I'm a Pauper and Cube player mostly. I've had an idea for a while for a new constructed format that is similar to pauper or budget magic, but with more room for brewing and original decks. Pauper is commons only though, and this would include uncommons which would help offset the 1-of stipulation. I also believe that a 15 card sideboard would be very interesting in Singleton. 75 unique cards. I could see playing this format online or in person.
You can take Pauper decks as starting points for decks, look at cards that are playable but sitting on the bench, then check which uncommons help power up the deck. You'll need between 35-45 unique spells depending on how many lands you're running. The obvious decks are most mono color strategies - burn/RDW, elves/stompy, WW/tokens, Mono Blue Xerox, Mono Black Control, reanimator, storm combo. Some uncommons are very powerful so there would be a small banned list at first:
Sol Ring, Skullclamp, Strip Mine, Wasteland, Mana Drain, Force of Will, Mystical Tutor, Demonic Tutor.
Anything that seems like a staple and is over $30-$40 should probably be considered for a ban, since I wouldn't want high $$ barrier to entry in a format that's supposed to be relatively easy to access financially. Force of Will certainly isn't too powerful, but I imagine most or all blue decks would prefer to have it. Cards like Strip Mine and Wasteland are basically just the first card you'd put in any deck, and for that reason alone I say why not ban them. This format will already have plenty of variance and exciting swings without ultra-powerful game-breaking lands. I'm leaving tutors like Worldy, Enlightened, Merchant Scroll etc. alone as they seem to enable less obvious decks. Storm and especially reanimator should be quite strong even without Demonic/Mystical.
Power cards of the format: Tutors, Eternal Witness, Fact or Fiction, Counterspell, Hymn to Tourach, Goblin Grenade, potentially cards like Frantic Search, Gush, Gitaxian Probe, AEther Vial, Sensei's Divining Top. Some of these might be on the 'watch' list.
Additional deck ideas- *Naya Rift/Slide Ramp w/ Eternal Witness, Tilling Treefolk, Enlightened Tutor, Astral Slide, Lightning Rift, cycling lands etc.
*GB/x Value/Sacrifice/Graveyard. Could use dredge or other graveyard synergies like reanimator.
*Artifacts matter. Between affinity, metalcraft, improvise, and cards like Etherium Sculptor, Chromatic Sphere, there might be several
good decks here.
I'm interested in testing this format on mtgo freeform. Currently have a rough mono blue and mono black deck that don't have all the best stuff, but should be interesting.
Just updated internet to Comcast all in one modem/router. Now magic online won't finish loading. Stops after saying welcome user and continually displays loading files msg. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling mtgo. Still doesnt work. Any idea what this could mean?
Thanks for those lists. I had the decks in mind but hadn't thought of some cards you used. I would try to use quiet speculation in the UG deck. Need to make sure you have enough targets, but its also just a good threshold enabler.
How about a GWr riftslide with worldly, enlightened tutors and a wall chain. Witness, Tilling Treefolk etc.
Have been trying to make a gauntlet of decks of this format. Not sure if anyone really plays this format or if anything has been published. A goblin/burn deck pretty much makes itself. Since its highlander and no rares it feels like you have to stretch to make some 'archetypes' work.
Hoping its interesting enough since its only 60 cards instead of 100 plus all of the new redundant remakes (Searing Spear, Elvish Mystic) and repeated or similar themes (flashback/graveyard, artifacts matter)
Wondering if some kind of storm combo deck could ever compete with the tuned burn deck.
I could maybe invision an infect deck with about ten 1 of creatures (glistener elf, blighted agent up to viridian corrupters) with 1 of every cantrip, cheap counter and pump.
My idea for a banned list was something like: strip mine, wasteland, sol ring, skullclamp, force of will, demonic tutor, mystical tutor
Have been trying to make a gauntlet of decks of this format. Not sure if anyone really plays this format or if anything has been published. A goblin/burn deck pretty much makes itself. Since its highlander and no rares it feels like you have to stretch to make some 'archetypes' work.
Hoping its interesting enough since its only 60 cards instead of 100 - plus all of the new redundant remakes (Searing Spear, Elvish Mystic) and repeated or similar themes (flashback/graveyard, artifacts matter)
Wondering if some kind of storm combo deck could ever compete with the tuned burn deck.
I could maybe invision an infect deck with about ten 1 of creatures (glistener elf, blighted agent up to viridian corrupters) with 1 of every cantrip, cheap counter and pump.
My idea for a banned list was something like: strip mine, wasteland, sol ring, skullclamp, force of will, demonic tutor, mystical tutor
You can take Pauper decks as starting points for decks, look at cards that are playable but sitting on the bench, then check which uncommons help power up the deck. You'll need between 35-45 unique spells depending on how many lands you're running. The obvious decks are most mono color strategies - burn/RDW, elves/stompy, WW/tokens, Mono Blue Xerox, Mono Black Control, reanimator, storm combo. Some uncommons are very powerful so there would be a small banned list at first:
Sol Ring, Skullclamp, Strip Mine, Wasteland, Mana Drain, Force of Will, Mystical Tutor, Demonic Tutor.
Anything that seems like a staple and is over $30-$40 should probably be considered for a ban, since I wouldn't want high $$ barrier to entry in a format that's supposed to be relatively easy to access financially. Force of Will certainly isn't too powerful, but I imagine most or all blue decks would prefer to have it. Cards like Strip Mine and Wasteland are basically just the first card you'd put in any deck, and for that reason alone I say why not ban them. This format will already have plenty of variance and exciting swings without ultra-powerful game-breaking lands. I'm leaving tutors like Worldy, Enlightened, Merchant Scroll etc. alone as they seem to enable less obvious decks. Storm and especially reanimator should be quite strong even without Demonic/Mystical.
Mono U deck I came up with: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/60-singleton-mono-u-delver-1/
Power cards of the format: Tutors, Eternal Witness, Fact or Fiction, Counterspell, Hymn to Tourach, Goblin Grenade, potentially cards like Frantic Search, Gush, Gitaxian Probe, AEther Vial, Sensei's Divining Top. Some of these might be on the 'watch' list.
Additional deck ideas- *Naya Rift/Slide Ramp w/ Eternal Witness, Tilling Treefolk, Enlightened Tutor, Astral Slide, Lightning Rift, cycling lands etc.
*GB/x Value/Sacrifice/Graveyard. Could use dredge or other graveyard synergies like reanimator.
*Artifacts matter. Between affinity, metalcraft, improvise, and cards like Etherium Sculptor, Chromatic Sphere, there might be several
good decks here.
I'm interested in testing this format on mtgo freeform. Currently have a rough mono blue and mono black deck that don't have all the best stuff, but should be interesting.
How about a GWr riftslide with worldly, enlightened tutors and a wall chain. Witness, Tilling Treefolk etc.
Delver of Secrets
Phantasmal Bear
Faerie Imposter
Zephyr Sprite
Cloud Sprite
Judge's Familiar
Cursecatcher
Cloud of Faeries
Spellstutter Sprite
Briarberry Cohort
Cloudskate
Quickling
Invisible Stalker
Looter il-kor
Frostburn Weird
Spiketail Hatchling
Ninja of the Deep Hour
Brainstorm
Ponder
Preordain
Gixian Probe
Sleight of Hand
Peek
Opt
Gush
Impulse
Counterspell
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Remand
Miscalculation
Daze
Foil
Force Spike
Spell Pierce
Mental Misstep
Boomerang
Unsummon
Vapor Snag
Snap
Snapback
Bonesplitter
Curiosity
17 island
Hoping its interesting enough since its only 60 cards instead of 100 plus all of the new redundant remakes (Searing Spear, Elvish Mystic) and repeated or similar themes (flashback/graveyard, artifacts matter)
Wondering if some kind of storm combo deck could ever compete with the tuned burn deck.
I could maybe invision an infect deck with about ten 1 of creatures (glistener elf, blighted agent up to viridian corrupters) with 1 of every cantrip, cheap counter and pump.
My idea for a banned list was something like: strip mine, wasteland, sol ring, skullclamp, force of will, demonic tutor, mystical tutor
Hoping its interesting enough since its only 60 cards instead of 100 - plus all of the new redundant remakes (Searing Spear, Elvish Mystic) and repeated or similar themes (flashback/graveyard, artifacts matter)
Wondering if some kind of storm combo deck could ever compete with the tuned burn deck.
I could maybe invision an infect deck with about ten 1 of creatures (glistener elf, blighted agent up to viridian corrupters) with 1 of every cantrip, cheap counter and pump.
My idea for a banned list was something like: strip mine, wasteland, sol ring, skullclamp, force of will, demonic tutor, mystical tutor