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:

Tribal Themes and Parasitism Dec 21, 2020

Show notes

In a decidedly not-so-special holiday episode, Andy and Anthony are talking about tribal synergies in Cube and announce their first formalized rivalry. They do a pack 1, pick 1 from listener Bastian’s GöCube 1.2 and get real sad about how rude people on the internet have tried to convince him that tribal synergies are “bad for Cube”. Anthony sets the table with an open-faced compliment sandwich about tribal effects, and our two hosts go deep discussing what constitutes a synergy deck, what parasitism is, how some decks are primarily internally focused and others are more fundamentally interactive, their respective tolerance for blowouts, different kinds of variance, and their favorite tribes in Magic. It’s not Kobolds.

Discussed on this episode:

You can find the hosts’ Cubes on Cube Cobra:

If you have a question for the show, or want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube, email us at mail@luckypaper.co. Please include how you’d like to be credited on air, your pronouns, and if you’re submitting a cube for the pack 1, pick 1, a link to said cube.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

The Making of the Degenerate Micro Cube Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

Our hosts are finally ready to share the Degenerate Micro Cube with the world. This episode is a deep dive on what this cube is all about, why Andy loves it so much, and why it’s just not Anthony’s cup of tea. They do a pack 1, pick 1 from the Degenerate Micro Cube, and discuss how it came to be, why storm is always a trap, the value that secret information plays in game design, how speed is inextricably linked with variance, whether a less enfranchised player could figure out Stage Depths combo if left to their own devices, and Anthony shamefully concedes that it is actually fun to Tinker out a Blightsteel Colossus on turn 1.

Discussed on this episode:

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Setting the Tempo Dec 07, 2020

Show notes

This episode is all about tempo — what is it, when does it matter, and how do you apply it to your Cube design and gameplay decisions. Andy and Anthony talk about what “aggro” really means, why some games feel like they’re completely out of your control from the first land you play, the tempo vs value axis, taplands, low CMC spells, scaleable threats, cheap interaction, and what Llanowar Elves, Azorius Signet, and Sleight of Hand have in common.

Our pack 1, pick 1 this week is from listener Lemem’s 450 Card Unpowered Cube. Thanks, Lemem!

Discussed on this episode:

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Cube Potpourri Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

This is a comparatively aimless episode where our hosts meander through a couple of vaguely related cube topics. They start off by recapping their recent draft of a friend’s greenless, “Breya” cube, which they also do a pack 1, pick 1 from, then move on to cover how draft decisions change in a cube with only four colors, their evaluation of Karn with pants, the dangers of shortcutting cards in your head, whether it’s more painful to walk into a trap or make an obvious punt, the collection of cards Anthony compiled that is definitely not a multiplayer cube, how to structure a booster draft for fewer than eight players, using what is not present to guide the design of an environment, how to avoid the natural predators of the strategies you want to cultivate in your cube, setting a bar for power level in a hypothetical one life cube, and how to balance Healing Salve, Ancestral Recall, Dark Ritual, Lightning Bolt, and Giant Growth.

Discussed on this episode:

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Designing a Commander Cube Nov 23, 2020

Show notes

This is your last chance to participate in our Commander Legends Cube Survey! Please take a few minutes to let us know what you’re testing in your cube from the new set.

On this episode, Andy and Anthony are discussing how they would approach building a Commander cube. After giving a little bit of their personal history with EDH and talking about what it has in common with Cube, our dynamic duo goes deep on Commander’s mechanical underpinnings and how they translate to a drafted environment. Commander Legends brought a plethora of practical challenges that R&D chose to solve with as little deviation from Commander as a format as possible — but what would a cube that ignored superficial familiarity and tried to embody the spirit of EDH look like? What actually makes Commander appealing and how do you capture that in a drafted environment? How come Yawgmoth, Thran Physician is the only legendary creature Anthony can think of?

Our pack 1, pick 1 this week comes from listener Alex’s Cube for the Peasantry. Thanks, Alex!

Discussed on this episode:

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Commander Legends and a Cube That Glitters Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

Our Commander Legends Cube Survey is open! Please take a few minutes to let us know what you’re testing in your cube from the new set.

On this episode, Andy and Anthony are joined by their friend and Commander connoisseur Daniel to discuss his all-gold cube and review the cards from Commander Legends. Find out how you can draft a filthy aggro deck from a cube with zero one drops, how the Monarch mechanic plays in 1v1 Magic, and whether Jeweled Lotus means that Commander has officially jumped the shark.

Our pack 1, pick 1 this week comes from Daniel’s all gold cube. I highly recommend doing a draft or two.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Designing for the Draft Nov 09, 2020

Show notes

The boys turn their attention to what at least Andy thinks is an under-appreciated context in which to evaluate cards — the draft. Instead of discussing how cards are played in game or what an ideal deck looks like, they’re talking about how the presence or absence of cards in packs will affect how your players draft. Is it possible to have a deck or color-pair that is perfectly viable in your cube, but no one ever drafts? Can swapping cards in or out fix this issue, or is it entirely attributable to player preferences? What kinds of cards expand the scope of draft decisions and what kinds of cards narrow it? Does drafting the hard way apply to most cubes? How does a flattened power level affect signals?

Our pack 1, pick 1 this week comes from a different kind of cube: listener Josh maintains a core cube that is drafted with a random selection of cards from his expansion, creating additional variance from draft to draft. Thanks, Josh!

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Man vs. Machine Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Lucky Paper Radio Andy and Anthony are looking at the suggestions from Cube Cobra’s recommender for adds and cuts to their respective primary cubes. This is a jumping off point for discussion about which cards they think are under- or overrated, the philosophies at the foundations of their cubes, how single cards can open up entirely new decks in a draft, the merits of various two-mana green ramp spells, how to balance support for an archetype without it becoming too dominant, various things about Magic that Andy doesn’t like, homogeneity within the Cube community, how much to trust algorithmically generated cube suggestions, and how Anthony wants to kiss Changeling Hero right on his freaky lips.

Our pack 1, pick 1 this week is from listener Morphling’s Artificer Cube. Thanks, Morphling!

Discussed in this episode:

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Context is King Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

This episode of Lucky Paper Radio covers a range of topics all surrounding the importance of context in cube design and card evaluation. To start, Andy and Anthony do a very spooky pack 1, pick 1 from listener Stephen’s seasonally appropriate Innistrad Cube. They go on to discuss a theoretical Christmasland plane and answer a question from listener Adam about including cards of varying power levels in a cube list. Throughout this conversation, they go in depth about the kinds of cards that scale with the power level of an environment and the kinds that do not, the interplay between synergistic decks and individual, non-synergistic cards with a lot of raw power, Andy’s recent guest appearance on Jbro’s stream, the Zendikar Rising and affiliated updates to Andy’s cube, and how our hosts have some overlapping cards that are included in both of their cubes even though they differ dramatically in power level. How is that possible? Witchcraft!

Discussed in this episode:

You can find the hosts’ primary Cubes on Cube Cobra:

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

How and Why to Build a Cube Oct 19, 2020

Show notes

In a deviation from our regularly scheduled programming, this episode is specifically catered to new cube designers or players that are interested in building a cube but don’t know how to get started. Even if you’re a seasoned cube designer, we hope this conversation helps you be more conscious of how you frame the format to others.

An outline of our suggestions:

Most importantly, just do it! Don’t overthink your first cube. Magic is fun and draft is self-correcting.
Cube is a great format for a wide variety of players, whether you just like drafting and want to be able to do it more often and without cracking packs, or you just love game design and worldbuilding and are happy designing a cube even if you almost never get to draft it in a full pod.
We propose a very rough framework for a 360 card cube, for those who thrive on structure, but encourage you to throw it aside as soon as it doesn’t serve your goals.
Don’t concern yourself with aesthetic details of your cube, like having the same number of cards in each color or guild, or including full cycles of cards, or having an even number of fixing lands. Even substantial inequalities here have very little impact on a draft.
Think about the process of cube design as a mutual exploration with your players rather than a polished, perfected design challenge that you, as the designer, are responsible for understanding in its entirety.
Be aware that your experience playing retail limited is influenced by all the complicated and sometimes conflicting priorities that Wizards of the Coast has to juggle when designing a set. Often times, what you’re used to from retail limited is not a good precedent for your own cube. For example, most cubes are better off including more fixing and a lower curve than a retail set, regardless of your desired gameplay.

Discussed in this episode:

You can find the hosts’ primary Cubes on Cube Cobra:

No pack 1, pick 1 this week on account of the special format, but if you want us to do a pack 1, pick 1 from your cube on air send a link to your cube, your name, and pronouns to mail@luckypaper.co.

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

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