Core

The Lords:

Muscle Sliver

Predatory Sliver

Sinew Sliver

Each of these cost 1 and pump every sliver by +1/+1.  The exception is Predatory Sliver which only pumps slivers you control.  Protect these slivers.  They make every other sliver far more mana efficient by increasing their size without affecting mana cost.  For example, if you have a Sinew Sliver and a Predatory Sliver on the battle field, each one is now 3/3 and only cost you 2 mana to cast each.  That is the most efficient beater you will find in pauper.



Plated Sliver – This sliver cost a single {W} to cast and gives all slivers +0/+1.  Not the most integral piece but especially useful against burn and aggro decks.  That 1 toughness can go a long way (electrickery and shrivel will not wipe you out with this on the field)



Sentinel Sliver – This sliver allows each of your slivers to perform double duty. Vigilance gives each sliver the ability to attack without tapping.  Also, this one is a natural 2/2.  One lord on the field makes him a formidable 3/3 who does not need to tap to attack.



Sidewinder Sliver – This sliver gives each sliver Flanking.  Flanking causes eac creature that blocks a sliver to suffer -1/-1 while blocking.  If there are 2 SS on the field, that would be a -2/-2 and so on.  Combat math becomes hard and your slivers can push through most defense.



Virulent Sliver – These give each sliver Poisonous 1.  Much like infect, each sliver will give an a opponent 1 poison counter each time they hit.  Like the Sidewinder above, the more you have on the field, the greater the amplification.  Unlike infect, this does not at 1 poison per damage dealt but rather per hit.Spinneret Sliver – Gives each sliver reach.  Plain and simple.

Hive Stirrings – A spell that puts 2 1/1 sliver token onto the battlefield. These are the only slivers who do provide a bonus to other slivers.  However, you get 2 for one card and they get pumped just like all the others.



Vines of Vastwood – An instant spell that gives one of your creatures hexproof.  If it was kicked, it gets pumped as well.  Consider this a green Intervene.



The Sideboard

Journey to Nowhere  – (From PttP forums)This is the most efficient creature removal spell in white at common, an enchantment that exiles a creature from the game until the enchantment itself is removed, for 1W. For pauper white does not have anything else as cheap and as unconditional as Journey.



Prismatic Strands – (From PttP forums) Prevents all damage from a color of your choice for 2W and has flashback by tapping an untapped white creature. This seemingly narrow card card has a use against every single match-up in the metagame. It gives you a huge edge in races against aggro and can be a complete blowout if used in the right moment.  It can also stop pumped infect creatures and rolling thunder. If your creatures do not share the color which is being prevented, your creature still do damage.

Moment’s Peace – Against aggro decks this two for one fog can give you time to recover and move in for max damage.

Gleeful sabotage – This gets boarded in against hex proof and affinity. One card that gets rid of up to two enchants or artifacts.

Standard Bearer – this is hex chants worst nightmare. Any spell that can target this card must do so.  This card is always brought in against any enchant heavy deck.

III. The Matchups

When in doubt on sideboard, take out hive stirrings and bring in what you feel is best.


Vs Goblins

Sideboard:

+moment’s peace +prismatic strands

-spinneret -vines

Your goal is to not allow them to win before you build your board presence.  They cannot deal with your creatures after they reach a certain size. As with any red based deck don’t let them x for 1 you by giving burn spells a chance to take out a lord. Also, prismatic strands prevents a single color from dealing damage. Your creatures can still deal their damage if blocks were made.



Vs Affinity

Sideboard:

+gleeful sabotage +journey to nowhere

-3 hive stirrings -spinneret

Journey the atog, on site. Gleeful allows you to kill lands and any creature causing a nuisance



Vs Mono blue delver / MuC

Sideboard:

+Gleeful Sabotage +journey to nowhere

-3 Plated -3 Hive Stirrings

This will be difficult. gleeful will remove the golems. You can Journey threats like a flipped delver or Spire Golem.  Consider baiting out counter spells as best you can.  Your best hope is to land as many early threats as possible and attack with everything you can.



Vs MBC Or UBC (trinket)

Sideboard:

+Standard bearer +journey to nowhere

-virulent -2 sentinel

The SB can take a critical doom blade or capsule. Journey those crypt rats!



Vs Infect

Sideboard:

+Standard Bearer, +moment’s peace +prismatic strands

-virulent -spinneret -2 sidewinder

Use your creatures to block everything you can. Use your removal on your turn to force them to use up their protection spells without pumping. Game one is very hard but after sideboard if you can get a Standard Bearer to stick, the game should be yours. Don’t forget you can vines their creature to prevent pumping



Vs Stompy

Sideboard:

+Standard Bearer, +Prismatic Strands, +moment’s peace;

-spinneret -hive stirrings -spinneret -1 sidewinder -1 sentinel

This match-up is similar to the infect match-up but you have much more time. Prismatic Strands can give you a huge edge and again a Standard Bearer or Moment’s peace really stymies their advance.



Vs Mirror

Sideboard:

+Journey to nowhere +moment’s peace

-spinneret -1 plated sliver, -1 hive stirrings, -1 virulent

Journey the lords, moments peace when you can



Vs Delver Fiend

Sideboard:

+prismatic +journey

-3 hive stirrings -3 virulent

Journey the fiend or cyclops, your prismatic can take care of remaining threats.  You can let them expend all mana and use the strands to stop the damage. Even if it is countered, it can be flashed back. It is doubtful they will be running anything other than a dispel.



Vs Burn

Sideboard:

+Standard Bearer, +Prismatic Strands;

-1 spinneret, -1 sentinel, -1 virulent, - 3 hive stirrings

This match-up is similar to the infect match-up but you have much more time. Prismatic Strands can give you a huge edge and again a Standard Bearer or Moment’s peace really stymies their advance.



Vs Domain / 5 color green 

+ Gleeful +journey

-hive stirrings, -1 spinneret, -1 sentinel

Try to keep them from domain for as long as you can.  You should be faster

Journey any big threat or really anything getting in your way as you need to be fast.



Vs Hexproof

+Gleeful +standard Bearer

-hive stirrings 1 spinneret, -1 sentinel, -1 virulent

You need to either destroy or take their enchantments.



Vs Turbo Angler

+Journey +prayer

-Hive stirrings

Seriously, with no nihil spellbomb or relic, we are in a race. Sorry for not adding them. You could try moments peace because crusher has to attack each turn but that only delays.



Vs Elves

Sideboard:

+moment’s peace +journey

-3 spinneret -1 virulent -2 stirrings

You get to fog which is good because they often tap out.  Journey the timber watch ASAP!!!!! If they are crazy and play quirion ranger you can journey that but your main target is timber watch. Vines their timber watch target, that can be a blow out.

IV. Deck Variations



I prefer the full Sliver Package as main deck.  It seems that if you want to play a tribal deck, you should start at 100%.  However, there are several variations on the theme:



1. More pump with a life gain sideboard (went 4-0 in pre-ban daily)



Lands (22)

11 Forest

11 Plains

Creatures (28)

4 Muscle Sliver

4 Plated Sliver

4 Predatory Sliver

4 Sentinel Sliver

4 Sidewinder Sliver

4 Sinew Sliver

4 Virulent Sliver



Spells (10)

4 Hive Stirrings

3 Thrill of the Hunt

3 Vines of Vastwood



Sideboard (15)

3 Armadillo Cloak

3 Gleeful Sabotage

3 Journey to Nowhere

3 Prismatic Strands

3 Standard Bearer 

2. More pump with a more protective sideboard (went 3-1 in pre-ban daily)



Lands (22)

10 Forest

10 Plains

2 Selesnya Guildgate

Creatures (29)

4 Muscle Sliver

4 Plated Sliver

4 Predatory Sliver

3 Sentinel Sliver

4 Sidewinder Sliver

4 Sinew Sliver

2 Spinneret Sliver

4 Virulent Sliver



Spells (9)

4 Hive Stirrings

2 Journey to Nowhere

3 Thrill of the Hunt



Sideboar (15)

1 Apostle’s Blessing

2 Gleeful Sabotage

2 Hunger of the Howlpack

2 Journey to Nowhere

2 Naturalize

3 Shielded Passage

3 Trollhide