I love my Cube. It’s distinct and unique and proposes a drafting experience which is different from what many of the other Cubes I’ve seen have to offer. The problem however is that, because of its particular design, it’s a static construct: it doesn’t change or evolve over time like most Cubes are wont to do. Sure, I can do some modifications here and there when the fancy strikes me, but certainly not on the same level as what a builder can do when it comes to a more traditional Cube. And I do love Cube building. It's an exercise which I definitely appreciate.
And so I’m now considering the possibility of building a second Cube. I just don’t know if it’s actually worth it.
The obvious response is "Sure. Go ahead. Have fun!" Thing is, we all know how much work building and maintaining a Cube can be. It’s expensive and time consuming and when your playgroup dissolve – like mine did – it can feel a bit like a waste. It can be fun for sure, but it's not without hassles.
And so I’m asking around for feedback from people with multiple Cubes, or from those with enlightened opinions. Is it worth it, or is a single Cube more than enough?
For just you? I would say don't bother with the cost and headache of maintaining a second cube yourself. Get another in your playgroup to manage the second one (and a third to manage a third, and so on). Then rotate which cube you play.
My playgroup did this for quite some time and it worked out great.
For just you? I would say don't bother with the cost and headache of maintaining a second cube yourself. Get another in your playgroup to manage the second one (and a third to manage a third, and so on). Then rotate which cube you play.
My playgroup did this for quite some time and it worked out great.
Well, his current cube is going to remain pretty much the same, so he could probably make another one and it would only take the same amount of effort to maintain as anyone with just 1 cube.
I think it's just a matter of $$$ to even think about doing multiple Cubes. If you have it and you want to then go for it.
In general, I think I'm with TakeABow on this one. Not only do you get to share the cost, but that other person may make choices you wouldn't. You might not like every single choice, but sometimes that's fun too.
Not only do get to share the cost, but that other person may make choices you wouldn't. You might not like every single choice, but sometimes that's fun too.
I'm too much of a Spike to include some of the really cool cards which my more Johnny-like friends tend to include in their cubes, which leads to fun and wacky games. We do use my cube more often than the more thematic ones because it is much more consistent, but the oddball stuff is really fun if you only play it every so often. One of my favorite drafts ever was in a 2000 card cube which was only commons and uncommons from Mirage, Tempest, Urza's, Masques, and Invasion Blocks. (I will admit that some of my least favorite drafts also came from that same cube, but lets let the good outweigh the bad).
I run two cubes, one is a regular 500 card cube and the other one is classic. I'm still missing a few key expensive cards from my classic cube (like Mox Diamond etc) but on the whole, like yours it requires next to no upkeep cost because the old border format isn't changing.
I would say go for it. I think you miss out on quite a bit of the fun of owning, managing and playing cube if you only stick to the one stagnant format. My classic cube is a lot of fun, but we wouldn't want to play that 100% of the time. It's fun playing the new cards that get added all the time, alongside the classics.
The cost of one cube is obviously time and money. The cost of a second cube is even more time and even more money. I cannot possibly maintain two cubes as it stands. Right now I have two, my 450 semi-powered and my 450 Myr cube. Obiviously my Myr cube is not updated and I haven't played it in a long time. Why? School and my normal cube is too much fun.
I suggest getting your first one perfect and if you're still aching for more cube then build a second. I did build a peasant cube and felt it was too much of a hassle to maintain so I gave it to my friend for his birthday. He foiled it out and has been maintaining it since.
I've been trying to maintain two cubes: a regular and multicolor. While the regular's maintenance has not been too bad as there's only a few cards from each sets to change it up. However, the multi-color cube's been a pain and I've pretty much abandoned it.
I'm still continuing with a pauper cube. It's been easy building it up so far as the cards are cheap and easy to find. Also, it's easy to fill, but we'll have to see if it's any easier to maintain.
I have a main "classic" cube - but I can afford it because I stated with my exsting cards and I am selling all my other cards (dont play any other format anymore). Also.. it is not pimped and unpowered so no dual lands.
The other two are in the process of being finished..
I have a second "artifact" cube that is fairly cheap, as it is just mostly artifacts that have nice synergies. This is more of a multiplayer and combo cube, as well as 2/3 colorless cards, so this is a different experience fom the first. Expensive artifacts are too powerful for this cube, so it works out well into making the cube affordable.
I have a third Modern "commons" cube. Most of the expensive commons are staples that I have anyways (bolt, oring, counterspell), and the rest are around $0.02.... so biulding 360 will probably cost around $4. Lands and sleeves are the expensive part :). This cube's purpose is that it will simulate limited format. Plus this is a cube I can play with strangers
Since your old cube is a list of primary cheap old cards and (basically) doesn't change anymore, having a second cube in your case just means building a regular (or whatever theme you want) one.
"Cheap old cards"? Some of those cards would like to have a word with you mister! lol
But you're probably right. Considering that my current Cube is pretty much done, having a second one wouldn't necessarily mean twice the work: I would basically have one Cube to maintain, with some light maintenance to do periodically on the old one. Not much more work than what most Cube owners have to do.
Still haven't made my mind yet, but thanks for the early feedback guys.
At one point I was entertaining the idea of starting a second cube. But then I realized that I don't get to cube enough with the one cube I have, and that the precious cube time I have would have to be divided between 2 cubes, which was enough to put an end to that idea.
If you have the motivation, the money, and the time to maintain and play with 2 cubes, I'd definitely go for it though.
I have 2 and Only 2 cubes.
one of them is 360 powered (very similar to Wtwlf123's)
the other is the Official MTGO 720 Unpowered cube.
There is a LOT of overlap, so i transfer cards between lists as i feel like it. it also lets me organize and take mental inventory of my cards.
I have four cubes, kinda. My real cube, which is budget but increasingly less so. I have what I call a cast-off cube that I gave to my sister-in-law consisting partially of the cards I cut from my #1 cube (and other cards I pick up cheap in trades and orders); the proxy Space Cube, which is based on wtwlf's old 450 powered list (soon to be updated, too!), and a $40 MTGO 360 cube. I really like very different experience each cube gives, and I think it actually helps me reign in my spending.
No, really. I am not tempted by any of the chase rares or mythics or old power cards, because they are in the Space Cube. The castoff cube gives my decent old cards a home, so I don't feel like I've wasted money bumping something like Harmonize out of my cube.
I had a playgroup of 10+ other people who would cube with me on a weekly basis.
We would get a little tired of playing the exact same cube every week, so here is what I did:
My cube is unpowered and has current + modern cards in them. I wanted to have other cubes that have a different feel to them, but I also didn't want to have to deal with the upkeep of another cube.
So, I proxied wtwlf's classic cube. It's powered and only uses cards that have the old frame on them, so it definitely has a different feel than my cube. Also, since it only uses old-faced cards, there will never be an update... so once I assembled it, it was done. Also, I didn't have to spend a lot of $$ on that cube, because I proxied the whole thing.
I also assembled lanxal's pauper cube, because he only uses common cards in his cube. It also provided a different feel from my cube.
My playgroup loved the classic cube. The proxies were never an issue because the entire cube was proxied. We never got to play the pauper cube that much (mostly because I tried in vain to make my own pauper cube first), but when I get time to cube again, I look forward to playing it.
So my advice to you is this: find a cube that has a different feel than your own and proxy it.
No offense taken, not to worry. Even if the darn thing is worth over 1200$, it's nothing compared to the market value of many of the other Cubes out there. This one was built for playability, nostalgia and uniqueness, not to become a monetary investment.
However when you are build a good limited environment for the old cards, you can get a lot cheaper than a "regular" cube.
You are currently running a bit over a dozen cards > 10 bucks in your cube, but that list is going to become a lot longer when you have to get ~2 chase mystics from every new set. (I am counting ~75 in my list >10 $ and with Power + a few other cards that are currently on my banned list, you can get to around 100 of them in a medium sized list, even if you ignore foil or other pimp cards)
A valid concern. That being said, I have a solid collection. And since most of my constructed gaming has been transfered to MtGO, I have a lot of extra material. Depending on what I would built, the financial investment would likely not be too high.
I had a playgroup of 10+ other people who would cube with me on a weekly basis.
We would get a little tired of playing the exact same cube every week, so here is what I did: (...)
Well, that's where sanity leaves the building. My playgroup, which was basically a few friends, my wife and myself, has pretty much stopped playing. None of them had my background in Magic, and none of them had my level of interest in the game. I still Cube Draft once in a while with my wife, but it's a rare occurrence. So even now, my Cube isn't seeing a lot of play. Thus building a new one really doesn't make a lot of sense in that regard.
I'm hopeful that I'll eventually be able to find other players in my area, even though it's a little harder when you're an older gamer who cannot spend a whole lot of time in game stores.
So, yeah... logic is not on my side here. Nevertheless, from what I'm reading here it seems like running more than one Cube is definitely feasible.
And so I’m now considering the possibility of building a second Cube. I just don’t know if it’s actually worth it.
The obvious response is "Sure. Go ahead. Have fun!" Thing is, we all know how much work building and maintaining a Cube can be. It’s expensive and time consuming and when your playgroup dissolve – like mine did – it can feel a bit like a waste. It can be fun for sure, but it's not without hassles.
And so I’m asking around for feedback from people with multiple Cubes, or from those with enlightened opinions. Is it worth it, or is a single Cube more than enough?
Cheers!
My playgroup did this for quite some time and it worked out great.
[Remixes] - [The Brutal Cube - 360 Powered] - [My Cube Article] - ['Print-This' Wishlist]
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Well, his current cube is going to remain pretty much the same, so he could probably make another one and it would only take the same amount of effort to maintain as anyone with just 1 cube.
In general, I think I'm with TakeABow on this one. Not only do you get to share the cost, but that other person may make choices you wouldn't. You might not like every single choice, but sometimes that's fun too.
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I'm too much of a Spike to include some of the really cool cards which my more Johnny-like friends tend to include in their cubes, which leads to fun and wacky games. We do use my cube more often than the more thematic ones because it is much more consistent, but the oddball stuff is really fun if you only play it every so often. One of my favorite drafts ever was in a 2000 card cube which was only commons and uncommons from Mirage, Tempest, Urza's, Masques, and Invasion Blocks. (I will admit that some of my least favorite drafts also came from that same cube, but lets let the good outweigh the bad).
[Remixes] - [The Brutal Cube - 360 Powered] - [My Cube Article] - ['Print-This' Wishlist]
My Cube Blog @theCubeMiser on Twitter
I would say go for it. I think you miss out on quite a bit of the fun of owning, managing and playing cube if you only stick to the one stagnant format. My classic cube is a lot of fun, but we wouldn't want to play that 100% of the time. It's fun playing the new cards that get added all the time, alongside the classics.
Juju Alters - Altered MTG Cards
I suggest getting your first one perfect and if you're still aching for more cube then build a second. I did build a peasant cube and felt it was too much of a hassle to maintain so I gave it to my friend for his birthday. He foiled it out and has been maintaining it since.
I'm still continuing with a pauper cube. It's been easy building it up so far as the cards are cheap and easy to find. Also, it's easy to fill, but we'll have to see if it's any easier to maintain.
My 630 Card Powered Cube
My Article - "Cube Design Philosophy"
My Article - "Mana Short: A study in limited resource management."
My 50th Set (P)review - Discusses my top 20 Cube cards from OTJ!
The other two are in the process of being finished..
I have a second "artifact" cube that is fairly cheap, as it is just mostly artifacts that have nice synergies. This is more of a multiplayer and combo cube, as well as 2/3 colorless cards, so this is a different experience fom the first. Expensive artifacts are too powerful for this cube, so it works out well into making the cube affordable.
I have a third Modern "commons" cube. Most of the expensive commons are staples that I have anyways (bolt, oring, counterspell), and the rest are around $0.02.... so biulding 360 will probably cost around $4. Lands and sleeves are the expensive part :). This cube's purpose is that it will simulate limited format. Plus this is a cube I can play with strangers
I have a regular and a tribal cube. I think that only about 10 different cards is in both.
My Tribal cube
My 93/94 old school cube
My Artifact cube
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Yeah, I agree with this sentiment. I, also, have two cubes.
Although with one a 360-themed-artifact cube and the other a 180-peasantish cube... they're not as heavy for upkeep as a 400-card power cube might be.
180 Winston Dueling Cube!
Antiquities War-themed Artifact Cube!
"Cheap old cards"? Some of those cards would like to have a word with you mister! lol
But you're probably right. Considering that my current Cube is pretty much done, having a second one wouldn't necessarily mean twice the work: I would basically have one Cube to maintain, with some light maintenance to do periodically on the old one. Not much more work than what most Cube owners have to do.
Still haven't made my mind yet, but thanks for the early feedback guys.
If you have the motivation, the money, and the time to maintain and play with 2 cubes, I'd definitely go for it though.
...
Look what you did. Now I'm depressed.
A Fail Cube.
The worst of the worst. From Chimney Imp to the Lace cycle.
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I collect pacifism: 228
one of them is 360 powered (very similar to Wtwlf123's)
the other is the Official MTGO 720 Unpowered cube.
There is a LOT of overlap, so i transfer cards between lists as i feel like it. it also lets me organize and take mental inventory of my cards.
This has been done, and I believe it is called The Sphere.
No, really. I am not tempted by any of the chase rares or mythics or old power cards, because they are in the Space Cube. The castoff cube gives my decent old cards a home, so I don't feel like I've wasted money bumping something like Harmonize out of my cube.
The MTGO cube was just really, really cheap.
My $40 MTGO cube
Draft my cube at Cubetutor!
I had a playgroup of 10+ other people who would cube with me on a weekly basis.
We would get a little tired of playing the exact same cube every week, so here is what I did:
My cube is unpowered and has current + modern cards in them. I wanted to have other cubes that have a different feel to them, but I also didn't want to have to deal with the upkeep of another cube.
So, I proxied wtwlf's classic cube. It's powered and only uses cards that have the old frame on them, so it definitely has a different feel than my cube. Also, since it only uses old-faced cards, there will never be an update... so once I assembled it, it was done. Also, I didn't have to spend a lot of $$ on that cube, because I proxied the whole thing.
I also assembled lanxal's pauper cube, because he only uses common cards in his cube. It also provided a different feel from my cube.
My playgroup loved the classic cube. The proxies were never an issue because the entire cube was proxied. We never got to play the pauper cube that much (mostly because I tried in vain to make my own pauper cube first), but when I get time to cube again, I look forward to playing it.
So my advice to you is this: find a cube that has a different feel than your own and proxy it.
Hope this helped!
Links to the cubes in my sig.
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wtwlf123's Classic Cube
Lanxal's Pauper Cube
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No offense taken, not to worry. Even if the darn thing is worth over 1200$, it's nothing compared to the market value of many of the other Cubes out there. This one was built for playability, nostalgia and uniqueness, not to become a monetary investment.
A valid concern. That being said, I have a solid collection. And since most of my constructed gaming has been transfered to MtGO, I have a lot of extra material. Depending on what I would built, the financial investment would likely not be too high.
Well, that's where sanity leaves the building. My playgroup, which was basically a few friends, my wife and myself, has pretty much stopped playing. None of them had my background in Magic, and none of them had my level of interest in the game. I still Cube Draft once in a while with my wife, but it's a rare occurrence. So even now, my Cube isn't seeing a lot of play. Thus building a new one really doesn't make a lot of sense in that regard.
I'm hopeful that I'll eventually be able to find other players in my area, even though it's a little harder when you're an older gamer who cannot spend a whole lot of time in game stores.
So, yeah... logic is not on my side here. Nevertheless, from what I'm reading here it seems like running more than one Cube is definitely feasible.