Happy cake day, champion being a one drop that can then be protected if your opponent doesn't have one mana removal is pretty insane.it gets so big so fast. Obviously thaliasa is good but champion being 1 mana makes it way better and would skyrocket mono whitebto s++
Mono white is really hosed by sideboard sweepers as the only counterplay is taxing effects. It’s hard to imagine it being that much better than the rest
Well empyrean eagle is just kinda better at the moment. The extra point of toughness is welcome and the deck has no graveyard synergies to speak of outside maybe 3-drop rogue out of the board. And drogskol captain gives everything he proof which is just amazing when you couple it with [[Collected Company]] & [[Rattlechains]]
I think Blooodghast would be a good inclusion without being too prevalent. It would do what most inclusions should do, enable more fringe strategies. In this case it would help GY aggro decks become a bit more of a thing and give MBC some toys
And trbial Vamps! Getting to loop Bloodghast with Sorin's Lightning Helix ability would be really good, since Bloodghast is a playable creature on its own, unlike \[\[Silversmote Ghoul\]\].
I play pioneer locally with a pretty competitive pool and I almost always play GW Bogless Bogles. It's a good time.
EDIT: [My current list](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/IxVt73jon0-5gRb8ActXEQ) for those interested in playing the deck.
Vampires, dredgeless dredge, black aggro…the card is perfectly fine on power level for the format and doesn’t really power up any existing tier archetype. Give us Bloodghast, you cowards!
Knight of the reliquary, gravecrawler, lingering souls, huntmaster of the fells, resto angel, unburiel rites, heritage druid, titan cycle, memnite, path to exile, conflagerate, life from the loam, expedition map, vampire nocturnus, geist of saint traft, ancient grudge, relic of progenitus, lightning helix.
But for pioneer? No valakut, no sunhome, no FotD, no Urza's Saga. It would still be a good card, but I wouldn't consider it absolutely powerful bonkers in pioneer.
Why the downvotes? O.o
Playing amulet in modern, primeval quickly poped in my mine, but it would be kinda fair i think since there's not to much to abuse with its trigger, but grave and Inferno seem to be a lot stronger in slower format
Don't know about sun titan thought
Concerning frost titan, it's kinda trashy exept in a meta where the other shine : frost titan is the one titan that can stop the others
I wouldn't want too many cards that were ever long-standing Modern staples to fill in Pioneer. I like that the format feels similar on power level to early Modern while having its own pool of cards. That said, there are many cards that never got to see their day of glory.
\[\[Power Conduit\]\]
\[\[Isonchron Scepter\]\]
\[\[Noxious Revival\]\]
\[\[Grafted Wargear\]\]
Some pet cards off the top of my head.
Resource denial and greedy mana hate. One version of \[\[Stone Rain\]\] would be fine, I think. \[\[Ghost Quarter\]\] would be a nice player in the format. A fixed \[\[Blood Moon\]\] effect, but it would have to be a different card I think. Something like - Nonbasics are Mountains and Mountains gain "2: Add one mana of any color".
I would be interested to see if there is anything the Bounce Land cycle could do in Pioneer. I think it might be slow enough to possibly take advantage of a handful of MDFCs with one or two Bounce Lands getting them back for late game value.
\[\[Bump in the Night\]\] as probably the worst version of bolt, to see if it can help burn get there (RDW is not burn).
Some generically useful prison cards. \[\[Ghostly Prison\]\], \[\[Ensnaring Bridge\]\], \[\[Chalice of the Void\]\], etc. probably don't fit well in Pioneer, so maybe no reprints. We are only one card that can see the top of opponent's library away from doing the Lantern thing as well.
Any decent flicker effect. Need some ETB enablers.
MAYBE a decent 2 mana counterspell. UW seems to be in a decent spot without it though. \[\[Mana Leak\]\] probably wouldn't break anything. I personally love \[\[Remand\]\], but I'm not sure if it should be in Pioneer.
Honestly, just all of OG Innistrad. Tons of sweet cards like Snapcaster Mage, Unburial Rites, Champion of the Parish, Huntmaster of the Fells, Avacyn's Pilgrim, all the Miracle cards, Blood Artist, and so much more.
[Relevant Scryfall search](https://scryfall.com/search?q=-legal%3Apioneer+block%3Aisd&unique=cards&as=grid&order=name)
Edit: some more notable cards in case you don't have time to click the link: Cavern of Souls, Craterhoof Behemoth, Drogskul Captain, Faithless Looting, Ghost Quarter, Griselbrand, Hellrider, Invisible Stalker, Intangible Virtue, Lingering Souls, Olivia Voldaren, Past in Flames (are there any rituals legal? Probably not), Stony Silence, Strangleroot Geist, Stromkirk Noble, Think Twice (used to be a control staple, not probably outclassed), Thought Scour (I don't think decks play this anymore now that Consider exists, but maybe replace Opt in Phoenix?)
As much as I love GDS, I suspect the answer is no. They made it legal in Historic on Arena. Pioneer and Historic are pretty different, but they're both missing fetchlands and Street Wraith. These are the go-to enablers, especially fetches, because they buff Shadow while also doing something useful.
Historic briefly saw Orzhov Shadow emerge as a fine-but-not-great deck. Even then, it was reliant on *different* cards that aren't legal in Pioneer, specifically [[Ranger-Captain of Eos]].
You can play Feed the Swarm and Thoughtseize, but there's just not enough redundant, fine-tunable life costs in Pioneer to make Shadow show up on time at a reasonable size.
No it's just not broken or oppressive, and its good in the one archetype that can accomodate it, in modern every blue deck could have play it thanks to fetches
As far as I know, it is playable in historic, which is also a format without fetches and 0 cmc artifacts. But honestly, I'm not sure it would be a good card in Pioneer. I just gave what came to my mind.
I looked this up on Goldfish. There's 1-1/2 decks that play it (a BG midrange deck that sometimes stretches to Jund). My bet is that is what it would do in Pioneer. Goyf is still good after a Thoughtseize on turn 1. Might even be good in Sultai on the back of Consider. But it's definitely a card you need a reason to run, and it's going to be a 3/4 a lot more often than a 4/5.
I can see Dark Confidant and Goyf in Pioneer, especially without fetchlands to help Goyf. Mana leak is pretty much better than every 2 mana counterspell in the format though.
I have difficulty believing that Goyf would be a player in Pioneer.
Goyf requires a format with a lot of cheap interaction. It's golden age in Modern was a time when the first two turns would usually see at least player crack a fetchland and at least one play a Sorcery. If that Sorcery was Serum Visions, Goyf was at least a 2/3, if it was Thoughtseize, Goyf would usually be a 4/5 for 2. In Legacy, we'd see Force of Will or Daze in the mix a lot, as well.
Goyf is still good when you Thoughtseize on turn 1. The problem is, for most decks that play Thoughtseize, it's usually the single best card in the deck to play on turn 1. They need a 2 drop that's good when they aren't firing on all cylinders, not one that's at its best when they're already winning. We're already looking at Goyf effectively having -1/-1 VS Modern and Legacy because of how much harder it is to bin lands in Pioneer.
My guess is that Goyf would probably see play in exactly one deck. It's legal in Historic and is played in 1.5 decks there (BG Midrange that may or may not play red). It might actually see *more* play if Fable of the Mirror-Breaker gets banned. "But those cards work great together!" They do, but Fable is so good that Bx midrange doesn't need stretch itself to 3 colors.
Bob and Mana Leak seem great though.
Yeah Smallpox seems like a reach but I hope The Rack at least makes it in the artifact mystical archive so I can play it in Waste Not/Tinybones on Arena in Historic.
[[Lava Spike]] [[Searing Blaze]] [[rift bolt]] [[Grim lavamancer]]
I don’t believe the true and only, [[lightning bolt]] , would be healthy for the format.
Grim might look too powerful, but with no fetches, there isn’t all that much to leave from the graveyard.
[[Mindbreak Trap]] and [[Inquisition of Kozilek]]
Eternal formats are always defined by transgressive designs. The best way to keep Standard fresh is to methodically introduce cards that are a little too good, so that they nudge the format certain ways. These transgressions will eventually leave Standard over the course of rotation. Being careful to seed transgressive cards in different directions and not put too many that transgress in the same ways keeps things from going to far in one direction (with bans fixing cases of poorly aimed transgressions).
This means that eternal formats are always clustered around combining similar transgressions from different times. A perfect example is that Liliana of the Veil and Thoughtseize have never been in Standard together, with LotV infamously cut from M15 during development when it was realized what adding here to the monoblack devotion deck (headlined by Thoughtseize) would do to Standard.
Unlike Standard, transgressions never leave an eternal format until they're banned. Thus, it is good to proactively seed generic answer cards into a format, particularly for card types that are difficult to interact with. M20 was legitimately great on this front, adding lots of hate cards like Grafdigger's Cage and Leyline of the Void to Pioneer just before the format was announced.
Inquisition of Kozilek is a generic combo breaker that excels especially at stopping early game combos. Mindbreak Trap stops combos that use Instants and Sorceries, the most difficult card type in the game to interact with, from digging through their deck and casting their win condition, and it can be boarded in by any deck.
Cheap, generic options that stop degenerate combos and synergies are a great way to keep transgressive designs in check without having to ban them, letting more people play the powerful cards they enjoy without destroying other players'options.
I want snapcaster mage. And/or cryptic command.I don’t feel like snapcaster would be too good, as there isn’t a lot of cheap cards on the format, you have things like fatal push, cantrips, and Dovin’s veto, but I think you wouldn’t run the full playset because it’s just not going to be nearly as live in pioneer as it was when it was playable in modern
Tarmogoyf to give Golgari a good 2drop. It would be not that good without fetchlands but still goes out of the Fiery Impulse range pretty fast. Good clock on its own.
On the same note, Lingering Souls would be a good reason to play Orzhov or Mardu to keep diversifying black midrange strategies.
Dark Confidant, because I suspect that Fable will be eventually banned so pumping Rakdos is not an issue lmao.
Mana Leak or Remand to have a "go to" 2 mana countermagic.
Restoration Angel, Blade Splicer and Knight of the Reliquary, Huntmaster of the Fells, Gravecrawler because they are really elegant designs.
Drogskol Captain because Empryrean Eagle is bad and incredibly ugly, I want to play my old Modern Bant Spirits deck even if it's without Vial and Hierarch.
More tribal lords. Master of the Pearl Trident, Vampire Nocturnus, Elvish Archdruid.
Also Serum Visions, another one that died in Modern.
Mana tithe, Remand, Spreading Seas, Ghost quarter, Lightning Helix, Stone Rain, Esper charm. I don't think these would break the format but will give more alternatives for decks. Being able to punish greedy manabases would make the format better I feel (not asking for blood moon as it would indeed break everything I feel).
Snapcaster and Lingering Souls would be dope.
But as much as it pains me to say this (since it's my #1 favorite card of all time), I think Cryptic Command would probably be too powerful for Pioneer. Just the mind games alone of "I see 4 mana untapped, do they have Cryptic Command, The Wandering Emperor, or Memory Deluge?" would be annoying for players to navigate, let alone the sheer power level and utility. I would love to be casting Cryptic Command again though. It's a shame it's been outclassed and relegated to "binder fodder" nowadays.
Also Pioneer is a format with Dig and Torrential Gearhulk playable.
It probably would change how the deck is built just to accommodate 3-4 Cryptics just for how useful and versatile it is
The deckbuilding restrictions of Phoenix and Vine utterly clash. Right now, Phoenix has an extremely high density of spells and barely any creatures. Modern Vengevine decks have the opposite, and a lot more graveyard payoffs than Phoenix. They’re definitely two completely different decks.
[[Surgical extraction]] I'll be taking your parhellion/mayhem devil/phoenix/thing in the ice/kroxa/greasefang/leger shredder gg 💕
And I think they should print the shit out of it too. I think it would be good for the format for nobody's combo pieces to be safe. It would definitely keep certain lists in check.
Zero. Pioneer is its own format with its own staples and pillars. It is not a place for all of the Modern staples that go power crept by Ravagan & friends
That wasn't my suggestion at all. In the same way LoTV was reprinted and was impactful maybe other cards could be and I just wanted to know what single card people would like to be pio-legal
So without being too on the nose il go for old cards that see little play. Mana leak, path, pyro ascension. And a bonus although not modern legal, standstill.
Coonterspell and/or Lightning Bolt.
They were staples of Standard for a significant portion of Magic’s history. It’s weird that they are deemed “too strong” in todays ultra power crept environment.
It's a sweet card, but really dunks on creature decks, which doesn't seem like a cool dynamic. Strix is powerful enough in Legacy that I don't want it in Pioneer.
In a creature centric meta, strix is actually a target for the main deck removal of your opponent, so you do get a 2 for 1, but their removal are less dead against you, and it kinda balances out no ? But yes it is really powerfull, which is why i would love it
Fetches. 100% serious.
But that aside, Noble Hirearch / jenara, Asura of War / Rafiq of the Many / Rhoda War Monk.
I started in alara block, and I miss those standees era decks.
Snapcaster is an easy one, I think it would be absolutely fine in the format. Could be tricky to print into standard safely though.
I think Path to Exile would be just fine as well. Obviously would become one of the most played removal spells, but the downside feels impactful enough. Good at answering mono g's threats efficiently...but doesn't destroy their game plan since it ramps. Gives another cheap answer to aggro decks but gets them closer to activating man lands. Surprised no one suggested this yet.
[[Flagstones of Trokair]], I would love to play an elvish reclaimer + flagstones + lotus field + blood sun deck. Might be too hard to interact with though.
Knight of the reliquary, it wouldn't be good, i just love the card edit: typo
Master of the Pear Trident and/or Tide Shaper, for sure. I could argue for Svyelun, but I would be asking for too much
One more lord would help a ton
This here lol
Champion of the parish
Honestly I’m shocked that it’s not already pioneer legal
100% please give me champion of the parish wotc
Card would be banned within a month
Imo Thalia’s lieutenant is better
Happy cake day, champion being a one drop that can then be protected if your opponent doesn't have one mana removal is pretty insane.it gets so big so fast. Obviously thaliasa is good but champion being 1 mana makes it way better and would skyrocket mono whitebto s++
Mono white is really hosed by sideboard sweepers as the only counterplay is taxing effects. It’s hard to imagine it being that much better than the rest
its literally the 3rd best deck right now, the deck is resilient to sweepers via thalia and extraction specialist champion makes the deck even faster
Any 1 drop that’s going to force a removal spell is gonna be pretty good. Champion into Thalias lieutenant is a pretty good early curve.
Lingering souls or restoration angel
Flame slash
Elvish archdruid.
[[Drogskol Captain]] Im sick of running Empyrean eagle in my spirits deck.
I know it isn't as good but [[patrician geist]] exists
Well empyrean eagle is just kinda better at the moment. The extra point of toughness is welcome and the deck has no graveyard synergies to speak of outside maybe 3-drop rogue out of the board. And drogskol captain gives everything he proof which is just amazing when you couple it with [[Collected Company]] & [[Rattlechains]]
phrexian arena, its never been modern playable but it would be sweet in pioneer without being overpowered.
Give me actual soul sisters instead of this crap that only triggers on my creatures. Norin the wary for boros sisters as well.
Thought Scour
I think a cantripping Dark Ritual *might* get the Delve spells banned finally.
I think Blooodghast would be a good inclusion without being too prevalent. It would do what most inclusions should do, enable more fringe strategies. In this case it would help GY aggro decks become a bit more of a thing and give MBC some toys
And trbial Vamps! Getting to loop Bloodghast with Sorin's Lightning Helix ability would be really good, since Bloodghast is a playable creature on its own, unlike \[\[Silversmote Ghoul\]\].
Slippery Bogle
Ah, I see you are a man of culture as well
I play pioneer locally with a pretty competitive pool and I almost always play GW Bogless Bogles. It's a good time. EDIT: [My current list](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/IxVt73jon0-5gRb8ActXEQ) for those interested in playing the deck.
Shit man this looks real good im gonna try it
100% slippery bogle should be pioneer legal. Invisible stalker also
This 100%
Bloodghast!
Make Vampires Playable Again!
Vampires, dredgeless dredge, black aggro…the card is perfectly fine on power level for the format and doesn’t really power up any existing tier archetype. Give us Bloodghast, you cowards!
Knight of the reliquary, gravecrawler, lingering souls, huntmaster of the fells, resto angel, unburiel rites, heritage druid, titan cycle, memnite, path to exile, conflagerate, life from the loam, expedition map, vampire nocturnus, geist of saint traft, ancient grudge, relic of progenitus, lightning helix.
Missing old modern huh?
Knight is meh without fetches sadly
The titans do seem a little bit to much IMHO But i for sure would like to see those obsolete modern cards being relevant again Édit : spelling
Why do you think that the Titans are too strong? They are all 6 drops that don't instantly win the game
What kinda crack you smoking? [[primeval titan]]
But for pioneer? No valakut, no sunhome, no FotD, no Urza's Saga. It would still be a good card, but I wouldn't consider it absolutely powerful bonkers in pioneer.
Pioneer isn't fast enough. IMO it just pushes mono green devotion even more, and opens it up to playing ulamog.
Maybe that one, but what about the other 4?
Frost titan is trash, but the other 3 could probably see some play.
Why the downvotes? O.o Playing amulet in modern, primeval quickly poped in my mine, but it would be kinda fair i think since there's not to much to abuse with its trigger, but grave and Inferno seem to be a lot stronger in slower format Don't know about sun titan thought Concerning frost titan, it's kinda trashy exept in a meta where the other shine : frost titan is the one titan that can stop the others
Holy shit \[\[Vampire Nocturnus\]\] is insane! That + Bloodghast would give such a needed boost to the archetype.
Let’s add goyf and bloodbraid elf and I say we’re golden
[[essence harvest]]. I wanna play this in bg scales!
[[Unearth]]
I wouldn't want too many cards that were ever long-standing Modern staples to fill in Pioneer. I like that the format feels similar on power level to early Modern while having its own pool of cards. That said, there are many cards that never got to see their day of glory. \[\[Power Conduit\]\] \[\[Isonchron Scepter\]\] \[\[Noxious Revival\]\] \[\[Grafted Wargear\]\] Some pet cards off the top of my head. Resource denial and greedy mana hate. One version of \[\[Stone Rain\]\] would be fine, I think. \[\[Ghost Quarter\]\] would be a nice player in the format. A fixed \[\[Blood Moon\]\] effect, but it would have to be a different card I think. Something like - Nonbasics are Mountains and Mountains gain "2: Add one mana of any color". I would be interested to see if there is anything the Bounce Land cycle could do in Pioneer. I think it might be slow enough to possibly take advantage of a handful of MDFCs with one or two Bounce Lands getting them back for late game value. \[\[Bump in the Night\]\] as probably the worst version of bolt, to see if it can help burn get there (RDW is not burn). Some generically useful prison cards. \[\[Ghostly Prison\]\], \[\[Ensnaring Bridge\]\], \[\[Chalice of the Void\]\], etc. probably don't fit well in Pioneer, so maybe no reprints. We are only one card that can see the top of opponent's library away from doing the Lantern thing as well. Any decent flicker effect. Need some ETB enablers. MAYBE a decent 2 mana counterspell. UW seems to be in a decent spot without it though. \[\[Mana Leak\]\] probably wouldn't break anything. I personally love \[\[Remand\]\], but I'm not sure if it should be in Pioneer.
Honestly, just all of OG Innistrad. Tons of sweet cards like Snapcaster Mage, Unburial Rites, Champion of the Parish, Huntmaster of the Fells, Avacyn's Pilgrim, all the Miracle cards, Blood Artist, and so much more. [Relevant Scryfall search](https://scryfall.com/search?q=-legal%3Apioneer+block%3Aisd&unique=cards&as=grid&order=name) Edit: some more notable cards in case you don't have time to click the link: Cavern of Souls, Craterhoof Behemoth, Drogskul Captain, Faithless Looting, Ghost Quarter, Griselbrand, Hellrider, Invisible Stalker, Intangible Virtue, Lingering Souls, Olivia Voldaren, Past in Flames (are there any rituals legal? Probably not), Stony Silence, Strangleroot Geist, Stromkirk Noble, Think Twice (used to be a control staple, not probably outclassed), Thought Scour (I don't think decks play this anymore now that Consider exists, but maybe replace Opt in Phoenix?)
I second this answer.
Other than Faithless Looting, which I think would be easy too strong for pioneer, I'm all for this
anything that makes fable less ubiquitous
Card is being played in every format idk what cards you think can be added to makenit see less play
[[Blood Moon]] or it’s [[Magus]]?
That would make it more ubiquitous.
Blood moon is an awful idea for the format.
Seasoned Pyromancer then!
Death's Shadow
Does shadow have enough support to work? Is street wraith pioneer legal? I'd be very curious to see what a pioneer shadow list looks like
As much as I love GDS, I suspect the answer is no. They made it legal in Historic on Arena. Pioneer and Historic are pretty different, but they're both missing fetchlands and Street Wraith. These are the go-to enablers, especially fetches, because they buff Shadow while also doing something useful. Historic briefly saw Orzhov Shadow emerge as a fine-but-not-great deck. Even then, it was reliant on *different* cards that aren't legal in Pioneer, specifically [[Ranger-Captain of Eos]]. You can play Feed the Swarm and Thoughtseize, but there's just not enough redundant, fine-tunable life costs in Pioneer to make Shadow show up on time at a reasonable size.
Rancor
Jtms
\[\[AEther Vial\]\]
Restoration Angel and Remand, that's it
Mana leak, tarmogoyf, dark confidant
Do you think that goyf without fetches and 0 cmc artifacts would be playable?
As Deathrite shaman and Delve spells prove I think Goyf would be garbage in Pioneer
Meaning that without fetches those cards are not nearly as strong as people thought
Still strong dont get me wrong, except Shaman which sees no play
Is Treasure cruise bad in your opinion?
No it's just not broken or oppressive, and its good in the one archetype that can accomodate it, in modern every blue deck could have play it thanks to fetches
I remember watching some tournament where the burn deck was splashing blue for Treasure Cruise.
As far as I know, it is playable in historic, which is also a format without fetches and 0 cmc artifacts. But honestly, I'm not sure it would be a good card in Pioneer. I just gave what came to my mind.
I don't play historic but I rode people referring to goyf as kinda "meh"
I looked this up on Goldfish. There's 1-1/2 decks that play it (a BG midrange deck that sometimes stretches to Jund). My bet is that is what it would do in Pioneer. Goyf is still good after a Thoughtseize on turn 1. Might even be good in Sultai on the back of Consider. But it's definitely a card you need a reason to run, and it's going to be a 3/4 a lot more often than a 4/5.
Based off peoples experiences with it in historic it would be like. Pretty okay. Definitely not as big of a house as it is with early fetches
I can see Dark Confidant and Goyf in Pioneer, especially without fetchlands to help Goyf. Mana leak is pretty much better than every 2 mana counterspell in the format though.
Every 2 mana counter in the format sucks except negate and dovins veto
Yeah Goyf is probably fine without fetches and bob is anyway fine, but I don't want mana leak
Bob’s my pick. It could fill the hole left behind with the loss of Lurrus and leads to some incredibly exciting decisions.
I have difficulty believing that Goyf would be a player in Pioneer. Goyf requires a format with a lot of cheap interaction. It's golden age in Modern was a time when the first two turns would usually see at least player crack a fetchland and at least one play a Sorcery. If that Sorcery was Serum Visions, Goyf was at least a 2/3, if it was Thoughtseize, Goyf would usually be a 4/5 for 2. In Legacy, we'd see Force of Will or Daze in the mix a lot, as well. Goyf is still good when you Thoughtseize on turn 1. The problem is, for most decks that play Thoughtseize, it's usually the single best card in the deck to play on turn 1. They need a 2 drop that's good when they aren't firing on all cylinders, not one that's at its best when they're already winning. We're already looking at Goyf effectively having -1/-1 VS Modern and Legacy because of how much harder it is to bin lands in Pioneer. My guess is that Goyf would probably see play in exactly one deck. It's legal in Historic and is played in 1.5 decks there (BG Midrange that may or may not play red). It might actually see *more* play if Fable of the Mirror-Breaker gets banned. "But those cards work great together!" They do, but Fable is so good that Bx midrange doesn't need stretch itself to 3 colors. Bob and Mana Leak seem great though.
Snapcaster Mage
I have a good feeling that they’ll put snap in pioneer eventually. It would be so great, and I don’t think it would be even a little broken.
Insane to me that Snapcaster Mage would be an underpowered card in today’s Magic. I’m so old
Agreed
All the Titans except the green one (Sun Titan, ...)
[[The Rack]]. Praying we get at least *some* callback to it in Brother's War since it's a Mishra invention
God yes. My 8 Rack dream for Pioneer will never come true without it and Smallpox, but just having The Rack would keep the dream alive!
Yeah Smallpox seems like a reach but I hope The Rack at least makes it in the artifact mystical archive so I can play it in Waste Not/Tinybones on Arena in Historic.
I'd honestly love to see the rack, was the first deck I ever rented!
Phyrexian walker, cranial plating, master of ether Kim
Soulherder
Boom//Bust I just love that card
[[Lava Spike]] [[Searing Blaze]] [[rift bolt]] [[Grim lavamancer]] I don’t believe the true and only, [[lightning bolt]] , would be healthy for the format. Grim might look too powerful, but with no fetches, there isn’t all that much to leave from the graveyard.
[[Mana tithe]]
[[Mindbreak Trap]] and [[Inquisition of Kozilek]] Eternal formats are always defined by transgressive designs. The best way to keep Standard fresh is to methodically introduce cards that are a little too good, so that they nudge the format certain ways. These transgressions will eventually leave Standard over the course of rotation. Being careful to seed transgressive cards in different directions and not put too many that transgress in the same ways keeps things from going to far in one direction (with bans fixing cases of poorly aimed transgressions). This means that eternal formats are always clustered around combining similar transgressions from different times. A perfect example is that Liliana of the Veil and Thoughtseize have never been in Standard together, with LotV infamously cut from M15 during development when it was realized what adding here to the monoblack devotion deck (headlined by Thoughtseize) would do to Standard. Unlike Standard, transgressions never leave an eternal format until they're banned. Thus, it is good to proactively seed generic answer cards into a format, particularly for card types that are difficult to interact with. M20 was legitimately great on this front, adding lots of hate cards like Grafdigger's Cage and Leyline of the Void to Pioneer just before the format was announced. Inquisition of Kozilek is a generic combo breaker that excels especially at stopping early game combos. Mindbreak Trap stops combos that use Instants and Sorceries, the most difficult card type in the game to interact with, from digging through their deck and casting their win condition, and it can be boarded in by any deck. Cheap, generic options that stop degenerate combos and synergies are a great way to keep transgressive designs in check without having to ban them, letting more people play the powerful cards they enjoy without destroying other players'options.
All of Innistrad. I just wanna play lingering souls again
[[kor skyfisher]]
Knight exemplar. Knight tribal is so close to greatness, this would put it over the top
Innistrad Block
As few that have actually been good in Modern, Legacy or Vintage at any point as possible. Give me the Lorwyn Banneret cycle or something.
I think \[\[Gatekeeper of Malakir\]\] could be an interesting addition without being too oppressive.
I want snapcaster mage. And/or cryptic command.I don’t feel like snapcaster would be too good, as there isn’t a lot of cheap cards on the format, you have things like fatal push, cantrips, and Dovin’s veto, but I think you wouldn’t run the full playset because it’s just not going to be nearly as live in pioneer as it was when it was playable in modern
Tarmogoyf to give Golgari a good 2drop. It would be not that good without fetchlands but still goes out of the Fiery Impulse range pretty fast. Good clock on its own. On the same note, Lingering Souls would be a good reason to play Orzhov or Mardu to keep diversifying black midrange strategies. Dark Confidant, because I suspect that Fable will be eventually banned so pumping Rakdos is not an issue lmao. Mana Leak or Remand to have a "go to" 2 mana countermagic. Restoration Angel, Blade Splicer and Knight of the Reliquary, Huntmaster of the Fells, Gravecrawler because they are really elegant designs. Drogskol Captain because Empryrean Eagle is bad and incredibly ugly, I want to play my old Modern Bant Spirits deck even if it's without Vial and Hierarch. More tribal lords. Master of the Pearl Trident, Vampire Nocturnus, Elvish Archdruid. Also Serum Visions, another one that died in Modern.
Mana tithe, Remand, Spreading Seas, Ghost quarter, Lightning Helix, Stone Rain, Esper charm. I don't think these would break the format but will give more alternatives for decks. Being able to punish greedy manabases would make the format better I feel (not asking for blood moon as it would indeed break everything I feel).
Blacksmith's Skill for my Boros Heroic deck and General Ferrous Rokiric for my Niv to Light deck.
I’m a simple man, just give me lightning bolt
Snapcaster and Lingering Souls sound really cool. maybe cryptic command too?
Snapcaster and Lingering Souls would be dope. But as much as it pains me to say this (since it's my #1 favorite card of all time), I think Cryptic Command would probably be too powerful for Pioneer. Just the mind games alone of "I see 4 mana untapped, do they have Cryptic Command, The Wandering Emperor, or Memory Deluge?" would be annoying for players to navigate, let alone the sheer power level and utility. I would love to be casting Cryptic Command again though. It's a shame it's been outclassed and relegated to "binder fodder" nowadays.
Also Pioneer is a format with Dig and Torrential Gearhulk playable. It probably would change how the deck is built just to accommodate 3-4 Cryptics just for how useful and versatile it is
Vengevine
I think that that might push phoenix but I'd love to play it alongside hollow one in pioneer
The deckbuilding restrictions of Phoenix and Vine utterly clash. Right now, Phoenix has an extremely high density of spells and barely any creatures. Modern Vengevine decks have the opposite, and a lot more graveyard payoffs than Phoenix. They’re definitely two completely different decks.
It's almost like an evil mirror of Phoenix. Honetly seeing them fight each other would be glorious.
Bolt
Preeminent Captain
This is pioneer legal, last reprint was M15.
Isn’t pioneer after khans set? If not just ignore me 😅
Return to Ravnica to current, so the core sets M14 and M15 are included.
[[Bloodghast]] [[Inquisition of kozilek]] [[Raven's crime]] [[The rack]] [[Eldrazi temple]]
Hedron Crab
[[Surgical extraction]] I'll be taking your parhellion/mayhem devil/phoenix/thing in the ice/kroxa/greasefang/leger shredder gg 💕 And I think they should print the shit out of it too. I think it would be good for the format for nobody's combo pieces to be safe. It would definitely keep certain lists in check.
Surgical is probably one of the best uses for phyrexian mana to. Maybe a reprint in one of the upcoming phyrexian sets?
Even Extirpate as a debatebly fairer version would be fine, I think.
Blood braid elf and inquisition of Kozlik let me play boomer jund
Zero. Pioneer is its own format with its own staples and pillars. It is not a place for all of the Modern staples that go power crept by Ravagan & friends
That wasn't my suggestion at all. In the same way LoTV was reprinted and was impactful maybe other cards could be and I just wanted to know what single card people would like to be pio-legal
That’s fair, it’s just normally these posts are thinly veiled “I think the entirety of my 2015 Jund deck should be legal in Pioneer, agree?”
[[Eldrazi temple]] please and thanks.
So without being too on the nose il go for old cards that see little play. Mana leak, path, pyro ascension. And a bonus although not modern legal, standstill.
Tron lands
I kinda hate to agree with you
I just envisioned mono green tron in pioneer and nearly cried
\[\[Lifelink\]\]
I’ll see your Lifelink and raise you [[[Spirit Link|LEG]]](https://scryfall.com/card/leg/37/spirit-link)
Spirit Link let’s you die with its trigger on the stack…
True that, I just wanted to look at Kaja Foglio’s art.
Coonterspell and/or Lightning Bolt. They were staples of Standard for a significant portion of Magic’s history. It’s weird that they are deemed “too strong” in todays ultra power crept environment.
Counterspell
Simple counterspell for me.
Baleful strix !!! (I know its not modern legal, but the snow coatl would be crap with no fetches for snow basics...)
It's a sweet card, but really dunks on creature decks, which doesn't seem like a cool dynamic. Strix is powerful enough in Legacy that I don't want it in Pioneer.
In a creature centric meta, strix is actually a target for the main deck removal of your opponent, so you do get a 2 for 1, but their removal are less dead against you, and it kinda balances out no ? But yes it is really powerfull, which is why i would love it
Fetches. 100% serious. But that aside, Noble Hirearch / jenara, Asura of War / Rafiq of the Many / Rhoda War Monk. I started in alara block, and I miss those standees era decks.
Lingering Souls.
Restoration Angel
Marit Lage's Slumber :)
[[Seal of Fire]] as a way to turbo out a turn 2 [[Chandra’s Incinerator]], and [[Lightning Helix]] for my pet Boros Midrange deck
[[Beacon of Hope]] Gimme my two card combo with [[Tainted Remedy]]
All the good zombies and damnation
[[Dungrove Elder]].
[[Amulet of Vigor]], but probably not for what you’d think. I just really like [[Maze’s End]].
Snapcaster is an easy one, I think it would be absolutely fine in the format. Could be tricky to print into standard safely though. I think Path to Exile would be just fine as well. Obviously would become one of the most played removal spells, but the downside feels impactful enough. Good at answering mono g's threats efficiently...but doesn't destroy their game plan since it ramps. Gives another cheap answer to aggro decks but gets them closer to activating man lands. Surprised no one suggested this yet.
Champion of the Parish
Aether vial, I love vial decks
noble hierarch
Phyrexian Obliterator
Scars of Mirroden fast lands, incomplete land cycles bother me. It's bad enough that I have to wait until November for brushland.
\[\[Kindle the Carnage\]\]
Drogskol Captain, and dare I say… Aether Vial.
Leaning Arbitor. I miss old GW taxes with company.
I said this to someone else but yeah: Blood Moon or Magus of the Moon. Sorry to all the Niv to Light players
I would kill for [[Lingering souls]]
[[Flagstones of Trokair]], I would love to play an elvish reclaimer + flagstones + lotus field + blood sun deck. Might be too hard to interact with though.