Recross the Paths

This week, Trae is our spirit guide through Spirit Guide! In this fascinating landless cube, every card can be exiled for one mana of its color. Welcome to the home of wild card draw, wilder plays, and enough probability to satisfy any statistician. We discuss the journey from a constructed format to a limited format, radical context shifts, how Ancestral Recall may not be good, and much more.

Spirit Guide on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/SpiritGuide?view=primer

Trae on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/6071aa5b00e3ff1066c31ca3

Trae is @trae__ on Discord

Trae's Discord server for funky formats (including Spirit Guide constructed):https://discord.gg/MnU5ypFQ5p

Email the show at [email protected]

This week Max and Sakari share about their experiences in cube together. From designing a masters set, to curating surprise drafts, to hosting Motticon - a growing cube tournament in their home country of Finland - there's a lot to be encouraged by. We discuss pursuing a re-draftable environment, the value of working together, why you should include Park Map in your next cube project, and much more.

Learn more about Motticon: https://motticon.com/

The Motticon website also has links to the Discord where you can connect with Max about their tournament app!

Sakari's Mono Blue Cube: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/MonoUcube?view=primer

Max's Downward Spiral: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/downward-spiral?view=primer

Three delightful blog posts about designing Premodern Masters:

https://premodernmagic.com/blog/introducing-premodern-masters/

https://premodernmagic.com/blog/designing-premodern-masters/

https://premodernmagic.com/blog/premodern-masters-the-digital-and-physical-experience/

Premodern Masters: https://premodernmasters.com/

Email the show at [email protected]

This week, Jay Dragon joins me to talk about game design through the lens of The Magpie's Cube, a whimsical sticker cube that gives players license to create. Jay is the Lead Game Designer at Steve Jackson Games and the Editorial Director at Possum Creek Games. We discuss the power and potential of stickers, the joy of unraveling Magic's grammar, outsmarting games (and being okay with being outsmarted), and much more.

Support Jay on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/possumcreek

Possum Creek Games: https://possumcreekgames.com/

Jay's delightful article on The Magpie's Cube: https://possumcreek.medium.com/the-magpies-cube-54eac20f36fd

Jay on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/5ee002664724960f538f6a5f

Jay on bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/jdragsky.bsky.social

Email the show at [email protected]

This week, Dan guides us through the wasteland of Mad Max Cube, a crushing desert environment that showcases the brutality of the Mad Max universe. There's precious little Blue, even less Green, and there's no deckbuilding! We discuss embracing your restrictions, drawing inspiration from possibly the worst format ever, how aesthetics shape design, and much more.

Mad Max Cube on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/1t3q2?view=primer

Dan on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/5ddebd342e9e9a18f63ae37e

Dan is @danconsiglio on Discord

Email the show at [email protected]

This week, Ana welcomes us to The Vintage Cube Retirement Home (aka the Boomer Cube), a resting place for those cards that just can't cut it in the most contemporary Vintage environments. We explore the value of having a thesis, balancing powerful cards in a powerless environment, the joy of every draft being different, and much more.

The Vintage Cube Retirement Home on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/077a945b-f5b0-403c-8900-27bfda429257?view=primer

Ana on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/603c2eb15a1ef3103ba4feb7

Ana is @squiddlyinks on Discord

Email the show at [email protected]

This week, Adam takes us on the nickel tour of The Bargain Bin. This project explores the value of building on a budget and what happens when you aggressively break singleton. We discuss cleanliness over complexity, vulnerability around sharing your ideas, intentionality in design and feedback, how cube is like Shrek, and much more.

The Bargain Bin on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/50Cent

Adam on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/5f3c056c69d5fd104e8d8f17

Adam's articles on CoolStuffInc: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?tagged[]=adam%20melfa

Adam is @adam0013 on Discord

Email the show at [email protected]

You're reading that correctly, this is the original Desert Cube! Andrew (Loxodon_Meyerarch) takes us on a tour of the rainless wasteland of Corince that inspired a whole subgenre of cube design. We discuss inspirations for this historic project, balancing flavor and gameplay, staying true to your own design goals, and much more.

A copy of The Desert Cube on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/2mh?view=primer

The Desert Cube on CubeTutor (through the Wayback Machine): https://web.archive.org/web/20140626041326/https://www.cubetutor.com/cubeblog/10432

Email the show at [email protected] if you'd like to get in touch with Andrew (or with Kade about anything else!)

In this week's cube we're truly spoiled for choice! John guides us through Choose Your Own Adventure, a low-powered synergy cube without Forests in the land box. Will you dig into Burning Vengeance, a different key card, or will you attempt to embrace the green outliers? We explore designing from a web of connections, taking feedback from friends, giving drafters opportunities for ego investment, and much more.

Choose Your Own Adventure on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/choya?view=primer

John on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/2f020741-23b8-4811-8686-87f2ee6162cb

Email the show at [email protected]

This week, Heather guides us through HeatherCube, a competitively-focused environment that celebrates 2015 Magic vibes. HeatherCube was featured at Shoebox and was selected by the top 8 contenders to be the final cube of the main event. We discuss 'quest' cards, fun vs. technical perfection, the value of data and stories, and much more.

HeatherCube on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/HeatherCube?view=primer

Heather on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/644cc1af-7775-404e-9a57-7df99d067913

Email the show at [email protected]

This week, Kyle (aka vacalicious on Reddit) showcases the "Share Your X" series on Reddit, an annual event-turned-resource he hosts where designers discuss their cube inclusions. We also talk about how his personal cube evolved from the childhood 'Box'. We explore cards you cast right before you lose, how design decisions have consequences, being willing to simply try new things, and much more.

The start of this year's Share Your X thread on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/mtgcube/comments/1qxh85m/announcing_the_2026_share_your_x_series/

Kyle is u/vacalicious on RedditKyle's F'ing Cube on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/KylesFingCube?view=primer

If you want to follow Kyle's non-MtG projects, check out:

Beverage Dynamics: https://bevinfogroup.com/beverage-dynamics/

Stateways: https://bevinfogroup.com/stateways/

Email the show at [email protected]