MBC is a new convention-exclusive* starting with release in November's Magic Con Atlanta product that comes with 59 new cards, one Alchemy card that's getting Vintage legality, ten other foil-only Alchemy reprints (9 of which are new to paper), a couple cards getting Futuresight frames for the first time, and about a thousand reprints. It's convention exclusive in that it will only be sold via conventions and Secret Lair Festival in a Box releases, which means that
I adore this set in terms of what it's doing. It's honestly the kind of bonus expansion I like to see most.
I have long been a fan of cards that end up being weirdly pushed for 1v1 play getting released in Commander, but I also think they made some notable missteps in the early years. But for every mistake, we also saw incredible designs we wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. Before UB was a big complaint, the idea of pushed cards in non-standard products was probably the biggest complaint in the Cube community, and this set fixes that issue.
I like these cards because, across the board, they feel like they're 100% for multiplayer games. They all feel casual and fun and silly in nature, and they all callback in some way or fashion to a part of Magic's lore and history. They are not terribly pushed, which will make accessing them on the second market easier, which makes the sting of their limited in-booster availability much less painful.
That said, there are still some interesting new designs!
None of these are going to make my Cube, in all likelihood, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate them. Ekthi, Contaminator Priest is a great equipments-matter card that makes your late game equipment draws feel less painful, and minimizes the A+B nature required of the deck in general. I also like the art, and giving incidental Phyrexians +1/+1 is cool...even if most cards with the creature type don't say so on the paper printing.
Nivea, Beloved Battlemage makes me very happy as a Gustcloak guy. I haven't been able to support the mechanic since 2013, but I am tempted to again for her. She's not particularly strong, but allowing combat to always go your way is not something to sneeze at, especially since it starts working as soon as she enters, so as long as you have more dudes than your opponent, you're always getting "free" hits in. If white's 3s weren't so competitive, I'd find room for her, especially since the Akroma b-plan is not actually all that bad. It's not often going to benefit you in the same deck as her A-plan suggests, but Akroma's a perfectly good card still even in 2026, and having that as just a freebie is nice.
I'm annoyed Flitwing, Lyev Detective does not give you Clues in addition to your tokens a la Peregrin Took, but I fear if it did, this would be the chase card of the set and would cost $$$. Still, it's so close I can't help but be a little sad, as that'd be a card I'd happily play.
Balefang the Unslayable is funny but not for 1v1 play. Baneslayers just don't cut it in 2026, I guess!
Autumn Willow, Harmony is only a few years too late. It feels like its ability should be swapped with Badgermole Cub's.
Maular, the Next Evolution gets my Timmy senses tingling. The "rule breaker" text is meaningless for Cube, but it's kind of exciting to think about otherwise. I don't have a ton of 7-drops, but I think I'd love to make a Cube where a card like this is relevant and fun.
Meatsqueak, Hoard Lord is not too far off for my Cube, especially with such a big food theme, even if I'm a little short on squirrels. Scavenger's Talent is frequently in and out of my list. Expanding it to all creatures and adding it to a 2/3 for 3 is not a bad start, but the additional upside asks way too much of you for Cube.
I may have never played Shandalar, but Arzakon still delights me to my core. Very simple card, but in the best way possible. I'm just generally not going to want a Black Lotus after I've already hit 5mv, and a Lightning Bolt every turn doesn't feel like a big enough upside for the cost. Still, lovely.
Jandor, Fortuned Traveler is actually pretty close. I don't have nearly enough relevant creature types running around my Cube, but if I did, I think I'd play it. Love the art, too.
Rikala, Homarid King is not bad. The "wave" mechanic is very fun, and if it started at 1, I think that'd be enough for me to try it out as a very silly go-wide card.
What is going to hit my Cube is one of my favorite cards from Alchemy that's making it into paper for the first time:
I love this card. I was always miffed there was no paper release for it, since there's nothing else that does this activated ability in all of Magic, and that seems kind of weird to me. I don't even need the Max Jet part of it, but it's exciting and feels very "Cube-like", and it also encourages you to make a Delerium-matters deck, which is always a good thing. I'm sad it's going to be expensive and that it's only getting a foil printing, but I am stoked to have it in paper all the same.
Are there any cards you all like?
I adore this set in terms of what it's doing. It's honestly the kind of bonus expansion I like to see most.
I have long been a fan of cards that end up being weirdly pushed for 1v1 play getting released in Commander, but I also think they made some notable missteps in the early years. But for every mistake, we also saw incredible designs we wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. Before UB was a big complaint, the idea of pushed cards in non-standard products was probably the biggest complaint in the Cube community, and this set fixes that issue.
I like these cards because, across the board, they feel like they're 100% for multiplayer games. They all feel casual and fun and silly in nature, and they all callback in some way or fashion to a part of Magic's lore and history. They are not terribly pushed, which will make accessing them on the second market easier, which makes the sting of their limited in-booster availability much less painful.
That said, there are still some interesting new designs!
None of these are going to make my Cube, in all likelihood, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate them. Ekthi, Contaminator Priest is a great equipments-matter card that makes your late game equipment draws feel less painful, and minimizes the A+B nature required of the deck in general. I also like the art, and giving incidental Phyrexians +1/+1 is cool...even if most cards with the creature type don't say so on the paper printing.
Nivea, Beloved Battlemage makes me very happy as a Gustcloak guy. I haven't been able to support the mechanic since 2013, but I am tempted to again for her. She's not particularly strong, but allowing combat to always go your way is not something to sneeze at, especially since it starts working as soon as she enters, so as long as you have more dudes than your opponent, you're always getting "free" hits in. If white's 3s weren't so competitive, I'd find room for her, especially since the Akroma b-plan is not actually all that bad. It's not often going to benefit you in the same deck as her A-plan suggests, but Akroma's a perfectly good card still even in 2026, and having that as just a freebie is nice.
I'm annoyed Flitwing, Lyev Detective does not give you Clues in addition to your tokens a la Peregrin Took, but I fear if it did, this would be the chase card of the set and would cost $$$. Still, it's so close I can't help but be a little sad, as that'd be a card I'd happily play.
Balefang the Unslayable is funny but not for 1v1 play. Baneslayers just don't cut it in 2026, I guess!
Autumn Willow, Harmony is only a few years too late. It feels like its ability should be swapped with Badgermole Cub's.
Maular, the Next Evolution gets my Timmy senses tingling. The "rule breaker" text is meaningless for Cube, but it's kind of exciting to think about otherwise. I don't have a ton of 7-drops, but I think I'd love to make a Cube where a card like this is relevant and fun.
Meatsqueak, Hoard Lord is not too far off for my Cube, especially with such a big food theme, even if I'm a little short on squirrels. Scavenger's Talent is frequently in and out of my list. Expanding it to all creatures and adding it to a 2/3 for 3 is not a bad start, but the additional upside asks way too much of you for Cube.
I may have never played Shandalar, but Arzakon still delights me to my core. Very simple card, but in the best way possible. I'm just generally not going to want a Black Lotus after I've already hit 5mv, and a Lightning Bolt every turn doesn't feel like a big enough upside for the cost. Still, lovely.
Jandor, Fortuned Traveler is actually pretty close. I don't have nearly enough relevant creature types running around my Cube, but if I did, I think I'd play it. Love the art, too.
Rikala, Homarid King is not bad. The "wave" mechanic is very fun, and if it started at 1, I think that'd be enough for me to try it out as a very silly go-wide card.
What is going to hit my Cube is one of my favorite cards from Alchemy that's making it into paper for the first time:
I love this card. I was always miffed there was no paper release for it, since there's nothing else that does this activated ability in all of Magic, and that seems kind of weird to me. I don't even need the Max Jet part of it, but it's exciting and feels very "Cube-like", and it also encourages you to make a Delerium-matters deck, which is always a good thing. I'm sad it's going to be expensive and that it's only getting a foil printing, but I am stoked to have it in paper all the same.
Are there any cards you all like?
