While there is currently a clear meta, the Pioneer format remains a mostly unexplored format, with new deck strategies emerging constantly. With over 10,000 cards in Pioneer, it is impossible that the format has been completely figured out. There are most likely dozens of decks that have yet to be tested that have the potential to overhaul the format as we know it.
But with so many cards, it is an incredibly difficult task to sift through each one and determine its playability in Pioneer. That’s why we asked the AI to do it!
What are some underrated or overlooked cards in Magic the Gathering that players might consider adding to their Pioneer decks for a competitive edge?
1. Trail of crumbs
Trail of Crumbs offers a potent engine for decks focused on food token generation and sacrifice synergies. Its ability to trigger whenever you sacrifice a food token allows for consistent card advantage and selective deck filtering, making it a valuable inclusion in strategies that revolve around sacrificing permanents.
In Pioneer, Trail of Crumbs can find a home in decks built around the food mechanic or token strategies, such as Golgari or Abzan sacrifice decks. It excels in providing incremental card advantage while synergizing with cards like Gilded Goose, Witch's Oven, and other food-generating sources.
This enchantment is particularly powerful in midrange or control-oriented decks, where the ability to grind out value over multiple turns can overwhelm opponents. Trail of Crumbs showcases its strength in decks aiming for a steady stream of resources and is a key piece in creating resilient, value-driven Pioneer decks.
2. Anafenza, the Foremost
Anafenza, the Foremost is a potent creature that not only bolsters aggressive strategies but also disrupts graveyard-based strategies. With a formidable combination of abilities, Anafenza is a versatile inclusion in various archetypes. In Pioneer, she can find a natural home in decks that lean towards midrange or aggressive strategies.
Anafenza shines in creature-heavy metagames, disrupting graveyard recursion strategies and stifling strategies reliant on the graveyard. As a result, she becomes an integral piece of hate against decks utilizing delve, escape, or other graveyard-centric mechanics. Her aggressive stats and graveyard disruption make Anafenza the Foremost a valuable addition to Pioneer decks seeking both offensive prowess and strategic disruption.
3. Mantis Rider
Mantis Rider is a standout card in aggressive Jeskai strategies in Pioneer. Its potent combination of abilities makes it a versatile and aggressive threat that can apply immediate pressure on opponents. Mantis Rider excels in aggressive tempo-based decks, utilizing its haste to attack quickly and its vigilance to maintain a defensive posture, forcing opponents to deal with its consistent damage output.
This iconic creature often finds its home in aggressive or midrange strategies aiming to close out games swiftly. In Pioneer, Mantis Rider could be a staple in Jeskai-based strategies, offering an efficient and evasive threat that demands immediate attention from opponents.
4. The Scarab God
The Scarab God could be a game-changing card in various Pioneer strategies. Its ability to generate a steady stream of zombie tokens, coupled with a scalable mana sink to bring back impactful creatures, makes it a valuable finisher in slower, grindy matchups. Pioneer decks that benefit from The Scarab God's strength often include blue and black control builds or midrange decks aiming for a robust late-game presence.
Its resilience and ability to provide both offense and defense make it particularly effective against opposing creature-based strategies. Overall, The Scarab God could be a key player in the Pioneer format, adding resilience and recurring threats to decks that can capitalize on its powerful abilities.
5. Heart of Kiran
The Heart of Kiran could find its place in a variety of aggressive and midrange strategies. With the ability to become a vigilant flyer, The Heart of Kiran provides efficient and evasive aggression, making it particularly valuable in decks that emphasize creature combat. Its ability to be crewed by planeswalkers, in addition to regular creatures, adds a layer of versatility.
Pioneer decks that benefit from The Heart of Kiran often include those with a strong creature base, especially those featuring planeswalkers, as the vehicle serves as a mobile and resilient threat. Aggressive white-based decks and midrange strategies like Mardu Vehicles or Boros Aggro could utilize The Heart of Kiran to apply early pressure and maintain a consistent clock throughout the game. The vehicle's resilience and ability to dodge sorcery-speed removal could make it a valuable inclusion in Pioneer decks aiming for a proactive and resilient game plan.
6. Goblin Rabblemaster
Goblin Rabblemaster could be a powerhouse in aggressive strategies within the Pioneer format. The Rabblemaster's ability to quickly amass a goblin army applies immense pressure, often forcing opponents to deal with it immediately. Pioneer decks that benefit from Goblin Rabblemaster include aggressive red decks aiming to close out games swiftly.
Additionally, it finds a natural home in Gruul Aggro strategies, leveraging its synergy with other efficient creatures and burn spells to create a fast and overwhelming board presence. In essence, Goblin Rabblemaster stands as a linchpin for red-centric aggressive decks in Pioneer, offering a relentless and hasty assault on opponents.
7. Sphinx's Tutelage
Sphinx's Tutelage introduces a unique mill strategy to the Pioneer format. Its potent effect triggers whenever you draw a card, making it a powerful tool in control and mill strategies. Pioneer decks that benefit from Sphinx's Tutelage often include Azorius or Dimir control builds, emphasizing disruption and card draw to trigger the enchantment's mill effect consistently.
Additionally, it can be part of dedicated mill strategies, pairing well with cards that force opponents to draw extra cards or increase the efficiency of mill spells. Sphinx's Tutelage provides a distinct win condition in Pioneer, encouraging decks to disrupt opponents while gradually eroding their libraries, making it a compelling choice for those seeking an alternative and strategic approach to victory.
8. Biomancer's Familiar
Biomancer's Familiar offers a unique twist to creature-based strategies in Pioneer. Its ability to reduce the activated abilities' costs for creatures you control opens up various possibilities for synergistic decks. Biomancer's Familiar is particularly powerful in creature-centric strategies that rely on powerful or repeatable abilities, making it a valuable addition to Simic or Bant decks.
Familiar synergizes well with creatures that have adapt, monstrous, or other activated abilities, allowing players to activate them more efficiently and frequently. Additionally, Biomancer's Familiar can be a key piece in combo strategies that involve creature abilities, offering a cost-effective means to trigger essential effects. Overall, it brings flexibility to Pioneer decks centered around creature interactions and provides a creative deck-building avenue for those looking to exploit the potential of activated abilities.
9. Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse introduces a unique strategy to the battlefield. This card finds a powerful place in Pioneer decks that focus on card draw and token generation. Strategies that incorporate Jolrael may include Simic or Bant decks that utilize various card draw engines, such as Teferi, Hero of Dominaria or Hydroid Krasis.
Jolrael's ability not only provides a consistent stream of creature tokens but also encourages deck construction that prioritizes drawing multiple cards in a turn. This can lead to synergies with other cards that benefit from creature presence or token production. Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse offers a dynamic and strategic element to Pioneer decks that revolve around card advantage and token strategies.
10. The Gitrog Monster
The Gitrog Monster is renowned for its ability to generate incredible card advantage and fuel graveyard strategies. Its unique ability triggers whenever a land is put into the graveyard from anywhere, allowing players to draw an additional card each turn by sacrificing lands or discarding them for various effects.
The Gitrog Monster excels in decks that focus on graveyard interactions, land-based synergies, and self-mill strategies. In Pioneer, The Gitrog Monster can be a central piece in Golgari or Jund midrange decks, leveraging its card draw engine to outvalue opponents and maintain a steady flow of resources.
It is particularly powerful when paired with cards that enable additional land drops or graveyard recursion, creating a dynamic engine that can dominate the mid-to-late game. The Gitrog Monster provides a resilient and recursive advantage, making it a compelling choice for Pioneer decks aiming to exploit graveyard synergies and grind out incremental advantages over opponents.
So what do you think? Are there potential decks built around any of these cards? Let us know in the comments!
Comments