Pauper: Jeskai Affinity - Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

Since All That Glitters was downshifted in Commander Masters, Pauper's Affinity decks have changed their structure a lot, going from the old, but still functional Grixis versions to the variants.

Last week I covered Azorius Affinity and its most objective gameplan around taking advantage of this enchantment, but another variant has gained notoriety in the format by merging the same game plan with a broader board interaction - Jeskai Affinity.

Jeskai Affinity is considered by many as the natural evolution of Azorius Affinity to adapt to the Pauper Metagame. Its proposal is a mix of the Glitters game plan with Boros Synthesizer, with the addition of cards like Experimental Synthesizer for card advantage and Galvanic Blast for greater reach and interaction.

The addition of a third color makes this variant more flexible to deal with the Metagame and less vulnerable to some hate, such as Standard Bearer, in addition to significantly increasing access to some of the format's main Sideboard staples.

But this flexibility comes at a price: the higher colored mana requirement makes it slower than the Azorius variant and also more likely to lose matches due to a well-applied Dust to Dust in the first turns.

In general, the Jeskai version has more results and Metagame presence than the Azorius variant, being a little better for environments where we can expect a little less specific hate against artifacts and where we need more interaction in games, which has been almost mandatory in Pauper this year.

This list is very close to the standard we see in Jeskai Affinity in Magic Online Leagues and Challenges, with the only difference being the inclusion of a Gearseeker Serpent set and some changes to the Sideboard to make it more comprehensive.

Gearseeker Serpent is experiencing a very peculiar moment in the current Metagame: it establishes a clock so fast and survives combat so well that, on several occasions, it manages to take over the game or win a few turns.

In others, it is an easy target for removal and its mana requirement is too punishing for us to cast and still protect it with Dispel.

Its inclusion depends on what you are looking to tackle and which proposal you prefer for Jeskai Affinity. Cards like Of One Mind and Reckless Impulse are better if you need more card advantage, while Moon-Circuit Hacker's interaction with your creatures is just as useful here as in the Azorius and, of course, we can use more removals or Metallic Rebuke if necessary.

Particularly, I like Affinity as an archetype where every play from a certain turn onwards seems unfair because it puts absurd pressure on the opponent and/or puts you way ahead in the game. A 5/6 for two mana certainly fits that criteria, so I run a Gearseeker Serpent set.

Maindeck

Novice Inspector is just as useful here as it is in the Azorius variant. Its body is used to block X/1 creatures, it leaves an artifact in play for us to use with All That Glitters or to crack in longer matches, and its mana cost is appropriate for the archetype's proposal.

Gingerbrute carries All That Glitters like no other creature. The fact that it has haste and cannot be blocked by most other cards makes it perfect for turns where the opponent was too greedy and left an opening to end the game with both pieces. It also provides extra breathing room against Mono Red.

Glint Hawk is a flying threat, carries All That Glitters well and offers a lot of value alongside Experimental Synthesizer, as well as reusing land drops if you return Ancient Den to your hand.

Frogmite has the least interesting body among our cards and doesn't generate any value, but if sequenced well, a second turn with multiple copies of it helps to cast Myr Enforcer to, on the third turn, enchant some creature with All That Glitters and close lethal damage in two attacks.

Myr Enforcer holds back many small creatures while posing as a threat on its own. Don't run less than four of them in any Affinity list in this format.

Gearseeker Serpent is a four-turn clock that holds even larger creatures like Tolarian Terror, as well as putting as establishing a huge pressure if the opponent only has small creatures in play.

All That Glitters is our main win condition and powerful “free-win” button at different points in the game. Resolving one of them requires the opponent to always have a blocker for the enchanted creature, or deal with it before the damage accumulates.

Springleaf Drum makes access to colored mana more flexible in a deck with only 16 lands. It is very common to use it to cast Gearseeker Serpent early, have access to the missing colors in hands with lands that come into play untapped, and start an explosive play with All That Glitters on the second turn or cast Thoughtcast after a sequence of Frogmites.

Galvanic Blast is our main removal and gives us greater reach. Using it after combat is more common than it might seem, but it also works as an excellent answer to Myr Enforcer, Avenging Hunter and other creatures we have trouble getting past.

Thoughtcast is the closest we have to Treasure Cruise in Pauper after its ban, and one of the main pillars that makes Affinity such a consistent and rewarding archetype to play.

Experimental Synthesizer has an absurd interaction with Glint Hawk, increases the number of affinity we have, and can even sacrifice itself to add another body to the battlefield. In longer games, it ends up becoming our main means of having extra gas.

The mana base is the most objective possible for this archetype, with eight copies of access to each color that Jeskai Affinity needs.

Along with Springleaf Drum, this amount is usually enough to not have problems with colored mana , but it also makes us more likely to lose availability of certain colors due to spells like Dust to Dust and Deglamer.

Sideboard

The Acolyte package protects our creatures against Pauper's major removals today. They also help bypass blockers and can even be enchanted with All That Glitters for lethal damage.

Dispel is needed against Snuff Out, Counterspell, Deglamer and other troublesome spells. More copies of it are welcome if you're willing to give up Hydroblast's scope in dealing with Kuldotha Rebirth and red creatures.

Relic of Progenitus is our default answer to delaying Tolarian Terror, Cryptic Serpent, and Gurmag Angler, as well as dealing with other archetypes that play around their graveyards, like the Dread Return combo or the now unpopular Tortured Existence.

Destroy Evil is an answer to All That Glitters that doubles as removal for Myr Enforcer and Gearseeker Serpent, as well as dealing with some of Golgari Gardens's creatures and potentially avoiding lethal damage against Bogles.

End the Festivities works to take away Kuldotha Red's board advantage, as well as dealing with Faeries, White Weenie variants, and occasional appearances from archetypes like Elves.

Kuldotha Red

IN

OUT

Jeskai Affinity

IN

OUT

Dimir Terror

IN

OUT

Dimir Faeries

IN

OUT

Golgari Gardens

IN

OUT

Boros Synthesizer

IN

OUT

That's all for today!

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

Thanks for reading!