8. Fun

Magic is awesome and my friends and I have been playing the game for a long time. We’ve also played other games on and off but there has always been Magic. There are many reasons why Magic is so amazing, but the main one is that it is so much fun to play. As competitive players, we sometimes forget that this is a game and we are supposed to be having fun. It’s easy to get caught up in the seriousness it takes in order to do well at big events, but don’t forget to have some fun too.

This is the main reason I love cubing, it’s fun. Think back to when you first started playing and how much you enjoyed just playing the sweet cards against your friends. Cube draft allows you to make those memories again. The great thing is that the cards are so powerful in many cubes that the games are quite competitive, but to go along with that, the primary purpose is fun. There’s no big prize on the line, maybe a little store credit but nothing major, so there’s no stress or pressure to do well.

7. Archetypes

Going right along with number eight, the next reason you should be cubing is that there is something for everyone. In most cubes there are draftable archetypes in multiple play styles. No matter what you like to play, there’s something you’ll enjoy.

If you haven't played an archetype much, this format will give you a chance to check out one type of deck in a fun way. No two cube drafts are alike either so when you first start cubing you will be exposed to different archetypes in each draft.

Many of these possible archetypes are from a variety of previous Magic formats, so if you didn’t get to play in those formats you can still try out some cool interactions from the history of the game. In my cube, Goblins, Mono-Black, U/W Control, and U/G Ramp are all easily draftable archetypes as well as dozens of other strategies. Every cube is different but every cube has lots of decks you can draft.

6. Experience Different Limited Formats

Speaking of checking out some older cards, cube let’s you see the best of the best from the history of the game. Gaining experience in Limited is essential to being successful at this game. If you want to do well at Grand Prix, qualify and play on the Pro Tour, then improving your drafting skills is a must.

Each cube is constructed differently and so when drafting a different cube you may be in for a completely different experience. Even if a cube has fifty percent of the same cards as another cube, drafting the two would feel completely different. Because of this fact, you will be able to utilize different cards from different previous Limited formats. So, even if you never got to play with madness or threshold, you might run into those mechanics in someone’s cube. The more formats you are familiar with the larger a knowledge base you will have to pull from.

5. Financial Implications

There are a couple of different financial reasons you should cube. The first one is that until you start cubing, you can’t fully understand why players value cube staples, and especially foils, that highly. By playing in this wonderful format, you are giving yourself some hands-on training for identifying these types of cards in your trade partner’s binder.

Identifying possible foils that might be in demand from Legacy players as well as Cube drafters is a great way to make some money. Cube drafting exposes you to these cards in a fun and natural way so that you get experience that shows you why cards are valued as they are.

Each person’s cube will show you cards you haven’t thought about in a long time. When I’m drafting and I see a card that I haven’t seen in a while, that leads me to think about its financial implications as well as if it would be good in my deck.

4. Card Evaluation

Not only are we working on identifying important financial cards while we are drafting but we are also building essential card evaluation skills along the way. Any regular draft format will help you with your skills in this area, but cube drafting takes you to another level.

When you have a pack with cards like Sword of Fire and Ice, Garruk Relentless // Garruk, the Veil-Cursed, Wrath of God and Opposition, as well as other all-star cards, you are forced to evaluate each card in context of the deck you are drafting.

Through having fun drafting sweet cards, you must not only have a plan for what your deck might look like, but also be able to adapt to the picks. You are not necessarily going to switch from Reanimator to Mono-Red Aggro, but you may need to switch from a Tooth and Nail ramp deck to a midrange B/G Rock deck like I did in the last cube draft I played in.

These skills are directly transferrable to other limited formats. Card evaluation is key in any draft format and being able to identify which cards are more powerful based on context will help you succeed dramatically.

A recent example is that of two-cost creatures in Khans of Tarkir draft. With the prevalence of morph creatures in the format, getting a jump in tempo by casting a two-mana creature is a sure way to win some games. This was not clearly obvious to many players at the beginning of the format and I’m still not sure that everyone caught on yet. If you had lots of cube drafting card evaluation to rely on, you may have identified this essential concept early on which would help you stay a step ahead of the competition.

3. Deck Building

Another basic skill that Cube drafting helps you improve upon is deck building. I always tell players, you need a plan when drafting but especially in Cube. Every card in the Cube is playable and you will always be picking great cards, but if you are not thinking about building a deck, at the end of the draft, you will be left with a pile of cards to build from rather than finalizing the pieces of your draft into a coherent deck.

My advice when cubing is to take your first pick of the draft very seriously. Often I take more time on the initial pick than any other of the draft. The reason for this is that it’s not often that you get completely cut from the archetype you are drafting so you can basically draft whatever you want.

Additionally, as with any draft, pay close attention to the first couple of packs you are passed. If you are receiving cards that go along with your potential strategy then you should be golden. If not, you may want to think about a backup plan. No matter what happens in the draft, if you are thinking about building your deck as you are drafting, things will definitely go better for you.

This process will help you in deck building for other formats like Standard as well. By trying to build different types of decks in different situations, you are learning what a card's strengths and weakness are and how that changes what you are doing in any given strategy. If you want to branch out from playing a deck that someone did well with at a tournament to innovating decks that others pick up, Cube drafting can help you build those deck building skills.

2. Unique Situations

The number two reason you should be cubing is that you will experience more unique situations that will expand your knowledge about what to do in diverse scenarios.

Sometimes you will need to figure out how to fight through a Tanglewire, or see if you can beat a turn three Hornet Queen. Frequently you need to try to fight against an opponent with an active Sword of this or that. Once in a while you will have to play against an opponent who is tapping all of your creatures with Opposition or Glare of Subdual.

So many different game states will come up to challenge you and your skills at the game. It’s great to be able to figure out these complex board states in a fun, casual atmosphere. Whether it’s playing against interesting aggressive strategies, or attacking through a variety of unique removal spells, cube offers you the opportunity to experience some of the greatest moments in Magic.

1. Alt Art and Sick Foils

The main reason I love cubing is that I get to see players' most prized possessions all in one spot. For me, my cube is filled with beautiful alters and shiny foil versions of our favorite cards. I have all different types of promos and original set foils, but my favorite part of cubing is seeing all the fun alters I’ve accumulated throughout my travels and exploits in Magic.

This article has been filled with some of the coolest cards from my cube, so you’ve gotten to experience some of my favorite moments from playing this game. Thanks for taking this journey with me and I hope this article has reminded you that not only should this game be fun, but also, that fun can help you improve your skills in playing.

If you don’t know anyone with a cube, start building one yourself. You don’t have to have every card you want to start off with. Build the cube from the cards you already have and then start acquiring more cards for it as you go along. New cards are quite powerful also, so you’ll be able to add some sweet ones in with each new set release.

One of the best decisions I’ve ever made was building my cube. It has been the source of endless hours of fun. When our friends visit from out of town, one of the things they look forward to is cube drafting together. Create powerful memories filled with fun and friends, build your skills, and remember to always have fun.

Thanks for another great year writing for Quiet Speculation. I be here writing every week for another year. Thanks for reading. I would love to hear stories of great cube moments or see pictures of your favorite cube cards in the comments or via twitter.

Until Next Time,

Unleash the Cube Force!

Mike Lanigan
MtgJedi on Twitter
Jedicouncilman23@gmail.com