Anthology focuses on legendary creatures from Dominaria and the historical events that shaped the plane. As a result, there is a high density of legendary creatures, a high density of saga cards, and better mana fixing than a typical retail draft.

To give legendary creatures a chance to impact the board and team up with each other, game play speed is intended to be aligned with a slower retail draft environment. There are strong early creatures and aggressive strategies, but there is also strong removal at 2cmc or less to give players a chance to extend the game. Dominaria United ETB tapped dual lands are provided for strong mana fixing along with land type cyclers to encourage players to balance manabase strength and game play speed. Finally, because the game may go long, there are kicker cards in each color to improve late game draws and also encourage balancing curving out and maximizing card quality based on the matchup and board state.

While it is intended that two color decks can be built in multiple ways, and that three color decks should be reasonable to put together based on the mana fixing and removal, below are recommended default draft plans for first time players.

: Enchantments
: Historic Matters Control
: Midrange Sacrifice
: Domain Ramp
: Tokens Go Wide
: Legends Matter
: Crab Control
: Saprolings and Sacrifice
: Equipment and Auras Matter
: Domain Soup

1. Opening a pack of the cube should feel like opening a current day random pack
Generally, cards shall use the modern frames (Eighth Edition or M15 Frame) to provide the packs with a cohesive look. However, there are three exceptions; First, any cards from Brother's War that are Retro Framed are allowed (Time Travel Flavor), some showcase frames or extended art frames may be used, particularly if they provide reminder text to improve ease of play. If a card is deemed necessary to support a draft theme but has not been reprinted in the modern frame, an exception may be made. Finally, assuming the card reads close enough to the current Oracle wording to avoid confusion, original printings may be selected for flavor or aesthetic reasons (Looking at you Antiquities Crumble).

2. Packs will have common, uncommon, and rare slots similar to retail packs
Cards will be assigned a rarity of common, uncommon, and rare. Commons shall appear in quantities of 3 per module, uncommons shall appear in quantities of 2 per module and rares will appear once. The rarity will not necessarily match the rarity as printed on the card. Furthermore, modules may present more than 1 rare per pack, or more than 3 uncommons per pack. However, the number of commons, uncommons, and rares will be consistent across all packs in the module.

3. Cards shall be limited to Dominaria plane specific cards
The modules will pull primarily from Dominaria (2018), Timespiral Remastered, Dominaria United, Brother's War, and Dominaria Remastered. However, a card may appear that has appeared in other products if the character is from the plane of Dominaria or if the art depicts (or plausibly depicts) an event, spell, or creature from the plane of Dominaria. Furthermore, cards from older sets such as Mirage, Urza's Saga, Antiquities, and so are on likely to be selected if they hold up on power level for retail adjacent cube play. The Magic Multiverse Project was referenced for such purposes. Finally, some cards that originally took place on Dominaria have been reprinted (occasionally with updated wording) but with non-Dominaria art; the improved readability and/or card frame can supersede the art showing something on another plane.

4. Cards may be excluded based on power level, particularly at common and uncommon
Even if a card was present in one of the primary sets and meets the aesthetic goals as described above, it may be excluded from the cube based on its power level. Each module is expected to have a power level similar or lower than that of a retail Masters set. For example, Chain Lightning and Fact or Fiction were both printed in Dominaria Remastered and are very splashable and powerful cards that are significantly above rate in most retail draft releases. Furthermore, the ability to draft multiples of these cards would lead to less variation in cards seen and produce a higher power floor for each deck during a best of three match. As a result, these cards are excluded.
While cards may be excluded at rare for being power outliers, I will generally try to adjust the cube to make those cards less oppressive rather than defaulting to banning the cards from the cube. This is because there are few tutors or ways to assure seeing the card every game.

5. Some cards are excluded due to overlap with other cubes I own
While there is some overlap, I want to offer different experiences to my drafters than other cubes I curate.

6. Generally, game play will be more important than flavor and nostalgia
This means that modules will use card mechanics and play patterns to group cards together rather than each module focusing on a set release. Modules are not intended to be set cubes or expanded versions of retail draft environments.
That said, some cards such as Shivan Dragon, may make an appearance even if they are no longer at the power level of a typical retail draft rare. Winning with and losing to Shivan Dragon is intended to be one a fun facet of this cube.

7. Cards that discourage interactive game play will be minimized
This means that land destruction/disruption will be limited or not present in the cube. Permanents with protection will be excluded or show up in very limited quantities. Players should be able to interact with their opponents and make meaningful decisions, and not stare at their opponent's board unable to disrupt their opponent.
There are two exceptions; instants and sorceries that grant protection to a single target once may be present in the cube to act as a form of hexproof/evasion. Second, if Urza lands are added to a module that module will have some land destruction to act as a check. However, if Urza lands prove too problematic even with land destruction, the lands will likely be removed from the module.
However, discard effects and countermagic are fair game.

8. Appearance of removal shall exceed retail draft
Removal will appear more frequently to avoid players ending a draft and not being able to interact with their opponent. Also, more removal acts as both a check on bombs and improves the ability of players to draft controlling decks within each module.

9. Cards that signal draft themes that do not exist will be excluded.
As an example, if a card strongly implies that Merfolk tribal or Merfolk matters is a theme in the cube, but that theme lacks support, that card shall be excluded to avoid players attempting to draft decks that have little chance of coming together.

10. Mana fixing will generally exceed retail limited, but may fall short of a typical cube.
I want players to be able to cast their cards, but I also want to keep the experience closer to retail limited. Creating some scarcity for mana fixing creates interesting decision points through out the draft and helps to send signals. I think drafters should have to put some effort and some risk into getting the lands they need.