A recent winners circle in the Pauper Challenge brought to light a deck that does not fit any of the established archetypes we have come to expect in Pauper: Mono-White Heroic! Half a combo deck, half an aggro deck, Heroic thrives on a similar axis to Hexproof in that it seeks to build up a formidable threat that embarrasses the opponent's attempts at removal.

Considering the budget considerations of the deck - as of mid-August, this deck costs a scant 27 tickets to assemble on MTGO or $43 in Paper - it is incredibly impressive that its pilot, Murk, not only took the deck through a perfect 6-0 in regular Challenge rounds, but also swept through the playoffs to a flawless 9-0 run. And this was over the strongest concentration of competition that Pauper can boast! Heroic triumphed over a field of decks with price tags twice, three, and four times more expensive than its price tag. Also consider that the Sunday Pauper Challenge on MTGO costs 25 tickets to enter. Considering the cost of entry, would it make any sense to enter with a "budget" deck unless one believes it gives them the best angle to victory?

So let's take a closer look at the deck, Mono-White Heroic, its card choices, and why Mono-White Heroic became the rising hero it is.

Mono-White Heroic | Pauper | Murk, Winner, Pauper Challenge, August 5th 2018

• Creatures (18)
• 1 Benevolent Bodyguard
• 2 Seeker of the Way
• 3 Deftblade Elite
• 4 Akroan Skyguard
• 4 Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
• 4 Sacred Cat

• Instants (8)
• 4 Emerge Unscathed
• 4 Mutagenic Growth

• Enchantments (17)
• 1 Lifelink
• 4 Cartouche of Solidarity
• 4 Cho-Manno's Blessing
• 4 Ethereal Armor
• 4 Hyena Umbra

• Lands (17)
• 15 Plains
• 2 Secluded Steppe

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Beckon Apparition
• 2 Celestial Flare
• 2 Journey to Nowhere
• 2 Shield of Duty and Reason
• 2 Standard Bearer
• 1 Double Cleave
• 1 Lifelink
• 1 Obsidian Acolyte
• 1 Sundering Growth

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The Threats

Heroes

There are only two creatures in the deck that actually have the Heroic mechanic: Akroan Skyguard and Lagonna-Band Trailblazer, two cards that feel a lot closer to draft chaff than they do Pauper standouts. But each of these have important abilities aside from their heroism to merit their 4-of status. Akroan Skyguard has flying which is an extraordinary important form of evasion in this deck since it is the only form of evasion among its creature cadre other than the spell-granted ability of Protection. In contrast, while it lacks natural evasion, Lagonna-Band Trailblazer has the invisible ability "Protection from Lightning Bolt". Both of these cards get permanent boosts every time they become the target of one of your 25 creature enhancing spells. This is especially relevant for the flier since thanks to Heroic a single Mutagenic Growth can save Akroan Skyguard from Lightning Bolt and save it from future Electrickery or Shrivel effects as well. And while 0/4 doesn't feel like an intimidating attacker, maybe a 4/8 First Strike Protection-from-your-color is a bit scarier to face.

Racers

Two important creatures in the deck are here to help you in race situations whether it be against the raw power of Green Stompy or the relentlessly efficient clock of Red Burn. Seeker of the Way only gets a temporary boost from spells as opposed to our heroes, but importantly it not only receives its buff from spells that target your other creatures but it gains Lifelink from any of these spells as well. Combined with the natural Lifelink on Sacred Cat, both of these critters might not be your winning threat, but they can turn the race.

The Predator

There is one other unique powerhouse in this deck, the underappreciated Deftblade Elite. Unchecked, this hunter can pick off a creature of your choice every turn! If you've never played with or against the Provoke mechanic it is really powerful: not only can it force a blocker, but it can even force an opponent's creature to untap in order to block, whether it be a utility creature like a Priest of Titania or the opponent's main win condition like a Kiln Fiend. In scenarios where your Deftblade Elite is not big enough to pick off your opponent's creatures unscathed, your Deftblade can also run interference to force a block only to negate combat damage both to and from the Elite, as if it had a built-in, optional, activated Gaseous Form.

The Buffs

The most powerful creature enhancement in the deck is Ethereal Armor. Though it ordinarily has a natural home in the Hexproof deck, with 17 main deck auras in the deck plus 5 more enchantments in the sideboard, Ethereal Armor can feel closer a Daybreak Coronet, granting +3/+3 and First Strike on a number of creatures that already have Lifelink. Hyena Umbra serves as a halfway card, both boosting stats, granting First Strike, and saving a creature from destruction-based removal like Doom Blade and lethal combat damage while also enabling Ethereal Armor. Similarly, Mutagenic Growth is there both to save your creatures from damage-based removal in the early game while pushing through the last points of damage in the late game. Combined with the Lifelink swings of Sacred Cat and Seeker of the Way, the mandatory two life payment for Mutagenic Growth gets paid back by the extra lifegain it grants. Finally, Cartouche of Solidarity provides the standard buff and First Strike of the other auras with the extra token body to provide insurance against Chainer's Edict.

Protection

This deck list is remarkable that it includes nine cards whose sole purpose is to grant the ability Protection. If you are unfamiliar with the nuances of kitchen sink Magic ability "Protection from X", there are four separate abilities granted by the keyword Protection:

While many other decks look for ways to protect their primary threat, like Dispel or Vines of Vastwood, this is a major element in the Heroic deck, with nine cards in the main deck and three more in the sideboard concerned with Protection.

What this reveals to us is that Heroic uses Protection not only to save its threats but also to convert its threats into its primary win conditions.

How to Beat Heroic

Decks that rely on interacting with your opponent's threats to win have the hardest time beating Heroic. But if you want to have a good game against the Heroic deck, here are a few strategies that can succeed: