The Hobbit is not Lord of the Rings — at least not in Pauper. The new Middle-earth set ends up suffering from the same issues as recent Magic "mini sets": fewer commons mean fewer possibilities, and the set's power level does not keep up with the common-only format's Metagame.That does not mean the set lacks good cards that could deserve testing or inclusion in established decks. Below, we have compiled the best cards from the new Middle-earth expansion for Pauper!WhiteWhite Weenie / Mono White Aggro already runs a Looting/Flashback core with Raffine's Informant and Battle Screech, and I imagine Moment of Glory could literally turn games in your favor if we set up the board to "explode" on a later turn.I believe four mana and the lack of a toughness point do not justify the extra mana cost nor the versatility of Thorin's Last Stand when compared to Guardians' Pledge.BlueModal cards that can be used proactively while interacting with the board or stack at a low cost always deserve an honorable mention.There might be some Tron version that wants a copy of Gandalf, Wandering Wizard among its win conditions. It dodges Cast Down, protects itself from other removal, and sits outside Galvanic Blast range, while also generating more resources when needed.BlackTithing Blade with Unholy Strength for five mana is likely worse than a Tithing Blade.Reverent Howl provides a "draw 2" at instant speed and a way to hold off Aggro's clock with a creature for a turn. The mana cost seems high to be relevant, but it deserves testing.RedPinecone Strike is so close to being a staple, yet so far because it specifies "tokens" among the artifacts it can destroy.Melded Moxite is likely a better choice, but having a way for Sneaky Snacker to attack for four each turn with Flying could make Ragged Short Spear worth the slots.I believe Smaug, the Great Calamity would be a card for Ramp if it cost one less mana on both modes, or if the five damage also existed on its ETB. At seven mana, it does not fall under Annoyed Altisaur's Cascade and becomes very hard to justify its slot.GreenA 5/5 with Trample that dodges Cast Down and Galvanic Blast, while also helping to ramp mana to cast it, deserves an honorable mention.There might be some deck that benefits from paying six mana for a Malevolent Rumble on steroids, but I do not believe Boughside Wanderers does enough to deserve space even in Elves lists.Trample, Hexproof, and power increase in the same card that also handles a flying creature is a lot of versatility. It is likely that Warg Tactics will not become a staple, but it is a great addition to the format.MulticoloredThere must be some way to break Mirkwood Nurturer in an Elves shell; I just do not believe it is possible in Pauper, but I would love to be proven wrong.ArtifactsGiant's Boulder is likely an almost automatic inclusion for most Tron lists. It filters the top of the library, fixes mana, and turns into unconditional removal in the medium term. It will certainly compete for slots or complement Barrels of Blasting Jelly.LandsAll common "Typal Lands" are too slow for their respective archetypes, or those archetypes are nonexistent in Pauper. Perhaps Goblin-town could find some interaction in Moggwarts, but the others lack enough support and/or benefits to justify a lost turn.Wrapping UpThat's all for today!If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!Thanks for reading!
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