Introduction:
This is the current list for my cube. I want to emphasise fair, interactive and proactive gameplay. I have intentionally lowered the curve of the environment to increase the number of sequencing decisions to be made, reduce the polarisation of matchups, and avoid swingy "bomb" top-end cards in favour of the more incremental advantages from cheaper cards.
The cube has moved away from prescribed guild archetypes or strategies, and aims for a range of macro-archetypes to be playable in each colour combination, typically from 1-3 colours. Some of the common themes in each colour combination are outlined below:
Ally Colour Themes:
Azorius: tempo, using aggressive white creatures backed by tax effects, counterspells and flash creatures to keep the opponent off balance
Dimir: traditional control, using counterspells and removal to stall the game out before playing a finisher. Incorporates a graveyard subtheme.
Rakdos: aggro/midrange, using efficient attackers backed by some sacrifice effects, strong removal and hand disruption
Gruul: midrange, using ramp effects to power out big red and green creatures, with a +1/+1 counter subtheme.
Selesnya: midrange, using +1/+1 counters and ramp to accelerate creatures and outscale the opponent
Enemy Colour Themes:
Orzhov: aggro/midrange, using the strong hand hate and removal options available in the colours to clear the way for aggressive creatures
Golgari: midrange, using the graveyard and self mill to generate value, supported by green ramp and black removal
Simic: midrange, the "value pile" deck, using blue card draw and counterspells and green ramp to accelerate into casting powerful spells and overwhelm the opponent in value
Izzet: tempo/control, using cheap "delver" style threats backed by blue and red interaction, with a spells matter subtheme
Boros: aggro, weenie strategies, with some equipment, burn and tax effects
Mono colour themes
White: tax effects, +1/+1 counters, hard removal
Blue: counterspells, card draw, scaling/flash threats
Black: aristocrat/sacrifice synergies, reanimation, creature removal
Red: burn spells, aggressive creatures, snowballing "rabblemaster" creatures, impulsive card advantage
Green: ramp, +1/+1 counters, graveyard, big creatures
Gold cards are generally intended to be slight power outliers to pull drafters into certain colour pairings, and provide powerful support for specific themes and archetypes in the cube.
Sample Cards: Here is a quick list of some cards in an attempt to capture the "spirit" of the environment:
Changes to make:
Make black cards work better with other colour pairings outside of Mono B
Add more draft matters type cards - more clockwork librarians, consider conspiracies that buff a single card
Add some example cards to highlight strategies in each guild
Adding some more support for sultai graveyard, simic ramp/flash. Powering down gruul monsters and red aggro slightly. Adding some flexible utility artifacts.
Would like some more reasons to play GW counters, UG ramp/flash, UW tempo and GB graveyard - I don't think there's currently strong pulls to draft these archetypes.