Explore every episode of the podcast Lucky Paper Radio
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus Episode — Obscura: Monument | 06 nov. 2026 | 01:02:49 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Jane about her Obscura cube based on the prompt ”Monument.” Starting with a heavy dose of memorials, obelisks, and other monumental structures she designed a cube that itself feels like a monolith. Players draft 4 packs of 15 in this desert cube and can’t make any cuts, forcing them to engage with, and find a way to use, every card they draft. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Set Review Backlog: Edge of Eternities to Reality Fracture | 02 nov. 2026 | 01:11:02 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Rejoice! Parker is back in the studio for a second episode in a row! He’s joining Andy and Anthony to do a little speedrun through all the recent sets they haven’t reviewed on the podcast — from Edge of Eternities to Reality Fracture. Which sets have been the most popular for cubes across all of Cube Cobra? Which cards and mechanics do they like the most? Why does it seem like every Universes Within set is a nostalgia-laden, Modern Horizons style callback? Does “genius” exist? Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Book Club: The Score by C. Thi Nguyen | 26 oct. 2026 | 01:08:00 | |
Andy, Anthony, and Parker tackle C. Thi Nguyen’s The Score in their fourth episode of “Book Club.” Nguyen’s book compares how metrics apply to and effect games and social structures. He argues that while metrics are a defining construct that allow games to exist and be fun, when applied to social situations and optimized they are often destructive. Our hosts discuss this theses and other arguments presented in the book. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Bonus Episode — Obscura: Legacy | 22 oct. 2026 | 00:52:33 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Gabor about their Obscura Cube designed from the prompt “Legacy,” a very loaded term in the Cube space. Skipping past the obvious interpretation, Gabor chose to look to legacy board games for inspiration — games that permanently change across a series of play sessions. Starting with a nostalgic list of iconic cards, Gabor altered the Cube over the course of the weekend, swapping in cards from an second list with input from players. Drafters made choices about host the cube changed and also altered cards from their decks. At the end of the weekend, the cube was left more powerful and marked by each player. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Inland Northwest Cube Fest II Recap | 19 oct. 2026 | 00:55:31 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy recaps his experience at the second annual Inland Northwest Cube Fest to Anthony. He talks through each of his four drafts at the event, recounting how he handled novel Cube environments and gameplay highlights. He talks about the overall experience of the event including the printed cube companion guides, hosting a draft of 100 Ornithopters, and other extra-curricular activities. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Bonus Episode — Obscura: Feudal | 15 oct. 2026 | 01:08:48 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy, Jane, and Anthony talk about Andy’s Obscura cube, prompted with the word ”feudal.” His attempted to capture the experience of feudalism in gameplay by putting the powerful cards in certain spots that would force players to build decks a certain way. Powerful, high devotion lords, as much as possible represented by sinister human creatures, motivate players into mono colored decks. Players have no option but to fill out their decks with individually weak, under-rate creatures. As a foil, players eschew the high devotion lords and unite the individually weak cards multi-color deck rewarded by domain payoffs. The talk about Andy’s design process. Then looking at the decks drafted at the event, they reflect on how successful these specific design goals were. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| The Paradox of Balance in Cube Design | 12 oct. 2026 | 01:02:18 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode What makes a cube “balanced”? When a card or deck performs very differently in the hands of especially skilled players, are they using their greater knowledge of the game to exploit a balance issue that others can’t see? Or are they just having the predictable success you would expect from a more skilled player? Is the experience of strong players a better indicator of a cube’s balance because they use cards optimally? Or are they exploiting the cards in a way that, if balanced for, would negatively impact the play experience of the average player? We sure as hell don’t know, but you can listen to us try to figure it out for an hour if you want. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Bonus Episode — Obscura: Déjà Vu | 08 oct. 2026 | 00:53:35 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Brett about his Obscura Cube. Prompted with the phrase “Déjà vu” Brett explored some wild, logistically impossible ideas before settling on a cube filled to the brim with subtle repetitions. The feeling of things having happened before manifests in my ways from multiple copies of Accumulated Knowledge, Memory Lapses that create repeated moments, and repetitive single card engines. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Capitol Cube Championship 2026 Tournament Report | 05 oct. 2026 | 01:21:02 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony recap their experience at Capitol Cube Championship in Washington D.C. They talk about the five different cube drafts they did between them and their overall experience at the event. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Bonus Episode — Obscura: Dangerous | 01 oct. 2026 | 00:57:00 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Ollie about their Obscura Cube with the prompt “Dangerous.” Ollie’s interpretation of the prompt led them to build a desert cube where all lands cost life to generate colored mana. Limiting each player to 20 colored pips of mana over the course of a game reshapes the way player’s engage with their life total as a resource and creates a truly dangerous feeling sensation. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Leveraging Scarcity in Cube Design and Play | 28 sept. 2026 | 00:59:55 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy, Anthony, and Parker talk about how to draft cubes better by framing their thinking in terms of the scarcest resource in any give context. Flipping the perspective, they talk about how to leverage a diversity of themes as a cube designer. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Bonus Episode — Obscura: Collapse | 26 sept. 2026 | 00:46:56 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Gabe joins Andy and Anthony talk about his Obscura cube, starting with the prompt “collapse”. Gabe chose to build on the theme in both aesthetic and mechanical ways. Pulling heavily from zendikar sets he set a tone of a world after the collapse of civilization. Mechanically he hoped to create gameplay that put players in committed positions that could easily crumble. In the first half, before the event, they talk about the design process and fears and expectations. In the second they reflect on how the cube played out. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Drafting and Designing Weird Cubes with Ryan Overturf | 21 sept. 2026 | 01:13:25 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony are joined by Cube icon Ryan Overturf to talk about drafting and designing weird cubes. They talk about his experience at CubeConbroadening his experience into novel designs. They go more in depth into Ryan’s cube Stadium Stampede where all players start with a copy of Strixhaven Stadium in play. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Bonus Episode — Obscura: Cavalier | 17 sept. 2026 | 00:56:10 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Dan, best known for creating the Devoid Cube, about his cube for Cube for a Cause: Obscura. Starting with the prompt “cavalier” Dan dove into the world of knights and found himself with a cube pulling heavily from the plane of Eldraine. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Expensive Spells We Actually Like | 14 sept. 2026 | 00:54:15 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about expensive cards in Cube — how high mana value cards fit into their cube designs. They talk about specific expensive cards they love, break down some specific roles they see the cards playing, and how variety makes cubes more fun. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Bonus Episode — Obscura: Anti-War | 10 sept. 2026 | 00:46:03 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode In the first installment of Obscura cube design discussions, Andy and Anthony are joined by Ollie to talk about Anthony’s cube designed around the prompt “anti-war”. Moving past the literal interpretation of a cube without war, Anthony chose to make his cube all about presenting the profound horrors of war. The cube features cards that aesthetically or mechanically express brutality, hopelessness, greed, and resource extraction. In the first half, recorded before the event, they talk about their hopes and expectations for the cube. In the second, post-event half they reflect on how well the design met its goals. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Summer 2026 Cube Zeitgeist | 07 sept. 2026 | 00:58:34 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about recent trends in Cube design. After looking through the revealed Cube lists for the recent Cube for a Cause: Obscura our hosts noticed a few design features popping up again and again. They talk about them in the broader, evolving context of the Cube design community discussing if they reflect bigger trends. In particular, reflect on “art cards” — cards included for purely aesthetic reasons, desert cubes, cubes with no or minimal deckbuilding, and a casual approach to singleton breaks. Discussed in this episode:
Obscura Cube Lists:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| What Makes a Card “Sacred?” | 31 août 2026 | 00:56:02 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Sometimes a card design just sings — all of the individual elements come together to make an elegant, resonant game piece. In this episode Andy and Anthony talk about this concept through the lens of Andy’s cube Sacred Geometry as he considers committing even harder to the bit. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Open Drafting Take Five | 24 août 2026 | 00:59:46 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony collaboratively draft Andy’s Take Five cube, discussing their strategy through a whole draft and how they might approach this unique environment. To follow along, or try the draft yourself before listening, you can download the seeded pack list and upload it to Draftmancer. Also check out the cards mentioned page for the pack by pack view and final deck. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Exploring Cube Cobra’s New Winrate Analysis Features | 17 août 2026 | 01:00:37 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony explore Cube Cobra’s new analytic tools for card and deck winrates. The new features allow you to upload decks and their matchup records, or import matchup data if a Cube has been played at an event using Hedron Network to track matches. After Andy diligently imported hundreds of decks for 100 Ornithopters, they talk through all the different visualizations and how they might use them as Cube designers. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Summertime Mailbag | 10 août 2026 | 00:52:52 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony first talk about their upcoming series of interviews related to Cube For a Cause: Obscura. The event will feature 17 secret Cubes from 17 well known designers created just for the event. Until the first packs are cracked, the contents of each have been kept completely unknown. Each episode in the series will feature a designer talking about their plans going in before the event and a post-mortem discussion of how their cube played. With announcements and logistics out of the way, Andy and Anthony open up the mailbag and answer some questions from listeners. Discussed in this episode:
Book Recommendations:
Top Reddits: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Cross Pod Cube Throw Down: Regular Cube vs Sacred Geometry | 03 août 2026 | 00:57:37 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode In a strange experiment, Andy and Anthony organize drafts of their cubes Sacred Geometry and Regular Cube and then pair players against the opposite cube. The two cubes have some major similarities, and clear differences. They wanted to see how drastically skewed win records would be towards one cube, and see what else they can learn. The experiment highlighted some unexpected differences and individual cards that skewed up or down when played against a different battery of opponents. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Narrow Tutors in Cube | 27 juil. 2026 | 01:00:54 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about narrow tutors in Cubes. In contrast to the most open ended ways for players to search up a card from their library, narrow tutor effects give cube designers an opportunity to make specific sets of cards more accessible. Our hosts talk about specific “tutor” cards they include in their cubes. They talk about the ways they can create interesting draft challenges, provide targeted redundancy, or let players construct a toolbox of cards they have more opportunities to find. Discussed in this episode:
Cubes mentioned: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| CubeCon DMV Tournament Report | 20 juil. 2026 | 01:06:56 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony report on their experience at CubeCon DMV — from the organizers of the original CubeCon — a cube event right in their back yard. They talk about their drafts in the event, highlights from games, and lunchtime highs and lows. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Cards that are Cool — Part 2 | 13 juil. 2026 | 01:01:59 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about cards they think are cool. In the long anticipated follow up to episode 108, they just talk about things they think are neat. Anthony shares some cards he’s seen pop up regularly in recent cube drafts that spark some intrigue. Andy shares cards that he thinks over-deliver, in a design and gameplay sense, in his own cubes. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Board Stalls and Cube Design | 06 juil. 2026 | 01:01:28 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about board stalls and Cube. They talk about what they don’t like about this particular genera of board state. They theorize about some aspects of a cube’s design would lead to more stalls, and ways they might, as a designer, try to minimize them. This weeks topic was suggested by listener MZ. Thanks, MZ! Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Token Episode | 29 juin 2026 | 01:02:14 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about the logistics of tokens for Cube. They talk about different ways they’ve managed them over the years and for different Cubes. They make recommendations for the best way to approach the problem, and even how their Cube design is influenced by token makers. Discussed in this episode: Cubes Discussed: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Powering Down Eternal Cubes with Jake and Parker | 22 juin 2026 | 01:07:09 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony are joined by Jake and Parker to talk about their shifts in approach to each of their eternal cubes. While Jake, Parker, and Andy have long maintained generally “power motivated” eternal cubes, they’ve each grappled with concerns about aesthetics, complexity, or gameplay in the last few years of Magic releases. They talk about how they’ve changed their design philosophies in light of those changes and how they’ve reframed the way they make decisions about the cards they choose to play. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Cube Cards That Are Hated | 15 juin 2026 | 01:12:53 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Riffing on last week’s slightly divisive topic, Andy and Anthony talk about cards in their own cubes that players hate. They comb through their cubes discussing the many reasons players might dislike a card and why they might still be justifiable inclusions. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Hate Cards in Cube | 08 juin 2026 | 01:06:34 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about hate cards, and how they fit into Cube design in particular. Of course, they start by trying to define the term. They talk through the pros and cons of them and how different types may play a role in Cubes. They go through a number of their own cubes, analyzing them from this perspective. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Steal Our Cube Ideas | 01 juin 2026 | 00:53:36 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony scour the cutting room floor for unfinished gems. They offer up some of their half-baked, unfinished cube ideas for you to steal. Andy shares his ideas for an aesthetic sun-bleached cube, a cube where your deck is your life total, and an environment built around wishes. Anthony digs up an all alternate win conditions cube and a battle box where the entire game happens in one stack. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| The Scorpion and The Cube with Ollie Beeks | 25 mai 2026 | 01:03:53 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony are joined by Cube Person of the Year 2024, Ollie, to talk about whether it’s irresponsible to present a cube for drafting without any playtesting. What is the difference between ‘playing’ and ‘playtesting’? Can you design a cube iteratively without playtesting? Just how bad can a cube really be? Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Salt Box Recap with Judge Bones | 18 mai 2026 | 01:10:07 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony are joined by the de facto Cube judge — Bones! The three recap The Salt Box, a small Cube event in Baltimore. At this event, Andy debuted Take Five and Judge Bones Arcane Lessons. They share what they learned from players drafting their cubes for the very first time and their own experience as cube designers drafting cubes for the first time in a public event. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| The Barash Files 006 — Cube Design Lenses | 11 mai 2026 | 01:13:17 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony are joined by returning guest Zach Barash. They talk about about different lenses Cube designers can use to approach designing a new cube. They finish on a pack 1, pick 1 from Andy’s new cube Take Five. Previous episodes with Zach:
Discussed in this episode:
Cubes referenced:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Theory Drafting the Best Decks in Regular Cube | 04 mai 2026 | 01:14:09 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony and joined by Adam, a local player who suggested a novel way to cube. All players involved built what they thought would be the best deck that could ever be drafted from Anthony’s Regular Cube. They talked about the decks they built, their processes for building, and what it revealed about an environment which is typically intended to be drafted. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Playing Proactive Green Decks | 27 avr. 2026 | 00:55:22 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Following their previous episode about playing with Young Pyromancer Andy and Anthony talk about how to win with proactive green decks. They look back at some of Anthony’s successful decks and try to get some insight into what makes them tick, exploring card types and distribution and gameplay heuristics. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Tricentennial Q & A | 20 avr. 2026 | 01:29:08 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Celebrating 300 episodes, Andy and Anthony answer listener submitted questions. They address their favorite gummy candies, opinions on the free will of jellyfish, the most technologically advanced things they could build from scratch on a desert island, and so much more. Discussed in this episode: Books:
Artists:
Other Media: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| How to Win with Young Pyromancer | 13 avr. 2026 | 01:03:04 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about one of Andy’s all time favorite cards Young Pyromancer. After a recent draft of a peasant cube at their weekly cube night, Anthony realized that despite it’s iconic status, it’s not a card he feels like he know’s how to optimize. Andy shares his experience with the card, what he thinks it takes to support it, and a handful of his cube draft decks it headlined. View the full decklists of Andy’s referenced drafts on the cards page. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| On Colorless Cards | 06 avr. 2026 | 01:00:01 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Most of the time when listeners suggest topics we’ve already recorded a whole episode dedicated to that subject. Sometimes we’ve even recorded three. It turns out almost six years is a long time to have a weekly podcast about a niche interest like Cube design. So when someone recently suggested we record an episode about ‘colorless cards’ I was surprised to discover that we have never actually dedicated an entire episode to the subject, and it turns out we have a lot to say! If you have questions for our 300th episodes please send them to mail@luckypaper.co with the subject line ‘Episode 300 Question’. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Book Club: The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman | 30 mars 2026 | 00:53:53 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode In the third book club Episode, Anthony and Parker talk about Donald Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things. Originally published in 1988, the book was an influential criticism of the built world and interfaces establishing many concepts fundamental to user interface and industrial design today. It also introduces a metric ton of jargon per page. Our book club members talk about how these concepts apply to game and Cube design and their thinking about things more broadly. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Shoebox Recap with Patrick | 23 mars 2026 | 01:24:48 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode In this explicit episode of Lucky Paper Radio, Andy, Anthony, and Patrick recap their experience at Shoebox in St Paul, Minnesota. Shoebox celebrated a range of casual formats including team limited, pauper, and, of course, Cube! They talk about highlights from the weekend and the decks they drafted. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| How Do We Know What We Know About Magic: The Gathering | 16 mars 2026 | 01:00:54 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony finally just talk about epistemology and sort of address Magic: the Gathering. They talk about the way we all generally learn things and incorporate them into our understanding of the world around us, and how that manifests in the smaller world of the game. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Three Years of the Companion Cube, with Greg Cortazzo | 09 mars 2026 | 00:50:17 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Greg about his Companion Cube. In this Cube, each player chooses a card from their deck before each game to be their ‘companion’, which their guaranteed access to. They talk about the history of the cube and the difference between the early days of frequent edits and the longer stable phase with less frequent changes. Greg is also one of the organizers of Shoebox an event happening next week in St Paul, Minnesota. Shoebox will prominently feature Cube as well as other formats that don’t usually get center stage and much more. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| The Last Echo of a Boon | 02 mars 2026 | 00:59:56 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about cutting a long-standing, controversial card from 100 Ornithopters: Echoing Boon. They talk about gameplay experiences with the card and why Andy decided to include a conspiracy in the cube in the first place. The ‘always on’ nature of conspiracies put certain constraints on the cube’s design. Andy talks about some of those limitations and changes he’s planning to make after they’re gone. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Packing and Mapping Synergies in Cubes | 23 févr. 2026 | 00:56:20 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony discuss how they think about themes within cubes. As always, our hosts beginning with a thorough defining of terms. They talk about how they think about thematically related sets of cards and how many they think can fit, or would want to, in a Cube. Andy has been exploring fitting a tight network of synergistic cards in his cube Take Five. They also talk about a new app Anthony built specifically for mapping synergies between cards within a cube. It lets you create a force directed diagram of every card in a cube and draw connections between individual or sets of cards. Give it a try with your own cube! Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Power Level and Game Impact in Cube Design | 16 févr. 2026 | 00:52:05 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about the concept of power level band or range in Cubes. It’s sometimes said a Cube should have a pretty even power level, with the strongest card being not too much stronger than the weakest, is a good idea. Our hosts talk about why that doesn’t always make sense and strategies for making Cubes with a wide band of power that still make sense. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Lunchbox Tournament Report | 09 févr. 2026 | 01:00:37 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy, Anthony, and Patrick recap their experience at Lunch Box, a 1 day Cube event in their home town of Baltimore raising funds for the Maryland Food Bank. They discuss the cubes they drafted, the highs and lows of their matches, and their overall experiences at the event. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Star Magic — The Best Way to Cube with Five Players | 02 févr. 2026 | 00:53:54 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about Star Magic, a unique multiplayer format that also happens to be a way to accommodate a draft with 5 players — a notoriously awkward number. In a Star Magic game, 5 players engage in a free-for-all game with a specific win condition. The game ends when any one player eliminates the two others seated furthest from them. Players sitting next to each other are neutrally affiliated but are motivated to collaborate by their one shared enemy, or not to if another is about to defeat both of their enemies. Our hosts talk about their recent exploration of the format and how they feel it’s a multiplayer experience that both applies to their own gameplay tastes, and to a typical cube not intentionally designed for multiplayer, than a full free-for-all game. Discussed in this episode: If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| The Death of Magic | 26 janv. 2026 | 01:03:35 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode It’s been said that Cube Will Outlive Magic, but would it really? Andy and Anthony wildly speculate on the future in a thought experiment: what if Wizards of the Coast stopped existing tomorrow and no new cards were designed or printed. They theorize about how it would impact different elements of the player base and how it would impact their own relationship to the game, despite their relative independence from the flow of new cards. Discussed in this episode:
If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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| Sacred Geometry Draft Along | 19 janv. 2026 | 01:11:39 | |
View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony each draft the same seat in a virtual pod of Andy’s Sacred Geometry Cube. They talk through each of their picks and their overall draft strategy and the final decks they end up with. If you want to draft this same seat as well, either before or after listening to the episode, follow these steps: If you enjoy this episode, check out our previous draft episodes. If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen. Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay. You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra: You can find both your hosts in the MTG Cube Talk Discord. Send in questions to the show at mail@luckypaper.co or our p.o. box: Lucky Paper Musical production by DJ James Nasty. Timestamps
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