Rygars's 2014.5 Evan's Cube

Rygars Morgoth's

2014.5 Evan's Cube

Type:

Deck Idea
Format (legal 👍) vinVintage

Approx. Value:

$24,819.38

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Avg. CMC 3.02

Card Color Breakdown

Card Type Breakdown

Main Deck - 403 cards, 403 distinct

Columns

	Name	Edition	$	Type	Cost
	Name	Rarity	$	Type	Color
Creature (154)
1	Akroma, Angel of Wrath		$3.81	Legendary Creature - Angel
1	Albino Troll		$0.25	Creature - Troll
1	Angel of Despair		$0.91	Creature - Angel
1	Arc-Slogger		$0.36	Creature - Beast
1	Army Ants		$0.25	Creature - Insect
1	Avalanche Riders		$0.37	Creature - Human Nomad
1	Avatar of Woe		$2.81	Creature - Avatar
1	Benalish Knight		$0.13	Creature - Human Knight
1	Birds of Paradise		$5.38	Creature - Bird
1	Black Knight		$0.12	Creature - Human Knight
1	Blastoderm		$0.23	Creature - Beast
1	Blazing Specter		$0.90	Creature - Specter
1	Blinding Angel		$9.03	Creature - Angel
1	Blistering Firecat		$2.84	Creature - Elemental Cat
1	Bone Dancer		$2.83	Creature - Zombie
1	Bone Shredder		$0.29	Creature - Phyrexian Minion
1	Burning-Tree Shaman		$0.29	Creature - Centaur Shaman
1	Carnophage		$0.29	Creature - Zombie
1	Carrion Feeder		$2.04	Creature - Zombie
1	Charging Troll		$0.11	Creature - Troll
1	Darksteel Colossus		$9.37	Artifact Creature - Golem
1	Deranged Hermit		$46.78	Creature - Elf
1	Dimir Cutpurse		$0.48	Creature - Spirit
1	Dominating Licid		$1.70	Creature - Licid
1	Duplicant		$0.24	Artifact Creature - Shapeshifter
1	Dwarven Miner		$0.73	Creature - Dwarf
1	Eight-and-a-Half-Tails		$0.80	Legendary Creature - Fox Cleric
1	Elvish Scrapper		$0.29	Creature - Elf
1	Eternal Dragon		$0.10	Creature - Dragon Spirit
1	Eternal Witness		$1.20	Creature - Human Shaman
1	Exalted Angel		$2.64	Creature - Angel
1	False Prophet		$0.72	Creature - Human Cleric
1	Firemane Angel		$0.22	Creature - Angel
1	Fireslinger		$0.22	Creature - Human Wizard
1	Flametongue Kavu		$0.12	Creature - Kavu
1	Fyndhorn Elves		$0.78	Creature - Elf Druid
1	Gaea's Skyfolk		$0.22	Creature - Elf Merfolk
1	Gelectrode		$0.89	Creature - Weird
1	Genesis		$0.35	Creature - Incarnation
1	Glory		$2.44	Creature - Incarnation
1	Goblin Legionnaire		$0.12	Creature - Goblin Soldier
1	Goblin Sharpshooter		$24.01	Creature - Goblin
1	Golgari Grave-Troll		$2.11	Creature - Troll Skeleton
1	Gorilla Shaman		$0.40	Creature - Ape Shaman
1	Grave-Shell Scarab		$0.33	Creature - Insect
1	Grim Lavamancer		$0.29	Creature - Human Wizard
1	Grinning Demon		$1.04	Creature - Demon
1	Gruul Guildmage		$0.19	Creature - Human Shaman
1	Hypnotic Specter		$0.81	Creature - Specter
1	Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni		$11.34	Legendary Creature - Rat Ninja
1	Intrepid Hero		$0.64	Creature - Human Soldier
1	Isamaru, Hound of Konda		$2.30	Legendary Creature - Dog
1	Izzet Guildmage		$0.26	Creature - Human Wizard
1	Jackal Pup		$0.10	Creature - Jackal
1	Jushi Apprentice // Tomoya the Revealer		$0.31	Creature - Human Wizard // Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
1	Juzám Djinn		$1,200.00	Creature - Djinn
1	Kagemaro, First to Suffer		$3.52	Legendary Creature - Demon Spirit
1	Kamahl, Fist of Krosa		$2.30	Legendary Creature - Human Druid
1	Karmic Guide		$0.60	Creature - Angel Spirit
1	Karn, Silver Golem		$15.60	Legendary Artifact Creature - Golem
1	Keiga, the Tide Star		$1.41	Legendary Creature - Dragon Spirit
1	Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker		$9.07	Legendary Creature - Goblin Shaman
1	Kird Ape		$0.18	Creature - Ape
1	Knight of Stromgald		$0.29	Creature - Human Knight
1	Kodama of the North Tree		$0.95	Legendary Creature - Spirit
1	Kokusho, the Evening Star		$21.50	Legendary Creature - Dragon Spirit
1	Kumano, Master Yamabushi		$0.30	Legendary Creature - Human Shaman
1	Leonin Skyhunter		$0.13	Creature - Cat Knight
1	Llanowar Elves		$0.62	Creature - Elf Druid
1	Longbow Archer		$0.18	Creature - Human Soldier Archer
1	Loxodon Hierarch		$0.33	Creature - Elephant Cleric
1	Mageta the Lion		$0.98	Legendary Creature - Human Spellshaper
1	Man-o'-War		$0.03	Creature - Jellyfish
1	Master Decoy		$0.05	Creature - Human Soldier
1	Masticore		$8.35	Artifact Creature - Masticore
1	Meloku the Clouded Mirror		$0.51	Legendary Creature - Moonfolk Wizard
1	Memnarch		$8.77	Legendary Artifact Creature - Wizard
1	Merfolk Looter		$0.19	Creature - Merfolk Rogue
1	Mogg Fanatic		$0.14	Creature - Goblin
1	Mogg Flunkies		$0.05	Creature - Goblin
1	Moroii		$0.12	Creature - Vampire
1	Morphling		$9.57	Creature - Shapeshifter
1	Mother of Runes		$6.78	Creature - Human Cleric
1	Mtenda Lion		$0.18	Creature - Cat
1	Mystic Snake		$1.06	Creature - Snake
1	Nantuko Shade		$0.20	Creature - Insect Shade
1	Nekrataal		$0.18	Creature - Human Assassin
1	Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator		$0.48	Creature - Rat Rogue // Legendary Creature - Rat Wizard
1	Nezumi Shortfang // Stabwhisker the Odious		$3.14	Creature - Rat Rogue // Legendary Creature - Rat Shaman
1	Nightscape Familiar		$0.73	Creature - Zombie
1	Ninja of the Deep Hours		$1.18	Creature - Human Ninja
1	Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind		$0.67	Legendary Creature - Dragon Wizard
1	Noble Panther		$0.28	Creature - Cat
1	Order of Leitbur		$0.27	Creature - Human Cleric Knight
1	Palinchron		$34.60	Creature - Illusion
1	Phantom Centaur		$0.24	Creature - Centaur Spirit
1	Phantom Nishoba		$0.19	Creature - Cat Beast Spirit
1	Platinum Angel		$4.64	Artifact Creature - Angel
1	Pristine Angel		$0.19	Creature - Angel
1	Pyre Zombie		$0.30	Creature - Zombie
1	Quirion Dryad		$0.14	Creature - Dryad
1	Rainbow Efreet		$1.31	Creature - Efreet
1	Rathi Dragon		$0.44	Creature - Dragon
1	Ravenous Baloth		$3.10	Creature - Beast
1	Reya Dawnbringer		$3.41	Legendary Creature - Angel
1	River Boa		$0.10	Creature - Snake
1	Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary		$28.34	Legendary Creature - Elf Druid
1	Rorix Bladewing		$0.19	Legendary Creature - Dragon
1	Royal Assassin		$0.58	Creature - Human Assassin
1	Rumbling Slum		$0.21	Creature - Elemental
1	Ryusei, the Falling Star		$0.93	Legendary Creature - Dragon Spirit
1	Sakashima the Impostor		$9.18	Legendary Creature - Human Rogue
1	Sakura-Tribe Elder		$1.58	Creature - Snake Shaman
1	Savannah Lions		$0.06	Creature - Cat
1	Seedborn Muse		$9.11	Creature - Spirit
1	Selesnya Guildmage		$0.22	Creature - Elf Wizard
1	Serra Angel		$0.05	Creature - Angel
1	Shadowmage Infiltrator		$0.13	Creature - Human Wizard
1	Shivan Dragon		$0.11	Creature - Dragon
1	Siege-Gang Commander		$0.28	Creature - Goblin
1	Silver Knight		$0.24	Creature - Human Knight
1	Silvos, Rogue Elemental		$0.29	Legendary Creature - Elemental
1	Simian Grunts		$0.14	Creature - Ape
1	Skeletal Vampire		$0.22	Creature - Vampire Skeleton
1	Skyshroud Elite		$0.29	Creature - Elf
1	Solemn Simulacrum		$0.66	Artifact Creature - Golem
1	Soltari Monk		$0.27	Creature - Soltari Monk Cleric
1	Soltari Priest		$0.32	Creature - Soltari Cleric
1	Spectral Lynx		$0.48	Creature - Cat Spirit
1	Spike Weaver		$5.78	Creature - Spike
1	Spiritmonger		$0.14	Creature - Beast
1	Squee, Goblin Nabob		$0.22	Legendary Creature - Goblin
1	Stinkweed Imp		$1.07	Creature - Imp
1	Thieving Magpie		$0.10	Creature - Bird
1	Thundersong Trumpeter		$0.09	Creature - Human Soldier
1	Tradewind Rider		$2.00	Creature - Spirit
1	Troll Ascetic		$0.27	Creature - Troll Shaman
1	True Believer		$2.15	Creature - Human Cleric
1	Uktabi Orangutan		$1.18	Creature - Ape
1	Uyo, Silent Prophet		$0.42	Legendary Creature - Moonfolk Wizard
1	Verdant Force		$0.32	Creature - Elemental
1	Viridian Shaman		$0.11	Creature - Elf Shaman
1	Visara the Dreadful		$1.31	Legendary Creature - Gorgon
1	Vulturous Zombie		$0.29	Creature - Plant Zombie
1	Wall of Blossoms		$0.26	Creature - Plant Wall
1	Wall of Roots		$0.21	Creature - Plant Wall
1	Waterfront Bouncer		$0.24	Creature - Merfolk Spellshaper
1	Weatherseed Treefolk		$2.03	Creature - Treefolk
1	White Knight		$0.17	Creature - Human Knight
1	Wild Dogs		$0.15	Creature - Dog
1	Wild Mongrel		$0.11	Creature - Dog
1	Withered Wretch		$0.31	Creature - Zombie Cleric
1	Yavimaya Elder		$0.08	Creature - Human Druid
1	Yosei, the Morning Star		$1.35	Legendary Creature - Dragon Spirit
Instant (71)
1	Absorb		$0.39	Instant
1	Ancestral Recall		N/A	Instant
1	Annul		$0.07	Instant
1	Arcane Denial		$3.91	Instant
1	Berserk		$98.82	Instant
1	Blood Lust		$0.18	Instant
1	Boomerang		$0.25	Instant
1	Brainstorm		$1.09	Instant
1	Capsize		$1.60	Instant
1	Cerebral Vortex		$0.89	Instant
1	Char		$0.25	Instant
1	Constant Mists		$10.23	Instant
1	Contagion		$1.23	Instant
1	Counterspell		$1.11	Instant
1	Crop Rotation		$1.23	Instant
1	Dark Ritual		$1.95	Instant
1	Darkblast		$0.37	Instant
1	Desertion		$3.26	Instant
1	Devouring Light		$0.15	Instant
1	Diabolic Edict		$0.07	Instant
1	Disenchant		$0.11	Instant
1	Disrupt		$0.54	Instant
1	Dissipate		$0.12	Instant
1	Echoing Decay		$0.25	Instant
1	Electrolyze		$0.25	Instant
1	Enlightened Tutor		$21.76	Instant
1	Entomb		$10.05	Instant
1	Fact or Fiction		$0.12	Instant
1	Final Fortune		$31.73	Instant
1	Fire // Ice		$0.18	Instant // Instant	//
1	Fireblast		$0.59	Instant
1	Forbid		$1.22	Instant
1	Force of Will		$69.86	Instant
1	Force Spike		$0.33	Instant
1	Fork		$40.10	Instant
1	Gifts Ungiven		$0.29	Instant
1	Harrow		$0.45	Instant
1	Hatred		$35.79	Instant
1	Impulse		$0.16	Instant
1	Incinerate		$0.07	Instant
1	Lightning Bolt		$1.05	Instant
1	Lightning Helix		$0.34	Instant
1	Magma Jet		$0.06	Instant
1	Mana Drain		$43.90	Instant
1	Mana Leak		$0.18	Instant
1	Mortify		$0.23	Instant
1	Mystical Tutor		$8.87	Instant
1	Naturalize		$0.06	Instant
1	Orim's Chant		$13.91	Instant
1	Oxidize		$0.20	Instant
1	Pulse of the Fields		$0.32	Instant
1	Pyrokinesis		$2.17	Instant
1	Reclaim		$0.11	Instant
1	Recoil		$0.20	Instant
1	Reprisal		$0.10	Instant
1	Shattering Pulse		$0.26	Instant
1	Shining Shoal		$4.33	Instant - Arcane
1	Shock		$0.03	Instant
1	Smother		$0.16	Instant
1	Snuff Out		$8.11	Instant
1	Spite // Malice		$0.19	Instant // Instant	//
1	Starstorm		$0.20	Instant
1	Stroke of Genius		$0.47	Instant
1	Swords to Plowshares		$1.04	Instant
1	Terminate		$0.56	Instant
1	Thirst for Knowledge		$0.04	Instant
1	Tithe		$22.01	Instant
1	Undermine		$3.63	Instant
1	Urza's Rage		$0.03	Instant
1	Vampiric Tutor		$35.09	Instant
1	Worldly Tutor		$12.37	Instant
Sorcery (51)
1	Aftershock		$0.24	Sorcery
1	Akroma's Vengeance		$0.30	Sorcery
1	Armageddon		$14.06	Sorcery
1	Balance		$2.31	Sorcery
1	Beacon of Unrest		$0.14	Sorcery
1	Bribery		$7.43	Sorcery
1	Buried Alive		$8.77	Sorcery
1	Call of the Herd		$0.06	Sorcery
1	Cataclysm		$7.69	Sorcery
1	Chainer's Edict		$0.47	Sorcery
1	Decree of Justice		$0.12	Sorcery
1	Deep Analysis		$0.07	Sorcery
1	Demonic Tutor		$38.26	Sorcery
1	Duress		$0.04	Sorcery
1	Earthquake		$0.74	Sorcery
1	Exhume		$4.26	Sorcery
1	Fabricate		$5.29	Sorcery
1	Final Judgment		$1.06	Sorcery
1	Fireball		$0.19	Sorcery
1	Firebolt		$0.06	Sorcery
1	Glimpse the Unthinkable		$1.43	Sorcery
1	Hammer of Bogardan		$0.25	Sorcery
1	Hull Breach		$1.04	Sorcery
1	Hymn to Tourach		$0.51	Sorcery
1	Life // Death		$0.67	Sorcery // Sorcery	//
1	Meltdown		$9.61	Sorcery
1	Mind Twist		$5.49	Sorcery
1	Natural Order		$19.17	Sorcery
1	Night's Whisper		$1.35	Sorcery
1	Nostalgic Dreams		$3.27	Sorcery
1	Pillage		$0.06	Sorcery
1	Pyroclasm		$0.16	Sorcery
1	Reanimate		$21.85	Sorcery
1	Regrowth		$0.41	Sorcery
1	Shattering Spree		$1.43	Sorcery
1	Show and Tell		$39.35	Sorcery
1	Sinkhole		$5.50	Sorcery
1	Stone Rain		$0.12	Sorcery
1	Temporal Spring		$0.25	Sorcery
1	Threaten		$0.27	Sorcery
1	Time Walk		$2,469.99	Sorcery
1	Time Warp		$13.92	Sorcery
1	Timetwister		$4,297.66	Sorcery
1	Tinker		$2.21	Sorcery
1	Vigor Mortis		$0.30	Sorcery
1	Vindicate		$0.71	Sorcery
1	Void		$0.17	Sorcery
1	Volcanic Hammer		$0.14	Sorcery
1	Wheel of Fortune		$277.89	Sorcery
1	Wrath of God		$3.81	Sorcery
1	Zombify		$0.23	Sorcery
Artifact (44)
1	Aether Vial		$5.98	Artifact
1	Black Lotus		N/A	Artifact
1	Bösium Strip		$2.10	Artifact
1	Chrome Mox		$107.38	Artifact
1	Crucible of Worlds		N/A	Artifact
1	Crystal Shard		$1.02	Artifact
1	Cursed Scroll		$20.38	Artifact
1	Forcefield		$357.77	Artifact
1	Grim Monolith		$271.45	Artifact
1	Isochron Scepter		$14.37	Artifact
1	Journeyer's Kite		$0.26	Artifact
1	Lightning Greaves		$5.28	Artifact - Equipment
1	Lotus Petal		$18.49	Artifact
1	Loxodon Warhammer		$0.39	Artifact - Equipment
1	Mana Crypt		$176.56	Artifact
1	Mana Vault		$47.68	Artifact
1	Mindslaver		$4.50	Legendary Artifact
1	Mox Diamond		$550.94	Artifact
1	Mox Emerald		N/A	Artifact
1	Mox Jet		N/A	Artifact
1	Mox Pearl		$1,409.38	Artifact
1	Mox Ruby		N/A	Artifact
1	Mox Sapphire		$2,499.99	Artifact
1	Nevinyrral's Disk		$0.21	Artifact
1	Null Rod		$110.57	Artifact
1	Oblivion Stone		$0.92	Artifact
1	Phyrexian Processor		$2.83	Artifact
1	Plague Boiler		$0.30	Artifact
1	Powder Keg		$14.23	Artifact
1	Scrabbling Claws		$0.09	Artifact
1	Scroll Rack		$16.12	Artifact
1	Sensei's Divining Top		$22.44	Artifact
1	Sol Ring		$1.26	Artifact
1	Sword of Fire and Ice		$42.31	Artifact - Equipment
1	Sword of Light and Shadow		$19.73	Artifact - Equipment
1	Talisman of Dominance		$1.46	Artifact
1	Talisman of Impulse		$1.45	Artifact
1	Talisman of Indulgence		$3.97	Artifact
1	Talisman of Progress		$1.94	Artifact
1	Talisman of Unity		$0.85	Artifact
1	Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang		$3.95	Legendary Artifact - Equipment
1	Temporal Aperture		$3.45	Artifact
1	Umezawa's Jitte		$9.58	Legendary Artifact - Equipment
1	Zuran Orb		$11.32	Artifact
Enchantment (33)
1	Armadillo Cloak		$0.61	Enchantment - Aura
1	Arrest		$0.07	Enchantment - Aura
1	Confiscate		$0.04	Enchantment - Aura
1	Control Magic		$1.13	Enchantment - Aura
1	Copy Artifact		$73.35	Enchantment
1	Debtors' Knell		$0.39	Enchantment
1	Faith's Fetters		$0.03	Enchantment - Aura
1	Fires of Yavimaya		$0.82	Enchantment
1	Flickering Ward		$6.23	Enchantment - Aura
1	Genju of the Spires		$0.10	Enchantment - Aura
1	Glare of Subdual		$0.44	Enchantment
1	Goblin Trenches		$0.32	Enchantment
1	Land Tax		$15.05	Enchantment
1	Mirari's Wake		$4.93	Enchantment
1	Moat		$1,090.49	Enchantment
1	Moldervine Cloak		$0.22	Enchantment - Aura
1	Opposition		$1.88	Enchantment
1	Pernicious Deed		$4.99	Enchantment
1	Phyrexian Arena		$4.46	Enchantment
1	Pillory of the Sleepless		$0.27	Enchantment - Aura
1	Rancor		$1.20	Enchantment - Aura
1	Recurring Nightmare		$38.11	Enchantment
1	Saproling Burst		$1.45	Enchantment
1	Seal of Cleansing		$0.21	Enchantment
1	Seal of Doom		$0.16	Enchantment
1	Seal of Fire		$0.25	Enchantment
1	Soothsaying		$3.09	Enchantment
1	Survival of the Fittest		$188.02	Enchantment
1	Sylvan Library		$20.60	Enchantment
1	Teferi's Moat		$0.91	Enchantment
1	The Abyss		$662.59	World Enchantment
1	Treachery		$44.74	Enchantment - Aura
1	Words of War		$0.44	Enchantment
Land (50)
1	Adarkar Wastes		$6.97	Land
1	Ancient Tomb		$91.80	Land
1	Badlands		$384.38	Land - Swamp Mountain
1	Battlefield Forge		$2.36	Land
1	Bayou		$389.25	Land - Swamp Forest
1	Bloodstained Mire		$23.83	Land
1	Brushland		$3.65	Land
1	Caves of Koilos		$2.51	Land
1	City of Brass		$11.32	Land
1	Faerie Conclave		$0.74	Land
1	Flooded Strand		$24.65	Land
1	Gaea's Cradle		$767.55	Legendary Land
1	Gemstone Mine		$2.18	Land
1	Godless Shrine		$10.74	Land - Plains Swamp
1	Karplusan Forest		$2.91	Land
1	Kjeldoran Outpost		$11.23	Land
1	Library of Alexandria		$1,805.00	Land
1	Llanowar Wastes		$3.08	Land
1	Miren, the Moaning Well		$19.53	Legendary Land
1	Mishra's Factory		$0.11	Land
1	Overgrown Tomb		$11.35	Land - Swamp Forest
1	Plateau		$320.17	Land - Mountain Plains
1	Polluted Delta		$30.88	Land
1	Reflecting Pool		$10.81	Land
1	Sacred Foundry		$17.15	Land - Mountain Plains
1	Savannah		$304.74	Land - Forest Plains
1	Scrubland		$317.82	Land - Plains Swamp
1	Shivan Reef		$1.11	Land
1	Soldevi Excavations		$12.53	Land
1	Steam Vents		$13.69	Land - Island Mountain
1	Stomping Ground		$10.76	Land - Mountain Forest
1	Strip Mine		$18.36	Land
1	Sulfurous Springs		$6.62	Land
1	Taiga		$335.14	Land - Mountain Forest
1	Temple Garden		$12.18	Land - Forest Plains
1	Tendo Ice Bridge		$4.23	Land
1	Thawing Glaciers		$16.26	Land
1	Treetop Village		$0.29	Land
1	Tropical Island		$516.71	Land - Forest Island
1	Tundra		$457.08	Land - Plains Island
1	Underground River		$4.35	Land
1	Underground Sea		$740.50	Land - Island Swamp
1	Undiscovered Paradise		$11.76	Land
1	Volcanic Island		$628.88	Land - Island Mountain
1	Volrath's Stronghold		$96.02	Legendary Land
1	Wasteland		$23.43	Land
1	Watery Grave		$12.68	Land - Island Swamp
1	Windswept Heath		$18.95	Land
1	Wooded Foothills		$26.26	Land
1	Yavimaya Coast		$0.80	Land

Sideboard - 0 cards, 0 distinct

No cards here. :(

Notes

What is The Cube?
No one knows who started the cube, why it's called the cube (when it's kept in a nice, long rectangular box), or why it even needs an origin.

It's just Magic. Pure. Simple. Incredible.

It takes the 50 best/most powerful concepts of each color, puts them in a big kettle and - say it with me now - stirs. What you have in that pot is what may not be the most objectively best cards. What you have is objectively the greatest draft format of all time.

Why draft the cube and no other format? Because drafting is always different. Drafting means deeper strategies than sealed, drafting means that you can think about archetypes and draft those archetypes.

But I'm guessing ahead of myself. Let's talk how I got started and, consequently, how you can as well.

Nuts and Bolts
The cube began for me when I read an article by Sam Gomersall. I immediately wondered why there wasn't more chatter on the boards about it - wasn't this the most brilliant idea no one had ever heard of? What was going on here? And why were there so few Gold cards?

Our own Ben Bleiweiss has his own cube where he uses one of each card (he wrote this in an article somewhere, but damned if I can find it). But he uses real cards. With no sleeves (gasp!). Cards that can be damaged, destroyed, stolen, or lost. Not to mention that nasty Magic-gunk that builds up no matter how clean the surface of the table is or how often players wash their hands.

The cube is, quite simply, the 50 best cards of each color, the 50 best multicolor and artifact cards, and the 50 best lands ever printed. Though the latter is a bit tainted (due to the presence of fetch lands and dual lands both old and new), the effect is the same: When you play with nothing but power, you learn nothing but powerful strategy.

It is simply the best game of Magic I have ever played. I've drafted a varying flux of these 400 or so cards twice a week for almost six months. And I have never once been bored or felt that it was a waste of time. Sure I get screwed in a RAV-RAV-GPT draft now and then. Somebody opens bombs, somebody opens trash, stuck in the middle with you. With the cube? This never happens. When all you have are great cards, great decks (to varying degrees) are all you can build.

Balance
After taking the list that was present in Sam's article, we immediately found a few flaws: One, some of the cards were downright goofy (Urza's Bauble?!) and some of them were just “not right” and ended up being pass-outs time and time again (Winter Orb). What we - my collective friends and I - did was begin to hone and refine the list, adding and subtracting and creating the ultimate format. How tough could that be?

Tougher than it looks. Well, when you take the amazing stuff in Ravnica, the incredible stuff in Guildpact, the re-introduction of dual lands and the strategies that can happen as you play and play the cube, you find that it is constantly changing. That new cards are being put in all the time, and old ones must be replaced.

For the balance, we decided that 50 cards of each color, 50 artifacts and 50 lands was the right mix. For multicolor, we include 5 cards of each color combination (and since there are 10 different color combinations, I'll let you do the math on that one). This is the reason why there's Gaea's Skyfolk and Teferi's Moat in here. When Dissension is released, Teferi's Moat will be whatever Azorious Senate bomb the Gods of R&D bestow on us, and Gaea's Skyfolk will be taken out immediately for just about anything both Green and Blue.

And yes, before you ask: No one has actually played with Gaea's Skyfolk. But it keeps the cube balanced, and balance is important in life and in the cube.

With that said, here is the cube as it stands in April 2006. It will change when Coldsnap comes out, just like it will change when Dissension comes out, just like it will change when Time Spiral is released. The point is, it's the best game in town. It's the only game in town for many players I know. Many veterans have returned to playing Magic just to play the cube.

The magical list is at the end of the article Drink it up my friends, and make it your own. That's what it's all about. Then come back here and read the rest of this article to find out what makes it tick.

Obvious Omissions
Before you ask: Skullclamp is not in here because you rarely (if ever) play with enough creatures (let alone small creatures) that can truly utilize its power. While Sam had a great Goblin theme running through the Red cards (a theme we're actually thinking of re-overhauling Red with), Skullclamp simply doesn't do as much as, say, Forcefield. Which didn't even make it into the cube until three weeks ago.

With this example you can see why an “amazingly broken” card has been left out and a “useless Vintage card” has become a huge early pick for control decks. When you only run, for example, ten creatures, and all of those creatures are absolutely ridiculous, the +1/-1 draw two cards when it dies thing isn't really as impressive as the creature itself being a 6/6 Flying Trampling Hasted Vigilance Pro Black Pro Red Beatstick. Your deck slots can go to better things.

With that out of the way, I'm currently lobbying to get Pithing Needle in the cube, which was taken out at some point and desperately needs to be in here. But like any cube change: What would you remove? These debates are another reason why the cube is so popular: Everyone has their favorite cards, colors, picks, and preferences. Sometimes the debates are just as fun as the games themselves.

Setup and Installation
You'll set up a draft (and each draft) this way:

Separate all of the cards by color/type.
Create 15 piles, passing out 15 cards of the same color/type on top of the piles (15 white cards, 15 red cards, etc).
Repeat the 15 cards-per-color/type process until you have 15 large piles distributed evenly.
Turn these piles over and randomly shuffle them together
Count out 15 cards from the shuffled stacks. This is a pack.
The cube can scale from 4 players to 9 with the amount of cards currently included.
Some notes:

Do not “pile shuffle” to create the draft packs. This can cause massive color clumping. Just count off 15 cards from a shuffled stack and call it a pack. Trust me, they're randomized enough.
Do not let anyone look at the unused cards once the packs are assembled. Part of the fun in drafting and playing the cube is not knowing just exactly what is and isn't in the current draft pool. Even if you scout games, you should never truly know what is not being used until you are out of the tournament.
Once you've got your packs, you've got your tournament. At my local store, we compete in a bi-weekly cube draft. Each of us pays $6 each and for an 8-man tournament. This is enough for a $10 “noob” prize (the highest ranking loser over time) and a $38 prize for first place (usually split $19 each in the finals). Remember, this is both a competitive and a fun exercise. I could never see giving away a box (or a Mox) for a cube tournament. It's all about having fun.

With the setup and install done, now it's time to talk about what makes the cube so damn special.

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