Pauper After the Zeta SetIn August this year, the Pauper community became embroiled in a heated debate over the Secret Lair Zeta Set, a collection announced with several powerful commons that were new to the format. Numerous content creators and players weighed in on the cards' legality, forcing the PFP to respond, initially claiming that the set would not affect the format.On September 4, the Pauper Format Panel reversed the decision: ten of the twelve downshifted cards became legal (Dispatch, Cut Down, Baleful Strix, Vandalblast, Return to Dust, Soul-Guide Lantern, An Offer You Can't Refuse, Serra Angel, Sengir Vampire and Gigantosaurus), with Narcomoeba and Price of Progress preemptively banned.Dispatch and Strix stood out as the most eye-catching additions: an artifact creature with potential to be explored in several decks, and an extremely efficient removal spell that benefits from the absurd number of relevant artifacts in the format.The metagame has changed, new strategies have emerged and are still being refined since then, but without a doubt, Dispatch is the card that caught my attention the most because it enables a build I have always wanted to make work in the format: Azorius Faeries.Azorius Faeries in PauperThe deck's core remains intact, with Spellstutter Sprite and Ninja of the Deep Hours, but the white splash gives access to Dispatch, Kor Skyfisher and Thraben Charm. The mana base with artifact lands enables Dispatch, which can deal with any threat, while Charm covers a wider range of situations.Kor Skyfisher is a bonus in this deck: a creature with a much more impactful body than the Faeries, whose bounce not only lets you reuse a Faerie but also enables ninjutsu every turn as long as Kor is alive and free to attack.Cogwork Wrestler perfectly fills the role of Brinebarrow Intruder in this version, and is also an artifact, while Giant’s Boulder is another extremely versatile piece that fuels metalcraft, can be removal, and in the late game clears the top of the deck and smooths the curve.Why Play This Deck?Against aggressive and artifact decks, this Faeries list has more cheap answers than the mono-blue version. The trade-off is that it gives up Baleful Strix and Cut Down in exchange for Skyfisher and exile-based removal.Mulligan and Play StyleLike any Faeries deck, Azorius plays the long game with Counterspell and Dispatch, using its creatures' evasion to connect with its ninjas and generate plenty of advantage. Kor is very important here because its bounce enables ninjutsu every turn, which ensures card-draw advantage.The hand above is a good example of an opening hand: two lands, one of them providing white, cheap creatures to play on curve, blue interaction, and a ninja to turn an attack into cards. Metalcraft can be found on top with Faerie Seer or off the ninja's draw.Here we have another very good example. The two artifact lands and Wrestler already enable metalcraft, Skyfisher resets the land drop, and with Hacker (Human) and Skyfisher (non-Human), Of One Mind costs only one blue mana.The hand above is the bad example. Four white cards with no source, only two lands, and no blue creature to play on curve. Mulligan.SideboardThe sideboard serves four functions: red hate, artifact and enchantment hate, improving the matchup against blue decks, and graveyard hate.Vs. Red MadnessHere we have the most-played deck in the format right now. In Game 1, adopt a conservative control posture; do not turn aggressor before stabilizing your life total. After sideboarding, against an all-red deck, Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast are the most efficient cards, and Dawnbringer helps in several ways alongside Skyfisher.Save your removal and counterspells for the opponent's pingers and use your life total very carefully, because it is your most important resource in this matchup.Side inSide outVs. Esper AffinityThe variant that swaps Affinity's red for white to use Dispatch and also adopts Baleful Strix, which adds a lot to the deck.It can be a very tricky matchup, depending on Affinity's start and which version is being used. The risk is being left without an answer to the opponent's sequence of powerful plays, which can generate a lot of value.There is not much to do in Game 1; you need to be fast but careful with the opponent's threats. In Game 2, you go for the hate and try to win that way.Side inSide outVs. Monster TronThis is a game that demands a more aggressive posture early and a more conservative one in the midgame. In Game 1, you basically have three turns to try to build an advantage, and you must be prepared to deal with the opponent's bombs in the following turns.Tron can play very well in the late game, but it is also not a deck that can recover once it runs out of steam. Be careful with blockers and very large creatures. The opponent will try to prolong things by gaining life, but if you are consistently connecting with your creatures and generating card advantage, you will not have problems.In Game 2, they will bring in Pyroblasts and board wipes, and you must prepare for that.Side inSide outVs. Dimir FaeriesThis is a very interesting pseudo-mirror match, because at the same time you will face a deck that operates like yours but is also a different deck, with a much more reactive posture.Dimir Faeries now has two powerful additions: Cut Down and Baleful Strix. The first ninja can be decisive, but a wrong play can put you completely behind and hand the opponent the win. Do not allow them to land a free Monarch, and use your creatures well to overcome the opponent's defenses.After sideboarding, you can change only a little, but there are some cards that should help. Keep in mind that getting rid of the opponent's first Faerie as quickly as possible and keeping their ninja locked down should open up some advantage, but do not allow yourself to pass a turn without a backup plan, and assume the opponent always has theirs.Side inSide outVs. Ruby StormRuby Storm is another deck that has been appearing a lot in the meta. It is a matchup that depends heavily on who goes first and on how the opponent's first turns look. Your main plan is to stop them from using their win condition, Seize the Storm, which creates a massive creature token with trample.Blue decks usually have the advantage against Storm, but play it safe.In Game 2, you will bring in all the red hate from your sideboard and have even more of an advantage. Your posture should be as conservative as possible. Be careful with their answers, because the opponent will certainly have them, and one mistake can be costly.Side inSide outFinal ThoughtsOn paper, the list works like a traditional Faeries deck: more resilient to Affinity and Madness thanks to access to white, and more vulnerable in other respects because it runs a slightly slower mana base. The deck's quality depends on two variables: securing your mana sources and enabling metalcraft consistently.I tested different mana bases and different builds, with more and fewer artifacts, and arrived at this list, which I present to you here after a lot of testing. I believe the deck still has many points that can be improved, but it is already a very competitive and consistent list and can perform well in the current metagame.That wraps up another article. Leave your questions, suggestions, criticism, and/or praise in the comments. Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
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