So I'm completely new to this. I'd like to build a cube, but I have no idea how to start it. Questions I have include:
-What should be the aim of the overall cube building process?
-Are duplicate cards an intention?
-How many cards should be in the entire cube? (regardless of duplicity)
-Are they randomized any particular way or is it up to me entirely?
-Are there any good resources for Cube help? (in addition to this, of course)
-What should be the aim of the overall cube building process?
To come up with a list that you and your playgroup will be interested in drafting. Look to include things that will create a fun and diverse metagame that you'll enjoy playing.
Most cube lists are singleton, and that's the environment I prefer and consider part of what makes the format fun, challenging and interesting. But other folks run duplicates of certain cards to create the environment they want, and that's fine too. It's your format, build what you want to play.
-How many cards should be in the entire cube? (regardless of duplicity)
This can change based on a whole myriad of factors. A small cube is typically 360 (the minimum needed for an 8-man draft) and a large cube is 720 cards. Medium-sized cubes fall in the middle, usually at 450, 540 or 630. There are also really small cubes that are in the 180-270 range, and really big cubes that are in the 810-900 range. But building a good 360-450 list is a nice starting point.
-Are they randomized any particular way or is it up to me entirely?
There are lots of methods for drafting, and lots of methods for randomizing. I just randomize the entire thing and make completely random packs from the pool, but that's just me.
Wow, thanks for all the great advice. I'll tell you what my plan is currently. I've decided to go a Ravnica-like route. I have an overall design idea for each guild, I will include one rare/powerful card of that color combination which represents what I want for the combination. I will include one instant or sorcery of that color combination which will either support the design or be a support card for the deck. (Ex. Azorius will have Exalted and Azorius Ploy can directly help that strategy. Golgari will use a lot of counters, but Putrefy simply assists in removal.)
Beyond those 2 two-colored cards, everything will be mono-colored. I will try my best to have things that fit into multiple guilds. Originally, I wanted Rakdos to have access to Hellbent and Madness cards, but I may do Unleash and Madness instead so there's more overlay between Rakdos and Golgari (I really want Mer-Ek Nightblade and Tuskguard Captain in the cube!)
My advice would be twofold
1. Absolutely stick to the play preferences of your friends/playgroup.
2. Read as much as you can about design.
I have a very nontraditional cube that I modeled after WotC's design of MMA and VMA. I built a design skeleton using MaRo's Nuts and Bolts columns. (Here is his latest, with links to all the others). Also good reading would be any column where set designers talk about their decisions. I remember the MMA and VMA articles were extraordinarily influential in the design of my cube.
In the end, however, the best thing you can do is playtest and talk to your players. "What worked?" "What sucked?" "How's your deck?" These simple questions can go a long way in the iterative process that is design.
Good luck!
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Draft my cube!!
(450 unpowered, MMA-style archetypes in each color pair)
Commander:
Far too many to count...
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-What should be the aim of the overall cube building process?
-Are duplicate cards an intention?
-How many cards should be in the entire cube? (regardless of duplicity)
-Are they randomized any particular way or is it up to me entirely?
-Are there any good resources for Cube help? (in addition to this, of course)
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
RKrenko, Mob BossR
WBAthreos, God of Passage~Non-ApostleWB
URWNarset, Enlightened MasterURW
Join me on PucaTrade! https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/51352
Good luck with the cube!
Some of my decks:
Oath Walker Devo - Modern
Stompy - Modern
Battle of Wits - Modern
Teysa's Sac Circus - EDH
Rob's 450 Unpowered - Cube
To come up with a list that you and your playgroup will be interested in drafting. Look to include things that will create a fun and diverse metagame that you'll enjoy playing.
Most cube lists are singleton, and that's the environment I prefer and consider part of what makes the format fun, challenging and interesting. But other folks run duplicates of certain cards to create the environment they want, and that's fine too. It's your format, build what you want to play.
This can change based on a whole myriad of factors. A small cube is typically 360 (the minimum needed for an 8-man draft) and a large cube is 720 cards. Medium-sized cubes fall in the middle, usually at 450, 540 or 630. There are also really small cubes that are in the 180-270 range, and really big cubes that are in the 810-900 range. But building a good 360-450 list is a nice starting point.
There are lots of methods for drafting, and lots of methods for randomizing. I just randomize the entire thing and make completely random packs from the pool, but that's just me.
You can read my Cube Design Philosophy article if you're interested ...there's a link in my sig below.
Cheers, and happy cubing! Welcome to the greatest M:tG format.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 49th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from MKM!
Beyond those 2 two-colored cards, everything will be mono-colored. I will try my best to have things that fit into multiple guilds. Originally, I wanted Rakdos to have access to Hellbent and Madness cards, but I may do Unleash and Madness instead so there's more overlay between Rakdos and Golgari (I really want Mer-Ek Nightblade and Tuskguard Captain in the cube!)
RKrenko, Mob BossR
WBAthreos, God of Passage~Non-ApostleWB
URWNarset, Enlightened MasterURW
Join me on PucaTrade! https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/51352
My advice would be twofold
1. Absolutely stick to the play preferences of your friends/playgroup.
2. Read as much as you can about design.
I have a very nontraditional cube that I modeled after WotC's design of MMA and VMA. I built a design skeleton using MaRo's Nuts and Bolts columns. (Here is his latest, with links to all the others). Also good reading would be any column where set designers talk about their decisions. I remember the MMA and VMA articles were extraordinarily influential in the design of my cube.
In the end, however, the best thing you can do is playtest and talk to your players. "What worked?" "What sucked?" "How's your deck?" These simple questions can go a long way in the iterative process that is design.
Good luck!
(450 unpowered, MMA-style archetypes in each color pair)
Commander:
Far too many to count...