I didn't see anything like this in the forums, so I thought I'd toss it up here.
This is a list of "possibly legal" pauper cards – that is, cards that some groups might not be comfortable with calling legal.
1. Common cards listed as "uncommon" in Gatherer.
So, MtG's pretty organized on the rarity front now: Land, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Mythic Rare, Timeshifted, MPR, Judge Promo, Grand Prix promo ... Erm. Still, things were crazier, once – Magic used to have rarities like Common 1 and Uncommon 3. The lower the number, the rarer the card. In some sets, the rarity Common 1 was considered uncommon.
This leads us to a weird place – there are four cards that were printed on the common sheet at Common 1, but aren't listed as common in Gatherer.
2. Cards only printed at common in a Magic Online Master's Edition.
These cards have never appeared in print at common, but Wizards has published them at common – in MODO. Personally, I don't see a power problem with any of these cards, but I can see a philosophical reason not to allow them in paper group. Your group, as always, will vary.
This is the big issue with the pauper theme, the way my group has been doing it is anything that you can search as a "common" in gatherer is acceptable and nothing else - though to each group their own
Yup. I thought it'd be best to organize the stuff here in one place; the never-in-paper-commons is less of a deal than the four that Gatherer lists as uncommon (Maze of Ith, Strip Mine and Mishra's Factory are big deals), but I think it's best that they're in one place so people can make an informed decision.
Wizards has been pretty good at keeping rarity stable in the Planechase, Premium Deck Series, etc. sets, but I'm sure there'll be a time when something gets printed at common in one of those limited sets – and it'll introduce another wrinkle. (It's possible they already did – I didn't see anything in Starter or Beatdown that was unusual, but I wouldn't be surprised if it slipped by me.)
I think wizards is aware that pauper exists (even if not pauper EDH) and is aware of how their decisions will impact it. Even without that though, they do try to make sure that there's a difference in power level between common, uncommon, rare, mythic. Though I suppose eventually the day will come when cards get more powerful (power creep is a thing).
Wizards naturally prints cards at different rarities (Leonin Skyhunter moved to common while rancor was moved to uncommon). I try not to worry about it too much as they will print more and more cards and some will be better or worse for the format.
I'll add this to the compendium of pauper information as it's good to know what cards can be argued over. Thanks for putting it together!
If people are sick of reading about stuff just stop taking part. You have 100% control over what you read. Simic Ascendancy isn't going to get banned just because you didn't tell someone to shut up on the internet.
Yeah, that's a pretty common interpretation, and it was my gut feeling – but that's the opposite of what we do at our store, ha ha. (The guy who was pushing the format hardest is a purist, so Common 1s in, MODO printings don't count.) Outside of the four weird Common 1 cards (only three of which really matter), the biggest difference is that you've got to be prepared for Maze of Ith. It'll single-handedly ruin your day.
Most of the Master's common printings are fairly innocuous (though I'd love to get Icequake, Thermokarst), but Death Spark could really ruin someone's day in a R/B shell. There's so many silly recursion engines running around already, and it slots so smoothly into them to clear the red zone or grind out the game ...
sorry, drifted off thinking about Grim Harvest / Death Spark.
2. Listed as commons on gatherer, but exceed rarity percentage limits:
these have the same rarity (percentage-wise) as other uncommons from the same sets
3. Multiple printings:
'uncommon' sheet AND 'common' sheet printings in the same set make these cards MORE common (percentage-wise) than C2 commons such as Remove Soul
4. Banned in Classic Pauper:
commander's ban list doesn't include any commons, but MTGO's classic pauper ban list does include a few cards, though they're likely much less powerful in a singleton format
This is a list of "possibly legal" pauper cards – that is, cards that some groups might not be comfortable with calling legal.
1. Common cards listed as "uncommon" in Gatherer.
So, MtG's pretty organized on the rarity front now: Land, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Mythic Rare, Timeshifted, MPR, Judge Promo, Grand Prix promo ... Erm. Still, things were crazier, once – Magic used to have rarities like Common 1 and Uncommon 3. The lower the number, the rarer the card. In some sets, the rarity Common 1 was considered uncommon.
This leads us to a weird place – there are four cards that were printed on the common sheet at Common 1, but aren't listed as common in Gatherer.
Cursed Rack
Mishra's Factory
Strip Mine
source: http://www.wizards.com/magic/generic/cardlists/Antiquities_Checklist.txt
Maze of Ith
source: http://www.wizards.com/magic/generic/cardlists/The_Dark_Checklist.txt
2. Cards only printed at common in a Magic Online Master's Edition.
These cards have never appeared in print at common, but Wizards has published them at common – in MODO. Personally, I don't see a power problem with any of these cards, but I can see a philosophical reason not to allow them in paper group. Your group, as always, will vary.
Adarkar Sentinel
Aeolipile
Alluring Scent
Anaba Ancestor
Anaba Spirit Crafter
Armored Griffin
Balduvian Conjurer
Barktooth Warbeard
Bone Flute
Brass Man
Brilliant Plan
Citanul Druid
Coal Golem
Death Spark
Demonic Torment
Desperate Charge
Drift of the Dead
Ebony Horse
Elven Lyre
Exile
Fellwar Stone
Feral Thallid
Fire Drake
Flying Carpet
Foul Spirit
Goblin Firestarter
Gravebind
Heavy Fog
Hunting Cheetah
Hyalopterous Lemure
Icatian Lieutenant
Icatian Phalanx
Icequake
Icy Prison
Ironhoof Ox
Jedit Ojanen
Jarrard of the Closed Fist
Just Fate
Kjeldoran Elite Guard
Kjeldoran Skycaptain
Knights of Thorn
Kobold Taskmaster
Lady Orca
Lava Flow
Lesser Werewolf
Library of Leng
Lightning Blow
Mightstone
Oasis
Obsianus Golem
Ogre Taskmaster
Onulet
Peach Garden Oath
Phantasmal Forces
Phantasmal Mount
Phantom Monster
Primal Clay
Ramirez DePietro
Red Cliffs Armada
Righteous Avengers
River Merfolk
Rockslide Ambush
Roots
Royal Trooper
Sea Sprite
Shield Sphere
Shu Elite Companions
Shu General
Shu Soldier-Farmers
Shyft
Sir Shandlar of Eberyn
Sivitri Scarzam
Slashing Tiger
Sol Grail
Spoils of Victory
Strategic Planning
Tawnos's Wand
Telekinesis
Thallid Devourer
The Lady of the Mountain
Thermokarst
Thrull Retainer
Tobias Andrion
Torsten Von Ursus
Trip Wire
Wall of Kelp
Wall of Light
Wanderlust
Warp Artifact
Wei Elite Companions
Whiteout
Wu Longbowmen
Edric | Skithiryx | Merieke | Talrand
--------------------------
Well except for pauper EDH
Garruk's Packleader | Inkfathom Witch | Gelectrode | Sigil Captain | Glider Barin | Sludge Strider | Paragon of the Ameshsa
Wizards has been pretty good at keeping rarity stable in the Planechase, Premium Deck Series, etc. sets, but I'm sure there'll be a time when something gets printed at common in one of those limited sets – and it'll introduce another wrinkle. (It's possible they already did – I didn't see anything in Starter or Beatdown that was unusual, but I wouldn't be surprised if it slipped by me.)
Wizards naturally prints cards at different rarities (Leonin Skyhunter moved to common while rancor was moved to uncommon). I try not to worry about it too much as they will print more and more cards and some will be better or worse for the format.
I'll add this to the compendium of pauper information as it's good to know what cards can be argued over. Thanks for putting it together!
Edric | Skithiryx | Merieke | Talrand
--------------------------
Well except for pauper EDH
Garruk's Packleader | Inkfathom Witch | Gelectrode | Sigil Captain | Glider Barin | Sludge Strider | Paragon of the Ameshsa
That makes Maze of Ith, Mishra's and Strip mine out. Merchant scroll is IN, so thats nice!
Most of the Master's common printings are fairly innocuous (though I'd love to get Icequake, Thermokarst), but Death Spark could really ruin someone's day in a R/B shell. There's so many silly recursion engines running around already, and it slots so smoothly into them to clear the red zone or grind out the game ...
sorry, drifted off thinking about Grim Harvest / Death Spark.
Here's my list of contestable cards for the pauper format:
1. C1s not recognized as commons on gatherer:
these may be considered common on the basis that they were printed on the 'common' sheet of their time
From Chronicles
From Antiquities
From The Dark
2. Listed as commons on gatherer, but exceed rarity percentage limits:
these have the same rarity (percentage-wise) as other uncommons from the same sets
From Homelands
From Fallen Empires
3. Multiple printings:
'uncommon' sheet AND 'common' sheet printings in the same set make these cards MORE common (percentage-wise) than C2 commons such as Remove Soul
From Antiquities
4. Banned in Classic Pauper:
commander's ban list doesn't include any commons, but MTGO's classic pauper ban list does include a few cards, though they're likely much less powerful in a singleton format
5. Only introduced at common through MTGO:
Circular Logic was made common in an MTGO set and is not listed here.
Thanks.