MTG Salvation

I was a bit discouraged that this fun, budget, and off beat deck has so much support and so little concentrated effort in keeping it competitive.

In the year or so that I played mostly pauper this was by far the most fun deck I played. It wasn't winning as many games as either Mono U deck and it wasn't as easy to pilot as Mono G but it was fun.

I have merged several threads in an attempt to keep this deck where people can find it.

Sam Black highlighted this deck on June 4th showing it built with some of the newer cards in the format including Nivix Cyclops over Wee Dragonauts. This should be a good deck to use as a springboard.


RulerofChaos's Kiln Fiend Combo
Pauper – 4–0, Magic Online Daily #5457889

So, I have a semi-competitive pauper tourney coming up, and i was considering runing this build. I'm not sure of the SB, as i have no idea what the pauper meta is at the moment. Help and Criticism is appreciated

Think you might have some trouble with the double blue in Counterspell. Maybe Mana Leak would work just as well since you're attempting to keep the game within the first four or five turns. Condescend might also work if you're more concerned with the late game power of the card. It also nicely helps to smooth out draws.

I would ditch the Goblin Tunnelers as well. They're a cute trick, but they don't up the damage count on your guys, they just get them through. I'd sub in some Preordains to help gas up your hands.

Is there a reason you aren't running the Izzet land? I'd add it if at all possible.

it comes into play tapped, i cant do T1 brainstorm t2 kiln fiend. I just dont like the way it ruins the tempo of those first few turns.

Fair enough on the Izzet land. Have you tried my other suggestions? If so how are they working out?

manamorphse and fling are both working out pretty well

i'd do away with the counterspells all together and go for pure damage. The tunnellers dont seem that amazing either.

Here is the deck list I have been playing in the tournament practice room with some success. Looking for all crituques on optimal card choices or ideas.



psychotic fury goes out for the new assualt strobe when it comes out on MTGO. Gonna go out and buy some more expensive stuff when I am confident in the deck like 4 lotus petal frantic search etc...

Been considering twiddle (read untap target land you control) and peek to know if the coast is clear before i go off.

Starting on the end, i don't really like the petal in that deck, since its not a instant or sorcery.

The main problem of the deck, is making kiln fiend live, and get into the red zone unblocked. The first part can be evaded by the distortion strike (that i think should be a 4 of) and the Wee flight capability. The other problem is far more serious.

If it lives until your turn, you'll make the pump, or strike a bolt to the face of the opponent, but in response you're precious kiln can be bolted, boomeranged, doom bladed, or the opponent may simply play a fog and you lost a ton of tempo, and a lot of cards.

Thats the main problem of this deck, and then the draw. Why not to try something with more selection on hand (Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain, all of them pump the fiends, and gets you cards that will compensate the loss of tempo). This will make the draw smoother, and get into the from with speed. Then, a handfull of counters, cheap and efficient against the problems that could take out the fiend. Not big hard counters, but spell pierces, dispels, force spike, or even mana leak or arcane denial?

If you want to test, (in the 21:00+ GMT), just PM me and well make some tests, since i've almost all the pauper gauntlet.

I have a Wee deck, and Counterspells + Wee usually weakens the aggression plan. However Counterspells will improve a bulk of unwinnable matchups game 1 e.g. Combo/control.

However, your deck tends on the aggressive side so I would improve on the aggression consistency. A new card Assault Strobe or Fling seems brutal on Kiln Fiend.

Turn 1: land bolt
Turn 2: Kiln fiend
Turn 3: Bolt creature (+3/+0), burn spell (+3/+0), Assault Strobe (+3/+0) = 10/2 Fiend dealing 18 points of damage to the face with double strike lol.

Fling has quite amazing synergy with Wee and Fiend. I have a Boros Landfall with Kiln Fiend and Assault Strobes and Fling + Burn that is aggressive although you're making me think that UR is a better choice.

Also a good card is the blue rebound spell from WW that gives +1/+0 and unblockable and rebounds.

reckless charge would be something to consider for this.

I cut Wee Dragonauts completely because they are just so much worse than Kiln Fiend. I would recommend playing Snap and Frantic Search because they give you the explosive turn. I would play Ponder, Brainstorm and Preordain all as 4 of's as well to get you to Kiln Fiend.

How about Blood Lust / Blood Frenzy here?

Edit: It has come to my attention that Fists of the Anvil is generally superior to either of the above cards.

Here are some spells that will help.
Veil of Secrecy
Infiltrate
Shadow Rift
Assault Strobe
Crimson Wisps

You need more creatures to. Chandra's Spitfire works in here.It works very nice with Gelectrode which works with burn which triggers Kiln Fiend and Wee Dragaonauts at the same time. Where are your Lightning Bolt? Shock?

I don't think psychotic fury is worth running in this deck as-is. Even with Gelectrode you'll only have 8 creatures that are multi-colored and Gelectrode won't be an attacker. Assault strobe and Double Cleave both give double strike to any creature. Brute force is good. You could do without manamorphose.

assault strobe is just better than double cleave in every way.

True, but Double Cleave is instant speed.

^this.
Assault strobe will just get chump'd

Maybe you can try Flame Jab along with Lava Dart.

Assault Strobe as a 2 of maybe? It's cool with the Dragonauts and the Kiln Fiend.

Quote from Denz1

^this.
Assault strobe will just get chump'd

we play burn? burn creature, swing in. a 10/2 kiln fiend is still gonna get chumped.

I know there is another similar post, didn't feel like sidetracking their thread.
So anyways, Always been a fan of the Kiln Fiend / Distortion Strike combo, so when the LGS started a pauper tournament I knew exactly what I wanted to play.

Here is the list I used last night:



Tournament Rounds

Round 1: 2-1 against U/R Unblockable
Similar deck but using Riverfall Mimic, Noggle Bandit, Cloud of Dominus, Magefire Wings and Sigil of Sleep. To be perfectly honest if he had added Terramorphics to his deck it would have been much more likely for him to win. Land screwed twice out of Red.

Round 2: 0-2 Against R/B affinity
Ugh, this match was very uphill the entire way. Artifact lands and Atog make an essentially unboltable creature. Massive swings, Disciple of the Vault, Ichor Wellspring, Galvanic Blast. I had one decent game where he was stuck at 2 lands but he still came back. I need to aggressively side board this matchup.

Round 3: 2-1 Against Mono Red Burn
Easy enough, after the first game I just sat on my hands while he dumped his. Once I was secure in knowing my creatures weren't about to get shocked off the board I won easily.

Round 4: 0-2 Against W/r Weenie
Didn't draw well, Burn for all my creatures, overrun by squadron Hawks using slyvok lifestaff. Unpleasant but my deck did put up a little bit of a fight.

Made it into top 4 (small LGS) and played the 2nd undefeated person of the night. (1-1 draw with my 4th matchup)

Round 5: 2-0 Against Soul Sister White Weenie
He didn't draw a single journey, I absolutely crushed him. Nice to play a deck that doesn't instantly remove every single creature played. Swung with a 12/2 Double Striking Kiln fiend to end game one. Game 2 Distortion strike both a Ruinous Minotaur and Kiln Fiend for the win.

So this was made of my fairly small, irregular collection. What cards should I add in order to increase my consistency or make it to the late game where I can explode and still protect creatures?

Quote from jonboyjon

I've been running a Kiln Fiend UR Aggro deck for some time and only just realised (since coming on here) that its pauper other than 4 shivan reef (easily replaced with basics)

My List:

Shadow of Zo's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
Creatures: 4 Kiln Fiend 4 Wee Dragonauts 2 Burst Lightning 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Reckless Charge 4 Assault Strobe 4 Shadow Rift 4 Distortion Strike 4 Preordain 4 Gitaxian Probe	Lands: 4 Shivan Reef 10 Mountain 8 Island

Basically what this deck needs to do is play Kiln Fiend on turn 2 and then play as many spells as possible on turn 3, (Hence all the 1 drops).

Burn, Pump, Unblockable and Card Draw/Selection

Reckless charge is awesome - +6/+0 and haste and flashback for R?

Shadow Rift is also pretty silly

Gitaxian Probe is really good. Sees if the path is clear of removal/counter, replaces itself and can be paid for 2 life, meaning you can play Kiln Fiend on turn 2, and then play 4 spells on turn 3, or maybe 5 if you draw a 2nd probe of a rift.

I suppose Turn Aside might be good in a sideboard?

Just want to point out that Shivan Reef doesn't quite get along with the format of pauper.

How do people feel about mutagenic growth here?