The Ultimate Guide to Cube
Welcome!
If you're reading this then you either was here when this article first released or, more likely, clicked the "You can view our article here for more information on Cube Format." on the cubing main page.
If that's the case, don't worry! This article will explain what is cube, how to make it, why to play it and all other questions you could have about the Yu-Gi-Oh Cube Format! Without further ado, let's dive right in!
What is Cube + the Origins of Cube
Cubing originated as an alt format for Magic: The Gathering and has been widely popular since forever, being a cherished and loved format by everyone in the Magic community.
On the other hand, however, in Yu-Gi-Oh cube format never really took off. However, in September 4 of 2022, popular yugituber Alex Cimo got married - and in the event several yugitubers attended. Two of them, The RJB0 and E3 Yu-Gi-Oh, brought with them the Edison Cube and the community would never be the same. Not too long afterwards, YGOPRODeck updated its site to allow cube drafting, leading to the modern state of Yu-Gi-Oh Cubing as we know it today.
But what is cube, exactly?
A Cube is a box of TCG cards where players draft cards from - think of it like making your own custom pack for a progression series, for example.
Cubes can be themed around anything - cards from Duel Monsters, cards from GX, cards you like, Warrior monsters, cards with a ton of pink in their artwork; the sky is the ceiling! Furthermore, because you take cards out of it like a draft, then every time you play, you and your opponents get to use a different deck and strategy! Cube draft allow multiple players to play, too.
But, Why Play Cube?
That's a great question!
The first and most exciting reason is because of its replayability: once you have a cube you can replay it endlessly. Furthermore, every time you play, you draft different cards - you never have the same experience twice! Furthermore, you can play from two to eight players, meaning even big groups can have fun with a cube.
A cube is forever, too - unlike the standard format, the meta won't change and cards won't be banned. Your cube will be fun forever!
Furthermore, a cube allows you to play with cards and strategies you couldn't anywhere else. Wanna play a cube with Snatch Steal? Sure! Want to run a self-bounce strategy, or PACMAN? Create a cube and put these strategies in!
Cube is an endless pool of fun, be it from playing one cube multiple times or playing multiple different cubes.
How to Play Cube
Interested? Awesome!
The first thing you gotta do in order to play cube is, well, find a cube to play!
You can find hundreds of cubes to play in the official YGOPRODeck cube browser!
If browsing through cubes isn't much your fancy and you would rather prefer a more tried-and-true cube, here's a few excellent cubes for you to try out:
● My first recommendation is the official Classic Cube! It's a perfect starting point, although a bit vanilla.
● Want something more 1v1 oriented? Check out Draftmasters. It's honed to perfection for 1v1 play.
● Wanna go wild? Universal Collapse. Hundreds of possible strategies, from the insane to the hilarious.
After you have found your cube, click "Clone Cube". It will then appear on "My Cubes", where you then can click "Play Cube", set the setting you want (I personally recommend not touching the Draft and Pack Size settings) and invite your friends! You'll just need to copy the invite code and send it, and they'll be in the room in no time, as long as they also have a YGOPRODeck account of course.
Once everyone is in and the host starts, everyone will hear a chime and the cube is officialy on!
Once in, you'll see a number of cards - typically 15 - and you have to choose one. The chosen card is then added to your deck, and the remaining 14 cards (the"pack") gets passed to the next player, while another player passes their pack to you. Remember, the cards you didn't pick end up in the hands of your opponents, so pick wisely!
After the first packs have been fully taken, everyone opens new packs and keeps on drafting cards; this resumes until the draft size - normally 60 - is picked, at which point the draft ends, everyone downloads their decks and duke it out in a tournament! For 2 to 4 players, I suggest playing best-of-threes while for 5 to 8 players I suggest best-of-ones, to make time for everyone to duel everyone else.
How to Create a Cube
Playing cube is a blast, but that's only half the fun - now we'll make our own cube!
On the main page, click "Create Cube"! That will open up the deck editor.
First, fill out the basic information - the cube's name and the description. If you're unsure, feel free to leave this step for last. Another important step is setting the Cube Card Image - this is the image that will appear when people search for your cube. Think long and hard about this! It's the face of your cube and it will affect how people approach your cube.
Do you see the Cube Type, at the middle of the settings? Change it to Multiple. Singleton cubes only have 1 copy of each card while Multiple cubes allow you to have as many copies as you want of each card. Generally, multiple cubes are more fun to play and easier to make as you need less individual cards to build. Singleton cubes are valid, but trickier to pull off, so I recommend doing them only when you're more experienced.
Finally, it's time to add some cards!
Use the YGOPRO card search to find the cards you want, then click on them to add them to your cube. All the cards added will appear on your bottom-right; click on a card there to remove them, and click "Clear Cube" to remove all cards. You can also click "Sort Cube" to organize the cube, as well.
Not sure what to add in the cube? Take a look at our example cubes or check out our top 7 tips for building a cube!
Tricks for Winning at Cube
Struggling to win? Fear not! Here's our top tips:
● Frequently check back on your card pool - sometimes you forget you picked a Giant Rat; don't forget your synergies!
● You don't have to lock into a strategy super early; oftentimes a strong staple pool is better than a fully archetypal deck.
● Before the game, take a look at the full setlist of the cube to see what strategies are available.
● Remember - cards you don't pick go to your opponents. Don't let Pot of Greed go so fast!
● Carefully read the card text. Knowing what your cards do (and their rulings) win games.
● Read every card and consider every strategy.
Above all else, however, remember to have fun! It doesn't matter if you won or lost if you had fun. Picking bad cards just for the joke is a perfectly valid way of playing; follow your heart and give everyone a show!
Wrapping Up
Congratulations! Now you already know how to play, make and create a cube!
Cube is a great way of experiencing the Yu-Gi-Oh card game. Grab a good cube, a few friends and have a go! It's a blast.
