MECHANICAL HEART: PROLIFERATE
How to support it? High density of cards with the proliferate keyword ability and ways to repeat it. Lot's of +1/+1 counters,
planeswalkers, and charge counters to make it relevant. Triggered abilities when counters are placed.How to interact with it?
Aggressive strategies that can sometimes cut down proliferate decks before they generate too much advantage. Big creatures that
can go head-to-head with creatures grown over time. A significant density of cards that target planeswalkers.How NOT to interact
with it?Overly efficient board-wipes that let the control player take an entire game's worth of progress.Targeted hate cards that
remove all counters or prevent them from being placed.
THEME 1: ABSURD RAMP
How to support it?High density of cards that ramp in the early and mid-game. Cards that store mana from one turn to the next. X
spells with great payoffs for great amounts of mana.How to interact with it?Aggressive strategies that can sometimes cut down
decks before they generate too much advantage. Taxing effects that slow down the ramp strategy. Effects that conditionally stop
the game-ending bomb (Cancel, Sleep, etc.).
How does it mesh with our mechanical heart?Cards that convert stored counters into mana and cards that repeatedly convert mana
into counters or proliferate triggers.
THEME 2: SPELLSLINGER
How to support it?High density of cantrips. Instants and sorceries that make creatures. Payoff cards that convert non-creature
casts into counters.How to interact with it?Aggressive strategies that can sometimes cut down decks before they generate too much
advantage. Removal for payoff cards.How does it mesh with our mechanical heart?
Triggers that convert casts into counters. Instants and sorceries that place counters.
THEME 3: ZOMBIES
How to support it? The amass keyword. Cards that give zombies keyword abilities. Cards that make powerful zombie tokens. Token
clone effects to synergize with powerful zombie creatures. Maybe throw in a few populate cards.How to interact with it?I expect
this to be the least powerful archetype where we will set the power level, so normal removal and efficient creatures should do the
trick. There's no need for tribal hate.How does it mesh with our mechanical heart?
Amass makes proliferate targets efficiently and early on in the game.
THEME 4: EVASION
How to support it?Enchantments, equipment, and creatures that give conditional evasion or unconditional evasion at a high cost. A
high density of flying creatures across multiple colors. Cards that reward a high density of flyers.How to interact with it?A high
enough density of reach creatures. Efficient pacifism like effects.How does it mesh with our mechanical heart?
This is mostly a balancing archetype that can put pressure on growing planeswalkers or the player not interacting hoping to grow
to an unbeatable size. However, many creatures proliferate upon dealing combat damage. Flyers will be needed to block these and
unblockable effects will be needed for those relying on that trigger.
Glue: The cards that fit into every theme and hold the cube together.Big swingy creatures, efficient aggressive creatures,
creature removal, artifact and enchantmentremoval, planeswalker removal, tempo swings, card advantage.
Once the themes are built, I'll want to look for ways to fit in whole new decks by combining the cards already present and a few
additional cards. I expect to be looking at payoffs for: controlling artifacts, placing +1/+1 counters, storm, enabling additional
combat damage (double strike or second combat phase), enabling additional counters, 4 power matters.