Lucky Paper Radio

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

Andy and Anthony are joined by Richard Garfield, legendary game designer and the creator of Magic: the Gathering. Richard talks about how he got interested in modifying and tweaking games, his concept that players can be loosely understood as either ‘honers’ or ‘innovators’, and why some games with great mechanics have no soul as a result of overdevelopment. Andy and Anthony also take advantage of this opportunity to ask Richard about his relationship to Cube, getting insight into how he designs his own and what he values about the format. They cover all the most salient Cube topics, including handling feedback from players, how to approach power level outliers, and how to manage complexity. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 1:49 - Welcoming Richard Garfield to the show 3:31 - How Richard got started modifying games 11:12 - How do you know when a game has gotten too complex? 17:37 -  Honers vs. Innovators 22:48 - Richard’s relationship to Cube 28:46 - On “Overdeveloped” Games 31:22 - The virtues of a wider power level band 43:09 - How to process feedback from players 46:58 - Is getting into nature an important part of Richard’s creative process 49:15 - The role of visual and narrative elements in games 55:00 - Designing a meta vs designing a game 58:10 - Richard’s current favorite games 1:02:56 - Richard’s game design book recommendations Discussed in this episode: MH3 Community Review Survey and the Commander Set Survey Episode 202: Reading Series — The Creator of ‘Magic the Gathering’ Knows Exactly Where it All Went Wrong Stratego Dungeons and Dragons Algomancy The Encyclopedia of Chess Variations Balatro Founders of Reyvik Finkel vs. Garfield Deckmasters Garfield vs. Finkel Product Slay the Spire Spectromancer Munchkin Innovation, by Carl Chudyk Quadradius Gamut of Games, by Sid Sackson New Rules for Classic Games, by R. Wayne Schmittberger 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

Anthony is taking a break this week and it takes no less than two other people to fill his shoes, so Andy is joined by two other friends from their Baltimore playgroup to discuss two recent roto drafts of the full vintage card pool. They share their strategies surrounding this complicated draft format and talk about whether or not it led to actually fun games, while also touching on how this exercise informs their own Cube designs and why some cards from Magic’s history are just miserable to play with and against. Is full vintage roto the future? Or just an overwhelming way to ineveitably get Strip Mine locked? ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: MH3 Community Review Survey and the Rotisserie Draft Template First Full Vintage Roto Card Pool Second Full Vintage Roto Card Pool Splendor Cascadia The Beauty of Games 0:00 - Introduction 3:12 - Overview of Rotisserie Draft 4:54 - Our experience with Full Vintage Rotisserie Drafting 31:35 - Does this draft format actually lead to fun games? 37:35 - Observations on which cards got drafted and which didn’t 43:51 - Andy’s rant against the Initiative 51:10 - The way full vintage rotos impact cube design considerations 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 first look at Modern Horizons 3. The latest installment of this Time Spiral-esque series continues the tradition of a huge range of cards and an abundance of callbacks and remixes of classics. Our hosts talk about their overall impressions of the set and go into individual cards their interested in generally and for specific Cubes. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: MH3 Community Review Survey and the Commander Set Survey The Beauty of Games, by Frank Lantz Carmen Klomparens’ Tweet about the Wedge/Shard Fetchlands GLHF Modern Horizons 3 Rules Episode with Judge Rob Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction and Admin 8:07 - Card by Card Discussion: Regular Cube 8:23 - Mandibular Kite 9:40 - Expel the Unworthy 12:24 - Indebted Spirit 13:41 - Brainsurge 15:16 - Lethal Throwdown 18:14 - Retrofitted Transmogrant 19:37 - Mogg Mob 20:48 - Molten Gatekeeper 21:14 - Fanatic of Rhonas 22:13 - Kudo, King Among Bears 24:44 - Wight of the Reliquary 27:30 - Pinnacle Monk 29:56 - Deceptive Landscape 31:41 - Card by Card Discussion: Turbo Cube 32:00 - Vexing Bauble 33:38 - Disruptor Flute 35:07 - Fanged Flames 35:51 - Glimpse the Impossible 37:04 - Molten Gatekeeper 37:57 - Warren Soultrader 39:42 - Urza’s Cave 41:21 - Glaring Fleshraker 43:24 - A diversion about lands in the Turbo Cube 47:23 - Monumental Henge, Arena of Glory, and Shifting Woodland 51:25 - Glyph Elemental 52:29 - Guide of Souls 57:57 - Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd 1:00:35 - Consign to Memory 1:01:49 - Shadow of the Second Sun 1:04:01 - Nethergoyf 1:05:50 - Detective’s Phoenix 1:07:47 - Reckless Pyrosurfer 1:08:33 - Skoa, Embermage 1:09:47 - Birthing Ritual 1:11:41 - Six 1:13:49 - Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury 1:17:23 - Fell the Profane 1:18:08 - Waterlogged Teachings 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

Andy and Anthony talk about the history of architecture and the design of the physical spaces we inhabit. They draw parallels to design more broadly, the design of games as mental spaces, and specifically Cube design. Discussed in this episode: The Beauty of Games Buckminster Fuller Tech Won’t Save Us, Episode 221: Tech’s Plan to ‘Ethnically Cleanse’ San Francisco Cod, by Mark Kurlansky GeoGuessr Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Nine Men’s Morris No One Knows How to Make a Computer Mouse TED Talk — Andy’s note: as it turns out, this talk absolutely sucks, lol. It’s almost like a parody of a bad TED talk. Toaster Made from Scratch, by Thomas Thwaites The Brown Center Antoni Goudy Catenaries Typescript Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 5:22 - Generalists vs. Specialists and Contextual Knowledge 11:55 - Andy and Anthony’s Relationship to Architecture 16:48 - The Abstract Similarities between Architecture and Game Design 23:46 - An abridged history of Architecture and how it connects to game design — Vernacular Architecture 33:05 - Architecture in the European Renaissance and the changing relationship between the designer and the building 39:23 - The Industrial Revolution and Modernism 41:51 - Andy and Anthony’s Relationship with Modern Architecture 55:51 - 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: 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

Andy and Anthony read and comment on the entirety of a recent article on the early history of Magic and it’s creator’s struggles with the game. The article, including quotes from an interview with Richard Garfield, explores his complex relationship to his creation. It explores his perspective on games, and why he values them. Since it’s first publication, Richard has struggled to re-create the experiences he found most valuable from the pre-publication version. Our hosts unpack the article, give their own perspective, and inevitably tie it back to their own Cube experience. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: The PDH Pod, Episode 100 The Creator Of ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Knows Exactly Where It All Went Wrong, by Nick Zarzycki on Defector Six Man Zonk Yahtzee Radical Markets, by Eric A. Posner and Eric Glen Weyl Law of the Instrument Mindstorms, by Seymour Papert Keyforge Netrunner Orange (colour) Patrice O’Neal Hearthstone Shandalar, 1997 Computer Game Uber Cube Podcast Squares that Cube Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 1:54 - Overview of episode format 4:57 - Read Through Begins 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 novelty Cubes. Many Cubes are built around a novelty concept or design restriction. Novelty designs can be fun and light, but gimmicks can also pigeonhole cubes, making them feel unworthy of serious attention. Our hosts discuss their experience with novelty design, from its benefits to its challenging implications. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Anthony’s Turbo Cube Andy’s 100 Ornithopters Cube Andy’s Degenerate Micro Cube The Bolt Cube The Descent Into Avernus Anthony’s Defunct Monoblack Cube Gimmicks Novelties Dan Dan — Rhystic Studies Video Anthony’s Battle Box Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 3:45 - What is novelty in Cube design? 8:38 - How does novelty impact draft vs gameplay? What about self-imposed restrictions? 17:13 - The Monoblack Cube, The Turbo Cube, and first impressions of your themes “at common” 29:08 - A Ward Sliver Detour 35:54 - What can Dan Dan’s virality teach us about novel ways to play Magic? 49:44 - Pack 1, Pick 1 from the 100 Ornithopters 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 and Anthony celebrate their 200th episode!! They look back at where they were and how they approached Magic when they started the podcast vs now. Andy reverse engineer’s his Cube list from the time and talks about how his tastes in Magic have changed. Anthony goes a little off the rails as they talk about how to still get the most enjoyment out of the game at a less involved level. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Infinite Jest On Food and Cooking Nose Dive, by Harold McGee xkcd: everything is applied math Andy’s Bun Magic cube List circa the beginning of the podcast Linguistic Relativity Benjamin Lee Whorf Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 7:44 - The Top 200 Most Powerful Cards for Vintage Cube 13:05 - Episode Overview 15:15 - Four Years of the Bun Magic Cube 38:16 - Four Years of Anthony’s Relationship to Magic 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 “tutors” in Cube and how cards that give you access to any card in your library impact the game. Historically, both of our hosts have tended to avoid them in most of their Cube designs, but the serve a unique function that could make them worth considering. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Intro 100 Ornithopters Neoclassical Cube Irregular Cube All Tutors on Scryfall The Cube Map Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 2:12 - Andy’s Salty Bad Beats 8:20 - What is a tutor? 11:10 - What tutors have Anthony and Andy been playing since the beginning and why? 16:21 - Why have Anthony and Andy mostly avoided unconditional tutors in their Cube designs? 18:48 - Tutors in the Neoclassical Cube 37:24 - Tutors in 100 Ornithopters 43:47 - Our hosts current advice on designing with tutors 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

Andy, Anthony, and Parker review the results of our Cube community set survey for Outlaws of Thunder Junction. As with every set, we asked Cube designers which cards they’re excited about from Magic’s latest world of hats, and how confident they are in them remaining in their Cubes long-term. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Outlaws of Thunder Junction Cube Prospective Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander Cube Prospective Usman’s Deep Dive on OTJ Magic: the Colonized — Parker’s Article on the OTJ World Builing Decisions MST3K Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 6:16 - Episode Overview 21:51 - 10. Phantom Interference 24:45 - 9. Aven Interrupter 28:26 - 8. Nurturing Pixie 32:06 - 7. Requisition Raid 34:43 - 6. Three Steps Ahead 38:44 - 5. Harvester of Misery 46:24 - 4. Legion Extruder 52:35 - 3. Bristly Bill, Spinesower 57:53 - 2. Slickshot Showoff 1:03:57 - 1. Forsaken Miner 1:07:07 - Honorable Mention Tinybones 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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 designing a Cube starting with a single card as inspiration. Starting with Goblin Charbelcher, they each explore themes and mechanics that could make the card relevant in a Cube, and build off those to create rough Cube skeletons. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Episode 182: Emergent Cube Design by Example Our Teaser on YouTube UberCube Event Lucky Paper Cube Events Page Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 3:11 - Overview of episode 4:37 - Meta show business, including the first edition of the Lucky Paper Mailbag 11:57 - All about our focal card: Goblin Charbelcher 16:11 - Anthony’s Charbelcher Journey 31:14 - Andy’s Charbelcher Journey 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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 Sam from Rhystic Studies to talk about his first Cube design project. Sam, who produces thoughtful, carefully written videos on Magic, has been interested in Cube design for years and has finally made the leap to create his own list. They talk about what motivates Sam’s design goals, how he’s approached the project, and what he’s looking forward to in his first experiences playing it. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 3:06 - Betrayal Corner and the Magic to Game Design Pipeline 7:53 - Introduction to “Kitchen Table All Stars”, Sam’s new Cube 11:46 - Why now and why Cube is Sam’s “end game” for Magic 22:22 - Cube Design in the Liminal Space Between the First Complete List and the First Actual Draft 30:23 - What Are Sam’s Goals for the First Draft 44:34 - What are the other hallmark cards of Kitchen Table All Stars? 51:38 - Identifying and Handling Power Outliers 56:13 - Pack 1, Pick 1 from Sam’s Cube Discussed in this episode: Intro backing music “Lonesome Journey” by KeysOfMoonMusic Betrayal (Board Game) Pandemic (Board Game) Sam’s Cube, “Kitchen Table All Stars” Episode 191: Vibes-Forward Cube Design with Ryan Overturf Steve Stillman on Twitter Episode 182: Emergent Cube Design by Example 100 Ornithopters in a Trenchcoat Caleb Gannon’s Drafts of His Own Powered Synergy Cube on MTGO Sam’s Interview on Humans of Magic Hillary’s “Baby’s First Cube” DanDan Dear Gonti, Love Sophie by Rhystic Studies Understanding Sagas | How Magic Art Depicts In-World Histories by Rhystic Studies Red Deck Wins by Rhystic Studies Games Within Games | The Story of “Forgetful Fish” by Rhystic Studies 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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.

Our Cube Prospective Surveys for Outlaws of Thunder Junction is now open! Let us know what you are testing in your cube from the latest set. Andy and Anthony talk about their first impressions of Outlaws of Thunder Junction and the cards their interested in for their own Cube lists. Anthony is not too impressed by the aesthetics of the set, but they manage to power through, talk about the mechanics and how they might be relevant to different Cube designers, and even a few individual cards that stand out. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Kristen Schaal is a Horse! Washington Cube Champs Cali Cube Champs Get tickets Join the Discord Uber Cube Event Boston Cube Party Cube Dungeon Con MagicCon Panel About Representation of Native Peoples, Thanks Brodie! The Holodeck Episode 129 on the State of the Game and Design for an “Eternal World” Good Morning Magic “The Problem with Kicker and How We Fixed It” Andy’s Monocolored Starter Decks An Ode to Scalable Threats, by Andy Emma Partlow’s tweet about the OTJ set symbols Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 3:26 - Upcoming Cube Event Rundown 9:17 - Andy and Anthony’s Broad Impressions of Outlaws of Thunder Junction 25:27 - Mechanics from Outlaws of Thunder Junction 26:10 - Outlaws 28:19 - Committing a Crime 36:01 - Spree 44:29 - Mounts and Saddle 48:08 - Plot 51:12 - Unnamed mechanics and themes 52:14 - Bun Magic Cube Additions 52:55 - Slick Shot Showoff 53:48 - Goldvein Hydra 54:50 - Harvester of Misery 56:22 - Andy’s long list of half-considered ‘maybes’ for the Bun Magic Cube 57:04 - Regular Cube Additions 57:41 - Trained Arynx 58:32 - Demonic Ruckus 59:15 - Bristly Bill, Spine Sower 1:00:17 - 100 Ornithopters Additions 1:02:24 - Lost Jitte 1:04:43 - Trash the Town 1:09:10 - Pitiless Carnage 1:10:14 - Pest Control 1:11:03 - Requisition Raid 1:13:07 - Turbo Cube Additions 1:13:28 - Magebane Lizard 1:14:17 - Geralf, the Fleshwright 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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.

Guests Tara, Jenn, and Haiyue join Andy and Anthony for a discussion on making play spaces that are more accountable and inclusive to help grow more diverse playgroups. Tara brings her perspective as a professional diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant; Jenn, their experience organizing and judging events; and Haiyue what she’s learned managing the VML, and, from all of them, much much more. As Cube designers, our hosts and many of our listeners need to grow their communities as much as their Cube lists if they hope to play consistently. Our guests bring their broader perspective on why it’s so important to do that in an inclusive way and how to go about it. Discussed in this episode: Episode 130: Cube Community Building 5 Steps to Break Down Gender Barriers in MTG by guest Haiyue How To Organize Inclusive And Accessible Events by guest Tara with help from other contributors The View From Here by Katie G. Bates Playing with Power — Inclusivity in Magic Safe and Brave Spaces Don’t Work (and What You Can Do Instead) by Elise Ahenkorah The VML CubeCon Redlining in the United States Magic the Gathering Infraction Procedure Guide Set Boundaries Find Peace Book by Nedra Tawwab No Land Beyond Tara’s Website 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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 Andy’s newest Cube experiment: a cube who’s only creatures are Ornithopters. Andy couldn’t help but entertain the idea of an all-ornithopter Cube in a humorous tweet, and a recent draft of it in the Cube Con discord inspired him to flesh out the idea even further. Our first playmat is currently available for pre-order! Illustrated by Andy and featuring gold, foiled details it expresses our love of the most punk rock Magic format. Pre-order a playmat here The show now has a dedicated PO box. Want to send us a letter? A drawing? I don’t know, maybe an Ornithopter you doodled on you want Andy to put in his Cube? Send it along to: Lucky Paper PO Box 4855 Baltimore, MD 21211 ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: McMurdo Station Antartica Our Previous Episode Discussing Art Star Trek: The Next Generation MtG Cube Talk Discord Server Carly Mazur’s About Page Can it be all Ornithopters? CubeCon Discord Server ChillMTG on YouTube Cubes Mentioned: 100 Ornithopters Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 1:39 - Opening up the Plug Bag 6:24 - Art Episode Follow Up 20:02 - 100 Ornithopters Cube Introduction 25:50 - Anthony’s First Impressions of 100 Ornithopters 32:25 - The powerful strategies this cube supports 41:33 - Known issues with the 100 Ornithopters 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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.

Our first, limited edition playmat is now available for pre-order. The playmat is designed and illustrated by Andy and custom printed to order. Orders will only be available for a limited time. Pre-order a mat here. Andy and Anthony talk about “ART!” loosely as it relates to Magic: The Gathering. They talk about the role of creative work in the game, the nuances of art and illustration, how the approach to illustration has changed over the history of the game, and even the present and future of large language model generated images. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: ART THOUGHTZ: How to Make an Art. “The Game” Garden Path Sentences Google’s new artificial intelligence can’t understand these sentences. Can you? Rhystic Studies: “my next video is about that painting you hate” Klimt Mannerist Painting Algomancy Midjourney Tweening The Arts and Crafts Movement Carly Mazur’s Portfolio Marina Abramovich Cube Map Print The Room Movie Poster Impressionism Episode 42: Cube, Art School, & Critical Discourse Tromploi Claude Monet Édouard Manet Jackson Pollock Piet Mondrian Adobe Photoshop Generative Fill Minecraft Robert Hodgin: Meander WotC statement saying they won’t use AI Sturgeon’s Law Apophysis Make my hot dog hotter Edward Muybridge: The Horse in Motion The Slo Mo Guys on Youtube Trashfuture: Big Tesco Back Tattoo ft. Tom O’Mahony Well There’s Your Problem: The Death of Hyperloop Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction and Garden Path Sentence Corner 5:24 - Overview of episode 7:57 - Why is there art in Magic? 10:22 - Are the illustrations in Magic even “Art”? 28:56 - What do we think about Carly Mazur’s Faithless Looting? 34:44 - The Invention of the Camera and the Beginning of Modern Art 46:34 - On AI Generated Art 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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 Ryan Overturf, sharing his Cube design wisdom. Starting with Ryan’s articles on power outliers and letting fun drive Cube design, they talk about their approach to Cube design and how they let play experience, vibes, and taste inform their processes. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Ryan on Star City Games Power Level Outliers And How To Handle Them In Magic Cubes Magic Cube Design: Make The Fun Thing The Good Thing Andrew Elenbogen’s Tweet on Magic Data Pony by Orville Peck Cascade Cube The Turbo Cube The r/spikes spoiler thread for Treasure Cruise @RyanOverdrive on Twitter Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 3:51 - What is a power level outlier? 18:40 - Exciting cards to draft and the right vs. the wrong power outliers 28:54 - How power level outliers might make the game more egalitarian 33:05 - Making mopey threats appealing with the power of nostalgia 35:46 - Power level outlier’s contributions to a player’s ability to  make a comeback 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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 Murders at Karlov Manor Cube Community Survey and discuss the top cards, tested by the most Cube designers. They dig into some trends, patterns, and surprises in the cards people are giving a chance in their environments. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: Usman’s Card-by-card MKM Review MKM Community Survey Results Characters of the Board Game Clue John Mulaney All about Clue on Stuff You Should Know Episode 186: Murders at Karlov Manor First Impressions Episode 187: Personal Cube Additions Look up Past Lucky Paper Survey Submissions Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction and Clue Talk 7:10 - Overview of Set Review Format 9:26 - Carnage Interpreter from Ravnica: Clue Edition 14:15 - Unshakable Tail from Murders at Karlov Manor Commander 17:26 - Murders at Karlov Manor in Broad Stokes 19:18 - 9. Cryptic Coat 25:15 - 8. Aftermath Analyst 27:42 - 7. Deduce 30:21 - 6. Escape Tunnel 33:24 - 5. Snarling Gorehound 35:10 - 4. Surveil Lands 39:08 - 3. Sharp-Eyed Rookie 44:05 - 2. Novice Inspector 46:41 - 1. Demand Answers Cubes mentioned: Pulp Nouveau 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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 layers of interaction in Cube design. Some cards interact with particular effects. Other cards are, in turn, resistant to those responses. Inevitably other cards get around those resistances. Our hosts talk about how they approach these orders of interaction. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: GeoGuessr Wingspan Splendor Episode 31 on Density of “Bread and Butter” Effects Episode 101 on Density of Disruption Episode 111 on The Texture of Removal Episode 127 on Density of Threats Who’s the Beatdown The Dollop Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 1:57 - What does it mean to ‘interact’ in Magic 6:38 - What sorts of mechanics limit ‘interactivity’? 8:37 - Andy’s concept of orders or tiers of interaction 38:27 - What densities and types of second-order interaction to Andy and Anthony include in their primary cubes?  Cubes Mentioned: Degenerate Micro Cube The Neoclassical Cube Bun Magic Cube Regular Cube Uber Bear’s Artifact 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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.

Well, it’s my (Andy’s) final week of writing the show notes as punishment for losing a bet against Anthony. But that’s ok, because writing these particular notes is a privilege, as we are joined by special guest Emma Partlow on this episode! We’be been trying to get Emma on the show for a long time and I’m really glad we were finally able to make it happen. We use her Peasant Cube as a jumping off point to discuss playing Magic with rarity and budget restrictions, what traits describe the platonic ideal of an uncommon, how to navigate the endless sea of card variants spewing out of Wizards of the Coast these days, and the value of accessibility of all kinds. My take on Thraben Inspector from last week, which you all have been ruthlessly dragging me for, did not come up. I presume she didn’t hear it and none of you better tell her!!! If you tell her I’m going to be so mad at you. ⁠View all cards mentioned in the episode →⁠ Discussed in this episode: @emmadpartlow on Twitter The Herald’s Horn Playing with Power Episode on Inclusivity Emma’s Peasant Cube Eric Klug’s Peasant Cube Emma’s Budget Version of Her Peasant Cube The 2023 Year in Review Dandan MTG cares more about collectability than accessibility - and it’s making the TCG worse by Emma Partlow The Neoclassical Cube The Black Mage (Final Fanasty) Ogre Battle Tactics Tactics Ogre: Reborn on the Switch A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton Emma’s Linktree Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction 5:17 - How did Emma get introduced to Magic 8:17 - When did Emma discover the joy of Cube? 11:53 - Emma’s roots in rarity and budget restrictions 17:41 - Downshifts and rarity restricted Cube design 26:33 - What is the most uncommony uncommon card? 30:57 - On Emma’s inclusion of controversially powerful cards in her peasant Cube 37:52 - Emma’s local Cube playgroup 45:34 - Does Emma think of herself as a casual or competitive player? 47:05 - How does Emma prioritize accessibility vs. bling in her card variant selection for her cube? 52:33 - Potpurri 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. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co. You can also find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. 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.