Prismite looks like a complete staple for Affinity. The biggest downfall for that deck is the fact that it's forced to run too many colors and will randomly drop matches due to mana screw. This little guy looks like he was made to adress this problem, and is a mana fixer which can also beat face, which is pretty good.
Gideon's Sacrifice is stronger than it might look, and it's priced to see play. Not sure exactly where you'd play it but it can be silly good.
Return to Nature does quite a lot and is likely to see play. Or even straight up replace Naturalize in future sets. I wouldn't mind seeing a red staple with graveyard hate tacked on, too.
Spark Reaper looks like a quality mana sink, it ought to see play somewhere. This sort of thing is more of an uncommon thing, and it also gives life for sacrifices, has fine stats and a relevant creature type. And Unearth friendly cc, too, which is nice when you know it'll eat a bolt as soon as it shows up on the field. Can't be Disfigured, too, nice. Can't say "best pauper common in the set" because there's quite a few nice ones and I don't have the proper perspective yet, but it might as well turn out to be exactly that.
"Masques Block is the worst block ever! There's not one decent card in there! The whole internet say's so, you're literally the only person who ever said it was good!" - random noob in a conversation with an Eldrazi.
The Whole Spoiler is up and I must say there isn't much else to talk about.
Charmed Stray is kind of interesting. the first copy is still a 1/1 with lifelink, but subsequent copies are really powerful upgrades.
Gideon's Sacrifice on the surface is just a really bad Fog. Are there cards in Pauper that care about being damaged in a beneficial way? Maybe some of the Dinosaurs with Enrage? We need a Mogg Maniac in Pauper alreday...
Spark Reaper is the first repeatable card draw sac engine at Pauper, which is significant. I think the cost to cast and activate the ability are just a bit too high for really competitive play, but it could be close.
Grim Initiate is a very good card as well for any aristocrats deck.
Spellgorger Weird is probably one of the most powerful creatures in the set. It seems like a good fit for a slower version of Nivix Fiend decks (which has come up in the past).
Return to Nature is a strictly better Naturalize, which some people still played today. Not anymore. As an aside, I think we will be getting more spells like this thanks to best-of-one games on MTG Arena making modal spells more valuable.
Guild Globe will probably see some play as a cheapish cantripping artifact.
I think you might have misread Charmed Stray. The first copy can eventually become a 4/4 (if you cast all four copies in your deck). The last one you cast can only ever be a 1/1. Each new Stray puts counters on all other ones already in play. The potential for a 2/2 lifelink swinging 2nd turn is good, but how often will that happen?
@Upkeep: Does Kronch Wrangler look like a good addition to your mono-Green Beasts deck you've used on your channel before? It definitely would be nice to include more creatures in that deck, and he can get pretty beefed up in that deck too!
Also, I never considered Arena's BO1 match style affecting the design of modal cards like you pointed out. That does make things look good for sideboard choices in the future of the format.
Overall, I agree we didn't get anything that will impact the format in a big way. We did get some solid options for archetypes that already exist. Aristocrats seems to be the most notable one to benefit from this set, but did it really need more options?
Ah thanks, I did in fact misread how Charmed Stray works! You know, in a way, the way it's intended to work might actually be better than what I imagined lol. Being able to recur a dead cat or blink/bounce it back to hand to replay it multiple times seems kind of good. It really helps that it has lifelink, as otherwise it probably would make it completely unable to race other aggro starts. I kinda want this card to work haha
Maybe Kronch Wrangler could be good in Beasts, like you mentioned. He has average stats on his own, but the deck could certainly use more 2-drops.
I think it would work best with the undying/supernatural stamina set of cards. Killing one of them actually makes the rest bigger as well as 2F1 your opponent. Plus if you stamina a block you get a ton of life.
I don't like Cloudshift type cards very much. Unless the effect they flicker causes card advantage they are card neutral, or disadvantage if not used to save from a kill spell. The undying type spells let you trade but keep your critter, which helps the odds of it not being card disadvantage.
Ghostly Flicker obviously is a combo card with some different rules, but white's options strike me as bad.
I've been thinking about Kronch Wrangler recently, and if ever there was a card to use with Giantbaiting, that's the one.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Masques Block is the worst block ever! There's not one decent card in there! The whole internet say's so, you're literally the only person who ever said it was good!" - random noob in a conversation with an Eldrazi.
One of my pet decks from a couple years ago ran Giantbaiting and the Populate Mechanic. With a couple mana dorks and Wake the Reflections, you can get in for 12 damage on turn 3, keeping one of your 4/4 hasters for more populating on future turns.
Gideon's Sacrifice is stronger than it might look, and it's priced to see play. Not sure exactly where you'd play it but it can be silly good.
Return to Nature does quite a lot and is likely to see play. Or even straight up replace Naturalize in future sets. I wouldn't mind seeing a red staple with graveyard hate tacked on, too.
Spark Reaper looks like a quality mana sink, it ought to see play somewhere. This sort of thing is more of an uncommon thing, and it also gives life for sacrifices, has fine stats and a relevant creature type. And Unearth friendly cc, too, which is nice when you know it'll eat a bolt as soon as it shows up on the field. Can't be Disfigured, too, nice. Can't say "best pauper common in the set" because there's quite a few nice ones and I don't have the proper perspective yet, but it might as well turn out to be exactly that.
Charmed Stray is kind of interesting. the first copy is still a 1/1 with lifelink, but subsequent copies are really powerful upgrades.
Gideon's Sacrifice on the surface is just a really bad Fog. Are there cards in Pauper that care about being damaged in a beneficial way? Maybe some of the Dinosaurs with Enrage? We need a Mogg Maniac in Pauper alreday...
Contentious Plan is still a strong contender for me.
Kasmina's Transmutation is cool, but not a particularly strong card. Maybe it's good enough removal for Blue, but I doubt it.
Guildpact Informant could be strong if Proliferate turns into a deck. I have my doubts about that, too.
Banehound is still a pushed common.
Kaya's Ghostform is a very cheap way to protect your creatures. It even prevents exile, which is unique in Pauper (and MTG in general, I think).
Lazotep Reaver has nice pushed stats.
Spark Reaper is the first repeatable card draw sac engine at Pauper, which is significant. I think the cost to cast and activate the ability are just a bit too high for really competitive play, but it could be close.
Grim Initiate is a very good card as well for any aristocrats deck.
Spellgorger Weird is probably one of the most powerful creatures in the set. It seems like a good fit for a slower version of Nivix Fiend decks (which has come up in the past).
I like Arboreal Grazer. I consider this a better version of Elvish Pioneer. It's pretty solid ramp and gets even better with Bouncelands like Simic Growth Chamber.
Pollenbright Druid is solid, cheap and versatile proliferation.
Return to Nature is a strictly better Naturalize, which some people still played today. Not anymore. As an aside, I think we will be getting more spells like this thanks to best-of-one games on MTG Arena making modal spells more valuable.
Guild Globe will probably see some play as a cheapish cantripping artifact.
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
@Upkeep: Does Kronch Wrangler look like a good addition to your mono-Green Beasts deck you've used on your channel before? It definitely would be nice to include more creatures in that deck, and he can get pretty beefed up in that deck too!
Also, I never considered Arena's BO1 match style affecting the design of modal cards like you pointed out. That does make things look good for sideboard choices in the future of the format.
Overall, I agree we didn't get anything that will impact the format in a big way. We did get some solid options for archetypes that already exist. Aristocrats seems to be the most notable one to benefit from this set, but did it really need more options?
Maybe Kronch Wrangler could be good in Beasts, like you mentioned. He has average stats on his own, but the deck could certainly use more 2-drops.
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
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
Ghostly Flicker obviously is a combo card with some different rules, but white's options strike me as bad.
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