Yeah, it's totally feasible without the Witches. If you start running in to Delver a lot you may wish you had them, but the game plan remains the same regardless.
I almost never see this deck played any more. Which is a shame because I liked it a lot and tried out a bunch of different versions. If I had to take a guess it would be because of the increase in edict effects to remove all the Gurmag Anglers flopping around in pauper atm. Edict effects are obviously very bad for Hexproof and something you don't see too much of in Modern, but in Pauper Chainer's Edict, Geth's Verdict, and Diabolic Edict are all very common to run into. So the deck is legitimately competitive but perhaps not positioned so well right now.
This is something similar to the last decks that were puting up results:
As you can see there is already a lot of cards trying to deal with the edict problem. Khalni Garden is being run main deck and there are two Young Wolf in the sideboard for no other reason. Scattershot Archer would also have been brought in, even though it is really there for other match ups i.e., Delver. A Crop Rotation package out of the sideboard could also be considered.
One issue that comes up playing Hexproof is that it is a bit like a combo deck with three pieces. You need lands, creatures, and enchantments and you need them quickly. If you don't get the right pieces you quickly lose. To that end, I really like the lists that run Abundant Growth AND Manamorphose since they draw you a card and fix your mana. Otherwise it's down to good mulilgan decisions.
As for the flex slots, the list is pretty tight. I would say the core of the deck looks like this and you can fill in the rest.
Finally, Snake Umbra would be a card I would consider trying out if you want to bring this deck back. The card draw might be what's needed to keep up and out compete some of the current meta decks. Have fun!
I haven't seen too many decklists of Extended Pauper around. I had a look at the card pool this weekend and came up with some lists, mostly just legal versions of established archetypes and a couple of fun ones. Link to currently legal cards here.
What do people think are good decks for this format?
Hard to tell but I think you might enjoy a Tortured Existence deck. Fairly complex to play with a lot of interesting and strong-ish creatures. The lists I have might be a little out of date but you can take them as a starting off point if you think they look appealing. Golgari Existence Rocky Horror
Domain Zoo would be another option if you wanted something a bit more on the aggro side of things.
G/W Slivers will still be a rogue deck after the downgrades. Horned Sliver could be nice in some niche situations (sideboard card?) but it won't elevate Slivers beyond where it already sits.
Trampling/Evasion is pretty important to be able to win through chump blocks. I agree with LordSaturn that you should drop black. If you are going to run blue, consider Distortion Strike and Dispel. With the Pauper fetch-lands for fixing perhaps Adventuring Gear would help you get more of a benefit out of them.
If you decide on mono-green there is Predator's Strike for more trample and Phytoburst to quickly win you the game.
In either case, the sideboard should have 2-3 Corpse Cur to bring in against removal-heavy decks.
I will probably play with some kind of UG Madness, my favourite rogue Pauper deck so the Cat deck should at least be competitive against that. If it helps, here is what I'm currently thinking of building.
I tried out the Cat deck in the JFF room and it seems to be working okay against a variety of strategies (Burn, Graveyard Delve, Aggro). Steppe Lynx and Wild Nacatl are nicely aggressive with the fetch lands helping out their power. Sunspear Shikari has been surprisingly effective. With Bonesplitter the 4/2 first striking life-linked attacker/blocker has saved me a number of times. Kor Skyfisher provides some utility with land drops, card draw, and Flayer Husk as well as evasion when necessary.
The Lightning Bolt and Tribal Flames should be enough to blow anybody up and often provide the reach to seal the game.
I tried out a few other cards in the deck. Skyhunter Cub seemed great for a while as a 5/3 flyer but other things usually took equipment priority. Leonin Skyhunter was hard to cast and Kor Skyfisher just seemed better even though it is not a cat. Leonin Armorguard I never got to cast him and the effect doesn't seem that good anyway. Rubblebelt Maaka felt like a hard-to-hit Lightning Bolt in most situations. Fortify was never helpful and awkward to leave up. Bant Panorama landfall was not always happening when needed so these are additional fetches.
Considerations: Trinket Mage since I'm not sure about Treasure Cruise in this deck, maybe Trinket Mage would be more useful as it could find equipment, sideboard cards (e.g., Executioner's Capsule), and a Tree of Tales or two for the Steppe Lynx. Also, a 2/2 is not irrelevant. Might of Alara, War Flare or Guardians' Pledge for an epic finish Matca Rioters as a big creature. Plated Geopede more landfall but that's not the most reliable part of the deck. Spore Frog could be a useful sideboard card with a favourable creature type. Pyroblast probably the "correct" sideboard card
I'm not looking to 4-0 a daily with this list but would like it to be competitive as possible before I put it into paper. Any ideas or suggests would be appreciated
I would consider the top 12 deck in Pauper atm to be:
1. Delver Fae
2. MBC
3. Burn
4. Goblins
5. Kuldotha Boros
6. Dimir Teachings
7. White Weenie
8. Eye Candy
9. RUG Tron
10. Counterburn
11. Hexproof Auras
12. Infect
So you could add Burn, Goblins, Kuldotha Boros, Dimir Teachings, Eye Candy, and Counterburn.
I would add in Eye Candy instead of one of the combo decks. I think GW Soul Sister is the 'worse' deck but Esper Familiars is more of a drag to play against.
Put in Goblins rather than the tribal Slivers (GW is a better version of this deck anyway).
Instead of UG Madness, which is not a great deck right now, how about a Burn or Counterburn list? If you need help making it more budget I'm sure people here have plenty of card replacement ideas. I guess Chain Lightning is the expensive card, perhaps Shard Volley instead?
Personally, I'd rather have a proper White Weenie list rather than the token variation, but it could be good to have at least one token deck I suppose.
Oh, and on Standard Bearer in GW Hexproof it comes in against Eye Candy, Infect, and the aura mirror.
Someone is maintaining an online legacy heirloom legality list last I checked. Cards rotate in and out every month based on price.
This is something similar to the last decks that were puting up results:
1 Blossoming Sands
14 Forest
2 Khalni Garden
Enchantments
4 Abundant Growth
3 Ancestral Mask
4 Armadillo Cloak
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Rancor
4 Utopia Sprawl
4 Aura Gnarlid
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Slippery Bogle
Spells
2 Commune with the Gods
2 Kruphix's Insight
1 Flaring Pain
3 Gleeful Sabotage
1 Hornet Sting
3 Moment's Peace
2 Relic of Progenitus
3 Scattershot Archer
2 Young Wolf
As you can see there is already a lot of cards trying to deal with the edict problem. Khalni Garden is being run main deck and there are two Young Wolf in the sideboard for no other reason. Scattershot Archer would also have been brought in, even though it is really there for other match ups i.e., Delver. A Crop Rotation package out of the sideboard could also be considered.
One issue that comes up playing Hexproof is that it is a bit like a combo deck with three pieces. You need lands, creatures, and enchantments and you need them quickly. If you don't get the right pieces you quickly lose. To that end, I really like the lists that run Abundant Growth AND Manamorphose since they draw you a card and fix your mana. Otherwise it's down to good mulilgan decisions.
As for the flex slots, the list is pretty tight. I would say the core of the deck looks like this and you can fill in the rest.
4 Abundant Growth
3 Ancestral Mask
4 Armadillo Cloak
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Rancor
3 Aura Gnarlid
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Slippery Bogle
Finally, Snake Umbra would be a card I would consider trying out if you want to bring this deck back. The card draw might be what's needed to keep up and out compete some of the current meta decks. Have fun!
What do people think are good decks for this format?
2 Mountain
4 Orzhov Guildgate
1 Plains
4 Rakdos Guildgate
9 Swamp
4 Bloodflow Connoisseur
4 Bloodthrone Vampire
2 Driver of the Dead
4 Goblin Arsonist
1 Ponyback Brigade
2 Smelt-Ward Gatekeepers
4 Sultai Emissary
4 Unruly Mob
4 Vulturous Aven
2 Bone Splinters
4 Lightning Strike
4 Tragic Slip
4 Blossoming Sands
14 Forest
1 Plains
Creatures
4 Ainok Bond-Kin
4 Ainok Guide
3 Crocanura
3 Hooting Mandrills
1 Longshot Squad
4 Servant of the Scale
4 Wandering Wolf
4 Young Wolf
4 Aspect of Hydra
2 Common Bond
3 Feat of Resistance
1 Giant Growth
3 Hunger of the Howlpack
1 Phytoburst
4 Dismal Backwater
4 Evolving Wilds
7 Island
7 Swamp
Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Gurmag Angler
2 Jeskai Sage
4 Sultai Scavenger
4 Anticipate
2 Calculated Dismissal
4 Cancel
2 Devour Flesh
4 Murder
4 Thought Scour
4 Tome Scour
8 Island
4 Izzet Guildgate
6 Mountain
4 Swiftwater Cliffs
Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Elusive Spellfist
2 Mage-Ring Bully
4 Nivix Cyclops
4 Anticipate
4 Artful Dodge
2 Dispel
4 Lightning Strike
2 Negate
4 Temur Battle Rage
4 Unsummon
4 Dimir Guildgate
3 Forest
4 Golgari Guildgate
3 Island
1 Radiant Fountain
4 Simic Guildgate
3 Swamp
4 Archaeomancer
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Gatecreeper Vine
2 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Mist Raven
4 Ravenous Rats
2 Saruli Gatekeepers
4 Ubul Sar Gatekeepers
2 Devour Flesh
4 Ghostly Flicker
3 Murder
4 Prophetic Prism
7 Forest
4 Golgari Guildgate
4 Jungle Hollow
7 Swamp
Creatures
4 Ancestral Statue
2 Bloodhunter Bat
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Invasive Species
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Young Wolf
4 Abundant Growth
1 Alchemist's Vial
3 Devour Flesh
4 Murder
4 Prophetic Prism
1 Haunted Fengraf
4 Orzhov Guildgate
6 Plains
4 Scoured Barrens
6 Swamp
4 Basilica Screecher
2 Kingpin's Pet
2 Ravenous Rats
4 Syndic of Tithes
3 Tithe Drinker
3 Celestial Flare
4 Contaminated Ground
4 Dead Weight
2 Font of Return
4 Murder
2 Tragic Slip
3 Victim of Night
4 Boros Guildgate
7 Mountain
5 Plains
4 Wind-Scarred Crag
Creatures
4 Akroan Crusader
4 Akroan Skyguard
4 Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
4 Satyr Hoplite
4 Ephemeral Shields
4 Gods Willing
3 Hammerhand
4 Infectious Bloodlust
1 Martial Glory
4 Titan's Strength
4 Twin Bolt
4 Blossoming Sands
9 Forest
3 Plains
4 Thornwood Falls
4 Abundant Growth
4 Conifer Strider
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Hopeful Eidolon
4 Primal Huntbeast
Spells
3 Aqueous Form
2 Commune with the Gods
4 Ethereal Armor
3 Forced Adaptation
4 Nylea's Presence
4 Spectral Flight
22 Swamp
Creatures
4 Black Cat
2 Disciple of Phenax
1 Eyeblight Assassin
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Gurmag Angler
2 Liliana's Shade
4 Ravenous Rats
3 Vulturous Aven
1 Dead Weight
4 Devour Flesh
4 Murder
4 Sign in Blood
3 Victim of Night
18 Island
4 Radiant Fountain
Creatures
2 Benthic Giant
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Frostburn Weird
3 Mist Raven
4 Anticipate
2 Calculated Dismissal
3 Cancel
4 Claustrophobia
1 Contradict
2 Enhanced Awareness
1 Essence Scatter
4 Think Twice
4 Unsummon
19 Plains
Creatures
2 Ampryn Tactician
4 Attended Knight
4 Doomed Traveler
4 Loyal Cathar
2 Mardu Hordechief
4 Selfless Cathar
4 Bonds of Faith
4 Fortify
3 Gather the Townsfolk
2 Kytheon's Tactics
4 Raise the Alarm
4 Triplicate Spirits
4 Island
3 Mountain
3 Plains
4 Swiftwater Cliffs
4 Tranquil Cove
4 Wind-Scarred Crag
4 Deputy of Acquittals
4 Efreet Weaponmaster
4 Frostburn Weird
4 Hussar Patrol
1 Maze Glider
1 Maze Rusher
1 Maze Sentinel
2 Brimstone Volley
1 Calculated Dismissal
4 Cancel
4 Celestial Flare
4 Lightning Strike
4 Think Twice
7 Forest
4 Gruul Guildgate
5 Mountain
4 Rugged Highlands
Creatures
1 Grizzled Outcasts
4 Hinterland Hermit
2 Tormented Pariah
4 Village Ironsmith
4 Villagers of Estwald
4 Young Wolf
2 Brimstone Volley
4 Hunger of the Howlpack
4 Infectious Bloodlust
4 Lightning Strike
4 Moonmist
3 Searing Spear
Golgari Existence
Rocky Horror
Domain Zoo would be another option if you wanted something a bit more on the aggro side of things.
Skyhunter Skirmisher
Telling Time
Thrummingbird
Vigean Graftmage
Ghostly Changeling
Plagued Rusalka
Thief of Hope
Scion of the Wild
Gut Shot
Inner-Flame Igniter
Dragonsoul Knight
Viashino Slaughtermaster
Alloy Myr
Cathodion
Runed Servitor
Sickleslicer
Sphere of the Suns
Barbed Sliver
Bottle Gnomes
Elven Rite
Horned Sliver
Mnemonic Sliver
Patchwork Gnomes
Skyshaper
Staunch Defenders
Telethopter
Verdigris
Whispers of the Muse
If you decide on mono-green there is Predator's Strike for more trample and Phytoburst to quickly win you the game.
In either case, the sideboard should have 2-3 Corpse Cur to bring in against removal-heavy decks.
They like:
- Cats and Frogs
- "Blowing ***** up"
- Life gain
- Some synergy between the card
I thought the Domain Zoo list would be the best shell to meet these criteria so here's what I came up with.
4 Steppe Lynx
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Sunspear Shikari
4 Qasali Pridemage
Spells
4 Bonesplitter
1 Flayer Husk
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Nylea's Presence
4 Tribal Flames
3 Treasure Cruise
4 Evolving Wilds
4 Forest
1 Island
1 Mountain
5 Plains
1 Swamp
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Viridian Longbow
1 Electrickery
1 Journey to Nowhere
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Chainer's Edict
1 Flaring Pain
2 Nacatl Outlander
2 Prismatic Strands
I will probably play with some kind of UG Madness, my favourite rogue Pauper deck so the Cat deck should at least be competitive against that. If it helps, here is what I'm currently thinking of building.
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Basking Rootwalla
4 Wild Mongrel
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
4 Arrogant Wurm
Spells
1 Bonesplitter
4 Brainstorm
4 Careful Study
2 Daze
3 Snap
4 Circular Logic
2 Gush
2 Treasure Cruise
4 Evolving Wilds
4 Forest
6 Island
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Dispel
2 Hydroblast
1 Scattershot Archer
2 Gleeful Sabotage
2 Moment's Peace
2 Curse of Chains
2 Stormbound Geist
Not completely sold on the Ninja and Gush but that's where it's at the moment.
Maybe -2 Ninja and +2 Gathan Raiders or +1 Merfolk Looter, +1 Waterfront Bouncer.
Maybe -2 Gush and +2 Deep Analysis
I tried out the Cat deck in the JFF room and it seems to be working okay against a variety of strategies (Burn, Graveyard Delve, Aggro). Steppe Lynx and Wild Nacatl are nicely aggressive with the fetch lands helping out their power. Sunspear Shikari has been surprisingly effective. With Bonesplitter the 4/2 first striking life-linked attacker/blocker has saved me a number of times. Kor Skyfisher provides some utility with land drops, card draw, and Flayer Husk as well as evasion when necessary.
The Lightning Bolt and Tribal Flames should be enough to blow anybody up and often provide the reach to seal the game.
For the sideboard I'm less sure. The only cards that have been of any use so far are the Journey to Nowhere and Chainer's Edict.
I tried out a few other cards in the deck.
Skyhunter Cub seemed great for a while as a 5/3 flyer but other things usually took equipment priority.
Leonin Skyhunter was hard to cast and Kor Skyfisher just seemed better even though it is not a cat.
Leonin Armorguard I never got to cast him and the effect doesn't seem that good anyway.
Rubblebelt Maaka felt like a hard-to-hit Lightning Bolt in most situations.
Fortify was never helpful and awkward to leave up.
Bant Panorama landfall was not always happening when needed so these are additional fetches.
Considerations:
Trinket Mage since I'm not sure about Treasure Cruise in this deck, maybe Trinket Mage would be more useful as it could find equipment, sideboard cards (e.g., Executioner's Capsule), and a Tree of Tales or two for the Steppe Lynx. Also, a 2/2 is not irrelevant.
Might of Alara, War Flare or Guardians' Pledge for an epic finish
Matca Rioters as a big creature.
Plated Geopede more landfall but that's not the most reliable part of the deck.
Spore Frog could be a useful sideboard card with a favourable creature type.
Pyroblast probably the "correct" sideboard card
I'm not looking to 4-0 a daily with this list but would like it to be competitive as possible before I put it into paper. Any ideas or suggests would be appreciated
1. Delver Fae
2. MBC
3. Burn
4. Goblins
5. Kuldotha Boros
6. Dimir Teachings
7. White Weenie
8. Eye Candy
9. RUG Tron
10. Counterburn
11. Hexproof Auras
12. Infect
So you could add Burn, Goblins, Kuldotha Boros, Dimir Teachings, Eye Candy, and Counterburn.
I would add in Eye Candy instead of one of the combo decks. I think GW Soul Sister is the 'worse' deck but Esper Familiars is more of a drag to play against.
Put in Goblins rather than the tribal Slivers (GW is a better version of this deck anyway).
Instead of UG Madness, which is not a great deck right now, how about a Burn or Counterburn list? If you need help making it more budget I'm sure people here have plenty of card replacement ideas. I guess Chain Lightning is the expensive card, perhaps Shard Volley instead?
Personally, I'd rather have a proper White Weenie list rather than the token variation, but it could be good to have at least one token deck I suppose.
Oh, and on Standard Bearer in GW Hexproof it comes in against Eye Candy, Infect, and the aura mirror.