In today's meta, that’s a must, especially when dealing with Broodscale Combo, where disrupting an instant-win condition can make all the difference. It’s no [card]Swords to Plowshares[/card], but it's what we’ve got. Plus, its second mode provides graveyard hate, which is great for stopping threats like [card]Sneaky Snacker[/card] from making a comeback. Do you want to be aggressive and swarm the board with creatures?

This, to me, makes us open to Raze too much in a matchup that will very much have it. One additional [card]Prismatic Strands[/card] may not seem like a lot, but it's very strong to bypass mono-red hate in the form of [card]End the Festivities[/card]. The trick here is to abuse it by looting it with [card]Raffine's Informant[/card], as most people forget it’s on the graveyard, and you can cast it essentially for zero cost. However, a big part of Mono-White Aggro’s success comes from its highly effective sideboard, which targets the meta and fits naturally into the deck’s overall strategy. [card]Battle Screech[/card] can be set up early with [card]Raffine's Informant[/card], but it's usually better to cast it for its full value at four mana and immediately flash it back to create two additional fliers.

Cast into the Fire was the breakout card of Paupergeddon, and is set to be a staple card choice in Pauper. It is no different here, as it could, at worst, replace Twin-Silk Spider out of the sideboard as it helps against Caw Gate and Faeries, but is another solid card against Affinity. I could also see it replacing Breath Weapon in the mainboard, if that becomes less relevant moving forward. The second reason is that it is great is against decks with a lot of removal, so bringing back a Maelstrom Colossus or other threat is a strong option.

Not only does this net you cards when you replay it, but also when Synthesizer leaves the battlefield in the first place. This is where the payoff for playing white comes into play, as you get to utilize both Glint Hawk and Kor Skyfisher as ways to bounce Synthesizer and keep the card advantage flowing. This deck also got some added consistency thanks to the downshifting of All That Glitters.

What is Pauper? Magic: The Gathering

Let's now talk about the actual format, decks, and how games play out. While this is tempting already, as coming from, say, Modern you could have 10 tier decks at your disposal rather than a single one for the same price, it all comes down to whether the meta is healthy and games are interesting. Moggwarts is one of the most potent combo decks on the format now, and if things go according to my prediction, it won't be the only one in Pauper, thanks to the new cards introduced with Commander Masters. If you want extra hate against some affinity creatures, Abrade is a fine option to pair it with Cast Into The Fire.

This restriction makes it an accessible and budget-friendly option for many players. Despite its seemingly simple premise, Pauper offers a rich and varied gameplay experience, with a diverse metagame and deep strategic complexity. Still, the main game plan is to flood the board with around seven creatures before casting [card]Guardians' Pledge[/card] for a massive burst of damage, putting slower decks like Moggwarts into a clock since turn one. For example, you might find that your local community runs a lot of blue-black control Pauper decks.

A Guide to Pauper Archetypes - Aggro

This is key as you can go off with your combo with less mana or surprise your opponents with an unexpected kill after they thought they dealt with one of the combo pieces. [card]Refurbished Familiar[/card] is another powerhouse, offering strong synergies with the deck. It provides evasion, taxes your opponent’s hand, and contributes to the deck’s overall grindy game plan.

Choose Your Colors

Adding a Highland Forest to your manabase is a small price to pay to be able to get both colors off this. This is a perfectly reasonable hand that is strong enough to keep. It has two Urza's mtg combo land, with the potential of finding the third Urza's land through Chromatic Sphere and Ancient Stirrings.

Local card shops might have bargain bins with common cards that often have cards from different sets you weren’t thinking of. It's not hard to find players who aren't using their common cards, especially if they have just bought a booster box and have searched for rare/mythic cards. Even pre-made decks can have a nice selection of common-rarity cards that are perfect for Pauper. This card has several answers in older formats that would make it a below-average pick in a Modern deck. But if you were thinking about putting it in a Pauper deck, you may get more mileage out of it.

You might be able to run lands in a deck if you can generate more than one mana with a land, or run cards with three mana as their highest cost. A Pauper deck can only consist of cards of the common rarity (they have a black symbol in the center right). This also applies to land cards, as you will not be able to use any land cards that aren’t at common rarity. If you have never heard of the format before, or have no idea where to start, this guide will take you through the basics of building your first Pauper deck. While your Pauper decks can change and evolve as more cards are released, the basics of putting one together will never change.

As new sets are released, the power level of cards tends to increase. Pauper is a format that rewards clever deckbuilding and tight play. Even if your cards aren't the most powerful, you can still win with skill and strategy. In Pauper, dual lands that tap for two different colors are rare, so you'll mostly be using basic lands. Make sure you have enough lands to consistently cast your spells. A good starting point is lands, but you might need more or less depending on your deck.

After playing a few rounds, you realize that you need more aggression to take them down. You start switching out some expensive spell cards with spells such as Lightning Bolt. If you aren’t playing multiple rounds against other players, you may not need a sideboard.