A Battle Cruise Cube

This cube includes cards ONLY from Avacyn Restored, Origins, Battle for Zendikar, and Oath of the Gatewatch. I am using an almost complete common/uncommon play set of Avacyn Restored and whatever I pull from opening packs of Origins, Battle for Zendikar, and Oath of the Gatewatch. For all of these decks I have the deck in real life (IRL) and online. Because of this limitation, the online screenshots are only intended to explain how the decks play. The decks I play against online in the Modern Just for Fun room are way more powerful on average than any of these decks.

1. (September 22, 2015) The early draft of the cube was to include a complete set of AVR from a redemption, but I changed my mind about that. Here is a deck built online using this now abandoned assumption.
http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-battle-cruiser-cube.html

2. (October 25, 2015) The first cards in the cube are a very under-powered Herald of Kozilek deck.
http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2015/10/battle-cruiser-cube-part-2-blue-red.html

3. (November 1, 2015) The second deck in the cube is Red/Green Landfall with selected Soulbond creatures from AVR.
http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2015/11/battle-cruiser-cube-part-3-red-green.html

4. (November 3, 2015) The third deck is a Black/Green life-drain deck featuring Zulaport Cutthroat and Blood Artist.
http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2015/11/modern-battle-cruiser-cube-black-green.html

5. (November 24, 2015) The fourth deck is a slightly powered down version of the first deck, White/Blue Humans and Angels-all but one from Avacyn Restored.
http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2015/11/modern-battle-cruiser-cube-white-blue.html

6. (November 25, 2015) Here is a Grixis Eldrazi powered down deck for the cube.
http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2015/11/standard-battle-cruiser-cube-grixis.html 

7. (November 29, 2015) This deck focuses on the mono-black single creature theme in AVR.
http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2015/11/battle-cruiser-cube-deck-no5-avr.html

Battle Cruiser Cube Part 2: Blue Red Herald of Kozilek Deck

This is an under-powered version of the online deck. For the online version I am going all out. The one in the cube is based on a smaller pool of cards-whatever I have pulled, and this limitation makes for an under-powered version.

Here are a few losses. Unfortunately there isn't a venue online to play under-powered decks. Modern Just for Fun is full of really good decks. I was able to equip my flyer a little too late in this next game. I was at least able to take my opponent to 10 life. This game is the decision point for me not to include super powerful cards in the cube. I want it to be aimed at a new player, and Ajani's Pridemate when unanswered just gets super big and wins the game.

I was able to take my opponent to 5 in this next game and their deck had buffed up flying fairies out of Bitterblossom and Intangible Virtue (two of each!). Not fair!

I even won a game. But I won against someone playing Red Deck Wins who either did not draw or forgot to add Lightning Bolt to their deck.

And here is another instructive loss. Nettle Drone is really good. In this lock-down situation I could not attack or hit to the face (Leyline of Sanctity gave my opponent Hexproof), but I could hit for one with Nettle Drone! I am surprised by this most-casual deck's resilience.

[Standard] BFZ Kiora (2 of 2)

Link to the first part.

In this last game I faced a very interesting control mono black deck that wiped me out with Crux of Fate multiple times.

Because of how much creature removal I encountered, most of the time I was using Kiora's +1 for just a land. 

My opponent forced to sacrifice a creature with with his Blighted Fen. Yet for all the times he swung to remove Kiora, they were as most taking it to 1 loyalty.

Here I send Gurmag Angler back to their hand.

Another sacrifice.

My opponent used Mardu Shadowspear cast with Dash many times!

But Kiora just kept surviving.

Kiora's -2 is the same as Sudden Reclamation and Managorger Hydra was the creature of choice when facing lots of removal and Skyrider Elf for when facing lots of non-flyers.

Here's Kiora's free (well, -2) Sudden Reclamation.

Lumbering Falls for the win.

[Standard] BFZ Kiora (1 of 2)

BFZ Kiora is the odd planeswalker out of the current tournament scene. That means it is a great pick for casual Johnny deck building. This deck is a great beginning for expansion in many directions: even more tutoring with Bring to Light, five color for Converge and more buffed up Skyrider Elves... many fun possibilities. I also did not optimize for Kiora's ultimate and have not yet triggered it. Lumbering Falls can (and did!) win games and Blighted Cataract's card draw is great late game.

Here is a draft sideboard but all I have played are single games.

I won against a deck with lots of removal.

I tutored a Managorger Hydra with Bring to Light.

Tuskguard Captain with Outlast is a great combo with Kiora's +1, yet it is too much of a late game "thing" for it to be a common combo.

I was able to boost the Hydra enough to almost take out my opponent.

I got board wiped and swung for the win with Lumbering Falls.

In this following win I had three Icefeather Avens on the board. 

The Outposts gave me access to Red and Black, allowing me to cast Skyrider Elf for X=2.

I took a beating from two Siege Rhinos.

I was able to send a Siege Rhino back to my opponent's hand.

I kept swinging from here on to win the game.

Link to the second part.

[Standard] Blue Red Baby Eldrazi (2 of 2)

Link to part 1 of this post

Here are more fun wins. This one is against an interesting mono-black build. Herald of Kozilek is a great enabler. I can establish a superior board position very quickly.

I do have a flyer, and the Ghostfire Blades can equip for 1 on colorless creatures. That is a big help for this deck. My opponent is able to remove my flyer. The beauty of playing equipment, though, is that I can re-equip some other creature next turn.

I was patient in using Horribly Awry. I let one creature pass and then countered the second one, Drana.

Then I started grinding with the overwhelming position Herald of Kozilek enabled.

My opponent drew removal and used it effectively.

But I could hit for 2 with a Blighted Gorge sacrifice.

And then overwhelm for the win.

In this win my opponent realized that I could overwhelm with deep chump blocking and gave up.

In this one I was once again able to build a superior board position and my opponent gave up.

Finally, here is a win in the mirror. 

It seemed that my opponent had the better board position.

And I went all the way down to 1.

But I had the edge with a hit to the face for 3...

...and my opponent should have waited a turn to take me out. Instead, I overwhelmed for the win.

[Standard] Blue Red Baby Eldrazi (1 of 2)

This deck works really well. It was love at first sight with Herald of Kozilek. Being able to save one colorless mana to drop a colorless spell is great. Here is the draft deck.

And here is the final deck. Blighted Gorge is way more important in this deck than Blighted Cataract.

The deck wants to draw Herald of Kozilek in the opening hand, but if I don't, having the control cards (Horribly Awry and Brutal Expulsion) in my opening hand can be really good. Here is a win in which I was able to shut my opponent down. They have 6 cards in their hand when I counter a Butcher of the Horde.

I then send Kolaghan;s Command back to their hand.

And then send a second Butcher of the Horde back to their hand. I am able to attack unimpeded multiple turns.

In this win I chump block a Black/Red deck. I have shown in a previous post that the Black/Red Baby Eldrazi is missing a good one drop. Using Bloodsoaked Champion is a worthy substitution, but its not good enough in my opinion.

After some chump blocking I still have two Herald of Kozilek on the board, and that means I am saving 2 colorless mana for anything I cast. In a format with limited removal I don't have to worry too much about my opponent having the ability to take me out if I am at 3 or less life.

It is clear that my opponent cannot take me out even though I am at one life, and on my next attack I was to win (gg or good game or 'I win this one').

Link to more fun wins