Sometimes-professional Magic: The Gathering player Mike Flores joins professional game designer Rich Bucey on an adventure into "the people's format" ... Pauper! Join Mike and Rich as they battle week in and week out in one of Magic's best formats, armed with commons.

What makes people love Pauper? We think this episode might tell you. Or at least why we love it!

Mike wins a Premodern meetup with the popular Control strategy. Learn all about this important deck, from Magic's bestest format.

Like the title says... With Dominaria United entering Standard, you can play ANY Liliana of the Veil deck that you want! From Mono-Black to Mardu, Mike talks about the new trends and specific decks out of the gate.

Mike talks about how not tapping out offensively sometimes makes for the fastest route to victory; how un-learning the general rules can be the best way to advance.

And, of course, leaving up mana for Pyroblast or Snakeskin Veil.

Mike's first foray into Premodern is the largest tournament on record! He does pretty well, with a third place finish. But if ever there was a case where journey went before destination, this is it. We really hope you enjoy the adventures.

Mike thinks Rakdos Ob Anvil is the best deck in Standard.

Mike KNOWS many players are getting some big things wrong with, and about, it.

Only listen if you want to get better at winning close races!

MIke borrows tech and terminology from some other popular games to illustrate how to win more / closer races in Magic.

In the tradition of Deadly Dispute and Rite of Oblivion comes a new way to blow up your own stuff... To blow up their stuff.

Den of the Bugbear and Kumano Faces Kakkazan in Standard and Pioneer!

How to play your first turn depending on what Companion the opponent presents (in Modern)

A novel way to approach attrition

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
... and Tasha's Uncontrollable Laughter

The Top 8 Reasons Esper kind of sucks...

Plus!

The secret best card in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.

Take a trip down memory lane as Mike somehow crushes casting various Boomerang and / or Unsummon effects for 1U.

Who is the Unlikely Hero at that casting cost in Standard right now?

Sam Black's new white control deck splashing red has taken Mike's heart! Learn all about the best grinding deck in Standard.

It's a Red Deck!

Join Mike for adventures with Reckless Stormseeker, Reinforced Ronin, Rabbit Battery, Roil Eruption, and more!

What exactly is "Paleolithic" Burn?

Whether you want to call it Boomer Burn or just plain Boros Burn, the classic r-w deck might be one of the best options despite encroachment from so many Modern Horizons II options at R.

Find.

Out.

Why!

What is the Limit of Almost Every Deck?

Why is that a super cool thing to talk about in 2022?

And what does Halana and Elena, Partners have to do with Chaplain of Alms and Legion Angel, anyway?

What do the current Blood Money (and surprisingly successful non-Blood on the Snow) black decks look like?

How might they look with some additions from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty?

If Mike had to play one game of Standard for his life, he'd pick Izzet Dragons.

Still, Hullbreaker Horror and Cemetery Protector make a strong case for Number Two

Everybody hates Izzet! Or, at least most people have to have a plan for Prismari.

This week Mike looks at an emerging Dimir discard deck, comments a little on what makes Izzet so hard for control to compete with, and reveals a weird new solution from -- gasp -- Mono-White!

A secret sideboard in Venice.

The principles of Barbarian Class.

Making your own luck, making your reputation, and making it go faster, Faster, FASTER at the Innistrad Championships

It's a Red Deck.

Mike makes Mythic!

RCQ preparation.

Who is the best deck designer in the world? The answer may surprise you.

Mike and Roman revisit a classic article about decision fatigue, an Israeli parole board, and eating snacks during a tournament...

Because of course young Roman did just that to break through to Top 8 of MTGVegas! This podcast celebrates his amazing accomplishment and sets up lessons as we return to "The Gathering" half of Magic.

With MTGVegas in the books, Mike addresses tips for long paper tournaments, presumably for a public increasingly interested in "The Gathering" half of Magic

Mostly about the early popularity of White Weenie in Crimson Vow Standard

Roman joins Mike in a redux of his best article in years!

Plus, the onetime Ancestral Recall duo starts off on some honest to gosh BARBARIAN chats! Fewer lies (hopefully) more steel mace swinging? Stay savage

About half fun old stories.

About half secret meanings and play patterns to new Innistrad: Crimson Vow cards, like...

By Invitation Only
Cemetery Protector
Old Rutstein
Manaform Hellkite

Don't make any of these all-too-common mistakes!

From Izzet grabbing the wrong land to StOmPy playing the wrong land, these are errors even MC Champions make... Learn them, avoid them, and make your own luck!

Four different looks at Blood on the Snow-based Control decks for Standard!

A lot has changed since Mike made Mythic with Golgari Snow...

#4Blood4Meathook4Life

Roman joins MichaelJ to discuss his Magic: The Gathering World Championships 2021 article... And really talk all things Standard and even Limited on Arena.

Will Mike get to Mythic in Limited? And when?

Mike describes three little lies he tells himself... That maybe you tell yourself, too.

He bets if you reflect on them, that might be the first step in getting past them; to, you know, improve at Magic: The Gathering.

There was some real and true deck design innovation at this year's World Championships. In this audio article, check out some of the top ins, outs, and play patterns so you know how to counter with Lier in play; or when not to try to buff your Stonebinder's Familiar!

Examples of how patient play can help win more games; and how impatient play is disproportionately punished and predictable.

How has Midnight Hunt changed the rules for Control players in Standard? Why would you move from threats to answers, and what are the incentives to each Control color combination?

Ancestral Recall podcast fans rejoice!

Roman Fusco joins MichaelJ for the expanded version of the Golgari Snow Primer. We talk everything from optimal Arena to what deck to pick on a go-forward for the next big Standard events.

With the addition of Wrenn and Seven from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Mike was able to "effortlessly" grind to Mythic on MTGA! How does this deck work, and why should you try it?

Mostly about Modern Burn.

Probably the best Magic: The Gathering article I've written in 15 years.

Mike recounts his sad story (so far!) with RW Astral Slide in Premodern.

But like the title says... The Redeption Arc is about to begin! Victory! #spoilers

The ACTUAL title of this underlying article is "The Top 8 Questions (and Answers!) with Two-Time RCQ-winner, Roman Fusco" but try fitting that in anything reasonable.

Roman won!

The second one with Rakdos Midrange in Standard. Mike grills him about it. You'll love it.

Mike had quite the week in Premodern! He played Fluctuator at a local meetup on Tuesday, battled in his first match of #PSS4 on Thursday, and managed to win $200 with Survival Elves on Sunday. Probably you will love this so probably you should go listen RN tks.

What's "big"?

What constitutes "Control"?

What does all this have to do with winning in Dominaria United Standard?

So Rich lent Mike his Mono-Blue Terror deck for a recent League tournament... To great result.

Mike is hooked on playing Brainstorm and Counterspell again (not to mention casting "cantrip Black Lotuses") in one of the Pauper format's most popular decks. Check out this deep dive, Rich's recent innovations (goodbye Delver of Secrets) and Mike's unhinged plan for the mirror match.

Mike takes a victory lap after his first-place finish at The NYCIS Heavy Play Championship (which, was, in fact, one-third Pauper; Mike played Dimir Terror).

This episode scratches the surface of the Pauper Elves experience from both Mike's perspective and Rich's, updates and innovations to decksandthecity.org (shout out to Mike Evans) and is mostly an avalanche of love and admiration for the NYC Pauper community. Did we mention Mike won the big one though?

In the vein of Ancestral Recall Mike starts out with the ancient mother ship article "UB Trippin'" and then challenges Rich to apply it to contemporary Pauper.

How does the 1997 "Xerox" strategy innovated by Hall of Famer Alan Comer inform not just Dimir Terror... But so many great decks in Pauper? Find out, and how not to cast an Arms of Hadar in our latest podcast.

"Elves is terrible!" says the Light Prince*.

"Another 1-2!" agrees the Dark Prince**.

Such The Princes of Pauper has become a hotbed of Elves slander.

Yet... Elves is one of the most popular decks in League play, recently won a Large SCGCon event, etc. Might Rich and Mike be missing something good about the Little Green Men?

So we enlist absolute Elves assassin Bill Ellis!! for a deep dive on one of the most powerful and popular decks in Pauper (just one that hasn't served us quite yet).

* Listen to the podcast!

** See the above note.

New York Pauper League Champion Colin Hostetter joins Rich this week: They talk about the innovative Synth Gates deck that Colin used to take down Season 4.

Colin beat Mike so badly in the League playoffs that Mike didn't show up for this one, but will grudgingly add some links that Rich asked him to ("for the listeners, before they ask" or something).

Colin's deck list:
https://melee.gg/Decklist/View/26efb639-a9a0-4a55-8beb-b3f101529475

The Upstate New York Pauper Open:
https://www.spicerack.gg/events/3008876

"Are they paying us for this?"
-Mike

"No Mike, no one is paying us."
-Rich

"Shrug emoji."
-Mike

It's an emergency episode of The Princes of Pauper!

Rich has ended his damnable streak, defeating Mike at League... and wants everybody to know about it! Dimir is the best, Mike is the worst.

As Mike has found an all-new way to lose (this time with the Wall Spy combo deck) we've added a classic episode, a la Ancestral Recall to this very special episode. 

Rich sits down with Kalikaiz who very patiently explains how Pauper Familiars works to a clueless Rich. They talk the different flavors of Fams, tricky Fams lines, and how you too can break into one of Pauper's most rewarding archetypes.

Fams list: https://moxfield.com/decks/a__QgyuLsU-JsewyCLXBmw

Kalikaiz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/kalikaiz