iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Deck #8, and my favorite deck from the weekend: AFFINITY COMBO Record: 3-0! Did you know Yawgmoth's Will plus ways to sacrifice your artifacts is a powerful combo? If not, now you do! KCI and Ravager are real engines here, and Tinker finds what you need. 26 total artifacts; 19 Myrs with a Disciple!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Deck #7: Tempo Tog Madness!! Record: 2-1 Always love a good mashup! Psychatog + Countermagic + other cheap threats is a winning combination. Love seeing Masticore and Forbid in Madness too, quite strong!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Deck #6: Rec-Sur! Record: 1-1-1 Love Rec-Sur! This deck's got some spice with the Opposition package too. Good little toolbox here! Who doesn't love FTKing until your opponent concedes??

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Deck #5: Jeskai Astral Slide Control?? Record: 2-1 This deck is sweet! Astral Slide + Wrath of God is a helluva drug, and even better when you add Balance in the mix! Flicker your own threats out, wipe the board! Lots of burn and countermagic in here too. Would have loved an FTK!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Deck #4: UR Wildfire/Upheaval! Record: 2-1, losing in finals This deck is very very sweet. Tinker assembles Icy + Winter Orb, Upheaval and Wildfire let you go way over the top. Masticore gives you gave against midrange, and Karn helps you finish the game off! Very cool! Who doesn't love fireball??

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Deck #3: Grixis Tog! Record: 2-1 Classic Tog! Draw cards, answer threats, and grind out the game with Psychatog + Upheaval. Well-constructed! Lost in the finals

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Deck #2: Mono-W Cloudpost Ramp! Record: 2-1 Talk about innovating! This deck features the classic Cloudpost + Decree of Justice engine, but it also features Worn Powerstone and Thran Dynamos to make absolutely lethal masticores. Ate some Arrogant Wurms for breakfast! Opalwave combo to top it off!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

DECK #1: Necro + Opalwave combo! Record: 2-1, lost in finals This deck is so cool! Really unfortunate it couldn't take it down. But using Necro to find combos is a tried and true strategy, and this deck showcased that theory to a T. Despite having no BW fixing lands in the entire cube, it works!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I made a bar cube called Opening Ceremony! Premise: On your main phase, you cast Opening Ceremony, and flip 7 cards from a shared deck. That's it. No lands involved! 20 starting life. Player on the play starts with a 3-card pack. Cards are all old faves!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

@basicmountain.bsky.social I have a cube called the World Championships Museum. The cube is all gold-bordered. The the cube was drafted at California Cube Championships, and my buddy Sam drafted one of the best decks I have seen. Thought you might appreciate it! Did not take damage till match 3!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Cube #4: Shepherd Cube! 2-1 with Volrath's Shapeshifter storm? Plan A was storm with Past in Flames, cost reducers, High Tide, and ways to untap lands. Plan B was Volrath's Shapeshifter + Phage the Untouchable? Plan C was Stillness in Motion + Vengeful Pharaoh? Only lost to RW aggro in a close one

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Cube #3: Forgotten Monument! dsCube is creatureless and only lands you get access to are Forgotten Monuments. Turns out you actually *can* use Titan's Nest + Avacyn's Judgment, opponents did not like getting delve fireballed at instant speed lmao. 2-1!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Cube #2: Salt & Pauper cube! Basically just a pauper cube, but still found a way to combo! 3-0 with Grixis flicker combo! Could even Mulldrifter scam lmao. Hard to see cards: Repeal, Prophetic Prism, Mana Leak. Make infinite mana, kill with Black Mage's Rod!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

California Cube Championships decks thread!! Cube #1: Learn your Lessons! All about lessons- good learn spells from STX and the good lessons from Avatar meant everyone's slinging spells. A good time! My 5-c tempo deck didn't quite get there due to mana, pilot error, and variance but had a blast

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I am making it a personal commitment to help people fix their 2017 legacy + pet cards cubes, where the right way to play is sort the cube by year>2019 and then only draft those. Together, we will work to meet your design goals. Because "Mana Vault synergizes with self life loss" ain't it

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Maybe we should consider why the companion errata was made before removing it... and also adding Lutri to the cube. This deck 3-0ed and it was not pretty for the rest of the pod. Lurtri + Swords blew the door open on so many games. One game I played Kirol t3 then Swords + Lutri, copy the trigger...

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I.e. if every card was an enchantment, Erase would be one of the best cards in the game. Cubes with heavy heavy enchantment presence, Erase would be insane. This is how cube designers circumvent their themes. It's much less about scarcity than rate. Instead of Erase, you could try Altar's Light

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

the means to circumvent the cube restriction. This self-defeating cube conceit problem is actually a curation issue. With better curation issue, we can prevent the problems we see above. What comes to mind for me is the card Artisan's Sorrow. Artisan's Sorrow is a terrible disenchant.

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

If anyone has this, and is willing to part with their copy, please reach out!!

Playtest Unknown card The Battle of the Dragon Brothers!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

@muppetpastor77.bsky.social how has multiclass baldric been in your party cube?

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

LIL GUYS RISE UP!! Nip Gwyllion og as fuck that was my first ever playmat

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Inspired by recent events. See you at 1-3

But it might work for us meme, with Doomsday

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I just want more cubes with Relic of Legends is that too much to ask

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Me during every single #mtgcube draft I've ever done

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Why are the only printings of this card ones without reminder text :sob: How big a deal is this for you? How parseable is this card? I worry about it for an already wordy cube

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

BONUS DECK: Uw Tinker!! Piloted by Dom Harvey in a Lobbycon draft! This deck made my heart swoon as a cube creator!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Lastly... but not least... we have.... ESPER REPLENISH MIRARI CONJECTURE TIME WARP COMBO?? This deck is wild! So much going on here. Infinite combos, Replenish loops, and great disruption to keep opponents off their game! What a cool deck @ratafia.bsky.social! Doomwake Giant still got it!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Next up... with a record of 2-1... we have... ESPER YORION COMPANION CONTROL!!! The mad lad actually did it! (sidenote: 384 supremacy favors Yorion sliiiightly more!) This deck is beautiful and is quite good at leveraging Yorion. It was able to loop infinite etbs with Felidar Guardian and Yorion!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Next up... with a record of 2-1... we have... RW ARBAAZ MIR AGGRO!! Utilizing Arbaaz Mir and a number of historic permanents that would make an archaeologist jealous, this deck put out a TON of damage!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Next up... with a record of 2-1... we have... 4-COLOR MANUFACTOR!!! Using Academy Manufactor this deck was able to crank out value and cast haymakers well ahead of schedule!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Next up... with a record of 2-1... we have... OOPS ALL BINDINGS (the old gods are NEVER getting out of this lock!) This drafter combined the potent combination of Calix, Guided by Fate into Binding the Old Gods to keep opponents perma stun locked!! They also instant speed Down, Down to Goblin Town!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Next up... with a record of 3-0 (in the top-128 draft no less)... we have... NAYA BATTLEFRONT!! Using United Battlefront, this drafter was able to put a ton of power and toughness on the battlefield, overwhelming opponents in tempo. Look at all those juicy hits!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

FAVORITE DECK SERIES: CUBECON 2026 #mtgcube Cube: A Brooding Saga FIRST UP, with a record of 3-0... we have... MARDU FIRES!! Using Fires of Invention, Mountain King's Return, and Pixie effects this deck managed to gain infinite value, and took down the pod! Extremely solid midrange deck! (thread)

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Last, but not least... with a record of 2-1... we have.... UB UPHEAVAL NECRO TOG!!! This is a fun one. Dark Rituals, Necropotences, deck has it all! Turns out, Force of Will is good when you can draw 8 cards or whatever. Thank you everyone! Will follow up shortly with another one for Sagas!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Next up... with a record of 3-0... we have.... RB MACHINEHEAD GOBLINS??? Dark Rit Negator and turbo Siege-Gang combined to massacre the pod!! Well done to our newfound Mogg Flunkies enjoyer!!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Next up... with a record of 2-1... we have... UG MADNESS OPPOSITION WINTER ORB?? Okay chef!! This was a beautiful deck, and the drafter turned their newfound knowledge on their opponent with the Opposition + Winter Orb lock!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

This is a spicy one. At a record of 3-0, we have... REPLENISH!!! A near-perfect replenish deck. This deck locked people out with Parallax Tide and Capsize along with Opalescence and Parallax Wave!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Next up... with a record of 2-1... we have: AFFINITY!!! Not to be denied, Affinity takes its spot in the winner's circle. The Force of Wills alongside all the card draw kept opponents off-balance!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

And the deck that beat the above deck, we have..... UW CONTROL!!! With a record of 3-0, Caleb took down the entire pod with 4 AKs? How did he get 4 AKs when six players in the pod were in blue??

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

FAVORITE DECK SERIES: CUBECON 2026 #mtgcube Cube: World Championship Museum Deck 1, with a record of 2-1 (only losing in the finals to @calebdmtg.bsky.social's UW control, from a former cubecon champion, we have, UR WILDFIRE!! This deck can be explosive and it can grind. Very cool deck!

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Is Phyrexian Colossus just the peak tinker target?? Move aside Portal to Phyrexian, we're time traveling backwards

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

History and mtg combine yet again! This is the San Jose Light Tower, originally built in 1881 and succumbed to a storm in 1915. There's a lot of cool history here I could dig into if people want

San Jose electric light tower, 1880s, artist rendition

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

The face of true culture. I LOVE this card

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I AM gonna turn this into a cube. Just you wait.

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Joe van den Berg @hardcasting.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Here's how I might draft the cube as is. It's a semi-cohesive pile of very powerful cards. There's Baleful Strix in this cube and functional two mana 2/1 vanilla creatures. It's okay to have a wide, wide power band but I just want to make sure you know that the power band is very wide

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