Lucky Paper Radio

View all cards mentioned in this episodeIn the first installment of Obscura cube design discussions, Andy and Anthony are joined by Ollie to talk about Anthony’s cube designed around the prompt “anti-war”. Moving past the literal interpretation of a cube without war, Anthony chose to make his cube all about presenting the profound horrors of war. The cube features cards that aesthetically or mechanically express brutality, hopelessness, greed, and resource extraction.In the first half, recorded before the event, they talk about their hopes and expectations for the cube. In the second, post-event half they reflect on how well the design met its goals.Discussed in this episode:Anthony’s Anti-War Obscura Cube ListPacifism CubeC4AC ObscuraThe Fire SwampYayoi KusamaIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro5:42 - Anti-War10:15 - Power Outliers and Balance19:38 - Feedback29:00 - Postgame30:25 - Edits35:08 - Titan of Industry39:41 - Things Happening42:19 - Reflections

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about recent trends in Cube design. After looking through the revealed Cube lists for the recent Cube for a Cause: Obscura our hosts noticed a few design features popping up again and again. They talk about them in the broader, evolving context of the Cube design community discussing if they reflect bigger trends. In particular, reflect on “art cards” — cards included for purely aesthetic reasons, desert cubes, cubes with no or minimal deckbuilding, and a casual approach to singleton breaks.Discussed in this episode:The ScoreTake FiveTurbo Cube100 OrnithoptersThe Amonkar DesertLoxodon Mierarchs Desert CubeThe Giver CubeThe Ball PitGoblin GameResplendentObscura Cube Lists:Legacy by GaborMonument by JaneFeudal by AndySynesthesia by LincolnOmelas by Zach BarashCavalier by Dan SchneiderGenesis by MaggieRitual by ParkerCollapse by GabeDangerous by OllieTelemetry by GwenRedemption by John ClaraSublimate by MaxWorship by ScottPeriodic by JakeAntiwar by Anthony MattoxDeja Vu by BrettIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:12 - Recent Cube Design Trends8:18 - Art Cards16:36 - Asystematic Singleton Breaks30:05 - Desert Cubes39:44 - Minimal Deckbuilding Cubes47:48 - No Deckbuild Logistics54:17 - Other Trends

View all cards mentioned in this episodeSometimes a card design just sings — all of the individual elements come together to make an elegant, resonant game piece. In this episode Andy and Anthony talk about this concept through the lens of Andy’s cube Sacred Geometry as he considers committing even harder to the bit.Discussed in this episode:Feudal Cube Auction on EbaySacred GeometryHellraiserRegular CubeVirtually French CubeIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro4:07 - Sacred Geometry Ruminations8:52 - Slots11:42 - Tokens13:07 - Fixing15:29 - Card Naming Thesaurus20:13 - Power Deltas23:30 - Oracle Text29:47 - Artifacts40:14 - Artifact Ramp43:14 - Resonance Problems48:44 - Mindslaver50:31 - Conclusions

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony collaboratively draft Andy’s Take Five cube, discussing their strategy through a whole draft and how they might approach this unique environment. To follow along, or try the draft yourself before listening, you can download the seeded pack list and upload it to Draftmancer.Also check out the cards mentioned page for the pack by pack view and final deck.Discussed in this episode:Download Pack List to upload to DraftmancerTake FiveIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro0:00 - Glasses2:20 - Draft Along - Take Five6:14 - Pack 1 Pick 1 - How Important are Lands?16:29 - Scroll of Fate27:18 - Pack 240:22 - Pack 349:45 - Final Cuts53:34 - Review and Grade

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony explore Cube Cobra’s new analytic tools for card and deck winrates. The new features allow you to upload decks and their matchup records, or import matchup data if a Cube has been played at an event using Hedron Network to track matches.After Andy diligently imported hundreds of decks for 100 Ornithopters, they talk through all the different visualizations and how they might use them as Cube designers.Discussed in this episode:Intro SourceCube CobraHedron Network, the software for running Cube events100 OrnithoptersWinrate Analysis for 100 OrnithoptersAndy’s Video Deep Dive on the Winrate Analysis for 100 OrnithoptersJett’s Article on winrate analysisElo Rating SystemIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:30 - Draft Data5:51 - Caveats12:37 - Takign good Deck Photos16:50 - Winningest Ornithopter Deck18:03 - Winrate by Color24:07 - WR by Type and Mana Value29:00 - Color Performance30:50 - Matchup Matrix32:50 - Color Pair Performance34:33 - All Color Combos39:35 - Archetype Map44:12 - Matchup Matrix47:24 - Win Rate vs Elo52:24 - Top Synergies53:36 - All Cards55:43 - Surprises and Takeaways

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony first talk about their upcoming series of interviews related to Cube For a Cause: Obscura. The event will feature 17 secret Cubes from 17 well known designers created just for the event. Until the first packs are cracked, the contents of each have been kept completely unknown. Each episode in the series will feature a designer talking about their plans going in before the event and a post-mortem discussion of how their cube played.With announcements and logistics out of the way, Andy and Anthony open up the mailbag and answer some questions from listeners.Discussed in this episode:Our Patreon where you can support us for faster releases of the Obscura InterviewsAndy’s Videos on YoutubeRyan Overturf’s VideosDegenerate Cuber featuring Lucky Paper crossed out in the thumbnailBook Recommendations:A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray SilversteinA People’s History of the United States by Howard ZinnBlindsight by Peter Watts. The full text is available here for free from the author.The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le GuinInfinite Jest by David Foster WallaceTop Reddits:r/ramenr/fermentationr/kojir/xbikingr/tattooadvicer/tattoobeginnersIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:03 - Opening up the Mailbag5:06 - Obscura9:34 - Patreon Support for Bonus Episode Releases15:51 - Obscura Interview Series17:52 - Andy's Youtube Videos20:45 - How have we managed to keep the podcast going so long?24:12 - What's a sign a cube isn't for you?25:30 - What does 'winning' mean for a cube designer?28:00 - What's up with that time you stabbed yourself?33:47 - What's the biggest argument Andy and Anthony have had?38:03 - What are your favorite dishes the other cooks?40:54 - Recommend some books.43:22 - What are your top subreddits?48:59 - What are your other favorite TCGs or other games?

View all cards mentioned in this episodeIn a strange experiment, Andy and Anthony organize drafts of their cubes Sacred Geometry and Regular Cube and then pair players against the opposite cube. The two cubes have some major similarities, and clear differences. They wanted to see how drastically skewed win records would be towards one cube, and see what else they can learn. The experiment highlighted some unexpected differences and individual cards that skewed up or down when played against a different battery of opponents.Discussed in this episode:Sacred GeometryRegular CubeBun Magic Cube100 OrnithoptersThe Red TerrorIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro01:45 - The Experiment - Regular Cube vs Sacred Geometry11:10 - Post-Draft12:32 - Anthony’s Draft13:56 - Andy vs Anthony18:33 - Max Aggro20:51 - Control Mirror26:47 - Impossible Mirror30:21 - Anthony is Outclassed33:30 - Results41:08 - Texture vs Density42:29 - Subverted Expectations46:11 - Expanding on the Concept50:43 - Mana Fixing53:23 - More Cube vs Cube

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about narrow tutors in Cubes. In contrast to the most open ended ways for players to search up a card from their library, narrow tutor effects give cube designers an opportunity to make specific sets of cards more accessible. Our hosts talk about specific “tutor” cards they include in their cubes. They talk about the ways they can create interesting draft challenges, provide targeted redundancy, or let players construct a toolbox of cards they have more opportunities to find.Discussed in this episode:Episode 199: Tutors in Cube Design: Creating Variety by Reducing VarietyEpisode 312: Cards that are Cool — Part 2The next Book Club book: The Score by C. Thi NguyenCubes mentioned:Sacred GeometryTurbo Cube100 OrnithoptersRegular CubeTake FiveBun Magic CubeNeoclassical CubeIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:18 - Narrow Tutors13:13 - Tutor Apprehensions15:27 - Stoneforge Mystic19:57 - Brightglass Gearhulk24:05 - Tribute Mage26:45 - Sphinx Summoner30:06 - Goblin Engineer33:06 - Mystical Teachings33:41 - Recruiters35:19 - Open the Armory42:32 - Turbo Cube46:07 - Wizardcycling46:29 - Scrapyard Recombiner50:49 - Transmute56:18 - Appeal to Turbo Cube

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony report on their experience at CubeCon DMV — from the organizers of the original CubeCon — a cube event right in their back yard. They talk about their drafts in the event, highlights from games, and lunchtime highs and lows.Discussed in this episode:Cube Events PageThe Metabolic MachineTake FiveAndy’s Take Five VideosJarvis YubeWorld Championship Museum (96-04)Sacred Geometry100 OrnithoptersGenesis - The first Omen Machine, a.k.a. Chris’s “Completely Normal Game of Magic with One Rules ChangeDichotomy CubeWinston DraftRegular CubeIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:11 - Cubecon DMV5:53 - Metabolic Machine15:14 - Take Five16:40 - Cosmogoyf vs Saw In Half23:40 - Take Five Round Timer Issues28:41 - Jarvis Yu’s Jarvis Yube36:26 - Pasta Pizza38:41 - Take Five Again43:05 - More Cool Rulings45:06 - World Championship Museum50:46 - Chris’s Custom Winston Format59:23 - Anthony’s Draft of Sacred Geo1:00:56 - Top 8

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about cards they think are cool. In the long anticipated follow up to episode 108, they just talk about things they think are neat. Anthony shares some cards he’s seen pop up regularly in recent cube drafts that spark some intrigue. Andy shares cards that he thinks over-deliver, in a design and gameplay sense, in his own cubes.Discussed in this episode:Episode 108: Cards That Are CoolTake 5Sacred Geometry100 OrnithoptersBun Magic CubeNeoclassical CubeRegular CubeTurbo CubeIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:50 - Main Topic: Cool Cards6:24 - Botanical Brawler10:53 - Rot-Curse Rakshasa13:53 - Oni-Cult Anvil19:11 - Fear of Isolation22:11 - Paradoxical Outcome26:22 - Reinforced Ronin31:04 - Second Sunrise38:58 - Fists of Flame44:19 - Engineered Explosives46:30 - Kessig Wolf Run51:44 - Mystical Teachings55:47 - Honorable Mentions

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about board stalls and Cube. They talk about what they don’t like about this particular genera of board state. They theorize about some aspects of a cube’s design would lead to more stalls, and ways they might, as a designer, try to minimize them.This weeks topic was suggested by listener MZ. Thanks, MZ!Discussed in this episode:Lucky Paper Cube Events PageSam Black’s article describing “big” and “small” gamesBun Magic CubeSacred Geometry100 OrnithoptersNeoclassical CubeIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:01 - Andy’s Pool Adventure4:14 - Board Stalls18:33 - Who’s the Beatdown?22:35 - Equilibrium26:10 - Creature Sizing30:11 - Evasion31:40 - Combat Tricks and Friends33:12 - Equipment35:42 - 2 for 1s and Big vs Small Games42:00 - Great Game in Sacred Geometry44:32 - Ornithopters and Neutral States49:18 - Milling Out55:15 - Conclusion

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about the logistics of tokens for Cube. They talk about different ways they’ve managed them over the years and for different Cubes. They make recommendations for the best way to approach the problem, and even how their Cube design is influenced by token makers.Discussed in this episode:InfiniTokensMPC AutofillExample Token Page on Cube CobraCubes Discussed:Sacred GeometryRegular CubeNeoclassical CubePenrose CubeTake 5100 OrnithoptersIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:44 - Main Topic: Token Logistics6:15 - Anthony’s Approach to Tokens9:04 - Challenges Managing Tokens15:28 - Dry Erase Token Rant18:03 - Tokencreep21:29 - Sacred Geometry Tokens27:00 - Green In Sacred Geometry32:47 - How Token Restriction Influences Sacred Geometry34:51 - Bun Magic Tokens39:16 - Problems with Token Bags43:06 - New Token System48:15 - Why Streamline Your Tokens?51:04 - Andy’s Other Tokens56:23 - Other Token Solutions

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Jake and Parker to talk about their shifts in approach to each of their eternal cubes. While Jake, Parker, and Andy have long maintained generally “power motivated” eternal cubes, they’ve each grappled with concerns about aesthetics, complexity, or gameplay in the last few years of Magic releases. They talk about how they’ve changed their design philosophies in light of those changes and how they’ve reframed the way they make decisions about the cards they choose to play.Discussed in this episode:Bodleian CubeBun Magic CubeTheseusTurbo CubeAtavusPulp NouveauMidwinterCascade CascadeFour TCGs in Magic’s Trench Coat, article by Parker LaMascusIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:57 - Main Topic: Power Motivated Cube11:21 - The Vibeshift17:08 - Gameplay Styles19:33 - Paper Drafting and Taste24:41 - Why Play High Power Level Magic30:53 - Stat Inflation39:33 - Power Motivation in 202645:46 - Theorycrafting with Powerful Cards49:26 - Concluding Games53:14 - Make Your Cube About Something55:57 - Advice

View all cards mentioned in this episodeRiffing on last week’s slightly divisive topic, Andy and Anthony talk about cards in their own cubes that players hate. They comb through their cubes discussing the many reasons players might dislike a card and why they might still be justifiable inclusions.Discussed in this episode:NumberphileEpisode 307: Hate Cards in CubeSacred GeometryRegular CubeBun Magic CubeIrregular Cube100 OrnithoptersEpisode 293: The Last Echo of a BoonIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro5:20 - Hated Cards10:00 - What Makes a Card a “Groaner”11:57 - Bun Magic22:52 - Irregular Cube25:37 - Mill28:31 - Silver Border32:02 - Conspiracies36:49 - 100 Ornithopters and Reactive Spells47:30 - Thrumming Stone52:07 - Sacred Geometry57:34 - Regular Cube and Clunky Mana1:02:42 - Neoclassical Cube

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about hate cards, and how they fit into Cube design in particular. Of course, they start by trying to define the term. They talk through the pros and cons of them and how different types may play a role in Cubes. They go through a number of their own cubes, analyzing them from this perspective.Discussed in this episode:Take 5Sacred Geometry100 OrnithoptersBun Magic CubeNeoclassical CubeTurbo CubeRegular CubeIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro0:45 - Main Topic: Hate Cards9:15 - Examples of Hate Cards13:05 - Hate Cards We Cube16:09 - Talking About Constructed17:14 - Aura Shards22:09 - Bun Magic Hate Cards23:53 - Teferi, Time Raveler28:38 - Changing the Math vs Hate31:11 - Take Five34:11 - Hate Combos36:30 - Neoclassical Cube38:48 - White in Neoclassical42:00 - Groundseal44:37 - Humility48:47 - Turbo Cube55:39 - Context Shift Hate59:57 - Mailbag1:02:15 - Garfield

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony scour the cutting room floor for unfinished gems. They offer up some of their half-baked, unfinished cube ideas for you to steal. Andy shares his ideas for an aesthetic sun-bleached cube, a cube where your deck is your life total, and an environment built around wishes. Anthony digs up an all alternate win conditions cube and a battle box where the entire game happens in one stack.Discussed in this episode:Anthony’s Alternate Win Condition CubeAnthony’s Single Stack Battle BoxCreatureless CubeDegenerate MicrocubeLoam CubeCompanion CubeArcane LessonsIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:19 - Main Topic: Steal Our Ideas1:57 - Sunbleached Cube6:59 - Alternate Win Cons Cube13:06 - No Life Total Cube24:33 - Where Do Ideas Come From27:33 - Omniscience Battlebox37:24 - Three Wishes Cube49:02 - Custom Ante Cards

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Cube Person of the Year 2024, Ollie, to talk about whether it’s irresponsible to present a cube for drafting without any playtesting. What is the difference between ‘playing’ and ‘playtesting’? Can you design a cube iteratively without playtesting? Just how bad can a cube really be?Discussed in this episode:Upkeep NY/C4ACBodlean CubeCreatureless CubeEpisode 302 — Theory Drafting the Best Decks in Regular CubeThe Ball PitEpisode 206 — The Joy of Gaming with Richard Garfield100 OrnithoptersMarina Abramovic - The Artist is Present (2010)Boston Cube PartyIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro3:41 - Secret Project: Obscura9:13 - Playtesting16:46 - The Case Against Playtesting21:03 - Non-Playtest Data23:09 - The Process29:45 - Playing Vs Playtesting35:17 - Cube First Impressions43:33 - Expectations47:28 - Designing for an Experience52:10 - Marina Abramovic and Artistic Intent58:26 - Logistics

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by the de facto Cube judge — Bones! The three recap The Salt Box, a small Cube event in Baltimore. At this event, Andy debuted Take Five and Judge Bones Arcane Lessons. They share what they learned from players drafting their cubes for the very first time and their own experience as cube designers drafting cubes for the first time in a public event.Discussed in this episode:Salt BoxTake 5Take 5 Youtube VideosArcane LessonsBones on Cube CobraChangeling CubeSacred GeometryRegular Cubehttps://cubecobra.com/cube/about/regular?view=primerKulashov CubeThe WetlandsThe Red TerrorMagic History with Bones and DeinonychusIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro0:00 - Special Guest Judge Bones5:11 - Arcane Lessons11:31 - Debuting Arcane Lessons15:38 - Lesson/Learn17:19 - Arcane19:35 - Iteration21:12 - Lessons Learned29:09 - Take Five Debut42:45 - Designing Cubes for Events47:35 - Take Five Feedback51:48 - Anthony’s Salt Box Highlights60:08 - Fun Judge Calls with Judge Bones

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by returning guest Zach Barash. They talk about about different lenses Cube designers can use to approach designing a new cube. They finish on a pack 1, pick 1 from Andy’s new cube Take Five.Previous episodes with Zach:001 The Principles of Game Design002 On Terminology, Communication, and Community003 Reflections on Cube Drafts Past004 Building Skill vs. Building Community and Learning from Your Mistakes005 Playtesting and Cube FeedbackDiscussed in this episode:Upkeep NYEpisode 197: Cube Design Iron Chef: Goblin CharbelcherEpisode 182: Emergent Cube Design by ExampleCubes referenced:Bun Magic CubeCascade CubeTurbo CubeReading RainbowSacred GeometryThe Ball PitCompanion CubePerilous SeasDichotomy CubeUMA+ CubeTake FiveIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:27 - Guest: Zach Barash4:59 - Lenses for Approaching Cube Design14:12 - Making a “Good Cube”15:05 - Duplication19:28 - Balance24:13 - Homage25:18 - Powermaxing Diversion33:39 - Novelty37:14 - Balancing Goals vs Taste42:01 - Icebergs46:11 - Restrictions51:33 - Head vs Heart53:43 - Summary58:01 - Crack-a-Pack of Take Five

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony and joined by Adam, a local player who suggested a novel way to cube. All players involved built what they thought would be the best deck that could ever be drafted from Anthony’s Regular Cube. They talked about the decks they built, their processes for building, and what it revealed about an environment which is typically intended to be drafted.Discussed in this episode:Regular CubeSuper Magic Fun TimeDegenerate MicrocubeIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy’s “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony’s “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at [email protected] or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:27 - Main Topic: Theory Draft with Adam7:48 - RW Heroic18:04 - Metagaming23:50 - Anthony’s Zombie Deck26:58 - Comparing Draft, Constructed, and Rotisserie29:25 - Premium Removal31:03 - Mana34:31 - More Theorydrafting40:17 - Meta Shifts42:51 - Andy’s Ninjas Deck46:04 - Splashes51:05 - Anthony’s WG Landfall Deck53:51 - Adam’s Mono B Zombies54:32 - Sideboards1:03:23 - Reevaluations1:05:41 - The Control Deck1:08:31 - Final Thoughts