Lucky Paper Radio

Andy and Anthony talk with Ryan Saxe about his latest Magic passion project. Inspired by one of his favorite video game genres, AutoBattlers, Ryan has been working to create a Magic variant that incorporates the feeling of quick mini-games and constant upgrades and expansion of your arsenal. In his format, players face of in a series of mini-games with only a few cards available to each player. After each quick game, players get to modify and expand their available pool of cards to use by trading with a random new selection of cards from the Cube list. Players are eliminated as they accrue a certain number of losses leaving one the champion.

The three talk about the design process, challenges and successes Ryan’s had through iterating on the rules system, and their experience drafting the AutoBattler cube.

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Discussed in this episode:

• George W. Hart’s Geometric Sculptures
• Pai Gow
• AutoBattler Cube Rules and Card List
• Ryan’s Autobattler Discord
• Ogre Battle Tactics: Match of the Black Queen
• Team Fight Tactics
• Loading, Ready, Run AutoBattler Stream
• Slay the Spire

Timestamps

0:00 - AI Corner

13:01 - Introduction to Ryan’s new format

14:20 - What is an auto battler?

17:59 - How did Ryan go about applying the patterns of an auto battler to Magic?

28:42 - How does Ryan’s auto battler format work?

46:16 - Designing the rules system vs. designing the cube list

53:22 - A deep dive on the design details of the auto battler

1:33:45 - How Anthony would teach the auto battler format

1:35:40 - Is it productive to describe this as an auto battler?

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony take a step aside from their typical focus on Cube and reflect on the recent shake ups in Commander. They talk about the major bans that have rattled the format and their feelings about Wizards of the Coast formally taking control of the fan-made format which has become the dominant form of the game.

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Discussed in this episode:

• Commander RC banned and restricted announcement
• WotC’s announcement on taking over the Commander format
• WeeklyMTG with Gavin Verhey and Aaron Forsythe
• Dana Roach’s response on Twitter
• Degenerate Micro Cube
• Bosh’N’Roll’s video on the bans

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

1:10 - Basic rundown of the events of the past two weeks in Magic

5:00 - The banning of Dockside Extortionist, Nadu, Winged Wisdom, Mana Crypt, and Jeweled Lotus in Commander

12:02 - “Rule Zero” and why it does not work

15:58 - The respective strengths and flaws of Commander and Cube

23:48 - On the deplorable backlash from a vocal subset of Magic players

39:16 - A clarification of our stance on proxies

44:02 - Magic and consumption as self expression

58:30 - What about Sol Ring?

1:02:21 - Wizard’s of the Coast’s concept about managing the Commander format with a series of tiers

1:09:39 - Summary and conclusions

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty

Andy and Anthony talk about a big batch of updates to Anthony’s Turbo Cube. In this Cube, all spells and activated abilities cost {2} less. They talk about their general philosophy of updating Cubes, what types of strategies Anthony is hoping to bolster with these updates, and talk through the changes card by card.

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Discussed in this episode:

• The Turbo Cube
• Frank Karsten’s Mana Math
• Good Morning Magic: Unfinished Land Cycles in Commander Decks
• BoshNRoll: Miraculous Revival!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

0:51 - Draft report: Boromir Sucks

3:25 - Episode overview

6:20 - What is the Turbo Cube?

10:48 - Broad goals and philosophies underpinning these changes

13:01 - A bold new direction for lands

24:55 - Black improvements and a focus on discard synergies

37:04 - Why cut Reckoner Bankbuster?

39:10 - Changes to green

44:14 - Minor tweaks to red

48:34 - The smallest changes: blue and white

1:03:01 - Changes to colorless cards

1:10:30 - Andy’s suggestion corner

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony reflect on the Mark Rosewater’s reflection on the past year in Magic. Every year, Magic’s lead designer shares lessons learned and strengths from each booster set. This year’s felt lacking a bit of thematic focus, but maybe the lack of focus is emblematic of this last year in Magic.

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Discussed in this episode:

• Mark Rosewater’s State of the Game 2024
• Episode 163: State of the Game 2023
• Episode 109: State of the Game 2022
• Episode 206: The Joy of Gaming with Richard Garfield
• Episode 211: Book Club: The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz
• Drive to Work Podcast
• Drive to Work: Designing for an Eternal World
• Blogatog
• Lucky Paper Events Page
• Polar Bear Encounter
• Frostbite by Nicola Twilley

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:32 - Is this even for us? How invested are we in Magic these days?

10:30 - Is this year’s ‘State of Design’ article more shallow than previous years?

12:57 - 2024’s Theme: Lack of Focus

17:43 - Lesson: Magic was too on the nose with its tropes

26:53 - Lesson: Some individual mechanics were too complex

32:09 - Lesson: More mechanics were polarizing than previous years 

49:41 - Does R&D drive Magic these days?

51:43 - Our favorite thing from Magic this year: grassroots Cube events

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Parker look back on all the sets currently cycling out of standard and talk about their overall impressions and how individual cards from each have aged in their various Cubes. Anthony’s there too, kinda just vibing cause he’s been updating his Cubes at an agitated non-newtonian fluid pace.

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Discussed in this episode:

• Parker’s Retrospective Article
• Survey Archive Search
• Parker’s “The Ship of Theseus” Cube
• Video of non-newtonian fluid
• wtwlf’s Tweet about quitting set reviews

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:46 - Topic Overview

11:41 - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt

21:28 - Why we’re not talking about Commander sets

22:53 - Innistrad: Crimson Vow

27:31 - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

43:06 - Streets of New Capenna

48:17 - Triomes revisited

52:37 - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate

59:54 - Big picture lessons learned from standard rotation

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony revisit randomness in Magic with more resources and input form listeners. They talk about decision making at large and small scales in games: strategy vs tactics, and how randomness impacts what kind of planning are rewarded.

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Discussed in this episode:

• Stardew Valley
• bdouble0 on YouTube
• Florian Gadsby on YouTube
• Board Game Design Day: White, Brown, and Pink: The Flavors of Tabletop Game Randomness
• Andy’s coaching video with Brian Coval
• The Cascade Cube
• Ben Brode on the Search Engine Podcast
• Edward Snowden on the Joe Rogan Experience

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

6:29 - Input Randomness vs. Output Randomness

10:05 - Strategy vs. Tactics

21:34 - Is there a fundamental difference in randomness between Bloodbraid Elf and Fact or Fiction?

39:52 - Chess vs. Poker in the Strategy vs. Tactics Dichotomy

46:04 - Why numerous random events converge on predictability and how that describes Xerox Theory

52:05 - Neverwinter Hydra vs. Carnage Tyrant

59:58 - Randomness laundering skill disparities

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about randomness in Magic, and specifically just how much randomness there is in a Cube draft. They talk about where randomness comes from and how different mechanics use the library or other sets of cards as a random source to make them work. They also go into their own preferences and how they thing about randomness in their Cube designs.

View all cards mentioned in this episode

Discussed in this episode:

• Bloomburrow and Bloomburrow Commander Surveys
• “Names of Large Numbers” on Wikipedia
• Episode 210: Raggadragga’s Lucky Paper Debut
• Crystalline Giant keyword tracking website
• The Oldest School Cube
• Jay’s Feature Match Moment
• Anthony on the Uber Cube podcast
• Blocked Party

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction and why you should cut your opponent’s deck

5:03 - Why randomness is maybe the most fundamental aspect of Magic: the Gathering

7:08 - Andy says some really big numbers to convince you Magic is really random

19:22 - Using your library as a random number generator

26:57 - Categorizing different types of ‘random’ cards

49:09 - Andy and Anthony’s approach to randomness as Cube designers, in summary

55:41 - Andy and Anthony’s favorite ‘random’ moments from games they’ve played

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about some of the past and pending Cube events they are attending. This year has seen a proliferation of new small Cube events. Anthony reviews his experience at the Capitol Cube Champs and they talk about what they’re excited about in the upcoming Cube 4 Charity hosted by Upkeep New York.

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Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

2:42 - Capitol Cube Champs Tournament Report

22:04 - Mailbag

25:01 - Anthony’s Irregular Cube Preparation for Cube 4 Charity

39:17 - Andy’s 100 Ornithopters Preparation for Cube 4 Charity

Discussed in this episode:

• Bloomburrow and Bloomburrow Commander Surveys
• Dozer’s Artifact Cube
• Rusty Box of Goblins
• Eiganjo Drift
• UberBear’s “Selfie of Two Anthonys”
• The Twube
• Tupelo Honey
• The Irregular Cube
• Riptide Lab
• Lucky Paper Cube Events Page

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

No regular episode of Lucky Paper Radio this week, sadly, but in an effort to not leave y’all empty handed and to help highlight a great new Cube podcast, we’re bringing you and episode of Kade Goforth’s Recross the Paths.

Discussed in this episode:

• Bloomburrow and Bloomburrow Commander Surveys
• Recross the Paths on Spotify
• Recross the Paths RSS Feed
• Squares that Cube: Fitting Cubes to Your Community with Maramas
• UberCube

Andy and Anthony each rank every evergreen creature ability and then, tier by tier, discuss what they love each adds (or doesn’t) to the game.

View all cards discussed in this episode.

Discussed in this episode:

• Bloomburrow and Bloomburrow Commander Surveys
• Evergreen Keyword Abilities Tier List Maker
• dinrovahorror’s Draft of the Neoclassical Cube
• The Oldest School
• Flash Gordon Theme Song

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

0:30 - Tier list and evergreen keyword ability overview

3:45 - F Tier

8:56 - D Tier

27:29 - C Tier

33:15 - B Tier

40:11 - A Tier

45:20 - S Tier

52:40 - The biggest differences between Anthony’s and Andy’s Tier Lists

53:57 - Why are aggressive mechanics so good and the defensive mechanics so bad?

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper
PO Box 4855
Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony take a first look at Bloomburrow, breaking down the mechanics, flavor, and the cards their interested in giving a try in their on Cube environments.

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Discussed in this episode:

• Bloomburrow Community Survey
• Commander Set Survey
• Bloomburrow Mechanics Overview
• Episode 193: 100 Ornithopters in a Trenchcoat

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

2:46 - Bloomburrow Flavor and Vibes

6:11 - Mail bag

8:28 - Offspring

11:24 - Gift

15:32 - Forage

16:58 - Valiant

20:24 - Expend

26:03 - Pawprints

29:08 - Creature Type Matters

34:18 - Other Returning and Unnamed Mechanics

38:22 - 100 Ornithopters Cube Inclusions

39:28 - Honorable Mention: Heirloom Epic

40:35 - Honorable Mention: Dawn’s Truce

41:03 - Honorable Mention: Season of Gathering

43:30 - Gossip’s Talent

45:15 - Innkeeper’s Talent

48:05 - Three Tree City

49:22 - Turbo Cube Inclusions

49:49 - Barkform Harvester

50:29 - Agate Assault

51:39 - Coruscation Mage

52:45 - Heaped Harvest

53:40 - Stocking the Pantry

54:38 - Wear Down

55:04 - Briya, Riptide Rogue

57:30 - Bun Magic Cube Inclusions

58:41 - Honorable Mention: The Infamous Cruelclaw

59:37 - Honorable Mention: Hired Claw

1:01:27 - Honorable Mention: Iridescent Vinelasher

1:02:48 - Honorable Mention: Mockingbird

1:04:07 - Darkstar Augur

1:05:57 - Emberheart Challenger

1:06:42 - Kitsa, Otterball Elite

1:08:22 - Stormchaser’s Talent

1:10:48 - Fell

1:12:00 - Regular Cube Additions

1:12:17 - Honorable Mention: Mousetrapper

1:12:51 - Honorable Mention: Heartfire Hero

1:15:09 - Honorable Mention: Sazcap’s Brew

1:15:53 - Honorable Mention: Peerless Recycling

1:17:04 - Honorable Mention: Patchwork Banner

1:17:40 - Bravekin Duo

1:18:38 - Eddymurk Crab

1:19:48 - Tempest Angler

1:20:51 - Bonus: Flowerfoot Swordmaster

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

In the first “book club” episode, Andy, Anthony, and Parker talk about The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz. The book sets out to defend the thesis that games are artistic works (or, more descriptively, “aesthetic works”) worth the same level of appreciation as other art forms and teach sophisticated, systems-thinking. After reading the book, our hosts talk about what they took away from the book and some aspects they were a little more critical of. Thank you to the listeners who joined the book club and send in their own takes!

Cards mentioned in this episode.

Discussed in this episode:

• The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz
• Serpentes
• QWOP
• Junkbot (Flash Game)
• Law of the Instrument
• Episode 206: The Joy of Gaming with Richard Garfield
• Sturgeon’s Law
• The Selfish Gene
• Games and the Art of Agency
• Armored Core
• The Narcissism of Minor Differences
• Skip Barber Racing School
• Andy’s 5 Color Starter Decks
• Game Theory
• Your Brain is Hardwired to Love Games with Kelly Clancy
• Universal Paperclips
• Nose Dive by Harold McGee
• A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

4:13 - What is a book club, anyway?

5:51 - Summary of The Beauty of Games

9:17 - Do we need to defend the position that games are meaningful?

14:02 - Andy’s Two Main Criticisms of The Beauty of Games

17:07 - Games as an aesthetic experience

21:34 - Gamer Knowledge™️

23:31 - The Reasons for Doubt and Frank’s rebuttal to them

31:36 - Unpacking the conclusion of The Beauty of Games

41:19 - Ought we blame the beneficiaries of inequitable systems?

45:07 - How games crystalize satisfying action, and what satisfying actions does Magic capture?

58:17 - Why do we as Cube designers put so much knowledge between our players and the satisfying experiences Magic offers?

1:06:50 - Listener Submitted Clips

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about complexity in Magic. After their discussion on the previous episode on Andy’s Neoclassical Cube comparing arguable simplicity of old school Magic cards, and continued discussion on the MTG Cube Talk Discord, they talk about the nature and different types of complexity. They compare cards which are simpler to read vs to play with and how different types of complexity effect the feel of the game.

View all cards mentioned in this episode on our website.

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:06 - GayTransMulldrifter’s Belated MH3 Hot Take

12:27 - Strategic Complexity and its costs

33:26 - Kitsa, Otterball Elite Korner

39:45 - Lenticular design

50:52 - The tension between accessible and skill testing environments

Discussed in this episode:

• The Neoclassical Cube
• Steel City Cube
• Join the MTG Cube Talk Discord
• Andy’s Mono-Colored Starter Decks
• MachineSchooling’s 2007 Nostalgia Cube
• Taskmaster: Series 12, Episode 8
• Maro on strategic and comprehension complexity
• Maro on lenticular design and Drive to Work Part 1 and Part 2

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our P.O. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Andy and Anthony talk about Andy’s Neoclassical Cube. They talk about some of the changes Andy’s been making leading up to it being played by a wider audience at Steel City Cube. They talk about how the design philosophy has evolved and their recent experience playing the Cube.

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Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction and Airplane Corner

6:04 - Overview of the Neoclassical Cube and why old school Magic might appeal to players due to its simplicity

10:44 - The Beauty of Games Book Club Check In

12:15 - Lucky Paper Mail Bag: bird p1p1 and custom cards in cube

20:07 - Deep-dive on the design of the Neoclassical Cube: what defines ‘old school’ Magic?

27:16 - Dialing in the right quantity and quality of powerful enablers

32:41 - Storm in the Neoclassical Cube

38:37 - Resource denial, creatureless decks, and other aesthetic departures from modern Magic

47:46 - The Kiki Jiki Question

52:41 - The state of Reanimator

55:07 - The death of the cycling deck

57:37 - The state of the Burn deck

Discussed in this episode:

• The Neoclassical Cube
• Steel City Cube
• The Turbo Cube
• The Beauty of Games
• Slate-Colored Dark-Eyed Junko
• Kakapo and David Attenborough
• Intertwingled
• Episode 134: The Neoclassical Cube: The Spirit of Old-School Magic, With a Twist
• Episode 150: Going Against Your Intuition: A Different Approach to Tuning the Neoclassical Cube
• 2007 Nostalgia Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the results of the Modern Horizons 3 Cube Community Set Review. As usual, we asked the Cube community to share what cards from the set they’re interested in trying in their Cubes, for whatever reasons that are relevant to their own curation goals, and how confident they are the cards will be hits. We compiled the results and our hosts talk through the top cards, as well as some trends and interesting patterns in the communities expectations for the set.

View all cards mentioned in this episode →

Discussed in this episode:

• Modern Horizons 3 Community Set Review
• Commander Set Community Review
• Usman’s MH3 Cube Commentary
• Episode 205: Full Vintage Rotisserie Draft
• The Devoid Cube
• Andy’s Mono-Colored Starter Decks
• Ten Thousand Posts

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

4:03 - Overview of Set Review Structure

5:23 - Broad Modern Horizons 3 survey facts and figures

9:21 - Headline mechanics that didn’t crack the top cards tested

17:29 - Individual Card Discussion

17:53 - 11. Emperor of Bones

24:38 - 10. Brainsurge

27:34 - 9. Reckless Pyrosurfer

30:20 - 8. Wight of the Reliquary

33:21 - 7. Warren Soultrader

37:59 - 6. Phlage, Titan of Nature’s Fury

42:48 - 5. Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd

46:05 - 4. Six

49:23 - 3. Nethergoyf

55:32 - 2. Psychic Frog

1:00:24 - 1. Marionette Apprentice

1:03:48 - Honorable Mention: The Landscape Cycle

1:06:26 - Honorable Mention: Accursed Marauder

1:08:01 - The powerful cards people are mostly not testing

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Fresh off of Boston Cube Party, Andy, Anthony, and Patrick recap their weekend of Cubing. They talk through highlights of the event and the Cubes they drafted over a great weekend of Magic.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Boston Cube Party
• Episode 206, with Richard Garfield
• Andy’s Twitter thread recapping the weekend
• The Devoid Cube
• Creatureless Cube
• Da Cube Zone
• Ixalan - M20 Standard Cube
• The Sci Fi Cube
• The Buildaround Cube
• The Altered Cube
• Isabella Gardner Collection
• Lucky Paper Events Page

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

5:39 - Boston Cube Party Tournament Report

9:33 - Neoclassical Cube Train Draft

14:55 - 100 Ornithopters Cube Draft

18:00 - Saturday Morning Draft

27:44 - Saturday Afternoon Draft

37:55 - Sunday Morning Draft

49:15 - Sunday Afternoon Draft

1:05:49 - Top 8 Draft

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Lucky Paper
PO Box 4855
Baltimore, MD 21211

Andy and Anthony are joined by Richard Garfield, legendary game designer and the creator of Magic: the Gathering. Richard talks about how he got interested in modifying and tweaking games, his concept that players can be loosely understood as either ‘honers’ or ‘innovators’, and why some games with great mechanics have no soul as a result of overdevelopment. Andy and Anthony also take advantage of this opportunity to ask Richard about his relationship to Cube, getting insight into how he designs his own and what he values about the format. They cover all the most salient Cube topics, including handling feedback from players, how to approach power level outliers, and how to manage complexity.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

1:49 - Welcoming Richard Garfield to the show

3:31 - How Richard got started modifying games

11:12 - How do you know when a game has gotten too complex?

17:37 -  Honers vs. Innovators

22:48 - Richard’s relationship to Cube

28:46 - On “Overdeveloped” Games

31:22 - The virtues of a wider power level band

43:09 - How to process feedback from players

46:58 - Is getting into nature an important part of Richard’s creative process

49:15 - The role of visual and narrative elements in games

55:00 - Designing a meta vs designing a game

58:10 - Richard’s current favorite games

1:02:56 - Richard’s game design book recommendations

Discussed in this episode:

• MH3 Community Review Survey and the Commander Set Survey
• Episode 202: Reading Series — The Creator of ‘Magic the Gathering’ Knows Exactly Where it All Went Wrong
• Stratego
• Dungeons and Dragons
• Algomancy
• The Encyclopedia of Chess Variations
• Balatro
• Founders of Reyvik
• Finkel vs. Garfield
• Deckmasters Garfield vs. Finkel Product
• Slay the Spire
• Spectromancer
• Munchkin
• Innovation, by Carl Chudyk
• Quadradius
• Gamut of Games, by Sid Sackson
• New Rules for Classic Games, by R. Wayne Schmittberger

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Lucky Paper
PO Box 4855
Baltimore, MD 21211

Anthony is taking a break this week and it takes no less than two other people to fill his shoes, so Andy is joined by two other friends from their Baltimore playgroup to discuss two recent roto drafts of the full vintage card pool. They share their strategies surrounding this complicated draft format and talk about whether or not it led to actually fun games, while also touching on how this exercise informs their own Cube designs and why some cards from Magic’s history are just miserable to play with and against. Is full vintage roto the future? Or just an overwhelming way to ineveitably get Strip Mine locked?

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• MH3 Community Review Survey and the
• Rotisserie Draft Template
• First Full Vintage Roto Card Pool
• Second Full Vintage Roto Card Pool
• Splendor
• Cascadia
• The Beauty of Games

0:00 - Introduction

3:12 - Overview of Rotisserie Draft

4:54 - Our experience with Full Vintage Rotisserie Drafting

31:35 - Does this draft format actually lead to fun games?

37:35 - Observations on which cards got drafted and which didn’t

43:51 - Andy’s rant against the Initiative

51:10 - The way full vintage rotos impact cube design considerations

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony take a first look at Modern Horizons 3. The latest installment of this Time Spiral-esque series continues the tradition of a huge range of cards and an abundance of callbacks and remixes of classics. Our hosts talk about their overall impressions of the set and go into individual cards their interested in generally and for specific Cubes.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• MH3 Community Review Survey and the Commander Set Survey
• The Beauty of Games, by Frank Lantz
• Carmen Klomparens’ Tweet about the Wedge/Shard Fetchlands
• GLHF Modern Horizons 3 Rules Episode with Judge Rob

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction and Admin

8:07 - Card by Card Discussion: Regular Cube

8:23 - Mandibular Kite

9:40 - Expel the Unworthy

12:24 - Indebted Spirit

13:41 - Brainsurge

15:16 - Lethal Throwdown

18:14 - Retrofitted Transmogrant

19:37 - Mogg Mob

20:48 - Molten Gatekeeper

21:14 - Fanatic of Rhonas

22:13 - Kudo, King Among Bears

24:44 - Wight of the Reliquary

27:30 - Pinnacle Monk

29:56 - Deceptive Landscape

31:41 - Card by Card Discussion: Turbo Cube

32:00 - Vexing Bauble

33:38 - Disruptor Flute

35:07 - Fanged Flames

35:51 - Glimpse the Impossible

37:04 - Molten Gatekeeper

37:57 - Warren Soultrader

39:42 - Urza’s Cave

41:21 - Glaring Fleshraker

43:24 - A diversion about lands in the Turbo Cube

47:23 - Monumental Henge, Arena of Glory, and Shifting Woodland

51:25 - Glyph Elemental

52:29 - Guide of Souls

57:57 - Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd

1:00:35 - Consign to Memory

1:01:49 - Shadow of the Second Sun

1:04:01 - Nethergoyf

1:05:50 - Detective’s Phoenix

1:07:47 - Reckless Pyrosurfer

1:08:33 - Skoa, Embermage

1:09:47 - Birthing Ritual

1:11:41 - Six

1:13:49 - Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury

1:17:23 - Fell the Profane

1:18:08 - Waterlogged Teachings

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Lucky Paper
PO Box 4855
Baltimore, MD 21211

Andy and Anthony talk about the history of architecture and the design of the physical spaces we inhabit. They draw parallels to design more broadly, the design of games as mental spaces, and specifically Cube design.

Discussed in this episode:

• The Beauty of Games
• Buckminster Fuller
• Tech Won’t Save Us, Episode 221: Tech’s Plan to ‘Ethnically Cleanse’ San Francisco
• Cod, by Mark Kurlansky
• GeoGuessr
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Nine Men’s Morris
• No One Knows How to Make a Computer Mouse TED Talk — Andy’s note: as it turns out, this talk absolutely sucks, lol. It’s almost like a parody of a bad TED talk.
• Toaster Made from Scratch, by Thomas Thwaites
• The Brown Center
• Antoni Goudy
• Catenaries
• Typescript

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

5:22 - Generalists vs. Specialists and Contextual Knowledge

11:55 - Andy and Anthony’s Relationship to Architecture

16:48 - The Abstract Similarities between Architecture and Game Design

23:46 - An abridged history of Architecture and how it connects to game design — Vernacular Architecture

33:05 - Architecture in the European Renaissance and the changing relationship between the designer and the building

39:23 - The Industrial Revolution and Modernism

41:51 - Andy and Anthony’s Relationship with Modern Architecture

55:51 - Summary

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Lucky Paper
PO Box 4855
Baltimore, MD 21211

Andy and Anthony read and comment on the entirety of a recent article on the early history of Magic and it’s creator’s struggles with the game. The article, including quotes from an interview with Richard Garfield, explores his complex relationship to his creation. It explores his perspective on games, and why he values them. Since it’s first publication, Richard has struggled to re-create the experiences he found most valuable from the pre-publication version. Our hosts unpack the article, give their own perspective, and inevitably tie it back to their own Cube experience.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• The PDH Pod, Episode 100
• The Creator Of ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Knows Exactly Where It All Went Wrong, by Nick Zarzycki on Defector
• Six Man Zonk
• Yahtzee
• Radical Markets, by Eric A. Posner and Eric Glen Weyl
• Law of the Instrument
• Mindstorms, by Seymour Papert
• Keyforge
• Netrunner
• Orange (colour)
• Patrice O’Neal
• Hearthstone
• Shandalar, 1997 Computer Game
• Uber Cube Podcast
• Squares that Cube

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

1:54 - Overview of episode format

4:57 - Read Through Begins

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about novelty Cubes. Many Cubes are built around a novelty concept or design restriction. Novelty designs can be fun and light, but gimmicks can also pigeonhole cubes, making them feel unworthy of serious attention. Our hosts discuss their experience with novelty design, from its benefits to its challenging implications.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Anthony’s Turbo Cube
• Andy’s 100 Ornithopters Cube
• Andy’s Degenerate Micro Cube
• The Bolt Cube
• The Descent Into Avernus
• Anthony’s Defunct Monoblack Cube
• Gimmicks
• Novelties
• Dan Dan — Rhystic Studies Video
• Anthony’s Battle Box

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:45 - What is novelty in Cube design?

8:38 - How does novelty impact draft vs gameplay? What about self-imposed restrictions?

17:13 - The Monoblack Cube, The Turbo Cube, and first impressions of your themes “at common”

29:08 - A Ward Sliver Detour

35:54 - What can Dan Dan’s virality teach us about novel ways to play Magic?

49:44 - Pack 1, Pick 1 from the 100 Ornithopters Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony celebrate their 200th episode!! They look back at where they were and how they approached Magic when they started the podcast vs now. Andy reverse engineer’s his Cube list from the time and talks about how his tastes in Magic have changed. Anthony goes a little off the rails as they talk about how to still get the most enjoyment out of the game at a less involved level.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Infinite Jest
• On Food and Cooking
• Nose Dive, by Harold McGee
• xkcd: everything is applied math
• Andy’s Bun Magic cube List circa the beginning of the podcast
• Linguistic Relativity
• Benjamin Lee Whorf

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

7:44 - The Top 200 Most Powerful Cards for Vintage Cube

13:05 - Episode Overview

15:15 - Four Years of the Bun Magic Cube

38:16 - Four Years of Anthony’s Relationship to Magic

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about “tutors” in Cube and how cards that give you access to any card in your library impact the game. Historically, both of our hosts have tended to avoid them in most of their Cube designs, but the serve a unique function that could make them worth considering.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Intro
• 100 Ornithopters
• Neoclassical Cube
• Irregular Cube
• All Tutors on Scryfall
• The Cube Map

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

2:12 - Andy’s Salty Bad Beats

8:20 - What is a tutor?

11:10 - What tutors have Anthony and Andy been playing since the beginning and why?

16:21 - Why have Anthony and Andy mostly avoided unconditional tutors in their Cube designs?

18:48 - Tutors in the Neoclassical Cube

37:24 - Tutors in 100 Ornithopters

43:47 - Our hosts current advice on designing with tutors

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Lucky Paper
PO Box 4855
Baltimore, MD 21211

Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the results of our Cube community set survey for Outlaws of Thunder Junction. As with every set, we asked Cube designers which cards they’re excited about from Magic’s latest world of hats, and how confident they are in them remaining in their Cubes long-term.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Outlaws of Thunder Junction Cube Prospective
• Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander Cube Prospective
• Usman’s Deep Dive on OTJ
• Magic: the Colonized — Parker’s Article on the OTJ World Builing Decisions
• MST3K

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

6:16 - Episode Overview

21:51 - 10. Phantom Interference

24:45 - 9. Aven Interrupter

28:26 - 8. Nurturing Pixie

32:06 - 7. Requisition Raid

34:43 - 6. Three Steps Ahead

38:44 - 5. Harvester of Misery

46:24 - 4. Legion Extruder

52:35 - 3. Bristly Bill, Spinesower

57:53 - 2. Slickshot Showoff

1:03:57 - 1. Forsaken Miner

1:07:07 - Honorable Mention Tinybones

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony revisit designing a Cube starting with a single card as inspiration. Starting with Goblin Charbelcher, they each explore themes and mechanics that could make the card relevant in a Cube, and build off those to create rough Cube skeletons.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Episode 182: Emergent Cube Design by Example
• Our Teaser on YouTube
• UberCube Event
• Lucky Paper Cube Events Page

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:11 - Overview of episode

4:37 - Meta show business, including the first edition of the Lucky Paper Mailbag

11:57 - All about our focal card: Goblin Charbelcher

16:11 - Anthony’s Charbelcher Journey

31:14 - Andy’s Charbelcher Journey

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony are joined by Sam from Rhystic Studies to talk about his first Cube design project. Sam, who produces thoughtful, carefully written videos on Magic, has been interested in Cube design for years and has finally made the leap to create his own list. They talk about what motivates Sam’s design goals, how he’s approached the project, and what he’s looking forward to in his first experiences playing it.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:06 - Betrayal Corner and the Magic to Game Design Pipeline

7:53 - Introduction to “Kitchen Table All Stars”, Sam’s new Cube

11:46 - Why now and why Cube is Sam’s “end game” for Magic

22:22 - Cube Design in the Liminal Space Between the First Complete List and the First Actual Draft

30:23 - What Are Sam’s Goals for the First Draft

44:34 - What are the other hallmark cards of Kitchen Table All Stars?

51:38 - Identifying and Handling Power Outliers

56:13 - Pack 1, Pick 1 from Sam’s Cube

Discussed in this episode:

• Intro backing music “Lonesome Journey” by KeysOfMoonMusic
• Betrayal (Board Game)
• Pandemic (Board Game)
• Sam’s Cube, “Kitchen Table All Stars”
• Episode 191: Vibes-Forward Cube Design with Ryan Overturf
• Steve Stillman on Twitter
• Episode 182: Emergent Cube Design by Example
• 100 Ornithopters in a Trenchcoat
• Caleb Gannon’s Drafts of His Own Powered Synergy Cube on MTGO
• Sam’s Interview on Humans of Magic
• Hillary’s “Baby’s First Cube”
• DanDan
• Dear Gonti, Love Sophie by Rhystic Studies
• Understanding Sagas | How Magic Art Depicts In-World Histories by Rhystic Studies
• Red Deck Wins by Rhystic Studies
• Games Within Games | The Story of “Forgetful Fish” by Rhystic Studies

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Our Cube Prospective Surveys for Outlaws of Thunder Junction is now open! Let us know what you are testing in your cube from the latest set.

Andy and Anthony talk about their first impressions of Outlaws of Thunder Junction and the cards their interested in for their own Cube lists. Anthony is not too impressed by the aesthetics of the set, but they manage to power through, talk about the mechanics and how they might be relevant to different Cube designers, and even a few individual cards that stand out.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Kristen Schaal is a Horse!
• Washington Cube Champs
• Cali Cube Champs
• Get tickets
• Join the Discord
• Uber Cube Event
• Boston Cube Party
• Cube Dungeon Con
• MagicCon Panel About Representation of Native Peoples, Thanks Brodie!
• The Holodeck
• Episode 129 on the State of the Game and Design for an “Eternal World”
• Good Morning Magic “The Problem with Kicker and How We Fixed It”
• Andy’s Monocolored Starter Decks
• An Ode to Scalable Threats, by Andy
• Emma Partlow’s tweet about the OTJ set symbols

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

3:26 - Upcoming Cube Event Rundown

9:17 - Andy and Anthony’s Broad Impressions of Outlaws of Thunder Junction

25:27 - Mechanics from Outlaws of Thunder Junction

26:10 - Outlaws

28:19 - Committing a Crime

36:01 - Spree

44:29 - Mounts and Saddle

48:08 - Plot

51:12 - Unnamed mechanics and themes

52:14 - Bun Magic Cube Additions

52:55 - Slick Shot Showoff

53:48 - Goldvein Hydra

54:50 - Harvester of Misery

56:22 - Andy’s long list of half-considered ‘maybes’ for the Bun Magic Cube

57:04 - Regular Cube Additions

57:41 - Trained Arynx

58:32 - Demonic Ruckus

59:15 - Bristly Bill, Spine Sower

1:00:17 - 100 Ornithopters Additions

1:02:24 - Lost Jitte

1:04:43 - Trash the Town

1:09:10 - Pitiless Carnage

1:10:14 - Pest Control

1:11:03 - Requisition Raid

1:13:07 - Turbo Cube Additions

1:13:28 - Magebane Lizard

1:14:17 - Geralf, the Fleshwright

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Guests Tara, Jenn, and Haiyue join Andy and Anthony for a discussion on making play spaces that are more accountable and inclusive to help grow more diverse playgroups. Tara brings her perspective as a professional diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant; Jenn, their experience organizing and judging events; and Haiyue what she’s learned managing the VML, and, from all of them, much much more.

As Cube designers, our hosts and many of our listeners need to grow their communities as much as their Cube lists if they hope to play consistently. Our guests bring their broader perspective on why it’s so important to do that in an inclusive way and how to go about it.

Discussed in this episode:

• Episode 130: Cube Community Building
• 5 Steps to Break Down Gender Barriers in MTG by guest Haiyue
• How To Organize Inclusive And Accessible Events by guest Tara with help from other contributors
• The View From Here by Katie G. Bates
• Playing with Power — Inclusivity in Magic
• Safe and Brave Spaces Don’t Work (and What You Can Do Instead) by Elise Ahenkorah
• The VML
• CubeCon
• Redlining in the United States
• Magic the Gathering Infraction Procedure Guide
• Set Boundaries Find Peace Book by Nedra Tawwab
• No Land Beyond
• Tara’s Website

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about Andy’s newest Cube experiment: a cube who’s only creatures are Ornithopters. Andy couldn’t help but entertain the idea of an all-ornithopter Cube in a humorous tweet, and a recent draft of it in the Cube Con discord inspired him to flesh out the idea even further.

Our first playmat is currently available for pre-order! Illustrated by Andy and featuring gold, foiled details it expresses our love of the most punk rock Magic format.

• Pre-order a playmat here

The show now has a dedicated PO box. Want to send us a letter? A drawing? I don’t know, maybe an Ornithopter you doodled on you want Andy to put in his Cube? Send it along to:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• McMurdo Station Antartica
• Our Previous Episode Discussing Art
• Star Trek: The Next Generation
• MtG Cube Talk Discord Server
• Carly Mazur’s About Page
• Can it be all Ornithopters?
• CubeCon Discord Server
• ChillMTG on YouTube

Cubes Mentioned:

• 100 Ornithopters

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

1:39 - Opening up the Plug Bag

6:24 - Art Episode Follow Up

20:02 - 100 Ornithopters Cube Introduction

25:50 - Anthony’s First Impressions of 100 Ornithopters

32:25 - The powerful strategies this cube supports

41:33 - Known issues with the 100 Ornithopters Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Our first, limited edition playmat is now available for pre-order. The playmat is designed and illustrated by Andy and custom printed to order. Orders will only be available for a limited time. Pre-order a mat here.

Andy and Anthony talk about “ART!” loosely as it relates to Magic: The Gathering. They talk about the role of creative work in the game, the nuances of art and illustration, how the approach to illustration has changed over the history of the game, and even the present and future of large language model generated images.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• ART THOUGHTZ: How to Make an Art.
• “The Game”
• Garden Path Sentences
• Google’s new artificial intelligence can’t understand these sentences. Can you?
• Rhystic Studies: “my next video is about that painting you hate”
• Klimt
• Mannerist Painting
• Algomancy
• Midjourney
• Tweening
• The Arts and Crafts Movement
• Carly Mazur’s Portfolio
• Marina Abramovich
• Cube Map Print
• The Room Movie Poster
• Impressionism
• Episode 42: Cube, Art School, & Critical Discourse
• Tromploi
• Claude Monet
• Édouard Manet
• Jackson Pollock
• Piet Mondrian
• Adobe Photoshop Generative Fill
• Minecraft
• Robert Hodgin: Meander
• WotC statement saying they won’t use AI
• Sturgeon’s Law
• Apophysis
• Make my hot dog hotter
• Edward Muybridge: The Horse in Motion
• The Slo Mo Guys on Youtube
• Trashfuture: Big Tesco Back Tattoo ft. Tom O’Mahony
• Well There’s Your Problem: The Death of Hyperloop

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction and Garden Path Sentence Corner

5:24 - Overview of episode

7:57 - Why is there art in Magic?

10:22 - Are the illustrations in Magic even “Art”?

28:56 - What do we think about Carly Mazur’s Faithless Looting?

34:44 - The Invention of the Camera and the Beginning of Modern Art

46:34 - On AI Generated Art

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony are joined by Ryan Overturf, sharing his Cube design wisdom. Starting with Ryan’s articles on power outliers and letting fun drive Cube design, they talk about their approach to Cube design and how they let play experience, vibes, and taste inform their processes.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Ryan on Star City Games
• Power Level Outliers And How To Handle Them In Magic Cubes
• Magic Cube Design: Make The Fun Thing The Good Thing
• Andrew Elenbogen’s Tweet on Magic Data
• Pony by Orville Peck
• Cascade Cube
• The Turbo Cube
• The r/spikes spoiler thread for Treasure Cruise
• @RyanOverdrive on Twitter

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:51 - What is a power level outlier?

18:40 - Exciting cards to draft and the right vs. the wrong power outliers

28:54 - How power level outliers might make the game more egalitarian

33:05 - Making mopey threats appealing with the power of nostalgia

35:46 - Power level outlier’s contributions to a player’s ability to  make a comeback

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the results of the Murders at Karlov Manor Cube Community Survey and discuss the top cards, tested by the most Cube designers. They dig into some trends, patterns, and surprises in the cards people are giving a chance in their environments.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Usman’s Card-by-card MKM Review
• MKM Community Survey Results
• Characters of the Board Game Clue
• John Mulaney
• All about Clue on Stuff You Should Know
• Episode 186: Murders at Karlov Manor First Impressions
• Episode 187: Personal Cube Additions
• Look up Past Lucky Paper Survey Submissions

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction and Clue Talk

7:10 - Overview of Set Review Format

9:26 - Carnage Interpreter from Ravnica: Clue Edition

14:15 - Unshakable Tail from Murders at Karlov Manor Commander

17:26 - Murders at Karlov Manor in Broad Stokes

19:18 - 9. Cryptic Coat

25:15 - 8. Aftermath Analyst

27:42 - 7. Deduce

30:21 - 6. Escape Tunnel

33:24 - 5. Snarling Gorehound

35:10 - 4. Surveil Lands

39:08 - 3. Sharp-Eyed Rookie

44:05 - 2. Novice Inspector

46:41 - 1. Demand Answers

Cubes mentioned:

• Pulp Nouveau

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about layers of interaction in Cube design. Some cards interact with particular effects. Other cards are, in turn, resistant to those responses. Inevitably other cards get around those resistances. Our hosts talk about how they approach these orders of interaction.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• GeoGuessr
• Wingspan
• Splendor
• Episode 31 on Density of “Bread and Butter” Effects
• Episode 101 on Density of Disruption
• Episode 111 on The Texture of Removal
• Episode 127 on Density of Threats
• Who’s the Beatdown
• The Dollop

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

1:57 - What does it mean to ‘interact’ in Magic

6:38 - What sorts of mechanics limit ‘interactivity’?

8:37 - Andy’s concept of orders or tiers of interaction

38:27 - What densities and types of second-order interaction to Andy and Anthony include in their primary cubes? 

Cubes Mentioned:

• Degenerate Micro Cube
• The Neoclassical Cube
• Bun Magic Cube
• Regular Cube
• Uber Bear’s Artifact Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Well, it’s my (Andy’s) final week of writing the show notes as punishment for losing a bet against Anthony. But that’s ok, because writing these particular notes is a privilege, as we are joined by special guest Emma Partlow on this episode! We’be been trying to get Emma on the show for a long time and I’m really glad we were finally able to make it happen. We use her Peasant Cube as a jumping off point to discuss playing Magic with rarity and budget restrictions, what traits describe the platonic ideal of an uncommon, how to navigate the endless sea of card variants spewing out of Wizards of the Coast these days, and the value of accessibility of all kinds.

My take on Thraben Inspector from last week, which you all have been ruthlessly dragging me for, did not come up. I presume she didn’t hear it and none of you better tell her!!! If you tell her I’m going to be so mad at you.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• @emmadpartlow on Twitter
• The Herald’s Horn
• Playing with Power Episode on Inclusivity
• Emma’s Peasant Cube
• Eric Klug’s Peasant Cube
• Emma’s Budget Version of Her Peasant Cube
• The 2023 Year in Review
• Dandan
• MTG cares more about collectability than accessibility - and it’s making the TCG worse by Emma Partlow
• The Neoclassical Cube
• The Black Mage (Final Fanasty)
• Ogre Battle Tactics
• Tactics Ogre: Reborn on the Switch
• A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton
• Emma’s Linktree

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

5:17 - How did Emma get introduced to Magic

8:17 - When did Emma discover the joy of Cube?

11:53 - Emma’s roots in rarity and budget restrictions

17:41 - Downshifts and rarity restricted Cube design

26:33 - What is the most uncommony uncommon card?

30:57 - On Emma’s inclusion of controversially powerful cards in her peasant Cube

37:52 - Emma’s local Cube playgroup

45:34 - Does Emma think of herself as a casual or competitive player?

47:05 - How does Emma prioritize accessibility vs. bling in her card variant selection for her cube?

52:33 - Potpurri

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Well folks, it happened. I lost the bet on air last week about whether or not Wizards would include a physical, punch-out reminder for “suspected” creatures in the pre-release kit for Murders at Karlov Manor, so here I am writing the notes. I still think it’s weird that they literally include a counter for a mechanic that they explicitly designed to NOT include a physical counter, but I forgot the precedence set by Exert in Amonket, so that’s on me.

This week is part two of our marathon, pre-Andy’s-vacation, recording session. We’re discussing additions from Murders at Karlov Manor and Ravnica: Clue Edition to our four relevant personal Cube projects. Tune in to find out what beloved Cube card Andy believes has jumped the shark, which two cards are clearing the high bar of the Degenerate Micro Cube, what Anthony is going to do with all of the amazing new options for the Turbo Cube, and what happens when you have two cost reduction mechanics with different stipulations in our new segment “Judge Bones”.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Set Surveys:
• Andy’s Cube Coaching Session with Brian Coval, a.k.a Bosh n’ Roll
• Lucky Paper Radio Episode 181: Gold Cards and You

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

4:35 - Additions to the Bun Magic Cube

10:50 - Honorable Mention: Tenth District Hero

12:19 - Honorable Mention: Deduce

14:07 - Honorable Mention: Drag the Canal

15:33 - Honorable Mention: Trostani, Three Whispers

17:48 - Honorable Mention: Necropsy

19:21 - Honorable Mention: Warleader’s Call

20:50 - The Surveil Lands

30:01 - Fugitive Codebreaker

33:59 - No More Lies

36:26 - Additions to the Regular Cube

38:10 - Curious Inquiry

40:07 - Push // Pull

42:28 - Cease // Desist

45:04 - The Surveil Lands (Again)

46:38 - No Ravnica: Clue Edition Cards for the Regular Cube?

48:38 - Additions to the Degenerate Micro Cube

49:03 - Pick Your Poison

50:43 - Doorkeeper Thrull

51:51 - Additions to the Turbo Cube

53:03 - Cerebral Confiscation

54:11 - Forensic Gadgeteer

56:29 - Torch the Witness

58:04 - Demand Answers

58:51 - Crime Novelist

1:00:15 - Vengeful Tracker

1:00:37 - Andy’s Potential Turbo Cube Inclusions

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about Anthony’s experimental Battle Box where players start at three life, can cast spells without paying their mana cost, and start the game with two Lightning Bolts on the stack. They talk about rapid prototyping and challenges in game design. The novel design didn’t initially play as hoped, and they brainstorm ideas to make it work.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Hedron Rockworks on YouTube Topaz D20
• We Are Already Dead, Anthony’s Experimental Battle Box
• 1 Life Cubes, Lucky Paper Radio Episode 23
• Pai Gow
• Slay the Spire

Cubes mentioned:

• We Are Already Dead- Keldan’s Bolt Cube
• Jeskai Control Battle Box

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about updates to Anthony’s Turbo Cube and how changing a few cards can impact the way a cube feels. In this environment, all spells and activated abilities cost  generic mana less. They cut some of the most potent win conditions including Teferi's Tutelage, and added a handful of cards to bolster black discard focused strategies.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

0:00 - Introduction

4:09 - Small (but actually big) changes to the win conditions in the Turbo Cube

16:50 - Do the colors have identities in the Turbo Cube?

20:18 - The problem with black in the Turbo Cube

28:03 - Tournament report from the first draft of the new discard package

39:40 - Ideas for improving the archetype after the first playtest

54:12 - How will Anthony evaluate success or failure of this archetype moving forward?

58:34 - Tidebinder Corner

Discussed in this episode:

• MAGfest
• Lucky Paper Radio on YouTube

Cubes Mentioned:

• Turbo Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about cubing on a budget. Between cards, sleeves, and other needs, putting a cube together is not without costs, but the format has some unique attributes that can still make it approachable on a budget.

But first, they talk for a long time about Tetris.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• After 34 Years, Someone Finally Beat Tetris
• Tetris Just Got Beaten Again
• Fosbury Flop
• Four Minute Mile
• Radiolab: Stochasticity
• Lucky Paper Radio on How to Build a Cube from Your Collection
• Scryfall
• BCW Cardboard Longboxes
• Potomac Distribution

Cubes Mentioned:

• Amonkar Desert Cube
• Eiganjo Drift

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

1:41 - Tetris Talk 

25:53 - Introduction to Playing Cube on a Budget

35:49 - Tip 1: Play with the cards you have

40:11 - Tip 2: Most cards are not that expensive. Really!

42:02 - Tip 3: Be aware of the secondary market and pick up cards at the right time, if you can.

44:42 - Tip 4: Consider rarity restricted cubes, but be aware rarity and price are only mildly correlated!

48:26 - Tip 5: Use proxies

50:49 - Tip 6: Use BCW cardboard longboxes bought in bulk

54:39 - The biggest barrier to budget cubing: sleeves

1:03:46 - Tip 7: Get your playgroup to chip in cards

1:04:39 - Tip 8: Save and sell/buylist cards to subsidize bigger purchases

1:07:58 - Remember the most important thing: drafting a cube is FREE if you’re not the cube owner

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk through emergent cube design by example. Starting with a listener submitted card — Trade Routes — they explore ways to create a context where the card is a role player. Moving beyond direct synergies, they demonstrate how they’d use on card as a seed crystal to generate ideas for a mechanically coherent Cube.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Scryfall search "fo:/whenever.*you.*discard/"
• Our article about using Scryfall
• Our article about regular expressions
• BoshNRoll YouTube Channel Sharkstill Decks
• Tolarian Community College Cube Video
• Ship of Theseus

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

1:18 - Episode Overview

6:29 - Step 0: Look for redundancy

8:35 - Step 1: Identify Cards with First Order Synergy

24:47 - Step 2: Identify Cards with Second Order Synergy and Emergent Themes

36:01 - Step 3: Look for natural answers to your emergent themes

40:33 - Step 4: Look at the bigger picture: What does aggro look like? What does interaction look like? What does fixing look like?

47:15 - Conclusion

Cubes Mentioned

• The Turbo Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about gold cards in Cube. They talk about how they effect decks and drafts and their roles in their own cubes.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Uber Cube Podcast
• Episode 21: Commander Legends and a Cube that Glitters
• How Many Lands Should You Include in Your Cube
• Lucky Paper Radio Cubesmas Special
• Power Thesaurus
• [Cheugy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheugy#:~:text=Cheugy%20(%2Fˈt%CA%83u%CB%90%C9%A1,or%20%22trying%20too%20hard%22.)
• David Lynch Quinoa

Cubes Mentioned

• Bun Magic Cube
• Regular Cube
• Neoclassical Cube

Timestamps

0:00 - Show Notes Hangman and Nog Corner

7:07 - Finally getting to the actual topic

8:28 - Pedantry Corner: What is a gold card?

13:48 - How many gold cards should you run in your cube?

24:01 - Gold Card Counts from Our Cubes

35:42 - The Legacy of Gold Cards: Are they cool any more?

44:41 - Andy’s “Three S’s” of Gold Cards: Signposts, Splashables, and Scraps 53:31 - Anthony’s wrap up

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker climb up on Maro’s Lap and share their Christmas Cube wishes for the coming year: what cards do they want to see printed for their Cubes, what cycles do they want to see completed, and how much of a Grinch can Anthony be.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Timestamps

0:00 - A very long and involved series of intros

7:37 - Overview of episode structure

9:03 - Parker’s Cubesmas List

35:08 - Andy’s Cubesmas List

48:55 - Anthony’s Cubesmas Grinch Corner

Discussed in this episode:

• The Griz
• Thraben University on YouTube
• Andy’s Blue Black Titan
• Christmas Economics
• Pommery Mustards
• Mala Market Hand Stirred Soy Sauce

Cubes Mentioned

• Pulp Nouveau
• Reading Rainbow

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony take a look back on 2023, and what a year it’s been! Our hosts discuss some of their favorite things happening this year, including the second annual CubeCon, and a growing number of Cube events. They talk about how valuable Magic has been as a vector for creative outlets. In a candid, critical discussion they share how Magic as a game, and a product, has fundamentally changed in the recent years and how in many ways it no longer supports the way they most deeply engaged with it.

Discussed in this episode:

• Episode 130: Cube Community Building
• CubeCon
• California Cube Champs
• Washington Cube Champs
• The Ice Cube
• bmktpt Local Playgroup Website Source Code on GitHub
• Cultic Bestiary Tokens
• Hasbro’s Christmas Layoffs on Polygon
• hbomberguy: Plagiarism, on YouTube
• Princess Bride Secret Lair
• Color of Magic
• Eley Hose Reels
• Sturgeon’s Law
• The Collapse of the Atlantic Northwest Cod Fishery
• Fairy Circles

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:35 - Episode breakdown

5:31 - The good stuff — the second Cube Con and a battery of smaller, grassroots Cube events

12:22 - The joy of using Magic as a creative outlet

18:08 - Hasbro layoffs and the incentive structures of the business of Magic

36:08 - The costs of Magic’s growth and expansion

52:14 - Universes Beyond and the fractured identity of Magic

1:13:59 - Andy and Anthony’s Cube cards of the year!!

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony open up the mailbag and answer questions from listeners. Our hosts answer all your burning questions about Cube, soup, and probably egg nog?

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• I got a fever of 103
• Boonta Vista
• Murphy’s Law
• Moore’s Law
• Sturgeon’s Law
• Ship of Theseus
• Heraclitus
• Midnight Diner
• bigsofttitty.png

Cubes Mentioned

• Regular Cube
• Ryan Saxe’s Buildaround Cube
• Caleb Gannon’s Synergy Cube
• The Neoclassical Cube
• Old Border Foil Cube
• The Naked Cube

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

4:47 - Why have we not done a mailbag episode before?

7:47 - How do you design for an interesting draft? What is your ideal booster pack?

18:59 - What are the unique aspects of designing old border Cubes?

26:12 - What factors make you excited or unexcited to draft a new cube?

30:54 - What card should be in every cube?

33:27 - What about all the lands you don’t talk about all the time?

41:43 - What is the best meal you have ever had in your life?

49:12 - What recipe has been your favorite to cook this year?

51:47 - To nog or not to nog?

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about combos. What is a combo? Is it a spectrum? Almost certainly. How are they related to the aggro-midrange-control metagame? How do they affect the draft and gameplay of a given Cube? Does Anthony hate combos? Does Andy hate combos? Only one way to find out.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Lucky Paper Radio — The ABCs of Aggro
• Lucky Paper Radio — The ABCs of Control
• Bosh n Roll on YouTube
• Lucky Paper Radio — Guest Episode with Ryan Saxe
• Anthony’s Personal Journey through Cube Design Article
• Andy’s broken Fastbond Roto deck on YouTube:
• Boonta Vista
• Well There’s Your Problem
• Til’ Death do us Blart
• The Worst Idea of All Time
• The Neighborhood Listen

Cubes Mentioned:

• Bun Magic Cube
• Regular Cube
• Degenerate Micro Cube
• Neoclassical Cube
• The Turbo Cube
• The Irregular Cube
• Lyserg’s Legacy Cube
• Ryan Saxe’s Buildaround Cube
• Ligma Cube
• “The Pube” a.k.a Rally The Peasants
• AiBretty’s Cube

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

0:58 - How good is Whitemane Lion plus Oketra’s Monument?

3:08 - Why is combo not Anthony’s favorite style of gameplay?

8:53 - What is a ‘combo’? What is a ‘combo deck’?

20:08 - The tension between heuristics and individual cards

24:09 - Does Andy hate combo?

31:10 - The impacts of combo on gameplay and sequencing

39:35 - How does the presence of combo affect the draft?

45:34 - Satisfying different desires with different cubes

49:01 - Balancing combo alongside fair decks

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker discuss the results of The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Cube community survey. As always, we asked cube designers to share what cards they’re interested in from Magic’s newest premier set. Our hosts discuss the results: the top, and top rated, cards, as well as other patterns and surprises they found in the results.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Community Review
• Lost Caverns Commander Community Review

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:48 - Survey Structure Overview

4:22 - Big Picture Impressions of Lost Caverns of Ixalan

10:05 - 10. Confounding

13:47 - 9. Spyglass Siren

17:37 - 8. Restless Vents

20:20 - 7. Deep Cavern Bat

22:02 - 6. Sentinel of the Nameless City

24:53 - 5. Get Lost

28:20 - 4. Stalactite Stalker

33:41 - 3. Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel

37:52 - 2. Inti, Seneschal of the Sun

42:55 - 1. Bitter Triumph

47:41 - Honorable Mention: Goblin Tomb Raider

48:07 - Honorable Mention: Trumpeting Carnosaur

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Following CubeCon 2023, all pool lists were released to let Cube owners learn about what was successful, or not, in their environments at the event. Andy and Anthony review and discuss the decks drafted from their cubes, how they feel about each environment, and how the outcomes may inform future changes.

If you drafted the Bun Magic Cube, Regular Cube, or Turbo Cube we’d love your feedback including how you built your deck and highs and lows of your games. Get in touch! and be sure to share your deck photos.

Andy’s been hard at work designing our first Lucky Paper playmat. Sign up to our newsletter if you don’t want to miss out on this limited release!

Tune in this Wednesday, November 22 to Lucky Paper on Twitch for Andy’s commentary on a roto draft of his Cube with a group of top French players.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• CubeCon decklist dump
• CubeCon 2023: A Cube Owner’s Retrospective — by Austin “Bones” Hale
• Dom’s Draft of the Bun Magic Cube on Coverage at CubeCon

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

4:49 - First impressions and why red is so strong

10:54 - The flaws of card-focused conclusions

15:18 - We were happy with the results for our own cubes from CubeCon?

20:06 - Unpacking Dom Harvey’s maybe dominant strategy in the Bun Magic Cube

24:36 - What kinds of patterns emerged in the CubeCon dekclists?

29:19 - The relationship between fixing and win rate in the Bun Magic Cube

32:26 - The challenge of winning with blue in the Bun Magic Cube

47:32 - The Turbo Cube decks of CubeCon

48:02 - A request for deck lists from the Bun Magic Cube at CubeCon

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony take a first look at The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. They talk about the set in broad strokes, what they think about the mechanics and how they can potentially slot into different Cube environments. Then the look into individual cards they’re interested in for their own, curated environments.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• “It’s Not Too Late” — Trueanon with Dr. Norman Finkelstein
• “The Gaza Cauldron” — Intercepted
• “West Palestine” — Bad Faith with Dr. Cornel West
• Five Broken Cameras
• @ahmattox on Instagram
• @anthonymattox on Twitter
• The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Mechanics
• LCI and LCC Cube Surveys

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

7:55 - Reviewing Anthony’s LCI Prerelease

10:52 - The Mechanics of Lost Caverns of Ixalan

11:44 - Craft and Other Transforming Double-Faced Cards

19:23 - Descended and Descent

27:39 - Discover

37:21 - Explore and Map Tokens

42:12 - Caves

45:11 - Other Minor Themes

49:02 - Personal Cube Additions: The Regular Cube

49:50 - Subterranean Schooner

51:29 - Bitter Triumph

52:01 - Glorifer of Suffering

52:38 - Bonus: Sovereign Okinec Ahau

57:15 - Personal Cube Additions: Bun Magic Cube

57:54 - Tarrian’s Soulcleaver

58:54 - Restless Prairie

59:58 - Tishana's Tidebinder

1:02:29 - Helping Hand

1:05:22 - Get Lost

1:08:07 - Jadelight Spelunker

1:10:18 - Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon

1:12:45 - Sentinel of the Nameless City

1:14:57 - Inti, Seneschal of the Sun

1:17:49 - Kellan, Daring Traveler // Journey On

1:19:28 - Bitter Triumph

1:20:53 - Personal Cube Additions: The Turbo Cube

1:21:08 - Confounding Riddle

1:21:43 - Kutzil’s Flanker

1:22:52 - Tishana’s Tidebinder

1:23:13 - Inti, Seneschal of the Sun

1:23:55 - Buried Treasure

1:25:09 - Personal Cube Additions: The Degenerate Micro Cube

1:25:46 - Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant

1:27:58 - Hoverstone Pilgrim

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony are joined by Tim Meyers, a.k.a. donald_k_magic, CubeCon 2023 Champion who shares his wisdom and experience of his path to ultimate Victory! In a field of 400 Cube enthusiasts, Tim’s love of the game carried him to a spot in the top 64, to 3-0 is draft to earn a spot in the top 8 draft, and finally, working with a deck he felt had some rough edges, to win the entire main event.

View all cards mentioned in the episode →

Discussed in this episode:

• MTG Cube Talk Discord
• ChillMtG
• CubeCon 2023 Top 8 Coverage
• Find Donald_K_Magic on Discord to join his St. Louis playgroup
• LCI Cube Survey

Cubes Mentioned

• Reading Rainbow
• Khans Extended Cube
• Bun Magic Cube
• 15oz Micro Brew
• Degenerate Micro Cube
• May’s Fae Cube
• Dragons of Winters Night
• Data Generated Vintage Cube
• MTGO Vintage Cube

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction

3:15 Tim’s Overall Impressions of Cube Con

5:56 3-0 with BG Gold deck from Reading Rainbow

13:33 2-1 with Four Color deck from the Khan’s Extended Cube

22:14 2-1 with Five Color Jeskai deck from the Bun Magic Cube

29:11 2-1 with RB Artifact Recursion from the 15oz Micro Brew

40:32 3-0, 6-0 with Sultai Faeries in May’s Fae Cube

49:48 BYE 0-2 with BUG Zombies in Dragons of Winter’s Night

55:27 Top 64 — 3-0 with Reanimator in the Data Generated Vintage Cube

1:04:13 Top 8 — 3-0 with Mostly White Aggro in the MTGO Vintage Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Dom Harvey joins Andy and Anthony for a recap of the second annual CubeCon. They discuss their experience at the con, the variety of cube they played, and get Dom’s take on how to be successful when approaching new, and sometimes strange, environments.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• MTG Cube Con
• Worlds 2012 Cube Draft
• CubeCon VODs
• Sam Black’s Podcast Episode about Cube
• Dominaria’s Judgment
• Matisse’s “The Dance”
• Dr. Who Survey
• Parker’s Article: Pulp Nouveau — A Tribute to Drafting Basic Lands
• Anthony’s Article: Intellect and Emotion in Game Design: A Personal Cube Journey

Cubes Mentioned

• Regular Cube
• Cascade Cube
• Changeling Cube
• Bun Magic Cube
• The Buildaround Cube
• The Creative Cube
• Emma’s Peasant Cube
• Data Generated Vintage Cube
• Uber Bear’s Artifact Cube
• The Companion Cube
• Aquaone Vintage Cube
• AlphaFrog Vintage Cube

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

3:33 - CubeCon Results Recap

7:19 - What are the skills of a successful Cube player? What allowed Dom specifically to find success at CubeCon?

23:07 - On strong players and their draft preferences

27:50 - Dom’s Thoughts on his Two Drafts of the Bun Magic Cube

38:08 - How did Dom evaluate cubes before playing them?

48:26 - How did Dom ‘break’ the Changeling Cube?

1:01:15 - Dom’s Favorite Cubes from the Weekend

1:17:34 - Closing thoughts

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about accessibility in Cube design: why it’s important, especially to the many of us who are trying to expand our local Cube playgroups, and key things to consider. They talk about the practical, surface level issues of cards that can be difficult to understand, as well as ways to design a Cube to make drafting it for the first time feel easier.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Our listener submitted pack 1, pick 1 this week comes from Finn’s F360, a classic style Legacy Cube of iconic cards, full of artist signatures.

Discussed in this episode:

• Project Booster Fun
• Curb Cut
• Neoclassical Cube
• MTG cares more about collectability than accessibility - and it’s making the TCG worse on Dicebreaker
• Framing A Magic Accessibility Issue on Card Kingdom
• Episode 143 with Sam Black

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

2:24 - Introduction to topic

4:21 - The reasons to make your cube accessible

10:17 - What makes a Cube accessible?

25:14 - How accessibility has affected card choices in Anthony and Andy’s Cubes

30:39 - Accessibility from a more nuanced, cube design perspective

38:28 - Listener Submitted pack 1, pick 1

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

We’re on our way to the second annual CubeCon!

If you’re not able to attend, make sure to tune into the live stream, which Andy, Justin, and the rest of the coverage team have been working really hard on.

If you’re attending CubeCon, we can’t wait to meet you or see you again. Please introduce yourselves and remind us of your online handle, if relevant, as we are old and have awful memory. We are sorry.

Shout out to the Uber Cube Podcast for all of their thorough primer episodes for Cubes leading up to the con.

Andy and Anthony talk about mana curves in cubes. They talk about how it influences gameplay and the relationship between curve, speed, and the more difficult to pin down “power level”. They also talk about how they as cube designers think about the mana curve.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• You Look Nice Today
• Lonely Sandwich
• Magic Data Science CubeCon Analysis Thread
• Anthony’s Stats of Cube Con Article
• Spike University Part 1 and Part 2
• The Tempo Cube
• Gwen Dekker’s Tiny Leaders Cube
• Tupelo Honey
• Vindicate Test
• Caleb Gannon’s Powered Synergy Cube
• How Many Lands Should You Include in Your Cube

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

3:19 Why are the Bun Magic and Regular Cube so low curving relative to the other cubes featured at Cube Con?

15:59 The distinction between absolute and relative power level

40:43 Just how different are the mana values in Bun Magic and other Cubes?

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Justin continue last weeks discussion through the Cubes that will be featured in the imminent Cube Con of 2023 reviewing the second half of the cubes that will be featured on live and recorded coverage. They talk about their approaches to drafting each unique environment and what to expect.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Spike University Part 1
• Cube Con Schedule
• Cube Con Stream (NRG Esports)
• Creatureless Cube
• Old Border Foil Cube
• The Regular Cube
• Emma’s Peasant Cube

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction

1:30 The Creatureless Cube

21:04 The Old Border Foil Cube

42:07 The Regular Cube

1:03:01 Emma’s Peasant Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

This is your last chance to pre-order a Cube Map Print for Cube Con! Pre-order now

Andy and Anthony are joined by Justin Parnell to talk about the Cubes that will be featured on coverage in Cube Con 2023. They go through the first half, cube by cube, and talk about what the Cube is, and how they’d approach drafting it, ending with a pack 1 pick one from every Cube.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
• NRG
• @cloudgoatranger on Twitter

Cube Con 2023 Cubes featured on Coverage:

• The Live the Dream Cube
• The Bun Magic Cube
• The Modern Darlings Cube
• Cartographia
• The Creative Cube
• Creatureless Cube
• Old Border Foil Cube
• Regular Cube
• Emma Partlow’s Peasant Cube
• MTGO Vintage Cube

Also discussed:

• MTGDS’s Cube Con stats thread on Twitter
• Paths not Picks by Ryan Saxe
• Uber Bear Podcast with John about Cartographia Cube

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

6:00 - Announcement of Featured Cubes at Cube Con

13:02 - David McDarby’s Live the Dream Cube

37:15 - Andy Mangold’s Bun Magic Cube

54:54 - Andrew Jabs Modern Darlings Cube

1:15:50 - John Terrill and Cultic Cube’s Cartographia Cube

1:32:36 - Mike Kerby’s Creative Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony give a primer on drafting Andy’s Bun Magic Cube. They talk about how the environment compares to similar Cubes that play many of the most iconic, powerful cards in the game. They discuss key cards, strategies, and potential pitfalls players could fall into.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Cube Con 2023 Cube Map Print
• Regular Cube Draft Primer Episode
• Turbo Cube Draft Primer Episode
• The Bun Magic Cube
• Cultic Cube on MTGO

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

4:46 - Overview of the Bun Magic Cube

12:29 - Comparing and Contrasting the Bun Magic Cube and the Magic Online Vintage Cube

17:21 - Comparing and Contrasting the Bun Magic Cube and Retail Limited

21:28 - The Mana Base of the Bun Magic Cube

39:40 - The Highest Picks in the Bun Magic Cube

46:40 - Some Contentious High Picks in the Bun Magic Cube

54:27 - Potential Traps in the Bun Magic Cube

1:00:49 - Cards that are often underrated in the Bun Magic Cube

1:05:07 - Cards that are often overrated in the Bun Magic Cube

1:09:14 - Pack 1, Pick 1 from the Bun Magic Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the results of the Cube community set review of Wilds of Eldraine. They discuss the top cards from the set. No surprise, adventure cards dominate. They also reflect on some of the potentially changing attitudes of the Cube community reflected in the differences between this, and past set reviews.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

5:27 - Overview of episode

9:06 - Breakdown of the popularity of the set’s mechanics

24:14 - 13. The Goose Mother

28:26 - 12. Faerie Dreamthief

31:46 - 11. Decadent Dragon // Expensive Taste

34:00 - 10. Restless Cottage

39:16 - 9. Embereth Veteran

43:53 - 8. Restless Vinestalk

47:59 - 7. Regal Bunnicorn

54:47 - 6. Virtue of Persistence // Lochthwain’s Scorn

57:23 - 5. Questing Druid // Seek the Beast

1:02:48 - 4. Elusive Otter // Grove’s Bounty

1:07:30 - 3. Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender 

1:12:07 - 2. Mosswood Dreadknight // Dread Whispers

1:16:37 - 1. Cheeky House Mouse // Squeak By

Discussed in this episode:

• Adventure Time!
• I tried using AI. It scared me.
• ChatGPT
• Wilds of Eldraine Cube Prospective
• Lucky Paper Radio Episode 164: Wilds of Eldraine Mechanics and Personal Cube Inclusions
• Lucky Paper Radio Episode 143: Big and Small Games with Sam Black
• Original Eldraine Trailer Video
• Rumble in the Bronx
• Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight
• What Number Should You Choose With Talion, the Kindly Lord?

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk finally follow up on episode 6 and discuss control decks. They talk about what makes a control deck, what it takes to make them functional, and the different ways they look in different Cube environments.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Episode 132: Designing Set Cubes with Aran
• Episode 6: The ABCs of Aggro
• Control Decks | MAGIC: THE GATHERING
• Next Level Deckbuilding
• PV’s Playhouse – Control
• WOE Survey
• 4c control in legacy on MTG top8
• The Jund Cube
• The Live the Dream Cube

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

3:39 - Overview of topic

7:02 - What is a control deck?

11:03 - What are the different types of control decks? “Draw, Go” vs. “Tap Out” Control

22:30 - Control decks that don’t fit the “Draw, Go” / “Tap Out” dichotomy, with a diversionary conversation about tempo

26:48 - The advantages and challenges of drafting control

33:15 - Do control decks have to be blue?

40:02 - How to draft a control deck

45:50 - What do control decks look like in our own cubes?

1:11:24 - Are there types of control decks not covered by our spread of different cubes?

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about their first impressions of Wilds of Eldraine. Fresh off the new set’s prerelease they talk about the mechanics, both returning and brand new, and what they offer Cube designers. Then they dive into the specific cards each of them is giving a try in their Cubes.

View all cards mentioned in the episode →

Discussed in this episode:

• Wilds of Eldraine Cube Prospective Survey
• Good Luck High Five WOE Rules with Judge Rob
• Drive to work #1065 and #1066
• Magic the Gathering Data Science on Twitter
• Uber Cube Podcast
• wtwlf’s Top 20 Wilds of Eldraine Cards for Cube

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

2:49 - Housekeeping

5:10 - Initial Impression of Wilds of Eldraine

8:51 - Mechanics Overview

14:05 - Roles

24:11 - Bargain

27:49 - Celebration

30:07 - Adventures

35:43 - Unnamed themes and “mechanics”

39:42 - Regular Cube Additions

43:31 - Intrepid Trufflesnout

44:00 - Threadbind Clique

45:01 - Quick Study

46:28 - Bitter Chill

48:41 - Cooped Up

50:35 - The Witch’s Vanity

51:09 - The Restless Lands

52:16 - Graceful Takedown

55:07 - Bun Magic Cube Additions

56:45 - Werefox Bodyguard

59:26 - Sleep-Cursed Faerie

1:00:49 - Raging Battle Mouse

1:02:48 - Loamcrafter Faun

1:03:22 - The Huntsman's Redemption

1:05:20 - The many adventure cards on the cusp of inclusion

1:11:20 - Restless Vinestalk

1:13:32 - Virtue of Persistence // Locthwain Scorn

1:17:08 - Mosswood Dreadknight // Dread Whispers

1:20:10 - Turbo Cube Additions

1:20:48 - Collector’s Vault

1:21:30 - Syr Ginger, Meal Ender

1:23:09 - Back for Seconds

1:23:57 - Three Bowls of Porridge

1:26:06 - Closing Thoughts

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about mechanics and cards that interact with drafting. Coming just from the two conspiracy sets this small, unique set of cards change based on when they’re drafted or let players take additional actions during the draft. They focus in particular on Cogwork Librarian that’s a perfect draft twist that finds its way into many cubes.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Settlers of Catan
• Carcassonne
• Rotisserie Draft
• Irregular Cube
• Draft Matters Cards on Scryfall
• Adam’s Cogwork Librarian Rules
• WOE Cube Survey

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

2:48 Irregular Cube Rotisserie Update

7:10 What is a “draft matters” card?

10:56 Deep dive on Cogwork Librarian

27:10 Leovold’s Operative

28:37 Agent of Acquisitions

30:39 Archdemon of Paliano

32:47 Canal Dredger

36:05 Lore Seeker

40:38 Deal Broker

45:40 Cards that Activate Cards Outside your Deck

49:51 Pick Number Matters Cards

53:25 Interactive Draft Cards

56:35 Conclusions on Draft Matters Cards

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about Mark Rosewater, Magic’s lead designer’s, yearly article on the game’s state of design for 2023. They reflect on the past year’s sets and how Mark’s internal design perspective lines up with their own experience.

View all cards mentioned in the episode →

Discussed in this episode:

• Labyrinth
• Oppenheimer
• Mark Rosewater’s State of Design 2023
• Lucky Paper Radio State of the Game 2022
• Heritage: Legacy with Only Premier Set Cards
• The Dark Crystal
• Bojack Horseman
• Adventure Time

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

4:16 - Movie Corner

7:30 - Andy and Anthony’s Current Method of Engaging with the Game

14:19 - Recapping the themes from last year’s State of Design

26:01 - The year of Nostalgia

34:53 - The value of story and worldbuilding

42:56 - Unfinity and why people can taste artistic integrity (or lack thereof)

53:25 - Universes Beyond

1:01:25 - The One Ring

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony’s plan for this week’s episode fell through, so instead they’re sharing the audio from a stream in which they discussed Aquaone’s legendary Powered Cube with the designer himself.

Discussed in this episode:

• Aquaone’s Powered Cube
• Caleb Gannon’s Algomancy on Kickstarter

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony look at the cards recommended by Cube Cobra’s ‘recommender’ which analyzes every Cube on Cube Cobra, and generates a list of cards that are unusual among similar lists. They look at the ‘suggested cuts’ for their main cubes and talk about why, or why not, they think these unique inclusions make sense. They also take a step back and talk about how these tools can be useful, but where they are not, and things we need to consider when interpreting their suggestions.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Boonta Vista
• Lucky Paper Radio 19: Man vs. Machine
• Lucky Paper Radio 55: In Defense of Unpopular Cards
• Neoclassical Cube
• Rotisserie Draft

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction and review of the Cube Cobra Recommender

7:17 - Discussing suggested cuts to the Bun Magic Cube

10:06 - Dress Down

14:28 - Treetop Village

16:33 - Jewel Thief

18:30 - Mutagenic Growth

20:34 - Repeal

25:30 - Scrabbling Claws

30:00 - Exploration

33:26 - Terminus

40:34 - Spellstutter Sprite

44:28 - Barbarian Ring

48:09 - Discussing suggested cuts to the Regular Cube

51:32 - Noosegraf Mob

53:47 - Wooded Bastion

54:04 - Voice of Resurgence

55:18 - Seige Zombie

55:43 - Quick Draw Dagger

56:30 - Legion Loyalist

57:09 - Noyan Dar, Roilshaper

59:55 - Scrapwork Mutt and Bushwhack

1:00:37 - Bring to Light

1:01:46 - Closing thoughts and reflection on “AI” in general

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about Cube restrictions. As they often say, restrictions breed creativity, but they can also provide an identity and structure to Cubes. Our hosts discuss how and why players choose design constraints, the advantages they bring to the table, and when to loosen up on them.

View all cards mentioned in the episode →

Discussed in this episode:

• Barbie Movie
• Oppenheimer
• The Pauper Cube
• Local Cube group “logos” on “Twitter”
• The Breya Cube and Forgiveness Cube
• TPug’s The Jund Cube
• Tupelo Honey
• The Stern Scolding Cube
• The MtG Multiverse Project
• The IR-regular Cube
• The MTGO Nega-Cube
• @UpkeepNewYork on “Twitter”
• Upkeep New York’s Registration Form

Timestamps

0:00 - Oppenheimer Review

6:23 - What do we mean by restrictions and why don’t we talk about it more?

17:37 - Rarity restrictions

22:45 - The “no Planeswalkers” restriction

26:57 - On Color Restricted Cubes

34:22 - On Mana Value Restricted Cubes

37:56 - On Aesthetically Restricted Cubes

39:30 - When to ease your own restrictions

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about Wishes! Wishes are a special class of cards that let you access cards from outside your game. In competitive play and drafts, this means any card from your sideboard. In casual play anything at all from your collection. Andy talks about why it’s interesting to him and the challenges he’s faced trying to design a Cube focused around the wish cards.

Our listener submitted pack 1, pick 1 this week comes from Deinonychus’s The Bodleian Cube. Thanks, Deinonychus!

View all cards mentioned in the episode →

Discussed in this episode:

• Cube Con
• All Wishes on Scryfall
• Andy’s Three Wishes “Cube”
• Andy’s Lesson Learn “Cube”
• Foraminifera Fossils
• Diatoms
• The Dolomite Cliffs

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

3:15 - Draft Weekend Recap

7:37 - Andy’s Exploration with Outside-the-Game Mechanics

19:53 - Andy’s Goals for and Challenges with his Wish Package Cube

40:53 - Lessons Learned from the Lesson and Learn Cube

47:45 - Listener Submitted Pack 1, Pick 1

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony dig into two kinds of cheese: “cheesing people out” in games of Magic and how to serve it up when hosting game nights. They talk about moments in games where it feels like one player steals a game that they shouldn’t have won. Are these positive or negative experiences and how can we curate Cubes to enable to discourage them?

Next they talk about how they approach hosting and cooking for groups, discussing the things to consider and some of the meals and approaches that work best.

View all cards mentioned in the episode →

Discussed in this episode:

• Super Smash Brothers
• Twitter thread about cards that can win from behind
• Splendor
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Dithering
• Episode 143 with Sam Black

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

3:33 - Anthony’s Personal D-Day

7:10 - Cards that can “cheese” or “steal” a game

33:16 - Tips for Hosting a Meal for Eight

48:07 - Suggested Cube Draft Meal Plans

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the Cube community response to The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. Magic’s first full, draftable crossover set comes with plenty of opportunities, and some surprises, for the Cube community.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Community Set Review Article
• Commander Review
• Part one of our LTR Cube Set Review
• Magic: the Gathering is Easy to Understand
• ThrabenU Episode on Call of the Ring
• Ryan Overturf’s LTR Set Review
• Powerful Nothing LTR Set Review
• Cube Con

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

This is your last week to fill out the Lord of the Rings and associated commander deck surveys! Share your own perspective on the new set.

Andy and Anthony take a first look at Magic’s first, full crossover set: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. They talk about the mechanics and their first impressions of the set. Share some of the cards their interested in trying out in their own Cube environments.

View all cards mentioned in the episode →

Discussed in this episode:

• LTR Mechanics Article on the Mothership
• Lucky Paper Radio Episode 49 on Ragavan and Laelia
• The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Cube Survey
• Tales of Middle-earth Commander Cube Survey
• Updated Rotisserie Draft Sheet
• CubeCobra Google Sheets Integration

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

7:20 - The Mechanics of Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle Earth

8:18 - The Ring and The Ring Tempts You

17:32 - Amass Orcs

19:49 - Food

21:35 - Typed Landcycling

23:53 - Sagas

24:52 - Legends Matter

26:53 - Scry Matters

27:24 - Creature Type Matters

29:34 - Is this a “Commander” set?

31:58 - Personal Cube Inclusions: The Neoclassical Cube

35:29 - Personal Cube Inclusions: The Regular Cube

35:40 - Improvised Club

36:25 - Shower of Arrows

36:51 - Stern Scolding

42:14 - Legolas, Master Archer

46:23 - Personal Cube Inclusions: The Bun Magic Cube

47:06 - Anduril, Flame of the West

51:29 - Flame of Anor

54:17 - Stern Scolding

57:19 - Orcish Bowmasters

1:04:23 - Reprieve

1:10:55 - Personal Cube Inclusions: The Turbo Cube

1:11:09 - Wizard Rockets

1:13:38 - Boromir, Warden of the Tower

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

After tracking his wins and losses across all of his Cube drafts for six months, Andy is reviewing the results with Anthony and discussing why he is abandoning this practice. But, if he’s not tracking the results of his Cube matches, how does he know if he is growing as a player? What actually matters, and how do you measure it? Plus, our hosts ask an important question: is playing Magic fun?

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• The Quantified Self
• Feltron
• Datum
• The Doughboys
• The Guardian Project Episode on their 2022 stats
• The Cascade Cube
• The Forgiveness Cube
• In Defense of Forcing: How to Draft Cube Successfully with Ryan Saxe
• Andy’s Coaching Session with Brian Coval
• Cube Con
• Cultic Cube

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

3:48 - Introduction to topic

5:18 - Overview of Andy’s stats

19:31 - Why Andy is no longer going to be tracking this information

30:51 - If win rate doesn’t matter, what does?

44:46 - How to actually record what matters?

59:49 - Outro

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

After a long weekend of Cube drafts, Andy doesn’t have time to edit a proper episode of the show, so instead he piles four of his buddies into his cozy little basement studio to talk about a recent rotisserie draft of his Bun Magic Cube. Which deck came out on top? Are newer, more committal and synergistic cards pulling their weight? If Andy finally adds Scrabbling Claws is everyone going to draft it and put it in their decks like they say they will?

Unfortunately there are no timestamps for this episode, nor is there a cards mentioned page, as it is unedited.

Discussed in this episode:

• Bun Magic Cube Rotisserie Draft
• The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and Commander Set Surveys

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony are joined once again by the legendary Ryan Saxe to talk about his approach to drafting and how he applies that to Cube. Building off the approach Ryan describes in an episode of Limited Level Ups they discuss about how and when it makes sense to ‘force’ a draft and focus on optimal outcomes over investing in reading the table.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• The Art of Forcing on Limited Level Ups
• From Picks to Paths
• Drafting the Hard Way
• The Neoclassical Cube
• The Cube Map
• Cube Con
• The Lords of Limited
• Ryan’s Buildaround Cube
• rcsaxe on Twitter
• The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and Commander Set Surveys

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about custom rules in Cubes. Cube is a unique Magic space where designers truly have full control over the game and can change it however they like. Beyond just choosing the cards they include, designers change the game fundamental with plane-like effects. Our hosts discuss the very substantial risks of custom rules to accessibility and even fun for enfranchised players. They talk about some of the rules they’ve experienced that didn’t work so well, and the successful ones, which tend to create an experience built around the changes that get players to buy into the novel experience.

They end the episode with two pack 1, pick 1’s from two custom-rules Cubes and do their best to asses cards in two subtly, but importantly different environments. First up, Dragonm137’s Channel Cube where players can spend life to generate colorless mana, a la the card Channel. And secondly Crvnch’s Infinity Cube where players have access to free colorless mana without the high cost of life.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Cooking Issues
• Anthony’s Turbo Cube
• Degenerate Micro Cube
• Reading Rainbow
• The Cascade Cube
• Judge Chat IRC
• The Changeling Cube
• The Channel Cube
• The Infinity Cube

Timestamps:

0:00 - Dumpling Corner

3:14 - Introduction to Topic

6:24 - The inaccessibility of custom rules

11:35 - The comparative costs of different kinds of rules modifications

21:43 - Why it feels uniquely bad to lose to a custom rule

29:00 - Successful examples of Cubes with custom rules

42:34 - Some Custom Cube p1p1s

44:14 - Channel Cube p1p1

52:34 - Infinity Cube p1p1

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about “Xerox Theory” a strategic Magic concept involving cantrips, land count, a balance of resources. Andy explains the history and origins of the idea, as documented by Mike Flores’s 2005 article. They talk about how the concept applies differently in early and contemporary Magic and how it’s relevant, or not, to different types of decks. They also talk about Gunk Slug for some reason.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• UB Trippin’ by Mike Flores
• The Streisand Effect
• Lucky Paper Radio: All About Brainstorm
• Drive to Work on Card Advantage
• Hypergeometric Calculator
• MTG Cube Con Twitter
• The Reading Rainbow Cube

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

2:27 - Introduction to Topic

6:27 - What is Xerox Theory at its core?

10:08 - What is a cantrip?

13:44 - The baseline of Xerox cantrips and the case for Reach Through Mists

17:25 - The sometimes unstated context to make Xerox Theory work

19:45 - The power of a smaller deck

22:08 - Going beyond “UB Trippin’” — the ramifications of cantrips on the tempo of reactive decks

31:57 - Modern Xerox “Payoffs”

38:29 - Review, conclusions, and abstraction

48:47 - Gunk Slug Corner

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about the current state of Andy’s Neoclassical Cube. They look at how drafts have played out, potential areas for change, and some specific directions Andy’s considering taking the cube.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Andy’s Neoclassical Cube
• Regular Cube Update Episode with James
• The Degenerate Micro-Cube
• MTGCubeCon on Twitter
• March of the Machine: Aftermath Survey

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Mind Twist Corner 
• 02:39 Early Impressions of the Neoclassical Cube
• 15:24 How to deal with the burn deck
• 29:27 Can we make color hate cool?
• 38:32 Addressing the Pump Knight Problem

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk broadly about [ramp](Rampant Growth). They talk about what the mechanic or strategy is all about, it’s important role as part of Green’s identity, how it’s different in limited and constructed, and how it fits into their own Cubes.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Our listener submitted pack 1, pick 1 this week comes from soskwatch’s Graveyard Cube.

Discussed in this episode:

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Mark Rosewater’s Drive to Work

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:52 Ramp overall and in retail limited

11:41 Ramp in constructed Magic

14:25 Ramp Decks vs. Decks with Ramp Cards

18:57 Anthony’s Approach to Green in his Cubes

31:12 Andy’s Approach to Ramp in the Bun Magic Cube

37:26 Lets not talk about the Turbo Cube

41:11 Listener Submitted Pack 1, Pick 1

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony are joined by James from their local play group for an in depth review session of Anthony’s Regular Cube. They bring James in to add his experience and perspective to the conversation. The three of them discuss how the environment has played recently and things that could be improved. They sort through the cards and discuss potential cuts and things they could change.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Forgiveness Cube
• Breya Cube
• The Regular Cube
• Towson Hot Bagel
• New World Order
• James Videos on the Lucky Paper Youtube Channel
• CubeCon

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:38 Forgiveness Cube Draft Port Mortem1

07:18 Overview of Episode Structure

15:32 List of provisional additions to The Regular Cube

17:15 Green and Gruul’s Identity in the Regular Cube

26:54 The Blue Green Problem

46:32 Artifacts matter and a Puppet Conjurer diatribe

49:08 Black Red: Overperformance of Oversupport?

1:00:47 Blue Red Recent Results

1:03:23 White and Heroic Themes

1:23:40 Black cards that the black deck pilot thinks he shouldn’t have access to

1:36:00 Wrap Up

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the results of the March of the Machine community Cube set review. As always we surveyed the community on the cards they’re interested in for their cubes and how likely they expect to keep playing them long term. Our hosts review the results, discussing the top cards in terms of the number of people interested in them, patterns and theories about the community response, and some things that surprised them. They also dive deeper into Battles, Magic’s newest card type that’s been met with some skepticism according to the community survey.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Timestamps:

• 0:00 - Introduction
• 4:30 - Scoring System Change
• 5:40 - Survey Overview
• 6:32 - Battle deep dive
• 41:56 - Individual Card Discussion
• 42:11 - 9. Pile On
• 43:44 - 8. Invasion of Gobakhan
• 47:55 - 7. Rampaging Raptor
• 49:40 - 6. Bloodfeather Phoenix
• 51:35 - 5. Halo Forager
• 53:20 - 4. Chrome-Host Seed Shark
• 57:16 - 3. Deeproot Wayfinder
• 59:47 - 2. Faerie Mastermind
• 1:03:21 - 1. Khenra Spellspear
• 1:09:38 - Overall impressions of MOM
• 1:15:52 - Death-Greeter’s Champion and March of the Machine Commander
• 1:19:50 - Seed of Hope: the most popular common from MOM

Discussed in this episode:

• Prospective Article
• Episode 145: Mechanics and Our own Cube Additions
• The Resleevables
• The Presleevables video on battles
• LuckyPaperMtG on YouTube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

View the game size breakdowns for the Bun Magic Cube and Regular Cube. You can also copy this template and fill it out to calculate your own cube’s game size!

Andy and Anthony follow up on their recent discussion with Sam Black on ‘big’ and ‘small’ games of Magic. Sam coined these term in an article he wrote describing a nuanced understanding of card advantage including how effects create, or benefit from, high and low resource games. Our hosts expand on the topic and respond to feedback from the community on the subject. Andy breaks down his Bun Magic Cube and Anthony’s Regular Cube, categorizing each card based on the number of pieces they add or remove from play, and they compare the numerical analysis to their experience playing these environments.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Big and Small Games with Sam Black
• Elvish Visionary vs. Elderfang Disciple: the Nature of Card Advantage
• Limited Level Ups
• Andy’s coached match with Brian Coval
• March of the Machine and Commander Decks Cube Surveys
• XKCD: Ten Thousand

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

1:35 - Review of big and small game theory

4:38 - The application of big and small game theory as a player

16:35 - The connection between mana cost and deck size

20:19 - Game size as a cube designer

23:51 - Spreadsheet deep dive on the Bun Magic and Regular Cube’s Size

49:55 - So did we learn anything!?

54:20 - On Nissa, Who Shakes the World and other notable cards

59:05 - Card advantage as the absolute value of game size

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Our Cube Prospective Surveys for March of the Machine and March of the Machine Commander are now open! Let us know what you are testing in your cube from the latest set.

Andy and Anthony take a first look at March of the Machine: the fist set since Lorwyn to introduce an entirely new card type. They discuss the new mechanics from a design perspective and how they generally apply to any kind of Cube environment. They also pick out individual cards that might end up in their own, varied Cube lists.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Boonta Vista
• Official March of the Machine Mechanics Article
• Our episode with Sam Black about Big and Small Games
• The Overton Window
• Andy’s Coaching Session with Brian Coval
• Game Theory
• Infinitokens
• Fight Club
• The Neoclassical Cube
• Live the Dream Cube
• The Breya Cube

Timstamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:03 - Discussion of changes to set reviews

4:50 - Battles

18:06 - Transforming Double-Faced Cards

22:03 - Backup

25:20 - Incubate

30:37 - Convoke

32:10 - Unnamed themes and mechanics

36:27 - Additions to the Neoclassical Cube

38:15 - Additions to the Regular Cube

50:31 - Additions to the Bun Magic Cube

1:06:02 - Additions to the Turbo Cube

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony are joined by Chris and Tim from the Jank Diver Gaming Community to talk about how to play your own, custom-designed cube on Arena. In an exciting, two-part episode, the boys first walk through the process of playing Cube through Arena, then participate in one of Jank Diver Gaming’s weekly drafts and discuss their experience. Will Andy, who has effectively never played Arena before, punt away all his games by not knowing how to use the interface? Will Anthony hate-draft from our guests, leaving a path of burned bridges behind him? Is Theo still too powerful to defeat? Does anyone actually know the full rules text of Questing Beast? Tune in to find out.

⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠

Discussed in this episode:

• Jank Diver Gaming Discord
• Cube Cobra
• mtgadraft.tk
• Matcherino
• Arena card pool on Scryfall
• Lucky Paper Rotisserie Draft Template
• Theo’s Arena Cube
• The Use and Abuse of Archetype Driven Design
• Get Some Game LGS in North Charlotte
• Jank Diver Gaming on Twitter and YouTube

Timestamps:

• 1:28 — How to Draft Your Own Cube on Arena
• 19:33 — Reflections on Andy and Anthony’s First Arena Cube Draft
• 22:52 — How does the Jank Diver Unrestricted Cube feel to an outsider?
• 25:21 — How was the Jank Diver Unrestricted Cube designed?
• 39:56 — Rotisserie Drafting the Jank Diver Unrestricted Cube
• 40:59 — The differences in perceived tempo when playing digitally
• 47:23 — Details of the Jank Diver Gaming community
• 49:01 — Chris and Tim’s top 5 Most Wanted Arena Reprints

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

• Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube
• Anthony’s “Regular” Cube

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. Send in questions to the show at [email protected]. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.