The History of Bear Cube

10 years ago some friends and I had an idea for a "Bear Cube" where every creature was a 2/2 for 2 and every spell was 2 mana.

Even though we only ever thought it would be a weird gimmick and our selection of bears at the time was... limited to say the least, the cube was surprisingly deep, supporting a wide variety of strategies and unexpected play patterns.

While the original Bear Cube is still maintained, I have since then I have moved to a new state, joined another playgroup, and found I wanted to try my hand a designing the cube again from the ground up.

What is a Bear?

The English word "bear" comes from Old English bera and is conventionally said to be related to a Proto-Indo-European word for "brown", so that "bear" would mean "the brown one".$^{[1][2]}$ However, while this etymology is semantically plausible, a word meaning "brown" of this form cannot be found in Proto-Indo-European. It is suggested instead that "bear" is from the Proto-Indo-European word *ǵʰwḗr- ~ *ǵʰwér "wild animal".$^{[3]}$ This terminology for the animal originated as a taboo avoidance term: proto-Germanic tribes replaced their original word for bear—arkto—with this euphemistic expression out of fear that speaking the animal's true name might cause it to appear.

In this essay I will...

But seriously, this is a surprisingly deep question. Believe me, I've had real arguments about it. For the purposes of this cube, I am taking a "Stats Purist, Aesthetic Radical" position, as laid out in the chart below.

Of course, as with everything, there are weird corner cases. I will try to address them below:

• As long as the statline on ETB is a 2/2, I count it as a bear. Aquastrand Spider and Arcbound Prototype are bears. Even Ancestral Blade is a bear because it enters as a 2/2 and only later after putting more mana into it does it shrink in size to grow something else. By similar reasoning, Barbed Batterfist is not a bear for even though it costs two mana and makes a 2/2, by autoequipping itself that 2/2 always enters as a 3/1.

• Bears are allowed to grow (or shrink) in size after entering, but not as an additional cost when cast. For the purposes of this cube, Kavu Titan is not a bear as you almost always would prefer to hold it until you can cast it as a 5-mana 5/5 (which definitely is not a bear!). However Beastbreaker of Bala Ged is a bear because while you can essentially cast it as a 5-mana 5/5 by playing it and immediately leveling it up, it doesn't force you to play it as 5-mana 5/5 if you want your 5/5. The distinction is subtle but important.

• Non-creature spells that make creature tokens must make 2/2s. The cube is not entirely comprised of two mana 2/2 creatures and does play the occasional non-creature spell. However, if that spell makes creature tokens it must make 2/2s. We welcome Selesnya Charm and Hopeful Vigil with open (bear) arms. Call of the Conclave and Raise the Alarm are to be shunned.

What is a Two Mana Spell?

In addition to having bears, this cube does also occasionally feature non-creature spells that aren't bears. Unfortunately, despite having a nearly mathematical definition the concept of a two-mana spell is surprisingly ambiguous. For the purposes of this cube I will be taking the most stringent of definitions.

• A two-mana spell can only be cast for two-mana.
  • No spells.
  • No spells with additional costs (Kicker, Escalate, Spree, etc).
  • No spells with alternative casting costs or activated abilities (Bestow, Morph, Cycling, Adventures, etc).
  • No spells with trivially easy or hidden cost reduction mechanics (Delve, Convoke, Phyrexian Mana, etc)

What is Bear Cube?

In short, Bear Cube is a cube that explores a version of magic where every creature is a 2/2 and every spell costs 2 mana.

The restrictions laid out above exist to preserve the character of the Bear Cube and maintain a unique play experience. I want Bear Cube to feel different from other cubes. I want it to force players to reexamine their heuristics when concepts fundamental to the game of magic like mana curve and creature sizing are so heavily restricted.

What does aggro look like when every creature is a two mana 2/2? How do midrange decks outsize their opponents? How does tempo work when every trade is even on mana? What combos are available to players under these restrictions? What do players do with their unused mana on turns 1, 3, and 5?

The inclusions of too many cards that are only technically bears or two-mana spells such as Kavu Titan or Braingeyser risk answering these question for the players and diluting that central premise of the cube into meaninglessness. However even within the restrictions I've imposed some cards push on them harder than others. I will have to make sure these questions remain meaningful while not being unanswerable.

As for the specific play experience, for now I am experimenting with power-maxing the environment while still maintaining a diversity of archetypes. How far can I push the boundaries despite such a restrictive premise?

In the future I will likely have to pull back on the power level for the sake of balance and play experience. I already have my eye on some cards that are probably egregiously unfun. Can you spot them?

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[1] Mallory, J. P.; Adams, Douglas Q. (2006). The Oxford Iintroduction to Proto Indo European and the Proto Indo European World. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 333. ISBN 978-1-4294-7104-6. OCLC 139999117.

[2] Fortson, Benjamin W. (2011). Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-4443-5968-8. OCLC 778339290.

[3] Ringe, Don (2017). From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic. A Linguistic History of English. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-19-251118-8.