[720][Unpowered] Unlimited Cube (No singleton rule!)

[meep98324]

So this is a really raw list, and I've only drafted it once so far, but it's been a lot of fun. If you're interested, make sure to read the primer below. It will explain a lot about card choice!

Why Multiple Cards?

Spoiler:

Lots of reasons!
-First of all, it allows me to better support archetypes that otherwise need bad cards to be draftable. Are you sad because you have to run Goblin Patrol in order for red aggro to be playable? That's no longer a problem when you can run 3 Goblin Guides! Is Reanimator barely drafted because there are only a few good reanimate spells? Now you can run multiples of each of them, so you can get your critical mass of spells.
-You can get a higher power level and more consistent decks by having multiples of cards floating around. Even at the 360 level, there are subpar cards. Incinerateand Chain Lightning are cube staples even though Lightning Bolt is around.
-Allowing multiples opens up design space! So far I haven't found many good cards to take advantage of this, but I do run 4 of Demigod of Revenge, Rune Snag, Kindle, Mishra's Factory, and Deranged Hermit(!!!), and I am looking for more cards that do better in multiples. Currently I'm considering Graveborn Muse, and I'm sure there are more I just haven't thought of!

How did I decide how many of each card to put in?

Spoiler:

Here is my basic rubric, though I must admit that a lot of it was based on instinct:

1 of: As a design rule, I only put in 1 of each legend and planeswalker. Cards that are firstpick bombs (swords, jitte, recurring nightmare, survival of the fittest, sulfuric vortex, etc.) are 1-of's as well. Finally, fringe cards, 7+ CMC cards, and narrow cards were 1-of's. (Dungeon Geists, Entomb, Woodfall Primus, etc.) I might change the rule for 7+ CMC cards if there aren't enough fatties floating around.

2 of: These are the solid cards, not powerful enough to be a 3-of, but still quality picks in a bunch of decks.

3 of: To be a 3-of, you have to be the best (or really near) at what you do, but not be a windmill slam 1st pick. Some examples are Thoughtseize, Lightning Bolt, Strip Mine, and Birds of Paradise.

4 of: To be a 4-of, you have to be a card that gets better in multiples. They also have to be good enough to be maindecked even if you only draft 1. I haven't found very many of these, so I only have five 4-ofs so far. They are Mishra's Factory, Demigod of Revenge, Deranged Hermit, Kindle, and Rune Snag.

Cube Details:

Spoiler:

Basic Info

Cube Size: 720

Breakdown: 96 of each color, 70 multicolor, 72 lands, 98 Other (Phyrexian, Shard/Wedge, Artifact, etc.)

Standard or Theme Cube: Standard, other than multiples of cards.

Average Draft: 8 players

Card Selection

Banned Cards:
For power level: Sol Ring, Moxen, Black Lotus, Library of Alexandria, Mana Drain, Mind Twist, Time Walk, Ancestral Recall, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, Grim Monolith.

For design reasons: Armageddon, Ravages of War, Moat, Hymn to Tourach, Stupor, Mana Tithe, Jace, Memory Adept.

Cube Design

Standard or Multiplayer: Standard.

Sideboards: Yes

The List:

Here's a link to the list on tappedout.net: http://tappedout.net/mtg-cube-drafts/unlimited-cube/

When I get a chance, I'll post it in the standard form on here, hopefully later today.

White:

Spoiler:

Creatures: 66

Deck

//1CC 1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda 3 Mother of Runes 3 Savannah Lions 2 Steppe Lynx 1 Student of Warfare 1 Weathered Wayfarer //2CC 1 Accorder Paladin 2 Cloistered Youth 1 Knight of Meadowgrain 1 Kor Skyfisher 2 Soltari Monk 2 Soltari Priest 2 Soltari Trooper 1 Stoneforge Mystic 2 Stormfront Pegasus 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 3 Wall of Omens //3CC 2 Blade Splicer 1 Fiend Hunter 1 Flickerwisp 3 Mirran Crusader 2 Mirror Entity 2 Silverblade Paladin 2 Soltari Champion 2 Spectral Procession

//4CC 1 Angel of Jubilation 2 Exalted Angel 1 Galepowder Mage 2 Hero of Bladehold 1 Kor Sanctifiers 3 Restoration Angel 1 Wall of Reverence //5CC 1 Baneslayer Angel 3 Cloudgoat Ranger 1 Reveillark //6CC+ 2 Sun Titan 1 Yosei, the Morning Star 1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite 1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope 1 Mikaeus, the Lunarch

Spells: 30

Deck
//0CC 1 Kor Haven //1CC 1 Enlightened Tutor 1 Land Tax 2 Path to Exile 3 Swords to Plowshares //2CC 1 Balance 2 Disenchant 1 Revoke Existence 1 Seal of Cleansing //3CC 1 Glorious Anthem 3 Oblivion Ring	//4CC 1 Ajani Goldmane 1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant 2 Faith's Fetters 2 Parallax Wave 3 Wrath of God //5CC 1 Elspeth Tirel 1 Gideon Jura 1 Hallowed Burial //6CC+ 1 Martial Coup

Blue

Spoiler:

Creatures: 33

Deck
//1CC 1 Enclave Cryptologist //2CC 2 Looter il-Kor 1 Ludevic's Test Subject 2 Phantasmal Image 1 Riftwing Cloudskate 3 Snapcaster Mage 1 Waterfront Bouncer //3CC 1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner 2 Man-o'-War 1 Pestermite 2 Sea Gate Oracle 1 Serendib Efreet 1 Vendilion Clique	//4CC 1 Dungeon Geists 2 Glen Elendra Archmage 2 Sower of Temptation 1 Venser, Shaper Savant //5CC 1 Meloku, the Clouded Mirror 3 Mulldrifter //6CC+ 1 Consecrated Sphinx 1 Keiga, the Tide Star 1 Sphinx of Jwar Isle 1 Inkwell Leviathan

Spells: 63

Deck

//0CC 1 Academy Ruins 1 Force of Will 2 Shelldock Isle //1CC 1 Ancestral Vision 3 Brainstorm 2 Force Spike 1 Mystical Tutor 2 Ponder 2 Preordain //2CC 1 Arcane Denial 3 Counterspell 2 Impulse 1 Into the Roil 2 Mana Leak 1 Memory Lapse 2 Remand 4 Rune Snag 2 Standstill //3CC 3 Crystal Shard 1 Forbid 2 Frantic Search 1 Jace Beleren 1 Psionic Blast 1 Thirst for Knowledge 1 Timetwister 3 Tinker 1 Vedalken Shackles

//4CC 2 Control Magic 1 Cryptic Command 1 Deep Analysis 3 Fact or Fiction 1 Gifts Ungiven 1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor //5CC 1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage 1 Tezzeret the Seeker 1 Treachery //6CC+ 1 Time Spiral 1 Upheaval 1 Condescend 1 Repeal

Green

Spoiler:

Creatures: 65

Deck
//1CC 3 Birds of Paradise 2 Joraga Treespeaker 2 Llanowar Elves 3 Noble Hierarch 2 Ulvenwald Tracker //2CC 1 Fauna Shaman 2 Lotus Cobra 1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary 2 Sakura-Tribe Elder 3 Scavenging Ooze 2 Strangleroot Geist 2 Tarmogoyf 2 Wall of Blossoms 2 Wall of Roots 2 Wild Mongrel //3CC 1 Call of the Herd 1 Eternal Witness 2 Nantuko Vigilante 3 Troll Ascetic 1 Yavimaya Elder	//4CC 1 Blastoderm 2 Phantom Centaur 1 Thrun, the Last Troll 1 Vengevine 3 Wickerbough Elder //5CC 3 Acidic Slime 4 Deranged Hermit 1 Genesis 1 Indrik Stomphowler 1 Thornling 1 Vorapede 1 Wolfir Silverheart //6CC+ 1 Rampaging Baloths 1 Moldgraf Monstrosity 1 Pelakka Wurm 1 Terastodon 1 Woodfall Primus

Spells: 31

Deck
//0CC 2 Treetop Village //1CC 1 Berserk 2 Rancor 1 Vines of Vastwood //2CC 2 Farseek 1 Naturalize 3 Regrowth 1 Survival of the Fittest 3 Sylvan Library //3CC 2 Cultivate 2 Harrow 2 Ice Storm 1 Krosan Tusker	//4CC 1 Bramblecrush 1 Garruk Relentless 1 Garruk Wildspeaker 1 Stonewood Invocation //5CC 1 Garruk, Primal Hunter 2 Plow Under //6CC+ 2 Green Sun's Zenith

Black:

Spoiler:

Creatures: 51

Deck
//1CC 1 Carnophage 3 Diregraf Ghoul 3 Gravecrawler 1 Vampire Lacerator //2CC 1 Bloodghast 1 Dark Confidant 2 Dauthi Horror 2 Nantuko Shade 1 Nezumi Graverobber 2 Oona's Prowler 1 Vampire Hexmage 2 Vampire Interloper //3CC 1 Bone Shredder 3 Dauthi Marauder 1 Hypnotic Specter 1 Liliana's Specter 3 Vampire Nighthawk	//4CC 1 Abyssal Persecutor 1 Braids, Cabal Minion 2 Graveborn Muse 1 Nekrataal 1 Sewer Nemesis 3 Skinrender //5CC 1 Bloodghift Demon 1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen 1 Puppeteer Clique 3 Shriekmaw //6CC+ 2 Grave Titan 1 Kokusho, the Evening Star 1 Sheoldred, Whispering One 1 Griselbrand 1 Tombstalker 1 Bane of the Living

Spells: 45

Deck
//0CC 1 Volrath's Stronghold 1 Snuff Out //1CC 2 Dark Ritual 2 Duress 1 Entomb 3 Reanimate 3 Thoughtseize 1 Vampiric Tutor //2CC 3 Animate Dead 1 Bitterblossom 2 Chainer's Edict 1 Demonic Tutor 1 Diabolic Edict 3 Doom Blade 1 Exhume 3 Go for the Throat 2 Sinkhole	//3CC 1 Liliana of the VEil 2 Necromancy 2 Phyrexian Arena 1 Recurring Nightmare //4CC 2 Consuming Vapors 3 Damnation 1 Makeshift Mannequin //6CC+ 2 Black Sun's Zenith 2 Profane Command

Red:

Spoiler:

Creatures: 46

Deck
//1CC 3 Goblin Guide 2 Greater Gargadon 2 Grim Lavamancer 2 Jackal Pup 2 Spikeshot Elder //2CC 2 Hellspark Elemental 2 Kargan Dragonlord 2 Keldon Marauders 1 Lightning Mauler 3 Plated Geopede 3 Stormblood Berserker //3CC 2 Chandra's Phoenix 1 Fire Imp 1 Keldon Vandals 2 Manic Vandal	//4CC 3 Avalanche Riders 3 Flametongue Kavu 1 Goblin Ruinblaster 2 Hellrider 1 Hero of Oxid Ridge 1 Hound of Griselbrand //5CC 1 Kiki-Jiki, the Mirror Breaker 2 Siege-Gang Commander //6CC+ 2 Inferno Titan

Spells: 50

Deck
//0CC 3 Fireblast //1CC 1 Burst Lightning 3 Faithless Looting 3 Lightning Bolt 2 Reckless Charge //2CC 1 Arc Trail 4 Kindle 1 Magma Jet 2 Pyroclasm 1 Smash to Smithereens //3CC 1 Arc Lightning 1 Blast from the Past 1 Brimstone Volley 2 Molten Rain 3 Pillage 2 Slagstorm 2 Staggershock 3 Stone Rain 1 Sulfuric Vortex 3 Wheel of Fortune	//4CC 1 Chandra, the Firebrand 1 Koth of the Hammer //5CC 1 Chandra Nalaar //6CC+ 2 Devil's Play 2 Red Sun's Zenith 3 Rolling Earthquake

Land fixing:

Spoiler:

Deck
//Azorius 1 Celestial Colonnade 2 Flooded Strand 3 Tundra //Dimir 1 Creeping Tar Pit 2 Polluted Delta 3 Underground Sea //Rakdos 3 Badlands 2 Bloodstained Mire 1 Lavaclaw Reaches //Gruul 1 Raging Ravine 3 Taiga 2 Wooded Foothills //Selesnya 3 Savannah 1 Stirring Wildwood 2 Windswept Heath //Orzhov 3 Marsh Flats 3 Scrubland //Golgari 3 Bayou 3 Verdant Catacombs	//Simic 3 Misty Rainforest 3 Tropical Island //Izzet 3 Scalding Tarn 3 Volcanic Island //Boros 3 Arid Mesa 3 Plateau //5 Color 2 City of Brass 1 Evolving Wilds 3 Grand Coliseum 1 Reflecting Pool 1 Vivid Crag 1 Vivid Creek 1 Vivid Grove 1 Vivid Marsh 1 Vivid Meadow

Multicolor:

Spoiler:

Deck

//Azorius 2 Azorius Signet 1 Curse of Chains 1 Geist of Saint Traft 1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV 1 Venser, the Sojourner 1 Wall of Denial //Dimir 2 Dimir Signet 2 Psychatog 2 Shadowmage Infiltrator 1 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas //Rakdos 1 Bituminous Blast 1 Blightning 4 Demigod of Revenge 1 Fulminator Mage //Gruul 2 Bloodbraid Elf 1 Huntmaster of the Fells 3 Kird Ape 1 Sarkhan Vol //Selesnya 2 Kitchen Finks 3 Loam Lion 1 Qasali Pridemage 1 Selesnya Signet //Orzhov 1 Gerrard's Verdict 2 Lingering Souls 1 Orzhov Signet 1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad 2 Vindicate

//Golgari 1 Golgari Signet 2 Pernicious Deed 2 Maelstrom Pulse 1 Putrefy 1 Putrid Leech //Simic 1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest 1 Mystic Snake 2 Simic Signet 1 Simic Sky Swallower 2 Trygon Predator //Izzet 2 Electrolyze 1 Fire/Ice 2 Izzet Signet 1 Gelectrode 1 Prophetic Bolt //Boros 1 Ajani Vengeant 3 Figure of Destiny 2 Lightning Helix 1 Slayers' Stronghold //3+ Colors 1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker 1 Rafiq of the Many 1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind 3 Wild Nacatl

Miscellaneous:

Spoiler:

Deck

//Random Stuff 3 Aether Vial 3 Black Vise 2 Pithing Needle 1 Sensei's Divining Top 2 Ankh of Mishra 3 Isochron Scepter 2 Scroll Rack 1 Winter Orb 2 Mimic Vat 1 Tangle Wire 1 Squee, Goblin Nabob 1 Erratic Portal 1 Icy Manipulator 2 Nevinyrral's Disk 1 Smokestack 1 Memory Jar 1 Karn Liberated //Lands 1 Ancient Tomb 1 Maze of Ith 4 Mishra's Factory 2 Mutavault 3 Rishadan Port 3 Strip Mine 3 Wasteland //Equipment 2 Batterskull 2 Bonesplitter 2 Grafted Wargear 1 Lightning Greaves 1 Loxodon Warhammer 1 Skullclamp 1 Sword of Body and Mind 1 Sword of Feast and Famine 1 Sword of Fire and Ice 1 Sword of Light and Shadow 1 Sword of War and Peace 1 Umezawa's Jitte

//Creatures 1 Phyrexian Revoker 2 Spellskite 1 Lodestone Golem 3 Solemn Simulacrum 1 Precursor Golem 1 Duplicant 2 Wurmcoil Engine 1 Myr Battlesphere 1 Sundering Titan 1 Blightsteel Colossus 1 Chimeric Mass //Acceleration 3 Coalition Relic 3 Mind Stone 2 Mox Diamond //Phyrexian Mana 2 Dismember 2 Phyrexian Metamorph 3 Porcelain Legionnaire 2 Spined Thopter

Let me know what you think!

[ExpiredRascals]

What's the design constraint behind the exclusion of Mana Tithe?

[meep98324]

The design constraint behind the exclusion of Mana Tithe is that I, as a designer, think that white shouldn't have counterspells

[ExpiredRascals]

Originally Posted by meep98324

The design constraint behind the exclusion of Mana Tithe is that I, as a designer, think that white shouldn't have counterspells

Fair enough.

The other big thing for me was seeing vial as a singleton. Vial seems like a "build around me" style card that gets better if you can get redundancy.

[meep98324]

That's a good point. This list is still a first go. I had vial as a "fringe" card, but I think it could shine in multiples, so I'll put it up to 3. Thanks for the input!

[ExpiredRascals]

Originally Posted by meep98324

That's a good point. This list is still a first go. I had vial as a "fringe" card, but I think it could shine in multiples, so I'll put it up to 3. Thanks for the input!

Glad I could help

It looks like a really complex environment. It's harder to evaluate than the average cube.

The only remaining things I have at the moment are:
Farseek: I love this card in a dual-heavy environment. Is there a reason not to bump it up to 2/3?
Force of Will: Was it a design choice to make free counters so limited?

Musings:
Have you considered Grandeur legends for this? Korlash, for example, could be pretty sweet.

[meep98324]

I could bump Farseek to 2 or 3. Force of Will is such an iconic card that I felt like it should stay as a 1-of.

As for Grandeur, one of my rules was to only have 1 of each legend. I don't like the idea that you can drop down your Korlash, and your opponent drops theirs to kill it.

Edit: The more I think about it, the more I think Grandeur might work. I might try some of them out.

[Power Conduit]

Some suggestions

I would definitely bump up the # of student of warfares. Your 1 drop numbers (excluding Mother) are low compared to 2 drops.

You have a very high 2-drop WW count. That could be problematic unless you are actively trying to promote WW as an archetype.

I'm having trouble distinguishing between 2-ofs and 3-ofs in your blue. Seems like a lot of the solid role players are being included as 2-ofs. Of your non-legends, I would bump up: Man o war, Glen Elendra, Sower, Looter.

Tinker seems like less of a role-player than Mana Leak. Crystal Shard also seems like another build-around card rather than a role player - drop to two?

I'd personally want more Lotus Cobras and Acidic Slimes, Regrowth would be another good one to bump up. I don't care too much for Ice Storm, and I don't think cube decks are typically looking for redundancy in Rancor or Ice Storm or even Harrow. I would use those slots to bump up creature numbers and possibly GSZ alongside that.

[meep98324]

Thanks for the reply!

I think I'm going to bump up the number of Student of Warfare up to 2, don't forget though, there are 3 Figure of Destiny, which bumps up the white 1-drops. I am trying to promote white weenie in addition to tokens as an archetype, hence the large amount of 2-drops.

What would you cut to bump up those creatures? Blue was really difficult to cut down.

I'm promoting both tinker and blink/bounce as archetypes, and tinker/crystal shard are the best at those things, so I have them as 3-ofs.

RGb LD is another archetype I'm pushing, which is why I have 2 ice storms. I'm low on equipment, so Rancor becomes a lot more valuable, and Harrow goes in so many decks that I couldn't justify it being only a 1-of. Even if a deck only wants 1 Harrow, chances are 2-4 people will want that Harrow, plus being a 2-of just means that on average there will be one in every draft, as opposed to one in every other draft. I'll try to find room for another slime and regrowth though!

edit: Change: -1 Wolfir Silverheart, -1 Thornling, +1 Acidic Slime, +1 Regrowth. I have SO many 5-drops in green. (Thanks 4-of Deranged Hermit!)

[meep98324]

Drafted the cube for the first time! I went 3-0 with the following reanimator deck:

Deck

//CREATURES 1 Avacyn, Angel of Hope 1 Inkwell Leviathan 1 Sundering Titan 1 Enclave Cryptologist 1 Flametongue Kavu 2 Shriekmaw 1 Sewer Nemesis //SPELLS 2 Animate Dead 1 Necromancy 1 Reanimate 1 Exhume 1 Entomb 2 Frantic Search 1 Faithless Looting 2 Go for the Throat 1 Damnation 1 Wheel of Fortune 1 Coalition Relic 1 Lightning Greaves //LANDS 2 Badlands 1 Bloodstained Mire 2 Scalding Tarn 1 Misty Rainforest 1 Polluted Delta 1 Creeping Tar Pit 1 Grand Coliseum 1 Underground Sea 5 Swamp 1 Island 1 Mountain

//RELEVANT SIDEBOARD 1 Demigod of Revenge 1 Graveborn Muse 1 Hypnotic Specter 1 Reanimate 1 Slagstorm 1 Kindle 1 Chandra, the Firebrand

This was easily the most consistent reanimator deck I've ever drafted. I wasn't being cut, which helped, but pretty much every game I had one of my finishers out by turn 3. I tried to get multiple Demigod of Revenge, but only 1 showed up in the draft.