>>> # The Basement Cube 8 players, 3 packs each, 15 cards each pack. <<< *** >>>### Cube philosophy<<< The overall goal of this cube is keeping the power level closer to what is often referred to as **"fair magic"**. Another way to put this is around the power level of a premier set draft. Additionally, the **cost** of each card is kept around 1 dollar (and realistically closer to 50 cents). The caveat to this are the obvious exceptions, such as lands. Exceptions are also made for certain cards that are more expensive not due to their power level, but rather their limited print or popularity in Commander. Realistically, this philosophy is just to keep cards affordable as well as using cost as a rough metric for overall popularity in cubes. I want this cube to include the fun cards that see a lot of cube play alongside 'pet' cards that I find fun and interesting and want to make playable in this environment. Finally, I am striving for this cube to have **general artifact support across all colors**, but that has been shrinking the more that I have fleshed out what I want this cube to be. The starting point for this cube was inspirited by the MTGO Artifact cube but has significantly moved away from the wide artifact support that it initially included. All of that said, I am working to keep artifacts playable across most color combinations. >>>### General 2-color archetypes<<< {R}{G} Mid-range Beatdown & Trample Matters {R}{G} >>> <<[[!Quartzwood Crasher]] [[!Professional Face-Breaker|42acbf52-b137-44f0-a815-2817fe8d2da2]] [[!Khenra Charioteer]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Froghemoth|f2064ba7-a03e-4beb-b251-9383154dbfaa]] [[!Stonebrow, Krosan Hero]] [[!Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma]]>> <<< {B}{G} Self-mill Undergrowth {B}{G} >>> <<[[!Old Rutstein|625b8023-2ef1-4b7b-9e48-4f774fee14e0]] [[!Stitcher's Supplier|2b737126-50b5-4678-91bf-197b64086fe4]] [[!Grim Flayer|025af99f-a029-4f99-9c76-676b68821520]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Kessig Cagebreakers|fae22886-da03-49f2-873c-98a7ea2ee17d]] [[!Izoni, Thousand-Eyed]] [[!Graveblade Marauder]]>> <<< {W}{B} Control & Drain {W}{B} >>> <<[[!Kambal, Consul of Allocation]] [[!Blind Obedience]] [[!Doom Foretold]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Massacre Girl]] [[!Assault Intercessor]] [[!Thrull Parasite]]>> <<< {B}{R} Mid-range Aggro & Sacrifice {B}{R} >>> <<[[!Mayhem Devil]] [[!Priest of Forgotten Gods]] [[!Immersturm Predator]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Blood Aspirant]] [[!Juri, Master of the Revue]] [[!Gixian Infiltrator]]>> <<< {U}{R} Spell-slinger Prowess {U}{R} >>> <<[[!Stormchaser Mage]] [[!Stormwing Entity]] [[!Expressive Iteration]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Magmatic Channeler]] [[!Balmor, Battlemage Captain]] [[!Monastery Swiftspear]]>> <<< {U}{B} Steal Opponent's Stuff Control {U}{B} >>> <<[[!Captain N'ghathrod]] [[!Mind Flayer|5cc1142e-ccf6-42bb-9d56-d74344ce8f97]] [[!Siphon Insight]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Predators' Hour]] [[!Ramirez DePietro, Pillager]] [[!Beguiler of Wills]]>> <<< {W}{U} Traditional Control {W}{U} >>> <<[[!Dream Trawler]] [[!Fumigate]] [[!Banish Into Fable]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Censor]] [[!Sphinx's Revelation]] [[!Touch the Spirit Realm]]>> <<< {G}{W} +1/+1 Counters Mid-Range {G}{W} >>> <<[[!Hamza, Guardian of Arashin]] [[!Swarm Shambler]] [[!Knight of Autumn]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Luminarch Aspirant|fe964e7e-e2c5-4263-889d-0a531eb51442]] [[!Good-Fortune Unicorn]] [[!Dusk Legion Duelist]]>> <<< {R}{W} Equipment and Enchantment Aggro {R}{W} >>> <<[[!Bruenor Battlehammer]] [[!Champion of the Flame]] [[!Reyav, Master Smith]]>> >>> <<[[!All That Glitters]] [[!Angelfire Ignition]] [[!Beamtown Beatstick]]>> <<< {G}{U} Lands Matter Elementals {G}{U} >>> <<[[!Tatyova, Steward of Tides]] [[!Emergent Sequence]] [[!Risen Reef]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Embodiment of Spring]] [[!Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy]] [[!Far Wanderings]]>> <<< ### Other supported archetypes: >>> {W}{W} Low Mana Value Graveyard Recursion {W}{W} <<< >>> <<[[!Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle|f6d115b4-51d5-4898-b56c-2729aa428018]] [[!Abiding Grace]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Bishop of Rebirth]] [[!Sun Titan]]>> <<< >>>{W/B} Lifegain {W/B}<<< >>> <<[[!Ajani's Pridemate]] [[!Bloodthirsty Aerialist]] [[!Abiding Grace]]>> <<< >>> <<[[!Suture Priest]] [[!Kunoros, Hound of Athreos]] [[!Wall of Limbs]]>> <<< **Three Color Creatures:** This cube has a number of three color creatures that are intended to reward drafters for leaning into a certain archetype but also taking the risk of playing the extra color. <<[[!Jan Jansen, Chaos Crafter]][[!Shalai and Hallar]][[!Siege Rhino]]>> BR Sacrifice and Artifact Aggro +1/+1 Counters and Burn BW Control and Drain **Build-Around Bombs** These are the kind of cards that I want drafters to see and think, "Wow, that's a bomb!" but will also require some build-around in order to make them work. The goal is to create some additional play patterns, but not just throwing in a strong card that can easily be slotted into any deck. <<[[!Colossus Hammer]] [[!Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist]] [[!Brass Squire]] [[!Thieving Skydiver]]>> [[Colossus Hammer]] allows for a number of different combos to quick-equip the hammer. Many of these fall within color (or colorless) with cards like [[Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist]] and [[Brass Squire]]; while also providing for off-color combinations like [[Thieving Skydiver]]. <<[[!Academy Manufactor]] [[!Shimmer Dragon]] [[!Ruthless Technomancer]] [[!Rampage of the Clans]]>> [[Academy Manufactor]] is a token generating bomb as long as players draft the enablers to get it going. Each color providing an option: * **White** utilizes cards like [[Thraben Inspector]] to power up a [[Bronze Guardian]]. * **Blue** utilizes cards like [[Hard Evidence]], [[Secrets of the Key]] and [[Spell Swindle]] to help cast improvise spells ([[Reverse Engineer]], [[Metallic Rebuke]]) and enable cards like [[Shimmer Dragon]] and [[Workshop Elders]] to close out the game. * **Black** sacrifices a [[Shambling Ghast]] with a [[Deadly Dispute]] to enable a sacrifice-beater in [[Syndicate Trafficker]] or a game closing [[Herald of Anguish]]. * **Red** can beat down with a [[Professional Face-Breaker]], [[Captain Lannery Storm]] or [[Beamtown Beatstick]] to turn on the [[Sokenzan Smelter]] engine or swing with a big [[Storm-Kiln Artist]]. * **Green** powering out tokens with [[Tireless Provisioner]] and [[Gilded Goose]] to beat down with a big, indestructible [[Wicked Wolf]] or set-up a timely [[Rampage of the Clans]].