Art by Johannes Voss
-Mark Twain
This is based on Caleb Gannon's Powered Synergy Cube cube designed with the intention of maximizing fun, interaction, and value.
The goal of this cube is to have highly synergistic and flexible options to allow the player to chase after a variety of exciting decks while ensuring that most of the "value engines" are easy to interact with so that no matter the matchup it feels like both players have a chance.
Many different combos/themes that I go over below in the primer but I took out Power 9, some fast Mana, and Wheels/storm combo, Otherwise, the rest of Gannon's archetypes are great! Wanted to add my favorite cards I thought would complement Gannon's cube.
Great video/resources for combos in cube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z00c6E2zMHA (Chill MTG vid)
https://commanderspellbook.com/find-my-combos/ (Copy/paste your cube list and website finds combos and potential combos in your cube)
For drafts in person, I like drafting 20 cards, 2 picks per pack
Link to rest of primer and original list from Gannon's cube: https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/synergy
Also some videos/podcasts with Caleb Gannon talking about cube design/philosophy and cloning cubes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmj6ER-IH7g (LuckyPaperRadio podcast)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9C1LlJ4AO4 (Draft with CalebDMTG)
Cloning Cubes Ubercube podcast:
https://ubercube.buzzsprout.com/1989337/12340837-cloning-cubes-with-myagic-ep-1
Primer writing tutorial:
https://cubecobra.com/content/article/602abb5969cb75105e271d4e
Here are some highlights of the build-around cards for this cube taken from Gannon's primer/website and my own additions:
Krark-Clan Ironworks. This card is an incredibly strong engine when paired with cards like Myr Retriever, Junk Diver, and Scrap Trawler. You can sacrifice them in order to generate infinite mana and if you have any other artifacts lying around probably draw your whole deck or do infinite damage with a walking ballista. Combine them with white cards like Teshar or Urza in blue and there are many combinations of decks to make.
WHITE:
I took out Caleb Gannon's Second Sunrise/Faith's reward archetype and switched to one of my favorites--Enchantress. Added Light Paws, Sram, and Kor Spiritdancer in White along with multiple auras to combine with green card draw with Argothian Enchantress. The rest of white includes Humans/tokens, Persist combo enablers, Enduring Renewal Combo with Walking Ballista/Hangerback Walker with ETB/LTB outlet, and classic removal (Swords, Path to Exile).
BLUE:
Wanted blue to be a support color for this cube instead of broken vintage cube stuff. Can do mono blue control/artifact/good stuff strategy with card draw/counterspells, but more fun to go into Dimir Ninjas/Zombies, or Izzet Spells/Delver/Phoenix, and Azorious Blink. And Intruder Alarm to do creature combos.
BLACK:
ZOMBIESSSS and sacrifice. Black discard for disruption and a dash of reanimator. Can do mono black zombies tribal/sacrifice but also support other sacrifice themes with Orzhov or Rakdos.
RED:
No red deck wins, but can do Goblin tribal. The main combos are with persist (Putrid Goblin, Metallic Mimic, Grumgully the Generous) with sac outlet. As well as key Lands matters cards like Molten Vortex and Valakut Exploration. Red spells for support in Gruul Discard, Izzet Spells archetypes.
GREEN:
"Green is now a combo-tastic color! With cards like Aluren, Earthcraft, Intruder alarm, Fastbond, Glimpse of Nature, and Fecundity there are so many ways to "storm off" in green. Casting Glimpse of Nature with an Aluren in play is a really exciting experience, especially once you hit a Shrieking Drake or Whitemane Lion. Elves are a natural supporting archetype for this. Mana dorks also provide support for the Simic Lands archetype, multicolor piles, and Survival of the Fittest/Birthing Pod toolbox decks.
There's even more though, green and white are the main supporting colors for all the Persist combo loops. Combine a card to undo a persist creature's (Safehold Elite, Putrid Goblin, Kitchen Finks, Murderous Redcap) -1/-1 counters like Melira/Vizier/Anafenza, and a sacrifice payoff (Altar of Dementia, Phyrexian/Ashnod's Altar, Blood Artist, Corpse Knight) can combo with it.
Draft Tips:
- Prioritize fixing: multiple copies of fetches/duals
- Look out for build-around cards (Enduring Renewal, Krark-Clan Ironworks, Survival of the Fittest, Bazaar of Baghdad, Fastbond), and various support that may bolster your deck. If you see them early, go for it!
Each of the 10 guilds has thematic cards to build around but given the land fixing, tribal themes, and just good card overlap, mono, three, four, and five-color decks are possible. While each guild primarily supports a specific strategy (outlined below), it should not be taken as the only thing those colors have to offer. Support is sprinkled across the cube and it's up to the drafter to be flexible to what cards come around.
Azorious Blink/Artifacts
Dimir Ninjas/Zombies
Rakdos Sacrifice
Gruul Madness/Discard
Selesnya Enchantress/Auras
Orzhov Aristocrats
Izzet Spells/Delver/Phoenix
Golgari Rock/Sac
Boros Winota/Convoke Tokens
Simic Lands
#Here are some cards to watch out for in each:
Dimir Ninjas/Zombies/Reanimator
Gruul Madness/Discard/Lands/Zoo
Selesnya Enchantress/Auras/Tokens/Humans
CREDIT & THANKS:
Caleb Gannon and his community really made something special. So much fun with this cube and will just keep on updating it based on the playgroup's suggestions and new sets. #CUBEISLIFE