Pauper: Grixis Tide Familiars - Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

High Tide is, for the first time, legal in Pauper. The most recent banned and restricted list took away Deadly Dispute, Kuldotha Rebirth, and Basking Broodscale, but also gave us High Tide, which might change the format completely and revolutionize blue decks.

High Tide

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A few days have passed since this card was unbanned, and some new lists with it have already won a few matches - nothing too crazy (yet). Mono Blue Tide, which focuses more on accelerating mana with High Tide so you can win with Stream of Thought, is still the main version. This particular build also centers around the combo with Psychic Puppetry and other cantrips that lean on Splice onto Arcane.

Other versions use High Tide to boost an already well-known game plan, with Tolarian Terror and Murmuring Mystic. However, in this article, we'll explore an archetype that should start popping up in the next few days, and could be an excellent training ground for this new card: Familiars.

Unlike Azorius Familiars, the most traditional version (and which could also get a lot from this new card), Grixis Familiars plays a few interactions that could make it more viable for the combo. Nightscape Familiar is a 2-drop just like Sunscape Familiar, but it discounts the cost of red and blue spells. You can also Regenerate and attack with it.

This deck plays a good part of the UW base. Cantrips like Preordain and creatures like Mulldrifter are still here, doing the same thing they've always done.

The main game plan is to take advantage of the mana High Tide creates so you can beat your opponent with Stream of Thought, but this deck also plays Murmuring Mystic as an alternative win condition. You can use it as an engine to create infinite 1/1 Bird tokens.

Why Play Familiars in Pauper

In this list, Ardent Elementalist is part of a mini-combo with Snap that you can't do as easily with Archaeomancer. Considering Elementalist will cost one less with Nightscape Familiar, all you need to do is put 3 Nightscapes in play. Even if you put less than three Familiars in play, Elementalist is more flexible than Archaeomancer because of its cost, as Archaeomancer will always cost two blue mana.

Another great detail about this version is the black part of the deck. Because its mana base needs Swamps, you can use Snuff Out, which is one of the best removals in this format.

Mulligan

Blue decks usually recover well from mulligans because of their cantrips, which always give you great card advantage.

This opening hand has great land drops, lets you manipulate the top of your deck, and create card advantage, so you can definitely progress your game plan with it. As the current aggro lists in Pauper aren't as aggressive as the now-extinct Kuldotha Red, this should be a good opening hand.

This opening hand is a bit greedy, as it can get a lot from High Tide on the first few turns with Mulldrifter and Nightscape. It can be risky in a few matchups, but very rewarding in others. If you find a Snap from the top and cast Mulldrifter with its Evoke, it can be incredibly strong.

This is, by far, the worst opening hand for this list. You can't do anything with it until you find some land drops. It has no cantrips or ways to manipulate the top of your deck. It is a clear mulligan.

This sideboard can deal with any matchup really well, as it can deal with creatures, and decks with lots of counters. It has ways to play around all the problematic opponents for Familiars.

Vs. Mono Blue Tide

The new Mono U Terror build combines High Tide's raw power with heavy blue cantrips like Rush of Knowledge and Lórien Revealed, a new approach for this list. Yet, this is still a classic tempo list with good counters and a solid game plan with 5/5 Serpents.

Snuff Out is excellent to deal with their board, and Negate is a powerful counter, particularly if you discount its cost with Nightscape. Try to be smart and look for a window in your opponent's strategy to play your combo. Nightscape Familiar is a great blocker, as you can Regenerate it later on.

Side In

Side Out

Vs. Jund Wildfire

Jund is one of the best well-positioned archetypes in the post-ban meta, even though it lost Deadly Dispute and can no longer cast Writhing Chrysalis on turn 3 (which was one of the strongest strategies in this format). Its powerful midrange game plan remains solid.

In this matchup, your sideboard is critical. Cast into the Fire delays the opponent's game plan, as it exiles indestructible lands and can deal with Nihil Spellbomb and Blood Fountain, which are quite problematic.

Side In

Side Out

Vs. Madness Burn

Rakdos Burn is the main red aggro deck nowadays. Its game plan is quite solid and can deal with blue decks really well. Because you won't be able to gain life with God-Pharaoh's Faithful, Grixis Familiars will be vulnerable to aggressive burn decks like this. However, it still has ways to deal with these opponents.

Side In

Side Out

Vs. Mono-White Aggro

Mono-White is also popular right now. It has a solid game plan as well and can put pressure on you, all while it also interacts really well with you. Thraben Charm is a bit problematic, and they'll try to put as much pressure on you with it as they can. However, they can't protect their creatures from Familiars' removals, which might give you enough space to develop your game plan.

Side In

Side Out

Vs. Bogles

Whenever Pauper changes, Bogles becomes popular again. This matchup is a race: whoever executes their game plan first wins. It can be quite troublesome, as Grixis Familiars can't interact with Bogles all that well, but, at the same time, Bogles can't stop Familiars either.

Pyroblast might seem a weird sideboard choice, but it is actually one of the few ways to stop Slippery Bogle. You can simply counter the creature spell while it is still on the stack.

Side In

Side Out

This deck is extremely fun, and has a lot of potential. We still have a long way to go with High Tide, but, without a question, we can already say Grixis Familiars is a great starting point.

What did you think of this list? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you nex time!