Cloned from Old Cards Only Cube 2023

Introduction

This is a cube of childhood favorite cards that allows drafters to travel back in time and experience old-school magic. The cube has been together for more than 10 years, been drafted dozens of times, and is constantly evolving to improve the experience, especially for new drafters.
Many decisions and card choices are geared to maximize nostalgia while minimizing complexity to cater to new-to-cube drafters, simultaneously introducing this awesome format and era of cards.

Keywords to Know

Keywords like flying, trample, haste should be familiar. Some of the older keywords found in this cube and definitions are listed below
Regenerate - The regenerate activated ability can keep a creature from dying. Once activated, the creature has: "The next time this permanent would be destroyed this turn, it isn't. Instead tap it, remove all damage from it, and remove from combat".
Protection - A creature with protection from X can't be targeted, blocked, or dealt damage by X.
Landwalk - A creature with landwalk cannot be blocked if the opponent controls the relevant land type (ex. Forestwalk if opponent controls a forest).
Echo - A creature with echo makes the controller either pay the echo cost (manacost) or sacrifice the creature the first upkeep they control creature.
Flashback - A card with flashback can be cast from the graveyard by paying its flashback cost, then exiled.
Threshold - A creature with threshold will get the threshold benefit if the controller has seven or more cards in the graveyard.
Cycling - A card with cycling can be discarded from hand for the cycling cost at anytime, then draw a card. Some cards have abilities when cycled or have landcycling where instead of drawing a card, the player searches their library for the land of the relevant landtype. This can help get needed lands or colors in a pinch.
Fading - A card with fading comes in with a number of fading counters on it. Each upkeep, a fading counter is removed and if the controller can't remove one, they sacrifice it.
Shroud - A creature with shroud cannot be targeted by spells or abilities. This applies to both players!
Kicker - A card with kicker can be cast normally for its manacost or for its manacost + kicker costs. The spell gets the kicker ability if this cost was paid.
Intercept - Old phrase for "block".
Summon - Old phrase for "creature".
Summoning sickness - Old phrase for "haste".

Strategies

Here are some descriptions of a few strategies that make up the pillars of this cube. What makes cube so fun is you can try different things each time, whether you draft a deck that fits with one of the descriptions below, a combination, or something totally different.

Control - ,

A control deck stops the opponent’s spells with permission (ex. Daze, Mana Leak), overwhelms with card draw (ex. Fact or Fiction, Deep Analysis), and eventually kills with a late game finisher (ex. Morphling, Mahamoti Djinn). Blue is the best at this strategy but is commonly combined with black and/or white to add removal, defense, and different finishers.

Ramp -

A ramp deck accelerates big creatures (ex. Thorn Elemental, Symbiotic Wurm) into play with ramp spells (ex. Harrow, Wood Elves), mana producing creatures (ex. Birds of Paradise, Werebear), or mana rocks (ex. Mana Vault, Mind Stone).
Green is the best color for this strategy but keep an eye out for payoff cards in other colors that benefit from having lots of mana (ex. Upheaval, Rolling Earthquake).

Aggro - , ,

An aggro deck plays small creatures early and often to kill the opponent quickly before they have a chance to stabilize. Once there are a smattering of creatures in play, playing a spell that taxes (ex. Sphere of Resistance, Tanglewire) the opponent’s mana or destroying lands completely (ex. Impending Disaster, Stripmine) can be the key to turning a fast start into a victory. White, red, and green each have a good selection of low-to-the ground aggressive creatures.

Midrange - , , ,

A midrange deck interacts with the opponent’s creatures, generates value from the graveyard or by drawing cards, and wins with combat damage. This strategy is very flexible and can succeed with a variety of colors. Landing threats while removing the opponent’s creatures (ex. Blastoderm, Swords of Plowshares), and drawing cards while making the opponent discard (ex. Phyrexian Arena, Duress), can be a potent combination.

Reanimator -

A reanimator deck purposely tries to put big creatures into the graveyard to then reanimate them into play quicker than they could be played normally. These decks require a discard outlet (ex. Putrid Imp, Wild Mongrel), creatures to reanimate (ex. Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Symbiotic Wurm), and spells to reanimate them (ex. Exhume, Living Death). This cube includes creatures with cycling and landcycling (ex. Eternal Dragon, Wirewood Guardian) that can go to the graveyard from hand when cycled and can be useful reanimator targets.

Goblins -

A goblin deck uses tribal synergies of the goblin creature type to out-value and kill the opponent. Goblins are an aggressive creature type that want to attack. Some goblins can reduce manacosts or put goblins from hand into play for free to add extra pressure (ex. Goblin Lackey, Goblin Warchief). Other goblins help with consistency and long game (ex. Goblin Ringleader, Goblin Matron). Goblins are primarily red but white can be added for a few more goblin cards (ex. Goblin Trenches, Goblin Legionnaire).

Zombies -

A zombie deck uses the tribal synergies of the zombie creature type to out-value and kill the opponent. A zombie deck plays like a midrange strategy, interacting with the opponent, drawing cards, and eventually winning with combat damage or life drain. Zombies are primarily black but red can add burn spells and more zombie choices (ex. Incinerate, Pyre Zombie).

Tokens -

A token deck goes wide with many small creatures so the opponent eventually gets overrun. Spells that put several tokens in play are important but an anthem or overrun effect (ex. Glorious Anthem, Overrun) will allow many small tokens to do large amounts of damage. Token decks are primarily a combination of green, red, and white but blue has some sneaky good additions too (ex. Opposition, Aether Mutation).

Synergies to Note Dual Lands

The ten original dual lands are in the cube. Since these lands have two basic land types, a fetchland like Flooded Strand or landcycler like Shoreline Ranger can both grab a basic island or a dual land that is an island (ex. Volcanic Island, Tundra, Underground Sea, or Tropical Island). This is a great way to fix a player's mana.

Pingers

Enchanting a pinger, flyer, or unblockable creature with an auras like Curiosity or Sigil of Sleep can be really fun!

Phantom Creatures

There are four phantom creatures in the cube. A neat synergy with these creatures is if they are pumped by an effect (ex. Elephant Guide, Glorious Anthem) they will not die from going to zero counters on them AND will continue to try to remove a counter when dealt damage essentially making them unkillable.

Flashback

Flashback cards are awesome since you can cast them from your hand normally or from the graveyard by paying the flashback cost. Some of these cards have lower flashback costs than manacosts and can be really good to discard, then activate the flashback ability.