Overview

My favorite games of Magic are decided by tempo, incremental mana advantages, and interaction. To build an environment focused on that play-style, the cube seeks out aggressive creatures and efficient removal. Powerful threats, and oppressive planeswalkers. The essential question should be: "who's the beatdown?" -- and it should not be automatically dictated by which colors a deck is playing.

Context

The cube is designed to be drafted with my local playgroup as often as I can talk them out of EDH. We range from 2-6 players generally, with the norm being 4. The average player in the group is spiky and enjoys interaction.

Restrictions

I actively played Magic from 1994-1999, and then 2019 to the present, so the contents are imbalanced towards those periods. There are no double-sided cards in the cube as I find them awkward for drafting.

I dislike record keeping (e.g., "choose a color" mechanics) and non-standard counters (i.e., things other than +1/+1, -1/-1, and loyalty counters) so they are outliers when present at all. Likewise, I eschew complicated token situations in this cube (e.g., Monastery Mentor, Shark Typhoon, etc.).

There shall neither be coin flipping nor dice rolling, nor shall there be any additional materials beyond tokens and emblems (e.g., dungeons). I have mixed feelings about tutors and generally leave them out.

My thoughts on lands are influenced by this article, with the added proviso that I prefer the aesthetics of using full cycles in a manabase and embrace that as a restriction.

Power

Power level discussions are often vague, but Swords to Plowshares is the gold standard for removal, and Goblin Guide is the exemplar for aggressive threats.

There are probably certainly a few power outliers in the cube, but it is (and will remain) a work in progress, with nebulous power level goals for the time being.

Gameplay

Games should be fast-paced and interactive. Games should rarely be decided by single cards or bad mana. If games do take a long time it should be because a lot is happening -- not because of a board stall.

—————

Cube description derived from The First Four Questions Cube Designers Should Ask.

This list is version-accurate.