General The Cube Contest
- Thread starter Meltyman
- Start date
Can anyone report on the results? I can't see them without a twitter account...
Klug (aka the Pro Tour cube, aka the worst one by a country mile) is winning by a lot with nearly 50% of the vote. Without a concerted campaign for somebody else, that's the next MODO cube.
Grillo_Parlante
Contributor
You know that cube probably took about 15 minutes to make: all he had to do was have deck lists up and dump them into cube tutor, trimming some cards away so it didn't go over 540.
And that just goes to show: the winning cube here was the one that could most aggregate a singleton power max environment.
And that just goes to show: the winning cube here was the one that could most aggregate a singleton power max environment.
Yeah I gave Klug's cube a try...my god, was it bad. Tons of unsupported synergy cards, wildly disparate power level.
I am really hoping that this becomes an annual event. Sure, the first round will be formulaic in selection to hype the masses. We have to remember - we aren't over at MTGS for a reason (well, lots of reasons). With any luck, they will let people pick a mediocre or terrible cube this round, learn from it, and look at more innovative designs more seriously next time. That's when we need to be ready with the good cubes.
And remember, it isn't just about who actually designs the best cube. Wizards wants MTGO to cash in on this. Marketing your cube is a huge part. "Pro Tour" sells. "Tribal" sells. "I have designed, play tested, and refined this for years" doesn't really sell. That doesn't make it right, but it's reality. Our best bet would be to take our existing designs and figure out some loose way we can each brand them into looking universally appealing to your average ignorant mtg player without compromising the design principles.
And remember, it isn't just about who actually designs the best cube. Wizards wants MTGO to cash in on this. Marketing your cube is a huge part. "Pro Tour" sells. "Tribal" sells. "I have designed, play tested, and refined this for years" doesn't really sell. That doesn't make it right, but it's reality. Our best bet would be to take our existing designs and figure out some loose way we can each brand them into looking universally appealing to your average ignorant mtg player without compromising the design principles.
What, are you not excited to draft the likes of Somber Hoverguard, Cognivore, Ihsan's Shade, Spirit of the Night or Haunting Hymn?
I think a good example of where the design goes wrong is having Hymn to Tourach and Haunting Hymn in the same cube
I think a good example of where the design goes wrong is having Hymn to Tourach and Haunting Hymn in the same cube
No, I'm excited to draft Donate and hope Illusions of Grandeur is in the draft. Also to draft Endless One without the Eldrazi lands in the cube, and Squirrel Nest with no Earthcraft.
I give it one week after launch before drafts stop firing.
I give it one week after launch before drafts stop firing.
Also, apparently these aren't the final lists. WOTC is still going to work with the winner to balance and get it setup on MTGO. Honestly, I think that would be by far the most fun part. Getting sit down with a professional MTG development team with all their tools and resources to discuss my cube is pretty much the dream.
You know how everyone complains how the MTGO Legacy Cube has a bunch of completely unplayable cards at the end of every pack? Hope they're ready for more of that action. People are really, really going to get a taste of what happens when you pick a cube by popularity contest. Love Eric Klug's alters, but wow. It'll be a travesty when this wins.
Grillo_Parlante
Contributor
I agree. The branding of the cubes that were submitted from here was pretty awful, to be fair. Still, if they are going to put it up to a vote, it kind of undermines the process if one or two contestants are able to abuse the process, and direct voters to vote for them. Really wish they had the foresight to see that a contestent with a pre-built marketing presence would have an advantage there, and the best (or even truly most liked) submission wouldn't be selected.
Really awful job from them.
The tragedy of this, is that Klug is probably going to be burned for this submission, creating an opportunity for WOTC to externalize all of the things they did wrong, and drawing all sorts of wrong conclusions about amateur designers. The higher ups will probably just look at a disappointing profits report, and conclude the entire thing was a failure, while still gleaming over the unselected submissions for future ideas.
Man, the more I think about this, the saltier I get. Like, I'm actually angry. I've got to figure out a way to step away and cool down.
I just tried drafting the PT cube twice now. I got stuck midway through pack 2 both times and didn't know what to draft at all. Everything was too narrow or crappy or off color. I really don't understand how you navigate your way through unless literally everyone else at the table cements themselves into a deck from the get go and ignore the other drafters. With singletons, you NEED that critical mass of narrow enablers and payoff cards for your deck to function, but if you don't get them all, you're left with a mediocre pile and cannot hedge into something else.
It just looks like bad design to me, I can't imagine this being very successful if it wins the poll.
It just looks like bad design to me, I can't imagine this being very successful if it wins the poll.
Hey so I'm the dude that designed the peasant cube and I'm kinda doing the whole social media/magic site push for votes. Cause I have no shame.
Skimmed the last page or so and couple of things:
1.) I do have a lot of experience with peasant cube but not this exact list. My original list (6+ years ago) was 540 but has been paired down to 360 over the years. This list is a modification of that list. All my data comes from versions of that 360 over the past 18ish months when I started tracking data. I make cuts based on experience, suggestions, and data. My poster child for data driven cuts is Simic Signet.
2.) Yeah this cube is singleton. I'm not opposed to breaking singleton I just didn't for this.
3.) I'm just as shocked as a lot of you seem to be that I was selected. This cube is fun and a good draft environment but it isn't unique or revolutionary at all. There's a little spice in there and I think I have a solid feel on what works and doesn't in peasant (notice the no real support for a combo reanimator deck). I describe this as Limited+ where I call most "legacy" style cubes Constructed-.
If you have any questions or suggestions or anything....yeah that's why I signed up and am posting. I'm also convinced that either my cube or the twisted cube should win depending on what people want. The PT cube is obviously hot garbo. I offer the most non-linear redraftable environment. The twisted cube is the most unique and creative and probably cool for a small number of drafts.
Skimmed the last page or so and couple of things:
1.) I do have a lot of experience with peasant cube but not this exact list. My original list (6+ years ago) was 540 but has been paired down to 360 over the years. This list is a modification of that list. All my data comes from versions of that 360 over the past 18ish months when I started tracking data. I make cuts based on experience, suggestions, and data. My poster child for data driven cuts is Simic Signet.
2.) Yeah this cube is singleton. I'm not opposed to breaking singleton I just didn't for this.
3.) I'm just as shocked as a lot of you seem to be that I was selected. This cube is fun and a good draft environment but it isn't unique or revolutionary at all. There's a little spice in there and I think I have a solid feel on what works and doesn't in peasant (notice the no real support for a combo reanimator deck). I describe this as Limited+ where I call most "legacy" style cubes Constructed-.
If you have any questions or suggestions or anything....yeah that's why I signed up and am posting. I'm also convinced that either my cube or the twisted cube should win depending on what people want. The PT cube is obviously hot garbo. I offer the most non-linear redraftable environment. The twisted cube is the most unique and creative and probably cool for a small number of drafts.
Laz
Developer
reddit.com/r/mtgcube said:
Eh, take what you are given.
What I am actually finding the most hilarious about this is how universally negative the response has been. I am not sure if I have seen any positive comments in any of the normal places, asides from the odd 'Yey! The PT cube! That is what 540 singleton powermax is meant to be!'.
In any case, thanks for posting here.
People are just annoyed because we expected this thing to be a hot farce, but probably all hoped it wouldn't be. I wasn't even all that invested in my own chances of winning, but I wanted to see an intriguing set of entries. Then 3/4 entries come from known personalities (which would be okay, if the cubes themselves were......)
Wharblegarble. Tempted to write an article, but I don't know if something so negative will get published.
Yeah I dunno a lot about this was handled poorly. I'm not sure of all the details on WoTC's end but my interactions with them on this make me believe this was suuuper slapped together at the last minute and low priority. Not sure though. Write the article imo, worst case scenario you waste some time on something that isn't published but you work the saltiness out. I know venting helps me at least.
This has been cool for me as a push into the cube community and all that jazz but I am kinda sad, still mostly happy overall, that it seems that somebody is going to win based off name recognition and with a sketchy list. If anybody but Klug wins I'd probably do at minimum 3 drafts. With Klug I have literal 0 interest in drafting that list and I've drafted piles of trash rares before. Despite being a finalist I'm actually still salty about Klug. The other 3 of us and least made lists he just kinda googled PT decks and then cut it down to 540 and he didn't even do a good job cutting it down. I feel his inclusion is an insult to everybody that spent serious time on a submission. Nothing personal though, WoTC made the call not him.
My prediction is Klug wins, the cube does terribly, we all go, "I told you so," and WoTC cuts another 10 good red aggro cards from the legacy cube and calls it a wash. I mean, the legendary cube was so popular they should probably make the legacy one more like it. God I sound bitter and I'm pretty alright with the situation overall.
This is almost enough to make a man cry.
RIP Legendary cube. You died too young and taught WotC all the wrong lessons.
I guess we'll have to go back to forum drafts for our cube fix.
I am disappointed not to see something super off the wall as a finalist. The Twisted Colour Pie one is the closest but I'm not sure even that goes very far.
I wonder how many cards different the Pro Tour cube actually is from the legacy cube.
I am disappointed not to see something super off the wall as a finalist. The Twisted Colour Pie one is the closest but I'm not sure even that goes very far.
I wonder how many cards different the Pro Tour cube actually is from the legacy cube.