Introduction
This deck is part of the Pauper Decks, which are made from only common cards. The great thing about Pauper is the majority of the cards are cheap to buy, and are still strong as there are quite a lot of good common cards over Magic's history.
Key Strategy
The Mono Blue Aggro deck is a fast-paced, tempo-oriented strategy that leverages cheap, evasive creatures and efficient counterspells to keep opponents on the back foot. The deck’s primary goal is to deploy small, hard-to-block threats, protect them with counterspells, and gain incremental value through card draw and ninjutsu mechanics. Mono Blue Aggro is all about maintaining tempo, disrupting your opponent’s game plan, and consistently applying pressure until they are overwhelmed.
Faeries + Spellstutter Sprite: The core of the deck's early game revolves around the Faerie Miscreant and Faerie Seer package. These creatures provide early, evasive threats that can chip away at your opponent’s life total while setting up your synergies. Faerie Miscreant draws you cards when you have more copies on the battlefield, while Faerie Seer helps you scry to improve your draws.
Spellstutter Sprite is the deck’s main tempo tool, acting as both a flash creature and a counterspell. When you have multiple Faeries on the battlefield, Spellstutter Sprite becomes more powerful, countering larger spells for free while also adding to your board presence. The combination of these Faeries allows you to control the board while maintaining a steady stream of damage.
Ninjutsu with Moon-Circuit Hacker and Ninja of the Deep Hours: One of the deck’s most potent synergies is the interaction between cheap, evasive creatures and the ninjutsu mechanic. Moon-Circuit Hacker and Ninja of the Deep Hours are the key ninjas in the deck, allowing you to return an unblocked attacker to your hand to put them onto the battlefield for a reduced cost. This triggers their abilities, drawing you cards and creating card advantage.
The synergy between Faerie Miscreant and Ninja of the Deep Hours is particularly strong. After drawing a card with Faerie Miscreant, you can bounce it back to your hand with Ninja of the Deep Hours to reuse its ability while drawing additional cards with the Ninja. Moon-Circuit Hacker also helps with this game plan, providing early card draw and a threat that continues to apply pressure.
Counterspell Suite: The deck runs a suite of counterspells to maintain control over the game. Counterspell is the gold standard, capable of handling any spell your opponent might play. Force Spike provides early-game protection, punishing opponents who tap out or don't leave extra mana up. Spellstutter Sprite offers additional counter magic while advancing your board state.
These counterspells are essential for keeping the tempo in your favor, allowing you to counter key threats or disruption while continuing to develop your board. With proper timing, you can protect your ninjas and Faeries while denying your opponent's key plays.
Mutagenic Growth: Mutagenic Growth is a free pump spell that can surprise your opponent by making your small creatures trade up in combat or deal extra damage. Its low cost, paid with life instead of mana, fits perfectly into the deck’s aggressive game plan, allowing you to protect your creatures or push through extra damage without tapping out.
Snap: Snap is a versatile tempo tool that can bounce an opposing creature and untap two of your lands, effectively allowing you to remove a blocker while also leaving mana open for counterspells or additional plays. This card is particularly potent in the deck, as it helps maintain your tempo advantage while dealing with problematic threats.
Of One Mind: Of One Mind is a powerful draw spell in this deck, often costing just one mana thanks to the mix of Humans (like Ninja of the Deep Hours and Moon-Circuit Hacker) and non-Humans (like Faerie Miscreant and Faerie Seer). This allows you to refill your hand and keep the pressure on, ensuring you don't run out of gas in longer games.
Smoke Shroud: Smoke Shroud provides a recurring way to protect your ninjas and boost their power. When you ninjutsu a creature into play, Smoke Shroud can automatically attach from your graveyard, giving your creature a +1/+1 boost and flying. This interaction provides a continuous threat that is difficult for your opponent to deal with, especially if they rely on ground blockers.
Saiba Cryptomancer: Saiba Cryptomancer adds an additional layer of protection for your key threats. With flash and hexproof, it can be used to save your creatures from targeted removal while also providing an additional body to attack or block.
Mono Blue Aggro excels at applying consistent pressure and gradually whittling down your opponent’s life total while maintaining control of the game. The combination of evasive threats, ninjutsu, and counterspells allows you to control the pace of the game, forcing your opponent to react to your threats while you continue to gain card advantage and deal damage.
The deck can finish the game quickly with the help of Mutagenic Growth boosting your creatures for unexpected damage or by simply out-tempoing your opponent with counterspells and bounce effects like Snap. The recurring threat of Smoke Shroud on your ninjas also ensures that your opponent is constantly under pressure, with few opportunities to stabilize.
Mono Blue Aggro is a fast and flexible deck that rewards precise play and careful resource management. With its mix of cheap, evasive creatures, potent card draw, and a suite of counterspells, the deck is capable of dominating both the early and late game. The ninjutsu mechanic adds a unique dimension to the deck, allowing you to outmaneuver your opponent and maintain a steady stream of threats. Whether you're drawing cards with Ninja of the Deep Hours, countering spells with Spellstutter Sprite, or protecting your creatures with Mutagenic Growth, Mono Blue Aggro offers a dynamic and engaging gameplay experience that can keep your opponents on their toes.
Key Cards
Cards to look for in the opening hand