Introduction

Welcome to the wonderful world of type 4. A cube or stack format based around the idea of casting powerful and cool cards that aren't always good in other formats. If you are completely new to type 4 I suggest checking out the MTG Wiki that can give a breakdown of what it entails.

I've had my type 4 stack for at least 10 years now with it being taken apart, lost, found, redesigned and crafted to be what exists today. My philosophy of what makes a great type 4 cube has grown as I have grown and I think the current iteration is on the right track into being a delightful format for both those who like trying to find the nuance in Magic and those just trying to make exciting plays. My card choices are not perfect and the rules and ways to play shift with every bit of data I get from playing. The overall complexity is high and I would not suggest this cube for someone brand new to Magic, but those with some experience and solid rules understanding will be able to play and enjoy the experience even if some of the finer tricks and plays may be missed.

I hope those of you that decide to join in on this wonderful Magic format can use my ideas as a jumping off point and will use cards you know and have as tools to craft the experience to what you want it to be. If type 4 doesn't seem like your style of cube then I hope some of my lessons learned can be applied to you crafting your own cube or experience. At the very least I hope you give it a try with whatever you have lying around and find some of that joy that brought us all to Magic to begin with.

Rules

The rules for each type 4 cube are changed slightly depending on the designers restrictions and desired goals. The rules I lay out here apply to my type 4 cube and its design goals, but are all entirely changeable if you feel some of them do not fit your idea of what makes the format fun.

• Players have infinite mana of all colors and types and can use this mana at their discretion.
• Players may only cast one spell per turn unless it is cast for an alternate cost
• An alternate cost is defined as any cost that is not the one in the top right corner of a card. (Casting without paying the mana cost counts)

That's it! Some cubes have more rules or variations on what I put forth, but I wanted to keep the new rules to the format at a minimum due to the nature of so many keywords and card types interacting with each other already. Keeping the complexity lower here allows for higher complexity in my card options while still allowing more people to enjoy the format. Here are some key Magic rules that have NOT changed.

• 20 starting life
• 7 card opening hands
• 1 land per turn if you draw them

I've seen many type 4 cubes change these aspects as well. 30 life, 5 cards, and play any lands are all common rules I've encountered, but I've found these rules don't always make the format better and just add unneeded explanation when getting people to play for the first time. Feel free to shift these around if you are looking for less options early or shorter/longer games. I often play with the stack between rounds at events so having the slightly faster game time on average can go a long way in getting your game done before you have to pack up.

Drafting

No matter what rule set I use for getting a deck I always play with 40 cards. My cube has mill elements designed in that can allow players to craftily turn the corner against a player who is drawing too many cards or is already milling themselves to support their graveyard synergies. This doesn't come up very often, but does create exciting moments of planning out the last few crucial turns that are often memorable. One of the great benefits to type 4 is that decks don't need much structure to actually function. The most common way I've played the format is just taking two random decks from the stack and battling against each other while replacing cards that we saw each game as we go. Doing this allows for quick turn around time and no complicated drafting for players who aren't used to the cards without losing much of the fun in the core gameplay.

My preferred drafting method is Rochester Draft with a slight variation on pack creation. I like to draft 20 packs total with 2 cards in each pack per player. This means that no matter the number of players the draft will end with each player having a perfect sized deck with every card seen being played. This gives the opportunity for players to have to play with cards they would deem less powerful and makes them try and find the best use for them. While not optimal, drafting with this method for two players does work and is still great fun if time allows.

Goals and Lessons Learned

This is my cube and my enjoyment is important, but I can not have fun without others having fun. From a strict design standpoint I would still say my cube is too complex for most players to enjoy fully, but I've done what I can to remove as much complexity and unnecessary knowledge requirement as possible while still getting the experience I want. This unfortunately doesn't lead to an amazing experience for every individual who plays my cube, but does hit a great mark with my Magic engrossed friend groups of various skill levels. I've learned a lot throughout the years that have greatly impacted the cubes current form. Seeing it now compared to when I started is night and day, and I'm proud of where it has wound up. Ahead are some goals and rules that I've used to help guide my path toward creating the best experience possible. Having your goals and finding your rules that you have for your own cube can go a long way in helping to cultivate the experience you actually want rather than the experience you have. I highly suggest any cube creators who don't have a clear plan take these guidelines I used here as a framework for themselves.

There are a number of goals that I try to cultivate with my card choices and rules.

• Players are engaged
• Players are rewarded for planning and thinking outside the box
• Players are regularly surprised

When designing any cube/format/game knowing what makes your creation fun isn't always clear. The first time I played type 4 I had a good time, but if you asked me after what exactly made it fun I don't know if I could have given a clear answer past, "I played some big flashy cards and it was sweet." That statement is definitely true to this day, but also doesn't tell the whole story. There were some parts that were fun and some that weren't, and while locking my opponent out with infinite counterspell loops was cool, I'm not sure it was actually fun. I didn't know this at the time, but over many lifecycles of the cube I slowly started to find the fun in what was there and hone in on those moments. What was fun to me was seeing very different cards, playing in a new way, and seeing interesting synergies I'd never thought of, and that is what I decided I wanted my goals to capture.

When you lock a player out playing the game in some way they aren't engaged anymore. They instead just play cards and feel defeated which doesn't create a great energy or make them want to continue playing in the future. Games can have huge blowouts or end quickly, but I wanted to reduce as much dead time from my games as possible. Very rarely in this cube are games a drag of one person being completely dead without really dying.

I like synergies and sick plays, but I really love when I get to win the game while doing them. Having interesting plays occur and rewarding players who found them leads to people trying harder and learning more about the cube as games go on. When people are more invested in your card choices and know that cool plays exist they are more likely to look at a weaker card and assume there is more to it than on the surface. The more cool things you add, the more people look for cool things and see the finer points of your build.

Even after playing this cube hundreds of times I still end up in situations or with combinations of abilities I haven't before. Sometimes I realize that there is some great play that I maybe could have done in the past that I've only noticed now. For players who haven't played my stack as much as I have these feelings can be common. Even in games where all of the interactions are known the outcome is not. Powerful cards and high variance points can cause players to never know when the game will actually be over. Both of these things together can leave players surprised about how it all went down, which makes them want to come back for more. Embrace the variance!

I have some rules on cards I try to avoid to help create the most engaging gameplay experience possible.

• No cards that shuffle libraries
• No tutors
• No cards with long resolution times

Having these rules has taken out some cool options for the cube, but cards that are in these camps often slow down games and can cause what is often a fast paced haymaker format to slow down and drag. This is particularly painful in multiplayer games where having to read cards and understand whats occurring can already slow down the pace of play. Tutors can cause games to feel the same and causes more games to end due to the powerful cards rather than forcing players to think critically to use their weaker cards well. I have no regrets about these rules and plan to never go back, though finding exactly which cards require too long to resolve can be trial and error. Atris, Oracle of Half-Truths is the fine line on being acceptable, but his fun play patterns have kept him in.

I also have some balance rules I try to abide by.

• No creatures that can kill a player in two hits or less on their own
• No individual large card draw that impacts only one player
• No counterspells that easily give you card advantage

These balance rules are certainly more flexable than my gameplay experience rules, but they are very important in helping support that experience. Games that end too quickly and revolve around a single card can feel cheap. Having that occur occasionally is okay, but giant creatures that just kill you with minimal other play get old fast.

Balancing card advantage has been one of the toughest parts of the cube. Drawing cards is fun and can make a player feel powerful. This is great and something I want to happen, however I also hate games that can be super close resource races that get blown open in a boring way. Someone top decking a large draw spell when both players are empty handed and immediately having access to everything is boring. Alternatively, a player drawing a permanent that draws them one extra card every turn is exciting. Instead of the door slamming shut immediately the player without the advantage has a couple turns to find powerful tools of their own or find an answer to the problematic permanent. This creates great tension and can lead to exciting and unexpected turn arounds in
gameplay.

Counterspells are the glue that holds the haymaker sandwich together. Some of these effects can be so powerful that without well timed counter magic games can devolve quickly. With that in mind, I need to point out that counterspells are the most powerful thing in this cube. When players are unable to play multiple spells the power of having a clean answer to nearly any other single card is unmatchable. This means that counterspells that do more than just counter spells are even more powerful and can create an unfair advantage for the counterspell player. Getting to answer anything while also going up on either tempo or card advantage creates snowball games that can be highly frustrating. I do give up some ground to create more variety in counterspell options rather than just all of them being "Counter target spell." Mindbreak Trap adds variety, and while it is definitely stronger than a regular counterspell its not so much so that it can ruin a game or feel unfair. There are likely some counterspells in my cube that are still too strong, but finding that line will work out in time.

Clarifications, Tips, and Other

• Playing my cube if you are unsure if what you are casting is an alternate cost, then it probably is. Feel free to bug me on Twitter if you are unsure.
• Yes max hand size is still 7
• Yes that normal rule still applies too.
• Yes that one too.
• I'm not sure if playing or drawing is stronger in the cube's current form. Extra cards and options can matter a lot to brunt early forces. I take that balance being there with great pride.
• Type 4 Cube is the cube that least requires a set card number. I go for 360 as it allows the most consistency in quality and draftability while still supporting two full pods of 4 playing.
• Type 4 plays well as both a multiplayer and 1v1 format and I have built my cube to support either. A few cards are even much stronger when used in the multiplayer space.
• Casting spells for their awaken cost does require you to control a land you can target. If you don't have one then you can't try and play it as an alternate cost.
• Violent Ultimatum requires three targets. No more, no less! Sometimes you have to hit your own things in a pinch.
• Ricochet Trap can be used to "counter" most counterspells. This is its intended use, but it sometimes does other cool things!
• Mind's Desire looks weird at first but is super cool when you get to go off with it. Try your best to make it work!
• Deep Spawn isn't the best card in its slot, but it is a delight to see people read it the first time they see it, and everyone always gets a laugh out of it's essay of text. I think of it as the cube's mascot and I definitely have an emotional attachment to it. Thankfully its just good enough synergy and power wise to not feel like a waste.

Thank you so much for reading and taking a care in my cube and thoughts. I hope you get a chance to play type 4 yourself!