Evaluating Alara Reborn... for Pauper.


Some thoughts on the new Reborn cards and how they may affect the Pauper metagame.

For reference, all cards are on the Magic Salvation Spoiler list.

Before I start, some things to note about the pauper format. Due to the lack of quality sweepers in Pauper, creatures currently rule the metagame. Often it's about who can land the most the fastest. The exception to that rule is Mono-Black Control, which has access to the best sweeper in the format, Crypt Rats.

So on to the analysis.

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Borderpost Cycle: Quality mana fixing is precious in Pauper. The Borderpost Cycle may see a lot of action as extra Terramorphs, but I'm not sure if they're better than the Ravnica bounce lands, which didn't delay mana progression. May find some use in affinity. Wait and see.

Blade Cycle (Esper Stormblade, Grixis Grimblade, Jund Hackblade, Naya Hushblade, Bant Sureblade): I think this cycle will really warp the format. Note that you can play two colours and have access to three of the blades with no problems. I can absolutely see a pauper "blade" deck as a viable archtype. I can also see them slipping into other decks (such as mimic decks and RG aggro) with no problem at all. A fanastic group of cards.

Landcycling Critter Cycle (Sanctum Plowbeast, Jhessian Zombies, Igneous Pouncer, Valley Rannet, Pale Recluse) Great mana fixers for limited that may see play in Pauper as such, but probably too slow and too mana costly when played as a creature to see action.

Ethercaste Knight: Exalted is a valid pauper archtype, and Ethercaste adds a lot to the build. The fact that he's a Artifact Creature, however, means there's a lot more hate out for him than usual. However, he is immune to Terror, and as Mono-Black Control rules Pauper at the moment, he may find some play.

Ethersworn Shieldmage: The perfect foil to Crypt Rats, this guy is sure to see play as your opponent Wraths his team and your guys stick around.

Glassdust Hulk: Cycling is cute, but essentially won't see play.

Offering to Asha: With all the great counterspells in Pauper (for instance... Counterspell!) the tacked on lifegain isn't worth the extra mana cost.

Stormcaller's Boon: The cascade is cute, but the effect isn't worthwhile and you're esentially not gaining card advantage due to the neccessity to sac. So probably won't see play.

Talon Trooper: A 2/3 flyer is nice, but not a game changer.

Architects of Will: Another cute effect, and may see play in a Blink type deck, where you give your opponent land after land after land and deny them anything else. Perhaps someone could build a deck around this guy and ninjas.

Deny Reality: An excellent piece of removal that has cascade. Pity about the sorcery speed.

Etherium Abomination: Unearth really got an improvement with the recent MtGO printing of Tortured Existence. I could happily see this in a Tortured Existence deck, treated like discard fodder into a 4 dmg burn spell for 3, alongside Brackwater Elemental.

Soul Manipulation: The best pauper card out of Reborn so far. This thing will see all sorts of play. Mono Black Control might even branch into blue just to have access to this.

Vedalken Ghoul: I'm not sure how to assess this. Surely it'll either just be killed by an instant, or hit for 1 a few times. Watch, wait and see.

Breath of Malfegor: Won't see play.

Demonic Dread: A three mana sorcery? With cascade? At common?? An instant add to a blightning deck along with Terminate. Could warp the format to BR significantly.

Sanity Gnawers: The random discard is cute, but Pauper already has access to a large amount of quality discard. May see play, but the R cost makes it less attractive to the decks that would use it.

Singe-Mind Ogre: Kinda nice, especially against Mono-Black Control, which sports a number of large critters. A possible sideboard card for RB against Mono-Black.

Terminate: Probably the most game-changing card from the set. Will be played in any deck that can run it. Expect RB Blighting to become a viable archtype now.

Colossal Might: It's okay. May see play.

Deadshot Minotaur: Won't see play.

Godtracker of Jund: Won't see play.

Gorger Wurm: Won't see play.

Rhox Brute: Won't see play.

Violent Outburst: A great card, instant, has card advantage, and suits token decks to a tee. Will get a lot of action.

Captured Sunlight: Interesting but probably uneccessary.

Grizzled Leotau: Will see play if someone finds the need for a GW control deck... maybe a sideboard card for Slivers?

Leonin Armorguard: Crunchy. Will probably get trialed then dropped.

Qasali Pridemage: Fantastic card. Will see play as a sideboard card against anything packing important artifacts or enchantments.

Sigil of the Nayan Gods: Meh. Won't see play.

Sigiled Behemoth: Won't see play.

Vectis Dominator: Won't see play.

Magefire Wings: Won't see play.

Putrid Leech: Okay, an interesting card. Could see some play, but I can't think of where or why.

Cerodon Yearling : RW just got a major boost with this card. Will see a stack of play in any deck that can support him.

Winged Coatl: Simicbogle was just waiting for this card as another piece of quality removal to play longside Snakeform. Fanastic, will get lots of play.

Esper Sojourners: Will see play, if Pauper can get manafixing to work faster and better.

Grixis Sojourners: Meh, won't see play.

Jund Sojourners: It's... okay. Just. Unlikely to see play.

Naya Sojourners: Nope, won't see play.

Bant Sojourners: Michael J Flores likes it, so someone's bound to use it.

Arsenal Thresher: This guy is a bomb, and will certainly get some action. Can easily see it dropping as a 6/6, which is extremely hard to kill in pauper.

Sewn-Eye Drake: I don't think it gets there. Good, but not good enough.

Sangrite Backlash: Won't see play.

Trace of Abundance: Wow. I really, really like this card. It's the quality mana fixing GR and GW were looking for. I think it's see a lot of play.

Crystallization: Meh. Won't see play.

Messenger Falcons: A solid card, and as card drawing partly defines the pauper format I think it could find a home in Blink decks quite happily, landing a turn before Mulldrifter.

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Overall, I think Blue and Red are the big winners out of this set. The only problem will be that pauper has very little quality manafixing in the way of lands, so Gold cards haven't seen a lot of action. However, with all the buzz about I'm sure that will change.

Labels: analysis, magic, pauper