Pauper: Boros Synthesizer - Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

Novice Inspector was the main card from Murders at Karlov Manor to establish a significant impact on the Pauper Metagame. In addition to elevating Azorius Affinity to the top deck position, it also brought another archetype back onto the radar - Boros Synthesizer.

Its combination of artifacts with powerful ETB effects is one of the oldest strategies in the format, born as a meta call in an environment where Faeries was the best deck. Since then, this strategy has undergone several changes until reaching the current version, which we cover in this article along with a Sideboard guide!

Boros Synthesizer is an aggressive Midrange focused on the interaction between artifacts with abilities when they enter and leave play and creatures that return them to their owners' hands, such as Glint Hawk and Kor Skyfisher - a natural evolution of the old Kuldotha Boros, which became the Boros Monarch later.

Its plan is to produce as much value as possible from these micro-interactions while maintaining a more aggressive position than other Midranges in the format, such as Golgari Gardens, allowing it to go on a beatdown plan and play under when necessary.

Damage spells like Lightning Bolt and Galvanic Blast combine with evasive threats to pressure the opponent.

Due to the high number of artifacts in the list, it seems like “Affinityless Affinity”, focusing on card advantage at the expense of speed and ways to get free wins with All That Glitters. This trade-off pays off in dealing with the best decks in the Metagame, given that its combination of creatures and efficient removals is capable of holding the game well against Aggro, while also allowing it to dictate the pace against slower archetypes.

This is the list I have been using in Magic Online Leagues.

The list follows the usual Boros Synthesizer pattern since the inclusion of Novice Inspector, with a slightly more proactive proposal compared to previous versions.

Some slots, like Dawnbringer Cleric and Seeker of the Way, are flexible, and we can replace them with any card that best fits the standards of the current Metagame, but I like to keep a decent number of creatures and both they are quite useful against some of the main decks in the format today.

The same logic applies to the Sideboard, and the copies of each card can change depending on the Metagame you expect. For example, an addition of blue decks in the coming weeks would mean taking Dawnbringer Cleric and a copy of Journey to Nowhere for Red Elemental Blast, while the rise of Mirror or Affinity would lead to increase the number of Dust to Dust, or efficient removals.

Since the days of running Kuldotha Rebirth, Boros has always been very adaptable to each environment, so consider which cards fit best against the format you hope to face and the changes that occur in it from week to week.

Maindeck

Our first enablers.

Thraben Inspector and Novice Inspector have the same function in this list: putting an artifact into play on the first turn while being able to block Kuldotha Rebirth tokens without any problems and still survive. We can also reuse them with Kor Skyfisher to increase our attrition in the following turns, or sacrifice their clues to Glint Hawk in games where we need to be aggressive.

Glint Hawk and Kor Skyfisher are our value engines and our main angle of attack in most matchups. Not every deck in Pauper has flying creatures and fewer of them have threats capable of dealing with a 2/3 or 2/2, so both complement each other in the beatdown strategy.

With the amount of low-cost spells we have, it's not difficult for us to attack with a Seeker of the Way with four or five power the turn after it comes into play. Its most important trait, however, is Lifelink, as it helps extend the match, as well as being a huge obstacle against Aggro.

Dawnbringer Cleric is useful in different matchups, but doesn't stand out in any of them. Its presence in the maindeck is because it's a 1/3, ideal for blocking Kuldotha Burn's creatures, and its abilities that serve to deal with All That Glitters, delay Tolarian Terror or guarantee more breath in fast games.

Experimental Synthesizer is the reason to play this deck. Alongside Glint Hawk and Kor Skyfisher, it's not uncommon for us to exile three or more top cards with these combos and still have enough mana to cast them in the same turn.

Lembas replaced a dozen other options and turned into the best two-mana artifact for attrition strategies. Top filtering, draw and the possibility of extra life make it a direct upgrade from Golden Egg and a staple for the archetype.

Barbed Batterfist is reusable to put more bodies on the board, while its equip cost is low enough to increase the clock of Glint Hawk or Kor Skyfisher.

Lightning Bolt and Galvanic Blast have become synonymous with damage spells in Pauper, and it would be no different for an archetype that plays around artifacts. Both work well as removal, but can create an unexpected damage streak against the opponent.

Journey to Nowhere is a necessity for dealing with creatures enchanted with All That Glitters and other cards which Galvanic Blast can't reach, like Gurmag Angler and Tolarian Terror.

Wind-Scarred Crag offers a small but useful life gain, and we can repurpose it with Kor Skyfisher when we don't have better options. The other lands are artifacts and interact with Glint Hawk, in addition to enabling Metalcraft for Galvanic Blast.

Boros Synthesizer also has a number of basic lands, essential to avoid a “Lock” with Dust to Dust.

Sideboard

The cards to deal with the pillars of the format.

Dust to Dust is the definitive answer against Affinity and can stop the opponent's plans for many turns if we cast it at the right time. It also works on the Mirror, where artifacts like Lembas and Barbed Batterfist can be exiled to reduce the amount of value our opponent generates.

End the Festivities is excellent against Kuldotha Red, it can come in against Bogles, Faeries and other decks with small creatures, like Caw-Gates.

Relic of Progenitus interacts with our strategy while delaying Dimir Terror's plans, in addition to working against Dread Return and archetypes that take advantage of Blood Fountain as recursion.

Pyroblast is our standard answer against blue decks, from Dimir Terror to Caw-Gates, including Tron, Jeskai Ephemerate and Affinity.

Journey to Nowhere seems necessary in an environment where we have numerous blockers against All That Glitters, but few ways to deal with the enchanted creature. It also works against Gurmag Angler and Golgari Gardens.

The third Dawnbringer Cleric is, along with the second Journey to Nowhere, a flexible slot. It joins the list for the same reasons that it is in the maindeck and our need to deal with enchantments if we face Bogles, but if it grows in the Metagame, Leave no Trace may be a more efficient option.

Kuldotha Red

IN

OUT

Azorius Affinity

IN

OUT

Dimir Terror

IN

OUT

Golgari Gardens

IN

OUT

Caw-Gates

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!