Last year I was on "Seeker Boros" without the monarch. I love that basic concept of Seeker of the Way prowess triggers from all our bouncing can-trips plan with efficient flyers and burn backup. With Arcum's Astrolab, we now have access to 8 mana filters and can reliably include a splash or 2 that we would be holding for the turn 3-5+ range anyway.
Boros does what it does well already, so the splash options should be limited in number and mainly focus on our bad match-ups which to me are control that we can't get under, tron, and aggro that kills in the first few turns before we get set up. Okiba-Gang Shinobi was already popping up as a random tech pick in boros, so naturally it fits the role well as it is amazing against both control and tron. We could also add better black removal, but we already have burn we can point at creatures in the aggro RDW/Stompy matches and would be better just flying over enough damage and burning out anyone running bigger creatures quickly instead of adding dead cards to control matches. Mulldrifter is another great splash, but at 5 mana I think it isn't what we want. We already need a few more artifacts to support the Galvantic Blasts since most of our lands are going to be snow-covered to support Arcum's Astrolab, so I'm currently leaning towards Trinket Mage for a small toolbox of artifacts.
Relic of Progenitus is a beast in some match-ups (tron, tortured existence), and there's also a chance Accumulated Knowledge replaces those empty Gush slots in delver lists. It can still find value at least as a can-trip if we just draw it too, so think it earns a toolbox slot.
Bonesplitter is there to turn on the gas when we are racing, and great to get a 1/3 out of the way with a Thraben Inspector.
Flayer Husk is a pet card of mine I admit, but it is good edict fodder that later pumps our dudes...and is not a terrible bounce target when desperate with an early glint hawk. A 3/4 flyer is very different from a 2/3 flyer, or that extra lifegain from a pumped Seeker...I will keep it in until I am convinced of a better choice.
Sylvok Lifestaff I am not completely sold on, but helps gain us time in many aggro matches like RDW, stompy, affinity, and slivers so we can eventually out value them in the mid-game and steal wins with burn or flyers.
Since we are only on 5 cards above 3 mana with the potential to be drawing a ton of cards, I think we can get away with a bit of greed on the land count. 19 is feeling like enough in goldfishing so far. I am even thinking with only 4 cards that need U or B mana (and not early) we could get away with 1 less Prophetic Prism too, but I think I will want the Chainer's Edicts in the sideboard as they will be better in a grind-y match than Journey to Nowhere. I would love to fit a Rally the Peasants in somehow, but I think the Faithless Looting to combat mana issues (both flood or screw) is the safer call with only 19 lands if I did drop a Prism.
It all seems good in theory, and is goldfishing extremely well even in this early incarnation. Sideboard is just a guess since I haven't had a chance to pilot it in any live matches yet. I will update if I can ever get pauper back on the calendar in my LGS or can get some real match testing in.
