More Standard Pauper Decks

Last time out, we concluded that Ethereal Armor was still the best strategy around. There were, however, several concoctions from the same tournament last Sunday that deserve a second look.

 

Here are three more brews:

Cesario Ong's Mono-Black Crap (MBC)

4 Read the Bones

"It's Gainlife Merchant, actually."

3 Basilica Screecher

4 Deathcult Rogue

4 Corpse Healer

3 Grisly Spectacle

4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel

3 Devour Flesh

3 Accursed Spirit

2 Midnight Recovery

4 Quag Sickness

3 Festering Newt

23 Swamp

Sideboard

3 Mind Rot

3 Beckon Apparition

1 Devour Flesh

3 Shrivel

1 Accursed Spirit

3 Duress

1 Festering Newt

Featuring the drain-life powers of Gray Merchant of Asphodel, the deck can easily kill an opponent when there's plenty of devotion to black.  Deathcult Rogue's hybrid cost is especially helpful in this regard.  The sideboard is terrifying with Mind Rot and Shrivel tearing up an opponent's hand and board.

Lem Francisco's Chicago Bulls

4 Foundry Street Denizen

4 Deathbellow Raider

No. 23. Stats 2/3. Bulls!

4 Rakdos Shred-Freak

3 Goblin Shortcutter

4 Skyknight Legionnaire

4 Viashino Fistblade

4 Minotaur Skullcleaver

4 Shock

4 Spark Jolt

4 Lightning Strike

3 Boros Guildgate

5 Plains

13 Mountain

Sideboard

4 Frostburn Weird

2 Riot Control

2 Celestial Flare

2 Act of Treason

2 God's Willing

3 Electrickery

Minotaurs supplement the usual Boros strategy and Spark Jolt adds a bit of scrying to smoothen out the draws.  Frostburn Weird from the sideboard is unexpected and a beating.  Electrickery as well as Gods Willing provide more defensive tools.

Alfrie "Beast" Romanes' Selesnya Armor

4 Elvish Mystic

4 Pacifism

4 Centaur Healer

2 for 1 anyone?

2 Voyaging Satyr

2 Lagonna-Band Elder

4 Nylea's Disciple

2 Pit Fight

2 Ethereal Armor

3 Observant Alseid

3 Hopeful Eidolon

2 Leaf-Crown Dryad

2 Celestial Flare

3 Nessian Asp

10 Forest

9 Plains

4 Selesnya Guildgate

Sideboard

3 Gods Willing

2 Keening Apparition

4 Deadly Recluse

2 Celestial Flare

2 Pay No Heed

2 Ray of Dissolution

Beast's deck is filled with innovations.  First he only uses two Ethereal Armor.  Second, no hexproof creatures!  Third, three Nessian Asp can come out on the third or fourth turn.  When it becomes monstrous, it's able to (gasp) Pit Fight any creature with savage glee. In the sideboard, Pay No Heed is a great card to have to nullify a creature that's too powerful for a turn.

The decks above contain many wonderful ideas to explore and exploit in the next tourney.  They also prove that there are plenty of areas still unexplored in this largely unknown format.  Nevertheless, it's very fun and we hope you try this budget-friendly way to enjoy the best card game in the world.

THE DECKS IN THE NORTH (Part 2)

In Part 1 we discussed various strategies that enjoyed success in the most recent Sparta Qualifier sponsored by Comic Quest SM North.  In this second installment, we will take a look at plenty of decklists and see what's notable among them.

Ryan Ramilo's Esper Control (designed by Rydez)

2 Aetherling

1 Obzedat, Ghost Council

4 Omenspeaker

Augur of Theros

2 Sphinx's Revelation

2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver

1 Jace, Architect of Thought

2 Dissolve

4 Syncopate

3 Detention Sphere

4 Azorius Charm

2 Far//Away

4 Supreme Verdict

4 Hero's Dowfall

2 Plains

5 Islands

2 Mutavault

3 Temple of Silence

4 Watery Grave

4 Hallowed Fountain

4 Godless Shrine

Sideboard

3 Negate

2 Dispel

3 Glare of Heresy

2 Pithing Needle

3 Devour Flesh

1 Obzedat, Ghost Council

1 Blood Baron of Vizkopa

Highlights: The two Mutavaults can help defend against aggressive decks if necessary and go on the warpath against more controlling strategies.  The Omenspeakers are there to hinder the assault of weenies.  And the Glare of Heresy can deal with Elspeth.

Pong Deriquito's Kowloon House

3 Boon Satyr

BOOM Satyr

4 Scavenging Ooze

4 Experiment One

4 Voice of Resurgence

4 Soldier of the Pantheon

2 Loxodon Smiter

2 Advent of the Wurm

1 Spear of Heliod

3 Ajani, Caller of the Pride

3 Unflinching Courage

3 Selesnya Charm

6 Forest

7 Plains

4 Temple Garden

4 Selesnya Guildgate

2 Mutavault

Sideboard

1 Selesnya Charm

3 Sundering Growth

3 Fog

3 Centaur Healer

3 Glare of Heresy

2 Pithing Needle

Highlights: Ajani works well with the creatures in this deck, buffing them up.  Spear of Heliod produces an unending stream of threats.  And Boon Satyr is the unexpected power boost, flashing in when the opponent least expects it.

Argel Medalla's Maze's End

3 Ral Zarek

2 Jace, Memory Adept

4 Fog

2 Inspiration

2 Druid's Deliverance

2 Defend the Hearth

3 Supreme Verdict

1 Mizzium Mortars

4 Warleader's Helix

4 Far//Away

2 Azorius Charm

4 Saruli Gatekeepers

4 Maze's End

Daze's End

2 Izzet Guildgate

2 Golgari Guildgate

2 Azorius Guildgate

2 Gruul Guildgate

2 Boros Guildgate

2 Dimir Guildgate

2 Selesnya Guildgate

2 Simic Guildgate

2 Rakdos Guildgate

2 Orzhov Guildgate

1 Plain

1 Forest

1 Mountain

1 Island

Sideboard

3 Naturalize

2 Pithing Needle

3 Essence Scatter

3 Crypt Incursion

2 Blustersquall

1 Ratchet Bomb

1 Elixir of Immortality

Highlights: Fog, Defend the Hearth and Druid's Deliverance are the perfect tools to fight decks that want to enter the Red Zone.  Warleader's Helix and Jace, Memory Adept apply the screws on control decks burning and milling respectively.  Maze's End as the win condition is brilliant as making a land drop and activating it is game over.

Hopefully these decks give you new ideas to work with in the upcoming Theros Game Day this Sunday.  Know what the top players are doing and prepare well to defend against them.  And maybe in the next article, we'll be putting your brilliant brew in the spotlight.

Ethereal Armor is Still King

The second Standard Pauper tournament kicked off yesterday and when the dust of battle settled, Wilbert "Anton" Torres emerged the champion despite losing in the first round.  He rattled off 3 straight wins with his mono-white Ethereal Armor deck.  The list can be found below:

4 Azorius Arrester

4 Master of Diversion

2 Setesan Battle Priest

4 Wingsteed Rider

4 Hopeful Eidolon

3 Observant Alseid

3 Chosen by Heliod

4 Divine Favor

4 Ethereal Armor

Who needs hexproof? Not me.

4 Pacifism

4 God's Willing

20 Plains

Sideboard

4 Keening Apparition

3 Sundering Growth

4 Riot Control

4 Celestial Flare

With his victory, Anton proved that the number one card to beat in the format is still Ethereal Armor.  Eschewing green completely, he replaced the hexproof plan with God's Willing, which protected his heavily enchanted creatures and helped him scry through his library. Lastly, the spell could also grant a sort of unblockability to his Armored One.

It's pretty clear from the maindeck that he thought of the Boros matchup a lot, hence, the plentiful ways of gaining life via Setesan Battle Priest, Divine Favor, and Hopeful Eidolon.  Coupled with Pacifism, possibly the best removal at common, his defensive deck speed is second to none.  He also has the Hopeful Eidolon + Ethereal Armor combo to race beatdown decks as this combo represents a six-point life swing.

His sideboard is dedicated to similar enchantment heavy decks hence the Keening Apparition, Sundering Growth, and Celestial Flare in multiples.  Riot Control is for fast attack decks, a Fog and a demoralizing lifegain instant spell.

Coming in second place was Virgilio De Leon with Boros Ambulance.  Below is his deck for reference:

4 Gore-House Chainwalker

4 Azorius Arrester

4 Daring Skyjek

4 Wojek Halberdiers

4 Cavalry Pegasus

"I believe I can fly" and kill you.

3 Master of Diversion

4 Skyknight Legionnaire 

4 Shock

4 Lightning Strike

3 Celestial Flare

4 Boros Guildgate

9 Plains

9 Mountain

Even without a sideboard, Virgilio or June as he is known in the SM North Magic community racked up consecutive wins until he ran afoul of Anton in the final round.  His Boros deck featured 29 creatures and 8 burn spells.  The three Celestial Flares main were there for Ethereal Armor decks whether with hexproof or none.  

The deck is terrifyingly simple in its approach.  Summon a Cavalry Pegasus on turn two and put down as many humans as possible afterwards.  The flying horse grants attacking humans flight which avoids a lot of grounded blockers and thus delivers a lot of damage.  The burn spells can either get rid of opposing creatures or finish off the other player.

June could have probably benefited from Pacifism being in his sideboard against Anton.  A fourth Celestial Flare would have gotten around Gods Willing, too.  That said, this is still the speediest and most consistent deck around and should be in anyone's gauntlet.

Another take on everyone's white/red guild was Joey Hernandez's "NPBD" or No Playtest Boros Deck.  Check it out:

4 Hopeful Eidolon
4 Akroan Crusader

This is...Akros!!!

2 Auramancer
4 Wingsteed Rider
4 Skyknight Legionnaire
2 Lightning Strike
2 Martial Glory
2 Massive Raid
2 Rootborn Defenses
2 Pacifism
4 Ethereal Armor
2 Divine Favor
2 Dragon Mantle
2 Knightly Valor
2 Electrickery
4 Boros Guildgate
8 Plains
8 Mountain
Sideboard
2 Ray of Dissolution
2 Celestial Flare
2 Divine Verdict
2 Last Breath
2 Pacifism
1 Martial Glory
2 Lightning Strike
2 Electrickery

Joey incorporated a lot of technology in his version of Boros.  First off, he played with the heroic mechanic.  By casting enchantments on Akroan Crusader and Wingsteed Rider, he buffs them up while producing other effects like getting 1/1 hasty soldiers or +1/+1 counters.  Second, he used Ethereal Armor himself.  Third, he had Electrickery to combat other Boros decks.  There were other little tricks like Massive Raid and Martial Glory that kept his opponents guessing.

While employing less creatures, his build focuses on Akroan Crusader whose token-producing ability can get out of hand quickly.  The 1/1 soldiers can chip away relentlessly and provide blocking fodder instantly if necessary.  Finally, Rootborn Defenses can make everyone indestructible and pop out another 1/1 hasty guy because of populate.

Joey's ingenuity shows off the diverse environment of Standard Pauper even when a lot of people are playing basically the same powerful cards.

Will these decks evolve come next week?  Will new ones surface and wrest the title away from Anton?  Comment below and give your own ideas.

Thank you and see you at the Theros Game Day next Sunday where there will be a side event for this budget-friendly, exciting format. 

THE DECKS IN THE NORTH (Part 1)

The SM North Magic community has always been a hotbed of creativity when it comes to deck design.  Only a few Northern players netdeck and scarce resources lead them to make interesting card choices you won't see anywhere else.  This makes it hard to predict the Standard metagame there but it's also a lot of fun because it is never stagnant.

Let's take a look at several people who did well at yesterday's Sparta Cup Qualifier.

First up is Michael Rodriguez's Esper Control.

3 Jace, Architect of Thought

2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion

2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver

Freddy Kruger is now a card.

2 Doom Blade

2 Syncopate

2 Dissolve

1 Negate

2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa

1 Aetherling

3 Supreme Verdict

2 Divination

2 Far//Away

2 Detention Sphere

2 Hero's Downfall

3 Sphinx's Revelation

4 Hallowed Fountain

4 Godless Shrine

4 Watery Grave

3 Temple of Silence

3 Temple of Deceit

1 Azorius Guildgate

4 Island

3 Plains

Sideboard

2 Duress

2 Pithing Needle

2 Jace, Memory Adept

2 Yoked Ox

2 Last Breath

1 Thoughtseize

1 Supreme Verdict

2 Negate

1 Aetherling

One of the aims of the deck is to not miss land drops so twenty-six is the right number.  In case of mana-flood, Sphinx's Revelation is there to draw cards and gain life.  With enough mana, the deck can then deploy its arsenal of planeswalkers, a couple of Blood Barons, and Aetherling to win the game.

The main weakness of this strategy is the loss of two cards namely Think Twice and Augur of Bolas from the sets that rotated when Theros came in.  Augur in particular helps absorb weenie rushes and nets a card.  This is the reason why we see Yoked Ox and Last Breath in the sideboard as 1-2 mana answers to weenies.  And while Yoked Ox doesn't kill anything, its lack of power is actually a good thing when facing Boros Reckoner.

Going forward Divination and Last Breath can probably be replaced and perhaps Omenspeaker deserves a try.

The second deck we'll examine is Kristian Sy's BWR homebrew.

4 Boros Reckoner

3 Desecration Demon

2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa

1 Obzedat

1 Stormbreath Dragon

2 Sin Collector

1 Aurelia Warleader

1 Whip of Erebos

2 Rakdos Keyrune

2 Mizzium Mortars

2 Anger of the Gods

The Anti-Voice

2 Rakdos's Return

3 Dreadbore

3 Thoughseize

1 Hero's Downfall

2 Read the Bones

1 Doom Blade

1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion

1 Chandra Pyromancer

4 Sacred Foundry

4 Blood Crypt

3 Godless Shrine

3 Temple of Silence

2 Rakdos Guildgate

2 Temple of Triumph

2 Mutavault

2 SWamp

1 Plains

2 Mountain

Sideboard

1 Wear/Tear

2 Shock

2 Anger of the Gods

1 Underworld Connections

1 Hammer of Purphoros

2 Duress

2 Slaughter Games

3 Lifebane Zombie

1 Pithing Needle

This is hell to face.  Filled with good stuff, the deck aims to win a war of attrition starting with hand disruption.  Thoughtseize, Sin Collector, and Rakdos's Return both do a good job of keeping an opponent off-balance. If anything manages to arrive on the battlefield, it will be killed or outclassed by bigger, more powerful creatures.  

While fast decks might give this hiccups, Anger of the Gods is easier to cast than Supreme Verdict and thus gives its pilot a decent chance to survive.  Dreadbore is a concession to the proliferation of 3-4 mana planeswalkers but maybe a 2-2 split between Doom Blade and Hero's Downfall is better since Thoughtseize can just nab a walker anyway.  Besides being instants, those two black removal spells also don't stress the manabase too much.

Definitely a solid choice going forward, we can expect the deck to continue doing well with minor adjustments here and there.

The third and last thing we'll examine is Benson Albayalde's Ian Monsters.

4 Mystic Elf

4 Satyr Hedonist

2 Scavenging Ooze

3 Polukranos, World Eater

4 Ghor-Clan Rampager

2 Ember Swallower

4 Stormbreath Dragon

Daenerys IS my mama

4 Domri Rade

2 Xenagos, the Reveler

3 Gruul Keyrune

4 Mizzium Mortars

4 Stomping Grounds

4 Temple of Abandon

9 Forest

7 Mountain

Sideboard

3 Anger of the Gods

3 Pithing Needle

3 Destructive Revelry

2 Ratchet Bomb

2 Mistcutter Hydra

1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed

1 Bow of Nylea

Capable of explosive starts, the deck pressures opponents with planeswalkers, dragons, and hydras.  Domri Rade can help clear the board of pesky blockers so that huge monsters can stomp people's faces.  He can also draw cards if there's abundant mana available and a depleted hand.  Stormbreath Dragon has haste and monstrous in addition to protection from white.  It's literally unstoppable and quite the clock.  Polukranos is aptly named as the World Eater because it is ridiculously powerful once you pay its monstrosity cost.  Add in the four Ghor-Clan Rampagers for a power boost and trample and it's an absolute beatdown.

While Gruul Keyrune is a nice touch the possibility for an upgrade is there.  Mutavault comes to mind.  Boon Satyr might also come in handy as a fifth or sixth Ghor-Clan Rampager.

The deck has numerous merits, thus, classifying it as another weapon worth bringing to Theros Game Day next Sunday.

We hope you like this series on deck technologies.  We'll bring you more ideas during the week.  Send in your own as well.

Thank you and watch out for Part 2.

 

How to Enjoy (and Win at) Pauper Standard

This is a look at some of the decks possible in Pauper Standard.  They should be kept in mind when participating in tournaments especially Boros and Selesnya.  The other decks are glimpses into the richness of the commons landscape, so to speak.

Read on.

Boros Battalion

Cavalry Pegasus - 4

Azorius Arrester - 4

Daring Skyjek - 4

Gore-House Chainwalker - 4

Wojek Halberdiers - 4

Skyknight Legionnaire - 4

Master of Diversion - 3

Shock - 4

Celestial Flare - 3

Lightning Strike - 4

Boros Guildgate - 4

Mountain - 9

Plains - 9

This is probably the best deck in the format right now.  It's fast due to the numerous two-drops.  More importantly, twelve of these creatures possess three-power.  Consequently, the damage can pile up quickly enabling the burn spells to finish off the opponent.  

Blocking the creatures isn't an option as Cavalry Pegasus grants flying to humans and the creatures in this deck are all humans.  Master of Diversion aids in this goal as it taps down defenders.  Even Celestial Flare, which is mainly for the Selesnya Hexproof deck, can eliminate a blocker.

Very popular, Boros Battalion is something you should play with and against to appreciate the joys of Standard Pauper.  It will open your eyes to the power of common cards.

Selesnya Armor

Gladecover Scout - 4

Elvish Mystic - 4 

Hopeful Eidolon - 4

Leafcrown Dryad - 4

Centaur Healer - 4

Nylea's Disciple - 4

Rubbleback Rhino - 3

Ethereal Armor - 4

Celestial Flare - 3

Trollhide - 3

Selesnya Guildgate - 4

Forest - 11

Plains - 7

While Boros Battalion is without a doubt the speediest deck around, Selesnya Armor can claim to being the most powerful.  Left unchecked, assembling Gladecover Scout + Ethereal Armor + Trollhide + a bestowed Hopeful Eidolon is essentially game over.  The amount of damage potential and lifegain this deck can muster is enormous.

The centaurs and the rhinos enable the deck to defend against and race the Boros Battalion while it gathers the necessary combo pieces.  Although a bit predictable, it is resilient and its abundant mana can often overcome the early disadvantage from decks that jump out from the get-go.  

Along with the Boros Battalion, it is feared and admired so you should expect plenty of both these kinds of strategies when competing in Pauper Standard.

Rakdos Unleashed

Grim Roustabout - 4

Gore-House Chainwalker - 4

Rakdos Shred-Freak - 4

Dead Reveler - 4

Ogre Jailbreaker - 4

Spawn of Rix Maadi - 3

Deviant Glee - 4

Mugging - 4 

Madcap Skills - 4

Act of Treason - 3

Rakdos Guildgate - 4

Swamp - 9

Mountain - 9

For something a little different, Rakdos Unleashed is a deck for those who don't want to block but who would rather press on the attack relentlessly.  The creatures are definitely bigger, which when combined with the spells that prevent blocking or make it harder to do so, present a dangerous clock.

Unlike Boros Battalion, it doesn't have burn but the auras provide repeatable sources of damage which can be more effective in light of the lifegain approach taken by Selesnya Hexproof.    This should see plenty of play as it can also disrupt the opponent with discard spells like Duress and Mind Rot from the sideboard.

Naya Slivers Populate

Striking Sliver - 4

Predatory Sliver - 4

Sentinel Sliver - 4

Blur Sliver - 4

Sliver Construct - 2

Groundshaker Sliver - 1

Pacifism - 4 

Druid's Deliverance

Fortify - 3

Hive Stirrings - 4 

Massive Raid - 2

Rootborn Defenses - 3

Selesnya Guildgate - 4

Gruul Guildgate - 4

Plains - 9

Mountain - 3

Forest - 2

Slivers Populate isn't a proven competitive deck but it is highly entertaining.  The idea is to amass a token army and use the various lords to grant abilities like haste and vigilance to make them deadlier.  It is the ultimate swarm tactic in Pauper Standard.

Populate works well with Hive Stirrings and the deck can go off for ten damage per swing without losing a sliver due to Rootborn Defenses.  Massive Raid can then fry an opponent extra crispy with all the token creation going on with Druid's Deliverance.  A miser's Groundshaker Sliver can act like an Overrun in case of standoffs.

This is experimental but the shell is worth looking into.  Adding a +1/+1 counters theme might be the next step ala-Common Bond as Predatory Sliver's effect is badly needed to convert 1/1 weenies into badass monsters.

Azorius Detention

Azorius Arrester - 4

Leonin Snarecaster - 4

Deputy of Acquittals - 4

Court Street Denizen - 4

Master of Diversion - 3

Smite - 3

Disperse - 4

Essence Scatter - 4

Spell Rupture - 4

Dramatic Rescue - 4

Azorius Guildgate - 4

Plains - 12

Island - 6

The deck is annoying to play against.  Bounce spells and countermagic make it difficult for an opponent to anticipate what is going to happen.  Detain prevents attacking and blocking.  This is then exploited by the two-power creatures in the deck to inflict lethal damage.

There is the cute combo of having multiple Court Street Denizen on the battlefield and bouncing a pair of Deputy of Acquittals to tap down permanently several blockers at once.  Bounce is such a huge weapon in this format as bombs require a lot of mana.  Disperse, for instance, can return Ethereal Armor midcombat to render a 1/1 hexproof elf vulnerable.

Boros might be too overwhelming but the matchup isn't entirely unfavorable.  This is quite the dark horse and there are multiple ways to better this initial design once the metagame is solidly established.

Gruul Bloodrush

Zhur-Taa Druid - 4

Skinbrand Goblin - 3 

Advocate of the Beast - 4

Battering Krasis - 3

Slaughterhorn - 4

Rumbling Baloth - 4 

Marauding Maulhorn - 4

Zhur-Taa Swine - 4

Electrickery - 4

Boulderfall - 1

Tenement Crasher - 2

Gruul Guildgate - 4

Forest - 12

Mountain - 7

Ramping up to fatties has always been a fine tradition in Gruul decks and this concoction is no different.  In addition, Zhur-Taa Druid is a pinger that can't be ignored.  Several copies of this card can be murder.

The beauty of bloodrush is that one card serves several functions.  One is to be a creature and thus a threat.  The other is to be a spell during combat that can't be countered.  With a pair of Electrickery overloaded, two toughness critters will bite the dust.  This is Boros' kryptonite as well as Selesnya's.

It is positioned well in the metagame and its objective is tried and true.  Summon huge beasts and buff them up with Advocate of the Beast.  Opponents will be dead in no time.

Naya Heroes

Akroan Crusader - 4

Setessan Battle Priest - 4

Cavalry Pegasus - 4

Wojek Halberdiers - 4

Wingsteed Rider - 4

Staunch-Hearted Warrior - 4

Dynacharge - 2

Pursuit of Flight - 4

Battlewise Valor - 4

Martial Glory - 4

Boros Guildgate - 4

Selesnya Guildgate - 4

Plains - 6

Mountain - 8

The deck rests on Akroan Crusader's insane ability to produce 1/1 soldiers.  Instants that target him as well as auras like Pursuit of Flight help amass an army while increasing his stats.  Other heroes in the deck when targeted accumulate +1/+1 counters and since they fly or will due to Cavalry Pegasus, blocking them will be a futile exercise.

This resembles Slivers but is probably more solid as a deck especially with more heroes being printed in the subsequent sets.  This is a fine investment and should give hours of unadulterated entertainment to its pilots.  Gods Willing in the sideboard can give Staunch-Hearted Warrior protection from any color.  By targeting it with several spells before casting Gods Willing, the opponent should suffer greatly.  Even if he or she survives, the counters on Staunch-Hearted Warrior can grow out of control massive.  It's the same thing with Wingsteed Rider.  In fact, both of them can be targeted by Martial Glory to generate several triggers of heroic.

This last deck is the promising to develop over time but it is certainly not the least of the decks available in Pauper Standard.  This article has hopefully interested you in trying these and creating your own.  The decks are cheap while the fun to be have is priceless.

So what are you waiting for?  Join the Pauper Standard craze.