse	Golgari
Old Stickfingers	Golgari
Grist, the Hunger Tide	Golgari
Vraska, Golgari Queen	Golgari
Leovold, Emissary of Trest	Multicolor
Omnath, Locus of Creation	Multicolor
Sphinx of the Steel Wind	Multicolor
Niv-Mizzet Reborn	Multicolor
Ancient Tomb	Land
Badlands	Land
Blackcleave Cliffs	Land
Blood Crypt	Land
Bloodstained Mire	Land
Celestial Colonnade	Land
Flooded Strand	Land
Hallowed Fountain	Land
Lavaclaw Reaches	Land
Library of Alexandria	Land
Urza's Saga	Land
Mishra's Workshop	Land
Prismatic Vista	Land
Seachrome Coast	Land
Tolarian Academy	Land
Tundra	Land
Arid Mesa	Land
Botanical Sanctum	Land
Breeding Pool	Land
Inspiring Vantage	Land
Lumbering Falls	Land
Mishra's Factory	Land
Misty Rainforest	Land
Mutavault	Land
Needle Spires	Land
Plateau	Land
Sacred Foundry	Land
Tropical Island	Land
Concealed Courtyard	Land
Copperline Gorge	Land
Godless Shrine	Land
Marsh Flats	Land
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx	Land
Raging Ravine	Land
Scrubland	Land
Shambling Vent	Land
Stomping Ground	Land
Taiga	Land
Wooded Foothills	Land
Creeping Tar Pit	Land
Darkslick Shores	Land
Polluted Delta	Land
Razorverge Thicket	Land
Savannah	Land
Stirring Wildwood	Land
Temple Garden	Land
Underground Sea	Land
Watery Grave	Land
Windswept Heath	Land
Bayou	Land
Blooming Marsh	Land
Hissing Quagmire	Land
Overgrown Tomb	Land
Scalding Tarn	Land
Spirebluff Canal	Land
Steam Vents	Land
Verdant Catacombs	Land
Volcanic Island	Land
Wandering Fumarole	Land
Deserted Beach	Land
Haunted Ridge	Land
Rockfall Vale	Land
Overgrown Farmland	Land
Shipwreck Marsh	Land
Academy Ruins	Land
Black Lotus	Colorless
Chrome Mox	Colorless
Everflowing Chalice	Colorless
Mana Crypt	Colorless
Mox Diamond	Colorless
Mana Vault	Colorless
Sol Ring	Colorless
Azorius Signet	Colorless
Rakdos Signet	Colorless
Boros Signet	Colorless
Simic Signet	Colorless
Winter Orb	Colorless
Crucible of Worlds	Colorless
Tangle Wire	Colorless
Lodestone Golem	Colorless
Smokestack	Colorless
Karn Liberated	Colorless
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon	Colorless
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth	Colorless
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger	Colorless
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre	Colorless
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn	Colorless
Lotus Bloom	Colorless
Lion's Eye Diamond	Colorless
Skullclamp	Colorless
Gruul Signet	Colorless
Lotus Petal	Colorless
Orzhov Signet	Colorless
Umezawa's Jitte	Colorless
Coalition Relic	Colorless
Sword of Body and Mind	Colorless
Sword of Feast and Famine	Colorless
Sword of Fire and Ice	Colorless
Gilded Lotus	Colorless
Batterskull	Colorless
Wurmcoil Engine	Colorless
Relic of Progenitus	Colorless
Sensei's Divining Top	Colorless
Dimir Signet	Colorless
Phyrexian Revoker	Colorless
Selesnya Signet	Colorless
Dismember	Colorless
Oblivion Stone	Colorless
Phyrexian Metamorph	Colorless
Solemn Simulacrum	Colorless
Memory Jar	Colorless
Mindslaver	Colorless
Stonecoil Serpent	Colorless
Hangarback Walker	Colorless
Walking Ballista	Colorless
Emrakul, the Promised End	Colorless
Golgari Signet	Colorless
Grim Monolith	Colorless
Izzet Signet	Colorless
Smuggler's Copter	Colorless
Porcelain Legionnaire	Colorless
Basalt Monolith	Colorless
Metalworker	Colorless
Worn Powerstone	Colorless
Karn, Scion of Urza	Colorless
Thran Dynamo	Colorless
Golos, Tireless Pilgrim	Colorless
Kuldotha Forgemaster	Colorless
Myr Battlesphere	Colorless
Sundering Titan	Colorless
Blightsteel Colossus	Colorless
Coercive Portal	Colorless

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