Black DRUID - "Damaged whetheR yoU blocked or dIDn't"
My black weenie army damages opponents without needing to connect directly in combat. Often, I gain life, too. Here's how:
4x Thornbow Archer subtract one life from my opponent for each time it attacks, unless my opponent has an elf. No Standard Pauper Elf-type has Toughness greater than 2; keep this in mind for possible removal spells.
Standard Pauper Elves vs Thornbow Archer: Deadbridge Shaman, Elvish Mystic, Elvish Visionary, Eyeblight Assassin, Leaf Gilder, Llanowar Empath, Shaman of Spring, Thornbow Archer, and Yeva's Forcemage
4x Foul-Tongue Shriek deal one damage to my opponent for each attacking creature, and grants me the same swing value in life.
4x Touch of Moonglove offers deathtouch evasion of sorts. More importantly, my opponent looses two life when - not if - that creature died this turn.
4x Mardu Skullhunter forces my opponent to discard a single card if I attacked this turn. While it's ability doesn't affect life gain or loss, it does net card advantage through discard, and often early game (2cmc) discard.
3x Eyeblight Assassin works better than Hooded Assassin, due to the variety of deathtouch options that automatically kill anything dealt damage. The elven assassin only offers a -1/-1 effect until the end of turn, but can target non-combatants (like mana-producing x/1 elves (see comments above about Thornbow Archer).
Writing of "deathtouch," we add these spells for that options:
3x Coat with Venom offers deathtouch and a nice toughness buff.
3x Fetid Imp already has evasion with flying, but can be augmented with deathtouch for B, which is the same cost as many instants for the same effect. Fetid Imp's lower cmc (2) and permanence makes it better than Reckless Imp with dash. I cannot envision a time where I wouldn't attack with Fetid Imp over a Reckless Imp, except Turn Two.
3x Hand of Silumgar gives 2 power deathtouch. If he could be buffed, he presents a serious threat to opponents' early board developments. He also serves well on defense if needed; I chose him over almost any other creatures as a dedicated blocker, perhaps with a regeneration and power enchantment like Molting Snakeskin.
3x Infernal Scarring and 3x Molting Snakeskin offer significant power boosts for their cost. One enchantment replaces itself upon creature death, while another offers a chance to regenerate (a deathtouch creature?) its attached creature. These enchantments helped push a decision of Fetid Imp, who stays, over Reckless Imp, who returns to my hand too often to be worthy of enchantment targeting.
4x Qarsi Sadist handle opponents' enchantments used on my creature permanents. Additionally, I gain life from the exploitation of my creatures while an opponent loses two life.
2x Unholy Hunger breaks the deck mana curve, but destroys any creature and very likely counts the earlier-cast instants in my graveyard to grant me two life. With Eyeblight Assassin and deathtouch options, I should have fewer targets, but these targets may be larger or non-combatants and therefore my other removal spells won't be as effective.
20x Swamp round out this 60 card Standard Pauper deck built for post-rotation play later this fall.
What options do I need to consider for the currently-empty Sideboard? Thanks in advance! I hope to see you online at MTGO; My handle is ComixWriter.
Current Considerations for Sideboard:
Vulturous Aven - Exploitation, Evasion, Card Draw
Hooded Assassin - Kills creatures dealt damage this turn
Reckless Imp - Surprise areal attacks, but once
Spidersilk Net - Toughness boost, Blocks flyers
Veteran's Sidearm - Permanent-lasting creature buffer
Bonded Construct - 1cmc 2/1 who cannot attack alone becomes inconspicuously deathtouched in early games or exploitation fodder.
Thoughts? How will this deck fare in the current Standard Pauper Metagame? Is it ready for tournament play, either sanctioned or unsanctioned? Which other deck poses a threat to these mechanics? Thanks in advance for reading, voting, and writing any comments!
