MTG Salvation

I started playing Magic in the spring of 1998, right in the middle of Tempest block. My first ever purchase was a 5th Edition starter and two packs of Weatherlight. To this day, I have a soft spot for Weatherlight, a set that is not regarded as particularly powerful or noteworthy.

As strong as that attachment is, I have a much, much stronger bond to Odyssey block. The Torment prerelease in 2002 was my first sanctioned tournament, and set me on the path of (semi-)competitive play. A few months later, I won my first FNM (Odyssey-Odyssey-Torment draft), and was truly hooked. I drafted more Odyssey than any other block since, as evidenced by the stacks of Chainflingers and Cephalid Looters in my bulk boxes.

Anyone who played Standard during this era knows that the format was largely defined by two fundamentally "Odyssey" decks: U/G Madness and Psychatog. While I was certainly more of an U/G Madness player at the time, I think it is Psychatog that most clearly encapsulates that particular moment in Magic history.

I've thought about building a pauper EDH list around ol' Dr. Teeth, sure I have. However, I was hesitant, mostly because I already have a pauper deck (Child of Alara, a modified version of d0su's venerable list) and I wasn't sure about the idea of a uncommon, non-legendary general gaining acceptance at my local store.

And then the decision was taken out of my hands. You see, one of my best friends came down to NJ this past weekend and he brought me a little something. Calling this guy one of my best friends is something of an understatement. Back in 6th grade, just more than half my life ago, he was one of the kids I first saw playing this neat little card game called Magic: The Gathering. Well, what did he bring me? A signed DCI foil Psychatog.

Below is the rough sketch that I came up for a control-oriented 1v1 pauper Psychatog build. As a ground rule, I build under the belief that if a card has ever been printed as a common, it counts as a common: Scrivener, for example.



Notes:

The general idea is to play a controlling game, with permission, discard and spot removal. I know that discard is usually considered a fool's errand in EDH due to the multitude of ways to exploit the graveyard, but the few discard spells I've included seem too powerful to exclude.

The goal is to grind out card advantage/quality with the abundance of recursion spells and utility creatures, while filling up the graveyard.

Eventually, you'll aim to kill with a Shadow Rifted or Distortion Striked Psychatog. As a back up plan, Consume Spirit/Drain life double as spot-removal and alternate win conditions, especially if you get the recursive Mnemonic Wall action going.

Obviously, you're going to more or less roll to heavy graveyard hate, but when can you do?

I'm very eager to get feedback/suggestions. Understand that this deck is more a labor of love than anything that I think will be exceptionally strong.

Thank you for your kind words in the OP. I think I may have teared up a bit.

I have nothing to add. I spent a couple of hours going through old Standard 'Tog lists and looking for any cards you may have missed with almost no luck at all. Every time I thought of a card to add (like Shadow Rift or Probe) you already had it in there.

I think it currently may be skewed a bit to the 1v1 match-up, like you said. Do you think that you'll be running it out primarily in a 1v1 situation, or are you going to plan on doing some multi-player pauper EDH?

How about Sink into Takenuma? Seems like you could get your opponent to discard, fill up your hand with swamps, discard them and exile them for 'tog pumps...

There is also Writ of Passage that can play like Artful Dodge. Forecast it then pitch it to Tog after blocks. Or just keep it around to do it as much as you want.

Quote from bone_doc

Unfortunately, I don't believe Merchant Scroll is legal. Man, I'd love to be able to play that.

If going by the rule that "as long as it was printed once at common" then merchant scroll is legal due to it's printing in Homelands.

Off topic, but gatherer disagrees

It's weird, as Strip Mine and Maze of Ith were also printed at C1 rarity, which was they considered later to be uncommon. But in this case, they decided that Merchant Scroll was fine at common. This allows it to be legal in paper pauper but not online where it only saw print in 8th edition.

One card I have used in other decks with the almighty Dr. Teeth when he is an assisting creature rather than the main star to great effect is Rite of Consumption if the board is locked and I don't have an easy way out. Black Fling + life gain? Yes please.

If it was not a sorcery, it would be awesome.

..

Yeah, I wish there was a Pauper-legal effect that let it either get flash or flashback. Still amusing to consider pumping 'Tog via discards, blowing him up, then repeating the process next turn with recursion of the spell via Mnemonic Wall and exiling the grave...

On another note, why not add Archaeomancer as another version of the wall? Same effect for one-manna less, or is the double UU in its mana cost the problem?

Have you considered tainted strike?

What about Frantic Search?

Is there any particular reason black pauper decks don't run Devour Flesh? It's great removal that bypasses things like Invisible Stalker. I haven't seen it in a single black pauper deck.