I'm digressing. Having taken a break in blogging, I'm digressing some more and venturing off from Legacy into another Magic Eternal format - Modern. But not just any kind of Modern. With the overall power level muted down to the bare minimum, it is perhaps the most skilled intensive Eternal format ever! I've been racking my brains for deck ideas in Modern Pauper.
What is Modern Pauper
Modern Pauper is simply Pauper in the Modern format.
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Ok. Firstly, Modern Pauper is a Modern format. Meaning it only includes card sets from Mirrodin onwards and core sets from Eight Edition onwards (full list here!).
Second, the Pauper in Modern Pauper means that it is super budget friendly. It is a format where you can only use common cards. That means no uncommons and Rare-B-Gone!
A card can only be used if it is printed as a common in the Modern legal sets. If a card has been printed in common in older sets but is reprinted in uncommon, it CANNOT be used. For example, Corrupt cannot be used as it is reprinted as an uncommon in Modern legal sets (eg M11), even though it is printed as a common in Urza's Saga. Also, Pestilence cannot be used at all as it is not printed from Mirrodin onwards nor from Eighth Ed onwards, though it is a common in older editions.
Timeshifted cards are considered as rare cards and cannot be used at all. That is unless some miracle happened that they are reprinted as a common in Modern legal sets. (Who knows when Disenchant will be reprinted as a common?)
Lastly, Modern Pauper has its own ban list which is now basically a combination of the Modern ban list, the Pauper ban list, and some extra cards (scroll down for reasons for banning). These cards are banned:
Artifact Lands
Cloudpost
Cranial Plating
Empty the Warrens
Kor Skyfisher
Mystical Teachings
Ponder
Preordain
Rite of Flame
So we've effectively banned Affinity, killed Storm combo, and weakened control.
Oh, and Kor Skyfisher says "Wahht?"
What does that leave us with? Here's some ideas.
Momentary Blink
Enter the enter-the-battlefield-creature.dec. Build a deck with 187-creatures, get double the effect with Momentary Blink, and get triple the effect by flashing Blink back! Mulldrifter anyone?Flashback itself is perhaps the most efficient way to get card advantage in the Pauper format. When combined with other cards that draws you cards, it can get out of hand. Sea Gate Oracle does a mini Mulldrifter impression. I'm more interested though, in other cards.
Trinket Mage (that's me!) restricts you to fetching Bonesplitter, Pyrite Spellbomb, and Viridian Longbow, but those are huge in pauper. With Squadron Hawk drawing you 3 cards, Bonesplitter can quickly make your fliers fast killers. In Pauper, several creatures have toughness 2 or lower. Pyrite Spellbomb handles all of those. Viridian Longbow handles all the Hawks as well, and if you have enough mana and untapped creatures, you can make each of them a Prodigal Sorcerer. That's effectively a 1-sided Wrath!
To abuse Momentary Blink and Trinket Mage further, another ETB/187 creature that brings much card advantage is Leonin Squire. Fetch a Pyrite Spellbomb via your first Trinket Mage, use it to kill a creature, and each of your Leonin has a Shock attached onto it. Of if you prefer, replace Pyrite Spellbomb with Executioner's Capsule and each Leonin Squire becomes a Nekrataal! How's that for card advantage?
Having the core engine of Momentary Blink, Trinket Mage and Leonin Squire, I'll leave you to fill it up with Squadron Hawk and other stuff.
Boros Weenies Hawk Metalcraft Blade
Ok, I'm cheating here. Boros, White Weenie, Hawk Blade and Metalcraft each should be viable in Modern Pauper. But if you combine them all, you'll have a lotta fun!Squadron Hawk and Bonesplitter from the core of the deck. Add in some Flayer Husk to make each top-decked creature deadlier. Then enable Metalcraft with Court Homunculus and get yourself a flying 3/3 for 1w with Auriok Sunchaser. Want a Wild Nacatl? Get a Ardent Recruit instead! Add some Lightning Bolt and some Morbid Brimstone Volley and you ready to serve a can of kickass.
Want a twist? With so many equipments boosting the power of your creature, may I suggest Spikeshot Goblin? Would you like to play with Grim Lavamancer in Pauper? Get your Spikeshot Goblin equipped to a Bonesplitter and kill those Aven Riftwatcher instead! Do it every turn! And if your opponent kills your goblin, get it and that Court Homunculus back with Remember the Fallen (or you might choose to get Pyrite Spellbomb back instead).
Now another idea for a control deck.
UBr Dreamspoiler Witches (Faeries)
With almost all the format's creatures having 2 or fewer toughness, Dreamspoiler Witches makes each of your instant half a Terminate. Flashback Think Twice to draw a card and kill a creature. Cast Spellstutter Sprite to counter a spell and kill a creature. Lightning Bolt to kill a creature and kill another creature. Terminate some creature to kill a creature and kill another creature.You get the drift.
Green Based Beast Hunt (eg Slivers, Elves etc)
Yes, Mulldrifter may be the best draw spell in Modern Pauper but Green has its own Beast Hunt. Fill a deck with creatures, reduced number of lands, and 4 Beast Hunt and draw 3 for 4 mana! Make a Sliver deck with Gemhide Sliver. Make another deck with Llanowar Elves and Elvish Visionary. Draw cards and overwhelm your opponent with card advantage! Mix in another colour and get in there with your creatures tagged with ETB spells.Or just play a bunch of Allies and Changelings instead.
Just go green. It's only limited by your imagination.
Arcane Glacial Ray Control
Did someone say Kamigawa sucks? Well probably, but in a low power level environment, Splice onto Arcane gets in there everytime to kill a creature. And did I mention that most creatures in Modern Pauper have 2 or less toughness.With Glacial Ray as the key spell, add in some low mana costed fillers to Splice onto. Reach through Mists turns your Glacial Ray into an Electrolyze. Peer through Depths lets you find a Glacial Ray faster and even allows you to Splice more. Even better, Splice Glacial Ray onto a Rend Flesh and get a fattie along with a weenie. Soulless Revival works well too, but you'd wish Hana Kami is a common (it isn't). So why not use Grim Harvest instead?
With all that arcane spells zapping around, you might wanna consider something like Skullmane Baku and Soul of Magma to really crush creatures. Or just skip creatures entirely and finish off with something like 2 x Ire of Kaminari.
So, how hyped up are you about Modern Pauper? A new format is always ripe for innovations, so get in there and get dirty! If you have more ideas for Modern Pauper, let me know by posting at my Facebook page or via the comments below! Tweet this!
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