<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lessons from Life" href="#" target="_blank">Lessons from Life</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kevin_sidharta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Sidharta</a></em></p>
<p>I was born a little too late to have caught the heyday of the <em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</em> (TMNT) in the late '80s and early '90s, so I didn't exactly have much to latch onto with the theming of the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tmt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new <em>Magic</em> set</a>. But as we neared prerelease and I dug into <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-mechanical-mutant-mayhem-of-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the mechanics of the set</a>, I began to get cautiously optimistic that it might actually be a banger.</p>
<p>I played a prerelease <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Two-Headed_Giant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Two-Headed Giant</a> event with a friend (highly recommend, by the way), and I was proven <em>absolutely correct</em>! This set totally rips!! I had so much more fun than I did at the prerelease events for <em>Lorwyn Eclipsed</em> and <em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em>, despite having much firmer attachments to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/reprints-we-want-to-see-in-the-upcoming-avatar-magic-set" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Avatar franchise</a> and to weird <a href="https://youtu.be/mCQ5EF69rSQ?si=tuUQYjKl1UDXMCP-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Henson company puppets</a>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leonardo, Sewer Samurai"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Donatello, Gadget Master"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raphael, the Nightwatcher"></div></div>
<p>And as my weekly Commander night approaches, I've been thinking a lot about how much I learned in the prerelease event. And I've realized how many lessons this set can provide to a newer Commander player, especially in a <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Limited" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Limited</a> environment, where you can really engross yourself in the mechanics without worrying about somebody breaking out an unforgivably busted deck.</p>
<p>Commander players can actually learn some lessons from Drafting that, in the long run, will drastically improve your play.</p>
<p>So in this edition of <em>How To Be New</em>, allow me to ADHD hyperfocus lore dump on you for a few hundred words. I promise that there will be actionable advice. Or, at the very least, it'll convince you to go play a TMNT Draft event where you'll have an absolutely wonderful time.</p>
<h2>Learn Turn Sequencing With Sneak</h2>
<p>One thing that made prerelease for this set feel much more electric was the introduction of the sneak mechanic. Sneak allows a player to return an unblocked attacking creature to their hand to play a spell at a reduced cost. It's similar to past mechanics like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">ninjutsu</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but if you're like me and weren't around when <em>Betrayers of Kamigawa</em> first came out in 2005, it might feel pretty new and interesting.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark Leo &amp; Shredder"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karai, Future of the Foot"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shredder, Unrelenting"></div></div>
<p>Something I've been looking to improve on in my <em>Magic</em> playing for quite some time is how I order the actions on my turn. So many turns of Commander see a player take a bunch of actions in their first main phase and then just pass the turn, bypassing combat altogether. I do it all the time, especially in the early game, or towards the end of the night, when I'm just too tired to optimize.</p>
<p>But more experienced players play the bulk of their turns in their second main phase (and the most experienced players play their whole turn on their opponent's end step, but that's a discussion for another day). Why? Because of combat tricks!</p>
<p>Combat is the time when each player's board state is the most vulnerable. It's a lesson many players learn early on, mindlessly blocking with an important creature just because they have more toughness than the attacker has power (a move which, on its face, makes complete sense), failing to notice how much available mana the other player has. And then, boom! Their opponent (usually a someone playing in green) tosses down <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wild Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Wild Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Groundswell" href="#" target="_blank">Groundswell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overprotect" href="#" target="_blank">Overprotect</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and your sweet <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Manufactor" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Manufactor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets dumped into the graveyard.</p>
<p>One big surprising spell in combat can change the game entirely. It's the reason why things with flash and instants are so highly valued.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Donatello&#039;s Technique"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shark Shredder, Killer Clone"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Turncoat Kunoichi"></div></div>
<p>Because of sneak, this set really makes you consider how much mana an opponent has available when they attack, as any unblocked attacker could suddenly turn into a game-ending threat. And as a result, you start to learn how important it is to block smartly. You learn to check how much open mana your opponent has before determining blockers, often erring on the side of caution.</p>
<p>Then, later down the line, you learn to wield this power yourself, attacking with enough mana open for your opponent to think twice about risking their most valuable creatures.</p>
<p>Sometime later, you learn the power of just blocking what you can block and making them have the answer in hand. There is <em>so much</em> to learn about the game of <em>Magic </em>by improving your approach to combat. And the sneak mechanic forces you to really lock in and focus on combat more than you might in a typical game.</p>
<h2>Learn to Accrue Resources With Food and Mutagen Tokens</h2>
<p>I'm going to be honest with you, I always thought <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Food" href="#" target="_blank">Food</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens were sort of mid. A whole two mana just to gain three life? When I could, instead, just play another <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hare Apparent" href="#" target="_blank">Hare Apparent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>*? It didn't make sense to me.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Featherbrained Filcher"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crustacean Commando"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spicy Oatmeal Pizza"></div></div>
<p>Then I played a TMNT draft in Arena where I kept myself alive through four turns of being attacked for lethal damage by sacrificing Food tokens. And I fully Danny Davitoed.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" src="https://media1.tenor.com/m/3wtr1MRT_I8AAAAd/i-get-it-omg.gif" alt="a man with a surprised look on his face and the words oh my god written on the bottom" /></p>
<p>It turned out that I had vastly underrated things like Food and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutagen" href="#" target="_blank">Mutagen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens (as well as their friends <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Junk" href="#" target="_blank">Junk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Clue" href="#" target="_blank">Clue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> tokens). The flexibility they provide allows you to adapt to your opponents' actions.</p>
<p>Have you been <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">holding up two blue mana</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all round, just in case somebody gets some bad ideas? First of all, great job. That's an extremely threatening thing to do at the table, and I applaud you for it. But has it got back around to you and nobody has cast anything particularly objectionable? Spend that mana to draw a card with a Clue! Or gain three life with some Food! Don't let those precious resources go to waste.</p>
<p>Spending all of your mana each turn is a great way to improve the strength of your gameplay. It's why mana curve is so valued in formats like Standard and Draft. Your mana is like your economy in a roguelike or MOBA, and the more you spend of it, the more useful, powerful game actions you'll tend to take.</p>
<p>Even though Mutagen tokens are less flexible, as they can only be used at sorcery speed, they can be good for setting up a threat that your opponent will have to deal with. If you pump up a flier with a Mutagen token or two before you pass your turn, your opponent might feel like they have to answer it. And if they spent their turn <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Death in the Family" href="#" target="_blank">exiling it for two mana</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, rather than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bebop, Warthog Warrior" href="#" target="_blank">threatening the board for five mana</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, then you made them play suboptimally.</p>
<p>They wasted their mana, and their turn, all because you used a couple of mana on your turn increasing the threat to their life total. That's great <em>Magic</em> gameplay!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ice Cream Kitty"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pizza Face, Gastromancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza"></div></div>
<p>And with things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ice Cream Kitty" href="#" target="_blank">Ice Cream Kitty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pizza Face, Gastromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Pizza Face, Gastromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza" href="#" target="_blank">Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as well as other great <em>disappear</em> abilities <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Michelangelo, Game Master" href="#" target="_blank">through the set</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there are all sorts of ways to take that value and turn it directly into an advantage that will win you the game.</p>
<p>*<em>In the Hare Apparent deck, any two mana that isn't spent on a Hare Apparent is mana wasted</em></p>
<h2>Learn About Growing Threats With Alliance</h2>
<p>I talked about this a bit in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/how-to-be-new-at-threat-assessment-in-commander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my article on threat assessment</a>, but the biggest threats are the ones who will get harder to deal with next turn. And with the use of the alliance mechanic, which rewards you when more creatures enter the battlefield, that concept showed up in spades at my prerelease.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lita, Little Orphan Amphibian"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raphael, Tough Turtle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slash, Reptile Rampager"></div></div>
<p>In this set, alliance abilities tended to show up on red and white creatures, otherwise known as Boros (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>). Boros tends to have a lower mana curve, preferring to play cards which cost two to four mana. As such, a good Boros deck can become an overwhelming threat by turn five. Especially if you're playing something like the Golgari (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) suite of cards in this set, you might have a higher mana curve, and need to weather this early storm until you can make your big swings around turn six or seven.</p>
<p>But how can you use your precious few removal spells to ensure that you survive until <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raph &amp; Mikey, Troublemakers" href="#" target="_blank">Raph &amp; Mikey, Troublemakers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> start making them wish that they'd never been born? The simplest answer is to deal with the threats that will grow.</p>
<p>For example, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raphael, Tough Turtle" href="#" target="_blank">Raphael, Tough Turtle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an annoying customer, whose pings of one damage will constantly remind you of the growing trouble on the other side of the battlefield. But he might as well be an enchantment, as he's typically seen as too valuable by your opponent to risk attacking or blocking with.</p>
<p>However, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mighty Mutanimals" href="#" target="_blank">Mighty Mutanimals</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is going to make your opponent's whole board (or maybe even just the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="East Wind Avatar" href="#" target="_blank">East Wind Avatar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that you have no way to deal with) stronger each turn. Mighty Mutanimals is a remove-on-sight threat, because it will grow.</p>
<p>It's the same with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="EPF Point Squad" href="#" target="_blank">EPF Point Squad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who will quickly grow to be a lethal threat, versus <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutant Town Musicians" href="#" target="_blank">Mutant Town Musicians</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who can be thwarted with one solid multi-creature block. And when you add things like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ravenous Robots" href="#" target="_blank">Ravenous Robots</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Improvised Arsenal" href="#" target="_blank">Improvised Arsenal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this set is full of all sorts of growing threats that you will have to figure out how to beat before they can overwhelm you.</p>
<p>And though it may sound impossible to deal with, I'm here to tell you that the feeling you'll get when you finish the comeback on an aggressive deck like that feels as sweet as a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guac &amp; Marshmallow Pizza" href="#" target="_blank">Guac &amp; Marshmallow Pizza</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mighty Mutanimals"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="EPF Point Squad"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="East Wind Avatar"></div></div>
<p>I know a lot of people are <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/was-the-tmnt-magic-set-cowa-bungled" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sort of mixed on this set</a>. I'm not a huge fan of this property or this flavor either. But please do give it a chance. It's my favorite prerelease I've played since I started playing them with <em>Duskmourn</em>. Even if you don't get a ton out of killing something with an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza" href="#" target="_blank">Anchovy &amp; Banana Pizza</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (which, if that's the case, please let your inner child out for an afternoon to embrace how silly and wonderful that is), there is so much you can learn from playing this set.</p>
<p>And, honestly, some not bad Commander cards are in here too. Believe me, the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cool but Rude" href="#" target="_blank">Cool but Rude</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> I pulled on Saturday will definitely be making an appearance in my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doctor Doom, King of Latveria" href="#" target="_blank">Doctor Doom, King of Latveria</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck come this summer (<a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/discarding-for-profit-with-doctor-doom-king-of-latveria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read more about what Vic's up to here</a>). And if you catch me <a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d2/e6/5d/d2e65d1733d3c2f6e7530967abed02c4.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying some stuff like this,</a> please just let it slide.</p>


How To Get Better at Commander by Drafting TMNT

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Cube" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Cube</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://marktedin.com/14doubcube.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Tedin</a></em></p>
<p><em>Magic: The Gathering</em> is in a strange place right now. It seems like every week a new controversy or argument pops up online over new products, tie-ins, or formats breaking under the weight of modern design and release schedules. Meanwhile a massive influx of players are enjoying and discovering the hobby for the first time.</p>
<p>It can be a little exhausting dealing with the constant flux between bouts of negativity and record breaking numbers of sales and sets per year and everything else in between. I've seen a good few people online who just feel disconnected from what used to be their favorite hobby in the entire world.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dreadful Apathy"></div></div>
<p>But I'm not here to add to the bonfire this week. There's enough negativity circling around. My question is: What does a player in this position do to heal their relationship with <em>Magic: The Gathering</em>? How do you reignite your passions for the game when the regular routes aren't doing it for you anymore?</p>
<p>If you're feeling down, if <em>Magic </em>just doesn't feel like it's for you anymore, then let me tell you about an alternate way of playing that might have all the answers to your problems Cube.</p>
<h2>What Is Cube?</h2>
<p>Cube is both a format of <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> and also an environment that can contain other formats and games within it. At its heart it's a curated, limited Draft environment. You play just like any regular Draft, but instead of grabbing booster packs from the shop you'll be receiving 15 card piles from a pre-selected pool that someone has made.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doubling Cube"></div></div>
<p>For the players it's usually just a regular draft but without as much useless chaff. Most cubes tend to be filled with super powerful and synergistic cards that function well together. There are usually high functioning decks that already exist inside the card pools, waiting for you to pull them out and assemble them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Black Lotus"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Loose Lips"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gobland"></div></div>
<p>But for the cube designer, there exists a deck builder's paradise. Cubes can take any count of cards, from any set ever printed. Whether it's one of the most powerful cards ever printed, a lovable but forgotten piece of tech from an older set, or even silver-bordered or playtest cards from Un-sets and <em>Mystery Boosters</em>.</p>
<h2>Choice Is at the Heart of Cube</h2>
<p>Not too dissimilar from building a Commander deck, when designing a cube the whole world of <em>Magic</em> is at your fingertips. But forget about ban lists, power creep, and local metas. As a cube designer, you aren't just in charge of building your own deck, but instead you build the entire meta.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Riku of Many Paths"></div></div>
<p>Include cards you love and veto cards you hate. Set restrictions to your selection pool like only allowing commons and uncommons or cards that fit under a certain budget. See how good a deck your friends can build when they've only got bad cards to pick from and all the staples are unavailable. Or even just replicate your favorite draft format by making a set or block cube.</p>
<p>This can of course be a collaborative experience as well. A group of friends or local players can all contribute to one cube or, more likely, a few different individuals will build their own cubes that players can rotate between for each game night.</p>
<h2>You Don’t Own <em>Magic</em>, but You Do Own Your Cube</h2>
<p>No matter what happens to the game, your cube will always exist. You could of course say the same about all the cards you own. Any Commander decks or bulk piles sitting around your house will also stand the test of time if you treat them carefully enough. But <em>Magic </em>games need opponents. Tournaments need organizers and prizing.</p>
<p>For players of any official <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> format, there exists a relationship between themselves and <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> that's ultimately unbalanced. Any card you deeply love is always in a state of danger. It's just a banning, rotation, or power creep away from slipping through your hands.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Look at Me, I&#039;m the DCI"></div></div>
<p>Whenever players espouse the benefits of playing a format like Commander, it's always mentioned that you can play with cards from anywhere in <em>Magic's</em> history. It's one of the only formats that's both eternal and casual enough that a card never becomes truly unplayable. If it fits in your deck, you're good to go.</p>
<p>But even Commander is subject to bans. And even casual games are subject to power creep. Ask anyone you know that owns a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<h2>The Players Are in Control</h2>
<p>Cube is a format where you're the judge, jury, and executioner for every card in <em>Magic</em>'s history. If you want a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in your list, then go ahead! Miss <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? You're welcome to have it in your cube.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vivi Ornitier"></div></div>
<p>But maybe you absolutely despise a card that came out in a recent set. Maybe you've been forced to play against more <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> decks on <em>Arena </em>than you can stomach and you'd ban it in a heartbeat if you were in charge of the Standard card pool. Well with your cube, you are. And you can!</p>
<p>But exclusion isn't really the point. Cube is all about what you <em>do</em> include. All your pets cards and synergies from all your favorite memories of <em>Magic</em>. Building around a certain theme or Standard environment. You can even mess with the rules of <em>Magic</em> itself!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desert"></div></div>
<p>You could play a <a href="https://youtu.be/S1TzcivSUZE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Party Box</a> style cube in which every card in your deck can be played face down as a five color land and mana colors don't matter. Or you could take the complete opposite direction and build a super punishing desert cube in which you can only play lands that you draft.</p>
<p>Sharpie cards to make them broken or finally fix them. Build a cube where there are no creatures or only creatures. Do whatever your heart desires and then play these busted or janky decks on a completely even playing field where all players at the table are playing by the same rules with the same card pool available to them.</p>
<h2>But What About Commander?</h2>
<p>Now I know what you're thinking. This isn't Cube Cobra. This is EDHREC, and this is a Commander website! What if you just want to play Commander?</p>
<p>Well, Commander cubes are not only available, but incredibly popular. Imagine all the coolest staple cards in Commander's history and all the most popular commanders draftable whenever you like, with interesting and peculiar decks not only encouraged but existing by necessity due to the fact that you're in a limited format instead of a constructed one.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Ur-Dragon"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atraxa, Praetors&#039; Voice"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chatterfang, Squirrel General"></div></div>
<p>If you have a regular four-player pod that always play similar decks against each other, you're not very far away from combining all of your collective favorite cards from those decks into a draftable environment.</p>
<p>In Commander Cube you'll be building wacky Commander decks on the fly, either by grabbing a legendary creature to focus on right at the start or by hoping you see one that matches your theme in a later pack.</p>
<p>If that sounds a little too stressful, there's ways to ensure every player gets access to a legend that fits each archetype. Or you can even do a sub draft of Commanders before or after your regular draft to separate out the commanders and make it easier to grab one that you need.</p>
<h2>A Healthier Way To Play <em>Magic</em></h2>
<p>The main benefit of Cube as a format for me and the friends I often play with is the way it gives us a healthier way to engage with our favorite game. Every year <em>Magic </em>gets more expensive. More sets release with more must-have cards and more crazy art treatments.</p>
<p>It's a game of excess at times that can leave you reeling after a long stint of being plugged into every <em>Magic </em>news source. Cube has a knack for pulling you out of that cycle that honestly can get a bit exhausting.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Memory Deluge"></div></div>
<p>Your nostalgic memories of Standard rotations or Commander environments of years gone by stop being frustrating examples of a version of the game that doesn't exist anymore, and instead become inspiration points for you to build from.</p>
<p>"I miss when <em>Magic </em>used to look like... feel like... play like this..." turns into, "I'm going to make a cube that looks, feels, and plays like this!"</p>
<h2>A Cheaper Way To Play <em>Magic</em></h2>
<p>Once your cube is built, your cost to engage in the game significantly decreases. Drafting is super fun, but it's very expensive to take part in regularly. To get an equivalent drafting experience to a Commander cube, you and your friends would need to grab three packs of something like <em>Commander Masters</em>, which would be an incredibly expensive game night, believe me.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smothering Tithe"></div></div>
<p>If you're the type to deckbuild a lot, then you know it can start to rack up in price as well if you're always chasing cool new cards. For me, there's less of an obsession over new cardboard once my cube is in a really good place. I don't need to upset the balance of an already well built environment.</p>
<p>Not to mention that cube is a very proxy friendly experience, especially when you're only playing with close friends. There's no need to drop the deposit for a house on a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. A nice looking print out is fine. Or hell, even a basic Mountain scrawled over with a sharpie.</p>
<h2>Where To Start</h2>
<p>If this tickles your fancy, then I promise this article is only scratching the surface of what Cube has to offer. Looking for somewhere to start? I'd recommend asking at your friendly local game store if anyone is drafting a cube any time soon.</p>
<p>If you're looking to assemble your own, there's plenty of resources provided by <a href="https://luckypaper.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lucky Paper Radio</a>. They're predominantly a podcast with hot takes on cube design and introductions to certain cubing concepts, but they also provide articles that help explain the format and help you get started. Not to mention a phenomenal series of pre-built cubes they have listed online that you can try for yourself.</p>
<p>I heartily recommend the <a href="https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/100-ornithopters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 Ornithopters cube</a>!</p>
<p>You can also check out <a href="https://cubecobra.com/landing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our friends at CubeCobra</a> for excellent Cube content.</p>
<h3>Read More:</h3>
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Cube Could Fix Your Relationship With Magic: The Gathering

<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Image Credit: Wizards of the Coast &amp; Square Enix</em></p>
<p>As of the <em>Final Fantasy</em> set's June 13th release, Wizards Play Network, the entity responsible for maintaining and managing organized <em>Magic: The Gathering</em> play, will introduce "Chocobo Racing" to the events for the set. This augmentation to Limited events will begin after the set officially releases and will last until July 24th.</p>
<h2>But First: What Are Chocobos?</h2>
<p>In the scope of the hit <em>Square Enix</em> video game series, Chocobos are fluffy (usually) yellow bipedal birds. People in the game's universe usually use Chocobos as mounts. They're generally a means to get places much faster than on foot. Occasionally, riders will race with their Chocobo steeds. <em>Final Fantasy VII</em> formally introduced the "<a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Chocobo_racing_(minigame)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chocobo Racing</a>" minigame proper. However, since then it's blown up in a big way. The minigame has even had its own <a href="https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Chocobo_Racing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eponymous spin-off game</a> on the Sony PlayStation.</p>
<p>They're also generally viewed as the mascot/face of the series at large, much like the Slime is to <em>Dragon Quest</em>, or Pikachu is to <em>Pokémon</em>.</p>
<h2><em>Final Fantasy</em> Chocobo Racing In <em>Magic</em></h2>
<p>According to the Wizards Play Network's page on this event:</p>
<blockquote><p>Chocobo Racing Events are the weekly Booster Draft and Sealed event based on the <em>FINAL FANTASY VII</em> mini-game "Chocobo Racing". Whenever players play Draft or Sealed events with <em>Magic: The Gathering—</em>FINAL FANTASY in your store, earning points to reach special rewards just for this event.</p></blockquote>
<p>The site goes on to explain how this minigame works:</p>
<blockquote><p>As players enjoy racing around the track throughout the season, they'll earn a set number of points that build toward rewards.</p>
<p>Award points for the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Players <strong>earn 3 points</strong> for each Draft of Sealed event (excluding Prerelease) they attend.</li>
<li>Players <strong>earn 1 point</strong> for each match they win in a qualifying event.</li>
<li>Existing players that bring in a new player who <a href="http://myaccounts.wizards.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signs up for a Wizards Account</a> and participates in a qualifying event <strong>earn 1 point</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p>When a player reaches 10 cumulative points, they earn a foil Chocobo art print. When a player reaches 20 cumulative points, they earn a Chocobo Pinfinity AR pin!</p></blockquote>
<p>At the very end of the event, store owners are encouraged to give out any unallocated prints or pins to players who didn't make it to 10 or 20 points. WPN suggests stores give them out in order of highest standings at the end of the event's run.</p>
<h2>Run, Chocobo, Run!</h2>
<p><a href="https://wpn.wizards.com/en/event/chocobo-racing-event-series" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This mini-game series</a> runs from June 13th through July 24th at local game stores while supplies last.</p>
<p>And now, let's hear from you. Are you a fan of Chocobos as the mascot of <em>Final Fantasy</em>? Is this set an appealing prospect for you to play within? If you're planning to enter these events and vie for a print or pin, sound off below!</p>


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