In the last couple of weeks, Pauper has started garnering quite a bit of attention. One of the most interesting tensions in Pauper is that the lack of sweepers makes your choice to removal critically important. The decision between cards like Doom Blade, Chainer's Edict, or Lightning Bolt has very real implications for your matchups. Some of the most interesting decks that has arisen out of these tensions are Pestilence variants like this one:
W/B Pestilence -- Pauper | Mathonical, 5-0 Pauper League
- Creatures (20)
- 2 Arashin Cleric
- 2 Guardian of the Guildpact
- 2 Lone Missionary
- 2 Palace Sentinels
- 4 Kami of False Hope
- 4 Kor Skyfisher
- 4 Thraben Inspector
- Instants (8)
- 1 Disfigure
- 1 Snuff Out
- 1 Unmake
- 1 Doom Blade
- 2 Grim Harvest
- 2 Prismatic Strands
- Sorceries (5)
- 2 Night's Whisper
- 3 Chainer's Edict
- Enchantments (4)
- 4 Pestilence
- Lands (23)
- 2 Plains
- 4 Swamp
- 1 Kabira Crossroads
- 2 Bojuka Bog
- 2 Secluded Steppe
- 4 Ash Barrens
- 4 Orzhov Basilica
- 4 Scoured Barrens
- Sideboard (15)
- 2 Doom Blade
- 1 Snuff Out
- 1 Castigate
- 2 Coalition Honor Guard
- 3 Duress
- 1 Kor Sanctifiers
- 2 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
- 1 Raven's Crime
- 2 Relic of Progenitus
This deck combines White value creatures with Black removal to form a powerful midrange shell. You've got Arashin Cleric and Lone Missionary to hold down the fort and keep your life total high. Thraben Inspector and Kor Skyfisher help you keep pace with aggressive decks while staying ahead on cards. Palace Sentinels is your curve-topper that allows you to stay far ahead on cards.
Your removal suite is very interesting. Chainer's Edict gives you game against decks like Hexproof and Izzet Blitz. Disfigure is great against aggressive decks, and Snuff Out is incredible against decks that wait for you to tap out. Unmake gives you the ability to fight against cards with persist and undying, while Doom Blade is the most efficient way to fight over threats like Atog and Ulamog's Crusher.
On top of all this, you have Pestilence. The life gain in this deck offsets the life loss of Pestilence, while the powerful enchantment lets you stabilize against the aggressive decks of the format and lock them out of the game.
On top of all that, you have Kami of False Hope, Prismatic Strands, and Grim Harvest. Kami and Grim Harvest lets you lock your opponent out of their combat step, while Prismatic Strands can serve as a pseudo sweeper, protecting your creatures in combat while letting you block profitably. You have to worry somewhat about Flaring Pain out of sideboards, but between your fog lock and Pestilence, you're very well-positioned against beatdown decks of all varieties.