Art by Gabor Szikszai"très cool" - Mr. Magic QC
Partneurs is a Commander cube with a slight twist and has been my pet project for the last months. Huge thanks to @DankTrainTom, whose cube has been a great inspiration for how I've structured my own.
WHAT IT DO
The main highlight here is that all legendary creatures have the Partner keyword added to their textbox (that will be done on the paper version, gotta use your imagination for this one if you're drafting on cubecobra). This allows for game plans that would not be possible in 'traditional' EDH and offers a fresh experience. With the presence of monocolored and two colors legendary creatures, a player should aim to build a two or three colors deck, although one and four are possible with the right picks.
While all archetypes are mainly supported by one color trio (see below), many of said archetypes can and will support each other, meaning that it is not only possible but also greatly rewarding to be creative during the drafting step.
The gameplay of the cube aims to be interactive and combat focused. Since a 'game' of cube EDH starts with drafting and deckbuilding, the list aims to avoid stalling strategies that will look tutor for specific pieces and instead rewards 'win-focused' plays. To this effect, each color has access to monarch in so that it will be on the table at some point in most games.
The cube is to be drafted in a pod of 8 players, each opening 3 packs of 20 cards. Each player picks 2 cards per pack at a time to facilitate the drafting process and make synergy building easier.
In the deckbuilding step, each player adds Sol Ring, Command Tower, Arcane Signet and The Prismatic Piper to their card pool and creates a 60 cards deck list. This is to avoid being color locked and to make sure everyone has access to the classic ramp and fixing.
ARCHETYPES
ESPER BLINK
Accumulate value and tempo through "enters the battlefield" effects.
Subtheme: Tokens, Control
Notable Generals: Abuelo, Ancestral Echo, Satoru Umezawa, Minthara, Merciless Soul
GRIXIS PILLAGE
Play an aggressive or responsive game using your opponents' ressources.
Subtheme: Copy, Control
Notable Generals: Dragonlord Silumgar, The Beast, Deathless Prince, Zara, Renegade Recruiter
JUND TREASURES
Ramp through treasures to accumulate value and deal damage.
Subtheme: Sacrifice, Tokens
Notable Generals: Juri, Master of the Revue, Jolene the PLunder Queen, Chatterfan, Squirrel General
NAYA LANDFALL
Get lands on the battlefield, use landfall triggers, beatdown.
Subtheme: Tokens, +1/+1 Counters
Notable Generals: Omnath, Locus of Rage, Maja, Bretagard Protector, Mina and Denn, Wildborn
BANT +1/+1 COUNTERS
Become immense and use your growth to push through defenses.
Subtheme: Tokens, Stompy
Notable Generals: Sovereign Okinec Ahau, Shabraz, the Skyshark, Ezuri, Claw of Progress
ABZAN ARISTOCRATS
Make full use of death triggers to slow down your opponents' board presence.
Subtheme: Sacrifice, Tokens, Reanimator
Notable Generals: Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim, Grismold, the Dreadsower, Othelm, Sigardian Outcast
JESKAI COMBAT
Force combat between your opponents until they are too weak to fight back.
Subtheme: Politics, Groupe Hug, Pillage
Notable Generals: Firkaag, Cunning Instigator, Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser, Kwain, Itinerant Meddler
SULTAI GRAVEYARD
Your graveyard is a ressource, fill it up and harness its full potential.
Subtheme: Reanimator, Sacrifice, +1/+1 Counters
Notable Generals: Old Rutstein, Grolnok, the Omnivore, Araumi of the Dead Tide
MARDU TOKENS
Go wide and unleash waves of creatures, boosted with anthems and tricks.
Subtheme: +1/+1 Counters, Treasures
Notable Generals: Othari, Sun's Glory, Thalisse, Reverend Medium, Kardur, Doomscourge
TEMUR MAGECRAFT
Assemble explosive turns with multiple successive spells.
Subtheme: Burn, Combo, Tokens
Notable Generals: Rashmi, Eternities Crafter, Veyran, Voice of Duality, The Howling Abomination
Small update here, to remove some cards that I feel are anti-fun or just switching for more pro-fun cards. We want the games to be interactive, as much as possible.
Xanathar, Guild Kingpin -> Dragonlord Silumgar
The pillage archetype wants to go in a "I play your stuff" playstyle, but I want to avoid "You can't play" spells. So in favor of less salt-inducing gameplay, Dragonlord Silumgar is taking Xanathar, Guild Kingpin's position in the cube. The card is also just more flexible as a curve topper for control, or a possible blink target.
Myrel, Shield of Argive -> Yes Man, Personal Securitron
Hour of Reckoning -> Farewell
Myrel, Shield of Argive being a Grand Abolisher type of card, I'm setting it aside for now in favor of interaction. Yes Man, Personal Securitron takes her place as a token-forward card that can also be used for politics and just seems plain fun. Hour of Reckoning is possibly a little too good for token and useless for other archetypes, so I'm putting Farewell in its place, keeping us at one board wipe per color.
Sedgemoor Witch -> Harvester of Souls
Recurring Nightmare -> Living Death
Sedgemoor Witch is kind of a fake hint for magecraft in black without support from the black legendaries, so I'm benching it and giving Harvester of Souls a try instead. I might go back on this again, but for the moment I'm putting Living Death back in, switching out Recurring Nightmare.
Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance -> Mines of Moria
Mines of Moria can be useful in a pinch, Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance is barely alright in the best situation. Going for Moria here.
Pathbreaker Ibex -> End-Raze Forerunner
Straight upgrade here, wanted green to have a big mana creature to end games.