Although there are only 2 commons spoiled so far, the spoiler season is almost here, so I'd like to take the time to discuss the recently spoiled ones until we get the full set:
- Sheer Drop: Another removal spell for White which isn't dependant on the creature's P/T, or doesn't care if it's attacking or blocking. That said, the creature must be tapped, and it means that it either has dealt us damage, we have chumpblocked, or it has some sort of ability that requires tapping. It's also sorcery speed, which means we can't use it reactively. I wish that the cost was either more manageable (1W) or that it was an Instant. That said, it's pretty flexible with it's Awaken cost, which makes it a bad White Shriekmaw for Pauper. A 3/3 guy, which is a pretty good size, alongside a kill spell seems like a good deal. It's on the verge of playability if you want more removal in white than your typical Journey to Nowhere. I hope the future Awaken cards are like this one: solid value + a guy.
- Dominator Drone: Little and medium colorless Eldrazi guys would be super interesting for Tron or tricolor Midrange decks, but it seems we're stuck with just colorless drones requiring colored mana to be cast. Welp. If Ingest gets support at common (some good cards that reward you for Ingesting + are solid on their own and not just senseless milling) and there are enough colorless Eldrazi worth running, this could be a card to consider in a deck where you can blink it. That said, I don't think this will make any waves in the format, as the cost / stats ratio is not something to write about. 2/3 or even 2/2 for 1B would have been a lot more interesting.
If Sheer Drop was an instant, you could just destroy the tapped creature during the blocker's step, which would be a bit too good. I'm also looking forward to a couple good Awaken cards. As it stands, this is already a way better Vengeance.
Dominator Drone just looks bad. The fact that it's colourless is basically meaningless at this time, since that gives it only a small advantage over coloured spells and we haven't seen enough (good) support for colourless creatures/spells. Ingest would have been more interesting if it had been cards milled equal to the damage dealt. As it stands, just one card is pretty insignificant.
Gideon's Reproach seems pretty close to the removal you've been looking for, Zephyr. Not quite capable of dealing with Gurmag Angler, but it could definitely trade with another creature in combat. Instant speed makes this card rock! Finally, some love for White!
Mist Intruder: Meh. Unless colourless becomes a thing (I have my doubts, but not everything has been spoiled), this will go unnoticed.
Incubator Drone: A very rare piece of Blue ramp. I don't think this will see play.
Kozilek's Channeler: Curve filler. Might be good in things like Commander, but not really for Pauper.
Eldrazi Devastator: Ooh! I think Annihilator is probably better than trample, but this is certainly comparable to Ulamog's Crusher. Some Tron decks might play this over the staple fatty.
Oh man, Gideon's Reproach This is a very solid piece of removal for White overall. Alongside Sheer Drop White is finally getting some quality removal again which is as unconditional as it can be in the color.
I think Eldrazi Devastator will probably see more play than Ulamog's Crusher. It can block enemy decks that decide to run Crusher, and Crusher will die because of it's "must attack" clause. Plus this can sit there and block if needed be. And if we get a reanimation spell complementary to Exhume for the Dragon Reanimator deck this will be the perfect target for it.
Mist Intruder is pretty meh, but I have a feeling that it will be a pretty solid Ingest trigger if we get good "exile matters" cards at common like Oblivion Sower or Blight Herder. Of note, it can escape from Gut Shot.
I think Eldrazi Devastator will probably see more play than Ulamog's Crusher. It can block enemy decks that decide to run Crusher, and Crusher will die because of it's "must attack" clause. Plus this can sit there and block if needed be. And if we get a reanimation spell complementary to Exhume for the Dragon Reanimator deck this will be the perfect target for it.
In a way, I hope you're right. A part of me would really like Devastator to be mainstream so that my Turbo Fog deck doesn't have to deal with Annihilator triggers anymore. lol
The fact that it deals with Ulamog's Crusher without trading and that it has trample might actually make it better. Harder to block, and can also block if needed. But Annihilator made it so that the Crusher was easily a 3-for-1 when it attacked (sac 2 and chump block), so it has that going for it... I look forward to seeing what will come of this. If there is indeed a solid reanimator strategy eventually (with more than just one good reanimate spell), then they will both see play.
I am toying with the idea of running Gideon's Reproach over Journey to Nowhere. Most Pauper creatures do not exceed 4 toughness and this flat out destroys them over just removing with a potential come back. White Pauper {My personal favorite color overall in any format} may just be getting the love it needed to revitalize the format for me.
To be totally honest I don't like the card. I play my white decks whether they be Knights, Soldiers or weenie low cost and fast. I still think the best three removals in Pauper for white are Unmake, Oblivion Ring then Journey to Nowhere.
For three mana it can only destroy something that is tapped, (I don't find that useful) and the Awaken cost is really high for only 3 pump on one land. For three mana I would rather play Guardians' Pledge (Yes it isn't a perma pump I know) as surprise pump to all my minions and swing for the win.
Even though it's Uncommon, Coastal Discovery is worth of note, since if the draw spell is uncommon, it means the Blue common Awaken spell will be something super vanilla like bouncing, tapping / untapping, or -X/-0. Welp. This spin on Mulldrifter, although boring since we already have the original, would have been quite a beating to substitute or complement the big bad fish in Control lists.
Since we're probably stuck with this until the full spoiler is up by the end of next week, what's in your wishlist? I hoped for a flash utility creature, preferably with evasion, but Ulamog's Nullifier took that spot at uncommon . I've also wanted something similar to Catacomb Sifter to make a Rock deck possible, but I still hope for something like it.
Really hoping that the rumored Awaken Cancel is true and Common, although I'm not expecting much since Cancel with upside has historically beenuncommon.
Twin Bolt targeted players too, but it's a great addition! Costing 1 less it's huge in these kind of spells, even if it loses it's Instant speed. It seems that Delver is becoming a less and less favorable deck to play with all these Gut Shots, Forked Bolts and Twin Bolts. The full set should be up by Friday, so let's see what is coming. I'm hoping for some Mono U tron material, the aforementioned Awaken Cancel, and Landfall Zoo stuff.
Mortuary Mire seems very good, and I'm certain it will see some play. I have a hard time imagining what Fertile Thicket will do to a deck. It will almost always guarantee that you see a land next turn, so does that mean that you can start putting less lands in your deck? Does that mean you can keep riskier hands with only 1-2 lands? Seems difficult to properly evaluate.
The white and red one seem fine. I'd give a small edge to Vigilance, but First Strike is certainly nothing to laugh at.
I can't see the Blue one being very useful. You're losing tempo by playing the card, only to gain (some of) it back by preventing an untapping? It doesn't do anything if the creature isn't tapped, so you can't use it to attack through a creature.
The more I think about it, the more I like Mortuary Mire. Some decks with low threat density can just run it as a ETBT utility land even if you're not playing Black: it's basically "casting" you a Disentomb without requiring you to dabble into the color and without costing a card. Even decks that run Haunted Fengraf could run this instead. And it has bonus point for helping to splash for minor things like Black flashback costs (Mystical Teachings), Black kicker costs (Probe), or simply some fancy removar and a late game threat like Gurmag Angler, which will benefit Midrange the most.
EDIT: Also sad that Scatter to the Winds wasn't available for us. I know I was daydreaming when I thought that a Cancel with upside would be common, but after seeing Ulamog's Nullifier, who could know that it wouldn't even be an Uncommon, but a Rare.
Complete Disregard is pretty dang good for MBC and B/x control! It can hit a lot of threats like Gary, Witches, Spire Golem and even Guardian of the Guildpact!
Mono Black does have a better choice with Unmake, but this is an exciting card for multicolor decks!
I don't think so since they already have plenty good removal in Victim of Night, Oubliette, and Grasp of Darkness. Granted all of them miss Guardian of the Guildpact but they already run like 10 edict effects. I see this more as a removal of choice for Multicolor decks or Teachings targetting it as a silver bullet in certain matchups. The 3 CMC cost is pretty rough, 1 more mana from 2 makes all the difference. Could be wrong though.
Snapping Gnarlid and specially Makindi Sliderunner seem super interesting for a landfall deck, although Sliderunner faces competition from Plated Geopede. A potential Landfall Zoo deck could be made using these critters + Steppe Lynx alongside Crop Rotation, leaning on Fertile Thicket to make sure you don't miss the Landfall triggers and to fix your colors without using too much ETBT lands, alongside whatever enablers and payoff we can still get.
Reading Alex Ullman's preview article on these lands makes me reconsider Thicket again: what he said about a tri-color deck not having trouble to drop either of Qasali Pridemage or Putrid Leech on turn 2 thanks to Thicket is something to keep in mind. Also there's the factor that it makes it possible to run less lands and to keep one and two landers.
Full spoiler is up! Although there's a lot going on, here's what strikes me as the most playables:
- Ruin Processor: Castable by a full Tron alone, and shores the Aggro matchup by gaining life processing cards. Since there's a lot of Delve going around and there are new playables (and also old ones) that exile like Scour from Existence (which happens to also be Tron castable), this could be useful as 1-2 in a Fierce Empath package. Only downside is that it can't match its brethren Eldrazi Devastator and Ulamog's Crusher in combat.
- Courier Griffin: Similar to Aven Riftwacher, but gains less life and costs 1 more in exchange of not dying. I don't think this will make the cut, but worth mentioning.
- Ondu Greathorn: Plated Geopede's big bro looks like a great curve topper for the Landfall Zoo deck I mentioned earlier!
- Eldrazi Skyspawner: As Lingering Souls, Sandsteppe Outcast and Ghirapur Gearcrafter have taught us, multiple bodies in one card are pretty useful, specially if they have evasion. Although not on the level of Souls, this is the second more powerful of the aforementioned cards. Being able to trade with flipped Delver and attack through the air, and leave a token that can be leveraged for mana is pretty powerful, especially in Blue which doesn't get many army in a can effects often. Downside is that they die to Electrickery, Forked Bolt and the ilk.
- Oracle of Dust: Too pricy, but again could see play in mono U tron if you have enough exile effect. Gums up the ground, roadblocks 4/4 and can help you filter your deck. Plus it has discard shenanigans as well. Like Griffin, not quite playable but worth mentioning.
- Spell Shrivel: Bigger Mana Leak and a decent counter for multicolored Blue decks who can't afford to pay double U for Counterspell and it's ilk. 1 more mana it's an enormous difference between Mana Leak and this, but so is the difference between paying 3 and paying 4. On top of that, this exiles, and while it's good on its own, it enables the aforementioned processors.
- Grave Birthing: You can't choose a target with this, and so, I don't think this will see play, but it's an honorable mention since it leaves a body behind while cantripping.
- Mire's Malice: Hard to see this at Common when it's counterpart Coastal Discovery is Uncommon. Reverse Mulldrifter can see quite a lot of play in Black Midrange and Control lists.
- Boiling Earth: Sorcery speed Electrickery early on, a pretty solid threat with a Pauper Wrath effect attached later. UR Control / Midrange could make use of this as it's Wrath of choice, since unlike Electrickery this one won't be dead MB and can fend off multiple X/1's or already damaged creatures when Awakened.
- Outnumber: Removal for decks that churn out a lot of creatures like Boros Phalanx or Goblins. At 3 creatures on the field it equals a Lightning Bolt that can't go to the dome and only gets better from there. Outnumber is to aggro decks like Skred is to control decks.
- Eyeless Watcher: Churns out three bodies for 4 mana, but they're pretty wimp and a bit overcosted, although the tokens can be sacced for mana.
- Lifespring Druid: This one is a serious contender for the most playable common in the set. Although frail, it's a Birds of Paradise that can attack and trade and has a relevant type. Can also be played off of T1 Llanowar Elves. Midrange and tricolor decks will love this one.
- Natural Collection and Swell of Growth: Short of Common basic fetchlands, these are the best Landfall Zoo enablers we could hope for, especially Swell of Growth. Being able to blank a removal, steal a victory by dealing the last points of damage, or flat out screw combat math while developing on mana and re-triggering landfall is huge.
- Seek the Wilds: Useful tool for Green midrange decks that aren't splashing black for the better Grisly Salvage or simply don't want to strain the manabase that much.
- Unnatural Aggression: More colorless removal, but this one is pretty relevant since it exiles the creature, something new in Green.
- Hedron Blade: As a Caw Blade player, I love everything about this card: the name, the cost, the equip cost, the art, the pump... except the conditions that it grants Deathtouch. They're simply too narrow and will only trigger against Affinity or if Eldrazi Tron is a thing. Meanwhile I'll go cry in a corner about what could have been and isn't. Will probably pick up some regardless of playability, since I personally like the card a lot.
Seems like we got a lot of possible playables, the biggest winners being Mono-U Eldrazi Tron and Landfall Zoo (which will become HUGE the moment we get untapped fixing like the Common fetchlands).
I'm liking the Eldrazi Skyspawn a lot. Very unique effect for blue. 2-power flyer + 1/1 is very good. Not to mention it can ramp. Not sure if it's powerful enough to see play.
Outnumber might see some play in token decks or goblin decks, as this can easily equate to 4+ damage.
Valakut Predator looks like one of the only playable Landfall guys this block. Along with Plated Geopede and Lynx, it will fit right into the curve.
Ruin Processor seems decent, but needs cards exiled to be more than a chump-blockable fatty. I don't think this is going to see any play.
Volcanic Upheaval is Instant-speed land destruction. I like this a lot.
Gideon's Reproach gets my vote as the best common this block. I'm happy it's a white card for once!
The Black and Green lands come in at second and third, I think. Valakut Predator might be able to make a Boros Landfall deck somewhat viable, but we'll see.
Most of the commons seem like either junk, reprints, or slight upgrades to virtually unplayed cards. Nothing game-changing in this set, I don't think.
Colorless: Been said already, but Eldrazi Devastator is worth trying out in Tron and RB Exhume decks. That extra toughness, trample, and not having to attack is a boost over Ulamog's Crusher. But Crusher's annihilator did give it a lot of power against things like UG fog.
Ruin Processor is nice and castable off of natural turn 3 tron, but it doesn't do a lot. And even if your opponent has an exiled card so you gain 5 life, it still isn't a lot. Still, it's a big creature and worth a try.
Scour from Existence is interesting. 7 mana to get rid of anything for good. Outside of tron I don't see this being played. And even in tron it might be a 1-2 of just because it's 7 mana and not a game-ending creature.
White: Cliffside Lookout might see play in WW decks. Has pauper ever had a creature with a reusable team pump ability? Granted, that ability costs 4W and the Lookout is only a 1/1, but it's a consideration.
Blue: Benthic Infiltrator is...not bad, but probably not making the cut anywhere. Unblockable and Ingest is nice, but it's only got 1 power so it's a (very) slow clock. The 4 toughness makes it a good blocker, but its two abilities wants it to attack.
Clutch of Currents Sorcery speed Unsummon in the early game or bounce and a 3/3 in the late game. Could it see play in a control deck? I'm not sure. Worth a try though.
Murk Strider is funny. Play it after your opponent taps and delves out for Gurmag Angler and undo all their work. Man-o'-war is just better though in most cases.
Salvage Drone is cute. Even if it's not strong it's cute.
Spell Shrivel is a card I'm gonna run. Sure, it costs 2U but 4 is a lot to pay and the exile is a nice bonus.
Black: Grave Birthing feels like it's just missing something. Exiles a card in grave, you get a 1/1, and it cantrips. All at instant. If you got to pick the card or maybe even got 2 1/1s then that might push it over into playable.
Sludge Crawler is cheap. And the pump ability is colorless. Probably not worth a spot in most decks though.
Red: Kozilek's Sentinel is interesting. If we got more Devoid creatures in OotG you could make a deck with Devoid and artifacts and attack with this as a 2/4 or 3/4 pretty often.
Nettle Drone. 3 power, pings opponents, and untaps when you cast colorless stuff. But 1 toughness and only pinging opponents are big drawbacks.
Green: Blisterpod is cool and it leaves you with a good token.
Tajura Stalwart is a card I would try in Zoo. It would regularly come down as a 3/4. While not as strong as Matca Rioters it wouldn't have to worry about something like Nylea's Presence being destroyed.
Lands: All the common lands are great, but Mortuary Mire stands out as the best. Compared to Haunted Fengraf you don't get the card in hand but you don't have to pay mana, don't have to sac a land, and get to choose which creature is the best to have back. Behind that is Fertile Thicket. Play it on turn one, or any early turn, and you get to set up the next (basic) land you play. Best part about the Thicket is that it's a "may" ability, so if you're top decking you don't have to use it and screw yourself out of some gas.
It looks like the biggest winners from BfZ are Tron decks, ramp decks, and aggressive decks like Zoo. Going to be fun to see how BfZ affects pauper.
- Sheer Drop: Another removal spell for White which isn't dependant on the creature's P/T, or doesn't care if it's attacking or blocking. That said, the creature must be tapped, and it means that it either has dealt us damage, we have chumpblocked, or it has some sort of ability that requires tapping. It's also sorcery speed, which means we can't use it reactively. I wish that the cost was either more manageable (1W) or that it was an Instant. That said, it's pretty flexible with it's Awaken cost, which makes it a bad White Shriekmaw for Pauper. A 3/3 guy, which is a pretty good size, alongside a kill spell seems like a good deal. It's on the verge of playability if you want more removal in white than your typical Journey to Nowhere. I hope the future Awaken cards are like this one: solid value + a guy.
- Dominator Drone: Little and medium colorless Eldrazi guys would be super interesting for Tron or tricolor Midrange decks, but it seems we're stuck with just colorless drones requiring colored mana to be cast. Welp. If Ingest gets support at common (some good cards that reward you for Ingesting + are solid on their own and not just senseless milling) and there are enough colorless Eldrazi worth running, this could be a card to consider in a deck where you can blink it. That said, I don't think this will make any waves in the format, as the cost / stats ratio is not something to write about. 2/3 or even 2/2 for 1B would have been a lot more interesting.
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Dominator Drone just looks bad. The fact that it's colourless is basically meaningless at this time, since that gives it only a small advantage over coloured spells and we haven't seen enough (good) support for colourless creatures/spells. Ingest would have been more interesting if it had been cards milled equal to the damage dealt. As it stands, just one card is pretty insignificant.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
Gideon's Reproach seems pretty close to the removal you've been looking for, Zephyr. Not quite capable of dealing with Gurmag Angler, but it could definitely trade with another creature in combat. Instant speed makes this card rock! Finally, some love for White!
Mist Intruder: Meh. Unless colourless becomes a thing (I have my doubts, but not everything has been spoiled), this will go unnoticed.
Incubator Drone: A very rare piece of Blue ramp. I don't think this will see play.
Kozilek's Channeler: Curve filler. Might be good in things like Commander, but not really for Pauper.
Eldrazi Devastator: Ooh! I think Annihilator is probably better than trample, but this is certainly comparable to Ulamog's Crusher. Some Tron decks might play this over the staple fatty.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
I think Eldrazi Devastator will probably see more play than Ulamog's Crusher. It can block enemy decks that decide to run Crusher, and Crusher will die because of it's "must attack" clause. Plus this can sit there and block if needed be. And if we get a reanimation spell complementary to Exhume for the Dragon Reanimator deck this will be the perfect target for it.
Mist Intruder is pretty meh, but I have a feeling that it will be a pretty solid Ingest trigger if we get good "exile matters" cards at common like Oblivion Sower or Blight Herder. Of note, it can escape from Gut Shot.
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In a way, I hope you're right. A part of me would really like Devastator to be mainstream so that my Turbo Fog deck doesn't have to deal with Annihilator triggers anymore. lol
The fact that it deals with Ulamog's Crusher without trading and that it has trample might actually make it better. Harder to block, and can also block if needed. But Annihilator made it so that the Crusher was easily a 3-for-1 when it attacked (sac 2 and chump block), so it has that going for it... I look forward to seeing what will come of this. If there is indeed a solid reanimator strategy eventually (with more than just one good reanimate spell), then they will both see play.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
W White Weenie
As a white player, what are your thoughts on Sheer Drop?
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For three mana it can only destroy something that is tapped, (I don't find that useful) and the Awaken cost is really high for only 3 pump on one land. For three mana I would rather play Guardians' Pledge (Yes it isn't a perma pump I know) as surprise pump to all my minions and swing for the win.
W White Weenie
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
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Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
This card was downgraded to common in the duel deck Zendikar VS. Eldrazi. My brother and I were playing the decks and he used this on me. I flipped.
This seems very, very playable. Probably better than Twin Bolt, even if it's a sorcery. Targetting players and costing 1 less mana is huge.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
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Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
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- Looming Spires
- Mortuary Mire
- Sandstone Bridge
- Skyline Cascade
Amazing spell lands just got spoiled. Mortuary Mire is great, as it can be a one-shot Volrath's Stronghold (or more with Blink), Fertile Thicket can help you hit your land drops, RW ones put Turntimber Grove to shame, and Skyline Cascade is very meh, but could be interesting in Tempo archetypes.
Personally I think Mire is pretty powerful and will see plenty of play in Black based Control and Midrange lists.
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The white and red one seem fine. I'd give a small edge to Vigilance, but First Strike is certainly nothing to laugh at.
I can't see the Blue one being very useful. You're losing tempo by playing the card, only to gain (some of) it back by preventing an untapping? It doesn't do anything if the creature isn't tapped, so you can't use it to attack through a creature.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
EDIT: Also sad that Scatter to the Winds wasn't available for us. I know I was daydreaming when I thought that a Cancel with upside would be common, but after seeing Ulamog's Nullifier, who could know that it wouldn't even be an Uncommon, but a Rare.
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
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Mono Black does have a better choice with Unmake, but this is an exciting card for multicolor decks!
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
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Reading Alex Ullman's preview article on these lands makes me reconsider Thicket again: what he said about a tri-color deck not having trouble to drop either of Qasali Pridemage or Putrid Leech on turn 2 thanks to Thicket is something to keep in mind. Also there's the factor that it makes it possible to run less lands and to keep one and two landers.
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
- Ruin Processor: Castable by a full Tron alone, and shores the Aggro matchup by gaining life processing cards. Since there's a lot of Delve going around and there are new playables (and also old ones) that exile like Scour from Existence (which happens to also be Tron castable), this could be useful as 1-2 in a Fierce Empath package. Only downside is that it can't match its brethren Eldrazi Devastator and Ulamog's Crusher in combat.
- Courier Griffin: Similar to Aven Riftwacher, but gains less life and costs 1 more in exchange of not dying. I don't think this will make the cut, but worth mentioning.
- Ondu Greathorn: Plated Geopede's big bro looks like a great curve topper for the Landfall Zoo deck I mentioned earlier!
- Eldrazi Skyspawner: As Lingering Souls, Sandsteppe Outcast and Ghirapur Gearcrafter have taught us, multiple bodies in one card are pretty useful, specially if they have evasion. Although not on the level of Souls, this is the second more powerful of the aforementioned cards. Being able to trade with flipped Delver and attack through the air, and leave a token that can be leveraged for mana is pretty powerful, especially in Blue which doesn't get many army in a can effects often. Downside is that they die to Electrickery, Forked Bolt and the ilk.
- Oracle of Dust: Too pricy, but again could see play in mono U tron if you have enough exile effect. Gums up the ground, roadblocks 4/4 and can help you filter your deck. Plus it has discard shenanigans as well. Like Griffin, not quite playable but worth mentioning.
- Spell Shrivel: Bigger Mana Leak and a decent counter for multicolored Blue decks who can't afford to pay double U for Counterspell and it's ilk. 1 more mana it's an enormous difference between Mana Leak and this, but so is the difference between paying 3 and paying 4. On top of that, this exiles, and while it's good on its own, it enables the aforementioned processors.
- Grave Birthing: You can't choose a target with this, and so, I don't think this will see play, but it's an honorable mention since it leaves a body behind while cantripping.
- Mire's Malice: Hard to see this at Common when it's counterpart Coastal Discovery is Uncommon. Reverse Mulldrifter can see quite a lot of play in Black Midrange and Control lists.
- Boiling Earth: Sorcery speed Electrickery early on, a pretty solid threat with a Pauper Wrath effect attached later. UR Control / Midrange could make use of this as it's Wrath of choice, since unlike Electrickery this one won't be dead MB and can fend off multiple X/1's or already damaged creatures when Awakened.
- Outnumber: Removal for decks that churn out a lot of creatures like Boros Phalanx or Goblins. At 3 creatures on the field it equals a Lightning Bolt that can't go to the dome and only gets better from there. Outnumber is to aggro decks like Skred is to control decks.
- Touch of the Void: More removal in the vein of Complete Disregard. Ghostfire exists and is never used, though.
- Valakut Predator: A three drop for Landfall Zoo to follow the multiple 2-drops we just got.
- Blisterpod: Interesting in Aristocrats decks, and strictly better than Tukatongue Thallid.
- Eyeless Watcher: Churns out three bodies for 4 mana, but they're pretty wimp and a bit overcosted, although the tokens can be sacced for mana.
- Lifespring Druid: This one is a serious contender for the most playable common in the set. Although frail, it's a Birds of Paradise that can attack and trade and has a relevant type. Can also be played off of T1 Llanowar Elves. Midrange and tricolor decks will love this one.
- Natural Collection and Swell of Growth: Short of Common basic fetchlands, these are the best Landfall Zoo enablers we could hope for, especially Swell of Growth. Being able to blank a removal, steal a victory by dealing the last points of damage, or flat out screw combat math while developing on mana and re-triggering landfall is huge.
- Seek the Wilds: Useful tool for Green midrange decks that aren't splashing black for the better Grisly Salvage or simply don't want to strain the manabase that much.
- Unnatural Aggression: More colorless removal, but this one is pretty relevant since it exiles the creature, something new in Green.
- Hedron Blade: As a Caw Blade player, I love everything about this card: the name, the cost, the equip cost, the art, the pump... except the conditions that it grants Deathtouch. They're simply too narrow and will only trigger against Affinity or if Eldrazi Tron is a thing. Meanwhile I'll go cry in a corner about what could have been and isn't. Will probably pick up some regardless of playability, since I personally like the card a lot.
Seems like we got a lot of possible playables, the biggest winners being Mono-U Eldrazi Tron and Landfall Zoo (which will become HUGE the moment we get untapped fixing like the Common fetchlands).
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
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Outnumber might see some play in token decks or goblin decks, as this can easily equate to 4+ damage.
Valakut Predator looks like one of the only playable Landfall guys this block. Along with Plated Geopede and Lynx, it will fit right into the curve.
Ruin Processor seems decent, but needs cards exiled to be more than a chump-blockable fatty. I don't think this is going to see any play.
Volcanic Upheaval is Instant-speed land destruction. I like this a lot.
Gideon's Reproach gets my vote as the best common this block. I'm happy it's a white card for once!
The Black and Green lands come in at second and third, I think. Valakut Predator might be able to make a Boros Landfall deck somewhat viable, but we'll see.
Most of the commons seem like either junk, reprints, or slight upgrades to virtually unplayed cards. Nothing game-changing in this set, I don't think.
UGTurboFogGU
BRSacrificial AggroBR
16The Paper Pauper Battle Bag16
EDH
BRRakdos, Lord of PingersBR
GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
UB Ramses OverdarkUB
Sig by Ace5301 of Ace of Spades Studio
Colorless: Been said already, but Eldrazi Devastator is worth trying out in Tron and RB Exhume decks. That extra toughness, trample, and not having to attack is a boost over Ulamog's Crusher. But Crusher's annihilator did give it a lot of power against things like UG fog.
Ruin Processor is nice and castable off of natural turn 3 tron, but it doesn't do a lot. And even if your opponent has an exiled card so you gain 5 life, it still isn't a lot. Still, it's a big creature and worth a try.
Scour from Existence is interesting. 7 mana to get rid of anything for good. Outside of tron I don't see this being played. And even in tron it might be a 1-2 of just because it's 7 mana and not a game-ending creature.
White: Cliffside Lookout might see play in WW decks. Has pauper ever had a creature with a reusable team pump ability? Granted, that ability costs 4W and the Lookout is only a 1/1, but it's a consideration.
Blue: Benthic Infiltrator is...not bad, but probably not making the cut anywhere. Unblockable and Ingest is nice, but it's only got 1 power so it's a (very) slow clock. The 4 toughness makes it a good blocker, but its two abilities wants it to attack.
Clutch of Currents Sorcery speed Unsummon in the early game or bounce and a 3/3 in the late game. Could it see play in a control deck? I'm not sure. Worth a try though.
Murk Strider is funny. Play it after your opponent taps and delves out for Gurmag Angler and undo all their work. Man-o'-war is just better though in most cases.
Salvage Drone is cute. Even if it's not strong it's cute.
Spell Shrivel is a card I'm gonna run. Sure, it costs 2U but 4 is a lot to pay and the exile is a nice bonus.
Black: Grave Birthing feels like it's just missing something. Exiles a card in grave, you get a 1/1, and it cantrips. All at instant. If you got to pick the card or maybe even got 2 1/1s then that might push it over into playable.
Sludge Crawler is cheap. And the pump ability is colorless. Probably not worth a spot in most decks though.
Red: Kozilek's Sentinel is interesting. If we got more Devoid creatures in OotG you could make a deck with Devoid and artifacts and attack with this as a 2/4 or 3/4 pretty often.
Nettle Drone. 3 power, pings opponents, and untaps when you cast colorless stuff. But 1 toughness and only pinging opponents are big drawbacks.
Green: Blisterpod is cool and it leaves you with a good token.
Swell of growth It's like Giant Growth and Rampant Growth had a weird, adorable baby.
Tajura Stalwart is a card I would try in Zoo. It would regularly come down as a 3/4. While not as strong as Matca Rioters it wouldn't have to worry about something like Nylea's Presence being destroyed.
Lands: All the common lands are great, but Mortuary Mire stands out as the best. Compared to Haunted Fengraf you don't get the card in hand but you don't have to pay mana, don't have to sac a land, and get to choose which creature is the best to have back. Behind that is Fertile Thicket. Play it on turn one, or any early turn, and you get to set up the next (basic) land you play. Best part about the Thicket is that it's a "may" ability, so if you're top decking you don't have to use it and screw yourself out of some gas.
It looks like the biggest winners from BfZ are Tron decks, ramp decks, and aggressive decks like Zoo. Going to be fun to see how BfZ affects pauper.