<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruenor Battlehammer" href="#" target="_blank">Bruenor Battlehammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.waynereynolds.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wayne Reynolds</a></em></p>
<p>I've covered a lot of ground in Pauper Commander decks, tapping into as many corners of the format as possible. But to my surprise, it seems like I've never built an Equipment deck. That's quite the miss, because now that I'm looking into it, an Equipment deck seems more than viable in pEDH, and there's even the perfect commander for it: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruenor Battlehammer" href="#" target="_blank">Bruenor Battlehammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bruenor Battlehammer"></div></div>
<h2>What Does Bruenor Battlehammer Do?</h2>
<p>This Dwarf Warrior gives +2/+0 to our creatures for every Equipment attached to them. Even in Commander, +2/+0 is pretty significant, and that can add up fast when there's a million little Equipment that equip for one mana.</p>
<p>And we can pay even less to attach them, because Bruenor also lets us equip one weapon for nothing every single turn. Certain Equipment can cost six mana to use, and Bruenor bypasses that entirely! There's a strong deck here for sure.</p>
<h2>Tools of the Trade</h2>
<p>Unsurprisingly, the #1 thing needed for an Equipment deck is Equipment. We do have a ton of options at common rarity, but that's not to say that all of them are good options. There's a pretty severe falloff when we get to, say, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flayer Husk" href="#" target="_blank">Flayer Husk</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Still, there's some solid picks, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldvein Pick" href="#" target="_blank">Goldvein Pick</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prying Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Prying Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can really churn out a lot of mana and build a steady advantage.</p>
<p>Then, cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haunted Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Haunted Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brass Knuckles" href="#" target="_blank">Brass Knuckles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> give us really valuable keywords, cause if we're going big, we need trample for sure. Or maybe there's just some cards that give solid buffs, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slagwurm Armor" href="#" target="_blank">Slagwurm Armor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armory of Iroas" href="#" target="_blank">Armory of Iroas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Greatsword of Tyr" href="#" target="_blank">Greatsword of Tyr</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldvein Pick"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Haunted Cloak"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slagwurm Armor"></div></div>
<p>Technically, every single piece of Equipment gives a buff because of Bruenor, which is why we're happy to play what would otherwise be scrap, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bonesplitter" href="#" target="_blank">Bonesplitter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spidersilk Net" href="#" target="_blank">Spidersilk Net</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ceremonial Knife" href="#" target="_blank">Ceremonial Knife</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Those cards aren't good, but we absolutely need a high density of Equipment, because otherwise our deck does nothing. So even if they're just there to give +2/+0, that's enough.</p>
<p>Besides, they'll help out some other cards that care about Equipment, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Champion of the Flame" href="#" target="_blank">Champion of the Flame</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sunspear Shikari" href="#" target="_blank">Sunspear Shikari</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. So even though the cards are mediocre on their own, in great enough numbers, they can do a lot.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bonesplitter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Spidersilk Net"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Champion of the Flame"></div></div>
<p>The most important Equipment, however, are the evasion pieces. Those creatures have to get through, and the best way to reliably do this is with flying. Luckily, there's about a million sets of wings we can toss in here: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cobbled Wings" href="#" target="_blank">Cobbled Wings</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cliffhaven Kitesail" href="#" target="_blank">Cliffhaven Kitesail</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fleetfeather Sandals" href="#" target="_blank">Fleetfeather Sandals</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloak of the Bat" href="#" target="_blank">Cloak of the Bat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, there are actually a ton of great options.</p>
<p>Of course, the holy grail of Pauper evasion Equipment is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Whispersilk Cloak" href="#" target="_blank">Whispersilk Cloak</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as usual. Not much beats being completely unblockable. But be warned, once Whispersilk is equipped to your creature, you can't equip anything else because of the shroud it gives the equipped creature. So make sure you equip Whispersilk last.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cobbled Wings"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloak of the Bat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Whispersilk Cloak"></div></div>
<h2>Sly and Sneaky</h2>
<p>However, we can do even better than flying if we forget about having evasion on the Equipment, and get it from the creature instead. Pauper lacks a lot of things, but one thing it has in abundance is white creatures with shadow. There are actually seven Pauper-legal creatures with shadow in our colors, plus an Aura that grants the keyword. That's spectacular, because 90% of the time, shadow means unblockable. Plus, there's <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gingerbrute" href="#" target="_blank">Gingerbrute</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a bonus, a cookie-shaped sneak.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Soltari Visionary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Augur il-Vec"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gingerbrute"></div></div>
<p>Things are going great so far. We've got a million Equipment and unblockable creatures - a powerhouse if I've ever seen one. Now why don't we double their power and throw them at our opponents?</p>
<p>Double strike is a key ability in any Equipment deck, especially ones that are built around making one or two huge creatures. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temur Battle Rage" href="#" target="_blank">Temur Battle Rage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the classic, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Uncaged Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Uncaged Fury</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Double Cleave" href="#" target="_blank">Double Cleave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Raking Claws" href="#" target="_blank">Raking Claws</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> all do the same trick. We should have no problem creating a creature with 10 or more power, and double strike will, well, double that. So then we're up to 20 damage with one swing.</p>
<p>Half a life total, and almost lethal with commander damage.</p>
<p>But we can make it 40 by employing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thud" href="#" target="_blank">Thud</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, two cards that are probably used to end opponents more often than any other card. I mean, I almost never see <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> being used when the damage wouldn't be lethal. If you see that card being played, the game is about to get very dramatic.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temur Battle Rage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Double Cleave"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fling"></div></div>
<h2>Gotcha!</h2>
<p>Right, so we've got a big creature that gets bigger, and then we throw it at someone's face for the win. Easy peasy, right, cause what could go wrong? Oh yeah, removal.</p>
<p>If we play all our cards (literally) on one creature, it's gonna be a massive target for kill spells, and those could knock us out of the game. However, we can dodge the consequences of our shaky game plan with some protection like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Your Temple Is Under Attack" href="#" target="_blank">Your Temple Is Under Attack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shelter" href="#" target="_blank">Shelter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gods Willing" href="#" target="_blank">Gods Willing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emerge Unscathed" href="#" target="_blank">Emerge Unscathed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Benevolent Blessing" href="#" target="_blank">Benevolent Blessing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>If our opponents are foolish enough to wait till the last second with their removal, we can hopefully catch them off guard using these cards, and secure a solid victory.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Your Temple Is Under Attack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shelter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gods Willing"></div></div>
<p>There's not much more to the deck, just a bit of card draw, ramp, and some removal of our own. For a red and white deck, I like to use discard-draw like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Big Score" href="#" target="_blank">Big Score</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unexpected Windfall" href="#" target="_blank">Unexpected Windfall</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cathartic Reunion" href="#" target="_blank">Cathartic Reunion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. In this deck especially, we'll have a lot of cards that we'd like to trade out for others, and those spells make it very efficient. Removal is just some white exile like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Banishing Light" href="#" target="_blank">Banishing Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crib Swap" href="#" target="_blank">Crib Swap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, cards that get the job done with no nonsense.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Big Score"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unexpected Windfall"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Crib Swap"></div></div>
<h2>Bruenor Battlehammer Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Bruenor Battlehammer" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Bruenor Battlehammer
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Armory of Iroas
*1 Beamtown Beatstick
*1 Bonesplitter
*1 Boots of Speed
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Brass Knuckles
*1 Ceremonial Knife
*1 Cliffhaven Kitesail
*1 Cloak of the Bat
*1 Cobbled Wings
*1 Explorer&#039;s Scope
*1 Fleetfeather Sandals
*1 Gilded Pinions
*1 Gimli&#039;s Axe
*1 Goldvein Pick
*1 Golem-Skin Gauntlets
*1 Greataxe
*1 Greatsword of Tyr
*1 Haunted Cloak
*1 Javelin of Lightning
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Prying Blade
*1 Red Mage&#039;s Rapier
*1 Slagwurm Armor
*1 Spidersilk Net
*1 Trailblazer&#039;s Torch
*1 Vorrac Battlehorns
*1 Wedding Invitation
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
*1 Wings of Hubris
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Augur il-Vec
*1 Bladegraft Aspirant
*1 Champion of the Flame
*1 Gingerbrute
*1 Goblin Gaveleer
*1 Leonin Elder
*1 Militant Inquisitor
*1 Myr Adapter
*1 Myrsmith
*1 Oliphaunt
*1 Soltari Foot Soldier
*1 Soltari Trooper
*1 Soltari Visionary
*1 Sunspear Shikari
*1 Tin Street Dodger
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Banishing Light
*1 Benevolent Blessing
*1 Bloodfire Infusion
*1 Etali&#039;s Favor
*1 Temporal Isolation
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Battlefield Improvisation
*1 Big Score
*1 Crib Swap
*1 Double Cleave
*1 Fling
*1 Gods Willing
*1 Lightning Bolt
*1 Raking Claws
*1 Shelter
*1 Slash of Light
*1 Temur Battle Rage
*1 Uncaged Fury
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Your Temple Is Under Attack
[/Instants]
[Sorceries]
*1 Cathartic Reunion
*1 Glimpse the Impossible
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*16 Mountain
*15 Plains
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>Generally, the best pEDH decks are the simplest ones. All we're doing here is putting Equipment on a creature and swinging with it. If we want to, we can cast some instants and buff our creatures, or play some fun combat tricks, but that's not totally necessary.</p>
<p>Heck, even our commander, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bruenor Battlehammer" href="#" target="_blank">Bruenor Battlehammer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, isn't totally necessary. Yeah, he powers up our creatures a lot, but this deck is still very playable without him, and I think that's a key feature.</p>
<p>The deck runs smoothly even when things might not be going smooth. We can always draw some cards, play some Equipment, and swing in for just a bit more damage. Then when things are going our way, and we have some mana and our commander on the board, we can swing in with an unblockable creature, give it double strike, and Fling it at our last opponent for the win!</p>


Pauper Commander - Boros Equipment With Bruenor Battlehammer

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hama, the Bloodbender" href="#" target="_blank">Hama, the Bloodbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/vuogle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Le Vuong</a></em></p>
<p>I've built two decks from <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></a> already, but I still think there's more to unpack here. Scrolling through the uncommon creatures, I see multiple strong commanders, but one in particular has caught my eye.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hama, the Bloodbender" href="#" target="_blank">Hama, the Bloodbender</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a creature all about stealing spells, and for me specifically, that's really appealing. The thing is, I love Pauper, but I don't actually have a Pauper pod. Most people just prefer to play Commander with all the cards, so I'm kind of on my own when it comes to playing commons, and that means I typically run my PDH decks against three other decks with much stronger cards in them. So if I can take those cards for myself, I can raise the power of my deck to match the table.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hama, the Bloodbender"></div></div>
<p>Regardless of the circumstances, Hama is always gonna be a powerful commander. Casting spells by tapping artifacts or creatures? Hama is basically turning all your artifacts into mana rocks, which we can hopefully use to cast some crazy spells. I see a lot of potential in this commander, and I think this Pauper Commander deck is gonna come together with ease.</p>
<h2>Blink and You'll Miss Me</h2>
<p>But... all of its abilities are just on an ETB, which means we have to recast Hama over and over again if we want that effect. Man, if only there were a super easy way to retrigger enter the battlefield abilities without replaying our commander.</p>
<p>Ok, obviously there is: blink spells. Blue has six or seven really great ones, like <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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Displace" href="#" target="_blank">Displace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Time Twist" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Time Twist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but that's not quite enough.</p>
<p>To supplement this strategy, we'll have to lean into my favorite Pauper hack: treating <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> like a blink spell. This is a strategy straight out of Modern, from when players would evoke <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grief" href="#" target="_blank">Grief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and cast <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Malice" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Malice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on it, getting a free creature and two triggers off its ETB. We can do the same here with Hama and <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>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Malice" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Malice</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Undying Evil" href="#" target="_blank">Undying Evil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Supernatural Stamina" href="#" target="_blank">Supernatural Stamina</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>The only difference is that we have to find a creative way to sacrifice our commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ghostly Flicker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Not Dead After All"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Undying Evil"></div></div>
<p>Normally I'd rely on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion Feeder" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion Feeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for this part, because it's easy to cast, and it allows us to sacrifice our commander at literally any time, but I think there's a better alternative here. <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> is already a great card, but in this deck it makes a mana rock in addition to drawing two cards! Top notch value, and we've got a good amount of functional copies.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fanatical Offering" href="#" target="_blank">Fanatical Offering</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also makes a functional mana rock, while <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> 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> are just one mana for two cards. Pair these with our revival spells, and it's two or three mana to blink our commander, steal from our opponents, and draw several cards. Absolutely spectacular card advantage, and it's pretty consistent.</p>
<p>Plus, these cards are all instants, so we can do this right before our turn, leaving our resources up along with a response to removal.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadly Dispute"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fanatical Offering"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Corrupted Conviction"></div></div>
<h2>Reuse and Recycle</h2>
<p>That's pretty much everything we need to repeatedly use our commander, just a lightweight blink package. That leaves us plenty of space for the artifacts we need to cast big spells. Our goal is simply to have a huge mass of random artifacts on the board that can pay for anything, and it's honestly super easy to do that, because Wizards prints artifact cards like they're landfill waste.</p>
<p>But then they also print cards that treat artifacts like gold? I mean, Hama literally lets us use <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrap|tbrc|12" href="#" target="_blank">Scrap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> like an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Signet" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Signet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Well, we'll take advantage of it.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrap|tbrc|12"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Signet"></div></div>
<p>Now, we probably shouldn't fill our deck with cards that are useless without our commander, but we'll definitely skirt that line. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prized Statue" href="#" target="_blank">Prized Statue</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nimblewright Schematic" href="#" target="_blank">Nimblewright Schematic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Fountain" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Fountain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are great, bringing in two bodies for just one card in hand. We'll continue that theme with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goldvein Pick" href="#" target="_blank">Goldvein Pick</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prying Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Prying Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, Equipment that can continuously churn out artifacts if we've got a decent attacker. That's not guaranteed, but creatures like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ornithopter of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Ornithopter of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can do the job.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nimblewright Schematic"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Fountain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goldvein Pick"></div></div>
<p>To make sure that these cards aren't actually junk without our commander, we'll play a few spells that can take advantage of them in other ways. I already mentioned <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="Reckoner&#039;s Bargain" href="#" target="_blank">Reckoner&#039;s Bargain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which can sacrifice them for card draw, but there's also <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cranial Plating" href="#" target="_blank">Cranial Plating</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will make a creature terrifying, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Moonsnare Prototype" href="#" target="_blank">Moonsnare Prototype</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which simply produces mana.</p>
<p>The best card, however, is definitely <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thoughtcast" href="#" target="_blank">Thoughtcast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will draw two cards for just a single blue pip. Then we'll support all those artifacts with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etherium Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Etherium Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Foundry Inspector" href="#" target="_blank">Foundry Inspector</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, often reducing their costs to zero.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reckoner&#039;s Bargain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cranial Plating"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thoughtcast"></div></div>
<p>See what I mean about Wizards treating cards mean to be junk like gold? The artifact strategy is overpowered no matter where you go, and I'm quite enjoying it.</p>
<h2>Looking in Dimir</h2>
<p>Finally, we've got to top this deck off with removal and responses. That's gonna be no trouble at all, because we're in the colors of murder and manipulation.</p>
<p><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>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</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> are all classics when it comes to being a massive jerk, and we can back them up with <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>, <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>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oubliette" href="#" target="_blank">Oubliette</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>But in the interest of not being a terrible person, we can dilute our removal with some on-theme cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Contract Killing" href="#" target="_blank">Contract Killing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. See? We're just killing their creatures for the Treasures. Therefore blue-black is a totally fair color combo.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Denial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Go for the Throat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Contract Killing"></div></div>
<h2>Hama, the Bloodbender Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Hama, the Bloodbender" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Hama, the Bloodbender
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abnormal Endurance
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Bake into a Pie
*1 Blur
*1 Corrupted Conviction
*1 Counterspell
*1 Deadly Dispute
*1 Demonic Gifts
*1 Displace
*1 Essence Flux
*1 Eviscerator&#039;s Insight
*1 Fake Your Own Death
*1 Fanatical Offering
*1 Feign Death
*1 Frantic Search
*1 Ghostly Flicker
*1 Go for the Throat
*1 Negate
*1 Not Dead After All
*1 Planar Incision
*1 Reckoner&#039;s Bargain
*1 Return to Action
*1 Run Away Together
*1 Siren&#039;s Ruse
*1 Snap
*1 Spell Pierce
*1 Supernatural Stamina
*1 Teferi&#039;s Time Twist
*1 Undying Evil
*1 Undying Malice
*1 Village Rites
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Blood Fountain
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Cranial Plating
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Gilded Pinions
*1 Goldvein Pick
*1 Ichor Wellspring
*1 Mephitic Draught
*1 Moonsnare Prototype
*1 Network Terminal
*1 Nimblewright Schematic
*1 Prized Statue
*1 Prying Blade
*1 Springleaf Drum
*1 Thieves&#039; Tools
*1 Witching Well
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Gleaming Barrier
*1 Greedy Freebooter
*1 Murmuring Mystic
*1 Ornithopter of Paradise
*1 Silver Myr
*1 Viscera Seer
[/Creatures]
[Sorceries]
*1 Contract Killing
*1 Feed the Swarm
*1 Hard Evidence
*1 Pirate&#039;s Prize
*1 Pointed Discussion
*1 Thoughtcast
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Enchantments]
*1 Fungal Fortitude
*1 Oubliette
[/Enchantments]
[Lands]
*1 Command Tower
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*15 Island
*1 Mystic Sanctuary
*1 Seat of the Synod
*14 Swamp
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>This deck's strength depends on what your opponents are playing. I feel very confident that this library can implement its strategy very well, because all it needs is Hama on the battlefield, a blink spell in hand, and artifacts on the board. But if your opponents' decks are full of cards that care about Elves, you're a bit screwed.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that's the fate of any theft deck, and all you can really do is hope. But hey, there will absolutely be games where you snatch an <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Omniscience" href="#" target="_blank">Omniscience</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and that's the kind of thing I live for when playing <em>Magic</em>.</p>


Pauper Commander - Hama, the Bloodbender

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zidane, Tantalus Thief|fin|405" href="#" target="_blank">Zidane, Tantalus Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/katanacanata/profile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canata Katana</a></em></p>
<p><em>Final Fantasy</em> is already released, but I've still got a lot of awesome cards to look at, so we're checking out one more today. Today's deck is gonna be built around <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zidane, Tantalus Thief" href="#" target="_blank">Zidane, Tantalus Thief</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a commander that incentivizes us to steal creatures, but just for a little bit.</p>
<p>I absolutely love theft decks, especially in Pauper, because they tend to match the power level of your opponents' decks. Of course, right? Because you're playing with their creatures. This means that I can play this deck against non-Pauper decks, because even though those decks are built with stronger cards than mine, I can just snatch them, and boom, my deck is just as powerful.</p>
<p>So this is gonna be a lot of fun.</p>
<h2>What Does Zidane, Tantalus Thief Do?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Zidane, Tantalus Thief"></div></div>
<p>While Zidane is shiny and new, what he's doing isn't particularly fresh. We've had cards that snatch creatures from opponents' boards for years. But Zidane really gives us something to build around, and offers a payoff in the form of Treasure tokens when we give our creatures back.</p>
<p>Though having a big scary creature for a turn is a pretty decent payoff on it's own.</p>
<p>In addition to this, Zidane nearly doubles the amount of theft cards we can run in our deck, just by having that effect on an ETB. How? Because of the color white, which lets us run blink spells. Essentially, we can turn <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cloudshift" href="#" target="_blank">Cloudshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into a one-mana copy of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Act of Treason" href="#" target="_blank">Act of Treason</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>And for whatever reason, Zidane also grants lifelink to our stolen creatures, making it even better.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cloudshift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Act of Treason"></div></div>
<h2>Key Cards for Zidane</h2>
<h3>Blink Spells</h3>
<p>So of course, we're gonna run all the blink spells we can. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scrollshift" href="#" target="_blank">Scrollshift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, awesome. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flicker of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Flicker of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, even better. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ephemerate" href="#" target="_blank">Ephemerate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, hell yeah!</p>
<p>There are more than enough great options in Pauper, from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Justiciar&#039;s Portal" href="#" target="_blank">Justiciar&#039;s Portal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Acrobatic Maneuver" href="#" target="_blank">Acrobatic Maneuver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Slip On the Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Slip On the Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. We should be able to blink Zidane constantly, and reap the rewards of his theft ability.</p>
<p>And the Treasure we get afterwards just fuels further robbery. Unfortunately, some of these spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Otherworldly Journey" href="#" target="_blank">Otherworldly Journey</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, only return Zidane at the end of the turn, skipping combat. But this doesn't make them totally useless, and you'll see why in a bit.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Scrollshift"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ephemerate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Slip On the Ring"></div></div>
<h3>Theft Spells</h3>
<p>First though, let's complete our arsenal of theft spells. Obviously, our supply of blink spells isn't infinite, so we have to dip into actual theft spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hijack" href="#" target="_blank">Hijack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But that's no big worry, because some of these spells are quite decent.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goatnap" href="#" target="_blank">Goatnap</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for instance, gives +3/+0 if what we're stealing is a Goat. Haha, ok, obviously not that one, but <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Traitorous Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Traitorous Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can give trample to something huge. That'll be particularly funny when you hear your opponent muttering that they "could win this game if they only had trample."</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hijack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goatnap"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Traitorous Blood"></div></div>
<p>Then there are just some generic ones, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wrangle" href="#" target="_blank">Wrangle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Price of Loyalty" href="#" target="_blank">Price of Loyalty</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bloody Betrayal" href="#" target="_blank">Bloody Betrayal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, etc. Nothing special, but it's not the spells that need to be big and threatening; it's our opponents' cards. And we can usually count on that.</p>
<p>Yes, I did consider running some cards that give our opponents big creatures, but I doubt that'll be necessary</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wrangle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Price of Loyalty"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bloody Betrayal"></div></div>
<h3>Evasion</h3>
<p>Anyways, now that we've got some big creatures on our side of the board, sometimes with lifelink, what are we gonna do with them? Well, we're gonna attack with them, obviously. So let's get some evasion in here.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Goblin War Drums" href="#" target="_blank">Goblin War Drums</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a personal favorite of mine. Trust me, the difference between one chump blocker and two is huge. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcish Oriflamme" href="#" target="_blank">Orcish Oriflamme</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also a decent anthem that'll give us a boost if all we're doing is trading hits with an opponent.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Goblin War Drums"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orcish Oriflamme"></div></div>
<h3>Sacrifices</h3>
<p>But attacking isn't all we can do. I mean, you can't reduce a creature's worth to just their power and toughness. That'd be so dehumanizing. Don't forget their value as sacrifice fodder!</p>
<p>Yes, if we sacrifice the creature, we don't get Zidane's Treasure token, but it's absolutely worth it to steal a creature for three mana, swing for a ton of damage, and then rob our opponents of a huge creature while gaining some bonus for ourselves.</p>
<p>There's plenty of ways to do this. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Altar" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Altar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, of course, although two mana isn't really that helpful post-combat. We'd rather use something that's useful any time, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Angelic Purge" href="#" target="_blank">Angelic Purge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tavern Scoundrel" href="#" target="_blank">Tavern Scoundrel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dark-Dweller Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Dark-Dweller Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are pretty handy as well, sitting around until we need them.</p>
<p>And of course, we can't forget <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fling" href="#" target="_blank">Fling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the iconic game ender.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Angelic Purge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dark-Dweller Oracle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fling"></div></div>
<p>I ultimately decided to go fairly light on the sacrifice outlets, because constantly stealing your opponents creatures and then sacrificing them over and over again is a pretty nasty game plan. And hey, it means Zidane triggers more. But if you really wanted to, it wouldn't be difficult at all to make an extremely powerful, if toxic deck.</p>
<p>The rest of the deck is just some support for the main game plan. A bunch of ramp, and a ton of removal for the things we can't steal. Our whole plan is essentially just to snatch the biggest things on the board and win with that, so there doesn't need to be a whole lot else here. As long as we make sure that we've always got the mana and cards to carry out that game plan, we should be golden.</p>
<p>And just for extra safety, we'll throw in a few protection spells, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gods Willing" href="#" target="_blank">Gods Willing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Apostle&#039;s Blessing" href="#" target="_blank">Apostle&#039;s Blessing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to protect Zidane, because he is a five-mana commander and we really don't want to be recasting him too often.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gods Willing"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Apostle&#039;s Blessing"></div></div>
<p>Yeah, the blink spells could double as protection, but we'd rather use them on our turn, and not in response to a removal attempt.</p>
<h2>Zidane, Tantalus Thief Pauper Commander Deck List</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pauper Commander - Zidane, Tantalus Thief" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Zidane, Tantalus Thief
[/Commander]
[Instants]
*1 Abrade
*1 Acrobatic Maneuver
*1 Apostle&#039;s Blessing
*1 Big Score
*1 Cloudshift
*1 Crib Swap
*1 Demand Answers
*1 Ephemerate
*1 Flicker of Fate
*1 Fling
*1 Generous Gift
*1 Gods Willing
*1 Justiciar&#039;s Portal
*1 Otherworldly Journey
*1 Scrollshift
*1 Slip On the Ring
*1 Thraben Charm
*1 Thrill of Possibility
*1 Unexpected Windfall
*1 Your Temple Is Under Attack
[/Instants]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Altar
*1 Boros Signet
*1 Commander&#039;s Sphere
*1 Decanter of Endless Water
*1 Fellwar Stone
*1 Mind Stone
*1 Thought Vessel
*1 Whispersilk Cloak
[/Artifacts]
[Enchantments]
*1 Bitter Reunion
*1 Fanatical Devotion
*1 Goblin War Drums
*1 Journey to Nowhere
*1 Makeshift Munitions
*1 Oblivion Ring
*1 Orcish Oriflamme
*1 Shiny Impetus
*1 The Shattered States Era // Nameless Conqueror
[/Enchantments]
[Sorceries]
*1 Act of Treason
*1 Angelic Purge
*1 Bloody Betrayal
*1 Coronation of Chaos
*1 Faithless Looting
*1 Glimpse the Impossible
*1 Goatnap
*1 Hijack
*1 Involuntary Employment
*1 Mark of Mutiny
*1 Pack&#039;s Betrayal
*1 Price of Loyalty
*1 Settle Beyond Reality
*1 Shackles of Treachery
*1 Traitorous Blood
*1 Witch&#039;s Mark
*1 Wrangle
[/Sorceries]
[Creatures]
*1 Blood Aspirant
*1 Dark-Dweller Oracle
*1 Icewind Stalwart
*1 Pegasus Guardian // Rescue the Foal
*1 Tavern Scoundrel
*1 Vanguard Seraph
[/Creatures]
[Lands]
*1 Boros Garrison
*1 Command Tower
*1 Forgotten Cave
*17 Mountain
*17 Plains
*1 Secluded Steppe
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>Welp, that's the whole deck. To be honest, I'm surprised it never occurred to me to make a theft deck before. I don't really have a Pauper pod, so I often have to hurl my commons at a bunch of rares and mythics. But this way, I can just steal those shiny cards for myself. Awesome!</p>
<p>Just due to the nature of the strategy, this deck is pretty strong, and I'm quite happy with how it came out.</p>


pauper edh

Pauper Commander - Boros Equipment With Bruenor Battlehammer

Pauper Commander - Hama, the Bloodbender

Pauper Commander - Zidane, Tantalus Thief

Digital Deckbuilding - EDHREC Themes and Tags

Too-Specific Top 10 - Mono-White Pauper Control