Pioneer Beginner's Guide: Format Details and Starter Decks

Today, we’re going to look at one of my favorite formats in Magic: Pioneer. For those who have not had the chance to dive into Pioneer yet, this is a guide to get you into fighting shape quickly for any upcoming Pioneer events you might have!

What is Pioneer?

Pioneer is the latest constructed paper format in Magic. Debuting in October 2019, Pioneer saw a quick rise in popularity thanks to Star City Games changing their Invitational’s format to feature Pioneer. Afterwards, during the height of the pandemic, Pioneer began to lose players as combo decks heavily defined the metagame. After several waves of bans, Pioneer now sits as the latest premier organized play format with plenty of upcoming events over the next year bolstering a new wave of players’ interest in the format.

What sets are legal in Pioneer?

Starting with Return to Ravnica, all Standard legal sets through the current set are Pioneer legal.

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
Welcome Deck 2016
Shadows over Innistrad
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
Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
Innistrad: Crimson Vow
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
Streets of New Capenna

What cards are banned?

These cards are currently banned in Pioneer:

How do cards come into Pioneer?

Thus far, the only way cards have entered Pioneer are through Standard legal sets released from Return to Ravnica forward. There have not been any supplemental or Pioneer specific products, akin to Modern Horizons.

What are some Format Staples?

Check out a more detailed overview on MTG Meta’s Card section:

Creatures

Instants

Sorceries

Enchantments

Artifacts

Planeswalkers

Lands

Sideboard Specific

What are some top decks to know?

Pioneer Metagame

Pioneer Metagame Tier List

What are the top Aggro decks?

What are the top Midrange decks?

What are the top Control decks?

What are the top Combo decks?

What are the Budget decks?

In our Budget Pioneer Decks for Beginners Guide, we’ve compiled some cheap, but competitive starter options that players can use to jump right into the format.

MTG Budget Pioneer Decks for Beginners

How is it related to Explorer?

Explorer Beginner’s Guide: Format Details and Starter Decks

Explorer is a digital-only format available on MTG Arena, which uses the same set legalities as Pioneer (but with an independent banned card list). It is acting as a temporary bridging format so that MTG Arena can one day support Pioneer when all the cards are backfilled. Wizards of the Coast anticipates this to take a “few years” but can speed things up depending on the demand.

Where can you play Pioneer?

With the addition of the Explorer format on Magic Arena, one day you will be able to play Pioneer on Arena. However, for now, you can play Pioneer on Magic Online or in paper.

Does Pioneer have Organized Play support?

Yes! With the latest Organized Play announcement, the upcoming Regional Championship and the first Pro Tour in 2023 will both feature Pioneer as the constructed format. Local Regional Championship Qualifiers will also have Pioneer as an optional format for players to qualify through for the Regional Championships.

Thanks to the Organized Play announcement, we have also seen a large spike in the Pioneer player base on Magic Online, including league play and weekly format challenges, which have averaged between 80 and 120 players each weekend since the announcement.

Where can I find Pioneer videos, guides, and streams?

Wrapping Up

There you have it, a complete introduction to the Pioneer format. Hopefully this will serve as a resource you can continue to check back to whenever you have questions around the format. Thanks for reading and be sure to stay safe out there, especially at the upcoming paper Pioneer events!

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