Cube list can be found here: http://www.cubetutor.com/theboardgamecube
Went all out with the conspiracy sideboard and even got tokens sleeved. Next step I think I'll get some cheaper full art lands and then think of how to upgrade it with WotS after it gets played a few times.
Definitely cost a bit more than the original target of $100. I think I spent around $200 in total for the cards, lands, and tokens. 95% of which I was able to get in under two weeks from CardSphere. I was almost instantly able to get everything I needed from there for 80% of the index prices. Tokens we're like 30%. Im sure I could have gone even lower if I wanted to wait a little longer. Definitely recommend checking them out.
This is my first real paper collection so I decided a cheap budgetish cube would be a good start to play with friends. I was going to try the Card Kingdom starter cube, but this one just seemed like it was well worth the extra money.
Edit: Case is a Quiver. Fits the 360 card cube, 15 card Conspiracy card sideboard, 80+ tokens, and 35 of each land with dividers almost perfectly. Really wanted to go with the Dex Protection Supreme Game Chest but I couldn't find any colors I liked. Im happy I didn't though. While it definitely looks a lot better, I absolutely love this case. Super easy to transport and the cards don't budge. I really don't have any complaints and it was a fraction of the cost.
Quiver Black Playing Card Case -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XYC3MNI
Now I'm just waiting on my cubeamajigs to get here.
Look at the unpopular cube; I think the motivation for this cube is exactly as you describe it. And because the cards are unpopular, the are bound to be very cheap.
> All those one-drop aggro black creatures are just bad in cube
I heavily disagree. I have 141 3-0 decks archived and black dominant Orzhov Armageddon / Stax Aggro is the most consistent winning archetype / color combination.
3-0 Deck Archive on Imgur: https://imgur.com/a/KxQwT)
Archetype / Color Combination Google Spreadsheet Breakdown: https://tinyurl.com/yc5rkozt
That's almost exactly what I did, and built 3 pauper cubes: the first pick, the 2nd (those that didn't make it to the first), and the 3d. Then I reinforced the first one with some interesting common cards from older sets, using cubetutor average cubes as a references, and ordering singles off tcgplayer, only if they were cheaper than a quarter. And the third cube I shifted even lower in terms of cards power, imitating something like the unpopular cube, but pauper-only, and with an emphasis on older cards. The goal was to make vanilla bears and some of the iconic old strictly worse cards playable.
The only trick is that if you are ordering off ebay, pick a seller that sells different sets, and contact them in advance, saying that you want them different. I know at least two sellers who would do it for you: kikta1 and osulljeffr. You don't want all 4000 come from Ixalan, but if you have 1000 Ixalan, 1000 HOU/KH, 1000 KLD/AER, and maybe 1000 of even older sets - then it will definitely be fun!
I, for one, absolutely loved the process! =) Best of luck!
I use this . Its really cheap and holds 2 separate cubes, basic lands, tokens and extra sleeves. Each little compartment can hold 100+ cards and the larger ones can hold 200+.
While I love the 3C-2U-1R-1M build for its size (usually is a nice 540ish), it has some short comings when it comes to replicating booster packs. As long as you don't need more than 32 boosters, it works well.
I've read about the uncommon-heavy set cube style which I find fascinating as a concept. It uses the 3C-4U-2R-1M ratio to allow for some better consistency and more powerful decks due to build-around-uncommons showing up more often.
I've spent the last few years trying to figure out a grand Conspiracy cube, but that has been a challenge give how much Conspiracy is at odds with the classic cube singleton feeling. I'm currently working on Battlebond, but that's still in theoretical math land.
We do five packs of 15 and we ditch the last six cards of each pack when we draft with four or five people. You'll still end up with 45 cards, but you'll get to see more cards when drafting (plus the packs don't wheel and wheel). With three people we'll just do a winston draft, with 50 cards per drafter instead of 45.
We don't like doing the 'pick 1, burn 1' (or burn 2) style of drafting as it can add a lot of decisions per pick, which can be a bit overwhelming for some of the players.
By opening five packs, the decks can be pretty tuned but I'd rather err on that side than have incoherent decks that didn't get enough pieces for their strategy or archetype. I want folks playing cube decks as much as possible.
Ok I've made a first take at a nested hierarchical list. This is meant to help me sort/arrange/choose cards to meet my design goals.
​
Here's a link to the Non-Editable version. And here's an Editable version - this community is smart and has a lot more knowledge than I do. If you see a way it could be better, please improve it!
Because there's so much overlap, I decided to break it down into 3 large sorting / tagging categories:
Function (What it does): Provides resources, interaction, changes the game.
Synergies (What it cares about): GY Matters, Spells matter, etc.
Type (What it is): Card type, Effect type (Duration, symmetry, etc), Archetype type (Aggro, Control, Midrange, etc)
https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Shield-Standard-Sleeves-Display/dp/B076VT6HCC/
Sometimes you can get some of the colors for cheaper (for instance, Black are $85 and Slate are $78), but at an average of $85 for a case, you'll have enough for the cube and plenty of extras, and you'll probably never need to replace them. You get them by the case so they don't have differences in size or color (sometimes the edges can be slightly different colors if you buy them by the individual box).
They get a little dirty, but rarely (if ever) do they break or need to be replaced otherwise - I'm 2 years into using mine and there's not a thing wrong with them. If I can get ~4 years out of them, that comes down to approx $20 a year to maintain the cube, and I'd happily pay $85 for a new case if and when they're needed.
I found these 8mm coloured stickers really valuable for quick sorting. Main use for me is card colour identity to help players sort their cards after a draft. For example [[lifecrafter's bestiary]] has a green dot on it.
Archetype / color combination breakdown: https://tinyurl.com/yc5rkozt
Most of the cubes are mine or others similar to mine / the MTGO vintage cube. While we’re not going to go back and try to find out the pilot of each deck, I did compile all my decks yesterday. Since I’m the latest data point, it’ll help reveal the biases.
This sounds like it might be similar to the Legendary cube from Magic Online a couple of years ago. Maybe check out that list to start?
https://magic.wizards.com/en/MTGO/articles/archive/legendary-cube-cardlist
I'm using the Arkhive 800+ for my 450 cards cube (with 200 basic lands). Everything is double sleeved.
It also holds my InfiniteToken and some and some dice. Picture
If you decide you really want the functionality for building packs the way you want on Cubetutor, please consider becoming his patron. You can set up the packs pretty much any way you'd like on a per-card-in-the-pack basis, including rarity (which you can also overwrite in the cube editor).
You mentioned a "skeleton" so maybe you've already seen these, but MaRo has an annual article on how they build sets, and the series has been really interesting. Here's the most recent one:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/nuts-bolts-evaluation-2017-02-20
It has links to the previous Nuts & Bolts articles at the top.
Is this meant to be drafted as a pod of 8 or with more? I personally have 40 basics per color, but you could probably cut to 35. 33 feels a little low personally. 50 tokens, on the flipside, feels like a LOT. How many times are you expecting tokens to come up, and at that volume? Kaladesh really only has 2 tokens: servos and thopters. You only need 1 of each planeswalker emblem and 1-2 of the 6/6 beast. I'd say grab 4-5 energy tokens and see if your cube actually supports more than that many energy decks (I don't remember how incidental energy is, I haven't drafted kaladesh since it came out). I'd probably pack 10 thopters and 10 servos and feel how that plays. For added ease, sleeve your different types of tokens in unique colors of sleeves. Easy to say "the thopters are green" or whatever.
As for box recommendations, I'm super happy with my ultimate guard box. They're a tad pricy, but goddamn are they high quality. I've heard similar things about gamegenic. An 800+ arkhive will give you plenty of space. If I were you, I'd go with that and then 3D print a dice tray to fill the empty space you have at the end.
I think it's just art not a particular language it's on a play mat here
Unfortunately I don't think it's based on any language because it you look at the art closely you will notice the text repeats in different sections.
I don't have a set cube so I don't remember exactly but generally you create card groups so that no pack can have duplicates of commons or uncommons. The simplest method basically only include commons from a single group in a pack or uncommons from a single group in the pack. There are more complicated more true to form methods but this is what I would do.
To facilitate this double sleeve and put some of these on your inner sleeve to denote group. I use these for my jumpstart: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003M6PFS6/ref=ox\_sc\_rp\_title\_rp\_16?smid=&psc=1&pf\_rd\_p=89634936-9243-4a7f-a6d1-86659cd7c55b&pd\_rd\_wg=ZySqD&pd\_rd\_i=B003M6PFS6&pd\_rd\_w=S8ysG&content-id=amzn1.sym.89634936-9243-...
Have you seen panda card sleeves? They're ~$15 for 500 + you get 3 cute lil cardboard deck boxes for token storage (or spacers or whatever else).
I've only used them for printed proxies over ten-ish games but haven't broken a sleeve yet. I'll let you know if they fade the ink, they've only been sleeved up a few weeks. Not trusting they're really acid free is why I've only stuck proxies in them and saved the Ultra Pro for real cards. But they seem decent enough so far and I don't actually have anything bad to say about them.
https://www.amazon.com/DeELF-Card-Sleeves-Matte-Yellow/dp/B07TV2RMPS
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PWPYF78/
These DeElf sleeves are what I use in my cube because they're significantly cheaper than Dragon Shields and they have held up for me super well. Occasionally one is miscut but that has been the largest problem I have had.
I didn't realize that there were bulk lots available of 1000+ on Amazon! This is by far the MOST helpful comment in this thread. Thank you so much! Order placed!
I got these stickers on Amazon, you can stick them to the sleeves (front side) to mark commander cards. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092LNKZ59/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I used these to mark jumpstart packs for a jumpstart “cube.” They stay on but can be easily peeled off.
Small Color Coding Circle Dot Stickers Round Coding Dot Labels,16 Colors https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GZBHW53/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZFYRRZRHWJRNZGTECQKM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I have 40 of each basic for my 360 cube, which is probably way more than I'll ever need. A more realistic number is probably closer to 30, as others have mentioned.
As for storage, I use the Ultimate Guard Arkhive 800 and have found that it suits my needs perfectly. Mine has some higher end cards in it, so it is fully double sleeved, so your mileage may vary depending on how you're planning to sleeve yours, but this box has the perfect amount of space for the cube in one row and lands and tokens in the other row, with some extra space for a box of spare sleeves and some dice.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FLSVJD1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Just ordered this. It hasn't arrived yet, but it may be what you're looking for.
And one slip and the scissors fail. I just ordered this and I plan to clean edges with the exacto. It'll be in tomorrow so Ill have the results.
Links to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and many more on our website: https://www.notion.so/bengfoyle/The-Frog-The-Dragon-c2bad340c76d4b739f0f653552eb627d
There is, but Mark Rosewater has said that new core sets are going to err more on the side of new players. This may be exactly what you want, and it will certainly be easier to get the cards from an in-rotation set. But we also don't know what will be in it yet, so committing to it this early may not be the best idea.
Ofc, I'm a little biased because I liked Origins ;P
I generated it actually. On http://tones.wolfram.com. And personally I sort of like it. I've had positive feedback on it as well. But maybe the music should be more something that people won't have feedback on: neither positive, nor negative. It definitely shouldn't take center stage ;)
My cube is mostly proxies, so I use BCW deckguard matte sleeves to keep costs low, and a BCW storage box that can fit ~800 or so.
I use the card box from a set bundle for land cards, and a regular deckbox for tokens.
For boosters I use these cheap resealable zip bags, they're fun! 100 Pack Smell Proof Bags,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WVTXNRV?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I have used a $5 BCW shoe storage box (1600 unsleeved capacity, will hold around 1000 sleeved) for about 3 years. I keep a couple of small Ultra Pro deckboxes inside it for dice and life counters, which also make good spacers. I recently downsized my cube from 720 to 540, but it did fit the larger size quite well. I also use plastic dividers for separating lands, tokens, etc. It works well enough, but the biggest drawback is that the lid is not designed to fit securely. It is a basic cardboard storage box, after all.
I'm also in the market for a nicer solution. I'm thinking of getting the Ultimate Guard Arkhive 800+. Anyone have experience with this box? The price is very reasonable and it seems ideal for a 540 card cube.
Following up on this alcohol based inks are stellar for non-porous surfaces since the color is left by the alcohol evaporating off. I highly recommend Sig Wong Inks for those just starting off with alcohol inks.
Do it! Once you have a collection of cards organized into cube form, you'll see how easy it is. The first one I built I was obsessed with making sure every slot was perfect, and it stifled the purpose of all of this which is to have fun designing a limited environment.
Grab a cube storage box (I use this one - https://www.amazon.com/KMC-Card-Box-1000/dp/B0007N7P8K), a bunch of matching sleeves, and go for it!
When I first started on cube, i bought several packs of these pretty, but terrible Nahiri chrome effect "Commander" sleeves from Hastings while they were going out of business. These sleeves were terrible, hard to shuffle and damaged easily, but I bought them for around $5 per pack of 120. I recently used them to play jumpstart since I still have a sufficient quantity of them.
I ordered Jet (black with sparkles) Dragon Shields from my LGS for my MTG cube last year a bit before covid hit, so much happier.
I also have a Star Realms cube in Yellow gloss Dragon Shields and my DC/Cryptozoic engine Deckbuilder cubes in Orange gloss; both of these sleeves were at a deep discount from my LGS since those colors didn't sell well. Both sets have held up very well; the orange sleeves have been heavily played for nearly 4 years.
I searched for a cheaper alternative fory TSR set cube. If you are from the DACH region (German speaking central Europe), Amazon.de has a docsmagic box for 25€ that holds 600+30cards (it has a little drawer for tokens or dice which itself can hold 30 sleeved cards.
Sadly it's not available in the com or Co.uk shop.
I don't know about international shipping.
These are cheap and shuffle very well: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07TV2RMPS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_B94E78T7VSZSNTZSHCGV?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
They have a little bit of glare, but i was shocked at how well they shuffle.
I wouldn't bother with dragon sleeves for a proxy set
Amazon has ArtBin Sidekick Art and Craft Supply Storage with Paint Pallet Tray, Open Tray https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/718SIqP-oPL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
https://www.amazon.com/ArtBin-Sidekick-Cube-Open-6817AG/dp/B078H82L6C/
This may be an unpopular opinion here, but I’m a fan of UltraPro Matte (not Eclipse), and personally I single sleeve because double sleeving is super annoying to shuffle, stack, and store.
I have tried higher end sleeves and don’t have anything bad to say about them, but if you’re buying thousands of sleeves I think these are the best bang for your buck.
I recently bought a case of Dragon Shield sleeves for under $60 on Amazon. Always used Dragon Shield for all my decks and have held up amazingly well.
I found this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082YKRGL5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabt1_0ylXFbT0SJRW4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
But I'm not sure if it's worth... i mean, at the very least I couls use it to carry my normal commanders and stuff like that but... idk
If you're going to go for something like this, I'd recommend the Amazon Basics photography bag. Less than half the price of the bag you linked and accomplishes a similar goal. I have one that I use to carry my decks around and it has served me quite well. The dividers inside are velcro as well so you can arrange them however suits you. I believe u/ProfessorSTAFF covered it in a video as well, but I don't remember which one.
Personally? I use BCW Mattes. You can get a pack of 500 through amazon from 14-18 dollars. I have never had one of these sleeves break. The fronts are matte, they shuffle well. I've sleeved through easily 15,000 of these sleeves and never once had an issue with miscut or breakage. The price does fluctuate on them through Amazon so I try to buy boxes of them when they are down to the 15 dollar range.
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I have a 630 cube, and I'm currently using The Big Black Metal Box made by CardKingPro. They're available on Amazon among other places:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072J3KNKP/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I really like this case. I think it was originally designed to hold Cards Against Humanity cards, but it works really well for MTG cards, and I would assume for other TCG's in general. For size reference, my 630 cube is double sleeved and does not even occupy the entirety of the inner 3 columns of the box. I would definitely have room to spare even if I increased my cube size to 720. The outer 2 columns are wider than then inner columns by a few millimeters - enough such that you can fit standard Ultra Pro or Ultimate Guard style deckboxes in them (which I use to hold my lands and tokens separately). The inner columns are not wide enough to hold deckboxes, but I prefer this such that my cube cards don't shift around appreciably during transport. The inner lining of the columns are also a velvet-like material, which also helps to keep the contents from moving around while not being abrasive to the cards. The case itself is quite strong and sturdy, although I worry that the handle may snap off one day if I'm too rough with it. I usually just stick the entire case into my (standard sized) backpack for transport anyway, so this is probably a moot point and not really worth worrying about.
In the end, while it may not necessarily be the most aesthetically pleasing way to house your cube, I think that this case is a fantastic practical and affordable solution. If nothing else, I think this is certainly leagues better than then CUB3. I highly recommend it!
In my first cube, many years ago, I bought bulk cheap Ultra Pro sleeves on eBay. Being cheap, they were terrible sleeves, but they were all equally terrible, and actually held up just fine through hundreds of drafts over the years until I could afford a better class of sleeves on my cubes.
This listing on Amazon looks to be roughly the same as what I used for many years. My point is sleeves don't have to be top quality to protect your cards. But as others have already posted, if your cards are valuable at all, you cannot even think about playing with them unsleeved.
My friend and I each use this KMC box for our cubes. It's the best option I've seen to keep the overall size of the cube compact. It easily fits in a backpack and is ideal for travel.
I hold a 430 cards cube + 180 basic lands + 130 tokens. All single sleeved and it leaves some wiggle room. Some Amazon reviews do claim that it'll fit 700 double sleeved as well.
I ran into a similar problem looking for something to hold a Mystery Booster cube. That's 1815 cards. Yow.
I went with a generic case like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NPYDF8W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And then trimmed down a multirow cardboard box to fit inside.
For more normal cubes, I've liked the cases from kakapopotcg. Sadly, the larger ones haven't been available for a while, I liked those for full block limited cubes.
I don't think it matters that much. I'd rather get something cheaper and have 20-30 extras instead of paying twice as much for dragon shields or something.
Personally, I make sure to have a graphic on the back (currently Lannister lions, but they're getting ratty) so that I can make sure the cards are all oriented the same direction (an enormous pet peeve of mine).
Cool, thanks. I see Amazon has a wide array of cheaper versions too if folks want to go this route but don’t want to spend $$$$. My big outstanding issue would turn just be weight, but I guess that’s the cost of a sturdy case.
Here’s the cheaper version if people want to see it:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JVA7RNI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_wHQlDbPD2XADV
I'm looking at making my own case for my cube and there's some closed-cell foam you can get on Amazon for various prices and dimensions.
Here's the one I'm thinking of using: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015JRXH1W/?coliid=I1Q12GIWX8R7RE&colid=2TQMEEXAFEHZM&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
From my personal experience (which admittedly is with just 540 cards and not 1200, and just C/U/R without mythic), sorting stickered cards after each draft hasn't been a big deal. Takes 5 minutes tops.
Even tweaking the cube is easy - the stickered sleeves are the permanent slots in the cube that you swap new cards in and out of.
So while it's not as easy as just using the printed rarity, these guys on the inner sleeve over the expansion symbol will let the original poster tweak rarities if that's what they're into.
Sleeves: Single sleeved original Dragon Shields. I have the process of double sleeving and all it really does is make the cards uncomfortable to shuffle and protect them from spills from drinks that shouldn't have been on the table to begin with
Boxes: This box is life.
My 360 is stored in the KMC 1000 Cardbox, which fits all the cards, 200 lands, and a couple hundred tokens nice and tightly. It's a little annoying to squeeze them out of the box, but it helps keep foils from warping and holds everything securely in transit.
My sleeves are KMC Perfect Fits inside of KMC Mattes (NOT Hyper Mattes). This is an older product that is no longer being made. The back is matte, but not pebbled/textured like on the hypers. Doesn't shuffle quite as well but also doesn't pick up anywhere near as much dirt. I got a big batch of them on eBay almost exactly a year ago when I first assembled my cube. With a couple dozen drafts on them I have done one full cleaning of the outer sleeves by dry rubbing the dirt of each card individually with the little cotton discs used for makeup removal. It's really due for another cleaning soon.
Remember that if you're using clear sleeves you'll have to use placeholder cards for any double-faced cards you decide to run in the future. That would be a deal breaker for me.
I have never had a dragon shield matte break or even bend on me. Occasionally I'll get light scratching on the clear side, but that's about the worst that happens.
If you double-sleeve, try perfect fit hards. I can't personally testify for their quality, but I've heard great things about them for foils.
Finally, make sure you have one of those silica gel packets (ya know, the little white packets that say "do not eat") in your box. They remove moisture from the atmosphere and help keep foils from bending. Make sure to change that out every 3-4 months, depending on what climate you live in.
I used these stickers to change the rarities. They're just big enough to cover the widest M1X core set symbols, but not big enough to cover up anything important. I stickered every card, even the ones whose rarity I didn't change, to make sure the cards were indistinguishable from each other.
They work pretty well, but if I were doing it again, I might try to find similar stickers with thinner paper stock. You can't really tell in a 15 card pack or a 40 card deck, but since the stickers are all aligned and adding additional thickness in the same spot, if I stack all 500+ commons together the right side ends up being noticeably taller than the left. Maybe there are some stickers out there that are just the foil without the paper backing that would work better.
Big fan of my Quiver (https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Carrying-Exterior-Dividers-Compatible/dp/B00XYC3MNI). Holds 368 double-sleeved cards and 200 double-sleeved lands, plus dividers.
A little pricier, but also way more durable than the Hobby Lobby or Kakapo boxes.
Links/Prices assuming you're in the US.
This is perfect for storing most set cubes (at 4x each common / 2x each common / 1x selection of rares and mythic rares).
KMC Card Box 1000 - $14.60
This is a good start for a Theros Set Cube (Theros just because I could find this for cheaper)
Theros Uncommon Playset + 500 Commons - $18.99
I had a cube of 360 cards and 40 of each land. So I ended up getting 6 boxes of Dragon shields.
They are 10.49 a box here on amazon. Each box has 100 sleeves so that gave me enough to sleeve my cube, my lands and had some extras just in case.
Very nice. Very similar to what I do, except I use these. It eliminated the need for tape. Not sure if it is cheaper thought. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006VNVSG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
What sleeves do people recommend? /u/bjd124 recommended Ultra Pro to start with. Those seems fairly affordable, I can get 400 of those for around $20.
about 20-25 lands per player. My cube is 450 cards, supports 10 players, so I have 45 basics per player, or 225 lands. I have on occasion run out so I will sleeve up a couple of a particular color and then just leave them sleeved for the next draft.
I keep the lands and the associated color sleeves in five deckboxes:
Okay, sounds good. If you're open to spending about $15-20, this box is fantastic. It fit a double-sleeved 540 cube plus 225 basic lands snugly. It'll definitely fit 720 single-sleeved just fine, though you may want to pick up a cardboard box for the basic lands.
This may or may not meet your needs, as it doesn't lock. However, I agree with /u/spiral0architect wrote. I use this for my quite large EDH cube with double sleeved cards.
Hi, my friends and I have an app on the google playstore for MTG and we are always looking for ways to improve our app. This sounds like a great feature to implement, it would be great if you could provide us with some suggestions on what you would like this timer to be.
If anyone is interested here is the link to our app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.patolistudio.toolsformtg