MTG Salvation

To reiterate, [apathy] had errated. Has with many older magic cards, apathys original text is no longer how the card plays. Instead, the Oracle text is used and can be found on the gatherer page or here the apathy entry on mtg salvation. The errated text says "at the beginning of the upkeep."

for apathy, even if it hadn't been errata, under the old rule it triggered once, during upkeep. but you still would only be able to do it once. hence the reason for the errata, to make it more clear that it was only triggering once. so the combo doesn't even work as printed, ( like say if you had R&D's secret Lair, which isn't legal in pauper but w/e)

for repeatable effects, archeomancer + bounce spells have been mentioned but I prefer capsize to peel from reality because it gives you the infinite chump blocker and getting the spell from grave every turn, which means you also get repeatable bounce with bommerang or peel variant or infinite draw with a catnip etc

for w/b/g there is daru spiritualist/task force+ nomad's en-kor +Kheru Dreadmaw= infinite life.
not very good but it is infinite life

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but I'm currently developing/testing a 4 card combo deck based on abusing Grinning Ignus ETB triggers along with Impact tremors/Furious Assault/Cinder Pyromancer.
It goes off really consistently on turn 5 while goldfishing, but it's really weak to removal.

You can see my version of the deck here http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/grinning-impact-combo-screw-fancy-names/ .

Basically combos are: -Impact Tremors + Grinning Ignus + Skyshroud Elf + Brighthearth Banneret

-Furious Assault + Grinning Ignus + Skyshroud Elf + Thornscape Familiar

-Cinder Pyromancer + Grinning Ignus + Skyshroud Elf + Brighthearth Banneret.

Basically you need something to deal damage on ETB triggers (Impact tremors/Furious assault/Cinder Pyromancer), Grinning Ignus, a cost reducer (Brighthearth banneret/thornscape familiar) and a mana filterer (skyshroud elf).

Sequence is: Once you have all pieces out, activate Grinning Ignus ability, 2R will add to your mana pool. Then you cast it again for 1R (or less) due to our cost reducers, turn your extra C into R through skyshroud elf, bounce Grinning Ignus back to hand, cast it again and then repeat over and over again, each time you cast Grinning Ignus you'll deal 1 damage. With Cinder pyromancer instead of Impact Tremors or Furious Assault is pretty much the same but you have to activate it yourself for damage, then untap it when grinning ignus hits the board and repeat.

It's also possible to go infinite mana if you have 2 cost reducers on Battlefield, then you'd be able to cast anything with an x on it for lethal (kaervek's torch, etc.).

Any thoughts?

Peregrine Drake is now in the format. Opens the combo brewing back up. Want to come up with a mono blue familiars with Warden of Evos Isle/Stonybrook Banneret.

Ivy Lane Denizen + Green Persist creature + Ashnod's Altar = infinite mana.

As I last understood it, Ashon'd Altar is not legal in Pauper if we're talking paper Pauper using the MTGO list, since Chronicles was never part of MTGO. Anyone want to sanity check me on this? If Ashnod's Altar was fair game, we'd have thousands of combos off it alone.

Also, can somebody who actually runs Peregrine Drake in Pauper post an explanation of what infinite / repeated combos there are? The decklists I've seen look very different from the old Cloud of Faeries / Familiar combo. Do we just Ghostly Flicker Drake + Archaeomancer with two or more karoo lands until we have enough mana to headshot them or what?

Quote from PenguinPete »

As I last understood it, Ashon'd Altar is not legal in Pauper if we're talking paper Pauper using the MTGO list, since Chronicles was never part of MTGO. Anyone want to sanity check me on this? If Ashnod's Altar was fair game, we'd have thousands of combos off it alone.

Sorry, I am a paper player. There is no paper combo listing, and I got really excited because you can run the combo in mono green.

I believe you are right about how peregrine works, it reaches infinite without needing to have its cost lessened like in familiars.

Ashnod's Altar is a frustrating edge case. My own shop goes by MTGO rules when it hosts competitive paper Pauper because that's the closest thing to an official list they have. To my understanding, other shops do it that way too.

If Ashnod's Altar were fair game, it might even get banned. If Cloudpost is too powerful for Pauper, I can imagine this would be too. Just the three common SoI guys that drop an investigate token ( Byway Courier , Drownyard Explorers , Thraben Inspector ) plus the Eggs mana-filter artifacts ( Chromatic Sphere , Chromatic Star , Terrarion , etc.) would enable some kind of storm combo.

Quote from PenguinPete »

Ashnod's Altar is a frustrating edge case. My own shop goes by MTGO rules when it hosts competitive paper Pauper because that's the closest thing to an official list they have. To my understanding, other shops do it that way too.

I've more often seen the 'all paper commons are legal' method alongside the MTGO banlist with the occasional extra ban, personally. Sure would be nice if Wizards smoothed the paper/online divide, though. Pauper's community is growing, but it's still small enough that fracturing it between different cardpools has a significant impact, I'm sure.

Quote from PenguinPete »

If Ashnod's Altar were fair game, it might even get banned. If Cloudpost is too powerful for Pauper, I can imagine this would be too. Just the three common SoI guys that drop an investigate token ( Byway Courier , Drownyard Explorers , Thraben Inspector ) plus the Eggs mana-filter artifacts ( Chromatic Sphere , Chromatic Star , Terrarion , etc.) would enable some kind of storm combo.

I'm curious if it would be too powerful - it's hard to say without any actual data, as all the Ashnod's Altar combos I'm thinking of require a non-common card. I did a little research and found these pauper combos for it:

Ashnod's Altar combos:
Pili-Pala + Presence of Gond = infinite mana of any color(s)
Antler Skulkin + Phantom Nomad = infinite ETB/LTB triggers
Cathodion + Bog Initiate + Tortured Existence + Sanitarium Skeleton = BB: durdle (1 ETB/LTB trigger)
... + Disciple of the Vault = opponent loses 1 life per iteration
... + Deathgreeter = gain 1 life per iteration

I was hoping there might be more combos with Cathodion, but returning it from the graveyard seems to be a bottleneck mana-wise. That said, there may be enough value without going infinite to make for a successful deck - Unearth, Driver of the Dead, Blisterpod, Leonin Squire, Flayer Husk, Safehold Elite, and Bond Beetle seem like they might work together in some combination to quickly generate a lot of mana.

Thinking about Ghostly Flicker without Peregrine Drake... Similar to the old Familiar build with Cloud of Faeries, it can go infinite with Morselhoarder:

Ghostly Flicker + 2 Nightscape Familiar + Archaeomancer + Morselhoarder = infinite mana of any color, can infinitely recur any instant/sorcery from graveyard, and infinitely reuse any enters-the-battlefield effect of a creature, artifact, or land

The Familiar can also be substituted with Sunscape Familiar or Goblin Electromancer. Archaeomancer can be substituted for Mnemonic Wall, Anarchist, or Izzet Chronarch. The following combos accomplish the same thing:

Ghostly Flicker + Archaeomancer + Prophetic Prism + Ashnod's Altar + Emrakul's Hatcher = infinite mana of any color, draw infinite cards

Ghostly Flicker + Archaeomancer + Prophetic Prism + Goblin Electromancer + Emrakul's Hatcher = draw infinite cards
Replace Prism with Crumbling Vestige or Holdout Settlement to generate infinite mana

Ghostly Flicker + Mnemonic Wall + Axebane Guardian + Sunscape Familiar + any defender + Strider Harness = ...

Ghostly Flicker + Archaeomancer + Elvish Aberration + Dragon Breath + Sunscape Familiar + Orochi Leafcaller = ...

Ghostly Flicker + Archaeomancer + Priest of Titania + 4 Elves + Orochi Leafcaller/Nomadic Elf + Strider Harness = ...

Ghostly Flicker + Archaeomancer + Dross Scorpion + Maul Splicer + Ashnod's Altar + Springleaf Drum/Manalith = ...

Basically, anything that can generate 2-4 mana lets it go infinite. With Ashnod's Altar, anything that makes 1-2 tokens upon ETB can also be used to go infinite.



And now for Peregrine Drake without Ghostly Flicker...

Peregrine Drake + Cavern Harpy + 3 bouncelands/familiars/Warden of Evos Isle + Basilica Screecher = opponent loses infinite life, can pay 1 life to generate 1 mana of any color

Can't think of any more for this one right now.

Reckless Fireweaver is a new kill condition that goes with Mirran Spy + Banishing Knack + Ornithopter (or any 0-cost artifact). Damage goes directly to the dome!

Nettle Drone/Battered Golem + O cmc artifact + Banishing Knack/Retraction Helix + Nettle Drone/Reckless Fireweaver

How about artifact creature that produces blue mana (like silver myr), Freed from the Reel, and Relic Putresence?

WU: (U)Cephalid Aristocrat + (W)Nomads en-Kor grants infinite self-mill. In Legacy this wins the game outright, possibly useful in Pauper with things like (B)Songs of the Damned.

putting Freed from the real and new horizons (or any card that gives it 2 mana to your mana pool) on to Dryad arbor and also having a power of fire on a pili-pala


doesn't this work??

edit: dang, dryad arbor is uncommon
but i still think the combo works

Grim Harvest and Kami of False hope; infinite fog each turn

K, how about 3 random defenders + [[Axebane Guardian]] + [[Menonic Wall]] + [[Strider Harness]] + [[Ghostly Flicker]]= infinite cast, etb, and mana.

Quote from Shroom_dude »

K, how about 3 random defenders + [[Axebane Guardian]] + [[Menonic Wall]] + [[Strider Harness]] + [[Ghostly Flicker]]= infinite cast, etb, and mana.

that's a 7-card combo >_> but it works.

There are a number of combos involving a creature with an [archaeomancer] ability and [ghostly flicker]. For example, 2 cost 1 less abilities like [sunscape familiar], [goblin electromancer], or [nightscape familiar] creates infinite storm and etb triggers. [Ghostly flicker] can target an [island] to pay for itself while [archaeomancer] can recur the [ghostly flicker]. Combine with [weather the storm] or [god-pharoah's faithful] for infinite life, [sage's row denizen] for infinite mill, etc.
I have made an actually good combo deck that often combos with something like this:
[archaeomancer] + [ghostly flicker] + 2 [sunscape familiar] + [island] + [sage's row denizen] = infinite mill.

Another way to combo is with 2 cards like [archaeomancer], a [ghostly flicker], and a card like [vitalize] with creatures like [krosan restorer], [axebane guardian], or maybe a cool mana elf deck. Just [ghostly flicker] the 2 [archaeomancer] to bring back [ghostly flicker] and [vitalize]. [Vitalize] hopefully pays for itself, [ghostly flicker] and then some. This combo gives infinite storm, etb, mana, and grave recursion of instants and sorceries. There are obviously a number of ways to win from there. You could even use a card like [village bell-ringer], [corridor monitor], or [pestermite] instead of the second [archaeomancer] and [vitalize], (the downside being just a single grave recur from trading ghostly flicker instead of infinite). [Pestermite] even gives the option of comboing with some combination enchanted lands, bounce lands, or cost 1 less abilities instead of mana creatures.
I have made a pretty cool combo deck that typically combos with something like this:
[archaeomancer] + [ghostly flicker] + [pestermite] + [sunscape familiar] + [simic growth chamber] + [fertile ground] = infinite mana, etb, storm, untap permanent, and a single grave recur of an instant or sorcery.

On the subject of having double [archaeomancer] or enchanted lands there are also a number of similar ways to combo using [snap].

I think I found an infinite black mana combo in only black, though it is quite complicated. Soldevi Adnate turned into an artifact with Ashnod's Transmogrant.
Arcbound Worker Dross Scorpion Rattleblaze Scarecrow all on the battlefield and Disturbed Burial in hand. You sac the Rattleblaze Scarecrow to the Soldevi Adnate to get 6 black mana, also causing the Soldevi Adnate to untap because of Dross Scorpion. You also sac the Archbound Worker to the Soldevi Adnate to get one more black mana, untaping it and getting a +1 +1 Counter on the Rattlebalze Scarecrow. You finally cast Disturbed Burial with buyback to get Arcbound worker back for 5 mana, then cast Arcbound worker for 1, netting you 1 black mana. All commons and all the more complicated.

Very nice! I was in search for infinite black mana for Cauldron Familiar + Tortured Existence + Bartered Cow (one in hand, one in graveyard, maybe also Golgari Brownscale )


My favorite Combo in Pauper right now is „Virus Factory“
4 of Nettle Sentinel + Goblin Electromancer + Thermo Alchemist and any green reduction Familiar + Sprouting Swarm = infinite tapped Tokens.
5 of the same + Sprouting Swarm = infinite untapped tokens or infinite damage plus tapped tokens if Thermo Alchemist has no summoning sickness.

how exactly does this work (Freed from the Real + Servant of Tymaret + Karametra's Favor = Infinite opponent life drain)? to my knowledge the combo could only be done if you had an infinite source of island mana as you need it to tap and untap but karametrea's favor doesn't give you unlimited mana as it doesn't apply for untapping, unless i'm wrong.. am i wrong?

You only use the untap ability of Freed and the tap ability granted by Favor:
Enchant Servant of Tymaret with both Karametra's Favor and Freed from the Real.
Servant taps for blue mana. Use the blue mana to untap Servant with Freed. Servant triggers and you drain life.
You're back where you started with a Servant that can tap for blue. Now do that loop over and over until you win.