Dear Cloudthresher, 

<3

I was mesmerised by you back in 2008, Pro Tour Hollywood. Manuel Bucher created a 5 color control deck called Quick and Toast, which Guillaume Wafo-Tapa, one of my favourite players, piloted to an undefeated day one record. The sheer amazement that a 2GGGG card could be played in a 5 color deck was amazing. And the role you played in that deck was amazing. Being the perfect gear in that machine to battle the format. As the control player I was, I myself jumped on that Quick and Toast train and we together had a lot of fun. But the moment I fell in love with you came many years later. 

In 2022 after enjoying the baby bubble of the birth of my daughter and settling in our new home, it was time to reconnect with my first love: Magic the Gathering. By that time, playing Power cube was like an out of body experience. I started playing Power cube back in 2009, and a couple of years of fire design completely changed that experience. For reference, 2022 was the year Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes was released and Oko, Thief of Crowns was already a forgotten relic residing in the Power cube for 3 years by then. I decided, being a father and all, it was time to get nostalgic. So I built a new cube: a Power cube only including cards that were printed in and before 2009. That included all 10 fetch lands and Goblin Guide, but no Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Back to my early days of cube. 

In 2024 I was away for the weekend with a group of friends to play some Magic including my friend Laurens. That weekend we drafted my 2009 Power cube. Laurens is younger than me and started playing Magic after 2009, so for him drafting this cube was not a nostalgic experience. It was a learning experience. I remember so vividly that Laurens had to read so many cards. I remember him bursting out in laughter at some point, shouting “What the hell is this card, this is unplayable!”. He was talking about you, Cloudthresher. He hadn’t seen you before and didn’t know about your glory days as the headliner of the Quick and Toast deck.

I fell in love with you that day. The reason I fell in love with you that day: after that statement Laurens made, he drafted you, he played you and he crushed skulls with you. The fact that cube can bring forth these moments is one of the many reasons I love cube. And the reason why I love cards like you. Thank you for those memories, Cloudthresher. 

With love, 

Hanjo