Yesterday morning, Wizards of the Coast announced a massive shakeup to a variety of Constructed formats. Magic players, especially Modern and Legacy enthusiasts, knew that some bans would occur, but the announcement still managed to surprise us with a slew of Modern unbans.
One format that does not get addressed during the main ban update, however, is Pauper. Instead, the Pauper Format Panel that oversees the format typically provides some insight into any decisions they make via video. This time around, MTG designer Gavin Verhey made it clear there were no changes to the Pauper format.
With that being said, the analysis Verhey provided mentioned that a handful of cards/decks are on the watchlist moving forward. He also asked for feedback, and many players were quick to voice their opinions on some cards that they thought should have gotten the axe.
Gavin Verhey Addresses Three Archetypes
The bulk of the Pauper video is spent with Verhey discussing three main Pauper decks that remain the best decks in the format. While there are plenty of other decks in the format, like Tolarian Terror, Verhey stated that these three decks seem to cause the greatest concern among players.
First up, we have mono-red. This blazing-fast deck is the most popular strategy in Magic Online Pauper Leagues, boasting a 52% win rate. With excellent one-drops ranging from Goblin Tomb Raider to the new Clockwork Percussionist, this red deck is capable of putting a ton of pressure on the opponent early on.
Ultimately, Verhey states that he feels the deck’s win rate doesn’t warrant any action being taken. He even mentions that red decks form a strong pillar for the format, even if the Kuldotha Rebirth package is quite strong.
This brings us to deck number two: Broodscale combo. Revolving around Basking Broodscale and Sadistic Glee, this combo deck is fast and pretty resilient. Once again, though, Verhey insists that the deck’s win rate isn’t enough of an issue for a ban to take place. In fact, the win rate of this deck in leagues is less than that of burn.
That brings us to the last archetype in question: Affinity. Affinity has been a strong deck for many years that has resulted in a plethora of bans. In its current state, though, Affinity only has a win rate of 50% in leagues, which is a bit shocking. The fact that Affinity is unfavored against Broodscale combo definitely contributes.
As far as specific cards that Verhey believes are on the watchlist for future ban announcements, the artifact lands and Deadly Dispute were among the top considerations. Deadly Dispute is an incredible tool for both Affinity and Broodscale combo, so this absolutely makes sense.
It’s clear Verhey and Pauper Format Panel at large are listening to comments they receive from the players. With this in mind, it’s little wonder that the video’s title itself asks players directly, “Should Anything Change in Pauper?”
Player Reaction
Based on comments on the Pauper video, the number one card players believe should bite the dust is Writhing Chrysalis. Writhing Chrysalis is an interesting card to choose since it doesn’t directly impact the Broodscale+Glee combo. On top of that, it only goes in one of the three decks that Verhey discussed at length.
Nonetheless, the arguments players brought up are completely valid. First of all, as FelipeLapena points out, Writhing Chrysalis plays as a secondary win condition that is very difficult for the opponent to play around. If the opponent plays scared and tries to leave up damage-based removal like Lightning Bolt to avoid dying to the combo, Writhing Chrysalis can come down and ruin their day.
Furthermore, as Jonjonhholt comments, there really aren’t any cards in the format that can cleanly answer this card. It almost has a Fable of the Mirror-Breaker feel where even if you answer the card itself, there are still tokens left behind on the exchange.
Sacrifice effects like Chainer’s Edict just don’t work favorably here. Plus, Writhing Chrysalis works insanely well in multiples, as a few copies will easily overwhelm the opponent.
Beyond Writhing Chrysalis, the artifact lands were once again an element of contention. Dashkatae commented that all three decks Verhey talked about play the Mirrodin artifact lands. Even in the face of excellent hate cards like Gorilla Shaman, the upside of enabling Deadly Dispute, Galvanic Blast, and more is well worth the risk.
Moving Forward
“Leaving Chrysalis in format is really disappointing. Card is design horror, even if answered is building you value. No card in current pauper is so warping. Time to take a time out of this format, which is a shame”
BartSkull
The ultimate lack of action has definitely left a large number of players disappointed. With so many comments about nerfing Broodscale combo and the dangers of the artifact lands, though, it’s very possible bans will occur in 2025.
Some players like Sad_yeehaw are quite surprised that following Paupergeddon (a massive Pauper event featuring a top 16 dominated by Broodscale combo), no bans took place.
Others mentioned that they would’ve liked to see more discussion about the potential for unbans. Verhey has touched on the idea of bringing back Prophetic Prism, for example, to help unlock five-color Tron variants.
As there continue to be more and more cards unbanned in Modern, it’s plausible that the Pauper Format Panel could look to follow suit in the future. Prophetic Prism would almost certainly be the first place to look, especially given how fast mono-red aggro and Broodscale combo strategies can close the game. For now, though players will just need to sit tight.