Pauper Battlebox
Pauper forum
Posted on Jan. 4, 2018, 12:03 p.m. by Dalektable
http://tappedout.net/mtg-deck-folders/03-01-18-pauper-battlebox/
Hey everyone! I have been MIA for a long time now, but recently I have been getting back into MtG and am building out a new collection. In my area, Pauper is non-existent in paper at our local stores but I would like to change that. And the best way to make a change is to bring the change yourself, so I plan on making a pauper league at a local store of mine. To start it up, I am building a Pauper Battlebox of tier decks and a couple of brews to play with local folks. It will compose of eight decks, I have my list but I am open to suggestions. The ones with a star are the core "meta" dekcs, the ones without are the flex spots. I don't want every deck to be on meta, keep that in mind. I want to show that pauper has room for innovation.
- Mono Blue Delver *
- Elves*
- Kuldoltha Boros*
- Affinity*
- Bogles
- UB Teachings
- GW Gond Combo / Soul Sisters
- RB Reanimator
Mono Blue Delver is the only deck that will definitely be a part, since I already own the deck. The rest however I am open to suggestions, though I would really like to keep UB Teachings & GW Gond as they are two of my favorite decks :)
I can attest to RB Reanimation being hilariously fun to play, and I would also suggest considering Temur Tron (I also play it) and Izzet Blitz (my best friends favorite deck). Both can hold their own against many decks and are a blast to play.
January 4, 2018 12:17 p.m.
The Shadow Squad combo deck is a blast (Tireless Tribe), and id agree with either Tron or WUB as a big mana durdle deck with soft lock potential!
January 4, 2018 1:24 p.m.
I think this is a great idea! I'd also love to read a breakdown of each deck, as well as your process of starting a pauper league and how you manage it.
January 4, 2018 2:58 p.m.
I love to think that you can supply 8 different decks in Pauper for the cost of a Standard deck. I think that Tron should definitely be there, whether temur, 5 color or mono G, instead of soul sisters, which is a pretty weak showing.
Me and my friend have build more than 8 pauper decks and run monthly (or now bi-monthly tourneys). I have Affinity, White weenie, Ub control and GW boggles, now built mono black control and the so-far untested Erratic victory.
My friend has UB Delver, Tron and more that I cannot think of right now.
Between the two of us, we have 8+ decks that are very good at what they do and can organize and give out decks to anyone who participates.
January 5, 2018 4:35 a.m.
Dalektable says... #7
Thanks for the feedback everyone! I have modified the lists, as well as expanded the battlebox to a collection of 10 decks as opposed to 8. I'm now going to list the decks, as well as a brief description as to why I chose each. I'm going to tag all that have commented thus far for further feedback Boza Gattison abby315 Cmasa435
Elves. Elves represents the tribal element relevant in pauper, as well as one of the strongest aggro decks in the format. Additionally, Elves is an easily recognizable archetype that players new to the format will likely be familiar with in another format to relate to.
Mono Blue Delver. This variant of delver represents the delver variants as a whole in the format, which holds a strong presence. It is the definition of a tempo deck, and I believe it is a highly satisfying and rewarding deck to pilot. Also, I already own this deck so it is staying :)
Mono Black Control. I am aware that this deck has fallen out of favor in recent years, however I believe the deck to still be powerful. Many complain that Pauper doesn't really have any "midrange" decks present, and though the decks name suggests otherwise MBC is a midrange deck. Also, as I am building all of these myself the low price point here for the deck is relevant.
White Weenies. Ah, yes, white weenies. No matter what format you go to, this deck will probably be present. Much like Elves, it is an archetype many have seen or played before. It is a strong aggro deck, as well as being friendly on the budget.
UB Teachings. Welcome to my favorite deck in the format. Control players will love this deck, and it is a strong choice that is very flexible. Having a traditional control deck in the battlebox is important. Also, budget friendly.
Kuldoltha Boros. This deck is unique to pauper, as such it shows the format's innovation. It is an value oriented aggro deck, and is one of the strong artifact decks of the format. This is a burn focused list to satisfy that archetype, because it is otherwise not present because of budget reasons.
RB Reanimator. This is probably the choice that will raise the most eyebrows. This is a high variance combo deck of sorts. It may not seem like a combo deck, but cheating out an 8/8 eldrazi on turn one is very combo-like to me. This deck is just flat out fun, and it is a roll of the dice. Anyone playing this format for the first time that gets to play a huge eldrazi on turns 1-3 will instantly be hooked on this format. Also, it is very budget friendly :)
Inside Out Combo. This is our other combo deck in the box, and it represents an all-in combo that many are familiar with. This deck is all in on one gameplan, with no backup win condition. It is full of card draw and protection, and then the combo itself. This deck is very powerful, but falls short versus aggro decks and can be interrupted with the right combination of removal and countermagic. It is a balanced deck that rewards players for learning it.
Affinity. Affinity is a synergy based aggro deck, much like elves. It is also a deck most players will be familiar with, and will gravitate towards. This deck is a powerhouse in the format, and its representation is important.
Temur Tron. Tron is a powerhouse deck in this format. It has many flavors and shapes, and I had a choice in picking one. In the end, I chose Temur Tron to put another control deck into the mix. RB Reanimator satisfies the slot of cheating big guys into play and winning that way, and I didn't want two decks to be based around beating down with eldrazi's. Still though, having a "big mana" deck present was incredibly important for balance. This deck is very similar to UB teachings IMO, but it is different enough that I am comfortable with its inclusion.
January 5, 2018 10:44 a.m.
Looks like a solid list to me! My only suggestion would be to perhaps shift White Weenies to either Burn or RDW. Kuldotha Boros is fairly similar in style to Weenies, and it does feel odd to not have a mono-red aggro deck! There's definitely a whole class of players out there who are immediately hooked by fast red strats, plus Pauper Burn is very legacy-lite.
January 5, 2018 3:20 p.m.
I think that WW is fairly representative of the format, it has a staple t1/t2 deck since the dawn of the format. If you are having second thoughts on MBC, you could switch it to GB Dredge, but overall a solid list.
January 6, 2018 1:55 a.m.
Dalektable says... #10
Update: Switching MBC to GB Tortured Existence. They serve similar roles, as both are midrange grind-y decks. I am making this change because I believe the latter has more flexibility, and is both more skill testing to play and has a higher ceiling of strength.
January 6, 2018 12:21 p.m.
Does a deck which costs under $40 for the cards count as Pauper? https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/volos-dodgy-brew/?cb=1644755913
Dalektable says... #2
Additionally, if anyone is interested I am considering making an article breaking down each decks purpose in the battlebox as well as a brief description of each. Also, I would detail how to start up a pauper league of your own and how to go about building your own battlebox. Let me know if anyone is interested in this!
January 4, 2018 12:07 p.m.