hipponox

my friend plays thopters a ton. the cards I tend to fear the most on the other side of them is hangarback and thopter spy network. I'd max out on both of those if you're looking to optimize (though I'm not sure what style of play you're going for). I'd probably just cut whirlermaker to help room personally as thopter spy network is basically just a way better version of it anyway. You might want to look into some lords or something like master of etherium and/or chief of the foundry as it'll turn all of ur small 1/1 flyers into bigger threats.

In either case, thopters can get outta hand pretty fast! Good luck with it either way!

yeah hope something helped! good luck with the build B34nW4lk3r

And to respond to wdm-
yeah tempo CAN be a few things- like the archetypal tempo deck to me is like modern merfolk- it can do it all but its still based around low to ground/early threats. Its versatile, but does have an early game plan.

your windows concept sounds like utility-type decks to me, or non-linear type things- decks with options. they're definitely out there- I'd probably put a few midrange decks in that category also like jund. But he was just looking for help so the categories dont really matter- my main thing was that I think he probably needed a more realized game plan- whatever plan he ends up with - label to be determined.

It's there. I just think it's watered down, and could be more focused.

And the other term you're looking for might be aggro or blitz or something to that affect. Which i think is different. But without getting too in the weeds, tempo to me is like an aggro deck with light control elements to enable it. The label probably doesnt matter though haha

Inescapable blaze is no longer standard legal as a heads up if thats the format you're going for.

That aside, and take my opinion with a grain of salt, as I haven't paid attention to the standard meta that much recently, but I think this deck has a slight identity crisis. You're description says you're going for a tempo game, but to me the deck doesnt appear to have a way to win very fast. There is a lot of cards over 4 cmc and ideally, at least when I think of "tempo" decks- you should be trying to win before you'd be even able to cast those cards. If you're going for tempo, in my mind you need earlier threats that push to win, while you stall your opponent from developing their own board. Keep everything super low to the ground. If you want to keep the big cost cards, you probably need to do the opposite- find the MOST powerful high cost cards- ones that for sure will win when you play them, and then prevent ur opponent from doing everything else beforehand. This deck kind of has a bit of both and I feel like that'll hurt it.

In short my summation of the archetypes are almost opposites:
tempo- earlier threats, then prevent opponent from interacting with them/outracing you
control- late threats, prevent your opponent from winning until you can play them

apologies if this is all know/redundant information- but thats at least how im seeing it right now.

If you're going for tempo my first move would be to cut all the large spells, and replace them with low to the ground creatures (or something) that benefit from you playing a ton of spells (think monastery swiftspear- im sure strixhaven has some magecraft cards you can take advantage of), and preferably those spells have a way of drawing or finding more spells to keep the engine going.

Good luck with the build! Hope there's something helpful in that wall of nonsense I just wrote haha. Hopefully someone more familiar with current standard can chime in also

hmmm gotcha- definitely interesting

I'll try and give it a look at some point- sounds intriguing

no worries! I actually build decks similarly in that when i discover potential issues or interactions i keep adding cards to the list until ive exhuasted all possible options- and then i tend to widdle it down from there (which is why i started a thread in the forum asking for a "maybe-board" because my privated lists get super messy haha and i dont wanna use the sideboard for that function because its part of the build).

And i have a few friends that are on the "bolt-life" so I do definitely do consider it a lot haha. Though for this deck I'm mostly ok I think other than macabre and pouncer. All the other creatures are outta range. And no worries man I appreciate the interaction and suggestions regardless haha

o i gotcha. I mean there are like spidersilk armor and stuff. But i'm not sure its worth diluting the game plan just to save a few creatures

castle enchantment?

yeah living end is such a nifty design lol.

and yeah i guess there is an argument there- though i mean cast down terminate and journey to nowhere can ruin everything- but the argument im having for just going with "as little as boltable as possible" plan is because i already have a few that fold to it (igneous pouncer) and I can really only go one creature at a time- so if I get stuck with something- id rather it be as "dies to removal" proof as possible I guess if that makes sense haha

np! And I did consider it, but I'd rather have a colorless cycle card so I don't need the blue, and windcaller is boltable so I opted for something with a higher toughness (though i know it is slower clock).

I can't run that because my cascade spells will run into it. I need to keep everything above 3 cmc basically except exhume

Yeah I'm looking at shimmerscale drake and shoreline ranger- might do a one of shoreline ranger to help keep my mana fixing up since i took one out for a macabre.

that's not a bad idea! Good suggestion! I might even throw a bojuka bog in main

i'm assuming this is the one? If you're struggling with certain matchups, Id toss out some of the lesser needed dragon auras (i'd ditch the off color ones like wings as you cant even cycle it) and replace it with some interaction. Duress would probably do a lot of work to get rid of your opponents removal

Yeah, reanimator in general can be pretty fragile- I guess there is an argument to go grixis with the more tradition builds- the problem is bojuka bog and fairie macabre are still problems thats cant be solved with counter magic. I actually think this cascade version has slightly more resiliency as you dont really "lose" too much card advantage- since your cycling your still replacing the cards in your hand- also riverwinder has hexproof so if you can get that out turn 2 in pauper you're usually in pretty good shape (And it can happen!) Thanks for commenting! Good luck with your build also!

no worries! hope your friend likes it!

I'm not sure your deck wants relic as it also removes your graveyard- and disables ur ability to recur some of your spells with archaeomancer and all of your creatures. Even without black and the extra value, I'd take nihil spellbomb over it.

And for the other spells in your side- you might want to add some type of removal/tempo pieces instead of more mill effects. The thought process there being- there probably isnt any instance where salvager of secrets is better than archeaomancer- so its not really a good card for the sideboard because you'll never swap it out- something like unsummon- or maybe lower costed counter magic or specific deck hoser cards are want you want to look for more. Maybe like whiplash trap for elves etc. Then you can counter those things later/get ur mill effect. Either way - good luck with it!

just a heads up- mystic sanctuary is currently banned in pauper. Maybe replace it with lonely sandbar or something so you have the option to cycle them out if you're flooding, or if you need some removal or something- quicksand or desert- honestly though- even though you don't run black- bojuka bog might be the card to run- as there are a few graveyard based decks out there- and you dont want to accidentally help them out. You Might want to run nihil spellbomb or something in the side as well for the same reason (and then bojuka bog can give you the black for the extra value if needed).

Again. Super tight list. Not sure what matchups this would struggle against maybe except walls combo and elves or affinity maybe? I guess an early duress or something could maybe throw this off also? Just trying to think of sideboard suggestions since its not filled in yet. I think Relic of Progenitus is probably a good one- just as a hedge against fast reanimator decks and mono black- plus it'll screw up other gruul decks running pulse of murasa or something that can get their lands back from the yard? Is electrickery better than fiery cannonade for the sweeper? Elves do have 2 toughness creatures and i think they sometimes run spidersilk armor post board- plus I feel like the mana difference is negligible because ur ramping pretty hard anyway- should be easy to get it out by turn 2 if need be and it'll deal with more things? I also feel like gorilla shaman might be worth considering even as an addition to grudge to shut down affinity. This probably already hoses tron nonsense haha... Maybe calming verse for bogles? They can probably get underneath this deck occasionally. And calming verse allows the ability to protect ur ramp auras you might get out. I think thats all I got. Anyway good luck with it! The list looks great and the not finished sideboard triggered my OCD so i just wanna see it finished XD so it feels complete to me.

My one suggestion for the main- I'm always thinking of dumb 1 of land things that can be squeezed into the manabase when its possible- First thought was gingerbread cabin because its like a free "lightning bolt counterspell" on a card and theres not much opporutnity cost lost to it other than for skred (but you'd have 21 snow lands vs 22 which i dont think is big) and gingerbread cabin probably will come into play untapped most of the time. I realized that it didnt do what I wanted it to do with acid-moss because it forces it into play tapped (that would have been sick if it wasnt that way). then i thought- hey! Why not play singleton desert? Deals with 1 toughness creatures if you get it (even flyers which you cant block so maybe like faeries or something that can get underneath the land destruction potentially)- its a repeatble removable spell on a land- and maybe thats enough to replace electrickery with fiery canonade. Covers more bases maybe? anyway yeah. Good luck with the list! +1

Also i love how utopia sprawl alone is responsible for like 90% of the total monetary value of this build haha