Pauper Meta Report - Pauper is about to Change NOT because of WOE

 Pauper Brews

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Wilds of Eldraine releases on September 5th

Wilds of Eldraine's complete set has finally been revealed, and while it has some cool cards like Troublemaker Ouphe, it doesn’t seem like it will impact Pauper Heavily.

Out of 101 commons, just two or three seem meta-relevant, but as always, time will tell if anyone can break it with these limited tools.

That being said, one exciting announcement last week may bring new decks to the format, along with the release of Wilds of Eldranie.

Unfinity First Batch on MTGO

In an effort to unify the Online and Paper meta, MTGO developers will be adding two commons to the online client, with the hopes of adding more in the near future.

The first card is Embiggen, which I’ve seen mainly on Infect decks in the paper meta. Still, some people are also toying with the idea of a DIY version of Dark Depths, involving Wind Zendikon, any indestructible land, and a couple of Embiggen. That last one seems fun, and I will at least try it in the upcoming days.

​____ Goblin is the second card of the batch, a creature that adds mana when it enters the battlefield, like Burning-Tree Emissary. Still, with the potential of adding more than its mana cost instead of a symmetrical amount, no matter the result, you will always get at least one more mana.

There are some things to consider regarding this card, though, as the rules have changed from Tabletop to MTGO, and stickers won’t be a thing yet on the client.

• In Tabletop, the rules text is: "When ____ Goblin enters the battlefield, you may put a name sticker on it. Add R for each unique vowel on that sticker. "
• On MTGO, the rules text will be: "When "Name-Sticker" Goblin enters the battlefield, if it's on the battlefield and you control nine or fewer creatures named "Name-Sticker" Goblin, roll a 20-sided die. Add red mana based on the roll's result."

Unlike Embiggen, I haven't seen many decks using ____ Goblin in the paper meta, but it could potentially add newer archetypes to the table. My only concern is how different the online and paper versions would be. Even if the former is slightly better, It can start creating archetypes that are only available online but not in the paper meta. However, I am confident this is unlikely to happen, but it is worth keeping in mind.

If you want to read the full article regarding this release, here’s the link.​

Also, here is a short with some other cards I would love to have online from Unfinity:

Top Decks of the Week

Saturday Challenge Winner: ezocratto

It's funny to me to see this deck getting good results recently because it answers the meta in a straightforward way: Kill everything that touches the ground.

It has around sixteen removal spells to deal with opponents' creatures, three of which are board wipes in the form of Crypt Rats.

Then it's just a lot of card draw spells packed together, and as "win conditions," try and stick a Thorn of the Black Rose or an Avenging Hunter and never lose the Monarch or the Initiative.

In other Pauper metas where control decks like Tron were dominant, this deck would have had zero chance of succeeding, but since the current Pauper decks are all creature-based, it makes sense the results it's been pulling off. Even Burn would have a hard time against them unless it's the heavily burn-focused approach that is nowhere to be seen, but if this deck becomes a problem, Burn is more than capable of switching gears back.

Sunday Challenge Winner: QueMario

Another curious sighting is Elves taking down a Challenge. Recently, I made a video with this exact list implying that this deck has the tools to be good in this meta, thanks to the lack of presence of boardwipes that can slow it down.

As usual, I got skeptical comments about this list, but if 30+ trophies aren't enough, a challenge takeover could do.

Deck of the Week Award

This is a deck I put in under five minutes, but WhiteLotus managed to put up suriprisingly good results with it. He will be posting the full decklist and gameplay during this week on YT, so make sure to follow him to stay tunned.

Wrap Up

WOE may not be as exciting as we all hoped it would be, but the good news is that Unfinity cards are starting to make an appearance in the online meta. Would it be enough to make a change to it?

Thanks for reading up until now, and as always, you can reach me at all my associated links via my Link Tree! ​

Take care, and I will see you next week

Where to Play Pauper?

I have compiled a list of places to play Pauper, mostly IRL. The address may vary, but it's a helpful place to start and check if some of them are near you. They may not play Pauper daily, so it's always a good idea to ask before traveling.

My Latest Pauper Brews?