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Hello, everyone! It’s your resident Magic Online product manager again, and I’m back for Season 3 of Live the Dream Cube. So buckle up for the cube with the most gold cards, most mana, and most crazy interactions on Magic Online from November 24 to December 1.
We’re now in Season 3 of Live the Dream Cube being featured on Magic Online, and there are lots of changes this time around. It still maintains the promise of having time to set up impossibly complex and wild board states in a way that blends Commander and Cube. You can read up on the first season here and the second season here. Since its last showing, I’ve added cards from Strixhaven: School of Mages, Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, Modern Horizons 2, Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, and Innistrad: Crimson Vow!
Yet again, I teamed up with David White (@thrilryder on Twitter), and in analyzing the data, we found a couple of good data points to act on. To nobody’s surprise, blue is strong in an environment without Savannah Lions, and while I’m still not playing any 2/1s for one mana, the curve has been lowered ever so slightly, and aggro has been brought up a bit, as opposed to bringing blue down (which I only did a bit of). A lot of the ways aggro decks traditionally try to attack decks that don’t cast spells until turn four (other than by attacking faster) is by taxing, land destruction, hand disruption, and lots of other “unfun” ways. While I’m not saying this is a “No LD, No Counterspells, No Discard” cube, that sort of interaction is at a minimal here, so I helped out decks that actually want to attack by adding cheaper creatures, a couple Equipment, and creatures who actually have more power than their mana cost!
Another point revealed by data is that players often were hesitant to draft three-color cards that you’d want to play early, such as Mathas, Fiend Seeker or Offspring’s Revenge, even with about half of the decks drafted being three-plus colors. And yes, early is turn five in this environment. So, while I still certainly have themes, archetypes, directions, etc. for each of the ten color pairs, they are loosened up a little bit this time around. You don’t have to live the exact dream I’ve set out for you—it’s easier to find your own!
One way to help facilitate unique dream living is to weave each archetype together. In the very first version of this cube in the halcyon days of 2019, green-white was Enchantress, which did a cool, unique thing that you don’t get to see in normal Limited and led to fun turns. The problem there is that since the mechanic is so parasitic, only one drafter at the table wanted all the enchantments and enchantments-matter cards and nobody else did. That means there were no decisions being made with those cards, and the draft was on rails for that player.
What I’ve attempted to do here is let the themes breathe on their own but with most of the individual cards being somewhat attractive to other players. I primarily do this by having archetypes focus on a card type, but unlike enchantments, card types everybody wants. So, while the black-green archetype is now focused on planeswalkers, maybe a GX or BX deck needs a piece of removal badly, so they can take a planeswalker. This lets people make decisions about whether they want a lower synergy pick but a higher floor on their card, or they might want to plant their flag with something like Ill-Tempered Loner and play a card with a lower power level for this cube but with a much higher ceiling.
And here are the descriptions of the ten directions each color pair is whispering for you to follow. But you don’t have to listen to them, carve your own path! Per usual, mana fixing and ramp is the most important part of the cube, but we all have our “unpassables.” For me it’s Ral, Storm’s Conduit. It’s hard to pass characters you’ve cosplayed as.
White-Blue Blink
Not only is this color pair introduced first, but it also remains the most winning archetype! There are plenty of creatures in all five colors with sweet enters-the-battlefield (or comes into play for us retro folk) abilities to take advantage of!
Sample Dream: Use Teleportation Circle to blink your Gyruda, Doom of Depths, find Sun Titan and bring back Charming Prince to do it all over again in your 60-card Yorion, Sky Nomad deck.
Blue-Black Thievery
In this color pair, make your opponents regret what they drafted by daring to use their own spells against them! You’ve got the usual controlling focus here, but many creatures are evasive and steal things right from the top of your opponent’s deck. After all, they did it to themselves.
Sample Dream: Attack an opponent with their Chatterfang, Squirrel General you got from a Thief of Sanity, and ninjutsu in Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow, revealing a Spelltwine to cast your opponent’s Genesis Ultimatum.
Black-Red Sacrifice Value
This color pair is as efficient as it is menacing, with cheap creatures that are often used as fodder for your real haymakers. Tokens and your life are both resources here and can make life hard for your opponent. You make it even harder by taking your opponent’s creatures for your own nefarious sacrifice-related plans.
Sample Dream: Create two copies of Coercive Recruiter with Rionya, Fire Dancer and steal three creatures, attack with them, then sacrifice them to Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, while making copies of them with Nightmare Shepherd!
Red-Green Cheat
This color pair cares about one card type: creatures. “Smol” creatures to add mana, and “beeg” creatures to overpower the board. Most of your cards care about the most interactive card type, either by drawing cards when casting them or adding mana only to use with creatures. Time to teach those spell mages a thing or two about the red zone!
Sample Dream: Birds of Paradise into Somberwald Sage into Nyxbloom Ancient, giving you 24 mana on turn four.
Green-White Token Shenanigans
This color pair attacks! Almost all the planeswalkers make tokens, and you have a multitude of ways to make more tokens or enhance these tokens. Unlike black-red’s philosophy, tokens are our friends, not food, and you’ll easily find a way to lead your army of mild-mannered murder machines to victory!
Sample Dream: With Divine Visitation and Anointed Procession in play, cast Martial Coup with seven mana to Wrath the board, and make ten 4/4 Angel tokens!
White-Black Reanimator
While you won’t find Entomb or Reanimate in this environment, there are a great number of ways to bring back creatures from your graveyard at under retail value while controlling the board with efficient (for this cube) removal spells.
Sample Dream: Loot away Angel of Serenity with Smuggler’s Copter crewed by Priest of Fell Rites, then use the Priest to reanimate the Angel, nabbing the Priest and your opponent’s tokens.
Blue-Red Big Spells
This color pair is where true dreams are made. There are plenty of expensive spells in here to keep an Izzet mage busy, and plenty of ways to cheat in that annoying seven-plus-mana card. Also, you should copy said spells, because why not? Reality is your plaything, and the other colors only wish they were as cool as us.
Sample Dream: With The Mirari Conjecture’s third chapter resolving, activate the minus ability of Ral, Storm Conduit and cast Mnemonic Deluge on three cards in graveyards. I don’t really know what happens next, but I hope your opponent concedes!
Black-Green Planeswalkers
The last two iterations focused on creatures in the graveyard. This time, we’re focusing on the hottest new card type around, along with black-green’s general propensity for removal. With half of your cards being removal, card advantage, and win conditions all in one, you’ll be walking all over your opponents.
Sample Dream: Destroy your opponent’s mana rock with Vraska, Regal Gorgon, then cast Doubling Season into Liliana, Dreadhorde General, and immediately activate her ultimate! Good
Red-White Piñatas
The most unique color pair in the cube is back! Get a creature that wants to be dealt damage, then cast a chonky damage spell (if you can draft one away from the blue mages) to, for all intents and purposes, win the game! In this intensive combo-ish archetype, wraths are wincons, you’ll target your own creatures, and Boros can do something other than just efficiently attack!
Sample Dream: Discard Star of Extinction to Faithless Looting, cast Boros Reckoner, then get lucky with Wildfire Devils to win the game on turn four!
Green-Blue Lands
There’s one card type every deck has: lands. This deck will both have and play the most! And in a cube that’s slower than Rise of the Eldrazi Limited, you’ve got the time to cast the big stuff. Oftentimes, games in Magic are decided by whomever has the most mana, so you’re a surefire candidate for victory. It doesn’t really matter what you’re casting, you’ll just be casting it first!
Sample Dream: Cast Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath.
Five-Color Dream
Why be limited to up to four colors? Drafting every color as Richard Garfield intended leads to some of the most rewarding dreams around. To no surprise, this archetype wants mana fixing, so it can cast any of the sweet five-drops in the cube and use all the colors of the wind to assemble the perfect board state. When you move into five colors, you’ll always be playing as “The Home Team” in my eyes.
And those are just the fully supported archetypes! There are many other color combinations available to put your own spin on as you explore this wild cube. A couple of the dreamier build-arounds are:
I sincerely hope you all enjoy this final run of my Live the Dream Cube on Magic Online. My goal in life has always been to make people happy through games and the good they bring to the world. I hope this does some of that for you, and if it does, or anything I’ve done in the past has, please let me know. Magic is all about the gathering, so my hope is that this cube brings you and your friends and family together this time of year, as friends are just family you choose.
Be excellent to each other.
David McDarby, Magic Online Product Manager
@J_Beleren on Twitter
Linuka on Twitch
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Card Name Color Giant Killer White Giver of Runes White Thraben Inspector White Bounty Agent White Cathar Commando White Charming Prince White Hero of Precinct One White Intrepid Adversary White Loyal Warhound White Selfless Spirit White Blade Splicer White Brutal Cathar White Elite Spellbinder White Lurrus of the Dream-Den White Mentor of the Meek White Mila, Crafty Companion White Recruiter of the Guard White Skyclave Apparition White Welcoming Vampire White Emiel the Blessed White Galepowder Mage White Gisela, the Broken Blade White Glorious Protector White Hero of Bladehold White Luminous Broodmoth White Restoration Angel White Swans of Bryn Argoll White Angel of Invention White Angel of Sanctions White Archangel Avacyn White Cavalier of Dawn White God-Eternal Oketra White Karmic Guide White Regal Caracal White Reveillark White Solitude White Harmonious Archon White Sun Titan White Angel of Serenity White Bruna, the Fading Light White Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite White Elspeth, Knight-Errant White Gideon, Ally of Zendikar White Elspeth, Sun’s Champion White Ephemerate White Unexpectedly Absent White Finale of Glory White Martial Coup White Council’s Judgment White Lingering Souls White Late to Dinner White Starnheim Unleashed White Austere Command White Banishing Light White Oblivion Ring White Anointed Procession White Cast Out White Felidar Retreat White Teleportation Circle White Divine Visitation White Elspeth Conquers Death White Fblthp, the Lost Blue Jacob Hauken, Inspector Blue Looter il-Kor Blue Snapcaster Mage Blue Suspicious Stowaway Blue Watcher for Tomorrow Blue Barrin, Tolarian Archmage Blue Cemetery Illuminator Blue Champion of Wits Blue Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar Blue Lutri, the Spellchaser Blue Vizier of Tumbling Sands Blue Clever Impersonator Blue Mirrorhall Mimic Blue Sower of Temptation Blue Subtlety Blue Thassa, Deep-Dwelling Blue Urza, Lord High Artificer Blue Whirler Rogue Blue Cavalier of Gales Blue Djinn of Wishes Blue Keruga, the Macrosage Blue Lier, Disciple of the Drowned Blue Mind Flayer Blue Mulldrifter Blue Yorion, Sky Nomad Blue Deadeye Navigator Blue Dream Eater Blue Gyruda, Doom of Depths Blue Sakashima’s Protege Blue Scholar of the Lost Trove Blue Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner Blue Teferi, Master of Time Blue Mystic Reflection Blue Thassa’s Intervention Blue Supreme Will Blue Theoretical Duplication Blue Whirlwind Denial Blue Fact or Fiction Blue Spell Swindle Blue Sublime Epiphany Blue Supplant Form Blue Commit // Memory Blue Ancestral Vision Blue Multiple Choice Blue Chart a Course Blue Inscription of Insight Blue Mythos of Illuna Blue Rite of Replication Blue Baral’s Expertise Blue Part the Waterveil Blue Spelltwine Blue Alrund’s Epiphany Blue Temporal Mastery Blue Aminatou’s Augury Blue Mnemonic Deluge Blue Temporal Trespass Blue Search for Azcanta Blue The Mirari Conjecture Blue Shark Typhoon Blue Dauthi Voidwalker Black Fiend Artisan Black Glint-Sleeve Siphoner Black Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia Black Kitesail Freebooter Black Mesmeric Fiend Black Nezumi Graverobber Black Nullpriest of Oblivion Black Valki, God of Lies Black Callous Bloodmage Black Liliana, Heretical Healer Black Morbid Opportunist Black Murderous Rider Black Ophiomancer Black Plaguecrafter Black Sedgemoor Witch Black Woe Strider Black Eradicator Valkyrie Black Gisa, Glorious Resurrector Black Gonti, Lord of Luxury Black Grief Black Henrika Domnathi Black Kels, Fight Fixer Black Nightmare Shepherd Black Rankle, Master of Pranks Black Ravenous Chupacabra Black Yawgmoth, Thran Physician Black Cavalier of Night Black Puppeteer Clique Black Shriekmaw Black Tergrid, God of Fright Black Mikaeus, the Unhallowed Black Noxious Gearhulk Black Sheoldred, Whispering One Black Archon of Cruelty Black Distended Mindbender Black Liliana, Waker of the Dead Black Sorin the Mirthless Black Liliana, Death’s Majesty Black Lolth, Spider Queen Black Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools Black Liliana, Dreadhorde General Black Force of Despair Black Mythos of Nethroi Black Price of Fame Black Bone Shards Black Innocent Blood Black Agonizing Remorse Black Collective Brutality Black Damn Black Feed the Swarm Black Finale of Eternity Black Mire in Misery Black Profane Command Black Victimize Black Unburial Rites Black Discovery // Dispersal Multicolor Necromantic Selection Black Bitterblossom Black The Meathook Massacre Black The Eldest Reborn Black Flametongue Yearling Red Goblin Cratermaker Red Magda, Brazen Outlaw Red Magmatic Channeler Red Plargg, Dean of Chaos Red Young Pyromancer Red Alesha, Who Smiles at Death Red Feldon of the Third Path Red Imperial Recruiter Red Laelia, the Blade Reforged Red Seasoned Pyromancer Red Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith Red Captivating Crew Red Delina, Wild Mage Red Fireflux Squad Red Flametongue Kavu Red Ill-Tempered Loner Red Manaform Hellkite Red Murderous Redcap Red Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion Red Pia and Kiran Nalaar Red Rosheen Meanderer Red Toralf, God of Fury Red Wildfire Devils Red Brash Taunter Red Cavalier of Flame Red Coercive Recruiter Red Fury Red Goldspan Dragon Red Ilharg, the Raze-Boar Red Mindclaw Shaman Red Rionya, Fire Dancer Red Siege-Gang Commander Red Terror of the Peaks Red Zealous Conscripts Red Combustible Gearhulk Red Etali, Primal Storm Red Inferno Titan Red Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Red Lightning Bolt Red Abrade Red Cathartic Pyre Red Electrodominance Red Thrill of Possibility Red Calibrated Blast Red Faithless Looting Red Purphoros’s Intervention Red Crackle with Power Red Kaleidoscorch Red Collective Defiance Red Meteor Swarm Red Seize the Spoils Red Cut // Ribbons Red Ignite the Future Red Mizzix’s Mastery Red Burn Down the House Red Star of Extinction Red Blasphemous Act Red Double Vision Red Fiery Emancipation Red Warstorm Surge Red Birds of Paradise Green Gilded Goose Green Ignoble Hierarch Green Noble Hierarch Green Bloom Tender Green Fauna Shaman Green Foundation Breaker Green Incubation Druid Green Lotus Cobra Green Sakura-Tribe Elder Green Voracious Hydra Green Augur of Autumn Green Chatterfang, Squirrel General Green Courser of Kruphix Green Dryad of the Ilysian Grove Green Llanowar Visionary Green Nissa, Vastwood Seer Green Reclamation Sage Green Selvala, Heart of the Wilds Green Shaman of Forgotten Ways Green Somberwald Sage Green Springbloom Druid Green Tireless Tracker Green Beast Whisperer Green Bramble Sovereign Green Champion of Rhonas Green Howlpack Piper Green Master of the Wild Hunt Green Oracle of Mul Daya Green Timeless Witness Green Toski, Bearer of Secrets Green Vizier of the Menagerie Green Cavalier of Thorns Green Deep Forest Hermit Green Ohran Frostfang Green Kogla, the Titan Ape Green Primeval Titan Green Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider Green Avenger of Zendikar Green Hornet Queen Green Nyxbloom Ancient Green Somberwald Beastmaster Green Apex Devastator Green End-Raze Forerunners Green Nissa, Voice of Zendikar Green Garruk Relentless Green Garruk Wildspeaker Green Freyalise, Llanowar’s Fury Green Nissa, Vital Force Green Vivien, Monsters’ Advocate Green Wrenn and Seven Green Primal Might Green Explore Green Finale of Devastation Green Lifecrafter’s Bestiary Green Esika’s Chariot Green The Great Henge Green Guardian Project Green Parallel Lives Green Doubling Season Green Deputy of Detention Multicolor Soulherder Multicolor Brago, King Eternal Multicolor Elite Guardmage Multicolor Ephara, God of the Polis Multicolor Cloudblazer Multicolor Venser, the Sojourner Multicolor Ethereal Valkyrie Multicolor Siphon Insight Multicolor Nightveil Specter Multicolor Thief of Sanity Multicolor Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow Multicolor Hostage Taker Multicolor Fallen Shinobi Multicolor Zareth San, the Trickster Multicolor Xanathar, Guild Kingpin Multicolor Silent-Blade Oni Multicolor Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Multicolor Juri, Master of the Revue Multicolor Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast Multicolor Kolaghan’s Command Multicolor Immersturm Predator Multicolor Angrath, the Flame-Chained Multicolor Sarkhan the Mad Multicolor Olivia, Crimson Bride Multicolor Domri, Anarch of Bolas Multicolor Radha, Heart of Keld Multicolor Halana and Alena, Partners Multicolor Escape to the Wilds Multicolor Nikya of the Old Ways Multicolor Ravager Wurm Multicolor Ruric Thar, the Unbowed Multicolor Dragonlord Atarka Multicolor Join the Dance Multicolor Voice of Resurgence Multicolor Faeburrow Elder Multicolor March of the Multitudes Multicolor Torens, Fist of the Angels Multicolor Ajani, the Greathearted Multicolor Captain Sisay Multicolor Mirari’s Wake Multicolor Trostani Discordant Multicolor Despark Multicolor Priest of Fell Rites Multicolor Anguished Unmaking Multicolor Utter End Multicolor Kaya the Inexorable Multicolor Shadrix Silverquill Multicolor Magister of Worth Multicolor Angel of Despair Multicolor Ashen Rider Multicolor Electrolyze Multicolor Prismari Command Multicolor Rootha, Mercurial Artist Multicolor Ral, Storm Conduit Multicolor Ral’s Outburst Multicolor Prophetic Bolt Multicolor Blast of Genius Multicolor Expansion // Explosion Multicolor Magma Opus Multicolor Grist, the Hunger Tide Multicolor Maelstrom Pulse Multicolor Binding the Old Gods Multicolor Carth the Lion Multicolor Nissa of Shadowed Boughs Multicolor Vraska, Golgari Queen Multicolor Garruk, Cursed Huntsman Multicolor Garruk, Apex Predator Multicolor Find // Finality Multicolor Lightning Helix Multicolor Rip Apart Multicolor Boros Reckoner Multicolor General Ferrous Rokiric Multicolor Nahiri, the Harbinger Multicolor Radiant Scrollwielder Multicolor Winota, Joiner of Forces Multicolor Lorehold Command Multicolor Growth Spiral Multicolor Hydroid Krasis Multicolor Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy Multicolor Nissa, Steward of Elements Multicolor Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath Multicolor Prime Speaker Vannifar Multicolor Bring to Light Multicolor Tatyova, Benthic Druid Multicolor Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait Multicolor Progenitor Mimic Multicolor Chulane, Teller of Tales Multicolor Dakkon, Shadow Slayer Multicolor Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign Multicolor Cruel Ultimatum Multicolor Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh Multicolor Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker Multicolor Yurlok of Scorch Thrash Multicolor Korvold, Fae-Cursed King Multicolor Minsc, Beloved Ranger Multicolor Zacama, Primal Calamity Multicolor Kaalia of the Vast Multicolor Genesis Ultimatum Multicolor Maelstrom Wanderer Multicolor Nethroi, Apex of Death Multicolor Narset, Enlightened Master Multicolor Inspired Ultimatum Multicolor Villainous Wealth Multicolor Zaxara, the Exemplary Multicolor Yarok, the Desecrated Multicolor Omnath, Locus of Creation Multicolor Esika, God of the Tree Multicolor Garth One-Eye Multicolor Golos, Tireless Pilgrim Multicolor Jegantha, the Wellspring Multicolor Kenrith, the Returned King Multicolor Maelstrom Nexus Multicolor Niv-Mizzet Reborn Multicolor Hangarback Walker Colorless Stonecoil Serpent Colorless Walking Ballista Colorless Ornithopter of Paradise Colorless Palladium Myr Colorless Pilgrim’s Eye Colorless Crystalline Crawler Colorless Phyrexian Metamorph Colorless Solemn Simulacrum Colorless Precursor Golem Colorless Stuffy Doll Colorless Duplicant Colorless Wurmcoil Engine Colorless Myr Battlesphere Colorless Emrakul, the Promised End Colorless Karn, Scion of Urza Colorless Ugin, the Ineffable Colorless Dismember Colorless Tezzeret’s Gambit Colorless Wayfarer’s Bauble Colorless Azorius Signet Colorless Boros Signet Colorless Coldsteel Heart Colorless Dimir Signet Colorless Fellwar Stone Colorless Golgari Signet Colorless Gruul Signet Colorless Heart of Kiran Colorless Izzet Signet Colorless Lightning Greaves Colorless Liquimetal Torque Colorless Mazemind Tome Colorless Mind Stone Colorless Orzhov Signet Colorless Prismatic Lens Colorless Rakdos Signet Colorless Selesnya Signet Colorless Simic Signet Colorless Smuggler’s Copter Colorless Treasure Map Colorless Bonder’s Ornament Colorless Chromatic Lantern Colorless Cultivator’s Caravan Colorless Mimic Vat Colorless Replicating Ring Colorless Skyclave Relic Colorless Sword of Fire and Ice Colorless Sword of Hearth and Home Colorless The Celestus Colorless Birthing Pod Colorless Empowered Autogenerator Colorless Firemind Vessel Colorless Hedron Archive Colorless Lithoform Engine Colorless Conjurer’s Closet Colorless Gilded Lotus Colorless Pyromancer’s Goggles Colorless The Immortal Sun Colorless Chromatic Orrery Colorless Azorius Chancery Land Glacial Fortress Land Hallowed Fountain Land Tundra Land Dimir Aqueduct Land Drowned Catacomb Land Underground Sea Land Watery Grave Land Badlands Land Blood Crypt Land Dragonskull Summit Land Rakdos Carnarium Land Gruul Turf Land Rootbound Crag Land Stomping Ground Land Taiga Land Savannah Land Selesnya Sanctuary Land Sunpetal Grove Land Temple Garden Land Godless Shrine Land Isolated Chapel Land Orzhov Basilica Land Scrubland Land Izzet Boilerworks Land Steam Vents Land Sulfur Falls Land Volcanic Island Land Bayou Land Golgari Rot Farm Land Overgrown Tomb Land Woodland Cemetery Land Boros Garrison Land Clifftop Retreat Land Plateau Land Sacred Foundry Land Breeding Pool Land Hinterland Harbor Land Simic Growth Chamber Land Tropical Island Land Seaside Citadel Land Arcane Sanctum Land Crumbling Necropolis Land Savage Lands Land Jungle Shrine Land Savai Triome Land Ketria Triome Land Indatha Triome Land Raugrin Triome Land Zagoth Triome Land Arid Mesa Land Bloodstained Mire Land City of Brass Land Fabled Passage Land Flooded Strand Land Mana Confluence Land Marsh Flats Land Misty Rainforest Land Polluted Delta Land Prismatic Vista Land Scalding Tarn Land Verdant Catacombs Land Windswept Heath Land Wooded Foothills Land
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