No, not customs, but the keyword!
This is a 360 card cube, where I basically explore an enchantment theme. I've never done that before and this is my take on it. I want the cube to be low curving, aggressive and with no shuffling.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/modified
This is still very much a work in progress, but the basics are there. I want to tweak the removal package and maybe add some subthemes for a more "layered" drafting experience.
Fixing
No shuffling and aggressive, limits the options somewhat. I want to avoid ETB tapped duals if possible to help aggro.
Pros: The Pain lands, Shock lands, Fast lands and Pathways make 5 color good stuff decks tough to support even though there is a lot of fixing in the cube.
Cons: Without the Fetchlands, you miss on some fixing overlap. A Hallowed Fountain here is always only a UW land whereas it could be used as a GW land if you have a Windswept Heath. This makes the lands more narrow than what I am used to.
Themes
Auras
Equipment
Counters
Instants/sorceries
That's it! These are broad themes present in most colors. Even though I am not actively attributing themes to indiviual guilds, there are two color pairs which are tough: Dimir and Golgari.
Golgari is centered around counters, enchantments and a little bit of instants/sorceries. To give it more variety, I am considering a few things:
1. Make it the premiere control color combination. The enchantment themes lends itself to this with the card draw of Argothian Enchantress and Black's removal.
2. Make a GY subtheme. I don't really have a GY theme in this cube, so it would be isolated, but maybe it could be something small.
3. Add some Shrines?! I could see a small Shrine subtheme in BG.
Dimir is even dryer in terms of diversity. There is a counter theme and maybe some light instant/sorcery support. To flesh out the guild I decided to do two things:
1. Add a zombie token subtheme. The Amass mechanic is a cool way to introduce counters into the cube IMO and most producers also give abilities to the tokens.
2. Add some 3 color cards with Blue and Black to give new options. I decided to go with Tetsuo, Imperial Champion and Alela, Artful Provocateur. Both care about equipment to some extent and offer crossover possibilities (Instants/sorceries with Tetsuo, Auras with Alela).
Ramp
I don't want ramp to be a consistent plan, as I'd rather have decks curve out. However, to enable some midrange decks I think having a bit of ramp can be interesting. I'm opting for high upside ramp that requires you to lean into the spirit of the cube to unlock their full potential. Wolfwillow Haven would work, but I'd rather have the ramp be creature centric.
Interaction
This is the trickiest part of the cube for me, both in terms of density and type. I want auras to shine, so cheap and instant interaction is risky. At the same time, the counter play of casting a Shelter in response to removal is a fun dynamic. In synergy driven cubes like this, having your removal fit into a deck's gameplan increases the chances it sees play. Stuff like
Bounce in particular can be brutal if you've invested a bunch of cards on a single creature, so sorcery speed is a must. I also really like Phasing as a proactive or defensive mechanic that doesn't mess around with counters/equipment/auras.
Sample decks
I haven't drafted this a ton yet, but some interesting decks popped up.
A RG modified deck, using all the modified types. Smoke Spirit's Aid is bonkers here as a way to target a bunch of creatures AND make auras to trigger Chishiro.
Play some instants/sorceries and get paid off by getting copies of your targets. Ivy, Orvar and Duplimancy are the main payoffs, but Season of Growth and Stormchaser Drake offer you more direct card advantage.
Thanks to Zubat from CubeCobra for this one. A sweet BW enchantment deck with a lot of evasive threats.
That's it so far! As I said, the cube is still very much a WIP, but if you have comments, insight or want to draft the cube, it would be awesome.
This is a 360 card cube, where I basically explore an enchantment theme. I've never done that before and this is my take on it. I want the cube to be low curving, aggressive and with no shuffling.
https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/modified
This is still very much a work in progress, but the basics are there. I want to tweak the removal package and maybe add some subthemes for a more "layered" drafting experience.
Fixing
No shuffling and aggressive, limits the options somewhat. I want to avoid ETB tapped duals if possible to help aggro.
Pros: The Pain lands, Shock lands, Fast lands and Pathways make 5 color good stuff decks tough to support even though there is a lot of fixing in the cube.
Cons: Without the Fetchlands, you miss on some fixing overlap. A Hallowed Fountain here is always only a UW land whereas it could be used as a GW land if you have a Windswept Heath. This makes the lands more narrow than what I am used to.
Themes
Auras
Equipment
Counters
Instants/sorceries
That's it! These are broad themes present in most colors. Even though I am not actively attributing themes to indiviual guilds, there are two color pairs which are tough: Dimir and Golgari.
Golgari is centered around counters, enchantments and a little bit of instants/sorceries. To give it more variety, I am considering a few things:
1. Make it the premiere control color combination. The enchantment themes lends itself to this with the card draw of Argothian Enchantress and Black's removal.
2. Make a GY subtheme. I don't really have a GY theme in this cube, so it would be isolated, but maybe it could be something small.
3. Add some Shrines?! I could see a small Shrine subtheme in BG.
Dimir is even dryer in terms of diversity. There is a counter theme and maybe some light instant/sorcery support. To flesh out the guild I decided to do two things:
1. Add a zombie token subtheme. The Amass mechanic is a cool way to introduce counters into the cube IMO and most producers also give abilities to the tokens.
2. Add some 3 color cards with Blue and Black to give new options. I decided to go with Tetsuo, Imperial Champion and Alela, Artful Provocateur. Both care about equipment to some extent and offer crossover possibilities (Instants/sorceries with Tetsuo, Auras with Alela).
Ramp
I don't want ramp to be a consistent plan, as I'd rather have decks curve out. However, to enable some midrange decks I think having a bit of ramp can be interesting. I'm opting for high upside ramp that requires you to lean into the spirit of the cube to unlock their full potential. Wolfwillow Haven would work, but I'd rather have the ramp be creature centric.
Interaction
This is the trickiest part of the cube for me, both in terms of density and type. I want auras to shine, so cheap and instant interaction is risky. At the same time, the counter play of casting a Shelter in response to removal is a fun dynamic. In synergy driven cubes like this, having your removal fit into a deck's gameplan increases the chances it sees play. Stuff like
Bounce in particular can be brutal if you've invested a bunch of cards on a single creature, so sorcery speed is a must. I also really like Phasing as a proactive or defensive mechanic that doesn't mess around with counters/equipment/auras.
Sample decks
I haven't drafted this a ton yet, but some interesting decks popped up.
RG Chishiro
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A RG modified deck, using all the modified types. Smoke Spirit's Aid is bonkers here as a way to target a bunch of creatures AND make auras to trigger Chishiro.
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Play some instants/sorceries and get paid off by getting copies of your targets. Ivy, Orvar and Duplimancy are the main payoffs, but Season of Growth and Stormchaser Drake offer you more direct card advantage.
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Thanks to Zubat from CubeCobra for this one. A sweet BW enchantment deck with a lot of evasive threats.
That's it so far! As I said, the cube is still very much a WIP, but if you have comments, insight or want to draft the cube, it would be awesome.