Lucky Paper Radio

The Paradox of Balance in Cube Design Oct 12, 2026 01:02:18 View all cards mentioned in this episodeWhat makes a cube “balanced”? When a card or deck performs very differently in the hands of especially skilled players, are they using their greater knowledge of the game to exploit a balance issue that others can’t see? Or are they just having the predictable success you would expect from a more skilled player? Is the experience of strong players a better i

Bonus Episode — Obscura: Déjà Vu Oct 8, 2026 00:53:35 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk with Brett about his Obscura Cube. Prompted with the phrase “Déjà vu” Brett explored some wild, logistically impossible ideas before settling on a cube filled to the brim with subtle repetitions. The feeling of things having happened before manifests in my ways from multiple copies of Accumulated Knowledge, Memory Lapses that create rep

Capitol Cube Championship 2026 Tournament Report Oct 5, 2026 01:21:02 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony recap their experience at Capitol Cube Championship in Washington D.C. They talk about the five different cube drafts they did between them and their overall experience at the event.Discussed in this episode:Team Fundraiser for Birds of Paradise100 Ornithopters Champion’s Draft Digital QualifierCapitol Cube ChampsThe Score by C. Thi NguyenTh

Bonus Episode — Obscura: Dangerous Oct 1, 2026 00:57:00 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk with Ollie about their Obscura Cube with the prompt “Dangerous.” Ollie’s interpretation of the prompt led them to build a desert cube where all lands cost life to generate colored mana. Limiting each player to 20 colored pips of mana over the course of a game reshapes the way player’s engage with their life total as a resource and creat

Leveraging Scarcity in Cube Design and Play Sep 28, 2026 00:59:55 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy, Anthony, and Parker talk about how to draft cubes better by framing their thinking in terms of the scarcest resource in any give context. Flipping the perspective, they talk about how to leverage a diversity of themes as a cube designer.Discussed in this episode:Birds of Paradise FundraiserLevel Up Your Cube Drafting With Scarcity article by ParkerThe

Bonus Episode — Obscura: Collapse Sep 26, 2026 00:46:56 View all cards mentioned in this episodeGabe joins Andy and Anthony talk about his Obscura cube, starting with the prompt “collapse”. Gabe chose to build on the theme in both aesthetic and mechanical ways. Pulling heavily from zendikar sets he set a tone of a world after the collapse of civilization. Mechanically he hoped to create gameplay that put players in committed positions that could easily

Drafting and Designing Weird Cubes with Ryan Overturf Sep 21, 2026 01:13:25 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Cube icon Ryan Overturf to talk about drafting and designing weird cubes. They talk about his experience at CubeConbroadening his experience into novel designs. They go more in depth into Ryan’s cube Stadium Stampede where all players start with a copy of Strixhaven Stadium in play.Discussed in this episode:Ryan’s Cubes on Cube

Bonus Episode — Obscura: Cavalier Sep 17, 2026 00:56:10 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk with Dan, best known for creating the Devoid Cube, about his cube for Cube for a Cause: Obscura. Starting with the prompt “cavalier” Dan dove into the world of knights and found himself with a cube pulling heavily from the plane of Eldraine.Discussed in this episode:Dan’s Cavalier CubeDan’s Cubes on Cube CobraDuel Decks: Knights vs. Dra

Expensive Spells We Actually Like Sep 14, 2026 00:54:15 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about expensive cards in Cube — how high mana value cards fit into their cube designs. They talk about specific expensive cards they love, break down some specific roles they see the cards playing, and how variety makes cubes more fun.Discussed in this episode:Status and Culture by W. David MarxThe Score by C. Thi NguyenIf you’d like to

Bonus Episode — Obscura: Anti-War Sep 10, 2026 00:46:03 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 mecha

Summer 2026 Cube Zeitgeist Sep 7, 2026 00:58:34 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

What Makes a Card “Sacred?” Aug 31, 2026 00:56:02 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 GeometryHellraiserRegu

Open Drafting Take Five Aug 24, 2026 00:59:46 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

Exploring Cube Cobra’s New Winrate Analysis Features Aug 17, 2026 01:00:37 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

Summertime Mailbag Aug 10, 2026 00:52:52 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

Cross Pod Cube Throw Down: Regular Cube vs Sacred Geometry Aug 3, 2026 00:57:37 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 highligh

Narrow Tutors in Cube Jul 27, 2026 01:00:54 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 creat

CubeCon DMV Tournament Report Jul 20, 2026 01:06:56 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 Champio

Cards that are Cool — Part 2 Jul 13, 2026 01:01:59 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

Board Stalls and Cube Design Jul 6, 2026 01:01:28 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 P

Token Episode Jun 29, 2026 01:02:14 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

Powering Down Eternal Cubes with Jake and Parker Jun 22, 2026 01:07:09 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 ch

Cube Cards That Are Hated Jun 15, 2026 01:12:53 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 Mag

Hate Cards in Cube Jun 8, 2026 01:06:34 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 Geom

Steal Our Cube Ideas Jun 1, 2026 00:53:36 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 wh

The Scorpion and The Cube with Ollie Beeks May 25, 2026 01:03:53 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/C4ACBodlea

Salt Box Recap with Judge Bones May 18, 2026 01:10:07 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

The Barash Files 006 — Cube Design Lenses May 11, 2026 01:13:17 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 P

Theory Drafting the Best Decks in Regular Cube May 4, 2026 01:14:09 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 dra

Playing Proactive Green Decks Apr 27, 2026 00:55:22 View all cards mentioned in this episodeFollowing their previous episode about playing with Young Pyromancer Andy and Anthony talk about how to win with proactive green decks. They look back at some of Anthony’s successful decks and try to get some insight into what makes them tick, exploring card types and distribution and gameplay heuristics.Discussed in this episode:Deck PhotosEpisode 299: How

Tricentennial Q & A Apr 20, 2026 01:29:08 View all cards mentioned in this episodeCelebrating 300 episodes, Andy and Anthony answer listener submitted questions. They address their favorite gummy candies, opinions on the free will of jellyfish, the most technologically advanced things they could build from scratch on a desert island, and so much more.Discussed in this episode:Arena CubeShoeboxShrimp Welfare ProjectErich’s Packing CenterSo

How to Win with Young Pyromancer Apr 13, 2026 01:03:04 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about one of Andy’s all time favorite cards Young Pyromancer. After a recent draft of a peasant cube at their weekly cube night, Anthony realized that despite it’s iconic status, it’s not a card he feels like he know’s how to optimize. Andy shares his experience with the card, what he thinks it takes to support it, and a handful of his

On Colorless Cards Apr 6, 2026 01:00:01 View all cards mentioned in this episodeMost of the time when listeners suggest topics we’ve already recorded a whole episode dedicated to that subject. Sometimes we’ve even recorded three. It turns out almost six years is a long time to have a weekly podcast about a niche interest like Cube design. So when someone recently suggested we record an episode about ‘colorless cards’ I was surprised to

Book Club: The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman Mar 30, 2026 00:53:53 View all cards mentioned in this episodeIn the third book club Episode, Anthony and Parker talk about Donald Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things. Originally published in 1988, the book was an influential criticism of the built world and interfaces establishing many concepts fundamental to user interface and industrial design today. It also introduces a metric ton of jargon per page.Our book clu

Shoebox Recap with Patrick Mar 23, 2026 01:24:48 View all cards mentioned in this episodeIn this explicit episode of Lucky Paper Radio, Andy, Anthony, and Patrick recap their experience at Shoebox in St Paul, Minnesota. Shoebox celebrated a range of casual formats including team limited, pauper, and, of course, Cube! They talk about highlights from the weekend and the decks they drafted.Discussed in this episode:The Monster FuckDee Dee Mega Doo

How Do We Know What We Know About Magic: The Gathering Mar 16, 2026 01:00:54 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony finally just talk about epistemology and sort of address Magic: the Gathering. They talk about the way we all generally learn things and incorporate them into our understanding of the world around us, and how that manifests in the smaller world of the game.Discussed in this episode:ContraPoints on YouTubeThe Beginning of Infinity by David De

Three Years of the Companion Cube, with Greg Cortazzo Mar 9, 2026 00:50:17 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk with Greg about his Companion Cube. In this Cube, each player chooses a card from their deck before each game to be their ‘companion’, which their guaranteed access to. They talk about the history of the cube and the difference between the early days of frequent edits and the longer stable phase with less frequent changes.Greg is also o

The Last Echo of a Boon Mar 2, 2026 00:59:56 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about cutting a long-standing, controversial card from 100 Ornithopters: Echoing Boon. They talk about gameplay experiences with the card and why Andy decided to include a conspiracy in the cube in the first place. The ‘always on’ nature of conspiracies put certain constraints on the cube’s design. Andy talks about some of those limitat

Packing and Mapping Synergies in Cubes Feb 23, 2026 00:56:20 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony discuss how they think about themes within cubes. As always, our hosts beginning with a thorough defining of terms. They talk about how they think about thematically related sets of cards and how many they think can fit, or would want to, in a Cube. Andy has been exploring fitting a tight network of synergistic cards in his cube Take Five.Th

Power Level and Game Impact in Cube Design Feb 16, 2026 00:52:05 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about the concept of power level band or range in Cubes. It’s sometimes said a Cube should have a pretty even power level, with the strongest card being not too much stronger than the weakest, is a good idea. Our hosts talk about why that doesn’t always make sense and strategies for making Cubes with a wide band of power that still make

Lunchbox Tournament Report Feb 9, 2026 01:00:37 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy, Anthony, and Patrick recap their experience at Lunch Box, a 1 day Cube event in their home town of Baltimore raising funds for the Maryland Food Bank. They discuss the cubes they drafted, the highs and lows of their matches, and their overall experiences at the event.Discussed in this episode:Lunch BoxTwilight CubeRed TerrorLibrary of BabelScience Cube

Star Magic — The Best Way to Cube with Five Players Feb 2, 2026 00:53:54 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about Star Magic, a unique multiplayer format that also happens to be a way to accommodate a draft with 5 players — a notoriously awkward number.In a Star Magic game, 5 players engage in a free-for-all game with a specific win condition. The game ends when any one player eliminates the two others seated furthest from them. Players sitti

The Death of Magic Jan 26, 2026 01:03:35 View all cards mentioned in this episodeIt’s been said that Cube Will Outlive Magic, but would it really? Andy and Anthony wildly speculate on the future in a thought experiment: what if Wizards of the Coast stopped existing tomorrow and no new cards were designed or printed. They theorize about how it would impact different elements of the player base and how it would impact their own relationshi

Sacred Geometry Draft Along Jan 19, 2026 01:11:39 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony each draft the same seat in a virtual pod of Andy’s Sacred Geometry Cube. They talk through each of their picks and their overall draft strategy and the final decks they end up with.If you want to draft this same seat as well, either before or after listening to the episode, follow these steps:Download the predetermined booster packsOn Draft

The Open Lane “Problem” Jan 12, 2026 00:54:30 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony discuss feedback received by a fellow cube designer: that particular decks are sometimes too dominant when they go uncontested, or as they put it “The Open Lane Problem”. They talk about whether or not this is a real problem in different contexts and ways you might be able to mitigate it.Discussed in this episode:100 OrnithoptersBun Magic Cu

Modal Mechanics 003 — Bloodrushing into the Next Batch Jan 5, 2026 00:53:48 View all cards mentioned in this episodeBy popular demand, Andy and Anthony rush back into their series exploring modal mechanics through Magic’s history. Continuing where they left off, they talk about mechanics from Return to Ravnica to Fate Reforged. They argue over some mechanics fit a useful definition of “modal” and what the mechanics, and individual modal cards, offer to Cube designers.Disc

Finding It Easier To Not Care — 2025 in Review Dec 29, 2025 01:06:49 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony look back at their last year playing Magic. They talk about their highs and lows, playing cube while engaging little with Magic’s release cycle, the continued grown of community, and Lucky Paper’s projects.Discussed in this episode:Lucky Paper Events Page100 Ornithopters in a Cube-Shaped Box by Rhystic Studies on YouTubeLucky Paper PatreonCu

In Defense of Bad Cards Dec 22, 2025 00:56:06 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about bad cards. Why do “bad cards” even exist? Can’t all the cards just be good?Our hosts talk about why they like playing with bad Magic cards and how Cube gives them the flexibility to play with whatever cards they like regardless of how they stack up to the other 30,000 cards in the game. They talk about ways they conceptualize a ba

Modal Mechanics 002 — Some Modal Mechanics Evoke a Strong Response Dec 15, 2025 00:54:05 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony continue their roughly chronological journey through Magic’s modal mechanics. From transmute, to evoke, to reinforce and everything in between they talk about every mechanic they’d categorize as “modal” from the prospective of gameplay and Cube design.But first, they have to revisit their age old question of whether or not Lightning Bolt cou

Recent Weekly Cube Drafts Recap, Turbo and Mystery Dec 8, 2025 00:58:31 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk through some of their recent drafts from their weekly Cube night. They talk about what they drafted and their impressions of the cubes, including Anthony’s Turbo Cube and a mystery cube brought by a new participant in Cube night.Discussed in this episode:Turbo CubeIf you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing

“Take Five” — Designing a Minimal Deckbuilding Desert Cube Dec 1, 2025 01:04:15 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about Andy’s latest Cube design concept. Inspired by The Ball Pit among other projects, Andy’s goal is to design a desert cube where players play all but 5 cards from their pool. In other words, after the draft, player simply “Take Five” cards out of their pool and get shuffling. Andy’s goal is to push players even harder to make someth

The Top 10 Myths About Cube Nov 24, 2025 01:00:54 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about and dispel what they see as the most prevalent myths about Cube drafting and design. While the format has seen a ton of growth in the last few years, it’s still not uncommon for people to think of Cube as primarily defined by the MTGO Cube. Other myths like Cube being only for the most enfranchised players or requiring exactly 8 p

Diving Into the Ball Pit Nov 17, 2025 01:04:09 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Jane to talk about her novel Cube The Ball Pit. In this cube, every card is treated as a modal double faced card with Chromatic Sphere on the back side. On top of that, the Cube is also a desert cube, so players must draft their lands and don’t have access to additional basics, and every card drafted must be played in your deck

Building the Lords of Limited Cube Nov 10, 2025 01:33:30 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Ethan and Ben of the Lords of Limited podcast to talk about their new found enthusiasm for Cube and their new Lords of Limited Cube. Inspired to make a cube emblematic of their podcast and limited experience, their cube pulls from all the sets they’ve discussed on the podcast, starting with Hour of Devastation. They talk with A

Cube Con 2025 Tournament Report with Wildflower Nov 6, 2025 00:30:19 View all cards mentioned in this episodeFor this special bonus episode, Andy talks with Wildflower, one of the members of the Cube Fellowship, about her experience at Cube Con 2025. If you’d like to support the Lucky Paper Cube Fellowship you can purchase a supporter pin. All of the profits from those pin sales are given directly to Cube Fellows.Discussed in this episode:Lucky Paper Cube Fellowshi

CubeCon 2025 Recap Nov 3, 2025 01:05:40 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony recap Andy’s experience at the fourth annual CubeCon. They talk about how the event went overall, their thoughts on changes to the event structure — in particular separating open play and main event tickets — and Andy’s drafts throughout the weekend.Discussed in this episode:CubeConSacred GeometryRed TerrorBoudican Destruction Horizon cube b

In the Kitchen Making Stone Soup Oct 27, 2025 00:59:37 View all cards mentioned in this episodeIn preparation for this year’s CubeCon, Andy and Anthony dive through some of Andy’s collection to put together a Stone Soup card pool for Andy to bring to the event. In this format, each player brings 45 cards of their choice. All the cards are combined and shuffled up and drafted like a collaboratively built cube. They talk about considerations for the kin

Cube Design Iron Chef: Genesis Wave Oct 20, 2025 01:07:08 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony brainstorm a brand new cube starting from a single card: Genesis Wave. Like the two previous episodes, featuring Goblin Charbelcher and Trade Routes, they expand from a single card considering what kind of environment it would make sense in. They take a few further steps considering more layers of cards that fit together in different ways. T

Our Favorite Cards Ever Oct 13, 2025 01:06:57 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about each of their top 5 favorite cards from the history of the game. They talk about where they first encountered them whether it was an exciting level up moment in a draft or as a key card that inspired a deck.Discussed in this episode:CubeConLucky Paper Cube FellowshipThe Eternal Glory PodcastAnthony’s First Ever 3-0 Deck Featuring

State of the Game 2025 Oct 6, 2025 00:57:34 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about the last year in Magic and, in broad strokes, where they think the game stands from a design and product perspective. They start with Mark Rosewater’s own annual retrospective and talk about wether or not they agree on his take on the past year’s sets.Discussed in this episode:Mark Rosewater’s 2025 State of Design ArticlePack One

Capitol Cube Championship 2025 Tournament Report Sep 29, 2025 01:31:06 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony, along with Zach, Gabor, and Scott, recap their drafts from the most recent Capitol Cube Championship. The five of them, at sixty other players, spent a whole Saturday in DC Cube drafting. They talk about the cubes and decks they each drafted and highlights from the event.Discussed in this episode:Capitol Cube ChampionshipBodleian CubeAtomic

Pick 2 Draft and Formats for Small Groups Sep 22, 2025 01:04:26 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about the the new draft format Wizard’s intends for playing their latest release: Marvel’s Spider-Man. Designing the set approachable for small play groups, they propose a four player draft where each player takes two cards at a time from sealed booster packs. Our hosts talk about the design of the format, and the constraints in packagi

Open Drafting the Turbo Cube: Co-op Edition Sep 15, 2025 01:07:49 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony co-draft Anthony’s Turbo Cube, talking through each of their picks as they navigate putting a deck together in this novel environment. In the Turbo Cube, all spells and activated abilities cost 2 mana less. While they draft, they discuss how the rules change effects each pick and their overall strategy.Because of the unique environment, our

Dos Okies Sep 8, 2025 01:06:59 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAnthony is one again out sick, and trying to fill his sizable shoes are both judge Bones and Kade from Recross the Paths for a discussion with a potpurri of topics. They recap Cube for a Cause, talk about how to divorce player experience from the outcome of their matches, and, of course, The Devil Went Down to Georgia.Discussed in this episode:Cube for a Cau

2025 Standard Set Rotation in Review Sep 1, 2025 00:59:19 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Parker look back at all the cards rotating out of Standard this summer. They look at the specific cards they were interested in for their cubes and talk about what they were right and wrong about.Search your own past survey submissions here.Discussed in this episode:2025 Standard Rotation Article by Parker LaMascusTheseusPulp NouveauSacred GeometryB

Cube Resonance Aug 25, 2025 00:56:37 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about how and why designers can present their cubes in ways that resonate with players. They talk about the presentational aspects available to communicate through, the values of making a connection, and how valuable it can be to set expectations with players.Discussed in this episode:Double Black Diamonds Cube (formerly “Mono Decent”)1

Stone Soup, A Magical Community Stew with D.S.B. Aug 18, 2025 01:07:51 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Dan, a.k.a. “D.S.B” to talk about one of his favorite cube adjacent formats — Stone Soup. 8 players (or as many as you’ve got!) each bring their own selection of 45 sleeved cards to the draft. All the contributions are shuffled up and drafted as you would any other Cube. They talk about their experience drafting a Stone Soup an

Tuning Control in 100 Ornithopters (Again) Aug 11, 2025 01:04:38 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about control decks in Andy’s 100 Ornithopters Cube. Control decks flush with disenchants often perform better than Andy expects them to, getting a surprising density of what seems like should be premium cards for all players. They talk about why that might be the case, the kinds of decks they think should be able to combat these decks,

Inland Northwest Cube Fest Tournament Report Aug 4, 2025 01:05:35 View all cards mentioned in this episodeBack from a Cube adventure to the west coast, Andy and Anthony recap their drafts at the first Inland Northwest CubeFest. The event included four drafts with over 50 players and a chance for our hosts to draft some very different cubes from their local scene. They also started the weekend with a “Stone Soup” draft with each player contributing 45 cards of th

8 Players, 8 Cubes, 1 Weekend, 1 Cabin Jul 28, 2025 01:02:40 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAfter spending a long weekend in a cabin in the woods with 8 friends playing 8 Cubes, Andy and Anthony recap their drafts. Each player brought a cube to share which they drafted back to back over course of the weekend.Discussed in this episode:Regular CubeSacred Geometry Cube100 OrnithoptersDocumentalThe DrownyardVertex Cube EventsThe Oldest SchoolJoe’s Anar

Big Story Moments with Joe Anderson Jul 21, 2025 01:14:13 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk with Joe Anderson, proprietor of Cali Cube Champs, host of Joe’s Week in Magic, and a model local cube scene organizer about their theory of Cube Design and some of their favorite game moments.Discussed in this episode:Support Lucky Paper on PatreonLucky Paper Cube Fellowship ApplicationNutritious CubeSacred Geometry CubeThe 540The Thir

The ABC’s of Midrange Jul 14, 2025 00:59:27 View all cards mentioned in this episodeContinuing on their archetype breakdown series, Andy and Anthony talk about midrange decks. They talk about the theory behind the tempo based meta-game and where midrange decks fit. They talk about ways to think of midrange in different cube environments, or if it even makes sense to. They also discuss strategy and how it can be used as a framework for think

Cubing in Unsanctioned Spaces and The Ten-Year-Old Child Test Jul 7, 2025 01:02:24 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAfter five full years of Lucky Paper Radio, Andy and Anthony reflect on how their local playgroup, the podcast, and the broader cube community have evolved. They talk about their recent experience of keeping a weekly Cube night going without a local game store and how you can make it work. They also talk about the supportive, casual vibe of their local commu

Open Drafting the Neoclassical Cube Jun 30, 2025 01:19:45 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony each draft the same seat of Andy’s Neoclassical Cube and then talk about it. They discuss strategy, what they were thinking as they went through each pick, and how they ultimately feel about the decks they drafted. Follow along with each, and see all of the cards from each pack they drafted on the cards mentioned page.If you want to draft th

The Big, Beautiful World of Set Cubes with Jenn the Judge Jun 23, 2025 01:02:53 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are once again joined by Jenn who shares her expertise in designing set cubes. They talk about Jenn’s experience designing many many set and plane themed cubes and more broadly about the different ways to approach designing them.Discussed in this episode:Cube Con 2025 TicketsRavnica IdealizedBloodburrowKhans Expanded CubeEpisode 229: Fixing

A Eulogy for the Degenerate Micro Cube Jun 16, 2025 01:05:36 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony send off Andy’s Degenerate Micro Cube. After many years, Andy has decided to take apart the Cube, reclaiming its cards, sleeves, and mental space. The Cube attempted to capture something about the most high powered vintage games with a twist on the typical draft format and a tiny deck size. They talk about why Andy’s decided to take it apart

A Tale of Two Cubes with Parker LaMascus Jun 9, 2025 01:21:44 View all cards mentioned in this episodeThis episode was recorded a few weeks ago, so forgive the untimely references to the Rhystic Studies video on 100 Ornithopters. At our weekly cube night, Andy and Parker swapped drafts of eachother’s simple cubes: Andy playing Parker’s cube Atavus and Parker playing Andy’s cube Sacred Geometry. On this episode we dive into the goals for each of these cubes,

Modal Mechanics 001 — Some Nonzero Number of Mechanics Are Kicker Jun 2, 2025 01:04:23 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony walk through (some of) the history of modal mechanics: cards that offer players choices between multiple effects. Starting with alpha they look at the different manifestations of modality, how they compare and contrast, and how they impact gameplay and fit into their Cube design philosophy.Discussed in this episode:An 11 hour game of command

Every Cube a Painting with Jane and Arlo May 26, 2025 01:19:25 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Jane (a.k.a. maramas) and Arlo (a.k.a. gaytransmulldrifter) to talk about taste and aesthetics in Cube design. Building off recent discussions on the show, they question if there is such a thing as “taste” in cube design and what it means.Find more of Arlo and Jane, along with a motley cast of Cube designers, on their new podca

The One “About Saprolings” May 19, 2025 01:05:39 View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about saprolings, sort of. Our hosts talk about aesthetics and their own personal tastes, and how that applies to their preferences in Magic. Anthony somehow tries to make the case that saprolings connect to a pattern of affinity for systems thinking, complex iterative processes with emergent properties.Discussed in this episode:Episode

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