Imagine a draft format where you can first pick a Black Lotus and second pick a Martial Coup. I have heard the cube simply described as “broken” which is exactly what it is. The cube is the dream format for the limited enthusiast.
There is no clear cut list for what is in any given cube. Many players that enjoy the cube make their own list after experiencing the thrill of drafting the best cards from every set ever printed. Some players fill their cubes with the most broken cards ever printed, others prefer to use only what they have in their collection, and still some make only common cubes or junk rare cubes. Whatever list is used, the fact is that the format is still draft, and the player with the best deck and the best plays will always come out on top no matter what list is used.
StarCityGames.com allowed a Cube Draft to be held as a side event in Richmond Virginia at the recent $5000 Standard Open event. Players signed up for this event quickly expecting something a bit different from the regular drafts that are always held as side events. The list that was used supported 16 players, which were split into two 8-man drafts with the top two in each draft taking store credit. This event met enormous success. and the players all said they had a great time drafting everything from Moxes to Conflux.
Out of 16 players, 4 came out on top, 2 from each pod. Here are the decklists for the top 2 of the first pod:
Mike Gallo
Grim Lavamancer
Serendib Efreet
Hell’s Thunder
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Balduvian Horde
Rakka Mar
Lightning Angel
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Draining Whelk
Brine Elemental
Aeon Chronicler
Force Spike
Mana Drain
Legacy’s Allure
Psionic Blast
Flame Javelin
Puncture Blast
Jace Beleren
Ajani Vengeant
Chandra Nalaar
Force of Will
Condescend
Fireball
Sideboard
Blood Knight
Volcanic Fallout
Kumano, Master Yamabushi
Kird Ape
Rise of the Hobgoblins
Capsize
Chastise
Maze of Ith
Twincast
Wild Ricochet
Temporal Spring
Tolarian Academy
Kataki, War’s Wage
Mageta the Lion
Calciderm
Order of Leitbur
Merchant Scroll
Iridescent Angel
Archon of Justice
Waterfront Bouncer
Glory
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Several things jump out at me with this decklist. It surprises me that he was able to draft 3 planeswalkers, along with a Mana Drain and a Force of Will. Plus he has implemented a solid combo with Vesuvan Shapeshifter and Brine Elemental.
James Buckingham
Martyr of Sands
Mesmeric Fiend
Aven Riftwatcher
Battlegrace Angel
Yosei, the Morning Star
Angel of Despair
Ivory Tower
Cursed Scroll
Thoughtseize
Enlightened Tutor
Vampiric Tutor
Powder Keg
Grim Monolith
Bitterblossom
Coalition Relic
Exile
Wing Shards
Sacred Mesa
Slaughter Pact
Cataclysm
Humility
Wrath of God
Winds of Rath
Akroma’s Vengeance
Engineered Explosives
Martial Coup
Death Grasp
Caves of Koilos
9 Plains
7 Swamp
Sideboard
Whipcorder
Reveillark
Gilded Lotus
Goblin Welder
Intuition
Tradewind Rider
Bogardan Hellkite
Siege-Gang Commander
Goblin Trenches
Flooded Strand
Rishadan Port
Incinerate
Soul’s Majesty
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
Loxodon Hierarch
Teneb, the Harvester
Isochron Scepter
James’s deck has around 8 mass removal spells, plus other spot removal spells. James also drafted combos here with Humility and Bitterblossom / Sacred Mesa. There is also hand disruption, and plenty of life gain in the deck to allow James time to tutor for his combo to win.
The final match between Mike and James was definitely an epic one with many twists. James took the play on their first game and dropped a turn 2 Powder Keg and a turn 3 Martyr of Sands. Mike plays a turn 3 morphed creature for his defense. At the end of Mike’s turn 3 James casts Vampiric Tutor. On his own turn 4 James lays Coalition Relic and a Death Grasp for two on the morph meets a Mana Drain. Mike uses the one of the four mana from the Mana Drain on Jace, draws off Jace, and burns for three before he swings with morph to bring James to thirteen. James swings back with his Martyr to bring Jace to one and casts Sacred Mesa with two open mana. Mike lets both players draw with Jace and drops Ajani Vengeant keeping James’ Martyr tapped down and swings again with the morph. James continues to beat at Jace despite the threat of Ajani. Mike lets both players draw again and contemplates his move while staring at two unopened mana and two Mesa tokens. Mike decides to Fireball the tokens and discards a Psionic Blast. James makes a token on Mike’s end of turn and plays a Battlegrace Angel during his main phase. Mike’s morph turns out to be a Vesuvan Shapeshifter who copies the Angel and swings. James responds by sacrificing his Martyr gaining six by revealing Enlightened Tutor and Winds of Rath. Mike lets both players draw and Ajani grows to six loyalty, keeping a token tapped before the turn is passed. James swings with his Battlegrace Angel at Ajani and it meets a Puncture Blast, getting in for only two and bringing Ajani back to four. Mike’s Vesuvan Angel meets a Mesa token, bringing Mike to 28 versus James’s 14. Ajani keeps James’s Battlegrace Angel tapped and James makes three tokens at the end of that turn. On his upkeep James grows Powder Keg to five, swings at Jace with his tokens and finally takes him out, then he blows his Powder Keg taking out the Shapeshifter and 1/1 Battlegrace Angel. James then attempts to play a Cursed Scroll, but a Draining Whelk from Mike becomes a 2/2 flier and counters that hope. Mike plays Lightning Angel and meets a fresh Mesa token, then plays Serendib Efreet. James makes more tokens at the end of Mike’s turn, and casts Winds of Rath leaving two cards in his own hand. Winds of Rath meets no counters and it clears the board. Mike plays Chandra as his third planeswalker in the game and Ajani grows to 6 again. More tokens pump from James’s Sacred Mesa and swing at Ajani. James then plays Yosei the Morning Star on his second main meeting a Condescend. Chandra takes out a Mesa token and Mike then gets down Rakka Mar, makes a 3/1 token and takes James to ten. Ajani Helixes James, bringing him then to seven. James plays Martial Coup as a last effort to save himself taking out Rakka Mar and giving him five soldier tokens. This doesn’t matter much because Mike wins with a ping from Chandra, Helix from Ajani and a Flame Javelin to seal the game.
Game 2 went a bit quicker, but was just as exciting. After carefully weighing their sideboard options James takes the play. James gets down another turn 2 Powder Keg and a turn 3 Coalition Relic meets a Force Spike. Mike drops a turn 3 secret creature and James has plays on turn 4 and 5 with a Bitterblossom and Aven Riftwatcher that both resolve. Mike lays a turn 5 Serendib Efreet as a blocker. James then grows Powder Keg to three and blows it, taking out the Efreet and the Riftwatcher, gaining him life, and then casts a Battlegrace Angel. The morph turns out to be Vesuvan Shapeshifter yet again and copies the Angel again. The players then proceed to trade attacks with James’s Bitterblossom pumping out blockers. After a few turns of trading attacks Mike suspends Aeon Chronicler for three. James takes advantage of Mike being tapped out and gets down a Martyr of Sands that promises even more life gain. Mike then plays a Kumano, Master Yamabushi and before he can take out the Martyr James sacrifices it gaining 6 more life from a revealed Martial Coup and Winds of Rath. James then swings again with his Battlegrace Angel on his turn bringing the life totals to 40 and 20 in favor of James himself and then clears the board with his Winds of Rath. A couple turns later Mike’s Aeon Chronicler enters play as a 7/7 and swings into a Bitterblossom token. James is playing draw go at this point and Mike’s Chronicler swings into an Exile which Mike counters with a Mana Drain. James then attempts to play Yosei the Morning Star on his turn and is countered with a massive Draining Whelk. Mike then uses the mana created by Mana Drain to play Chandra Nalaar which takes out James’s lone faerie blocker and gets in for fourteen, bringing James back down to a more manageable 21. James then tries his last answer with a Martial Coup, and it meets a Force of Will, and then he can’t seem to draw anything else that will save him.
All in all, it was a very exciting time in Richmond. I had fun running this new side event, and I am looking forward to each StarCityGames.com $5000 Open event this year.
Until next time, good luck!