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.