Spells Matter: The Cube Archetype That's Just Built Different

Blue-Red "Spells Matter" is one of those Cube archetypes that looks weird in the pack but plays like jazz on the battlefield - syncopated, explosive, and absolutely devastating when it hits just right.

But make no mistake: this isn't some cutesy tempo deck that pings you for one and scrys a bit. Regardless of a Cubes power level, this archetype can kill out of nowhere, dominate the stack, and run away with card advantage before your opponent finishes reading their planeswalker.

Today we're breaking down what makes this archetype click, how to draft it without flailing into a pile of cantrips, and which cards turn a good deck into an engine of inevitability.

Check out the other articles in this series here: The Comprehensive Guide to Cube Archetypes

What Is "Spells Matter" in Cube?

In MTG-speak, Spells Matter, Prowess, or Spellslinger means your deck is built around playing lots of instants and sorceries, and rewards you for casting them. This isn't just a flavor choice - it's a functionally supported engine.

The Blue-Red color pair (Izzet) is packed with payoffs that scale with the number of spells you cast. Whether it's pumping out tokens, flipping Delver of Secrets, drawing cards, or burning your opponent's face, Spells is the lovechild of tempo and control.

In Cube, the archetype leans aggressive-midrange or tempo-combo, depending on the pieces you land. You're playing cheap spells, interacting early, and snowballing value through recursive or synergistic threats.

Why Blue-Red Spells Work in Legacy Cube

Legacy Cube is full of broken stuff. Fast mana. Cheap interaction. Free spells. Spells doesn't try to go over the top - it gets under, through, and around.

Here's why it still thrives:

• Density of Cantrips - Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain, Expressive Iteration. All legal, all busted, all in one color pair.
• Premium Removal - Lightning Bolt, Fire // Ice, Flame Slash, and even free spells like Fireblast or Fury.
• Card Velocity - You're drawing two or three cards a turn and sculpting perfect hands every game.
• Explosive Payoffs - Young Pyromancer. Murktide Regent. Arclight Phoenix. Cards that ask for spells and reward you with board presence or massive threats.

Unlike control decks that stabilize and win late, UR Spells just never stops moving.

Core Cards: What You're Really Playing For

Let's highlight the Blue and Red cards that make this engine purr:

Young Pyromancer - The OG. Two mana, one body, infinite tokens. You chain cantrips, Pyromancer poops out a board. Left unchecked, it wins the game all by itself. Probably the most important non-land in your deck.

Monastery Mentor (if splashing white) - While technically not , Mentor is absurd if you can splash it. Think Pyromancer, but it makes 1/1s with prowess. The ceiling on this card is ridiculous.

Aria of Flame - This unassuming enchantment is a Cube nuke. You gain 10 life up front, then every spell becomes a Fireball. Two or three cantrips later and your opponent is begging for a Naturalize.

Murktide Regent - Modern powerhouse, Cube sleeper. It hits the battlefield for cheap and becomes a two-turn clock instantly. Perfect synergy with cheap spells and graveyard-filling velocity.

Arclight Phoenix - You're already casting three spells a turn. You might as well get a free 3/2 flier for it. Recursion without cost is insane in a deck that already loops Ponder.

Key Enablers: What Makes It Go

This archetype doesn't work without fuel. You need spells - and lots of them.

Ponder / Preordain / Brainstorm - The Holy Trinity. Cantrips that smooth your draws, fill your graveyard, and trigger all your "spells matter" effects. Take these over a lot of midrange staples.

Expressive Iteration - The best two-mana card advantage spell in recent history. It digs deep, it's card positive, and it fits the theme perfectly. Pick it like a bomb.

Lightning Bolt / Fire // Ice / Chain Lightning - You're not just removing creatures - you're playing spells. Cheap burn doubles as removal and a storm trigger. Prioritize flexible options.

Opt / Consider / Faithless Looting - They don't look flashy, but they turbocharge your spell count, especially when paired with Phoenix or Murktide. Looting also lets you pitch excess lands or recursive threats.

Metallurgic Summonings / Third Path Iconoclast - If you can land one of these and untap, it's often game over. Summonings turns every spell into a creature; Iconoclast is Pyromancer with artifacts.

Let's not forget the less obvious cards that secretly shine in :

• Snapcaster Mage - Best spell-based recursion tool ever printed. Turns any graveyard spell into a second copy.
• Saheeli, Sublime Artificer - Token generation engine. Turns noncreature spells into a wall of servo blockers or pressure.
• The Royal Scions - This three-mana planeswalker smooths draws, enables Phoenix and Murktide, and even makes combat matter.

Tips for Drafting UR Spells

So how do you actually draft this deck without ending up with a pile of do-nothings and a dream?

1. Start With Cantrips and Burn - Even if you're not in , cards like Ponder and Bolt are Cube gold. But once you start stacking them, you know where you're heading.
2. Prioritize Threats Over Gimmicks - Don't fall into the trap of playing 18 spells and no win conditions. Take Pyromancer over a 5th cantrip every time.
3. Don't Over-Fixate on Counterspells - You're not full control - you're tempo. Run a Counterspell or Mana Leak, sure, but don't dilute your proactive plan for reactive clunk.
4. Curve Low and Lean - Your average mana value should hover around 1.5-2.0. If you're playing 4+ drops without reanimation or ramp, something's gone wrong.

When to Pivot or Hybridize

The cool thing about Spells is that it transitions smoothly into other shells:

• Storm: Many of the pieces overlap - cheap cantrips, Rituals, even Pyromancer.
• Tempo / Prowess: Add Delver of Secrets, Sprite Dragon, or Kiln Fiend and just start racing.
• Control: If the aggro lane is closed, you can play a draw-go version with more counters and planeswalkers.

Stay flexible. The archetype rewards creativity and redundancy.

Final Thoughts: Spells Matter, and So Do You

If you want a deck that rewards tight sequencing, aggressive mulligans, and big-brain play patterns, Spells is your lane.

It's not about slamming haymakers. It's about creating inevitability through motion - turning cheap spells into tokens, damage, and card draw until your opponent's deck looks outdated by comparison.

So next time you see a Ponder and a flashy creature in Pack 1, ask yourself:

Do I want to cast the spell? Or do I want to be the deck that makes spells the entire strategy?

Pick the Ponder. Cast the Lightning Bolt, and ask yourself "Izzet" the most fun you've ever had?