The Cube Design Paradox

View all cards mentioned in this episode (http://luckypaper.co/podcast/250-the-...) Andy 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 (https://www.ariellejohnson.com/) , by Arielle Johnson • The Noma Guide to Fermentation (https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-noma...) • The Art of Fermentation (https://www.wildfermentation.com/the-...) • Anthony’s First Koji Test (https://bsky.app/profile/anthony.luck...) • 100 Ornithopters (https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/1...) • Degenerate Micro Cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d...) • Regular Cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/r...) • Evergreen Ability Tier List Episode of Lucky Paper Radio (https://luckypaper.co/podcast/213-fre...) • Mono Black Cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/b...) • The Turbo Cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/t...) • Turbo Cube Changes with Julien Episode of Lucky Paper Radio (https://luckypaper.co/podcast/241-min...) • Lucky Paper Events Page (https://luckypaper.co/events/) Check us out on Twitch (  / luckypapermtg  )  and YouTube (   / @luckypaper  )  for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: • Andy’s “Bun Magic” Cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/a...) • Anthony’s “Regular” Cube (https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/r...) You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord (  / discord  ) . Send in questions to the show at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])  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 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...)  or wherever you listen. Musical production by DJ James Nasty (  / jamesnasty  ) . Timestamps • 0:00 - Intro • 0:57 - Pickle Corner • 8:48 - The Nature of the Cube Design Paradox • 12:52 - Disenchants in 100 Ornithopters • 17:03 - Ensnaring Bridge in the Degenerate Micro Cube • 24:52 - Red in the Regular Cube • 27:23 - The Defunct Mono Black Cube • 29:59 - Combo Decks in the Turbo Cube • 37:17 - Constructed Magic Precedent for the Cube Design Paradox • 43:21 - Andy’s barely baked theory of power distribution’s impact on decks most likely to be drafted • 53:57 - Tools to Navigate the Cube Design Paradox