IntroductionFrom September 7th onwards, the commons from The Zeta Set will be available in Pauper, but they'll need a few more weeks to get to Magic Online and start doing something in Challenges and other digital tournaments. It will be a strange, experimental period when gameplay data will not be as readily available as it could be in the age of social media.Below, we'll go over 5 initial decklists with the key staples from the Zeta Set. The goal is to get the most out of them in dedicated archetypes or established strategies and create a lot of value.5 Pauper Decks with The Zeta SetEsper BladeThe cards from The Zeta Set that most stand out are Baleful Strix, Dispatch, and Cut Down, so why not try all of them in the same list?Glintblade is already a Tier 2 deck in Pauper, but splashing for Baleful Strix without putting too much strain on the mana base is definitely a challenge. Fortunately, a meta that leans more towards aggro (which should remain the case, considering Burn is still one of the best decks) favors Navigator's Compass in the main deck. After all, it allows us to fix our mana from the very first turn, while Giant's Boulder does the same, improves our top decks, and can act as removal in very long games.The 1-mana artifacts also make it easier to play Dispatch as an exile effect. With Refurbished Familiar and Baleful Strix, you'll be able to use your resources efficiently without giving up card advantage. You'll always work with two or three lands and use the late game to keep putting pressure or get ahead bit by bit through favorable trades.Esper AffinityAt the more extreme end of the spectrum, we swapped Affinity's for for Dispatch. We lost Krark-Clan Shaman, which is a huge liability, and the best option going forward might be to consider Four-Color Affinity. But Esper has its pros, such as access to Dust to Dust in the sideboard, which we will probably need as players get more into Strix mirrors.Dimir FaeriesBaleful Strix is the most powerful card for Pauper from The Zeta Set, so, naturally, it appears in more decks than other cards. Faeries can also use this new creature really well. In this list, it is a removal that replaces itself in your hand and also enables Ninja of the Deep Hours. It could also be crucial as the long-awaited answer to Writhing Chrysalis in an archetype that has always struggled against this card.Faeries is also an excellent place to test Cut Down as a spot removal, considering it is cheaper than Cast Down and less punishing against Aggro than Snuff Out.Boros SnackerThe Sneaky Snacker package with Melded Moxite and Ragged Short-Spear looks like a great way to begin testing Dispatch in a Boros list, but here's another important note in regard to this deck and the new meta: it can play Soul-Guide Latern in the main deck or the sideboard without disrupting Snacker, and, in a bad situation, you can use it to draw cards and enable it.Red also gained Vandalblast, and Boros lists typically have enough time to get five lands and cast a one-sided sweeper against Affinity.Giganto-StompyGigantosaurus is Pauper's new low-cost giant creature, but the trade-off is that it costs five green mana, so it makes splashing colors in Ramp lists difficult. Considering that, why not fully embrace the green mana base and focus on a list that uses it alongside Nylea's Huntmaster and Nyxborn Hydra to set up a lethal attack and still get value from traditional Gruul Ramp lists at the same time?Please note that this is only one option, and it focuses more on creatures to get the most out of Lead the Stampede. Versions with Garruk's Companion, Aspect of Hydra, and protection such as Vines of Vastwood can get a lot from Devotion, while Ponza lists with Thermokarst, Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, and Reclaiming Vines are another possibility.Wrapping UpThat's all for today!If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!Thank you for reading!
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