Try as they might, our beloved hosts just can’t stay on track. On this episode, Andy’s attempt to tie up a few loose ends from last week’s episode ends up leading our heroes down another rabbit hole about the Cube design process and how it relates to the player psychographics. It was not a fruitless journey, though! On this episode, Andy and Anthony propose the application of the “Vision Design” and “Play Design” distinction that exists within Magic R&D to Cube design. Tune in to learn all a...
Jan 11, 2021•53 min•Ep. 29
It’s a new year and Lucky Paper Radio is back! They also never went anywhere, but they’re back nonetheless. On this episode, Andy and Anthony intend to talk about Anthony’s multiplayer cube that he couldn’t help but make after our little string of multiplayer-focused episodes a couple months back, but instead, our hosts get riled up and end up talking about what it means to be a “cube spike”, and whether or not such a thing even exists. Things really kick off about 1/3rd of the way through, so b...
Jan 04, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 28
In a year-end extravaganza, Andy and Anthony dedicate an entire episode to doing pack 1, pick 1s from listener submitted cubes. Is this a good idea or a bad idea? We don’t know, but you should tell us what you think ! Listener cubes discussed in this episode: Jason’s 600 Card Unpowered Vintage Cube Sir_Magic_Toast’s Pauper Cube Brimlock’s “Fair” 360 Card Vintage Cube Dave, A.K.A. “Guaplord“‘s High-Powered Cube for His Inexperienced Playgroup Joe, A.K.A. “Phene”s Peasant Cube You can find the hos...
Dec 28, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 27
In a decidedly not-so-special holiday episode, Andy and Anthony are talking about tribal synergies in Cube and announce their first formalized rivalry. They do a pack 1, pick 1 from listener Bastian’s GöCube 1.2 and get real sad about how rude people on the internet have tried to convince him that tribal synergies are “bad for Cube”. Anthony sets the table with an open-faced compliment sandwich about tribal effects, and our two hosts go deep discussing what constitutes a synergy deck, what paras...
Dec 21, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 26
Our hosts are finally ready to share the Degenerate Micro Cube with the world. This episode is a deep dive on what this cube is all about, why Andy loves it so much, and why it’s just not Anthony’s cup of tea. They do a pack 1, pick 1 from the Degenerate Micro Cube , and discuss how it came to be, why storm is always a trap, the value that secret information plays in game design, how speed is inextricably linked with variance, whether a less enfranchised player could figure out Stage Depths comb...
Dec 14, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 25
This episode is all about tempo — what is it, when does it matter, and how do you apply it to your Cube design and gameplay decisions. Andy and Anthony talk about what “aggro” really means, why some games feel like they’re completely out of your control from the first land you play, the tempo vs value axis, taplands, low CMC spells, scaleable threats, cheap interaction, and what Llanowar Elves, Azorius Signet, and Sleight of Hand have in common. Our pack 1, pick 1 this week is from listener Leme...
Dec 07, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 24
This is a comparatively aimless episode where our hosts meander through a couple of vaguely related cube topics. They start off by recapping their recent draft of a friend’s greenless, “Breya” cube , which they also do a pack 1, pick 1 from, then move on to cover how draft decisions change in a cube with only four colors, their evaluation of Karn with pants, the dangers of shortcutting cards in your head, whether it’s more painful to walk into a trap or make an obvious punt, the collection of ca...
Nov 30, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 23
This is your last chance to participate in our Commander Legends Cube Survey ! Please take a few minutes to let us know what you’re testing in your cube from the new set. On this episode, Andy and Anthony are discussing how they would approach building a Commander cube. After giving a little bit of their personal history with EDH and talking about what it has in common with Cube, our dynamic duo goes deep on Commander’s mechanical underpinnings and how they translate to a drafted environment. Co...
Nov 23, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 22
Our Commander Legends Cube Survey is open! Please take a few minutes to let us know what you’re testing in your cube from the new set. On this episode, Andy and Anthony are joined by their friend and Commander connoisseur Daniel to discuss his all-gold cube and review the cards from Commander Legends. Find out how you can draft a filthy aggro deck from a cube with zero one drops, how the Monarch mechanic plays in 1v1 Magic, and whether Jeweled Lotus means that Commander has officially jumped the...
Nov 16, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 21
The boys turn their attention to what at least Andy thinks is an under-appreciated context in which to evaluate cards — the draft. Instead of discussing how cards are played in game or what an ideal deck looks like, they’re talking about how the presence or absence of cards in packs will affect how your players draft. Is it possible to have a deck or color-pair that is perfectly viable in your cube, but no one ever drafts? Can swapping cards in or out fix this issue, or is it entirely attributab...
Nov 09, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 20
On this episode of Lucky Paper Radio Andy and Anthony are looking at the suggestions from Cube Cobra’s recommender for adds and cuts to their respective primary cubes. This is a jumping off point for discussion about which cards they think are under- or overrated, the philosophies at the foundations of their cubes, how single cards can open up entirely new decks in a draft, the merits of various two-mana green ramp spells, how to balance support for an archetype without it becoming too dominant,...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 19
This episode of Lucky Paper Radio covers a range of topics all surrounding the importance of context in cube design and card evaluation. To start, Andy and Anthony do a very spooky pack 1, pick 1 from listener Stephen’s seasonally appropriate Innistrad Cube . They go on to discuss a theoretical Christmasland plane and answer a question from listener Adam about including cards of varying power levels in a cube list. Throughout this conversation, they go in depth about the kinds of cards that scal...
Oct 26, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 18
In a deviation from our regularly scheduled programming, this episode is specifically catered to new cube designers or players that are interested in building a cube but don’t know how to get started. Even if you’re a seasoned cube designer, we hope this conversation helps you be more conscious of how you frame the format to others. An outline of our suggestions: Most importantly, just do it! Don’t overthink your first cube. Magic is fun and draft is self-correcting. Cube is a great format for a...
Oct 19, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 17
On this week’s episode, Andy and Anthony discuss the new, extensive description and draft guide Anthony wrote about his “Regular” Cube and then consider Mark Rosewater’s definitions for the three types of complexity in Magic and how they might be applied to cube design. They talk about what Cube designers might learn from constructed formats, Anthony’s goal of making his cube resemble retail limited, exactly how many copies of Seven Dwarves you can run in a deck, whether all retail limited is ac...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 16
Andy and Anthony are tackling a big subject in this episode: how do you turn experience playing your cube into informed design decisions that improve your environment? What do you do when your players insist that cards you included are either too good or not good enough and need to be cut? How do you handle people that are unwilling to draft or maindeck certain cards that you think are good? The listener submitted pack 1, pick 1 this week is actually a pack 1, pick 2 , because the boys are discu...
Oct 05, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 15
On this special episode of Lucky Paper Radio, Andy and Anthony are joined by Lucky Paper founding contributor Jett Crowdis to preview the results of our Zendikar Rising cube survey and talk about our evolving impressions of the set. After doing a pack 1, pick 1 from listener Jonathan Gibson’s beautifully altered Sol Cube they go on to discuss the most popular and highest ranked cards by our listeners, how the modal double-face cards, both mythic and otherwise, stack up, how ZNR compares to other...
Sep 28, 2020•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 14
This is your last chance to submit a response for the Zenikar Rising Cube Survey . Please take a few minutes to let us know what you’re testing in your cube from the new set so your voice can be part of our upcoming prospective article. Andy and Anthony are dedicating an entire episode to discussing a brand new cube Anthony designed around a little tweak to Magic’s core rules. They kick things off with a pack 1, pick 1 from this very special cube and then review the results of their playtesting ...
Sep 21, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 13
Our Zenikar Rising Cube Survey is open! Please take a few minutes to let us know what you’re testing in your cube from the new set, or if you’re not keeping your paper cube up-to-date through isolation, what you would be testing, under better circumstances. On this episode, Andy and Anthony are talking about power creep as it applies to cube design. They do a pack 1, pick 1 from Swervestar’s The First 10 Years of Magic Cube , of which the owner graciously blessed us with a photograph of a real, ...
Sep 14, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 12
This episode is a deep dive on evaluating the new modal double-face card mechanic from Zendikar Rising by comparing it to a variety of existing mechanics from Magic’s past. Andy and Anthony kick things off by weighing in on what Feed the Swarm means for the color pie, then do a pack 1, pick 1 from listener Nomad’s Budget Cube . Then, they discuss signets, breaking cycles in your cube, the joy of running big, splashy spells at minimal cost, why Andy is going to test Lonely Sandbar, building decks...
Sep 07, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 11
On this very special episode of Lucky Paper Radio , Andy and Anthony give you their first impressions of Zendikar Rising based on the September 1st announcement stream. They discuss: Double-faced lands The new “Party” mechanic The return of Landfall and Kicker Set boosters, and “The List” Upcoming future sets The Yargle Secret Lair Jace Shoes (???) Musical production by DJ James Nasty ....
Sep 02, 2020•41 min
This is an episode about how difficult it is to design a cube. First, Andy and Anthony do a pack 1, pick 1 from Anthony’s “Regular” Cube , which leads into a conversation about their most recent draft of the environment and the kind of feedback Anthony has received about it. They talk about how designing cubes at lower power levels is more difficult for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that players have a bias towards more powerful spells. Then, they’re joined by John Terrill of the C...
Aug 31, 2020•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 10
On this episode, Andy and Anthony bring you the long awaited conclusion of their rotisserie draft of Andy’s cube . They also do a pack 1, pick 1 from, and discuss Anthony’s draft of, Riku’s Jund Cube , which leads into a conversation about black aggro, how profoundly player perceptions shape a draft and our resulting understanding of our environments, just how broken Oko is, a theoretical cube whose only stipulation is that it cannot contain any cards in your main cube, Anthony’s new beginner-fo...
Aug 24, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 9
On this episode, Andy and Anthony discuss how Andy evaluates cards for his cube based on how they perform against opposing decks rather than on their interactions with other cards in the same deck. They do a pack 1, pick 1 from Allison’s Peasant cube , which they have had the pleasure of playing in paper in the before-times. While doing a deep dive on the matchup matrix Andy made for the mono-white aggro deck he rotisserie drafted, they get into details of specific matchups, why equipment and ve...
Aug 17, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 8
On this episode, Andy and Anthony talk about the nature of singleton. They do a pack 1, pick 1 from MinorBug’s “ Tringleton II ” cube, an environment with a 3x card limit as opposed to the more common singleton restriction. They also touch on their favorite satirical how-to YouTube channel , some small tweaks Andy has recently made to his cube , retirement homes in the greater Baltimore area, LBBLBFs , powerful cards that uniquely suffer in singleton environments, red Rabblemasters and their com...
Aug 10, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 7
On this episode, Andy and Anthony are talking all things aggro. They do a pack 1, pick 1 from catofcraft’s “ Fast Cube ”, a low-to-the-ground, efficient environment with no shuffle effects. Anthony dozes off for awhile as Andy talks for ten straight minutes about his personal history with aggro, which leads to a discussion about the definition of aggro and an exploration of how it often manifests itself in typical cube lists and how it might be approached differently. How many aggro decks does y...
Aug 03, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 6
On this episode, Andy and Anthony discuss a pack 1, pick 1 from listener Elle’s ” Graveyard Cube ”, then have a conversation about a recent draft of and big batch of changes to Anthony’s Regular Cube . After one of the best players in our playgroup 3-0’s with a five-color goodstuff deck, Anthony talks about why he sees the success of this deck as a problem and goes into detail about how he plans to solve it. Discussed in this episode: SCGLA - Legacy - Round 3 - Gregory Hatch (Mono-Blue Martyr) v...
Jul 27, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 5
On this episode, Andy and Anthony discuss a pack 1, pick 1 from listener Chris's " Dichotomy Cube ", which consists of 180 white cards, 180 black cards, and exactly one copy of Jace, the Mindsculptor. Then, Anthony takes Andy to task for putting up a crap record in a modified team draft of his own cube , causing Andy to expound on the profound shame of regularly drafting his own cube poorly. Andy explains his favorite 4-person draft format, a modified version of Ryan Spain's Double-Decker Draft ...
Jul 20, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 4
On this episode, Andy and Anthony discuss a pack 1, pick 1 from Andy's cube, their experiences with IKO and M21 sealed, a theoretical cube designed specifically for playing sealed, and how kitchen table Magic is the purest and best form of the game. If you want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube on air send a link to your cube, your name, and pronouns to mail@luckypaper.co .
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 3
On this episode, Andy and Anthony discuss Anthony's array of cubes, and do a deep-dive on his monoblack Cube, talking about its origins, how the environment feels, and some potential changes thanks to new cards from Core 2021 and Jumpstart. You can find Anthony's cube lists on Cube Cobra: Monoblack Cube Normal Cube Cycling Cube...
Jul 05, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 2
On this episode, Andy and Anthony discuss the cards that interest them most from Core Set 2021. If you have a Cube of your own please consider participating in our Cube Set surveys: Core Set 2021 Survey Jumpstart Survey Follow Anthony on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/anthonybmktpt
Jul 05, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 1
