General CBS
- Thread starter James Stevenson
- Start date
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Usually this means fully pimped, i.e. foil what can be foiled, and oldest black-bordered printing, signed, otherwise
I like how the author was ok with it until you get to the backsides +1.
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
The Vraska the Unseen alter is hilarious though
Brilliant!The Vraska the Unseen alter is hilarious though
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Chris Taylor
Contributor
not to get technical here, but isn't it the cards your opponent doesn't play?
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/how-build/building-your-first-cube-2016-05-19
I thought this was a really good beginner's guide to cubing. It's well-organized and straightforward and doesn't delve into the weeds. It offers some sound advice on basic structure, but also points out that there's lots of room for creativity and going outside the structure to meet your playgroup's desires.
I think it's also interesting that they're clearly marketing Eternal Masters to cube managers.
I thought this was a really good beginner's guide to cubing. It's well-organized and straightforward and doesn't delve into the weeds. It offers some sound advice on basic structure, but also points out that there's lots of room for creativity and going outside the structure to meet your playgroup's desires.
I think it's also interesting that they're clearly marketing Eternal Masters to cube managers.
Why? I get why a lot of people break singleton, but it's still a major part of cube design. I think it provides helpful structure to new designers who are still figuring out what they want out of cube. DeTora refers to it only as a rule of thumb and not as a requirement and even explicitly says it's okay to break singleton if you want to.
Yeah, she got better by the end of the paragraph, but leading with, "A singleton cube is more balanced than a cube that contains many four-ofs" is an overly-broad statement.
That said her line, "Let's get one thing clear: a cube is not a collection of the most powerful cards in the game" was wonderful. Anything that can help overcome that adage is welcome.
That said her line, "Let's get one thing clear: a cube is not a collection of the most powerful cards in the game" was wonderful. Anything that can help overcome that adage is welcome.
Definitely agree with this. I'd go so far to say it's a nigh-indefensible statement. As you say, overly broad, and potentially patently false. How is adding a tuning-dial (varying the # of one card) making something less balance-able?
If anything this article has gotten me maybe more pumped for EMA?
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Retail drafts the selves are based around the concept of rarity, and the fact that rarity means you will see commons more often than uncommons, and uncommons more often than rares. Also, there's a huge difference between singleton and running four-offs. You could start with doubling up on some fun cards, for example. In the end, I think the paragraph is a somewhat inelegant vehicle for trying to argue why singleton is better for cube than the four-off you normally see in constructed decks. Redrafftability caused by variance is more important than consistency.
Aoret
Developer
"Better for cube" and "more balanced" are two (possibly related, but) different things.
Let's take her argument to the logical extreme. We're saying 1 is more balanced than 4 right? What if my entire 360 is Runeclaw Bear? Environment is totally out of whack. Green decks are busted AF amirite?
Let's take her argument to the logical extreme. We're saying 1 is more balanced than 4 right? What if my entire 360 is Runeclaw Bear? Environment is totally out of whack. Green decks are busted AF amirite?
I think her (somewhat unstated) argument is that it's easier to balance a cube as a beginner when your decision for each card is binary - either it's in or out. As noted above, breaking singleton means that you now have another dial to mess with. This allows for finer tuning, but also requires greater care and experience. To put it another way, singleton cubes are easier to manage in that constraining your possible options reduces potential decision paralysis and gives fewer ways to screw up, while breaking singleton allows more freedom to achieve your other goals in cube design. Singleton can be a goal in itself or act as training wheels for new designers.
Given that the most drafted cube ever, the MTGO cube, is singleton, I don't think it's unfair to tell beginners that cube is generally a singleton endeavor as long as you mention that it's just a guideline that can be broken for other goals. In any case, it's certainly better than MTGS purists who refuse to call non-singleton formats cubes at all.
Given that the most drafted cube ever, the MTGO cube, is singleton, I don't think it's unfair to tell beginners that cube is generally a singleton endeavor as long as you mention that it's just a guideline that can be broken for other goals. In any case, it's certainly better than MTGS purists who refuse to call non-singleton formats cubes at all.
