A Dependency Lesson

Vs.

Which card makes more zombies?

As long as you have four mana Unhallowed immediately gives you two zombies regardless of the situation. How many does Ranks give you? It depends. That means dependency and dependency is bad.

With Ranks, if you have at least two other zombies in play then you get another one during your next upkeep. Having two zombies on the battlefield isn't exactly a monumental achievement, but it's more difficult than you might expect.

Your playing a zombie deck so you should have plenty of zombies right? Not necessarily. You need to save room for Doom Blades. Maybe some Grasp of Darkness and Distress. You could just cut all these good cards for wimpy zombies to help feed Ranks but that's a bad idea. Don't swap out generally powerful cards for generally weak ones.

Zombies die a lot too. Creatures attack and block. Shock, Oblivion Ring, Day of Judgment, etc. will wipe out your undead servants, especially if your opponent sees Ranks on the table. Assuming you do manage to keep two zombies on the battlefield, then during your next upkeep you get one zombie - half as many as Unhallowed and a turn slower.

If you play another zombie and if none of your zombies die then during your next upkeep you will make two more zombies meaning after meeting all these requirements and waiting two turns Ranks finally makes one more zombie than Unhallowed.

Once you get this far with Ranks things are looking up! Barring a combat calamity or board sweeper you're probably going to get even more zombies. If your opponent hasn't killed you by now or hasn't deployed an army of Titans, then you might win. Zombies will spew forth. Two, four, six, eight, the possibilities are endless! Beware of cards that say "If you are already winning then you win by more. If you are losing then you still lose".

While Endless Ranks of the Dead is tempting, Moan of the Unhallowed will provide more zombies a majority of the time. I imagine if you cast each card ten times it would go something like this (warning: made up stats follow): Casting Unhallowed ten times will give you 20 zombies plus 4 for flashing it back twice. Ranks will give you zero zombies half the the time, one zombie three times, two once and ten once. Much worse.

One more thing. You're playing Cemetery Reaper and Call to the Grave right? These cards require zombies to work at full strength so put in cards that make zombies (Unhallowed) instead of requiring more (Ranks).

Merry Christmas!

May you get Magic cards.

Removal, Briefly

"Removal is a spell or ability that is used to remove permanents from play" (MTG Salvation). Removal is a form of disruption. Unlike countermagic and discard, it can be used "after the fact" and unlike bounce, it's effects are permanent.

Many permanents have a huge effect on the game. A Grave Titan cannot be ignored. Olivia Voldaren or Jace, the Mind Sculptor will win a game given enough time. These cards are bombs; removal is the the anti-bomb. A Baneslayer Angel is extremely powerful, and so is the Doom Blade that takes her down.

To show up to a match without removal is to say you aren't concerned about your opponent's permanents. This is almost always a bad idea. No matter what your plan is, there will be permanents that will defeat you if not dealt with. Yes, bring your bombs, but bring your anti-bombs too.

Pauper Top Decks: Delver Edition

It's been a while since my original Pauper Top Deck Averages article, and it's high time for an update!

For my Top Decks articles I calculate averages of the most successful decks according to the MTGO Daily Events. Today's update uses a much smaller data set than the original, but all of the data is fresh. This data set spans 44 Constructed Pauper Daily Events from Dec 5th to Dec 14th. Every deck that scored 3-1 or better in those events is included. There were 403 decks total.

Let's jump in!

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#1 White Weenie	count: 52
-- main -- 20.6 Plains 2.9 Benevolent Bodyguard 2.9 Guardian of the Guildpact 3.8 Icatian Javelineers 2.7 Kor Sanctifiers 4.0 Kor Skyfisher 4.0 Razor Golem 4.0 Squadron Hawk 3.7 Suture Priest 3.6 Bonesplitter 2.6 Journey to Nowhere 2.3 Prismatic Strands 2.5 Unmake 0.3 Knight of Sursi 0.7 Leonin Skyhunter 0.4 Lone Missionary 0.2 Order of Leitbur 0.3 Secluded Steppe 0.2 Mana Tithe	-- sideboard -- 1.7 Benevolent Unicorn 2.7 Crimson Acolyte 2.4 Dust to Dust 2.8 Holy Light 1.8 Standard Bearer 0.7 Obsidian Acolyte 0.2 Serrated Arrows

White Weenie is still the deck to beat. I find it hard to hate on this honest deck.

#2 Goblins	count: 47
-- main -- 16.4 Mountain 0.4 Teetering Peaks 4.0 Goblin Bushwhacker 4.0 Goblin Cohort 3.9 Goblin Sledder 3.9 Mogg Conscripts 3.2 Mogg Flunkies 3.8 Mogg Raider 3.9 Mogg War Marshal 3.2 Sparksmith 3.6 Chain Lightning 2.0 Death Spark 1.0 Fireblast 4.0 Lightning Bolt 1.0 Jackal Familiar 1.4 Goblin Arsonist	-- sideboard -- 1.7 Flaring Pain 2.2 Gorilla Shaman 3.1 Pyroblast 2.4 Seismic Shudder 1.6 Smash to Smithereens 1.1 Sylvok Lifestaff 0.3 Flame Jab 0.6 Flame Slash 0.3 Molten Rain 0.5 Raze 0.3 Martyr of Ashes

Goblins are back! To be fair, they weren't really missing, but they're up from #6 to #2. Moving right along...

#3 Blue Control

count: 45

-- main -- 16.8 Island 1.2 Quicksand 3.5 Cloud of Faeries 3.9 Delver of Secrets 3.7 Ninja of the Deep Hours 0.3 Pestermite 3.8 Spellstutter Sprite 3.2 Brainstorm 4.0 Counterspell 0.4 Deprive 3.1 Force Spike 3.0 Gitaxian Probe 0.7 Piracy Charm 3.3 Snap 1.1 Think Twice 1.2 Spire Golem 1.0 Exclude 2.1 Preordain 0.3 Opt 0.9 Phantasmal Bear 0.4 Stitched Drake 0.4 Gush 0.6 Daze 0.3 Accumulated Knowledge

-- sideboard -- 3.6 Echoing Truth 3.3 Hydroblast 0.2 Relic of Progenitus 0.9 Sea Sprite 1.1 Dispel 0.7 Serrated Arrows 2.6 Weatherseed Faeries 0.2 Disrupt 0.5 Boomerang 0.5 Curse of Chains 0.7 Steel Sabotage

Who's that in monoblue control? With 3.9 copies of Delver of Secrets, the only spell people use more in this deck is Counterspell.

#4 Affinity

count: 39

-- main -- 4.0 Great Furnace 4.0 Seat of the Synod 3.8 Tree of Tales 3.9 Vault of Whispers 4.0 Atog 3.8 Carapace Forger 3.8 Disciple of the Vault 4.0 Frogmite 4.0 Myr Enforcer 1.1 Chromatic Sphere 4.0 Chromatic Star 1.5 Fling 4.0 Galvanic Blast 0.5 Scale of Chiss-Goria 3.7 Springleaf Drum 4.0 Thoughtcast 0.8 Ancient Den 1.3 Somber Hoverguard 1.2 Prophetic Prism 0.4 Rush of Knowledge 1.2 Darksteel Citadel 0.2 Terrarion

-- sideboard -- 1.0 Ancient Grudge 0.3 Auriok Sunchaser 3.0 Duress 1.4 Gorilla Shaman 2.6 Hydroblast 2.9 Krark-Clan Shaman 0.7 Raze 1.4 Pyroblast 1.1 Scar

Affinity still puts up good numbers. Hasn't changed much since metalcraft.

#5 Infect	count: 33
-- main -- 16.3 Forest 4.0 Blight Mamba 2.0 Cystbearer 4.0 Glistener Elf 4.0 Ichorclaw Myr 3.7 Groundswell 3.9 Invigorate 1.9 Lotus Petal 3.6 Mutagenic Growth 4.0 Rancor 1.0 Ranger's Guile 4.0 Vines of Vastwood 1.3 Tranquil Thicket 2.1 Apostle's Blessing 2.3 Predator's Strike 1.4 Gitaxian Probe 0.2 Land Grant 0.2 Llanowar Augur 0.2 Briar Shield	-- sideboard -- 2.6 Hornet Sting 2.7 Nature's Claim 1.4 Rot Wolf 2.6 Sandstorm 1.4 Corpse Cur 0.8 Viridian Longbow 0.5 Fog 0.4 Gather Courage 0.5 Leeching Bite 0.2 Scattershot Archer

Infect is down from #3. Still a decent chunk of the field, and still all but replaced mono green stompy.

#6 UR Post

count: 28

-- main -- 4.0 Cloudpost 4.0 Glimmerpost 8.0 Island 5.5 Mountain 1.3 Terramorphic Expanse 0.8 Mnemonic Wall 2.9 Mulldrifter 1.8 Sea Gate Oracle 1.0 Capsize 1.2 Compulsive Research 2.3 Condescend 0.9 Counterspell 1.0 Deep Analysis 1.0 Firebolt 2.9 Flame Slash 1.1 Forbidden Alchemy 2.6 Lightning Bolt 1.8 Mystical Teachings 0.9 Negate 3.0 Preordain 0.6 Prohibit 3.5 Prophetic Prism 1.1 Rolling Thunder 0.4 Staggershock 0.4 Izzet Boilerworks 0.5 Echoing Truth 0.4 Evolving Wilds 0.6 Expedition Map 1.5 Mana Leak 0.4 Mysteries of the Deep 0.8 Steamcore Weird 0.4 Think Twice

-- sideboard -- 1.5 Ancient Grudge 1.0 Curfew 0.3 Geistflame 2.2 Hydroblast 2.6 Pyroblast 1.9 Seismic Shudder 0.4 Serrated Arrows 1.1 Ulamog's Crusher 0.4 Dispel 1.5 Earth Rift 0.5 Shattering Pulse 1.2 Stone Rain 0.2 Piracy Charm 0.2 Gorilla Shaman

My data gets a little weird here. For some reason the UR Post decks split in two. They look pretty similar. It might have split because of a variety of quantity diffs (one set uses 3 of this and 1 of that and vice versa). The bulk of the diffs might actually be in the sideboard. In any case, the sum of the two sets is an impressive 41 decks which would place UR Post as a whole around #4.

#7 Storm	count: 18
-- main -- 6.6 Island 4.2 Mountain 2.6 Terramorphic Expanse 3.9 Goblin Bushwhacker 3.9 Brainstorm 4.0 Desperate Ritual 4.0 Empty the Warrens 3.8 Gitaxian Probe 2.2 Gush 2.8 Lava Dart 3.6 Lotus Petal 4.0 Ponder 4.0 Preordain 4.0 Rite of Flame 3.9 Seething Song 0.4 Pyretic Ritual 2.7 Manamorphose 1.4 Evolving Wilds 0.6 Forgotten Cave	-- sideboard -- 0.8 Deep Analysis 3.3 Dispel 1.2 Echoing Truth 3.2 Hydroblast 0.6 Goblin Sledder 1.4 Flaring Pain 1.2 Pyroblast 0.7 Gorilla Shaman

Storm. No comment.

#8 Red Storm	count: 17
-- main -- 4.0 Forgotten Cave 11.0 Mountain 4.0 Goblin Bushwhacker 4.0 Kiln Fiend 4.0 Desperate Ritual 4.0 Empty the Warrens 0.9 Fireblast 4.0 Gitaxian Probe 4.0 Lava Dart 3.6 Lotus Petal 4.0 Manamorphose 4.0 Rite of Flame 2.6 Seal of Fire 2.0 Seething Song 4.0 Spark Spray 0.8 Pyretic Ritual	-- sideboard -- 2.0 Flaring Pain 3.5 Gorilla Shaman 3.9 Martyr of Ashes 3.3 Mogg Raider 0.6 Goblin Sledder 0.2 Smash to Smithereens 0.4 Pyroblast

An aggro/Storm hybrid. But mostly Storm.

#9 Grapeshot Storm	count: 16
-- main -- 3.3 Ancient Spring 2.6 Geothermal Crevice 2.4 Irrigation Ditch 4.0 Sulfur Vent 3.6 Cabal Ritual 3.4 Chromatic Star 4.0 Dark Ritual 3.9 Empty the Warrens 3.8 Grapeshot 3.2 Ideas Unbound 4.0 Lotus Petal 4.0 Manamorphose 2.2 Ponder 0.8 Preordain 4.0 Rite of Flame 0.6 Seething Song 3.2 Sign in Blood 1.5 Goblin Bushwhacker 2.0 Chromatic Sphere 1.1 Compulsive Research 3.3 Gitaxian Probe	-- sideboard -- 2.1 Deep Analysis 2.9 Duress 1.8 Echoing Truth 1.7 Flaring Pain 0.8 Shred Memory 0.8 Izzet Boilerworks 1.0 Pyroblast 0.8 Spark Spray 0.4 Innocent Blood 0.2 Riot Spikes 0.2 Holy Day 0.2 Unsummon

The large change in lands splits this one off from the other Storm build. This one also uses Grapeshot.

#10 Delver Aggro	count: 15
-- main -- 15.9 Island 4.0 Delver of Secrets 4.0 Phantasmal Bear 4.0 Porcelain Legionnaire 2.5 Stitched Drake 4.0 Counterspell 4.0 Daze 3.4 Dispel 2.1 Echoing Truth 4.0 Gitaxian Probe 2.8 Gush 4.0 Piracy Charm 4.0 Preordain 1.1 Snap 0.3 Opt 1.9 Vapor Snag	-- sideboard -- 1.1 Annul 4.0 Hydroblast 1.7 Ninja of the Deep Hours 2.3 Perilous Myr 0.3 Curse of Chains 1.5 Steel Sabotage 0.7 Serrated Arrows 0.4 Diminish

What is this? "Delver Control" was really just the old monoblue control deck with 4 copies of Delver, but this really looks like something different. This is what they call "tempo". It's very fast aggro backed up with a bunch of countermagic. The low mana curve and cantrips allow a low land count. I pronounce this deck of the month.

#11 UR Post V2

count: 13

-- main -- 4.0 Cloudpost 4.0 Glimmerpost 8.5 Island 5.1 Mountain 1.2 Terramorphic Expanse 3.5 Mulldrifter 0.8 Ulamog's Crusher 1.0 Capsize 3.5 Compulsive Research 1.5 Deep Analysis 1.5 Echoing Truth 1.2 Expedition Map 2.5 Firebolt 3.5 Flame Slash 1.4 Geistflame 0.7 Negate 2.5 Prohibit 3.8 Prophetic Prism 1.0 Rolling Thunder 0.5 Mana Leak 3.1 Preordain 0.2 Izzet Boilerworks 0.5 Mnemonic Wall 1.1 Condescend 0.4 Counterspell 1.2 Lightning Bolt 0.6 Mystical Teachings 0.7 Evolving Wilds 0.4 Serrated Arrows 0.3 Sea Gate Oracle

-- sideboard -- 1.7 Earth Rift 1.7 Gorilla Shaman 3.2 Hydroblast 3.6 Pyroblast 2.5 Stone Rain 1.0 Seismic Shudder 0.2 Fade Away

Here's the other UR Post.

#12 G Post	count: 9
-- main -- 4.0 Cloudpost 11.8 Forest 4.0 Glimmerpost 0.7 Quicksand 3.7 Tranquil Thicket 4.0 Aurochs Herd 2.7 Llanowar Elves 4.0 Llanowar Sentinel 4.0 Overgrown Battlement 3.3 Penumbra Spider 2.7 Ulamog's Crusher 3.0 Wall of Roots 4.0 Serrated Arrows 2.6 Sprout Swarm 3.2 Thermokarst 0.3 Fangren Marauder 0.3 Fierce Empath 0.7 Wall of Tanglecord 0.2 Crop Rotation 1.1 Reap and Sow	-- sideboard -- 3.2 Gleeful Sabotage 4.0 Matsu-Tribe Sniper 3.1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss 4.0 Sandstorm 0.3 Grazing Gladehart

G Post maintains it spot near the bottom of the Top Decks.

#13 UB Post

count: 7

-- main -- 4.0 Cloudpost 4.0 Glimmerpost 7.0 Island 2.7 Shimmering Grotto 4.6 Swamp 1.3 Terramorphic Expanse 0.9 Mnemonic Wall 3.7 Mulldrifter 1.1 Ulamog's Crusher 1.9 Agony Warp 1.0 Capsize 2.7 Condescend 1.4 Counterspell 1.0 Diabolic Edict 1.9 Doom Blade 3.0 Echoing Decay 1.0 Grim Harvest 4.0 Innocent Blood 1.0 Kaervek's Torch 0.7 Mana Leak 0.3 Mysteries of the Deep 2.0 Mystical Teachings 2.6 Preordain 2.6 Probe 3.0 Prophetic Prism 1.0 Forbidden Alchemy 0.4 Bojuka Bog 0.3 Prohibit 0.3 Twisted Abomination 0.6 Accumulated Knowledge

-- sideboard -- 1.7 Augur of Skulls 2.6 Dispel 3.1 Duress 0.9 Fade Away 1.7 Nausea 1.7 Weatherseed Faeries 0.6 Calcite Snapper 0.4 Hydroblast 0.3 Serrated Arrows

This looks a bit different too. I built a GB Post deck recently and I'm glad to see a somewhat similar idea here. Cloudpost is so powerful.

#14 Familar Storm	count: 6
-- main -- 3.0 Azorius Chancery 3.0 Dimir Aqueduct 2.3 Evolving Wilds 6.8 Island 2.0 Plains 1.7 Swamp 3.0 Terramorphic Expanse 4.0 Cloud of Faeries 1.0 Mnemonic Wall 3.0 Mulldrifter 4.0 Nightscape Familiar 3.0 Sea Gate Oracle 4.0 Sunscape Familiar 4.0 Compulsive Research 3.0 Deep Analysis 1.8 Foresee 1.3 Scarscale Ritual 4.0 Snap 2.0 Springleaf Drum 3.0 Temporal Fissure	-- sideboard -- 0.3 Benevolent Unicorn 1.0 Divine Offering 3.0 Echoing Decay 1.5 Hydroblast 3.3 Lone Missionary 2.3 Prismatic Strands 2.0 Duress 1.5 Snuff Out

Death by Temporal Fissure. Disgusting.

#15 U Post	count: 6
-- main -- 4.0 Cloudpost 4.0 Glimmerpost 14.2 Island 4.0 Mulldrifter 3.7 Sea Gate Oracle 2.3 Ulamog's Crusher 1.7 Capsize 3.0 Condescend 4.0 Counterspell 2.7 Deep Analysis 2.7 Echoing Truth 4.0 Expedition Map 4.0 Mana Leak 2.3 Piracy Charm 3.3 Preordain 3.2 Serrated Arrows 0.8 Oona's Gatewarden 0.7 Accumulated Knowledge 0.3 Think Twice	-- sideboard -- 0.3 Crookclaw Transmuter 1.3 Hindering Touch 3.3 Hydroblast 2.7 Wall of Tanglecord 0.7 Ice Cage 0.3 Boomerang 0.3 Curse of Chains 1.0 Dispel

Yet another variety of Cloudpost. What are missing now? Mono red post? Mono white post? RW Post? I challenge somebody to 3-1 a daily with a different color post deck. I like the U Post version by the way. No nasty land destruction, or burning everything you drop. Just mana, draw, and crushers. Capsize on repeat is a little dirty, but hey this isn't the casual room. Do what you gotta do.

#16 Delver Illusions	count: 5
-- main -- 18.0 Island 2.4 Calcite Snapper 4.0 Delver of Secrets 3.8 Fathom Seer 4.0 Krovikan Mist 4.0 Phantasmal Bear 3.0 Stitched Drake 4.0 Counterspell 3.2 Daze 3.2 Gitaxian Probe 3.4 Piracy Charm 4.0 Ponder 0.6 Ninja of the Deep Hours 1.6 Spellstutter Sprite 0.8 Brainstorm 0.4 Force Spike	-- sideboard -- 3.0 Echoing Truth 3.4 Hydroblast 0.8 Steel Sabotage 1.6 Think Twice 3.2 Thornwind Faeries 1.0 Dispel 0.8 Sea Sprite 0.4 Serrated Arrows

Finally, we have another Delver build. This one is really cool too. Fathom Seer and Krovikan Mist? Pauper has a new tribe!

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Notable decks missing from the top 16: MBC, RDW, Tortured Existence/Dead Dog.

Most used cards overall (excludes basic land):
1) Hydroblast (597)
2) Gitaxian Probe (472)
3) Preordain (451)
4) Pyroblast (398)
5) Counterspell (395)
6) Goblin Bushwhacker (362)
7) Echoing Truth (353)
8) Lightning Bolt (299)
9) Cloudpost (288)
10) Glimmerpost (288)
11) Delver of Secrets (284)
12) Gorilla Shaman (277)
13) Lotus Petal (260)
14) Duress (256)
15) Dispel (249)
16) Mulldrifter (248)
17) Prophetic Prism (242)
18) Mogg Raider (240)
19) Chromatic Star (230)
20) Brainstorm (229)

Elder Zenith

4 Viridian Emissary 2 Ambush Viper 3 Garruk's Companion 4 Skinshifter 4 Dungrove Elder 4 Solemn Simulacrum 3 Prey Upon 1 Hunter's Insight 4 Overrun 4 Green Sun's Zenith 2 Beast Within 1 Bramblecrush 24 Forest

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I finally built a deck around Dungrove Elder. I was very impressed the first time I saw the card but I've had a hard time finding a home for him since he basically requires mono green. I couldn't really find anything I wanted to pair him with (I'm too cheap for Primeval Titan). However, the fantastic Green Sun's Zenith lets me pair him with himself! Eight "copies" of your build-around-me card is much better than four.

The basic idea is to ramp into a ton of forests via Emissary and Simulacrum and consisently drop cheap, huge, and resilent Dungrove Elders. A pair of 6/6 or 7/7 Elders applies a lot of pressure to the opponent. Elder also combines nicley with Prey Upon for high quality creature removal. The single Hunter's Insight is another cool trick if one of the Elders becomes unblocked - you'll draw a ton of cards with virtually zero risk since the tree man is hexproof.

The problem, however, is while Dungrove Elder is cheap, huge, and resilient he's easy to chump block. Our workaround is venerable Overrun. Not much is better than smashing your opponent underfoot with three 10/10 tramping trees - "BAROOM, BOOM, BOOM!".

As awesome as the Zenith-Elder-Overrun hookup is, we have to have a plan B in case, you know, you don't draw Zenith or Elder, or your Elder gets Despise'd, or you don't draw Overrun and you're getting chump blocked by tokens, or your stuck on two lands.

An aggro team of two drops led by Skinshifter is plan B. The shapeshifter can win games by himself if the opponent dosesn't have an answer. Hit for four on turn three, and four, and five... you get the idea. And truth be told, Overrun is so powerful you don't actually need the Elders. Something like two Emissarys, a Skinshifter, and an Overrun will often be enough for the win.

One last thing I want to touch on is the little set of removal. Finally green gets some respect when it comes to removal. Prey Upon takes out creatures (as long as you have creatures) and Bramblecrush takes out everything else. Beast Within is fantastic because it can take out anything at instant speed. A 3/3 beast for the opponent will be worth the benefit. Also, on more than one occasion I've destroyed one of my own lands during my opponent's end step to set up a fatal Overrun. It's not much removal, but having just a little bit is important. I'd like to increase the numbers on the Bramblecrush and Beast Within but running four Overruns means I absolutely have to have as many creatures as possible. This is also why I choose Emissary over Rampant Growth, though I tested a lot with both. If you feel like you need a little more speed you can swap in some Rampant Growths.

I think this a pretty strong, though perhaps one-dimensional, budget Standard deck. Try it out! Tell your opponent not to anger the trees.