The Quarantine Cube is a powerful unpowered environment, highlighting all the best design mistakes of the past few years. Synergy is key, as most decks will be filled to the brim with spells that delight. Along with having some of the individually most powerful spells outside of the four horseman, this cube also leans on some powerful synergies which when built together should change the texture of the game. The overarching goal of this cube is for my drafters to reach P2P5 and still be happily frustrated with their decision.
These are the archetype I explicitly think of while I'm adding and removing cards. They vary in power level, but I do try to balance with all of them in mind.
White WeenieA cube classic. Keeps decks honest, this highly synergistic aggro deck aims to overrun their opponent with an army of small dudes. Use anthems and +1/+1 counters to overpower your foe before they're able to slow you down.
This is mono red, this is mono red. Another staple. Much like it's cousin from another quadrant, mono red it looking to go face early and often. Unlike weenies, however, they've backed up by the best burn spells printed. This explosive archetype can either lean into its hasty creatures or its plethora of burn spells to count down from 20.
A - Always
B - Be
C - Crushing
Remember, fun is zero-sum! Don't let anybody else inn your pod have any. Seriously, this shard does denial really, really well. Let your opponents squirm as you are removing their threats and countering their spells. Remember, you only need 1 win condition and the time to deploy it.
Mostly based in blue and red, this archetype is looking to sling powerful spells around to secure the win. This archetype can lean both into tempo or control, so you'll have to pay attention to how your deck is coming together during the draft. Most often it involves having one or two key pieces stick to the board, creating value from every cast.
Everybody wants to be a cat! This wedge excels in abusing their little guys for value, often to kill their opponents dead. Use some combination of sacrifice outlets, fodder, and enablers to make every death count.
This archetype is looking to flood the board with all kinds of tokens to use them for value. Overrun your opponents with creatures, collect a bunch of treasures and clues, or find a way to create your own! This archetype leaves most of the decisions up to you. Just be sure to share your stories with the pod by night's end.
This is less a cohesive archetype, and more a collection of decks trying to accomplish the same goal. Big creatures are fun, and not paying for them even more so! Each of these three archetypes (Tinker,
Reanimate, and
Pod) are looking to cheat out a big threat early and win from that dominating position. Beware the deck happy to discard their game-ender!
What's better than a bunch of little guys? A bunch of little guys with swords! This archetype looks to leverage the fact that equipment sticks around to buff all of their troops. Equipment is great, but cheating it into play, or onto creatures is even better!
A small sub-theme I'm still curating is blink. This archetype is made of creatures with valuable enter the battlefield effects, and spells that allow them to disappear and return. Don't miss the value that recurring a bunch of creatures can accrue.
This is a small but available combo deck if you're lucky enough to pick up its pieces. Utilizing one of the 3 persist creatures (Murderous Redcap, Kitchen Finks, or Woodfall Primus), a sacrifice outlet and something that gives counters on ETB. Sacrifice the creature, it returns from the grave with a -1/-1 counter on it. The +1/+1 counter is given to it, and both counters cancel. Then you are ready to sacrifice it again. Do this until enemy is dead.
This cube began life as a lower powered introduction to cubing and has evolved much since. However, there are still some vestiges of older design philosophies still within. A narrow lane that hopefully is still accessible, if not playable has to do with creature types. I’ve removed most of the lords and anthems, but as I’ve added cards I look for them to have possibly relevant typings.
really cares for its humans, soldiers, and angels.
searches out the faeries.
wouldn’t be caught dead without its rogues.
puts on it’s robe and wizard hat.
Below are some cards in the cube, mostly because I enjoy them. You may not have seen them in a while, so this should help familiarize you with lesser-cubed cards.