A cube featuring lots of different overlapping themes. This is geared toward more veteran players, though novice players should be able to participate and still have a good time. The overall theme is to try to squeeze as much synergy as you can out of your draft. This cube intends to foster fun interactive matches, exciting moments, and delight in discovering and pulling off unexpected synergies and niche strategies.

This is geared more toward 1v1 matches, but there is some support for multiplayer. Can also be used for sealed.

Notes to self:

• In order to keep complexity manageable during gameplay, tricks should generally require mana, including on-board tricks. Being able to play around what your opponent might be able to do based on his/her mana adds depth. Making players have to be vulnerable when committing mana elsewhere adds depth. Stalls due to hesitation can exist, but should require floated mana.
• A more synergistic deck should do consistently better than a "good stuff" deck.
• Themes should generally stay within their strategy. Ex: zombies overwhelm with numbers, not with size, so big zombies (that aren't cross-theme) do not belong.
• Do not put cards in colors that primarily help themes of other colors, especially if there is little cross-theme synergy with some in-color theme(s).
• Theme cards should ideally be slightly under rate or on rate without theme synergy, and then slightly above rate with theme synergy.
  • Be wary of cards that are exceptionally above rate, even if they are thematic. The fact that they are so above rate actually weakens the card's ability to enable its themes, since the card can be picked and played in any deck.
  • Also be wary of cards that are below rate or just on rate with theme synergy. This can often take the form of insignificant creature bodies with minor theme rewards. Just being on rate with theme synergy does not encourage drafting towards that theme.
  • Minor theme reward cards probably need to be threshold 1 (often counting self) or 2 to be viable, and be supplemented with at least some cross-theme compatible cards.
  • Minor mana discount rewards tend not to be very appealing and probably should not be regarded as sufficient theme synergy for inclusion. They do not produce value, only tempo.
• Keep an eye on the amount of support for themes for each color pair. If necessary, rebalance support by taking away cards for a highly viable pair and replacing them with cards to support a less viable/established pair.
• Be wary of cards that hedge between strategies. These tend to be less interesting and don't help in enabling distinct, focused decks to be created.
• Cards that are difficult to interact with are okay if they are not bombs by themselves (ex: Shielding Plax). In a singleton limited format, they can create fun moments without being too overbearing simply due to how infrequently they'll show up. In some senses, being difficult to interact with can be a form of synergy reward.
• Respect the weaknesses of each color.
  • White: reactive, soft removal; small creatures (can grow).
  • Blue: no hard removal.
  • Red: no evasion (red fear), removal usually (but not always) restricted to smaller creatures.
  • Green: Only limited creature-based removal. Limited ability to react to opponent in general, aside from defensively.
• Typical Curve
  • 2 mana: 2/2
  • 3 mana: 1/4 - 3/2 with minor upside
  • 4 mana: 3/3 with upside