## Special Rules Each player begins the game with an Emblem that says: Creatures you control are every creature type. The same is true for creature spells you control and creature cards you own that aren’t on the battlefield. ## Overview This is a powerful, high-variance format. Sometimes your opponent will combo out on turn 3. Sometimes they'll [[Flash|d31459c2-9656-4e9a-bb72-71a910e8570b]] in a [[Karrthus|2bfb85e8-278b-48a4-970e-e65bad1c4c47]]. These outcomes are uncommon, but they are within the intended range of games this environment seeks to produce. This is a heavily creature-combo focused cube. Decks will rarely have one single game-plan. Even strategies that are overall aggro or control will often contain a combo package. Some combos and key card interactions are outlined at the end of this primer. This cube frequently breaks singleton, mostly for fixing and one-drop aggressive creatures. I want decks to have access to multiple copies of important effects. This cube has a very low curve. Threats, combo pieces, and interaction are all very efficiently costed. The fixing in the cube favors two-color decks, or two colors with a splash. There are multiple lands that fix mana for creatures only, so it is easier to splash creatures than non-creatures. I want the cube to favor proactive strategies. The threats on average are one step back from being power-maxed, but the answers on average are closer to three steps back from being power-maxed. ## Specific Card Notes ### [[More or Less]] [[!More or Less]] This is one of my favorite cards ever printed, and it is a perfect fit for this environment. At its floor, this is one mana to kill a one-toughness creature. At its ceiling, it enables a combo turn that wouldn't have existed otherwise and you get to win the game. I want to hear about all the cool stories that happen with this card. ### [[Brutal Suppression]] [[!Brutal Suppression]] The words printed on this card are misleading given modern rules terminology. The Oracle text for this card is: Activated abilities of nontoken Rebels cost an additional “Sacrifice a land” to activate. ## Banned Cards This iteration of the changeling cube embraces high power level and encourages busted shenanigans. However, there is such a thing as too much. The following cards have been tried and convicted of crimes against fun / interesting / interactive games. <<[[!Wirewood Symbiote]][[!8f32b0e9-5eb2-4b26-8c06-5d4561f0295d]][[!Atla Palani, Nest Tender]][[!Lord of the Unreal]][[!a25d3ffa-cd8c-4b6a-ac63-9bb92cb8802c]]>> ## Additional Notes for Designers This section is a space for me to elaborate on some of the design choices in the cube. My goal here is to better equip other designers who would offer feedback by more clearly explaining my reasoning and goals. If your main reason for reading this primer is from the player perspective, you can safely skip down to the Combos and Interactions section. ### Fixing Lands The current setup of fixing lands has worked within my playgroup to achieve a few goals: 1. I want players to dive into the draft head-first. I don't want players cautiously wading into the draft by first-picking a fetchland because those are incredibly flexible. Since this is a novelty format with lots of recontextualization, I think players will have more fun by picking a direction early and going for it rather than trying to stay open and read signals. I think the lack of fetch lands helps this (though I do make a concession for [[Prismatic Vista]]). 2. I want decks to be mostly two colors, possibly with a splash for a third. This cube has some incredibly powerful and versatile cards, and I don't want them to all end up in the same deck that just prioritized bombs and fixing. ## Combos and Interactions Part of the fun of this cube is discovering combos and card interactions. I don't want to spoil this fun for players who want to explore for themselves. However, I do want to have an overview available for those who want one. If you want to see some important card interactions outlined, keep scrolling down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down last chance to turn back! spoilers ahead! down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down down There are a lot of combos and interactions within this cube, so this list is not exhaustive. Some of the common interactions include: ### Persist Combos Any creature with Persist [[!acadf575-2076-4f0c-b66e-994898adf375]] Any free sacrifice outlet [[!88042031-64af-4f84-85d5-95992b43aa6c]] And any of the following creatures: <<[[!Giada, Font of Hope]][[!55611f05-10cf-42d0-b93e-7f0c0c852a06]][[!Vizier of Remedies]][[!a90a1c44-ee0f-4c12-bfaf-6f371bcce167]][[!85b4b7f9-dfc6-4995-bd41-ff04c98d4c37]][[!c046dfb0-9ca3-4219-a6b0-d7503bc2fbd0]][[!3910f5b2-17da-41e4-bf40-1c40b513fa12]][[!Deeproot Elite]][[!Metallic Mimic]][[!f07cbf04-2864-4407-800e-4d55c10d3426]]>> ### [[Gravecrawler|951ff2ed-9af0-4551-929a-ba6679fc2e15]] <<[[!Gravecrawler|951ff2ed-9af0-4551-929a-ba6679fc2e15]][[!Ragemonger]][[!Edgewalker]][[!5664e121-d3f1-4ff5-9576-ef515e22bde7]]>> [[Gravecrawler]] can be looped infinitely with any free sacrifice outlet and either [[Ragemonger]] or [[Edgewalker]] to reduce its cost to zero. [[Utopia Mycon|5664e121-d3f1-4ff5-9576-ef515e22bde7]] lets you sacrifice [[Gravecrawler]] and gives you mana to cast it again, providing infinite death triggers, cast triggers, and ETB triggers ### Mill <<[[!Halimar Excavator]][[!Undead Alchemist|b7231a1c-f3aa-4346-9eb1-63e35ab3001c]][[!Drowner of Secrets]][[!Thieves' Guild Enforcer]]>> Mill is a viable option in this cube. The Mill strategy is usually a side-plan for a go-wide tokens strategy where you only need one key Mill enabler to work with your team. You can also try to land [[Undead Alchmemist|b7231a1c-f3aa-4346-9eb1-63e35ab3001c]] with one of the other enablers for a more Mill-focused combo plan. ### [[Flash|d31459c2-9656-4e9a-bb72-71a910e8570b]] <<[[!d31459c2-9656-4e9a-bb72-71a910e8570b]][[!7a8be765-0949-491c-875c-0385fb83e4b9]][[!a60313ca-10cc-4c33-a557-1401c5721e3b]][[!2bfb85e8-278b-48a4-970e-e65bad1c4c47]]>> You won't get to keep the actual creature, but sometimes an ETB or death trigger is good enough. ### [[Oketra's Monument]] <<[[!Oketra's Monument]][[!Edgewalker]][[!85e9e58a-0ac1-405c-906e-16e981763b3a]][[!27394079-924a-4fdb-8be2-f853193eca80]]>> Play two cost reducers, get free stuff. ### [[Body Double|b7497f2c-62a9-45c4-b2dc-c95818fa2fa6]] <<[[!b7497f2c-62a9-45c4-b2dc-c95818fa2fa6]][[!7db7e70c-ce79-4a52-b97b-f1bd46e0768c]][[!915b4638-b1ec-4045-80e6-f05fb1e2a87c]][[!Vesperlark]]>> [[Body Double|b7497f2c-62a9-45c4-b2dc-c95818fa2fa6]] can loop itself with any of these cards plus a free sacrifice outlet. ### [[Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker|8a30fe7c-3c6b-4d05-adb7-9f87df29cd3b]] <<[[!8a30fe7c-3c6b-4d05-adb7-9f87df29cd3b]][[!Goatnapper]][[!Conspicuous Snoop]][[!Necrotic Ooze]]>> [[Kiki-Jiki|8a30fe7c-3c6b-4d05-adb7-9f87df29cd3b]] can win you the game without even being on the battlefield! Be careful of the timing - some of these interactions don't have the same play pattern as copying traditional targets like [[Deceiver Exarch|1f123ad6-fe84-4fed-9c0f-6b41921e9c26]]