Top 10 Black MTG Pauper Downshifts We Need

Let’s dive into them!

What are Pauper downshifts?

Downshifts are cards originally printed at uncommon or rare that have been reprinted at common in later sets, thus becoming legal in Pauper. These can shake up the metagame by injecting fresh power and synergy into strategies without breaking format budget constraints.

[cards]{{Lotleth Giant}}{{Dread Return}}{{Mire Triton}}[/cards]

Through the game’s history, some cards like [card]Dread Return[/card], [card]Mire Triton[/card], and [card]Lotleth Giant[/card] have been downshifted from higher rarities and are loving the Pauper environment.

Below are the Top 10 black downshifts that have made the biggest impact in Pauper.

Top 10 Black Pauper Downshifts

#10. Cling to Dust

[cards]{{Cling to Dust}}[/cards]

Graveyard hate that also draws a card? That’s a win-win. [card]Cling to Dust[/card] would be a solid sideboard option that gives black decks a little bit of life gain and graveyard disruption. Similar effects already exist in Pauper, so this would feel right at home and wouldn’t break anything.

#9. Vampire Nighthawk

[cards]{{Vampire Nighthawk}}[/cards]

At first glance, [card]Vampire Nighthawk[/card] doesn’t seem scary in today’s power level—it’s just a 2/3 with flying, lifelink, and deathtouch. But that combination is still a nightmare in combat and could be a great sideboard tool for grindy matchups. It would give black decks a solid way to stall the board and gain life back in a fair way.

#8. Stitcher's Supplier

[cards]{{Stitcher's Supplier}}[/cards]

This little zombie might seem like it would break the dredge archetype wide open, but Pauper isn’t exactly overrun by graveyard decks right now. [card]Stitcher's Supplier[/card] could breathe some life into self-mill strategies, giving decks like [card]Tortured Existence[/card] or Reanimator more consistency without being overpowered.

#7. Darkblast

[cards]{{Darkblast}}[/cards]

[card]Darkblast[/card] might feel like a dangerous inclusion, but it’s really just a solid sideboard card. It’s great against small creatures—especially Faeries—and it rewards careful play thanks to dredge. This would help black decks keep up with go-wide or tempo strategies without warping the format.

#6. Shriekmaw

[cards]{{Shriekmaw}}[/cards]

One thing Pauper doesn’t have much of is creatures that kill something when they hit the battlefield. That’s where [card]Shriekmaw[/card] would shine. With its “enter the battlefield” destroy effect and evasion, it’s a clean answer to big threats and would help black decks deal with midrange creatures in a more proactive way.

#5. Nekrataal

[cards]{{Nekrataal}}[/cards]

Kind of like [card]Shriekmaw[/card], [card]Nekrataal[/card] gives you a two-for-one: a creature and a removal spell in one package. It’s a bit slower, but the deathtouch and destroy ability make it a strong midgame play. 

#4. Gifted Aetherborn

[cards]{{Gifted Aetherborn}}[/cards]

This is just a clean, efficient two-drop. A 2/3 with lifelink and deathtouch would help bring mono-black devotion strategies back into the conversation. It’s not flashy, but it’s incredibly solid and can trade up in combat while gaining you a little bit of life in the process.

#3. Priest of Gix

[cards]{{Priest of Gix}}[/cards]

Let’s be real—this would be a fun experiment. [card]Priest of Gix[/card] is basically a ritual stapled to a creature, and it opens up some exciting lines for black combo decks. While it might push the boundaries a bit, it’s still a worse version of cards like Sticker Goblin and would get people talking about ritual decks again.

#2. Brain Maggot

[cards]{{Brain Maggot}}[/cards]

We already have [card]Mesmeric Fiend[/card], but Brain Maggot is the enchantment creature version—and that actually matters a lot. With black getting more enchantment support in recent years, this would fit right in and give you a nice bit of discard that can also help devotion or enchantment-matters decks.

#1. Fatal Push

[cards]{{Fatal Push}}[/cards]

At first glance, [card]Fatal Push[/card] might seem too good for Pauper. But without fetchlands, it loses some of its bite. In reality, it could be a great tool to help black decks fight aggro, especially when [card]Lightning Bolt[/card] is doing all the heavy lifting right now.

[cards]{{Cut Down}}{{Bloodchief’s Thirst}}[/cards]

Other options like [card]Cut Down[/card] or [card]Bloodchief’s Thirst[/card] could work too, but Fatal Push would make the biggest impact.

Wrap Up

Since Pauper is an eternal format, it’s pretty rare for new Standard-legal sets to shake things up. Most of the time, they don’t even consider Pauper when designing new cards. That’s why the biggest changes to the format usually come from supplemental sets or remastered releases, where downshifts can actually make an impact. We’ve seen that happen before—Commander Legends, Modern Horizons, and Masters sets have all brought powerful commons into the fold.

I’d love to see some of these black cards downshifted in the future to open up new archetypes or breathe life into forgotten ones. What about you? Which of these would you be most excited to play in Pauper?

Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this, check out the rest of the series for more color-based Pauper downshift picks!