Welcome back to Faithless Looting, my weekly look at budget lists and budget formats.

There were some really fun submissions for contest #5. The request was for tribal decks, so fun submissions are practically a given. Two tribes really stood out, though. Brennon submitted a list of mono-black assassins, and Archivold took a Modern brew from rremedio and put it into Pauper with a Zubera Tribal theme. Yeah, we don’t get [c]Twilight Drover[/c] in Pauper, but [c]Devouring Greed[/c] is a common and most Zuberas are spirits. Score!

Faithless Contest #5: Winner!

If you can’t tell from my gushing above, Archivold stole my heart with Zuberas. I don’t even know what they are, exactly, but I’m in love. Congratulations, Archivold! You win two items, randomly selected, from my current loot crate stash!

Here is the winning decklist:

[d title=”The Zubera Always Dies (Pauper)”]

Lands

3 Terramorphic Expanse

3 Evolving Wilds

6 Swamp

3 Island

9 Forest

Creatures

4 Dripping-Tongue Zubera

4 Floating-Dream Zubera

4 Ashen-Skin Zubera

4 Carrion Feeder

4 Mothdust Changeling

4 Elder Pine of Jukai

Spells

4 Devouring Greed

4 Commune with Nature

4 Abundant Growth

Sideboard

3 Scattershot Archer

2 Disfigure

1 Spidersilk Armor

2 Duress

2 Diabolic Edict

2 Nourish

1 Moment’s Peace

2 Nature’s Claim [/d]

And my video playing the deck:

I also played Brennon’s Assassins deck, which aside from my egregious sideboarding, performed well.

Thanks to everyone who submitted decks! I would have played more, but I ran out of time this week, and some formats are hard to find matches in when you’re on a strict time limit. Sorry! I do really appreciate all the lists that were sent, and just because I didn’t get a chance to play them doesn’t mean I won’t play your lists in the future, so keep on submitting!

Speaking of …

Faithless Contest #6: Rules

1. Break [c]Heliod’s Pilgrim[/c].

2. If you can’t break her, at least find her a really good home.

3. Post it in the comments below.

4. Submissions due before Monday, September 15.

Clarifications

Decks should be “budget”, but otherwise may be for any format and as few or as many colors as you want.

[c]Heliod’s Pilgrim[/c] should be the star of the deck, or at the very least doing some serious work.

I will highlight the most interesting decks in next week’s article, and may play some on video for the YouTube channel. One lucky winner will get two items, randomly selected, from my current LootCrate stash. Check out the videos at the bottom of this post to see what’s available.

Your chances of winning greatly increase if you submit a deck.

Faithless Decks #6: The Pilgrim’s Progress

I really like the process of brewing, but I’m not necessarily “good” at it. Here are some of the attempts I made at fitting [c]Heliod’s Pilgrim[/c] into new / existing Pauper decks.

It took a few iterations, and testing, before I realized she couldn’t fetch Circles of Protection. Damn! Here was the first go, with a partial sideboard:

[d title=”Heliod’s TrinketMancer”]

Land

4 Ancient Den

4 Seat of the Synod

6 Plains

4 Azorius Chancery

4 Island

Creatures

4 Heliod’s Pilgrim

3 Auramancer

4 Kor Skyfisher

4 Dream Stalker

4 Trinket Mage

2 Lone Missionary

3 Nimbus Naiad

Spells

1 Pentarch Ward

1 Cho-Manno’s Blessing

1 Bonesplitter

1 Neurok Hoversail

1 Sylvok Lifestaff

1 Viridian Longbow

2 Momentary Blink

2 Reality Acid

1 Shielding Plax

1 Faith’s Fetters

1 Ethereal Armor

1 Spectral Flight

Sideboard

1 Relic of Progenitus

1 Circle of Protection: Black

1 Circle of Protection: Blue

2 Circle of Protection: Green

1 Circle of Protection: Red

2 Circle of Protection: White

2 Holy Light

1 Freed from the Real [/d]

And then the somewhat similar brew, but with more Eggs. Also where I realize that even [c]Journey to Nowhere[/c] is not fetchable.

[d title=”Pilgrim’s Breakfast”]

Land

4 Azorius Guildgate

4 Boros Guildgate

4 Izzet Guildgate

1 Great Furnace

2 Ancient Den

2 Seat of the Synod

3 Plains

3 Island

Creatures

4 Heliod’s Pilgrim

3 Auramancer

4 Trinket Mage

4 Kor Skyfisher

3 Sanctum Gargoyle

1 Hopeful Eidolon

Spells

3 Weight of Conscience

2 Journey to Nowhere

1 Viridian Longbow

1 Bonesplitter

1 Neurok Hoversail

1 Sylvok Lifestaff

1 Pentarch Ward

1 Ocular Halo

3 Pyrite Spellbomb

2 Bonds of Faith

1 Reality Acid

1 Momentary Blink

Sideboard

1 Ephara’s Radiance

1 Sunbeam Spellbomb

1 Nihil Spellbomb

1 Relic of Progenitus

1 Circle of Protection: Black

1 Circle of Protection: Blue

1 Circle of Protection: Green

1 Circle of Protection: Red

1 Circle of Protection: White

1 Dispeller’s Capsule

1 Explorer’s Scope

1 Sigil of Sleep

1 Freed from the Real

1 Holy Light

1 Electrickery [/d]

Pilgrim’s Rebellion was fun, with a Rebel sub-theme and a combo built in, but still seemed a bit underpowered.

[d title=”Pilgrim’s Rebellion”]

Land

18 Plains

4 Secluded Steppe

Creatures

4 Ramosian Lieutenant

3 Children of Korlis

4 Immolating Souleater

3 Benevolent Bodyguard

4 Heliod’s Pilgrim

3 Ramosian Sergeant

3 Hopeful Eidolon

Spells

4 Bound in Silence

1 Ramosian Rally

2 Gather the Townsfolk

2 Break of Day

1 Cho-Manno’s Blessing

4 Weight of Conscience

Sideboard

4 Holy Light

4 Icatian Javelineers

1 Circle of Protection: Black

1 Circle of Protection: Blue

1 Circle of Protection: Green

1 Circle of Protection: Red

1 Circle of Protection: White

2 Seal of Cleansing [/d]

Last but not least (I actually did even more than this, but this is all I’m going to share), I tried it out as a pure combo enabler.

[d title=”Freed from Heliod”]

Land

10 Forest

2 Plains

2 Island

4 Terramorphic Expanse

2 Evolving Wilds

Creatures

4 Voyaging Satyr

4 Arbor Elf

4 Trinket Mage

4 Heliod’s Pilgrim

Spells

4 Freed from the Real

4 Fertile Ground

4 Utopia Sprawl

4 Viridian Longbow

4 Dawn Charm

2 Verdant Haven

2 Apostle’s Blessing [/d]

I have other lists I tried out, and other ideas to try, but now I’m much more interested in yours! Show me what you got!

Until next time, keep the faith.

/bava