The Princes of Pauper

Competitive Magic: The Gathering podcast focused on the people's format... Pauper!

Elves Deep Dive with Bill Ellis!! 02/09/2026

Elves Deep Dive with Bill Ellis!! "Elves is terrible!" says the Light Prince*. "Another 1-2!" agrees the Dark Prince**. Such The Princes of Pauper has become a hotbed of Elves slander. Yet... Elves is one of the most popular decks in League play, recently won a Large SCGCon event, etc. Might Rich and Mike be missing something good about the Little Green Men? So we enlist absolute Elves assassin Bill Ellis!! for a deep dive on one of the most powerful and popular decks in Pauper (just one that hasn't served us quite yet). * Listen to the podcast! ** See the above note. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/40042520

A Victory Lap Potpourri 01/27/2026

A Victory Lap Potpourri Mike takes a victory lap after his first-place finish at The NYCIS Heavy Play Championship (which, was, in fact, one-third Pauper; Mike played Dimir Terror). This episode scratches the surface of the Pauper Elves experience from both Mike's perspective and Rich's, updates and innovations to decksandthecity.org (shout out to Mike Evans) and is mostly an avalanche of love and admiration for the NYC Pauper community. Did we mention Mike won the big one though? /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/39895480

A Dimir Terror Deep Dive 01/16/2026

A Dimir Terror Deep Dive In the vein of Ancestral Recall Mike starts out with the ancient mother ship article "UB Trippin'" and then challenges Rich to apply it to contemporary Pauper. How does the 1997 "Xerox" strategy innovated by Hall of Famer Alan Comer inform not just Dimir Terror... But so many great decks in Pauper? Find out, and how not to cast an Arms of Hadar in our latest podcast. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/39763425

A Mono-Blue Terror Deep Dive 12/30/2025

A Mono-Blue Terror Deep Dive So Rich lent Mike his Mono-Blue Terror deck for a recent League tournament... To great result. Mike is hooked on playing Brainstorm and Counterspell again (not to mention casting "cantrip Black Lotuses") in one of the Pauper format's most popular decks. Check out this deep dive, Rich's recent innovations (goodbye Delver of Secrets) and Mike's unhinged plan for the mirror match. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/39560515

Introducing... The Princes of Pauper 12/09/2025

Introducing... The Princes of Pauper Sometimes-professional Magic: The Gathering player Mike Flores joins professional game designer Rich Bucey on an adventure into "the people's format" ... Pauper! Join Mike and Rich as they battle week in and week out in one of Magic's best formats, armed with commons. What makes people love Pauper? We think this episode might tell you. Or at least why we love it! /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/39347190

Premodern Landstill 04/25/2023

Premodern Landstill Mike wins a Premodern meetup with the popular Control strategy. Learn all about this important deck, from Magic's bestest format. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/26642628

Ambitious Farmhand 04/17/2023

Ambitious Farmhand Sam Black's new white control deck splashing red has taken Mike's heart! Learn all about the best grinding deck in Standard. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/26570376

The Top 8 Tips and Tricks to Crushing Ladder with CGB's Red Deck 03/28/2023

The Top 8 Tips and Tricks to Crushing Ladder with CGB's Red Deck It's a Red Deck. Mike makes Mythic! RCQ preparation. Who is the best deck designer in the world? The answer may surprise you. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/26360967

Patience is the Anti-Curve 01/31/2023

Patience is the Anti-Curve Examples of how patient play can help win more games; and how impatient play is disproportionately punished and predictable. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/25779021

Finding the Three Gears 01/20/2023

Finding the Three Gears Mostly about Modern Burn. Probably the best Magic: The Gathering article I've written in 15 years. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/25676898

Astral Slide: The Redemption Arc Begins 11/22/2022

Astral Slide: The Redemption Arc Begins Mike recounts his sad story (so far!) with RW Astral Slide in Premodern. But like the title says... The Redeption Arc is about to begin! Victory! #spoilers /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/25093632

Roman Wins 2 RCQs 10/04/2022

Roman Wins 2 RCQs The ACTUAL title of this underlying article is "The Top 8 Questions (and Answers!) with Two-Time RCQ-winner, Roman Fusco" but try fitting that in anything reasonable. Roman won! The second one with Rakdos Midrange in Standard. Mike grills him about it. You'll love it. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/24574752

One Week Three Decks Two Hundred Dollars 09/27/2022

One Week Three Decks Two Hundred Dollars Mike had quite the week in Premodern! He played Fluctuator at a local meetup on Tuesday, battled in his first match of #PSS4 on Thursday, and managed to win $200 with Survival Elves on Sunday. Probably you will love this so probably you should go listen RN tks. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/24510288

Bigger Than Sheoldred 09/20/2022

Bigger Than Sheoldred What's "big"? What constitutes "Control"? What does all this have to do with winning in Dominaria United Standard? /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/24425517

You Can Play Any Liliana of the Veil Deck That You Want 09/05/2022

You Can Play Any Liliana of the Veil Deck That You Want Like the title says... With Dominaria United entering Standard, you can play ANY Liliana of the Veil deck that you want! From Mono-Black to Mardu, Mike talks about the new trends and specific decks out of the gate. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/24281067

Slow Playing the Beatdown 06/21/2022

Slow Playing the Beatdown Mike talks about how not tapping out offensively sometimes makes for the fastest route to victory; how un-learning the general rules can be the best way to advance. And, of course, leaving up mana for Pyroblast or Snakeskin Veil. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/23491382

North American Premodern Championship - 3d Place 05/18/2022

North American Premodern Championship - 3d Place Mike's first foray into Premodern is the largest tournament on record! He does pretty well, with a third place finish. But if ever there was a case where journey went before destination, this is it. We really hope you enjoy the adventures. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/23146928

The Four Things You Are Getting Wrong About the Best Deck in Standard 05/10/2022

The Four Things You Are Getting Wrong About the Best Deck in Standard Mike thinks Rakdos Ob Anvil is the best deck in Standard. Mike KNOWS many players are getting some big things wrong with, and about, it. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/23060606

Breakpoints in Magic: The Gathering 04/26/2022

Breakpoints in Magic: The Gathering Only listen if you want to get better at winning close races! MIke borrows tech and terminology from some other popular games to illustrate how to win more / closer races in Magic. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22910651

Streets of New Capenna Official Preview: Fatal Grudge 04/12/2022

Streets of New Capenna Official Preview: Fatal Grudge In the tradition of Deadly Dispute and Rite of Oblivion comes a new way to blow up your own stuff... To blow up their stuff. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22765355

Attacking Companions and Other Topics 03/22/2022

Attacking Companions and Other Topics Den of the Bugbear and Kumano Faces Kakkazan in Standard and Pioneer! How to play your first turn depending on what Companion the opponent presents (in Modern) A novel way to approach attrition /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22525781

The Five Stages of Izzet Mill 03/15/2022

The Five Stages of Izzet Mill Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance ... and Tasha's Uncontrollable Laughter /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22449275

Esper Violates the Prime Directive 03/08/2022

Esper Violates the Prime Directive The Top 8 Reasons Esper kind of sucks... Plus! The secret best card in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22375625

Unlikely Hero 03/01/2022

Unlikely Hero Take a trip down memory lane as Mike somehow crushes casting various Boomerang and / or Unsummon effects for 1U. Who is the Unlikely Hero at that casting cost in Standard right now? /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22292900

The Mana Base Implications of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty 02/22/2022

The Mana Base Implications of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty The most immediate impact to deck construction coming out of new set Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty is at Magic's most fundamental point... The mana base. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22212317

Reckless, Ronin, Rabbit, and Roil 02/15/2022

Reckless, Ronin, Rabbit, and Roil It's a new set! It's a Red Deck! Join Mike for adventures with Reckless Stormseeker, Reinforced Ronin, Rabbit Battery, Roil Eruption, and more! /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22134638

The Chained to the Rocks Dilemma 02/08/2022

The Chained to the Rocks Dilemma Roman and Flores visit a modern -- and Modern -- classic from Mike's CoolStuffInc era. One of Mike's favorite articles, with this revisit coming on the heel's of Roman's success at MTG Las Vegas. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/22059449

Why I'm Excited About Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty 01/25/2022

Why I'm Excited About Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Mike revisits some favorite memories from Champions of Kamigawa, Ravnica Block, and their "Tier Two" metagame. Plus some failed art and a story or two... All with an eye towards the hot pink new set. /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/21885989

Paleolithic Burn in Modern 01/11/2022

Paleolithic Burn in Modern What exactly is "Paleolithic" Burn? Whether you want to call it Boomer Burn or just plain Boros Burn, the classic r-w deck might be one of the best options despite encroachment from so many Modern Horizons II options at R. Find. Out. Why! /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/21736676

The Limit of Almost Every Deck 01/04/2022

The Limit of Almost Every Deck What is the Limit of Almost Every Deck? Why is that a super cool thing to talk about in 2022? And what does Halana and Elena, Partners have to do with Chaplain of Alms and Legion Angel, anyway? /episode/index/show/barbarianclass/id/21668564

The Princes of Pauper

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