The Hobbit — Pauper Set Review

Magic: The Gathering · by Andrew Ahern · August 6, 2026

I’ve been on a real Pauper kick lately: the format is great. Unlike the Legacy review, I think the cards from this set will (and should) see Pauper play.

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{Tithing Blade} is cheaper and doesn’t need your creatures on the battlefield for its other ability to do something. {Crude Bent Blade}, on the other hand, can create a faster clock and get your {Kor Skyfisher} out of {Lightning Bolt} range. I think I’ll {Tithing Blade} over this, but I may test a 1/1 split in {Glint Blade} piles.

Look! Another “discard, draw two!”

While {Melded Moxite} can make a vanilla 2/2, this equipment can turn your {Sneaky Snacker} into a 4/1. I prefer the pumped {Sneaky Snacker}, especially considering you don’t have to sacrifice {Ragged Short Spear} to make that happen. Similar to {Crude Bent Blade}, {Glint Hawk} and {Kor Skyfisher} will enjoy holding {Ragged Short Spear}, too.

I don’t know of any halflings worth tutoring for; there are a few "halflings,” though. {Masked Vandal} is the first that comes to mind, but there's also {Nameless Inversion} and {Rooftop Percher}. So {Hobbit Hole} can tutor artifact/enchantment removal with a 1/3 body, creature pump/removal, or graveyard hate with some life gain on a 3/3 flyer. {Hobbit Hole} might be too slow for Pauper, but the versatility it offers is really nice. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this at Pauper tables soon.

Once upon a time, we had an artifact that cost [s], and for [1][tap] it added one mana of any color. It replaced itself upon entering the battlefield. That card was banned.

{Giant’s Boulder} does not replace itself, but it does scry 2 on entry. If you’ve got this in your Tron deck, you can even make use of its “flavor text.” I think this one is better than {Barrels of Blasting Jelly}, and easily the best Pauper card from this set.

This will see play in all sorts of Tron decks, and maybe make its way into 3+ color {Glint Hawk} / {Kor Skyfisher} builds.

The Hobbit — Pauper Set Review

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