Art by Martina PilcerovaHumans once called this place home, developing large settlements and birthing rich cultures of science and the arts. However, as they developed, modified, and exploited the rich natural world around them, the humans found themselves at odds with the plane's previous inhabitants. After generations of confrontation between civilization and nature, the wilds of Linnaea reclaimed their domain, returning it to its original state and relegating the human inhabitants to the annals of history. With the humans long gone, only the creatures and phenomena of the wilds remain...
As one of several visitors to Linnaea, you must harness the menagerie of organisms that call the plane home to best your rivals. Fear not, though, for the magic of the plane remains intact provided you are willing to devise new spells and strategies. You might also discover some creations of the past human civilization that have been left in a functional state; some human remnants were too well constructed to be reclaimed by the wilds. You might come across a bizarre capsule with a gaping maw, an unusual piece of headgear adorned with bulky spikes, or an ancient monument to an unknown deity.
Can you weather the storm of magnificent beasts and echoes of the past?
The Linnaean Cube is an experiment that asks a single question: what would a cube with only "animals" (in the broadest sense) look like? This restriction inspired the name "Linnaean Cube", as Carolus Linnaeus is the originator of zoological nomenclature, the foundation on which all modern animal science depends.
Obviously, this single design tenant introduces a multitude of design challenges; humans, elves, and other humanoids are among the most powerful and efficient creatures throughout Magic's history. Similarly, many of Magic's core mechanics are at odds with the idea of a "nature" cube; instants, sorceries, artifacts, and even enchantments all seem to go against the basic flavor of the premise.
To remedy this core issue and further explore the theme, I decided to integrate some "flavor breaks" in the form of artifacts that might have been left behind by a theoretical human civilization, although the humans themselves would be long gone. In terms of instants and sorceries, which form the foundation of interaction in most Magic formats, there was no immediately satisfying solution. I started by selecting spells that were close enough to the theme to not break immersion; Snakeskin Veil and Wilt are good examples of this.
Something about green having the broadest representation of applicable cards...
Breaking singleton...
Possible "Pulp Noveau" approach - draft basis other than Forest; increased representation of green's enemy colors (
and 
)...
Themes:
Graveyard matters (
)
Discard matters/cycling/madness (
)
Sacrifice (
): Elements of typical aristocrats strategies as well as some fun, flavorful mechanics like devour
Land-graveyard-thingy ()
Delirium ()
Subthemes/packages:
Insects ()
Oozes ()
Spiders ()
One-card archetypes of interest:
Uchuulon
Blex, Vexing Pest