Top 10 Green MTG Pauper Downshifts We Need

Continuing our look at potential downshifts that could shake up the Pauper format, this time we're diving into green cards we’d love to see become commons. While black brings removal and recursion, green shines with value creatures, graveyard synergies, and combat tricks. Pauper doesn't often get exciting new tools from Standard sets, so most real format shakeups come from reprints or supplemental sets. With that in mind, here are ten green cards that could open up fresh archetypes, support existing ones, or simply make green more competitive across the board.

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What are Green Pauper downshifts?

Downshifts are cards that were originally printed at uncommon or higher, but later got reprinted at common—making them legal in Pauper. For green decks, these kinds of upgrades can be game-changing, bringing in powerful effects without breaking the format’s budget-friendly nature. 

[cards]{{Bushwhack}}{{Experiment One}}{{Might of Old Krosa}}[/cards]

Cards like [card]Bushwhack[/card], [card]Experiment One[/card], and [card]Might of Old Krosa[/card] are perfect examples of previously green downshifted cards hoping to see play in Pauper.

Honorable Mention: Wirewood Symbiote

[cards]{{Wirewood Symbiote}}[/cards] [card]Wirewood Symbiote[/card] is the kind of card that could take Elves in Pauper from good to busted. It lets you bounce an Elf to untap another creature, opening the door for all kinds of value loops, especially with mana dorks like [card]Llanowar Elves[/card] or [card]Priest of Titania[/card]. If we really wanted to push the Elf archetype to its limit, this is the downshift that would break it wide open. I put it here because it was a last-minute addition that I think might be too much, but I thought the same about [card]Monastery Swiftspear[/card] and we eventually got it (though it was banned later).

Top 10 Green Pauper Downshifts

#10. Acidic Slime

[cards]{{Acidic Slime}}[/cards]

This card has always been one of my favorites, and I’d love to see it in Pauper someday. It fits perfectly as a five-mana value play for green midrange decks like Ponza, and the fact that it works so well with blink effects like [card]Ephemerate[/card] could make it a powerful, but fair, tool.

#9. Strangleroot Geist

[cards]{{Strangleroot Geist}}[/cards]

Mono-green aggro could really use a threat that puts pressure on slower decks, and [card]Strangleroot Geist[/card] fits the bill. It’s aggressive, hard to kill thanks to undying, and exactly the kind of two-drop that could breathe new life into green stompy strategies.

#8. Chainweb Aracnir

[cards]{{Chainweb Aracnir}}[/cards]

This isn’t a flashy card, but it’s a rock-solid sideboard option against Faeries and other flyers. It’s cheap, comes back from the graveyard, and gives green decks a reliable answer to one of their worst matchups without feeling overpowered.

#7. Become Immense

[cards]{{Become Immense}}[/cards]

While this might sound scary in Infect, Pauper doesn’t actually have the full support that Modern Infect does. Instead, [card]Become Immense[/card] could be used with cards like [card]Temur Battle Rage[/card] to build explosive, combo-like turns in aggro decks without breaking anything.

#6. Roar of the Wurm

[cards]{{Roar of the Wurm}}[/cards]

[card]Roar of the Wurm[/card] is a classic graveyard payoff that fits perfectly in Pauper. Its flashback cost makes it easy to cast from the graveyard, turning it into a cheap 6/6 threat for decks like Dredge or Gruul Madness. Whether you’re self-milling or discarding it, it’s a great way to cheat a big body onto the battlefield for a low cost.

#5. Boneyard Wurm

[cards]{{Boneyard Wurm}}[/cards]

If Pauper ever wants to support more graveyard-based green decks, [card]Boneyard Wurm[/card] would be a natural fit. It’s a clean, simple two-drop that scales with your graveyard and would feel right at home in dredge or self-mill strategies.

#4. Reclamation Sage

[cards]{{Reclamation Sage}}[/cards]

Green doesn’t really have an early creature that kills an artifact or enchantment when it enters the battlefield. [card]Reclamation Sage[/card] would fill that gap perfectly, giving decks a flexible tool against annoying permanents. And if it feels too good, [card]Thrashing Brontodon[/card] is a solid backup option.

#3. Sixth Sense

[cards]{{Sixth Sense}}[/cards]

Boggle decks have fallen behind as other archetypes got better tools, and [card]Sixth Sense[/card] could help them catch up. It gives much-needed card draw to their hexproof creatures and could help replace some of the punch lost when [card]All That Glitters[/card] left the format.

#2. Scryb Ranger

[cards]{{Scryb Ranger}}[/cards]

This is another sneaky-good option, especially as a sideboard card against blue decks. Its flash and flying defense make it tricky to deal with, and the untap ability has fun synergies with mana dorks or creatures with tap abilities.

#1. Eternal Witness

[cards]{{Eternal Witness}}[/cards]

[card]Eternal Witness[/card] might seem a little strong, but recursion in green is usually slower and fairer. If it feels like too much, cards like [card]Elvish Regrower[/card] that cost a little more could be a safer alternative—after all, even one extra mana makes a big difference in Pauper.

Wrap-Up

Because Pauper is an eternal format, most Standard sets don’t really shake things up. Real change usually comes from remastered or supplemental sets, where downshifts like [card]Bushwhack[/card] and [card]Experiment One[/card] can actually make a difference. I’d love to see some of these green cards join the format and help revive old archetypes or inspire new ones. Which would you downshift first?

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

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