This is somewhat related to creating a 2-person cube but I thought I'd ask in a separate thread.
I have a Pauper Cube (link in sig) and while I've gotten some 4-6 player drafts in with it, by and large the most effective way I'm able to get drafts in is via 1v1 Grid draft. No complaints here, it's still a ton of fun. My issue though, is that I've tried to push several themes in the cube and with a 1v1 draft, you simply don't see enough cards to get the archetype put together.
For example, R/W tokens is a popular theme in Pauper and there are plenty of enablers available. However, if you don't have a critical mass of the cards needed, some of the cards are pretty subpar on their own. So to make it work, my options are to go all in to support it, or cut it from the cube with cards that are good on their own.
Again, I have no complaints on every card being a powerful pick on its own. That was my original design philosophy and I'm happy with it. I'm just wondering if it's worth the effort to put these other themes in when there's a good chance they won't get drafted in 1v1.
As you reference my cube, I'd be happy to share my take on it.
With any cube (small or otherwise), you do have to be deliberate about what themes and archetypes you support and what you don't. With a 1vs1 cube, we've found it's even more critical to be deliberate. If you want to support black sacrifice strategies, you need a sufficient quantity of these pox/stax/recurring cards in the cube, such that you'll actually see enough -- and by extension -- draft enough cards to support your theme. Nothing sux more than trying to draft a re animation deck, getting good creatures, good reanimation spells...and then too few discard outlets...
For example, aggro needs a certain amount of support, and many newbie cubes don't provide enough aggro support to hit that 8-12 1cc, 6-8 2cc, 4 3cc card curve. Pox/black sacrifice, tokens, blink, tinker, storm, etc...all of these decks need a certain quantity of cards in a deck to be successful. If you compare this, to the quantity/percentage of those theater-supporting cards you see I a draft, you can gauge if the archetypes will be sufficiently supported. When you do glimpse (or other formats where more than 45 cards are accessible/drafted), you see more cards, and have more deck bulding options...these drafting formats help (but IMHO don't completely fix) the 1vs1 conundrum.
I've actually considered starting a cube thread series called "what % of your cube runs [theme]" to try and gauge what an appropriate percentage of a cube should comprise of removal, or reanimate support, or tokens, or aggro, or control...etc. I've got some ideas on how to facilitate a series like this, but some of the info is already existing cube resources. I think it'd be valuable to other player building cubes, and also more seasoned cube managers to see what's working or confirm they're in the same ball park.
Not also that when you can pick a card which supports multiple themes, you improve the overall draft options and quality of your cube. For example, oona's prowler supports aggro, and is an on-color discard outlet for reanimation strategies. Captain of the watch is good for rec-sur, blink, token, and control decks (as a decent finisher). Assess which cards can serve multiple decks, and which are narrow. As we did more 1vs1 with our 400 powered cube (before trimming it to the 190), we found this especially true regarding narrow cards. Some cubes limit themes entirely if they need narrow cards (storm for example), or limit storm-specific cards if they are only useful for storm. However, frantic search is useful both in storm and blue-splash aggro, tempo, combo, and control decks.
Much of what I've noted here starts to become intuitive as you play your cube and feel what works and what doesn't. We don't cube nearly as much as others, and as a result it's not as well-tuned as more developed cubes here are (perhaps that's why I'm told that my cube sucks). Many of the veteran cube managers here have a feel for how much support is needed, so reviewing others' cubes helps develop your own cube as you see what others are running.
For reference, here are the themes we are running in our small 1vs1 (note, I think our cube is rather unlike many others here, so take some of this with a grain of salt).
- Aggro (primarily white or red, supported by green or black)
- control (primarily blue or white, well-supported by any other color)
- midrange (primarily green or black, supported by other colors)
- reanimation/cheat
- small amount of token support (opposition, anthem, a few token creators)
- Rec-Sur/mimic vat with ample 187 creatures
- minor amount of green ramp
Excluded themes when we cut down from 400: blink, tribal (incl. zombies), blaggro (controversial), storm, moat, sorc/inst matters, blackrifice (trying to re-introduce), 5-color/shards.
I have a Pauper Cube (link in sig) and while I've gotten some 4-6 player drafts in with it, by and large the most effective way I'm able to get drafts in is via 1v1 Grid draft. No complaints here, it's still a ton of fun. My issue though, is that I've tried to push several themes in the cube and with a 1v1 draft, you simply don't see enough cards to get the archetype put together.
For example, R/W tokens is a popular theme in Pauper and there are plenty of enablers available. However, if you don't have a critical mass of the cards needed, some of the cards are pretty subpar on their own. So to make it work, my options are to go all in to support it, or cut it from the cube with cards that are good on their own.
Again, I have no complaints on every card being a powerful pick on its own. That was my original design philosophy and I'm happy with it. I'm just wondering if it's worth the effort to put these other themes in when there's a good chance they won't get drafted in 1v1.
Pauper Cube
(Last update: Fate Reforged--March 2015)
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!
As you reference my cube, I'd be happy to share my take on it.
With any cube (small or otherwise), you do have to be deliberate about what themes and archetypes you support and what you don't. With a 1vs1 cube, we've found it's even more critical to be deliberate. If you want to support black sacrifice strategies, you need a sufficient quantity of these pox/stax/recurring cards in the cube, such that you'll actually see enough -- and by extension -- draft enough cards to support your theme. Nothing sux more than trying to draft a re animation deck, getting good creatures, good reanimation spells...and then too few discard outlets...
For example, aggro needs a certain amount of support, and many newbie cubes don't provide enough aggro support to hit that 8-12 1cc, 6-8 2cc, 4 3cc card curve. Pox/black sacrifice, tokens, blink, tinker, storm, etc...all of these decks need a certain quantity of cards in a deck to be successful. If you compare this, to the quantity/percentage of those theater-supporting cards you see I a draft, you can gauge if the archetypes will be sufficiently supported. When you do glimpse (or other formats where more than 45 cards are accessible/drafted), you see more cards, and have more deck bulding options...these drafting formats help (but IMHO don't completely fix) the 1vs1 conundrum.
I've actually considered starting a cube thread series called "what % of your cube runs [theme]" to try and gauge what an appropriate percentage of a cube should comprise of removal, or reanimate support, or tokens, or aggro, or control...etc. I've got some ideas on how to facilitate a series like this, but some of the info is already existing cube resources. I think it'd be valuable to other player building cubes, and also more seasoned cube managers to see what's working or confirm they're in the same ball park.
Not also that when you can pick a card which supports multiple themes, you improve the overall draft options and quality of your cube. For example, oona's prowler supports aggro, and is an on-color discard outlet for reanimation strategies. Captain of the watch is good for rec-sur, blink, token, and control decks (as a decent finisher). Assess which cards can serve multiple decks, and which are narrow. As we did more 1vs1 with our 400 powered cube (before trimming it to the 190), we found this especially true regarding narrow cards. Some cubes limit themes entirely if they need narrow cards (storm for example), or limit storm-specific cards if they are only useful for storm. However, frantic search is useful both in storm and blue-splash aggro, tempo, combo, and control decks.
Much of what I've noted here starts to become intuitive as you play your cube and feel what works and what doesn't. We don't cube nearly as much as others, and as a result it's not as well-tuned as more developed cubes here are (perhaps that's why I'm told that my cube sucks). Many of the veteran cube managers here have a feel for how much support is needed, so reviewing others' cubes helps develop your own cube as you see what others are running.
For reference, here are the themes we are running in our small 1vs1 (note, I think our cube is rather unlike many others here, so take some of this with a grain of salt).
- Aggro (primarily white or red, supported by green or black)
- control (primarily blue or white, well-supported by any other color)
- midrange (primarily green or black, supported by other colors)
- reanimation/cheat
- small amount of token support (opposition, anthem, a few token creators)
- Rec-Sur/mimic vat with ample 187 creatures
- minor amount of green ramp
Excluded themes when we cut down from 400: blink, tribal (incl. zombies), blaggro (controversial), storm, moat, sorc/inst matters, blackrifice (trying to re-introduce), 5-color/shards.
Old school group, sometimes more beer than cards. Revised thru Tempest block (and a little of Urza), sorry if I don't know all the new cards
Ye' Olde Schoole Casual Decks: BUReanimate -- GRAggro -- BWPestilence -- G10-land Stompy -- GRElfball -- GWEnchantress -- RAnkh Sligh -- BDiscard -- MUC "Draw-go" -- BRSuicide -- UWSkies -- UHigh Tide Mill -- WWeenie -- UMutated Bombers -- URThe great land-toss -- UB Molasass