Lucky Paper Radio

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony send off Andy's Degenerate Micro Cube. After many years, Andy has decided to take apart the Cube, reclaiming its cards, sleeves, and mental space. The Cube attempted to capture something about the most high powered vintage games with a twist on the typical draft format and a tiny deck size. They talk about why Andy's decided to take it apart, it's highs, and lows, and lessons learned from playing with it over the years.Discussed in this episode:Final Fantasy and Commander Set SurveysThe Degenerate Micro CubeAn Introduction to the Degenerate Micro CubeNeoclassical Cube100 OrnithoptersLPR covering Andy's experience with Ensnaring Bridge in the Degenerate Micro CubeEggs for FourCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro0:00 - An Announcement Regarding Future Set Reviews7:00 - A Eulogy for the Degenerate Micro Cube10:50 - What was the Degenerate Micro Cube17:29 - How Combo Is or Is Not in Dialogue with Fair Archetypes20:30 - The History of The Degenerate Micro Cube24:22 - On the Deck Size Requirement in the Degenerate Micro Cube28:39 - What Andy Still Likes about the Degenerate Micro Cube38:11 - The Cost of Rules Modifications42:18 - The cards Andy is going to miss playing with most from the Degenerate Micro Cube

View all cards mentioned in this episodeThis episode was recorded a few weeks ago, so forgive the untimely references to the Rhystic Studies video on 100 Ornithopters. At our weekly cube night, Andy and Parker swapped drafts of eachother's simple cubes: Andy playing Parker's cube Atavus and Parker playing Andy's cube Sacred Geometry. On this episode we dive into the goals for each of these cubes, both of which focus on simple cards and strive to be an approachable cube to new drafters, and hear a draft report from both Andy and Parker. Finally, Anthony, as the elder statesman of ‘clean' cubes, weighs in on who has better realized their goals.Discussed in this episode:TCG Player BoycottAtavusSacred GeometryRegular CubeEldrazi Domain CubeRyan Saxe's Buildaround CubeEvery Cube Night has 12 Losers by Parker LaMascusCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro5:25 - Introduction to ‘simple' cubes and an overview of The Regular Cube10:20 - An overview of Atavus, Parker's simple cube18:40 - An overview of Sacred Geometry, Andy's simple cube27:55 - Parker's draft report of Sacred Geometry42:30 - Andy's draft report of Atavus1:07:32 - On color hate in Atavus

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony walk through (some of) the history of modal mechanics: cards that offer players choices between multiple effects. Starting with alpha they look at the different manifestations of modality, how they compare and contrast, and how they impact gameplay and fit into their Cube design philosophy.Discussed in this episode:An 11 hour game of commander ends in a draw and irrecoverable footageRhymeZoneNeologismEpisode: 243: In which Parker shares his criticism of CyclingCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:44 - Introduction to main topic5:40 - What is a modal card?8:15 - The history of modal effects9:36 - Charms, Commands, and Confluences22:41 - Bloomburrow's Pawprint Mechanic24:42 - Cycling33:31 - Kicker38:05 - Split Cards43:47 - Morph47:38 - Entwine49:36 - Overload53:35 - Channel

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Jane (a.k.a. maramas) and Arlo (a.k.a. gaytransmulldrifter) to talk about taste and aesthetics in Cube design. Building off recent discussions on the show, they question if there is such a thing as “taste” in cube design and what it means.Find more of Arlo and Jane, along with a motley cast of Cube designers, on their new podcast Pack1, Slick 1s.Discussed in this episode:Trump's ‘One, big, beautiful bill' would ban care for transgender people on Medicaid and ObamacareA4TE Condemns House Budget Cuts as Cruel Attack on Trans Lives and Lifesaving HealthcarePack 1, Slick 1sAndy's Tangle Wire Reddit PostPack One Slick Ones - Episode #8 - Bitter Foods and Drafters' MoodsInvitation to a Banquet by Fuchsia DunlopTrap StreetReading Rainbow CubeJeff KoonsYves KleinGlenstone MuseumUntitled Blue Sponge Relief by Yves KleinMark RothkoPack One Slick Ones - Episode #4 - Is Cube Punk Rock?Inland Northwest Cube FestUpcoming Cube Events on Lucky Papergaytransmulldrifter on YouTubeRobert Rauschenberg, Erased de Kooning Drawing, 1953Punxsutawney PhilCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro6:27 - Tangle Wire Corner19:53 - What does it mean to develop one's taste in Magic?35:57 - Is there such a thing as ‘good' or ‘bad' taste?56:08 - Is a Cube a painting?

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about saprolings, sort of. Our hosts talk about aesthetics and their own personal tastes, and how that applies to their preferences in Magic. Anthony somehow tries to make the case that saprolings connect to a pattern of affinity for systems thinking, complex iterative processes with emergent properties.Discussed in this episode:Episode 211 — Book Club: The Beauty of Games by Frank LantzEpisode 251 — Book Club: Playing Oppression by Mary Flanagan and Mikael JakobssonThe Design of Everyday ThingsWhy Fish Don't ExistA Pattern LanguageReading Rainbow (Cube)Cod by Mark KurlanskyA People's History of the United States by Howard ZinnLaw of the InstrumentThe Neoclassical Cube100 OrnithoptersSacred GeometryWhat if the 4-Card Limit Was Abolished in Modern? by Frank KarstenSaproling's and Thallid Cards over TimeMeander Artwork by Robert HodginMandelbrot SetL-system fractalsChaos & Fractals: New Frontiers of ScienceNileRedWARNING Little Guys SpottedCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro3:39 - Introduction to episode4:50 - What are Andy's broad aesthetic sensibilities?12:59 - How do these aesthetic preferences relate to games?18:33 - What are Anthony's aesthetic sensibilities?27:52 - Anthony's love/hate relationship with Slimefoot33:12 - Andy's application of his aesthetic values to Sacred Geometry38:59 - How the aesthetics of Magic have changed over time43:50 - River corner48:17 - Dynamic equilibrium, Magic meta games, and power creep54:14 - “The Fractal Perspective”

View all cards mentioned in this episodeIn the second episode of the Lucky Paper Radio Book Club, Andy, Anthony, and Parker discuss Playing Oppression by By Mary Flanagan and Mikael Jakobsson. The book explores the history of colonialism in games - the many roles games have played inculcating explicit propaganda or normalizing colonial value systems in their aesthetics and mechanics. Our club members, including call ins from listeners, talk about what they took from the book and whether it's changed their perspective on games.Discussed in this episode:Playing Oppression by By Mary Flanagan and Mikael JakobssonFree PDF of the BookThe First Book Club EpisodeNose DiveA Pattern LanguageThe DoughboysUntitled Goose Game‘Kriegsspiel! How Napoleon Accidentally Invented Strategy Games' on YouTubeWingspanPhotosynthesis (board game)Spirit IslandA People's History of the United StatesCole WehrleRootMolly House (concept)Molly House (board game)Citizen GameRusty Cash Box of GoblinPolytopiaOgre Battle Tactics: March of the Black QueenThe Design of Everyday Things by Don NormanCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:26 - Pickle Corner Returns5:15 - First impressions of Playing Oppression11:05 - On the format of the book and whether it's the best means to convey the message16:28 - Getting on board with the core conceit of Playing Oppression19:41 - Are games descriptive or prescriptive of our culture?25:07 - What is a “Goose Game”30:42 - Are video games to blame for gun violence?'37:02 - The German Colony Game and why rehearsing violence is perhaps more visceral than witnessing it42:23 - How are colonial and violent values baked into games that don't have explicitly colonial flavor?45:26 - How post-war Germany gave rise to the modern Eurogame52:22 - How do you subvert these colonial themes in game design?57:14 - Our experience playing the ‘anticolonialist' games mentioned in Playing Oppression1:15:01 - Fascism as colonialism and imperialism turned inward1:16:29 - How does all of this relate to Magic1:20:42 - Polytopia and whether or not a better skin would make a difference

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about a paradox they occasionally face in Cube design. Sometimes a particular card to strategy over performs and as curators we want to add cards that offer counter play. Often those cards end up being just as potent played alongside the problematic cards as they are against them, only making the problem worse. Our hosts talk about specific times they've faced this paradox in their own cubes, and different strategies to break out of the paradox.But first, they go on a long digression on Anthony's latest fermentation project, growing koji.Discussed in this episode:Flavorama, by Arielle JohnsonThe Noma Guide to FermentationThe Art of FermentationAnthony's First Koji Test100 OrnithoptersDegenerate Micro CubeRegular CubeEvergreen Ability Tier List Episode of Lucky Paper RadioMono Black CubeThe Turbo CubeTurbo Cube Changes with Julien Episode of Lucky Paper RadioLucky Paper Events PageCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro0:57 - Pickle Corner8:48 - The Nature of the Cube Design Paradox12:52 - Disenchants in 100 Ornithopters17:03 - Ensnaring Bridge in the Degenerate Micro Cube24:52 - Red in the Regular Cube27:23 - The Defunct Mono Black Cube29:59 - Combo Decks in the Turbo Cube37:17 - Constructed Magic Precedent for the Cube Design Paradox43:21 - Andy's barely baked theory of power distribution's impact on decks most likely to be drafted53:57 - Tools to Navigate the Cube Design Paradox

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy, Anthony, and Parker talk about the results of the cube community survey for Tarkir: Dragonstorm. They discuss the sets new mechanics and how they function to support a the set's themes and limited environment and how that relates to goals of many Cube designers. They also talk about the top cards catching interest on the survey and honorable mentions featuring new mechanics or exploring new space.Discussed in this episode:Community Survey ResultsSpice 8 Rack's video on the history of TarkirThe McElroy Brothers will be in Trolls 2Not just white men's privilege, but just one timeCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro5:35 - What is it like to be back on Tarkir?10:01 - Set survey overview11:25 - Harmonize24:20 - Omens39:19 - ‘Twobrid' mana45:43 - Honorable Mention: Frontline Rush49:27 - Dishonorable Mention: Skirmish Rhino53:20 - Honorable Mention: Kishla Skimmer56:56 - Honorable Mention: the Monocolored Utility Lands1:00:37 - 9. Rotcurse Rakshasa and Renew1:05:38 - 8. Sunpearl Kirin1:09:32 - 7. Surrak, Elusive Hunter1:15:43 - 6. Desperate Measures1:19:52 - 5. Tersa Lightshatter1:23:30 - 4. Sinkhole Surveyor and Endure1:28:36 - 3. Voice of Victory and Mobilize1:31:18 - 2. Cori-Steel Cutter and Flurry1:39:01 - 1. Descendant of Storms

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAs they continue to attend more and more local, grassroots Cube events, Andy and Anthony find themselves asking: do people like these ‘tournament report' episodes? They try to talk through their drafts at Boston Cube Party Two more quickly, but it still takes almost an hour to get through them. The episode concludes with a brief look at the decklists from Andy's new cube, Sacred Geometry, which was only drafted three times prior to the event. The cube is still very much in its infancy, and Andy and Anthony's discussion serves as a model for how to digest a very small sample size of gameplay results and turn those results into some high-level goalsSpecial thanks to Judge Bones for conceiving, writing, and recording the voiceover for this week's intro!Discussed in this episode:Tarkir: Dragonstorm Cube SurveyTarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Cube SurveySacred GeometryDoubleton Synergy555-JankEsper CubeSpicy Ramen CubeHoopin'The Cascade CubeThe Devoid CubeAndy on Cubereviews talking about the Neoclassical CubeAnthony on Cubereviews talking about the Irregular CubeAlex on Recross the PathsCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:55 - Should we do a tournament report for every tournament we attend?5:30 - Boston Cube Party 2 Overview8:55 - Andy's Tournament Report10:52 - Andy's Draft of Doubleton Synergy18:53 - Andy's Draft of 555-Jank24:20 - Andy's Draft of The Esper Cube29:35 - Andy's Draft of the Spicy Ramen Cube35:33 - Anthony's Draft of Hoopin'41:25 - Anthony's Draft of the Cascade Cube49:09 - Anthony's Draft of the Devoid Cube53:08 - Closing thoughts on Boston Cube Party 255:05 - Sacred Geometry Initial Impressions

View all cards mentioned in this episodeIn the final installment of ”The Barash Files” (at least for now!), Zach — game designer at Wizards of the Coast — talks with Andy and Anthony about playtesting. The three talk about how they approach getting feedback on their specific different environments and how they use that information.Discussed in this episode:Episode 15: Playtesting & TheorycraftingEpisode 231: The Barash Files 001 — The Principles of Game DesignThe Cascade CubeNeoclassical CubeOld Border Foil Cube100 OrnithoptersRegular CubeThe Mono Black CubeThe Null HypothesisKill Your DarlingsThe Turbo CubeUMA+ CubeCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro3:44 - What is ‘playtesting'? How do you ‘playtest' a cube?9:55 - What kinds of feedback can players be trusted to give?16:22 - How does Andy ask for feedback on the Neoclassical Cube and 100 Ornithopters?28:24 - How does Anthony ask for feedback on Regular Cube, the Mono Black Cube, and the Turbo Cube?40:14 - How does Zach ask for feedback on The Cascade Cube, and what is the story with Crashing Footfalls?52:17 - The ballad of Aura Shards in 100 Ornithopters1:06:54 - A note on ego when you receive feedback

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk all things “combo”. After talking about both aggro and control on the show, they finally get around to this sometimes divisive part of the Magic landscape. They try to come up with a working definition of combo strategies, talk about their own history with it as players and cube designers.Discussed in this episode:Tarkir: Dragonstorm Cube SurveyTarkir: Dragonstorm Commander Cube Survey“The Daigo Parry”Episode 6: ABCs of AggroEpisode 165: ABCs of ControlImpostor SyndromeThe Turbo CubeWhen Trivia Beats Strategy by Parker LaMascusBun Magic CubeDegenerate Micro Cube100 OrnithoptersThe Neoclassical CubeCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro1:52 - Introduction to Combo8:59 - How are Andy and Anthony defining a ‘combo'16:47 - A selection of combos from the Turbo Cube25:06 - Why does Anthony include combos in the Turbo Cube?26:59 - Andy's journey to loving combo48:13 - How playing against combo changes your decision making52:19 - The inescapable danger of playing combos alongside fair decks

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Judge Bones. As mid-sized Cube events have flourished, Bones has spearheaded the task of judging and carried valuable lessons over from event to event. Hot on the heels of The Salt Box in Baltimore, the three talk about Bones' history with Cube and what it takes to host and judge a Cube event.Discussed in this episode:Eiganjo DriftThe Amonkar Desert CubeBones on Recross the PathsLoxodon Mierarch's Desert CubeHedron NetworkThe Broadcast ShuffleStripe Payment LinksLucky Paper Events PageCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro4:48 - What is a Magic judge?8:05 - Judge Bones's history with Magic and Judging13:21 - Judge Bones's history with Cube21:45 - What is it like judging a small, grassroots Cube event?26:23 - How are grassroots Cube events run?31:43 - How to run your own grassroots Cube event38:43 - Security concerns, or lack thereof, of having strangers draft your cube46:34 - Bones's tips to other judges for working Cube events51:35 - Rapid fire logistics of Cube event organization1:00:34 - Andy, Anthony, and Bones's purely subjective suggestions for running your Cube event

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy, Anthony, and Patrick report on their experience at Baltimore's first mid-sized Cube event: The Salt Box. Following the pattern of other regional events, the tournament featured multiple drafts of Cubes from the local area, organized by ranked choice selection. The three of them talk through the decks they drafted, highlights of their matches, and their experience beyond of the event, catching up with and hosting the regional cube-heads, at last in their home town.Discussed in this episode:The DoughboysEkibenThe Salt BoxCube for a CauseNeoclassical CubeThe Oldest SchoolTheseusReading RainbowGabe's Weenies CubeThe Turbo CubeKong PochaVirtually French Cube100 OrnithoptersKamigawa RemasteredRegular CubeCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro4:07 - The One Where Patrick Abandons 12 Years of Veganism11:47 - The Salt Box Overview18:08 - Andy and Patrick's Saturday Morning Draft of the Neoclassical Cube29:51 - Anthony's Saturday Morning Draft of The Oldest School34:39 - Andy and Anthony's Saturday Afternoon Draft of Theseus45:27 - Patrick's Sunday Morning Draft of Theseus50:38 - Patrick's Saturday Afternoon Draft of Reading Rainbow54:36 - Saturday Evening Extracurricular Activities57:34 - Andy's Sunday Morning Draft of the Virtually French1:06:11 - Anthony's Sunday Morning Draft of 1001:15:01 - Andy's Sunday Afternoon Draft of Kamigawa Remastered1:25:31 - Patrick's Sunday Afternoon Non-Draft of Virtually French1:26:35 - Anthony's Top 8 Draft of The Regular Cube

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy, Anthony, and Parker talk about Aetherdrift and peripheral sets. They review the results of the Cube community survey where Cube designers submit the cards they're giving a shot in their cubes and how highly they rate them. They also give their own overall impressions of the set in this single-episode review. Finally, they close with Parker's rundown of his experience at Cube For a Cause in New York.Discussed in this episode:Aetherdrift and Aetherdrift Commander Prospective ArticlesLucky Paper Radio Evergreen Keyword Ability Tier ListEiganjo DriftSides CartoonThe Mad Max Cube in Parker's PlaygroupCube for a Cause AW2025Loam CubeNick's Mono Red CubeJenn's Idealized Ravnica CubeMad Max: Fury RoadGodzilla Minus One Minus ColorCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro4:52 - Episode Overview7:47 - Mechanic: Start Your Engines and Speed12:24 - Mechanic: Exhaust15:07 - How do we approach vehicles in our cubes?20:08 - On the coexistence of vehicles and mounts22:21 - Why cycling is a cowardly ability (according to Parker)33:46 - Overview of Lucky Paper Cube Survey35:46 - 5. Diversion Unit40:16 - 4. Scrounging Skyray42:18 - 3. Greasewrench Goblin44:07 - 2. Marauding Mako46:26 - 1. Grim Bauble57:40 - Honorable Mention: Brightglass Gearhulk1:00:39 - Honorable Mention: Cryptcaller Chariot1:03:04 - Honorable Mention: Sundial, Dawn Tyrant1:06:20 - Honorable Mention: Agonasaur Rex1:11:19 - Honorable Mention: Shefet Archfiend1:14:54 - Honorable Mention: The Aetherspark1:21:18 - Parker's Cube for a Cause Tournament Report

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy, Anthony, and Zach talk about improving as a Magic player, building a community and how they try to balance the two. They talk about the challenges of fostering positive social standards and how that can conflict with trying to improve at a competitive game.Discussed in this episode:The Null HypothesisCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:22 - Balancing Developing Skill as a Player with Building a Community9:17 - The Nuanced, Complex Social Dynamics of Playing Magic12:57 - The Factors that Contribute to a Playgroup's Vibe27:20 - The Tension Between Improvement and Community32:54 - The Value of Shared Expectations in a Community40:45 - On “Take Backs” and Learning from Your Mistakes1:03:07 - Zach asks Andy and Anthony if they're satisfied with their level of competitiveness1:06:42 - Sequencing speed round

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony are joined by Julien from their local playgroup, fresh off the pro-tour, to offer his expert advice on an important topic: updating the Turbo Cube. In Anthony's novelty cube, the rules are modified so all spells and activated abilities cost Discussed in this episode:The Turbo CubeCube Events on Lucky PaperCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro2:55 - Turbo Cube Overview6:01 - Hate Bears and Julien's Theory on the Turbo Cube12:49 - The Diversity of Local Metas16:26 - Reconsidering the Pack Size in the Turbo Cube22:30 - The State of the Black Discard Deck34:10 - Should Anthony break singleton for more cards in the Turbo Cube?46:00 - Breaking Serve: Julien's Suggested Adds to the Turbo Cube for Turn 0 Interaction56:17 - Anthony's Reservations About Two Recently Printed Payoff Cards1:00:17 - Julien's other Suggested Adds to the Turbo Cube1:15:47 - Do fetch lands makes sense in the Turbo Cube? less. They talk about how the environment has been playing, how successful recent changes have been, and new cards to consider adding.

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about their favorite cards from the last year. They each go through their top favorite unique cards or cycles discussing their impact on their own cubes, cubes they've been playing, or their future potential for the format.Discussed in this episode:Aetherdrift and Aetherdrift Commander Cube surveysThe Salt BoxCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro3:58 - Andy's Honorable Mentions: Fell, Refute, Joust Through, and No More Lies5:15 - Anthony's Number 10: Blacksmith's Talent6:53 - Andy's Number 10: Shadow of the Second Sun10:20 - Anthony's Number 9: Glaring Fleshraker12:32 - Andy's Number 9: Talon Gates of Madara15:52 - Anthony's Number 8: Elementalist Adept17:59 - Andy's Number 8: Forsaken Miner21:35 - Anthony's Number 7: Disruptor Flute23:15 - Andy's Number 7: Warleader's Call25:22 - Anthony's Number 6: Goblin Surprise26:52 - Andy's Number 6: Brainsurge30:16 - Anthony's Number 5 and Andy's Number 3: Searslicer Goblin32:44 - Andy's Number 5: Slick Sequence35:36 - Anthony's Number 4: Mandibular Kite37:16 - Andy's Number 4: Proft's Eidetic Memory39:27 - Anthony's Number 3: Glyph Elemental42:12 - Anthony's Number 2: Mischievous Mystic44:34 - Andy's Number 2: Psychic Frog49:52 - Anthony's Number 1: The Landscapes53:01 - Andy's Number 1: The Surveil Lands

View all cards mentioned in this episodeInspired by two standards of beauty from different cultures — the Japanese Wabi-Sabi and the Italian Sprezzatura — Andy and Anthony are talking about a seemingly mundane card choice in 100 Ornithopters and how that reflects on the aesthetic values that are informally codified in cube design.Discussed in this episode: Aetherdrift and Aetherdrift Commander Cube surveys Boonta Vista 383: “Stanking Ass Or Otherwise” Wabi-Sabi Sprezzatura Wabi-Sabi for Artists and Designers by Leonard Koren Wabi-Sabi: Further Thoughts by Leonard Koren Neoclassical Cube Dear Gonti, Love Sophie The Fire Swamp Pack One, Slick Ones Free “Playing Oppression” PDF Arlo's Thoughts on Cube as an Art ProjectCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 1:34 - “Vintage Cube Sucks” Follow Up 7:34 - Cultural ideas of beauty that influence Cube design 13:29 - What is wabi-sabi? 28:30 - What is sprezzatura? 32:01 - Disenchant/Naturalize effects in 100 Ornithopters 44:27 - How do we cultivate style in our cube design choices? 48:05 - Examples of stylish Cube design choices 53:06 - Anthony talks about fractals 54:40 - Arlo's point about cube inclusions never meant to be put in decks 57:52 - Vanquisher's Banner vs. The Great Henge in 100 Ornithopters and cube style comes full circle

View all cards mentioned in this episodeAndy and Anthony talk about why they think Vintage Cube sucks. Riddled with unintelligibly complicated cards, self-solving puzzles, and value generating haymakers that take no investment or strategy to maximize, it's not our hosts' favorite kind of Cube.Discussed in this episode:Aetherdrift and Aetherdrift Commander Cube surveysReally Bad ChessRusty Box o' GoblinsQuadrant TheoryMTGO Vintage Cube on Cube CobraNo Holds Barred Cube on MTGOParker's Article on Trivia ChecksStavvy's WorldMidnight DinerMay's Fae CubeCheck us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra:Andy's “Bun Magic” CubeAnthony's “Regular” CubeYou can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box:Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.Musical production by DJ James Nasty.Timestamps0:00 - Intro3:09 - Vintage Cube Sucks5:19 - Disclaimers and Caveats14:45 - What do we mean when we say ‘Vintage Cube'?18:02 - Issue one: rampant card complexity, especially the Initiative30:25 - Issue two: cards with no downsides encourage unfocused decks36:13 - Issue three: modern power outliers are mostly unknown supplemental set cards, not iconic pillars of the game42:30 - Miscellaneous ‘Vintage Cube' cards that offend Andy and Anthony45:06 - What to do with the knowledge that Vintage Cube sucks?

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony recap Magic events they participated in this week. First, Anthony talks through his experience at Vertex Philadelphia, a ~100 person Cube tournament. Anthony had another solid run in his drafts, and the event was the first time his new Broadcast Shuffling method was tried at scale to reasonable success. Andy shares his experience helping organize and play in a charity stream for the Tabletop Workers United strike hardship fund. He ended up played in the event as an alternate and shares his complex experience drafting on stream. Discussed in this episode: Anthony's Shuffling Article Anthony, Roja, and Arlo's episodes of Recross the Paths Lucky Paper Events Page The Cascade Cube Anthony's 3-0 Decks from the Weekend on BlueSky The Jund Cube May's Fae Cube May's Fae Cube episode of Uber Cube Cubereviews Podcast Eiganjo Drift The Dungeoneer's Cube Support the Tabletop Workers United Strike Hardship Fund on GoFundMe Watch the 100 Ornithopters Unite Stream on YouTube Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 5:32 - Vertex: Philadelphia Tournament Report — Event Overview 10:38 - Anthony's trajectory and improvement as a player 13:11 - Anthony's draft of the Cascade Cube 18:22 - Anthony's draft of the Jund Cube 23:35 - Anthony's draft of May's Fae Cube 29:14 - Anthony's draft of Eiganjo Drift 34:10 - Anthony's draft of The Dungeoneer's Cube 37:37 - Andy's experience helping with the 100 Ornithopters Unite draft event

View all cards mentioned in this episode On the third installment of The Barash Files, Zach shares stories from his drafts of some of Andy and Anthony's cubes over the last few years. He shares insights into how he approaches them as a player, and how effectively they deliver on their stated goals. Discussed in this episode: Drafting the Bun Magic Cube with Zach Barash Zach's Roto Deck Anthony's Roto Deck Zach's First Article for Hipsters of the Coast “Level Up Moments” The Turbo Cube Reading Rainbow 100 Ornithopters Episode 229: Fixing is Cringe with Jenn the Judge The Modern Darlings Cube Old Border Foil Cube Dan Schneider's Old Border Battlebox Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 1:05 - Introduction to Topic 3:50 - Anthony's Level Up Moment from Zach's advice on Anthony's gameplay in a single match 18 months ago 16:06 - Level up moments as a Cube designer 18:13 - Zach's Reflections on Playing The Regular Cube 24:45 - Reflections on Playing The Bun Magic Cube 32:42 - Zach's Reflections on Playing The Turbo Cube 44:00 - Zach's Reflections on Playing 100 Ornithopters 1:09:00 - Zach's Reflections on The Neoclassical Cube Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Carmen Klomparens, lead designer of the Foundations Starter Collection, about the set and how it's a great option for new Cube players looking for a starting point. They talk about what's in the set, how and how it was designed, and then each offer ideas and specific cards they'd add and cut to use it as a cube. Discussed in this episode: Nile on Twitch The full list of cards in the Foundations Starter Collection Foundations Starter Collection on the mothership The Uncanny Valley The Regular Cube Sacred Geometry Carmen Klomparens on Bluesky Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 4:33 - Did Magic R&D consider that the Foundations Starter Collection might make a great skeleton for a Cube? 6:29 - Limited and Cube as a proxy for kitchen table Magic 8:44 - What are the high level goals of Foundations 11:24 - Using mechanics to encourage your players to discover what is cool about Magic 14:49 - What is included in the Foundations Starter Collection 19:37 - What would Carmen, Andy, and Anthony would add to the Foundations Starter Collection if they were to turn it into a Cube 20:21 - Addition: a set of mono-color Planeswalkers 22:28 - Addition: Archangel of Thune 23:23 - Addition: Emeria Angel 24:18 - Addition: another cycle of fixing lands 27:29 - Addition: Remand 28:52 - Addition: Ravnica bounce lands 29:40 - Addition: more support for the ‘gates' theme 33:24 - Addition: Viscera Seer 36:57 - Addition: Kess, Dissident Mage 39:28 - Addition: Faithless Looting 40:46 - Addition: Irencrag Pyromancer 42:11 - Addition: Future Sight 43:19 - Addition: A good black green threat 46:06 - Addition: Krosan Tusker 47:30 - Addition: Treetop Village 49:56 - What would Carmen, Andy, and Anthony would cut from the Foundations Starter Collection if they were to turn it into a Cube 50:21 - Cut: the color hate cards 51:24 - Cut: Hidetsugu's Second Rite 52:07 - Cut: Wishclaw Talisman 52:50 - Cut: Feldon's Cane 55:33 - Cut: Command Tower 58:19 - Cut: Fog Bank 59:33 - Cut: Rogue's Passage 1:01:22 - Cut: Stroke of Midnight and Harmless Offering 1:03:45 - Cut: Sol Ring 1:05:57 - The lessons Cube designers can take from Carmen's experience with Magic R&D 1:10:09 - Llanowar Elves vs. Elvish Mystic 1:14:52 - A thank you for Burst Lightning

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about changes to the design of Magic cards over the years: including some overt changes like “snap on equipment” and more subtle differences in how attack triggers are worded they feel would have been done differently in the past. They talk about how each changes the texture and focus of games and how they think about them as Cube designers, whether they add more options or are a reason to pick cards from particular eras of the game. Discussed in this episode: Cooking Issues The Oldest School Cube Richard Garfield's Post on Reddit Lucky Paper Radio 213: French Vanilla Face-Off Upcoming Cube Events Cube for a Cause AW25 Playing Oppression PDF The Best Method for Shuffling Cubes Detailed Analysis and Comparison of Cube Shuffling Methods Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 0:31 - Tofu Corner 3:18 - Introduction to changing patterns in Magic R&D 5:15 - Changing pattern: more enter the battlefield abilities on creatures 21:04 - Changing pattern: the proliferation of trinket artifacts like clues, blood tokens, map tokens, etc. 30:28 - Changing pattern: eliminating edge-case targets 38:58 - Changing pattern: 'snap-on' equipment that attaches on entering 46:09 - Changing pattern: ‘whenever ~ attacks' triggers vs. ‘whenever you attack' triggers 59:08 - Closing thoughts and calls to action

View all cards mentioned in this episode In the second installment of “The Barash Files”, Andy, Anthony, and Zach talk about Cube terminology. They talk about how the language we use effects that kinds of conversations we have which in turn effect the kinds of communities we build. New terminology can enable talking more efficiently about concepts that get condensed into a term, but also make it harder to communicate the nuance and variety in those concepts, potentially making communities harder to enter. Zach shares his thoughts on different parts of cube design, including ideation before anyone touches a card, material choices, what happens during the draft, and in game rules. His hope is to offer new terminology to push the boundaries of what cube designers consider when building a cube. Discussed in this episode: Parker's History of Cube Article The Dunning Kruger Curve The Cascade Cube Eiganjo Drift Ryan Saxe's Autobattler Cube The Devoid Cube Curio Cube Degenerate Micro Cube The Bauble Cube Reading Rainbow Companion Cube Tupelo Honey UMA Plus Cube Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 2:04 - Zach's Preamble 6:14 - What is a “Cube”? 20:09 - Where did the normative ideas of power-maxing and constructed ban list naming conventions come from? 29:50 - The need for new terminology for different kinds of cube design 38:36 - On strange, non-descriptive deck names and accessibility vs gatekeeping 45:15 - Zach's Five Areas of Cube Design 58:11 - The costs of making design choices in unexpected areas of Cube design 1:10:07 - On calling small Cubes “Twoberts” 1:14:52 - On referring to Cubes as “Baltimore Singleton”

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony close out 2024 reflecting on their year in Magic. This year Magic's new direction as a product driven primarily by marketing goals fueled with cheap gimmicks and cross branding feels solidified. Our hosts talk, kind of briefly, on how their relationships to the game have changed because of that. More importantly, they talk about their personal highs and lows with the game this year. Regardless of the direction Magic as a product is moving, the Cube community has surged in so many ways. Small, grassroots events have become a norm. The local Baltimore Cube community is hitting a stride. The interstate Cube culture is emerging and flourishing. They also talk about some of their struggles in taking on more ambitions projects and how the podcast has effected their relationship to the online community. Discussed in this episode: Glengarry Glen Ross Episode 218: State of the Game 2024 The Adventure Zone Hello from the Magic Tavern My Brother, My Brother, and Me Til Death do us Blart 100 Ornithopters Episode 206: The Joy of Gaming with Richard Garfield Potsdam Gravity Potato Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 8:48 - Recap of last year's recap 10:51 - How our relationship with Magic changed in 2024 13:34 - The perishability of joy, novelty, and discovery: why Andy and Anthony no longer listen to most McElroy brothers podcasts 23:34 - On decreased participation in set surveys 25:07 - Shared High: Small, Grassroots Cube Events 32:18 - Andy's High: The Design of and Reception to 100 Ornithopters 37:35 - Anthony's High: The Variety of Depth of What is Accepted as a Cube 42:28 - Anthony's High: The State of Our Local Cube Playgroup 44:17 - Andy's High: Having Richard Garfield on Lucky Paper Radio 48:36 - Anthony's High: He's Good at Magic Now 53:18 - Anthony's High: Connecting with Magic Friends about Things Other than Magic 55:45 - Andy's High: The Reception to Our First Playmat 57:04 - Andy's Low: The Playmat International Shipping Fiasco 1:09:43 - Andy's Low: His Sensitivity to Discussion on the Podcast

View all cards mentioned in this episode Zach Barash joins Andy and Anthony for the first episode in a series where he shares his game design expertise. In this first episode, the three talk about the first principles of game design, including the iteration loop most game designers follow (and similar processes in other fields!). Starting with ideation, then forming a hypothesis, finally prototyping and playtesting, designers feed the results they learn back into the beginning of the process. They talk about how cube designers can learn from the process, adopting the role and mindset of a game designer. Zach works at Wizards of the Coast on the Arena team, designing many of the events available — his opinions on the show are his own. We're excited to have him join us for four more episodes in the near future. Discussed in this episode: The Power Broker Kingdom Death Drawing Live: Zach's Column for Hipsters of the Coast Spaced Penguin Playthrough on YouTube The Cascade Cube The Turbo Cube Reading Rainbow Cube Andrew Elebogen Tween about Extrapolating from Too Small Sample Sizes The Beginning of Infinity The Modern Darlings Cube The Museum of Modern Cube Linguistic Relativity Playing Oppression Andy, Anthony, Parker, and Zach on BlueSky Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 10:02 - Game Design with Training Wheels 12:43 - Anthony's History with Game Design 19:21 - The Basic Principles of Game Design: The Iteration Loop 33:56 - Balance is Overrated 47:32 - How does one go about uncovering truths about their cube? 59:11 - What does a cube designer mean when they say they want ‘balance'?

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about the essential digital tools and workflows for Cube designers. Starting with finding and gathering cards on Scryfall, to sculpting and sharing lists on Cube Cobra and tools for analyzing and comparing lists, they talk about how to leverage resources to make designing and playing Cube easier. Our hosts also share about some of the tools they've built to address their own needs that come up regularly in Cube design. Discussed in this episode: Scryfall Cube Cobra Lucky Paper Rotisserie Draft Sheet Anthony's articles about Scryfall's search syntax and regular expressions Building a Cube from Your Collection Article and Podcast Moxfield Lucky Paper Cube Map Sacred Geometry 100 Ornithopters Anthony's CubeCobra API toolkit Anthony's Google Sheets Integration MTGTop8 Degenerate Micro Cube EDHRec Lucky Paper List Formatter Lucky Paper List Differ Commander Spellbook Neoclassical Cube Andy's Small Combo Cube “Eggs for Four” sealeddeck.tech deckstats.net Surveil Lands Playing Oppression The Dandy Cube Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 7:51 - Introduction to topic 9:09 - Scryfall 14:00 - Cube Cobra 28:14 - Spreadsheets 29:35 - MTGTop8 32:36 - Lucky Paper Cube Design Tools 38:15 - Commander Spellbook 41:34 - Honorable mention: sealeddeck.tech 44:10 - Collection management 46:38 - Listener Submitted Pack 1, Pick 1

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony are Joined by Jenn the Judge to talk about “5 Color Good Stuff” decks in cube. They talk about what aspects of a Cube enable 5 color decks, and the impacts these decks have on the feel and fun of an environment. They talk about some of the strategies they employ in their own cubes, including Jenn's Ravnica Cube, to control what kinds of multi-color decks are likely to be drafted. Discussed in this episode: The Oldest School Cube Jenn's Ravnica Cube Jenn's Linktree Hex and Company Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 4:06 - The fixing in your cube is too good 5:02 - Ravnica limited formats and how they might inform fixing in Cube 8:10 - What is wrong with five color good stuff? 15:56 - On disliking Triomes in Cube 22:51 - The effects on less experienced players in fixing dense cubes 26:12 - How do players that spend high picks on lands still end up with super high card quality in their deck? 28:23 - The various factors that contribute to the viability of five-color good stuff decks? 35:21 - How does Jenn limit soupy decks in their Ravnica Cube 48:09 - Does the five-color good stuff deck self balance in draft? 53:33 - Are there different kinds of five-color good stuff decks? What are their various merits and downsides? 58:17 - Closing thoughts on five-color good stuff and mana fixing in cubes

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the results of the Foundations Cube Community survey. They talk through the top cards that have Cube designers most excited and theorize about what's catching people's interest and some of the patterns in the results. They talk about the associated Jump Start set with one major stand out: Scythecat Cub which is apparently both highly anticipated and polarizing. Finally, they can't help but talk about the trends, stand outs, and misses in the new set's artwork. We've chosen Playing Oppression for our next Book Club episode. We'll be reading the book and discussing it in an episode after the holidays. Pick up a copy if you want to read along with us! Discussed in this episode: Foundations Cube Prospective Foundations Jumpstart Cube Prospective Andy, Anthony, and Parker on BlueSky Ollie's post on BlueSky about Alesha Reprints with new illustrations on Scryfall Lucky Paper List Formatter Lucky Paper List Differ Upcoming Cube Events on Lucky Paper Vertex Philadelphia Discord Server Playing Oppression, our next Book Club book, on MIT Press Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 2:52 - Parker's Successful Dissertation Defense 7:51 - Foundations Cube Prospective Overview 13:01 - 8. Goblin Surprise 17:11 - 7. Kiora, the Rising Tide 24:28 - 6. Sphinx of Forgotten Lore 32:36 - 5. Sun-Blessed Healer 41:16 - 4. Kellan, Planar Trailblazer 51:39 - 3. Mischievous Mystic 54:54 - 2. Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate 1:02:35 - 1. Searslicer Goblin 1:07:17 - On the recent trend of ‘simple' cubes 1:11:02 - Foundations Jumpstart — Scythecat Cub 1:15:47 - On the Anime Art Legends in Jumpstart Foundations

Andy and Anthony talk all things board wipes in Cube. They talk about the varieties and boundaries of cards that reset the board state and how they effect gameplay and add strategic depth to games with or against them. They talk about the roles of board wipes in their main Cubes. View cards mentioned in this episode > Discussed in this episode: Foundations and Jump Start Cube Surveys Lucky Paper Upcoming Cube Events Page Andy, Anthony, and Parker on BlueSky Timestamps 1:22 - Topic introduction 2:22 - What is a board wipe? 20:25 - How much should a board wipe cost and how much does it matter? 45:27 - Different densities of board wipes and how they affect their respective cube environments 51:15 - The draft and play patterns that board wipes create 59:19 - Summary Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about their Cubes included in CubeCon 2024: Andy's 100 Ornithopters and Anthony's Regular and Turbo Cubes. They talk about what they learned about each from players' feedback and the decklists after the event. They also talk about potential changes they're considering based on that feedback. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Lucky Paper Events Page LSVs Draft of “6 Ornithopters” Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 3:34 - Regular Cube Feedback 16:14 - Turbo Cube Feedback 30:53 - 100 Ornithopters Feedback Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about Foundations, Magic's latest set, akin to old Core Sets. The set fills multiple roles including being an approachable set for beginners, a nostalgic set to invested players, and a way to support standard with basic effects that stay in the format longer. Our hosts talk about their overall impressions of the set and individual cards they're interested in for their own Cube projects, including Andy's new Cube: Sacred Geometry. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Jbro's GoFundMe Large Painted Locust Foundations and Jump Start Cube Surveys Lucky Paper Resources Anthony's Article on Game Design List formatter Cube Map List of Upcoming Cube Events The Regular Cube Sacred Geometry Magic Data Science Thread on Vanilla Creatures Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

In the wake of CubeCon 2024, Andy and Anthony talk about how they approach drafting new Cube environments. They talk about their general draft strategies and heuristics they start with to get a sense of what's going to be important in the environment just by looking at the packs being passed. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Anthony's Big Bottle Opener Episode 48: Playing to Win: Evaluating New Cubes Episode 215: Using Little Pieces of Paper as a Supermassive Random Number Generator Anthony's Fire Swamp and C/Ube Decks Game Objects Cube The Fire Swamp Keldan's Simple Cube Streisand Effect Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 6:09 - Are we good at Magic? 8:56 - How do we approach drafting a completely unfamiliar list 19:29 - Should you look at the available mana fixing in a cube? 26:08 - The categories of cards to pay attention to in the draft 30:25 - How often should you end up playing your pack 1, pick 1 in Cube draft? 31:59 - The importance of recontexualizaion 40:26 - The Value of Having a Plan 48:04 - How much do you trust the Cube designer? 57:24 - Heuristics for having a good time Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony, are joined by perennial favorite, Patrick, to recap their experience at CubeCon 2024. They talk about how they approached the event, the Cubes they drafted, and the highs and lows of every deck they drafted throughout the event. Growing to almost 600 players in it's third year, CubeCon continued to deliver on being an opportunity to play a huge range of novel environments, and catch up with old or meet up with new friends in the Cube community. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: CubeCon The Fire Swamp The Way too Hybrid Cube The Good Old Days The Mono Red Cube Shrek Retold Wally the Dog & Patrick's Shrek Costume Short Stack Eatery The Shadow Cube The Simple Cube C/Ube The Bodleian Cube 100 Ornithopters Klug's Altered Ornithopter The Salt Box (Baltimore Cube Event) Lucky Paper Cube Events Calendar Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 5:00 - The Fire Swamp 17:43 - The Way too Hybrid Cube 21:21 - The Good Old Days 29:24 - The Mono Red Cube 34:40 - Spicy Ramen Cube 43:03 - Death's Shadow Cube 46:06 - Alpha Reimagined 57:12 - The Simple Cube 1:02:12 - C/Ube 1:10:24 - The Bodleian Cube 1:15:30 - 100 Ornithopters Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker, belatedly discuss the results from the last two standard sets' Cube community surveys, Bloomburrow and Duskmourn: House of Horror. They talk about the top cards that have the attention of the most Cube designers as well as their general observations about what from each set the community is responding to. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Documental The Steel Curtain Bloomburron Community Review Results Duskmourn: House of Horror Community Review Results Episode 217: Cards We Were Wrong About: 2024 Standard Rotation Episode 213: French Vanilla Face-Off Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 6:54 - Episode format overview 7:55 - Bloomburrow Overview 10:12 - On the decreasing number of survey respondents more broadly 14:21 - Bloomburrow top cards — Number 5. Hired Claw 19:51 - 4. Shoreline Looter 23:09 - 3. Kitsa, Otterball Elite 29:28 - 2. Fell 34:49 - 1. Emberheart Challenger  44:13 - Bloomburrow Commander Shout Out: Jacked Rabbit 46:06 - Duskmourn Overview 48:54 - Duskmourn top cards — Number 5. Overlord of the Mistmoors 55:11 - 4. Insidious Fungus 56:54 - 3. Wildfire Wickerfolk 1:01:23 - 2. Chainsaw 1:03:54 - The flavor of Duskmourn overall 1:07:44 - 1. Fear of Missing Out 1:10:47 - Cube Mechanical Miss: Survivor 1:13:25 - Cube Mechanical Miss: Rooms 1:16:16 - On Manifest Dread and Abhorrent Oculus 1:21:28 - Honorable Mention: Split Up 1:24:46 - Honorable Mention: Come Back Wrong 1:28:44 - Duskmourn Wrap-Up Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk with Ryan Saxe about his latest Magic passion project. Inspired by one of his favorite video game genres, AutoBattlers, Ryan has been working to create a Magic variant that incorporates the feeling of quick mini-games and constant upgrades and expansion of your arsenal. In his format, players face of in a series of mini-games with only a few cards available to each player. After each quick game, players get to modify and expand their available pool of cards to use by trading with a random new selection of cards from the Cube list. Players are eliminated as they accrue a certain number of losses leaving one the champion. The three talk about the design process, challenges and successes Ryan's had through iterating on the rules system, and their experience drafting the AutoBattler cube. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: George W. Hart's Geometric Sculptures Pai Gow AutoBattler Cube Rules and Card List Ryan's Autobattler Discord Ogre Battle Tactics: Match of the Black Queen Team Fight Tactics Loading, Ready, Run AutoBattler Stream Slay the Spire Timestamps 0:00 - AI Corner 13:01 - Introduction to Ryan's new format 14:20 - What is an auto battler? 17:59 - How did Ryan go about applying the patterns of an auto battler to Magic? 28:42 - How does Ryan's auto battler format work? 46:16 - Designing the rules system vs. designing the cube list 53:22 - A deep dive on the design details of the auto battler 1:33:45 - How Anthony would teach the auto battler format 1:35:40 - Is it productive to describe this as an auto battler? Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony take a step aside from their typical focus on Cube and reflect on the recent shake ups in Commander. They talk about the major bans that have rattled the format and their feelings about Wizards of the Coast formally taking control of the fan-made format which has become the dominant form of the game. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Commander RC banned and restricted announcement WotC's announcement on taking over the Commander format WeeklyMTG with Gavin Verhey and Aaron Forsythe Dana Roach's response on Twitter Degenerate Micro Cube Bosh'N'Roll's video on the bans Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 1:10 - Basic rundown of the events of the past two weeks in Magic 5:00 - The banning of Dockside Extortionist, Nadu, Winged Wisdom, Mana Crypt, and Jeweled Lotus in Commander 12:02 - “Rule Zero” and why it does not work 15:58 - The respective strengths and flaws of Commander and Cube 23:48 - On the deplorable backlash from a vocal subset of Magic players 39:16 - A clarification of our stance on proxies 44:02 - Magic and consumption as self expression 58:30 - What about Sol Ring? 1:02:21 - Wizard's of the Coast's concept about managing the Commander format with a series of tiers 1:09:39 - Summary and conclusions Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty

Andy and Anthony talk about a big batch of updates to Anthony's Turbo Cube. In this Cube, all spells and activated abilities cost {2} less. They talk about their general philosophy of updating Cubes, what types of strategies Anthony is hoping to bolster with these updates, and talk through the changes card by card. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: The Turbo Cube Frank Karsten's Mana Math Good Morning Magic: Unfinished Land Cycles in Commander Decks BoshNRoll: Miraculous Revival! Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 0:51 - Draft report: Boromir Sucks 3:25 - Episode overview 6:20 - What is the Turbo Cube? 10:48 - Broad goals and philosophies underpinning these changes 13:01 - A bold new direction for lands 24:55 - Black improvements and a focus on discard synergies 37:04 - Why cut Reckoner Bankbuster? 39:10 - Changes to green 44:14 - Minor tweaks to red 48:34 - The smallest changes: blue and white 1:03:01 - Changes to colorless cards 1:10:30 - Andy's suggestion corner Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony reflect on the Mark Rosewater's reflection on the past year in Magic. Every year, Magic's lead designer shares lessons learned and strengths from each booster set. This year's felt lacking a bit of thematic focus, but maybe the lack of focus is emblematic of this last year in Magic. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Mark Rosewater's State of the Game 2024 Episode 163: State of the Game 2023 Episode 109: State of the Game 2022 Episode 206: The Joy of Gaming with Richard Garfield Episode 211: Book Club: The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz Drive to Work Podcast Drive to Work: Designing for an Eternal World Blogatog Lucky Paper Events Page Polar Bear Encounter Frostbite by Nicola Twilley Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 3:32 - Is this even for us? How invested are we in Magic these days? 10:30 - Is this year's ‘State of Design' article more shallow than previous years? 12:57 - 2024's Theme: Lack of Focus 17:43 - Lesson: Magic was too on the nose with its tropes 26:53 - Lesson: Some individual mechanics were too complex 32:09 - Lesson: More mechanics were polarizing than previous years  49:41 - Does R&D drive Magic these days? 51:43 - Our favorite thing from Magic this year: grassroots Cube events Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Parker look back on all the sets currently cycling out of standard and talk about their overall impressions and how individual cards from each have aged in their various Cubes. Anthony's there too, kinda just vibing cause he's been updating his Cubes at an agitated non-newtonian fluid pace. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Parker's Retrospective Article Survey Archive Search Parker's “The Ship of Theseus” Cube Video of non-newtonian fluid wtwlf's Tweet about quitting set reviews Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 2:46 - Topic Overview 11:41 - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt 21:28 - Why we're not talking about Commander sets 22:53 - Innistrad: Crimson Vow 27:31 - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty 43:06 - Streets of New Capenna 48:17 - Triomes revisited 52:37 - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate 59:54 - Big picture lessons learned from standard rotation Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony revisit randomness in Magic with more resources and input form listeners. They talk about decision making at large and small scales in games: strategy vs tactics, and how randomness impacts what kind of planning are rewarded. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Stardew Valley bdouble0 on YouTube Florian Gadsby on YouTube Board Game Design Day: White, Brown, and Pink: The Flavors of Tabletop Game Randomness Andy's coaching video with Brian Coval The Cascade Cube Ben Brode on the Search Engine Podcast Edward Snowden on the Joe Rogan Experience Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 6:29 - Input Randomness vs. Output Randomness 10:05 - Strategy vs. Tactics 21:34 - Is there a fundamental difference in randomness between Bloodbraid Elf and Fact or Fiction? 39:52 - Chess vs. Poker in the Strategy vs. Tactics Dichotomy 46:04 - Why numerous random events converge on predictability and how that describes Xerox Theory 52:05 - Neverwinter Hydra vs. Carnage Tyrant 59:58 - Randomness laundering skill disparities Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about randomness in Magic, and specifically just how much randomness there is in a Cube draft. They talk about where randomness comes from and how different mechanics use the library or other sets of cards as a random source to make them work. They also go into their own preferences and how they thing about randomness in their Cube designs. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Bloomburrow and Bloomburrow Commander Surveys “Names of Large Numbers” on Wikipedia Episode 210: Raggadragga's Lucky Paper Debut Crystalline Giant keyword tracking website The Oldest School Cube Jay's Feature Match Moment Anthony on the Uber Cube podcast Blocked Party Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction and why you should cut your opponent's deck 5:03 - Why randomness is maybe the most fundamental aspect of Magic: the Gathering 7:08 - Andy says some really big numbers to convince you Magic is really random 19:22 - Using your library as a random number generator 26:57 - Categorizing different types of ‘random' cards 49:09 - Andy and Anthony's approach to randomness as Cube designers, in summary 55:41 - Andy and Anthony's favorite ‘random' moments from games they've played Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about some of the past and pending Cube events they are attending. This year has seen a proliferation of new small Cube events. Anthony reviews his experience at the Capitol Cube Champs and they talk about what they're excited about in the upcoming Cube 4 Charity hosted by Upkeep New York. View all cards mentioned in this episode Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 2:42 - Capitol Cube Champs Tournament Report 22:04 - Mailbag 25:01 - Anthony's Irregular Cube Preparation for Cube 4 Charity 39:17 - Andy's 100 Ornithopters Preparation for Cube 4 Charity Discussed in this episode: Bloomburrow and Bloomburrow Commander Surveys Dozer's Artifact Cube Rusty Box of Goblins Eiganjo Drift UberBear's “Selfie of Two Anthonys” The Twube Tupelo Honey The Irregular Cube Riptide Lab Lucky Paper Cube Events Page Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

No regular episode of Lucky Paper Radio this week, sadly, but in an effort to not leave y'all empty handed and to help highlight a great new Cube podcast, we're bringing you and episode of Kade Goforth's Recross the Paths. Discussed in this episode: Bloomburrow and Bloomburrow Commander Surveys Recross the Paths on Spotify Recross the Paths RSS Feed Squares that Cube: Fitting Cubes to Your Community with Maramas UberCube

Andy and Anthony each rank every evergreen creature ability and then, tier by tier, discuss what they love each adds (or doesn't) to the game. View all cards discussed in this episode. Discussed in this episode: Bloomburrow and Bloomburrow Commander Surveys Evergreen Keyword Abilities Tier List Maker dinrovahorror's Draft of the Neoclassical Cube The Oldest School Flash Gordon Theme Song Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 0:30 - Tier list and evergreen keyword ability overview 3:45 - F Tier 8:56 - D Tier 27:29 - C Tier 33:15 - B Tier 40:11 - A Tier 45:20 - S Tier 52:40 - The biggest differences between Anthony's and Andy's Tier Lists 53:57 - Why are aggressive mechanics so good and the defensive mechanics so bad? Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony take a first look at Bloomburrow, breaking down the mechanics, flavor, and the cards their interested in giving a try in their on Cube environments. View all cards mentioned in this episode Discussed in this episode: Bloomburrow Community Survey Commander Set Survey Bloomburrow Mechanics Overview Episode 193: 100 Ornithopters in a Trenchcoat Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 2:46 - Bloomburrow Flavor and Vibes 6:11 - Mail bag 8:28 - Offspring 11:24 - Gift 15:32 - Forage 16:58 - Valiant 20:24 - Expend 26:03 - Pawprints 29:08 - Creature Type Matters 34:18 - Other Returning and Unnamed Mechanics 38:22 - 100 Ornithopters Cube Inclusions 39:28 - Honorable Mention: Heirloom Epic 40:35 - Honorable Mention: Dawn's Truce 41:03 - Honorable Mention: Season of Gathering 43:30 - Gossip's Talent 45:15 - Innkeeper's Talent 48:05 - Three Tree City 49:22 - Turbo Cube Inclusions 49:49 - Barkform Harvester 50:29 - Agate Assault 51:39 - Coruscation Mage 52:45 - Heaped Harvest 53:40 - Stocking the Pantry 54:38 - Wear Down 55:04 - Briya, Riptide Rogue 57:30 - Bun Magic Cube Inclusions 58:41 - Honorable Mention: The Infamous Cruelclaw 59:37 - Honorable Mention: Hired Claw 1:01:27 - Honorable Mention: Iridescent Vinelasher 1:02:48 - Honorable Mention: Mockingbird 1:04:07 - Darkstar Augur 1:05:57 - Emberheart Challenger 1:06:42 - Kitsa, Otterball Elite 1:08:22 - Stormchaser's Talent 1:10:48 - Fell 1:12:00 - Regular Cube Additions 1:12:17 - Honorable Mention: Mousetrapper 1:12:51 - Honorable Mention: Heartfire Hero 1:15:09 - Honorable Mention: Sazcap's Brew 1:15:53 - Honorable Mention: Peerless Recycling 1:17:04 - Honorable Mention: Patchwork Banner 1:17:40 - Bravekin Duo 1:18:38 - Eddymurk Crab 1:19:48 - Tempest Angler 1:20:51 - Bonus: Flowerfoot Swordmaster Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

In the first “book club” episode, Andy, Anthony, and Parker talk about The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz. The book sets out to defend the thesis that games are artistic works (or, more descriptively, “aesthetic works”) worth the same level of appreciation as other art forms and teach sophisticated, systems-thinking. After reading the book, our hosts talk about what they took away from the book and some aspects they were a little more critical of. Thank you to the listeners who joined the book club and send in their own takes! Cards mentioned in this episode. Discussed in this episode: The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz Serpentes QWOP Junkbot (Flash Game) Law of the Instrument Episode 206: The Joy of Gaming with Richard Garfield Sturgeon's Law The Selfish Gene Games and the Art of Agency Armored Core The Narcissism of Minor Differences Skip Barber Racing School Andy's 5 Color Starter Decks Game Theory Your Brain is Hardwired to Love Games with Kelly Clancy Universal Paperclips Nose Dive by Harold McGee A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 4:13 - What is a book club, anyway? 5:51 - Summary of The Beauty of Games 9:17 - Do we need to defend the position that games are meaningful? 14:02 - Andy's Two Main Criticisms of The Beauty of Games 17:07 - Games as an aesthetic experience 21:34 - Gamer Knowledge™️ 23:31 - The Reasons for Doubt and Frank's rebuttal to them 31:36 - Unpacking the conclusion of The Beauty of Games 41:19 - Ought we blame the beneficiaries of inequitable systems? 45:07 - How games crystalize satisfying action, and what satisfying actions does Magic capture? 58:17 - Why do we as Cube designers put so much knowledge between our players and the satisfying experiences Magic offers? 1:06:50 - Listener Submitted Clips Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy and Anthony talk about complexity in Magic. After their discussion on the previous episode on Andy's Neoclassical Cube comparing arguable simplicity of old school Magic cards, and continued discussion on the MTG Cube Talk Discord, they talk about the nature and different types of complexity. They compare cards which are simpler to read vs to play with and how different types of complexity effect the feel of the game. View all cards mentioned in this episode on our website. Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 3:06 - GayTransMulldrifter's Belated MH3 Hot Take 12:27 - Strategic Complexity and its costs 33:26 - Kitsa, Otterball Elite Korner 39:45 - Lenticular design 50:52 - The tension between accessible and skill testing environments Discussed in this episode: The Neoclassical Cube Steel City Cube Join the MTG Cube Talk Discord Andy's Mono-Colored Starter Decks MachineSchooling's 2007 Nostalgia Cube Taskmaster: Series 12, Episode 8 Maro on strategic and comprehension complexity Maro on lenticular design and Drive to Work Part 1 and Part 2 Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our P.O. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Andy and Anthony talk about Andy's Neoclassical Cube. They talk about some of the changes Andy's been making leading up to it being played by a wider audience at Steel City Cube. They talk about how the design philosophy has evolved and their recent experience playing the Cube. View all cards mentioned in this episode. Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction and Airplane Corner 6:04 - Overview of the Neoclassical Cube and why old school Magic might appeal to players due to its simplicity 10:44 - The Beauty of Games Book Club Check In 12:15 - Lucky Paper Mail Bag: bird p1p1 and custom cards in cube 20:07 - Deep-dive on the design of the Neoclassical Cube: what defines ‘old school' Magic? 27:16 - Dialing in the right quantity and quality of powerful enablers 32:41 - Storm in the Neoclassical Cube 38:37 - Resource denial, creatureless decks, and other aesthetic departures from modern Magic 47:46 - The Kiki Jiki Question 52:41 - The state of Reanimator 55:07 - The death of the cycling deck 57:37 - The state of the Burn deck Discussed in this episode: The Neoclassical Cube Steel City Cube The Turbo Cube The Beauty of Games Slate-Colored Dark-Eyed Junko Kakapo and David Attenborough Intertwingled Episode 134: The Neoclassical Cube: The Spirit of Old-School Magic, With a Twist Episode 150: Going Against Your Intuition: A Different Approach to Tuning the Neoclassical Cube 2007 Nostalgia Cube Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the results of the Modern Horizons 3 Cube Community Set Review. As usual, we asked the Cube community to share what cards from the set they're interested in trying in their Cubes, for whatever reasons that are relevant to their own curation goals, and how confident they are the cards will be hits. We compiled the results and our hosts talk through the top cards, as well as some trends and interesting patterns in the communities expectations for the set. View all cards mentioned in this episode → Discussed in this episode: Modern Horizons 3 Community Set Review Commander Set Community Review Usman's MH3 Cube Commentary Episode 205: Full Vintage Rotisserie Draft The Devoid Cube Andy's Mono-Colored Starter Decks Ten Thousand Posts Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 4:03 - Overview of Set Review Structure 5:23 - Broad Modern Horizons 3 survey facts and figures 9:21 - Headline mechanics that didn't crack the top cards tested 17:29 - Individual Card Discussion 17:53 - 11. Emperor of Bones 24:38 - 10. Brainsurge 27:34 - 9. Reckless Pyrosurfer 30:20 - 8. Wight of the Reliquary 33:21 - 7. Warren Soultrader 37:59 - 6. Phlage, Titan of Nature's Fury 42:48 - 5. Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd 46:05 - 4. Six 49:23 - 3. Nethergoyf 55:32 - 2. Psychic Frog 1:00:24 - 1. Marionette Apprentice 1:03:48 - Honorable Mention: The Landscape Cycle 1:06:26 - Honorable Mention: Accursed Marauder 1:08:01 - The powerful cards people are mostly not testing Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Fresh off of Boston Cube Party, Andy, Anthony, and Patrick recap their weekend of Cubing. They talk through highlights of the event and the Cubes they drafted over a great weekend of Magic. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Boston Cube Party Episode 206, with Richard Garfield Andy's Twitter thread recapping the weekend The Devoid Cube Creatureless Cube Da Cube Zone Ixalan - M20 Standard Cube The Sci Fi Cube The Buildaround Cube The Altered Cube Isabella Gardner Collection Lucky Paper Events Page Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 5:39 - Boston Cube Party Tournament Report 9:33 - Neoclassical Cube Train Draft 14:55 - 100 Ornithopters Cube Draft 18:00 - Saturday Morning Draft 27:44 - Saturday Afternoon Draft 37:55 - Sunday Morning Draft 49:15 - Sunday Afternoon Draft 1:05:49 - Top 8 Draft Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts' Cubes on Cube Cobra: Andy's “Bun Magic” Cube Anthony's “Regular” Cube If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: If you'd like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Lucky PaperPO Box 4855Baltimore, MD 21211