Art by Dan Frazierrewriting currently in progress
table of contents notes:- for drafters
- for reviewers
- aesthetic
- design restrictions
- power restrictions
- design philosophy
- special tags
- minutiae
notes for drafters
- keyword complexity is high, unique in several cases
- some cards are altered where text is obscured or unreadable, even the card name in some cases
- pack composition is 2 seeded packs of 14, 2 partially seeded packs of 12, and an extra 16 card pack for Lore Seeker, so you'll draft 54 cards. yeah, cuts are hard sometimes.
- colors are not even, nor other aspects of spreadsheet aesthetics
- design is more cEDH/combo focused than traditional archtype-focused
- aggro is viable but needs interaction to stop combos
- some common archtypes and combos are not present
- some common archtypes and combos use different cards than expected
- keep an open mind on card roles and interactions; every card has multiple reasons
- more fixing than average in land (16%), less fixing than average in artifacts (3 talismans, no signets)
- land station includes some wastes and Snow-covered basics for various edge cases
- companions may be used as companions, following current rules
pack composition
When discussing pck composition I use the following shorthand:
- w is
, u is 
, b is 
, r is 
, g is 
- m is a multicolor, split multicolor, and/or hybrid card
- c is a colorless non-land card
- l is a land
- x is a random card
The draft is 4 packs. The first two are seeded, the other two less so. This leads to more dramatic decisions and signaling in the early packs, which is more significant IMO with a higher-power cube. Running 4 packs leads to more significant decisions at the expense of decreased likelihood of information on the wheel. On the other hand things wheeling is amuch stronger signal with smaller pack sizes.
The pack composition is:
- wubrgclxxxxxxx
- wubrgclxxxxxxx
- mclxxxxxxxxx
- clxxxxxxxxxx
- unapologetically strix 10 so high "cube IQ" required for players
- 3rd major iteration of this cube (been curating since 2008)
- intentionally skewed towards combo in contrast to conventional powered cubes
- many cards have notes; please read them
aesthetic
- no commitment to pure aesthetic, just like fancy cards
- foils are preferred over non-foil, unless old school
- signed is preferred over non-signed
- altered is preferred over non-altered
- signatures or alters obscuring card text is fine
- most of this cube is foiled (didn't set finish in CC for readability reasons)
- most of this cube is signed and/or altered (tags exist to reflect this)
- alters are always artists choice unless the artist required direction
design restrictions
- singleton except land
- no custom cards or special rules for cards
- no silver bordered (un-), holiday, HotR, or playtest cards
- no dexterity matters or ante cards
- no budget, rarity, expansion, theme restriction
- draft matters cards are ok
- limited commercially released cards are ok (Secret Lair, Jumpstart)
power restrictions
Everything is fair game until it isn't. If something is outside "normal Magic" and overperforming, it will be removed. Similar cards may also get conditionally axed while adapting to new archtypes.
- "turn 3 wins" are ok (also rare; people calling them frequent are hyperbolic)
- cards can be cut for power reasons (wins > 70% repeatedly, eg Sovereign's Realm)
- cards consistently underperforming should be removed
- heavy tutoring is fine
design philosophy
I want this environment to be high-risk, high-reward. I want stories of decks going off with ridiculous combos, stopping them with key disruption, or bursting out of the gate with beats. Most combos slide in with other more archtypal decks or themes. Although you can force a combo pile with a bunch of tutors, you could easily lose to a counterspell or spot removal.
- combo cards should be semi-redundant but not excessively so
- modality, diversity of purpose, and independent power of cards are valued significantly over combo-specific power and cost (Solemnity over Vizier of Remedies, Rhythm of the Wild over Melira)
- breadth of combos and synergies are preferred over depth, provided minimum viability is met
- color balance is of less concern than "theme" support
- cards considered "only a sideboard card" are frequently cut if too narrow
- nothing should be pushed or forced outside of testing
composition themes
There are few macro archtypes in this cube and the line between them and themes is difficult to draw. Most decks are combinations of themes and combos with overlap or focused one-trick ponies. Occasionally someone drafts something off the rails, or lives the 5c goodstuff dream, but it's risky. Themes are listed here in alphabetical order. Each can be filtered by the listed tag.
Examples of specific cards are included but are not a comprehensive reflection of what's available.
tag:"theme:+1/+1 counters"Cards that place or benefit from +1/+1 counters. Currently this theme has no direct payoff but is being tracked in case cards that care about counters are added in the future.
+1/+1 counters is spread across all colors.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Cards that empower or benefit from playing more colors.
example cards:
payoffs:
Cards that reward basic aggressive strats. drop threats fast, turn them sideways, win via attack. Not all aggro cards are creatures, some are cards that disproportionately benefit the aggro player.
Aggro is primarily in and .
example cards:
payoffs:
Artifact cards and/or cards that care about having artifacts. These decks can be agggro, control, or combo, though not all cards are exclusive to one type. payoffs vary by type, unlisted.
Artifacts is primarily , , and 
.
example aggro cards:
example control cards:
example combo cards:
payoffs:
Blink aka flicker are cards that exile other cards, then return them to play. Targets to blink are not included in this list as it's everything matching 't:creature and o:"enters the battlefield"'.
Blink is primarily with other colors, mostly , for increased reward.
example cards:
payoffs:
Bounce is slang for returning permanents to people's hands. It can open the way for an attack, or set people back resources having to cast a spell again. You can also in some cases return your own creature to hand to use it's ETB triggers another time.
Bounce is overwhelmingly .
example cards:
payoffs:
Card that deal damage, ideally to any target. Burn decks go fast until they run out of gas.
example cards:
payoffs:
Distinct from card draw, card advantage tends to be more situational or conditional. It may be delayed card draw, or draws replacing the card played.
These kinds of advantages are mostly but are found in other colors.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Card draw is exactly what you think it is, ways of drawing extra cards. It is similar and has overlap with tag:"theme:card selection" (primarily choice, not advantage), tag:"theme:card advantage" (often conditional/situational), and tag:"theme:wheels" (more narrow hand refill effects).
Card draw is spread across all colors in different ways.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Card selection are effects that combine draw and either discard, exile, or returning to library to afford choice but not necessarily card advantage. The discard aspect of some of these fuels reanimator and provides for other mechanics such as Delerium, Threshold, etc.
Card Selection is primarily , less so , but is spread across all colors.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Cheat is putting creatures into play without paying full price, or otherwise very early, and distinct from tag:"theme:reanimator".
Cheat is mostly and .
example cards:
payoffs:
Control seeks to regulate what can and can't happen. It's distinct from tag:"theme:counterspell" in affecting board presence or rules, not negating single spells.
Control is primarily , and , but control shells can be made from tag:"theme:removal" and tag:"anti:creature" in or fairly easily.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
There are a number of cards that copy or become copies of other permanents you control. This isn't a theme with payoffs in itself, but are frequently part of game-winning combos. Think of this as a useful list for finding cards. It does not include creatures limited to creating copies of themselves.
Copy is primarily and .
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Counterspells negate other spells. Given the bias towards combo in this cube they hold great power and are run in high concentration. Some are "hard", some are conditional. Payoffs are indirect, retaining board presence or benefiting from # of spells in graveyards.
Counterspells are overwhelmingly .
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a*
Discard effects are pre-emptive strikes attacking your opponent's hand, denying them combo pieces or payoffs. There are currently no explicit payoffs but certain viagra in tag:"theme:reanimator" have obvious synergy.
Discard is overwhelmingly .
example cards:
payoffs:
Draft Matters cards change how you draft, either by creating effects altering the normal rules for draft or by changing your preferences for or against certain cards because of abilities afforded. Ideally you want to see these cards early but even a late one can have a profound impact on your deck.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Cards that support the Enter the Dungeon mechanic.
Dungeon is currently only one card.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Enchantments refers to cards where enchantments matter or are staples in enchantments matter decks. Currently this theme has no direct payoff but is being tracked in case cards that care about it are added in the future. Previously this had included cards like Sanctum Weaver and Halvar.
Enchantments is primarily .
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Equipment cards and/or cards that care about having equipment. No real payoff but Stoneforge helps?
Equipment is primarily and .
example cards:
payoffs:
<<
Exile refers to cards that exile for advantage. This includes Escape cards. The only payoff at present is Laelia.
example cards:
payoffs:
Fast mana is part of the huge power disparity in powered cubes. Being able to ramp for free or getting huge boosts to drop things early is a tremendous advantage. Even off-color it's hard to say, "No" to fast mana.
Fast mana is overwhelmingly .
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Forests matters are cards that require or care about quantity of forests. They are exclusively .
example cards:
payoffs:
Cards that support the Initiative/Undercity mechanic.
Initiative is currently only one card.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Lands refers to cards that trigger on playing lands or care about the number of lands you have. They are exclusively .
example cards:
payoffs:
Cards that gain life or trigger on gaining life. Lifegain has no major payoffs currently though Heliod is good, incremental value.
Lifegain is primarily 
.
example cards:
payoffs:
Midrange spends t1 doing mana accel and dropping 4+ power beaters from t2 on. It's not as low to the ground as aggro, nor as wide typically, so weaker to spot removal, but harder to deal with by blocking. It's a "fair" deck but it closes fast and is more durable than aggro against mass removal as the creatures hold more value late game.
Midrange is splashing 
.
example cards:
payoffs:
Mill puts cards from your opponent's library into their graveyard or exile, to win by exhausting them of cards or removing combo pieces. Mill is often bolted on to other themes as a wincon for combos and has incidental wins by itserlf.
Mill is , , and .
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Cards that support the Monarch mechanic. These typically have a strong control bent and have been in and out of the cube over the years.
Monarch is primarily in , , and , but is currently only one card.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Opposition is a brutal enchantment that can lock down your opponent with enough creatures. There's a lot of overlap with tag:"theme:tokens" and tag:"theme:wide".
Opposition decks are typically x.
example cards:
payoffs:
Ramp is using your early resources to increase available mana on future turns, and cards that are part of this strat. Often this means a mana dork on t1 and a 3-4 drop on t2. It can also be positioning yourself for bombs like Ugin turns earlier than normal.
Ramp is primarily .
example creature cards:
example spells:
example enchantments:
other examples:
payoffs:
n/a
Reanimator decks rely on the right mix of fatties, milkshakes (cards that bring your boys to the yard), and viagra (cards that bring dead things back to life). A cute trick is using Gifts to grab Unburial Rites and some fatties, since no matter what at least one fattie ends up in the yard and you can cast Rites from hand or graveyard.
Milkshakes are scattered through all colors. It's complimented by tag:"theme:card selection" and tag:"theme:wheels". Viagra is almost exclusively .
Payoffs are just everything coming together.
example milkshakes:
example viagra:
example bombs:
payoffs:
n/a
Cards that destroy or exile permanents. Often this is for creatures but can extend to all permanent types. This isn't a theme with payoffs by itself, but can be a useful list for finding cards.
Removal is primarily and but includes all colors.
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Cards that care about casting non-creature spells, sometimes just instants and sorceries.
Spells matter is primarily but can include all colors.
example cards:
payoffs:
Stax is a family of decks based on punishing or limiting your oppnent through sacrifice and breaking symmetry for oppressive advantages. The namesake is Smokestack, abused by welding out or removing counters, but the deck can do much more.
Stax is spread across , , , and .
example cards:
payoffs:
n/a
Steal is about seizing control of the resources of others. This is often limited to specific card types or under specific conditions.
Steal is primarily , , and .
example cards:
payoffs:
Storm is a triggered ability that copies a spell for every other spell previously cast that turn. By casting many cheap or free spells, cards that give you mana, and the like you can increase your storm count and go off in one glorious turn. It's high-risk, high-reward.
Payoffs are Brain Freeze and Tendrils of Agony. You can get additional value by remanding your storm spell and re-casting it, or using cards like Underworld Breach or Yawgmoth's Will to recur them.
Storm is primarily and with some and .
example cards:
payoffs:
Cards that limit what your opponent can cast, otherwise make it more expensive to do so, or benefit from such strats.
Taxes is primarily with some .
Tokens are cards that create tokens. This isn't a theme with payoffs by itself outside of tag:"combo:reflection", but can be a useful list for finding cards.
Cards that let you search for other cards. This isn't a theme that does anything by itself, but can be a useful list for finding cards to accelerate or improve consistency of other themes or combos.
Tutoring is spread across all colors.
Wheels are cards that make players discard their hands and draw new ones. Payoffs are the symmetry breakers of Narset and Hullbreacher.
Wheels are , , and .
Wide refers to "going wide", strats that benefit from quantity more than size. This includes anthem effects and other pumps, as well as cards that provide benefits to those strats.
Wide is primarily , , and but bleeds into other colors.
Wildfire and its twin Burning of Xinye deal 4 damage to each creature and each player sacrifces 4 lands. Getting both of these forms its own archtype, typically with other mass removal and superfriends, sometimes land recursion or fatties. This archtype tends to annihilate aggro.
combos
Some cards have incredibly strong, often game winning, interactions. Some are as simple as 2 cards. Some are more convoluted or conditional.
Examples of combos are included but are not a comprehensive reflection of all combos nor every permutation of that combo available.
generic recursionCountless spells can be recurred, without explicitly spelling it out as a combo, using common cards. This is typically done with two things: 1. a creature that creates copies of spells or returns cards from your graveyard to hand; 2. something that copies, bounces, or flickers that creature.
More convoluted approaches can use other cards with tag:recursion and sac outlets, or other means.
tag:"combo:bomberman"Auriok Salvagers lets you pay 
to recur a 0 or 1 MV artifact. Combined with Lotus or LED it generates infinite mana, any combination of colors. Pyrite Spellbomb can then be recurred infinitely for damage. Chromatic Star can be recurred infinitely to draw your entire deck.
Broodmoth returns non-flying creatures to the battlefield with flying counters. This is a great value-engine as-is, but can be repeated if counters can't be placed or are removed. This goes infinite with Kroxa (and Uro so be careful).
Dark Depths is a land that ETBs w/ 10 counters. You can pay 
to remove a counter. When it has no counters on it, sac it for a 20/20 flying indestructible token. By copying it, preventing counters, or removing counters you can "cheat" a fast Marit Lage.
Eldrazi Displacer is incredibly powerful as a value engine flickering your creatures. It can also be used to flicker your opponent's creatures and negate their ability to attack. Containment Priest is a powerful hatebear that stops cheat and reanimator strats. Together they enable you to permanently exile a creature for 
.
Staff of Domination does a little bit of everything, and can do it forever if you have the mana. This can be done with tag:"combo:bomberman", tag:"combo:monolith", or Rofellos and 5+ forests.
Fastbond is a cheap enchantment that lets you play extra lands at the cost of 1 life. This is easily exploited with cards that let you play land from graveyards such as Ramunap or Crucible. You can do a one-sided Armageddon with Strip Mine. You can gain infinite life with Zuran Orb. You can draw infinite cards with Horizon lands.
Heliod puts a +1/+1 on target creature whenever you gain life and can give creatures lifelink. This grows your board on its own but more significantly can go infinite. Ballista is fairly straightforward. Finks is a persist combo variant and requires a sac outlet to go infinite.
Mycosynth Lattice makes everything artifacts. Collector Ouphe and Karn shut down artifacts, Karn being superior as it's one-sided. This means lands, mana dorks, and rocks cannot tap for mana.
Memory Lapse is a very strng counterspell because of the tempo swing. Forcing the player to re-draw their spell means they're not getting new options.
Zirda reduces the cost of activated abilities by 2. This is useful for equipment but utterly broken with Grim and Basalt Monolith. Since they now cost less to untap than they produce, they generate infinite colorless mana. This can be used to fuel Eldrazi, burn spells, tag:"combo:domination", and more.
Persist lets creatures that died w/o -1/-1 counters return to the battlefield when they die, with a -1/-1 counter. This can be exploited by preventing the addition of counters, removing counters, or giving a +1/+1 counter to negate the -1/-1 counter. Combined with sac outlets these often go infinite.
Persist creatures are 
, 
, or . Enablers are primarily or 
. Sac outlets are primarily , , and .
Mystic Reflection is a versatile card. It can make any creature yu play a clone. It can negate yur opponnent's cheat or reanimator payoff. It really shines though on effects that make multiple tokens. Reflection on Deep Forest Hermit's trigger gives you >100 attack power.
Arcane Savant can be used for a lot of infinite combos through generic recursion. However with some spells he goes infinite on his own.
Straightforward, use Isochron Scepter every opponent's upkeep to cast Orim's Chant and deny them the ability to cast spells. Kick it if to prevent attack if needed. Only instants can save them.
Mindslaver is an artifactt hat lets you control your opponent's next turn. If you can replay it and reuse it every turn your opponent never gets to play a proper turn. Emry needs big mana. Welder needs artifact token producers like Saheeli.
Sneak Attack is a staple of tag:"theme:cheat", letting you drop any creature onto the battlefield for a one-shot at the bargain cost of . Selvala lets you keep drawing cards for them, so long as you keep dropping larger creatures. Luminous Broodmoth gives you a flying version of the creature that sticks around if it wasn't already flying.
Thespian's Stage has myriad uses, not just tag:"combo:depths". Copy Urza's Saga, let it hit two chapters, then copy to something else but keep the token gen effect. Song one of their big threats, then have Stage copy the "Forest" and be the original card.
Time Vault is an artifact that taps to take another turn. To untap it you normally need to skip a turn. However, untap effects or having untapped copies let you abuse this card heavily.
Time Walk lets you take another turn for . Various cards let you recur this by creating and casting copies or returning it to your hand.
Tinker lets you sac an artifact to find any artifact from your deck and have it enter the battlefield. Typically this is used to cheat an artifact fattie.
Twin, sometimes called Kiki-Twin are cmbos that rely on making infinite copies of creatures, typically for infinite attack damage. It is often supported by the recruiters.
Twin is with a splash.
Winter Orb is an artifact that limits players to untapping only one land each turn. However it only works if untapped, so find ways to tap it at the end of your opponent's turn.
synergies
Most of 's non-control themes play well together such as tag:"theme:aggro", tag:"theme:artifacts", and tag:"theme:taxes". It veers more aggro-control than it's 
brethren.
's artifacts and taxes themes also play well into for tag:"theme:artifacts" or tag:"theme:spells" for aggro-control shells.
's aggro, artifacts, and tag:"theme:equipment" can be a more synergistic, more aggressive option, but with higher risk. Adding tag:"combo:heliod" is easy in this shell.
Alternatively, 
can can embrace control in both colors and hold for a combo, lock, or finisher.
naturally veers to tag:"theme:control" and tag:"theme:spells" due to it's dominance over tag:"theme:card draw" and tag:"theme:card selection". It will often splash into or for "crowd control".
also has wheels on lock, maybe splashing and some tag:"theme:spells". Both Hullbreacher and Narset are mono- and devastating.
is excellent for tag:"theme:reanimator" as they have options in tag:"theme:card draw", tag:"theme:card selection", and tag:"theme:tutor" to set it up. Ashiok serves as another milkshake.
, , all play well with tag:"theme:storm" and tag:"theme:spells". tag:"theme:reanimator" can be a decent plan B when going down this road, should nothing in the pack be what you desire.
anti
Some cards are specifically strong against certain themes, card types, or combos. They are listed here in alphabetical order. Each can be filtered by the listed tag.
Examples of specific cards are included but are not a comprehensive reflection of what's available.
tag:"anti:artifact"Cards that destroy or neutralize artifacts.
anti:artifact is primarily and .
Cards that impair the ability to cheat creatures into play. This is in addition to cards specifically in tag:"anti:reanimator".
Considerably overlapping with tag:"theme:removal", this does include cards that are broadly, often indiscriminately, anti-creature.
Cards with these tags show up highlighted in the cube list. They have notes identifying why they have them.
altered:...altered:artist means it was altered by the artist(s).
altered:cardkitty means it was altered by CardKitty.
altered:garfield means it was altered by Richard Garfield.
altered:other means it is an altar of unknown origin.
chopping blockcards that I'm likely removing.
inquire aboutcards that are untested, or that people have expressed may be inconsistent with cube power level or goals. To get additional perspective I should talk with who drafts them to see how they felt about the card's performance. cards that prove themselves lose this tag
signed:...signed:artist means it was signed by the artist(s).
signed:garfield means it was signed by Richard Garfield.
signed:maro means it was signed by Mark Rosewater.
signed:other means it was signed by someone else of significance such as Larry Nivyn for Nyvinyrral's Disk.
status:...status:missing means I've misplaced the card somewhere in my collection. I may be running a placeholder in its place.
status:upgradable means there's another version of the card I would prefer to have. That version may or may not yet be for sale (eg Secert Lair).
minutiae
- Orim's Chant: I don't view this as a one-trick pony card. It has value as a softer Time Walk for aggro decks, disruption protection for Twin, etc., not just scepter chant.
- Ashiok, Dream Render: Most people run Nightmare Weaver in this slot. I like Dream Render more for the versatility. It shuts down tutors, graveyard strats (reanimator, welder, crucible, witness), and mills faster than Nightmare Weaver. It can also be used on yourself as a milkshake.