Pauper: Mono White Leonardo - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Mono White Aggro received one of the biggest upgrades in recent years in Pauper with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Leonardo, Big Brother. The new card reshaped the deck by giving it a go-big game plan within a go-wide strategy, letting you attack from two distinct angles and pull off some hit-kills because the opponent wasn't properly prepared to deal with one of them.

Moreover, Leonardo acts as another source of card advantage since it reuses ETBs, and every creature in Mono White nowadays has some relevant trigger when it enters the battlefield. It's possible that new versions of the archetype will appear over time, and maybe even splashes into other colors will become necessary, but a more aggressive monocolored variant seems like the safe path to play with the new card in the current Metagame.

Maindeck

Novice Inspector and Thraben Inspector are basically the same card: one-drops that guarantee extra draws as the game goes longer and block the 1/1 creatures from Mono Red Rally while surviving to tell the tale.

Lunarch Veteran turns every creature into extra life. Essential against Burn/Red Aggro and forces some two-for-ones against removal while also feeding Raffine's Informant.

Raffine's Informant filters our hand and can be a 3/2 for two mana. The three power matters if we need to force blocks against Augur of Bolas or even Kessig Flamebreather.

Militia Bugler has a decent body for the cost and digs through the deck for any creature we run, including Leonardo, Big Brother. It's the perfect target for Kor Skyfisher in longer games, but Skyfisher can bounce any of our creatures to generate positive value.

Leonardo, Big Brother is the reason for the changes in Mono White to further value ETB effects. The Sneak ability works as a bounce, but it also guarantees the most efficient go-big line the archetype has ever received and can win games out of nowhere if the opponent isn't prepared.

To complement Leonardo and add to the go-wide plan, Battle Screech is the best card we could have: four flying bodies means at least one of them will enable Sneak and the others will increase our main threat's power.

Normally, lists would run Guardians' Pledge or Summon: Choco/Mog as mass pump. Both are solid options, but I'm prioritizing mana over impact, and Ramosian Rally is an easy-to-enable free spell that protects our tokens against End the Festivities and makes trades against Faeries favorable.

Thraben Charm destroys virtually any creature, given the number of threats we put on the table. Its most important mode, however, is the ability to exile graveyards against Mono Blue Terror and Spy Combo.

Prismatic Strands protects our creatures from damage-based sweepers, avoids unfavorable trades, and feeds Raffine's Informant.

Sideboard

With Leonardo serving as a win condition, a single attack from him protected and with Lifelink can turn the game around against Red Aggro and Burn. On top of that, Take Up the Shield helps our creatures dodge spot removal.

Dust to Dust is still the best answer in the format against Affinity, and the archetype should grow again with the hype around Utrom Monitor. We could cut to three copies, but we want to steal as many wins as possible through resource denial.

Destroy Evil deals with Writhing Chrysalis, Myr Enforcer, and Tolarian Terror / Cryptic Serpent / Gurmag Angler in the same slot where it can answer troublesome enchantments from Bogles.

Holy Light comes in against Faeries and Elves. It can work against Rally, but it's not a guaranteed win button.

Standard Bearer challenges Bogles to have an answer ready before building their own Megazord. It also redirects Burn spells and effects like Timberwatch Elf and Quirion Ranger.

Martyr of Sands turns every card in your hand into three life. If used early against Mono Red and Burn, it guarantees several "extra turns" against the opponent.

Palace Sentinels comes in for grindier games as an extra source of recurring card advantage. Given the number of creatures on the board and Prismatic Strands, we have an easy time keeping or reclaiming the Monarch every turn.

Mono Blue Terror

IN

OUT

Mono Red Rally

IN

OUT

Grixis Affinity

IN

OUT

Elves

IN

OUT

Madness Burn

IN

OUT

Jund Wildfire

IN

OUT

Faeries

IN

OUT

Golgari Gardens

IN

OUT

Bogles

IN

OUT

That's all for today!

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

Thanks for reading!