Art by Jorge Gutierrez Garcia
I had grown fond of many archetypes included in my other cubes, but felt that many of my favorite archetypes (dredge, +1/+1 counters, or "artifacts matter", for instance) were usually presented in a way that diminished a lot of decisions that made the draft and gameplay exciting. As a result, I envisioned an environment that pushed decisions to the maximum and made optimal use of each and every card choice to make for a more interesting and flexible environment. From this premise, the Symbioticube was born.
The Symbioticube's design has one basic premise: a single card should fit into as many different archetypes or themes to justify inclusion. Under this goal, priority is given to cards that strongly support at least two distinct themes. More generally, I aimed to design a list where any two cards, under the correct circumstances, could appear in the same deck. I hoped that this premise would create a challenging design experience that paid off when it came to draft and gameplay, and would result in a cube that fulfilled my desire to tinker ad infinitum while also providing engaging and memorable gameplay. To best exemplify this design challenge, I limited the Symbioticube to 360 cards, with the goal of producing a heavily replayable environment given only a somewhat limited card pool.
Thus far, I think I've managed to emulate this goal to a reasonable degree. Every test draft feels rather unique, I often find myself making unconventional draft picks while testing, and I always end up with an interesting deck, even when I don't have the opportunity to draft an ideal synergy piece. Looking at lists I've managed to draft, I expect that the Symbioticube's gameplay will yield rewarding and interesting experiences, especially given that a good number of the themes and cards I've included are a bit different than what might be found in a more traditional cube.
Ideal decks in the Symbioticube focus on synergy above all else. Focusing on a specific theme or mechanical identity will usually result in a cohesive deck. Due to the very high number of synergistic and overlapping themes, flexible drafters will likely be rewarded over the course of the draft; staying "open" in the draft is likely to be especially beneficial in the Symbioticube. Notably, I think that the Symbioticube might contain a relatively smaller proportion of "signpost" cards that very clearly indicate the presence of a specific deck within the cube. Accumulating synergy over multiple draft picks is the way to go to this end, given that many cards act as interlocking puzzle pieces and may not produce the most obvious interactions.
Decks in the Symbioticube are often have a relatively low mana curve, focusing on 
, 
, and 
cost cards; some decks will top out at , and running higher-mana cards is often undesirable depending on your draft pool and archetype. It may often be correct to build a deck with 15 or 16 lands, provided you have drafted decent mana fixing.
The following is a list of well-supported themes along with their primary colors. "Hybrid" decks are also frequently possible. Macroarchetypes are not always indicated by tags, but the typical macroarchetypes (aggro, control, and midrange) are all widely supported, although they are more synergy-driven than in some other types of environments.
Cards are tagged to indicate which of the following themes they best accommodate, as well as to highlight important cube mechanics such as removal and card draw. Some tags go beyond the list below; some are the result of possible themes to be implemented in future iterations of the cube, while some are simply there to track card densities toward various goals.
Note that color combinations given in the following section are simply those in which there is strong support for a theme. Drafting a deck with more/different/fewer colors within a given theme is certainly possible, and I'd like to think that given enough effort during a draft, it would be possible to build a deck for any theme in any combination of colors with only a few exceptions.
The following is a very rough list of major themes supported in the cube. Following the list is a theme-by-theme overview of major draftable decks as well as discussion of key cards and variants of each theme.
Mechanical themesArtifacts matter 
Sacrifice
Creature combo/persist
Blink
+1/+1 counters
Tokens
Enchantress
Delirium
Discard/cycling/madness
Reanimator
Dredge/self-mill
Spells matter/flashback
Lands/landfall
Lifegain matters
Angels
Humans
Spirits
Faeries
Zombies
Insects
If you want a deeper view into the Symbioticube may wish to peruse the profiles of major themes provided below. A handful of common subarchetypes are discussed for some themes. The profiles below are under construction!
Build-Arounds
Like most cubes, the Symbioticube contains a handful of build-around cards that encourage you to very specifically tailor your deck around the presence of a given card, therein functioning as "one-card archetypes" in some ways. Many of these build-arounds fall within the bounds of well-supported themes. A few examples of these build-arounds in the Symbioticube are as follows:
Artifacts matter Main color:
| Support colors:
There is simply a massive amount of mechanical space associated with artifacts, and this is an especially wide theme in the Symbioticube. Artifacts are greatly emphasized in terms of card density due to their cross-pollination with tokens, delirium, and many other major themes. Drafting "artifacts matter" usually results in a deck that is heavily dependent on the color combination that one selects; most decks end up including , but versions without red are certainly possible. A handful of the many, many possible subarchetypes are provided below.
This subarchetype encompasses a wide diversity of deck options that aim to sacrifice artifacts and recur them from the graveyard, often as part of a sacrifice package similar to "aristocrats" decks, or in a more grindy Goblin Engineer fashion. Sometimes, these decks take a more reanimator-esque slant, aiming to power out large creatures from the graveyard early in the game. Artifact reanimator decks often end up as a variant of typical reanimator decks that simply employ artifact creatures such as Noxious Gearhulk as the primary reanimation targets. Alternatively, God-Pharaoh's Gift is included in the cube to serve as a win condition for this archetype or even as a control finisher.
Nota bene: When approaching artifact reanimator, it is always important to remember that Nahiri, the Harbinger allows you to search for an artifact, which is especially relevant for decks looking to take advantage of God-Pharaoh's Gift! Artifact blink
This one is fairly self explanatory - flicker your artifacts and/or artifact creatures to add +1/+1 counters to your creatures, trigger ETB effects multiple times, and provide repeatable value to take over the game. Clues/Foods/Treasures matter
This is an especially flexible archetype that revolves around cards that produce artifact tokens. Make a million artifact tokens and use them to out-value your opponent, power up a Nettlecyst and attack for enormous damage, or make a massive Elvish Archivist. I've thought a lot about a possible Jund (
) version using Oni-Cult Anvil and Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender alongside clues and foods.
Artifact ramp
This is another flexible archetype, focusing on ramp using artifacts like the talismans and enabling large X spells or playing other kinds of large threats.
Aristocrats Main colors:
| Support colors:
The Symbioticube's Aristocrats deck is the typical creature sacrifice deck that is found in many cubes. The goal is to play lots of creatures, especially those that are recursive or produce tokens, alongside cards that benefit from you sacrificing your board. This archetype can take on a great many forms, especially in conjunction with other themes. As noted above/below, artifacts themes and creature combo themes often act as variants of this deck.
Creature combo/persist Main colors:
| Support color:
This is the typical persist combo deck that has been gaining popularity in the last few years. The combo revolves around having a creature with persist such as Kitchen Finks, a sacrifice outlet like Carrion Feeder, and a way to counteract the -1/-1 counter given by persist such as Good-Fortune Unicorn (note that +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters cancel each other out).
Nota bene: Luminous Broodmoth can replace the Good-Fortune Unicorn equivalent, as you can stack persist triggers and the Broodmoth's own ability to "switch" back and forth between the creature returning with a flying counter and a -1/-1 counter.
Blink Main colors:
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Blink decks are a classic cube staple, operating under the goal of repeating enters-the-battlefield effects on creatures. I've carefully added versions of blink effects that can target artifacts such as Guardian of Ghirapur to allow for some greater synergy therein (see "Artifact blink" under "Artifacts matter" above).
Purphoros Blink
This is a fun blink variant, and it is worth specifically highlighting as it is one of the more original decks to the symbioticube. Effects that deal damage when a creature enters play can be easily capitalized upon in the Symbioticube. Purphoros and Impact Tremors synergize easily with tokens and blink already, and combining them with cards like Angel of Invention will of course allow for powerful synergies. This deck may also allow for some of the most fun play patterns to ever exist in Magic - blinking your blink enablers may not usually be productive, but chaining Restoration angel into Guardian of Ghirapur into Charming Prince with Purphoros on the board is bound to be a truly incredible feeling, even if it takes a few end steps!
+1/+1 counters Main colors:
| Support color:
Enchantress Main colors:
| Support colors:
Play enchantments and cards that care about them! In the Symbioticube, enchantress decks often act as control decks, using enchantment-based removal like Cast Out in combination with cards like Elvish Archivist to continually accrue advantage. Shark Typhoon is another great pick for a control-oriented enchantress deck. Blink spells are also useful here, as Eidolon of Blossoms counts itself for its constellation ability. Touch the Spirit Realm fills both of these roles, making it an ideal card for this deck.
Delirium Main colors:
| Support colors:
In the Symbioticube, delirium is frequently a supporting mechanic that encourages the drafter to more strongly consider the distribution of card types in their pool. However, dedicated delirium decks are indeed possible, especially based in ; these decks are mostly based in Ishkanah, Grafwidow, Traverse the Ulvenwald, and generically useful graveyard-oriented cards. Note that not all cards useful to delirium (both as a deck and as a general theme) actually have the delirium keyword; Occult Epiphany and Atraxa, Grand Unifier are great examples of this.
Discard/cycling/madness Main colors:
| Support colors:
Reanimator Main colors:
| Support colors:
Reanimator decks in the Symbioticube usually resemble those seen in other cubes, although the Symbioticube focuses on having reanimation targets that cross-pollinate with other themes. There are several varieties of reanimator decks that are possible in the Symbioticube (see "Cool Whip" and "Gifts Reanimator" below and "Artifact sacrifice/reanimation shenanigans" under the various artifacts matters themes), and several other themes often include reanimator packages to end games quickly.
Cool Whip
Perhaps my favorite flavor of reanimator in the Symbioticube, "Cool Whip" relies on Whip of Erebos and/or Mimic Vat to create interesting value engines involving enters-the-battlefield abilities or aggressive creatures and graveyard interaction. While the two don't have explicit synergies with one another, both take advantage of similar creatures, and effectively serve as additional copies of each other. Throwing a Plaguecrafter under a Mimic Vat and following it up with a Noxious Gearhulk off Whip of Erebos has never felt so good! Gifts Reanimator
Gifts Ungiven has some obvious synergies in reanimator decks, given that it can tutor up both a reanimation spell and its target. Unburial Rites or Priest of Fell Rites can be tutored alongside a single reanimation target, causing both cards to go to your graveyard (you can "fail to find" all four cards, therein allowing you to find only two cards with Gifts Ungiven). Alternatively, you can build decks featuring "Gifts piles" with Eternal Witness or another way to return cards to your hand to allow you to tutor for exactly what you need at exactly the right time.
Dredge/self-mill Main colors:
| Support colors:
As commonly seen in other cubes, dredge in the Symbioticube involves filling your graveyard as quickly and efficiently as possible, and playing effects that benefit from having a loaded graveyard. There are three primary forms of dredge seen in the Symbioticube, and a savvy drafter may combine two of these dredge themes into a single deck.
Aggro dredge
Aggro dredge in the Symbioticube resembles Dredgevine decks that have been popular in Modern and Legacy; it aims to put as much power onto the battlefield as possible as quickly as possible by funneling cards into the graveyard and making use of recursive threats or those that readily reanimate themselves. Combo dredge
Combo dredge lists focus on two primary goals, both rooted in filling the graveyard as fast as possible. One major goal is to empty the library as quickly as possible and win the game with Thassa's Oracle or Jace, Wielder of Mysteries. Alternatively, this variant of dredge may aim to emulate a reanimator gameplan, filling the graveyard and reanimating into a game-winning creature like Atraxa, Grand Unifier. Both variants of combo dredge make excellent use of Dread Return, as dredge lists combine efficient and recursive creatures, therein easily enabling Dread Return's flashback cost. Value self-mill
So-called "value" graveyard decks focus on treating the graveyard as a second hand of sorts, relying less on a combo or beatdown gameplan and focusing on playing cards that gain value based on the state of the graveyard.
Spells matter/flashback Main colors:
| Support colors:
Lands/landfall Main colors:
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Lifegain matters Main colors:
Typal themes
Typal themes (formerly tribal themes) revolve around caring about one (or, rarely, a few) creature type(s). In the Symbioticube, a handful of cards act as "glue" that allow typal decks to exist; this is especially necessary given the absence of specific, more-parasitic typal enablers such as Drogskol Captain. These glue cards include:
The following typal themes are seeded into the Symbioticube:
Angels
Insects as a "theme" is a bit more loosely supported but luckily the cards are all rather synergistic regardless of creature type! There are also some spiders like Vilespawn Spider or Ishkanah, Grafwidow that might be considered honorary members of this theme, especially alongside Blex, Vexing Pest. Blex is an experimental choice that works well as a typal piece, in a sacrifice deck (which will often have an insect or two due to tokens or sacrifice synergies), or in a graveyard-based deck due to its back side. Future directions
Critically examine manabase - are checklands such as Glacial Fortress good enough here?
Continue to improve individual card selections