**** >>> # **THE BOLT CUBE** <<< **** ` ` ` ` >>> <<[[!e4b8946b-6604-49ca-98db-18a540b1b4e5]][[!1d7dcf74-110c-421f-87db-c2133d7a8281]][[!9067f5b3-1685-42b6-b838-3e19f1f6b36e]]>> <<< ` ` ` ` Welcome to The Bolt Cube, a 2-4 player Jeskai micro cube with one important change... YOU START AT 3 LIFE! The Bolt Cube has fascinating interactions, intricate games, and deep replayability. It is designed for heads-up 2-player drafting, however, it contains enough cards for 2 pairs to draft and play a mini round robin tournament. There are a few rule changes to note and a custom draft format detailed below. ` ` ` ` >>> ### **THE RULES** <<< **** * Player's starting life total is 3. * The minimum deck size is 25. * Any action a player takes that would cause the game to draw instead causes them to lose. * Players must reveal hidden agendas conspiracies and announce the chosen card at the start of the draft. ` ` ` ` >>> ### **DRAFTING** <<< **** The Bolt Cube is a heads-up 2-player draft experience with special drafting rules. Players each receive 5 packs of 10 cards. Each pack is drafted as such: - Pick 1 card - Burn 1 card - Pass the pack to your opponent - Pick 2 cards - Burn 1 card - Pass the pack to your opponent - Pick 3 cards - Burn the last 2 cards Players then build decks with a minimum of 25 cards and play a best of 3 match. ` ` ` ` >>> ### **DECK BUILDING** <<< **** The minimum deck size is 25, however, with [[Advantageous Proclamation]], decks may be as small as 20. As deck building is a little unusual here are some helpful tips: * For 25 card decks 7-9 lands are recommended. * For 20 card decks 6-7 lands are recommended. * For single-pipped cards you want at least 3 sources of that color * For double-pipped cards you want at least 5 sources of that color * Milling out is a concern! Make sure you have a game plan. All interaction and no win conditions is risky business. ` ` ` ` >>> ### **BALANCE** <<< **** When you hear about a 3-life cube you expect it to be a complete unbalanced joke. Though there are games where players get early kills, it is never simple. The cube is balanced so that anything that kills quickly needs at *at least* 2 cards. The cube follows some broad design choices to keep things balanced: - Any creature that can inherently attack with 1 or more power has to meet a casting condition, state-based conditions or exceed 5 mana value. >>> <<[[!4a2d3ba4-07c7-46bd-8241-0fa41105b771]][[!f4ec6fc4-efbf-4071-860e-ba244e27e2d3]][[!dd8272ca-8e3d-4980-99f2-352a1db76d74]]>> <<< - Many of threats and interaction pieces are attached to artifacts and enchantments which causes White and Red's disenchant effects function as pseudo of counter magic. The game is about jockeying for board presence with all kinds of permanents as opposed to just creatures. >>> <<[[!80fca8c0-ae3e-439e-b202-228b9f360e9a]][[!6dfc7060-e374-486f-8029-d3fdfe4b61e7]][[!Mask of the Jadecrafter]]>> <<< - There are a plethora of miniature build arounds. Almost no threats are generically good, which means players will have to think about how they build their decks to achieve the win. >>> <<[[!1250735d-d43b-488f-bddf-ed10261a6382]][[!c0d1ee33-e247-4ada-bb01-518611cd7d00]][[!326c7483-2c45-4804-85c4-d40ecdba4fc7]]>> <<< The other important design choices are the omissions. Below are a list commonly considered week/low power cards in regular limited that are banned for how overpowered they are in this cube. This is a small list as a majority of cards in magic are too strong for this cube, but this highlights the kind of balance that goes into this design. - [[Shock]] - [[Revitalize]] - [[Devastating Summons]] - [[Cathedral Sanctifier]] - [[Ensoul Artifact]] - [[Golden Urn]] - [[Cloudshredder Sliver]] ` ` ` ` **** >>> ### **Enjoy!** <<< ****