Pauper: the format explained
Commons only: dirt cheap and surprisingly strong.
- Card pool
- Only cards that were ever printed at common.
- Notable
- Doesn't rotate.
Who is it for?
The cheapest serious way to play competitively. Great for learning without spending much money, with its own fascinating metagame.
Getting started with Pauper
Pauper is the cheapest way to play seriously competitive Magic. A complete tournament deck often costs less than a single top card in Modern or Legacy. Start by checking what you already own: an old box of commons often holds more playable Pauper cards than you'd expect. Then buy the missing cards as singles for one known deck.
Pauper's home is Magic Online, where it's been a fixture for years. In paper it's growing, with Pauper nights at stores, and SpellTable lets you play paper cards against people online. MTG Arena sometimes runs Pauper events, but those use Arena's rarities, so they're a different format from official Pauper.
Building a Pauper deck
Pauper follows the standard constructed rules: at least 60 cards, no more than 4 copies of any card (except basic lands, counted across deck and sideboard together) and a sideboard of up to 15 cards. A card is legal if it was ever released at common in paper or on Magic Online. If so, you can play any version of that card, including a foil or a version that was rare in another set.
Because curves in Pauper are low, many decks run 17 to 20 lands; slow control decks go a bit higher. The mana base is the big difference from other formats: few two-color lands at common enter untapped, so you mostly work with lands that enter tapped or with cards that fix your mana. That's why most decks are one or two colors.
Aggro, control, combo and even ramp all have a place in Pauper, and the format is stronger than many people expect. Tournaments are best-of-three, so a sideboard with answers to fast aggro and to artifact or graveyard decks pays off.
Common mistakes
- Underestimating Pauper. They're commons, but the decks are fast and tuned. A deck full of cards that were only good in Limited won't keep up.
- Looking at the rarity of your own copy. What counts is whether the card was ever released at common in paper or on Magic Online, not what your printing says.
- Assuming your Arena collection counts. A card that's common on Arena isn't automatically legal in Pauper.
- Too many colors. When most of your dual lands enter tapped, a third color costs you a lot of tempo in Pauper.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Pauper only commons?
- Yes. Only cards that were ever released at common in paper or on Magic Online are legal. A card that only exists at uncommon or higher isn't allowed.
- Can I play a foil or rare version of a common?
- Yes. If a card was ever printed at common, every version of it is legal, regardless of the rarity or finish of your copy.
- Where's the Pauper ban list?
- On the Banned and Restricted page at magic.wizards.com. Pauper only has banned cards, no restricted list.
- How many lands in a Pauper deck?
- Usually 17 to 20, because curves are low. Slower decks with many expensive cards play more.
Other formats
Commander (EDH)StandardPioneerModernLegacyVintageOathbreaker
See which of your cards are Pauper-legal →
Last updated: 26 October 2026