So you want a deck to play, well the best resource I’ve found to be is MTG Goldfish as it collates the deck lists for winning decks on a handy page, you can then look at similar decks to see if there is a consensus to which is the better build.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/pauper#paper

And now the first problem, you’ve the fifteen most popular decks looking back at you, if you click on view more then you have twenty five decks all of which are entirely playable.

If you’ve been playing Magic the Gathering for a while you will probably find something you like the look of to play. MTG Goldfish will give you an idea of the approximate cost to purchase from scratch on MTGO or in paper, though be aware postage costs can be high if you need to acquire from multiple sellers.

However, if you are looking to dip your toe into the format I do have some advice.

If you’ve a sizeable collection maybe you can just put a net deck  together from what you own ? When I started I found I had two decks available to me just from what I’d played in the previous years or had lurking around in folders. Even if the deck isn’t complete you’ll probably find the few missing cards aren’t going to cost you a lot.

If you are going to be playing instore check in with the community, Pauper players tend to be a friendly lot and as the decks are relatively inexpensive may well have several decks to chose from . You may well find someone has a spare they can lend you.

Still stuck on your deck choice ? Let me help.

Are you new to Magic or just new to Pauper ?

If new to Magic then two decks stand out

Mono Green Stompy, this is an effective deck which is simple to play but a bit harder to master. It is literally turn creatures sideways and swing, making your opponent make the majority of the decisions as you go for the quick kill.

Mono Black Control is another viable option, this is very forgiving deck that has stood the test of time. Mono Black also has so many card options to switch it up and change things around if you so desire. This deck works by playing Gray Merchant of Asphodel onto the battlefield with plenty of non and permanents and counting the black mana symbols to have life total swings to finish the game.

Both of these two decks are relatively inexpensive.

However, if you have some experience in Magic then you may want something a bit more challenging and push you. Boros is a fun deck that utilises the Monarch mechanic to draw cards and eventually overwhelm your opponent.

I’m happy to recommend all three decks as my wife Rachel is skilled with Stompy and I count the latter two decks amongst my favourites.

And now for easy refence popular versions of each deck.

Sample Stompy Deck

• 4 Burning-Tree Emissary
• 4 Nest Invader
• 4 Nettle Sentinel
• 3 Quirion Ranger
• 3 River Boa
• 2 Silhana Ledgewalker
• 3 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
• 3 Vault Skirge

• 4 Savage Swipe
• 4 Hunger of the Howlpack
• 3 Vines of Vastwood
• 2 Elephant Guide
• 4 Rancor

• 17 Forest

Sideboard

• 1 Epic Confrontation
• 3 Gleeful Sabotage
• 3 Gut Shot
• 2 Relic of Progenitus
• 3 Viridian Longbow
• 3 Weather the Storm

Sample Mono Black Control Deck

• 4 Bone Picker
• 4 Chittering Rats
• 2 Cuombajj Witches
• 4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 4 Phyrexian Rager

• 4 Chainer’s Edict
• 4 Duress
• 4 Sign in Blood
• 2 Unearth
• 2 Cast Down
• 4 Defile

• 2 Barren Moor
• 2 Bojuka Bog
• 18 Swamp

Sideboard

• 4 Choking Sands
• 3 Divest
• 2 Nihil Spellbomb
• 2 Suffocating Fumes
• 2 Tendrils of Corruption
• 2 Wrench Mind

Sample Boros Monarch Deck

• 1 Guardian of the Guildpact
• 3 Palace Sentinels
• 4 Seeker of the Way
• 4 Squadron Hawk
• 4 Thraben Inspector

• 4 Battle Screech
• 4 Faithless Looting
• 1 Firebolt
• 1 Electrickery
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Prismatic Strands
• 2 Rally the Peasants
• 2 Journey to Nowhere
• 1 Oblivion Ring

• 1 Ash Barrens
• 4 Boros Garrison
• 5 Mountain
• 7 Plains
• 4 Wind-Scarred Crag

Sideboard

• 1 Electrickery
• 1 Aura Fracture
• 1 Flaring Pain
• 2 Gorilla Shaman
• 2 Lone Missionary
• 3 Molten Rain
• 4 Pyroblast
• 1 Shenanigans