General [Contest] 30+ Eggs in one Basket
- Thread starter ellogeyen
- Start date
last minute question, is it alright if we add our own rules and restrictions within the Cube as long as there is a minimum of 30+ eggs?
Not sure if it should okay since what I want to do is make every card come with a free copy of itself when you draft it. And that's kind of not a 180 cube (it is 180 within the draft... but not outside of it).
Adding rules and restrictions is fine, although I'd say this specific one kind of dilutes the purpose of having 30+ eggs in the cube, since you'd have those 30 cards in a kind-of 360 shell, which means you could draft and build your deck without utilizing your egg.
I'll allow it but am not a fan myself.
This is exactly 24 hour from now!
My entry: https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/c580b07c-a07b-4c8c-a748-60e5c05ba674?view=spoiler
Work of the Wicked
A tool made for growing graveyards. You know, it is quite hard to design a 180 card cube with a single card being 1/6 of it, because archetypes will quickly feel very similar, when they all are supposed to be interested in 5-8 copies of the same card. But when that same card is used only to stock your graveyard, difference can be achieved by caring about what's inside the grave!
Here a quick overview of this cube's archetypes:
Creatures of the Wicked
Dead bodies, dead bodies everywhere! Black/green is quite naturally the color combination here to get as many creatures in it's graveyard as possible. You would want all the essential effects like removal, ramp and card draw on creatures too, which, luckily, you can get.
Lands of the Wicked
20+ lands is too much? Not when they are triggering your landfall payoffs, then they turn into creatues and smash, and when they die, you can get them all back (just like the dozen lands you've milled - even more triggers). I tried a lot to make sure this deck wants 20+ lands, so it's payoffs wouldn't just be as good in other decks running 16 or 17 lands.
Spells of the Wicked
The spells deck is a classic - and usually it doesn't need self mill tools like the wand to fill it's graveyard. To make sure this one wants the wand, I was very careful with adding cheap spells. Only Force Spike and Spite of Mogis, a reactive spell and one that doesn't work on turn 1, cost a single mana.
Artifacts of the Wicked
Tools can be buried too. And recurred. This is what red/white is doing in this cube. Of course it comes quite handy, that your self mill tool is an artifact as well, so I had to design this archetype with the fact in mind, that they can reach a very high percentage of the wanted type easily.
Enemies of the Wicked
One has to be the party crasher. In this case it is the white/black aggro hate deck, that exiles cards from graveyards, punishes you for playing wands and supports that with aggressive 1- and 2-drops to pressure people who durdle too much.
Those are the five main archetypes, but there are a few more things to add some spice to the drafting portion. Five three-color cards, glue cards to fight over and some very subtle allied-color support.
I hope you like it
Work of the Wicked
A tool made for growing graveyards. You know, it is quite hard to design a 180 card cube with a single card being 1/6 of it, because archetypes will quickly feel very similar, when they all are supposed to be interested in 5-8 copies of the same card. But when that same card is used only to stock your graveyard, difference can be achieved by caring about what's inside the grave!
Here a quick overview of this cube's archetypes:
Creatures of the WickedDead bodies, dead bodies everywhere! Black/green is quite naturally the color combination here to get as many creatures in it's graveyard as possible. You would want all the essential effects like removal, ramp and card draw on creatures too, which, luckily, you can get.
Lands of the Wicked20+ lands is too much? Not when they are triggering your landfall payoffs, then they turn into creatues and smash, and when they die, you can get them all back (just like the dozen lands you've milled - even more triggers). I tried a lot to make sure this deck wants 20+ lands, so it's payoffs wouldn't just be as good in other decks running 16 or 17 lands.
Spells of the WickedThe spells deck is a classic - and usually it doesn't need self mill tools like the wand to fill it's graveyard. To make sure this one wants the wand, I was very careful with adding cheap spells. Only Force Spike and Spite of Mogis, a reactive spell and one that doesn't work on turn 1, cost a single mana.
Artifacts of the WickedTools can be buried too. And recurred. This is what red/white is doing in this cube. Of course it comes quite handy, that your self mill tool is an artifact as well, so I had to design this archetype with the fact in mind, that they can reach a very high percentage of the wanted type easily.
Enemies of the WickedOne has to be the party crasher. In this case it is the white/black aggro hate deck, that exiles cards from graveyards, punishes you for playing wands and supports that with aggressive 1- and 2-drops to pressure people who durdle too much.
Those are the five main archetypes, but there are a few more things to add some spice to the drafting portion. Five three-color cards, glue cards to fight over and some very subtle allied-color support.
I hope you like it
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The egg would be doubled too, and there is no way there could be a deck in the cube without the egg, it's basically required. That's why I'm diluting it to make the drafting a bit more fun, get some more cards and archetypes and so on.
This has been a fun project so I don't mind being disqualified either
we'll see once I post it I suppose haha
This is a Cube with 30 Copies of Gut Shot.
Every creature in the Cube dies to Gut Shot...
...Except for 30 copies of Slickshot Show-off!
Presenting...
The Slickshot Gut Shot Showdown!
Every creature in the Cube dies to Gut Shot...
...Except for 30 copies of Slickshot Show-off!
Presenting...
The Slickshot Gut Shot Showdown!
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
This could so easily have been the Gut Shot Slick-Shot Show-Off Showdown! For shame, Train, for shame!
So immediately after I read the rules for the contest, I thought of one card. Or more accurately, I thought of the flavor text of one card.
So, I decided to take the old man at his word and see what came about. At least with the Black Lotuses, I ain't putting in Plague Rats.
This is a Twinned Cube, with fifty black lotuses (100 after doubling). And every playable three drop, well with a few exceptions. Which makes this definitely the most expensive entry on the list. My grandmother would have to spend one fifth of what she made for selling her house in California. So please don't sell a house to play this Cube, just proxy it.
As a Twinned Cube that means that every single pick is double, and that fact gives a lot of consistency and strength to the decks. So what is one to do? Make removal bad.
While these are fine, the cube still needed some cute sweepers to deal with the infestation of tokens.
wait, these aren't cute at all...
I cannot exactly say that there's real archetypes in the cube since they all bleed into each other to make a horrifying monstrosity. But in testing the Cube there's clearly some... patterns.
The second half of mirrodin besieged, and some of all of the removal
Ayara can also flip over when everyone is out of gas, but it's risky since feed the cauldron can still target her.
with lots of thirsting for knowledge
And I'm sure there's more somewhere in there.
That's about it! I wish I could have spent a bit more time playtesting it, I only got to do one in-person draft with it and I had to get rid of some clearly weaker cards that didn't make it and Salvaging Station which was way too strong, so that's why there's no decklists, but I am at least slightly satisfied with where the cube is at.
*sound of exactly one dude clapping*
This is a Twinned Cube, with fifty black lotuses (100 after doubling). And every playable three drop, As a Twinned Cube that means that every single pick is double, and that fact gives a lot of consistency and strength to the decks. So what is one to do? Make removal bad.
While these are fine, the cube still needed some cute sweepers to deal with the infestation of tokens.
I cannot exactly say that there's real archetypes in the cube since they all bleed into each other to make a horrifying monstrosity. But in testing the Cube there's clearly some... patterns.
Tokens that want to go face
Control until you win
Durdle while winning
Some kind of combo deck that I definitely planned
And I'm sure there's more somewhere in there.
That's about it! I wish I could have spent a bit more time playtesting it, I only got to do one in-person draft with it and I had to get rid of some clearly weaker cards that didn't make it and Salvaging Station which was way too strong, so that's why there's no decklists, but I am at least slightly satisfied with where the cube is at.
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Chromatic Star is a fantastic cube card because at its base, it offers draw smoothing and mana fixing for any color. But it's so much more than that and this artifact cube tries to make the most out of all those facets.
I expect a lot of the decks to be 2 colors with a bunch of splashes because of how the mana fixing Stars provide. It makes it tough to go through each archetype, so here are some themes instead!
White recursion
Build your own value engines recurring the Stars. Goblin Engineer and Emry Lurker of the Loch offer valuable support.
Blue animation
Smack people with your Stars! Green complements this nicely with Tough Cookie and White has Dance of the Manse.
Black affinity aggro
Use your Stars to power out some threats for cheap. There is a twist to this archetype that I'll highlight later
Red stuff
Red is a little unfocused, in that it doesn't have a clear directing theme. But it's such a good artifact color that it does a bit of everything!
Green Pod
Get value from your Pods and use alternate casting costs to cheat out big plays. Prime Speaker Vannifar says hi in Simic.
Cheat
Sacrifice your "expensive" creatures for a lot of mana. Cheat something big out with Pod. Fling a Myr with Bosh. This is a spicy new archetype for me that tries to make the most out of casting high mana value cards.
Prowess
Cheap creatures that grow the more Stars you play.
Draw 2
Drawing 2 cards is easy with Stars and really makes these cards pop.
Golems
I like Golems and they fit the theme...
That's the general rundown. Most decks absolutely want to abuse the Stars as fixing, cost reducers or enablers which I deem a success for the context.
I'll finish with the spiciest card in the cube IMO
As a free Pod target, a ritual with Illuminor Szeras and friends or triggering Kozilek's Unsealing.
Thanks to ellogeyen for organizing the contest!
I expect a lot of the decks to be 2 colors with a bunch of splashes because of how the mana fixing Stars provide. It makes it tough to go through each archetype, so here are some themes instead!
White recursion
Build your own value engines recurring the Stars. Goblin Engineer and Emry Lurker of the Loch offer valuable support.
Blue animation
Smack people with your Stars! Green complements this nicely with Tough Cookie and White has Dance of the Manse.
Black affinity aggro
Use your Stars to power out some threats for cheap. There is a twist to this archetype that I'll highlight later
Red stuff
Red is a little unfocused, in that it doesn't have a clear directing theme. But it's such a good artifact color that it does a bit of everything!
Green Pod
Get value from your Pods and use alternate casting costs to cheat out big plays. Prime Speaker Vannifar says hi in Simic.
Cheat
Sacrifice your "expensive" creatures for a lot of mana. Cheat something big out with Pod. Fling a Myr with Bosh. This is a spicy new archetype for me that tries to make the most out of casting high mana value cards.
Prowess
Cheap creatures that grow the more Stars you play.
Draw 2
Drawing 2 cards is easy with Stars and really makes these cards pop.
Golems
I like Golems and they fit the theme...
That's the general rundown. Most decks absolutely want to abuse the Stars as fixing, cost reducers or enablers which I deem a success for the context.
I'll finish with the spiciest card in the cube IMO
As a free Pod target, a ritual with Illuminor Szeras and friends or triggering Kozilek's Unsealing.
Thanks to ellogeyen for organizing the contest!
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Just like last time, I'm hung up on alternative win conditions. So let's see if we can line up some Hedrons...
The Hedron Puzzle Box
So I could talk about archetypes and what not, but I really didn't go that deep into it.
The hardest hedrons to align are graveyard and exile, and each colour should have plenty of ways to do those.
Enchantment matters and Scry matters round out this weird pile.
May your hedron's align correctly.
The Hedron Puzzle Box
So I could talk about archetypes and what not, but I really didn't go that deep into it.
The hardest hedrons to align are graveyard and exile, and each colour should have plenty of ways to do those.
Enchantment matters and Scry matters round out this weird pile.
May your hedron's align correctly.
Maelstrom Mania
Maelstrom Madness is a 180-card cube that features 30 (!!!) copies of Invasion of Alara
Basically, the cube's signature spell does a huge amount of stuff. Your goal is to draft a deck that can do all of the following better than your opponent:
A: CAST Invasion of Alara
B: Take advantage of the double-cascade trigger
C: Defeat the battle
D: Get big payoffs for the many effects of Awaken the Maelstrom
If I wanted to really dig deep on this cube, I would start by polishing the non-creature spells in every color. I think the cube needs more combat interaction, but I want it to be of the tap-untap variety, rather than outright removal. The main piece of removal in this cube is Awaken the Maelstrom.
Notes on my EGG: My first instinct when I saw this prompt was to try and select the most insane thing I could think of, so I immediately went looking for 5c cards. The other big contender was Chromanticore, but Invasion of Alara has way more going on, with more potential for crazy payoffs. The goal here is to make a draft environment where a player who ignores the Invasion and tries to go for a regular aggro victory is going to get blown out if the opponent casts the Invasion.
The choice between attacking the player and attacking the Battle should be important. Hopefully we'll get more Battle tech as time goes on.
At first I considered including other Battles, but that seems silly. My big worry is that I might not have enough creatures. I think it's possible that the correct design choice would be to simply eliminate all non-creature spells other than the Invasion. Every other card in the cube should (perhaps) be capable of combat. But today is the deadline, and I want to play.
Until we meet again, my beloved Alara. Stay golden.
Maelstrom Madness is a 180-card cube that features 30 (!!!) copies of Invasion of Alara
Basically, the cube's signature spell does a huge amount of stuff. Your goal is to draft a deck that can do all of the following better than your opponent:
A: CAST Invasion of Alara
B: Take advantage of the double-cascade trigger
C: Defeat the battle
D: Get big payoffs for the many effects of Awaken the Maelstrom
If I wanted to really dig deep on this cube, I would start by polishing the non-creature spells in every color. I think the cube needs more combat interaction, but I want it to be of the tap-untap variety, rather than outright removal. The main piece of removal in this cube is Awaken the Maelstrom.
Notes on my EGG: My first instinct when I saw this prompt was to try and select the most insane thing I could think of, so I immediately went looking for 5c cards. The other big contender was Chromanticore, but Invasion of Alara has way more going on, with more potential for crazy payoffs. The goal here is to make a draft environment where a player who ignores the Invasion and tries to go for a regular aggro victory is going to get blown out if the opponent casts the Invasion.
The choice between attacking the player and attacking the Battle should be important. Hopefully we'll get more Battle tech as time goes on.
At first I considered including other Battles, but that seems silly. My big worry is that I might not have enough creatures. I think it's possible that the correct design choice would be to simply eliminate all non-creature spells other than the Invasion. Every other card in the cube should (perhaps) be capable of combat. But today is the deadline, and I want to play.
Until we meet again, my beloved Alara. Stay golden.
I started drafting something together for this and didn't make it far, and I'm afraid I won't have time to finish. But I'd like to post my idea anyways because it might be neat. The idea was 30 Stonework Packbeast, 30 Dismember as the only removal, and no Swamps, black mana, or lifegain available. Keep the bodies mostly to x/2 so that the Packbeasts can do stuff in combat and don't get stonewalled.
: Primarily party payoffs
: Artifact creature matters focused
: A few (maybe 10 at most) heavy black-pip multicolor bombs (Think Massacre Wurm)
: Secondary party payoffs, direct damage, punish Dismember-casters
: Mechanics around growing 2/1 Packbeasts into better creatures
: Primarily party payoffs: Artifact creature matters focused: A few (maybe 10 at most) heavy black-pip multicolor bombs (Think Massacre Wurm): Secondary party payoffs, direct damage, punish Dismember-casters: Mechanics around growing 2/1 Packbeasts into better creaturesJust like the Dutch Railway Company (NS), I gave everyone 5 additional minutes to add their entries. But from this moment onward THE LINES ARE CLOSED. I believe these are our entries (correct me if I'm wrong):
NO GUTSY NO GLORY - @MilesOfficial
Gaslight, Gatekeep, Green - @LadyMapi
Work of the Wicked - @ravnic
Slickshot Gut Shot Showdown - @TrainmasterGT
Old Fogey - @TekLazar
The Omelette Cube - @Nanonox
The Hedron Puzzle Box - @Kirblinx
Maelstrom Mania - @StrionicAdventurer
A nice 8 entries! Thank you everybody! As mentioned before, I’ll be putting a poll up for vote this friday and will accompany it with my own judgments. Until that moment, I’d like to ask everybody not to alter your lists too much. I’ll look and draft the cubes at my free moments between now and then so I cannot guarantee I can consider any alterations.
Feel free to discuss your or each other's eggs and cube lists here until then
NO GUTSY NO GLORY - @MilesOfficial
Gaslight, Gatekeep, Green - @LadyMapi
Work of the Wicked - @ravnic
Slickshot Gut Shot Showdown - @TrainmasterGT
Old Fogey - @TekLazar
The Omelette Cube - @Nanonox
The Hedron Puzzle Box - @Kirblinx
Maelstrom Mania - @StrionicAdventurer
A nice 8 entries! Thank you everybody! As mentioned before, I’ll be putting a poll up for vote this friday and will accompany it with my own judgments. Until that moment, I’d like to ask everybody not to alter your lists too much. I’ll look and draft the cubes at my free moments between now and then so I cannot guarantee I can consider any alterations.
Feel free to discuss your or each other's eggs and cube lists here until then
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Cool! Now I can freely share my 185 unfinished, unbalanced, undraftable, and ungodly abomination of an idea: the TROOOGDOOOOR!!! cube!
Built around 32 copies of Dragon's Approach (2 in each pack), this cube is a dumb race to see who gets out their scaly beatstick out the first and burninate the countryside!
Edit: Also, I can't count. 3 (boosters) x 4 (players) x 2 (cards per booster) = 24. I should have gone to 36 and have 3 per booster. See?! That's how prepared I was
Built around 32 copies of Dragon's Approach (2 in each pack), this cube is a dumb race to see who gets out their scaly beatstick out the first and burninate the countryside!
Edit: Also, I can't count. 3 (boosters) x 4 (players) x 2 (cards per booster) = 24. I should have gone to 36 and have 3 per booster. See?! That's how prepared I was
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I hastily completed my Monoskelion cube, so I'm posting this link for posterity. I'm not sad if it can't be included in the voting. In lieu of voting, you can like this post if you think the concerns about mathematical headaches are overblown.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/30monoskelions
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/30monoskelions
I think it’s very funny that we went from 3 entries to 10 in 24 hours
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
It's a cube contest, you can always keep tinkering with a cube. The deadline is literally the only reason to stop tinkering XDI think it’s very funny that we went from 3 entries to 10 in 24 hours
Hi everyone!
First-time poster/long-time lurker here. I've picked up many ideas on these great forums for a long time now. Anyway I thought this prompt was really cool so I went ahead and made this janky little cube as my entry: The Cloud Of Faeries
This card being the egg of the basket.
The cube is heavily built around cycling/discard themes, untapping lands and faerie typal synergies. I took a lot of direct influence from Andy Mangold for it, as I eventually realised that Cloud of Faeries has some similarities to ornithopter (citation needed).
Also I have no idea how broken this cube is, it's quite possible its insanely unbalanced ahaha.
[EDIT: Oops I was at work and missed the deadline.]
FEATURING:
Turn your cloud-chains into silly value!
Wreck your opponent's cloud-chains of silly value!
Pump up the jamz
Cycle crazy
aristocrat stuff
Cloud of the cloud of faeries
And possibly many moree.........
This card being the egg of the basket.
The cube is heavily built around cycling/discard themes, untapping lands and faerie typal synergies. I took a lot of direct influence from Andy Mangold for it, as I eventually realised that Cloud of Faeries has some similarities to ornithopter (citation needed).
Also I have no idea how broken this cube is, it's quite possible its insanely unbalanced ahaha.
[EDIT: Oops I was at work and missed the deadline.]
FEATURING:
Turn your cloud-chains into silly value!
Wreck your opponent's cloud-chains of silly value!
Pump up the jamz
Cycle crazy
aristocrat stuff
Cloud of the cloud of faeries
And possibly many moree.........
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Welcome to RipTideLab! Cloud of Faeries is a really good idea for the egg.
That's the only way I win.
It's fine! I'll add yours to the list. The only caveat is that I'll prioritize the other cubes when giving my own feedback.
On that note; @Nemo and @Onderzeeboot would you like to be included as well? Both of you didn't have 180 cards at the time of posting (although I see Nemo has upped their count to 180 now), but in the spirit of not taking deadlines too strictly I can at least add the cubes to voting this Friday.