Common cards only — cheap, deep, brutally competitive
Magic: The Gathering Pauper — Commons-only, anything but simple
Pauper is a Magic: The Gathering format where decks may only contain cards that were printed at common rarity in some set. That single restriction creates a surprisingly deep format — many of the strongest spells in Magic history have common printings (Brainstorm, Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, Snuff Out). Pauper started as an MTGO format, gained paper recognition around 2019, and has its own dedicated competitive scene with regular online tournaments. Best part: a competitive Pauper deck typically costs less than a single Modern playset.
Quick reference
- Deck size
- 60
- Starting life
- 20
- MTG Arena
- No
- MTGO
- Yes
Key rules
- 01
60+ cards main, 15 sideboard.
- 02
EVERY card in the deck must have been printed at common rarity in at least one set.
- 03
Up to 4 copies of any card (no singleton restriction).
- 04
20 life, best-of-three with sideboard.
- 05
Banned list maintained by Wizards (smaller than Modern's but active).
Strategy and feel
Pauper is "modern at common rarity" in spirit — same archetypes (control, combo, aggro, midrange) but with a different optimization problem. Tier 1: Mono-Blue Faeries (counterspells + flying threats), Burn, Affinity, Dimir Terror, Tortured Existence combo.
Official B&R list
Wizards maintains the official banned and restricted list. Updated periodically — check the official source before any tournament:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/banned-restricted-list#pauperReady to build a Pauper deck?
Build a Pauper deck with automatic format validation, import from Moxfield/Arena, and play online with friends when it's ready.