Pauper players have a new set of cards to watch, and one writer is making the case that the Zeta Set’s most talked-about cards aren’t actually causing much trouble. The Power of Pauper: Zeta in Paper dives into what the Zeta Set has brought to paper Pauper events since the cards went legal in tabletop Magic, and the column raises questions about whether the problematic watch list cards are truly problematic.
Joe Dyer hosts the column, and he spends most of the piece weighing whether the four cards drawing attention from the Pauper Format Police — Baleful Strix, Dispatch, Vandalblast, and Cut Down — are worth watching. The column also offers a recap of the week’s MTGO events and points readers toward a new episode of The Common Cold Snap and some Colorado paper gameplay.
Watch List Cards
Dyer opens by noting that the PFP has its eyes on several cards from the Zeta Set. The list includes Baleful Strix, Dispatch, Vandalblast, and Cut Down, and the column spends the bulk of its runtime figuring out whether these cards are truly problematic.
The card that stands out is Dispatch, which Dyer describes as “kind of nuts.” He compares it to Swords to Plowshares, calling the ability to remove an opponent’s creature for a single mana a “crazy” effect. Dispatch is primarily showing up in Esper Affinity builds, where it pairs with Strix and Cut Down.
Baleful Strix is also seeing plenty of play, especially in Dimir Faeries decks. The column notes that having a bounce ability lets you replay Strix for value, and it fits well with cards like Glint Hawk and Kor Skyfisher that can return it to hand. Dyer also points to newer cards like Giant’s Boulder and Utrom Monitor as ways to turn on Dispatch.
Cut Down appears in many of the same decks as Strix, giving them efficient removal. Dyer describes these lists as “one of the best places to play nearly all of these cards together,” and he notes that having six or seven pieces of efficient removal is already very strong.
Vandalblast in Context
Vandalblast is on the watch list, but Dyer isn’t actually impressed. He says it’s seeing play in the sideboard capacity that it probably should be, particularly in decks that can leverage its big mana cost and Overload mechanic.
The card is showing up in Tron decks, which can reliably cast it for 4R, and it’s also appearing in some Grixis Affinity and Elves lists. Dyer frames it as a flexible sideboard card rather than a problematic main-deck threat.
He admits that the question of whether Vandalblast deserves watch-list status will have to wait until the cards become legal on MTGO on the 23rd.
Soul-Guide Lantern and Gigantosaurus
One card that isn’t on the watch list is Soul-Guide Lantern, and Dyer thinks players should be aware of it anyway. He points out that it’s good at being bounced because it does something on ETB, wiping out opposing graveyards or drawing a card.
He sees it in Boros Moxite decks, which he calls “kind of cool.”
The column also notes that Gigantosaurus has shown up in Elves, but not in huge numbers. Dyer expects the MTGO data to clarify which cards are actually a problem when the downshift becomes legal next week.
MTGO Recap and Around the Web
The column spends a section on the week’s MTGO events, noting that there were a lot of Pauper events despite the “lame duck-ness” of the format before Zeta Set goes live. The recap sheet shows 302 decklist entries for the week, which Dyer calls “super solid.”
The weekly recap also points to a new episode of The Common Cold Snap and some Colorado paper gameplay as additional reading. Dyer directs readers to his Link Tree, where they can find all his associated links, and he’s also around the MTGGoldfish Discord Server and the MTGPauper Discord Server.
The Questions Raised
The column’s approach is patient. It waits for the data before jumping to conclusions. Dyer wants to see how the format shakes out on MTGO, where the data will be clearer. He asks good questions about whether Dispatch is only good because Strix ensures metalcraft, and whether Strix is only good because Dispatch deals with threats that could push through it.
The column ends with a request for feedback from readers who have played these cards in paper. Dyer wants to know what their experience has been like.
The Numbers
- Watch-list cards: Baleful Strix, Dispatch, Vandalblast, Cut Down
- Sideboard card: Soul-Guide Lantern
- MTGO decklist entries this week: 302
- MTGO downshift legal date: 23rd
- New set: Zeta
Key Points
- Dispatch is the card Dyer describes as “kind of nuts.”
- Strix and Cut Down pair well in Esper Affinity.
- Vandalblast is flexible but not impressively problematic.
- Gigantosaurus has appeared in Elves but not heavily.
The column’s tone is curious rather than alarmed. It raises questions about the cards’ roles in the format without settling them, and it points readers toward the MTGO data as the ultimate answer. For now, the takeaway is that the watch-list cards haven’t blown up paper Pauper the way some feared. They’re just doing what good cards do.
Source material: “The Power of Pauper: Zeta in Paper,” MTGGoldfish.
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