How to Port Constructed Decks into a Cube Environment
Introduction
Since the early days of Cube, fledgling designers have attempted to create environments with archetypes that resemble constructed decks. Vintage Cubers were the first to succeed in this task. The Vintage format's restricted list mirrored most Cubes' singleton nature, meaning that it was possible to have a draftable play experience similar to the constructed analog. However, unpowered design didn't come anywhere close to this goal until about two years ago with the rise of Macro-Archetype Philosophy. These designers built their Cubes to fully support Aggro, Midrange, and Control, three of the four basic strategies of Magic. Macro-Archetype Philosophy helped to re-shape the way many segments of the Cube community approached their designs. It provided a new lens through which to create un-powered environments that mirrored a constructed gameplay feel. However, the resulting decks that come from macro-archetype-focused Cubes tend to feel like basic forms of the four theaters of play. Many designers want Cubes with archetypes that mirror specific constructed decks but have the improvisation and discovery elements that come with limited Magic. Unfortunately, there isn't a clear roadmap for achieving that goal without building a Vintage Cube.
As I have been working on my Cube, I have been experimenting with ways to make draft decks feel like strategies that were popular when I first started playing the game. My goal is to share the things that made me fall in love with Magic with my friends, almost all of whom did not start playing for a few years after me. As a result, I have developed a system to port specific constructed decks into a Cube environment as draftable archetypes. While these Cube port archetypes will never be exact replicas of their constructed counterparts, they should at least have the same basic feel as the decks they are meant to mirror. In a few easy steps, you too can be bringing your favorite past strategies into your Cubes!
Step 1: Identify the Deck's Strategy and Win Condition.
The first step into porting a deck into a Cube is figuring what the deck is trying to do. A good understanding of the deck's strategy is important to bring it into the Cube world. Answer the following two questions about the archetype first:
What is the Deck's Primary Win Condition?
Determine what card or cards usually do the heavy lifting in bringing the deck to victory. This will usually be the card that ends the game or acts as the enabler for the card that wins the game. For example, in Standard Abzan Midrange from the early Khans of Tarkir era, Siege Rhino and Elspeth, Sun's Champion were the two most common finishers. In Mono-Red from the Zendikar Rising Standard, the win conditions consist of Anax, Hardened in the Forge, Bonecrusher Giant, and Embercleave. In Legacy Delver, the win conditions are Delver of Secrets and Tarmogoyf. There are some decks where the win condition isn't the card that kills the opponent, but rather the card that enables the finisher. For example, in Sidisi Whip decks, Whip of Erebos was used to reanimate some giant creature to win the game as opposed to doing the damage itself.
Sometimes, a deck will play on an unconventional axis. Instead of caring about winning with combat or burn damage, it will use a different tactic to end the game. For example, the deck could be trying to mill the opponent, get to 10 poison counters, or deal 20 damage in one sitting with a combo. In these cases, try to see if the deck is built to make use of cards that would be playable in other decks. For example, Blue-Red Sphinx's Tutelage from Magic Origins standard plays several cards that many control decks already play or could play. Even the namesake Sphinx's Tutelage is a fine control finisher in its own right. Meanwhile, a deck like Modern Infect is mostly comprised of infect creatures and Pump Spells that other decks can't utilize effectively. In cases such as infect, the deck can't easily be converted to a Cube archetype without dozens of parasitic support cards. Meanwhile, decks like Sphinx's Tutelage are closer to being viable because they primarily use cards that would already be good in a variety of decks or have analogs that are good in a variety of decks.
What is the Deck's Strategy?
Magic has four major strategies, or theater of play: Aggro, Midrange, Control, and Combo. Understanding which strategy a ported archetype aligns with is key to making it function in a Cube environment. Every deck is going to fall into one of the four theaters of play. However, each theater is a spectrum. Aggro decks can bleed into being combo decks, midrange decks can bleed into being control decks, and so forth. It can be challenging to navigate this sea of different ways in which decks function.
Within the four theaters, there are several subcategories of forming the core archetypes of the game. Sometimes, these archetypes have great amounts of overlap. For example, at Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir, three of the Top Eight decks were Abzan Midrange builds playing both Siege Rhino and Thoughtseize. However, the decks looked very different. For example, there was Abzan Rock...
...Pure Midrange...
...and even Nonblue Control!
These example decks are very similar. They all ran 4 copies of Siege Rhino in the mainboard, they all contained 4 copies of Thoughtseize in the 75, and they all ran a similar group of support cards such as Sorin, Solemn Visitor, Abzan Charm, and Hero's Downfall. However, all of these decks were trying to do different things. The Rock deck was trying to use quick, two and three mana threats to beat the opponent into submission, backing their mid-sized attackers with Removal and Hand Disruption. In this deck, Siege Rhino was the finisher, pummeling the opponent with its huge stats and ETB life drain trigger. Similarly, the Pure Midrange deck used Siege Rhino as it's fist, but in a more reserved fashion. The Rhino fell in the middle of the deck's mana curve, and it had some bigger plays for later in the game. The non-blue control deck, by contrast, used it's Rhinos to help stabilize from early aggression. Siege Rhino's "gain three life" clause would bandage any wounds from Goblin Rabblemasters and Fleecemane Lions to help it's pilot live survive and to cast Elspeth, Sun's Champion or another Planeswalker.
All three of these example decks are Midrange builds, but they manifest themselves in very different ways. While Cube ports of these decks would play Siege Rhino and Thoughtseize, the other components they would require to function vary. Understanding these playstyle distinctions is essential to crafting a desired outcome. I would recommend reading Patrick Chapin's book Next Level Deckbuilding to better understand the several different types of deck within the four theaters of play. The book covers every one of Magic's major archetypes in an easy to understand package. Reading this book is by no means necessary to utilize Cube porting. Next Level Deckbuilding is simply a helpful tool in analyzing potential decks to port.
Step 2: Calculate Card Ratios.
After identifying the deck's strategy and win condition, the next step is to identify the ratios of the different types of cards within a deck. Since Cube decks are 20 cards smaller than their constructed counterparts, some simple math can get the exact number of each effect needed for the deck to feel the same. For example, take the following deck:
Martin Dang's Red Aggro (Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir 1st Place)
| Creatures (15) 4 Foundry Street Denizen 2 Goblin Rabblemaster 1 Frenzied Goblin 1 Lightning Berserker 4 Monastery Swiftspear 3 Zurgo Bellstriker Sorceries (8) 4 Dragon Fodder 4 Hordeling Outburst Instants (17) 4 Atarka's Command 1 Become Immense 4 Lightning Strike 4 Stoke the Flames 4 Wild Slash | Land (20) 1 Forest 4 Mana Confluence 10 Mountain 1 Temple of Abandon 4 Wooded Foothills (0) |
Dang's deck is a fairly average Red Aggressive deck. While his list splashes Green for Atarka's Command, it's a pretty clear template for any base-red aggro strategy. Breaking down this deck into its constituent components, we find that it has approximately:
-13 One-Drop Creatures
-4 Two-Drop Creatures
-2 Rabblemaster Variants
-12 Small Burn Spells
-4 Big Burn Spells
-20 Land
-5 Other
This is the template from which Dang's deck is built. From this basic shell, we can calculate the approximate number of cards each one of these categories will need in our Cube deck. A Cube deck is 2/3rds the size of a Constructed deck. Finding the exact number of each type of card that a deck requires takes multiplying the total number of cards in each category by 0.67 or 2/3rds. For example, the 12 Small Burn Spells from the example deck converts to 8 cards in a Cube deck. For some categories, the math will result in non-whole numbers for results. In these instances, round to the nearest whole number or note the range in which the non-whole number would fall. With this formula, we can calculate the card ratios for a Cube version of the example deck:
-8-9 One-Drop Creatures
-2-3 Two-Drop Creatures
-1-2 Rabblemaster Variants
-8 Small Burn Spells
-2-3 Big Burn Spells
-13-14 Land
-3 Other
Notice that the exact numbers in the ratio template are not set in stone. The above ratios would only be used if our deck was to have exactly the same makeup as Dang's deck. Remember that since a Cube is a draft format, decks are rarely going to line up exactly with the template. Even if you include all of the right pieces for the deck, sometimes drafters either won't be able to find all of their key cards, or they might not play cards in the same ratio as intended. While a designer can't control how a drafter builds their deck, they can control whether or not drafters get everything they need. For example, if multiple decks need small burn spells, then it is wise to include extra cards in that category to make sure everyone can get what they need. Proper support is key.
Step 3: Find Analogs for Key Cards.
The final step to creating an effective Cube port archetype is finding analogs for key cards within a given deck. The most important cards in a constructed deck tend to be played in multiples. Often, a full four copies of a given card can be found within a 60-card constructed list. This can be problematic when porting a deck into a Cube, as Cubes tend to be singleton formats. Luckily, most key card can have their same basic role filled by another card at a similar cost. For example, take a look at this deck:
Ari Lax's Abzan Midrange (Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir 1st Place)
| Planeswalkers (7) 2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor 2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes 3 Elspeth, Sun's Champion Creatures (16) 2 Elvish Mystic 4 Sylvan Caryatid 4 Courser of Kruphix 2 Wingmate Roc 4 Siege Rhino Sorceries (4) 4 Thoughtseize Instants (9) 4 Abzan Charm 3 Hero's Downfall 2 Utter End | Land (24) 3 Forest 2 Plains 4 Windswept Heath 4 Temple of Malady 4 Sandsteppe Citadel 2 Llanowar Wastes 2 Caves of Koilos 1 Mana Confluence 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 1 Temple of Silence (0) |
Analyzing this deck, we can see that it is Non-Blue Control style Midrange build. The deck is trying to use Thoughtseize and Siege Rhino to help keep a lid on the game until one of it's big Planeswalkers can come down and win. Unfortunately, only one functional version of several cards in this deck exist. However, that does not mean the deck cannot be ported. Even though we can't play four copies of Siege Rhino, we can play several cards that play a similar role to the Rhino. This strategy will allow for the final archetype product to feel similar to the source deck. Ratio analysis is key to finding good card analogs.
When converted to Cube list size, the deck has the following card ratio template:
-4 Top-End Creatures
-2-3 Hand Disruption Spells
-4 Mana Dorks
-2-3 Value Engines
-5 Planeswalkers
-6 Instant Speed Removal Spells (3 Hitting Planeswalkers)
-16 Land
The conversion of this deck reveals that instead of having to find four cards to fill the same role as Siege Rhinos and Thouguhtsiezes, we only need to find about two cards each. Remember that the top end creature slot which Siege Rhino fills is also occupied by two copies of Wingmate Roc in the original deck. We can play a single copy of Wingmate Roc proper and effectively get the mass of that card effect the ratio template demands.
With the ratio template in mind, a quick Scryfall search can find some analogs of missing cards. For Siege Rhino type effect, we are going to look for slightly above curve 4-mana creatures. Ideally, these should have some sort of enters the battlefield effect, or enough board presence to offset immediate death to removal. Some examples of cards that could fill this slot are: Restoration Angel, Polukranos, World Eater, Gemrazer, Questing Beast, Nightmare Shepherd, Nightpack Ambusher, Meren of Clan Nel Toth, and Reaper of the Wilds, depending on the desired power level of the Cube. A Thoughtseize analog, by contrast, simply needs to be a one or two mana spell that can rip a key card out of the opponent's hand. Some examples of cards that could fill this slot are: Inquizition of Kozilek, Duress, Blackmail, Distress, and Agonizing Remorse. In addition, disruptive creatures such as Brain Maggot and Kitesail Freebooter can fill this slot.
After finding analogs, this deck...
...becomes this deck:
.Sometimes, a deck won't have a clean Cube conversion. These decks tend to have several cards with a very specific function. A constructed strategy isn't necessarily dead on arrival because it uses narrow cards. For example, take this 15th place Sphinx's Tutelage deck from Pro Tour Magic Origins:
Andrew Cueno's Izzet Tutelage (Pro Tour Magic Origins 15th Place)
| Creatures (4) 4 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy Sorceries (19) 4 Magmatic Insight 4 Tormenting Voice 4 Anger of the Gods 1 Roast 4 Treasure Cruise 2 Whelming Wave Instants (3) 2 Send to Sleep 1 Dig Through Time Artifacts (1) 1 Alhammarret's Archive Enchantments (6) 2 Dictate of Kruphix 4 Sphinx's Tutelage | Land (27) 4 Island 5 Mountain 1 Flooded Strand 1 Bloodstained Mire 4 Temple of Epiphany 4 Swiftwater Cliffs 4 Shivan Reef 4 Radiant Fountain (0) |
Izzet Tutelage plays a huge number of cards that no other deck in a Cube would want. However, almost every niche component has a replaceable part. All this deck is trying to do is lock down the game, find and play a Sphinx's Tutelage, and then draw a billion cards to mill out the opponent. These goals are generally in line with what an average control deck wants to be doing, only Izzet Tutelage wins with Sphinx's Tutelage as opposed to a random large creature or planeswalker. As long as there are enough enablers similar to the key card Sphinx's Tutelage, the deck can be ported into a Cube archetype. Luckily, there are two cards that are almost exact copies of Sphinx's Tutelage:
These two cards can help to form the core of a Sphinx's Tutelage archetype in a respective Cube. The proper Sphinx's Tutelage plays 4 copies of Sphinx's Tutelage, meaning that a Cube version of the deck would want 2-3 Tutelage variants. Having only three total Tutelage type cards is cutting things a little close. If this proves not to be enough, there are several other cards that card about card draw which could also be used to plug any gaps:
Not all of these cards are mill enablers, but they convert drawing cards to board presence or winning the game like Sphinx's Tutelage.
Now that we have established that there are plenty of cards similar to the deck's win condition for the archetype, we need to make sure that there are enough playable enablers. This is where making a ratio template is key. Using a template, we can find cards that fill the same role as niche effects. When converted to Cube list size, the Izzet Tutelage has the following card ratio template:
-2-3 Sphinx's Tutelage Variants.
-5-6 Cantrips.
-4 Repeatable Card Draw effects.
-4 Board Wipes.
-3-4 Big Draw Effects
-1-2 Creature Tapping Effects.
-0-1 Targeted Creature Removal.
-0-1 Draw Doublers.
-18 Lands.
Looking at this template, a few things become evident. First, the narrow cards in this deck mostly fall into broad categories which can be easily replaced by . Cantrips like Magmatic Insight could be smoothly swapped with Preordain type effects. Second, the cards that are not easily Cubed are unnecessary and can be replaced with more cantrips or interaction. For example, the single Alhammarret's Archive in the original list is easily replaced by a cantrip or some other draw effect. Third, the red portion of the deck is not entirely necessary. The red splash was only needed in the constructed version of this build for cards like Tormenting Voice and Magmatic Insight. In Cube, those cards are readily replaced by blue draw spells like Brainstorm. This means that red primarily brings board wipes and targeted removal to the Cube version of the archetype, both of which can easily be provided by Black and White. Effectively, a constructed deck that looked like this...
...can become this...
...or could eschew red entirely and become this:
The larger point with this example is that even highly specialized decks can be converted into a Cube archetype provided the right pieces exist. Remember that highly parasitic strategies will still have issues fitting in with the rest of a given environment even if the right cards exist in the correct ratios. Tribal decks especially do not work well for conversion as they often require highly specialized parts that do not mesh well with other builds. This Sphinx's Tutelage deck only works because all of it's pieces except for the namesake card are replaceable by other effects working in the same space. Even then, it still ends up looking very different from it's constructed counterpart. The feel will still be similar, but not as much as less specialized decks like Abzan Midrange.
Conclusion
Porting constructed decks into a Cube archetype is a complicated process, but it is not hard if you understand how it works. Remember that even with sound math, many decks will have a perfect port because they are too parasitic. However, most non-combo decks should be possible to convert to a Cube-friendly variant. Even if a deck port doesn't work right now, WOTC might print a new card in the future that makes the archetype viable. The Izzet Sphinx's Tutelage port outlined in this piece would not have been possible when the deck was legal in Standard. But, six years later, a wealth of new pieces have been printed, allowing for something resembling the constructed variant to be viable in some Cubes. Nothing here is an exact science. Like with all Cube construction, testing iteration is key to making the best final result. The techniques outlined in this piece will assist in making this process smooth.
Thank you for reading!
-GT
