The voucher idea is one people have kicked around for a while, and I play around with it every now and then to see if I can build a cube around it that I'd like. Haven't managed yet, but it's been fun to think about. It also makes hidden agenda conspiracies work much more neatly. I'm more inclined to bend the rules than most around here, though. I like finding my own ways around problems, even if Occam wouldn't like them.
While I run a commander cube, there are a few things that I've done that are even unpopular options among others making multiplayer cubes that have worked out wonderfully for me and my group.
Integrated Conspiracy Cards: This one is the hill I will die on. I find there's a lot of reverence for the purity of the draft among cubers, and I don't quite get it. I have a lot of issue with the idea that you can't use conspiracies or draft matters cards without it being inherently silly. I'm gonna refrain from getting up on my soap box though.
More important to me is my experiences, though. When I draft it with friends they tend to greatly enjoy the complexities draft-matters offer to the draft. Their value is complicated and takes a lot more consideration of where you are in the draft than most picks. The only one I include that hasn't been regarded totally seriously is Lore Seeker which stays in because my players love the novelty of being able to add an extra pack of commanders in mid draft. (It's a choice of that or a regular pack. They always take generals.)
Conspiracies are a much more cut and dry affair. (I'm not in the loop enough to still know if their integration is even unpopular still) They make a lot interesting things possible that otherwise wouldn't be, they're straightforward, and their value is comparable to most other cards in the cube. People don't take them, at least not the ones I include, to make their decks silly; they take them because they synergize with their deck. They've been extremely popular.
Basic Taplands: This one I'm definitely not about to condone for general use, but it's worked well in the microcosm of my playgroup. I allow players to use the common tapland (OGW/SOI) cycle in exactly the same way during deckbuilding as basic lands. I was told pretty unanimously by cubers that it was an awful idea. Originally the purpose was training wheels for friends who were new to drafting, but I learned quite a few things when I put it into practice:
1) My new drafters already knew enough about magic to value good nonbasic land picks.
2) They make my cube play far more smoothly and greatly reduce instances of players in a multiplayer game being frustrated from the sidelines because of color-screw.
3) They don't meaningfully make actual good nonbasics any less valuable of a pick. Nobody wants to be playing a turn behind the table without good reason.
4) Everyone in my usual circle is happier having them as an option rather than not.
Perhaps it speaks to issues with my cube design that having taplands as an option make it run more smoothly, but downplaying multicolor and color-heavy cards would undermine the cube's premise. It'd be more conventionally wise to have less emphasis on three and four color decks, but it wouldn't serve the purpose the cube has had since its inception.
More importantly than that is that players have enjoyed what it adds to deck construction and the flow of play.
___
My group and I quibble over small card choices and archetypes a lot, but the big departures I've made have actually met no resistance, and it's very assuring to know that.
Like half the creatures in the deck are legendary. Why, in the name of all that is good and just, does this deck not have Mirror Gallery??? They even included Clone Legion for gods' sakes!
Magus of the Balance and Magus of the Order are what I expect. And all the new magi are activated abilities because they're all sorceries. You can't really do sorceries any other way.
The fact that she allows you to get access to that extra counter spell from your yard means her optimal build is combo: counterspells in the yard as protection snd being able to re-cast important spells that were countered earlier.
She isn't a combo engine. She is a combo shell.
She doesn't give you access to counterspells in the the yard other than on your own turn, unfortunately.
I kinda like that the opponent who's card it is doesn't even know what you get to play or what got ripped from their deck. Play is nice wording too so you get lands.
The opponent chooses a card from their hand to exile face down so both you and the opponent will know which card it is. I just don't see this being enough particularly since they can exile something off color if they want to.
Which works until anyone gives you a land of that color.
Eh, this is kinda ***** just about everywhere. Maybe not zombies as they have a ***** ton of sac outlets generally, but most tribal decks dont so youd be banking on your opponent stupidly killing the creature
Right, having your key creatures replace themselves when removed is just total garbage, amirite? Especially on a fairly efficient equipment. Total trash.
I think this is the first EDH deck where Mirror Gallery is actually incredibly good. (Maybe Riku, but I think that's a stretch even) It's a shame she says "another" but there's a lot of legendary wizards to get value off of with her.
My first jank thought is casting Overwhelming Splendor on yourself and then exiling it with this. This card seems like a staple in anything that can run it.
That's not how that works. The person it's attached to doesn't own it. Everyone would get a copy and get to choose the player to stick it to.
Seriously. 1/1 flier for 1 with a very relevant ability late game, and you want it to be a counterspell too?
Is this meaningfully more exciting than Zameck Guildmage?
Integrated Conspiracy Cards: This one is the hill I will die on. I find there's a lot of reverence for the purity of the draft among cubers, and I don't quite get it. I have a lot of issue with the idea that you can't use conspiracies or draft matters cards without it being inherently silly. I'm gonna refrain from getting up on my soap box though.
More important to me is my experiences, though. When I draft it with friends they tend to greatly enjoy the complexities draft-matters offer to the draft. Their value is complicated and takes a lot more consideration of where you are in the draft than most picks. The only one I include that hasn't been regarded totally seriously is Lore Seeker which stays in because my players love the novelty of being able to add an extra pack of commanders in mid draft. (It's a choice of that or a regular pack. They always take generals.)
Conspiracies are a much more cut and dry affair. (I'm not in the loop enough to still know if their integration is even unpopular still) They make a lot interesting things possible that otherwise wouldn't be, they're straightforward, and their value is comparable to most other cards in the cube. People don't take them, at least not the ones I include, to make their decks silly; they take them because they synergize with their deck. They've been extremely popular.
Basic Taplands: This one I'm definitely not about to condone for general use, but it's worked well in the microcosm of my playgroup. I allow players to use the common tapland (OGW/SOI) cycle in exactly the same way during deckbuilding as basic lands. I was told pretty unanimously by cubers that it was an awful idea. Originally the purpose was training wheels for friends who were new to drafting, but I learned quite a few things when I put it into practice:
1) My new drafters already knew enough about magic to value good nonbasic land picks.
2) They make my cube play far more smoothly and greatly reduce instances of players in a multiplayer game being frustrated from the sidelines because of color-screw.
3) They don't meaningfully make actual good nonbasics any less valuable of a pick. Nobody wants to be playing a turn behind the table without good reason.
4) Everyone in my usual circle is happier having them as an option rather than not.
Perhaps it speaks to issues with my cube design that having taplands as an option make it run more smoothly, but downplaying multicolor and color-heavy cards would undermine the cube's premise. It'd be more conventionally wise to have less emphasis on three and four color decks, but it wouldn't serve the purpose the cube has had since its inception.
More importantly than that is that players have enjoyed what it adds to deck construction and the flow of play.
___
My group and I quibble over small card choices and archetypes a lot, but the big departures I've made have actually met no resistance, and it's very assuring to know that.
Looks at artifact list.
Blinks
Like half the creatures in the deck are legendary. Why, in the name of all that is good and just, does this deck not have Mirror Gallery??? They even included Clone Legion for gods' sakes!
She doesn't give you access to counterspells in the the yard other than on your own turn, unfortunately.
Well, that or so that this doesn't let you literally stack your deck if you have no creatures in it.
I mean, you could play Bruse Tarl, Borish Herder and Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper and get both in one!
Which works until anyone gives you a land of that color.
Right, having your key creatures replace themselves when removed is just total garbage, amirite? Especially on a fairly efficient equipment. Total trash.
I think this is the first EDH deck where Mirror Gallery is actually incredibly good. (Maybe Riku, but I think that's a stretch even) It's a shame she says "another" but there's a lot of legendary wizards to get value off of with her.
The horse isn't for him. He's a steward; he's readying it for his master. That's why he gives haste but doesn't have it.
Because 2 life for a permanent +3/+3 is still pretty amazing. It also makes the card better in multiplayer.
That's not how that works. The person it's attached to doesn't own it. Everyone would get a copy and get to choose the player to stick it to.