TLDR
- MTG cube pack building is basically you deciding whether draft night feels like a real Limited set… or like you dumped 540 cards in a laundry basket and called it “variance.”
- 15-card packs are the default because the math is clean, the table flow is familiar, and your cube size lines up nicely with real draft habits.
- Collation is the boring word for the not-boring outcome: how many playables, colors, fixers, and “oops all seven-drops” show up in each pack.
- You can build packs Good / Better / Best depending on how much you care about archetypes, fairness, and not having a three-hour setup ritual.
- If your cube is double-sided (hi, Hundred Dollar Cube), pack building starts with one question: which side are you drafting tonight? Then sleeve like a responsible adult.
The problem nobody talks about until draft night is on fire
You can have an incredible cube list. Tight curves, balanced colors, spicy build-arounds, the whole “my playgroup is going to write fanfic about this draft” experience.
And then you build packs badly, and suddenly the whole night is:
- Pack 1 has six blue cards, three gold cards, and a Planeswalker that shouldn’t be left alone with polite company.
- Pack 2 is 11 lands and a dream.
- Pack 3 is a heartfelt reminder that you, personally, are responsible for variance.
That’s why MTG cube pack building matters. Cube isn’t just the list. It’s the delivery system. Packs are how your environment actually shows up at the table.
What “collation” means for cube players
In booster products, collation is how cards get distributed into packs at the factory. In cube, it’s how you decide packs get built.
Collation answers questions like:
- How often do drafters see fixing?
- Do packs tend to have a spread of colors, or can they skew hard?
- How frequently do you see removal or cheap creatures?
- Are archetypes supported consistently, or only when the moon is in the correct phase?
If your cube drafts feel “off,” it’s often not the list. It’s the packs.
Why 15-card packs are the default (and when you should break it)
Most cube drafts use 15-card packs because it matches what players expect from traditional Limited. It also makes the logistics easy:
- A typical draft is 3 packs per player
- Each pack is 15 cards
- Total cards used = players × 3 × 15
Here’s the quick cube math for a normal draft:
- 4 players: 4 × 3 × 15 = 180 cards
- 6 players: 6 × 3 × 15 = 270 cards
- 8 players: 8 × 3 × 15 = 360 cards
So with a 540-card cube, an 8-player draft only sees 360 cards, which means you get variety without needing a second mortgage.
When would you not use 15-card packs?
- Small groups: Some groups shrink pack size for 4-player drafts to reduce “dead” picks.
- Special draft formats: Winston, Grid, Rochester-style variants, or “pick two” experiments.
- You want a more curated environment: Fewer cards per pack can increase signaling clarity and reduce randomness.
But if you’re running classic “three packs, pass left-right-left” cube, 15 is the comfortable default for a reason.
What are you optimizing for?
Before you touch a single pile, pick your goal. Seriously. This is the difference between “fun and smooth” and “why are we doing this to ourselves?”
Most cubes optimize for one of these:
- Speed and simplicity
You want packs built fast. You accept some chaos. - Fairness and consistent playables
You want fewer non-games caused by color screw and missing fixing. - Archetype support and signaling
You want the environment to actually show up reliably: reanimator shows up, artifacts shows up, spells-matter shows up. - A “real set” vibe
You want packs that feel like Limited packs, with a familiar rhythm.
You can’t max all four without doing extra work. That’s not a moral judgment. That’s just math.
Good, Better, Best: three ways to build cube packs
Here’s a clean framework. Pick the one that matches your tolerance for prep work.
| Method | Setup effort | What you get | What you give up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good: Fully random packs | Low | Fast, simple, maximum variety | Color swings, uneven fixing, archetypes show up inconsistently |
| Better: Seeded rarity-style packs | Medium | More “booster-like” structure, steadier power distribution | Sorting time, still can skew colors/fixing |
| Best: Seeded structure + fixing plan | Higher | Consistent playables, better archetype density, smoother drafts | More prep, more “cube admin” energy |
Good: fully random packs (the “shuffle it and pray” method)
This is the classic: shuffle the whole cube, deal out 15-card packs.
Pros:
- Fast setup
- No sorting
- Maximum randomness and replayability
Cons:
- Packs can be wildly unbalanced by color
- Fixing can disappear for a full pod
- Archetypes can “not show up” even if they’re in the list
When this is perfect:
- You draft often
- You like chaos
- Your playgroup is chill about the occasional trainwreck draft deck
Small upgrade without changing the method:
- Maintain a separate land station (basic lands + optional fixers), so nobody loses because packs had zero mana help.
Better: rarity-style seeded packs (the “fake a real booster” method)
Even though cube isn’t a set, you can mimic the familiar structure of a traditional draft booster by seeding packs from piles.
A common version:
- 1 “rare” slot (your bombs, planeswalkers, premium build-arounds)
- 3 “uncommons” (strong role-players, signpost cards, synergy enablers)
- 11 “commons” (your glue, curve fillers, interaction)
Pros:
- Packs feel more like normal Limited
- Power distribution is smoother
- You can control how often haymakers appear
Cons:
- You have to sort the cube into piles
- Your “rarity” categories are subjective, which means you will disagree with yourself later
When this is perfect:
- You want the draft to feel structured
- You don’t mind some prep
- You want fewer “pack 1 has five first-picks” moments
Best: structured packs plus a fixing plan (the “I want drafts to be consistently good” method)
This is where you stop hoping and start engineering the experience.
Two big upgrades:
1) Add a fixing slot
Instead of 15 random cards, make it 14 + 1 guaranteed fixing card (or a choice from a fixing pile).
That fixing slot might be:
- Dual lands / fetch lands / tri-lands (whatever fits your cube)
- Mana rocks (if you support artifacts/ramp)
- A “gold fixer” slot (like signets or other color support)
2) Control “as-fan” without a spreadsheet
“As-fan” is just the expected number of a thing per pack. If your environment relies on something (fixing, one-drops, removal), you want it showing up often enough that decks actually function.
You don’t need a doctoral thesis. You need a sanity check:
- If drafters keep saying “I never saw fixing,” you probably didn’t have enough, or it wasn’t guaranteed.
- If aggro never comes together, your one-drops are too rare in packs, even if the cube technically has them.
Pros:
- Draft decks function more often
- Archetypes show up reliably
- Games are better because decks are doing what they were designed to do
Cons:
- More setup
- You may accidentally become “the cube person” at parties
Double-sided cubes: the pack-building rule you can’t ignore
If your cube cards are double-sided (one cube on one face, another cube on the other), you get a cool superpower: two environments in one brick of cardboard.
You also get one non-negotiable reality:
You must decide which side you are drafting before you build packs.
Practical implications:
- Use opaque sleeves. Otherwise the “other cube” is visible and your draft turns into accidental clairvoyance.
- Keep orientation consistent. When you shuffle, shuffle the sleeved cards, not bare cards that can flip and create a mix of faces.
- Do not mix sides mid-draft. You can switch the whole cube between sessions, but mixing per-pack is a fast track to confusion, misreads, and the one friend who “didn’t realize” their card was a different card on the other side.
If you want “Vintage night” and “Modern night” from the same physical set, pack building is where that choice actually becomes real.
A simple pack-building checklist that doesn’t ruin your evening
You don’t need a complex process. You need a repeatable one.
If you’re doing fully random packs:
- Shuffle the sleeved cube thoroughly.
- Deal 15-card packs.
- Save time by pre-making packs and rubber-banding them (gently, like you care about corners).
If you’re doing seeded packs:
- Sort the cube into your piles (rarity, fixing, whatever structure you chose).
- Shuffle each pile separately.
- Assemble packs using your recipe (example: 1 bomb + 3 midpower + 10 glue + 1 fixer).
- Shuffle each finished pack once, so it doesn’t feel like “top card is always the bomb.”
If you’re doing a fixing slot:
- Keep a dedicated fixing pile, shuffle it, and drop one into each pack.
- Or give each drafter a small fixer draft (like “pick one fixer before pack 1”). This is especially good when you want multicolor decks to exist without begging.
Common cube draft problems that are secretly collation problems
“Drafts feel swingy. Some decks are absurd, some decks do nothing.”
Your power distribution per pack is too random. Try seeded packs or a gentler “rare slot.”
“Nobody can cast their cards.”
Fixing isn’t showing up enough. Add a fixing slot or increase density.
“Archetypes don’t come together.”
Your key synergy pieces aren’t appearing often enough in packs. Either increase density or seed signposts.
“Everyone ends up in midrange soup.”
Aggro and combo need consistent access to their critical pieces. Random packs often over-favor “goodstuff.” Boost the as-fan of one-drops, payoff cards, and cheap interaction.
“Signaling feels impossible.”
Too much randomness, or too many packs with scattered colors. Light color balancing or seeded structure can help.
Closing thoughts
Your cube list is the menu. Pack building is the kitchen. You can have great ingredients and still serve a tragic meal if everything hits the plate in the wrong order.
Start simple. If your drafts are fun, you’re done. If something feels off, don’t immediately rebuild the cube. Adjust collation first. It’s the highest-leverage fix you can make without touching a single card choice.
And if you’re drafting a double-sided cube, make the “which side tonight?” call up front. It’s the easiest decision you’ll make all night, and it prevents a surprising amount of chaos.
FAQs
How many packs can I make from a 540-card cube?
If you build 15-card packs, you can make 36 packs total. That’s enough for an 8-player draft (24 packs) with packs left over.
Should cube packs always be 15 cards?
No, it’s just the default. Smaller pods sometimes prefer smaller packs, and specialty draft formats change pack size. But 15 keeps things familiar and works well for classic drafting.
What’s the easiest “upgrade” from fully random packs?
Add a fixing plan. The simplest version is a dedicated fixing slot in each pack, or a land station that includes more than just basics.
Do I need to mimic rare/uncommon/common ratios?
Only if you want that “real booster” feel or smoother power distribution. Random packs work fine for many cubes, especially if your group likes variety and doesn’t mind occasional chaos.
How do I handle a double-sided cube without spoilers?
Use opaque sleeves, keep orientation consistent, and draft only one side per session. Otherwise you will create accidental information advantages.
Why does collation affect archetypes so much?
Because archetypes need a minimum density of enablers and payoffs to appear reliably. A cube can “contain” an archetype on paper but never actually deliver it through packs.