Cloned from [Commander Cube](/c/5d3f1c6cd1bbf667dd9cdd1b) In the Commander Cube, big games are king! This is a multiplayer, battlecruiser-style cube that aims for the feel and variety of constructed Commander circa 2014-2019. My goal is to promote decks at the 6-7 / 10 power level, where 1/10 is a precon and 10/10 is cEDH. Some notable EDH staples have been excluded to ensure that aggressive, midrange, and control strategies all have a fighting chance. The cube supports broad commander archetypes across 3-5 colors (sacrifice, tokens, equipment, reanimator, +1/+1 counters, spellslinger, big mana, etc.). >>> <<[[!rafiq of the many]][[!the mimeoplasm]][[!narset, enlightened master]]>> <<< *** >>> ## Drafting <<< Commanders are shuffled into the main cube and drafted alongside the rest of the cards. Decks are drafted from a pool of around 60 cards per person, and depending on how many people show up, we’ve found success with: - *Standard Draft*: 4 packs of 15, 5 packs of 12, or 3 packs of 20 (pick two) - *Rochester Draft*: 4 packs of 15, 5 packs of 12, or 3 packs of 20 (pick two) - *Burn Draft*: 6 packs of 15 (pick 2, burn 1) - *Grid Draft*: 20-25 grids of 9 (2-player only) - *Winston Draft*: 20-25 picks per person (2-player only) - *Solomon Draft*: 15 packs of 9 per person (2-player only) - *Sealed Deck*: 120 cards *** >>> ## Deck Construction <<< Deck construction follows normal Commander rules, with a few house rules: - **Partners:** If it sounds like a partner, it is a partner. Background, Choose a Background, Friends Forever, and Doctor's Companion are all errata'd to have "Partner". - **Splashing:** Monocolored commanders are allowed to splash one color. All cards that reference color identity are errata'd to include this splash color. - **Deck Size:** Minimum deck size is 60 cards plus commander(s). - **Free Card:** Each player receives a free Command Tower after the draft. All other Commander rules apply: 40 life, 21 commander damage, etc. A typical deck breaks down into around 26-27 lands and 33-34 nonlands, with a goal of at least 5-6 ramp sources, at least 5-6 draw sources, and enough removal and interaction to suit your strategy. The partner and splash rules are our solution to color identity's "drafting on rails" problem. We tested other ideas - like granting all monocolored commanders partner, restricting color identity to basic lands but allowing splashing through nonbasics, or ignoring color identity completely - but they all proved too format-warping with this cube's card pool or too big of a violation of the spirit of Commander. *** >>> ## Design Notes <<< When balancing the cube and swapping out cards, I focus on maintaining the density of key effects like card flow, ramp, and removal: **Commanders:** - *tag:Commander*: All available commanders. - *tag:Partner*: All partners under the cube's errata. **Ramp and Draw:** - *tag:Ramp*: Grows your manabase. Does not include land-to-hand tutors or effects that only fix colors. - *tag:Card-Flow*: Scries/surveils/explores, filters/rummages, cantrips, replaces itself, tutors land to hand, etc. Does not increase net cards in hand. - *tag:Card-Flow-Engine*: Repeatable scry/filter/etc. effect that does not increase net cards in hand. - *tag:Draw*: One-shot draw effect that draw at least 2 cards under normal circumstances. - *tag:Draw-Engine*: Repeatable draw effect that has the potential to draw at least 2 cards under normal circumstances. - *tag:Tutor*: Searches your library for a nonland card. **Recursion:** - *tag:Recursion*: Replaces itself by returning another card from a graveyard ("pseudo-card flow"). - *tag:Self-Recursion*: Can replay itself from the graveyard at least once ("pseudo-card flow"). - *tag:Recursion-Card-Advantage*: Returns at least 2 cards from graveyards under normal circumstances ("pseudo-draw"). **Removal:** - *tag:Creature-Removal*: Removes almost any creature immediately, though not necessarily permanently. - *tag:Conditional-Removal*: Removes a subset of creatures but not all; or removes creatures very temporarily; or lets your opponent choose which creature they remove; or removes a creature after a delay; etc. - *tag:Board-Wipe*: Removes (almost) all creatures. - *tag:Conditional-Board-Wipe*: A board wipe with similar conditions to tag:Conditional-Removal. - *tag:Artifact-Removal*: Removes one or more artifacts. - *tag:Enchantment-Removal*: Removes one or more enchantments. - *tag:Planeswalker-Removal*: Removes one or more planeswalkers. - *tag:Counterspell*: Counters a spell. - *tag:Graveyard-Hate*: Prevents recursion. Includes traditional graveyard hate and creature removal that exiles rather than destroys. **Other:** - *tag:Board-Protection*: Protects one or more permanents from removal. - Ratio of creatures ("*type:creature* or *tag:pseudo-creature*") to noncreatures to lands. - Curve and average mana value by color identity. - General quantities of micro-archetype support, such as +1/+1 counters, self-mill, spells-matter payoffs, token generators, etc. Each micro-archetype has different needs, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach.