Pioneer has been rebuilding since the complete annihilation of every competitive combo deck that was legal. Wilderness Reclamation and Fires of Invention are on the rise in the best value decks, while Mono Black Aggro is the fast deck looking to go under them. Today we'll be going through the cards most likely to impact Pioneer at a competitive level. A quick disclaimer before we get started, we will not be including the dual lands or the mythic module cycle. They are obviously powerful and will see steady amounts of play but are being left out so we can focus on other cards.
Honorable Mentions
Lotus Cobra is a fantastic reprint and will see play in Ramp decks. Cultivate and Growth Spiral are enough to make this card bonkers if unanswered and it curves well with Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath. Pioneer has no fetch lands but Lotus Cobra will still be a powerful addition ramp decks trying to cast Ugin, the Spirit Dragon.
Skyclave Apparition is an important addition to spirit decks. Deputy of Detention is a card that the deck already plays and Skyclave Apparition does a similar thing for the deck. It gets better by being able to get the boost from Supreme Phantom, but it also misses out on Empyrean Eagle. Skyclave Apparition gives Spirit decks the ability to remove enchantments or planeswalkers such as Wilderness Reclamation or Teferi, Time Raveler, and pairing it with Spell Queller gives the deck a broad range of interaction.
#5 - Roiling Vortex
Roiling Vortex is a card that I love more and more especially in Pioneer. The upkeep ping and the ability to deny life gain already makes the card a super playable sideboard option, but I think the second ability makes it playable in the main deck. Fires of Invention and Bolas's Citadel decks are real threats in Pioneer and Roiling Vortex hoses them hard. Bring to Light in the Niv-Mizzet Reborn decks also get hit by this. These cards are all key pieces of top tier decks that cast cards for free so I would feel confident about playing Roiling Vortex as a one or two of in the main deck, and of course in the sideboard.
#4 - Nighthawk Scavenger
Nighthawk Scavenger is a card that has multiple established homes in Pioneer. Mono Black Aggro could use this card for its versatility by being a dominant threat against aggro decks, and a great midrange threat with the Tarmogoyf style ability. It is also a vampire, which could give Vampire decks boost to move them back towards the top of the meta. Rogue decks that could exist would use this and I am especially interested in seeing a Mono Black Devotion use this to power Gray Merchant of Asphodel. We recently brewed so Deathtouch Tribal decks that utilized Nighthawk Scavenger that you can check out here if you're interested.
#3 - Magmatic Channeler
Magmatic Channeler is a card that should thrive in Pioneer. Rakdos Pyromancer decks can use this card better than any other deck in the format. Stitcher's Supplier fills the graveyard and cheap interaction like Thoughtseize and Fatal Push support it as well. Lurrus Burn decks can use it and there are Izzet Blitz style decks that moved away from Arclight Phoenix and focus on Warlord's Fury and Crash Through that can use it as well. Magmatic Channeler is a wizard, which could help cards like Wizard's Retort and Wizard's Lightning see more play. Magmatic Channeler has the potential to be a meaningful addition to any of these established archetypes.
#2 - Skyclave Shade
Skyclave Shade will definitely see play in Mono Black Aggro decks as a replacement for Scrapheap Scrounger. It is easier to sometimes have extra lands to play than having to exile a creature from the graveyard to bring back your two drop. Especially when you have Bloodsoaked Champion and Dread Wanderer that want to come back themselves. Kicker also makes Skyclave Shade better because it can come back as a 5/3 late in the game. It is fantastic to pitch to Demonic Embrace to get it back or discard it to a Rotting Regisaur. Skyclave Shade also adds a fixed Bloodghast to the Dredgeless Dredge decks in Pioneer. Skyclave Shade is a card that will be a staple in the best aggro deck in the format in Mono Black Aggro and offers a powerful option to an up and coming lower tier deck.
#1 - Bloodchief's Thirst
If this was an instant it would without a doubt push Fatal Push right out of the format. In sorcery speed situations it is the same as Fatal Push, but its kicker ability really makes you consider running it over Fatal Push. Haste threats like Monastery Swiftspear make you want to play Fatal Push. It can also take out Mutavault. Bloodchief's Thirst can answer anything later in the game when it is kicked and can remove things that Fatal Push could never remove even if Revolt is triggered. Teferi, Time Raveler can make this instant speed in Esper Control decks. It is very possible that this card could replace Fatal Push in some decks and could change the numbers and make players play a split.
It is refreshing to have a set that isn't filled with busted green and blue cards. Simic has been on a rampage across all formats and its nice to see the other colors getting a break. What do you think about our list? Is Roiling Vortex as good as I think it is and will Bloodchief's Thirst actually compete with Fatal Push? What cards are you excited to play in Pioneer that missed our list? Follow us on social media to make sure you don't miss our newest articles and join the fellowship. Thanks for ready and have an awesome day!
Commentaires