Subthemes for Blue?

[Jason Waddell]

I don't know if it's necessary, as it's fine to have some colors be more open ended than others. But I really have no ideas for ways to make blue cooler. 

[Rob Dennis]

• Blue is a secondary color on a lot of flicker effect and that could be explored a bit more (momentary blink and ghostly flicker)
• "Cool" is a bit strong, but stealing your opponent's creatures is definitely blue, and having more unique ways of doing that (versus just doing it "better" a la Treachery) could be a thing
• Legacy's Allure
• Old Man of the Sea
• Threads of Disloyalty
  

[Eric Chan]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it a subtheme, but I try to fit as many bounce spells as I can in blue. This ensures that the blue tempo decks have ways of interacting with opponent's larger threats, setting them back in mana and in initiative. Bounce is useful for control decks, too - Into the Roil is a fine defensive measure - so its appeal goes beyond the aggro decks.

When I heard that Modern Masters would makes faeries draftable, I briefly toyed with the idea of doubling up on Spellstutter Sprites and Pestermites, and maybe tossing in a Mistbind Clique for good measure. Then I slapped myself, and came back to my senses.

I'm trying an instants-matter subtheme at the moment, but I suspect the speed and power level will both be too low.

[Calvin Chan]

Along with blink (which goes very well with white) and the instants/spells matters theme, I really like a tempo theme full of bounce, evasion, and ophidian effects.
I also like a counters theme (with cards like simic fluxmage, gilder bairn, and leech bonder) and morph subtheme, though both are definitely on the slower side.

[tomc...@gmail.com]

I thought I was the last person pushing morph in cube! Willbender is one of my absolute favorite cube cards... What morphs do you run?

[Christopher Morris-Lent]

reanimation enabling and self-mill is an easy one (thirst, compulsive, frantic search, izzet charm, and of course the NUT BLUE ONE-DROP, HEDRON CRAB)

i also like multicolor aggro so raptor, delver, kira, edric etc. 

i think tossing these themes in is well worth the slots and does not compromise color identity

[Calvin Chan]

The morph subtheme was more of a guessing game for the opponent than a linear theme when I tested it in my cube.
Just some of the cards I considered:
blue: fathom seer
riptide pilferer
shaper parasite
vesuvian shapeshifter
voidmage prodigy
willbender

other:  bane of the living
dwarven mineblaster
exalted angel
hystrodon
Nantuko Vigilante

[Christopher Morris-Lent]

more:

blistering firecat

brine elemental

chromeshell crab

exalted angel

fortune thief

gathan raiders

riptide entrancer

riptide survivor

soul collector

thelonite hermit

[tomc...@gmail.com]

I've been experimenting with pushing morph as a subtheme in my cube--although it's not an archetype, since you typically don't build your deck around morph. It's worked out pretty well so far. I've mistakenly taken out a Zoetic Cavern a few times trying to kill an Exalted Angel, and have flipped red Akroma with Restoration Angel in a blink deck.

I run: Willbender, Vesuvan Shapeshifter, Zoetic Cavern, Exalted Angel, Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Nantuko Vigilante, Bane of the Living. I had tried to run more, but found out that having Zoetic Cavern in a card pool--even if not maindecked, provided a good measure of misdirection. Should I consider Brine Elemental for the combo? Have others tried it?

EDIT: Of course, Blistering Firecat! I have often thought, as the control player, "I have this one, as long as that isn't..."

On Monday, March 18, 2013 1:30:32 PM UTC-7, Jason Waddell wrote:

[Calvin Chan]

Right!  The mix of solid morph cards with average ones really gets the guessing game going. 
I've played with pickles lock in cube before, and I really enjoy the dynamic.  Both cards are playable by themselves, and the combo is not entirely easy to set up, while being fairly easy to interrupt.
Just having the combo with a morph subtheme also give players more incentive to off anything you morph in case you do start the lock.