Diminishing Returns (Pauper Dimir $25)

Pauper Budget Control Pauper UB (Dimir)

Panzerforge

Sorcery (12)

• 3x Hands of Binding
• 3x Hidden Strings
• 1x Midnight Recovery
• 3x Preordain
• 2x Shadow Slice

Land (23)

• 3x Dimir Aqueduct
• 11x Island
• 9x Swamp

Creature (13)

• 4x Dimir Infiltrator
• 2x Thornwind Faeries
• 3x Tidehollow Strix
• 4x Triton Shorestalker

Enchantment (2)

• 2x Ophidian Eye

Instant (10)

• 2x Death Denied
• 2x Doom Blade
• 4x Negate
• 2x Spell Pierce

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Sideboard

Instant (6)

• 2x Diabolic Edict
• 2x Dispel
• 2x Soul Manipulation

Sorcery (6)

• 4x Duress
• 2x Shrivel

Creature (3)

• 3x Sea Sprite

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The longer they fight it, the stronger you become...

DIMINISHING RETURNS

Getting closer to the final version...

The concept here has always been to put cipher abilities on unblockable creatures, while reducing your opponent's control of the board and increasing yours.

THE UNBLOCKABLES

The creatures of this deck are either completely unblockable, or fly, or have some other unblockable damage effect.
Dimir Infiltrator and Triton Shorestalker are both simply unblockable, and are the main stars of the creature portion.
Tidehollow Strix has flying, but is really your defensive line. The deathtouch ability and flying ensure that it can stop almost anything coming your way.
Finally, Thornwind Faeries give you some spot removal for 1/1 creatures and another unique source of unblockable damage.

THE CIPHERS (and enchantment)

Here is where all those unblockables really start to shine.
Hands of Binding taps your opponent's creatures and keeps them that way.
Hidden Strings untaps your lands and attacking creatures, or allows your Thornwind Faeries to use their damage ability a second time this turn. Very useful with the Dimir Aqueduct as you can untap it the turn it comes into play, or untap two of them per turn for an amazing 8 mana from 2 lands in one turn.
Shadow Slice is costly, but is where you're going to finally start to bring the damage to your opponent once you have their side of the board under control.
Add some draw to your hand with Ophidian Eye, which will also work with the Faerie's ability, so if combined with Hidden Strings as mentioned above, can lead to drawing 2 extra cards per turn.
Also Midnight Recovery gives you a lasting way to keep your Unblockables coming back to the field.

COUNTERS, DRAW, REVIVAL, AND REMOVALS

No surprises here. Negate and Spell Pierce keep your opponent from playing too many tricks of their own.
Preordain helps to sort out your own deck.
Death Denied keeps your hand full of Unblockables.
And Doom Blade takes out those creatures that you just can't keep down.

THE SIDEBOARD

The sideboard is built to deal with the big, glaring, horrible weakness of this deck: Red Aggro Decks. You've got Sea Sprite with protection from red, and a few more counters.
Also Diabolic Edict to swap in for the Doom Blade if you're facing a deck.

Suggestions are VERY welcome!

I'm always tweaking my decks, and consider every piece of advice given!

Top Ranked	Achieved #18 position overall 8 years ago
Date added	9 years
Last updated	7 years
Legality	This deck is Pauper legal.
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.08
Folders	test decks, Potential Pauper Builds, Pauper, Pauper, constructed, Pauper Ideas, interesting, Control, guild decks (Dimir), Evaluate Later