Magic the Gathering Blog
UR Pauper Landfall
For those of you interested in Pauper, here's a simple permission/aggro deck you might get a kick out of. The only real expense in the deck are the four Daze.
4 Burst Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Disrupt
4 Plated Geopede
4 Zektar Shrine Expedition
4 Gush
4 Daze
4 Windrider Eel
4 Traumatic Visions
4 Teetering Peaks
10 Island
6 Mountain
4 Terramorphic Expanse
Clearly there's a lot of synergy here, all built around abusing the landfall mechanic. The 'drawbacks' of the alternate costs of Gush and Daze suddenly become powerful additions to the deck. Traumatic Visions will either help find the land the need or stop dead your opponent. Gush and Disrupt help the card drawing continue.
Let me know if you play it and how it goes.
For those of you interested in Pauper, here's a simple permission/aggro deck you might get a kick out of. The only real expense in the deck are the four Daze.
4 Burst Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Disrupt
4 Plated Geopede
4 Zektar Shrine Expedition
4 Gush
4 Daze
4 Windrider Eel
4 Traumatic Visions
4 Teetering Peaks
10 Island
6 Mountain
4 Terramorphic Expanse
Clearly there's a lot of synergy here, all built around abusing the landfall mechanic. The 'drawbacks' of the alternate costs of Gush and Daze suddenly become powerful additions to the deck. Traumatic Visions will either help find the land the need or stop dead your opponent. Gush and Disrupt help the card drawing continue.
Let me know if you play it and how it goes.
Evaluating Alara Reborn... for Pauper.
Some thoughts on the new Reborn cards and how they may affect the Pauper metagame.
For reference, all cards are on the Magic Salvation Spoiler list.
Before I start, some things to note about the pauper format. Due to the lack of quality sweepers in Pauper, creatures currently rule the metagame. Often it's about who can land the most the fastest. The exception to that rule is Mono-Black Control, which has access to the best sweeper in the format, Crypt Rats.
So on to the analysis.
*------*
Borderpost Cycle: Quality mana fixing is precious in Pauper. The Borderpost Cycle may see a lot of action as extra Terramorphs, but I'm not sure if they're better than the Ravnica bounce lands, which didn't delay mana progression. May find some use in affinity. Wait and see.
Blade Cycle (Esper Stormblade, Grixis Grimblade, Jund Hackblade, Naya Hushblade, Bant Sureblade): I think this cycle will really warp the format. Note that you can play two colours and have access to three of the blades with no problems. I can absolutely see a pauper "blade" deck as a viable archtype. I can also see them slipping into other decks (such as mimic decks and RG aggro) with no problem at all. A fanastic group of cards.
Landcycling Critter Cycle (Sanctum Plowbeast, Jhessian Zombies, Igneous Pouncer, Valley Rannet, Pale Recluse) Great mana fixers for limited that may see play in Pauper as such, but probably too slow and too mana costly when played as a creature to see action.
Ethercaste Knight: Exalted is a valid pauper archtype, and Ethercaste adds a lot to the build. The fact that he's a Artifact Creature, however, means there's a lot more hate out for him than usual. However, he is immune to Terror, and as Mono-Black Control rules Pauper at the moment, he may find some play.
Ethersworn Shieldmage: The perfect foil to Crypt Rats, this guy is sure to see play as your opponent Wraths his team and your guys stick around.
Glassdust Hulk: Cycling is cute, but essentially won't see play.
Offering to Asha: With all the great counterspells in Pauper (for instance... Counterspell!) the tacked on lifegain isn't worth the extra mana cost.
Stormcaller's Boon: The cascade is cute, but the effect isn't worthwhile and you're esentially not gaining card advantage due to the neccessity to sac. So probably won't see play.
Talon Trooper: A 2/3 flyer is nice, but not a game changer.
Architects of Will: Another cute effect, and may see play in a Blink type deck, where you give your opponent land after land after land and deny them anything else. Perhaps someone could build a deck around this guy and ninjas.
Deny Reality: An excellent piece of removal that has cascade. Pity about the sorcery speed.
Etherium Abomination: Unearth really got an improvement with the recent MtGO printing of Tortured Existence. I could happily see this in a Tortured Existence deck, treated like discard fodder into a 4 dmg burn spell for 3, alongside Brackwater Elemental.
Soul Manipulation: The best pauper card out of Reborn so far. This thing will see all sorts of play. Mono Black Control might even branch into blue just to have access to this.
Vedalken Ghoul: I'm not sure how to assess this. Surely it'll either just be killed by an instant, or hit for 1 a few times. Watch, wait and see.
Breath of Malfegor: Won't see play.
Demonic Dread: A three mana sorcery? With cascade? At common?? An instant add to a blightning deck along with Terminate. Could warp the format to BR significantly.
Sanity Gnawers: The random discard is cute, but Pauper already has access to a large amount of quality discard. May see play, but the R cost makes it less attractive to the decks that would use it.
Singe-Mind Ogre: Kinda nice, especially against Mono-Black Control, which sports a number of large critters. A possible sideboard card for RB against Mono-Black.
Terminate: Probably the most game-changing card from the set. Will be played in any deck that can run it. Expect RB Blighting to become a viable archtype now.
Colossal Might: It's okay. May see play.
Deadshot Minotaur: Won't see play.
Godtracker of Jund: Won't see play.
Gorger Wurm: Won't see play.
Rhox Brute: Won't see play.
Violent Outburst: A great card, instant, has card advantage, and suits token decks to a tee. Will get a lot of action.
Captured Sunlight: Interesting but probably uneccessary.
Grizzled Leotau: Will see play if someone finds the need for a GW control deck... maybe a sideboard card for Slivers?
Leonin Armorguard: Crunchy. Will probably get trialed then dropped.
Qasali Pridemage: Fantastic card. Will see play as a sideboard card against anything packing important artifacts or enchantments.
Sigil of the Nayan Gods: Meh. Won't see play.
Sigiled Behemoth: Won't see play.
Vectis Dominator: Won't see play.
Magefire Wings: Won't see play.
Putrid Leech: Okay, an interesting card. Could see some play, but I can't think of where or why.
Cerodon Yearling : RW just got a major boost with this card. Will see a stack of play in any deck that can support him.
Winged Coatl: Simicbogle was just waiting for this card as another piece of quality removal to play longside Snakeform. Fanastic, will get lots of play.
Esper Sojourners: Will see play, if Pauper can get manafixing to work faster and better.
Grixis Sojourners: Meh, won't see play.
Jund Sojourners: It's... okay. Just. Unlikely to see play.
Naya Sojourners: Nope, won't see play.
Bant Sojourners: Michael J Flores likes it, so someone's bound to use it.
Arsenal Thresher: This guy is a bomb, and will certainly get some action. Can easily see it dropping as a 6/6, which is extremely hard to kill in pauper.
Sewn-Eye Drake: I don't think it gets there. Good, but not good enough.
Sangrite Backlash: Won't see play.
Trace of Abundance: Wow. I really, really like this card. It's the quality mana fixing GR and GW were looking for. I think it's see a lot of play.
Crystallization: Meh. Won't see play.
Messenger Falcons: A solid card, and as card drawing partly defines the pauper format I think it could find a home in Blink decks quite happily, landing a turn before Mulldrifter.
*------*
Overall, I think Blue and Red are the big winners out of this set. The only problem will be that pauper has very little quality manafixing in the way of lands, so Gold cards haven't seen a lot of action. However, with all the buzz about I'm sure that will change.
Some thoughts on the new Reborn cards and how they may affect the Pauper metagame.
For reference, all cards are on the Magic Salvation Spoiler list.
Before I start, some things to note about the pauper format. Due to the lack of quality sweepers in Pauper, creatures currently rule the metagame. Often it's about who can land the most the fastest. The exception to that rule is Mono-Black Control, which has access to the best sweeper in the format, Crypt Rats.
So on to the analysis.
*------*
Borderpost Cycle: Quality mana fixing is precious in Pauper. The Borderpost Cycle may see a lot of action as extra Terramorphs, but I'm not sure if they're better than the Ravnica bounce lands, which didn't delay mana progression. May find some use in affinity. Wait and see.
Blade Cycle (Esper Stormblade, Grixis Grimblade, Jund Hackblade, Naya Hushblade, Bant Sureblade): I think this cycle will really warp the format. Note that you can play two colours and have access to three of the blades with no problems. I can absolutely see a pauper "blade" deck as a viable archtype. I can also see them slipping into other decks (such as mimic decks and RG aggro) with no problem at all. A fanastic group of cards.
Landcycling Critter Cycle (Sanctum Plowbeast, Jhessian Zombies, Igneous Pouncer, Valley Rannet, Pale Recluse) Great mana fixers for limited that may see play in Pauper as such, but probably too slow and too mana costly when played as a creature to see action.
Ethercaste Knight: Exalted is a valid pauper archtype, and Ethercaste adds a lot to the build. The fact that he's a Artifact Creature, however, means there's a lot more hate out for him than usual. However, he is immune to Terror, and as Mono-Black Control rules Pauper at the moment, he may find some play.
Ethersworn Shieldmage: The perfect foil to Crypt Rats, this guy is sure to see play as your opponent Wraths his team and your guys stick around.
Glassdust Hulk: Cycling is cute, but essentially won't see play.
Offering to Asha: With all the great counterspells in Pauper (for instance... Counterspell!) the tacked on lifegain isn't worth the extra mana cost.
Stormcaller's Boon: The cascade is cute, but the effect isn't worthwhile and you're esentially not gaining card advantage due to the neccessity to sac. So probably won't see play.
Talon Trooper: A 2/3 flyer is nice, but not a game changer.
Architects of Will: Another cute effect, and may see play in a Blink type deck, where you give your opponent land after land after land and deny them anything else. Perhaps someone could build a deck around this guy and ninjas.
Deny Reality: An excellent piece of removal that has cascade. Pity about the sorcery speed.
Etherium Abomination: Unearth really got an improvement with the recent MtGO printing of Tortured Existence. I could happily see this in a Tortured Existence deck, treated like discard fodder into a 4 dmg burn spell for 3, alongside Brackwater Elemental.
Soul Manipulation: The best pauper card out of Reborn so far. This thing will see all sorts of play. Mono Black Control might even branch into blue just to have access to this.
Vedalken Ghoul: I'm not sure how to assess this. Surely it'll either just be killed by an instant, or hit for 1 a few times. Watch, wait and see.
Breath of Malfegor: Won't see play.
Demonic Dread: A three mana sorcery? With cascade? At common?? An instant add to a blightning deck along with Terminate. Could warp the format to BR significantly.
Sanity Gnawers: The random discard is cute, but Pauper already has access to a large amount of quality discard. May see play, but the R cost makes it less attractive to the decks that would use it.
Singe-Mind Ogre: Kinda nice, especially against Mono-Black Control, which sports a number of large critters. A possible sideboard card for RB against Mono-Black.
Terminate: Probably the most game-changing card from the set. Will be played in any deck that can run it. Expect RB Blighting to become a viable archtype now.
Colossal Might: It's okay. May see play.
Deadshot Minotaur: Won't see play.
Godtracker of Jund: Won't see play.
Gorger Wurm: Won't see play.
Rhox Brute: Won't see play.
Violent Outburst: A great card, instant, has card advantage, and suits token decks to a tee. Will get a lot of action.
Captured Sunlight: Interesting but probably uneccessary.
Grizzled Leotau: Will see play if someone finds the need for a GW control deck... maybe a sideboard card for Slivers?
Leonin Armorguard: Crunchy. Will probably get trialed then dropped.
Qasali Pridemage: Fantastic card. Will see play as a sideboard card against anything packing important artifacts or enchantments.
Sigil of the Nayan Gods: Meh. Won't see play.
Sigiled Behemoth: Won't see play.
Vectis Dominator: Won't see play.
Magefire Wings: Won't see play.
Putrid Leech: Okay, an interesting card. Could see some play, but I can't think of where or why.
Cerodon Yearling : RW just got a major boost with this card. Will see a stack of play in any deck that can support him.
Winged Coatl: Simicbogle was just waiting for this card as another piece of quality removal to play longside Snakeform. Fanastic, will get lots of play.
Esper Sojourners: Will see play, if Pauper can get manafixing to work faster and better.
Grixis Sojourners: Meh, won't see play.
Jund Sojourners: It's... okay. Just. Unlikely to see play.
Naya Sojourners: Nope, won't see play.
Bant Sojourners: Michael J Flores likes it, so someone's bound to use it.
Arsenal Thresher: This guy is a bomb, and will certainly get some action. Can easily see it dropping as a 6/6, which is extremely hard to kill in pauper.
Sewn-Eye Drake: I don't think it gets there. Good, but not good enough.
Sangrite Backlash: Won't see play.
Trace of Abundance: Wow. I really, really like this card. It's the quality mana fixing GR and GW were looking for. I think it's see a lot of play.
Crystallization: Meh. Won't see play.
Messenger Falcons: A solid card, and as card drawing partly defines the pauper format I think it could find a home in Blink decks quite happily, landing a turn before Mulldrifter.
*------*
Overall, I think Blue and Red are the big winners out of this set. The only problem will be that pauper has very little quality manafixing in the way of lands, so Gold cards haven't seen a lot of action. However, with all the buzz about I'm sure that will change.
Here are the top cards in MtGO in the Pauper format at the moment:
1. Ninja of the Deep Hours. The best card drawing engine in the format. Able to draw a card a turn if played properly, he single handedly wins games. Puts to rest whether Ninjas or Pirates rule Magic.
2. Crypt Rats. The reason why Mono-Black Control exists, as it's the best board sweeper in the format. As it only operates on black mana, at least it's contained to MBC.
3. Fireblast. Sure, it's usually the final maneuver of a RDW deck, but it's so horrible to have to factor in when opposing, especially as no mana may be required to play it.
4. Brainstorm. It really is better than Ponder. If anyone tries to convince you otherwise, call them a damn dirty liar. Then run both.
5. Trinket Mage. The pauper player's Tezzeret of choice. It's a pity there's still so few truly great common artifacts to fetch.
6. Momentary Blink. The card that powers all the "comes into play" and "leaves play" abuse, it's also has in-built card advantage.
7. Oblivion Ring. Sure it's a slow but it's about the only card that deals with everything that matters in the format.
8. Terramorphic Expanse. A shout-out to the best colour fixer in the format. It's still pretty fast, doesn't take a mana to activate, and is consistently reliable.
9. Girls Gone Wild (Wild Nacatal, Wild Mongrel, Wild Leotau). What, you didn't know Wild Leotau was a common? Well, it is. These girls (I officially declare them all girls) are the best reason to play an aggro green deck.
10. Slivers. This tribe just wins games. Even more so than pauper elves or goblins.
Cards worth a mention:
1. Lightning Bolt. There's a reason this card stopped being reprinted. And that's the reason to play it in pauper!
2. Counterspell, Rune Snag, Mana Leak, Memory Lapse, Force Spike. I'm constantly surprised Mono-Blue control still hasn't found its footing in pauper. But there's still time.
3. Spellstutter Sprite. Faeries. Yeah, they're a bitch in Pauper too.
4. Mulldrifter. In every pauper deck that runs blue. As well it should be.
5. Aven Riftwatcher vs. Blind Hunter. Great includes for the Blink.dec.
6. Phyrexian Rager. Black's go-to draw card of choice.
7. Ancient Grudge. Excellent, recurrable anti-artifact technology.
8. Horseshoe Crab vs Man'o'War. Actually I just want to think about this undersea battle. Garr! Jellyfish vs Crab! Garr!
1. Ninja of the Deep Hours. The best card drawing engine in the format. Able to draw a card a turn if played properly, he single handedly wins games. Puts to rest whether Ninjas or Pirates rule Magic.
2. Crypt Rats. The reason why Mono-Black Control exists, as it's the best board sweeper in the format. As it only operates on black mana, at least it's contained to MBC.
3. Fireblast. Sure, it's usually the final maneuver of a RDW deck, but it's so horrible to have to factor in when opposing, especially as no mana may be required to play it.
4. Brainstorm. It really is better than Ponder. If anyone tries to convince you otherwise, call them a damn dirty liar. Then run both.
5. Trinket Mage. The pauper player's Tezzeret of choice. It's a pity there's still so few truly great common artifacts to fetch.
6. Momentary Blink. The card that powers all the "comes into play" and "leaves play" abuse, it's also has in-built card advantage.
7. Oblivion Ring. Sure it's a slow but it's about the only card that deals with everything that matters in the format.
8. Terramorphic Expanse. A shout-out to the best colour fixer in the format. It's still pretty fast, doesn't take a mana to activate, and is consistently reliable.
9. Girls Gone Wild (Wild Nacatal, Wild Mongrel, Wild Leotau). What, you didn't know Wild Leotau was a common? Well, it is. These girls (I officially declare them all girls) are the best reason to play an aggro green deck.
10. Slivers. This tribe just wins games. Even more so than pauper elves or goblins.
Cards worth a mention:
1. Lightning Bolt. There's a reason this card stopped being reprinted. And that's the reason to play it in pauper!
2. Counterspell, Rune Snag, Mana Leak, Memory Lapse, Force Spike. I'm constantly surprised Mono-Blue control still hasn't found its footing in pauper. But there's still time.
3. Spellstutter Sprite. Faeries. Yeah, they're a bitch in Pauper too.
4. Mulldrifter. In every pauper deck that runs blue. As well it should be.
5. Aven Riftwatcher vs. Blind Hunter. Great includes for the Blink.dec.
6. Phyrexian Rager. Black's go-to draw card of choice.
7. Ancient Grudge. Excellent, recurrable anti-artifact technology.
8. Horseshoe Crab vs Man'o'War. Actually I just want to think about this undersea battle. Garr! Jellyfish vs Crab! Garr!
I love me some Pauper Magic (ie commons only). It takes the excessive expensive out of the game, and provides a real mental challenge on how to break the format.
There's a few basic arch-types, generally around what works in the extended format; affinity, ninja-control, zoo, burn and UG fish. I'm trying a different approach, based on the success of the Martyr of Sands deck in extended I saw floating around.
Trying to recur Martyr of Sands in pauper is a lot tougher in extended, in which there are many and various ways to do it - especially when you're trying to remain mono white. Eventually this is the deck I settled on:
20 Plains
4 Secluded Steppe
4 Martyr of Sands
4 Leonin Squire
4 Auramancer
4 Sanctum Gargoyle
4 Oblivion Ring
4 Empyrial Armor
4 Angelic Renewal
4 Sunbeam Spellbomb
4 Unmake
The concept is pretty simple; draw off secluded steppe and sunbeam spellbomb / Leonin Squire, get to seven cards in hand and three mana, recur Martyr of Sands through Angelic Renewal / Auramancer, defend with recurable Sanctum Gargoyles, and eventually smash face with Empyrial Armor.
Most things work with the recursion engine, and the unmakes and o-rings provide a tonne of removal for most threats.
I've only just started testing it out. The trickiest part I've found is when exactly to start saccing the Martyr, especially against red burn. Timing, as usual, is everything.
There's a few basic arch-types, generally around what works in the extended format; affinity, ninja-control, zoo, burn and UG fish. I'm trying a different approach, based on the success of the Martyr of Sands deck in extended I saw floating around.
Trying to recur Martyr of Sands in pauper is a lot tougher in extended, in which there are many and various ways to do it - especially when you're trying to remain mono white. Eventually this is the deck I settled on:
20 Plains
4 Secluded Steppe
4 Martyr of Sands
4 Leonin Squire
4 Auramancer
4 Sanctum Gargoyle
4 Oblivion Ring
4 Empyrial Armor
4 Angelic Renewal
4 Sunbeam Spellbomb
4 Unmake
The concept is pretty simple; draw off secluded steppe and sunbeam spellbomb / Leonin Squire, get to seven cards in hand and three mana, recur Martyr of Sands through Angelic Renewal / Auramancer, defend with recurable Sanctum Gargoyles, and eventually smash face with Empyrial Armor.
Most things work with the recursion engine, and the unmakes and o-rings provide a tonne of removal for most threats.
I've only just started testing it out. The trickiest part I've found is when exactly to start saccing the Martyr, especially against red burn. Timing, as usual, is everything.
Labels: magic, martyr of sands, mtgo, pauper
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