My history with Cubes is pretty interesting. I built an all-Commons Cube in June 2010 designed for 2-man drafts. I didn't know about the MTGS Cube forum and just went through the commons boxes at my local shop. I balanced the colors by number of cards & ended up with like 323 cards in my first draft. As time went by I slowly added more cards & eventually got to 500. 500 was an arbitrary number that I picked since I didn't know anything about Cubes. My first builds had some pretty terrible cards & way too many gold cards...both problems of early drafts of Cubes. I eventually acquired all the cards I needed & foiled out a majority of my Commons Cube (it's nearly 400 foils at last check). My Commons Cube still has a little fat but overall I think it's pretty strong (and a blast to play).
Fast forward to the spring of 2011. I decided I wanted to live the dream & build a real powered Cube (with proxies of course). I had no idea where to start but I had found the MTGS Cube forum. I used the PRE (Project Rank Everything) lists as well as the top 20 by color lists as a starting point. I pretty much copied these slightly outdated lists verbatim and had a starting point for a Cube. I liquidated my entire standard collection (which at that time was massive) and was able to fund almost the entire Cube off of that (again...with proxies of the $50+ cards). I quickly saw that some cards on the lists didn't deserve to be there & had been usurped by more current (and better) cards. I was able to make some tweaks to my Cube & improve it quite a bit. Now I updated my Cube as soon as cards are spoiled as I proxy up some cards that I want to test before I buy them/before they're released. Tweaking the last few cards is more art than science to me & I'm always reading threads & talking to people to look for ideas on ways to better my Cube. I seriously check the MTGS forums multiple times a day as my obsession with the Cube has become quite strong.
There's a reason why I did it the right way with the powered Cube after doing it the wrong way with the Commons Cube; my card evaluation skills. I played Magic from Revised to Ice Age & again starting at Shards of Alara. It's really tough to properly evaluate cards that you've never seen played in an environment you don't know. Here are cards that I pretty much dismissed when I put them in my Cube but have since completely won games by themselves:
I do this to show many key cards would have never made my Cube if I only trusted my personal & inexperienced opinion. I can't imagine my Cube without any of those cards now that I've seen them in action. I would have never seen them in action if I didn't trust other people's experiences with the Cube. It was invaluable for me to have a "starting point" when building my Cube.
I always try to help people who seem to be posting for the first time since I know how much easier it is to build a Cube with help from experienced Cubers. There definitely is room for improvement but I'm really happy with the current status of the Cube. Any feedback is welcome.
Ral Zarek
Spike Jester
Tattermunge Maniac
Voice of Resurgence
Far//Away
IN for OUT
AEtherling for Keiga, the Tide Star
Blood Scrivener for Nether Traitor
Pyrewild Shaman for Guttersnipe
Imperial Seal for Tombstalker
ADD:
Show and Tell
Willbender
Goblin Welder
Ghazban Ogre
Fastbond
Venser, the Sojourner
Burning-Tree Shaman
Far//Away
Olivia Voldaren
Mental Misstep
CUT:
Yosei, the Morning Star
Gideon, Champion of Justice
Stifle
Nantuko Vigilante
Triskelion
Add:
Fleshbag Marauder
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Oracle of Mul Daya
Boros Reckoner
Aurelia's Fury
Knight of the Reliquary
Spike Jester
Voice of Resurgence
Ral Zarek for Prophetic Bolt
Tattermunge Maniac
(Update Master List)
Add:
Karmic Guide
Seal of Cleansing
Opposition
Timetwister
Stifle
Necropotence
Smallpox for Vampire Interloper
Pox
Reassembling Skeleton for Fledgling Djinn
Geralf's Messenger for Liliana's Specter
Nether Traitor for Nezumi Cutthroat
Nether Void
Mogg Fanatic
Reckless Charge
Nantuko Vigilante for Blastoderm
Worldly Tutor for Primal Command
Regrowth
Craterhoof Behemoth
Gaea's Cradle for Pouncing Jaguar
Mayor of Avabruck for Skinshifter
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Leonin Relic-Warder
Nearheath Pilgrim
Compulsive Research
Mystical Tutor
Living Death
Chaos Warp
Pyroclasm
Natural Order
Ohran Viper
Primal Command
Duskmantle Seer
Ghor-Clan Rampager
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Reflecting Pool
Pithing Needle
Cut:
Azorius Arrester
Opposition
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Deadbridge Goliath
Regrowth
Erratic Portal
Venser, the Sojourner
Nemesis of Reason
Huntmaster of the Fells
Armada Wurm
Add: Prime Speaker Zegana
Cut: (no replacements yet)
Birthing Pod
Goblin Ruinblaster
Karmic Guide
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Vraska the Unseen
Weathered Wayfarer
Cut:
Desecration Demon
Yeva, Nature's Herald
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Seachrome Coast
Darkslick Shores
Blackcleave Cliffs
Copperline Gorge
Sarkhan Vol
Razorverge Thicket
Selesnya Charm
Fetid Heath
Isolated Chapel
Cascade Bluffs
Putrid Leech
Woodland Cemetery
Clifftop Retreat
Slayers' Stronghold
Flooded Grove
Add:
Tombstalker
Baleful Strix
Domri Rade
Armada Wurm
Obzedat, Ghost Council
Deathrite Shaman
Boros Charm
Gideon, Champion of Justice
Parallax Wave
Cyclonic Rift
Opposition
Abyssal Persecutor
Griselbrand
Banefire
Keldon Vandals
Blastoderm
Experiment One
Master of the Wild Hunt
Chrome Mox
IN for OUT
Ultimate Price for Disciple of Bolas
Guttersnipe for Ghitu Slinger
Sarkhan Vol for Flinthoof Boar
Angel of Serenity for Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Disciple of Bolas for Barter in Blood
Ball Lightning for Aftershock
Birthing Pod for Great Sable Stag
Add To Testing Zone:
Armada Wurm
Baleful Strix
Chaos Warp
Chrome Mox
Cyclonic Rift
Deathrite Shaman
Griselbrand
Massacre Wurm
Master of the Wild Hunt
Nantuko Vigilante
Natural Order
Opposition
Parallax Wave
Primal Command
Shardless Agent
Desecration Demon for Thrill-Kill Assassin
Arbor Elf for Blastoderm
Yeva, Nature's Herald for Phantom Centaur
Wolfir Silverheart for Thornling
Cut:
Desolation Angel
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Expanding the multicolor section:
Out:
Decree of Justice
Elspeth Tirel
Lu Xun, Scholar General
Pestermite
Nether Void
Stupor
Vexing Devil
Archwing Dragon
Ice Storm
Mirri's Guile
Add to the multicolor section:
Dryad Militant
Vraska the Unseen
IN for OUT
Precinct Captain for Lingering Souls
Jace, Architect of Thought for Wake Thrasher
Pack Rat for Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Ash Zealot for Stone Rain
Deadbridge Goliath for Ulvenwald Tracker
Chromatic Lantern for Black Lotus
Azorius Arrester for Martial Coup
Thrill-Kill Assassin for Night's Whisper
Gore-House Chainwalker for Ember Hauler
Splatter Thug for Keldon Vandals
Flames of the Firebrand for Pyroclasm
Dreadbore for Terminate
Supreme Verdict for Azorious Signet
Dreg Mangler for Golgari Signet
Rakdos Shred-Freak for Rakdos Signet
Selesnya Charm for Selesnya Signet
Detention Sphere for Wall of Denial
Izzet Charm for Izzet Signet
Abrupt Decay for Putrefy
Lotleth Troll for Spiritmonger
Lingering Souls for Orzhov Signet
Armada Wurm for Sigarda, Host of Herons
Rakdos Cackler for Bituminous Blast
CHANGE:
Sublime Archangel for Temporal Isolation
Forbid for Coralhelm Commander
Frantic Search for Timetwister
Impulse for Mist Raven
Sneak Attack for Wildfire
Searing Blaze for Banefire
Growth Spasm for Edge of Autumn
Mirri's Guile for Vines of Vastwood
Hornet Queen for Rampaging Baloths
Mana Crypt for Perilous Myr
ADD:
Venser, the Sojourner
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Bituminous Blast
Flinthoof Boar
Sigarda, Host of Herons
Fetid Heath
Cascade Bluffs
Putrefy
Lightning Helix
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
CUT:
Calciderm
Paladin en-Vec
Standstill
Palinchron
Puppeteer Clique
Tombstalker
Slagstorm
Chandra, the Firebrand
Mire Boa
Twinblade Slasher
Ajani, Caller of the Pride for Revoke Existence
Decree of Justice for Austere Command
Sea Gate Oracle for Ninja of the Deep Hours
Shelldock Isle for Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Into the Roil for Thieving Magpie
Inquisition of Kozilek for Disfigure
Sheoldred, Whispering One for Booster Tutor
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief for Slaughter Pact
Liliana of the Dark Realms for Innocent Blood
Searing Spear for Volcanic Hammer
Thundermaw Hellkite for Blast from the Past
Thragtusk for Kodama of the North Tree
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth for Pithing Needle
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre for Who/What/When/Where/Why
Temporal Isolation
Eternal Dragon
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Revoke Existence
Tinker
Gifts Ungiven
Thirst for Knowledge
Timetwister
Lu Xun, Scholar General for Opposition
Nezumi Graverobber
Entomb
Exhume
Dance of the Dead
Bonfire of the Damned for Fireball
Zealous Conscripts
Wildfire
Stone Rain
Kargan Dragonlord
Green Sun's Zenith
Primeval Titan
Farseek
Edge of Autumn
Horizon Canopy for Brushland
Slayers' Stronghold for Lightning Helix
Raging Ravine for Karplusan Forest
Thran Dynamo
Smokestack
Black Lotus
Worn Powerstone
Grand Coliseum
Pithing Needle for City of Ass
Mystic Crusader
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Akroma's Vengeance
Willbender
Gifts Ungiven
Forbid
Plague Sliver
Tragic Slip
Yawgmoth's Will
Forked Bolt
Searing Blaze
Flame Javelin
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Nantuko Vigilante
Overrun
Venser, the Sojourner
Agony Warp
Olivia Voldaren
Boggart Ram-Gang
Mirari's Wake
Move Lingering Souls to White
Jilt
Woodland Cemetery
Brion Stoutarm
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Precursor Golem
Restoration Angel for Emeria Angel
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite for Eternal Dragon
Silverblade Paladin for Silver Knight
Coralhelm Commander for Dismiss
Fettergeist for Mystical Tutor
Mist Raven for Impulse
Ninja of the Deep Hours for Capsize
Opposition for Into the Roil
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage for Jace, Memory Adept
Booster Tutor for Gatekeeper of Malakir
Vexing Devil for Zo-Zu the Punisher
Lightning Mauler for Blood Knight
Archwing Dragon for Moltensteel Dragon
Blast from the Past for Comet Storm
Ulvenwald Tracker for Mayor of Avabruck
Ice Storm for Harmonize
Grafted Wargear for Juggernaut
Erratic Portal for Steel Hellkite
Who/What/When/Where/Why for Crystal Ball
City of Ass for Tectonic Edge
Lone Missionary for Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
Emeria Angel for Temporal Isolation
Mikaeus, the Lunarch for Goldmeadow Harrier
Daze for Timetwister
Pestermite for Inkwell Leviathan
Spined Thopter for Tinker
Standstill for Thirst for Knowledge
Nezumi Cutthroat for Nezumi Graverobber
Night's Whisper for Juzam Djinn
Sinkhole for Fume Spitter
Searing Blaze for Kargan Dragonlord
Zo-Zu the Punisher for Ravenous Baboons
Forked Bolt for Wildfire
Scavenging Ooze for Ohran Viper
Nantuko Vigilante for Oracle of Mul Daya
Nemesis of Reason for Havengul Lich
Rishadan Port for Chimeric Mass
Grim Monolith for Phyrexian Processor
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben for Decree of Justice
Dungeon Geists for Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Gravecrawler for Sorin Markov
Tragic Slip for Exhume
Stromkirk Noble for Crater Hellion
Torch Fiend for Magus of the Scroll
Hellrider for Zo-Zu the Punisher
Faithless Looting for Manabarbs
Avacyn's Pilgrim for Mold Shambler
Wolfbitten Captive for Gaea's Revenge
Strangleroot Geist for Green Sun's Zenith
Vorapede for Krosan Grip
Lingering Souls for Stillmoon Cavalier
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad for Mortify
Havengul Lich for Oona, Queen of the Fae
Hunt master of the Fells for Daybreak Ranger
Boggart Ram-Gang for Sarkhan Vol
Jilt for Desperate Ravings
Cloistered Youth (FOIL) for White Knight
Snapcaster Mage (PROXY) for Tezzeret the Seeker
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni (PROXY)
Diregraf Ghoul (PROMO) for Nezumi Shortfang
Vampire Interloper (FOIL) for Black Knight
Bloodgift Demon (PROXY) for Thrashing Wumpus
Liliana of the Veil (PROXY) for Sinkhole
Devil's Play (FOIL) for Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
Brimstone Volley for Rift Bolt
Reckless Waif (FOIL) for Mogg Fanatic
Mayor of Avabruck (FOIL)
Garruk Relentless (PROXY) for Naturalize
Bramblecrush (FOIL) for Creeping Mold
Olivia Voldaren for Blazing Specter
Daybreak Ranger for Stormbind
Geist of Saint Traft for Azorius Guildmage
Desperate Ravings for Gelectrode
Reflecting Pool (PROXY) for Hex Parasite
Shrine of Burning Rage for Pithing Needle
Lavaclaw Reaches
Stirring Wildwood
Raging Ravine
Vivid Crag
Vivid Grove
Vivid Marsh
Reflecting Pool
Ratchet Bomb
*I added some M12 cards & also reduced the multi-color section to 4 of each. I mostly play with smaller groups so this small change will increase deck quality & consistency. I also made some other changes to try out some new cards.*
IN for OUT
Ravages of War for Celestial Crusader
Phantasmal Image for Riftwing Cloudskate
Willbender for Jushi Apprentice
Frost Titan for Body Double
Consecrated Sphinx for Draining Whelk
Keiga, the Tide Star for Desertion
Jace, Memory Adept for Future Sight
Dauthi Marauder for Makeshift Mannequin
Sinkhole for Night's Whisper
Dismember for Sudden Death
Nether Void for Liliana Vess
Stormblood Berserker for Dwarven Blastminer
Rolling Earthquake for Starstorm
Chandra, the Firebrand for Bogardan Hellkite
Jungle Lion for Pelakka Wurm
Skinshifter for Albino Troll
Naturalize for Obstinate Baloth
Garruk, Primal Hunter for Stonewood Invocation
Green Sun's Zenith for Tooth and Nail
Mind Stone for Isochron Scepter
Edric, Spymaster of Trest for Lorescale Coatl
Vivid Crag for Izzet Boilerworks
Vivid Creek for Simic Growth Chamber
Vivid Grove for Boros Garrison
Vivid Marsh for Orzhov Basilica
Reflecting Pool for Aether Vial
TRIMMING THE MULTI-COLOR SECTION:
Spellskite for Teferi's Moat
Akroma's Vengeance for Void
Wake Thrasher for Boggart Ram-Gang
Fledgling Djinn for Loxodon Hierarch
Manabarbs for Tidehollow Sculler
Kodama of the North Tree for Putrefy
Vivid Meadow for Spitting Image
The "Whammy"
This is by far the most popular format in my playgroup
Shuffle up the entire Cube & distribute three stacks of 40 cards. One stack is for each player and one is the community pile. Roll a die & the winner gets to choose whether they want to go first or second.
Player A draws four cards from his stack while player B flips one card face-up from the community pile. Player A chooses one of these five cards. He then passes the remaining cards face-up to player B while flipping another card face-up from the community pile. Player B chooses two of these cards. Player B passes the remaining cards back to player A. Player A puts the remaining cards in his hand & secretly chooses one. Player A then puts any leftover cards in his discard pile.
Now the players switch roles with player B drawing four cards from his pile while player A flips one card face-up from the community pile. The players alternate who goes first until all three piles are empty.
The “Whammy” is what this draft is called because each player gets one “whammy” per draft. This means that anytime it is the player's turn they are able to “whammy” one card that has been turned face-up from the community pile. A card that receives the “whammy” is exiled from the draft & cannot be chosen by any player. This can only be done during the player's turn (at sorcery speed) & only once per draft. It can only be applied to the cards turned face-up from the community pile & NOT cards from the player's stack.
The “bonus card” is the final card taken in the draft. After all piles are empty each player picks up their discard pile & takes one card to add to their draft pool. Any cards exiled from the “Whammy” cannot be chosen as the bonus card.
Build 40 card decks from the cards chosen & play!
This is just like regular sealed except you build two decks from your sealed pool. A 75-card sealed pool has worked well with our playgroup. Each player builds two completely separate decks with separate sideboards from their sealed pool. No cards can overlap between the two decks & sideboards. Each player chooses the deck they think is worse & those decks play a match first. Then each player plays a match using the deck they view as the better one. If the matches are split then each player battles using the deck that lost.
Accorder Paladin
Cloistered Youth
Elite Vanguard
Hero of Bladehold
Kor Sanctifiers
Kor Skyfisher
Steppe Lynx
Stormfront Pegasus
Student of Warfare
Wall of Omens
Day of Judgment
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Journey to Nowhere
Path to Exile
Yeah dude...you can go ahead & remove the spoiler from your post. Thanks.
I noticed the thing about the mana curve. I have to make sure that I stretch out the page far enough but that is a really useful feature. It makes doing my card-to-card comparisons when new sets come out much easier (like I'm doing right now :)).
Shameless bump to add 2-player draft formats to my Cube post. I've also posted them below. If you're ever "stuck" with only 2 players then I highly recommend the "Whammy." It makes the draft much more interesting than any other 2-player draft format I've done. Feel free to post feedback on these formats as well as my recent changes to the Cube. I only play 2-player drafts so changes have been made to the Cube with that in mind (sorry reanimator strategies & Tinker).
The "Whammy"
This is by far the most popular format in my playgroup
Shuffle up the entire Cube & distribute three stacks of 36 cards. One stack is for each player and one is the community pile. Roll a die & the winner gets to choose whether they want to go first or second.
Player A draws four cards from his stack while player B flips one card face-up from the community pile. Player A chooses one of these five cards. He then passes the remaining cards face-up to player B while flipping another card face-up from the community pile. Player B chooses two of these cards. Player B passes the remaining cards back to player A. Player A puts the remaining cards in his hand & secretly chooses one. Player A then puts any leftover cards in his discard pile.
Now the players switch roles with player B drawing four cards from his pile while player A flips one card face-up from the community pile. The players alternate who goes first until all three piles are empty.
The “Whammy” is what this draft is called because each player gets one “whammy” per draft. This means that anytime it is the player's turn they are able to “whammy” one card that has been turned face-up from the community pile. A card that receives the “whammy” is exiled from the draft & cannot be chosen by any player. This can only be done during the player's turn (at sorcery speed) & only once per draft. It can only be applied to the cards turned face-up from the community pile & NOT cards from the player's stack.
The “bonus card” is the final card taken in the draft. After all piles are empty each player picks up their discard pile & takes one card to add to their draft pool. Any cards exiled from the “Whammy” cannot be chosen as the bonus card.
Build 40 card decks from the 37 cards chosen & play!
This is just like regular sealed except you build two decks from your sealed pool. A 75-card sealed pool has worked well with our playgroup. Each player builds two completely separate decks with separate sideboards from their sealed pool. No cards can overlap between the two decks & sideboards. Each player chooses the deck they think is worse & those decks play a match first. Then each player plays a match using the deck they view as the better one. If the matches are split then each player battles using the deck that lost.
Hey since you mostly do two-player draft formats I am going to X-post from a previous thread on three of our favourite two-man drafts. The Sawlerman draft is what we do about 75% of the time because its the most fun and skill intensive.
Sawlerman Draft
The name of this format is a bit of a play on words (my last name being Sawler) and since we have been playing this format, we barely ever Winston anymore. To start the cube is completely randomized and then we determine who picks first. There are eight rounds to drafting.
Round 1: In the first round six cards are revealed in the middle.
Player A has the option of taking one of the revealed cards and adding it to his pool or taking a card at random from the remainder of the cube. If a revealed card is taken, then it is replaced with another card from the cube so there are always six cards showing.
Player B then repeats Player A's option of either taking a card from the middle, or taking one at random.
It is now Player A's turn. He has the same two options as before except now there is a third option. He can choose to swap one of the cards he has already drafted *this round* with one card in the middle AND take one card at random from the rest of the cube. This ensures that every turn, that player's pool increases by one.
The round continues until each player has five cards in their pool that they drafted that round. Once Player B gets his last card, all the remaining revealed cards are swept away and can no longer get drafted.
Round 2: Six new cards are revealed and now it is Player B's turn to choose first. The exact same rules are followed as in round one, with Player A getting the last pick in Round 2.
**Note: You cannot swap a card from your pool which you drafted in a previous round with a revealed card. Only cards drafted in Round 2 may be swapped for a revealed card in Round 2.**
After 8 rounds, each player should have 40 cards in their total pool to build a deck with.
This format is fun because the decks are generally more powerful and cohesive than a standard Winston or Winchester draft. It also leads to some sweet moments like when you take a mediocre card in the middle only to flip up a Sol Ring or Umezawa's Jitte for your opponent.
It also allows you to screw over your opponent if you have the last pick in the round. Say you are drafting R/G aggro and Jace, The Mind Sculptor gets revealed. On the final pick of the round that player could swap Jace for a card in the middle without their opponent getting priority to draft it.
Try it! Its a nice variant on a draft format I read somewhere and we do this about 75% of the time when two of us draft the cube.
Revolver Ocelot
This two-player draft format begins with 6 packs of 19 cards. We will call the piles 1 through 6. The piles are arranged in a circle (looks like bullets in a six-shooter) and both players are drafting simultaneously.
Player A will start with pile 1, while Player B will start with pile 4. Each player looks at the top five cards of the pile and choose one for their deck. They replace the remaining four cards on top and then shifts that pile one space clockwise.
Now Player A will look at pile 2, while Player B will look at pile 5. Same thing happens - they look at the top five cards and choose one card.
The piles continue to rotate until each pile only has five cards remaining. At this point, the drafter will look at the remaining five cards, select one, and then set the final four cards aside face-down, and these cards cannot be drafted.
At the end of this rapid-fire draft, each player should have drafted 45 cards to build a deck from.
I like this format a lot because its quicker than a Winston draft, and each player is actively doing something, instead of waiting for their opponent to make their choice. As well it is nice because signals are very obvious once you get about 10-12 picks in. Each time the pack goes around the table you will have the chance to see between 1-2 new cards, allowing for a good chance to table something you want in the top five cards you looked at.
Con: This is sometimes easy to mess up since both drafters are going quickly. Even so, its a very fun format, and somewhat unique.
Booster Tutor
This draft easily yields the most bonkers decks in my cube history. This draft utilizes the entire cube and is suitable for any number of drafters, for a cube of any size.
Let's look at a cube of 720 cards with two drafters.
At the end of the draft each player should have 36 cards to build a deck from. Each player will select only one card from each pack created so the number of cards per pack will equal (Cube Size)/36. In the case of 720: 720/36 = 20. So 36 packs of 20 are created. This can be extrapolated to cubes of any size, with the pack size being larger or smaller.
Each drafter will take one pack, look at its contents and select one card. Drafters will then exchange packs, look at the remaining cards, and select one. The rest of the cards are set aside face-down. This means in a 720 cube: Drafter A will look at 20 cards, choose one and then receive a pack with 19 cards and choose one. After these two cards are chosen, the packs are set aside and the process is repeated with two new packs.
Drafting continues until all packs are gone and each player has 36 cards.
This is good because the pick quality is always very high and the decks have stellar cohesion. This method probably works best with an unpowered cube, but I haven't played a powered cube like this before.
This draft allows each player to draft exactly the archetype they wish to draft, however signalling is nearly impossible, since the cards will always be so good when passed.
This can be done with more players following the exact same method, except the packs are passed around more like a booster draft. Just as above, each player may only select one cards from every pack created.
Hey since you mostly do two-player draft formats I am going to X-post from a previous thread on three of our favourite two-man drafts. The Sawlerman draft is what we do about 75% of the time because its the most fun and skill intensive.
Sawlerman Draft
The name of this format is a bit of a play on words (my last name being Sawler) and since we have been playing this format, we barely ever Winston anymore. To start the cube is completely randomized and then we determine who picks first. There are eight rounds to drafting.
Round 1: In the first round six cards are revealed in the middle.
Player A has the option of taking one of the revealed cards and adding it to his pool or taking a card at random from the remainder of the cube. If a revealed card is taken, then it is replaced with another card from the cube so there are always six cards showing.
Player B then repeats Player A's option of either taking a card from the middle, or taking one at random.
It is now Player A's turn. He has the same two options as before except now there is a third option. He can choose to swap one of the cards he has already drafted *this round* with one card in the middle AND take one card at random from the rest of the cube. This ensures that every turn, that player's pool increases by one.
The round continues until each player has five cards in their pool that they drafted that round. Once Player B gets his last card, all the remaining revealed cards are swept away and can no longer get drafted.
Round 2: Six new cards are revealed and now it is Player B's turn to choose first. The exact same rules are followed as in round one, with Player A getting the last pick in Round 2.
**Note: You cannot swap a card from your pool which you drafted in a previous round with a revealed card. Only cards drafted in Round 2 may be swapped for a revealed card in Round 2.**
After 8 rounds, each player should have 40 cards in their total pool to build a deck with.
This format is fun because the decks are generally more powerful and cohesive than a standard Winston or Winchester draft. It also leads to some sweet moments like when you take a mediocre card in the middle only to flip up a Sol Ring or Umezawa's Jitte for your opponent.
It also allows you to screw over your opponent if you have the last pick in the round. Say you are drafting R/G aggro and Jace, The Mind Sculptor gets revealed. On the final pick of the round that player could swap Jace for a card in the middle without their opponent getting priority to draft it.
Try it! Its a nice variant on a draft format I read somewhere and we do this about 75% of the time when two of us draft the cube.
Revolver Ocelot
This two-player draft format begins with 6 packs of 19 cards. We will call the piles 1 through 6. The piles are arranged in a circle (looks like bullets in a six-shooter) and both players are drafting simultaneously.
Player A will start with pile 1, while Player B will start with pile 4. Each player looks at the top five cards of the pile and choose one for their deck. They replace the remaining four cards on top and then shifts that pile one space clockwise.
Now Player A will look at pile 2, while Player B will look at pile 5. Same thing happens - they look at the top five cards and choose one card.
The piles continue to rotate until each pile only has five cards remaining. At this point, the drafter will look at the remaining five cards, select one, and then set the final four cards aside face-down, and these cards cannot be drafted.
At the end of this rapid-fire draft, each player should have drafted 45 cards to build a deck from.
I like this format a lot because its quicker than a Winston draft, and each player is actively doing something, instead of waiting for their opponent to make their choice. As well it is nice because signals are very obvious once you get about 10-12 picks in. Each time the pack goes around the table you will have the chance to see between 1-2 new cards, allowing for a good chance to table something you want in the top five cards you looked at.
Con: This is sometimes easy to mess up since both drafters are going quickly. Even so, its a very fun format, and somewhat unique.
Booster Tutor
This draft easily yields the most bonkers decks in my cube history. This draft utilizes the entire cube and is suitable for any number of drafters, for a cube of any size.
Let's look at a cube of 720 cards with two drafters.
At the end of the draft each player should have 36 cards to build a deck from. Each player will select only one card from each pack created so the number of cards per pack will equal (Cube Size)/36. In the case of 720: 720/36 = 20. So 36 packs of 20 are created. This can be extrapolated to cubes of any size, with the pack size being larger or smaller.
Each drafter will take one pack, look at its contents and select one card. Drafters will then exchange packs, look at the remaining cards, and select one. The rest of the cards are set aside face-down. This means in a 720 cube: Drafter A will look at 20 cards, choose one and then receive a pack with 19 cards and choose one. After these two cards are chosen, the packs are set aside and the process is repeated with two new packs.
Drafting continues until all packs are gone and each player has 36 cards.
This is good because the pick quality is always very high and the decks have stellar cohesion. This method probably works best with an unpowered cube, but I haven't played a powered cube like this before.
This draft allows each player to draft exactly the archetype they wish to draft, however signalling is nearly impossible, since the cards will always be so good when passed.
This can be done with more players following the exact same method, except the packs are passed around more like a booster draft. Just as above, each player may only select one cards from every pack created.
Definitely some interesting modes there. I think the first one is my favorite of the three. I've experimented with variants that are similar to it. One of the most common ones is where each player does X exchanges with the middle pile. I never liked the "popular" variant because I would get to a point where I was happy with my pile & didn't want to do anymore. One time we tried it where you could just stop the exchanging at any time & move to a new set of cards. It worked out okay. I would like to try it again sometime to try & flesh it out.
The last one you list would have some pretty insane decks. With my 500 card Cube the average pack size would be 13 8/9 cards. That's pretty much like having 36 first-pick cards in your pool. Wow. If we're looking for a change of pace maybe we can try this variant. It seems a lot simpler than a Rotisserie format. Mono red FTW?
In my experience I don't like Winston/Winchester very much in the big Cube. It works pretty well with the Commons Cube where you just take cards in a color but the last few times we've done Winston drafts it's almost felt like a 45-card sealed (which is pretty lame).
Thanks for the suggestions & I will definitely try your namesake format this weekend.
My average CMC is down to 2.9 (!!!). I can't believe it's that low. I'm always very aggro-minded when making updates to the Cube but I'm wondering if I've gone too far. I have different things to consider when building my 2-person Cube compared to people who build 8-person Cubes. I probably run a few less-than-optimal low-drops to ensure I have the critical mass needed.
I've also added a few "Un" cards to the Cube. I think Booster Tutor will be a lot of fun & is actually quite powerful since it goes into your hand at instant speed. The super-split card will add some depth to the decks with the 5-color fixers. City of Ass will be another 5-color land (even though it CIPT). I am curious about the challenge that Blast from the Past represents. I'm sure it will not be played optimally several times at first.
I'm always looking for "above the curve" P/T guys versus cards that just durdle without doing much. I'll probably make more changes after I see how these play out. My main reason for cutting the size of my Cube was to increase the number of fixers per draft. I'm also not missing too much by going down to 3 per color pair. I'm just not going to miss Brion Stoutarm, Agony Warp or cards like them.
Due to some changes in circumstances I'm actually hoping to start cubing with MORE than two people. This would be an amazing thing if it were to happen & I want to get the Cube ready for this change. I'm going to make my changes with the expectation that the average draft will be 4-6 players & sometimes we'll have 2 or 8. That being said, eidolon's thread indicates that these are the most played cards that I'm not running (listed in order of popularity by color):
I'd like to add 25 cards to my current list to bring me back to 500. My current plan is 4 of each color & 5 colorless/lands. Here is my tentative list of cards to add:
There are some cards in here that have been cut from the Cube before as well as some that I've just never added. Here's a brief description of what I'm trying to do:
1)Add more support for reanimator. With more than 2 people this is a deck that can actually come together sometimes & I'm looking for ways to support that. I feel like the cards I listed support it well without "over-supporting" it (if that's possible). I added a few reanimate spells, discard outlets and multiple targets. Many of the targets also work well as control finishers.
2)Bring back Tinker. Adding Inkwell Leviathan as a Tinker target was also important. Should I also add Sphinx of the Steel Wind? That would be primarily a Tinker/reanimate target.
3)Add Wildfire. I think this deck is tough to draft with two people but I think a "big red" control-style deck with Wildfire may be pretty sweet. I could also add Burning of Xinye as a functional reprint if this deck ends up working well.
4)Support ramp more. I really enjoyed watching people draft the Gx super-ramp decks on the MTGO Cube. I feel like Rampant Growth & Farseek are a step down from the current ramp spells. [sidebar] I also don't want to run cards like Palladium Myr even though it combos really well with a T-1 elf/mox. T-1 elf/mox, T-2 Palladium Myr, T-3 Titan. That seems pretty sweet. Why do I not want to run this card again? [/end sidebar] I added Rampant Growth as a concession to a bit of ramp. Black Lotus is much better with more drafters. In 2-player it's terrible to spend an hour drafting & building just to lose to Lotus. I feel like it won't be as awful in a bigger draft.
---
Here are a few card choices that I'm debating for my list (the first one listed is tentatively "in"):
Parallax Wave or Decree of Justice
Nezumi Graverobber or Yawgmoth's Will
Pelakka Wurm or Primeval Titan
Rampant Growth or Farseek
---
Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Edge of Autumn is bad in a ramp deck if you are looking to accelerate to 6+ mana. If you draw it when you have 4 or more lands you can't usefully cast it, nor do you want to cycle it. Farseek is best if you have duals/shocks.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
Thanks for the replies. I just added a few M13 cards this week & they were in last night's drafts. Here's my feedback from the M13 cards as I posted in the M13 thread...
Did a few drafts last night with the new cards.
Searing Spear made an appearance & being instant speed was actually relevant (it replaced Volcanic Hammer in my Cube).
Thragtusk did get drafted but never showed up in a game.
New Liliana was passed almost every drafter in both drafts she was in. I'm going to keep it in for a bit but I don't think she's good enough for the long run. I think most of my fellow drafters agreed with that sentiment after seeing her in actual packs.
New Ajani was actually picked & played in all three drafts last night. It didn't appear in any of my games but it hit the table maybe 4-5 times & feedback was that it was quite relevant. On an empty board it's kind of awkward but it sounded like overall it was a worthy inclusion. By far the best card from M13 so far.
Those are the only M13 cards in my Cube thus far. Ajani will be great but Spear is a slight upgrade as well as Thragtusk. I don't think Liliana will make it long-term. Thus far that's only one really good card in the set with a few minor upgrades. Other recent sets have provided help at certain CMC's/colors that needed it but I'm really disappointed with this set so far. 86 cards left to be spoiled so hopefully there are a few more good ones left.
Definitely getting a better feel for the Cube as I've done more 4, 6 & 8 player drafts. Something I need to bear in mind as I make updates to the Cube is ensuring that most archetypes will work in a 4-man draft. Obviously you may not get all the pieces for reanimator/super-ramp in such a small pool but it needs to sometimes come together as well as support for the "typical" archetypes. I'm trying to support these archetypes with my updates as well as supporting blue "tempo" which explains some of my lesser played blue cards.
In keeping with this idea I just went through eidolon's list of the "most-run" Cube cards. This was definitely an interesting exercise. I'm not going to put too much stock in the newer cards as not everyone has them/has played with them enough. I don't want to do a card-by-card breakdown but rather look at the overall trends. Here is a list of the least popular Cube cards I'm running by color...
Least popular cards I run: (least --> most)
Ravages of War
Moat
Austere Command
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Weathered Wayfarer
Revoke Existence
Restoration Angel
Silverblade Paladin
Temporal Isolation
Eternal Dragon
Mistral Charger
Paladin en-Vec
Martial Coup
Most white's cards seemed to be pretty well-placed. I think overall this is my "tightest" color as far as cards to cut. I recently cut Glorious Anthem for new Ajani though I wonder if one of these cards may be a better cut.
Mist Raven
Coralhelm Commander
Lu Xun, Scholar General
Spined Thopter
Wake Thrasher
Pestermite
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Fettergeist
Timetwister
Palinchron
Standstill
Daze
Most of the blue cards are guys that don't support the typical blue-style control. Honestly, I could probably cut this entire blue list & my Cube would still be okay. I was trying to push extra support for blue tempo & give it some evasion/aggro/midrange support. I am surprised that Teferi is on this list because I think he's really good. Making all of your opponent's stuff sorcery speed is really strong. I definitely have a starting point of what cards I could cut.
Nezumi Cutthroat
Dance of the Dead
Fledgling Djinn
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Nether Void
Disfigure
Puppeteer Clique
Dauthi Marauder
Stupor
Sinkhole
Innocent Blood
Night's Whisper
Ahhh, black. The color that is now considered the weakest one in Cubes. I actually am okay with most of these cards. Black needs some more aggro support to truly shine. The 2-power 1-drop guys from ISD block have definitely helped but it's definitely lacking the "critical mass" of great aggro creatures. Maybe I should refocus it even more on reanimator & midrange? Black is just really lacking an identity right now & it makes it tough. I think my first cut from this list would be Disfigure.
Archwing Dragon
Vexing Devil
Bonfire of the Damned
Blast from the Past
Ravenous Baboons
Rolling Earthquake
Zealous Conscripts
Stone Rain
Ghitu Slinger
Lightning Mauler
Fire Imp
Slagstorm
Goblin Patrol
Hearth Kami
Smash to Smithereens
Banefire
If white is my tightest color then red is my second tightest. First off, I think Archwing Dragon is really good. Yes, it's a mana-sink (which is usually a death knell in powered Cubes) but being able to dodge all sorcery speed removal is nuts. This card is a lot like another recent card, Vorapede. When you play Archwing Dragon/Vorapede, some decks just lose. If you don't have an instant removal spell for a 4-toughness flier then you lose. It was drafted last week and was just a total house. Vexing Devil is also still in the "testing" phase. It's been Cubeworthy so far but it's still early. Not sure if Bonfire will be in the Cube long-term but I replaced Fireball with it. I can't believe so few people run Ravenous Baboons. Now that I think about it I think red would be better served with some sort of damage-dealing/hasty 4-drop. That is one of the most crowded sections in the Cube & I think Baboons time may have passed. Especially since I support land destruction with several other cards. Thoughts on Ghitu Slinger/Fire Imp? They are definitely weaker creatures but can help clear a path for red decks to get more damage in. Not sure about Slagstorm but I think it's important to have if I want to support "big red" decks.
Ice Storm
Ulvenwald Tracker
Wild Dogs
Farseek
Pouncing Jaguar
Jungle Lion
Twinblade Slasher
Primeval Titan
Rampaging Baloths
Terastodon
Mire Boa
Wolfbitten Captive
Skinshifter
Beast Within
Harrow
Vines of Vastwood
Life from the Loam
Great Sable Stag
Wow, people really don't like green aggro. I'm keeping the 1-drops for now but am always on the lookout for making green even more ramp focused. Maybe Mire Boa would be my first cut from this pile. It's been on the sidelines quite a bit recently. It's probably the weakest 2-drop in the Cube. Still not sure on Vines of Vastwood. That was my favorite card from Zendikar but I think it's close to the chopping block.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Worn Powerstone
Thran Dynamo
Signets
Black Lotus
Shrine of Burning Rage
Perilous Myr
Moxes
Everflowing Chalice
Duplicant
Triskelion
Black Vise
Smokestack
Memory Jar
I'm trying to support true "ramp" decks like the ones features on the MTGO Cube. That Cube was pretty awful but the ramp decks were definitely something I want to try & emulate. I already added one Eldrazi (Kozilek) & I'm going to add Ulamog. Not sure if this will ultimately work but I'm going to try it. Maybe Decree of Justice would be another good choice to give ramp decks another (potentially splashable) finisher? I'm not sure about Thran Dynamo. I think the Powerstone is more relevant. I can't believe Perilous Myr is run by so few Cubes. It's not an amazing card but it hits aggro decks pretty hard. It also combos well with some other cards. Maybe I should cut it to help aggro out a little. It's not a great card so it wouldn't be missed too much.
Those are some random thoughts on the Cube's current state. Drafting with 4-8 people is awesome & it's looking like it will become a weekly event at my LGS.
Edit: Here are some potential additions to help reanimator decks...
Reanimate Spells:
Diabolic Servitude
Makeshift Mannequin
Living Death
Unburial Rites
Body Snatcher
Life/Death
Zombify
Marshal's Anthem
Reanimate Enablers:
Forbid
Frantic Search
Sewer Nemesis
Undead Gladiator
Cabal Therapy
Rotting Rats
Putrid Imp
Forbidden Alchemy
Compulsive Research
Intuition
Show and Tell
Zombie Infestation
Smallpox
Gifts Given
Reanimate Targets:
Inkwell Leviathan
Pelakka Wurm
Hornet Queen
Crater Hellion
Bogardan Hellkite
Massacre Wurm
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Hellkite Overlord
Griselbrand
I updated the Cube list with 20 (!!!) card changes. Ten of these are me expanding the guild section by 1 card each. I've also reclassified the guild sections to include all land with them. My main reason for expanding the guilds now is to prepare for RTR block in the fall. It will be easier to see which guild cards won't make the cut after they've been played instead of trying to expand the section after some great cards are released in the next block.
The Cube has been playing really well & I'm hoping to expand on it further with this update. Reanimator & super-ramp are now both viable archetypes. I've even added a few cards that further help these archetypes. Last week's 8-man draft had someone draft green aggro for the first time...and it was amazing. He drafted GW super-aggro with a ton of 1-drops and just pummeled everyone. It was sweet to see an underdrafted archetype just beat the crap out of everyone. The blink archetype is now a viable deck just by adding Venser. I'm also excited to see if anyone can draft the artifact deck with the recent addition of B/U Tezzeret. I think 68 artifacts should be enough support for it.
This should be my last update until October. Feedback is appreciated.
Shameless bump. I've updated the guild sections & condensed them. I was hoping for GTC to be like RTR for the guilds but instead it was a huge disappointment. I'm condensing the guild sections from 10 cards & I'm trying an unbalanced gold section where a few guilds will have 9 cards though most will still have 8.
I'm also trying a "testing zone" as a place where I can put cards I'm not sure about yet. This will give me some flexibility without having to update the master list every time I want to test a card. Currently the testing zone has 11 cards including a few gold cards that I'm not sold on (Aurelia's Fury & Prime Speaker).
The Cube has been playing really well lately & many archetypes are quite popular. The one I'm looking to explore in the near future is a Pox archetype. Black aggro isn't popular at all where I am though I think it does a fine job as a support color in aggro decks. Recent testing has shown that a heavy black aggro deck is not the way to go (though Pack Rat is still insane).
I'm running unbalanced colors & gold sections for a bit now since the next set is about a month away. Some new cards arrived today & I'm looking forward to testing them:
Mental Misstep
Stifle
Geralf's Messenger
Necropotence
Mogg Fanatic
Reckless Charge
Craterhoof Behemoth
Gaea's Cradle
Mayor of Avabruck
Nantuko Vigilante
Oracle of Mul Daya
Wolfir Avenger
Unburial Rites
Knight of the Reliquary
Burning-Tree Shaman
Boros Reckoner
Aurelia's Fury
If I had to pick three that I'm most excited about I would choose Mental Misstep, Craterhoof Behemoth and Reckless Charge. I played thirteen hours of Cube yesterday & I'm disappointed that the cards didn't arrive a day sooner
I've gotten some good playtime with some of the cards listed above as well as a handful of DGM cards. Here's a review after a few drafts:
Mental Misstep
Stifle
Both of these cards are very hit or miss. I got my fetch stifled on T-1 & it was crushing. Thankfully my opponent had no action and I was able to overcome it. Still not sure about its long-term status in the Cube. Mental Misstep ranges from totally dead to a total blowout. When it's a blowout it's *really* good. I'm more optimistic about MM than Stifle.
Geralf's Messenger
Necropotence
Adding Urborg with the above cards has been really good. Necropotence is bonkers. Messenger hasn't been awesome so far but it's definitely been playable. I think part of the issue stems from the fact that people are jamming it into black decks instead of playing it in decks where it would be at its best (Recurring Nightmare, Stax/Braids, etc).
Mogg Fanatic
Reckless Charge
Fanatic is fine but I'd rather have another 2/1 or 2/2 for 1. I can never get enough of them. Charge has been solid so far but I haven't played a game where it has been cast.
Craterhoof Behemoth
Gaea's Cradle
Mayor of Avabruck
Nantuko Vigilante
Oracle of Mul Daya
Wolfir Avenger
Oracle & Gaea's Cradle have been solid cards in the ramp deck. Gaea's Cradle especially has been way better than I expected it to be. Combine it with several creatures & any sort of draw effect and it's really powerful.
Unburial Rites
Knight of the Reliquary
Burning-Tree Shaman
Boros Reckoner
Aurelia's Fury
I'm going to reclassify my W/G section with 2 extra hybrid cards (Dryad Militant & Kitchen Finks) to make it 2 cards larger than my average guild section. This will give us room for KotR.
Unburial Rites has been excellent in its short time in the Cube. An expensive reanimation spell that you don't mind discarding? So sweet. The higher mana cost hasn't been prohibitive to the types of decks that usually want it. It's no Reanimate or Animate Dead but it goes in different types of decks.
The Gruul updates were the most disappointing in the RTR block. The only staples remain BBE & Kird Ape. At this point I have three cards competing for the final two slots: Ghor-Clan Rampager, Domri Rade & Burning-Tree Shaman. Rampager has been a nice change of pace because it functions as a sweet (uncounterable) pump spell along with a 4/4 trampler for 4. Domri Rade has gone way later than a planeswalker should and people are running it in decks where it's not at its best (12-13 creature decks). Where it really shines is in a deck with some sweet fatties. In one of the first drafts I lost to a Domri Rade & Thrun combo. My deck literally couldn't stop this combo. It was pretty sweet. Burning-Tree Shaman is a nice three drop that punishes the decks that R/G can struggle against. My opponent dropped it against my 2 planeswalkers (after hitting me for a bunch already). I had no way to deal with it and lost the game. I felt like I was going to stabilize but it limited the number of activations I could do which cost me the game. Not sure how this section is going to go but I'm probably going to test all 3 Gruul cards for a few months.
Boros Reckoner & Aurelia's Fury are both good cards in a crowded section (would love either one of these in Gruul). I'm going to cheat like I did with W/G and bump my Boros section by 2 cards to include the two hybrids of Reckoner & Figure of Destiny. These cards are strong enough in the abstract to be included in a ~540 Cube so I'll put them in for a few months and cut them if they don't end up being good enough.
Overall the last two sets of the block weren't the bump for my guild sections that I was hoping for. At least we got Ral Zarek & Spike Jester in this block and Experiment One in GTC. RTR was obviously an insane set for Cube.
Basic Information
Cube Size:
500 cards
Standard or Theme:
Powered Cube
Snow Lands:
No
Average Number of Players:
The Cube was originally designed for 2 but now the average is 4-8
How Often Drafted:
3-4 drafts per week
Card Selection
Proxies:
Yes
Powered:
Fully Powered (minus Timetwister and Black Lotus)
Portal:
Yes
"Un" Cards:
None right now
Banned Cards for Power-Level:
No
Banned Cards for Time Constraints:
No
Banned Cards for "fun" factor:
No
Cube Design
Standard or Multiplayer:
Standard
Sideboards?:
Yes
Color Balance:
Yes
Gold Balance:
Yes
Hybrid/Split/Kicker as Gold:
Yes
Color Triggers as Gold:
Yes
Perfectly Balanced CMC:
No
My history with Cubes is pretty interesting. I built an all-Commons Cube in June 2010 designed for 2-man drafts. I didn't know about the MTGS Cube forum and just went through the commons boxes at my local shop. I balanced the colors by number of cards & ended up with like 323 cards in my first draft. As time went by I slowly added more cards & eventually got to 500. 500 was an arbitrary number that I picked since I didn't know anything about Cubes. My first builds had some pretty terrible cards & way too many gold cards...both problems of early drafts of Cubes. I eventually acquired all the cards I needed & foiled out a majority of my Commons Cube (it's nearly 400 foils at last check). My Commons Cube still has a little fat but overall I think it's pretty strong (and a blast to play).
Fast forward to the spring of 2011. I decided I wanted to live the dream & build a real powered Cube (with proxies of course). I had no idea where to start but I had found the MTGS Cube forum. I used the PRE (Project Rank Everything) lists as well as the top 20 by color lists as a starting point. I pretty much copied these slightly outdated lists verbatim and had a starting point for a Cube. I liquidated my entire standard collection (which at that time was massive) and was able to fund almost the entire Cube off of that (again...with proxies of the $50+ cards). I quickly saw that some cards on the lists didn't deserve to be there & had been usurped by more current (and better) cards. I was able to make some tweaks to my Cube & improve it quite a bit. Now I updated my Cube as soon as cards are spoiled as I proxy up some cards that I want to test before I buy them/before they're released. Tweaking the last few cards is more art than science to me & I'm always reading threads & talking to people to look for ideas on ways to better my Cube. I seriously check the MTGS forums multiple times a day as my obsession with the Cube has become quite strong.
There's a reason why I did it the right way with the powered Cube after doing it the wrong way with the Commons Cube; my card evaluation skills. I played Magic from Revised to Ice Age & again starting at Shards of Alara. It's really tough to properly evaluate cards that you've never seen played in an environment you don't know. Here are cards that I pretty much dismissed when I put them in my Cube but have since completely won games by themselves:
I do this to show many key cards would have never made my Cube if I only trusted my personal & inexperienced opinion. I can't imagine my Cube without any of those cards now that I've seen them in action. I would have never seen them in action if I didn't trust other people's experiences with the Cube. It was invaluable for me to have a "starting point" when building my Cube.
I always try to help people who seem to be posting for the first time since I know how much easier it is to build a Cube with help from experienced Cubers. There definitely is room for improvement but I'm really happy with the current status of the Cube. Any feedback is welcome.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
U 68 68
B 69 xxxx 71
R 70 xxxxxx 73
G 69 xxxx 71
MC 91
Misc 84
528 cards
13 Testing
4 fun
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545 Total
W-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
U-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
B-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
R-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
G-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
GUILD Lands/Duals/Hybrids
UW 5/3
UB 5/4
BR 5/3/3
RG 5/4
GW 5/4/2
WB 5/5
UR 5/4
GB 4/4/1
RW 5/4/2
GU 5/4
Should I add:
Capsize
Arcane Denial
Tezzeret the Seeker
Show and Tell
Goblin Welder
Venser, the Sojourner
Falkenrath Aristocrat
Sarkhan Vol
Should I cut:
Spined Thopter
Obzedat, Ghost Council
Triskelion
Duplicant
Legendary
Shadowborn Demon
Liliana's Reaver
Young Pyromancer
Elvish Mystic
Kalonian Tusker
http://deck.tk/8LeJ8jh6
AEtherling
Blood Scrivener
Smallpox
Pox
Nether Traitor
Nether Spirit
Fleshbag Marauder
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Carrion Feeder
Pyrewild Shaman
Ghazban Ogre
Ral Zarek
Spike Jester
Tattermunge Maniac
Voice of Resurgence
Far//Away
IN for OUT
AEtherling for Keiga, the Tide Star
Blood Scrivener for Nether Traitor
Pyrewild Shaman for Guttersnipe
Imperial Seal for Tombstalker
ADD:
Show and Tell
Willbender
Goblin Welder
Ghazban Ogre
Fastbond
Venser, the Sojourner
Burning-Tree Shaman
Far//Away
Olivia Voldaren
Mental Misstep
CUT:
Yosei, the Morning Star
Gideon, Champion of Justice
Stifle
Nantuko Vigilante
Triskelion
Add:
Fleshbag Marauder
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Oracle of Mul Daya
Boros Reckoner
Aurelia's Fury
Knight of the Reliquary
Spike Jester
Voice of Resurgence
Ral Zarek for Prophetic Bolt
Tattermunge Maniac
Add:
Karmic Guide
Seal of Cleansing
Opposition
Timetwister
Stifle
Necropotence
Smallpox for Vampire Interloper
Pox
Reassembling Skeleton for Fledgling Djinn
Geralf's Messenger for Liliana's Specter
Nether Traitor for Nezumi Cutthroat
Nether Void
Mogg Fanatic
Reckless Charge
Nantuko Vigilante for Blastoderm
Worldly Tutor for Primal Command
Regrowth
Craterhoof Behemoth
Gaea's Cradle for Pouncing Jaguar
Mayor of Avabruck for Skinshifter
Unburial Rites
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Glacial Fortress
Drowned Catacomb
Lavaclaw Reaches
Copperline Gorge
Razorverge Thicket
Isolated Chapel
Woodland Cemetery
Clifftop Retreat
Flooded Grove
Cascade Bluffs
Ratchet Bomb
Moved Phyrexian mana cards to colorless
Add:
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Leonin Relic-Warder
Nearheath Pilgrim
Compulsive Research
Mystical Tutor
Living Death
Chaos Warp
Pyroclasm
Natural Order
Ohran Viper
Primal Command
Duskmantle Seer
Ghor-Clan Rampager
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Reflecting Pool
Pithing Needle
Cut:
Azorius Arrester
Opposition
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Deadbridge Goliath
Regrowth
Erratic Portal
Venser, the Sojourner
Nemesis of Reason
Huntmaster of the Fells
Armada Wurm
Add: Prime Speaker Zegana
Cut: (no replacements yet)
Birthing Pod
Goblin Ruinblaster
Karmic Guide
Rakdos Shred-Freak
Vraska the Unseen
Weathered Wayfarer
Cut:
Desecration Demon
Yeva, Nature's Herald
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Seachrome Coast
Darkslick Shores
Blackcleave Cliffs
Copperline Gorge
Sarkhan Vol
Razorverge Thicket
Selesnya Charm
Fetid Heath
Isolated Chapel
Cascade Bluffs
Putrid Leech
Woodland Cemetery
Clifftop Retreat
Slayers' Stronghold
Flooded Grove
Add:
Tombstalker
Baleful Strix
Domri Rade
Armada Wurm
Obzedat, Ghost Council
Deathrite Shaman
Boros Charm
Gideon, Champion of Justice
Parallax Wave
Cyclonic Rift
Opposition
Abyssal Persecutor
Griselbrand
Banefire
Keldon Vandals
Blastoderm
Experiment One
Master of the Wild Hunt
Chrome Mox
IN for OUT
Ultimate Price for Disciple of Bolas
Guttersnipe for Ghitu Slinger
Sarkhan Vol for Flinthoof Boar
Add:
Seachrome Coast
Darkslick Shores
Blackcleave Cliffs
Copperline Gorge
Razorverge Thicket
Isolated Chapel
Woodland Cemetery
Clifftop Retreat
Flooded Grove
Angel of Serenity for Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Disciple of Bolas for Barter in Blood
Ball Lightning for Aftershock
Birthing Pod for Great Sable Stag
Add To Testing Zone:
Armada Wurm
Baleful Strix
Chaos Warp
Chrome Mox
Cyclonic Rift
Deathrite Shaman
Griselbrand
Massacre Wurm
Master of the Wild Hunt
Nantuko Vigilante
Natural Order
Opposition
Parallax Wave
Primal Command
Shardless Agent
Desecration Demon for Thrill-Kill Assassin
Arbor Elf for Blastoderm
Yeva, Nature's Herald for Phantom Centaur
Wolfir Silverheart for Thornling
Cut:
Desolation Angel
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Expanding the multicolor section:
Out:
Decree of Justice
Elspeth Tirel
Lu Xun, Scholar General
Pestermite
Nether Void
Stupor
Vexing Devil
Archwing Dragon
Ice Storm
Mirri's Guile
Add to the multicolor section:
Dryad Militant
Vraska the Unseen
IN for OUT
Precinct Captain for Lingering Souls
Jace, Architect of Thought for Wake Thrasher
Pack Rat for Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Ash Zealot for Stone Rain
Deadbridge Goliath for Ulvenwald Tracker
Chromatic Lantern for Black Lotus
Azorius Arrester for Martial Coup
Thrill-Kill Assassin for Night's Whisper
Gore-House Chainwalker for Ember Hauler
Splatter Thug for Keldon Vandals
Flames of the Firebrand for Pyroclasm
Dreadbore for Terminate
Supreme Verdict for Azorious Signet
Dreg Mangler for Golgari Signet
Rakdos Shred-Freak for Rakdos Signet
Selesnya Charm for Selesnya Signet
Detention Sphere for Wall of Denial
Izzet Charm for Izzet Signet
Abrupt Decay for Putrefy
Lotleth Troll for Spiritmonger
Lingering Souls for Orzhov Signet
Armada Wurm for Sigarda, Host of Herons
Rakdos Cackler for Bituminous Blast
Cut until Gatecrash:
Boros Signet
Gruul Signet
Simic Signet
Dimir Signet
CHANGE:
Sublime Archangel for Temporal Isolation
Forbid for Coralhelm Commander
Frantic Search for Timetwister
Impulse for Mist Raven
Sneak Attack for Wildfire
Searing Blaze for Banefire
Growth Spasm for Edge of Autumn
Mirri's Guile for Vines of Vastwood
Hornet Queen for Rampaging Baloths
Mana Crypt for Perilous Myr
ADD:
Venser, the Sojourner
Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Bituminous Blast
Flinthoof Boar
Sigarda, Host of Herons
Fetid Heath
Cascade Bluffs
Putrefy
Lightning Helix
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
CUT:
Calciderm
Paladin en-Vec
Standstill
Palinchron
Puppeteer Clique
Tombstalker
Slagstorm
Chandra, the Firebrand
Mire Boa
Twinblade Slasher
Ajani, Caller of the Pride for Revoke Existence
Decree of Justice for Austere Command
Sea Gate Oracle for Ninja of the Deep Hours
Shelldock Isle for Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Into the Roil for Thieving Magpie
Inquisition of Kozilek for Disfigure
Sheoldred, Whispering One for Booster Tutor
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief for Slaughter Pact
Liliana of the Dark Realms for Innocent Blood
Searing Spear for Volcanic Hammer
Thundermaw Hellkite for Blast from the Past
Thragtusk for Kodama of the North Tree
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth for Pithing Needle
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre for Who/What/When/Where/Why
Temporal Isolation
Eternal Dragon
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Revoke Existence
Tinker
Gifts Ungiven
Thirst for Knowledge
Timetwister
Lu Xun, Scholar General for Opposition
Nezumi Graverobber
Entomb
Exhume
Dance of the Dead
Bonfire of the Damned for Fireball
Zealous Conscripts
Wildfire
Stone Rain
Kargan Dragonlord
Green Sun's Zenith
Primeval Titan
Farseek
Edge of Autumn
Horizon Canopy for Brushland
Slayers' Stronghold for Lightning Helix
Raging Ravine for Karplusan Forest
Thran Dynamo
Smokestack
Black Lotus
Worn Powerstone
Grand Coliseum
Pithing Needle for City of Ass
Mystic Crusader
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Mikaeus, the Lunarch
Akroma's Vengeance
Willbender
Gifts Ungiven
Forbid
Plague Sliver
Tragic Slip
Yawgmoth's Will
Forked Bolt
Searing Blaze
Flame Javelin
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Nantuko Vigilante
Overrun
Venser, the Sojourner
Agony Warp
Olivia Voldaren
Boggart Ram-Gang
Mirari's Wake
Move Lingering Souls to White
Jilt
Woodland Cemetery
Brion Stoutarm
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Precursor Golem
Restoration Angel for Emeria Angel
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite for Eternal Dragon
Silverblade Paladin for Silver Knight
Coralhelm Commander for Dismiss
Fettergeist for Mystical Tutor
Mist Raven for Impulse
Ninja of the Deep Hours for Capsize
Opposition for Into the Roil
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage for Jace, Memory Adept
Booster Tutor for Gatekeeper of Malakir
Vexing Devil for Zo-Zu the Punisher
Lightning Mauler for Blood Knight
Archwing Dragon for Moltensteel Dragon
Blast from the Past for Comet Storm
Ulvenwald Tracker for Mayor of Avabruck
Ice Storm for Harmonize
Grafted Wargear for Juggernaut
Erratic Portal for Steel Hellkite
Who/What/When/Where/Why for Crystal Ball
City of Ass for Tectonic Edge
Lone Missionary for Eight-and-a-Half-Tails
Emeria Angel for Temporal Isolation
Mikaeus, the Lunarch for Goldmeadow Harrier
Daze for Timetwister
Pestermite for Inkwell Leviathan
Spined Thopter for Tinker
Standstill for Thirst for Knowledge
Nezumi Cutthroat for Nezumi Graverobber
Night's Whisper for Juzam Djinn
Sinkhole for Fume Spitter
Searing Blaze for Kargan Dragonlord
Zo-Zu the Punisher for Ravenous Baboons
Forked Bolt for Wildfire
Scavenging Ooze for Ohran Viper
Nantuko Vigilante for Oracle of Mul Daya
Nemesis of Reason for Havengul Lich
Rishadan Port for Chimeric Mass
Grim Monolith for Phyrexian Processor
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben for Decree of Justice
Dungeon Geists for Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Gravecrawler for Sorin Markov
Tragic Slip for Exhume
Stromkirk Noble for Crater Hellion
Torch Fiend for Magus of the Scroll
Hellrider for Zo-Zu the Punisher
Faithless Looting for Manabarbs
Avacyn's Pilgrim for Mold Shambler
Wolfbitten Captive for Gaea's Revenge
Strangleroot Geist for Green Sun's Zenith
Vorapede for Krosan Grip
Lingering Souls for Stillmoon Cavalier
Sorin, Lord of Innistrad for Mortify
Havengul Lich for Oona, Queen of the Fae
Hunt master of the Fells for Daybreak Ranger
Boggart Ram-Gang for Sarkhan Vol
Jilt for Desperate Ravings
Cloistered Youth (FOIL) for White Knight
Snapcaster Mage (PROXY) for Tezzeret the Seeker
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni (PROXY)
Diregraf Ghoul (PROMO) for Nezumi Shortfang
Vampire Interloper (FOIL) for Black Knight
Bloodgift Demon (PROXY) for Thrashing Wumpus
Liliana of the Veil (PROXY) for Sinkhole
Devil's Play (FOIL) for Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
Brimstone Volley for Rift Bolt
Reckless Waif (FOIL) for Mogg Fanatic
Mayor of Avabruck (FOIL)
Garruk Relentless (PROXY) for Naturalize
Bramblecrush (FOIL) for Creeping Mold
Olivia Voldaren for Blazing Specter
Daybreak Ranger for Stormbind
Geist of Saint Traft for Azorius Guildmage
Desperate Ravings for Gelectrode
Reflecting Pool (PROXY) for Hex Parasite
Shrine of Burning Rage for Pithing Needle
Land Changes:
IN:
Battlefield Forge
Brushland
Caves of Koilos
Hinterland Harbor
Karplusan Forest
Sulfur Falls
Sulfurous Springs
Woodland Cemetery
OUT:
Lavaclaw Reaches
Stirring Wildwood
Raging Ravine
Vivid Crag
Vivid Grove
Vivid Marsh
Reflecting Pool
Ratchet Bomb
*I added some M12 cards & also reduced the multi-color section to 4 of each. I mostly play with smaller groups so this small change will increase deck quality & consistency. I also made some other changes to try out some new cards.*
IN for OUT
Ravages of War for Celestial Crusader
Phantasmal Image for Riftwing Cloudskate
Willbender for Jushi Apprentice
Frost Titan for Body Double
Consecrated Sphinx for Draining Whelk
Keiga, the Tide Star for Desertion
Jace, Memory Adept for Future Sight
Dauthi Marauder for Makeshift Mannequin
Sinkhole for Night's Whisper
Dismember for Sudden Death
Nether Void for Liliana Vess
Stormblood Berserker for Dwarven Blastminer
Rolling Earthquake for Starstorm
Chandra, the Firebrand for Bogardan Hellkite
Jungle Lion for Pelakka Wurm
Skinshifter for Albino Troll
Naturalize for Obstinate Baloth
Garruk, Primal Hunter for Stonewood Invocation
Green Sun's Zenith for Tooth and Nail
Mind Stone for Isochron Scepter
Edric, Spymaster of Trest for Lorescale Coatl
Vivid Crag for Izzet Boilerworks
Vivid Creek for Simic Growth Chamber
Vivid Grove for Boros Garrison
Vivid Marsh for Orzhov Basilica
Reflecting Pool for Aether Vial
TRIMMING THE MULTI-COLOR SECTION:
Spellskite for Teferi's Moat
Akroma's Vengeance for Void
Wake Thrasher for Boggart Ram-Gang
Fledgling Djinn for Loxodon Hierarch
Manabarbs for Tidehollow Sculler
Kodama of the North Tree for Putrefy
Vivid Meadow for Spitting Image
The "Whammy"
This is by far the most popular format in my playgroup
Shuffle up the entire Cube & distribute three stacks of 40 cards. One stack is for each player and one is the community pile. Roll a die & the winner gets to choose whether they want to go first or second.
Player A draws four cards from his stack while player B flips one card face-up from the community pile. Player A chooses one of these five cards. He then passes the remaining cards face-up to player B while flipping another card face-up from the community pile. Player B chooses two of these cards. Player B passes the remaining cards back to player A. Player A puts the remaining cards in his hand & secretly chooses one. Player A then puts any leftover cards in his discard pile.
Now the players switch roles with player B drawing four cards from his pile while player A flips one card face-up from the community pile. The players alternate who goes first until all three piles are empty.
The “Whammy” is what this draft is called because each player gets one “whammy” per draft. This means that anytime it is the player's turn they are able to “whammy” one card that has been turned face-up from the community pile. A card that receives the “whammy” is exiled from the draft & cannot be chosen by any player. This can only be done during the player's turn (at sorcery speed) & only once per draft. It can only be applied to the cards turned face-up from the community pile & NOT cards from the player's stack.
The “bonus card” is the final card taken in the draft. After all piles are empty each player picks up their discard pile & takes one card to add to their draft pool. Any cards exiled from the “Whammy” cannot be chosen as the bonus card.
Build 40 card decks from the cards chosen & play!
This is just like regular sealed except you build two decks from your sealed pool. A 75-card sealed pool has worked well with our playgroup. Each player builds two completely separate decks with separate sideboards from their sealed pool. No cards can overlap between the two decks & sideboards. Each player chooses the deck they think is worse & those decks play a match first. Then each player plays a match using the deck they view as the better one. If the matches are split then each player battles using the deck that lost.
Accorder Paladin
Cloistered Youth
Elite Vanguard
Hero of Bladehold
Kor Sanctifiers
Kor Skyfisher
Steppe Lynx
Stormfront Pegasus
Student of Warfare
Wall of Omens
Day of Judgment
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Journey to Nowhere
Path to Exile
Aether Adept
Enclave Cryptologist
Frost Titan
Phyrexian Metamorph
Sphinx of Jwar Isle
Thieving Magpie
Waterfront Bouncer
Force Spike
Jace Beleren
Upheaval
Barter in Blood
Diregraf Ghoul
Grave Titan
Graveborn Muse
Gravecrawler
Hypnotic Specter
Liliana's Specter
Nantuko Shade
Shriekmaw
Skinrender
Vampire Lacerator
Vampire Hexmage
Vampire Interloper
Vampire Nighthawk
Animate Dead
Damnation
Disfigure
Doom Blade
Duress
Stupor
Avalanche Riders
Chandra's Phoenix
Ember Hauler
Ghitu Slinger
Goblin Ruinblaster
Grim Lavamancer
Hearth Kami
Hellspark Elemental
Jackal Pup
Keldon Champion
Keldon Marauders
Manic Vandal
Plated Geopede
Reckless Waif
Stormblood Berserker
Arc Trail
Banefire
Burst Lightning
Chain Lightning
Devil's Play
Fireball
Fireblast
Flametongue Kavu
Magma Jet
Molten Rain
Pillage
Pyroclasm
Smash to Smithereens
Staggershock
Volcanic Hammer
Birds of Paradise
Blastoderm
Call of the Herd
Joraga Treespeaker
Noble Hierarch
Phantom Centaur
Rampaging Baloths
River Boa
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Strangleroot Geist
Terastodon
Viridian Shaman
Wall of Roots
Wild Mongrel
Wild Nacatl
Bramblecrush
Cultivate
Harrow
Kodama's Reach
Ajani Vengenant
Blightning
Electrolyze
Figure of Destiny
Kird Ape
Kitchen Finks
Murderous Redcap
Psychatog
Putrid Leech
Qasali Pridemage
Terminate
Perilous Myr
Sundering Titan
Wurmcoil Engine
Bonesplitter
Boros Signet
Dimir Signet
Mox Diamond
Rakdos Signet
Celestial Colonnade
Vivid Creek
Stoneforge Mystic
Ravages of War
Moat
Gilded Drake
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Snapcaster Mage
Ancestral Recall
Mana Drain
Standstill
Time Spiral
Time Walk
Nether Void
Sinkhole
Thoughtseize
Vampiric Tutor
Chandra, the Firebrand
Rolling Earthquake
Scavenging Ooze
Tarmogoyf
Sylvan Library
Survival of the Fittest
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Nemesis of Reason
Spellskite
Grim Monolith
Mox Pearl
Mox Jet
Mox Sapphire
Mox Ruby
Mox Emerald
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of War and Peace
Breeding Pool
Godless Shrine
Stomping Ground
Tundra
Taiga
Badlands
Mutavault
Flooded Strand
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Polluted Delta
Bloodstained Mire
Wasteland
Library of Alexandria
Ancient Tomb
Rishadan Port
Wolfbitten Captive
Reckless Waif
0/1 Eldrazi Spawn
Mist Raven
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
Thanks!
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
I noticed the thing about the mana curve. I have to make sure that I stretch out the page far enough but that is a really useful feature. It makes doing my card-to-card comparisons when new sets come out much easier (like I'm doing right now :)).
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
The "Whammy"
This is by far the most popular format in my playgroup
Shuffle up the entire Cube & distribute three stacks of 36 cards. One stack is for each player and one is the community pile. Roll a die & the winner gets to choose whether they want to go first or second.
Player A draws four cards from his stack while player B flips one card face-up from the community pile. Player A chooses one of these five cards. He then passes the remaining cards face-up to player B while flipping another card face-up from the community pile. Player B chooses two of these cards. Player B passes the remaining cards back to player A. Player A puts the remaining cards in his hand & secretly chooses one. Player A then puts any leftover cards in his discard pile.
Now the players switch roles with player B drawing four cards from his pile while player A flips one card face-up from the community pile. The players alternate who goes first until all three piles are empty.
The “Whammy” is what this draft is called because each player gets one “whammy” per draft. This means that anytime it is the player's turn they are able to “whammy” one card that has been turned face-up from the community pile. A card that receives the “whammy” is exiled from the draft & cannot be chosen by any player. This can only be done during the player's turn (at sorcery speed) & only once per draft. It can only be applied to the cards turned face-up from the community pile & NOT cards from the player's stack.
The “bonus card” is the final card taken in the draft. After all piles are empty each player picks up their discard pile & takes one card to add to their draft pool. Any cards exiled from the “Whammy” cannot be chosen as the bonus card.
Build 40 card decks from the 37 cards chosen & play!
This is just like regular sealed except you build two decks from your sealed pool. A 75-card sealed pool has worked well with our playgroup. Each player builds two completely separate decks with separate sideboards from their sealed pool. No cards can overlap between the two decks & sideboards. Each player chooses the deck they think is worse & those decks play a match first. Then each player plays a match using the deck they view as the better one. If the matches are split then each player battles using the deck that lost.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
Sawlerman Draft
Round 1: In the first round six cards are revealed in the middle.
Player A has the option of taking one of the revealed cards and adding it to his pool or taking a card at random from the remainder of the cube. If a revealed card is taken, then it is replaced with another card from the cube so there are always six cards showing.
Player B then repeats Player A's option of either taking a card from the middle, or taking one at random.
It is now Player A's turn. He has the same two options as before except now there is a third option. He can choose to swap one of the cards he has already drafted *this round* with one card in the middle AND take one card at random from the rest of the cube. This ensures that every turn, that player's pool increases by one.
The round continues until each player has five cards in their pool that they drafted that round. Once Player B gets his last card, all the remaining revealed cards are swept away and can no longer get drafted.
Round 2: Six new cards are revealed and now it is Player B's turn to choose first. The exact same rules are followed as in round one, with Player A getting the last pick in Round 2.
**Note: You cannot swap a card from your pool which you drafted in a previous round with a revealed card. Only cards drafted in Round 2 may be swapped for a revealed card in Round 2.**
After 8 rounds, each player should have 40 cards in their total pool to build a deck with.
This format is fun because the decks are generally more powerful and cohesive than a standard Winston or Winchester draft. It also leads to some sweet moments like when you take a mediocre card in the middle only to flip up a Sol Ring or Umezawa's Jitte for your opponent.
It also allows you to screw over your opponent if you have the last pick in the round. Say you are drafting R/G aggro and Jace, The Mind Sculptor gets revealed. On the final pick of the round that player could swap Jace for a card in the middle without their opponent getting priority to draft it.
Try it! Its a nice variant on a draft format I read somewhere and we do this about 75% of the time when two of us draft the cube.
Revolver Ocelot
Player A will start with pile 1, while Player B will start with pile 4. Each player looks at the top five cards of the pile and choose one for their deck. They replace the remaining four cards on top and then shifts that pile one space clockwise.
Now Player A will look at pile 2, while Player B will look at pile 5. Same thing happens - they look at the top five cards and choose one card.
The piles continue to rotate until each pile only has five cards remaining. At this point, the drafter will look at the remaining five cards, select one, and then set the final four cards aside face-down, and these cards cannot be drafted.
At the end of this rapid-fire draft, each player should have drafted 45 cards to build a deck from.
I like this format a lot because its quicker than a Winston draft, and each player is actively doing something, instead of waiting for their opponent to make their choice. As well it is nice because signals are very obvious once you get about 10-12 picks in. Each time the pack goes around the table you will have the chance to see between 1-2 new cards, allowing for a good chance to table something you want in the top five cards you looked at.
Con: This is sometimes easy to mess up since both drafters are going quickly. Even so, its a very fun format, and somewhat unique.
Booster Tutor
Let's look at a cube of 720 cards with two drafters.
At the end of the draft each player should have 36 cards to build a deck from. Each player will select only one card from each pack created so the number of cards per pack will equal (Cube Size)/36. In the case of 720: 720/36 = 20. So 36 packs of 20 are created. This can be extrapolated to cubes of any size, with the pack size being larger or smaller.
Each drafter will take one pack, look at its contents and select one card. Drafters will then exchange packs, look at the remaining cards, and select one. The rest of the cards are set aside face-down. This means in a 720 cube: Drafter A will look at 20 cards, choose one and then receive a pack with 19 cards and choose one. After these two cards are chosen, the packs are set aside and the process is repeated with two new packs.
Drafting continues until all packs are gone and each player has 36 cards.
This is good because the pick quality is always very high and the decks have stellar cohesion. This method probably works best with an unpowered cube, but I haven't played a powered cube like this before.
This draft allows each player to draft exactly the archetype they wish to draft, however signalling is nearly impossible, since the cards will always be so good when passed.
This can be done with more players following the exact same method, except the packs are passed around more like a booster draft. Just as above, each player may only select one cards from every pack created.
My Tribal Cube
EDH Decks
GOmnath, Locus of ManaG
WUBSen TripletsWUB
BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG
Definitely some interesting modes there. I think the first one is my favorite of the three. I've experimented with variants that are similar to it. One of the most common ones is where each player does X exchanges with the middle pile. I never liked the "popular" variant because I would get to a point where I was happy with my pile & didn't want to do anymore. One time we tried it where you could just stop the exchanging at any time & move to a new set of cards. It worked out okay. I would like to try it again sometime to try & flesh it out.
The last one you list would have some pretty insane decks. With my 500 card Cube the average pack size would be 13 8/9 cards. That's pretty much like having 36 first-pick cards in your pool. Wow. If we're looking for a change of pace maybe we can try this variant. It seems a lot simpler than a Rotisserie format. Mono red FTW?
In my experience I don't like Winston/Winchester very much in the big Cube. It works pretty well with the Commons Cube where you just take cards in a color but the last few times we've done Winston drafts it's almost felt like a 45-card sealed (which is pretty lame).
Thanks for the suggestions & I will definitely try your namesake format this weekend.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
Here's my updated Cube on deckstats...
Deckstats
My average CMC is down to 2.9 (!!!). I can't believe it's that low. I'm always very aggro-minded when making updates to the Cube but I'm wondering if I've gone too far. I have different things to consider when building my 2-person Cube compared to people who build 8-person Cubes. I probably run a few less-than-optimal low-drops to ensure I have the critical mass needed.
I've also added a few "Un" cards to the Cube. I think Booster Tutor will be a lot of fun & is actually quite powerful since it goes into your hand at instant speed. The super-split card will add some depth to the decks with the 5-color fixers. City of Ass will be another 5-color land (even though it CIPT). I am curious about the challenge that Blast from the Past represents. I'm sure it will not be played optimally several times at first.
I'm always looking for "above the curve" P/T guys versus cards that just durdle without doing much. I'll probably make more changes after I see how these play out. My main reason for cutting the size of my Cube was to increase the number of fixers per draft. I'm also not missing too much by going down to 3 per color pair. I'm just not going to miss Brion Stoutarm, Agony Warp or cards like them.
Feedback is welcome.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
I'd like to add 25 cards to my current list to bring me back to 500. My current plan is 4 of each color & 5 colorless/lands. Here is my tentative list of cards to add:
There are some cards in here that have been cut from the Cube before as well as some that I've just never added. Here's a brief description of what I'm trying to do:
1)Add more support for reanimator. With more than 2 people this is a deck that can actually come together sometimes & I'm looking for ways to support that. I feel like the cards I listed support it well without "over-supporting" it (if that's possible). I added a few reanimate spells, discard outlets and multiple targets. Many of the targets also work well as control finishers.
2)Bring back Tinker. Adding Inkwell Leviathan as a Tinker target was also important. Should I also add Sphinx of the Steel Wind? That would be primarily a Tinker/reanimate target.
3)Add Wildfire. I think this deck is tough to draft with two people but I think a "big red" control-style deck with Wildfire may be pretty sweet. I could also add Burning of Xinye as a functional reprint if this deck ends up working well.
4)Support ramp more. I really enjoyed watching people draft the Gx super-ramp decks on the MTGO Cube. I feel like Rampant Growth & Farseek are a step down from the current ramp spells. [sidebar] I also don't want to run cards like Palladium Myr even though it combos really well with a T-1 elf/mox. T-1 elf/mox, T-2 Palladium Myr, T-3 Titan. That seems pretty sweet. Why do I not want to run this card again? [/end sidebar] I added Rampant Growth as a concession to a bit of ramp. Black Lotus is much better with more drafters. In 2-player it's terrible to spend an hour drafting & building just to lose to Lotus. I feel like it won't be as awful in a bigger draft.
---
Here are a few card choices that I'm debating for my list (the first one listed is tentatively "in"):
Parallax Wave or Decree of Justice
Nezumi Graverobber or Yawgmoth's Will
Pelakka Wurm or Primeval Titan
Rampant Growth or Farseek
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Thanks in advance for any feedback.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
My 380 Beginners’ Cube on Cube Tutor
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." -Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
"STATE OF THE CUBE"
Thanks for the replies. I just added a few M13 cards this week & they were in last night's drafts. Here's my feedback from the M13 cards as I posted in the M13 thread...
Did a few drafts last night with the new cards.
Searing Spear made an appearance & being instant speed was actually relevant (it replaced Volcanic Hammer in my Cube).
Thragtusk did get drafted but never showed up in a game.
New Liliana was passed almost every drafter in both drafts she was in. I'm going to keep it in for a bit but I don't think she's good enough for the long run. I think most of my fellow drafters agreed with that sentiment after seeing her in actual packs.
New Ajani was actually picked & played in all three drafts last night. It didn't appear in any of my games but it hit the table maybe 4-5 times & feedback was that it was quite relevant. On an empty board it's kind of awkward but it sounded like overall it was a worthy inclusion. By far the best card from M13 so far.
Those are the only M13 cards in my Cube thus far. Ajani will be great but Spear is a slight upgrade as well as Thragtusk. I don't think Liliana will make it long-term. Thus far that's only one really good card in the set with a few minor upgrades. Other recent sets have provided help at certain CMC's/colors that needed it but I'm really disappointed with this set so far. 86 cards left to be spoiled so hopefully there are a few more good ones left.
Definitely getting a better feel for the Cube as I've done more 4, 6 & 8 player drafts. Something I need to bear in mind as I make updates to the Cube is ensuring that most archetypes will work in a 4-man draft. Obviously you may not get all the pieces for reanimator/super-ramp in such a small pool but it needs to sometimes come together as well as support for the "typical" archetypes. I'm trying to support these archetypes with my updates as well as supporting blue "tempo" which explains some of my lesser played blue cards.
In keeping with this idea I just went through eidolon's list of the "most-run" Cube cards. This was definitely an interesting exercise. I'm not going to put too much stock in the newer cards as not everyone has them/has played with them enough. I don't want to do a card-by-card breakdown but rather look at the overall trends. Here is a list of the least popular Cube cards I'm running by color...
Least popular cards I run: (least --> most)
Ravages of War
Moat
Austere Command
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Weathered Wayfarer
Revoke Existence
Restoration Angel
Silverblade Paladin
Temporal Isolation
Eternal Dragon
Mistral Charger
Paladin en-Vec
Martial Coup
Most white's cards seemed to be pretty well-placed. I think overall this is my "tightest" color as far as cards to cut. I recently cut Glorious Anthem for new Ajani though I wonder if one of these cards may be a better cut.
Coralhelm Commander
Lu Xun, Scholar General
Spined Thopter
Wake Thrasher
Pestermite
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Fettergeist
Timetwister
Palinchron
Standstill
Daze
Most of the blue cards are guys that don't support the typical blue-style control. Honestly, I could probably cut this entire blue list & my Cube would still be okay. I was trying to push extra support for blue tempo & give it some evasion/aggro/midrange support. I am surprised that Teferi is on this list because I think he's really good. Making all of your opponent's stuff sorcery speed is really strong. I definitely have a starting point of what cards I could cut.
Dance of the Dead
Fledgling Djinn
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Nether Void
Disfigure
Puppeteer Clique
Dauthi Marauder
Stupor
Sinkhole
Innocent Blood
Night's Whisper
Ahhh, black. The color that is now considered the weakest one in Cubes. I actually am okay with most of these cards. Black needs some more aggro support to truly shine. The 2-power 1-drop guys from ISD block have definitely helped but it's definitely lacking the "critical mass" of great aggro creatures. Maybe I should refocus it even more on reanimator & midrange? Black is just really lacking an identity right now & it makes it tough. I think my first cut from this list would be Disfigure.
Vexing Devil
Bonfire of the Damned
Blast from the Past
Ravenous Baboons
Rolling Earthquake
Zealous Conscripts
Stone Rain
Ghitu Slinger
Lightning Mauler
Fire Imp
Slagstorm
Goblin Patrol
Hearth Kami
Smash to Smithereens
Banefire
If white is my tightest color then red is my second tightest. First off, I think Archwing Dragon is really good. Yes, it's a mana-sink (which is usually a death knell in powered Cubes) but being able to dodge all sorcery speed removal is nuts. This card is a lot like another recent card, Vorapede. When you play Archwing Dragon/Vorapede, some decks just lose. If you don't have an instant removal spell for a 4-toughness flier then you lose. It was drafted last week and was just a total house. Vexing Devil is also still in the "testing" phase. It's been Cubeworthy so far but it's still early. Not sure if Bonfire will be in the Cube long-term but I replaced Fireball with it. I can't believe so few people run Ravenous Baboons. Now that I think about it I think red would be better served with some sort of damage-dealing/hasty 4-drop. That is one of the most crowded sections in the Cube & I think Baboons time may have passed. Especially since I support land destruction with several other cards. Thoughts on Ghitu Slinger/Fire Imp? They are definitely weaker creatures but can help clear a path for red decks to get more damage in. Not sure about Slagstorm but I think it's important to have if I want to support "big red" decks.
Ulvenwald Tracker
Wild Dogs
Farseek
Pouncing Jaguar
Jungle Lion
Twinblade Slasher
Primeval Titan
Rampaging Baloths
Terastodon
Mire Boa
Wolfbitten Captive
Skinshifter
Beast Within
Harrow
Vines of Vastwood
Life from the Loam
Great Sable Stag
Wow, people really don't like green aggro. I'm keeping the 1-drops for now but am always on the lookout for making green even more ramp focused. Maybe Mire Boa would be my first cut from this pile. It's been on the sidelines quite a bit recently. It's probably the weakest 2-drop in the Cube. Still not sure on Vines of Vastwood. That was my favorite card from Zendikar but I think it's close to the chopping block.
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
Worn Powerstone
Thran Dynamo
Signets
Black Lotus
Shrine of Burning Rage
Perilous Myr
Moxes
Everflowing Chalice
Duplicant
Triskelion
Black Vise
Smokestack
Memory Jar
I'm trying to support true "ramp" decks like the ones features on the MTGO Cube. That Cube was pretty awful but the ramp decks were definitely something I want to try & emulate. I already added one Eldrazi (Kozilek) & I'm going to add Ulamog. Not sure if this will ultimately work but I'm going to try it. Maybe Decree of Justice would be another good choice to give ramp decks another (potentially splashable) finisher? I'm not sure about Thran Dynamo. I think the Powerstone is more relevant. I can't believe Perilous Myr is run by so few Cubes. It's not an amazing card but it hits aggro decks pretty hard. It also combos well with some other cards. Maybe I should cut it to help aggro out a little. It's not a great card so it wouldn't be missed too much.
Those are some random thoughts on the Cube's current state. Drafting with 4-8 people is awesome & it's looking like it will become a weekly event at my LGS.
Edit: Here are some potential additions to help reanimator decks...
Reanimate Spells:
Diabolic Servitude
Makeshift Mannequin
Living Death
Unburial Rites
Body Snatcher
Life/Death
Zombify
Marshal's Anthem
Reanimate Enablers:
Forbid
Frantic Search
Sewer Nemesis
Undead Gladiator
Cabal Therapy
Rotting Rats
Putrid Imp
Forbidden Alchemy
Compulsive Research
Intuition
Show and Tell
Zombie Infestation
Smallpox
Gifts Given
Reanimate Targets:
Inkwell Leviathan
Pelakka Wurm
Hornet Queen
Crater Hellion
Bogardan Hellkite
Massacre Wurm
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Hellkite Overlord
Griselbrand
Other Misc. Spells:
Tooth and Nail
Sneak Attack
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
The Cube has been playing really well & I'm hoping to expand on it further with this update. Reanimator & super-ramp are now both viable archetypes. I've even added a few cards that further help these archetypes. Last week's 8-man draft had someone draft green aggro for the first time...and it was amazing. He drafted GW super-aggro with a ton of 1-drops and just pummeled everyone. It was sweet to see an underdrafted archetype just beat the crap out of everyone. The blink archetype is now a viable deck just by adding Venser. I'm also excited to see if anyone can draft the artifact deck with the recent addition of B/U Tezzeret. I think 68 artifacts should be enough support for it.
This should be my last update until October. Feedback is appreciated.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
I'm also trying a "testing zone" as a place where I can put cards I'm not sure about yet. This will give me some flexibility without having to update the master list every time I want to test a card. Currently the testing zone has 11 cards including a few gold cards that I'm not sold on (Aurelia's Fury & Prime Speaker).
The Cube has been playing really well lately & many archetypes are quite popular. The one I'm looking to explore in the near future is a Pox archetype. Black aggro isn't popular at all where I am though I think it does a fine job as a support color in aggro decks. Recent testing has shown that a heavy black aggro deck is not the way to go (though Pack Rat is still insane).
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
Mental Misstep
Stifle
Geralf's Messenger
Necropotence
Mogg Fanatic
Reckless Charge
Craterhoof Behemoth
Gaea's Cradle
Mayor of Avabruck
Nantuko Vigilante
Oracle of Mul Daya
Wolfir Avenger
Unburial Rites
Knight of the Reliquary
Burning-Tree Shaman
Boros Reckoner
Aurelia's Fury
If I had to pick three that I'm most excited about I would choose Mental Misstep, Craterhoof Behemoth and Reckless Charge. I played thirteen hours of Cube yesterday & I'm disappointed that the cards didn't arrive a day sooner
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022
Mental Misstep
Stifle
Both of these cards are very hit or miss. I got my fetch stifled on T-1 & it was crushing. Thankfully my opponent had no action and I was able to overcome it. Still not sure about its long-term status in the Cube. Mental Misstep ranges from totally dead to a total blowout. When it's a blowout it's *really* good. I'm more optimistic about MM than Stifle.
Geralf's Messenger
Necropotence
Adding Urborg with the above cards has been really good. Necropotence is bonkers. Messenger hasn't been awesome so far but it's definitely been playable. I think part of the issue stems from the fact that people are jamming it into black decks instead of playing it in decks where it would be at its best (Recurring Nightmare, Stax/Braids, etc).
Mogg Fanatic
Reckless Charge
Fanatic is fine but I'd rather have another 2/1 or 2/2 for 1. I can never get enough of them. Charge has been solid so far but I haven't played a game where it has been cast.
Craterhoof Behemoth
Gaea's Cradle
Mayor of Avabruck
Nantuko Vigilante
Oracle of Mul Daya
Wolfir Avenger
Oracle & Gaea's Cradle have been solid cards in the ramp deck. Gaea's Cradle especially has been way better than I expected it to be. Combine it with several creatures & any sort of draw effect and it's really powerful.
Unburial Rites
Knight of the Reliquary
Burning-Tree Shaman
Boros Reckoner
Aurelia's Fury
I'm going to reclassify my W/G section with 2 extra hybrid cards (Dryad Militant & Kitchen Finks) to make it 2 cards larger than my average guild section. This will give us room for KotR.
Unburial Rites has been excellent in its short time in the Cube. An expensive reanimation spell that you don't mind discarding? So sweet. The higher mana cost hasn't been prohibitive to the types of decks that usually want it. It's no Reanimate or Animate Dead but it goes in different types of decks.
The Gruul updates were the most disappointing in the RTR block. The only staples remain BBE & Kird Ape. At this point I have three cards competing for the final two slots: Ghor-Clan Rampager, Domri Rade & Burning-Tree Shaman. Rampager has been a nice change of pace because it functions as a sweet (uncounterable) pump spell along with a 4/4 trampler for 4. Domri Rade has gone way later than a planeswalker should and people are running it in decks where it's not at its best (12-13 creature decks). Where it really shines is in a deck with some sweet fatties. In one of the first drafts I lost to a Domri Rade & Thrun combo. My deck literally couldn't stop this combo. It was pretty sweet. Burning-Tree Shaman is a nice three drop that punishes the decks that R/G can struggle against. My opponent dropped it against my 2 planeswalkers (after hitting me for a bunch already). I had no way to deal with it and lost the game. I felt like I was going to stabilize but it limited the number of activations I could do which cost me the game. Not sure how this section is going to go but I'm probably going to test all 3 Gruul cards for a few months.
Boros Reckoner & Aurelia's Fury are both good cards in a crowded section (would love either one of these in Gruul). I'm going to cheat like I did with W/G and bump my Boros section by 2 cards to include the two hybrids of Reckoner & Figure of Destiny. These cards are strong enough in the abstract to be included in a ~540 Cube so I'll put them in for a few months and cut them if they don't end up being good enough.
Overall the last two sets of the block weren't the bump for my guild sections that I was hoping for. At least we got Ral Zarek & Spike Jester in this block and Experiment One in GTC. RTR was obviously an insane set for Cube.
I'll post again in a few weeks.
My 540 card Powered Cube last updated March 2022