Double Masters is the latest in a long line of Masters sets from Wizards of the Coast, usually we get some sweet downgrades that shake up the format e.g Auger of Bolas and Seeker of the Way spring to mind immediately.
We also have several reprints that will aid new players entering the format acquiring cards. Though generally speaking when purchasing a masters booster you are looking to open a premium value card and not commons.
So I’m going to focus on a few cards in each colour, some downshifts and some reprints. Then I’ll give a quick summary of how I think the colours fared overall in the set for the conclusion along with personal favourites.
White
Crib Swap
Removal in white is at a premium and whilst you give up a 1/1 Shapeshifter in return, in many cases this is a not an issue if you’re removing a Stonehorn Dignatory or Gurmag Angler.
Journey to Nowhere is great but instant speed removal is a nice upgrade.
Crusader of Odric
Funnily enough my wife Rachel liked my Boros Tokens deck so much that she’s now got it in her deck gauntlet for Pauper. A tokens deck is where the Crusader can make it’s mark. It’s potentially prone to board wipe if it’s 1/1 token friends get Shrivelled but it could be a potent finisher.
Thraben Inspector
Thraben Inspector gets a reprint, one of the best one drops in the format with relevant power and toughness with an added clue token to boot for card draw. Add in it combo’s well with Kor Skyfisher this card is a blast.
Blue
Vedalken Infuser
Not sure if we have any relevant artefacts with Charge counters to make this card relevant. That being said some janky fun deck could well be possible though I’m not sure on a finisher or endgame.
Brainstorm
Have to say I wasn’t too worried when I saw another reprint of this as we’ve have had several in recent years, shame it wasn’t Preordain as that is in dire need of a reprint to bring down the foil price. Now we have Oubliette maybe someone needs to start a campaign for the blue staple.
Black
Bone Picker
Now this is a card I can get truly excited about. I always hoped it would be a thing in Standard but never really broke through. Black decks have plenty of removal to cheat the Bone Picker out and its big enough to take out Kor Skyfisher and Delver of Secrets in the air.
Cast Down
Cast Down is a reasonable upgrade, you already have Doom Blade and Victim of the Night in the format so Cast Down is an improvement for both Dimir and Mono Black decks but it is in no way a game changer.
Oubliette
The most interesting card in black is a reprint that has been desired for quite some time in Oubliette. We have some nice templating to allow the card to be printed again, I’ve already a playset of Arabian Nights Oubliette’s that I was acquiring every time I went to a Magicfest to improve my deck. I’ll definitely be aiming to get a foil playset too. Monoblack has a great card pool and I’ve multiple versions that I shuffle up either in paper or on MTGO.
Red
Abrade
Abrade is a fine downshift and one that has potential to see play and sideboard slots. It’s a very flexible card and consequently useful in a variety of relevant situations in Pauper.
Rapacious Dragon
Whilst this card may be way too expensive to be a seriously played card in Pauper, the dream of making a dragon deck in Pauper continues apace, a 3/3 flyer is still solid and the treasure tokens allow for artefact synergies or just future ramp.
Green
Conclave Naturalists
I have to be honest as I originally thought, wow, Green really struggled to get any help this time around. Then after reading through the cards again to see if I’d missed something it clicked, Conclave Naturalists used to be an uncommon. This is going to be a really sweet card with a solid body behind a relevant comes into play ability. Even the casting cost isn’t too hard in the decks that would like it e.g. Elves and Tron. Imagine if this had been Reclamation Sage !
Colorless
Myr Retriever
Whilst I do have a Magic Online account and I’ve a deck, I really prefer playing Pauper in paper and been playing a lot more Brawl on MTG Arena rather than being MTGO. There is a lot of hype over using Myr Retriever in a combo deck, personal bias here is I like to play a game of Magic the Gathering and not watch my opponent assemble a combo and just win from nowhere, the games when they don’t usually play like solitaire with little interaction for either player. I’m hoping this deck fails to make a mark. I envisage this will enrage several readers, I’d say many but I don’t think we have the readership yet to say many,
Urza Lands
Box topper goodness for Tron decks with the trio of lands reprinted and an Expedition map to find them, such a shame Expedition Map got banned recently. As beautiful as they are, why Wizards why ! I appreciate the online meta is held back from the clicking nonsense on MTGO, but encouraging people to pick up the deck in cardboard with more reprints and even sexier box toppers makes me want to cry.
That being said, I do have Tron built myself in paper and if I’m feeling the urge to grind games and my opponents into submission.
Conclusion
I’m impressed with how white has fared in the set. Some very nice choices.
I don’t think blue fared particularly well with this set, this is a relief as Blue is already ahead of the curve in many aspects and hopefully other colours can compete on a more level playing field.
Black has definitely for some significant improvements and is my call for most improved colour for Pauper in the set.
Red may not have added any real depth in Pauper but in Abrade we’ve got a real barnstormer of a card.
Green hasn’t added much to the format but the one card that is significant is awesome.
Double Masters looks like a great set for collecting purposes though not so much for making an impact on the format. My three personal favourites are
3.. Crib Swap
2.. Abrade
1.. Bone Picker
Okay I’m biased, I’ve always love black as a colour and from my earliest days in magic I’ve always had a fondness for black. However, I do believe this will give Mono black an option to go more aggressive in the format improving the midrange potential of the deck.
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