This cube seeks to recreate the feeling of brewing a deck with the strongest cards in Modern, as it WAS at different points from 2012-2018. This takes us up to Rivals of Ixalan, before Dominaria and well before the Modern Horizons sets. It is meant to be drafted in 3 packs of 20, with two picks from each pack like in Commander Legends, but the minimum deck size is still 40.
There are many duplicated cards, mostly in doubles, but also 4 copies of an iconic card from each color, 4 of each fetchland, and 3 of each shockland. The iconic nonland cards are: Path to Exile, Snapcaster Mage, Thoughtseize, Lightning Bolt, and Tarmogoyf. I believe there is room to carve out new synergies, but I do have these specific decks supported:
Aggro:
Humans, Zoo, Burn, Delver, Shadow
Control:
Blue Moon, Faeries, Smallpox, Gifts Control, Big Red, Boros Prison, The Rack, Grixis Control, Esper Control, Jeskai Control, Mardu Control
Midrange:
Bant Company, Bring to Light, Jund, Creature Toolbox, Aristocrats, Return to the Ranks, BW Tokens, The Rock, Mardu Pyromancer, Hatebears, Stoneblade, Naya Midrange, Abzan Midrange, Temur Midrange
Combo:
Saheeli Copycat, Kiki-Chord, Twin, Melira Pod, Persist combo, Nahiri Breach, Scapeshift Valakut
Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Bloodbraid Elf were unbanned at the very end of this era. Stoneforge Mystic was actually unbanned after this era. Birthing Pod was legal for four years, Splinter Twin for five, and Gitaxian Probe for seven. Conversely, Deathrite Shaman was legal only two years, and Treasure Cruise / Dig Through Time for less than six months.
The Delve spells did not have enough time to feel like Modern staples. Deathrite Shaman had more, but warps the game around itself so much I don't like it being present. Bloodbraid Elf was likely banned for the sins of Deathrite Jund, and should've been unbanned then. Twin and Pod are such iconic decks I feel they deserve inclusion, and just enough support to not feel dominant.
Ultimately, this is a cube. It isn't and can never be an exact replica of what the format was actually like to play. I don't support a number of extremely popular constructed decks such as Tron, Infect, Storm, or Affinity, which during a draft silo you, and then are difficult to pivot out of. I am also not subject to market forces, which some believe limited WotC from reprinting+unbanning Stoneforge Mystic or Jace, the Mindsculptor earlier. I believe they are each at an appropriate power level for this environment, and that the decks they support fit well with the others. Despite being a time capsule, this cube is like most others and a constant work in progress. Always happy to hear feedback if something new might fit in, or something present sounds too strong.
For those who weren't active during the era and might not know what to be looking for while drafting, here are some key synergies the cube is designed around:
Humans Zoo Burn Delver Shadow Blue Moon Faeries Smallpox The Rack Gifts Control Big Red Boros Prison Bant Company Creature Toolbox Bring to Light Jund Aristocrats Return to the Ranks BW Tokens The Rock Mardu Pyromancer Hatebears Stoneblade Saheeli Copycat Kiki-Chord Twin Melira Pod Nahiri Breach Scapeshift ValakutI recently received feedback that there were too many shocklands, especially those like Breeding Pool and Watery Grave that only one or two drafters at most are interested in. I analyzed decks from the era on mtgtop8, and sure enough, most decks ran twice as many fetchlands as shocklands. Since I was running 40 and 40 before, I decided to halve the shocks to 20 to match the constructed ratio. What I didn't account for was the draft, and players taking shocklands they won't play! This was too much, and I've decided to meet in the middle with 30 copies.
Four-RackI've been asked for The Rack many times, but I never felt that it would be compelling enough of an inclusion when I already have two Shrieking Affliction that always deal 3 or 0. However, @pokasome has worn me down, that archetype could use some help, and I feel I have the colorless slots to spare. Raven's Crime could be played in a Smallpox deck, perhaps alongside Crucible of Worlds. Funeral Charm could be played in Pox with the Urborg, potentially useful to give a Death's Shadow a boost, or most cruelly, imprinted onto Isochron Scepter where it can be cast on every draw step.
Scapeshift+ValakutI've intentionally excluded this archetype for a long time, feeling that it's too parasitic. However, when I consider the separate parts, Valakut could go into mono-Red control aside from this "combo". Scapeshift is certainly more narrow, but it's one of the best reasons to draft Bring to Light, which needs the help, and I didn't want to include just a single copy and risk players getting their deck's entire plan ruined by a single Thoughtseize or Mana Leak. Farseek and Sakura-Tribe Elder help accelerate the gameplan while still working fairly well in decks like Bant Company and Return to the Ranks.
Miscellaneous additionsDestructive Revelry is better than Wear//Tear for Zoo and Burn decks because it actually advances the gameplan, and you very rarely need to fuse it anyway. Sword of Body and Mind was the only one missing from the cycle, and it's more effective here than it would've been in 60-card constructed. Blasting Station is an extra sac outlet for Persist Combo decks and Aristocrats, and a nice anti-Pestermite tool. Rise//Fall was recommended to me by a player named Winter at CubeCon, used by Corey Burkhart at Grand Prix Pittsburgh 2015, and was the only maindeck nonland card I was missing from his Grixis Control list. Avalanche Riders saw play in Saheeli Cat lists, and seems like a solid option for Humans and the various flicker cards in White. Finally, I knew about decks playing Retreat to Coralhelm alongside Knight of the Reliquary, but I never thought about how powerful Retreat can be on its own thanks to all the fetchlands, and the ramp possible with Noble Hierarch and Birds of Paradise.
Cuts Banned cardsTreasure Cruise and Dig Through Time were only legal for six months! Not great representatives of the vibe the format is going for. Deathrite Shaman was legal for just 2 years, but I actually resent it for both the game-warping play pattern it represents when it comes down turn 1, and the fact it may be what pushed Jund so far that Bloodbraid Elf ended up on the banlist, where it remained for far too long.
Reduced duplicationSatyr Wayfinder #1 remains for its role in Return to the Ranks and sometimes Pod, #2 was supporting the graveyard deck that's now being cut out. Experiment One only goes in Zoo decks, and sometimes Humans. No other Green deck is really interested. Mutavault goes in Smallpox, 8-Rack, and sometimes Faeries. These are all less popular decks, so the second copy wasn't in high demand. Dryad Arbor might work for Birthing Pod or CoCo decks here, but in constructed its main role was to protect Infect and Bogles from edicts, which is nothing to worry about here. Thought Scour goes in Delver and Death's Shadow, Opt and Think Twice are nice counterparts that Control is more interested in. Lastly, Skullcrack has redundancy with Atarka's Command, which has become the more popular option by appealing to both creature-centric Zoo decks and creature-light Burn. Even the new Scapeshift deck might appreciate it, but would never take Skullcrack.
Miscellaneous cutsMonastery Mentor was far more played in every other format upon its release, and without all the free spells and cantrips available in other formats, it's clear why. Stinkweed Imp, Golgari-Grave Troll, and Darkblast were added for a "fair" graveyard deck that just doesn't really exist, or is being done well enough by Death's Shadow and Jund decks without using any cards with Dredge on them. Koth of the Hammer and Mind Stone are only Skred cards, and I don't currently use that version of Big Red. Chameleon Colossus and Volcanic Fallout I remembered too well from their time in Standard. Vines of Vastwood was only played by Infect, even if it did have the cute alternate mode of countering Splinter Twin here. Arbor Elf was used in Ponza decks alongside Utopia Sprawl, again not something I support. Deflecting Palm I brought in alongside Emrakul to give Burn something to sideboard in, but aside from Death's Shadow which doesn't need any punishment, I just don't think it has anywhere near the utility as in constructed against Infect and Bogles.