>>> ### Cube Goals <<< I modeled this off of Adam Styborski's Pauper Cube in like 2013. Since then he has added more to his cube and I have added...less. Since 2022 I have been updating more regularly and trying to diverge my cube from the 'Official' pauper cube to some degree, mostly by 1) retaining higher-powered cards and allowing for the possibility of combos (Peregrine Drake combo, Presence of Gond / Midnight Guard, Spore Frog recursion) while providing resources for more traditional aggro/midrange/control decks to disrupt or push through value engines 2) providing a greater depth of build-around cards including things like Raid Bombardment, Impact Tremors, and Tortured Existence, while at the same time limiting overall complexity so that even inexperienced drafters can put together a powerful and consistent deck. I don't want cards that are ONLY good in a certain combo archetype, but I want synergies to reveal themselves to more experienced cubers 3) playing a wide range of cards from Magic's history + from my own history of playing Magic (from around Ice Age onward). I don't want this cube to become just a collection of commons from pushed sets like Modern Horizons or Commander Legends, but I want to mix old and new cards to counterbalance the broken commons of the past with those of the present. My goal for this cube is to play with some of my favorite cards from the history of magic, to play with the most high-powered cards in Pauper history, and to make it easy for new players to start cubing. I want to allow for synergistic archetypes while also making less tightly-themed decks viable. >>> ### Art and Foil Preferences <<< My art preferences are for nonfoil cards over foil, for old border cards over new border cards, for updated rules text over older + errata'ed text, and for promotional / special art over regular printings. I also prefer black / common rarity symbols on all cards wherever possible, but this is a secondary goal after modern rules text + coolness. These are not 100 percent followed in all circumstances except the nonfoil rule >>> ### Archetypes and Cube Legality <<< I take a fairly expansive view of pauper legality. I don't want to include uncommon or rare lands for the sake of better mana fixing (as I don't really want to encourage 5c greed piles in general), but I am happy to include cards that have been printed at common at one point on one platform, if not yet in paper. Eg. Battle Screech and some of the UG investigate cards that have been downshifted on Arena for Shadows over Innistrad remastered. Some of these archetypes are more explicitly supported than others due to what Wizards has + hasn't printed at common yet. >>> ### {g}{g/w}{w}+1/+1 counters and enchantments{g}{g/w}{w} <<[[!Ivy Lane Denizen]][[!Travel Preparations]][[!Ainok Bond-Kin]]>> <<< GW is an aggro deck that gains value by putting +1/+1 counters on its creatures, with many ways to gain additional benefits from those counters. When you have multiple creatures with counters on them, proliferate effects can permanently pump your whole team, and your creatures can outclass many of your opponent's. GW also has access to powerful auras like [[Elephant Guide]] and [[Armadillo Cloak]], as well as difficult-to-remove creatures like [[Guardian of the Guildpact]], [[Phantom Tiger]] and [[Primal Huntbeast]] that make great targets for those auras. The deck can require many pieces to come together, but when the pieces are in place it can snowball rapidly. GW also contains the [[Midnight Guard]] and [[Presence of Gond]] combo which can create infinite creatures. It can be a fragile combo but potentially powerful. >>> ### {W}{W/U}{U}Blink + Tempo Flyers{W}{w/u}{U} <<[[!Ephemerate]][[!Momentary Blink]][[!Lyev Skyknight]]>> <<< This is a tempo deck with an emphasis on efficient flying creatures, bounce / tempo, and reusing 'enters the battlefield' effects by 'blinking' your creatures using [[Momentary Blink]], [[Ephemerate]], or similar cards. Draw cards + neutralize your opponent's creatures while keeping pressure with your own. >>> ### {U}{U/B}{B}Control{u}{u/b}{b} <<[[!Deep Analysis]][[!Soul Manipulation]][[!Arms of Hadar]]>> <<< This game wants to survive until the long game while drawing cards + getting the most value out of its spells. Look for defensive creatures and removal to keep you alive early, especially the spells that kill or remove multiple creatures. Limit your opponent's resources and control the game. >>> ### {B}{B/r}{R}'Aristocrats' + Aggro sacrifice{b}{b/r}{r} <<[[!Falkenrath Noble]][[!Body Dropper]][[!Makeshift Munitions]]>> <<< This is a faster aggro deck, but it can gain value in the mid + late game by sacrificing its own creatures and other permanents for value. Cards like [[Body Dropper]], [[Hobblefiend]], and [[Mold Folk]] can become large threats, and engines like [[Falkenrath Noble]] and [[Makeshift Munitions]] can break through board stalls to win you the game. >>> ### {R}{r/g}{G}'caveman' aggro/midrange{r}{r/g}{g} <<[[!Rubblebelt Maaka]][[!Goblin Anarchomancer]][[!Jewel Thief]]>> <<< Your goal in this deck is to be aggressive while playing bigger creatures than your opponent, using red's removal to clear the way for attacks or deal the last points of damage to your opponent's face. This deck wants to start playing its four-mana or even three-mana creatures a turn early via mana dorks or other cost reduction. Because your creatures will be so big, having free or cheap ways to give them haste will give you an edge - cards like [[Goblin Motivator]] or [[Bitter Reunion]] really stand out here. >>> ### {w}{w/b}{b}Midrange, extort, and Pestilence{w}{w/b}{b} <<[[!Syndic of Tithes]][[!Tithe Drinker]][[!Pestilence]]>> <<< The WB deck wants to control the board and slowly wear down the opponent's resources. It's not as committed to sacrificing its own creatures as BR, doesn't have as much graveyard synergy as GB, and is more proactive than UB - where this deck shines is in its depth of removal and its many ways to incidentally drain your opponent's life. This deck is better at using [[Pestilence]] than many others, not least because it can give its own creatures protection from black via several white cards. While Extort creatures like [[Basilica screecher]] and [[syndic of tithes]] are good in any deck that can run them, they are especially important here. >>> ### {B}{B/g}{g}Graveyard value / midrange {b}{b/g}{g} <<[[!Tortured Existence]][[!Dreg Mangler]][[!Voracious Typhon]]>> <<< This deck can play a midrange game with black's removal and green's creatures, but it also is best positioned to use the graveyard as a resource. Cards like [[Tortured Existence]] and [[Disturbed Burial]] let you get back multiple creatures from the graveyard, so you can recur your best threats. You can cycle large creatures like [[Krosan Tusker]] or [[Twisted Abomination]] early and then get them back late game when you have the mana to cast them. >>> ### {g}{g/u}{u}Ramp{g}{g/u}{u} <<[[!Ulamog's Crusher]][[!Wavesifter]][[!Capsize]]>> <<< The blue-green deck is best positioned to play the cube's powerful big-mana spells and abilities, from Eldrazi to [[Capsize]] to Monstrosity activations. You will want to ramp early and protect yourself, then take advantage of your mana in the endgame. >>> ### {u}{u/r}{R}Spellslinger tempo{u}{u/r}{r} <<[[!Consider]][[!Izzet Charm]][[!Monastery Swiftspear]]>> <<< Like in many cubes, the Izzet archetype is based around instants and sorceries. Attack with efficient creatures like [[Monastery Swiftspear]] and use cheap spells to burn your opponent's creatures, draw cards, and counter spells while pumping your [[Spellgorger Weird]] and prowess creatures. You may be able to assemble a combo with [[Displace]] or [[Ghostly Flicker]], [[Archaeomancer]] or [[Mnemonic Wall]] and [[Peregrine Drake]] or another ETB creature to get either infinite mana / casts or less explosive long-term value. >>> ### {r}{r/w}{w}'go-wide' aggro and tokens{r}{r/w}{w} <<[[!Hordeling Outburst]][[!Rally the Peasants]][[!Search Party Captain]]>> <<< This aggro deck wants to attack with as many creatures as possible, and to use effects like [[Ambitious Assault]] or [[Steadfast Unicorn]] to exponentially increase your combat damage. You may compete with the blue-red deck for the red instants and sorceries that make tokens, but they are especially good here. Incidentally, you may be able to combine [[Sparksmith]] with one of the spells that creates multiple Goblins like [[beetleback chief]] or [[hordeling outburst]] in order to kill bigger creatures (assuming you can spare the life) Note that there is a very small + not explicitly supported (at the moment) equipment theme in red and white now, owing to the high number of cubeable equipment printed in those colors like [[Greatsword of Tyr]] and [[Barbed Batterfist]] as well as [[Bonesplitter]] and the rest. [[Bladegraft Aspirant]] and [[Starnheim Courser]] are the closest thing to 'payoff' cards rn