Magic: The Gathering boasts a wide array of formats, each offering a unique play experience. From casual multiplayer battles to intense one-on-one duels, there’s a format for every player. Among these, Pioneer stands out as a dynamic and accessible eternal format, bridging the gap between Standard and Modern in terms of power and card pool.
If you’re looking to explore a format with a vast card selection, diverse strategies, and a thriving community, then the Magic: The Gathering Pioneer format might be perfect for you. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started and excel in Pioneer.
Understanding the Pioneer Format in Magic: The Gathering
Bloodtithe Harvester by Lucas Graciano
Pioneer is defined as a non-rotating eternal format. This means that unlike Standard, the card pool in Pioneer doesn’t change with new set releases, except when cards are added to the banlist. Pioneer’s card legality begins with the Return to Ravnica set, released in 2012, and includes all subsequent Standard-legal expansions. Notably, sets designed for supplemental formats like Jumpstart or Modern Horizons are not Pioneer-legal unless the cards are reprints of cards already legal within the Pioneer card pool.
The format aims to capture a sweet spot in power level, offering more strategic depth and card variety than Standard, but without the sometimes overwhelming speed and complexity of Modern. This makes Pioneer an attractive option for players looking for a format where deck building creativity and in-game decisions are highly rewarded.
Here’s a comprehensive list of sets legal in the Pioneer format:
| Pioneer-Legal Sets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return To Ravnica | Gatecrash | Dragon’s Maze | Magic 2014 | Theros |
| Born of the Gods | Journey into Nyx | Magic 2015 | Khans of Tarkir | Fate Reforged |
| Dragons of Tarkir | Magic Origins | Battle For Zendikar | Oath of the Gatewatch | Shadows Over Innistrad |
| Welcome Deck 2016 | Eldritch Moon | Kaladesh | Aether Revolt | Welcome Deck 2017 |
| Amonkhet | Hour Of Devastation | Ixalan | Rivals of Ixalan | Dominaria |
| Core Set 2019 | Guilds Of Ravnica | Ravnica Allegiance | War of the Spark | Core Set 2020 |
| Throne of Eldraine | Theros: Beyond Death | Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths | Core Set 2021 | Zendikar Rising |
| Kaldheim | Strixhaven: School of Mages | Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures In The Forgotten Realms | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | Innistrad: Crimson Vow |
| Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty | Streets Of New Capenna | Dominaria United | The Brothers’ War | Phyrexia: All Will Be One |
| March Of The Machine | March Of The Machine: The Aftermath | Wilds of Eldraine | The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan |
It’s also important to note that supplemental sheets like Mystical Archive from Strixhaven or Multiverse Legends from March of the Machine are not inherently legal in Pioneer. Only cards from these sheets that were already Pioneer-legal through their original printings are permitted.
Pioneer matches are one-on-one, best-of-three games. Players start with 20 life and construct decks of at least 60 cards, accompanied by a sideboard of up to 15 cards. The sideboard allows for strategic adjustments between games two and three to counter specific opponents or strategies. The only constraint on the sideboard is its maximum size; you cannot have more than 15 cards in it.
Pioneer Format Banlist: Maintaining a Healthy Metagame
Like all eternal formats in Magic: The Gathering, Pioneer has a banlist to ensure a balanced and diverse play environment. Eternal formats, by nature, accumulate a vast card pool over time, and occasionally, certain card interactions can become overly dominant or oppressive. The Pioneer banlist is actively managed to address these issues and promote format diversity.
While Pioneer is an eternal format, its banlist is relatively concise. Many initial bans were implemented in the format’s early days to preemptively address potential imbalances. These bans often targeted powerful combo pieces or cards that proved too effective at shutting down entire archetypes. Notably, fetch lands, such as Arid Mesa, are banned in Pioneer. This decision was made to differentiate Pioneer from Modern and create a distinct format identity with different mana bases and deck-building considerations.
Here is the current banlist for the Pioneer format:
| Pioneer Banlist | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balustrade Spy | Bloodstained Mire | Expressive Iteration | Felidar Guardian | Field Of The Dead |
| Flooded Strand | Inverter Of Truth | Kethis, The Hidden Hand | Leyline Of Abundance | Lurrus Of The Dream-Den |
| Nexus Of Fate | Oko, Thief Of Crowns | Once Upon A Time | Polluted Delta | Smuggler’s Copter |
| Teferi, Time Raveler | Undercity Informer | Underworld Breach | Uro, Titan Of Nature’s Wrath | Veil Of Summer |
| Walking Ballista | Wilderness Reclamation | Windswept Heath | Winota, Joiner Of Forces | Wooded Foothills |
Staying updated on the banlist is crucial for Pioneer players to ensure their decks are legal and to understand shifts in the metagame caused by banlist changes.
Getting Started with Pioneer: Building Your Deck and Strategy
The best way to dive into the Pioneer format is to explore different deck archetypes and find one that aligns with your play style. Pioneer is renowned for its open and diverse metagame, supporting a wide range of strategies from aggressive creature-based decks to controlling strategies and intricate combo decks. This diversity allows players to choose decks that not only are competitive but also genuinely enjoyable to play.
If you’re unsure where to begin with deck building, Wizards of the Coast offers Pioneer Challenger Decks. These preconstructed decks are designed to be playable right out of the box and are based on established meta-relevant strategies. Challenger Decks are an excellent entry point to Pioneer, providing a solid foundation that can be further upgraded with individual card purchases to reach the full power of a meta-competitive deck. They represent a cost-effective way to start playing Pioneer and learning the format’s intricacies.
For players looking to build their own decks from scratch, resources like MTGGoldfish and MetaMox are invaluable. These websites aggregate decklists from tournaments and online play, providing insights into the current metagame and successful deck strategies. Experimenting with different archetypes and refining your deck based on your local metagame and personal preferences is a key part of the Pioneer experience.
Where to Play Pioneer: Online and Offline Options
Pioneer’s popularity ensures numerous avenues for playing, both in paper and digital formats.
Playing with Physical Cards: The most traditional way to play Pioneer is with physical cards. Most Local Game Stores (LGS) host regular Pioneer events, from weekly tournaments to casual play nights. Playing at your LGS offers the social aspect of Magic: The Gathering, allowing you to meet other players, trade cards, and participate in a local community. If an LGS is not readily accessible, or for remote play, Spelltable is an excellent platform. Spelltable uses webcams to connect players, allowing you to play paper Magic remotely while using a website interface to manage game states and rules enforcement.
Playing Pioneer Online: For digital play, Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO) is the primary platform supporting the full Pioneer format. MTGO offers a complete card catalog for Pioneer-legal sets, allowing you to build and play any Pioneer deck digitally. While MTGO requires purchasing digital cards, similar to paper Magic, many Pioneer staples are often more affordable on MTGO than their paper counterparts. Furthermore, services that rent digital cards on MTGO can significantly reduce the financial barrier to entry, enabling players to test various decks and participate in online Pioneer leagues and tournaments.
Explorer on MTG Arena: Magic: The Gathering Arena offers the Explorer format, which is designed to be a stepping stone to fully implementing Pioneer on Arena. Explorer includes all Pioneer-legal cards currently available on MTG Arena. While Explorer is currently a distinct format with a slightly smaller card pool than Pioneer, the long-term goal is for Explorer to evolve into Pioneer on MTG Arena. Currently, the metagames of Explorer and Pioneer are very similar, making Explorer a viable option for playing Pioneer-style decks on Arena, even though some key Pioneer cards are still missing from the Arena client.
Conclusion: Embrace the Pioneer Format
The Magic: The Gathering Pioneer format offers a compelling blend of strategic depth, card diversity, and accessibility. Whether you’re a seasoned Magic player or new to eternal formats, Pioneer provides a rewarding and engaging experience. With a vast card pool to explore, a diverse metagame, and multiple platforms to play on, now is an excellent time to delve into the world of Pioneer and discover your favorite strategies and decks. Start building, start playing, and immerse yourself in the exciting world of Magic: The Gathering Pioneer!
