Pauper Team Constructed

Pauper forum

Posted on March 7, 2018, 6:02 a.m. by Boza

In my LGS, we organize regular Paper Pauper events. That have been an incredible success. I am thinking of spicing it up by organizing the next event as a team constructed one. Rules are the exact normal ones:

• An even number of teams and a minimum of 4 teams must register.
• A team consists of three players.
• If 4 teams, then play round robin, if 6+ play Swiss.
• Teams construct decks as normal, but no decks may share cards except basic lands. This means the total of any card must be no more than 4. So, no more than 4 Brainstorm in the whole team - one player may play all 4 or they split the copies in the form of 1, 1, 2.
• Players play Team 2 out of 3s - each player plays 2 out of 3 games. A team needs 2 out of 3 teammembers to win to win the round.
• Players on a team are allowed to strategize and discuss information freely between themselves.
• Matchups are randomized before the game starts. An outside person mixes 6 basic lands of 3 different types. Players who draw matching ones play. Redo if two players on a team match.

Please tell me if you think this is a good idea or if needs more work.
Do you have any ideas how to spice up Pauper events?

Agent_Fire says... #2

best three decks for a team I think is; elves, tron, and boros

March 7, 2018 9:52 a.m.

Boza says... #3

Or mono black, bogles and Delver.

Or affinity, goblins and White Weenie.

Or Boros Monarch, Esper Familiar Combo and Relentess Rats.

The posibilities are endless really and that is what I see as a problem. Pauper has too many viable decks and thus there is no deckbuilding constraint enforced by the team format.

March 7, 2018 11:17 a.m.

Agent_Fire says... #4

The reason why team constructed works for other formats is that cards are shared across the top decks. However, in pauper, only ash barrens and few other cards are shared.

March 7, 2018 11:25 a.m.

Agent_Fire says... #5

The reason why team constructed works for other formats is that cards are shared across the top decks. However, in pauper, only ash barrens and few other cards are shared.

March 7, 2018 11:26 a.m.

Boza says... #6

You would think so, but the case is really the same in most other formats too. For example, Modern Team Constructed faces constraints on the efficient 1 mana spells like path or bolt or thoughtseize, but the biggeset constraint is the mana - who gets to play which fetches and shocks. Pauper lacks that problem really - some decks do not need non-basics to even work.

Maybe I should restrict basics to 4 copies too to increase the strain?

March 7, 2018 11:49 a.m.

Caerwyn says... #7

You are forgetting, the "no deckbuilding constraint" is mutual--both pairs will have equally broken decks, so should be on the same footing. I suspect the games will be quick and brutal, but that does not mean teams will not be equally matched. Further, the fact that your team should have synergy will provide some deckbuilding constraints.

If you are really concerned, there are a couple fixes you can do:

• Make starting life totals a bit higher. This will allow for longer games, and enable some slower, more diverse decks.

• You could put colour restrictions on teams. For example, between the team, they can only use 3 different colours in the deck design. This will lock players into similar archetypes, without being too restrictive.

March 7, 2018 11:54 a.m.