Well, Tarkir: Dragonstorm is such a banger. Lots of very cool cards that help boost existing archetypes here. I've included 16 of my favorites cards in this update, but it also brings along a bigger philosophy consideration along with it. There are a number of cards that could really boost archetypes but are outside of my current colors for that archetype.

If you don't care about my cube philosophy, feel free to stop reading and just jump to the sweet sweet includes from this set, as the rest of this post is my own ramblings about curation.

For most of this cube's existence, I've attempted to constrain archetypes to specific colors. I know that a lot of other shard/wedge cubes go further to allow you to just do the best things in the colors provided regardless of any other color restrictions, since the cube itself is already restricting the colors. My philosophy comes from a few points that I think make this environment unique and cool:

• I never want to send a false flag on what could be an archetype. If you see a Corpsejack Menace in a pack, you may think that black supports more counters theming than what it actually does support. I want every pack to be able to help divine what the cube can offer.
• When every color is playable, I find myself drafting with power in mind more than synergy. I want this cube to be a bit more of a balance, and I feel like color restrictions help breed that.
• The overall deckbuilding and cuts made in three color cubes are already extremely hard. There are so many times that you have like 10 cuts to make. With less choices of colors to look at, you have less overall stress during that portion of the draft.
• Lastly, this cube needs to be beginner friendly! The cube plays out as a "build-your-own midrange" factory. Some are slower, some are faster, but everyone is playing a mixture of creatures and removal to eventually out value your opponent. With minimal stack interaction and every deck winning the game through combat damage in one way or another, I want this cube to be approachable for newer players, and the drafting is likely to be the biggest hinderance to that.

I hope that spelling these points out helps to explain decision points, and helps glean some insight into my building process. If anyone feels like I'm being a dingus here, please let me know! I've spent a lot of time mulling over what the future of this cube looks like, and would love to discuss it further.

Regardless, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you at this year's UberCube-a-Thon where this cube will be featured!

Well, no surprise that the set focused on artifacts and vehicles is a bit of a miss for this cube. No worries though, as the environment didn't need too much help. Adding a couple upgrades to existing cards, and a fun new tutor in Brightglass Gearhulk (which includes enchantments!).

CubeCon continues to impress, and this year was no different. Thanks to every one that I met, talked to, and fostered friendships with. Also thanks to this cube's drafters for their feedback and thoughts on what does and doesn't work.

With that knowledge, and with Foundations coming out, I'm making a couple small edits. Cutting cards that are too awkward or are hitting sideboards too often, and replacing them with exciting new cards, or a couple that I think could help existing archetypes.

Well, Duskmourn has proven to be quite nice to the Absolute Junk Cube. A number of cards hitting across multiple themes in the cube, most importantly, enchantments. We're sticking with the theme through CubeCon, so we're preparing to update with that in mind.

We're cutting out all the cards that either have severly underperformed, or are now living just slightly outside the archetypes that are currently in place. A lot of the inclusions are Duskmourn related, but we're circling back to add some other cards that also give us different ways to entice the enchantments theme. Adding more 1 mana enchantments, and more payoffs is the first place we're starting.

Testing session this week, so we'll run these changes and report back with any news.

Additions not yet in the database:

Cacophony Unleashed > Dollmaker's Shop // Porcelain Gallery
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose > Enduring Tenacity
Welcoming Vampire > Enduring Innocence
Shambling Shell > Drag to the Roots
Cease // Desist > Hedge Shredder
Prismatic Ending > Nowhere to Run
Unshakable Tail > Omnivorous Flytrap
Squirrel Nest > Overlord of the Hauntwoods
Guardian Scalelord > Overlord of the Mistmoors
Scrapheap Scrounger > Popular Egotist
Minas Tirith > Valgavoth's Lair
Burrowguard Mentor > Victor, Valgavoth's Seneschal
Death in Heaven > Experimental Lab // Staff Room
Souls of the Lost > Balustrade Wurm
Specter of Mortality > Soaring Lightbringer
Unburial Rites > Secret Arcade // Dusty Parlor

Man, this set is awesome! Lifegain and tokens are both supported themes, so we're helping to infuse some new life into those with our additions. Also trying out a couple new cards that upgrade existing cards that were fine to underperforming. The new Talent cards also add good enchantments to the cube. Replacing some of the less exciting enchantments with these new ones. Lastly, we're finally cutting the pair of Yavimaya and Urborg from the cube. They have a fine place, but there are definitely a number of times that people don't want to play them, as they help the opponent just as much as you. We'll consider new land options that come out as replacements, but I want to try adding non-lands in those slots for the time being.

Additions not yet in the database:
Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth -> Essence Channeler
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth -> Caregiver's Talent

Not much from this too exciting for our purposes here. Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit just isn't very exciting, so we'll try a different type of enchantment in The Aesir Escape Valhalla. While it definitely is slow, it does a lot of things the cube wants to do, while also giving you the ability to get it back to retrigger Constellation effects.

With the size of edits after each draft getting smaller and smaller, I feel as though we're nearing the environment I'm striving for. I'm quite pleased with just about every archetype, except I wish there was one more payoff for enchantments that wasn't Starfield of Nyx. We'll try Cacophony Unleashed for a moment.