A cube changelog is a dated record of every card that entered or left the list, with one line on why. It is the least glamorous part of a cube primer and the one regulars read most. Owners think of it as bookkeeping. Drafters read it as news: what is new to look for, what pet card is gone, and what the owner is trying to fix.
This article covers the entry format we recommend, what belongs in an entry and what does not, how CubeCobra handles it for you, and why a visible changelog changes how a group talks about its cube. The mechanics of deciding what to change are a separate question, covered in how to update a cube. This is about writing the change down.
What does a good changelog entry contain?
Five things, in a fixed order, so the entries can be skimmed.
- The date. Day, month, year. Not “after the holidays.”
- The card out and the card in. Exact names, paired on one line, with the color or section in brackets if the swap crosses sections.
- The reason, in one sentence. “Never made a maindeck in twelve drafts.” “Too strong against the aggro decks we are trying to protect.” “Member slot, requested by name.”
- What to watch. Optional, one line. “If this makes blue-red spells too consistent, it comes out in March.”
- A running count. The cube size after the change, so a reader can see drift. 540 should still be 540.
An entry in that format is two to four lines. A batch of ten swaps after a set release is a short list with a paragraph above it. Here is the shape:
14 October 2026. Update, six swaps, two shown. Goal: add two-drops to red and white without raising the power level.
- OUT Goblin Guide, IN Bloodthirsty Adversary (red). Guide was the best one-drop and the worst topdeck; trying something with a late-game mode.
- OUT Seal of Cleansing, IN Adanto Vanguard (white). Artifact hate was under-used; the slot becomes a creature. Watch: red aggro’s win rate through November. Cube stays at 540.
What belongs in the reason, and what does not?
The reason is one sentence of design intent, not a card review. “Underperformed” is not a reason; it is a verdict with no evidence. “Went 1-7 in maindecks across the last eight drafts, usually as a 23rd card” is a reason, and it tells the reader what kind of evidence moves you.
Common reasons, each worth a stock phrase so your log is consistent:
- Play data. Not making decks, or making decks and losing.
- Lane support. A lane was thin and this card fills it, or a lane was too deep and this card was its weakest piece.
- Power. Too strong for the table, or too weak for the table.
- Feel. The card produced games people did not enjoy. Say that plainly; it is a legitimate reason and pretending otherwise fools nobody.
- Member request. Someone asked. Say who, if they are fine with it, and mark it as the member’s slot.
- New printing. A strictly better version arrived.
What does not belong: a paragraph defending the choice against an argument nobody has made yet, a card’s price, or a rating out of ten. The changelog is a record, not a review column.
Why do drafters care so much about the changelog?
Three reasons, and all of them are about the group rather than the cards.
It makes the cube feel alive. A list that has not changed in a year is a museum. A list with a dated entry from two weeks ago is a thing in progress, and people show up to see what is new.
It gives arguments a place to go. When a regular disagrees with a cut, the changelog entry is what they argue with, and the reason line is what they argue against. That is a better conversation than “why is my card gone,” and it happens in a channel instead of at the table during round two.
It teaches design by example. A new drafter who reads six months of entries learns what the owner values and why faster than any philosophy section can teach. The reasons are the philosophy, applied.
Our own group’s history bears this out; the change log was one of the things people argued about most, and one of the things they missed most when the night paused. The story is in the community cube.
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How does CubeCobra handle the changelog?
CubeCobra records every saved edit in the cube’s changelog, automatically, with the date and the cards added and removed. If you tick Create Blog Post when you save, a title and a body field appear, and that is where the reason goes. The automatic record handles items one and two; you supply three, four, and five.
Two habits make this work well. First, batch your edits so one post covers one decision, instead of ten posts for ten single swaps made over an afternoon. Second, write the body before you hit Save Changes, because an empty post with a card diff is a changelog nobody can argue with, which sounds like a feature and is not.
If your list is not on CubeCobra, a pinned Discord thread or a dated section at the bottom of a shared document does the same job with more typing. The format above works in any of them.
How far back should the changelog go?
All the way, and never delete entries. The old ones are the ones that answer “why is this card in here” three years later, when nobody at the table remembers. Storage is free and a long log is a sign of a cube that has been drafted.
What you can do is add a summary at the top: the last three changes in full, then a link to the archive. A reader who wants the news gets it in ten seconds. A reader who wants the history has it.
What about a changelog for things that are not cards?
Log them too, in the same place, flagged. House rule changes, a new draft format for the night, a sleeve change, a size change from 540 to 450. Anything a drafter would notice is a change, and the reason it happened belongs on the record.
| Change type | Log it? | Where the reason goes |
|---|---|---|
| Card swap | Yes | Changelog entry |
| House rule | Yes | Changelog entry and the primer’s rules section |
| Cube size | Yes | Changelog entry, primer’s one-line description |
| New archetype added or dropped | Yes | Changelog entry and the archetype section |
| Sleeves, box, basics | Yes, briefly | Changelog entry |
| Venue or schedule | No | The weekly post |
How do you write the entry when you were wrong?
Plainly, and soon. “Reversing the 14 October swap; the new card made red too fast and three regulars said so. Goblin Guide returns.” A reversal entry is the most trusted thing in a changelog, because it proves the reasons are real and the owner reads the results.
Owners who never reverse a change are either perfect or not watching. Drafters can tell which.
FAQ
What should a cube changelog include?
The date, the exact cards in and out, one sentence of reason, an optional note on what to watch, and the cube’s size after the change.
Does CubeCobra keep a changelog automatically?
Yes. Every saved edit gets a changelog entry listing the cards added and removed. Tick Create Blog Post when you save to add a title and your reasoning.
How often should a cube changelog be updated?
Every time the cube changes, on the same day. Batch small swaps into one entry per decision rather than one entry per card.
Should a changelog include card prices or ratings?
No. It is a record of decisions and reasons. Prices change and ratings start arguments the log is not built to hold.
The record is the conversation
A cube with a changelog is a cube a group can talk about, because every choice has a date and a reason and a place to disagree. That turns a list into a shared thing. The game is the reason. The people are the point.
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