MHA Deck Tech: Pauper Ochaco 3

My Hero Academia Universus is not as costly to start playing as many other games, but recreating top decks can be expensive. While a shifting meta eases the burdens somewhat, it can still be prohibitive for a new player. That, along with the simple challenge, is why I enjoy building pauper decks for the game.

Currently, there is no official definition of what pauper is within the game, but unofficially, it refers to decks built with common and uncommon cards only. These are in wide circulation, and should be available easily at your local shop or through fellow players. While pauper decks can be effective, they are intended for more casual play, or for new players to test out new ideas while building a collection.

I decided to build Ochaco 3 because both response abilities seem powerful in a lower powered environment. The first response can give you an effective hand size of 7, while the second lets you potentially turn dead cards into something more useful. I built on Air to take advantage of the many Charge attacks, which is vital for the first response ability.

Character: Ochaco Uraraka 3 Air

Foundations:
Charged Up x3
Release x4
Observant Student x4
Basic Training x4
Small and Limber x4
Shadow’s Aid x3
Infinite Potential x4
Wall Cling x4
Specialist of Sound x4

Attacks:
Zero Gravity Capture x4
Electric Surge x4
Electric Jolt x4
Amplified Sound Blast x4
Zero Gravity Lift x4

Shadow’s Aid, despite having only 3 copies, is extremely useful, allowing you to put a card from your momentum into your hand by allowing your opponent to ready a foundation. Charged Up helps keep momentum stocked. Basic Training and Small and Limber are the only attack boosting foundations, but Basic Training is a response, letting it buff attacks with Flash. The rest of the foundations are for defense, with Wall Cling being the most generally useful.

All of the attacks go to momentum face up and have an enhance playable while in momentum. Zero Gravity Lift clears your card pool and keeps momentum filled. Amplified Sound Blast will make a Charge attack easier to play in addition to having Flash. It can also draw cards late game. Unless your opponent is willing to waste damage reduction abilities on it, Electric Jolt will ping for 1 and thus hit momentum. Electric Surge adds the top card of your deck to momentum. Zero Gravity Capture can boost damage and pull a card from momentum in longer games.

The basic tactic is slowly add cards to your momentum, keeping a mix of enhance abilities available, and adding a used card back to your hand. This deck is more of a slow grind, as it lacks explosive potential of some other decks. If you ignore the pauper restriction, many other avenues open, helping offset some of these issues.

Overall, this is a deck that requires and rewards careful, methodical play. It is great for learning when to wait for a proper opening, a skill that translates to every other deck. It should work fine for newer players just learning the timing and strategy of the game.