Teach Magic Cube draft in ten minutes

On your turn

1. Untap your cards. Draw a card; the first player skips this draw on turn one.
2. Main phase: play one land per turn and cast creatures and other spells.
3. Combat: you choose attackers, your opponent chooses blockers. Unblocked creatures hit the player.
4. A new creature cannot attack until your next turn, unless it has haste.
5. Second main phase: play your land if you have not yet, or cast spells you held back.
6. Instants and some abilities can be used on either player's turn.
7. End of turn: discard down to seven cards in hand.

Setup

1. Before guests arrive, shuffle the Cube and deal three packs of 15 per seat: 24 for eight drafters.
2. Seat drafters at random. Put basic lands, dice, and tokens within reach.
3. Draft: take one card, pass the rest. Pack 1 left, pack 2 right, pack 3 left.
4. Keep picks face down. Talk about anything but the cards in the packs.
5. Build at least 40 cards. Basic lands are free; most decks play 17.
6. Every drafted card you do not play is your sideboard.
7. Pair players. Shuffle, start at 20 life, and draw 7 cards.
8. Mulligan: reshuffle, draw 7, then bottom 1 card for each mulligan taken.

Scoring

• Everyone starts at 20 life.
• You lose at 0 life, or when you must draw from an empty library.
• Matches are best of three games.
• The loser of a game chooses who plays first in the next one.
• Between games, swap cards freely with your sideboard.
• Play two or three rounds: random pairings, or winners play winners.

Game end: The night ends after the last round. Every card goes back into the Cube, sorted, ready for next time.