10 NEW Undefeated decks to try Post High Tide Unban in MTG Pauper

MTG Pauper High Tide New Decks

With the latest Banned and Restricted announcement shaking up the format, the High Tide unban has made a massive splash in MTG Pauper. Once relegated to the history books, High Tide is now at the center of a brewing renaissance, powering up blue-based combo decks and redefining how players approach tempo, control, and card draw in the format. The Pauper community has responded with creativity and speed, testing everything from familiar archetypes to brand-new shells designed to take full advantage of this iconic spell. In this article, we highlight the top 10 new MTG Pauper decks thriving in the post-High Tide unban metagame, each showcasing how these changes are reshaping the format for both competitive grinders and homebrew enthusiasts alike.

Pili Pala Combo by Mikibairon96

This is an insane brew that aims to make infinite mana with [card]Pili-Pala[/card] and [card]Careful Cultivation[/card], then win the game by draining your opponent out with [card]Bloodrite Invoker[/card]. While you're setting that up, you’ve got all kinds of value from artifact draw spells like [card]Ichor Wellspring[/card] and [card]Fanatical Offering[/card], plus removal dodging with [card]Tamiyo’s Safekeeping[/card] and disruption like [card]Duress[/card]. It can grind hard when needed thanks to cards like [card]Writhing Chrysalis[/card] and [card]Eviscerator’s Insight[/card], but it really shines when it assembles the combo and goes off in one flashy turn.

Esper Familiars High Tide by Cesta

This is the first [card]High Tide[/card] slick blue-based combo-control deck of the list. It leans on mana ramp from [card]High Tide[/card] and cost reducers like [card]Sunscape Familiar[/card] and [card]Nightscape Familiar[/card] to go off with a big [card]Ghostly Flicker[/card] loop. The core combo involves flickering [card]Archaeomancer[/card] and something like [card]Mulldrifter[/card] or [card]Prophetic Prism[/card] to draw tons of cards while recycling the Flicker, eventually generating enough mana and value to overwhelm the opponent with infinite mana due to [card]Snap[/card] and [card]Archaeomancer[/card] loops. [card]Snap[/card] also helps with tempo and mana generation, while [card]Preordain[/card] and [card]Merchant Scroll[/card] make sure you find your pieces on time. With a mix of utility lands like [card]Mortuary Mire[/card] and card draw like [card]Lorien Revealed[/card], the deck is consistent, flexible, and super satisfying to pilot once the engine starts humming.

Flicker Tron Comeback by Alleyezonme

Everyone talks about [card]High Tide[/card], but the [card]Prophetic Prism[/card] unban really brought this deck back to life. This 5-color Tron control build leans on the classic [card]Urza’s Mine[/card], [card]Urza’s Power Plant[/card], and [card]Urza’s Tower[/card] core to generate absurd amounts of mana, then uses that to fuel powerful value loops and tutoring chains. With [card]Mnemonic Wall[/card], [card]Ghostly Flicker[/card], and [card]Ephemerate[/card], you can loop key creatures like [card]Stonehorn Dignitary[/card] or [card]Mulldrifter[/card] while soft-locking the board. Cards like [card]Pulse of Murasa[/card], [card]Moment’s Peace[/card], and [card]Weather the Storm[/card] buy you time, while [card]Mystical Teachings[/card] and [card]Impulse[/card] make sure you always have the right answer. Fixing from [card]Energy Refractor[/card] and [card]Expedition Map[/card] keeps your mana smooth, letting this deck stabilize, grind, and eventually overwhelm just about anything.

Mono Green Sacrifice Stompy by immvp

This Green Stompy list mixes traditional beatdown with graveyard synergy, using [card]Malevolent Rumble[/card] and [card]Young Wolf[/card] as efficient threats and fodder for cards like [card]Bayou Groff[/card] and [card]Hooting Mandrills[/card]. [card]Implement of Ferocity[/card] and [card]Rancor[/card] give your creatures extra punch, while [card]Bequeathal[/card] turns sacrifice pieces into card draw. [card]Nest Invader[/card] and [card]Khalni Garden[/card] help with ramp and sacrifice synergies, and [card]Vines of Vastwood[/card] plus [card]Ram Through[/card] provide protection and removal. Toss in artifact lands like [card]Tree of Tales[/card] and [card]Darksteel Citadel[/card] to enable [card]Brave the Wilds[/card], and you’ve got a fast, resilient, and surprisingly grindy aggro deck.

Temur Seize the Storm by CosmicCharles

This deck is a wild storm-style brew that chains together a ton of rituals and looting effects to fuel a huge, game-ending play—usually with [card]Seize the Storm[/card] or a massive [card]Stream of Thought[/card] loop. Cards like [card]Rite of Flame[/card], [card]Seething Song[/card], and [card]Manamorphose[/card] ramp your mana fast, while [card]Goblin Anarchomancer[/card] and [card]Thornscape Familiar[/card] make your spells dirt cheap. You’ve got a mountain of draw and loot spells—[card]Desperate Ravings[/card], [card]Electric Revelation[/card], [card]Big Score[/card]—to dig deep and keep the engine running. It’s all about going big in one turn, and once you start casting spells, it doesn’t stop until someone wins (hint: it’s usually you).

Mono-Blue High Tide by GiorgioMidrange

This deck is a classic combo-control shell built around [card]Psychic Puppetry[/card], using arcane spells like [card]Reach Through Mists[/card] and [card]Peer Through Depths[/card] to untap lands and go off. With [card]High Tide[/card] pumping your mana and cost reducers like [card]Merchant Scroll[/card] fetching key pieces, you can chain together spells quickly and flood the board with value. [card]Ideas Unbound[/card] and [card]Lorien Revealed[/card] dig deep, [card]Flood of Recollection[/card] lets you recycle combo tools, and once you get going, [card]Stream of Thought[/card] or [card]Deep Analysis[/card] can close things out. It’s smooth, efficient, and pure spell-slinging joy.

Rakdos Affinity by Muka33

If there's something to be said about Affinity, it's its capability of adapting. Despite yet another ban, this version keeps the engine running strong with a new mix of burn, sacrifice, and explosive aggression. It leans on classic core pieces like [card]Frogmite[/card], [card]Myr Enforcer[/card], and artifact lands like [card]Darksteel Citadel[/card] and [card]Drossforge Bridge[/card], while layering in synergy with [card]Glaze Fiend[/card] and [card]Reckless Fireweaver[/card] for massive burst damage. [card]Fanatical Offering[/card], [card]Eviscerator's Insight[/card], and [card]Ichor Wellspring[/card] keep the cards flowing, while [card]Galvanic Blast[/card] and [card]Makeshift Munitions[/card] add removal and reach. It’s scrappy, explosive, and a reminder that Affinity never really goes away—it just reloads.

Another Mono-Blue High Tide by Mikhathara1994

This is another streamlined [card]High Tide[/card] combo deck that uses [card]Snap[/card] and [card]Ghostly Flicker[/card] loops with [card]Archaeomancer[/card] to generate tons of mana and card advantage. [card]Fallaji Archaeologist[/card] and [card]Augur of Bolas[/card] dig for pieces while doubling as Flicker targets, and [card]High Tide[/card] supercharges your Islands to fuel the whole chain. You’ve got the usual suite of cantrips—[card]Ponder[/card], [card]Preordain[/card], [card]Brainstorm[/card], and [card]Lorien Revealed[/card]—to smooth everything out, plus [card]Merchant Scroll[/card] and [card]Meeting of Minds[/card] to keep the gas flowing. Once you get going, [card]Stream of Thought[/card] mills your opponent out or loops key spells, and [card]Capsize[/card] gives you an alternate win or lock. Clean, consistent, and pure blue nonsense.

Mono-Blue Terror High Tide by Foresterf

This is a classic Mono-Blue Terror list with a twist—it adds [card]High Tide[/card] and [card]Rush of Knowledge[/card] for some serious late-game card draw. The core plan is familiar: load up the graveyard fast with [card]Thought Scour[/card], [card]Mental Note[/card], and [card]Lorien Revealed[/card], then slam [card]Tolarian Terror[/card] and [card]Cryptic Serpent[/card] for cheap. [card]Brainstorm[/card] and [card]Ponder[/card] smooth things out, while [card]Snap[/card] and [card]Counterspell[/card] help control the board. Once you've got a big creature down, [card]Rush of Knowledge[/card] refuels your hand, and [card]High Tide[/card] turns your Islands into overdrive mode.

Gruul Tron Stompy by 3vildr4k3

Lastly, this is a Pauper Tron midrange deck with a stompy twist, using the classic [card]Urza’s Mine[/card], [card]Urza’s Power Plant[/card], and [card]Urza’s Tower[/card] package to ramp into huge creatures and backbreaking value plays. It plays a full [card]Self-Assembler[/card] suite to keep the threats coming, and cards like [card]Boarding Party[/card], [card]Avenging Hunter[/card], and [card]Stormshriek Feral[/card] let you stay aggressive while still building card advantage. [card]Boulderbranch Golem[/card] and [card]Writhing Chrysalis[/card] buy you time against aggro, while [card]Malevolent Rumble[/card] and [card]Magmatic Sinkhole[/card] handle value and removal, respectively. [card]Prophetic Prism[/card] and [card]Expedition Map[/card] smooth the mana and dig for Tron pieces, making this a grindy but proactive build that’s just as capable of turning the corner as it is dominating the late game.

Bonus: Two High Tide + Poison Storm Brews

​In this video, we delve into two innovative Magic: The Gathering Pauper decks that capitalize on the recently unbanned [card]High Tide[/card] card.

Wrap Up

High Tide Familiars MTG Pauper


From intricate combo engines to tempo-driven blue decks, the current landscape is more diverse and dynamic than ever. As the format continues to evolve, one thing is clear—High Tide is back, and it's making a splash you won’t want to miss.

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