Lightning strikes as the rain continues to fall. You soar through the air, striking down any soldiers that come near you. Anything the guards throw at you immediately fails. Your experiment was a success, all your studies, all your training has paid off. The townsfolk run in terror as you continue your attack on all those that stood in your way. You are more than human; you are unstoppable; you are an Insectile Aberration!
Delver of Secrets is one of the biggest cards in Magic. Shortly after it was released this card took over Standard and every format, Pauper included. Delver decks are the quintessential in Tempo decks. Every spell you cast is intended to put you ahead and put your opponent further behind in the most efficient way possible. When building your deck you need to use a lot of instants and sorceries to help get your Delver going, probably about 22-26, but tinker around and decide for yourself. Most Delver decks keep a low land count to have room for a bit more spell space.
This is a primer for Mono-Blue Delver decks. There are a lot of other Delver decks that splash other colors, but all that is a bit much for one primer.
The Game Plan
The main strategy for this deck is to play a Delver of Secrets early, flip it and protect it while stopping your opponent’s threats. Once you have an Insectile Aberration online you have a pretty good clock for the win. You need help flipping your Delver so this is where cards like Ponder come in handy. You also need efficient counters and as many cost efficient cards like Gush and Gitaxian Probe. If it’s a free spell, then you want to use it! You want to try your best to stifle every move your opponent makes while putting yourself further ahead in the game.
Card Choices
Creatures
Delver of Secrets – This guy is a MUST (obviously). He’s the namesake of the deck. He'll transform into Insectile Aberration to put on early, steady pressure on your opponent. Run 4 copies. This guy is a powerhouse through all formats, and Pauper is not an exception.
Cloud of Faeries – Free evasive creatures! Drop them second turn and watch your opponent weep at the fact that you have 2 Islands untapped. They can also be cycled for those times when you don’t need them. Tempo at its finest!
Spellstutter Sprite – Flash, Flying and can counter spells? Yes please! Only gets better with Cloud of Faeries and other faeries. Gets even better with some way to bounce them for more uses!
Ninja of the Deep Hours – This ninja just keeps the cards flowing. Works wonders with Spellstutter Sprite to get more Faerie action.
Spire Golem – Spire Golem is a 2/4 flyer can hit the board as early as Turn 3, and gets cheaper over time. He has very high toughness so he can block all day long, then can turn around and start beating face.
Frostburn Weird - He’s a pretty big roadblock that’s great on the defense and can easily give you an offensive boost also. Frostburn Weird is a big hoser against aggro decks.
Fathom Seer – Gush on a stick but costs 3 mana to effectively use. Its stats aren’t the best though, so I’d stick to using Gush.
Zephyr Sprite – This guy is a first turn flyer! He’s a pretty nice early threat that can hold a Bonesplitter pretty well. He also gets better if you’re playing Spelltutter Sprite.
Phantasmal Bear – He’s a 2/2 for one mana, pretty good. The only drawback is he can be easily dealt with, even if you could counter a spell that targets him, it won’t stop you saccing him. Then again, would your opponent be targeting him or the 3/2 flyer that’s killing him?
Sea Gate Oracle – He’s a decent fellow. Gets you a card and he’s a good blocker, but the Oracle is on the high end of the curve you want in this deck.
Lands
Islands – Let’s see, you’re using a blue deck… What lands could you possibly need? Delver decks like to keep the land count low for more spells and that’s not a problem considering how low our curve is. 15-18 Lands are efficient. You can easily win a game with 2 Islands in play.
Quicksand – This land gets a lot of work done. It can kill off any X/2 non-flying creature, which allows you to save your bounce spells and counters for bigger threats. Not to mention that once it’s on the field your opponent will think twice about playing or attacking any creatures it can target. You might not want to run more than 2 since it only produces colorless mana and you don’t want a lot in your opening hand.
Lonely Sandbar – Good card in other decks, but not good in Delver. If this is one of the few Lands in your opening hand it can slow you down. The cycling is nice on it, but that’s not enough to make it a great choice. If you still want to use it, run 1-2 copies.
Counters
Counterspell – This is the card all counter spells are compared to. Cheap, fits your colors and contains the best three words a Blue Mage can have: counter, target and spell.
Mana Leak – Counterspell’s little brother, he’s also cheap and fits in the color, but he’s not as strong as Counterspell. Great within turns 2-4 but can really start falling short beyond that.
Daze – This counter screams Tempo! It’s free as long as you have an Island in play and can be a big hit to your opponent in starting turns. That being said, it loses power around turn 3, and, for that reason, you might want to test it out to find the right number to run in your deck.
Memory Lapse – This is a great example of Tempo. You hard counter a spell, but it also goes on top of your opponent’s deck and kills their next draw. It puts you further ahead and keeps your opponent down. Straight control decks don’t like this card, but it plays well in Delver.
Exclude - Stops a creature spell and it replaces itself. That’s pretty good, but it is a bit high on the curve. If you face down a lot of creatures, this is worth looking at.
Rune Snag – When you first cast Rune Snag it’s a weaker Mana Leak, but it only gets stronger beyond that. Your deck must run 4 copies of Rune Snag in order to make it work properly. Where Mana Leak has consistency, Rune Snag has potential.
Deprive – This is a parallel universe Counterspell. Does exactly the same for the same cost, but also bounces a land. The land bounce isn’t as bad as you’d think once you realize that controlling only 2 lands puts you in the driver’s seat.
Prohibit – Using this spell is highly dependent on your meta. It can counter a lot of cards used in the format and the kicker allows it to hit more targets in later turns. All things considered, the kicker is a little high on your curve to do what a Counterspell can do, so consider this carefully if you are interested in it.
Faerie Trickery – Not a good choice for this deck. You’ll find that the one extra mana makes a world of difference when comparing these to all the 2 cmc counters. Yes, it does exile the spell, but that’s just not enough to justify its inclusion. You should only use if you don’t have access to the aforementioned choices.
Cancel – Cancel is the same as Faerie Trickery, except it doesn’t exile the spell. Only useable if you don’t have any other options to choose from.
Flip Enablers
Normally these cards would be used for draw in a lot of other decks, but for Delver, they satisfy a very important need; the need to transform your Delver. Each of these cards allows you to stack the top of your deck, almost ensuring that an instant or sorcery will be there during your upkeep.
Ponder – This card goes hand in hand with Delver in almost every format. Allows you to set up Delver of Secrets’ trigger and gives you a draw all for one mana. This card gets a lot of work done. Brainstorm – Another great one drop, allows you to draw 3 cards and lets you stack 2 cards on top of your deck to help flip your Delver. It’s an instant, and has the added benefit of allowing you to save cards from an unanswered Hymn to Tourach or Duress. Preordain – This card only lets you see 2 cards, but you get to move those cards to the bottom of your deck if you want to. Serum Visions – This card lets you dig as deep as Ponder or Brainstorm. It’s not as good as the rest since you don’t get to set up the draw, but it sets up future turns.
Side note: All of the cards in this section are great choices. They all work towards the same goal in the end, just in different ways. A lot of players claim that some are the best choices. Choose what works best for you and your deck. There also isn’t anything saying you have to choose one, so experiment with all of them and mix and match them all you want.
Draw
Gitaxian Probe – It’s a free draw. Pay 2 life, peek at your opponent’s hand and plan out your strategy then get a card.
Treasure Cruise - Here's a new card from Khans of Tarkir that has made a big hit in all formats. With all the free spells and cantrips we use we have no problem casting this card for 3 or less mana. I'd recommend not using more than 2 though, since a cmc 8 card is pretty bad for tempo if you're not able to Delve for it.
Gush – This card is awesome! It’s essentially 2 cards for free. If you’ve been hitting your land drops it’s no problem to bounce those lands. Bounce those tapped lands you just used. It’s an instant too! This cards great as a 2 of, but running 4 might be a bad idea.
Accumulated Knowledge - The first time you cast this it’s just a Think Twice, but keep playing more and you get more value. You’ll need a full playset to really get the most out of it so make sure you do some testing to decide if it’ll be worth it for you.
Think Twice – Think Twice is good for normal blue decks, but there are better options for Tempo. Most of the cards already mentioned Cantrip for one mana. Overall it’s 2 cards for 5 mana. If you don’t have access to the other choices then this will do until you stock up.
Bounce
Vapor Snag – Strictly better than Unsummon. Bounce a creature and ping your opponent for 1 life. This is great disruption.
Snap – A free bounce spell. Works like Cloud of Faeries, just bounce a creature and still have mana for a Counterspell.
Boomerang – Costs more than Vapor Snag and Snap but it can target any permanent. This means lands so you can make some big tempo plays. Bounce that Guildgate or Karoo!
Echoing Truth – This card can be main deck or sideboard depending on your meta. This can hurt any deck that uses swarm tactics or tokens. 2 mana to potentially bounce 4 creatures? Yes please! It can also hit pesky enchantments and artifacts.
Curfew – This card is a good work around against Hexproof creatures. It can also help save your Delver in a dire situation.
Withdraw – This card can be versatile given the right moment. You can bounce two opposing creatures, one opposing and one of yours or bounce two of your guys if they need a rescue.
Unsummon – Not as good as Vapor Snag, but it still gets the job done. Use it if it’s all you have or if you just need extra bounces.
Pumps
Bonesplitter – If you need a pump in your deck this is the best to go with. Make your Delver into a 5/2 beast. Faeries become a threat and Spire Golems are 4/4 monstrosities! The best part is it sticks around if your creature dies. Great as a 1 or 2-of.
Unstable Mutation – This is a big boost for one mana! The only downside is your creature gets weaker with each turn. This can turn a Faerie into a big problem!
Sunken City – This card can be great for any Delver deck that uses a lot of Faeries. Give your swarm an anthem! It does drain mana if you want to keep it, so test it out if you want to use it.
Other/Sideboard
Note: I decided to not give the cards in this section a rating. Most of the choices have a narrow application, but all of them are good at what they do. I will explain the best application for each card to show what they’ll be good against and you can decide for yourself.
Hands of Binding – Hands of Binding can lock down creatures in a lot of decks. Cipher it onto one of your flyers for repeatable castings.
Serrated Arrows – This card is some solid removal. It’s repeatable and gets better if you can bounce it. It’s pretty high on our curve, but if you might face a lot of X/1 creatures then this is a bomb! Depending on your meta, this might be a good main deck inclusion.
Weatherseed Faeries – Facing down Burn, Goblins or a RDW? Bring these faeries to hose them!
Dispel– A cheap conditional hard counter that’ll work well against MUC, MBC, Burn, Infect and some Combo decks.
Spell Pierce – Another cheap counter, but it doesn’t hard counter like Dispel. It can hit more target than Dispel. This can help stave off Hexproof decks by stopping early Auras. It has a lot of other applications too.
Hydroblast/Blue Elemental Blast – Seeing a lot of red in your meta? Make them see red by packing these cards in your sideboard. They’re both functionally the same, so you can have up to 8 copies if you need the (anti)firepower.
Piracy Charm – Piracy Charm is a versatile card. It can remove X/1 creatures so it’s great against Goblins or Elves. You can pump one of your guys in a pinch, make them discard their last card in hand or slip through a creature against blue decks.
Steel Sabotage – Affinity. Use this against Affinity or another artifact based deck that gives you trouble.
Curse of the Bloody Tome – This card is great against mirror matches or against decks that grind out the win like MUC.
Sample Decklists
Here’s a more traditional build by XBM Yosho. Runs a good amount of Faeries to get a lot of use from Spellstutter Sprite.
This is a pretty tough match up, but Delver comes out on top at 55-45. Our strong start gives us an edge in the match. Dropping a Delver before they can counter it gives them problems. We can fly over most of their early blockers, so if we play aggressively then we can usually grab a win.
Problems: Their creatures have some toughness to them so if they can land a Spire Golem or Prescient Chimera then our combat is stalled. Deserts are also a pain especially if they come in multiples. Post board they might bring in Piracy Charm or extra bounce spells so watch out!
Sideboard: Using some extra bounce can help squeeze our creatures through for a finish if they have strong blockers. Dispel will stop their counterspells. I also find that Curse of the Bloody Tome can give us a win since MUC loves the long game and also loves to draw.
Infect
This is a dangerous matchup. I also had a problem when testing against Infect. First I used the third deck in my decklist section. That turned out really bad as I only won only 20% of the time. Then I tested my second decklist and came out with 60-40 in Delver's favor! The first deck I used couldn't effectively handle Infect even post-board, but I was able to handle Infect with my other deck and most times I didn't even board anything in. Bounce spells definitely help us here, along with some efficient counters like Dispel. You really have to play smart in this matchup because one misplay can lead to a fast loss.
Problems: The main problem we have against Infect are their cheap spells. Their curve is as low or even lower than ours. They can land a Glistener Elf before we can counter it and sometimes Dispelling a pump won't matter because they'll cast another one. Rancor is a problem, so make sure you bounce Rancor's target before it resolves to get it out of the game. Once you have them in topdeck mode watch out for them casting a Brainstorm since that'll let them dig for what they need.
Sideboard: Bring in your extra Bounce. Echoing Truth can get you some value here. Hands of Binding also helped a lot especially when they only had one creature in play. Dispel is also great to stop their pump spells.
MORE TO COME
Videos
Delver vs Burn - It really shows off the synergy between cards like Snap and Spellstutter Sprite/Cloud of Faeries. This video also lets you see how powerful the deck is even without Delver sticking around in the first match.
Special Thanks
I'd like to thank:
XBM Yosho for letting me use his deck list in my sample section!
ThatRedwood for reviewing my draft and teaching me a new way to tag cards!
Obermeir for suggesting a video section!
And a big thanks to everyone that took the time to read this Primer and all the users that have contributed to the Pauper/Peasant Subforum!
I like the Primer, straight and to the point. As a whole this is everything that is required to get people started playing the Archtype.
As for your match up section you can most likely take my Total Package White Weenie match up against my own Delver deck for that section if you wish. I don't have an in depth breakdown but my own Delver went 1 and 2 against my White Weenie due to the versatility.
I like the Primer, straight and to the point. As a whole this is everything that is required to get people started playing the Archtype.
As for your match up section you can most likely take my Total Package White Weenie match up against my own Delver deck for that section if you wish. I don't have an in depth breakdown but my own Delver went 1 and 2 against my White Weenie due to the versatility.
Thanks! I'll definitely take a look at your findings to help me along with the matchups. I'm probably going to spend most of tomorrow doing thorough tests against other decks.
This is fantastic! Very well written, a simply useful primer to read to get a scope of the best deck in Pauper!
Peek is to look at someone furtively. Peak is the top or the pinnacle of something.
Mana Leak in a tempo deck is basically just as good as a normal counterspell, in my opinion. You put so much pressure on them that they often don't get to the later turns, and are forced to make plays that fall into your counters.
I'm a bit surprised to see no Spellstutter Sprite in your list! After Delver, I have to say it's this card that puts in the most work for the deck. Being able to bounce it back with Ninja of the Deep Hours or Snap it back to your hand is a really powerful thing to do. I can't really imagine a Delver deck without these.
What's with Stitched Drake? It must be pretty hard to cast, since it has additional costs on top of a hefty mana cost. Is it really worth that extra point of power over Spire Golem?
I think that since this deck is so popular and so mainstream online, you could include some of the winning lists of online tournaments, to see what people are using in the most competitive levels of Pauper.
My last suggestion is a videos section. There is a ton, I mean a ton, of footage of Delver being played online against all sorts of different decks, and sometimes with commentary. This could be an extremely good thing to add to the primer, as it allows players who don't know much about the deck to be able to see it in action and see exactly how this complex deck is played.
@Obermeir: Thank you much for the compliments. I did do a lot of studying of the primers that you and XBM Yosho wrote, so I learned from the best!
I can't believe I let peak through the cracks, I'm usually such a stickler for spelling! -_-
As far as the card choices in my deck, Spellstutter originally wasn't in the deck because I don't own any, so they weren't in my first draft. Overtime my deck has done really well without it. I feel that it's a testament to how strong the archetype can be that even without one of the best creatures in the deck it can still mop the floor with other decks. Stitched Drake is an unconventional choice, and while the 3 power isn't that much better than Spire Golem (especially once I start using Bonesplitter), I do feel that it's another great beater to use as a 1 or 2-of. Normally a Cloud of Faeries hits my graveyard by chump blocking or being cycled so his additional cost is not a problem. I didn't include him in my card choices though since I know it's a bit of a weird choice.
My third sample list is heavily modeled after Delver decks I saw on MTGO results that placed 1st. I didn't want to use a list without the permission of the user, so I just made a couple of tweaks to it. Maybe I take a look at some more and add in an actual list from one.
I'll look around for videos and see if I can find some I like. Do you have any suggestions for a good Youtube channel/website to go to?
I made the banner myself, so thanks a lot! I feel I made it a bit too big though, but at least it'll grab some attention!
Yup, the deck is just so strong. It takes a good player who knows their deck and their meta, too.
I suppose the Stitched Drakes are very good against Stompy, which is traditionally not a good match for Delver, so I suppose if your metagame is really aggro-heavy, this is a good inclusion into the mainboard. I feel like you should be running more creatures in order to play it more easily though. I've seen lists run as many as 19 creatures.
I wouldn't worry about copying lists. They're put into public spaces and are not the property of the builder. I don't see it as a sign of disrespect whatsoever. Maybe you can ask cweaver for his list and some advice as well. He's a successful Pauper player.
I'd suggest Magicthegatheringstrat's channel, as they cover almost every matchup imaginable. I find a lot of their games sub-optimal, but you get to see the deck in action, at least. It's also easy for me to judge, watching it from the outside.
Typically, a banner won't exceed 250 pixels in height. I'm not going to complain about 50 pixels too many though; the thing looks fantastic as is.
Thanks for posting this! I've been reading up on Pauper today and tried a couple of the popular decks (from the list on mtggoldfish (can't post links yet!)) and I really like the Delver deck. I'm new-ish to MtG and I have basically no knowledge of a lot of those older mechanics (things like flip cards, ninjutsu and so on) so it's been a bit weird trying to learn how to play those decks. It's a shame MTGO doesn't seem to want to support the format that much as it looked like a good way to grind event tickets once you get the hold of the different decks (and much cheaper than something like Standard or even Block Constructed). Anyways I'm getting a bit off-topic.
I had to create an account as I just really wanted to say thanks for posting this, it's been really informative!
@Turing: You're very welcome! Glad I could help. I'm also happy that it compelled you to make an account! So welcome to MTG Salvation Turing!
I've seen quite a few Pauper Daily results posted, so I didn't think it was lacking support. Then again I don't play MTGO so I could be wrong.
Jumping into Pauper after recently getting into Magic can be a bit overwhelming since it has a very large cardpool with all sorts of mechanics and tricks involved. Flip cards are pretty recent, but if you are new then I can see how you missed them. If you need help clarifying uses of any of the mechanics/cards you aren't familiar with, then ask those questions in this thread since the purpose of Primers are to teach/discuss strategies. As long as it pertains to Delver then it's fine to post it here.
If you make your own deck and want feedback then don't be afraid to post it on this Primer. The regulars in this subforum will gladly give feedback and help with whatever you need.
I'm only really familiar with cards in the current Standard (less so for things from the RTR block that aren't used in Standard as well) so certain mechanics like Scry aren't a problem. I feel like learning the mechanics isn't hard in itself but understanding how different ones work together is a bit of a challenge. For instance, it wasn't obvious to me that "ninjutsu-ing" the Ninja of the Deep Hours to replace the Spellstutter Sprite was a good way not only to get an extra damage in but also getting that interrupt back. It also took a few games before I realised that the whole point of Ponder was to (hopefully) rearrange the 3 cards as (from the top) [Anything], [Sorcery/Instant], [Anything] to set up the Delver of Secrets next turn.
My biggest issue right now is with mana costs that can be replaced by replacing X islands in your hand instead of paying the full cost (such as Gush). It seems to me like the only time this would be needed is earlier in the game when you don't have enough mana for the cost but in a way removing mana from the battlefield early seems like a bad plan. The low CMC of most of the cards in these kind of decks probably makes up for it, it just seems a bit counter-intuitive to me! Hopefully this'll start making more sense as I play with more decks in the format. I really like Delver so I'm probably going to build it on MTGO and I'll try to build 1-2 other different decks to play around with.
I'll be sure to check back here once the "match up" section fills up! Once again, thanks for the primer, it's pretty great you posted this primer a day before I started looking for more info on the deck/format!
EDIT: PS: It seems like there are at least 2 events a day showing up on the WotC Results page (but those are Premier events, I think? 10 tickets entry which is pretty steep). I'll have to keep an eye on the 5-3-2-2 events that "fire on demand" (ie. when 8 players queue up) which seems you can basically play for free if you get top 4 (of 8).
Also keep in mind that certain abilities like Ninjutsu can't be countered since they aren't spells. So once you have an unblocked creature it's gravy (in most cases).
Daze is great in the opening turns since it's a great way to protect a first turn Delver. Remember the lands can be tapped or untapped with cards like Gush and Daze so even when you're tapped out you can still use them. The more you play with Gush, the more you find it has a lot of utility. I usually don't use it early, but in later turns when it's free cost really gives you a lot of steam. It can bring unwanted lands to your hand to save important cards from Ravenous Rats. It fills up your hand. It's also a great card to dig for answers. Example: If I only have two Islands with no counters in hand and need to stop a Doom Blade from killing a Delver, then I tap my Islands for floating mana, then bounce them to cast Gush for free. I draw my two cards and find a Mana Leak and cast it with my 2 floating mana. That scenario actually has happened a lot!
My advice is to practice, practice, practice! This is true for any deck, but especially with Delver. It's an advanced deck with a lot of interactions and synergy, so the more you play with it the more you will learn!
How do I beat this? No matter what deck I play, no matter what I do, the Delver player ALWAYS gets ahead. It's extremely infuriating. It doesn't matter if I daze his T1 Delver because he will have a Daze of his own and I'll have lost a lot of tempo. It doesn't matter if I try and counter his next drop because he'll still have a counterspell of his own AND a Daze to back it up just in case. It doesn't matter what removal I throw that Delver on T2 because he'll just counter it, making me lose a lot of tempo. And, of course, this deck predates decks running guildgates / karoos / fetchlands. The only things I could imagine working are Snuff Out and Lightning Bolt, and even those can get countered, which is specially dangerous since you pay 4 life for Snuff out. How do I beat this with a deck like UW control, UG Madness or Domain Zoo?
Haha, it's a really tough deck to beat! They have such degenerate plays that are actually impossible to fight through, and that's the most frustrating part.
My best advice is to play a super aggressive deck. Aggro decks give Delver a hard time. Even my BR sacrifice-themed deck causes them problems, because they eventually fold under pressure and board presence.
Seems like Madness and Zoo should do fairly well, provided your hands are fast enough. Madness more so, as Zoo needs certain specific scenarios to happen in order to progress which can easily be disrupted. Madness can really force the opponent to have the answers at the right time or be forced into very nasty situations. Having a proper sideboard with Scattershot Archer and Hornet Sting really shuts them down, too. Green is in a good position to beat the deck.
@Zephyr Scarlet: Now what kind of Primer would this be if I included a "How to Beat This" section? Lol.
You do raise a good point though and a lot of players think about ways to beat Delver since you can't avoid it.
Obermeir's tactics are good. Maybe if you're decks are falling short and you encounter Delver a lot then maybe it's time to try different decks for a bit. You might learn a lot of things that you can then bring back to your older decks.
Running heavy on discard can hurt Delver as they'll still be using counters to stop them.
I also found that recursion can bring the hurt too. Bringing back creatures that they've countered can really make it an uphill battle especially when you start using your graveyard as hand extension.
@Zephyr Scarlet: Now what kind of Primer would this be if I included a "How to Beat This" section? Lol.
You do raise a good point though and a lot of players think about ways to beat Delver since you can't avoid it.
Obermeir's tactics are good. Maybe if you're decks are falling short and you encounter Delver a lot then maybe it's time to try different decks for a bit. You might learn a lot of things that you can then bring back to your older decks.
Running heavy on discard can hurt Delver as they'll still be using counters to stop them.
I also found that recursion can bring the hurt too. Bringing back creatures that they've countered can really make it an uphill battle especially when you start using your graveyard as hand extension.
Primer matchups generally cover the weaknesses of the deck against certain decks, so that's "how you beat Delver" IMO, but since the Matchup section isn't up yet I had to ask.
I play Domain Zoo, UW Caw Blade and I am working on a madness list. So far, Madness has been good, but Zoo desperately needs it's Abundant Growth or Nylea's Presence through or I will simply fall flat. If the Delver player knows this, he will straight up counter them without even blinking and I'll have to rely on fetches to bring my plains and mountains to try and assemble 3/5 of domain to fight through with bolts, nacatls, kor skyfishers and the like. Good thing I pack two Unearth, but then again, if my auras are countered I lose a lot of tempo with fetches.
Fighting with UW Cawblade is a nightmare. My answers are "too slow" (Journey to Nowhere, which if on the draw gets countered, then if I daze he dazes my daze), to the point I have been thinking in adding Sunlance and Desert solely for this matchup. Worse, I can't counter a Ninja of the Deep Hours because he comes in with Ninjutsu, and if they protect it, they pretty much have game since it draws them a card each turn. Since I don't know what kind of CA engine of my own I can play (thought Rhystic Study, but since it costs 3 if they counter it I might as well scoop), this is specially troublesome, and if the Delver player plays first, that's just the final nail in the coffin.
Primer matchups generally cover the weaknesses of the deck against certain decks, so that's "how you beat Delver" IMO, but since the Matchup section isn't up yet I had to ask.
I know. I just thought it was funny that you specifically asked how to beat it. I'm slowly working on the match ups, although I wasn't planning on testing against Domain Zoo or Madness since those aren't big archetypes. If you'd like to PM me your lists and a brief synopsis on how to play them I'd be happy to test them and post an analysis in the matchup section for you!
Fighting with UW Cawblade is a nightmare. My answers are "too slow" (Journey to Nowhere, which if on the draw gets countered, then if I daze he dazes my daze), to the point I have been thinking in adding Sunlance and Desert solely for this matchup. Worse, I can't counter a Ninja of the Deep Hours because he comes in with Ninjutsu, and if they protect it, they pretty much have game since it draws them a card each turn. Since I don't know what kind of CA engine of my own I can play (thought Rhystic Study, but since it costs 3 if they counter it I might as well scoop), this is specially troublesome, and if the Delver player plays first, that's just the final nail in the coffin.
While I really like how powerful it feels to pilot a Cawblade deck, it is, as you mentioned, slow to start up. It has tempo, but definitely not as much as Delver. Deserts are probably one of your best options since it is uncounterable but even then you need to hope to get two in play to take out an Aberration.
Daze is a big problem too, but most lists I've seen only run two. Sometimes it just doesn't come up. I feel Playing your own Dazes will help, but if you play against someone that runs a full playset then that is troublesome. Perhaps finding room for Simian Spirit Guide will hose them, but dedicating sideboard/deck space for it seems crazy unless Delver is a common occurrence for you. Loosing a card to stop Daze is also causing some card disadvantage too.
Hello all! Playing a paper pauper tournament in two weeks and figured i would ask if this deck has been updated with all the new sets that have come out. Last post was in 2012 so we've seen a lot of cards come out since then. Is delver still a viable archetype in the current meta?
The last post was actually in June of this year, so outside of M15 there's nothing really new to think of. M15 didn't really bring anything for this deck.
There is one card that I noticed in a few lists that I didn't mention is Aqueous Form. It can make your Delver unblockable and it helps you filter your draws, which can be very good for this deck.
I'd love to see your decklist if you have one already! We could probably help you get a good deck together in time for the Tournament!
I noticed how old the post is. Im surprised someone answered. Working out the decklist tomorrow. Did some playtesting tonight and i need some tweaks. Will post a decklist tomorrow. Thanks for answering.
Well, I was the writer of the original Primer, so I always check to see if people made recent posts and respond to them. Hopefully you are able to figure out how to post a decklist.
If anything, I'm sure using the decktags will work if you manually type them.
I'm confused by that also. I know the site change yesterday (or the day before) but at the time Eatenbycrows made his first comment the site still showed our Join dates under our Avatars and mine was in 2012. I assumed he just read my Join Date, but I didn't bother to bring it up.
That's a pretty good list. I like seeing Treasure Cruise here. How has it worked so far? I assume it's good since Logic Knot also sees play in Delver decks.
I'd like to see Spire Golem in this list, but I'm not sure what you could remove to fit it in. Spire Golem is really tough for some decks to get rid of and he's evasive.
Introduction
Lightning strikes as the rain continues to fall. You soar through the air, striking down any soldiers that come near you. Anything the guards throw at you immediately fails. Your experiment was a success, all your studies, all your training has paid off. The townsfolk run in terror as you continue your attack on all those that stood in your way. You are more than human; you are unstoppable; you are an Insectile Aberration!
Delver of Secrets is one of the biggest cards in Magic. Shortly after it was released this card took over Standard and every format, Pauper included. Delver decks are the quintessential in Tempo decks. Every spell you cast is intended to put you ahead and put your opponent further behind in the most efficient way possible. When building your deck you need to use a lot of instants and sorceries to help get your Delver going, probably about 22-26, but tinker around and decide for yourself. Most Delver decks keep a low land count to have room for a bit more spell space.
This is a primer for Mono-Blue Delver decks. There are a lot of other Delver decks that splash other colors, but all that is a bit much for one primer.
The Game Plan
The main strategy for this deck is to play a Delver of Secrets early, flip it and protect it while stopping your opponent’s threats. Once you have an Insectile Aberration online you have a pretty good clock for the win. You need help flipping your Delver so this is where cards like Ponder come in handy. You also need efficient counters and as many cost efficient cards like Gush and Gitaxian Probe. If it’s a free spell, then you want to use it! You want to try your best to stifle every move your opponent makes while putting yourself further ahead in the game.
Card Choices
Cloud of Faeries – Free evasive creatures! Drop them second turn and watch your opponent weep at the fact that you have 2 Islands untapped. They can also be cycled for those times when you don’t need them. Tempo at its finest!
Spellstutter Sprite – Flash, Flying and can counter spells? Yes please! Only gets better with Cloud of Faeries and other faeries. Gets even better with some way to bounce them for more uses!
Ninja of the Deep Hours – This ninja just keeps the cards flowing. Works wonders with Spellstutter Sprite to get more Faerie action.
Spire Golem – Spire Golem is a 2/4 flyer can hit the board as early as Turn 3, and gets cheaper over time. He has very high toughness so he can block all day long, then can turn around and start beating face.
Frostburn Weird - He’s a pretty big roadblock that’s great on the defense and can easily give you an offensive boost also. Frostburn Weird is a big hoser against aggro decks.
Fathom Seer – Gush on a stick but costs 3 mana to effectively use. Its stats aren’t the best though, so I’d stick to using Gush.
Zephyr Sprite – This guy is a first turn flyer! He’s a pretty nice early threat that can hold a Bonesplitter pretty well. He also gets better if you’re playing Spelltutter Sprite.
Phantasmal Bear – He’s a 2/2 for one mana, pretty good. The only drawback is he can be easily dealt with, even if you could counter a spell that targets him, it won’t stop you saccing him. Then again, would your opponent be targeting him or the 3/2 flyer that’s killing him?
Sea Gate Oracle – He’s a decent fellow. Gets you a card and he’s a good blocker, but the Oracle is on the high end of the curve you want in this deck.
Lands
Quicksand – This land gets a lot of work done. It can kill off any X/2 non-flying creature, which allows you to save your bounce spells and counters for bigger threats. Not to mention that once it’s on the field your opponent will think twice about playing or attacking any creatures it can target. You might not want to run more than 2 since it only produces colorless mana and you don’t want a lot in your opening hand.
Lonely Sandbar – Good card in other decks, but not good in Delver. If this is one of the few Lands in your opening hand it can slow you down. The cycling is nice on it, but that’s not enough to make it a great choice. If you still want to use it, run 1-2 copies.
Counters
Mana Leak – Counterspell’s little brother, he’s also cheap and fits in the color, but he’s not as strong as Counterspell. Great within turns 2-4 but can really start falling short beyond that.
Daze – This counter screams Tempo! It’s free as long as you have an Island in play and can be a big hit to your opponent in starting turns. That being said, it loses power around turn 3, and, for that reason, you might want to test it out to find the right number to run in your deck.
Memory Lapse – This is a great example of Tempo. You hard counter a spell, but it also goes on top of your opponent’s deck and kills their next draw. It puts you further ahead and keeps your opponent down. Straight control decks don’t like this card, but it plays well in Delver.
Exclude - Stops a creature spell and it replaces itself. That’s pretty good, but it is a bit high on the curve. If you face down a lot of creatures, this is worth looking at.
Rune Snag – When you first cast Rune Snag it’s a weaker Mana Leak, but it only gets stronger beyond that. Your deck must run 4 copies of Rune Snag in order to make it work properly. Where Mana Leak has consistency, Rune Snag has potential.
Deprive – This is a parallel universe Counterspell. Does exactly the same for the same cost, but also bounces a land. The land bounce isn’t as bad as you’d think once you realize that controlling only 2 lands puts you in the driver’s seat.
Prohibit – Using this spell is highly dependent on your meta. It can counter a lot of cards used in the format and the kicker allows it to hit more targets in later turns. All things considered, the kicker is a little high on your curve to do what a Counterspell can do, so consider this carefully if you are interested in it.
Faerie Trickery – Not a good choice for this deck. You’ll find that the one extra mana makes a world of difference when comparing these to all the 2 cmc counters. Yes, it does exile the spell, but that’s just not enough to justify its inclusion. You should only use if you don’t have access to the aforementioned choices.
Cancel – Cancel is the same as Faerie Trickery, except it doesn’t exile the spell. Only useable if you don’t have any other options to choose from.
Ponder – This card goes hand in hand with Delver in almost every format. Allows you to set up Delver of Secrets’ trigger and gives you a draw all for one mana. This card gets a lot of work done.
Brainstorm – Another great one drop, allows you to draw 3 cards and lets you stack 2 cards on top of your deck to help flip your Delver. It’s an instant, and has the added benefit of allowing you to save cards from an unanswered Hymn to Tourach or Duress.
Preordain – This card only lets you see 2 cards, but you get to move those cards to the bottom of your deck if you want to.
Serum Visions – This card lets you dig as deep as Ponder or Brainstorm. It’s not as good as the rest since you don’t get to set up the draw, but it sets up future turns.
Side note: All of the cards in this section are great choices. They all work towards the same goal in the end, just in different ways. A lot of players claim that some are the best choices. Choose what works best for you and your deck. There also isn’t anything saying you have to choose one, so experiment with all of them and mix and match them all you want.
Draw
Treasure Cruise - Here's a new card from Khans of Tarkir that has made a big hit in all formats. With all the free spells and cantrips we use we have no problem casting this card for 3 or less mana. I'd recommend not using more than 2 though, since a cmc 8 card is pretty bad for tempo if you're not able to Delve for it.
Gush – This card is awesome! It’s essentially 2 cards for free. If you’ve been hitting your land drops it’s no problem to bounce those lands. Bounce those tapped lands you just used. It’s an instant too! This cards great as a 2 of, but running 4 might be a bad idea.
Accumulated Knowledge - The first time you cast this it’s just a Think Twice, but keep playing more and you get more value. You’ll need a full playset to really get the most out of it so make sure you do some testing to decide if it’ll be worth it for you.
Think Twice – Think Twice is good for normal blue decks, but there are better options for Tempo. Most of the cards already mentioned Cantrip for one mana. Overall it’s 2 cards for 5 mana. If you don’t have access to the other choices then this will do until you stock up.
Bounce
Snap – A free bounce spell. Works like Cloud of Faeries, just bounce a creature and still have mana for a Counterspell.
Boomerang – Costs more than Vapor Snag and Snap but it can target any permanent. This means lands so you can make some big tempo plays. Bounce that Guildgate or Karoo!
Echoing Truth – This card can be main deck or sideboard depending on your meta. This can hurt any deck that uses swarm tactics or tokens. 2 mana to potentially bounce 4 creatures? Yes please! It can also hit pesky enchantments and artifacts.
Curfew – This card is a good work around against Hexproof creatures. It can also help save your Delver in a dire situation.
Withdraw – This card can be versatile given the right moment. You can bounce two opposing creatures, one opposing and one of yours or bounce two of your guys if they need a rescue.
Unsummon – Not as good as Vapor Snag, but it still gets the job done. Use it if it’s all you have or if you just need extra bounces.
Pumps
Unstable Mutation – This is a big boost for one mana! The only downside is your creature gets weaker with each turn. This can turn a Faerie into a big problem!
Sunken City – This card can be great for any Delver deck that uses a lot of Faeries. Give your swarm an anthem! It does drain mana if you want to keep it, so test it out if you want to use it.
Other/Sideboard
Hands of Binding – Hands of Binding can lock down creatures in a lot of decks. Cipher it onto one of your flyers for repeatable castings.
Serrated Arrows – This card is some solid removal. It’s repeatable and gets better if you can bounce it. It’s pretty high on our curve, but if you might face a lot of X/1 creatures then this is a bomb! Depending on your meta, this might be a good main deck inclusion.
Weatherseed Faeries – Facing down Burn, Goblins or a RDW? Bring these faeries to hose them!
Dispel– A cheap conditional hard counter that’ll work well against MUC, MBC, Burn, Infect and some Combo decks.
Spell Pierce – Another cheap counter, but it doesn’t hard counter like Dispel. It can hit more target than Dispel. This can help stave off Hexproof decks by stopping early Auras. It has a lot of other applications too.
Hydroblast/Blue Elemental Blast – Seeing a lot of red in your meta? Make them see red by packing these cards in your sideboard. They’re both functionally the same, so you can have up to 8 copies if you need the (anti)firepower.
Piracy Charm – Piracy Charm is a versatile card. It can remove X/1 creatures so it’s great against Goblins or Elves. You can pump one of your guys in a pinch, make them discard their last card in hand or slip through a creature against blue decks.
Steel Sabotage – Affinity. Use this against Affinity or another artifact based deck that gives you trouble.
Curse of the Bloody Tome – This card is great against mirror matches or against decks that grind out the win like MUC.
Sample Decklists
Here’s a more traditional build by XBM Yosho. Runs a good amount of Faeries to get a lot of use from Spellstutter Sprite.
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Spire Golem
4 Zephyr Sprite
4 Boomerang
4 Brainstorm
4 Counterspell
2 Daze
2 Echoing Truth
2 Ponder
2 Serrated Arrows
16 Island
This is my deck. It branches a bit from the usual builds by running fewer creatures.
14 Island
2 Quicksand
Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Cloud of Faeries
3 Spire Golem
2 Stitched Drake
Instants
4 Counterspell
3 Memory Lapse
3 Mana Leak
2 Daze
3 Brainstorm
2 Gush
3 Vapor Snag
3 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
2 Hands of Binding
2 Bonesplitter
2 Piracy Charm
2 Steel Sabotage
3 Dispel
3 Hydroblast
2 Weatherseed Faeries
3 Echoing Truth
This is a list I composed that’s influenced from MTGO Pauper lists.
16 Island
Creatures
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Delver of Secrets
3 Frostburn Weird
3 Ninja of the Deep Hours
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Spire Golem
Spells
2 Bonesplitter
4 Counterspell
2 Daze
1 Deprive
2 Gush
2 Mutagenic Growth
4 Ponder
3 Preordain
3 Snap
2 Curse of the Bloody Tome
2 Dispel
3 Exclude
3 Hydroblast
2 Steel Sabotage
3 Serrated Arrows
This is a deck from an MTGO Pauper event.
15 Island
2 Quicksand
Creatures
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Spire Golem
2 Trinket Mage
1 Bonesplitter
4 Counterspell
2 Exclude
2 Gush
1 Logic Knot
4 Ponder
3 Preordain
3 Snap
1 Viridian Longbow
2 Coral Net
2 Curse of Chains
3 Echoing Truth
4 Hydroblast
4 Steel Sabotage
Matchups
Problems: Their creatures have some toughness to them so if they can land a Spire Golem or Prescient Chimera then our combat is stalled. Deserts are also a pain especially if they come in multiples. Post board they might bring in Piracy Charm or extra bounce spells so watch out!
Sideboard: Using some extra bounce can help squeeze our creatures through for a finish if they have strong blockers. Dispel will stop their counterspells. I also find that Curse of the Bloody Tome can give us a win since MUC loves the long game and also loves to draw.
Infect
Problems: The main problem we have against Infect are their cheap spells. Their curve is as low or even lower than ours. They can land a Glistener Elf before we can counter it and sometimes Dispelling a pump won't matter because they'll cast another one. Rancor is a problem, so make sure you bounce Rancor's target before it resolves to get it out of the game. Once you have them in topdeck mode watch out for them casting a Brainstorm since that'll let them dig for what they need.
Sideboard: Bring in your extra Bounce. Echoing Truth can get you some value here. Hands of Binding also helped a lot especially when they only had one creature in play. Dispel is also great to stop their pump spells.
MORE TO COME
Videos
Delver vs Burn - It really shows off the synergy between cards like Snap and Spellstutter Sprite/Cloud of Faeries. This video also lets you see how powerful the deck is even without Delver sticking around in the first match.
Special Thanks
I'd like to thank:
XBM Yosho for letting me use his deck list in my sample section!
ThatRedwood for reviewing my draft and teaching me a new way to tag cards!
Obermeir for suggesting a video section!
And a big thanks to everyone that took the time to read this Primer and all the users that have contributed to the Pauper/Peasant Subforum!
As for your match up section you can most likely take my Total Package White Weenie match up against my own Delver deck for that section if you wish. I don't have an in depth breakdown but my own Delver went 1 and 2 against my White Weenie due to the versatility.
W White Weenie
Thanks! I'll definitely take a look at your findings to help me along with the matchups. I'm probably going to spend most of tomorrow doing thorough tests against other decks.
Peek is to look at someone furtively. Peak is the top or the pinnacle of something.
Mana Leak in a tempo deck is basically just as good as a normal counterspell, in my opinion. You put so much pressure on them that they often don't get to the later turns, and are forced to make plays that fall into your counters.
I'm a bit surprised to see no Spellstutter Sprite in your list! After Delver, I have to say it's this card that puts in the most work for the deck. Being able to bounce it back with Ninja of the Deep Hours or Snap it back to your hand is a really powerful thing to do. I can't really imagine a Delver deck without these.
What's with Stitched Drake? It must be pretty hard to cast, since it has additional costs on top of a hefty mana cost. Is it really worth that extra point of power over Spire Golem?
I think that since this deck is so popular and so mainstream online, you could include some of the winning lists of online tournaments, to see what people are using in the most competitive levels of Pauper.
My last suggestion is a videos section. There is a ton, I mean a ton, of footage of Delver being played online against all sorts of different decks, and sometimes with commentary. This could be an extremely good thing to add to the primer, as it allows players who don't know much about the deck to be able to see it in action and see exactly how this complex deck is played.
The banner looks AWESOME!
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
I can't believe I let peak through the cracks, I'm usually such a stickler for spelling! -_-
As far as the card choices in my deck, Spellstutter originally wasn't in the deck because I don't own any, so they weren't in my first draft. Overtime my deck has done really well without it. I feel that it's a testament to how strong the archetype can be that even without one of the best creatures in the deck it can still mop the floor with other decks. Stitched Drake is an unconventional choice, and while the 3 power isn't that much better than Spire Golem (especially once I start using Bonesplitter), I do feel that it's another great beater to use as a 1 or 2-of. Normally a Cloud of Faeries hits my graveyard by chump blocking or being cycled so his additional cost is not a problem. I didn't include him in my card choices though since I know it's a bit of a weird choice.
My third sample list is heavily modeled after Delver decks I saw on MTGO results that placed 1st. I didn't want to use a list without the permission of the user, so I just made a couple of tweaks to it. Maybe I take a look at some more and add in an actual list from one.
I'll look around for videos and see if I can find some I like. Do you have any suggestions for a good Youtube channel/website to go to?
I made the banner myself, so thanks a lot! I feel I made it a bit too big though, but at least it'll grab some attention!
I suppose the Stitched Drakes are very good against Stompy, which is traditionally not a good match for Delver, so I suppose if your metagame is really aggro-heavy, this is a good inclusion into the mainboard. I feel like you should be running more creatures in order to play it more easily though. I've seen lists run as many as 19 creatures.
I wouldn't worry about copying lists. They're put into public spaces and are not the property of the builder. I don't see it as a sign of disrespect whatsoever. Maybe you can ask cweaver for his list and some advice as well. He's a successful Pauper player.
I'd suggest Magicthegatheringstrat's channel, as they cover almost every matchup imaginable. I find a lot of their games sub-optimal, but you get to see the deck in action, at least. It's also easy for me to judge, watching it from the outside.
Typically, a banner won't exceed 250 pixels in height. I'm not going to complain about 50 pixels too many though; the thing looks fantastic as is.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
I had to create an account as I just really wanted to say thanks for posting this, it's been really informative!
Modern
RGB Grishoalbrand
U Merfolks
Legacy
U Merfolks
I've seen quite a few Pauper Daily results posted, so I didn't think it was lacking support. Then again I don't play MTGO so I could be wrong.
Jumping into Pauper after recently getting into Magic can be a bit overwhelming since it has a very large cardpool with all sorts of mechanics and tricks involved. Flip cards are pretty recent, but if you are new then I can see how you missed them. If you need help clarifying uses of any of the mechanics/cards you aren't familiar with, then ask those questions in this thread since the purpose of Primers are to teach/discuss strategies. As long as it pertains to Delver then it's fine to post it here.
If you make your own deck and want feedback then don't be afraid to post it on this Primer. The regulars in this subforum will gladly give feedback and help with whatever you need.
I'm only really familiar with cards in the current Standard (less so for things from the RTR block that aren't used in Standard as well) so certain mechanics like Scry aren't a problem. I feel like learning the mechanics isn't hard in itself but understanding how different ones work together is a bit of a challenge. For instance, it wasn't obvious to me that "ninjutsu-ing" the Ninja of the Deep Hours to replace the Spellstutter Sprite was a good way not only to get an extra damage in but also getting that interrupt back. It also took a few games before I realised that the whole point of Ponder was to (hopefully) rearrange the 3 cards as (from the top) [Anything], [Sorcery/Instant], [Anything] to set up the Delver of Secrets next turn.
My biggest issue right now is with mana costs that can be replaced by replacing X islands in your hand instead of paying the full cost (such as Gush). It seems to me like the only time this would be needed is earlier in the game when you don't have enough mana for the cost but in a way removing mana from the battlefield early seems like a bad plan. The low CMC of most of the cards in these kind of decks probably makes up for it, it just seems a bit counter-intuitive to me! Hopefully this'll start making more sense as I play with more decks in the format. I really like Delver so I'm probably going to build it on MTGO and I'll try to build 1-2 other different decks to play around with.
I'll be sure to check back here once the "match up" section fills up! Once again, thanks for the primer, it's pretty great you posted this primer a day before I started looking for more info on the deck/format!
EDIT: PS: It seems like there are at least 2 events a day showing up on the WotC Results page (but those are Premier events, I think? 10 tickets entry which is pretty steep). I'll have to keep an eye on the 5-3-2-2 events that "fire on demand" (ie. when 8 players queue up) which seems you can basically play for free if you get top 4 (of 8).
Modern
RGB Grishoalbrand
U Merfolks
Legacy
U Merfolks
Daze is great in the opening turns since it's a great way to protect a first turn Delver. Remember the lands can be tapped or untapped with cards like Gush and Daze so even when you're tapped out you can still use them. The more you play with Gush, the more you find it has a lot of utility. I usually don't use it early, but in later turns when it's free cost really gives you a lot of steam. It can bring unwanted lands to your hand to save important cards from Ravenous Rats. It fills up your hand. It's also a great card to dig for answers. Example: If I only have two Islands with no counters in hand and need to stop a Doom Blade from killing a Delver, then I tap my Islands for floating mana, then bounce them to cast Gush for free. I draw my two cards and find a Mana Leak and cast it with my 2 floating mana. That scenario actually has happened a lot!
My advice is to practice, practice, practice! This is true for any deck, but especially with Delver. It's an advanced deck with a lot of interactions and synergy, so the more you play with it the more you will learn!
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
My best advice is to play a super aggressive deck. Aggro decks give Delver a hard time. Even my BR sacrifice-themed deck causes them problems, because they eventually fold under pressure and board presence.
Seems like Madness and Zoo should do fairly well, provided your hands are fast enough. Madness more so, as Zoo needs certain specific scenarios to happen in order to progress which can easily be disrupted. Madness can really force the opponent to have the answers at the right time or be forced into very nasty situations. Having a proper sideboard with Scattershot Archer and Hornet Sting really shuts them down, too. Green is in a good position to beat the deck.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
You do raise a good point though and a lot of players think about ways to beat Delver since you can't avoid it.
Obermeir's tactics are good. Maybe if you're decks are falling short and you encounter Delver a lot then maybe it's time to try different decks for a bit. You might learn a lot of things that you can then bring back to your older decks.
Running heavy on discard can hurt Delver as they'll still be using counters to stop them.
I also found that recursion can bring the hurt too. Bringing back creatures that they've countered can really make it an uphill battle especially when you start using your graveyard as hand extension.
Primer matchups generally cover the weaknesses of the deck against certain decks, so that's "how you beat Delver" IMO, but since the Matchup section isn't up yet I had to ask.
I play Domain Zoo, UW Caw Blade and I am working on a madness list. So far, Madness has been good, but Zoo desperately needs it's Abundant Growth or Nylea's Presence through or I will simply fall flat. If the Delver player knows this, he will straight up counter them without even blinking and I'll have to rely on fetches to bring my plains and mountains to try and assemble 3/5 of domain to fight through with bolts, nacatls, kor skyfishers and the like. Good thing I pack two Unearth, but then again, if my auras are countered I lose a lot of tempo with fetches.
Fighting with UW Cawblade is a nightmare. My answers are "too slow" (Journey to Nowhere, which if on the draw gets countered, then if I daze he dazes my daze), to the point I have been thinking in adding Sunlance and Desert solely for this matchup. Worse, I can't counter a Ninja of the Deep Hours because he comes in with Ninjutsu, and if they protect it, they pretty much have game since it draws them a card each turn. Since I don't know what kind of CA engine of my own I can play (thought Rhystic Study, but since it costs 3 if they counter it I might as well scoop), this is specially troublesome, and if the Delver player plays first, that's just the final nail in the coffin.
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
I know. I just thought it was funny that you specifically asked how to beat it. I'm slowly working on the match ups, although I wasn't planning on testing against Domain Zoo or Madness since those aren't big archetypes. If you'd like to PM me your lists and a brief synopsis on how to play them I'd be happy to test them and post an analysis in the matchup section for you!
While I really like how powerful it feels to pilot a Cawblade deck, it is, as you mentioned, slow to start up. It has tempo, but definitely not as much as Delver. Deserts are probably one of your best options since it is uncounterable but even then you need to hope to get two in play to take out an Aberration.
Daze is a big problem too, but most lists I've seen only run two. Sometimes it just doesn't come up. I feel Playing your own Dazes will help, but if you play against someone that runs a full playset then that is troublesome. Perhaps finding room for Simian Spirit Guide will hose them, but dedicating sideboard/deck space for it seems crazy unless Delver is a common occurrence for you. Loosing a card to stop Daze is also causing some card disadvantage too.
There is one card that I noticed in a few lists that I didn't mention is Aqueous Form. It can make your Delver unblockable and it helps you filter your draws, which can be very good for this deck.
I'd love to see your decklist if you have one already! We could probably help you get a good deck together in time for the Tournament!
If anything, I'm sure using the decktags will work if you manually type them.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Phantasmal Bear
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
2 Treasure Cruise
Instants (18)
4 Vapor Snag
2 Brainstorm
2 Snap
4 Daze
4 Counterspell
2 Gush
16 Island
Thoughts on something like this?
I'd like to see Spire Golem in this list, but I'm not sure what you could remove to fit it in. Spire Golem is really tough for some decks to get rid of and he's evasive.
W White Weenie