This is my blog devoted to this cube. Updates semi-regularly and includes older revisions, thoughts on drafting, cube design, vintage, deck lists, etc.
Cube Information
The purpose of this cube is to foster an environment similar to constructed Vintage. This is a small, powered cube constructed around the pillars of Vintage as well as some of the most powerful decks/combos/engines in Magic's history.
The main twist this offers over any other powered cube is deck construction. For every card you draft, you may play up to 4 copies of that card (except for cards on the Vintage Restricted list). For instance, drafting one Mishra's Workshop gives you 4 of them to sculpt your perfect MUD deck. Meanwhile, Demonic Tutor only gives you one copy to play with, so you can't build the perfect combo deck. This creates a fascinating drafting dynamic since players need to choose whether one copy of that super broken spell is worth it over the consistency afforded by a full playset. It also makes decks extremely consistent and explosive. After drafting, players build 60 card decks instead of 40.
Every pillar of Vintage is supported here. Everything from Delver to Dredge, Shops to Storm, and everything in between. There is also a light smattering of other format's more powerful interactions (like Thopter Foundry/Sword of the Meek). The sheer volume of playables and consistency of full playsets allows archetypes to ebb and flow and bleed into each other. The power level lands somewhere between a normal powered cube and full-on constructed Vintage.
Stats
Type: Powered
Size: 360
Portal: Yes
Proxies: Yes - 100%
"Un" Cards: No
Banned: As Vintage Restricted list
Color Balanced: No
Deck Construction: 60 cards
Shops decks can come in many different flavors. Everything from hardcore stax to Kuldotha Forgemaster combo and Affinity-like aggro. The sheer volume of available artifact acceleration allows MUD (like most archetypes in this cube) to work consistently, even without getting the Workshop. Workshop is an extremely high pick since you get to play 4-of them in your deck.
Bazaar decks are your classic Dredge. The tools exist for many styles of graveyard-based archetypes. Cards like Breakthrough and Cephalid Coliseum ensure a consistent draw/discard engine in lieu of Bazaar. The deck can go for a longer game with things like Ichorid and Laboratory Maniac as well as a combo-based Sun Titan or even Doomsday build.
Drain decks are pretty self-explanatory. By virtues of this being vintage, Blue is the best color by far. There are plenty of draw spells/engines like Mystic Remora and Accumulated Knowledge. The real power in these decks comes from their impressive consistency.
Ritual decks (sometimes Necropotence decks round out the pillars as a spell-driven combo deck. Storm is supported in a big way, it's much easier to support when a player automatically gets four copies of that Dark Ritual or Rite of Flame.
There is also a smattering of meta-decks (Noble Fish, Hate Bears), Aggro (RDW, Delver), and some powerful decks from other formats (Recurring Nightmare/Birthing Pod, Elfball, Thopter/Sword, Dark Depths). Every archetype also has multiple directions to go. For instance, Auriok Salvagers is amazing in Drain decks. Lotus Cobra and Gush are great twists to the Storm deck. These keep archetypes varied and balance out the sheer power of the rest of the vintage card pool. Almost every good Vintage Sideboard card has also been included.
The lands and land-based spells would be added in order to support 43lands.dec as a viable archetype. Punishing Fire also goes here. I'm not yet sure if it's worth supporting though.
Decks
These were built sloppily and I am aware of that fact. CubeTutor doesn't let you edit your lists for some reason. These are old revisions, but it gives a pretty good idea of places one can go with this deck. Bold links are with the most recent revision.
I have drafted it a few times so far. The latest version is about 55 cards smaller and I'm presently toying with power distribution. It's a whole lot of fun to draft. The trickiest design goal so far is keeping archetypes fluid and keeping choices as broad as possible.
Everything is updated! All links are accurate. My blog has all sorts of information about the development of the cube, so I'm keeping the OP a little information light. I draft this at least once a week now and it is the most fun we've ever had with a cube (and some of the most fun playing MtG at large).
This is my blog devoted to this cube. Updates semi-regularly and includes older revisions, thoughts on drafting, cube design, vintage, deck lists, etc.
Cube Information
The purpose of this cube is to foster an environment similar to constructed Vintage. This is a small, powered cube constructed around the pillars of Vintage as well as some of the most powerful decks/combos/engines in Magic's history.
The main twist this offers over any other powered cube is deck construction. For every card you draft, you may play up to 4 copies of that card (except for cards on the Vintage Restricted list). For instance, drafting one Mishra's Workshop gives you 4 of them to sculpt your perfect MUD deck. Meanwhile, Demonic Tutor only gives you one copy to play with, so you can't build the perfect combo deck. This creates a fascinating drafting dynamic since players need to choose whether one copy of that super broken spell is worth it over the consistency afforded by a full playset. It also makes decks extremely consistent and explosive. After drafting, players build 60 card decks instead of 40.
Every pillar of Vintage is supported here. Everything from Delver to Dredge, Shops to Storm, and everything in between. There is also a light smattering of other format's more powerful interactions (like Thopter Foundry/Sword of the Meek). The sheer volume of playables and consistency of full playsets allows archetypes to ebb and flow and bleed into each other. The power level lands somewhere between a normal powered cube and full-on constructed Vintage.
Stats
Type: Powered
Size: 360
Portal: Yes
Proxies: Yes - 100%
"Un" Cards: No
Banned: As Vintage Restricted list
Color Balanced: No
Deck Construction: 60 cards
Archetype Summary
As stated, this cube is built around the pillars of vintage. Mishra's Workshop, Bazaar of Baghdad, Mana Drain, and Dark Ritual are the easiest ways to summarize those pillars.
Shops decks can come in many different flavors. Everything from hardcore stax to Kuldotha Forgemaster combo and Affinity-like aggro. The sheer volume of available artifact acceleration allows MUD (like most archetypes in this cube) to work consistently, even without getting the Workshop. Workshop is an extremely high pick since you get to play 4-of them in your deck.
Bazaar decks are your classic Dredge. The tools exist for many styles of graveyard-based archetypes. Cards like Breakthrough and Cephalid Coliseum ensure a consistent draw/discard engine in lieu of Bazaar. The deck can go for a longer game with things like Ichorid and Laboratory Maniac as well as a combo-based Sun Titan or even Doomsday build.
Drain decks are pretty self-explanatory. By virtues of this being vintage, Blue is the best color by far. There are plenty of draw spells/engines like Mystic Remora and Accumulated Knowledge. The real power in these decks comes from their impressive consistency.
Ritual decks (sometimes Necropotence decks round out the pillars as a spell-driven combo deck. Storm is supported in a big way, it's much easier to support when a player automatically gets four copies of that Dark Ritual or Rite of Flame.
There is also a smattering of meta-decks (Noble Fish, Hate Bears), Aggro (RDW, Delver), and some powerful decks from other formats (Recurring Nightmare/Birthing Pod, Elfball, Thopter/Sword, Dark Depths). Every archetype also has multiple directions to go. For instance, Auriok Salvagers is amazing in Drain decks. Lotus Cobra and Gush are great twists to the Storm deck. These keep archetypes varied and balance out the sheer power of the rest of the vintage card pool. Almost every good Vintage Sideboard card has also been included.
The List
Cube Tutor Visual Spoiler
TappedOut.net
Drive Spreadsheet
WWhiteW
UBlueU
BBlackB
RRedR
GGreenG
Gold
XColorlessX
TLandT
Fixing:
Utility:
Power:
The Chopping Block
Potential Additions
The lands and land-based spells would be added in order to support 43lands.dec as a viable archetype. Punishing Fire also goes here. I'm not yet sure if it's worth supporting though.
Decks
These were built sloppily and I am aware of that fact. CubeTutor doesn't let you edit your lists for some reason. These are old revisions, but it gives a pretty good idea of places one can go with this deck. Bold links are with the most recent revision.
Mono-U Control
BUG Delver
Channel/Storm Sealed
Vault/Key Sealed
Delver Sealed
Grixis Storm
Red MUD
UR Tempo
TEPS
Bomberman Combo
Red Deck Wins
Bomberman Control
Elfball
Caw Blade
UR Forgemaster
Ichorid
Elfball
Jeskai Ascendancy-Sealed
I would love any thoughts/suggestions/criticisms on any part of this cube.
My Blog About It
My Blog About It
My Blog About It
The latest list can be found here:
http://www.cubetutor.com/viewcube/21573
I'm also keeping a blog with musings, ideas, and reasoning here:
http://yawgmothswin.tumblr.com/
I haven't had a chance to update this thread or the Google Drive spreadsheet yet.
My Blog About It
My Blog About It