Recross the Paths

In cube, not everything is black and white... except in Dichotomy Cube. This week, Chris guides us through his stellar project about embracing conflict and creating stories - with the help of appropriately colored sleeves of course. We discuss the joy in so many aspects of Magic, cube's strengths as a casual format, a thoughtful exercise for designing cubes, and much more.
Dichotomy Cube on CubeCobra (be sure to check out the visual spoiler sorted by tags!): https://cubecobra.com/cube/list/dichotomycube?view=mainboard&s1=Tags&display=spoiler
Omen Machine on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/ecb0c43e-bfdf-4ab3-8724-b014cee0f265?view=primer
Chris on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/5f303c917649e8102a6c806b
Chris is @_mendicant on Discord
If you're inspired to try starting a design from a random set of 360 cards, https://coglib.sosk.watch/ has you covered! There's lots under the hood of this amazing tool. Thanks Jawn.snow!

Email the show at recrossthepaths@gmail.com

This week, Patrick takes us behind the velvet rope to explore the Million Dollar Cube. This high-octane environment aims to emulate constructed vintage and push the limits of what a powered cube can be. Patrick shares from his experience as a champion of Washington Cube Champs, California Cube Champs, and a multi-time Pro Tour competitor. We discuss setting (and breaking) rules for yourself, tips for promoting 2-color mana bases, making sure cards have multiple homes in your cube, and much more.

Million Dollar Cube on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/Million%20Dollar%20Cube?view=primer
See more of Patrick's cubes on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/5e2b53393e1bce2f442e3953
Patrick is Soreiha on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Soreiha

Email the show at recrossthepaths@gmail.com

Class is in session! This week, Mark gives us the overview for Strixhaven Study Abroad, an alternate take on the Strixhaven limited environment where students explore ally-pair archetypes from planes across the multiverse. We discuss building on Lesson and Learn, finding and following guiding stars in design, taking risks on your main themes, and much more.
Strixhaven Study Abroad on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/cube/about/stx-study-abroad?view=primer
Mark on CubeCobra: https://cubecobra.com/user/view/5f9c4f3e9b11040fd151a093
Mark is on Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/fourdeltavictor.bsky.social
Mark is @mark.restrepo on DiscordEmail the show at recrossthepaths@gmail.com

Can you have too much of a good thing? This week, Spence says the answer is probably "no" if you're talking about the most powerful flower ever printed. Spence guides us through 100 Black Lotuses, a wildly powerful, unique spin on cubes with an abundance of one card. We discuss breaking singleton to provide more accessible answers, finding balance in an incredibly powerful environment, how many Lotuses you should have in your deck, and much more.
100 Black Lotuses on CubeCobra: https://www.cubecobra.com/cube/about/100Lotus?view=primer
Spence on CubeCobra: https://www.cubecobra.com/user/view/636af803a4cfe00f6bea44c4
Spence on Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/poisoneddonut.bsky.social

Email the show at recrossthepaths@gmail.com

This week, the legendary Nick Floyd teaches us how to Fish! Nick is the designer of Forgetful Fish (Dandân), Rock Paper Scissors, and a wealth of other rule-bending Magic variants. There's a lot to explore, so make sure to check out the design doc (linked below) for more ways to play. We discuss building toward what's interesting, balancing discovery and refinement, how Nick has made his mark on Magic: the Gathering, and much more.

Nick's complete list of Variants and rules: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mazINq5xarND70aq3nB3CabDcHr_pM_KjokM6CaF5WY/edit?tab=t.0
Check out Nick's Magic and Dandân-related stories (Danecdotes) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkJaAxbrIqymnT7sSEqHRsw
Nick's Variant-focused Discord channel: https://discord.gg/TMVcweYpEmail the show at recrossthepaths@gmail.com