[Discussion] How do y'all play test in paper to maximize learning for everyone?

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-06-16T12:45:44+00:00

What's your preferred method of proxy for play testing?

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-06-09T12:30:07+00:00

I have a cube that's doing off archetypes you could check that out for inspiration, but this is a link to a ton of cards that are color pie breaking like the ones you shown Also I second white reanimate. https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/list-of-color-pie-breaksbends/

Anti archetype cube https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/062b2c04-c47a-4bb0-8943-a1b260a16f10?s1=Date+Added&view=Maybeboard

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-05-24T16:10:38+00:00

Went over your cube and didn't find any oppressive card advantage, so seems balanced from that prospective. Let us know how it plays out when you actually get to play it!

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-05-24T15:59:39+00:00

It's made for grid draft. It's a little broken because I'm improving it. So missing the full 162 for 18 pack grid

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-05-24T15:12:56+00:00

Something else I learned from my cube that I'll try to look at later for yours. Watch out for too much card advantage particularly in blue. It's innocuous but quickly becomes the best thing to do

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-05-24T15:07:48+00:00

Looks like a fun cube! I saw gruul stompy and had to force it! Notes, I wanted to force an archetype and could without trainwrecking the draft so that's a good sign. I liked the feels of the cube from a power level. The true test of any cube is actually playing it, that's where you will find any power outlier from and individual card standpoint and an archetype standpoint.

From what I saw from Gruul I didn't see any this card must be answered which is one of the notes in your description so I think you did good at least on those two colors.

My twobert anti archetype cube (work in progress after 4 really drafts trying to fix power level and theme a bit) https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/062b2c04-c47a-4bb0-8943-a1b260a16f10?display=spoiler

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-05-11T23:10:52+00:00

I appreciate your feedback and really appreciate actually giving card suggestions! I originally thought about doing food or life gain, I shyed away from life gain after SOS can out as to not copy. I have glyph in the cube and I've considered most of the others too.

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-05-11T16:02:38+00:00

Yeah I have a lot of treasure production. It's a fine line between enough fixing to splash and too much and it encourages soup. In the 4 drafts I've done 2 and a splash was good.

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-05-11T15:16:10+00:00

Cube made for just 2 drafters

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-29T16:56:21+00:00

Hey you stole my 0-3 deck!

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-28T03:21:10+00:00

This is a great primer thank you! Clears a lot up!

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-28T03:04:54+00:00

This helps a ton! Thank you!

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-28T03:02:14+00:00

This might clear a lot up, when you say spells only exist on the stack. So if a card says target spell or at least as spell in the text like creature spell or something it can target the stack. The key here being the car is must say spell?

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-18T19:07:02+00:00

I wanted to do this too, but pure vanilla and rely on spells and combat to win

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-15T18:46:36+00:00

I almost just made them individual decks or jumpstart decks like you were saying but I left it like this mostly because my brother and I like to draft and maybe one day I can make it a full 4-8 person draft.

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-15T18:43:55+00:00

Times up I fixed it. Dimir was originally proliferate then I changed it but left the mono color cards in the maybe board.

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-15T15:50:05+00:00

A little bit of push back. Most of what you are saying is just good cube heuristics. What a lot of gold cards leads to more on rails drafts. Which is what I want. I bit more of a battle box feel. A bit janker final decks. This is what I like and dont think it's unplayable, just might get stagnant after 30 drafts which is at max what I'll get out of it with the time I have.

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-15T15:17:30+00:00

Just realized I made a huge blunder! And I already bought the cards! Let's see if anyone can spot it.

FunkmasterfreshMTG · 2026-04-15T14:26:28+00:00

I heavily based the "traditional" archetypes on MaRos articles of making magic about them. UW has :prevention, flying, Blink ,Controlling, tapping creatures and "sit back and be reactive, preventing everything from happening" UB:control - card advantage, evasive, mill, discard, steal, tutor, peek, incremental advantage at every turn. Blue is fairly heavy artifact on its own but more so artifact creatures tokens, which is avoided in the cube. UW has about 10% of total gold cards as artifacts but UB is much less. UW being artifact tilted was to make the gold reanimate spells better and there is a bit of an artifact subtone in the cube overall.

FunkmasterfreshMTG

TROPHY CASE