How to Build an MTG Cube: Your First Cube From Scratch
Table of Contents
This post helps new cube builders create their first MTG cube by explaining the few decisions that matter most (size, power band, archetypes, fixing, and skeleton counts), so they can draft a fun, coherent cube without getting stuck in card-choice paralysis.
TLDR
- Start smaller than you think. 360 cards is the cleanest “first cube” size because it supports an 8-player draft and stays coherent.
- Decide your power band first (beginner-friendly, mid-power, high-power, powered). It changes everything: speed, fixing needs, and how swingy games feel.
- Build from a skeleton (counts by section), then fill it with roles (curve, removal, payoffs, enablers), not just favorite cards.
- Your cube lives or dies on fixing and two-drops. If drafts feel “off,” it’s usually one of those.
- A cube is never “done.” Your first list is version 0.9. The real magic is draft → notes → swap 10 cards → repeat.
If you’ve ever googled “how to build a cube MTG” and immediately got hit with a thousand opinions, welcome. Cube is Magic’s most addictive format because you’re the designer, and also because you can accidentally design a train wreck with 360 of your favorite cards.
The good news: building your first MTG cube from scratch is mostly about making five decisions up front, then letting a simple structure do the heavy lifting. You don’t need a perfect list. You need a draftable list.
How to build an MTG cube: the 5 decisions that matter
Before you pick a single card, lock these in:
- Size: 360 vs 450 vs 540
- Power band: how “spiky” the best cards are
- Archetypes: what decks you want people to draft
- Fixing plan: how players cast their spells
- Your constraint: the one rule that gives your cube identity (examples: “no fast mana,” “only evergreen mechanics,” “graveyard matters,” “Modern card pool,” “creatures first”)
If you skip this and start by adding cool cards, your cube will feel like a binder exploded.
Step 1: Pick a size (and use the math)
Here’s the cube math you should memorize because it keeps you honest:
8 players × 3 packs × 15 cards = 360 cards drafted
That’s why 360 is the classic “full table, clean experience” number. It also makes a great starter cube MTG size because you’re balancing fewer cards, archetypes stay denser, and drafts signal more clearly.
Quick size guidance
- 360: best first cube. Tight, consistent, easier to balance.
- 450: a little more variety, still manageable.
- 540: the “replayable draft night” size. More surprise, more upkeep, more chances to dilute archetypes if you’re not careful.
- 720+: awesome when you love variance and constant novelty, but it is not the friendliest first build.
If your goal is “how to start building an MTG cube and draft it soon,” 360 is the path of least regret.
Step 2: Pick a power band (in plain English)
Power band is just “how far the best cards are above everything else,” and it shapes how your cube plays.
- Beginner-friendly: fewer traps, simpler board states, strong fundamentals, lower swing.
- Mid-power: synergy decks exist, removal matters, games feel earned.
- High power: faster starts, stronger engines, more polarizing cards, tighter tuning required.
- Powered: the ceiling is absurd. Your cube is built around outliers, fast mana, and the fact that someone can do something ridiculous early.
Rule of thumb: the higher the power, the more you need cheap interaction and strong fixing to keep games from turning into coin flips.
Step 3: Pick archetypes that overlap
Most first-cube problems are actually archetype problems.
A beginner mistake is choosing 10 “cute” two-color decks that do not share cards. That creates parasitic lanes where drafters either get the perfect pieces or crash and burn.
Instead, pick archetypes that share glue cards. Here’s a starter-friendly menu that overlaps naturally:
| Color Pair | Starter Archetype | Overlap you get “for free” |
|---|---|---|
| Azorius (WU) | Blink / Value | ETB creatures also help midrange |
| Dimir (UB) | Reanimator-lite / Graveyard | Looting, discard, removal all overlap |
| Rakdos (BR) | Sacrifice | Tokens, aristocrats, aggro pieces overlap |
| Gruul (RG) | Stompy / Ramp | Big creatures + fixing helps splashes |
| Selesnya (GW) | Tokens | Works with sacrifice, go-wide aggro |
| Orzhov (WB) | Attrition / Lifegain-lite | Removal + grindy creatures play anywhere |
| Izzet (UR) | Spells-matter | Can overlap with tempo or control |
| Golgari (BG) | Graveyard midrange | Self-mill and recursion are flexible |
| Boros (RW) | Aggro | The “keep everyone honest” archetype |
| Simic (UG) | Ramp / Value | Fixing + card advantage plays everywhere |
You can absolutely swap these, but keep the principle: every archetype should share at least 30–50% of its playables with something else.
Step 4: Build a starter skeleton (counts you can copy)
This is the part that makes “how to create a cube MTG” feel doable. You’re not picking 360 cards. You’re filling buckets.
A clean 360-card starter skeleton
| Section | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White | 50 | Aggro + interaction + value |
| Blue | 50 | Tempo + control + card selection |
| Black | 50 | Removal + discard + graveyard hooks |
| Red | 50 | Aggro + burn + impulse draw |
| Green | 50 | Ramp + creatures + value |
| Multicolor | 30 | ~3 per guild (signposts, not traps) |
| Colorless | 30 | Mana rocks, equipment, flexible threats |
| Lands | 50 | The secret sauce for fair drafts |
| Total | 360 | Draftable, consistent, tunable |
Yes, 50 lands in a 360 is intentional. New cubes almost always under-include fixing, then wonder why decks look worse than they should.
If you insist on starting at 540
Keep the same ratios, but understand the tradeoff: more variety, more dilution risk. The simplest approach is to scale buckets up (for example, 70 per color, 40 multicolor, 40 colorless, 70 lands). The exact numbers matter less than keeping fixing high enough that three-color decks are possible without misery.
Step 5: Fill with roles (so decks actually work)
Now you “design a cube MTG” the practical way: by making sure every color can produce functional decks, not just cool moments.
Role checklist for each color (copy/paste)
- Curve: enough 1–2 drops that aggro and tempo can exist
- Interaction: removal, counters, discard, fight spells, whatever fits your power band
- Card advantage: draw, rummage, impulse draw, engines
- Payoffs: the cards that make an archetype feel real
- Enablers: the glue that lets payoffs show up consistently
- Fixing support: treasures, signets, ramp, or color smoothing when appropriate
Two rules that save first cubes
- Aggro needs density: if your aggro decks are short on playables, the entire draft gets slower and greedier.
- Gold cards are seasoning: multicolor cards should reward a lane, not force it. If a gold card only fits one narrow deck, it’s a trap signpost.
Step 6: Fixing targets that prevent non-games
If you want your cube to feel “fair,” you want people casting spells, not staring at hands.
Simple fixing targets (starter-friendly)
- Lands: ~50 lands in a 360 is a great starting point
- True fixing lands: aim for 30–40 of those lands to be duals, tri-lands, fetch-like, or otherwise color smoothing
- Rocks/ramp: 5–10 colorless fixers (signets/talismans style) is a nice baseline if your power band supports it
Fixing checklist
- At least 1 good fixing option in every two-color pair
- A plan for three-color decks (either supported or intentionally discouraged)
- Green ramp that does not make green the only color that “gets to play Magic”
- Enough basics available on draft night (more on that in the FAQs)
Step 7: Playtest fast, iterate small
You do not need 30 drafts before your cube is fun. You need a tight feedback loop.
Fast playtest loop
- Draft (even with 4 people)
- Collect notes: what went undrafted, what felt oppressive, what never worked
- Swap 10 cards max
- Repeat
What to look for in early drafts
- Decks missing two-drops: add density
- Everyone splashing everything: either increase fixing intentionally (if you want that) or reduce it and raise color intensity
- Archetypes never coming together: add redundancy, reduce narrow build-arounds, or increase overlap
- One strategy dominating: add cheap interaction and sideboard-style answers that are still maindeckable
How long does it take to build an MTG cube?
It depends on whether you’re building from scratch from a blank page, or starting from a known “good starter cube MTG” list and customizing.
Realistic time ranges
| Approach | Time to first playable draft | Time to “this rules” |
|---|---|---|
| Start from an established starter list | 1–2 hours | 2–6 drafts |
| Build from a skeleton (like above) | 4–10 hours | 3–10 drafts |
| Full custom identity + deep synergy | 10–30+ hours | ongoing hobby |
Here’s the key: your cube gets good by drafting, not by staring at the list. Version 1.0 is allowed to be imperfect.
A good starter MTG cube blueprint
If you want a straightforward “how to start a MTG cube” plan you can actually finish:
The Weekend Starter Build (recommended)
- Size: 360
- Power band: mid-power
- Archetypes: 8–10 overlapping two-color lanes
- Fixing: 50 lands, with 30–40 as real fixing lands
- Rule: no ultra-narrow cards unless they also function as fair playables
Good / Better / Best build paths
- Good (fastest): 360, clean archetypes, generous fixing, fewer narrow build-arounds
- Better: 450–540, deeper packages, more overlap, tighter gold section
- Best: modular design (swap 45-card “modules” in and out), tuned fixing by your group’s habits, and intentional “pressure valves” (answers) for the strong decks
Common first-cube mistakes
- Not enough fixing: makes decks worse and games less fun
- Gold overload: too many multicolor cards leads to undraftable packs
- Too many five-drops: decks get clunky and slow
- Parasitic archetypes: decks that only work if you draft the exact pieces
- No aggro support: the format becomes greedy soup
- Ignoring overlap: makes drafts feel like rails instead of choices
FAQs
How many cards do I need to start an MTG cube?
If you want the classic 8-player draft (3 packs of 15), start at 360 cards.
Do I need to sleeve my cube?
Strongly recommended. Sleeves improve shuffle feel, protect the cards, and keep the experience consistent draft to draft.
Do I include basic lands in the cube?
Most groups use a basics station (a separate pile of basics players grab during deckbuilding). It keeps your cube list cleaner and your decks more consistent.
How many archetypes should a starter cube have?
For a first cube, 8–10 overlapping archetypes is plenty. More archetypes usually means less density, which means more “almost” decks.
Should my first cube be singleton?
Singleton is the default for most cubes because it increases variety and keeps drafts interesting. Duplicates are totally valid too, especially for fixing lands or simple glue cards.
What’s the easiest way to “make a cube MTG” without starting from zero?
Start from a respected starter list, draft it once, then begin swapping cards toward your taste. It’s the fastest way to learn what you actually like.