Pauper: The Best Cards from Duskmourn for the Format

Another Standard set is right around the corner! It will bring us new common cards that will also be legal in Pauper.

Duskmourn: House of Horror includes a few new mechanics, like Rooms, as well as some old ones, like Islandcycling and Manifest.

Please note that Standard sets are not designed with Pauper in mind, but some of their cards do stand out and become staples in this format.

In this article, we'll review the most striking commons from Duskmourn, and present to you a few ideas for where they might fit, and how they might influence the format.

Unlucky Lands

We'll start with the new cycle of common dual lands, the Unlucky Lands, whose name was inspired by the fact that their mechanics are directly tied to the number 13.

In fact, I wrote another article analyzing this entire cycle bit by bit. If you want to check out a more in-depth review, click here. Otherwise, all you need to know is that Pauper will now have dual lands that go into play untapped, and that has a lot of potential in this format. It may thoroughly change the speed and consistency of some decks.

Grab the Prize

One of the main highlights among all common cards in this set is Grab the Prize, a two mana spell that works similar to looting. Despite the fact this format already has many cards with this effect, like Demand Answers and Faithless Looting, Grab the Prize still stands out because it creates extra value: it deals 2 damage to each opponent if the card you discarded with its effect wasn't a land.

Another detail that makes this card excellent is the fact you have to discard a card before you draw, which means it has an incredible synergy with Sneaky Snacker in Rakdos Burn. This is precisely where this card should shine, and, alongside Razortrap Gorge, it should introduce to us a new way to build this deck.

Trapped in the Screen

This is an Oblivion Ring 2.0 that can target artifact lands and protects itself with ward. Obviously, this card can go into any deck Oblivion Ring would, but its cost might be a problem. Even more when we consider that Dust to Dust costs the same and is a superior artifact hate. However, it is still interesting for white.

Fear of Surveillance

Fear of Surveillance is another great white card. It has a lot of potential in Pauper's white aggro decks, as its ability lets you filter your top deck and interacts with Thraben Inspector's and Novice Inspector's card draw. Furthermore, it has a decent body and can easily attack as well as defend.

Clockwork Percussionist

This might be the most obviously viable card in this set. Clockwork Percussionist does everything Kuldotha Red needs; it is an artifact creature that enters play for one mana and can go into combat on that same turn. It can also serve as a sacrifice for Kuldotha Rebirth, and its effect is similar to Experimental Synthesizer's, only it lasts until the end of the next turn. It also interacts with Galvanic Blast's metalcraft and improves Goblin Tomb Raider.

Now, the big question is, what should we remove from this deck to add this card? Right away, there are a few options we can discuss.

Synthesizer is irreplaceable in this deck, so I don't consider this a flexible slot. Reckless Lackey is the same, as it is important for this strategy nowadays. Voldaren Epicure is also quite inflexible because it plays an incredibly important role in the deck's entire strategy.

That leaves us with Implement of Combustion, which is a 1-mana artifact that deals 1 damage to a target opponent for and always creates card advantage. I believe this slot is more flexible, as this card often comes out when you sideboard. For this reason, I believe the list with Clockwork should look like this:

Duskmourn will bring some interesting cards for Pauper, and I believe it will be more impactful than Bloomburrow, its predecessor. The Unlucky Lands, on their own, have a lot of potential for this format, particularly in red aggro decks, which can enable them more easily. I expect to see decks like Rakdos Burn and Kuldotha becoming more popular after this set comes along.

What do you think of Duskmourn? Did you like these cards? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below!

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!