Edge of Eternities

Edge of Eternities is the last in-universe Magic set of 2025, but that doesn’t mean it pulled any punches. Bold new space-opera setting – check. Gobsmacking original web fiction by Seth Dickinson (writer of Destiny 2 and the Baru Cormorant series) – check. A Corgi cosmonaut – check. The rules-text snippet “a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers” – also check.

And perhaps most importantly, an EOE cube community set survey – check!

Edge of Eternities had 48 survey respondents, one of the smallest responses in our survey’s history. Lucky Paper Radio’s recently-announced cessation of set review episodes is a likely contributor to the attenuated response; folks are probably less enthusiastic about contributing to a survey whose data won’t be discussed on air.

EOE completes Lucky Paper’s 6th year of prospective analyses. One reason we’re placing less focus on these prospective surveys is the ever-increasing capacity for nuance we’ve observed in the Cube community: responses are more discerning and less driven by hype. Both are good things, but that means any one survey is less informative, regressing to a median where no card stands out but every card is right for someone. That’s probably very healthy for the Cube world, with nobody deigning to arbitrate which cards are “cubeable” or not, but it means our energy can be better spent elsewhere (for example, a new series of design-focused retro reviews). However, we’ll still collect survey data and publish it as a community resource. Thank you to everyone who participated in making this series truly unique in Cube’s history!

The EOE cards which got the attention of a significant portion of our respondents are all classic prospective hits: obviously powerful, clean enough to slot right into existing cubes without too much effort, and fresh synergistic spins on classic cube synergies like Aristocrats or Landfall. Recent surveys with more respondents tended to focus a little less on these power upgrades, but EOE’s smaller sample size likely represents the subset of the cube world who’s most invested in frequent updates. With frequent cube updates comes the ability to absorb lots of marginal upgrades, hence a power-motivated set of popular cards.

Edge of Eternities is far more than modest stat upgrades, though, with tons of innovative new mechanics on display. Edge Rover is an incredible twist on Green downside creatures. Sometimes it will beat down for 2; sometimes it will favor Reaching defense; sometimes you’ll want to recklessly chump-attack to dig yourself out of color screw; sometimes your opponent will recklessly block for the same reason. An incredible range of outcomes on a tempting rate.

Starfield Shepherd is EOE’s top Warp card among our respondents. Stapling an “enters” ability to a creature cost-reduction mechanic runs the risk of boredom, but an open-ended and restrictive tutor ability rescues this particular design. Similarly, Plasma Bolt is the top Void card. The Morbid functionality here (Void counts both players’ nonland stuff) creates awesome incentives for cubes that want to allow Lightning Bolt play patterns in some games but not every game.

Extinguisher Battleship represents Spacecraft in our survey, the biggest mechanical novelty in EOE. Station cares about creature power and sorcery-speed activations, which I love for encouraging straightforward creature combat (and Warp synergies!). However, Extinguisher’s high cost suggests that our respondents intend to use it primarily as a cheat target, which sells the mechanic’s potential short. Spacecraft and Warp are the kind of deep, well-crafted mechanics that would support an entire bespoke cube, if you’re so inclined.

Despite these bold advances in mechanics, EOE is also chock-full of innovative, expert game design. Here, I’ll discuss a few of my favorites.

Cosmogoyf creates an easier-to-track Tarmogoyf Experience. Cosmogoyf’s power-scaling is much less onerous to count, and is updated less often than both players’ graves, but it also offers an unlimited ceiling of stats, so there's still a synergy dream to chase! Nostalgia meets functionality.

When I see a card like Singularity Rupture, I see Magic’s triumphant return to a high-rarity design pattern I like to call Big Numbers Of Uncertain Value. Yeah, Singularity Rupture is easy to counterplay. So what? It drips with the dopamine that only a splashy clean rare can provide. Big Numbers Of Uncertain Value will cause your drafters to dream bigger and regret less.

A similar restraint is displayed for many Warp cards. If flicker effects solved every Warp puzzle, I’d be bored stiff, but instead we get cards like Pinnacle Emissary. Does its 3/3 body and the static ability justify cheating it in early, or should I just commit my mana and cards to making my Warp turn impactful? Maybe the best outcome is to cast Emissary for the full cost upfront… unless I’m color-screwed, in which case the hybrid Warp lets me get partial value. Yes! That design restraint makes Warp more than just another tool for cheesy card attribute laundering.

On the flavor front, EOE is a pleasant blend of space opera and high fantasy. Pieces like Desculpting Blast, Seam Rip, Honored Knight-Captain, and many others are gob-stopping exemplars of fantasy art that far transcend the narrow label of “science fiction.” In an age where Magic indulges endlessly varied frames and layouts, I welcome iconoclastic art with legible cardframes.

Once again, we want to thank the Cube world for six years of endlessly fascinating surveys. Keep them coming, and check out the full results below.

More from Lucky Paper

• Get the full survey data