Welcome to 5 color Bogles! This pauper classic shares several cards between it and its modern counterpart. The strategies are also essentially the same. The goal of this deck is to play a hexproof "Bogle," pump it up, and swing 'em right. This is a pretty linear strategy but that particular strategy is very effective. Some people prefer the "quicker" decklist with Utopia Sprawl. However, I find this deck to be less consistent and more "all in." In addition, this requires the majority of the mana base to be forests. I am not a fan of aggressively changing the mana base for a 4x copy of 1 card. This deck offers a more value driven deck that is more resilient to removal. With that being said, let's break down the deck.
The "Bogles:"
4x Slippery Bogle - This is the namesake of the deck. A 1 mana 1/1 hexproof does not seem like much. However, adding enchantment auras onto the bogle will quickly make your opponent quake in fear. Please note that this creature has hybrid blue and green mana. This can be countered by Pyroblast while on the stack but it is also the best target for Favor of the Overbeing.
4x Gladecover Scout - Essentially an additional 4 copies of Slippery Bogle. It cannot be countered by Pyroblast but Favor of the Overbeing is slightly worse. Other than these differences, it is essentially the same.
2x Silhana Ledgewalker - Although "Bogle" is usually referred to by a 1 mana 1/1 hexproof creature, the Ledgewalker is considered an honorary bogle. The drawback of costing an additional mana is compensated by having pseudo-flying. Actually this ability is BETTER than flying because creatures like Stormbound Geist and creatures with reach still cannot block her. This evasion puts a serious clock on your opponent. It does cost twice as much mana as a normal bogle so that is why we are only running two.
The Buffs:
4x Ethereal Armor - The best buff in the deck, Ethereal Armor is a one mana buff that gives your bogle first strike and at least +2/+2. Often you will buff your bogle for +4 or even +5.
4x Armadillo Cloak - The finisher. This gives your bogle pseudo lifelink. This is actually better than lifelink because multiple copies stack. So if you have 2 Armadillo Cloaks, you gain twice as much life as the damage dealt.
2x Rancor - A great buff spell. If your opponent was hopeful that they could chump block their way to victory, Rancor puts the nail in coffin. The normal strength of Rancor is that it goes back to your hand when the creature dies. Because your creatures will be dying less often, we will only run 2 copies.
2x Favor of the Overbeing - I mentioned this briefly when talking about the bogles. Like I mentioned, Slippery Bogle is the best target for this because it is considered both green and blue. However, once you have committed to 1 bogle, it is a good idea to just keep enchanting the same bogle, even if it is Gladecover Scout.
The Silver Bullets:
2x Heliod's Pilgrim - This creature lets you search your library for any aura card. Because over 1/3 of the cards in the deck are auras, we will always have a target. The best 3 cards to tutor are Ethereal Armor, Armadillo Cloak and the 1x copy of Ancestral Mask depending on the situation. But there are some silver bullets in the deck that you can tutor for depending on the situation.
1x Ancestral Mask - This card is like Ethereal Armor on steroids. We are only running 1 copy because drawing multiples is redundant (especially because it does not count itself in the enchantment count). But overall, one of the best cards to tutor for. The card is foil to make it easier to find quickly when searching.
1x Aqueous Form - Sometimes your opponent will have 3 Gurmag Anglers and you simply won't be able to attack constructively. Aqueous Form will give your bogle unblockable. It will also let you scry 1 which gives you virtual card advantage.
1x Dead Weight - A very efficient removal spell that can be tutored with Heliod's Pilgrim. Might be a good tutor for a pesky Delver of Secrets or an Atog. Or you can put it on a Gurmag Angler to effectively make it a 3/3.
1x Moldervine Cloak - This is an interesting Aura. You will want to tutor this against control decks. You can dredge this from your graveyard instead of drawing to guarantee casting an aura every turn. They will run out of Counterspells eventually.
The Value Engine:
4x Kor Skyfisher - A two mana 2/3 flyer is great. It has a supposed drawback of returning a permanent to our hand upon entering the battlefield. The following cards below combo well with the Skyfisher. Bounce them back to your hand to keep drawing cards and churn through the deck.
4x Abundant Growth - This card makes it possible to run 5 colors. It replaces itself when it enters the battlefield and it can be bounced for value with the Skyfisher. The best target for this is Crumbling Vestige to make it a land that can tap for any color.
3x Karametra's Favor - Because we are going all in on one bogle, we will incidentally have buffer creatures to protect against edict effects. Khalni Garden makes one of these creatures. Karametra's Favor turns those extra creatures into mana dorks. Like abundant growth, it helps fix colors and replaces itself. It can also be bounced with the Skyfisher.
The Removal:
3x Journey to Nowhere - There will be times that you need to get a big creature out of the way. Journey is our removal of choice because it is an enchantment which adds to our enchantment count for Ethereal Armor and Ancestral Mask.
The Sideboard:
As always, adjust your sideboard to your current meta. Offered here is a universal sideboard for most situations.
4x Cartouche of Solidarity - The Cartouche protects us from the two biggest weaknesses of the deck: Chainer's Edict and Electrickery. Sideboard this in against red and black decks.
2x Dispel - Great against control decks like U/W Familiars, U/R Faeries, and U/R control. Not so good against Mono Black Control
2x Gut Shot - Your opponent will sideboard in Standard Bearer against you. This is the only way you can beat Standard Bearer. Sideboard in against white decks.
2x Standard Bearer - Another way to beat Standard Bearer is to have your own Standard Bearer! Sideboard in against confirmed Standard Bearer sightings. Also great in the mirror
2x Natural State - Great against Tron, Affinity, other Bogles decks etc.
1x Temur Battle Rage - Good against Burn or other decks that go wide and chump block for days.
Final Thoughts:
Bogles is a fairly straightforward strategy. I feel like this is a more resilient variation of the traditional 5 color Bogles deck. You will have fun frustrating your opponents with this deck.
