How to beat Esper Affinity in Pauper
Over the last 90 days of recorded Pauper matches, the decks with the best results against Esper Affinity are Elves (75% over 8 matches) and Spy Combo (60% over 5 matches). Elves's 75% sits in a 95% range of 41%–93%, which is the range a 8-match sample actually supports. The decks with the best records against it most often carry Faerie Macabre, Vitu-Ghazi Inspector and Scattershot Archer in the sideboard — those are their sideboards in general, not cards chosen for this matchup.
Best records against Esper Affinity
Matches played in the last 90 days, from events that publish round-by-round pairings. Ranked by the bottom of each 95% range, not by the headline percentage, so a small sample cannot outrank a large one.
| Deck | Win rate vs Esper Affinity | Record | Matches | Sample | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elves | 75.0% | 6-2 | 8 | Medium sample | 41%–93% |
| Spy Combo | 60.0% | 3-2 | 5 | Low sample | 23%–88% |
- High sample · 20+ matches
- Medium sample · 8–19 matches
- Low sample · 5–7 matches
26 further pairings (39 matches) fall below the 5-match floor and are not given a percentage. Full history, retired archetypes included, is on Esper Affinity's archetype page and in the Pauper matchup matrix.
What the decks that beat Esper Affinity bring
Sideboard cards run by Elves, Spy Combo. This is not a sideboard guide for this matchup. We record who beat whom, not what either player boarded, so these are whole-sideboard frequencies across every matchup those decks play — a hint about the kind of card that punishes Esper Affinity, not a list to bring in.
| Card | Decks running it | Average copies | Which decks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faerie Macabre | 2 of 2 | 2.0 | Elves, Spy Combo |
| Vitu-Ghazi Inspector | 2 of 2 | 1.2 | Elves, Spy Combo |
| Scattershot Archer | 2 of 2 | 0.9 | Elves, Spy Combo |
| Monstrous Emergence | 1 of 2 | 3.0 | Elves |
| Spinewoods Paladin | 1 of 2 | 1.7 | Elves |
| Nylea's Disciple | 1 of 2 | 1.5 | Spy Combo |
| Mesmeric Fiend | 1 of 2 | 1.4 | Spy Combo |
| Healer of the Glade | 1 of 2 | 1.0 | Spy Combo |
| Flaring Pain | 1 of 2 | 0.9 | Spy Combo |
| Undergrowth Leopard | 1 of 2 | 0.6 | Spy Combo |
| Swamp | 1 of 2 | 0.6 | Spy Combo |
| Jack-o'-Lantern | 1 of 2 | 0.6 | Spy Combo |
Average copies is expected copies per deck — average copies played multiplied by the share of that archetype's lists running the card — so a 4-of in half the lists reads as 2.0.
Decks Esper Affinity beats
The other end of the same table. If you are choosing a deck to attack Esper Affinity with, the record argues against these.
| Deck | Win rate vs Esper Affinity | Record | Matches | Sample | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mono Red Madness | 44.4% | 4-5 | 9 | Medium sample | 19%–73% |
- High sample · 20+ matches
- Medium sample · 8–19 matches
- Low sample · 5–7 matches
Questions
What beats Esper Affinity in Pauper?
Across the last 90 days, Elves (75% over 8 matches) and Spy Combo (60% over 5 matches) hold the best recorded results against Esper Affinity. Records come from events that publish round-by-round pairings, and both decks in a match have to be identified for it to count, so these are the pairings we can see rather than every match played.
What should I bring in against Esper Affinity?
We do not have sideboard choices tied to individual matches, so this is not a sideboard guide. What the data supports is narrower: the 2 decks with the best records against Esper Affinity — Elves and Spy Combo — most commonly run Faerie Macabre, Vitu-Ghazi Inspector, Scattershot Archer, Monstrous Emergence and Spinewoods Paladin in their sideboards. Those are whole-sideboard frequencies across every matchup those decks play.
What does Esper Affinity beat?
Esper Affinity's best recorded matchups over the same window are Mono Red Madness (56% across 9 matches). If you are picking a deck to attack Esper Affinity with, these are the ones the record argues against.
How reliable are these Pauper matchup numbers?
Not very, and the page says so per row rather than in aggregate. Every pairing shows its match count, its sample band and a 95% range; the strongest band we award is 20+ matches, which is still roughly a ±20-point range around the figure shown. Pairings under 5 matches are counted but never given a percentage — there are 26 of those for Esper Affinity right now. Rankings use the bottom of each range rather than the headline percentage, so a small sample cannot outrank a large one it has not earned.
What period does this cover?
Matches played in the last 90 days, filtered on when each match was actually played. Archetypes that have dropped out of the Pauper metagame are excluded from the ranking — their historical records are still on Esper Affinity's own archetype page and in the format matchup matrix.
What each number on this site measures, and where it is least reliable, is set out on the methodology page.