Howdy, gamers!
It's time for another cube update, and this time we've got Modern Cube on the docket. It's been a while since we've visited this cube, we've released a ton of cards in the time since we were here, and the cube is relatively young in its iterative process. There's a lot to cover, so let's get to talking about it!
First, I'd like to roll out the red carpet for one of our design interns Aaron Sorrels, who made a ton of updates on this iteration of Modern Cube, and give him a chance to speak to what fueled his changes and some of his favorite things to do in this cube:
Hello! My name is Aaron Sorrells, and I was a casual play design intern over the summer. I worked with Carmen to craft this massive cube update. We added a lot of new cards from throughout the last year, changed some supported archetypes, and I even got to add some of my personal favorites from my own cube.
One of the archetypes we added to the cube in this update is Bx Sacrifice. This is one of my favorite cube archetypes because a lot of the cards are so modular and there are a variety of builds within the archetype.
One of the variations is Black-Red Sacrifice. This deck leans into the aggressive side of its red cards. It's trying to get its opponent's life total to 0, not through an infinite combo or huge turn, but through individual cards adding up to the lethal threshold. Falkenrath Aristocrat is an absolute slam dunk in these decks. It's not only a sac outlet, but it also clocks in for 4 precious points of damage every turn. Pay special attention to some red cards like Fanatical Firebrand and Chandra, Acolyte of Flame. These slots may not look like they're meant for you, but I promise that the former is the glue that holds this shell together, and Chandra, Acolyte of Flame is a powerhouse in concert with cards like Blood Artist. My last tip for this variation is to take burn spells like Lightning Strike and Char with a higher priority than you might think. Games are often decided by being able to reach that lethal threshold with combinations of Blood Artist and Goblin Bombardment. That Lightning Strike can often act as the final piece to the puzzle.
The other major version of this deck is a more combo-centric deck in Abzan. This time, you're looking to put together various combo pieces like Viscera Seer; Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit; and Kitchen Finks. This variation cares a lot about its shell of creatures and ways it has to find them. Aside from your combo pieces, be on the lookout for tutor effects like Eladamri's Call and Finale of Devastation.
One overlooked side of these decks is their synergy with planeswalkers. Your small sacrifice fodder will make perfect blockers for planeswalkers that grind the game out and eventually find combo pieces. Cards like Vivien, Monsters' Advocate and Ajani, Mentor of Heroes are some of my favorites here.
Aside from sacrifice, I'm excited to see some of my personal favorites make their appearance in this cube. Kogla, the Titan Ape is one of these. This primate is a super underrated threat and has amazing synergy with Humans like Charming Prince and Eternal Witness. You haven't lived until you take infinite turns using Kogla to loop Eternal Witness, bringing back Time Warp.
For anyone who remembers last year's update to Modern Cube, the tonal shift in favor of combos is a bit of a departure from the previous change. In general, assembling combos is fun, and it allows for some more powerful cards to be included in the cube in the interest of feeling truer to Modern. Reanimator was in the cube previously but felt like a watery version of a beloved Vintage and Legacy Cube archetype, so eschewing that in favor of some combos that have seen play in Modern before (like the Kitchen Finks combo Aaron described) just makes sense in terms of resonance and identity.
I'm happy that Aaron was so excited about the proposition and dove into these changes head first, and I can't wait to see y'all in the queues!
-
Full Modern Cube Card List
-
| Card Name |
Color |
|---|
| Dragonlord Ojutai |
Azorius |
| Raff, Weatherlight Stalwart |
Azorius |
| Soulherder |
Azorius |
| Sphinx's Revelation |
Azorius |
| Teferi, Hero of Dominaria |
Azorius |
| Teferi, Time Raveler |
Azorius |
| Yorion, Sky Nomad |
Azorius |
| Agadeem's Awakening |
Black |
| Archon of Cruelty |
Black |
| Bitterblossom |
Black |
| Blood Artist |
Black |
| Bloodchief's Thirst |
Black |
| Bloodghast |
Black |
| Bloodsoaked Champion |
Black |
| Bone Shards |
Black |
| Bone Shredder |
Black |
| Braids, Arisen Nightmare |
Black |
| Carrion Feeder |
Black |
| Collective Brutality |
Black |
| Cryptbreaker |
Black |
| Damnation |
Black |
| Dark Confidant |
Black |
| Dauthi Voidwalker |
Black |
| Deadly Dispute |
Black |
| Dismember |
Black |
| Doom Blade |
Black |
| Doom Whisperer |
Black |
| Dread Wanderer |
Black |
| Duress |
Black |
| Evolved Sleeper |
Black |
| Extinction Event |
Black |
| Fatal Push |
Black |
| Flay Essence |
Black |
| Geralf's Messenger |
Black |
| Go for the Throat |
Black |
| Gonti, Lord of Luxury |
Black |
| Grave Titan |
Black |
| Gravecrawler |
Black |
| Graveyard Trespasser |
Black |
| Henrika Domnathi |
Black |
| Hero's Downfall |
Black |
| Hive of the Eye Tyrant |
Black |
| Infernal Grasp |
Black |
| Inquisition of Kozilek |
Black |
| Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia |
Black |
| Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet |
Black |
| Knight of the Ebon Legion |
Black |
| Languish |
Black |
| Liliana of the Veil |
Black |
| Liliana, Dreadhorde General |
Black |
| Liliana, Heretical Healer |
Black |
| Liliana, the Last Hope |
Black |
| Lolth, Spider Queen |
Black |
| Midnight Reaper |
Black |
| Murderous Rider |
Black |
| Never // Return |
Black |
| Night's Whisper |
Black |
| Phyrexian Arena |
Black |
| Power Word Kill |
Black |
| Profane Command |
Black |
| Putrid Goblin |
Black |
| Rankle, Master of Pranks |
Black |
| Ravenous Chupacabra |
Black |
| Read the Bones |
Black |
| Scrapheap Scrounger |
Black |
| Sedgemoor Witch |
Black |
| Shriekmaw |
Black |
| Skyclave Shade |
Black |
| Tasigur, the Golden Fang |
Black |
| Tenacious Underdog |
Black |
| The Meathook Massacre |
Black |
| Thoughtseize |
Black |
| Tourach, Dread Cantor |
Black |
| Unearth |
Black |
| Village Rites |
Black |
| Viscera Seer |
Black |
| Woe Strider |
Black |
| Yawgmoth, Thran Physician |
Black |
| Zulaport Cutthroat |
Black |
| Aether Channeler |
Blue |
| Ancestral Vision |
Blue |
| Archmage's Charm |
Blue |
| Baral, Chief of Compliance |
Blue |
| Blink of an Eye |
Blue |
| Brazen Borrower |
Blue |
| Bribery |
Blue |
| Censor |
Blue |
| Champion of Wits |
Blue |
| Compulsive Research |
Blue |
| Consecrated Sphinx |
Blue |
| Consider |
Blue |
| Counterspell |
Blue |
| Cryptic Command |
Blue |
| Delver of Secrets |
Blue |
| Dungeon Geists |
Blue |
| Fact or Fiction |
Blue |
| Fading Hope |
Blue |
| Force of Negation |
Blue |
| Frost Titan |
Blue |
| Glen Elendra Archmage |
Blue |
| Hall of Storm Giants |
Blue |
| Haughty Djinn |
Blue |
| Hullbreaker Horror |
Blue |
| Jace Beleren |
Blue |
| Jace, the Mind Sculptor |
Blue |
| Jace, Vryn's Prodigy |
Blue |
| Ledger Shredder |
Blue |
| Lier, Disciple of the Drowned |
Blue |
| Looter il-Kor |
Blue |
| Make Disappear |
Blue |
| Malevolent Hermit |
Blue |
| Mana Leak |
Blue |
| Memory Deluge |
Blue |
| Mulldrifter |
Blue |
| Murktide Regent |
Blue |
| Narset, Parter of Veils |
Blue |
| Negate |
Blue |
| Neutralize |
Blue |
| Nexus of Fate |
Blue |
| Nimble Obstructionist |
Blue |
| Opt |
Blue |
| Pact of Negation |
Blue |
| Pestermite |
Blue |
| Phantasmal Image |
Blue |
| Phyrexian Metamorph |
Blue |
| Pteramander |
Blue |
| Remand |
Blue |
| Remove Soul |
Blue |
| Riftwing Cloudskate |
Blue |
| Search for Azcanta |
Blue |
| Serum Visions |
Blue |
| Shark Typhoon |
Blue |
| Silver Scrutiny |
Blue |
| Sleight of Hand |
Blue |
| Snapcaster Mage |
Blue |
| Sower of Temptation |
Blue |
| Spell Pierce |
Blue |
| Stratus Dancer |
Blue |
| Subtlety |
Blue |
| Teferi, Master of Time |
Blue |
| Temporal Mastery |
Blue |
| Thassa, Deep-Dwelling |
Blue |
| The Reality Chip |
Blue |
| Thing in the Ice |
Blue |
| Thought Scour |
Blue |
| Time Warp |
Blue |
| Torrential Gearhulk |
Blue |
| Urza, Lord High Artificer |
Blue |
| Vendilion Clique |
Blue |
| Venser, Shaper Savant |
Blue |
| Whirler Rogue |
Blue |
| Ajani Vengeant |
Boros |
| Boros Reckoner |
Boros |
| Figure of Destiny |
Boros |
| Lightning Helix |
Boros |
| Nahiri, the Harbinger |
Boros |
| Rip Apart |
Boros |
| Showdown of the Skalds |
Boros |
| Aethersphere Harvester |
Colorless |
| Batterskull |
Colorless |
| Blasting Station |
Colorless |
| Coalition Relic |
Colorless |
| Duplicant |
Colorless |
| Everflowing Chalice |
Colorless |
| Gilded Lotus |
Colorless |
| Golos, Tireless Pilgrim |
Colorless |
| Hangarback Walker |
Colorless |
| Hedron Archive |
Colorless |
| Jinxed Idol |
Colorless |
| Karn Liberated |
Colorless |
| Karn, Scion of Urza |
Colorless |
| Millikin |
Colorless |
| Mind Stone |
Colorless |
| Myr Battlesphere |
Colorless |
| Nevinyrral's Disk |
Colorless |
| Oblivion Stone |
Colorless |
| Phyrexian Revoker |
Colorless |
| Reckoner Bankbuster |
Colorless |
| Shadowspear |
Colorless |
| Smuggler's Copter |
Colorless |
| Solemn Simulacrum |
Colorless |
| Spellskite |
Colorless |
| Stonecoil Serpent |
Colorless |
| Sword of Feast and Famine |
Colorless |
| Sword of Fire and Ice |
Colorless |
| Sword of Hearth and Home |
Colorless |
| Treasure Map |
Colorless |
| Ugin, the Spirit Dragon |
Colorless |
| Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger |
Colorless |
| Unlicensed Hearse |
Colorless |
| Walking Ballista |
Colorless |
| Wurmcoil Engine |
Colorless |
| Ashiok, Nightmare Muse |
Dimir |
| Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver |
Dimir |
| Dragonlord Silumgar |
Dimir |
| Drown in the Loch |
Dimir |
| Hostage Taker |
Dimir |
| Kaito Shizuki |
Dimir |
| The Scarab God |
Dimir |
| Abrupt Decay |
Golgari |
| Assassin's Trophy |
Golgari |
| Garruk, Apex Predator |
Golgari |
| Gloomshrieker |
Golgari |
| Grist, the Hunger Tide |
Golgari |
| Maelstrom Pulse |
Golgari |
| Vraska, Golgari Queen |
Golgari |
| Abundant Harvest |
Green |
| Acidic Slime |
Green |
| Arbor Elf |
Green |
| Avacyn's Pilgrim |
Green |
| Avenger of Zendikar |
Green |
| Beast Whisperer |
Green |
| Beast Within |
Green |
| Birds of Paradise |
Green |
| Boseiju, Who Endures |
Green |
| Cavalier of Thorns |
Green |
| Chord of Calling |
Green |
| Circle of Dreams Druid |
Green |
| Courser of Kruphix |
Green |
| Craterhoof Behemoth |
Green |
| Cultivate |
Green |
| Cultivator Colossus |
Green |
| Deep Forest Hermit |
Green |
| Den Protector |
Green |
| Devoted Druid |
Green |
| Dryad of the Ilysian Grove |
Green |
| Elder Gargaroth |
Green |
| Elvish Mystic |
Green |
| Elvish Visionary |
Green |
| Eternal Witness |
Green |
| Explore |
Green |
| Farseek |
Green |
| Finale of Devastation |
Green |
| Garruk Relentless |
Green |
| Garruk Wildspeaker |
Green |
| Genesis Wave |
Green |
| Genesis Hydra |
Green |
| Gilded Goose |
Green |
| Harmonize |
Green |
| Hexdrinker |
Green |
| Hornet Queen |
Green |
| Ignoble Hierarch |
Green |
| Jadelight Ranger |
Green |
| Kodama's Reach |
Green |
| Kogla, the Titan Ape |
Green |
| Llanowar Elves |
Green |
| Lotus Cobra |
Green |
| Nature's Claim |
Green |
| Nissa, Vastwood Seer |
Green |
| Nissa, Voice of Zendikar |
Green |
| Nissa, Who Shakes the World |
Green |
| Noble Hierarch |
Green |
| Oracle of Mul Daya |
Green |
| Outland Liberator |
Green |
| Primeval Titan |
Green |
| Questing Beast |
Green |
| Rampant Growth |
Green |
| Reclamation Sage |
Green |
| Sakura-Tribe Elder |
Green |
| Scavenging Ooze |
Green |
| Search for Tomorrow |
Green |
| Sylvan Caryatid |
Green |
| Tarmogoyf |
Green |
| Temur Sabertooth |
Green |
| The Great Henge |
Green |
| Thragtusk |
Green |
| Thrun, the Last Troll |
Green |
| Tireless Tracker |
Green |
| Titan of Industry |
Green |
| Turntimber Symbiosis |
Green |
| Utopia Sprawl |
Green |
| Verdurous Gearhulk |
Green |
| Vivien on the Hunt |
Green |
| Vivien, Monsters' Advocate |
Green |
| Voracious Hydra |
Green |
| Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider |
Green |
| Woodfall Primus |
Green |
| Kess, Dissident Mage |
Grixis |
| Bloodbraid Elf |
Gruul |
| Dragonlord Atarka |
Gruul |
| Halana and Alena, Partners |
Gruul |
| Huntmaster of the Fells |
Gruul |
| Klothys, God of Destiny |
Gruul |
| Radha, Heart of Keld |
Gruul |
| Xenagos, the Reveler |
Gruul |
| Expressive Iteration |
Izzet |
| Fire // Ice |
Izzet |
| Galvanic Iteration |
Izzet |
| Keranos, God of Storms |
Izzet |
| Magma Opus |
Izzet |
| Prismari Command |
Izzet |
| Saheeli Rai |
Izzet |
| Arid Mesa |
Land |
| Azorius Chancery |
Land |
| Blackcleave Cliffs |
Land |
| Blood Crypt |
Land |
| Bloodstained Mire |
Land |
| Blooming Marsh |
Land |
| Boros Garrison |
Land |
| Botanical Sanctum |
Land |
| Breeding Pool |
Land |
| Celestial Colonnade |
Land |
| Clifftop Retreat |
Land |
| Copperline Gorge |
Land |
| Creeping Tar Pit |
Land |
| Darkslick Shores |
Land |
| Dimir Aqueduct |
Land |
| Dragonskull Summit |
Land |
| Drowned Catacomb |
Land |
| Field of Ruin |
Land |
| Flooded Strand |
Land |
| Glacial Fortress |
Land |
| Godless Shrine |
Land |
| Golgari Rot Farm |
Land |
| Gruul Turf |
Land |
| Hallowed Fountain |
Land |
| Hinterland Harbor |
Land |
| Hissing Quagmire |
Land |
| Indatha Triome |
Land |
| Inspiring Vantage |
Land |
| Isolated Chapel |
Land |
| Izzet Boilerworks |
Land |
| Jetmir's Garden |
Land |
| Kessig Wolf Run |
Land |
| Ketria Triome |
Land |
| Lavaclaw Reaches |
Land |
| Lumbering Falls |
Land |
| Marsh Flats |
Land |
| Misty Rainforest |
Land |
| Mutavault |
Land |
| Needle Spires |
Land |
| Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx |
Land |
| Orzhov Basilica |
Land |
| Overgrown Tomb |
Land |
| Polluted Delta |
Land |
| Prismatic Vista |
Land |
| Raffine's Tower |
Land |
| Raging Ravine |
Land |
| Rakdos Carnarium |
Land |
| Raugrin Triome |
Land |
| Razorverge Thicket |
Land |
| Rootbound Crag |
Land |
| Sacred Foundry |
Land |
| Savai Triome |
Land |
| Scalding Tarn |
Land |
| Seachrome Coast |
Land |
| Secluded Courtyard |
Land |
| Selesnya Sanctuary |
Land |
| Shambling Vent |
Land |
| Simic Growth Chamber |
Land |
| Spara's Headquarters |
Land |
| Spirebluff Canal |
Land |
| Steam Vents |
Land |
| Stirring Wildwood |
Land |
| Stomping Ground |
Land |
| Sulfur Falls |
Land |
| Sunpetal Grove |
Land |
| Temple Garden |
Land |
| Verdant Catacombs |
Land |
| Wandering Fumarole |
Land |
| Watery Grave |
Land |
| Windswept Heath |
Land |
| Wooded Foothills |
Land |
| Woodland Cemetery |
Land |
| Xander's Lounge |
Land |
| Zagoth Triome |
Land |
| Ziatora's Proving Ground |
Land |
| Niv-Mizzet Reborn |
Multicolor |
| Omnath, Locus of Creation |
Multicolor |
| Cartel Aristocrat |
Orzhov |
| Kaya's Guile |
Orzhov |
| Lingering Souls |
Orzhov |
| Lurrus of the Dream-Den |
Orzhov |
| Sorin, Solemn Visitor |
Orzhov |
| Tidehollow Sculler |
Orzhov |
| Vindicate |
Orzhov |
| Dreadbore |
Rakdos |
| Falkenrath Aristocrat |
Rakdos |
| Kolaghan's Command |
Rakdos |
| Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger |
Rakdos |
| Mayhem Devil |
Rakdos |
| Ob Nixilis, the Adversary |
Rakdos |
| Obosh, the Preypiercer |
Rakdos |
| Abbot of Keral Keep |
Red |
| Abrade |
Red |
| Ahn-Crop Crasher |
Red |
| Anger of the Gods |
Red |
| Banefire |
Red |
| Bedlam Reveler |
Red |
| Birgi, God of Storytelling |
Red |
| Bloodthirsty Adversary |
Red |
| Bomat Courier |
Red |
| Bonecrusher Giant |
Red |
| Burst Lightning |
Red |
| Chandra, Acolyte of Flame |
Red |
| Chandra, Dressed to Kill |
Red |
| Chandra, Fire Artisan |
Red |
| Chandra, Torch of Defiance |
Red |
| Char |
Red |
| Collective Defiance |
Red |
| Den of the Bugbear |
Red |
| Dragon's Rage Channeler |
Red |
| Earthshaker Khenra |
Red |
| Eidolon of the Great Revel |
Red |
| The Elder Dragon War |
Red |
| Embercleave |
Red |
| Experimental Frenzy |
Red |
| Fable of the Mirror-Breaker |
Red |
| Fanatical Firebrand |
Red |
| Flame Slash |
Red |
| Fury |
Red |
| Glorybringer |
Red |
| Goblin Bombardment |
Red |
| Goblin Guide |
Red |
| Goblin Rabblemaster |
Red |
| Goldspan Dragon |
Red |
| Grim Lavamancer |
Red |
| Hazoret the Fervent |
Red |
| Imperial Recruiter |
Red |
| Incinerate |
Red |
| Inferno Titan |
Red |
| Jaya, Fiery Negotiator |
Red |
| Kari Zev, Skyship Raider |
Red |
| Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker |
Red |
| Koth of the Hammer |
Red |
| Lava Dart |
Red |
| Legion Warboss |
Red |
| Lightning Bolt |
Red |
| Lightning Strike |
Red |
| Mizzium Mortars |
Red |
| Monastery Swiftspear |
Red |
| Outpost Siege |
Red |
| Phoenix of Ash |
Red |
| Pia and Kiran Nalaar |
Red |
| Rabbit Battery |
Red |
| Radiant Flames |
Red |
| Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer |
Red |
| Rampaging Ferocidon |
Red |
| Reckless Impulse |
Red |
| Risk Factor |
Red |
| Roast |
Red |
| Roil Eruption |
Red |
| Searing Blaze |
Red |
| Seasoned Pyromancer |
Red |
| Siege-Gang Commander |
Red |
| Soul-Scar Mage |
Red |
| Squee, Dubious Monarch |
Red |
| Terror of the Peaks |
Red |
| Thundering Rebuke |
Red |
| Thundermaw Hellkite |
Red |
| Young Pyromancer |
Red |
| Zealous Conscripts |
Red |
| Zurgo Bellstriker |
Red |
| Ajani, Mentor of Heroes |
Selesnya |
| Dromoka's Command |
Selesnya |
| Eladamri's Call |
Selesnya |
| Good-Fortune Unicorn |
Selesnya |
| Kitchen Finks |
Selesnya |
| Queen Allenal of Ruadach |
Selesnya |
| Voice of Resurgence |
Selesnya |
| Bring to Light |
Simic |
| Coiling Oracle |
Simic |
| Hydroid Krasis |
Simic |
| Koma, Cosmos Serpent |
Simic |
| Mystic Snake |
Simic |
| Tamiyo, Compleated Sage |
Simic |
| Tatyova, Benthic Druid |
Simic |
| Adanto Vanguard |
White |
| Adeline, Resplendent Cathar |
White |
| Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit |
White |
| Approach of the Second Sun |
White |
| Archangel Avacyn |
White |
| Baneslayer Angel |
White |
| Benalish Marshal |
White |
| Blade Splicer |
White |
| Brutal Cathar |
White |
| Cast Out |
White |
| Cathar Commando |
White |
| Charming Prince |
White |
| Conclave Tribunal |
White |
| Damn |
White |
| Declaration in Stone |
White |
| Elite Spellbinder |
White |
| Elspeth Conquers Death |
White |
| Elspeth Resplendent |
White |
| Elspeth, Sun's Champion |
White |
| Ephemerate |
White |
| Extraction Specialist |
White |
| Faith's Fetters |
White |
| Farewell |
White |
| Fateful Absence |
White |
| Felidar Guardian |
White |
| Flickerwisp |
White |
| Gideon Jura |
White |
| Gideon, Ally of Zendikar |
White |
| Giver of Runes |
White |
| Glass Casket |
White |
| Heliod, Sun-Crowned |
White |
| Hero of Bladehold |
White |
| History of Benalia |
White |
| Intrepid Adversary |
White |
| Journey to Nowhere |
White |
| Kabira Takedown |
White |
| Kytheon, Hero of Akros |
White |
| Legion's Landing |
White |
| Lion Sash |
White |
| Luminarch Aspirant |
White |
| Luminous Broodmoth |
White |
| Lyra Dawnbringer |
White |
| Mana Tithe |
White |
| March of Otherworldly Light |
White |
| Monastery Mentor |
White |
| Oblivion Ring |
White |
| Path to Exile |
White |
| Porcelain Legionnaire |
White |
| Prismatic Ending |
White |
| Restoration Angel |
White |
| Reveillark |
White |
| Selfless Spirit |
White |
| Serra Paragon |
White |
| Skyclave Apparition |
White |
| Solitude |
White |
| Spear of Heliod |
White |
| Spectral Procession |
White |
| Stoneforge Mystic |
White |
| Student of Warfare |
White |
| Sun Titan |
White |
| Terminus |
White |
| Thalia, Guardian of Thraben |
White |
| Thalia, Heretic Cathar |
White |
| The Wandering Emperor |
White |
| Thraben Inspector |
White |
| Timeless Dragon |
White |
| Usher of the Fallen |
White |
| Venerated Loxodon |
White |
| Vizier of Remedies |
White |
| Wall of Omens |
White |
| Wedding Announcement |
White |
| Windbrisk Heights |
White |
| Wrath of God |
White |
Wizards of the Coast
Howdy, gamers!
It's time for another cube update, and this time we've got Modern Cube on the docket. It's been a while since we've visited this cube, we've released a ton of cards in the time since we were here, and the cube is relatively young in its iterative process. There's a lot to cover, so let's get to talking about it!
First, I'd like to roll out the red carpet for one of our design interns Aaron Sorrels, who made a ton of updates on this iteration of Modern Cube, and give him a chance to speak to what fueled his changes and some of his favorite things to do in this cube:
Hello! My name is Aaron Sorrells, and I was a casual play design intern over the summer. I worked with Carmen to craft this massive cube update. We added a lot of new cards from throughout the last year, changed some supported archetypes, and I even got to add some of my personal favorites from my own cube.
One of the archetypes we added to the cube in this update is Bx Sacrifice. This is one of my favorite cube archetypes because a lot of the cards are so modular and there are a variety of builds within the archetype.
One of the variations is Black-Red Sacrifice. This deck leans into the aggressive side of its red cards. It's trying to get its opponent's life total to 0, not through an infinite combo or huge turn, but through individual cards adding up to the lethal threshold. Falkenrath Aristocrat is an absolute slam dunk in these decks. It's not only a sac outlet, but it also clocks in for 4 precious points of damage every turn. Pay special attention to some red cards like Fanatical Firebrand and Chandra, Acolyte of Flame. These slots may not look like they're meant for you, but I promise that the former is the glue that holds this shell together, and Chandra, Acolyte of Flame is a powerhouse in concert with cards like Blood Artist. My last tip for this variation is to take burn spells like Lightning Strike and Char with a higher priority than you might think. Games are often decided by being able to reach that lethal threshold with combinations of Blood Artist and Goblin Bombardment. That Lightning Strike can often act as the final piece to the puzzle.
The other major version of this deck is a more combo-centric deck in Abzan. This time, you're looking to put together various combo pieces like Viscera Seer; Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit; and Kitchen Finks. This variation cares a lot about its shell of creatures and ways it has to find them. Aside from your combo pieces, be on the lookout for tutor effects like Eladamri's Call and Finale of Devastation.
One overlooked side of these decks is their synergy with planeswalkers. Your small sacrifice fodder will make perfect blockers for planeswalkers that grind the game out and eventually find combo pieces. Cards like Vivien, Monsters' Advocate and Ajani, Mentor of Heroes are some of my favorites here.
Aside from sacrifice, I'm excited to see some of my personal favorites make their appearance in this cube. Kogla, the Titan Ape is one of these. This primate is a super underrated threat and has amazing synergy with Humans like Charming Prince and Eternal Witness. You haven't lived until you take infinite turns using Kogla to loop Eternal Witness, bringing back Time Warp.
For anyone who remembers last year's update to Modern Cube, the tonal shift in favor of combos is a bit of a departure from the previous change. In general, assembling combos is fun, and it allows for some more powerful cards to be included in the cube in the interest of feeling truer to Modern. Reanimator was in the cube previously but felt like a watery version of a beloved Vintage and Legacy Cube archetype, so eschewing that in favor of some combos that have seen play in Modern before (like the Kitchen Finks combo Aaron described) just makes sense in terms of resonance and identity.
I'm happy that Aaron was so excited about the proposition and dove into these changes head first, and I can't wait to see y'all in the queues!
Full Modern Cube Card List