Battlebox Lore

Me and my Battlebox Brain Worm

Occasionally at locals, I'll get asked how my battlebox started. A few years ago, I listened to Lucky Paper's Battlebox Revisited Episode, and my battlebox brain worm has been with me ever since. I scoured through all the forgotten draft chaff in my bulk bin and set aside cards that I found interesting and fun. I vaguely matched the color ratio and mana curve of Anthony's Battle Box, and BOOM: Battlebox! Continue adding and removing cards to season to taste. While I started cooking up this one many years ago, I've built several small boxes here and there as gifts to friends and anyone who is curious. My process has largely remained the same, and I'd love to share it.

Instant Battlebox

Ingredients (100 spells and 20 lands):

• 16 Cards From Each Color (mostly 2 and 3 drops)
  • 11 Creatures
  • 5 Removal Spells
• 10 Multicolor Cards
• 10 Colorless Artifact creatures and/or utility artifacts
• 4 of each basic land type (2 of each kind per player)
  • You can alternatively give players 5 different basics and 5 tapped dual lands

If you sleeve the 10 lands, and play with the rest of the cards unsleeved, then everything fits into an empty dragon shield sleeve box. Add and remove cards as you see fit, and make any rules modifications that you find cool or interesting. This is just a starting point to get your foot out of the door. I find that 180ish cards provide the right amount of variety for me (it is also what fits in my box). Happy bulk diving!

Aetherdrift and Dragonstorm Additions

I think the spotlight mechanics in both Aetherdrift and Tarkir: Dragonstorm work very well for a low-power battlebox like mine with generic synergies. Aetherdrift's exhaust is basically kicker after a creature down-payment. I've enjoyed how the exhaust cards have a threat of activation that lets you occasionally sneak an attacker through. One time-use mana sinks are always welcome. Each of the clan mechanics in Dragonstorm are pretty clean. I've personally only tested flurry, but I didn't like having an additional triggered ability to remember. Harmonize is appealing and powerful, but I already run a lot of flashback and don't want to cause too much confusion between the two. As a graveyard value enjoyer, I like renew as well, but the renew costs are mostly over-costed outside of Champion of Dusan. Mobilize is a great new form of go wide evasion, and all the Endure cards don't interest me.

• I want to test if Salt Road Packbeast is still good enough when playing from behind or if it's win-more. Draw a card on a large body is solid anyways. I've liked it a lot in Dragonstorm Draft.
• The removal spells like Witchstalker Frenzy typically play well because they're cheap when playing from behind. They can be pretty efficient when beating down, but you would probably still be winning if this was any other removal spell. Static Snare is in the same family, and it will help me relive my nutty Arena Direct pool with three of these and a Jeskai Revelation
• I tested Wayspeaker Bodyguard, and it played very well, but I didn't like that it had huge stats in addition to being a recursive value card. Maybe I'm just salty that I was looped by this, Gravedigger, and Bonecaller Cleric all at once.

• Keen Buccaneer wasn't premium in Aetherdrift, but it's right at home in battlebox. Looting helps to cast wallas, and a 3/4 vigilance is surprisingly relevant.
• Sibsig Appraiser is here to flex on Phyrexian Rager and Elvish Visionary. Blue is the best at card selection after all. (I also had 3 of these in my Jeskai Revelation Arena Direct Pool).

• While Skullclamp would be obscene in battlebox, a one time use version is pretty sweet. I've seen Desperate Measures used as a removal spell, a combat trick, and a Village Rites. Gotta use the whole buffalo.

• Sunset Strikemaster is the first of many(?) modern red mana dorks. It's elegant, versatile, and powerful.
• "Did you know that my Divination is a combat trick." - Player right before killing me with Seize Opportunity. Curves in Dragonstorm weren't typically low enough to make good use of this card, but I can give it a second chance here. I can see this one rotating out in the future, but it's interesting me for now.
• I've tested Greasewrench Goblin and Equilibrium Adept, and I've liked how both play. The goblin just looks especially weird next to Savannah Lions, and I generally dislike remembering additional triggers like flurry. I could see both of these cards returning though.

• Dragon Sniper has three annoying words on it. It dies to Skeleton Archer though.
• Greenbelt Guardian is basically a grizzly bear down payment on a Kavu Titan
• I missed Beast-Kin Ranger in Foundations Spoilers. I learned to respect it when Llanowar Elves turbos it out.
• Obstinate Baloth is a big idiot that stabilizes. I haven't seen it do the thing yet, but I imagine the opponent won't be very happy lol.
• I have finally cut all of the fight and bite spells. They're just dead topdecks and invitations for blowouts sometimes. Monstrous Emergence prevented two for ones, but its wording was a little obtuse.

• Back in the day, this thing was a menace with damage on the stack.