Besides the general, everything in here is 100% dirt-cheap common! This started as something I just threw together out of cards in my Pauper Cube, but I've begun to include a few solid cards that I don't think are cube-worthy (Horizon Spellbomb, for instance). Surprisingly, it's actually got some game, so if you are looking for what may be the cheapest way to stay competitive in Commander, you have come to the right place! This is 5-Color Control for the common man.
Because this deck is limited to commons only, we miss out on a lot of the raw power that can be found only in the higher rarities -- broken fast mana, sweepers, and bombs, mainly -- so we have to lean heavily on the engines we do have and make up the difference in card advantage: LOTS of card advantage.
Why Child of Alara?
The main weakness of the pauper format is a chronic shortage of good mass removal spells. In fact, the ones that are available in common (Pestilence, Crypt Rats, etc.) are of legendary, format-defining status. Using Child of Alara as our general not only gives us access to the very best of each color -- the "cream of the crop," as it were -- but Child's sweeper ability patches a huge hole in our strategy and synergizes well with Gravedigger effects, one of Pauper's greatest strengths.
But Child of Alara is a Mythic Rare!
It has been argued that this deck using a Mythic Rare as a commander invalidates any claims to pauper legality. In particular, while there is no consensus on what exactly constitutes Pauper Commander, many communities have begun to gravitate toward lifting the Legendary requirement for a commander and replacing it with the stipulation that the commander must be an uncommon creature. However, this pauper deck is primarily designed to succeed against full-power, non-pauper Commander decks. In this context, it is appropriate to use a Legendary commander for the sake of rules compatibility, and it is probably necessary to have a splashy Commander to give the deck some punch. After all, this deck cannot power out busted fast artifact mana, auto-win with Genesis Wave, or cast Eldrazi over and over.
In a metagame of other pauper decks, though, I 100% agree with the "uncommon commander" rule. Not only would everyone hopefully agree to use the appropriately modified ruleset beforehand, but Mythic Rare generals are often too strong and too difficult to answer for other pauper decks. Filling in as commander in those cases would is one of these guys:
I personally roll with my main man Fusion Elemental because he still works with Mind Extraction and maintains a viable kill via commander damage. Whatever you choose, I would recommend adding Crypt Rats to the deck (if you aren't playing it already) because it is no longer possible to rely on Child as a sweeper.
What's the Plan?
In the early stages of the game, it is important to lay low and establish a mana base. Politics are your best friend. If I draw a 7-land opening hand, I snap keep it and make it known I am doing so. Play extra-conservatively, policing the table with removal and countermagic only if you absolutely have to. Opponents unfamiliar with the deck probably will not think you are a threat, and your random Mulldrifters and Gravediggers will keep away enemy creatures looking for a free attack. I find that it is often necessary to sweep the board with Child once in this stage to negate the progress the other players have made and bridge into Stage 2.
Once you get a good foundation of lands to stand on and are in no imminent danger, you have reached the middle stage of your game plan. Here, you want to find one of the engine cards and prepare to abuse it. Perhaps you want to cast Sakura-Tribe Elder over and over, or sit behind Child of Alara while you Oblivion Ring/Capsize big threats. Whatever you do, keep in mind that you will be stuck in this "fair" stage unless you keep hitting your land drops. Watch out for mass land destruction in all cases, and avoid having your graveyard exiled or shuffled into your deck unless you can handle it.
If you have done a good job of playing defense, other players will start to drop out of the game as they are killed by the attacks that couldn't come at you. If you have done a good job of making your land drops, you will have about 15 mana available. It is time to switch gears and move into Stages 3 and 4. Sweep the board with Child of Alara, nuke another guy's hand with Mind Extraction, reveal your true Ghostly Flicker shenanigans. Represent an endless wall of countermagic and removal. You are in control. Now you just need it to stay that way until you can finish the job.
How Do We Actually Win?
When it comes to literally closing out the game, we have four paths to victory. Here they are, listed from least to most likely to occur:
1. Mulldrifter Beats
With a decent amount of creatures in the deck, you always have the option to just turn them sideways if you see an opening. They will sit back on defense more often than not, but if the coast is clear, you might as well go for it. Don't do it if you think it will significantly affect the political situation of the game, but at the same time don't leave your guys at home needlessly. You may not always close out games by getting in there with Qasali Pridemage, but the early damage is an important supplement to your Rolling Thunder kill, as well.[/CENTER]
2. General Damage Child of Alara has decent stats, is impossible to chump block, and kills in four swings -- not a bad deal for a deck otherwise full of commons! Even though Child of Alara has no real evasion or protection, this is a fairly reliable way to kill a player or two. You may have a tough time finishing off everyone with a slow wincon like this, so again, use it as a supplement to your other wincons.
3. Rolling Thunder Recursion
Alright, now we are getting into the real swingy stuff. Once you have established control of the game, you should find yourself sitting on top of 15 or 20 lands with some kind of recursion engine online. Tutor up Rolling Thunder via Muddle the Mixture or Dimir Infiltrator, soften people up with your creatures, and sink lots of mana into this giant Fireball to finish someone off. You can then spend a turn getting back Rolling Thunder back with Mnemonic Wall or Izzet Chronarch, then do it again and again until you are victorious. If you have Disturbed Burial or Grim Harvest, it may be useful to dedicate some of the damage from Thunder to killing one of these guys so you can buy them back and continue with your shenanigans.
4. Freed from the Real Combo
This is a recent addition courtesy of Nideovinja, and one with which I have been quite pleased. Krosan Restorer + Freed from the Real (or Maze of Ith, if you have one) is infinite mana if you have threshold (which is a given), then you can sink that mana into Rolling Thunder, Capsize, or pretty much anything you want to just end the game on the spot. I found myself not wanting to play this deck because games would just drag out forever, but now we have a way to seal the deal in a time efficient manner. Both pieces of the combo are pretty easy to tutor up, and if you precede the combo with Mind Extraction or protect it with countermagic, you should be golden. Watch out for graveyard hate, but that's always a concern, right?
Alternate Card Choices
Card Draw and Selection
Any control deck loves to draw cards. Thankfully, the common rarity offers us a plethora of options, and in my experience it does not much matter which draw spells you play as long as they get the job done. Here you can find some very good alternatives. In particular, Rush of Knowledge should be at the front of your mind when building your deck.
Tutors
In case you decide you need still more library manipulation, here are the rest of the Transmute tutors. Dizzy Spell is obviously downright terrible if you actually cast it, but if you are playing enough one-mana bombs like Pyroblast and Fireball, it could be worthwhile. Brainspoil is interesting because it can tutor up Child of Alara if it gets tucked, but unfortunately there is no way to tutor up Brainspoil itself.
Removal "Dudes need killing like everything does." -The Oracle, The Matrix: Revolutions (I paraphrased a little)
Obviously, you need to cater to your specific metagame, but here are some great options that may save you a Gatherer search or two!
Sac Outlets
Carlos in particular endorses these as additional ways to off Child in an uncounterable manner. I don't personally like them as much, but I don't personally make the best decisions all the time:
Creatures
I mean, these guys speak for themselves, I would think. Aethermage is pretty sweet, so you should give it a look see if you are in the market for more tutoring capability.
Recursion
What? Another section? I'm running out of creative blurbs. Though I will admit, Reclaim always catches my eye if you need some additional redundancy -- it's cheap, it's effective, and it's tutorable via Mystical Teachings.
This deck might be for you if:
+ You don't want the game to end quickly
+ You prefer having answers to all types of threats
+ You like decks that are challenging to play well
+ You like graveyard shenanigans, 2-for-1s, and incremental advantage
+ You want a fun new EDH experience without breaking the bank
You might want to choose a different deck if:
- You hate long games
- Your metagame is fast and/or brimming with graveyard hate
- You want an easy deck to pilot
- You usually prefer being the aggressor in a game
- You're filthy rich and want others to know it
Other Pauper EDH Resources:
- Adam Styborski's Cheap Date in Serious Fun on the mothership
- Adam Styborski's A Cheap Second Date in Serious Fun on the mothership
- An episode of Pauper EDH on CommanderCast
Sweet, it's like a best of every limited format ever!
Hana Kami + Death Denied seems like a pretty good engine. Leonin Squire seems okay with all your 1cc utility artifacts. Momentary Blink?
Oddly enough, Stingmoggie seems sort of okay, since it hits utility lands AND artifacts.
This deck seems like it needs an awful lot of ramp in order to do much of anything. Any chance of adding more stuff like that? Far Wanderings? Wayfarer's Bauble? Explore? Harrow? Khalni Heart Expedition?
I'll list some more miscellaneous cards before I have to leave
Aftershock
Avenging Druid
Coiling Oracle
Diligent Farmhand
Evolution Charm
Fertilid
Borderposts (acceleration/fixing
Gift of the Gargantuan
Tilling Treefolk
Journey of Discovery
Ondu Giant
Pilgrim's Eye
Plague Spores
Primal Growth
Soul Stair Expedition
Traumatic Visions
Treasure Hunt
Yavimaya Elder
Yavimaya Granger
Dryad Arbor
Sorry for any repeats, I'm ust listing before I have to get out of here.
I would actually disagree. I know this is how it has been done in the past, but vanilla generals are just a serious yawnfest IMO, and the fact that all the common legends are all terrible would be an immediate turnoff to people who might otherwise be interested. Allowing people to use any general they want (while keeping the other 99 cards common-only) would be a huge boon to the subformat and open up the doors to a lot of creativity. I built a pauper version of Khymera's Sygg, River Cutthroat aggro-control deck, for example, that isn't half bad.
@cag08055 -- Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm actually headed out the door right now, but review them when I have more time!
Honestly, there's only a few serious suggestions there. I think the deck has to be all about setting up an engine and then abusing that for as much advantage as possible.
It just so happens that the common-based engines are REALLY expensive to get going, so I searched magiccards.info for any common that said "land" and pulled out the ones that might be helpful for ramping up.
huh. i didnt know that there were so many common ledgendary creatures.
i was thinking that maybe we could just use any common creature for a general. ledgendary or not. that could just break the game though... i dont really know. we'll just have to try it
Leonin Squire -- maybe. Let me get back to you on that.
Evolution Charm -- WOW, awesome. Two very useful abilities on this one.
Traumatic Visions -- was in an earlier build of this deck. I'm always happy to draw countermagic with this deck, so more can't be too bad. I've been considering Controvert as another "engine" card; in the late game, I can see locking people out with this one easily.
Yavimaya Elder -- Why isn't this thing in here already? That should've been one of the very first includes. Thanks.
Stingmoggie -- might be good; I've been aching for some kind of LD, and Strip Mine further stretches the manabase and just isn't as abusable as a creature here.
i was thinking that maybe we could just use any common creature for a general. ledgendary or not. that could just break the game though... i dont really know. we'll just have to try it
Maybe, but I think that might make it feel too little like EDH. Crypt Rats is instant tier 1, I think, and Sakura-Tribe Elder is really good as well. At least Trinket Mage can't go get Sol Ring in this format!
No Hana Kami to go with Death Denied? That's some kind of recursion combo right there. Teachings up your Death Denied? It'd be sweet if you had a way to tutor Kami up, but I guess that's being greedy. Maybe whatever the 1cc transmute card is?
Are there any good common sac outlets? It's unfortunate that Malevolent Awakening is uncommon.
Skulltap and Vivisection seem okay as sac outlets for child that also let you do stuff with izzet chronarch/Mnemonic Wall.
No Hana Kami to go with Death Denied? That's some kind of recursion combo right there. Teachings up your Death Denied? It'd be sweet if you had a way to tutor Kami up, but I guess that's being greedy. Maybe whatever the 1cc transmute card is?
Are there any good common sac outlets? It's unfortunate that Malevolent Awakening is uncommon.
Skulltap and Vivisection seem okay as sac outlets for child that also let you do stuff with izzet chronarch/Mnemonic Wall.
Hana Kami + Death Denied was awesome back when I had an Iname as One deck. I'm just afraid that, most of the time, Hana Kami is going to be a dead card here. All it does is recur Death Denied and Kodama's Reach. (Also, if I can Mystical Teachings or Muddle the Mixture for Death Denied, I can just get Grim Harvest or sometimes Disturbed Burial anyway, right?)
Dimir House Guard is in here as a sac outlet if I need it to be. I do wish I had more ways to kill Child of Alara, though. Maybe I could just pack more "destroy" effects instead?
I mean, there are two questions then. Is 2BGX to return X creatures ENOUGH better than 4B per creature to make it worth running a card that might be worse than other cards that you're running? I think so, honestly.
The other question is: are there more Arcane spells that are worth running? I think so. If you add enough it becomes an engine unto itself, which may be reasonable. I mean, the deck is already mana hungry, why not? Here are some arcane things to consider:
I mean, there are two questions then. Is to return X creatures ENOUGH better than per creature to make it worth running a card that might be worse than other cards that you're running? I think so, honestly.
Here's another way to view the situation: in a deck with extremely limited tutoring capability, is it worth replacing a good card with an otherwise useless card simply for the offchance of assembling a 2-card combo that simply makes an existing engine a bit more mana efficient? I'd say no, but I'm willing to try it out. I'll make you a deal: I'll add it now, and if I draw Hana Kami 3 times without it having a significant impact on the game, I'm giving it the axe. Is that cool?
Other than Wear Away and maybeSoulless Revival, I can't see any of the other cards being worthwhile at all. At least, their rare interactions with with Hana Kami and each other aren't better than just playing objectively stronger cards.
Now I have to figure out what to cut for all this good stuff you suggested. Considering:
- Swirling Sandstorm (Child of Alara does this better and more reliably)
- Tortured Existence (not as good as I had hoped, honestly. This really wants Squee, Goblin Nabob)
- Sprout Swarm (I haven't drawn it yet, so IDK. It might just be too small of an effect in EDH)
- Expedition Map (for reasons previously stated)
- Mournwhelk? (I really dig this guy in the late game. Maybe our late game is good enough anyway?)
- Moriok Replica (since we have this base covered by Qasali Pridemage, Wickerbough Elder, Dispeller's Capsule, Child of Alara, etc.)
- Civic Wayfinder (Yavimaya Elder is better? IDK, Civic is still good)
I feel like the there's enough additional value to get out of the card by warping your deck construction just a little (i.e. running arcane versions of cards you're already playing) that it could be worth it. It's like an Izzet Chronarch that's a little more restrictive, but is its own engine once it gets going. Then again, I could be living in magical christmas land, since I tend to do that when I get excited about decks.
Honestly, I've never played the deck, so I don't have a clue how easy or difficult it is to set these things up. Here's a better question for both of us: if the engine COULD be efficiently set up, would it be worth it? Is it worth trying to find ways to set it up/find ways to make it worth the slots? I think if there's a way to build the deck to efficiently set up that engine, it's definitely better than the other ones. The other ones are more consistent, but more mana intensive and less powerful. So how can the engine be set up more easily?
Because, Mystical Teachings -> Death Denied, Flashback -> Dizzy Spell sets up the Hana Kami tricks. It's REALLY expensive, but I don't know if it's worth it.
I honestly don't like Mournwhelk very much. I played it in a casual blink deck for awhile, but I always wanted it to be Mulldrifter, or something that impacted the board directly.
Sprout Swarm seems pretty terrible, to be honest. It dominates limited formats, but I think that you'd rather just abuse your recursion engines instead.
Does Dizzy Spell make Tortured Existence Better? What about if you add...Dimir Infiltrator, Muddle the Mixture, and Shred Memory, which find each of your 2cc engine cards. Tortured Existence interacts reasonably well with transmute creature tutors like Dimir House Guard, Drift of Phantasms and Dimir Infiltrator.
Not to butt in but, I will say your deck has motivated me to make my own version of this and I managed to win my first game with it. I need to get a capsize and disturbed burial for my list. I ended up winning in my version by recurring resounding thunder enough times to kill two people then I overran the third person with sheer card advantage after running out of ways to reuse the thunder.
And hana kami is an uncommon so that arguing is kind unnecessary.
I swore that card was common. I always drafted a million of them.
Perhaps people undervalued them when you drafted them?
I'd like to suggest Scrivener as another way to recur things. I'm also playing Ninja of the Deep Hours as a cheap way to return my come into play effects, deal damage and draw a card. I'm testing Okiba Gang Shinobi but i ended up discarding it while having too many cards in my hand.
This deck requires so much thinking to play but I definitely enjoyed my first game with it especially with how I eliminated two people.
Resounding Thunder was the centerpiece of my Standard pauper deck for a long time, so I'm excited to play it again. Dimir Infiltrator is also high on my list of possible includes. Ninja didn't make it because it just feels too clunky when I don't have lots of cheap dudes in the red zone.
With all the extra mana fixing and our ever-present card draw, I feel like we can cut a land and get away with it. I won't do this until the list gets a little tighter, though.
Also, apparently an opening Leyline of the Void causes some headaches. Pretty much our entire game plan revolves around killing it so we can get on with our lives.
EDIT: Controvert is awesome. It's mana intensive as all get-out, but when you have 17 lands in play like I did yesterday, it just feels so right, you know? Why yes, I'll counter your spell, Grim Harvest back a Qasali Pridemage, blow up your enchantment, and recover Grim Harvest and Controvert again. To quote YGOTAS: "I am sealing the exits. The exits are sealed. Never before have exits been sealed quite like they are right now."
So I won my second game with my version of the deck. I ended up not drawing any win conditions other than sprout swarm and ulamog's crusher. Crusher got super token blocked so I ended up winning the game by sprout swarming for six tokens a turn. I blew up child alara 3 or so times that game.
I still like Ninja of the Deep Hours. I do not like Okiba Gang Shinobi so that is getting the cut from my list. I'm playing Resounding Silence and Resounding Wave for good results and I cut Crookclaw Transmutor for Disturbed Burial. I think I'm going to end up finding room for more cards with transmute so I can tutor up my recursion a little better.
I managed to win another game. Woot. So out of seven four-player FFA's, I've won two of them. That's not as high as I'm used to, but all things considered, it's certainly acceptable! I feel certain the win-loss ratio would be higher were I not as terrible at Magic as I am -- I see myself making play mistake after play mistake, but this deck has so many decision trees that it's hard to figure out what is optimal sometimes.
That's another thing: This is one of the most difficult decks I've ever piloted. That's really saying something, too; I play Storm combo, Doomsday, and a 251-card Gifts Ungiven control deck with a great deal of regularity. Perhaps one of the things that makes this deck so difficult for me to pilot is that I can't "practice" by goldfishing like I can my combo decks -- every game is significantly different from the last. Sure, there are a few common lines of play (aha, pun intended), but even choosing how to spend your mana each turn gets complicated.
I love it.
Like I said, I have most of this together just from cards in my Pauper cube, but I think I'm going to have to sink the $3.50 and buy the rest of the deck. I might even put it in nice sleeves. Original decklist, challenging to play, deceptively powerful... I think this one's a keeper. Thanks for your help guys, and if you have any more suggestions or stories, please share!
I've been playing this deck a lot recently. In my newer playgroup, it's won 4 out of the last 5 games (lol!). Records everywhere else IRL are about 50/50. No one suspects the commons to wreck face, but they do, they do...
I've also got some sweet updates:
- Controvert (favorite card in the deck. Also uncommon. Figures.)
- Into the Roil (doesn't do enough, too redundant)
- Pestilence (sad to see it go, but always plays second fiddle to Child)
- Resounding Thunder (awesome effect, replaced with Fireball)
+ Voidmage Apprentice (to fill in for Controvert as another mana-intensive soft-lock)
+ Perplex (decent counterspell, tutor effects are invaluable)
+ Wrecking Ball (gives us some LD, also useful for blowing up Child)
+ Fireball (easy to cast for double digits, recur multiple times FTW)
I really want to fit in Rend Flesh as a 3cc tutorable way to kill Child, but I don't know what to cut. Possibly Jungle Weaver, but the deck is threat-light as is. Maybe we don't need threats, though. On the other hand, Voidmage Apprentice might go if it proves to be more cute than good, but it has been okay so far.
Quote from magic4life »
-1 Civic Wayfinder for +Sylvan Ranger
Does the same thing with cheaper casting cost
Have you consider Grim Discovery, Darksteel Pendant(mini-crystal ball)?
Grim Discovery usually isn't worth it because I often don't have lands in my graveyard. Darksteel Pendant is interesting; I can see including it if I find myself in topdeck mode a lot.
I've been considering Sylvan Ranger for quite some time -- it also has an FNM version, which is awesome. You'll see why when I post new foily pictures of the deck.
I honestly think this deck might be my new favorite. It has more graveyard shenanigans than Teeg, even.
The Pauper Dreamcrusher
1 Child of Alara
Creatures (17)
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Cadaver Imp
1 Drift of Phantasms
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Krosan Restorer
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Tilling Treefolk
1 Trinket Mage
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Dimir House Guard
1 Archaeomancer
1 Izzet Chronarch
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Mulldrifter
1 Scrivener
Engine Cards (6)
1 Grim Harvest
1 Disturbed Burial
1 Capsize
1 Freed from the Real
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Reaping the Graves
Other Answers and Utility (20)
1 Aether Spellbomb
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Reclaim
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Arcane Denial
1 Condescend
1 Counterspell
1 Devour Flesh
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Shred Memory
1 Terminate
1 Faerie Trickery
1 Mind Extraction
1 Perplex
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Rend Flesh
1 Soul Manipulation
1 Wrecking Ball
1 Overrule
1 Rolling Thunder
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Rhystic Study
1 Mystical Teachings
Mana Fixing (7)
1 Horizon Spellbomb
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Prophetic Prism
1 Cultivate
1 Far Wanderings
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Darksteel Ingot
Lands (41)
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Bant Panorama
1 Esper Panorama
1 Grixis Panorama
1 Jund Panorama
1 Command Tower
1 Rupture Spire
1 Transguild Promenade
1 Opal Palace
1 Shimmering Grotto
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Halimar Depths
1 Barren Moor
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Tranquil Thicket
1 Polluted Mire
1 Remote Isle
1 Slippery Karst
6 Forest
7 Island
5 Swamp
1 Mountain
1 Plains
Quick Deck Statistics
Preferred Environment: Multiplayer
Casual/Competitive: Competitive
Average CMC: 2.72
Deck MVP: Capsize
Strengths: Utility, Resiliency, Inevitability, Affordability
Weaknesses: Mana Denial, Graveyard Hate, Fast Metagames[/center]
Other Users' Decklists
1 Child of Alara
Creature (18)
1 Leonin Squire
1 Mulldrifter
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Trinket Mage
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Drift of Phantasms
1 Gravedigger
1 Cadaver Imp
1 Dimir House Guard
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Tilling Treefolk
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Izzet Chronarch
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Pilgrim's Eye
Instant (24)
1 Dismantling Blow
1 Momentary Blink
1 Condescend
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Faerie Trickery
1 Capsize
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Deprive
1 Counterspell
1 Call to Heel
1 Arcane Denial
1 Brainstorm
1 Death Denied
1 Rend Flesh
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Grim Harvest
1 Shred Memory
1 Skred
1 Pyroblast
1 Evolution Charm
1 Wrecking Ball
1 Terminate
1 Soul Manipulation
1 Perplex
1 Deep Analysis
1 Preordain
1 Brainspoil
1 Mind Extraction
1 Disturbed Burial
1 Skulltap
1 Rolling Thunder
1 Primal Growth
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Far Wanderings
1 Cultivate
Artifact (6)
1 Mycosynth Wellspring
1 Wayfarer's Bauble
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Horizon Spellbomb
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Expedition Map
Land (40)
1 Rupture Spire
1 Shimmering Grotto
1 Kabira Crossroads
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Halimar Depths
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Barren Moor
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Tranquil Thicket
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Polluted Mire
1 Remote Isle
1 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Snow-Covered Plains
2 Snow-Covered Mountain
8 Snow-Covered Island
7 Snow-Covered Forest
8 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Rhystic Study
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Dizzy Spell
1 Pyroblast
1 Terminate
1 Devour Flesh
1 Grim Harvest
1 Shred Memory
1 Impulse
1 Arcane Denial
1 Memory Lapse
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Counterspell
1 Faerie Trickery
1 Unmake
1 Capsize
1 Soul Manipulation
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Perplex
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Snakeform
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Wrecking Ball
1 Death Denied
1 Gatecreeper Vine
1 Dimir Infiltrator
1 Vedalken Æthermage
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Yavimaya Elder
1 Cadaver Imp
1 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Drift of Phantasms
1 Gravedigger
1 Archaeomancer
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Scrivener
1 Mulldrifter
1 Izzet Chronarch
1 Krosan Tusker
1 Horizon Spellbomb
1 Mycosynth Wellspring
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Preordain
1 Disturbed Burial
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Cultivate
1 Far Wanderings
1 Divination
1 Compulsive Research
1 Mind Extraction
1 Deep Analysis
1 Reap and Sow
1 Foresee
1 Rush of Knowledge
1 Urborg Uprising
1 Brainspoil
1 Kaervek's Torch
2 Plains
9 Island
6 Swamp
2 Mountain
6 Forest
1 Command Tower
1 Rupture Spire
1 Transguild Promenade
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Rakdos Guildgate
1 Azorius Guildgate
1 Izzet Guildgate
1 Golgari Guildgate
1 Selesnya Guildgate
1 Dimir Guildgate
1 Orzhov Guildgate
1 Gruul Guildgate
1 Boros Guildgate
1 Simic Guildgate
Besides the general, everything in here is 100% dirt-cheap common! This started as something I just threw together out of cards in my Pauper Cube, but I've begun to include a few solid cards that I don't think are cube-worthy (Horizon Spellbomb, for instance). Surprisingly, it's actually got some game, so if you are looking for what may be the cheapest way to stay competitive in Commander, you have come to the right place! This is 5-Color Control for the common man.
Because this deck is limited to commons only, we miss out on a lot of the raw power that can be found only in the higher rarities -- broken fast mana, sweepers, and bombs, mainly -- so we have to lean heavily on the engines we do have and make up the difference in card advantage: LOTS of card advantage.
Why Child of Alara?
The main weakness of the pauper format is a chronic shortage of good mass removal spells. In fact, the ones that are available in common (Pestilence, Crypt Rats, etc.) are of legendary, format-defining status. Using Child of Alara as our general not only gives us access to the very best of each color -- the "cream of the crop," as it were -- but Child's sweeper ability patches a huge hole in our strategy and synergizes well with Gravedigger effects, one of Pauper's greatest strengths.
But Child of Alara is a Mythic Rare!
It has been argued that this deck using a Mythic Rare as a commander invalidates any claims to pauper legality. In particular, while there is no consensus on what exactly constitutes Pauper Commander, many communities have begun to gravitate toward lifting the Legendary requirement for a commander and replacing it with the stipulation that the commander must be an uncommon creature. However, this pauper deck is primarily designed to succeed against full-power, non-pauper Commander decks. In this context, it is appropriate to use a Legendary commander for the sake of rules compatibility, and it is probably necessary to have a splashy Commander to give the deck some punch. After all, this deck cannot power out busted fast artifact mana, auto-win with Genesis Wave, or cast Eldrazi over and over.
In a metagame of other pauper decks, though, I 100% agree with the "uncommon commander" rule. Not only would everyone hopefully agree to use the appropriately modified ruleset beforehand, but Mythic Rare generals are often too strong and too difficult to answer for other pauper decks. Filling in as commander in those cases would is one of these guys:
Composite Golem
Dragonsoul Knight
Fleshformer
Fusion Elemental
Paragon of the Amesha
Transguild Courier
I personally roll with my main man Fusion Elemental because he still works with Mind Extraction and maintains a viable kill via commander damage. Whatever you choose, I would recommend adding Crypt Rats to the deck (if you aren't playing it already) because it is no longer possible to rely on Child as a sweeper.
What's the Plan?
In the early stages of the game, it is important to lay low and establish a mana base. Politics are your best friend. If I draw a 7-land opening hand, I snap keep it and make it known I am doing so. Play extra-conservatively, policing the table with removal and countermagic only if you absolutely have to. Opponents unfamiliar with the deck probably will not think you are a threat, and your random Mulldrifters and Gravediggers will keep away enemy creatures looking for a free attack. I find that it is often necessary to sweep the board with Child once in this stage to negate the progress the other players have made and bridge into Stage 2.
Once you get a good foundation of lands to stand on and are in no imminent danger, you have reached the middle stage of your game plan. Here, you want to find one of the engine cards and prepare to abuse it. Perhaps you want to cast Sakura-Tribe Elder over and over, or sit behind Child of Alara while you Oblivion Ring/Capsize big threats. Whatever you do, keep in mind that you will be stuck in this "fair" stage unless you keep hitting your land drops. Watch out for mass land destruction in all cases, and avoid having your graveyard exiled or shuffled into your deck unless you can handle it.
If you have done a good job of playing defense, other players will start to drop out of the game as they are killed by the attacks that couldn't come at you. If you have done a good job of making your land drops, you will have about 15 mana available. It is time to switch gears and move into Stages 3 and 4. Sweep the board with Child of Alara, nuke another guy's hand with Mind Extraction, reveal your true Ghostly Flicker shenanigans. Represent an endless wall of countermagic and removal. You are in control. Now you just need it to stay that way until you can finish the job.
How Do We Actually Win?
When it comes to literally closing out the game, we have four paths to victory. Here they are, listed from least to most likely to occur:
1. Mulldrifter Beats
With a decent amount of creatures in the deck, you always have the option to just turn them sideways if you see an opening. They will sit back on defense more often than not, but if the coast is clear, you might as well go for it. Don't do it if you think it will significantly affect the political situation of the game, but at the same time don't leave your guys at home needlessly. You may not always close out games by getting in there with Qasali Pridemage, but the early damage is an important supplement to your Rolling Thunder kill, as well.[/CENTER]
2. General Damage
Child of Alara has decent stats, is impossible to chump block, and kills in four swings -- not a bad deal for a deck otherwise full of commons! Even though Child of Alara has no real evasion or protection, this is a fairly reliable way to kill a player or two. You may have a tough time finishing off everyone with a slow wincon like this, so again, use it as a supplement to your other wincons.
3. Rolling Thunder Recursion
Alright, now we are getting into the real swingy stuff. Once you have established control of the game, you should find yourself sitting on top of 15 or 20 lands with some kind of recursion engine online. Tutor up Rolling Thunder via Muddle the Mixture or Dimir Infiltrator, soften people up with your creatures, and sink lots of mana into this giant Fireball to finish someone off. You can then spend a turn getting back Rolling Thunder back with Mnemonic Wall or Izzet Chronarch, then do it again and again until you are victorious. If you have Disturbed Burial or Grim Harvest, it may be useful to dedicate some of the damage from Thunder to killing one of these guys so you can buy them back and continue with your shenanigans.
4. Freed from the Real Combo
This is a recent addition courtesy of Nideovinja, and one with which I have been quite pleased. Krosan Restorer + Freed from the Real (or Maze of Ith, if you have one) is infinite mana if you have threshold (which is a given), then you can sink that mana into Rolling Thunder, Capsize, or pretty much anything you want to just end the game on the spot. I found myself not wanting to play this deck because games would just drag out forever, but now we have a way to seal the deal in a time efficient manner. Both pieces of the combo are pretty easy to tutor up, and if you precede the combo with Mind Extraction or protect it with countermagic, you should be golden. Watch out for graveyard hate, but that's always a concern, right?
Alternate Card Choices
Any control deck loves to draw cards. Thankfully, the common rarity offers us a plethora of options, and in my experience it does not much matter which draw spells you play as long as they get the job done. Here you can find some very good alternatives. In particular, Rush of Knowledge should be at the front of your mind when building your deck.
Rush of Knowledge
Deep Analysis
Compulsive Research
Frantic Search
Tolarian Winds
Foresee
Impulse
Tutors
In case you decide you need still more library manipulation, here are the rest of the Transmute tutors. Dizzy Spell is obviously downright terrible if you actually cast it, but if you are playing enough one-mana bombs like Pyroblast and Fireball, it could be worthwhile. Brainspoil is interesting because it can tutor up Child of Alara if it gets tucked, but unfortunately there is no way to tutor up Brainspoil itself.
Dizzy Spell
Brainspoil
Removal
"Dudes need killing like everything does." -The Oracle, The Matrix: Revolutions (I paraphrased a little)
Obviously, you need to cater to your specific metagame, but here are some great options that may save you a Gatherer search or two!
Unmake
Hull Breach
Dismantling Blow
Dispeller's Capsule
Snakeform
Red Elemental Blast
Pyroblast
Skred
Reap and Sow
Sac Outlets
Carlos in particular endorses these as additional ways to off Child in an uncounterable manner. I don't personally like them as much, but I don't personally make the best decisions all the time:
Primal Growth
Skulltap
Creatures
I mean, these guys speak for themselves, I would think. Aethermage is pretty sweet, so you should give it a look see if you are in the market for more tutoring capability.
Anarchist
Crypt Rats
Gravedigger
Krosan Tusker
Scrivener
Sanctum Gargoyle
Sylvan Ranger
Twisted Abomination
Vedalken Aethermage
Recursion
What? Another section? I'm running out of creative blurbs. Though I will admit, Reclaim always catches my eye if you need some additional redundancy -- it's cheap, it's effective, and it's tutorable via Mystical Teachings.
Reclaim (I have since added Reclaim to my deck)
Elven Cache
Are you a future Dreamcrusher?
This deck might be for you if:
+ You don't want the game to end quickly
+ You prefer having answers to all types of threats
+ You like decks that are challenging to play well
+ You like graveyard shenanigans, 2-for-1s, and incremental advantage
+ You want a fun new EDH experience without breaking the bank
You might want to choose a different deck if:
- You hate long games
- Your metagame is fast and/or brimming with graveyard hate
- You want an easy deck to pilot
- You usually prefer being the aggressor in a game
- You're filthy rich and want others to know it
Further Reading
Commons Amok!
- As featured in Sheldon Menery's Embracing the Chaos on StarCityGames (thanks, John Bolt!)
- As featured in Carlos Gutierrez' article on QuietSpeculation
- As featured in Bobby Fine's article on Deck Factory
Game Reports
- A night at Get Some Game
- SCG Open: Charlotte
- Commander Release Party tournament
- Impromptu Commander tournament
- EDH League Week 1
- EDH League Week 2
- SCG Open: Atlanta
Other Pauper EDH Resources:
- Adam Styborski's Cheap Date in Serious Fun on the mothership
- Adam Styborski's A Cheap Second Date in Serious Fun on the mothership
- An episode of Pauper EDH on CommanderCast
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Hana Kami + Death Denied seems like a pretty good engine. Leonin Squire seems okay with all your 1cc utility artifacts. Momentary Blink?
Oddly enough, Stingmoggie seems sort of okay, since it hits utility lands AND artifacts.
This deck seems like it needs an awful lot of ramp in order to do much of anything. Any chance of adding more stuff like that? Far Wanderings? Wayfarer's Bauble? Explore? Harrow? Khalni Heart Expedition?
I'll list some more miscellaneous cards before I have to leave
Aftershock
Avenging Druid
Coiling Oracle
Diligent Farmhand
Evolution Charm
Fertilid
Borderposts (acceleration/fixing
Gift of the Gargantuan
Tilling Treefolk
Journey of Discovery
Ondu Giant
Pilgrim's Eye
Plague Spores
Primal Growth
Soul Stair Expedition
Traumatic Visions
Treasure Hunt
Yavimaya Elder
Yavimaya Granger
Dryad Arbor
Sorry for any repeats, I'm ust listing before I have to get out of here.
any sugestions?
but other than that. it seems pretty fun and solid in a metta thats on the same level as you. any staple common i can think of is in here
http://magiccards.info/query?q=r%3Acommon+t%3A%22legendary+creature%22&v=card&s=cname
(U/B)(U/B)(U/B) JUMP IN THE LINE, ROCK YOUR BODY IN TIME
(R/W)(R/W)(R/W) RISING FROM THE NEON GLOOM, SHINING LIKE A CRAZY MOON
(U/R)(R/G)(G/U) STEALIN' WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUYIN'
I would actually disagree. I know this is how it has been done in the past, but vanilla generals are just a serious yawnfest IMO, and the fact that all the common legends are all terrible would be an immediate turnoff to people who might otherwise be interested. Allowing people to use any general they want (while keeping the other 99 cards common-only) would be a huge boon to the subformat and open up the doors to a lot of creativity. I built a pauper version of Khymera's Sygg, River Cutthroat aggro-control deck, for example, that isn't half bad.
@cag08055 -- Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm actually headed out the door right now, but review them when I have more time!
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It just so happens that the common-based engines are REALLY expensive to get going, so I searched magiccards.info for any common that said "land" and pulled out the ones that might be helpful for ramping up.
i was thinking that maybe we could just use any common creature for a general. ledgendary or not. that could just break the game though... i dont really know. we'll just have to try it
also, nice deck.
540 Peasant cube- Gold EditionSomething SpicyWayfarer's Bauble -- seems better than Expedition Map here. Yes, I can Trinket Mage for Map for Bojuka Bog, but I can just Trinket Mage for Nihil Spellbomb instead.
Leonin Squire -- maybe. Let me get back to you on that.
Evolution Charm -- WOW, awesome. Two very useful abilities on this one.
Traumatic Visions -- was in an earlier build of this deck. I'm always happy to draw countermagic with this deck, so more can't be too bad. I've been considering Controvert as another "engine" card; in the late game, I can see locking people out with this one easily.
Yavimaya Elder -- Why isn't this thing in here already? That should've been one of the very first includes. Thanks.
Stingmoggie -- might be good; I've been aching for some kind of LD, and Strip Mine further stretches the manabase and just isn't as abusable as a creature here.
Dryad Arbor -- is uncommon.
Maybe, but I think that might make it feel too little like EDH. Crypt Rats is instant tier 1, I think, and Sakura-Tribe Elder is really good as well. At least Trinket Mage can't go get Sol Ring in this format!
I would lol so hard if Crookclaw Transmuter was the new Vendilion Clique.
Oh, it works just fine. You're getting the precise server response I intended.
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Are there any good common sac outlets? It's unfortunate that Malevolent Awakening is uncommon.
Skulltap and Vivisection seem okay as sac outlets for child that also let you do stuff with izzet chronarch/Mnemonic Wall.
Hana Kami + Death Denied was awesome back when I had an Iname as One deck. I'm just afraid that, most of the time, Hana Kami is going to be a dead card here. All it does is recur Death Denied and Kodama's Reach. (Also, if I can Mystical Teachings or Muddle the Mixture for Death Denied, I can just get Grim Harvest or sometimes Disturbed Burial anyway, right?)
Dimir House Guard is in here as a sac outlet if I need it to be. I do wish I had more ways to kill Child of Alara, though. Maybe I could just pack more "destroy" effects instead?
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The other question is: are there more Arcane spells that are worth running? I think so. If you add enough it becomes an engine unto itself, which may be reasonable. I mean, the deck is already mana hungry, why not? Here are some arcane things to consider:
Soulless Revival from the oldschool Kami block gifts decks.
Ethereal Haze - random thought Spore Frog/Kami of False Hope for infi-fog?
Joyous Respite - honestly? Not the worst unless you face tons of combo and general damage decks. You've got Child to control the rest of it, this might be an easy way to put a game out of reach.
Kodama's Might Go Go General Damage!
Rending Vines
Terashi's Grasp
Wear Away
Ire of Kaminari - FTW! Good? Absolutely not. Hilarious? YES!
Here's another way to view the situation: in a deck with extremely limited tutoring capability, is it worth replacing a good card with an otherwise useless card simply for the offchance of assembling a 2-card combo that simply makes an existing engine a bit more mana efficient? I'd say no, but I'm willing to try it out. I'll make you a deal: I'll add it now, and if I draw Hana Kami 3 times without it having a significant impact on the game, I'm giving it the axe. Is that cool?
Other than Wear Away and maybe Soulless Revival, I can't see any of the other cards being worthwhile at all. At least, their rare interactions with with Hana Kami and each other aren't better than just playing objectively stronger cards.
Now I have to figure out what to cut for all this good stuff you suggested. Considering:
- Swirling Sandstorm (Child of Alara does this better and more reliably)
- Tortured Existence (not as good as I had hoped, honestly. This really wants Squee, Goblin Nabob)
- Sprout Swarm (I haven't drawn it yet, so IDK. It might just be too small of an effect in EDH)
- Expedition Map (for reasons previously stated)
- Mournwhelk? (I really dig this guy in the late game. Maybe our late game is good enough anyway?)
- Moriok Replica (since we have this base covered by Qasali Pridemage, Wickerbough Elder, Dispeller's Capsule, Child of Alara, etc.)
- Civic Wayfinder (Yavimaya Elder is better? IDK, Civic is still good)
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Honestly, I've never played the deck, so I don't have a clue how easy or difficult it is to set these things up. Here's a better question for both of us: if the engine COULD be efficiently set up, would it be worth it? Is it worth trying to find ways to set it up/find ways to make it worth the slots? I think if there's a way to build the deck to efficiently set up that engine, it's definitely better than the other ones. The other ones are more consistent, but more mana intensive and less powerful. So how can the engine be set up more easily?
Because, Mystical Teachings -> Death Denied, Flashback -> Dizzy Spell sets up the Hana Kami tricks. It's REALLY expensive, but I don't know if it's worth it.
I honestly don't like Mournwhelk very much. I played it in a casual blink deck for awhile, but I always wanted it to be Mulldrifter, or something that impacted the board directly.
Sprout Swarm seems pretty terrible, to be honest. It dominates limited formats, but I think that you'd rather just abuse your recursion engines instead.
Does Dizzy Spell make Tortured Existence Better? What about if you add...Dimir Infiltrator, Muddle the Mixture, and Shred Memory, which find each of your 2cc engine cards. Tortured Existence interacts reasonably well with transmute creature tutors like Dimir House Guard, Drift of Phantasms and Dimir Infiltrator.
And hana kami is an uncommon so that arguing is kind unnecessary.
wooooooooooow
I swore that card was common. I always drafted a million of them.
Perhaps people undervalued them when you drafted them?
I'd like to suggest Scrivener as another way to recur things. I'm also playing Ninja of the Deep Hours as a cheap way to return my come into play effects, deal damage and draw a card. I'm testing Okiba Gang Shinobi but i ended up discarding it while having too many cards in my hand.
This deck requires so much thinking to play but I definitely enjoyed my first game with it especially with how I eliminated two people.
Man, we just got served.
Well that frees up space to test Ninja of the Deep Hours and Scrivener! (though I'll add Mnemonic Wall before Scrivener)
Glad to hear you're enjoying the deck, sir! Thanks for the suggestions.
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Sounds like a plan, especially if I add some huge bomb like Resounding Thunder.
As of today, here are my changes to the deck in the OP:
- Mournwhelk
- Sylvok Replica
- Sprout Swarm
- Tortured Existence
- Swirling Sandstorm
- Expedition Map
+ Yavimaya Elder
+ Mnemonic Wall
+ Controvert
+ Evolution Charm
+ Wayfarer's Bauble
+ Resounding Thunder
Resounding Thunder was the centerpiece of my Standard pauper deck for a long time, so I'm excited to play it again. Dimir Infiltrator is also high on my list of possible includes. Ninja didn't make it because it just feels too clunky when I don't have lots of cheap dudes in the red zone.
With all the extra mana fixing and our ever-present card draw, I feel like we can cut a land and get away with it. I won't do this until the list gets a little tighter, though.
Also, apparently an opening Leyline of the Void causes some headaches. Pretty much our entire game plan revolves around killing it so we can get on with our lives.
EDIT: Controvert is awesome. It's mana intensive as all get-out, but when you have 17 lands in play like I did yesterday, it just feels so right, you know? Why yes, I'll counter your spell, Grim Harvest back a Qasali Pridemage, blow up your enchantment, and recover Grim Harvest and Controvert again. To quote YGOTAS: "I am sealing the exits. The exits are sealed. Never before have exits been sealed quite like they are right now."
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I still like Ninja of the Deep Hours. I do not like Okiba Gang Shinobi so that is getting the cut from my list. I'm playing Resounding Silence and Resounding Wave for good results and I cut Crookclaw Transmutor for Disturbed Burial. I think I'm going to end up finding room for more cards with transmute so I can tutor up my recursion a little better.
That's another thing: This is one of the most difficult decks I've ever piloted. That's really saying something, too; I play Storm combo, Doomsday, and a 251-card Gifts Ungiven control deck with a great deal of regularity. Perhaps one of the things that makes this deck so difficult for me to pilot is that I can't "practice" by goldfishing like I can my combo decks -- every game is significantly different from the last. Sure, there are a few common lines of play (aha, pun intended), but even choosing how to spend your mana each turn gets complicated.
I love it.
Like I said, I have most of this together just from cards in my Pauper cube, but I think I'm going to have to sink the $3.50 and buy the rest of the deck. I might even put it in nice sleeves. Original decklist, challenging to play, deceptively powerful... I think this one's a keeper. Thanks for your help guys, and if you have any more suggestions or stories, please share!
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Does the same thing with cheaper casting cost
Have you consider Grim Discovery, Darksteel Pendant(mini-crystal ball)?
Legacy Deck:
Punishing Jund
I've also got some sweet updates:
- Controvert (favorite card in the deck. Also uncommon. Figures.)
- Into the Roil (doesn't do enough, too redundant)
- Pestilence (sad to see it go, but always plays second fiddle to Child)
- Resounding Thunder (awesome effect, replaced with Fireball)
+ Voidmage Apprentice (to fill in for Controvert as another mana-intensive soft-lock)
+ Perplex (decent counterspell, tutor effects are invaluable)
+ Wrecking Ball (gives us some LD, also useful for blowing up Child)
+ Fireball (easy to cast for double digits, recur multiple times FTW)
I really want to fit in Rend Flesh as a 3cc tutorable way to kill Child, but I don't know what to cut. Possibly Jungle Weaver, but the deck is threat-light as is. Maybe we don't need threats, though. On the other hand, Voidmage Apprentice might go if it proves to be more cute than good, but it has been okay so far.
Grim Discovery usually isn't worth it because I often don't have lands in my graveyard. Darksteel Pendant is interesting; I can see including it if I find myself in topdeck mode a lot.
I've been considering Sylvan Ranger for quite some time -- it also has an FNM version, which is awesome. You'll see why when I post new foily pictures of the deck.
I honestly think this deck might be my new favorite. It has more graveyard shenanigans than Teeg, even.
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Thoughts on possible additions:
Card draw (eg. Preordain, Serum Visions, Impulse, Frantic Search, Deep Analysis, Think Twice, and Ponder) tend to be better than expected in EDH. They end up replacing themselves, at the very least, and set up your draws a little. On the same note, take a look at Exclude.
Consider Faith's Fetters type cards for removal. Also look at Rend Flesh.
Relic of Progenitus if you need more graveyard hate
I don't know how well the fixing works, but the Panoramas, Signets, and Bouncelands are options. Trace of Abundance and Fertile Ground are good too.
Strip Mine is common, but probably costs more than this deck wants.
I might build this deck
EDIT: More thoughts
Breath of Life and equivalents, Arrest, Looter il-Kor, Urborg Uprising, Ashes to Ashes, Reclaim, Mold Shambler, Neurok Stealthsuit, Whispersilk Cloak, Shadowmoor block auras.
Quite a number of enchantments outdo Opaline Bracers