r/Oldbordercube

Orcs last week, goblins this week...

What's the best art for Goblin Raider?

Let's continue discussing niche strategies that utilize lands!

So whatcha got? How do you make Ice Cave work...?

Friendly reminder, please ensure all recommendations have an old border printing and they apply to the cube format. Failure to do so will result in a Grizzly Bear coming your way!

Today we are picking from the SBMTG Old School Cube!

From the curator:

"I've been playing Magic for 28 years, but lately, I've gotten tired of facing the same standard decks over and over, and as much as I'd like to play formats like Modern and Legacy, the bar for entry is way too high for my wallet to clear. I eventually decided the best way to get back to my roots and start truly enjoying Magic again was to build an old-school Cube."

Cube can be found here: https://www.cubecobra.com/cube/list/25g4n

Would you like your cube featured? DM me!

In the beginning, Magic: The Gathering had an immense undiscovered frontier ripe for exploration. Between 1993 and 1996, the game moved quickly, ideas were tested and entire expansions were designed in parallel; some released, others left behind. During this chaotic time, not all of them disappeared completely.

The Never Cube gathers lost assets from that time. This 1,207 card set cube draws from five complete expansions that never saw official publication. Two of these sets were developed within early Wizards of the Coast design circles and never saw print. The other three are later, fan inspired, works built in the same spirit shaped by the limits and possibilities of the early game. Together, they form a cohesive environment that reflects both the recognized patterns of early Magic: The Gathering and the paths it might have taken. This project is designed as a full set library celebrating these pieces of history. The result is a modular environment where smaller draft formats, set-specific experiences, and blended limited formats can all be explored from a single unified archive.

The complete list and this overview can be found here.

The Sets

Branching Path

Branching Paths explores a version of Magic shaped by a different design direction in 1995. Set on the isolated world of Oldcove, it focuses on the relationship between domination and symbiosis. Across the sky-high expanses of Highprairie; the thick, suffocating mists of the Murkland swamps; the lush, yet dark forests of the Deepwoods; and the mountainside cities of the Empire and the complex ecosystems that link or oppose these environments and their inhabitants - not to mention the creatures that lurk in them!

This 125 card fan inspired set combines nostalgic tone with cohesive mechanical design, creating a strong draft environment within the cube. The Montreal Tundra Wolves original site and overview for this set can be found here.

Edge of the World

Not every set from Magic’s early years came from within the company. Edge of the World was designed by Donald X Vaccarino and formally acknowledged by Wizards of the Coast. It stands alone in that regard. Its cards reflect the experimentation of the time. Among them are early forms of ideas that would later appear in official releases, including creatures whose strength grows with the cards in hand. It remains a record of what was possible in those early years.

The original 90 cards were made as black/white "stickers" you could adhere to an existing Magic card. The card content has been updated with the old border card frame, new art, and existing WoTC IP. The unique history of this fan made set can be found here. 

Reflections

Reflections is rooted in early Magic design philosophy and operates within the 1993 to 1995 power band. It began to fill gaps in the early card pool and developed into an exploration of mechanics that feel authentic to the era while extending into spaces that were not revisited later.

This 370 card set takes place in the final days of a fractured realm of twelve kingdoms, Reflections emphasizes simplicity, resonance, and mechanical ideas that align naturally with Alpha-era design. The original post can be found here by u/Gunnarsonsnewbag2.

The Divine Comedy

Some worlds are built from imagination. Others are drawn from classic stories. Inspired by The Divine Comedy and illustrated through the engravings of Gustave Doré, this set follows a different path of imagination.

Its structure is deliberate, its inhabitants clearly defined. Guardians, Devils, Souls, the Damned, the Penitent, and the Blissful each hold their place within this 129 card classically inspired set. The original post can be found here by u/JulusGalt91.

Spectral Chaos

Designed by Barry Reich in the early 1990s, Spectral Chaos represents an early multicolour-focused expansion consisting of 429 cards that was fully developed and play tested but never released.

Its design took shape alongside sets such as Ice Age and Alliances. Many of its ideas later appeared in sets like Tempest and Invasion. Within Never Cube, Spectral Chaos contributes a strong multicolour identity that connects early Magic design with later structural developments. The original set design overview can be found here.

Structure

The Never Cube is built as a complete collection. Each set can be drafted on its own, preserving its original structure, or combined with others to create new environments. The full card pool supports a range of formats, from focused drafts to broader mixed experiences. A suite of custom fixing lands has been added to support play across all five sets while remaining consistent with early Magic design.

Magic’s early years left more behind than what was printed. The Never Cube brings those pieces together. It offers a way to explore them as complete works, to see how they function in play, and to experience a version of the game that exists just beyond its recorded history. Some of these paths were never taken; here, they can be.

My plan it to experiment with this collection by running chaos drafts based on the percentage distribution of each set. The calculator for this setup can be found here. I also added standard (new art, old border) fixing lands to help improve the overall ability to fix as well as several custom lands developed by players in my play group.

Here’s a cube I’ve been working on for a few months. It’s finally at a place where I’m ready to get some games in! Here’s a preview: https://cubecobra.com/cube/settings/5d59ee0d-c4bc-4318-9c4f-ea96a9e9d563?view=overview

Orcish Artillery is hilarious, always has been...

What's the best art for Orcish Artillery?

Finally replaced the last proxy and finished my grixis Twobert. (Somehow I’ve already made 2 tweaks since taking these pics 🤭)

I used modern old border cards to fill gaps and provide cross archetype synergies. With the guiding principle that no modern card should be P1P1 and trying to avoid new mechanics.

I love the modern landfall mechanic and this is a fun twist to see how you can get your opponent to buff your beater.

So whatcha got? How do you make Dirtcowl Wurm work...?

Friendly reminder, please ensure all recommendations have an old border printing and they apply to the cube format. Failure to do so will result in a Grizzly Bear coming your way!

Today we are picking from the Old Border Cube Niche Card Combo Cube by all of us!

From the curator:

The OB Combo Cube is designed to be drafted for one on one games and the environment varies in speed but always centers on winning through combos rather than traditional draft archetypes like aggro, control, or midrange.

Cube can be found here: https://www.cubecobra.com/cube/list/OBCNCC

Would you like your cube featured? DM me!