What Is Pauper In Magic: The Gathering?

What is Pauper in Magic: The Gathering? It’s a question that you’ll find yourself asking after someone who’s been playing MTG longer than you mentions how it’s the greatest format of all time, and you’re a fool for not playing it.

Well, hopefully, they’re a little less evangelical about it, but you get the general gist of these kinds of interactions, and we’ve all had them and, probably, been the one preaching the good word of our favorite format too. So, what is Pauper in Magic: The Gathering? Well, let’s help you out.

What is Pauper in Magic: The Gathering?

Pauper is a format that includes every single card in MTG that’s ever been printed at Common rarity. That means that even if a card wasn’t Common when it was first printed, or it used to be a Common and then became a different rarity later on, that it can be used in your deck.

Other than that, it follows the normal constructed rules of at least sixty cards in your deck, up to fifteen cards in your sideboard, and only four of any individual cards outside of Basic Lands. It’s an incredibly fun format, and it’s a good one to check out if you fancy some very odd strategies.

What cards are banned in Pauper?

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Now, you might think that a format built entirely around Commons would mean that there would be nothing too powerful to ban, but you’d be horribly wrong. As a result, here’s the current banned list:

Arcum’s Astrolabe Arcum’s Astrolabe ({S} can be paid with one mana from a snow source.)
When this artifact enters, draw a card.
{1}, {T}: Add one mana of any color.
Cloud of Faeries Cloud of Faeries Flying
When this creature enters, untap up to two lands.
Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
Cloudpost Cloudpost This land enters tapped.
{T}: Add {C} for each Locus on the battlefield.
Cranial Plating Cranial Plating Equipped creature gets +1/+0 for each artifact you control.
{B}{B}: Attach this Equipment to target creature you control.
Equip {1}
Daze Daze You may return an Island you control to its owner's hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.
Empty the Warrens Empty the Warrens Create two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
Expedition Map Expedition Map {2}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Search your library for a land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.
Fall from Favor Fall from Favor Enchant creature
When this Aura enters, tap enchanted creature and you become the monarch.
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step unless that player is the monarch.
Frantic Search Frantic Search Draw two cards, then discard two cards. Untap up to three lands.
Gitaxian Probe Gitaxian Probe ({U/P} can be paid with either {U} or 2 life.)
Look at target player's hand.
Draw a card.
Grapeshot Grapeshot Grapeshot deals 1 damage to any target.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Gush Gush You may return two Islands you control to their owner's hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Draw two cards.
Invigorate Invigorate If you control a Forest, rather than pay this spell's mana cost, you may have an opponent gain 3 life.
Target creature gets +4/+4 until end of turn.
Mystic Sanctuary Mystic Sanctuary ({T}: Add {U}.)
This land enters tapped unless you control three or more other Islands.
When this land enters untapped, you may put target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard on top of your library.
Peregrine Drake Peregrine Drake Flying
When this creature enters, untap up to five lands.
Temporal Fissure Temporal Fissure Return target permanent to its owner's hand.
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Treasure Cruise Treasure Cruise Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for {1}.)
Draw three cards.
High Tide High Tide Until end of turn, whenever a player taps an Island for mana, that player adds an additional {U}.
Hymn to Tourach Hymn to Tourach Target player discards two cards at random.
Sinkhole Sinkhole Destroy target land.

We will forever get a chuckle out of the fact that Treasure Cruise was a card that was ever printed, because oh boy, does it do way too much work. We miss it nearly every day though, so we’re just laughing to cover up the pain.

What Is Pauper In Magic: The Gathering?

Jason Coles

What is Pauper in Magic: The Gathering?

What cards are banned in Pauper?