How To Build a Cube From Your Collection

Have you always wanted a Cube of your own? Do you have a box full of jank and draft chaff taking up space that you can’t bring yourself to get rid of? You’re in luck! On this week’s show, Andy and Anthony discuss how to build a Cube from your existing Magic collection. They talk about the pros of working within novel constraints. Building from a collection likely means working with cards you already have some connection and familiarity with. The unique constraint fuels coming up with unique and creative designs. It also comes with unique challenges, making it hard to find existing experience and resources to build off off. Talking about the Cube and getting feedback becomes more difficult.

They propose a process for designing a Cube this way, separating exploring the collection, and then editing down to a final list and offer some suggestions for goals to aim for while editing.

Follow along with all the cards mentioned in this episode with our visual spoiler.

Timestamps:

• 5:36 — Introduction to Main Topic
• 8:38 — The Advantages of Building a Cube from Your Collection
• 15:12 — What makes building a cube from your collection uniquely difficult?
• 23:22 — How to Begin: Writing vs. Editing
• 29:04 — How to Make Cuts: Mana Curve
• 36:46 — How to Make Cuts: Densities and Distributions of Effects
• 41:58 — How to Make Cuts: Power Distribution
• 45:50 — Do you need to establish themes or archetypes for your cube?
• 49:41 — How many fixing lands to include?

Discussed in this episode:

• Enchant Worldle
• Cube Cobra
• Dominaria’s Judgment
• Episode 51: How to Win Friends and Influence People (Into Playing Your Cube)
• Episode 31: Bread and Butter Breakdown
• Episode 71: The Use and Abuse of Archetype Driven Design
• Rhystic Studies’ Dear Gonti, Love Sophie

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 you have a question for the show, or want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube, email us at [email protected]. Please include how you’d like to be credited, your pronouns, a link to your cube if relevant. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord.

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Musical production by DJ James Nasty.