Unlimited Dimensions: Introduction to Cube Design

I'd like to start off with a little mental exercise. Imagine, if you will, you are a Magic player. You have been playing for a good amount of time. You've gone from liking the game to loving the game. You want to make a commitment. You want to take your favorite aspects of Constructed, Limited, and Casual fun and combine them all into a time-consuming and rewarding endeavor. You want to build... a Cube.

Wait, what? 

Alright, perhaps a bit of explanation is in order. Cube is loosely defined as a format composed of a collection of the best Magic cards ever printed. The primary function of this collection is Limited play, i.e. Draft and Sealed. Most Cubes abide by a 'singleton' rule that states no nonbasic card with the same printed name are allowed much like EDH. That's pretty much the long and short of it; the format itself is relatively open-ended.

Starting Off:

There is no wrong way to construct a Cube; however, it is most helpful to have some semblance of direction. Choosing from the list below provides a strong starting point as these Cube types already have supporting theory within the community. Also, what kinds of cards someone personally enjoys can inform this decision.

• Powered: Known primary for the use of the Power Nine and similarly broken cards, this Cube is the pinnacle of overpriced and overpowered. Powered Cube is comparable to drafting Vintage decks since it features cards like Sol Ring, Library of Alexandria, and Mind Twist.
• Unpowered: The only restriction placed upon this Cube is that the previous Powered cards are considered unhealthy for Limited or completely out of budget. It is utilized and has been popularized by Magic: the Gathering Online.
• Peasant: Any cards that have ever been printed at Common or Uncommon find a place within this Cube. It is probably a solid middle ground for those who want to maintain the Cube power level experience while still keeping some money in the bank.
• Pauper: The most restrictive in terms of rarity, this Cube eschews all but cards that have been printed at Common. Many people enjoy Pauper because the gameplay focuses on what makes the five colors fundamentally unique.

The above options are by no means the only directions that can be taken. Cubes that focus on tribal synergies, specific archetypes, or amassing combinations of cards (Combos) have their own distinctive appeal.

Numbers Game:

Cube sizes can range anywhere from a nonzero number to infinity, but typically land on three integers: 360, 450, and 720. The smallest option, 360 cards, is the minimum required to provide three draftable booster packs of 15 cards to eight people at a table, or alternatively, 6 booster packs to four people for sealed. This is my personal favorite number, since it keeps the overall cost down and allows for a tightly controlled format. 450 cards is a strong middle ground if eight people regularly draft a Cube; the extra cards keep the environment from feeling too stagnant. The final possibility is the big daddy, 720 Cube. Only half of the pool will be circulating in a typical eight man draft; specific cards are much harder to find. The MTGO Cube uses this number and the large cube is probably at its best Online due to the sheer amount of people drafting it.

Establishing certain ratios between the colors, multicolor, and colorless within the Cube goes a long way for organization. About 70% of a cube will be delegated evenly to the five colors, 10% to multicolor, and the last 20% to colorless spells and lands. Using 360 as an example, these percentages roughly yield 50 of each color, 40 multicolor, and 70 colorless spells and lands.

Homework isn't so bad:

Now that the shell is in place, it is time to find some sweet cards to go in the Cube. Researching whole Cubes and specific cards is an essential step before jumping into the trading and buying phase.

The new site, Cubetutor.com is my preferred method of not only storing my cube list, but also scouring lists. The Cube Index page is a fantastic resource that provides up-to-date Cubes which have been compiled on user averages. Sites such as TappedOut.net and the MTGSalvation forums provide additional lists, but might not be as comprehensive.

Gatherer.wizards.com and Magiccards.info both have advanced search options to fill any noticeable gaps within a Cube that haven't been filled by looking at other lists. Dredging through pages of results isn't exciting, but finding diamonds in the rough definitely is.

Necessary Evils:

This last section includes things that always get glossed over, but may very well be the key parts of this whole process. First, card sleeves! Any prudent collector will advise that protecting investments is the highest priority, and only the best card sleeves can be considered for this job. Black or Silver Dragon Shields offer the most durability out of any brand I've personally used.

The Cube can't be enjoyed if there aren't enough people willing to put in a few hours. Local card shops attract players of all skill levels and can assist in founding a Cube player base if there isn't already a dedicated group. It's sad to admit that gathering interest and bodies for Cube can be a struggle. This piece requires some perseverance, and hopefully will lead to decent play-testing sessions.

Okay! Hopefully I've laid some ground work and sparked some interest in this amazing format. Join me next month when I delve into 'Designing a Better Cube'!

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-Kris Barrett