Magic: The Gathering offers a vast array of formats, each providing a unique way to experience the game. From multiplayer battles to classic duels, there’s a format for every play style. Among these, Pioneer stands out as a popular and engaging option.
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Pioneer is categorized as an eternal format, which means that unlike rotating formats, the card pool remains open and continues to grow with new releases. Positioned in terms of power level between Standard and Modern, Pioneer strikes a balance that appeals to many players. One of its key attractions is a generally lower barrier to entry compared to formats like Modern, often allowing players to transition decks from Standard into Pioneer relatively easily.
Delving into Pioneer: Definition and Card Legality
Bloodtithe Harvester by Lucas Graciano
Pioneer’s defining characteristic is its card pool. This eternal format includes every card from Magic: The Gathering premiere sets starting from Return to Ravnica, released in 2012, and all subsequent premiere sets. Premiere sets are those designed for Standard legality upon release. This distinction means that supplemental sets like Jumpstart or Modern Horizons, which bypass Standard, are not Pioneer-legal.
The following table lists the sets that are legal in the Pioneer format, providing a comprehensive overview of the card pool available to players:
| Pioneer-Legal Sets |
|---|
| Return To Ravnica |
| Born of the Gods |
| Dragons of Tarkir |
| Welcome Deck 2016 |
| Amonkhet |
| Core Set 2019 |
| Throne of Eldraine |
| Kaldheim |
| Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty |
| March Of The Machine |
It’s also important to note that bonus sheets, such as the Mystical Archive cards from Strixhaven or Multiverse Legends from March of the Machine, are not inherently legal in Pioneer. They are only legal if the specific card was already legal within the Pioneer card pool from its original printing in a premiere set.
Pioneer matches are designed for traditional one-on-one play against an opponent. Matches are structured as best-of-three games, meaning the first player to win two games wins the match. Players begin each game with 20 life points. Deck construction requires a minimum of 60 cards in the main deck and allows for a sideboard of up to 15 cards. Sideboards are used to adapt strategies between games two and three, allowing players to bring in different cards to counter their opponent’s deck. The only restriction on sideboarding is that the sideboard cannot exceed 15 cards, ensuring players can’t drastically change their deck size during a match.
Navigating the Pioneer Banlist
Like every Magic: The Gathering format, Pioneer features a banlist. Eternal formats generally have more active banlists due to the expansive card pool, where interactions between older and newer cards can sometimes create overly powerful strategies. The Pioneer banlist, however, is relatively concise, especially for an eternal format. Many of the cards currently banned were addressed early in Pioneer’s lifespan to ensure format health and diversity.
The cards banned in Pioneer were often problematic due to enabling overly consistent combo strategies or by being so powerful that they stifled strategic diversity. Notably, fetch lands are banned in Pioneer. This was a preemptive measure to distinguish Pioneer from Modern and give it a unique gameplay identity.
The current list of cards banned in Pioneer is as follows:
| Pioneer Banlist |
|---|
| Balustrade Spy |
| Flooded Strand |
| Nexus Of Fate |
| Teferi, Time Raveler |
| Walking Ballista |
Getting Started in Pioneer MTG
The most effective way to begin your Pioneer journey is to discover a deck that aligns with your preferred play style. Thanks to its broad card pool and eternal nature, Pioneer supports a wide range of strategies. It’s considered one of the most open and diverse formats in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to find competitive decks that suit various tastes, from aggressive strategies to control and combo archetypes.
For players hesitant to build a deck from scratch, Wizards of the Coast offers Pioneer Challenger Decks. These preconstructed decks are built around established meta-relevant strategies, providing a solid foundation for entering the format. While Challenger Decks are often slightly less optimized than fully tuned meta decks, they are designed to be playable right out of the box and offer an excellent starting point for upgrades and further deck customization towards a top-tier competitive version.
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Where Can You Play Pioneer?
Pioneer’s popularity means there are numerous avenues for playing the format. Playing with physical cards is a classic and engaging experience. Local game stores (LGS) are hubs for Magic: The Gathering communities, and many regularly host Pioneer events. If an LGS is not readily accessible, or for remote play, Spelltable offers a fantastic platform. Spelltable uses webcams to connect players, digitally managing game elements while retaining the feel of playing with paper cards.
For digital play, Magic: The Gathering Online (MTGO) is the primary platform that supports the full Pioneer format. MTGO functions similarly to paper Magic, requiring players to acquire digital cards to build their decks. A key advantage of MTGO is that card prices, especially for format staples, are often more affordable compared to physical cards. Rental services are also available on MTGO, allowing players to access a wide range of cards for a monthly fee, making deck building more budget-friendly.
Lastly, Magic: The Gathering Arena features the Explorer format. Explorer includes all Pioneer-legal cards currently implemented on MTG Arena. While currently a distinct format, Explorer’s long-term goal is to fully mirror Pioneer, making MTG Arena another digital gateway to playing Pioneer. Currently, although the metagames are closely aligned, minor card pool differences still differentiate the formats, which will diminish as Arena’s Pioneer card pool expands.
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