<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halo Forager" href="#" target="_blank">Halo Forager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/kevin_sidharta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin Sidharta</a></em></p>
<h2>Halo There!</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halo Forager" href="#" target="_blank">Halo Forager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has been one of my favorite cards for a while, because I used it as a means of casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living End" href="#" target="_blank">Living End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or any of the <em>Time Spiral</em> suspend cards from the graveyard. Because they have no mana cost, they can't be cast normally, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halo Forager" href="#" target="_blank">Halo Forager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gets around that the same way cascade or suspend does, and lets us cast them from the graveyard for no mana, instantly!</p>
<p>But I'm surprised I never noticed that it was legal as a Pauper commander, because I think it could helm an awesome Pauper deck as well.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Halo Forager"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Living End"></div></div>
<p>Unfortunately, there's nothing quite as cool as cheating out <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Living End" href="#" target="_blank">Living End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that we can do in Pauper, but that doesn't mean that <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halo Forager" href="#" target="_blank">Halo Forager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> isn't still a good card. For three mana, we cast it and get what is essentially flashback on an instant or sorcery in our graveyard. Not incredible, but it provides us with a solid utility that we can improve on with the rest of the 99. We'll turn that into a control deck built around casting as many instants and sorceries as possible, winning through card advantage and responses.</p>
<p>The idea is to be consistently turning cogs and gaining minor advantages until the game is over, using our commander to guide it all.</p>
<h2>Don't Blink!</h2>
<p>As it seems to be with most things in Pauper, our commander gets a lot out of being blinked. We can pay one for an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Essence Flux" href="#" target="_blank">Essence Flux</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, retrigger the enters-the-battlefield ("ETB"), and get to cast another spell with flashback. We're in black and blue, so it's extremely easy to do, and we even get two spell cast triggers from it.</p>
<p>Plus, once we've stacked a ton of them in the graveyard, we can chain them off in sequence and have once explosive turn of casting flickers. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Planar Incision" href="#" target="_blank">Planar Incision</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Displace" href="#" target="_blank">Displace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghostly Flicker" href="#" target="_blank">Ghostly Flicker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Essence Flux" href="#" target="_blank">Essence Flux</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are the best, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can also do the trick if we pair it with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corrupted Conviction" href="#" target="_blank">Corrupted Conviction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Essence Flux"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Planar Incision"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Dead After All"></div></div>
<p>Let's make sure those spells aren't useless if our commander is in the zone. We'll grab <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mnemonic Wall" href="#" target="_blank">Mnemonic Wall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Salvager of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Salvager of Secrets</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Repository Skaab" href="#" target="_blank">Repository Skaab</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, creatures who are sometimes even better than our Fairy commander. They're a great help when we need a backup, and they can be manipulated the same way <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Halo Forager" href="#" target="_blank">Halo Forager</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can with blink spells or recursion.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archaeomancer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mnemonic Wall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Salvager of Secrets"></div></div>
<h2>Return From the Grave</h2>
<p>Running so many creatures like that gives me an idea. They're gonna die, so we might as well have a bit of actual recursion, besides <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not Dead After All" href="#" target="_blank">Not Dead After All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exhume" href="#" target="_blank">Exhume</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is notable as a busted spell in 60-card formats, and it can be strong here too, as long as our opponents don't have a stacked graveyard. If they do, we can just play cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Revoke Demise" href="#" target="_blank">Revoke Demise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Is five mana to recur a creature a lot? Yeah, but I still kind of like these cards; they do exactly what I need, even if it's for a bit much. Plus, they're instants, meaning they can be returned with the very <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archaeomancer" href="#" target="_blank">Archaeomancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> they're recurring.</p>
<p>I'm gonna go ahead and toss in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stir the Grave" href="#" target="_blank">Stir the Grave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dread Return" href="#" target="_blank">Dread Return</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for the same reasons. Effective, always useful, and on theme.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exhume"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Revoke Demise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dread Return"></div></div>
<p>The best thing about recursion and flashback decks is that we don't need to wait for our graveyard to fill itself naturally. We can just mill ourselves! Milling is great because it's technically supposed to be a downside, so Wizards of the Coast makes it really easy do.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chronic Flooding" href="#" target="_blank">Chronic Flooding</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cast on ourselves will fill our graveyard with ease, practically drawing two extra cards every turn. And by that metric, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jace&#039;s Erasure" href="#" target="_blank">Jace&#039;s Erasure</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doubles our draws.</p>
<p>Another fantastic addition <em>would</em> be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Iceberg Cancrix" href="#" target="_blank">Iceberg Cancrix</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but keep in mind, that card costs $20. Not because the card itself is that pricey, but because snow-covered basics are still over 50 cents apiece! Yeah, it's probably not worth the money, especially in a format that's supposed to be budget.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chronic Flooding"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jace&#039;s Erasure"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Iceberg Cancrix"></div></div>
<h2>Slingin' Spells</h2>
<p>Now, with all that mill, recursion, flashback, and eventually, removal and responses, we're gonna be casting a ton of instants and sorceries. Lets not waste those triggers! The card that always comes to mind first is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murmuring Mystic" href="#" target="_blank">Murmuring Mystic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Even outside of Pauper, a Bird for every spell is extremely strong, and they pair nicely here with our flying commander.</p>
<p>Besides the bird guy, we have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Windrider Wizard" href="#" target="_blank">Windrider Wizard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Academy Wall" href="#" target="_blank">Academy Wall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, drawing and discarding a card for every instant and sorcery. Finally, we've got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cruel Witness" href="#" target="_blank">Cruel Witness</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, who lets us surveil for every trigger.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Murmuring Mystic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Windrider Wizard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cruel Witness"></div></div>
<p>And since we're casting mostly blue instants and sorceries, we can reduce their cost with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mocking Sprite" href="#" target="_blank">Mocking Sprite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nightscape Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Nightscape Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Those cards are handy anywhere, but especially here where there are a lot of two-cost cards. By cutting the mana in half, we double the number of spells we can play a turn.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mocking Sprite"></div></div>
<h2>Control Panel</h2>
<p>Now to talk about our control package. At the end of the day, we're in black and blue, casting instants and sorceries, and there's really only one way to play that: a ton of removal and counterspells. Both are extremely easy to come by, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Feed the Swarm" href="#" target="_blank">Feed the Swarm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Snuff Out" href="#" target="_blank">Snuff Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Go for the Throat" href="#" target="_blank">Go for the Throat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as excellent kill spells, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Denial" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Denial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Negate" href="#" target="_blank">Negate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as easy counters.</p>
<p>With the amount of card advantage in this deck, we'll be able to ensure our opponents never go unchecked.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Feed the Swarm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Snuff Out"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Denial"></div></div>
<p>Speaking of card advantage, we should play a bit of the basics. Yes, our deck is all about getting that advantage with mill and flashback, but on turn two, it's still great to cast a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Night&#039;s Whisper" href="#" target="_blank">Night&#039;s Whisper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sign in Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Sign in Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Despite having blue in this deck, the majority of our card draw spells will be black, with cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Corrupted Conviction" href="#" target="_blank">Corrupted Conviction</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadly Dispute" href="#" target="_blank">Deadly Dispute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Village Rites" href="#" target="_blank">Village Rites</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> taking the crown as most efficient.</p>
<p>Blue still has some decent picks though, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Winged Words" href="#" target="_blank">Winged Words</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a notable highlight because our commander has flying.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Night&#039;s Whisper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Village Rites"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Winged Words"></div></div>
<h2>Halo Forager Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Halo Forager" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Halo Forager
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Academy Wall
*1 Archaeomancer
*1 Cruel Witness
*1 Cryptic Serpent
*1 Deranged Assistant
*1 Iceberg Cancrix
*1 Mnemonic Wall
*1 Mocking Sprite
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Nightscape Familiar
*1 Repository Skaab
*1 Salvager of Secrets
*1 Shipwreck Dowser
*1 Stinkweed Imp
*1 Tolarian Terror
*1 Windrider Wizard
[/Creatures]
[Instants]
*1 Abnormal Endurance
*1 Blur
*1 Corrupted Conviction
*1 Counterspell
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Displace
*1 Essence Flux
*1 Fake Your Own Death
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Not Dead After All
*1 Planar Incision
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Siren&#039;s Ruse
*1 Snuff Out
*1 Soul Manipulation
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 Thought Scour
*1 Tragic Slip
*1 Undying Evil
*1 Undying Malice
*1 Unseal the Necropolis
*1 Unsummon
*1 Vapor Snag
*1 Village Rites
*1 Winds of Rebuke
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Chronic Flooding
*1 Helm of the Ghastlord
*1 Jace&#039;s Erasure
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cornered by Black Mages
*1 Deep Analysis
*1 Dread Return
*1 Exhume
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Flood of Recollection
*1 Memory Sluice
*1 Night&#039;s Whisper
*1 Pilfered Plans
*1 Revoke Demise
*1 Sign in Blood
*1 Stir the Grave
*1 Summon Undead
*1 Treason of Isengard
*1 Treasure Cruise
*1 Unearth
*1 Winged Words
[/Sorceries]
[Artifacts]
*1 Black Mage&#039;s Rod
*1 Ghoulcaller&#039;s Bell
*1 Shriekhorn
[/Artifacts]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*16 Snow-Covered Island
*15 Snow-Covered Swamp
*1 Witch&#039;s Cottage
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>And that's the deck. We draw cards, we mill cards, we cast instants and sorceries, and then we do all of that but with flashback or recursion. It's a strong enough engine, but I do wonder if it's really capable of closing out the game.</p>
<p>Stuff like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tolarian Terror" href="#" target="_blank">Tolarian Terror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptic Serpent" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptic Serpent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are big creatures and potent reanimation targets, but are they good in a Commander format? Probably not. This deck's best game plan is just to wait it out, and hopefully swing in with a flyer at the very end. Control really isn't my favorite strategy for this reason, so maybe in the future we'll try and devise a clear means of winning for this kind of deck.</p>


dimir control commander

Dimir Pauper Commander With Halo Forager