MTG Cube Pack Building: 15-Card Packs, Collation Options, and Why It Matters
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There’s a special kind of draft-night pain: everyone’s excited, sleeves are out, someone’s already shuffling lands… and then you realize nobody agreed on how the packs are getting made.
Five minutes later, you’re staring at a pile of cards like it’s a tax audit.
This article is your “no-thought-required” guide to building 15-card cube packs quickly—plus two (really three) collation methods that keep drafts feeling smooth, readable, and fair.
TLDR
If you only read one section, read this:
You’re usually building packs for 3-pack drafts.
That means your total cards needed is:
- 8 players × 3 packs × 15 cards = 360 cards (that’s 24 packs)
- 6 players = 270 cards (that’s 18 packs)
- 4 players = 180 cards (that’s 12 packs)
Pick one default method and stick to it:
- Fastest: Shuffle-and-Deal (5–10 minutes for 24 packs)
- Most consistent: Section-Seeded Packs (15–25 minutes for 24 packs)
- Best for repeat drafts: Pre-Collated Packs (25–40 minutes once, then 1–2 minutes on draft night)
The real reason pack building matters
Pack building isn’t just logistics.
It’s a quiet power knob for your entire cube.
When pack composition is steady, drafts feel cleaner.
When pack composition is wild, drafts feel swingier—sometimes in a fun way, sometimes in a “why did nobody see fixing” way.
There are three things players feel immediately:
1) Signals and lanes
If packs are too lopsided, players fight more and pivot less.
Drafting becomes “who opened the good stuff” instead of “who read the table.”
2) Fixing and playability
Even the best cube can produce miserable games if decks can’t cast spells.
Collation can subtly increase (or decrease) how often players end up with functional mana.
3) Archetype density
Synergy decks want the right kinds of cards to appear with some regularity.
Pack building can make your synergy environment feel intentional… or like a scavenger hunt.
The baseline math (so you stop guessing)
If you’re doing standard 15-card packs, here’s the math you’ll use forever:
8 players
You need 24 packs.
That’s 360 cards.
6 players
You need 18 packs.
That’s 270 cards.
4 players
You need 12 packs.
That’s 180 cards.
If your cube is 540, an 8-player draft uses 360 of them.
So you’re leaving 180 cards out each draft, which increases variety.
It also increases variance.
That’s not bad—just something to be aware of.
Collation Method 1: Shuffle-and-Deal (fastest, simplest)
This is the “we are drafting in 10 minutes” method.
It’s also the method that requires the least brainpower.
How it works
First, shuffle your cube thoroughly.
Then, deal 15 cards per pack into the number of packs you need (example: 24 piles for 8 players).
Finally, stack each pile into a “pack.”
That’s it.
Time estimate (24 packs)
If you’re doing this solo, expect around 5–10 minutes.
If you have two people dealing, it can be 3–6 minutes.
Pros
It’s fast.
It’s easy.
It’s also the closest feeling to “true randomness,” which some groups love.
Cons
Variance can get spicy.
You’ll sometimes open packs that feel like “all red cards and a dream.”
Or you’ll have drafts where fixing is weirdly scarce (or weirdly everywhere).
Also: if your cube was partially sorted after the last draft and you don’t reshuffle well, clumping becomes a real thing.
Best for
Casual cube nights where speed matters most.
Cubes with generous fixing and broad archetypes.
Groups that enjoy the chaos.
Collation Method 2: Section-Seeded Packs (balanced, consistent)
This is the method that makes drafts feel “clean.”
Signals read better.
Decks come together more often.
And if you’ve ever had a draft derailed by mana, this is your fastest fix without changing your cube list.
How it works (the classic 8-section setup)
Sort your cube into these piles:
- W, U, B, R, G
- Multicolor
- Artifacts/Colorless
- Lands/Fixing
Shuffle each section separately.
Now you’re going to build packs using a simple recipe.
Pack recipe option A (solid default)
Per 15-card pack:
- 2 cards from each color (10 total)
- 2 artifacts/colorless
- 2 lands/fixing
- 1 multicolor
That’s 10 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 15.
This gives packs a familiar “booster-ish” feel, but with better distribution.
Pack recipe option B (if your group wants smoother mana)
Per 15-card pack:
- 2 cards from each color (10)
- 2 lands/fixing
- 2 artifacts/colorless
- 1 flex slot from either lands or multicolor
This still keeps variety, but lets you quietly bump fixing frequency if your group hates stumbling.
Time estimate (24 packs)
Sorting plus shuffling sections: 8–12 minutes.
Building packs: 7–13 minutes.
Total: 15–25 minutes.
(You can cut this down a lot if you recruit one helper to deal lands and another to deal colors.)
Pros
Color distribution is much more consistent.
Signals get clearer because packs don’t randomly lean too hard into one color.
You also gain a simple lever to control fixing without rewriting your cube.
Cons
It’s slower than shuffle-and-deal.
It can feel slightly “samey” if you seed too rigidly every time.
And it works best if you maintain your sections instead of letting your cube live in a single unsorted brick forever.
Best for
Groups learning cube drafting.
Synergy cubes where you want archetypes to show up more reliably.
Any environment where you want fewer “trainwreck mana” drafts.
Collation Method 3: Pre-Collated Packs (best for repeat drafts)
This is the “I host cube regularly and I’m tired of setup” method.
You do the work once, then draft night becomes: hand out packs and go.
How it works
Pick your pack containers (pack sleeves, small envelopes, team bags, whatever you like).
Then build packs using either:
- Shuffle-and-deal, or
- Section-seeded packs
After you build the packs, store them as packs.
On draft night, each player gets three packs and you start immediately.
Time estimate
Building 24 packs the first time: 25–40 minutes.
Handing out packs on draft night: 1–2 minutes.
Reset after the draft: 5–15 minutes, depending on how organized your group is and whether you recruit help.
Pros
Draft nights start instantly.
Great for events, game stores, or short sessions.
You remove the “setup friction” that kills spontaneous cube nights.
Cons
You still need to re-randomize between drafts.
If you don’t, packs can get stale in subtle ways.
It also asks for a tiny amount of storage discipline.
Best for
Anyone drafting cube more than once a month.
Hosts who want cube to feel effortless.
Groups that like consistency.
Quick comparison (pick your default)
| Method | Setup time (24 packs) | Best for | Biggest upside | Biggest downside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shuffle-and-deal | 5–10 min | Casual, fast starts | Fastest possible | Variance can be wild |
| Section-seeded | 15–25 min | Balanced drafts | Cleaner signals + fixing control | More sorting/handling |
| Pre-collated packs | 25–40 min once, then 1–2 min | Repeat drafts | “Grab packs and go” | Needs reset discipline |
If you want a simple recommendation:
If you draft occasionally, do shuffle-and-deal.
If you host regularly, do pre-collated packs built with section-seeding.
A painless pack-building checklist (steal this)
Decide player count and pack count.
Clear space and lay out your “pack spots” (example: 24 spots for 8 players).
Shuffle thoroughly (or shuffle sections, if seeding).
Build packs using your chosen method.
Stack packs cleanly.
Start drafting before someone wanders off and buys snacks.
FAQs
How many packs do I make for 6 players?
For a normal 3-pack draft: 18 packs.
That’s 270 cards total.
Do 15-card packs matter, or can I do 14?
You can do whatever you want, but 15-card packs match the familiar “booster rhythm.”
Changing pack size changes pick dynamics and deck texture.
It can be fun—just know it’s not a neutral change.
Should I seed lands in a cube?
If your drafts regularly produce mana issues, seeding lands is the quickest fix that doesn’t require changing your cube list.
Start with 2 lands/fixing per pack and adjust from there.
How do I reduce clumps without seeding?
Do shuffle-and-deal, but add one extra habit:
Split the cube into a few piles, shuffle each pile, recombine, then cut.
That one step reduces “all the blue cards stayed together” moments more than you’d think.
What if we only have 4 players but want the booster feel?
Make 12 packs and draft normally.
If you want a longer draft, give everyone 4 packs (still 15 cards) and plan for a few extra minutes of picks.