Pauper: Mono Blue Snacker Terror - Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

Mono Blue Terror is one of the most popular decks in Pauper nowadays, as well as one of the most powerful. Its strategy is simple: fill your graveyard with instants and sorceries to put Tolarian Terror and Cryptic Serpent in play for very little mana as fast as possible. To do that, you'll use many cantrips, particularly self-mill cards like Mental Note.

Traditionally, this version of Terror has focused on blue as a color and its speed, and also punished the opponent with low-cost spells, always playing around threats and answers. In this list, Delver of Secrets both serves as an initial threat and as a way to put pressure at the end of the game. The reason behind this is that it can deal lethal damage very easily if you manage to stick it to the board.

However, for some time now, I have felt Delver doesn't have that much synergy with the self-mill game plan and relies a lot on other factors to actually become a threat. It often never flips or flips and dies right afterward, which does make it less desirable.

With this in mind, alongside the passion I recently acquired for the newest addition to Pauper, Sneaky Snacker, I decided to build a new version of this deck and replace Delver with this little Faerie.

With Snacker in this list, our self-mill plan can now get some value out of the creatures that end up in the graveyard. To better control the cards we put there, I also swapped Mental Note for Careful Study, as I feel it brings more consistency to this Delver-less version.

The most significant difference between Snacker and Delver is that Snacker is just as strong on the board, and can also return to the battlefield from the graveyard whenever you draw your third card that turn. This adds a critical amount of recursion to this deck, as it gives you a new game plan that is great if all your creatures are removed.

This list is still vulnerable to grave hate, but playing around this has always been a must for any Tolarian Terror enthusiast. With Snacker, you'll be able to put pressure on your opponent's hates and eventually open up the way for your Serpents. We couldn't exactly do this before with Delver, as it died, couldn't return, and often didn't even deal any damage.

Another great detail about this Faerie is that, as it is a black creature, Snuff Out doesn't affect it, so it's excellent against black decks. In addition, with it, you'll also be able to play around edicts, as you can bring Snacker from the graveyard as an answer to an edict and protect your Serpents.

Ponder is currently a more solid option than Consider, as it lets you manipulate the top of your deck a bit better. Boomerang is interesting in the current metagame to deal with the huge number of strategies vulnerable to the good, old land bounce, like Affinity and its tap lands, and Gruul Ponza. Gruul Ponza, for instance, many times starts with a land + Wild Growth or Utopia Sprawl.

Deem Inferior is a new tech card in this list that has been quite intriguing, as its effect lasts longer than Snap, though it is worse in terms of speed. Sleep of the Dead is another new tech that has popped up in lists - you can use it to clear the path before you set up a lethal play.

Mulligan and Game Style

As any blue deck, you don't need to be scared when you mulligan. The best Mono Blue hands need cantrips to progress the game plan and creatures to play as soon as possible.

Try to play on your opponent's turn and always answer their plays. Avoid passing a turn with no mana left to play. Currently, Pauper is quite fast and full of attrition, so if you pass a turn without any mana, you might just lose the game.

Vs. Glee Combo

Glee has become the deck to beat right now, and even surpassed Affinity in terms of popularity. It is difficult to deal with, as there are many versions and ways to play it, and they're all consistent and strong. In this article, I'll go over Jund Glee, which is the most midrange-y version of this deck and also the one I've been seeing the most in Magic Online's Pauper League.

In this matchup, you'll follow your traditional game plan: focus on feeding your graveyard and accelerating the Serpent game plan. Prioritize countering your opponent's key spells and be careful with Writhing Chrysalis, which is absurdly powerful against Terror. Your opponent is slower, so you should explore the windows you see to put pressure as fast and efficiently as you can.

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Vs. Kuldotha Red

This matchup is quite balanced, as both decks can put pressure on each other. Mono-Red can be more explosive, but an early Tolarian Terror can stabilize your board.

Worry about Kuldotha Rebirth and Goblin Bushwhacker, and be careful with hands that don't have any counters.

Post-side, you'll have access to the best cards possible against this deck: Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast mitigate Red's early turns considerably, which is when your opponent will pressure you the most. A well-played Echoing Truth can save the game.

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Vs. Grixis Affinity

Against Affinity, your game plan will be attacking their lands, particularly their tapped lands, on the first few turns, and disrupting their game plan. Two or three bounces in a row can completely lock down your opponent, and open space for you to develop your game plan.

Be careful with the Krark-Clan Shaman + Toxin Analysis combo, which can simply clear your entire board, and Kenku Artificer, which is still quite strong against Mono Blue.

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Vs. Gruul Ponza

This matchup is quite balanced and, if you're not careful, you could easily lose control of the game. Spell Pierce is one of the best cards in your arsenal, as it counters your opponent's land destruction and interacts with other important spells, like Malevolent Rumble and Wild Growth.

Boomerang is also excellent, as it lets you play your opponent's style by returning their lands to their hand, preferably the ones enchanted with ramp. Prioritize hands with lots of counters, and don't pass your turn if you don't have answers for your opponent's actions.

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Vs. Bogles

Bogles has performed well in Challenges and is often better when edict decks are not that popular. Malevolent Rumble gave more consistency to this archetype, and is one of the reasons why this deck is still popular, despite not having great matchups against Affinity and Glee.

In this matchup, you should worry about their most essential auras, like Ethereal Armor, Armadillo Cloak, and Ancestral Mask. You can also follow the Boomerang game plan, as it is very useful against this deck, and can even do the same as it does against Gruul.

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Mono Blue Terror is one of the best decks in the format, as well as a solid option for anyone who loves blue. It is fast and can be played in many ways depending on the matchup. Furthermore, though Delver of Secrets is a great card, I believe Sneaky Snacker is a better option nowadays. I hope this article encourages you and other players to test and upgrade this version!

What did you think of this deck? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!