Games

Lucky Paper Radio

Lucky Paper Radio is a podcast about Magic: the Gathering hosted by lifelong friends Andy Mangold and Anthony Mattox. Focused primarily on sandbox formats like Cube, which are free of banlists, rotation, and net decking, the show is about the best parts of Magic and how to get the most out of the game.

Latest Episodes:

State of the Game 2024 Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Anthony reflect on the Mark Rosewater’s reflection on the past year in Magic. Every year, Magic’s lead designer shares lessons learned and strengths from each booster set. This year’s felt lacking a bit of thematic focus, but maybe the lack of focus is emblematic of this last year in Magic.

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Discussed in this episode:

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:32 - Is this even for us? How invested are we in Magic these days?

10:30 - Is this year’s ‘State of Design’ article more shallow than previous years?

12:57 - 2024’s Theme: Lack of Focus

17:43 - Lesson: Magic was too on the nose with its tropes

26:53 - Lesson: Some individual mechanics were too complex

32:09 - Lesson: More mechanics were polarizing than previous years

49:41 - Does R&D drive Magic these days?

51:43 - Our favorite thing from Magic this year: grassroots Cube events

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

If want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube submit it on our website. 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

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Cards We Were Wrong About: 2024 Standard Rotation Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Parker look back on all the sets currently cycling out of standard and talk about their overall impressions and how individual cards from each have aged in their various Cubes. Anthony’s there too, kinda just vibing cause he’s been updating his Cubes at an agitated non-newtonian fluid pace.

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Discussed in this episode:

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction

2:46 - Topic Overview

11:41 - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt

21:28 - Why we’re not talking about Commander sets

22:53 - Innistrad: Crimson Vow

27:31 - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty

43:06 - Streets of New Capenna

48:17 - Triomes revisited

52:37 - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate

59:54 - Big picture lessons learned from standard rotation

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

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Randomness Revisited — Strategy vs. Tactics in Game Design Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Anthony revisit randomness in Magic with more resources and input form listeners. They talk about decision making at large and small scales in games: strategy vs tactics, and how randomness impacts what kind of planning are rewarded.

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Discussed in this episode:

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

6:29 - Input Randomness vs. Output Randomness

10:05 - Strategy vs. Tactics

21:34 - Is there a fundamental difference in randomness between Bloodbraid Elf and Fact or Fiction?

39:52 - Chess vs. Poker in the Strategy vs. Tactics Dichotomy

46:04 - Why numerous random events converge on predictability and how that describes Xerox Theory

52:05 - Neverwinter Hydra vs. Carnage Tyrant

59:58 - Randomness laundering skill disparities

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Using Little Pieces of Paper as a Supermassive Random Number Generator Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Anthony talk about randomness in Magic, and specifically just how much randomness there is in a Cube draft. They talk about where randomness comes from and how different mechanics use the library or other sets of cards as a random source to make them work. They also go into their own preferences and how they thing about randomness in their Cube designs.

View all cards mentioned in this episode

Discussed in this episode:

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction and why you should cut your opponent’s deck

5:03 - Why randomness is maybe the most fundamental aspect of Magic: the Gathering

7:08 - Andy says some really big numbers to convince you Magic is really random

19:22 - Using your library as a random number generator

26:57 - Categorizing different types of ‘random’ cards

49:09 - Andy and Anthony’s approach to randomness as Cube designers, in summary

55:41 - Andy and Anthony’s favorite ‘random’ moments from games they’ve played

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Grassroots Cube Event Potpurri Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Anthony talk about some of the past and pending Cube events they are attending. This year has seen a proliferation of new small Cube events. Anthony reviews his experience at the Capitol Cube Champs and they talk about what they’re excited about in the upcoming Cube 4 Charity hosted by Upkeep New York.

View all cards mentioned in this episode

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

2:42 - Capitol Cube Champs Tournament Report

22:04 - Mailbag

25:01 - Anthony’s Irregular Cube Preparation for Cube 4 Charity

39:17 - Andy’s 100 Ornithopters Preparation for Cube 4 Charity

Discussed in this episode:

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Spotlight: Recross the Paths Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

No regular episode of Lucky Paper Radio this week, sadly, but in an effort to not leave y’all empty handed and to help highlight a great new Cube podcast, we’re bringing you and episode of Kade Goforth’s Recross the Paths.

Discussed in this episode:

French Vanilla Face-Off Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Anthony each rank every evergreen creature ability and then, tier by tier, discuss what they love each adds (or doesn’t) to the game.

View all cards discussed in this episode.

Discussed in this episode:

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

0:30 - Tier list and evergreen keyword ability overview

3:45 - F Tier

8:56 - D Tier

27:29 - C Tier

33:15 - B Tier

40:11 - A Tier

45:20 - S Tier

52:40 - The biggest differences between Anthony’s and Andy’s Tier Lists

53:57 - Why are aggressive mechanics so good and the defensive mechanics so bad?

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

Lucky Paper
PO Box 4855
Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Bloomburrow First Impressions, Mechanics, and Personal Cube Additions Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Anthony take a first look at Bloomburrow, breaking down the mechanics, flavor, and the cards their interested in giving a try in their on Cube environments.

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Discussed in this episode:

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

2:46 - Bloomburrow Flavor and Vibes

6:11 - Mail bag

8:28 - Offspring

11:24 - Gift

15:32 - Forage

16:58 - Valiant

20:24 - Expend

26:03 - Pawprints

29:08 - Creature Type Matters

34:18 - Other Returning and Unnamed Mechanics

38:22 - 100 Ornithopters Cube Inclusions

39:28 - Honorable Mention: Heirloom Epic

40:35 - Honorable Mention: Dawn’s Truce

41:03 - Honorable Mention: Season of Gathering

43:30 - Gossip’s Talent

45:15 - Innkeeper’s Talent

48:05 - Three Tree City

49:22 - Turbo Cube Inclusions

49:49 - Barkform Harvester

50:29 - Agate Assault

51:39 - Coruscation Mage

52:45 - Heaped Harvest

53:40 - Stocking the Pantry

54:38 - Wear Down

55:04 - Briya, Riptide Rogue

57:30 - Bun Magic Cube Inclusions

58:41 - Honorable Mention: The Infamous Cruelclaw

59:37 - Honorable Mention: Hired Claw

1:01:27 - Honorable Mention: Iridescent Vinelasher

1:02:48 - Honorable Mention: Mockingbird

1:04:07 - Darkstar Augur

1:05:57 - Emberheart Challenger

1:06:42 - Kitsa, Otterball Elite

1:08:22 - Stormchaser’s Talent

1:10:48 - Fell

1:12:00 - Regular Cube Additions

1:12:17 - Honorable Mention: Mousetrapper

1:12:51 - Honorable Mention: Heartfire Hero

1:15:09 - Honorable Mention: Sazcap’s Brew

1:15:53 - Honorable Mention: Peerless Recycling

1:17:04 - Honorable Mention: Patchwork Banner

1:17:40 - Bravekin Duo

1:18:38 - Eddymurk Crab

1:19:48 - Tempest Angler

1:20:51 - Bonus: Flowerfoot Swordmaster

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Book Club: The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

In the first “book club” episode, Andy, Anthony, and Parker talk about The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz. The book sets out to defend the thesis that games are artistic works (or, more descriptively, “aesthetic works”) worth the same level of appreciation as other art forms and teach sophisticated, systems-thinking. After reading the book, our hosts talk about what they took away from the book and some aspects they were a little more critical of. Thank you to the listeners who joined the book club and send in their own takes!

Cards mentioned in this episode.

Discussed in this episode:

The Beauty of Games by Frank Lantz
Serpentes
QWOP
Junkbot (Flash Game)
Law of the Instrument
Episode 206: The Joy of Gaming with Richard Garfield
Sturgeon’s Law
The Selfish Gene
Games and the Art of Agency
Armored Core
The Narcissism of Minor Differences
Skip Barber Racing School
Andy’s 5 Color Starter Decks
Game Theory
Your Brain is Hardwired to Love Games with Kelly Clancy
Universal Paperclips
Nose Dive by Harold McGee
A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

4:13 - What is a book club, anyway?

5:51 - Summary of The Beauty of Games

9:17 - Do we need to defend the position that games are meaningful?

14:02 - Andy’s Two Main Criticisms of The Beauty of Games

17:07 - Games as an aesthetic experience

21:34 - Gamer Knowledge™️

23:31 - The Reasons for Doubt and Frank’s rebuttal to them

31:36 - Unpacking the conclusion of The Beauty of Games

41:19 - Ought we blame the beneficiaries of inequitable systems?

45:07 - How games crystalize satisfying action, and what satisfying actions does Magic capture?

58:17 - Why do we as Cube designers put so much knowledge between our players and the satisfying experiences Magic offers?

1:06:50 - Listener Submitted Clips

Check us out on Twitch and YouTube for paper Cube gameplay.

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

Lucky Paper

PO Box 4855

Baltimore, MD 21211

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Text, Subtext, and Cards with Secrets Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Anthony talk about complexity in Magic. After their discussion on the previous episode on Andy’s Neoclassical Cube comparing arguable simplicity of old school Magic cards, and continued discussion on the MTG Cube Talk Discord, they talk about the nature and different types of complexity. They compare cards which are simpler to read vs to play with and how different types of complexity effect the feel of the game.

View all cards mentioned in this episode on our website.

Timestamps

0:00 - Introduction

3:06 - GayTransMulldrifter’s Belated MH3 Hot Take

12:27 - Strategic Complexity and its costs

33:26 - Kitsa, Otterball Elite Korner

39:45 - Lenticular design

50:52 - The tension between accessible and skill testing environments

Discussed in this episode: