Edge of Eternities Reveals Are STACKED With Pauper Powerhouses

Last updated on July 27, 2025

Command Bridge | Illustration by Constantin Marin

Edge of Eternities previews wrap up this week, but Pauper players have already had their fill from what's been revealed (or leaked) so far. It's common practice these days to see juiced commons and uncommons in the “Play Booster Era,” which is great news for Pauper players who aren't interested in sweating over expensive rares and mythics.

EOE's Stellar Commons

There's a lot of speculation circulating around EOE's commons so far, and the space-themed set didn't skimp on power level at lower rarities. A lot of it comes from generically playable commons, though most of the standouts are just generally strong cards, instead of ones leaning on any new set mechanics. Save the warping and spacecrafts for the gold set symbols.

Illvoi Galeblade

Flying Men have always had a place in Pauper. They usually come with additional upside (Faerie Miscreant, Faerie Seer), and Illvoi Galeblade‘s got that covered. Flash plays into blue's strengths as an instant-speed color, and the ability to sacrifice it for a card later on is solid upside. Replacing “jellyfish” with “faerie” would've pushed it over the top, but it's a jellyfish world now, and you're just living in it.

As TehSeksyManz points out on Reddit, this is the first 1/1 flier with flash at common… ever! Cards like Spectral Sailor exist, but never before at common. That might not seem like a huge deal, but the more blue decks can play at instant speed, the better.

Cryogen Relic

Cryogen Relic looks like the real deal. Ichor Wellspring has been a player in Pauper since just about forever, and the relic is an upgrade in blue decks. Notably, it triggers when it leaves the battlefield, not just when it dies. That means you'll draw an extra card when activating its second ability, which also keeps a creature locked down in the process (it doesn't tap it, it just stops it from untapping).

Ghostly Flicker is a Pauper mainstay, and kind of disgusting with Cryogen Relic, giving you two cards on any one flicker. Affinity decks also remain prevalent in the format, and feeding the Relic to a Reckoner's Bargain or Makeshift Munitions sounds like a dream.

Nutrient Block

Oh look, MTG got the cockroach nutrient bars from Snowpiercer.

Nutrient Block has people excited and divided. The excited crowd sees a new tool for Kenku Artificer, which turns this into a 3/3 indestructible that persists even if the artificer dies. That's been a thing with Modern Horizon 2‘s indestructible lands for a while now, but the redundancy is welcome.

Others are divided on how this competes with Candy Trail in Tron and food decks. Korlus on Reddit points out: “This loses the initial Scry 2 for better synergy in the Tron decks that play Eviscerator's Insight or Fanatical Offering.” Tron decks aren't exactly hurting for new cards, but more options shouldn't hurt, either.

Luxknight Breacher & Fungal Colossus

Big virtual vanillas still have a home in Pauper. Gurmag Angler isn't exactly top fish anymore, but it still pops up, and cards like Tolarian Terror still show the strength of cost reduction on big bodies.

Fungal Colossus is likely a few combat keywords away from being anything special, but it's also potentially a 1-mana 5/5. It asks that you diversify your manabase, but various Tron and Gates decks in the format already do that.

Carcette on Reddit reminds people that you can run a combination of normal basics and snow lands to up your different land count, tech you often see with Field of the Dead in other formats. Even so, you're still not dropping the Colossus until turns 4-5, and at that point the body's probably not all that impressive. There's a world where people brew a deck to turbo these out, but Pauper players seem skeptical right now.

Luxknight Breacher has a similar “big dumb creature” feel. A base 2/2 for 4 is embarrassing, but Pauper decks are very good at flooding the board with artifacts and stray bodies. Remember, this counts any artifact lands you have in play as well.

There's no cost reduction here, so you're looking at a 4-drop with a dreadfully low floor, but a pretty impressive ceiling as far as stat-beasts go. If you can routinely drop these as 6/6s or above, there might be something to them.

For the Common Good

For the Common Good | Illustration by Serena Malyon

There's still a little bit of Edge of Eternities that hasn't been revealed yet, including a larger chunk of commons that tends to come at the end of spoiler season. With official previews wrapping up on the 17th, players will have a full picture of the set soon enough.

Pauper players are already brewing, and artifact decks in the format are surely foaming at the mouth to get a hold of cards like Cryogen Relic and Nutrient Block. And for anyone just excited to see Banishing Light for the 100th time, this set's go you covered too.