Opening booster packs with friends is fun, but it gets expensive fast, and half the cards end up in a shoebox. A cube fixes both problems. You build one large, curated pool of cards once, and your group drafts from it again and again.
Every draft feels fresh because the packs are shuffled from your own collection, and every card in the pool is one you chose because it is interesting to play. This guide walks you through planning, building and running a home cube that keeps your game nights lively for years.
🧊 What is a cube, and why do people love it?
A cube is a custom set of cards, usually singleton, that a group uses for drafting. Instead of opening sealed product, players draft from "packs" made by shuffling the cube and dealing it out. After the draft, everyone builds a deck from what they picked and plays.
The idea is most associated with Magic: The Gathering, but the same concept works for other games that support drafting or limited formats. Some groups even design cubes for games that never had an official draft mode.
People love cubes for a few reasons:
- Zero recurring cost. Once built, the cube can be drafted endlessly.
- Every pack is good. You decide what goes in, so there are no "dead" packs full of filler.
- It is a creative project. Designing the pool is a hobby in itself.
- It fits your group. You can tune complexity, power and themes to the people you play with.
📐 How big should your cube be?
The size depends on how many people usually show up. A common approach is to calculate the number of cards drafted in one session and then add some extra so not every card appears every time.
| Players | Cards drafted per session (3 packs of 15) | Suggested cube size |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 90 | 180 or more, with a two-player draft variant |
| 4 | 180 | Around 270 to 360 |
| 6 | 270 | Around 360 |
| 8 | 360 | 450 or more |
These numbers assume three packs of fifteen cards, which is a classic setup, but you can change pack sizes to suit your group. A smaller cube means players see most cards each time; a larger one keeps surprises coming.
If you are not sure, start around 360 cards. It handles most group sizes and gives you room to grow.
🎯 Pick a vision before you pick cards
The most fun cubes have a clear identity. Before you pull a single card, decide what kind of experience you want.
Ask yourself questions like these:
- Power level: Do you want the most powerful cards ever printed, or a mellow cube of commons and uncommons?
- Complexity: Will newer players draft it? If so, avoid cards with long, tricky rules text.
- Speed: Should games be fast and aggressive, or slower and full of big plays?
- Theme: Maybe the cube celebrates a single setting, a favorite era of the game, or a specific mechanic.
A "pauper" or commons-only cube is a great budget choice and often plays very well, because commons tend to be simpler and more balanced against each other. A high-power cube is exciting but can be costly and intimidating for beginners.
Tip: Write a one-paragraph "mission statement" for your cube and keep it in the box. When you are unsure about a card, ask whether it fits the mission. It sounds formal, but it saves hours of second-guessing.
🌈 Balancing colors and archetypes
Balance is the heart of a good cube. If one color or strategy is clearly the best, every draft turns into a fight over the same cards and the rest of the pool gets ignored.
Start by giving each color roughly the same number of cards. Then add a section for multicolor cards, colorless cards and resource-fixing cards that help players mix colors.
Next, think in archetypes. An archetype is a recognizable deck plan, such as "aggressive small creatures," "spells that reward casting instants," or "sacrificing creatures for value." Many cubes assign one archetype to each two-color pair so that drafters have clear lanes to aim for.
A quick balance checklist:
- Each color has a similar card count
- Each color has cheap plays, removal and finishers
- Every two-color pair has a supported plan
- There are enough fixing cards for players who want three colors
- No single card or combo wins too easily on its own
- Creature counts allow aggressive decks to exist
Once you have a list, lay the cards out by color and look at them all at once. Gaps and overloads become obvious when you see them physically.
🛒 Sourcing cards without breaking the bank
Building a cube from scratch can sound expensive, but there are smart ways to keep costs low.
Start with your existing collection. Most longtime players own far more usable cards than they realize. Sorting your bulk boxes is often the cheapest step of all.
Then fill gaps carefully:
- Buy singles, not packs. You need specific cards, and buying them individually is almost always more efficient.
- Ask friends for donations or trades. Group members often happily contribute cards they never use, especially for a shared cube.
- Choose cheaper printings. Older or more common printings of a card work exactly the same in play.
- Consider proxies for private play. Many groups use clearly marked proxies for expensive cards in a home cube. Keep them out of sanctioned events and never try to pass them off as real.
Set a total budget at the start, and spread purchases over time. A cube grows well in stages: build a playable core first, then upgrade over months. Track every purchase in the same spreadsheet as your card list, so you always know how much the project has cost and where the next few dollars would make the biggest difference to how the cube plays.
🗃️ How do you store, test and run the cube?
Storage, sleeves and organization
A cube gets handled a lot, so protecting and organizing it pays off.
Sleeve every card in the same sleeve style. Uniform sleeves keep the cube shuffle-friendly and stop anyone from recognizing cards by wear on the back. Matching sleeves also make it easy to spot a cube card that wandered into someone's personal deck.
A long storage box with dividers works well. Store the cube sorted by color and type so that updates are easy. Before each draft, shuffle everything together; afterward, sort it back if you plan to make changes.
Keep a digital list too. A simple spreadsheet or a dedicated cube-list website lets you track what is in the cube, plan swaps, and share the list with friends who want to prepare.
Test it before draft night
Before inviting the whole group, run a solo test. Deal out a few packs, draft them yourself as if you were two or three players, and build quick decks from the results. Goldfish them for a few turns, which means playing against an imaginary opponent who does nothing.
This rehearsal reveals obvious problems early. Maybe one color produces too few playable cards, or a certain archetype never comes together because its key pieces are spread too thin. Fixing these issues on your own saves your friends from a lopsided first night and gives you confidence that the cube works before the first real pick is made.
Running a smooth draft night
The building part is done. Now you need an evening that runs without chaos.
Before people arrive, shuffle the cube thoroughly and pre-make the packs. Put each pack in a small bag or rubber band so that drafting starts immediately. Have basic resources, like lands, available in a shared pile so nobody has to bring their own.
During the draft, keep a steady pace. Many groups use a simple timer per pick, longer for the first picks and shorter near the end of each pack. Passing direction usually alternates between packs.
After drafting, give everyone a fixed amount of time to build, then pair players for matches. A small paper bracket or a round-robin chart keeps things organized and gives each person several games.
At the end of the night, ask everyone a quick question: which card felt amazing, and which one felt frustrating or never got picked? Write the answers down. That feedback is gold for your next update.
Updating the cube over time
No cube is ever truly finished. Swap a handful of cards after each session based on feedback and what you observed. If a card is picked last every time, replace it. If one card wins too many games, consider cutting it.
Many cube owners do bigger refreshes every so often, adding a new archetype or rotating in cards from recent sets. Small, regular changes keep the experience fresh without forcing everyone to relearn the whole pool.
🏁 Final thoughts
A home cube turns a pile of cards into a reusable game that grows with your group. It rewards creativity when you design it and skill when you draft it, and it costs far less in the long run than cracking packs every week.
Start with a clear vision, keep colors and archetypes balanced, build on a sensible budget, and listen to your friends after each draft. Before long, your cube will feel like a game your group invented together.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a huge collection to start a cube?
No. A small cube of a few hundred cards, even mostly commons, can be a blast. Start small, play it, and grow it as you go.
Can I build a cube for games other than Magic?
Yes, as long as the game allows building decks from a shared pool. Some groups design cube-like setups for other card games and adapt pack sizes and deck rules to fit.
Is it okay to use proxies in a home cube?
For private play with friends, many groups accept clearly marked proxies, especially for expensive cards. Never sell them, trade them or use them at official events, and always make it obvious they are not original cards.
How often should I change the cards in my cube?
There is no fixed schedule. Many owners swap a few cards after each session and do a larger review every couple of months, based on what the group enjoyed or avoided.