Baleful Strix enters Pauper alongside nine other cards from the Zeta Set. The cards become legal on September 7, 2026, for paper play, and on September 23 on Magic Online. Narcomoeba and Price of Progress remain excluded due to preemptive bans, as detailed in another article.
Here is our breakdown of the ten newly legal cards, ranked from the least relevant to the ones most capable of actually reshaping the format. These are predictions, not final verdicts: the format will have its say in the coming weeks.
10 | Sengir Vampire
Just like Serra Angel, it offers a 4/4 flying body for five mana. It grows whenever a creature dealt damage by it dies in the same turn, but that’s a condition you have to work for, not something you can just count on. Its mana cost and heavy reliance on combat make it hard to picture as a top choice in any competitive list.
Its nostalgic charm remains untouched, but its expected impact is practically zero.
9 | Serra Angel
A 4/4 with flying and vigilance is still respectable, but five mana without an immediate enter-the-battlefield trigger leaves you wide open to unfavorable trades. Investing an entire turn into a creature with no built-in protection is a risk that costs you dearly in Pauper.
It will certainly pop up in some experimental builds, but it seems destined to please casual, nostalgic players rather than serious tournament lists.
8 | Gigantosaurus
A 10/10 for five green mana definitely fires up the imagination. The problem is everything that’s missing: no trample, no haste, no protection, and no ETB value. A tiny chump-blocker is all it takes to shut it down, assuming it doesn’t just eat a removal spell before ever getting to swing.
It's a test-worthy option for decks that generate massive amounts of green mana and want to maximize raw power, but it's far from a plug-and-play threat.
7 | Soul-Guide Lantern
It costs one generic mana, exiles a card from a graveyard when it enters, and can be sacrificed either to empty only your opponents' graveyards, or—by paying one mana—to draw a card. These are two separate abilities that cannot be combined.
It’s a great option for decks looking to combat graveyard strategies without hurting their own bin, with a cycling option that keeps it useful even when graveyard hate isn't needed.
6 | An Offer You Can't Refuse
It counters a noncreature spell for just a single blue mana, but hands the opponent two Treasures. Its most compelling home is protecting a decisive, game-winning turn: if you're about to win the game on the spot, the extra mana you give them no longer matters.
In grindy, resource-focused matchups, however, it’s a completely different story, as feeding your opponent resources is a recipe for disaster. This is no replacement for Counterspell.
5 | Return to Dust
It exiles an artifact or enchantment and, if cast during your main phase, can target a second one. Exiling makes it highly effective even against indestructible permanents, but four mana is a steep price in Pauper.
I see this more as a sideboard option for slower decks looking to cover both permanent types in a single slot, rather than an automatic inclusion.
4 | Cut Down
For one black mana, it destroys a creature whose combined power and toughness is five or less: a 3/2 is a legal target, but a 3/3 is not. It excels against aggressive openings and small utility creatures, but falls short against beefier threats.
I expect this to complement broader removal spells rather than replace them, but it’s efficient enough to earn a staple spot in many lists.
3 | Vandalblast
It destroys an opponent's artifact for one red mana, or wipes them all out with its overload cost for five mana, leaving yours untouched. It’s one of the most exciting new sideboard options for decks that can realistically reach five mana.
Of course, destroying is not exiling, so indestructible Bridges will survive. Still, it can completely dismantle a board full of artifacts without needing to wipe out every single resource Affinity has.
2 | Dispatch
For one white mana, it exiles any creature, provided you control three or more artifacts when it resolves. Without metalcraft, it's relegated to just tapping the target. White-based artifact lists are the natural testing ground for this card.
Obviously, losing your third artifact in response turns a definitive removal spell into a temporary delay. But when it works, its power ceiling is among the highest of the entire bunch.
1 | Baleful Strix
For one blue and one black mana, you get a 1/1 flying, deathtouch artifact creature that draws a card on entry. It replaces itself immediately and makes attacking with large creatures a nightmare. This is our prime candidate for having a real, lasting impact on the format.
Dimir and Affinity are its most natural homes, and you can easily abuse its ETB trigger with cards like Ninja of the Deep Hours or Blood Fountain. The risk is that it might make slow, grindy games defined by repetitive trading even more rewarding.
The Pauper Format Panel has already put Baleful Strix, Vandalblast, Dispatch, and Cut Down under close watch. This is a sign of caution, not an announced ban: only actual gameplay will reveal how much they will truly shake up Pauper.
Personally, I would have expected the Panel to take a firmer stance on Baleful Strix, given how dominant it has historically been in other formats. We'll have to wait and see.
Alex
