I have been thinking about playing Pauper as a neat way to lower deck costs and change up the local meta. The card that stuck out the most for me was Ruinous Minotaur, a 3 mana 5/2 mono red beast. With Skirk Prospector and Wild Cantor available dropping him on turn 2 should be easy. Clearly the card is extremely fragile and lightning bolts would have to be employed to clear the field, but it seems like the fastest card to end the game in red. Any experience on using one?
A quick example deck, focuses on lots of secondary damage.
I don't think fireblast belongs in a deck where Ruinous Minotaur`wants to eat your lands. Same with seismic spike: I'm not sure what role does it play in this deck: It's neither good disruption nor a good ritual.
I'd suggest playing instead some haste sources so you can squeeze more damage out of your keldon marauders and minotaurs. Reckless charge is fantastic and Flame-kin zealot is less powerful but allows you to play it as a creature if you need board presence.
Finally, Dead and Gone is a pretty weak card. It can't target players and it can't save your creatures by bouncing them. You could try changing it for another burn card (Searing Blaze, Chain Lightning, Firebolt, etc...) or simply the biggest red aggro creature: Kin Fiend.
That is a good point. Teetering Peaks is good, but land cycle cards don't really do it for me. Reckless charge is awesome, and I might add in Goblin Bushwacker for the same reason.
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Pauper: UB Wight Phantasm RB Burn UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
What you need is some first strike on that thing. And lots of burn spells. In fact, I think a good approach would be a more Sligh style deck, with lots of burn spells to deal with opposing threats while having a clear field for your frail beaters. They can then be used to finish off an opponent.
I think Arc Lightning is a good card for this deck. As are all manner of Lightning Bolts that can hit creatures. Flaming Sword and Sparring Collar are good choices. you can also look at other cards like the Minotaur. Cobblebrute, Cyclops of one-eyed pass, Craven Giant, Keldon Halberdier, Lightning Elemental, Regathan Firecat, Scuzzback Marauders, are all possibilities. Going for smaller, more efficient creatures is probably a better way to go though. Don't bother getting out your minotaur early; most pauper decks will be able to play a creature capable of trading with it anyways. Concentrate on creating a board position in the first few turns that make playing a fragile but powerful beater a game-winner.
Your deck desperately needed a good 2-drop, and I think the Weird is exactly what you need. He's a very good defensive creature that can turn into a scary 4/1 (with first strike) later. I also added in Skred, which is a lot like Flame Slash. You now have 16 burn spells and 18 creatures. What were you going for with Looting? I don't get what it's here for. Wouldn't you want more burn/ creatures?
I was using it to collar hunt, but I would probably swap it for more critters. I like your deck list, I will probably run that but I need another critter.
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Pauper: UB Wight Phantasm RB Burn UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Sparring Collar is good, but not essential to the deck. With enough burn spells directed at creatures, it's not always necessary. You don't want to draw more than 1 per game.
I think Weapon Surge is much better than the collar. Not only it's an instant (so you can play it without your opponent expecting it) and can hit all your creatures, it's very cheap in terms of mana AND sicne it also gives +1/+0, it also does something when your opponent has no creatures.
What's nice about Sparring Collar is that the first strike is permanent. It can also be attached at instant speed via its second ability, making blocking in combat very difficult for the opponent. Weapon Surge has the surprise factor and the +1/+0, but the fact that it's only until end of turn makes it not as good here, imo.
A quick example deck, focuses on lots of secondary damage.
4 Skirk Prospector
4 Ruinous Minotaur
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Dead // Gone
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Goblin Arsonist
4 Flame Slash
4 Fireblast
4 Seismic Spike
20 Mountain
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
I'd suggest playing instead some haste sources so you can squeeze more damage out of your keldon marauders and minotaurs. Reckless charge is fantastic and Flame-kin zealot is less powerful but allows you to play it as a creature if you need board presence.
Finally, Dead and Gone is a pretty weak card. It can't target players and it can't save your creatures by bouncing them. You could try changing it for another burn card (Searing Blaze, Chain Lightning, Firebolt, etc...) or simply the biggest red aggro creature: Kin Fiend.
Finally, have you thought about running a few utility lands like Teetering Peaks or Forgotten Cave?
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
I think Arc Lightning is a good card for this deck. As are all manner of Lightning Bolts that can hit creatures. Flaming Sword and Sparring Collar are good choices. you can also look at other cards like the Minotaur. Cobblebrute, Cyclops of one-eyed pass, Craven Giant, Keldon Halberdier, Lightning Elemental, Regathan Firecat, Scuzzback Marauders, are all possibilities. Going for smaller, more efficient creatures is probably a better way to go though. Don't bother getting out your minotaur early; most pauper decks will be able to play a creature capable of trading with it anyways. Concentrate on creating a board position in the first few turns that make playing a fragile but powerful beater a game-winner.
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
Something like this is what I am trying for, although it is hard to get the cards to come in at the right time.
4 Keldon Halberdier
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Sparring Collar
4 Teetering Peaks
4 Searing Blaze
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Goblin Arsonist
4 Flame Slash
4 Faithless Looting
4 Assault Strobe
16 Mountain
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
4 Frostburn Weird
4 Ruinous Minotaur
4 Keldon Halberdier
2 Keldon Marauders
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Flame Slash
4 Skred
3 Faithless Looting
16 Snow-Covered Mountain
4 Teetering Peaks
Your deck desperately needed a good 2-drop, and I think the Weird is exactly what you need. He's a very good defensive creature that can turn into a scary 4/1 (with first strike) later. I also added in Skred, which is a lot like Flame Slash. You now have 16 burn spells and 18 creatures. What were you going for with Looting? I don't get what it's here for. Wouldn't you want more burn/ creatures?
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
UB Wight Phantasm
RB Burn
UR Faerie Rites of Initiation
Legacy:
R Burn
CG-Post
Sparring Collar is good, but not essential to the deck. With enough burn spells directed at creatures, it's not always necessary. You don't want to draw more than 1 per game.
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
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