There’s been a lot of emphasis on Modern and Legacy when it comes to the Time Spiral Remastered previews, but what about Pauper?
Pauper is the commons-only format that can share a similar power level with Modern and Legacy. Yes, you read that right. It’s affordable, powerful, and offers a diverse metagame for those who are looking for something new. Plus, it’s always good to make use of that Draft chaff you amass through opening boosters.
If you missed out on the Time Spiral Remastered previews so far– these finished up today so you can check the spoilers here.
The Best Time Spiral Remastered Time Shifted Cards for Pauper
With that, let’s dig into some of the gorgeous timeshifted commons you can pick up from Time Spiral Remastered.
Thraben Inspector
Perhaps my favorite card to see the timeshifted border is Thraben Inspector— it saw a lot of play in Standard as the value is too good to pass up. In Pauper, Thraben Inspector sees a lot of play in Affinity and Boros Bully since drawing cards is a key part of the format. Usually, Jeskai Affinity or 4-color Affinity accommodates the Human Solider as it creates an artifact to discount your Myr Enforcers.
Going further, you have Ancient Den to compliment Thraben Inspector with the timeshifted frame if you want some consistency. It’s a shame we didn’t see the rest of the artifact land cycle get a similar treatment, but let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long. If you want to play aggression coupled with artifact synergy, then Affinity is for you. There’s something satisfying about Fling-ing a 20/20 Atog to kill your opponent. It really never gets old, trust me.
Read More: 7 White Time Spiral Remastered Cards Previewed
Ponder
Ponder is a powerful card, so powerful it’s eaten a ban in Modern as it’s so good. It’s even restricted in Vintage as it’s able to do some ridiculous things– getting the idea yet? Fortunately, you can Ponder in Pauper as you don’t have nearly enough broken cards to make it work. With that, Ponder sees a lot of play in Delver-based lists as a way to flip your Delver of Secrets into a viable win condition.
For those who prefer to stick to Mono-Blue Delver, Ninja of the Deep Hours also gets the timeshifted frame adding more sophistication to an already tricky strategy to pilot. If you want to feel smart and look good, then playing Blue in Pauper is for you.
Read More: Blue Time Spiral Remastered Cards Previewed
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Mono-Black Control plays a simple plan. Control the board long enough that you can build up a board state with creatures and build into a major Gray Merchant of Asphodel life point swing. What’s even better is that you can run a lovely timeshifted Gray Merchant of Asphodel for the extra rub-ins. Mono-Black Control plays a lot like Jund in Modern, where you just run a pile of good cards, talk about the good old times, and hope to get there.
Going further, Gurmag Angler and Bojuka Bog will also see the timeshifted treatment if you want to go extra on the Pauper bling.
Read More: More Black Time Spiral Remastered Cards Previewed
Lava Spike
Red has a problem at the common rarity– a good problem. As red is the color of destruction and setting things on fire, there are a lot of options at the common rarity. Throughout Magic’s history, Red got multiple burn spells in every set giving you excellent options to build your Pauper deck.
With this, Time Spiral Remastered gives you an extra headache with the addition of Lava Spike seeing the timeshifted frame. You can burn your opponents the stylish way while counting in threes. Also, you have Molten Rain receiving a similar treatment if you want to blow up some lands– and who doesn’t love that?
Read More: More Red Time Spiral Remastered Cards Previewed
Elvish Mystic
Elves is one of the most beloved tribes in the history of Magic: The Gathering. Also, it is one of the few tribes that see success across a variety of formats, especially in Modern and Legacy. Elves is all about having small creatures that can produce an incredible amount of mana and offer strong synergy to finish off the opponent– this holds true in Pauper too.
Elvish Mystic receives the timeshifted treatment to go alongside those Llanowar Elves and Priest of Titania for a classical look. Thanks to Time Spiral Remastered, you can elf ball your opponents in style with these gorgeous frames.
Time Spiral Remastered is set to release for tabletop on March 19, 2021. Magic Online will also have a Time Spiral Remastered booster draft event, but it won’t be available on Magic: The Gathering Arena.
Read More: More Green Time Spiral Remastered Previews