Author | Lightnews

Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · 22h

Just from this pack, lots of cards seem clustered at relatively similar power levels. Plenty of strong cards, but I'm not ready to commit to a direction or a multicolored card.

So, while the heart wants FoF, I'm almost certainly taking Prismatic Vista. And yes, I see there are 15 copies.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · 1d

This is the first foray of Arena Powered Cube, so I can't make any pronouncements, but we have run all of our cubes multiple times and have always changed them up.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · 1d

People can and do copy these lists onto other sites. I have it alongside other cubes I've worked on.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · 1d

Very, very excited to share the Arena Powered Cube list (and some design backstory).

magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-...

#wotcstaff

Arena Powered Cube Design and Card List

Introducing Powered Cube, a Cube event with the Power Nine, Tolarian Academy, and even Booster Tutor.

magic.wizards.com

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · 1d

Oh! Didn't know that your small town is likely also my small town. Strange how we've never crossed paths despite the tiny population.

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Reposted by Zach Barash

MTG Arena @mtgarena.com · 4d

Get ready to play with some VERY powerful Magic cards (say hi to Power Nine) in our new limited-time event, Arena Powered Cube! The drafting fun begins 10/28.

Learn more: magic.wizards.com/en/news/mtg-...

Announcing the Arena Powered Cube!

Harness some of the strongest cards in Magic's history with Powered Cube. Now, the power is in your hands.

magic.wizards.com

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Reposted by Zach Barash

CubeCon @cubecon.org · 5d

Congratulations to Shariq Moore claiming the crown this year!

Check out Shariq’s final match against Abe Corrigan on the twitch stream vod below:

www.twitch.tv/videos...

#Cubecon2025 #mtgcube

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Reposted by Zach Barash

CubeCon @cubecon.org · 9d

This year, CubeCon is raising money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in honor of our dear friend Jonathan Brostoff, who we tragically lost 1 year ago. Please consider tuning in and donating to this important cause.

Tiltify - Made for Fundraisers

We give you the tools to engage with your donors and raise more for your charity

tilt.fyi

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Reposted by Zach Barash

CubeCon @cubecon.org · 9d

We're so excited for those of you at home to tune in live for four days of world class Cube coverage! Catch all the action here: www.twitch.tv/cubeco...

Thursday, Oct 16

Draft 0 – Prequel Draft: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Mani Davoudi / Gabriel Nassif

Special Draft: 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM | Tannon Grace / Ross Merriam

Friday, Oct 17

Draft 1: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Ross Merriam / Mason Clark

Draft 2: 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Luis Scott-Vargas / Marshall Sutcliffe

Saturday, Oct 18

Draft 3: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Arya Karamchandani / Ross Merriam

Draft 4: 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Gabriel Nassif / Brad Nelson

Draft 5 – Top 128 Final Fortune: 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Mani Davoudi / Arya Karamchandani

Sunday, Oct 19

Draft 6 – Top 64: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Arya Karamchandani / Brad Nelson

Draft 7 – Top 8: 12:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Mani Davoudi / Arya Karamchandani

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · 15d

Hence my vote to fork and playtest. You've got multiple good directions, it's worth seeing how much passion you've got for what's down the other path.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · 15d

I love the cube, I love how MH3 has replenished the supply of Devoid cards, and I frankly love how it is and *feels* like a high-powered cube despite the enormous restriction. So much of me would be happy to see it barely change. And I'm low on many of the cut OGW Devoid cards.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · 15d

I'd be interested in playtesting a forked version of Devoid Cube that tests the waters of a radically lower power level. I agree that the cube has drifted over time and have perhaps been one of the loudest anti-Tower of the Magistrate voices.

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Reposted by Zach Barash

C4AC - a cube charity event @cubeforacause.upkeepnewyork.com · Aug 25

AND JUST SO Y’ALL KNOW HOW SERIOUS WE ARE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR AW26!!!

WE ARE GONNA BE BACK AS USUAL

2/21/26 - 2/22/26

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Reposted by Zach Barash

C4AC - a cube charity event @cubeforacause.upkeepnewyork.com · Aug 24

Our top 8 is truly so fire y’all

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Aug 21

We could also just sing Too Many Cooks for an hour.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Aug 21

We could prep some Magic trivia, chat with some of the cube designers for the event, do a segment where one cube designer sings the praises of another (or as seems to be the case with @worklifevalue.bsky.social, roasts him).

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Reposted by Zach Barash

C4AC - a cube charity event @cubeforacause.upkeepnewyork.com · Aug 19

Moment of vulnerability- when I sat down with @jenn-the-judge.bsky.social earlier this year for coffee and said I wanted to double #C4AC I thought it was a super ambitious & unrealistic goal. As of today we’ve sold 104 tickets and expanded what we do & offer and I’m so happy.
See y’all Saturday 😭

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Aug 14

Displacer Kitten feels like the highest ceiling pick, though it's reliant on certain kinds of card combinations to function best.

Containment Construct is so wonderfully open-ended.

...but I might just take Get Lost. If folks are building around synergies, instant-speed disruption overperforms.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Aug 12

My deck, for reference.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Aug 12

Funnily enough, we played each other in the first round, both on the strategy of avoiding artifact hate.

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Reposted by Zach Barash

C4AC - a cube charity event @cubeforacause.upkeepnewyork.com · Jul 24

#mtgcube fam - we said we weren’t done with exciting announcements!

This #C4AC we’re partnering with our friend @andy.luckypaper.co and our pal @nyc-mtg.bsky.social for a 2 day charity stream with community special guests!!
Want to join us?
Tix here: www.upkeepnewyork.com/c4ac-ss25-ti...

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Jul 19

How would you say you've been struggling with the cube? Is it...
- Stress/lack of direction during the draft?
- Trouble with deckbuilding?
- You feel like you're winning games but then they each slip away?
- You keep drafting or losing to certain kinds of cards?

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Jul 18

All that's to say, well done, Anthony!

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Jul 18

I think improving card draw *is* the best use for Echoing Boon (and every now and then making your Echoing Truth nearly uncounterable). Going all in on pump spells exposes you to getting blown out by disruption like Truth, while drawing cards gives you the most important resource in the cube.

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Zach Barash @improphilo.bsky.social · Jun 29

AHHHH!!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF YOU!!!

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