The Princes of Pauper

Rich reports on his Top 8 appearance in NYC's Season 6 invitational with WallsSpy while the Dark Prince gives expert input on the construction of the deck, which deck he would've played, and the overall state of the meta.

If you're reading this, you already know what this podcast is (mostly) about. But who are the winners (and sadly losers) with the coming of cards like Vandalblast and Baleful Strix? The Princes have opinions. Boy do they have opinions on this one...

Join Rich and Mike for a Tuesday night League at Hex and Company! Kinda sorta a live tournament report. The Princes both play Mike's 20-land Mono-Red deck but also talk about 2x Eternal World Champion Roland Chang's different (and beautifully foiled Mono-Blue deck) and say goodbye to League stalwart Sophia Han.

"Include your Madness list so we don't get yelled at." -Rich "Okay." -Mike //

4 Faithless Looting 4 Lava Dart 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Grab the Prize 4 Sazacap's Brew 4 Kessig Flamebreather 4 Sneaky Snacker 4 Guttersnipe 4 Fiery Temper 4 Fireblast 20 Mountain sideboard: 2 End the Festivities 4 Pyroblast 1 Red Elemental Blast 4 Cast Into the Fire 4 Searing Blaze

Rich is joined by Will Lupica for a deep dive on his vaunted Gruul Tokens deck that went undefeated in the Paupergenesis Swiss. Decklist: https://mtgdecks.net/Pauper/gruul-tokens-decklist-by-willlupi-3020142

Rich and Mike are back from the inaugural PauperGenesis and have lots of fun stories (and some Pauper strategy) to share. For example Mike's prophetic Smokestack [not legal in Pauper] dream, that nevertheless was the talk of the tournament. How to correctly sideboard in Mono-Red Madness. What cards to side out in Walls Spy. Whether Rich is going to League later today (spoilers, the Mayor said not to). And. So. Much. More.

Remember that time the Princes got specifically Hawkeye's Bow banned in Pauper? Yeah, well... Neither do we. See you at PauperGenesis!

In case you've been living under The Rock, there is a new weapon from Marvel Super Heroes that threatens to warp the Pauper format. This episode starts with Mike and Rich talking about some of the different Hawkeye's Bow decks but then descends into an issue of What If? regarding the upcoming PauperGenesis. PauperGenesis in just a couple of weeks is going to be the largest Pauper event ever outside of Italy. The Princes believe that at its best an event like this (co-organized by our own Jenn the Judge mind you) can help recreate what Jenn has done so lovingly in New York City... But maybe not if Hawkeye's Bow is legal. Ideally you'd want to see the breadth of the Pauper format, a battle between Terrors and Guttersnipes; or a cool new combo deck like Ruby Storm that comes completely out of left field. Pauper has mid-range. Pauper has pure aggro. Pauper has Mono-Blue with only four hard counters... For newcomers to buy into what makes Pauper so great, we believe we want to see that in action at the top tables and the Top 8... Not just a splashy new combo that is about to get banned. Hawkeye's Bow has already won 100% of the MTGO Challenges that have occurred since the card has become legal, and the Princes outline at least 3-4 different takes on building it in just this episode, a mere two days since it's become legal in paper. Our conclusion? Our plea? Ban Hawkeye's Bow before PauperGenesis. Thanks!

Mike is reminded by his old Star City broadcasts partner Joey Pasco that a Mono-Red Madness primer was promised way back in the first episode of The Princes of Pauper! So our Princes go down the road of one of their favorite decks. It's all Guttersnipes and Fireblasts in this one. Is Voldaren Epicure the weakest card? How do you contend with combo? Find out in The Mono-Red Madness Deep Dive! Here's a link to Mike's most recent list: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/michaelflores-04022026-revisiting-my-pauper-burn-deck

Mike and his triad are victorious in Hex and Co's Team Trios Event! Mike played Walls Spy so the Princes put their heads together and deep dive on a deck they both know and love. Mike also takes a little foray into goldfishing Ruby Storm, which he has only played one game of (but HAS watched Jon Finkel goldfish)! Mike's Spy article on Coolstuff: https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/michaelflores-04102026-a-deep-dive-on-pauper-walls-spy Rich's Spy List: https://moxfield.com/decks/zDlcEVO4NEa2UUn7_9BwvA Mike's Ruby Storm List: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYAHW2xgLBo/

Mike is Back! Rich is victorious (in one format at least), and the Princes talk Pauper metagame post Paupergeddon! Rich's Wall Spy: https://melee.gg/Decklist/View/1b54f448-f7a4-4129-bb7b-b4220066b0f9 Ruby Storm by Data Pusher: https://moxfield.com/decks/05NObETYKUSEh3cPUE0EKA

Rich sits down with Kalikaiz who very patiently explains how Pauper Familiars works to a clueless Rich. They talk the different flavors of Fams, tricky Fams lines, and how you too can break into one of Pauper's most rewarding archetypes. Fams list: https://moxfield.com/decks/a__QgyuLsU-JsewyCLXBmw Kalikaiz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/kalikaiz

New York Pauper League Champion Colin Hostetter joins Rich this week: They talk about the innovative Synth Gates deck that Colin used to take down Season 4. Colin beat Mike so badly in the League playoffs that Mike didn't show up for this one, but will grudgingly add some links that Rich asked him to ("for the listeners, before they ask" or something). Colin's deck list: https://melee.gg/Decklist/View/26efb639-a9a0-4a55-8beb-b3f101529475 The Upstate New York Pauper Open: https://www.spicerack.gg/events/3008876 "Are they paying us for this?" -Mike "No Mike, no one is paying us." -Rich "Shrug emoji." -Mike

It's an emergency episode of The Princes of Pauper! Rich has ended his damnable streak, defeating Mike at League... and wants everybody to know about it! Dimir is the best, Mike is the worst. As Mike has found an all-new way to lose (this time with the Wall Spy combo deck) we've added a classic episode, a la Ancestral Recall to this very special episode.

"Elves is terrible!" says the Light Prince*. "Another 1-2!" agrees the Dark Prince**. Such The Princes of Pauper has become a hotbed of Elves slander. Yet... Elves is one of the most popular decks in League play, recently won a Large SCGCon event, etc. Might Rich and Mike be missing something good about the Little Green Men? So we enlist absolute Elves assassin Bill Ellis!! for a deep dive on one of the most powerful and popular decks in Pauper (just one that hasn't served us quite yet). * Listen to the podcast! ** See the above note.

Mike takes a victory lap after his first-place finish at The NYCIS Heavy Play Championship (which, was, in fact, one-third Pauper; Mike played Dimir Terror). This episode scratches the surface of the Pauper Elves experience from both Mike's perspective and Rich's, updates and innovations to decksandthecity.org (shout out to Mike Evans) and is mostly an avalanche of love and admiration for the NYC Pauper community. Did we mention Mike won the big one though?

In the vein of Ancestral Recall Mike starts out with the ancient mother ship article "UB Trippin'" and then challenges Rich to apply it to contemporary Pauper. How does the 1997 "Xerox" strategy innovated by Hall of Famer Alan Comer inform not just Dimir Terror... But so many great decks in Pauper? Find out, and how not to cast an Arms of Hadar in our latest podcast.

So Rich lent Mike his Mono-Blue Terror deck for a recent League tournament... To great result. Mike is hooked on playing Brainstorm and Counterspell again (not to mention casting "cantrip Black Lotuses") in one of the Pauper format's most popular decks. Check out this deep dive, Rich's recent innovations (goodbye Delver of Secrets) and Mike's unhinged plan for the mirror match.

Sometimes-professional Magic: The Gathering player Mike Flores joins professional game designer Rich Bucey on an adventure into "the people's format" ... Pauper! Join Mike and Rich as they battle week in and week out in one of Magic's best formats, armed with commons. What makes people love Pauper? We think this episode might tell you. Or at least why we love it!

Mike wins a Premodern meetup with the popular Control strategy. Learn all about this important deck, from Magic's bestest format.