Pauper: Gruul Storm - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Storm is, by far, the most controversial mechanic in Pauper, to the point where every single enabler with any real potential to win games is banned from the format — and for good reason: the archetype's last interaction with Chatterstorm created what is still considered the worst Metagame in the history of the format.

It's evident that Pauper lacks effective answers against the archetype. Perhaps it will never have cards like Deafening Silence, as they don't fit well as commons in a draft environment, and with the end of Master Sets and the absence of Commander Sets, the chances of a downshift of that level become significantly lower.

That doesn't mean players won't try to find ways to replicate Storm: Poison Storm is a famous strategy for sequencing cards that place poison counters and grant Proliferate until the game ends, while others like Cycling Storm use creatures with Cycling and Songs of the Damned to deal lethal damage through Haunting Misery.

Now, players are trying to establish another version of Storm in Gruul colors, using cost reducers alongside cards that generate mana and/or create treasures to cast a massive Seize the Storm, creating a token that can attack for 20 or more damage the turn it enters when used alongside First Day of Class.

This list is essentially a goldfishing deck — the act of playing solitaire and interacting with the opponent as little as possible. We aim to cast one or two cost reducers and use sacrifice lands like Geothermal Crevice and Sandstone Needle to generate extra mana on key turns, looking to sequence multiple spells and cast "Impulse Draw" effects like Wrenn's Resolve until we eventually reach a Seize the Storm and First Day of Class, creating a token with power equal to the number of instants and sorceries in your graveyard, with Haste and Trample.

Maindeck

The cost reducers.

Goblin Anarchomancer reduces the cost of all your red and green spells by , while Thornscape Familiar reduces the cost of red spells. Both are essential for turning cards like Big Score and Pirates' Pillage into mana parity with extra draws or making Manamorphose generate positive mana.

Thornscape Familiar offers similar reduction focused on red spells, complementing the Anarchomancer and allowing you to cast Wrenn's Resolve and Reckless Impulse for just one mana. Having multiple reducers in play often enables combos as early as turn three.

Spider Manifestation isn't a cost reducer, but it generates extra mana whenever we cast a card with a mana value of four or greater, making our Treasure generators cost less.

The combo duo.

Seize the Storm creates a token with power equal to the number of instants and sorceries in your graveyard. In a typical combo turn, you'll have between ten and twenty spells in the graveyard, creating one or two threats that win on the attack.

First Day of Class is the enabler that gives haste to the tokens created by Seize the Storm, allowing them to attack immediately and not giving the opponent a chance to respond. It also works as a ritual that adds when you cast Spider Manifestation next, plus it can fetch a small toolbox of Lessons from the sideboard or serve as looting for lands in hand.

Reckless Impulse and Wrenn's Resolve are the deck's best two-mana draws, exiling cards that help find combo pieces while filling the graveyard. Most combo turns involve sequencing several of these for .

Glimpse the Impossible offers the best conversion rate for three mana, exiling three cards you can play, plus an Eldrazi token that can be interpreted as extra colorless mana for the next spell.

Pirate's Pillage and Big Score generate treasures that can be used as extra mana and draw cards, fulfilling both of the archetype's needs.

Manamorphose is a free cantrip that also fixes colors and works as a free spell to fill the graveyard. It also allows converting green mana into red or vice versa and can even generate for Waterbending Lesson or Octopus Form. Alongside any reducer, it turns into a one-mana ritual.

Seething Song is the most explosive ritual in Pauper and adds even more value with reducers in play, reaching the point of adding five red mana for .

Hickory Woodlot and Sandstone Needle enter tapped and are temporary, but can generate two mana when untapped for two turns, allowing for "setups" for the combo from turn three onward.

Geothermal Crevice can be sacrificed for two mana of different colors. It's common to use this extra mana to cast Manamorphose and convert it into .

Sideboard

Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast are the best answers against blue decks, which are our worst matchup. Six copies seem ideal to protect our combo, but we could go further and add up to two sets of each to protect Seize the Storm from Counterspells and Bounce.

With our spell count, we can use Weather the Storm to prolong the game for several turns against Aggro, allowing us to prepare the setup and close out the combo turn over a longer period.

Flaring Pain is essential against Prismatic Strands, Circle of Protection: Red, and other prevention or lifegain effects that could invalidate your combo.

The Lessons offer flexible answers we can fetch with First Day of Class when needed. Origin of Metalbending destroys artifacts and protects against Cast Down, Waterbending Lesson and Abandon Attachments function as extra draws, Firebending Lesson offers flexible removal, and Octopus Form can protect the Seize the Storm token from spot removal.

Spy Combo

No changes. Be faster.

Mono Blue Terror

IN

OUT

Grixis Affinity

IN

OUT

Faeries

IN

OUT

Mono Red Rally

IN

OUT

Elves

IN

OUT

Mono White Aggro

IN

OUT

Madness Burn

IN

OUT

Caw-Gates

IN

OUT

That's all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!