Hello and welcome back to another edition of Cube Stuff Inc! This is the first article in a spotlight series where I interview the curators, creators, and event organizers that make Cube such an incredible format. The goal of this series is to inspire readers to build their first cube or plan their first event, and we're kicking it off with Anthony Mattox & Andy Mangold.

For many, Andy is best known as the curator of 100 Ornithopters, a cube that took a meme and transformed it into a thought provoking draft environment. Additionally, if you've attended a cube event in person you have Anthony to thank for the quality and speed of your packs being shuffled as the codeveloper of the Broadcast Shuffle. However most readers likely know them as the co-hosts of the weekly cube podcast, Lucky Paper Radio

Cubes, Cards, & Advice

Like many curators, Andy and Anthony have built a wide variety of cubes with equally diverse objectives. Anthony's Regular Cube creates an intuitive draft environment that is both approachable for new players and deep enough for veterans. Andy's Sacred Geometry puts a focus on clean card design and celebrates the elegance of iconic magic cards like Lightning Bolt and Birds of Paradise. While I could talk about both of these cubes at length I wanted to highlight their first cube, the Bun Magic Cube as it highlights the best advice for cube designers.

"Grab your favorite cards and start drafting!"

They advocate that new and veteran cube designers should spend less time adjusting spreadsheets and more time actually playing with the cards. There is no substitute for the feedback provided by playtesting and if you want your list to become as thoughtfully tuned as theirs, you need to draft it. So don't be afraid to fill out the last few slots with draft chaff and show up to game night with a partially baked idea. Let your players bring your idea to life. Beyond that, this cube serves as an excellent showcase of a more divisive opinion that Andy and Anthony share.

"There is more to life than power-maxed environments like vintage cube."

By shying away from the most powerful and gamebreaking cards ever printed, the Bun Magic Cube rewards players for smart drafting instead of luck. If you take a look at this sample pack, you will see that it shares several notable cards with the vintage cube like Reanimate, but those cards need to be recontextualized to this enviroment. As detailed in my article about the Reanimator Archetype, Reanimate alongside Entomb, and Griselbrand can end the game before it begins. In the Bun Magic Cube, Reanimate doesn't get access to those cards and it serves as a value card instead of a hard combo piece.

I asked Andy and Anthony what their first pick would be if they opened a pack with these cards, and they agreed that Smuggler's Copter might be the correct pick. It keeps you open and plays extremely well with the overall low curve of the cube. That being said Andy admitted that he might take Balance. Without the inclusion of symmetry breaking fast artifact mana like Mox Pearl it needs to be played more carefully and rewards tight gameplay. Anthony on the other hand would likely draft Six, because it provides a uniquely powerful card advantage engine and plays well with permanent based removal like Seal of Fire. If you are tired of passing interesting and fun cards in the Arena Powered Cube, take inspiration from the Bun Magic Cube!

To reiterate, Cube is more than the 360 best cards ever printed. It is the home for your favorite cards that never see rotation and remain playable as long as you want them to be. To that end, I asked Andy and Anthony to highlight 3 cards that deserve more or less love in this nearly infinite format.

• Portent. Portent or Brainstorm for hipsters as Andy calls it, offers a similar effect to Ponder with the upside of being able to target your opponents. In exchange for a delayed card draw, you get access to the occasional game ending ability to lock your opponent out or shuffle away their problematic cards.
• Archfiend of Ifnir. In a world of big black creatures with flying, Archfiend of Ifnir offers interesting gameplay choices you won't find elsewhere. Its cycling effect allows you to discard and Reanimate it, while its passive ability along with a discard outlet like Collective Brutality is enough to end the game on its own.
• Lingering Souls. A beloved card from an iconic set, Lingering Souls is a trap for many first time cube designers. On its surface it offers reasonable value, but its high level of consistency is enough to dominate the low power and budget environments that curators tend to put it in. If your cube has a lower power level, think twice before including this card.

Closing

I honestly can't say enough nice things about Andy and Anthony, both in what they do for the format and community as a whole. If you want more of them, check out their website Lucky Paper.co.

Lastly, if you care about inclusion and equity please take a moment to check out their project, the Cube Fellowship Program. Anthony and Andy believe that small, in-person events are crucial for building and strengthening our community and as such run the Cube Fellowship Program to remove financial barriers for players that might not otherwise be able to attend these events. You can apply to be a Fellow or Supporter at the Cube Fellowship page.

Until next time, thanks for reading and happy cubing!