Build an MTG Cube!

[@markymarksaddiction]

As a first time cuber I can confirm that the task does feel impossible but once you get started it's got like a "Oh, I get it." moment and then it's super fun

[@CulticCube]

That's awesome! Happy cubing!

[@DanSternofBeyer]

This is beautiful work, as always. Even though I've been cubing for years now, I watched every moment with undivided attention.

[@CulticCube]

Hey, that's so kind of you to say. This effort is, of course, pitched at an introductory level, but I'm delighted to hear that an experienced designer can find something of interest here as well.

[@garrettcolas]

A video like this except about set or block cubes would be cool

[@Zjivarra]

Making a cube with fewer colors might be a good way to do a first. Like picking your favorite 3 colors plus artifacts. :)) I’ve had this idea in my head to use a bundle as a foundation for a cube, becuase 10x15 will be 150 cards already and then you can just add another 100-200 or so cards on top of that from your existing collection and from other sets than what the bundle was. Also limiting cube cards to certain sets with just a couple favorites as outliers can be cool. Another fun cube experience can be just buying bulk commons and making a cube from that. :))

[@irishpotato8786]

Been working on this cube on and off for a year, friend is coming over tonight and we are gonna finish it! Thanks for the help

[@justinblechinger6723]

I just finished a five year in the making cube. All pauper, all multicolor, all modern, and no repeats. 440 cards in the cube. Now I just someone to cube draft with.

[@CulticCube]

Very cool, congratulations! Bring it to CubeCon - there will be many cubers there! :)

[@SenpuuNoMa1]

This is a really good video, i really like how you handled the basics and the potential issues. I'm still working on my 720 (+80 commanders, separated) EDH/Brawl multiplayer cube with each three colour pair having a theme from each of the colours and each dual colour pair having two themes from each colour and all the commanders should have at least a playable plan A. It's been giving me headaches for over a year now, this video really helped me put it in perspective, and i've decided to just let it be what it is and add cards i like to play with. Somtimes simple is best.

[@CulticCube]

Wow, that sounds like a fun project and also quite the undertaking! I'm delighted that you found something of value in the video, and I'm grateful that you stopped by to say so. Thank you!

[@iantreadwell5140]

I can relate to this undertaking, I've been working hard on an EDH cube myself. Mine has commanders within, but it seems to work well in the specific format I've been using. If you'd like, take a look! cubecobra.com/cube/overview/6075e412cdeb3810318c22be

[@achipinthesugar]

Thank you for saying "strongly recommend". The current fashion for saying "highly recommend" drives me bananas. Also great video!

[@LeftLeaningPinko]

I very recently completed my very first cube (a 360-card premodern cube from Ice Age to Scourge, 4th edition to 7th edition, plus Chronicles) that very closely follows most of the suggestions in this video. I can confirm that the tips in the video are very good, although the ratio of mana fixing might depend a bit on your goals. That said, it's always better to start with more rather than less.

[@seanedgar164]

I've managed to make a pretty compact EDH cube by adding cards that flex across multiple roles or strategies. Mine is very heavy on multicolour cards because commanders are included. That said, it is intended for 2 and 3 colour decks and they've always come together into 100 card decks 😊

[@hvmachinegun8235]

Great idea! My cube design tip is to play as many of your pet cards as possible, than try to build an environment around it. To many folks think thei have to put strong/ powerful cube staples into their cube, but the funnest cubes ate the ones where you play cards you've never seen before. Get weird!

[@CulticCube]

I love it! Creating an environment where pet cards and strategies can shine is a wonderful way to craft a cube that is uniquely one's own.

[@seanedgar164]

I started mine because my edh pod was having balance and vibe issues lol, no better way to balance power and expectations than by limiting them to stuff I like 😂

[@emiliorubione837]

Truly great video. Everyone tells me to build a "precon" cube but I don't want that. I just want to put together something with what I have and take it from there. So it was really pleasing and helpful to watch this guide. Thanks!

[@seanedgar164]

I made my edh cube around play lines/card I like, then extrapolated "archetypes" from there. No better way to have fun edh games than when I've sculpted the environment 😂

[@garagavia]

I'm a cube enthusiast and I'm just getting back into it after a hiatus. Instantly subbed, looking forward to see more good cube content ❤️🙏

[@CulticCube]

Thank you!!

[@TrainmasterGT]

5:10 love the smoke effect behind the door. Feels very Gruul!!

[@CulticCube]

oh good, I'm delighted you like it! as you see, I have started experimenting with adding some animations beyond my usual routine of pushing cutouts across the screen like so many pieces of construction paper. The new stuff feels rather inexpert, and it adds yet another level of time commitment, but I like the direction that it suggests.

[@csudab]

This is the best video on this topic I’ve seen yet

[@CulticCube]

Yay, I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for saying so!

[@happycatfish]

This is some cool cube content man! Love to see people not only promoting the format, but lowering the barrier of entry and making it easier for others to join the fun 😁

[@CulticCube]

Yes! Let's get more people cubing!

[@ryantuck5716]

thanks for the video making a cube is intimidating and now i feel a bit more confident to give it a try

[@schlockfather]

I just slapped a cube together and I hope it doesn't suck. It's mostly creature centric and I worry there's a bad imbalance, but I'm trying to get something starting off the ground.

[@CulticCube]

Sweeeet, congrats! I think you're doing exactly the right thing: Just get something together and start playing it. It's going to be great, and you can continue to refine it. The hardest part is creating that first draft.

[@ItsDangerousGoAlone]

Buy bulk mtg ultra pro sleeves, put junk cards lile basic lands in them, print on regular copy sheet paper cards you want to play with, cut the cards out, place printed cards in front of those junk lands. BOOM! Your $10,000 cube can cost $60 in computer ink.

[@garrettcolas]

AND you can go play your cube with strangers with no worries about theft

[@NUMSKUL_TX]

Gonna start building my first ever cube from draft chaff that I've accumulated over the last couple years when I started. This is by far the best video on how to start yet. The question I'm having is rarities. With the 50 of each color and curve what should the ratio of rarities be? I'm sure it depends on power level wanted but unsure really

[@zieglerr300]

3:25 Me: Looks at the 2 tv trays in my room covered in stacks of cards while I eat my food carefully on my bed. HE KNOWS

[@CulticCube]

oh boy, I'm all too often right there with you, lol!

[@jeffreymcadams4163]

You, sir, are a saint.

[@CulticCube]

Hey, you're too kind! I'm so glad that you found the video interesting or useful.

[@parttimecomix]

Great, evergreen content!

[@CulticCube]

Thanks so much, Jon!

[@cryptonyzer8699]

I built a war of the spark cube pretty cool

[@FelipeBudinich]

Excellent content as always.

[@CulticCube]

Thanks, Felipe.

[@Grimlocksmith]

50 dual lands in 360 cards? That's more than 6 lands per drafter. I'd be curious to know why you think this is necessary. 30 seems really close to correct to me, though I might go 35 if I could figure out what I can cut from my archetypes. The only reason I can imagine why you would want 50 is to make sure drafters aren't punished for not picking lands highly enough.

[@TrainmasterGT]

It makes the drafted decks run smoother. If you look at a constructed mana base, it often consists of 50% or more dual lands to help make sure everything can get cast on time. Running 50+ lands in a cube means that drafters will have an easier time casting all of their spells, especially in aggressive decks which may have intense mana requirements in the one and two drop slots.

[@loganadams9513]

50 fixing lands, which could includes duals, but also Triomes and 5 color stuff like Prismatic Vista and City of Brass. I'm running 74 at 540, which is proportional to 50 at 360. I think it does a couple things compared to when I've had fewer: helps all decks have the potential to run more consistently and opens up some new deck options with people reaching for a splash or moving into more colors.

[@CulticCube]

My bit of advice about land count is, I expect, the most controversial bit of the video. I am fully onboard with the responses from Trainmaster and Logan. For me, Magic is a game that has plenty of variance built into it already. I like to help people to help themselves to minimize color screw, just because I don't think losses to these sort of issues lend themselves to good game experiences on either side of the table. Some worry that too many fixing lands will overly incentivize greed piles. That is a concern that is worth keeping an eye on. For me, that can be attenuated by continuing to tune the macroarchetypical pillars to ensure that they are robust, and that aggro decks can get under the greed and more reliable control decks can get over it, for instance. But to each their own. I am describing what I like in my cubes, and I fully recognize that others may have different approaches that suit their aims and tastes better.

[@Grimlocksmith]

Thanks for the replies. I've think you've convinced me to give a higher proportion on lands a try!

[@escapegrass]

I shall make the most broken, busted cube ever because it sounds halarious and this video is great! (sorry for this being the 70th comment, rip 69) Edit : also your voice is so soothing, I could fall asleep to this voice.

[@gmikecstein]

Thanks so much. this is great

[@CulticCube]

Yay, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!

[@frankvanderwaals6034]

Hahah, building my cube is indeed impeding me to have dinner at the dinner table...

[@supercard9418]

Your voice could be louder and more confident. I had to turn my volume all the way up because it was like you were whispering/muttering which isn't the most pleasant thing to hear/see when watching a video. Other than that, I liked the video---I'm a newcomer to cube, and the info presented here helped me quite a bit.

[@CoL_Drake]

we have some nice vintage cube, all cards printed out and put in front of a 1 cent card xD u cant pay for a real one to expensice and basicly the same xD

[@ytsejam58]

I want to build a cube of cards from like guilds of rav to zen rising

[@RPGEEKsChannel]

My like #culticcube !

[@CulticCube]

Thanks, friend! :)

[@plaincheckereds]

ive got only 1 friend in mind when i make a cube. will it work? hehe

[@seanwatson1724]

First! Also, this is exactly the video I've been needing!

[@CulticCube]

yay, I'm delighted it is of interest, and I hope it proves helpful! Go make that cube of your dreams! :)

[@bored_zombie6675]

i want to create a cube with home made cards, and do the art:p

[@CulticCube]

Oh my goodness, that sounds amazing!

[@ItsDangerousGoAlone]

I got another basic draft build, choose 132 commons, 72 uncommons, and 48 rares/mythics. Have 4 copies of each common, making 528 commons total. Have 2 copies of each uncommon, making 144 uncommons total. Have 1 copy of 48 rare/mythics. You then do booster repacks of 11 commons, 3 uncommons, and 1 rare/mythic. You now have 48 reusable booster packs and you can design your own set. I came up with this formula to make a recreation of actual booster draft feel. Choosing cards from different innistrad sets, and even cards outside of innistrad but fit the creepy theme, i have created my own innistrad set. I have done the same for ixalan, mirrodin, and kaladash. Makes a set that feels like a more focused themed modern masters booster draft.

[@CulticCube]

Awesome - thanks so much for sharing these great ideas! I have never tried composing packs, but I can see how this model makes tons of sense when ones goal is to model an improved or recalibrate version of a retail draft environment. Great stuff, thanks!

[@AIMLESS-NAMELESS]

Building a cube around dead archetypes. Planechase, conspiracy ect. It’s gonna be a train wreck

[@stephenkonefal]

Great video, ma dude 🤘 I especially appreciate the emphasis on being budget conscious. I’ve found in my cube designs have led me to picking through the bulk bin at an LGS. Some folk may feel a “need” to shell out serious cash for the hot new thing; some of the best limited cards are not the same powerhouses seen in constructed. Thanks again for the insight and also validating some of my personal design idiosyncrasies:-) cheers, sir!

[@CulticCube]

All too true! And well I know how effective you are, Stephen, at crafting not only more traditional environments but also rarity-restricted ones that are relatively inexpensive to put together and that are a heck of a lot of fun. I speak from experience, being, as I am, the proud recipient of your "Peasants of Innistrad" cube!