Deck Choice: 5c Boros Synthesizer
https://moxfield.com/decks/TCBcOt_4J0y5b_NK7r6noQ
Today we are running Boros Synthesizer, my Rites of Initiation to Pauper, but with a twist of splashing 3 Colors. Why are we running an old school midrange deck that needs 4-5 turns to make landdrops, to tap out to set up a permanent-based engine? Into a field of quick combo decks like Spy, Tide, Elves and Tribe, and big value-piles like Jund and Tron? You ask?!
Well, we have received some new toys from outa space, I say! Time to space things up, you know! Command Bridge, Springleaf Drum and Inspectors enable the splash of Cryogen Relic, Refurbished Familiar and even more spice in the side board like Weather the Storm. The deck tries to compete with Jund for “Draw the most cards mid-game and convert them into a winning board-state”. With 12 Flyers and 12 artifacts that you can bounce for value, the decks engine feels as smooth as ever. Rites of Initiation and Makeshift Munitions as finishers. The Sideoboard is a toolbox of everything, mainly aiming at Combo, Blue and Burn.
So what do we do about all the awfull matchups? Holding up a sparse Thraben Charm vs Spy Combo. Clinging to a dear Negate or Pyroblast vs High Tide. Get the engine humming and find Journey to Nowhere vs Writhing Chrysalis. Try to fight Tolarian Terror with Relic and beat them in the air through their nasty permission.
And always hold back a precious Rites of Initiation in hand to convert a sneaky or looming match-win!
Round 1 vs Azorius Familiars 0-1
Ouch. A fellow old school deck that has been outvaluing us chronically.
Game 1 I have a goat-hand, rainbow mana, every turn artifact-hawk-artifact-skyfisher. For a brief moment I believe I can outgrind them. I am ahead on board and on cards! They untap, go High Tide, infinite Ghostly Flicker targeting Archaeomancer and 2-mana-Island, infinite life with God Pharaos Faithfull 0-1
Game 2 Hm, I know this play pattern oh so well from lenghty testing sessions with Boros in 2023. Can I beat them postboard with Negate, Pyroblast, Relic of Progenitus? No, I can’t. I draw into all of it, but never really get my engine going. I develop some stuff, answer this and that 1 for 1 and then go down after they resolve their first Ephemerate on Mulldrifter 0-2
Round 2 vs Red Madness 0-2
Game 1 I see Epicure into Highway Robbery. So we are up against Guttersnipe and the discard engine. I slow down development to preserve life at any cost. I feel lucky when they present me creatures that I can answer without losing 15 life on the stack. Eventually they are down to 2 cards in hand, I deal some damage by chipping in combat and close with 2 Galvanic Blast. Puh 1-0
Game 2 I board in Hydroblast, Negate and Weather the Storm. Now I feel super confident. I won game 1 without life gain! But without life-gain I eventually lose game 2 against incremental damage 1-1
Game 3 I am back on the play, we are fighting about an early Sneaky Snacker of his. My hand is Negate, Thraben Charm, Glint Hawk. I do have the tools to get Snacker in the bin, keep it exiled and also keep them from drawing more cards. It takes 3 turns to execute all of this. By the time I stabilize the board, I am at 8 life. They have but one card in hand. I dig for Weather the Storm to save me, because my clock is nowhere near close to finish the game. I don’t find it and get burned out 1-2
Round 3 vs Izzet Skred 0-3
Game 1 I get a lot of time to develop early and I use it to set up land drops, engine and some attackers. We play the regular Counter Spell vs Experimental Synthesizer game: Resolving Thraben Inspector and pass the turn is usually the best thing to do. I am lucky my hand is loaded enough so that I can resolve two Refurbished Familiar after “baiting” with Synthesizer that get countered. I answer two late Terrors with two Journey to Nowhere. After that we are both empty handed, but I chip down with some critters 1-0
Game 2 I might have followed a bad sideboard strategy, but I am not even sure: In 2 Negate, 3 Pyroblast, 2 Hydroblast; Out 4 Galvanic Blast, 1 Relic of Progenitus, 1 Rites of Initiation, 1 Makeshift Munitions. I don’t care about my own burn-plan or about answering their Tolarian Terror - but I want to prevent Murmuring Mystic and Breath Weapon at any cost. Well, only thing I know, it didn’t work out! I do get to resolve my engine with Pyroblast or Negate back up - which feels beautiful. (My 2023-Boros-testing-self walked in, gave me high five, then yawned and went on to watch Spy Combo on table 1). But I don’t get to prevent 2 Breath Weapon and 2 Lorien Revealed later in the game. That stuff makes my stuff look a bit cute 1-1
Game 3 With 8 minutes on the clock, and game 2 where I was lacking “the punch”, I board back in everything that deals any damage: Galvanic Blast, Rites, Munitions go back in and i leave out the durdely permission. I have to say, my hand is decent for trying to finish on turn 6/7 (Rites of Initiation, some creatures, some artifacts, Gal Blast) - but I never find a third land. Spring Leaf Drum keeps the dream alive, I am fishing for outs, but finally Breath Weapon seals the deal (which I had Negate and blue mana for, but no second mana, well etc bla bla). I scoop in ovetime 1-2
Round 4 Bye 1-3
Sadly one player was hit by a whasp and had to leave early. I got to chill and take a nap.
Round 5 vs Walls Combo 2-3
Game 1 I know what to do: Fire removal at their mana-lords, pray that they don’t hit crazy draw-spells. Umm, make landdrops, attack in the air? At least one of these things does not work out 0-1
Game 2 I feel the heat. I want to win one measly match with this deck! I side-in Krark-Clan Shaman, Negate and Relic of Progenitus. They showed me Reaping the Graves in game 1 and I need to prevent any of their nutty card advantage. Otherwise Krark is my only out to a board of 5+ creatures. I have a pretty sweet hand, keep them in check with Refurb and spot-removals, swing some in the air 1-1
Game 3 Can we do it?! They have a bold start on mana, but at least no follow up but Generous Ent. With 5 lands in play I go Synth, flip Gal Blast, play Glint Hawk, bounce Synth, flip Krark, wipe eeeverything (did you catch the reference?) - so finally at the end of this misery I had the impression of “doing the trick”. Nothing to write home about 2-1
Take Aways
The Mana works! If you ever want to run a 3+ colored decks in pauper, give Command Bridge a shot. Especially when combined with 7 Inspectors and 3 Springleaf Drums (I was even greedy on the numbers) mana was just smooth. Acces to blue post-board felt pretty strong. Negate was for - good and for bad - one of the best cards and definetly maindeck-able in a Jeskai+ shell.
Boros is a thing of a long gone era. Even Boros on mad a*s rainbow crack is slow and unthreatening. By the time I got going, the other decks were way more developed. Plus the late game of Boros is five 2/2 flyers and some burn-spells. It didn’t feel very menacing, unfortunately. I have not had a moment to even put Munitions or Rites on the stack to turn the tables…
Keeping those in mind, I could have done things differently. Cutting 4 Bolts (to make room for Refurb) might have been a mistake (although Refurb is awesome). The burn-plan keeps the decks “punch” alive. I would reinsert 4 Bolts and cut like 1 Inspector, 1 Rites of Initiation, 1 Relic of Progenitus, 1 Cryogen Relic. One could also go deeper into a full Jeskai, Mardu (or Esper build) with this kind of mana & engine. There is lots of room to inspect.