Summary
- Pioneer is a non-rotating format in Magic: The Gathering where all Standard-legal sets since Return To Ravnica are valid.
- The format offers a wide card pool, allowing for a balanced metagame with different playstyles and strategies.
- New sets bring new combos and deck archetypes to Pioneer, keeping the meta constantly changing and evolving.
One of the many formats of playing 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Magic: The Gathering is Pioneer. It is a non-rotating format where all Stan🍷dard-legal sets are valid since the Return To Ravnica set. Supplemental sets such as Jumpstart and Modern Horizons are not legal in the format, ꦚand neither are cards from bonus sheets such as those featured in Mystical Archives or Retro Artifacts.

Magic: The Gathering - The 7 Best Dinosaursꦯ In Pioneer
If you're playing Pioneer in Magic: The Gathering, be sure you know the best Dinosaurs to br𓆉ing out in your deck.
Since the format is non-rotating, many powerful strategies exist. They have plenty of different playstyles, with powerful control strategies just as strong as aggressive ones. The wide card pool allows certain decks to 🐲answer other ones, making for one of the mos🌞t balanced formats.
Updated November 28, 2023 by Johnny Garcia: Due to the nature of Pioneer's non-rotating card pool, every new set has combos created to give new life to old archetypes or make entirely new ones. New decks enter the meta with every set release, with a large injection of new cards with each one. Pioneer's top decks have remained at the top of the metagame, but there are plenty of new ones that have entered into the metagame that everyone needs to be prepared for. Pioneer's meta is constantly changing as new decks get discovered, some of them taking some time after a set's release to be discovered.
18 🎃 Boros Heroic ෴
Explosive Damage
17
Sample Decklist |
|
---|---|
2 Dreadhorde Arcanist |
4 Favored Hoplite |
4 Illuminator Virtuoso |
4 Monastery Swiftspear |
4 Tenth District Legionnaire |
4 Ancestral Anger |
2 Homestead Courage |
4 Defiant Strike |
4 Gods Willing |
4 Monstrous Rage |
4 Reckless Rage |
1 Sejiri Shelter |
1 Spikefield Hazard |
4 Battlefield Forge |
1 Den Of The Bugbear |
4 Inspiring Vantage |
1 Mountain |
3 Needleverge Pathway |
4 Sacred Foundy |
1 Sokenzan, Crucible Of Defiance |
Boros (white/red) Heroic is a very explosive deck that can win the game in just a few turns. Heroic is a mechanic where an effect will trigger when a spell targets the creature with heroic, like Favored Hopli🍷te and Illuminator Virtuoso, which are popular choices♊ as they grow exponentially when you start casting spells on them.
Almost every spell in the entire deck costs only one mana, allowing you to cast multiple in one turn to have enough damage to swing in for lethal if your opponent doesn't block. Monstrous Rage is the card that broke it into the metagame, as giving a card with massive power trample is amazing.
16 𒀰 Discover Combo
Win In One Turn
Sample Decklist |
|
---|---|
2 Quintorius Kand |
1 Doomskar Titan |
4 Geological Appraiser |
1 Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant |
4 Glasspool Mimic |
2 Torrential Gearhulk |
4 Trumpeting Carnosaur |
4 Eldritch Evolution |
2 Bedeck / Bedazzle |
2 Consign / Oblivion |
4 Creative Outburst |
4 Magma Opus |
2 Blightsep Pathway |
1 Boseiju, Who Endures |
4 Mana Confluence |
2 Mountain |
1 Otawara, Soaring City |
2 Raugrin Triome |
3 Riverglide Pathway |
3 Sacred Foundry |
2 Steam Vents |
4 Stomping Ground |
Geological Appraiser discovers three when it enters the battlefield, and has created an amazing combo deck that can win in just one turn if your opponent doesn't have removal or counterspells. It will always discover Glasspool Mimic to enter as a copy of Appraiser, or Eldritch Evolution which will trade Appraiser out for Trumpeting Carnousaur which discovers five.
This will lead you being able to cast your entire deck of creatures. Once you have enough power to deal lethal damage, you use Eldritch Evolution to cheat out Doomskar Titan to give all your creatures haste. If it's stuck in your hand, that's what Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant is for which Eldritch Evolution can get from the deck through Trumpeting Carnosaur.
15 Boros Convoke ꦚ
From Zero To Dozens
Sample Decklist |
|
---|---|
4 Warden Of The Inner Sky |
2 Imodane's Recruiter / Train Troops |
4 Knight-Errant Of Eos |
4 Ornithopter |
2 Regal Bunnicorn |
4 Resolute Reinforcements |
4 Thraben Inspector |
4 Venerated Loxodon |
4 Voldaren Epicure |
2 Embercleave |
2 Giant Killer |
1 Sokenzan, Crucible Of Defiance |
4 Gleeful Demolition |
4 Battlefield Forge |
2 Den Of The Bugbear |
4 Inspiring Vantage |
4 Needleverge Pathway |
1 Plains |
4 Sacred Foundry |
Boros Convoke is a deck built around the convoke mechanic. It floo🍌ds the battlefield with cheap creatures to then cast Knight-Errant of Eos and Venerated Loxodon essentially for free. Boros Convoke can go from no creatures on the battlefield to having enough to deal lethal damage in ju🧜st one turn.
Gleeful Demolition is a star, as it can turn the Blood token from Voldaren Epicure or the Clue from Thraben Inspector to three 1/1 tokens to help convoke your spells that much easier. Imodane's Recruiter is a way to give all your creatures haste as well so you can take your opponent out the turn you finish setting up.
14 🌠 Rakdos Sacrifice
Cycle Sacrifice For Value
Sample Decklist |
|
---|---|
4 Cauldron Familiar |
4 Bloodtithe Harvester |
2 Mayhem Devil |
2 Unlucky Witness |
2 Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin |
4 Deadly Dispute |
2 Claim The Firstborn |
4 Fatal Push |
4 Fable Of The Mirror-Breaker |
2 Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might / Temple Of Power |
4 Witch's Oven |
4 Oni-Cult Anvil |
2 Swamp |
4 Blightstep Pathway |
4 Blood Crypt |
2 Den Of The Bugbear |
2 Hive Of The Eye Tyrant |
4 Blackcleave Cliffs |
2 Sulfurous Springs |
1 Sokenzan, Crucible Of Defiance |
1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire |
Rakdos (black/red) Sacrifice is a deck that's built around slowly grinding to a win through burn damage done through the "Cat Oven" combo of Cauldron Familiar and Witch's Oven to deal at least one damage each turn. The damage can be expanded on with Mayhem Devil.
Oni-Cult Anvil gives a secondary way to deal burn damage to close out games quicker. Fatal Push's revolt ability is almost always able to be activated since you can sacrifice most of your permanents at instant speed. Since the mana curve is so low, you can even get away with playing a small number of lands in favor of playing more powerful spells.
13 Naya Pia
Never Play From Your Hand
Sample Decklist |
|
---|---|
4 Monastery Swiftspear |
4 Pia Nalaar, Consul Of Revivial |
4 Pollen-Shield Hare / Hare Raising |
4 Questing Druid / Seek The Beast |
4 Runaway Steam-Kin |
4 Reckless Impulse |
4 Wrenn's Resolve |
4 Chained To The Rocks |
4 Fable Of The Mirror Breaker |
4 Showdown Of The Skalds |
4 Copperline Gorge |
4 Inspiring Vantage |
1 Mana Confluence |
3 Mountain |
4 Sacred Foundry |
4 Stomping Ground |
Naya (green/red/white) Pia is built around the card Pia Nalaar, Consul Of Revival which creates a 1/1 Thopter token whenever you cast a spell or play𝓀 a land from exile. Luckily, Naya has no shortage of cards to enabl🌠e this. With Wilds Of Eldraine, the deck went from Boros to Naya thanks to Questing Druid to exile more cards (and itself since it has adventure) and Pollen-Shield Hare to give all your tokens a stat boost.
With Runaway Steam-Kin, the deck can combo off when mixed with stage two and three of Showdown Of The Skalds, especially if you d🍷raw into more impulse draw (exiling the top cards to play them). The deck is very explosive and can snowball very fast.
12 Enigmatic Incarnation ▨
Trade Enchantments For Creatures
Sample Decklist |
|||
---|---|---|---|
1 Knight Of Autumn |
1 Deputy Of Detention |
1 Tolsimir, Friend To Wolves |
1 Agent Of Treachery |
1 Charming Prince |
1 Kenrith, The Returned King |
1 Yorion, Sky Nomad |
1 Archon Of Emeria |
1 Skyclave Apparition |
1 Moon-Blessed Cleric |
4 Fable Of The Mirror-Breaker |
1 Gloomshrieker |
1 Titan Of Industry |
1 Atraxa, Grand Unifier |
1 Calix, Guided By Fate |
1 Omnath, Locus Of Creation |
1 Elesh Norn, Mother Of Machines |
1 Clever Impersonator |
4 Chained To The Rocks |
2 Temporary Lockdown |
4 Fires Of Invention |
3 Omen Of The Sea |
4 Enigmatic Incarnation |
4 Leyline Binding |
2 Bitte Reunion |
4 Path To The World Tree |
1 Plains |
1 Forest |
1 Island |
1 Swamp |
1 Mountain |
2 Spara's Headquarters |
4 Zagoth Triome |
4 Raugrin Triome |
4 Ketria Triome |
2 Hallowed Fountain |
2 Stomping Ground |
4 Sacred Foundry |
2 Breeding Pool |
2 Jetmir's Garden |
1 Yorion, Sky Nomad (Companion) |
Enigmatic Incarnati🍸on is a five-color deck built around its namesake card and Fire☂s Of Invention. The deck plays a singleton selection of creatures, as Enigmatic Incarnation can tutor them out onto the battlefield with its own effect. Fires Of Invention helps cast the ones you draw without worrying about the right mana needed to cast them.

Magic: The Ga🃏theringꦑ – The 8 Best Creatures In Pioneer
These creatures truly excel in MTG's Pion⭕eer format𝔍.
The deck plays a suite of enchantments of varying mana costs to ensure you always have one to sacrifice for one of your creatures. The creatures played are a mixture of powerful game-enders and utility ones that either remove permanents from your opponent's battlefield or get you an enchantment out from your deck or graveyard.
11 🌱Izzet C🐓reativity
A Creative Combo
Sample Decklist |
|
---|---|
1 Xenagos, God Of Revels |
1 Worldspine Wurm |
4 Fiery Impulse |
2 Spikefield Hazard |
2 Make Disappear |
4 Indomitable Creativity |
3 Prismari Command |
4 Volcanic Spite |
4 Magma Opus |
4 Big Score |
4 Divide By Zero |
4 Fable Of The Mirror-Breaker |
4 Riverglide Pathway |
3 Shivan Reef |
4 Steam Vents |
4 Stormcarved Coast |
1 Sokenzan, Crucible Of Defiance |
1 Otawara, Soaring City |
2 Spirebluff Canal |
1 Hall Of Storm Giants |
1 Mutavault |
1 Island |
A combo deck, Izzet (red/blue) Creativity is built around Indomitable Creativity cheᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚating out Worldspine Wurm and Xenagos, God Of Revels with its ability (though other builds opt for Torrential Gearhulk to cast Magma Opus from the graveyard). All you need to enable it is five mana available for Indomitable Creati🥀vity and two artifacts or creatures to sacrifice. This is easily accomplished with cards like Big Score that leave two tokens behind.
You don't want to draw your combo pieces, so cards like Volcanic Spite are especially important as they let you put that card back into your deck so Indomitable Creativity can put it on the battlefield instead.
10 Selesnya Angels 🦹
Gain Life And Fly
Sample Decklist |
|
---|---|
4 Resplendent Angel |
4 Bishop Of Wings |
4 Skyclave Apparition |
4 Righteous Valkyrie |
4 Giada, Font Of Hope |
2 Metropolis Reformer |
4 Youthful Valkyrie |
4 Collected Company |
4 Kayla's Reconstruction |
2 Portable Hole |
4 Razorverge Thicket |
4 Branchloft Pathway |
4 Temple Garden |
1 Eiganjo, Seat Of The Empire |
4 Brushland |
5 Plains |
2 Forest |
Selesnya (white/green) Angels is a creature-based aggro strategy that wants to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:flood the battlefield with Angels. Though no Angels played in the deck are green𝔉, it is played for Collected Company — since none of the creatures exceed three mana. It has built-in lifegain strategies that allow Selesnya Angels to play a more grindy game, thanks to it.
Cards like Giada, Font O🎐f Hope and Righteous Valkyrie are the core of the deck, allow🌠ing you to boost up the stats of all your Angels. Bishop of Wings is also helpful for free lifegain whenever an Angel enters the battlefield and replaces an Angel if it ever dies to recover from board wipes.
9 Gruul Vehicles ไ
Drive To Victory
Sample Decklist |
|
---|---|
4 Elvish Mystic |
4 Llanowar Elves |
2 Lovestruck Beast |
4 Bonecrusher Giant |
4 Reckless Stormseeker |
2 Scavenging Ooze |
4 The Huntsman's Redepemtnion |
4 Esika's Chariot |
4 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship |
1 Forest |
4 The Akroan War |
1 Boseiju, Who Endures |
4 Cragcrown Pathway |
2 Lair Of The Hydra |
4 Stomping Ground |
4 Copperline Gorge |
4 Karplusan Forest |
2 Mutavault |
1 Sokenzan, Crucible Of Defiance |
1 Den Of The Bugbear |
Gruul (red/green) Vehicles is a deck that utilizes the plethora of cheap and high-power Gruul creatures to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:easily crew strong Vehicles. These are primarily Esika's Chariot and Skysovereign, Consul Flagship. The deck plays multiple mana dorks to get threats out early, like Elvish Mystic and Llanowar Elves.
Gruul Vehicles 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:is an aggro strategy that can let Vehicles attack the turn they come down with Reckless Stormseeker's ability to give them haste. It also plays a small Adventure package, with Bonecrusher Giant and Lovestruck Beast acting as strong bodies that can also crew Vehicles.