Want to learn more about the metrics I use in tracking the metagame? You can find an explainer here.
A lot happened last weekend in the world of Pauper but whether it matters or not remains to be seen. As with all results, a single weekend does not always mean there’s a changing of the guard. Does the complete lack of Faeries and the meager performance of High Tide this weekend mean those decks are gone for good? Does the strong showing by Azorius Familiars means that it is currently the deck to beat? I like to think you know the answers to these questions but just in case, neither of those statements hold water.
Pauper is a non-rotating format with a ton of inertia. Without an infusion of new and powerful options the metagame is unlikely to shift rapidly. Rather what we are seeing is a blip – a small course correction given recent results. When we get to the power rankings two decks have dropped off – Aristocrats and Faeries – but that does not mean they are non-factors. Perhaps their adherents moved to other decks or simply had different plans. The surge in Dimir Faeries tells us that Spellstutter Sprite hasn’t lost any luster, but maybe removal was more important last weekend.
More than any other format I’ve played outside of Limited, current Pauper is defined by how you’re answering threats. In some cases you can very easily trade time for board presence with a Snap or Deem Inferior. Other times you need to Snuff Out a Writhing Chrysalis until your opponent’s adjust to Gixian Infiltrator and suddenly your key card is left stranded. If you want to identify what’s happening in Pauper at any given time, looking at the removal is a good place to go after examining the archetypes.
What does last week tell us? In the end, not much. The format was more hostile to spell based decks at large, but that gave space for creature based strategies like Gruul Ramp to surge. I would expect a regression next week as things settle for the final few weeks of the season.
Power Rankings
Dropped from rankings: Aristocrats, Faeries
10. Azorius Familiars (Not Ranked)
9. Elves (-2)
8. Dimir Faeries (+1)
7. Madness Burn (-2)
6. Gruul Ramp (NR)
5. High Tide (-2)
4. Grixis Affinity (-2)
3. Rakdos Madness (+5)
2. Jund (+3)
1. Blue Terror
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