There’s something alluring about writing for PureMTGO. Going into my personal DeLorean this was the site where I cut my teeth. I wrote some really good and some really awful stuff for this here webpage - all of it for Joshua Claytor. An aside: Joshua Claytor was and is one of the good people of Magic. Even when I wasn't working for him he would always provide feedback. Let me tell you something- having a friend and editor like this is something that any writer should cherish. I still do. He is a big reason I'm back. So here I am again, writing about Pauper. The time is not so different from when I started at PureMTGO back in 2006. Pauper’s popularity is at a nadir for many reasons, not the least of which are the paucity of event offerings. However this should be a renaissance for the format. With lower stakes people should be willing to take larger risks with the decks they are playing. As we plod towards the Version 4 conversation I have faith we will see some more variety in the reported results. In the interim though, there’s a new set to discuss.



Magic 2015 looks to be one of the best core sets for Pauper. Ever. There is a high density of powerful cards at reasonable casting costs. Couple this with Convoke- a cost reducing mechanic- and Magic 2015 has a very high ceiling. Since we’ve come to the top of the climb we might as well dive in.







(Ephemeral Shields) may not look like much. Similar cards have to come with some sort of power buff to be worth inclusion (see Vines of Vastwood and (Ranger’s Guile)) but the Shields come with Convoke. Much like Gather Courage is a key element in Stompy I can see this instant playing a similar role in white based heroic decks. One of the worst things about playing out an Akroan Skyguard or Wingsteed Rider was the inability to protect said investment. Ephemeral Shields makes it far easier to save these creatures from biting the bullet and grow them as well. This card may also see more play with Battle Screech and Triplicate Spirits running around. The token producers make a semi-card air force rather reasonable. The abundance of warm bodies can keep the Ephemeral Shields free and also provide healthy fuel to flash back for birds or pay a reduced fee for three dudes.







Totem-Guide Hartebeest is a powerful effect tacked on to an expensive body. (Heliod’s Pilgrim) is the same effect but two turns faster. Considering that the Hartebeest was already seeing play in the Presence of Gond and Midnight Guard combo deck it follows that the Pilgrim should take that slot being faster and all. This might be enough to make the deck consistent enough for the top tables.





The other obvious home for (Heliod’s Pilgrim) is in the Hexproof deck. Here it can serve as extra copies of every key Aura including cards like Utopia Sprawl while doubling as a mid-game mana sink. If it shows up in those decks I would swap out Journey to Nowhere for something like Pacifism or Arrest. In the same vein it can be used to power up a potential Heroic deck with Bonds of Faith.





Pillar of Light takes care of Spire Golem and Gray Merchant of Asphodel and that makes it worthy of sideboard consideration at the very least.





Triplicate Spirits is an interesting card. Combined with Battle Screech it can take White Weenie in a different direction but not one that beats Electrickery. Without a permanent anthem effect that boosts power - (Veteran Armorer does not count)- I feel that these cards are going to be limited to second tier Goblin Bushwhacker decks. That being said these cards do an awful lot to make those decks stronger. They provide a mana sink in the late game and chain together very well. Loyal Cathar into Battle Screech into Triplicate Spirits is exciting if nothing else and plays very well with either Marshaling Cry or (Guardian’s Pledge). I’m partial to the former since it can always cycle.





Coral Barrier may be the best Horned Turtle ever. It comes with an evasive creature and a solid blocker. It also has the perfect casting cost to be retrieved with Unearth and it bricks Ninja of the Deep Hours. I’m not saying this card is a game changer but it is pretty strong sideboard material.





The newest Unsummon is Void Snare and boy howdy look at it. Nonland permanents mean so many things. The problem in Pauper is that the best threats are not Planeswalkers but rather creatures. Most of these creatures have potent triggers when they enter the battlefield. Cards like Vapor Snag see play because they can provide a positive tempo shift to force through damage. At sorcery speed the Snare does not such thing. Sure, I can see it getting played with Reality Acid but then I’m wasting two cards and more tempo to do something that can be accomplished with better tools. All that being said I would still pick these up due to their sheer versatility.





Holy Light sees sideboard play out of white decks and I imagine that Festergloom will do the same. Sweepers are hard to come by in Pauper, especially ones that do not hit your army. Festergloom gets the nod in this category.





(Necromancer’s Assistant) and Unmake the Graves are right up my alley. I am a huge fan of using the graveyard as a resource. These cards slot into many decks I have in my work in progress file. See, I like to think the Assistant actually says “draw three cards” which makes it much better and in the right shell thats exactly what the card reads. Unmake the Graves, on the other hand, probably loses out to Grim Harvest and Death Denied but it is instant speed and can be cast for Convoke, which cannot be underrated.





Hey look - another red aggressive card that isn’t a goblin. Maybe Borderland Marauder will finally give Red Deck Wins the shot in the arm it needs to be a contender. But then again, goblins have tribal support, so I guess they win.





(Crowd’s Favor) might be the actual card that makes RDW a thing. As mentioned before (Gather Courage) was key to making Stompy work. The Favor will almost always trade with a creature, often for zero mana, which is insane when you think about that rate. Mogg War Marshal is red’s best creature and makes Crowd’s Favor even better. Or you can combine this card with Akroan Crusader on offense for more tokens or Satyr Hoplite for some extra punch. Seriously- this is a card to watch out for.







I want to believe in Inferno Fist. It triggers Heroic, boosts power, and gives additional reach. As someone who has advocated Taste for Mayhem and Furor of the Bitten in the past I am totally Fox Mulder on this card. It doesn’t do any one thing particularly well but it does many things above average. Getting in two hits and then sacrificing it will be six damage for three mana, which is something any adherent to the Philosophy of Fire would be happy to accomplish. Heck, maybe this is the card that couples with Aura Gnarlid to make Gruul Hexproof a deck.





Scrapyard Mongrel - because if an elf can see play in Affinity, so can a dog. In all seriousness I can see this as a one or two of in the Glint Hawk based Boros decks that consistently place third and fourth in Pauper single elimination queues.

Green gets its own Kor Skyfisher in Invasive Species. Since the Skyfisher is one of the defining creatures in Pauper it follows a green version should be quite good as well. Here are some things you can do in color:





Play it on turn two off of Elvish Mystic with no tempo loss

Return an Abundant Growth or (Nylea’s Presence) to draw more cards

Reuse (Multani’s Acolyte) or Nest Invader

Gain more life with (Nylea’s Disciple)

More plants from Khalni Garden





Branching into other colors and things get better- Mulldrifter exists after all. Invasive Species is just a good card, period. If you’re playing Pauper in the next few months, expect to see these guys ruining your garden.





I like Living Totem as a potential curve topper in Stompy. With Quirion Dryad and Nettle Sentinel available this buffer comes down early and can swing a game. Not only that but it works very well with Skarrgan Pit-Skulk. I know early (way early) versions of the deck would top out with Kavu Primarch but this just seems better as being able to distribute the counter makes all the difference in threat diversification.





Shaman of Spring is another option of (Priest of Titiania) elf decks.





Undergrowth Scavenger is my favorite card in the set. I want to fill my graveyard with Stinkweed Imp and then cast this to make a giant monster. I don’t know if this is the card that makes Golgari Tortured Existence a deck, but I know I can’t wait to try it out. At the very worst it’s a huge creature they have to exile.





Vineweft is an interesting option for Hexproof as it comes back in the late game. It probably does not make the cut but it is an option.





And that’s my take on Magic 2015. If you’re into Pauper, then I would recommend picking up a playset of the following cards:



Ephemeral Shields

Heliod’s Pilgrim

Pillar of Light

Triplicate Spirits

Coral Barrier

Void Snare

Festergloom

Necromancer’s Assistant

Unmake the Graves

Borderland Marauder

Crowd’s Favor

Inferno Fist

Scrapyard Mongrel

Invasive Species

Living Totem

Shaman of Spring

Undergrowth Scavenger

Vineweft





Do you think I missed any? Let me know in the comments.

And as always,





Keep slingin’ commons-



-Alex

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