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:

Book Club: The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

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In the third book club Episode, Anthony and Parker talk about Donald Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things. Originally published in 1988, the book was an influential criticism of the built world and interfaces establishing many concepts fundamental to user interface and industrial design today. It also introduces a metric ton of jargon per page.

Our book club members talk about how these concepts apply to game and Cube design and their thinking about things more broadly.

Discussed in this episode:

The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
Enshittification concept and book by Cory Doctorow
Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change by W. David Marx
Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century by W. David Marx
Blood In the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech by Brian Merchant
Other Book Club Episodes

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
2:42 - The Design of Everyday Things
7:43 - Mental Models
12:04 - Trouble With Mapping
16:58 - Cube REL/Humility
19:40 - Don Please Turn off the Podcast
21:03 - Types of Errors
26:30 - Games are Intentionally Bad Design
32:04 - Constraints
34:55 - Knowledge in the World
42:28 - Learned Helplessness
48:20 - Neologisms
50:59 - Choosing the Next Book

Shoebox Recap with Patrick Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

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In this explicit episode of Lucky Paper Radio, Andy, Anthony, and Patrick recap their experience at Shoebox in St Paul, Minnesota. Shoebox celebrated a range of casual formats including team limited, pauper, and, of course, Cube! They talk about highlights from the weekend and the decks they drafted.

Discussed in this episode:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
7:23 - Fistfights
12:04 - Pottery Studio
16:28 - Weather and Planes
18:58 - Microfame
20:32 - Andy’s Draft of Artemis’ Cube
24:19 - What is Shoebox
29:41 - Anthony’s Draft of Eiganjo Drift
32:09 - Patrick’s Draft of aquaone Powered
36:51 - Andy’s Draft of Penrose Cube
41:33 - Anthony’s Draft of HeatherCube
45:31 - Andy’s Stone Soup
53:30 - Anthony’s Stone Soup
55:19 - Patrick’s New Friends
57:22 - Pizza Time
63:03 - Andy’s Draft of Boudica
68:33 - Patrick’s Draft of Boudica
72:10 - James’ Microcube
72:56 - 100 Lotuses
78:17 - Closing Thoughts
79:36 - Anthony’s Draft of Companion Cube

How Do We Know What We Know About Magic: The Gathering Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

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Andy and Anthony finally just talk about epistemology and sort of address Magic: the Gathering. They talk about the way we all generally learn things and incorporate them into our understanding of the world around us, and how that manifests in the smaller world of the game.

Discussed in this episode:

ContraPoints on YouTube
The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch
Every Living Thing by Jason Roberts
100 Ornithopters
Regular Cube
Cascade Cascade
Cube Map

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
4:55 - Epistemology
11:43 - The Enlightenment
14:43 - Authority
20:29 - Empiricism
26:49 - Explanations
29:58 - Science as a Creative Process
33:18 - Knowledge in Magic
37:04 - Emergent Properties
41:54 - Aggro-Midrange-Control
45:53 - Cube Experiments
51:10 - Mailbag!

Three Years of the Companion Cube, with Greg Cortazzo Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

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Andy and Anthony talk with Greg about his Companion Cube. In this Cube, each player chooses a card from their deck before each game to be their ‘companion’, which their guaranteed access to. They talk about the history of the cube and the difference between the early days of frequent edits and the longer stable phase with less frequent changes.

Greg is also one of the organizers of Shoebox an event happening next week in St Paul, Minnesota. Shoebox will prominently feature Cube as well as other formats that don’t usually get center stage and much more.

Discussed in this episode:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
2:27 - Greg AKA Dinrovahorror
4:16 - Shoebox
10:35 - Companion Cube
15:57 - Cube as Nostalgia
18:48 - Power Level
27:49 - Responding to Feedback
32:22 - New Player Pitfalls
35:42 - Comparing Companions
40:49 - Control Decks
42:37 - Clones
46:13 - The Future

The Last Echo of a Boon Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

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Andy and Anthony talk about cutting a long-standing, controversial card from 100 Ornithopters: Echoing Boon. They talk about gameplay experiences with the card and why Andy decided to include a conspiracy in the cube in the first place. The ‘always on’ nature of conspiracies put certain constraints on the cube’s design. Andy talks about some of those limitations and changes he’s planning to make after they’re gone.

Discussed in this episode:

100 Ornithopters
Cube For a Cause
Rhystic Studies Video on 100 Ornithopters
Shoebox, St Paul, Minnesota, Mar 13-15, 2026

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
4:46 - Echoing Boon
13:20 - Why Cut Echoing Boon
22:30 - Regrets
25:23 - Leyline of Resonance
30:55 - Blazing Shoal
33:39 - Reverse Dunning-Kruger
35:46 - “Must Cuts”
38:20 - More Additions
47:29 - City on Fire
50:06 - Lunar Frenzy
51:25 - Slip Through Space
53:12 - Actual Cuts
54:35 - Time Sieve
57:51 - Mailbag

Packing and Mapping Synergies in Cubes Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

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Andy and Anthony discuss how they think about themes within cubes. As always, our hosts beginning with a thorough defining of terms. They talk about how they think about thematically related sets of cards and how many they think can fit, or would want to, in a Cube. Andy has been exploring fitting a tight network of synergistic cards in his cube Take Five.

They also talk about a new app Anthony built specifically for mapping synergies between cards within a cube. It lets you create a force directed diagram of every card in a cube and draw connections between individual or sets of cards. Give it a try with your own cube!

Discussed in this episode:

Regular Cube
New App: Cube Synergy Mapper
Take Five Cube
Andy’s Take Five Videos
Commander Spellbook - Magic Combo Database
Sacred Geometry
Shoebox
Magic Card List Spellchecker

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
3:01 - Cube Packages and Themes
9:56 - Theme's in Anthony's Regular Cube
14:41 - New App For Mapping Synergies withing a Cube
16:46 - More Regular Cube Themes
21:13 - Take Five and Combos
23:07 - Theme Density
25:12 - The Take Five Clown Car
28:05 - Game Speed
30:26 - Themes vs Good Cards
34:35 - Fitting More Themes in Your Cube
36:51 - Thematically Disconnected Cards
40:29 - Synergies in Context
47:03 - Wrap up

Power Level and Game Impact in Cube Design Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

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Andy and Anthony talk about the concept of power level band or range in Cubes. It’s sometimes said a Cube should have a pretty even power level, with the strongest card being not too much stronger than the weakest, is a good idea. Our hosts talk about why that doesn’t always make sense and strategies for making Cubes with a wide band of power that still make sense.

Discussed in this episode:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
4:48 - Power Levels
16:34 - Against a Narrow Power Band
19:55 - Absolute vs Relative Power
24:09 - Bombs
26:37 - Enablers vs Finishers
32:01 - Absolute Game Impact
36:28 - Power Curve
46:35 - Summary

Lunchbox Tournament Report Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

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Andy, Anthony, and Patrick recap their experience at Lunch Box, a 1 day Cube event in their home town of Baltimore raising funds for the Maryland Food Bank. They discuss the cubes they drafted, the highs and lows of their matches, and their overall experiences at the event.

Discussed in this episode:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
2:34 - Lunchbox
7:33 - Andy Draft 1 of Maggie's Twilight Cube
13:45 - Patrick Draft 1 of Red Terror
16:19 - Anthony Draft 1 of Red Terror
20:04 - Andy Draft 2 of Library of Babel
27:16 - Can we lose graciously?
36:46 - Patrick and Anthony's Draft 2 of the Science Cube
42:39 - Event Highlights

Star Magic — The Best Way to Cube with Five Players Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

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Andy and Anthony talk about Star Magic, a unique multiplayer format that also happens to be a way to accommodate a draft with 5 players — a notoriously awkward number.

In a Star Magic game, 5 players engage in a free-for-all game with a specific win condition. The game ends when any one player eliminates the two others seated furthest from them. Players sitting next to each other are neutrally affiliated but are motivated to collaborate by their one shared enemy, or not to if another is about to defeat both of their enemies.

Our hosts talk about their recent exploration of the format and how they feel it’s a multiplayer experience that both applies to their own gameplay tastes, and to a typical cube not intentionally designed for multiplayer, than a full free-for-all game.

Discussed in this episode:

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
1:32 - Star Magic
6:20 - Rules
17:14 - First Impressions
21:48 - Scaling from 1v1
25:46 - Politicking
33:22 - Choosing a Cube for Star Magic
41:22 - Munchkin
46:54 - Final Thoughts

The Death of Magic Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

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It’s been said that Cube Will Outlive Magic, but would it really? Andy and Anthony wildly speculate on the future in a thought experiment: what if Wizards of the Coast stopped existing tomorrow and no new cards were designed or printed. They theorize about how it would impact different elements of the player base and how it would impact their own relationship to the game, despite their relative independence from the flow of new cards.

Discussed in this episode:

King of Collectibles on Netflix
Netrunner

If you’d like to show your support for the show, please consider backing Lucky Paper on Patreon or leaving us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen.

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

Musical production by DJ James Nasty.

Timestamps