Like everyone of us does every once in a while, I went through my old Magic Card binders and boxes. I found that there were a lot of cards that are fun to play and have good Cube potential. For example, Jilt or Centaur Glade(I don't know why I Love that card so much heh!). That's how I came up with the idea of building a Cube consisting in all the commons and uncommons I got. Since I don't have any use for them, I might as well put'em in one.
I made this thread so I could have some feedback and tips about building my first Cube.
One of my biggest concerns is making the Cube fun and not "shallow". Having every game feel different and having cool interactions.
Here are my questions:
1) What is the % of creature cards (suggested) when building a Cube? Also, how should the curve look?
2) From the top of your mind, which commons and/or uncommons are the best to put in any Cube?
3) Should I focus the building of the Cube on the archetypes or in balancing the power between colors?
4) What are the proportions in Colors/Gold Cards/Artifacts/Lands that is suggested in every Cube?
5) How much removal is "too much removal"?
6) BONUS: Is there a name for "Only Commons and Uncommons" already? I know it is Pauper for only commons.
If you guys wonder what is the power level i'm aiming for, this are some of the cards that are currently in the list for my Cube:
Welcome to the Forum! I'm going to start with your last question first:
6) BONUS: Is there a name for "Only Commons and Uncommons" already? I know it is Pauper for only commons.
Yes, it's called Peasant. You should check out the subforum for Peasant and Pauper cubes, there's lots of discussion I'm sure you'll find helpful.
1) What is the % of creature cards (suggested) when building a Cube? Also, how should the curve look?
About half works for most. In the individual colors, it's usually a good idea to play to their strengths, so about 2/3 creatures for green, 60% for white, about half for red and black, and a little over 1/3 for blue. Lands and artifacts will take up a pretty big chunk, too.
As for curve, more 2-drops than any other slot, then slightly less 3s, 4s, 5s, etc. If you want aggro decks to be possible in your cube (and it's a good idea to make them possible), you'll need to priortize aggressive 1-drops in the colors your supporting aggro in. White, red, and black have the best options for aggro creatures, although some people do try to support aggro in green and even blue. I run 8 aggressive 1-drops in each color I support aggro in.
2) From the top of your mind, which commons and/or uncommons are the best to put in any Cube?
The Cubetutor Peasant 360 average cube isn't 100% up to date, but still a pretty good list of the best cards available in the format. You may also want to check out the current Evaluate Everything thread in the P & P subforum, where the community ranks and evaluates all of the commons and uncommons ever printed in terms of how they perform in Peasant cubes.
We also voted on the best of the best in the Power Rankings project, here are the results for this year.
4) What are the proportions in Colors/Gold Cards/Artifacts/Lands that is suggested in every Cube?
Ideally, and in rare cubes, you'd run about 10-15% mana fixing lands. However, the quality isn't that great at Peasant so many make do with less. In my 450 card Peasant cube I run 41 fixing lands, and I'd like to get more in there once better ones get printed.
Slightly less than 10% is a good ratio of gold cards (I run 40 gold cards out of 450), although you may want to make room for some hybrids in addition to the golds. I'm running 43 colorless cards on top of fixing lands, but again, once more and better colorless cards come out, I'll be happy to make room for them.
5) How much removal is "too much removal"?
How long is a piece of string? That's really a matter of seasoning to taste, but most of the best spot removal in the history of the game has been printed at common or uncommon, so you have no shortage of options. There's more than one way to build a cube, and most people enjoy customizing their lists to suit their playgroup's tastes. Most regular posters in the P&P forum have links to their Cubetutor pages in their sigs like I do, so you should certainly check out a few lists to see what works for us, but since you already have a bunch of cards to work with you might as well go ahead, build it, and start drafting. Happy cubing!
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465 card Unpowered cube thread. Draft it here and I'll be happy to return the favor.
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Welcome to the Forum! I'm going to start with your last question first:
6) BONUS: Is there a name for "Only Commons and Uncommons" already? I know it is Pauper for only commons.
Yes, it's called Peasant. You should check out the subforum for Peasant and Pauper cubes, there's lots of discussion I'm sure you'll find helpful.
1) What is the % of creature cards (suggested) when building a Cube? Also, how should the curve look?
About half works for most. In the individual colors, it's usually a good idea to play to their strengths, so about 2/3 creatures for green, 60% for white, about half for red and black, and a little over 1/3 for blue. Lands and artifacts will take up a pretty big chunk, too.
As for curve, more 2-drops than any other slot, then slightly less 3s, 4s, 5s, etc. If you want aggro decks to be possible in your cube (and it's a good idea to make them possible), you'll need to priortize aggressive 1-drops in the colors your supporting aggro in. White, red, and black have the best options for aggro creatures, although some people do try to support aggro in green and even blue. I run 8 aggressive 1-drops in each color I support aggro in.
2) From the top of your mind, which commons and/or uncommons are the best to put in any Cube?
The Cubetutor Peasant 360 average cube isn't 100% up to date, but still a pretty good list of the best cards available in the format. You may also want to check out the current Evaluate Everything thread in the P & P subforum, where the community ranks and evaluates all of the commons and uncommons ever printed in terms of how they perform in Peasant cubes.
We also voted on the best of the best in the Power Rankings project, here are the results for this year.
4) What are the proportions in Colors/Gold Cards/Artifacts/Lands that is suggested in every Cube?
Ideally, and in rare cubes, you'd run about 10-15% mana fixing lands. However, the quality isn't that great at Peasant so many make do with less. In my 450 card Peasant cube I run 41 fixing lands, and I'd like to get more in there once better ones get printed.
Slightly less than 10% is a good ratio of gold cards (I run 40 gold cards out of 450), although you may want to make room for some hybrids in addition to the golds. I'm running 43 colorless cards on top of fixing lands, but again, once more and better colorless cards come out, I'll be happy to make room for them.
5) How much removal is "too much removal"?
How long is a piece of string? That's really a matter of seasoning to taste, but most of the best spot removal in the history of the game has been printed at common or uncommon, so you have no shortage of options. There's more than one way to build a cube, and most people enjoy customizing their lists to suit their playgroup's tastes. Most regular posters in the P&P forum have links to their Cubetutor pages in their sigs like I do, so you should certainly check out a few lists to see what works for us, but since you already have a bunch of cards to work with you might as well go ahead, build it, and start drafting. Happy cubing!
Thank you so much for the help. This really helped me a lot. Happy cubing, too!
Like everyone of us does every once in a while, I went through my old Magic Card binders and boxes. I found that there were a lot of cards that are fun to play and have good Cube potential. For example, Jilt or Centaur Glade(I don't know why I Love that card so much heh!). That's how I came up with the idea of building a Cube consisting in all the commons and uncommons I got. Since I don't have any use for them, I might as well put'em in one.
I made this thread so I could have some feedback and tips about building my first Cube.
One of my biggest concerns is making the Cube fun and not "shallow". Having every game feel different and having cool interactions.
Here are my questions:
1) What is the % of creature cards (suggested) when building a Cube? Also, how should the curve look?
2) From the top of your mind, which commons and/or uncommons are the best to put in any Cube?
3) Should I focus the building of the Cube on the archetypes or in balancing the power between colors?
4) What are the proportions in Colors/Gold Cards/Artifacts/Lands that is suggested in every Cube?
5) How much removal is "too much removal"?
6) BONUS: Is there a name for "Only Commons and Uncommons" already? I know it is Pauper for only commons.
If you guys wonder what is the power level i'm aiming for, this are some of the cards that are currently in the list for my Cube:
Black:
Carrion Feeder Terror Nantuko Husk Altar's Reap Annihilate Twisted Abomination Dark Ritual Smother Dark BanishingSeal of Doom Duress Transgress the Mind Chainer's Edict Deadbridge Shaman Mausoleum Turnkey Read the Bones Typhoid Rats Kjeldoran Dead
Blue:
Counterspell Spell Pierce Fact or Fiction Mulldrifter Force Spike Jace's Ingenuity Choking Tethers Wretched Gryff RepulseExclude Trophy Mage Skyship Plunderer Merfolk Looter Nebelgast Herald Confiscate Tower Geist
Red:
Lightning BoltBreath of Darigaaz Carbonize Shock Thriving Grubs Deranged Whelp Furyblade Vampire Incendiary Flow Flametongue Kavu Cathartic Reunion Faithless Looting Young Pyromancer Granite Shard Goblin Glory Chaser Magmatic Insight Kiln Fiend Ghitu Slinger Thermo-alchemist
White:
Swords to Plowshares Disenchant Shelter Steppe Lynx Expedition Envoy Relief Captain Gideon's Reproach Coalition Honor Guard Raise the Alarm Thopter Arrest Topan Freeblade Soltari Trooper Gryff's Boon
Green:
Centaur Glade Harrow Elvish Mystic Llanowar Elves Arbor Elf Overrun Beast Within Nimble Mongoose Conclave Naturalists Ridgescale Tusker Noose Constrictor Gigantic Growth Scythe Leopard Baloth Pup Arborback Stomper Kessig Prowler Undercity Troll
My Peasant Cube - CubeCobra
Yes, it's called Peasant. You should check out the subforum for Peasant and Pauper cubes, there's lots of discussion I'm sure you'll find helpful.
About half works for most. In the individual colors, it's usually a good idea to play to their strengths, so about 2/3 creatures for green, 60% for white, about half for red and black, and a little over 1/3 for blue. Lands and artifacts will take up a pretty big chunk, too.
As for curve, more 2-drops than any other slot, then slightly less 3s, 4s, 5s, etc. If you want aggro decks to be possible in your cube (and it's a good idea to make them possible), you'll need to priortize aggressive 1-drops in the colors your supporting aggro in. White, red, and black have the best options for aggro creatures, although some people do try to support aggro in green and even blue. I run 8 aggressive 1-drops in each color I support aggro in.
The Cubetutor Peasant 360 average cube isn't 100% up to date, but still a pretty good list of the best cards available in the format. You may also want to check out the current Evaluate Everything thread in the P & P subforum, where the community ranks and evaluates all of the commons and uncommons ever printed in terms of how they perform in Peasant cubes.
We also voted on the best of the best in the Power Rankings project, here are the results for this year.
Ideally, and in rare cubes, you'd run about 10-15% mana fixing lands. However, the quality isn't that great at Peasant so many make do with less. In my 450 card Peasant cube I run 41 fixing lands, and I'd like to get more in there once better ones get printed.
Slightly less than 10% is a good ratio of gold cards (I run 40 gold cards out of 450), although you may want to make room for some hybrids in addition to the golds. I'm running 43 colorless cards on top of fixing lands, but again, once more and better colorless cards come out, I'll be happy to make room for them.
How long is a piece of string? That's really a matter of seasoning to taste, but most of the best spot removal in the history of the game has been printed at common or uncommon, so you have no shortage of options. There's more than one way to build a cube, and most people enjoy customizing their lists to suit their playgroup's tastes. Most regular posters in the P&P forum have links to their Cubetutor pages in their sigs like I do, so you should certainly check out a few lists to see what works for us, but since you already have a bunch of cards to work with you might as well go ahead, build it, and start drafting. Happy cubing!
450 card Peasant cube thread. Draft it here.
Thank you so much for the help. This really helped me a lot. Happy cubing, too!
Regards!
My Peasant Cube - CubeCobra