Tips & Tricks #

Advanced Strategies for Pauper Cube Masters #

Format Characteristics #

What Makes Pauper Cube Unique #

Games are Grindy

• Most games go 8+ turns
• 2-for-1s are extremely valuable
• Incremental advantage wins games

No True Board Wipes

• Creatures tend to stick around
• Combat is important every turn
• Positioning matters more

Combat Tricks Are Better

• Fewer instant-speed answers
• Tricks often 2-for-1
• Bluffs are powerful

Monarch is King

• Monarch cards are format warping
• Card draw is at a premium
• Control the crown, control the game

Hidden Gems to Watch For #

Underrated Powerhouses #

Ninja of the Deep Hours

• Repeatable card advantage engine
• Almost impossible to race
• Wins control mirrors

Crypt Rats

• Closest thing to a board wipe
• Clears aggressive starts
• Reusable with sufficient mana

Pestilence

• Game-dominating enchantment
• Clears boards repeatedly
• Win condition in control

Rolling Thunder

• Flexible removal and finisher
• Scales with available mana
• Excellent late-game topdeck

Sprout Swarm

• Instant-speed army creation
• Convoke makes it scalable
• Wins games out of nowhere

Trap Cards That Look Good #

Avoid These:

• Expensive Auras - Too much risk
• Situational Counters - Not worth a card
• Pure Card Selection - Need actual advantage
• Symmetric Effects - Opponents benefit too

Advanced Drafting Strategies #

Signal Reading #

Early Picks (1-5):

• Premium removal wheeling = color open
• Good 2-drops going late = avoid aggro
• Expensive cards moving = control might be open

Mid Picks (6-10):

• Confirm initial reads
• Look for archetype staples
• Identify what neighboring drafters are doing

Late Picks (11-15):

• Take anything playable
• Grab sideboard cards
• Note what’s not getting picked

Hate Drafting #

When to Hate Draft:

• Opponent’s key synergy piece
• Cards that punish your strategy
• Extremely powerful splash cards
• When you have nothing else

When NOT to Hate Draft:

• You need playables
• The card doesn’t affect you
• Early in pack 1
• It’s not actually that good

Combat & Gameplay Tips #

Combat Mathematics #

Key Combat Rules:

• Always consider tricks
• Opponent’s mana matters more than cards in hand
• Trading is often correct in this format
• Don’t be afraid to take damage early

When to Block:

• You’re behind on board
• You can make a profitable trade
• You need to preserve life total
• Opponent has reach/burn

When NOT to Block:

• You’re racing successfully
• Trade would be unprofitable
• You have better ways to interact
• You need to preserve creatures

Sequencing #

Early Game (Turns 1-4):

• Play threats on curve
• Hold up interaction when possible
• Develop mana before committing to colors
• Save premium removal for bigger threats

Mid Game (Turns 5-8):

• Focus on board presence
• Card advantage becomes critical
• Start planning win conditions
• Manage resources carefully

Late Game (Turns 9+):

• Every card matters
• Look for finishing combinations
• Preserve answers for threats
• Don’t overextend into tricks

Archetype-Specific Secrets #

Flicker (WU) Tricks #

• Always sequence to maximize ETB triggers
• Kor Skyfisher can “flicker” opponent’s permanents
• Archeomancer + Ephemerate = repeatable value
• Mulldrifter is the best win condition

Control (UB/UW) Mastery #

• Don’t counter everything - pick your battles
• Card draw is more important than counterspells
• Win conditions matter less than answers
• Play at instant speed whenever possible

Aggro (RW/BR/WB) Excellence #

• Damage is damage - don’t overthink
• Burn to face is often correct
• 16 lands is sometimes right
• Know when to go all-in

Spells Matter (UR) Optimization #

• Count your spells constantly
• Prowess triggers stack
• Cheap spells > expensive spells
• Card selection finds the missing pieces

Sideboarding Guide #

Always Bring In #

• Artifact/Enchantment Hate: Naturalize effects
• Additional Removal: vs creature decks
• Counterspells: vs combo/big threats
• Life Gain: vs aggressive decks

Consider Sideboarding #

• Different Threats: Match the game plan
• Mana Curve Adjustment: Fix awkward curves
• Color Requirements: Better mana consistency
• Hate Bears: Specific strategies

Sideboard Priorities by Matchup #

vs Aggro:

• More removal
• Higher toughness creatures
• Life gain effects
• Defensive tricks

vs Control:

• More threats
• Card draw
• Cheap pressure
• Difficult-to-answer permanents

vs Midrange:

• Efficient answers
• Better curve
• Value engines
• Flexible cards

Next: Browse the complete Cube List to see all 540 cards in the cube.