A: It's an attempt to re-create past drafting experiences of set no longer in print, it is also meant to cut the chaff out of previous block experiences, such as the always-in-the-sideboard Caregiver or Dromad Purebred or cards of similar low power level. Only the best and brightest make it in.
Q: What's it look like?
A: The cubes are always 720 cards total, but not entirely singleton. You see, in order to closely resemble an actual limited experience, commons must be the bulk of the cube. This way strategies used in previous limited formats can flourish, as they are mostly based on the commons of the set. In addition, commons are where most of the flavor of a specific block remain.
Having said that, the cube contains 3 of the chosen commons, 2 of the chosen uncommons and 1 of each chosen Mythic/Rare. This gives somewhere between 340-360 unique cards.
Q: Why did you need to post this on Salvation?
A: Mostly as an online way to keep track of all of my cubes and manage them , but also to discuss the cube itself, and previous limited experiences people have had with said set and to have a place for people to simply check them out.
Q: Cool, Anything Else?
A: My long-Term intention is to have them all from Mirage to whatever set is current at the time. I have almost all the lists done virtually and several finished or near-finished physically. I also have bent the rules a little in some cases. If a card is clearly from a specific plane, but not printed in the set, I may allow it to be in, if it is good enough. An example is Gigantoplasm who was not printed in Ravnica block, but a commander series. He is allowed to be in because he is clearly from the block and is definitely able to make the cut among the other cards.
Another rule I bent is for downgraded rarities on reprints. If a card was an uncommon in the set, but was reprinted as a common in another, I will allow it to be used 3 times like the commons are. An example is Skarrgan Firebird was printed as rare originally, but was reprinted as an uncommon in Modern masters, so it goes in as a uncommon.
Finally, I added 5 planeswalkers that I thought fit the plane for sets that have none.
Without any further ado, here is the first Re-Experience Cube for Ravnica: City of Guilds Block:
Food for thought: do you need planeswalkers? Doesn't really seem to add anything to the play of the original block, especially since Planeswalkers tend to warp/feel out of place in all limited formats. I would recommend not adding them, as the reasons to add them seem arbitrary, or rather just doing it to do it without considering the play they bring.
I'll admit, it is a little arbitrary and definitely not obligatory. It's just pretty exciting to open one and i figured it adds more to the cube. The ones added are pretty low powered, so i don't think they are going to warp things too much.
Plus it feels a little unfair that other sets get planeswalkers and the early sets don't. (Granted there are not enough extra planeswalkers to fillup all the old sets.) I was also considering getting all the planeswalkers and just choosing 5 random ones in different colors each time we draft.
In this particular block it doesn't bother me much, because the amount of good playables was drying up anyway, black was looking to add Hex as its next best rare and blue just has a million Control Magic variants, the other colors didn't have much more inspiring to add.
But I'll see more with my local playgroup, if they don't like it, I can be convinced to remove them.
I think there are some questions you need to ask yourself re: planeswalkers--
1) How many answers do I have? Can a player reliably at least see an answer in every draft, and if not is that due to the options available? The colors they're in? Rememher that this wasn't a set that had planeswalkers, there was no consideration for them in designing the original set.
2) What types of planeswalkers do I want to add? Am I adding planeswalkers that take over the game, like Elspeth, Knight-Errant, and if so am I ok with the non-games that come with those? Am I going to add planeswalkers that are more support than the actual wincon itself, like Jace Beleren? (those are just examples, not suggestions, but I would *not* include Elspeth unless you want every game with her to be a groan-fest.)
3) What is the actual excitement involved with opening a planeswalker? Does it comes with what the card is? Is it based on a lack of exposure from your playgroup to playing with planeswalkers in general, like the ooo-aaa factor that comes with seeing something for the first time? Is it the excitement of picking a bomb, and if so would the same excitement be achieved with running +1 of a creature bomb i.e. something with more answers? Is there some kind of subconscious involved with the 'cha-ching' aspect of magic, i.e. opening packs is pretty close to gambling, so is it derived from that built-in 'I'm a winner!' feel that lit-up slot machines instill?
These are questions that standard cubes don't have to answer since there are more planeswalkers around, more answers, and strategies that can beat planeswalkers. However, limited is a different animal, and for all purposes you're recreating the limited experience of OG Ravnica.
These are also questions you don't have to explicitly answer here; at the end of the day, if everyone in your playgroup wants to add planeswalkers to the cube, then power to you. But with the ultimate goal of cubes being to creature a draft format that after construction is cheap to maintain and free to draft again and again, you need to make sure the players will be willing to draft your cube again and again and planeswalkers are one of those things that are loved or hated by some, and when less people can get them the more extreme their effects can be (both negative and positive).
Definitely fair points. It will really come down to feedback from my playgroup. When it boils down in the end, what ever I think might be good for the cube, may in fact not be so. If I encounter several groans from players not being able to deal with planeswalkers.
It's easy for me to say, ''Well, we have creatures and burn as answers to planeswalkers'', but the honest truth it's not easy to evaluate how easy planeswalkers are to deal with in a given set, as there are various ways that may or may not be easy to accomplish and it's not really easy to tell without a good sample size of drafts.
Game warping cards do happen and people's response to them varies. For example my Kamigawa Block Cube has Umezawa's Jitte, some may say it's a mistake to include it, since it's so hard to deal with and is so game warping. However, many would argue that it's such an iconic part of the block that it's a mistake to not include. I see including planeswalkers as an iconic part of the game, however that amount of iconicness (is that even a word?) is not worth it, if it makes playing magic miserable.
In the end, I build cubes for friends to play. I like receiving feedback and adjusting accordingly. If the majority doesn't like it, then the walkers will hit the curb lightning fast.
A: It's an attempt to re-create past drafting experiences of set no longer in print, it is also meant to cut the chaff out of previous block experiences, such as the always-in-the-sideboard Caregiver or Dromad Purebred or cards of similar low power level. Only the best and brightest make it in.
Q: What's it look like?
A: The cubes are always 720 cards total, but not entirely singleton. You see, in order to closely resemble an actual limited experience, commons must be the bulk of the cube. This way strategies used in previous limited formats can flourish, as they are mostly based on the commons of the set. In addition, commons are where most of the flavor of a specific block remain.
Having said that, the cube contains 3 of the chosen commons, 2 of the chosen uncommons and 1 of each chosen Mythic/Rare. This gives somewhere between 340-360 unique cards.
Q: Why did you need to post this on Salvation?
A: Mostly as an online way to keep track of all of my cubes and manage them , but also to discuss the cube itself, and previous limited experiences people have had with said set and to have a place for people to simply check them out.
Q: Cool, Anything Else?
A: My long-Term intention is to have them all from Mirage to whatever set is current at the time. I have almost all the lists done virtually and several finished or near-finished physically. I also have bent the rules a little in some cases. If a card is clearly from a specific plane, but not printed in the set, I may allow it to be in, if it is good enough. An example is Gigantoplasm who was not printed in Ravnica block, but a commander series. He is allowed to be in because he is clearly from the block and is definitely able to make the cut among the other cards.
Another rule I bent is for downgraded rarities on reprints. If a card was an uncommon in the set, but was reprinted as a common in another, I will allow it to be used 3 times like the commons are. An example is Skarrgan Firebird was printed as rare originally, but was reprinted as an uncommon in Modern masters, so it goes in as a uncommon.
Finally, I added 5 planeswalkers that I thought fit the plane for sets that have none.
Without any further ado, here is the first Re-Experience Cube for Ravnica: City of Guilds Block:
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
1 Isperia the Inscrutable
1 Pride of the Clouds
1 Windreaver
2 Azorius Guildmage
2 Sky Hussar
2 Azorius Ploy
2 Palliation Accord
3 Azorius First-Wing
3 Minister of Impediments
3 Overrule
3 Plumes of Peace
Orzhov
1 Angel of Despair
1 Debtors' Knell
1 Ghost Council of Orzhova
1 Teysa, Orzhov Scion
2 Orzhov Guildmage
2 Mortify
2 Souls of the Faultless
2 Agent of Masks
3 Blind Hunter
3 Castigate
3 Pillory of the Sleepless
3 Mourning Thrull
Boros
1 Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran
1 Firemane Angel
1 Razia's Purification
1 Master Warcraft
2 Boros Guildmage
2 Boros Swiftblade
2 Sunhome Enforcer
2 Lightning Helix
3 Boros Recruit
3 Rally the Righteous
3 Skyknight Legionnaire
3 Thundersong Trumpeter
Selesnya
1 Glare of Subdual
1 Loxodon Hierarch
1 Tolsimir Wolfblood
1 Privileged Position
2 Selesnya Guildmage
2 Watchwolf
2 Congregation at Dawn
2 Selesnya Sagittars
3 Centaur Safeguard
3 Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi
3 Seeds of Strength
3 Selesnya Evangel
1 Dimir Cutpurse
1 Dimir Doppelganger
1 Glimpse the Unthinkable
1 Szadek, Lord of Secrets
2 Dimir Guildmage
2 Clutch of the Undercity
2 Moroii
2 Psychic Drain
3 Consult the Necrosages
3 Dimir Infiltrator
3 Lurking Informant
3 Perplex
Izzet
1 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
1 Invoke the Firemind
1 Tibor and Lumia
1 Djinn Illuminatus
2 Izzet Guildmage
2 Electrolyze
2 Gelectrode
2 Schismotivate
3 Izzet Chronarch
3 Leap of Flame
3 Wee Dragonauts
3 Petrahydrox
Simic
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Experiment Kraj
1 Biomantic Mastery
1 Omnibian
2 Simic Guildmage
2 Bounding Krasis
2 Plaxcaster Frogling
2 Trygon Predator
3 Assault Zeppelid
3 Coiling Oracle
3 Vigean Hydropon
3 Shielding Plax
Rakdos
1 Rakdos Augermage
1 Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
1 Dread Slag
1 Anthem of Rakdos
2 Rakdos Guildmage
2 Hellhole Rats
2 Jagged Poppet
2 Twinstrike
3 Gobhobbler Rats
3 Rakdos Ickspitter
3 Riot Spikes
3 Wrecking ball
1 Gleancrawler
1 Grave-Shell Scarab
1 Vulturous Zombie
1 Woodwraith Corrupter
2 Golgari Guildmage
2 Putrefy
2 Golgari Germination
2 Drooling Groodion
3 Gaze of the Gorgon
3 Golgari Rotwurm
3 Shambling Shell
3 Woodwraith Strangler
Gruul
1 Burning-Tree Shaman
1 Giant Solifuge
1 Rumbling Slum
1 Borborygmos
2 Gruul Guildmage
2 Savage Twister
2 Skarrgan Skybreaker
2 Feral Animist
3 Burning-Tree Bloodscale
3 Scab-Clan Mauler
3 Streetbreaker Wurm
3 Wild Cantor
1 Hour of Reckoning
1 Gideon, Martial Paragon
1 Loxodon Gatekeeper
1 Graven Dominator
1 Celestial Ancient
Uncommons
2 Wakestone Gargoyle
2 Seraph of the Masses
2 Bathe in Light
2 Devouring Light
2 Divebomber Griffin
2 Oathsworn Giant
2 Belfry Spirit
2 Harrier Griffin
2 Azorius Herald
2 Condemn
3 Mistral Charger
3 Conclave Equenaut
3 Conclave Phalanx
3 Faith's Fetters
3 Nightguard Patrol
3 Screeching Griffin
3 Veteran Armorer
3 Wojek Siren
3 Absolver Thrull
3 Ephemeral Shields
3 Guardian's Magemark
3 Shrieking Grotesque
3 Withstand
3 Triplicate Spirits
3 Freewind Equenaut
3 Guardian of the Guildpact
3 Soulsworn Jury
1 Soul of Ravnica
1 Dream Leash
1 Followed Footsteps
1 Gigantoplasm
1 Jace, the Living Guildpact
Uncommons
2 Novijen Sages
2 Belltower Sphinx
2 Court Hussar
2 Flow of Ideas
2 Halcyon Glaze
2 Remand
2 Vertigo Spawn
2 Stratozeppelid
2 Thunderheads
2 Plaxmanta
3 Compulsive Research
3 Peel from Reality
3 Drift of Phantasms
3 Flight of Fancy
3 Snapping Drake
3 Surveilling Sprite
3 Vedalken Dismisser
3 Vedalken Entrancer
3 Gigadrowse
3 Repeal
3 Steamcore Weird
3 Torch Drake
3 Train of Thought
3 Helium Squirter
3 Ocular Halo
3 Silkwing Scout
3 Telling Time
1 Helldozer
1 Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver
1 Moonlight Bargain
1 Woebringer Demon
1 Skeletal Vampire
Uncommons
2 Seize the Soul
2 Daggerclaw Imp
2 Exhumer Thrull
2 Hissing Miasma
2 Darkblast
2 Keening Banshee
2 Netherborn Phalanx
2 Ribbons of Night
2 Duskmantle Prowler
2 Crypt Champion
3 Deadbridge Shaman
3 Macabre Waltz
3 Douse in Gloom
3 Orzhov Euthanist
3 Ostiary Thrull
3 Plagued Rusalka
3 Brainspoil
3 Clinging Darkness
3 Dimir House Guard
3 Disembowel
3 Last Gasp
3 Roofstalker Wight
3 Sewerdreg
3 Stinkweed Imp
3 Strands of Undeath
3 Demon's Jester
3 Seal of Doom
1 Krenko, Mob Boss
1 Hunted Dragon
1 Demonfire
1 Rakdos Pit Dragon
1 Chandra Ablaze
Uncommons
2 Skarrgan Firebird
2 Blockbuster
2 Cleansing Beam
2 Flash Conscription
2 Wojek Embermage
2 Hypervolt Grasp
2 Frenzied Goblin
2 Flaring Flame-Kin
2 Squealing Devil
2 Stormblood Berserker
3 Barbarian Riftcutter
3 Fiery Conclusion
3 Galvanic Arc
3 Sell-Sword Brute
3 Krenko's Enforcer
3 Blood Ogre
3 Sparkmage Apprentice
3 Viashino Fangtail
3 Gorehorn Minotaurs
3 Ogre Savant
3 Pyromatics
3 Tin Street Hooligan
3 Cackling Flames
3 Ogre Gatecrasher
3 Scorched Rusalka
3 Seal of Fire
3 Krenko's Command
1 Yeva, Nature's Herald
1 Ajani, Valiant Protector
1 Primordial Sage
1 Ursapine
1 Golgari Grave-Troll
Uncommons
2 Cytoplast Root-Kin
2 Carven Caryatid
2 Indrik Stomphowler
2 Recollect
2 Trophy Hunter
2 Patagia Viper
2 Dryad Sophisticate
2 Root-Kin Ally
2 Gristleback
2 Undercity Troll
3 Gather Courage
3 Civic Wayfinder
3 Living Totem
3 Transluminant
3 Greater Mossdog
3 Scatter the Seeds
3 Fists of Ironwood
3 Scion of the Wild
3 Siege Wurm
3 Wildsize
3 Aquastrand Spider
3 Sporeback Troll
3 Golgari Brownscale
3 Lurking Crocodile
3 Yeva's Forcemage
3 Moldervine Cloak
3 Ghor-Clan Savage
1 Sunforger
1 Plague Boiler
1 Bloodletter Quill
1 Crown of Convergence
1 Evolution Vat
1 Gruul War Plow
1 Mizzium Transreliquat
1 Moratorium Stone
1 Rakdos Riteknife
1 Walking Archive
1 Bound // Determined
1 Crime // Punishment
1 Research // Development
1 Odds // Ends
1 Hide // Seek
1 Pillar of the Paruns
1 Blood Crypt
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Breeding Pool
1 Steam Vents
1 Overgrown tomb
1 Watery Grave
1 Stomping Ground
1 Hallowed fountain
1 Temple Garden
1 Godless Shrine
2 Spectral Searchlight
2 Supply // Demand
2 Trial // Error
2 Rise // Fall
2 Hit // Run
2 Pure // Simple
2 Nivix, Aerie of the Firemind
2 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
2 Novijen, Heart of Progress
2 Svogthos, the Restless Tomb
2 Orzhova, the Church of Deals
2 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
2 Prahv, Spires of Order
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Duskmantle, House of Shadow
2 Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
2 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
Commons
3x Orzhov Signet
3x Simic Signet
3x Rakdos Signet
3x Selesnya Signet
3x Boros Signet
3x Azorius Signet
3x Dimir Signet
3x Golgari Signet
3x Gruul Signet
3x Izzet Signet
3x Azorius Chancery
3x Orzhov Basilica
3x Boros Garrison
3x Rakdos Carnarium
3x Dimir Aqueduct
3x Selesnya Sanctuary
3x Izzet Boilerworks
3x Golgari Rot Farm
3x Simic Growth Chamber
3x Gruul Turf
Arahbo, Kitty Kat Beatdown Decklist
Mizzix of the Izmagnus Decklist
Breya, Etherium Shaper
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow Decklist
My Current Set Cube Lists:
Kamigawa Re-Experience
Ravnica, City of Guilds Re-Experience
Alara Re-Experience
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
I'll admit, it is a little arbitrary and definitely not obligatory. It's just pretty exciting to open one and i figured it adds more to the cube. The ones added are pretty low powered, so i don't think they are going to warp things too much.
Plus it feels a little unfair that other sets get planeswalkers and the early sets don't. (Granted there are not enough extra planeswalkers to fillup all the old sets.) I was also considering getting all the planeswalkers and just choosing 5 random ones in different colors each time we draft.
In this particular block it doesn't bother me much, because the amount of good playables was drying up anyway, black was looking to add Hex as its next best rare and blue just has a million Control Magic variants, the other colors didn't have much more inspiring to add.
But I'll see more with my local playgroup, if they don't like it, I can be convinced to remove them.
Arahbo, Kitty Kat Beatdown Decklist
Mizzix of the Izmagnus Decklist
Breya, Etherium Shaper
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow Decklist
My Current Set Cube Lists:
Kamigawa Re-Experience
Ravnica, City of Guilds Re-Experience
Alara Re-Experience
1) How many answers do I have? Can a player reliably at least see an answer in every draft, and if not is that due to the options available? The colors they're in? Rememher that this wasn't a set that had planeswalkers, there was no consideration for them in designing the original set.
2) What types of planeswalkers do I want to add? Am I adding planeswalkers that take over the game, like Elspeth, Knight-Errant, and if so am I ok with the non-games that come with those? Am I going to add planeswalkers that are more support than the actual wincon itself, like Jace Beleren? (those are just examples, not suggestions, but I would *not* include Elspeth unless you want every game with her to be a groan-fest.)
3) What is the actual excitement involved with opening a planeswalker? Does it comes with what the card is? Is it based on a lack of exposure from your playgroup to playing with planeswalkers in general, like the ooo-aaa factor that comes with seeing something for the first time? Is it the excitement of picking a bomb, and if so would the same excitement be achieved with running +1 of a creature bomb i.e. something with more answers? Is there some kind of subconscious involved with the 'cha-ching' aspect of magic, i.e. opening packs is pretty close to gambling, so is it derived from that built-in 'I'm a winner!' feel that lit-up slot machines instill?
These are questions that standard cubes don't have to answer since there are more planeswalkers around, more answers, and strategies that can beat planeswalkers. However, limited is a different animal, and for all purposes you're recreating the limited experience of OG Ravnica.
These are also questions you don't have to explicitly answer here; at the end of the day, if everyone in your playgroup wants to add planeswalkers to the cube, then power to you. But with the ultimate goal of cubes being to creature a draft format that after construction is cheap to maintain and free to draft again and again, you need to make sure the players will be willing to draft your cube again and again and planeswalkers are one of those things that are loved or hated by some, and when less people can get them the more extreme their effects can be (both negative and positive).
Also, follow us on twitter! @TurnOneMagic
It's easy for me to say, ''Well, we have creatures and burn as answers to planeswalkers'', but the honest truth it's not easy to evaluate how easy planeswalkers are to deal with in a given set, as there are various ways that may or may not be easy to accomplish and it's not really easy to tell without a good sample size of drafts.
Game warping cards do happen and people's response to them varies. For example my Kamigawa Block Cube has Umezawa's Jitte, some may say it's a mistake to include it, since it's so hard to deal with and is so game warping. However, many would argue that it's such an iconic part of the block that it's a mistake to not include. I see including planeswalkers as an iconic part of the game, however that amount of iconicness (is that even a word?) is not worth it, if it makes playing magic miserable.
In the end, I build cubes for friends to play. I like receiving feedback and adjusting accordingly. If the majority doesn't like it, then the walkers will hit the curb lightning fast.
Arahbo, Kitty Kat Beatdown Decklist
Mizzix of the Izmagnus Decklist
Breya, Etherium Shaper
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow Decklist
My Current Set Cube Lists:
Kamigawa Re-Experience
Ravnica, City of Guilds Re-Experience
Alara Re-Experience