Dominaria Midway Thoughts and Additions

So I wouldn't do this other than it seems like most of the rest of the set will not be much of a feature. If we do get cube worthy cards in the remainder of the set they will be very simple ones. We should have had most of the interesting stuff based on the way it has been released. I also suspect it will be a while before we see the rest and I don't want to wait for that and then forget all about the first 140 cards. As such I will just list the cards that are in the cube, that I will test out in cube and those that I will get and set by for exotic building cube style decks!

The set overall is a pleasant flavour and appeals on that front even without having seen the art. Sadly I am not so impressed with the power level. I though the set would be more pushed than it is. The most exciting thing about the set for me is the reprint of Llanowar Elf which has no baring on cube at all, it just demonstrates a willingness to print the kind of cards that are cube worthy going forwards. There are obviously some nice things about the set but it hasn't offered the kinds of new thing most wanted or that will offer exciting and different game play, in cube at least. When the generic white 2/1 for W is one of the top few best cards in the set you have an issue. Ixalan was good, the new additions were exciting and different and added a lot to the cube even if it didn't bring loads to the table. Rivals however was poor and brought little more than a smattering of dull and generic one and two mana 2/1s to the table and Dominaria feels more like the latter sadly.

There are only five cards I am confidant will last in the cube with sufficient play and none of them are even close to big names or powerhouses. I would normally do a best in set kind of thing but for just what we have here it doesn't seem relevant or worth it. Flame of Keld is the card I am most excited to play with and the Bodyguard is probably the best card in the set for cube but neither of those is getting much done. Many of the cards I would normally have in the auto include section simply don't feel like they will last all that long. They are cards that will be OK in cubes but are probably not worth the space. Of the things I am testing the only ones to wind up in the cube will be ones that wildly outperform expectation or ones I hugely mis-evaluated.



To Add

The Flame of Keld
Dauntless Bodygaurd
Wizard's Lightning
Ghitu Lavamancer
Benalish Marshal



To Test

Lyra, Dawnbringer
Merfolk Trickster
Goblin Chainwhirler
Karn, Scion of Urza
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
Tetsuko Umezwa, Fugitive
Squee, the Immortal
Fungal Infection
Demonlord Belzenlok
History of Benalia
Seal Away
Charge
Aryel, Knight of Windgrace
Verix Bladewing
Grand Warlord Radha!



Exotic Reserves

Mox Amber
Damping Sphere
Sparring Construct
Voltaic Servant
Navigator's Compass
Warlord's Fury
Naban, Dean of Iteration
Song of Freyalise
Tempest Djinn
Urza's Ruinous Blast
Jaya Ballard
Precognition Field
Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar
Sporecrown Thallid
Slimefoot the Stowaway
Neru Meha, Master Wizard
Torgaar, Famine Incarnate
Fall of Thran
Healing Grace
Adeliz, the Cinder Wind
Oath of Teferi
Shanna, Sisay's Legacy