Dear Bonesplitter, 

<3

My friends always mock me that I put you in every Cube I built. They are wrong to mock me. Yes you are in 6 of my Cubes so they do have a fair point, but still: you are awesome. You are among the first equipments ever printed, when you were released in Mirrodin in 2003. They printed 20 equipments in Mirrodin and I think you are the best ones. 

Lightning Greaves is the most known one. Not because of Cube or competitive Magic, but because of Commander. A format that didn’t start to catch on until years later. But let’s be fair, Shroud sucks as a keyword. Loxodon Warhammer has an amazing design. But it is actually completely busted in a lot of limited environments, it isn’t as balanced. 17 years ago I cut Loxodon Warhammer from my Peasant Cube, and I still stand by it. You however, are perfectly balanced. One of the other equipments in Mirrodin is Leonin Scimitar. Both of you add the same total power/toughness bonus for the same mana, but the difference couldn’t be bigger. The only equipment in my opinion as a Cube designer that competes with you from those original 20 is Mask of Memory. 

I put you in a lot of Cubes because you offer what I dislike about aura’s. If someone plays an non-Rancor aura on a creature it usually has 2 outcomes: or the opponent has the removal and you have a high chance of losing the game because off the card disadvantage and tempo loss. Or you have a high chance of winning the game because off the high rates auras offer to compensate for this potential disaster. I think a lot of aggressive auras create unnecessary variance and I don’t like to design for variance. I like to design competitive oriented Cubes where the best players are able to thrive. And I think you, Bonesplitter, fit perfect with that goal. 

And that is why my friend shouldn’t mock you. Because my friends are (old) competitive players, looking to thrive when playing my Cubes. And they know that correctly assessing you helps them thrive. Because, Bonesplitter, more often than not, you feel more like a high rate aura than a balanced equipment when they are smashing someones face in with the help of you. 

With love, 

Hanjo