The goal of this cube is to have the most fun, broken, and unique Pauper Cube experience possible. The cube is drafted traditionally (3x15), and the rules are the same, save for one:

This primer will take you through some of the cards, archetypes, and nuances of this cube experience.

Rule Benders

While illegal in Pauper Constructed, "Mishra's Factory are Strip Mine were printed 3 times on the uncommon sheet [in Antiquities], but are unique in that they were also printed once on the common sheet, and are thus neither U3 nor C1, but rather the rarity equivalent of both combined: either C2 or U6." Similarly, in The Dark, Maze of Ith is more common than an uncommon, but much rarer than a common (Source). Swords to Plowshares was recently (2021) printed at common in Jumpstart: Historic Horizons. Finally, Bombardment, a playtest card, was printed ON a common. These five cards represent unique effects that cannot be found elsewhere at common, and they are included to increase the power-level of the cube as a whole.

Traditional Bombs
White

Arguably the strongest creature in the cube, Guardian of the Guildpact is a powerhouse. There are very few removal spells that deal with it or creatures that block it once it enters the battlefield. It will not kill quickly, but...

The next card, Palace Sentinels, offers white one of the few opportunities for card draw. As with all of the "Monarch" cards, Palace Sentinels is dangerous in any board-state.

Also stretching white's role in the color pie is Mana Tithe, allowing for massive, unexpected blowouts and next-level mind games.

Finally, Prismatic Strands offers instant-speed damage protection the first time around, and then offers it again "for free" the second time around.

Blue

Blue has access to the best card draw in all of Magic, and nowhere is this exemplified better than the free, instant-speed, draw two of Gush. The play pattern possibilities of Gush are endless, but it is impossible to deny the raw power of the card.

Continuing the Monarch trend, Fall from Favor combines low-cost removal with card draw, reminiscent of Legacy and Cube powerhouse Palace Jailer. This card is one of the strongest "removal" spells in the cube, as it starts snowballing card advantage for the owner and misery for the opponent.

Blue also has access to the Magic's counterspell suite. Emblematic of Blue's denial strategy is Counterspell, the simplest and cleanest countermagic.

Finally, Archaeomancer supports archetypes by itself, returning an instant or sorcery to hand while also providing a battlefield presence that can attack, be blinked, or block.

Black

Black's attritional power is on display with its bombs. Arguably another top pick in the cube, Pestilence is a repeatable board wipe and a clock, all as a hard-to-remove enchantment.

Black also branches out into sacrifice archetypes, and the ultra-efficient, instant-speed creature-sacrificer Carrion Feeder sits at the forefront of that archetype. However, Carrion Feeder's applications go well-beyond typical sacrifice decks, as it allows you to generate advantage from your opponent's removal and make combat math incredibly difficult.

One of the most powerful Magic cards of all time in black is also a common. Hymn to Tourach fits in perfectly in this powerful commons-only cube. Stripping cards from your opponent with efficiency and abandon, Hymn can single-handedly win games of limited.

Finally, the black monarch card makes an appearance here, as Thorn of the Black Rose gives you the Monarch and dissuades revenge-attacks to reclaim the crown.

Red

Lightning Bolt needs no introduction or explanation. 1 mana, 3 damage - anywhere.

At the other end of the spectrum Rolling Thunder is a splashable, recurable win-condition. Rolling Thunder, as an x-cost spell, can be a finisher in ramp, burn, and control decks. It's flexibility makes Rolling Thunder incredibly valuable.

Faithless Looting allows the user a massive amount of card selection, at a very cheap cost. fills the graveyard, compliments spells-matter archetypes, and is both mana efficient and re-castable.

Finally, every color should have a top creature. Monastery Swiftspear is a premier threat. It works best in aggressive decks, but it can also play a role in any "Spells Matter" deck. It represents the potential for massive damage from out of nowhere.

Green

The MONSTER itself, the lord of limited, the machine, the inexorable tide, SPROUT SWARM. This card is Pauper's best army in a can. It is a control win-condition, it is a token deck's top end or recovery from a board wipe, and, ultimately, it is the forgone conclusion of a rising wave of tokens destroying your opponent.

Rancor should probably not have been printed at common. Its power in any deck, let alone an aggressive deck, is awe-inspiring. It can turn any creature into a must-answer threat, and it's recursive trigger makes it a hassle to deal with permanently.

Like Carrion Feeder, Wild Mongrel makes combat difficult at instant speed. It can fill the graveyard with spells or creatures, and it works in aggressive, midrange, and control decks.

Green specializes in fixing and ramp, and Farseek does both. Grabbing a second color, a splash color, a fifth! color, or a new snow-dual, Farseek enables green-based decks to stretch into other colors, while keeping fixing firmly in green.

Colorless/Multicolor

Ulamog's Crusher combines massive power and annihilator at a high (but colorless) cost. The biggest creature in the cube, and one of the scariest threats to face across the board.

In a cube where all basics are snow, Arcum's Astrolabe shines as both a cantrip and as a low-cost fixer, providing access to 2, 3, or more colors to a deck that may want to cheat on lands or up its artifact count.

For aggressive decks, Bonesplitter represents a significant clock, turning any small creature into a beater. Colorless, cheap, and efficient, Bonesplitter can find its way into many decks.

Not all decks can become unstoppable with Cranial Plating. However, those that can will find it to be THE payoff for any artifact deck, and it doesn't even need to be a deck fully-committed to artifacts! Being an artifact itself, and requiring such a low cost to cast and equip, Cranial Plating is a threat from the moment it hits the board.

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Azorius

Major Archetype - Blink
The primary Blue-White archetype is Blink. Utlizing cards like Ephemerate and Momentary Blink on classic value creatures like Mulldrifter can provide a large amount of value. The blink spells can also disrupt combat math and provide protection for creatures that have "...enters the battlefield" effects, which are normally weaker creatures due to their added value.

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Minor Archetype - Control
Utilizing a suite of counterspells, draw effects, recursive engines, and hard-to-remove threats, Control is the minor archetype of the Azorius Guild. Deprive + Mystic Sanctuary (a 1 of ~12 in Old Border Russian Foil) is where this deck wants to be, all the while chipping away with a single Palace Sentinels or Guardian of the Guildpact. Make sure you don't mill yourself, so be sure to pack a Clear the Mind!

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Other Possible Archetypes
Prowess: Combine creatures like Seeker of the Way and Sky Theater Strix with tempo-oriented spells like Ephara's Dispersal and card draw.

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Orzhov

Major Archetype - Control
Even if you don't find arguably two of the best cards in the cube during your draft (Pestilence and Guardian of the Guildpact), Orzhov Control is a force. Draft every removal and card-draw spell in black (Cast Down, etc.), and then slowly drain your opponent out with Tithe Drinker and Kingpin's Pet as you kill everything that enters the battlefield, with mini-boardwipes at your disposal, like Ashes to Ashes.

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Alternate Major Archetype - Aristocrats
Similar to Rakdos' major archetype, Orzhov Aristocrats combines White's ability to produce tokens and Black's ability to leverage sacrifice effects for your benefit. Cards like Doomed Traveler - or even better: Cenn's Enlistment synergize well with Cartel Aristocrat and Deadly Dispute. Ultimately, the deck looks to turn cards that may be outclassed later in the game into unexpected value.

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Other Possible Archetypes
Blink: White's power in blink effects has already been discussed in the Azorius section. However, as opposed to the draw or tap-down effects of Blue, Black offers disruption, draw, or destruction when its creatures enter the battlefield. Otherworldly Journey on a Liliana's Specter is an example of the synergy available to a blink deck in these colors.

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Boros

Major Archetype - Artifacts
Making use of recursion (White) and sacrifice (Red), the Boros Artifacts archetype is a menace, particularly during combat. The "Modular" creature in conjunction with a sacrifice outlet, can make blocking math nearly impossible. The value-engines of Ichor Wellspring and Experimental Synthesizer, or the loaded artifact creatures like Arcbound Tracker and Arcbound Mouser are really fun to play with Makeshift Munitions, Improvised Club, and Ashnod's Altar!

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Minor Archetype - Aggro
One of the "fun-police" linear decks of the cube, the aggressive Boros deck keeps the midrange, combo, and control decks honest. Lifegain is absent in all but a few specific cards and very limited as a cube-wide decision to support aggressive archetypes in a format where Goblin Guide and similar premier 1-drop creatures are absent. Instead Monastery Swiftspear and Jackal Pup do the heavy lifting, while Fireblast and Rally the Peasants finish the job.

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Selesnya

Major Archetype - +1/+1 Counters
While many color pairings have incidental +1/+1 counter inclusion, Selenya's identity is centered on producing and multiplying +1/+1 counters on your creatures. Proliferate pops up in these colors, as does "counters matter," in the form of Tuskguard Captain and Cytospawn Shambler, both of which can be pseudo "Overrun" effects in this deck. Other key cards include Innistrad all-star Travel Preparations, versatile Bannerhide Krushok, and Gavony Silversmith.

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Minor Archetype - Tokens
Sprout Swarm, Gather the Townsfolk, Cenn's Enlistment, and Borrowed Grace best describe the goals of the Selesnya Tokens deck. Better than any other color pair, Green-White is able to deploy tokens to go wide and around the enemy blockers, and then finish them off with large pump spells.

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Other Possible Archetypes
GW Blink: In a similar vein as the other Blink archetypes, the goal here is to combine the ETB abilities of Green (Jewel Thief and Converter Beast) with the Blink effects of White (Flicker of Fate).

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Dimir

Major Archetype - Control
Dimir has two primary archetypes. The first is traditional slow Control. Hand disruption, like Wrench Mind and Hymn to Tourach, and board control, like Arms of Hadar, go well with Probe and Treasure Cruise. Blue-Black control aims to play the long game, stabilizing late with counterspells and kill-spells and turning the corner with a disruptive or resilient finisher (i.e. Dinrova Horror).

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Alternative Major Archetype - Ninjas
A tempo-based strategy, Ninjas relies on the Ninjutsu mechanic from the original Kamigawa block and bolstered further by the "return to Kamigawa." The OG Pauper Constructed powerhouse, Ninja of the Deep Hours, is a perfect example of what this deck is trying to do. In the gold section of the cube, Cavern Harpy and Dimir Infiltrator also support the Ninjutsu archetype, allowing for cards like Okiba-Gang Shinobi to connect again and again.

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Other Possible Archetype - Blink
Use Blue's blink effects to leverage Black's vicious ETB effects. For instance, Displace + Shipwreck Dowser and Chittering Rats.

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Izzet

Major Archetype - Prowess
Izzet "Spells" can take many types - Spell-slinging Control, Tempo, and Prowess. To various degrees, each of these flavors of Izzet are supported in this cube. However, Prowess is the most supported version in this cube. Burning Prophet provides a peek into what this deck wants to do - cast creatures that either (a) help draw more cards or (b) are boosted by casting non-creature spells, then cast more non-creature spells. Fire // Ice personifies the deck - drawing cards and dealing damage, as does Magma Jet. Jhessian Thief is one payoff that this deck is looking for, and Guttersnipe is another, but there are other ones for you to find!

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Simic

The Hidden Archetype
The gold cards for Simic basically point you in one direction: Land stuff! This allows you to go one of two directions: Ramp or 5 Color. Growth Spiral and Eureka Moment encourage that land stuff. To do what? Well that's your choice! Big creatures? Big spells? Five colors? Artifacts(Arcbound Wanderer)? Combo? Some weird niche win condition? All of it works! You can also just blow your opponent up with Exploding Borders and Meria's Outrider! If only Jodah's Codex was a common...

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Rakdos

Major Archetype - Aristocrats
When every death produces "life," it can be tough for any deck to get ahead of RAKDOS Aristocrats. Carrion Feeder and Bloodthrone Vampire provide instant sacrifice outlets for recursive value engines like Persistent Specimen and Putrid Goblin. The deck runs low to the ground, almost like an aggressive synergy deck. However, Diregraf Horde and Emrakul's Hatcher represent the top ends of the curve for these decks if you need something to help value-finish the game.

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Minor Archetype - Aggro
Like earlier, Fireblast is a top-end threat, but if the deck runs out of resources before then, Phyrexian Rager and Night's Whisper can help you refill your hand. The main difficulty here is the fast fixing - there is none, so good luck drawing your lands untapped and in the right order.

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Minor Archetype - Artifacts
This deck seeks to capitalize on the sacrificing power of Rakdos outlined above, with the artifacts available to red and black, like Blood Fountain and Pyrite Spellbomb. Krark-Clan Shaman can sacrifice artifacts, like Drossforge Bridge, at instant speed. Like the Boros artifact deck, including the "Modular" creatures can create complicated boardstates for your opponents to navigate.

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Golgari

Major Archetype - Graveyard
While not mechanic-specific, Golgari specializes in making use of the graveyard as a resource. Fill the graveyard quickly with Grisly Salvage and Commune with the Gods. Then, you can do all kinds of fun things with your graveyard! Return the creatures to your hand with Tortured Existence or Grim Harvest. You could, instead, play a massive Lotleth Giant, or generate a value loop with Golgari Brownscale. The graveyard is yours to fill and use!

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Minor Archetype - Jund Lands
Both of my favorite archetypes in the cube are "lands matter" variations. In the Golgari/Jund version, Groundskeeper and Tilling Treefolk (one of my favorite cards in the cube) recycle (pun intended) lands like Tranquil Thicket, Barren Moor, and Strip Mine over and over again. Once the deck hits Syphon Life (or Flame Jab) the win is in sight!

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Gruul

Major Archetype - Aggro Monsters
Using ramp, Gruul can power out high mana value creatures much earlier than other color pairs. This allows Gruul to deploy larger threats (like Murasa Behemoth or Molten Monstrosity), earlier. Cards like Goblin Anarchomancer facilitate this process, decreasing the required mana for all spells.

Dead Archetype (or is it...?) - Ponza
My other favorite archetype in the cube - LAND DESTRUCTION! But it's gone now... Can you re-assemble the pieces to make your opponent's life miserable?

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This set contains my favorite Mountain art.

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This set contains my favorite Plains, currently used in my Hokori Stax EDH deck.

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Links Referenced and Used

https://cubecobra.com/content/article/602abb5969cb75105e271d4e
https://medium.com/@andrewmburbine/using-a-hypergeometric-probability-calculator-to-inform-mtg-cube-design-dc249fcee8d1