Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty shakes up the Pauper format in a big way. Several of the format’s best decks receive additional buffs. And the set also introduces Sagas at common rarity, which has never happened in Magic: the Gathering‘s history. Here are the best Pauper cards from Neon Dynasty:
#10) Okiba Reckoner Raid
For one mana, Okiba Reckoner Raid drains your opponent for two and transforms into a 2/2 with menace. That’s an aggressive MTG card!
This Neon Dynasty Saga slots perfectly into mono-black, Rogue Burn strategies playing
Morsel Theft
Morsel Theft
Prowl {1}{B} (You may cast this for its prowl cost if you dealt combat damage to a player this turn with a Rogue.)
Target player loses 3 life and you gain 3 life. If this spell's prowl cost was paid, draw a card.
and
Bump in the Night
Bump in the Night
Target opponent loses 3 life.
Flashback {5}{R} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
.
#9) Thundersteel Colossus
Urza’s Tower
Urza’s Tower
{T}: Add {C}. If you control an Urza's Mine and an Urza's Power-Plant, add {C}{C}{C} instead.
+
Urza’s Mine
Urza’s Mine
{T}: Add {C}. If you control an Urza's Power-Plant and an Urza's Tower, add {C}{C} instead.
+
Urza’s Power Plant
Urza’s Power Plant
{T}: Add {C}. If you control an Urza's Mine and an Urza's Tower, add {C}{C} instead.
= 7 mana
Tron decks can play Thundersteel Colossus on Turn 3. The following turn, they can play a 2/2
Mulldrifter
Mulldrifter
Flying
When this creature enters, draw two cards.
Evoke {2}{U} (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it enters.)
, crew the colossal vehicle, and swing for seven damage.
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#8) Spirited Companion
Spirited Companion is the white version of
Elvish Visionary
Elvish Visionary
When this creature enters, draw a card.
. It slots right into Boros Monarch decks that can loop Spirited Companion with
Kor Skyfisher
Kor Skyfisher
Flying
When this creature enters, return a permanent you control to its owner's hand.
to grind value.
#7) The Modern Age
The Modern Age packs a punch for two mana. It loots twice before turning into Vector Glider, a flying 2/3 creature. This slots nicely into Pauper Ninja decks, which can return Vector Glider to hand with ninjutsu if you want to replay the Saga half of the card.
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#6) Moonsnare Specialist
Faeries and Ninjas make up several of the best decks in Pauper and they are getting big buffs with Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. These tempo decks use
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Ninjutsu {1}{U} ({1}{U}, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card.
to draw cards and bounce back your
Spellstutter Sprite
Spellstutter Sprite
Flash
Flying
When this creature enters, counter target spell with mana value X or less, where X is the number of Faeries you control.
s.
Now, both Izzet and Dimir variants of the Ninja deck have access to Moonsnare Specialist as another tempo play. For three mana, you can ninjutsu the Specialist into play and bounce creatures to your opponent’s hand.
#5) You Are Already Dead
You Are Already Dead is a cantrip and a kill spell wrapped up in a one-mana instant. This card combos nicely with
Cuombajj Witches
Cuombajj Witches
{T}: This creature deals 1 damage to any target and 1 damage to any target of an opponent's choice.
and
Pestilence
Pestilence
At the beginning of the end step, if no creatures are on the battlefield, sacrifice this enchantment.
{B}: This enchantment deals 1 damage to each creature and each player.
to kill any creature on the battlefield. Expect this card to show up in Mono-Black Control decks.
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#4) Kami of Industry
Kami of Industry will make an interesting inclusion to artifact decks. It notably pairs well with
Ichor Wellspring
Ichor Wellspring
When this artifact enters or is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, draw a card.
, allowing you to draw two cards. And it also synergizes with
Makeshift Munitions
Makeshift Munitions
{1}, Sacrifice an artifact or creature: This enchantment deals 1 damage to any target.
, which Pauper artifact decks are playing these days.
#3) Experimental Synthesizer
This card works similarly to Pauper staple
Ichor Wellspring
Ichor Wellspring
When this artifact enters or is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, draw a card.
. It costs one less mana to play but you can only play the top card of your library until the end of the turn.
But this card does have one advantage over Wellspring in that it can sacrifice itself. When you do, you can play the top card of your library again, and you even make a 2/2 Samurai token.
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#2) Moon Circuit Hacker
Here’s yet another Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty card that fits right into the aforementioned Pauper Ninja decks.
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Ninjutsu {1}{U} ({1}{U}, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card.
is a staple of the Pauper archetype. But you can play Moon-Circuit Hacker for its ninjutsu cost for one less mana. Expect Ninja decks to adopt 1-3 copies of this card on top in addition to their Ninjas of Deep Hours.
#1) Moonsnare Prototype
At first glance, Moonsnare Prototype looks like
Springleaf Drum
Springleaf Drum
{T}, Tap an untapped creature you control: Add one mana of any color.
, another Pauper staple.
In decks that already play Springleaf Drum, Moonsnare Prototype can serve as copies 5-8 of the effect. The additional copies will help with consistency and ramping out big artifacts quickly.
But there are multiple functional upgrades when it comes to this Neon Dynasty Springleaf Drum. It can tap artifacts or creatures you control to make mana. Tapping
Bloodfountain
Bloodfountain
When this artifact enters, create a Blood token. (It's an artifact with "{1}, {T}, Discard a card, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
{3}{B}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.
or
Ichor Wellspring
Ichor Wellspring
When this artifact enters or is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, draw a card.
for mana goes a long way.
Moonsnare Prototype also makes for a better late-game draw than Springleaf Drum does, because it has a channel ability is basically an uncounterable
Totally Lost
Totally Lost
Put target nonland permanent on top of its owner's library.
.
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