The Zeta Set: PFP Releases 12 Cards for Pauper After Community Pressure

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Common-rarity reprints will be legal starting September 7. Narcomoeba and Price of Progress are preemptively banned, while Baleful Strix and Vandalblast have been added to the watchlist

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Wizards of the Coast announced this Friday (4) that the twelve cards from The Zeta Setlink outside website reprinted at common rarity will be legal in Pauper starting September 7. The decision reverses the company’s initial position that the cards would not enter the format because they were reprints not designed for Pauper.

The Zeta Set is a Secret Lair release featuring reprints of classic cards with original artwork, launched on September 2. Twelve of those cards were printed at common rarity for the first time, sparking debate in the community over their legality in Pauper, a format that allows only common cards.

The list includes Dispatch, Return to Dust, Serra Angel, Narcomoeba, An Offer You Can't Refuse, Cut Down, Sengir Vampire, Price of Progress, Vandalblast, Gigantosaurus, Baleful Strix and Soul-Guide Lantern.

Initially, Wizards and the Pauper Format Panel decided not to make the cards legal, arguing that the change would have a major impact on the format and that the reprints had not undergone review by a game designer, as all other common cards in Magic history have. The company also cited concerns about the unpredictable introduction of cards through Secret Lair. However, after a week of strong community backlash, Wizards reversed its decision.

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Despite the release, two cards were banned immediately: Narcomoeba, because of its potential in Spy decks with Dread Return, and Price of Progress, for offering excessive damage in aggressive red decks. Four other cards were placed on a strict watchlist: Baleful Strix, Vandalblast, Dispatch and Cut Down.

The cards will be legal starting September 7 in physical Magic and September 23 in Magic Online. Wizards acknowledged that the transition period could create instability in the format, with additional bans possible in the October and December updates. The team said it will continue monitoring the cards’ impact, and that their continued legality will be evaluated during the next two ban windows.

With information from: DailyMTGlink outside website

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