I use a few different metrics when looking at the Top 32 metagame. The first is just Raw Volume. The second is Win+, which takes the sum of all wins at X-2 or better in the Swiss and assigns a score; Win+ is helpful in measuring a deck’s Swiss round performance. K-Wins takes all of a deck’s wins and subtracts its losses, Top 8 inclusive; this helps to give a measure of overall performance. The final pair is call Meta Score and Meta Score Above Replacement, which takes the average of Win+ and K-Win to try and position an archetype against its field. This number helps to provide the most robust image of a deck’s performance.
I still like Pauper.
This probably looks like an odd thing to read in a blog that is largely dedicated to the format, in a weekly update on the competitive metagame for said format…but it still feels like it needs to be said. At times it feels like the majority of online discourse around Pauper circles around how bad things are; how far things have strayed from good and true Magic.
I want to talk about this. Maybe I’m feeling a certain way about fostering a community in the wake of the passing of Sheldon Menery (probably). Perhaps I’m coming off of an incredibly busy period in my personal life and just want to put digital ink to the digital page (definitely). I know for a fact that if you’re not having fun with a leisure activity then you shouldn’t continue to pursue it.
I started playing Pauper when I was in college. I was a Junior in the Spring 2005 semester and was trying to find an outlet for my competitive streak when I found the Pauper Deck Challenge community and I fell for it hard. I loved the unexplored nature (at the time) of the format and the people involved in putting on the events. I got a thrill out of how new everything felt. Then the format became officially recognized on Magic Online and my relationship with Pauper changed. I still loved trying new things and brewing decks, but I found another way to connect with the format. I started to chronicle it, tracking the metagame and reporting out on the happenings. I wanted to share something I enjoyed with the world and provide a way for other people to potentially find something fun to do with their spare time.
All the while I was writing, sharing, some would say evangelizing. I believed in Pauper. I built relationships with the folks who made the game and tried, even when I was critical, to be respectful. And for the past year and a half I have been part of the Pauper Format Panel. My relationship with Pauper has changed again and I am sure it will change in the future.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: throughout my nearly 19 years of playing Pauper there have been times when I haven’t played. When I took a step back and decided that I’d rather do something else with my time. Maybe it was cook a good meal and get some extra sleep; train for a half marathon or read a book. But I always come back because I find it fun.
There’s a comfort I find in Pauper. That despite the new cards that things largely look similar. Maybe Mono Black Control is not as good as it was when I started but there are decks that play similarly. Blue decks will always be countering spells and red decks are always going to be burning my face. Things may have gotten more efficient over the years, more powerful, but by and large Pauper is still Pauper.
What has changed are the rules of engagement. Pauper, for a long time, was a format where simple accumulation of resources could translate to victory and this was largely concentrated in blue. The Monarch expanded it into other colors and the Initiative doubled down on this territory. Deadly Dispute and Experimental Synthesizer made this flow more efficient. That is important because once the cards were gathered the next step was deploying them. Tron was regent for so long due in part to how well it could fill its grip and then cast those very same spells; Monarch was jam packed with cheap removal for this very reason. Now this same efficacy is spread more evenly, albeit with power concentrated in certain cards and packages.
Before Pauper could be defined by powerful singular cards or tight combos. Now the format is based around different cores that can slot into different builds for desired outcomes. While this closes off some element of exploration in deck construction it can be liberating in helping to prop up decks that might not otherwise be able to cut the mustard.
Decisions matter now, more than ever. There is little room for error and tight play is rewarded. Maybe the choice has to be made in deck construction or in the posture you assume from turn one (Who’s the Beatdown? indeed). And I find this fun. In the micro maybe I’ll get rolled by bringing yesterday’s weapon to today’s battle, but other times I’ll be rewarded for those very same choices.
Playing Magic should be fun. Now I can’t define that for you, but if you aren’t having it then maybe it’s time to take a break and come back with fresh eyes. Life is too short to do stuff that you don’t like to do.
But if you’re having fun in Pauper and want to get a jump on next week you better have a plan for red. Whether that’s lifegain or blockers, red is out in force. I know it is a meme at this point, but there’s nothing wrong with running Thraben Inspector out there given the way things are going right now.
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NerdtotheCore 