Master brewer jphsnake returns with a Mono Red Burning-Tree brew for Pauper

After seeing my attempts to make Burning-Tree Emissary work in Pauper, master brewer jphsnake (from the Pauper Gauntlet and King of the Nerds) sat down and thought hard about Burning-Tree Emissary. This is what he came up with (he did not give me a sideboard so that is all me).

Main deck
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Goblin Cohort
3 Goblin Heelcutter
4 Jackal Familiar
4 Mogg Conscripts
4 Mudbrawler Cohort
4 Valley Dasher
4 Lightning Bolt
18 Mountain
3 Goblin Freerunner

Sideboard
4 Pyroblast
4 Electrickery
4 Smelt
3 Smash to Smithereens

I played two matches with the deck and it was very strong!

Jphsnake has brewed at least 16 Freed from the Real decks so it was only fitting that the first match was against a very sweet Freed from the Real brew.

Next match was against a Jund Delve deck.

Burning-Tree Naya in Pauper

Dan Gelinas has worked further on his Naya Burning-Tree Emissary deck and I have played it.





Deck list
4 Wild Nacatl
4 Kird Ape
3 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Squadron Hawk
3 Kor Skyfisher
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Manamorphose
4 Abundant Growth
4 Nylea's Presence
4 Tribal Flames
15 Forest
4 Ash Barrens
2 Mountain
1 Plains

3 Pyroblast
2 Hydroblast
2 Electrickery
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Standard Bearer
1 Circle of Protection: Green
2 Relic of Progenitus?


Sideboard plan
Murasa Tron: no changes
Kuldotha Boros: -3 Bushwhackers +2 Electrickery +1 Hydroblast
Angler Delver: -1 Bushwhacker +1 Relic
Burn: -3 Bushwhacker -1 Tribal Flames +2 Hydroblasts +2 Standard Bearers
Affinity: -3 Bushwhackers -1 Tribal Flames +1 Hydroblast +3 Ancient Grudge
Bogles: -3 Bushwhackers +2 Standard Bearers +1 COP: Green
Elves: -2 Bushwhackers +2 Electrickery
Mono Blue Delver: -3 Bushwhackers -2 Tribal Flames +2 Pyroblasts +2 Electrickery +1 Ancient Grudge
Stompy: -3 Bushwhackers +2 Standard Bearers +1 COP: Green
Dimir Control: -2 Bushwhackers +2 Relics
UR Delver: -3 Bushwhackers -2 Tribal Flames +2 Pyroblasts +2 Hydroblasts +1 Electrickery
UR Puzzle Control: -4 Tribal Flames +2 Pyroblasts +2 Hydroblasts
Izzet Blitz: -3 Bushwhackers -1 Tribal Flames +2 Standard Bearers +2 Hydroblasts
Mono Black Control: -2 Bushwhackers +2 Relics?

Some tips from Dan

Normal Domain Zoo typically plays islands, swamps, 5/5s, Bolts and sometimes Brainstorms whereas I run more forests, Manamorphose and Bushwhackers. In testing I have found the average consistency much higher without the normal Domain cards. The Naya build more reliably has the mana it needs to cast 2-3 good spells T2-3 than normal Domain. Normal Domain may perform better in the late game (turn ~7 on) so that's an easy advantage for the more conventional build. Personally I wanted to maximize explosive starts with BTE. Cutting the 5/5s is bad when you need to hold the ground against affinity or to trade with Anglers. They may still have a place in the deck but were cut for lands and for Manamorphose both of which give the deck much needed consistency in the early game when it is supposed to shine. The general plan against affinity is to get them low and burn them on turn 4-5 with a couple of Tribal Flames. We can use Ancient Grudge and Hydroblast to counter combo kills and slow them down enough to maybe accomplish this, however I can agree that it's not a great plan and maybe that the 5/5s are worth it. I would probably cut Bushwhackers for 5/5/s if further testing bears this out. Bushwhackers can be more effective at capitalizing on BTE than the 5/5/s in matchups against opponents like MBC or Teachings that can just kill your 5/5 with one spell but the cost/benefits in this case are not clear to me so I still like Bushwhacker for now.

Favourable Matchups: Murasa Tron, Kuldotha Boros, Angler Delver, Burn Bad Matchups: Affinity, Bogles, Elves So-so Matchups: Mono Blue Delver, Stompy, Dimir Control, UR Delver, UR Control, Izzet Blitz, Mono Black Control

Burning-Tree Emissary in Pauper

A couple of weeks back I looked at MM3 downshifted cards for Pauper. I found only two to my liking; Augur of Bolas and Burning-Tree Emissary. Burning-Tree has shown up in three 5-0 decks so far, Magma Jet in two and Augur of Bolas is missing in action.

Well, maybe its still too early? Lets be positive and make this work.

I gave two of the three 5-0 lists with Burning-Tree Emissary a go.



Dan Gelinas, a viewer on my youtube channel, had this input as well:

4 Wild Nacatl 4 Kird Ape 3 Goblin Bushwhacker 4 Squadron Hawk 3 Kor Skyfisher 4 Burning-Tree Emissary 4 Manamorphose 4 Abundant Growth 4 Nylea's Presence 4 Tribal Flames 19 Forest 2 Mountain 1 Plains 3 Pyroblast 2 Hydroblast 2 Electrickery 3 Ancient Grudge 2 Standard Bearer 1 Circle of Protection: Green 2 Relic of Progenitus

Notice how he has no come-into-play-tapped lands, which I think is a really good idea if you wan't to make Burning-Tree work.

The original article: http://mtgolibrary.blogspot.se/2017/03/new-pauper-commons-in-modern-masters.html