THIS POST-BAN PAUPER DECK IS CRAZY STRONG! BW Kor Skyfisher / Tithing Blade Control (Orzhov MTG)

[@gothblin]

Phil, if you are in an abusive, on-again, off-again relationship with any Magic: the Gathering format, blink twice. We'll get you out of there.

[@ThrabenUniversity]

XD

[@markp7262]

No no, he's supposed to call and order a pizza.

[@graefx]

Phil will look up and shout save me and we'll whisper "Play Winota"

[@superluckyhappylife2358]

Or do the 👍🤚✊️

[@Nitrox_Costa_]

Pauper content is back! Love it!❤ Prismatic strands is a concession to mono red, that even if less powerful is still very much a thing in pauper. Omen lets you loop kor skyfishers in grindy matchups, depending on the meta it’s either maindeck singleton or sideboard. Dispute is also a card for removal heavy matchups, Iike BG gardens, but there are surely versions of the deck that don’t run it. Hope it helps a bit 😊

[@simonisphording]

at 25:04, playing the glint hawk + tithing blade first lets you play around counterspell since cast down can still target the mystic if the blade gets countered

[@simonisphording]

Ah you noticed it a little while later :) murmuring mystic is a house when left unanswered

[@Martian_Manhunter]

You saw the ideal Poison "Storm" gameplay in round two. It's a pretty fringe deck. I'm honestly surprised you saw it in your first league back, but Kalikaiz did just drop a new Poison Storm video post ban, so that could be why. I personally haven't enjoyed the deck any time I've played it and found that it often fell flat and/or wasn't fast enough even at its best for what I wanted. Keep your head up and don't let that match weigh too heavily on your evaluation of the format. I'm so glad to see you're trying Pauper again!

[@WilhelmScreamer]

It looks sweet, I want to try it

[@leftysheppey]

The poison storm deck reminds me of boggles. You just kind of do your thing the same sort of way every game. I imagine it's awful on MTGO too, having to click all them permanents multiple times a turn

[@usagi2988]

Love the intro! And I do love seeing Pauper content but I also completely agree with how un-fun the format is (particularly from a purely "competitive" perspective like we usually see on MTGO).

[@hopeforthebestx]

Always love the intro skits. Thanks for all your awesome content Phil!

[@7218234]

ok, that was one of your best intros in a while.

[@Tommino-ez8ww]

as a long time BW player, I can tell you that omen of the dead is a huge card against all removal based decks (which you only found in the first match), cause your skifishers are basically immortals. The rest of your analysis of the deck is really agreeable, despite your soft knowledge of the format, and even the play choices were quite perfect. Thanks for all and congratulations. If you want to appreciate the power of deadly dispute at the highest level, you should try BG gardens or the "old" grixis affinity :)

[@TheBoatis]

I didn't click the video the first time I saw it because I didn't notice it was a ThrabenU upload. Haven't played in months, but this makes me want to try my abzan food gates list again!

[@Alikaoz]

Tbh, pauper is the one format I can say I've tried, have a deck for, yet hate and can only feel it getting worse for me. Most of the time it looks like the format is aimed towards just durdling with a lot of powerful support with nothing game-winning to support. BUT! I'll still love your analysis so I'll watch and see how it is now. Also, have some engagemenr

[@neros_soren]

Well, it's oldschool MTG, what do you expect? To quote someone: "It's a format of Vintage answers to Draft threads." Because of it, it's a grindy format, because you win by forcing smaller advantages over the whole game. Which also means, more smaller decisions will either win or lose you the games, which in turn makes Pauper very interesting to play, if you love making decisions. Like I said, Pauper is more akin to the old school days of MTG, but without the "creatures are useless" clause.

[@Zauzzie]

I feel the same, the games are slogfests and every time I find a fast deck in the formate to play they end up banning a card out of it. An hour per match is rough.

[@llamarama6976]

Phil has become the tf2 engineer. He has done nothing but teleport bread for weeks

[@Kaisingsens]

always happy to see some Pauper or Vintage love on the channel!

[@MotorcycleYeti]

In round 5, you can deadly dispute your bounce creatures and then put them back in your hand with omen of the dead.

[@olafthemoose9413]

Man some of these intros lately have been so fking good.

[@Svergara1]

Love the pauper content! Always love new brews that have an open mind and a clear heart LOL

[@jamesbeck1016]

Glad to see more pauper content hopefully the format will be playable again post swiftspear banning its one of my favorites.

[@TalenLee]

Commenting before I'm done but this was really neat. I find myself wondering about how good the draining half of the tithing blade is, as a way of having reach and inevitability.

[@awesomesauce_3516]

I'd love to start seeing some more pauper content from you!

[@bricknolty5478]

30:50 LOL I was so confused the first time I saw Pauper Proliferate, but it's such a cool deck!

[@killpioo2]

Actually you can tap maestro's theater before you sack it if you have an urborg out. And if you have an amulet of vigor like effect tap the new land for a cool 2 mana from 1 land

[@ThrabenUniversity]

Sure, but this is Pauper XD

[@johnmichaelbushman]

BW Design Mistakes (TM) needs to be the name of this deck moving forward.

[@arsteel2388]

The proliferate deck is a "real" deck but it's awful against aggro. With Swiftspear banned, people are trying it out again. It's specifically meant to beat up on slower control or tempo decks.

[@ThrabenUniversity]

That makes sense to me!

[@markp7262]

I love the proliferate deck, but hate poison. I'm thinking of building it a different way. I'll have to see what I come up with.

[@thejesteramongfools]

@@markp7262 might want to look at a proliferate +1/+1 style deck with cards like the Kenku that makes a land a 0/0 with 3 +1/+1s usually on an indestructible land. When you add in cards like Arctic Merfolk to bounce your kenku and Tuskguard Captain to give trample, unexpected fangs for lifelink, Stealth Mission to be unblockable, Iron Apprentice to move counters if it dies. The proliferate gets out of hand quick with those Plus if you are going back to creatures you can use thrumming bird. There is a deck out there A year ago pre-MoM Pauperganda played a +1/+1 proliferate deck I think it could use a few of the new cards for sure. There is a deck in all this mess for sure.

[@bricknolty5478]

I'm really impressed with how much play this deck has against Ux Terror decks! WB midrange is back on the menu!

[@CheeseWedge056]

Pauper always shocks me because the decks that are really good at grinding are often times not blue decks.

[@Deoxippus]

Great content as always. I love pauper, sort of... The lower power level of individual cards + large card pool makes for decks that depend more on synergies. It would be nice if it wasn't so much of the same permanent-with-etb-thing + dispute/bounce, but still less boring than "just play the good cards" to me. Also really wish they didn't ban everything remotely combo-like as soon as it gets any metagame share whatsoever. Happy to see you running it, and hope to see more in the future.

[@drpibisback7680]

The problem with not aggressively banning combo in Pauper is that it just doesn't have the high-impact, non-removal disruption other formats have. There's no Thoughtseize, no Force of Will or Negation, it's very hard to actually deal with decks that play entirely on the stack - especially when the format has a lot of Legacy-quality mana acceleration. When Storm happens in Pauper, it's often capable of winning on turn 2 with a frightening degree of consistency.

[@Deoxippus]

@noesunyoutuber7680 if storm was an issue, fine, but they have been banning combos since 2016. Still don't see why drake had to go.

[@CharlotteMimic]

20:20 when you drew this Deadly Dispute is when I fell in love with this deck. Sacrifice the Treasure from the Undercity to draw 2 cards? That sounds like my kind of Magic.

[@nielsholm2020]

best phil intro so far!!!

[@LizaPlz]

YES THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT WHEN I SAW TITHING BLADE TOO AND PEOPLE CALLED ME CRAZY

[@blakeprivette5915]

Played this last weekend at my shops weekly Sunday pauper event, went 3-1 beating BG gardens, caw gates, and moggwarts. Ironically only loss was to swiftless red, due to some unfortunate draws on my end and fortunate ones on theirs. Deck is definitely sweet!

[@fel_95]

Yayyy Pauper!

[@jamiebuzick4911]

Great Pauper gameplay!

[@bcocquyt]

Always here for the pauper games.

[@xxthevampirate]

in M3g2 when you were thinking about saccing a dagger or flyer to deadly dispute. I think just holding it for a chump blocker is the play. It worked out but it's the line i would have taken

[@paxtonjk]

round 4 saying that you dont think deadly dispute should be in the deck and then it immediately saving you is hilarious

[@diegojimeneztamame1646]

Praise Keranos!!! Gallagher's back on the Format of the People!!! Common Magicians of the world, Unite!!!

[@gabrote42]

15:51 Yu-Gi-Oh moment 23:50 technically you could craft the blade for bonus Sepulchritude, but you navigated this beautifully

[@swampybwoy]

Would love to see more pauper content from you

[@alexrodriguez-jf9rp]

"i feel like all i do is play bread" -phil 2023

[@craigrgriffin]

That intro 🔥

[@benlittle5543]

Pauper value!!!!!!!!! I love the grind-fest this deck probides

[@evanmasterson7956]

Love to see Pauper again

[@aaronhooper4803]

one Omen is kind of the go-to for Skyfisher players because of the loop(pseudo-infinite blockers), it's probably fine since it's okay even in a fair way though. I've been a little off Prismatic strands myself lately, but the red decks are still real, just not quite as prevalent since it's harder to find a good turn one play for them now. Furnace into Hasty Goblin Pirate is still their strongest opener

[@ajax4709]

“Free? Oh I wouldn’t say freed. I’d say under new management”

[@Locustnism]

You were previously not pleased with the meta. Are you happier now and will we expect more pauper videos?

[@superpepo98]

We want more pauper!

[@freya002YT]

pauper ❤

[@Eisenwulf666]

Pauper!!!

[@Luiginicon]

Welcome back!

[@justass3001]

I feel like with combo decks so bad/inconsistent in pauper i kinda like having atleast one semi-good combo deck in the proliferate poison deck

[@justass3001]

i might be biased tho, as i love playing bad combo decks in pauper

[@ThrabenUniversity]

From a metagame health standpoint, I think this is a good thing. Pauper doesn't have great tools to fight combo, and when a combo deck is too good, a ban is usually required (e.g. Chatterstorm).

[@neros_soren]

@@ThrabenUniversity Sure, but Poison Storm doesn't really see play, and as you mentioned yourself...it's slow as molasses. It gets folded into a paper crane by Affinity and Mono-Red, because so many cards have to be Poison/Proliferate to make it even close to..."consistent". The deck generally only plays 8 Poison cards. If they are unlucky and do not find any of those within the first 2 draws, they generally even die to the slow Midrange decks. I am just surprised that you even faced one to begin with. xD

[@graefx]

"This ancient ass card" i nearly spat out my drink. I have a love hate relationship with pauper. It looks like magic as richard garfield intended. But it gets so snowball-y or grindy that it gives me pause. The swiftspear ban really highlighted that meta. 80% game 1 win rate, 20-30 games 2, 3. Giant board states as everyone just pokes each other. The threats arent huge, counters are limited, theres a lot thst feels like youre dragging yourself to the finish line. But also sub $100 competitive eternal decks. Tempting. I do like the longer games, i still think of the old days when a 6 or 7 drop was kinda common as a wincon. But the early game was a lot more plodding.

[@swampybwoy]

Pauper is the best constructed format and always has been, change my mind

[@unicorndogg]

Try name-sticker goblin burn combo if the grindy gameplay isn't your jam. Love your legacy videos, but would be in hog heaven if you made a pauper video here and there. :-)

[@mpl9311]

yes please more pauper

[@cheeserocksreviews]

Yay Pauper content!!!

[@rebelresource]

Pauper is the best format and you all know it. WotC is even pushing it!

[@Cevdem]

As the proliferate player you faced. It's real, but is it good? I would say it's just an average deck honestly. It preys on the free wins from mid-range and control decks that's the reason to play it. As you mentioned there's just no meaningful interaction. However, it really struggles with aggro. My mono blue win rate is like 10% or something terrible. Cheers my guy! Keep up the content!

[@ThrabenUniversity]

Thanks, I really appreciate that perspective!

[@bricknolty5478]

10:30 Could've Glint Hawked to cast Tithing Blade twice and clear the Serpent

[@unicorndogg]

Yay Pauper!

[@naphackDT]

Why is tithing blade so hard to pronounce? Tiding blathe?

[@BIueharvest]

Id rather play againt proliferate infect than jeskai ephemerate.

[@MrToddyPorco]

Great vid. I think at 1:21:20 you could've Glint, Blade, Dispute the Glint Hawk, get back with omen and Glint Blade again. But luck was at your side that turn.

[@goodshipzion]

Omen + Skyfisher

[@davispo7550]

Snuff out as a better option vs affinity instead of strands?

[@TheCubicalGuy]

Just out of curiosity, is there a reason to play obscura storefront over scoured barrens? The only benefit I can think of is that it's better returned to hand since you can replay it untapped, but I can't imagine that matters frequently.

[@mitchrdawson]

Personal opinion, combined deck thinning and mana fixing. It satisfies lifegain primarily through lembas.

[@tylermfdurden]

Caw-blade?

[@basoon87]

Match 2, game 2, I feel like you punted a bit by not waiting for a second artifact for Dust to Dust. Probably a lack of metagame knowledge, but they were very likely to try and get out at least 2 artifacts that benefit from proliferate. If you had just played bread that turn, you'd have gotten Prism and Chalice on your next turn, and still had your Relic to nerf his Deep Analysis

[@neros_soren]

Then again, if they don't have a 2nd one, or just refuse to play one because....well...white generally plays D2D sideboard, D2D is just rotting in your hand and they still have the mana acceleration, which just ruins you either way against a combo deck.

[@basoon87]

@@neros_soren Even if they do try to play around it, you can still play it next turn, targeting bread instead of relic, and keep mana up for relic the whole time. And I'm not sure they try to play around it.

[@neros_soren]

@@basoon87 Okay, and why would you exile Lembas over Relic? A close to dead card against Poison Storm. Not to mention that he would have had one mana open on that turn, so the play not only slowed the Poison Storm deck down, but it was also the most mana efficient play, allowing him to se 4 cards the next turn, or play even better cards if he would've drawn actual threads. Your play gives about 0 outs, because you are not trying to go under a very slow deck, that wins eventually by Poison.

[@basoon87]

@@neros_soren Because after you play the bread it literally does nothing for you in this match up except get bounced and played again and he had 2 breads in hand at the time, so the one in play is literally superfluous? And because you can both use the Relic to nerf his yard (he knows the opponent plays Deep Analysis), and use it to draw another card. The bread replaces itself immediately, so a D2D targeting prism and bread just ends up being a 1 for 1, rather than 2 for 1ing yourself when you target the Prism and the Relic. Edit: and how does the play he took leave more outs? How does this play make it more likely to "go under" this deck? He's not increasing the clock that turn. He just mildly disrupts the opponent. I'm saying he'd be better off waiting for a juicier D2D to disrupt him a lot more on a later turn, and if the guy chooses plays around it, that just slows himself down while still giving Phil a better opportunity to D2D next turn (by targeting his own card that already replaced itself rather than the one that hasn't replaced itself yet, but still can).

[@neros_soren]

@@basoon87 Again, waiting one turn not only ruins your the mana at hand (4 mana, 3 used - go is TERRIBLE), but you also ignore that Lembas digs TWO cards, not just one. And sure, you can wipe a Deep Analysis, but does it really matter? Lowering the amount of mana on the Poison Storm side, also lowers the chance for a big Weather the Storm turn. Lol...your edit just shows your lack of understanding, which tells me "why bother". I still try to explain you: First of all, to go "under" a deck you need to play mana efficient, period. Or rather, more mana efficient than the deck you are trying to go under. Like I already explained, what if he does not have a 2nd artifact? What if he draws one 2 turns later? Or none at all? The play at hand disrupted the mana base already, cost 3 mana with several 2 mana plays in hand AND to draw into. And no, if the Poison Storm player plays around a D2D they do NOT lose much speed, because they are at a much higher mana value already. And to point it out again: Turn four 3 mana spell - PASS is TERRIBLE if you know you HAVE to be the beatdown. ESPECIALLY with only two 2 mana plays in hand.

[@sagelwi09]

pauper!

[@swampybwoy]

Poison storm deck is ultra cool IMo and fun to play

[@charleskozel]

Maybe not fun to play against, but a storm-ish combo deck that you can actually attack them multiple turns through is kinda cool, I really like that infect deck.

[@broodwarjc1517]

The poison proliferate deck makes me think they need to print some kind of anti-player counter card at common for pauper. It looked so degenerate.

[@justass3001]

it loses to almost all aggresive decks, it just beats up slow control decks

[@ThrabenUniversity]

I think it probably dies to a fast aggro deck, but preys on a deck like this.

[@eating_a_cookie]

love the pauper content, hopefully it does better with viewers without swifty around

[@unicorndogg]

Walls combo! Play walls combo!!

[@Syaska]

Pauper, the format i can afford but have no interest in playing.

[@SporePunch]

Ugh, poison counter proliferate being a deck makes me really not want to play Pauper. I fucking hate playing against non interactive decks like that. I hold a similar position against mill. It's just not fun or interesting to play or play against.

[@SporePunch]

Round 1 I was like wow this was really cool interactive gameplay with impactful decision making, Pauper is good again! Round 2, nevermind I have no interest in touching this format.

[@homerjs90]

impossible to enjoy this format

[@laurelkeeper]

Incorrect. Moreover, deterministically false, as I am enjoying it and it looks like Phil is too!

[@homerjs90]

@@laurelkeeper correct! as suppose. is impossible for me to enjoy this format

[@laurelkeeper]

@@homerjs90 I think that’s a defeatist mindset. I believe in you!

[@neros_soren]

@@homerjs90 The question then is: Why do you not enjoy it? Did you even check out what you could play? Pauper has a pretty massive selection of decks that can be played.

[@homerjs90]

@@neros_soren played pauper for years. At some point I had something close to 10 decks...when MH1 happened...it was done for me