Hey guys, I've been lurking some of these cubes for a while now and my friends and I have decided to make one. I threw one together with the cards I have and it was pretty fun (aside from a slight balance issue and the fact that I have 10x more Shards and up than anything pre-Shards).
Are there any tips on how to start building one from scratch? I don't want to net-cube because we have some money issues and our collections aren't very large.
Any cards that are auto-includes?
Think of this as semi-budget. I can afford some, but cards like wasteland and up are pretty much out.
Yeah I suggest the same thing. Go look around at everyone's cube list and you will see some cards that make every single list. Also, have you considered using proxies? They are fun to make and save you money if you are on a budget. My cube was built from scratch; just a compilation of me and my friends' collections. We didnt worry about balance initially, just play with what you have and see what needs work.
Go into the Current Projects subforum, and read the cube comparison results thread. That has a list of the most commonly used cards.
Take a look at the links in the ULTIMATE CUBE RESOURCE THREAD in the main page. That probably has the ...resources you're looking for.
Also, the top 20 lists are the "staples" and the PRE results are a good starting block for cube builders.
But really, just pick a list you like and imitate it... replacing cards you can't afford with "like" cards. Most of the cube staples are pretty affordable.
I think if our collections spanned the entire game it'd be easier. But half of the group are newer to the game.
And that's only a minor setback... because a lot of those cards are affordable and easily obtainable. Not every card outside of type 2 is Tarmogoyf and Mana Drain.
@ wtwlf123: But then again some of the type 2 cards are Baneslayer Angel and Jace, the Mindsculptor which aren't that far from a tarmogoyf or a mana drain.
Just look through the different cubes and get most of the rescent stuff in them. Once you got all the standard staples, try to go to a store and buy some of the commons and uncommons staples from the pre type 2 list. Also look for some of the dollar rares. Once you got all that, see how many cards you're missing and settle for a cube size that will allow you filling the rest with less junk. (probably 360 cards to start)
You could also start with a peasant cube and then work up on a normal cube as a side project. It took me around 3 months to gather most of the cards for my cube when I started and I work in a mtg store...
When I see Healing Salve, I'm often like "Oh girl, I wish I could turn every card into this." Thanks they removed the gain life part, otherwise this would have been broken.
One way to get around budget issues is to do what I did: make a pauper (commons only) or peasant (commons/uncommons) cube. People tend to forget that a lot of powerful cards were printed at common; Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, Blastoderm are all great examples of commons that make their way into fully powered cubes.
In the end, it cost more for me to sleeve up the cube than to buy all the various commons I was missing.
Yes, the article is helpful. One thing that it does not cover, as far as I recall, is the 'mana fixing land' thing. Most parts of a cube list can be incrementally improved as you get better cards to replace worse ones. With mana fixing lands, however, you might want to have full cycles.
Painlands (Underground River) and Ravnica Karoos (Dimir Aqueduct) are good lands that are quite easy on the money. The same goes for Filterlands (Sunken Ruins). Also, the Mirage fetchlands (Bad River) are a less expensive alternative to the Onslaught fetchlands (Polluted Delta).
Thank you, all this information is very helpful. I'll be looking into all of the mentioned threads and probably start out with a %90 common/uncommon cube and work my way up.
Are there any tips on how to start building one from scratch?
I don't want to net-cube because we have some money issues and our collections aren't very large.
Any cards that are auto-includes?
Think of this as semi-budget. I can afford some, but cards like wasteland and up are pretty much out.
Sig & Avvy by Disappointing Signets Inc.
CCC&G BRAGGING RIGHTS
Mafia Statistics
I collect pacifism: 228
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Thanks for the help.......
I have, hence the "lurking" part...
Sig & Avvy by Disappointing Signets Inc.
CCC&G BRAGGING RIGHTS
Mafia Statistics
I collect pacifism: 228
Take a look at the links in the ULTIMATE CUBE RESOURCE THREAD in the main page. That probably has the ...resources you're looking for.
Also, the top 20 lists are the "staples" and the PRE results are a good starting block for cube builders.
But really, just pick a list you like and imitate it... replacing cards you can't afford with "like" cards. Most of the cube staples are pretty affordable.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
I think if our collections spanned the entire game it'd be easier. But half of the group are newer to the game.
Sig & Avvy by Disappointing Signets Inc.
CCC&G BRAGGING RIGHTS
Mafia Statistics
I collect pacifism: 228
And that's only a minor setback... because a lot of those cards are affordable and easily obtainable. Not every card outside of type 2 is Tarmogoyf and Mana Drain.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Just look through the different cubes and get most of the rescent stuff in them. Once you got all the standard staples, try to go to a store and buy some of the commons and uncommons staples from the pre type 2 list. Also look for some of the dollar rares. Once you got all that, see how many cards you're missing and settle for a cube size that will allow you filling the rest with less junk. (probably 360 cards to start)
You could also start with a peasant cube and then work up on a normal cube as a side project. It took me around 3 months to gather most of the cards for my cube when I started and I work in a mtg store...
360 Cards Sphere: The Junk Cube
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
In the end, it cost more for me to sleeve up the cube than to buy all the various commons I was missing.
My Pauper Cube (Pictures)
My Type 4 Stack
Painlands (Underground River) and Ravnica Karoos (Dimir Aqueduct) are good lands that are quite easy on the money. The same goes for Filterlands (Sunken Ruins). Also, the Mirage fetchlands (Bad River) are a less expensive alternative to the Onslaught fetchlands (Polluted Delta).
"What am I looking at? Ashes, dead man."
Sig & Avvy by Disappointing Signets Inc.
CCC&G BRAGGING RIGHTS
Mafia Statistics
I collect pacifism: 228