Pauper: Boros Glitters - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Since the Murders at Karlov Manor season, Pauper seems to gradually move towards responding to All That Glitters, the enchantment that was downshifted in Commander Masters and brought archetypes focused on artifacts a powerful and efficient means of performing “combo-kills” or closing the game in two to three turns.

While this trend became popular with Azorius Affinity, the inclusion of Novice Inspector has made the enchantment appear in new variants, with the most recent, Boros Glitters, becoming one of the most efficient decks in the current Metagame and causing relevant changes in the competitive scene.

In this article, we delve into the current version of Boros Glitters, how it became one of Pauper's main competitors and present a Sideboard guide against five of the main decks in the current Metagame!

Boros Glitters is a new variant of Boros Synthesizer where it forgoes some value-oriented plays in favor of a more proactive plan with All That Glitters, allowing to close the game in a few turns.

Its core consists of the same theme as Boros Synthesizer, where we run artifacts with efficient ETB effects alongside Kor Skyfisher and Glint Hawk, and return them to hand to extract more value whenever necessary.

Unlike traditional versions, however, Boros Glitters seeks to take a more aggressive stance instead of playing attrition, giving up its flexible slots.

The list below follows the pattern used by most players since the deck became a trend in recent weeks.

Flex slots are greatly reduced in this new variant, with just two cards - Wedding Invitation and Makeshift Munitions. They can be replaced with any other card that meets the demands of the Metagame you expect to face - some recurring cards include Dawnbringer Cleric and Seeker of the Way, which I recommend for a more open Metagame.

Maindeck

The recent inclusion of Novice Inspector was one of the main motivators for Boros decks to bet on All That Glitters as the archetype now has eight one-drops that put artifacts into play.

Both Inspectors also have a decent body to block Kuldotha Red's tokens and hold the game for a few turns while they already generate value on their own.

Our enablers.

In addition to having decent and evasive bodies, Kor Skyfisher and Glint Hawk double the value of our permanents at any stage of the game, being very impactful alongside Experimental Synthesizer, Lembas or Barbed Batterfist.

Experimental Synthesizer was the card that leveraged Skyfisher strategies back into the competitive Metagame after Boros Monarch's decline. With it, the archetype established a more proactive stance, with more low-cost cards and ways to take advantage of the artifact.

Lembas is a direct upgrade from the long-running debate surrounding which various two-mana artifacts should be played. In addition to filtering the top, it also offers a necessary breather for more aggressive matchups.

Barbed Batterfist offers a relevant body whenever it is reused, in addition to increasing the number of artifacts in play and increasing the clock when equipped on one of our creatures, or improving certain trades.

Lightning Bolt and Galvanic Blast are our interactions that also operate to speed up our clock and allow for some unexpected wins. They are even more threatening in this version, where we can use them to put the opponent on the threshold of an All That Glitters at the end of the turn.

All That Glitters has become one of the mainstays of Pauper and, perhaps, the most ban-worthy card in the current competitive scene. Its ability to create absurdly explosive turns puts it in direct comparisons with effects such as Cranial Plating, banned from the format.

However, there are inherent disadvantages to using it and the amount of interaction at the current format does a good job of keeping it in check, as well as hyperlink (Modern Horizons 3)'s potential to bring substantial changes to Pauper - so its ban doesn't seem all that likely before MH3.

Our flexible slots.

Makeshift Munitions is great for dealing with small creatures in the format, being a good addition against the recent growth of Dimir Faeries in the Metagame, in addition to granting more reach.

Wedding Invitation serves as an extra draw that we can also use to ensure that our creature enchanted with All That Glitters connects its attack, being an important piece in long games and/or against many blockers.

Our manabase consists of maximizing the number of artifact lands and supplementing them with basic lands and a set of duals.

Given its more aggressive nature, I believe that Boros Glitters is one of the decks that could benefit from the inclusion of Abraded Bluffs instead of Wind-Scarred Crag with Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

Sideboard

Dust to Dust remains a must-have staple in the Sideboard of white decks as long as Pauper has the predominance of artifact-based archetypes as one of its main traits, being essential for dealing with Affinity or against the Mirror.

Gorilla Shaman looks a little better now that Boros lists have become more popular. After all, the ability to pop tokens from Thraben Inspector and other artifact lands helps reduce the clock on your opponent's All That Glitters.

Dawnbringer Cleric is essential against Aggro, but it also works in matchups where enchantments are relevant, or as a targeted graveyard hate.

Pyroblast could grow in numbers in the coming weeks if blue decks continue to grow in the Metagame, being an answer to counterspells as well as a cheap answer to creatures such as Tolarian Terror.

Relic of Progenitus is needed against any archetype that seeks to take advantage of its own graveyard, including Dimir Terror, Golgari Gardens.

Kuldotha Red

IN

OUT

Azorius Affinity

IN

OUT

Dimir Faeries

IN

OUT

Dimir Terror

IN

OUT

Boros Glitters

IN

OUT

That's all for today.

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

Thanks for reading!