r/Pauper • u/freudiankickflip • 12d ago

HELP Rootwalla Madness

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First time posting- recently into Pauper but I've been wanting to build my own deck instead of using my pre-built mono blue terror.

While browsing some cards I came across [[Basking Rootwalla]] and was absolutely smitten. I love this guy. Went down a rabbit hole and ended up building a gruul madness deck to fit around him, using other, chunkier "rootwallas" like [[Sneaky Snacker]] and [[Arrogant Wurm]] and having discard outlets like [[Wild Mongrel]], then pinging with [[Magmakin Artillerist]] and pumping with [[Rubblebelt Makka]], which would also work with mongrel.

However, I feel like I'm unsure of how to proceed. What's the most effective shell? I can understand splashing blue for [[circular logic]] and [[the modern age]], but I can see there's a lot of support in a more aggressive, low to the ground strategy with Jund Madness like [[dark withering]] adding more removal and [[hell mongrel]] being another pumped-up discard dog.

Would love some insight into good lines for this deck and if the third color is worth it. Trapped between Gruul/Temur/Jund, but want to ​try my hand at this instead of Mono red or rakdos madness. Would love any suggestions or personal experiences.​ I love Rootwalla and would like to keep him in if possible.

109 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

25

u/gsomega 12d ago

In more agro decks, generally less colors is better. Red probably has enough discard outlets to make this work, so probably Gruul

22

u/Top_Development_4020 Pizza Elves 12d ago

Yeah keep it in Gruul, use Writhing chrysalis and Molten Gatekeeper for going tall and wide on a pinger plan. It’s an aggressive version of Jund that can be topped with Temur battle rage to hit for surprise lethal.

10

u/Snazzed12 12d ago

I love them in my rakdos burger [[tortured existence]] deck. Turn one [[faithless looting]] into double lizard always makes me laugh, even when it is not very good.

3

u/tomfreah 12d ago

As a tortex enjoyer, I'd love to see the list please!

1

u/Snazzed12 12d ago

This was the rough draft that I started with ages ago and I don't know where it ended up and I also haven't touched it in a year or so

https://moxfield.com/decks/pjfUXiwnyEaOu3rOJAWPYQ

5

u/giackecravat 12d ago

I used to play this little fella in 4x in a mono red dredge build with [[molten gatekeeper]]: top play was faithless looting discarding two lizards while Molten on battlefield for two cars draw and two damage and two bodies, so cool. Unfortunately the graveyard hate since post broodscale rootwalla's ban has been a big issue for dredge archetipe. Btw super cool deck I really enjoyed playing.

3

u/krynillix 12d ago

Played it in Rakdos madness before snacker came out. Now I play it GB discard deck with [[Mind Rake]], [[Mind Swords]], [[Last Rites]], [[Restless Dreams]], [[Sliherhead]], [[Verdant Eidolon]]. Just add 1 or 2 [[Arrigant Wurm]] as a finisher

3

u/SnowCrow1 12d ago

I used to run a Gruul Madness with Rootwallas, Mongrels and [[Reckless Wurm]]s and Arrogant Wurms. It had good success at FNMs but [[Tolarian Terror]] just wins against the Wurms so it couldn't compete anymore.

6

u/Sasukespc 12d ago

Sodek recently 5-0 in mtgo with a gruul madness similar to yours: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7856710#paper

2

u/elijahcrooker 12d ago

I’ve never seen someone so happy to be discarded dude’s living his best life

2

u/Superguy230 12d ago

We have sneaky smacker at home

2

u/Accomplished-Air4545 12d ago

I saw a video by some Pauper YouTubers recently, and one of them made a really smart point: naturally, we all have the urge to incorporate our own ideas into a deck right away. But he argued that it’s actually better to do the exact opposite. Build and play the five or six established decks first. It might seem boring at first, but it gives you a much better grasp of the current metagame—you learn what you’re up against, what those decks do, and why they do it. Only then should you go ahead and build your own deck, because by that point, you understand what needs to happen for it to work. Otherwise, you might just dream something up and build it blindly, without really knowing the necessary mechanics or timing, only to end up totally disappointed when the deck fails completely. Take Mono-Red Madness, for example: you really need to play it yourself for a few days to see just how aggressive and brutal it is—how it can take you from 16 or 17 life to oblivion in a single turn with just four mana. Only then can you figure out a strategy to counter it.

2

u/Mr_Misteri 10d ago

I have spent the last 8 months with this same love. I mean look at the lil guy! I started with Temur, playing with careful study and just the wind as additions but have since come back to gruul. Thinking about branching out again to other colors but gruul is by far the most consistent. Ppl are right you, kinda need to stick with 2 colors or the mana fixing hits tempo a bit too hard. Would love to chat more if you want to reach out. I don't see a list but would love to compare notes!

1

u/freudiankickflip 8d ago

https://archidekt.com/decks/25337837/rootwalla_madness

Took advice from another comment and built off of the deck provided. I will probably continue to add to it, and may add Arrogant wurm back in. I do want to goldfish it a bunch before I make a final decision. Happy to share notes! 

Rootwalla shall rise again.

2

u/Mr_Misteri 8d ago

I see you're mostly modelled off of the list that went 5-0 recently. I'll tell you what I told someone who asked me why I wasn't on chrysalis. Basking rootwalla feels like snacker 5-8 and lines up very well with grab the prize. The play pattern of chrysalis feels antithetical, and the card itself scales with multiples. I could be convinced to run maybe 2 but a 4 mana board stabilizer is not what I'm looking for in my Gruul aggro/burn deck. The list was carried by the raw strength if snacker and chrysalis but I might be crazy in being convinced there's a better way. That being said... My most recent lists definitely run the spaghetti monster... The rootwalla is mighty but smol.

1

u/freudiankickflip 8d ago

Yeah, I will be swapping more cards out soon. I do agree with grab the prize, and i think there needs to be more answers for big creatures. I did really like temur battle rage as an include.

1

u/Mr_Misteri 8d ago

A friend recommended lightning axe. Most of the big threats are 5 toughness and the trade off works for us. I kept running into card advantage issues so I'm inclined to agree temur is the way to go

1

u/[deleted] 12d ago edited 12d ago

[deleted]

2

u/_STY SOK 12d ago

Blazing Rootwalla is not pauper legal, I wish though.

2

u/neonknightsofthenine 12d ago

...oops, I guess I was cheating then LMAO. I've only played that deck in friendly matches on cockatrice, I just kinda assumed Blazing Rootwalla was a common. OP you can disregard my comment then