The First Pioneers

Get in your car and start your engines! The First Pioneers are revved up for the newest Magic the Gathering set. Special guest and crazy deck pilot Conorman 11 joins us this weekend to talk about all the speedy new vehicles, out of control spells, and which cards will crash and burn. While some people are saying that the new set won't have much impact on Pioneer, we think that it's going to be great for the casual crowd and that the "Timmy" players will have a lot of fun playing demolition derby with all the big cards in the set. Stop in and see which cards we picked to be at the starting line in the next Pioneer season!   Be sure to stop in to talk about your favorite cards if we didn't mention it in the episode!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

It's been a while since The First Pioneers were able to record an episode but we finally got a chance to and it's a DOOZY. There was a lot to unpackage from the announcements Wizards of the Coast made during the event in Las Vegas, and we talk about each and every thing that relates to Pioneer and how it will impact the format. Magic Foundations was also just released but due to the heavy reprints and cards already in Pioneer, we decided to do a Top 10 list of cards we think will make a splash instead of doing a full review episode. Be sure to stop into our Discord or follow us on Social media if you want to share your own top 10 list or to talk about cards you're excited to play with in Pioneer!    Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

It seems like all we ever have time for these days is set reviews with the amount of cards coming out and accelerated release schedule from Wizards of the Coast. We barely get a chance to play with the cards from a new set before more are on the way. It's suffocating, it's hard to breathe, it's . . . no wait, it's this house? It's having some kind of effect on me and it feels like I'm going to die! RUN! The newest set, Duskmourn: House of Horrors preys on our fears and chills us to the bone with its disturbing images and homage to some of our favorite horror movies. The set has had countless flavor wins so far and is sure to be "killer" with commander players, but how about in Pioneer? So far the overall opinion of the First Pioneers is that it is one of the stronger sets to come out for the format in a while, and we look forward to testing out some of the new cards in our favorite decks. See which new cards make the "cut" and which other ones will be left hanging in the rafters of the attic!   Be sure to contact us if you are looking forward to play with some of the new cards or want to talk with them!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Bloomburrow is bringing bunches of new typal cards and adding more choices to previously underwhelming categories of cards that should eventually lead to an expanding choice of decks in Pioneer. While we might not see the immediate change in the format, it doesn't hurt to explore. In this week's episode the First Pioneers talk about updates to some of their favorite decks as well as some new strategies they think might finally have what it takes to break into the metagame.   Be sure to stop by our Discord or Twitter afterwards to talk about some of your own brews you're working on with cards from the newest set, Bloomburrow!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

The First Pioneers come off their long hiatus to talk about the newest Magic the Gathering Set, Bloomburrow, and how it might fit into the Pioneer metagame. The new set brings a lot of new typal cards with it, with an interesting mix of non traditional effects that could amplify the power of current decks, revitalize dead or dying archetypes, or birth "offspring" into the format with entirely new decks. Listen to see where we think these cards will fit into Pioneer then be sure to join us on Twitter or on our Discord afterwards to discuss the new cards!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

They ridiculed me. They laughed at me. They told me Waste Not would never be a playable deck in Pioneer. BUT WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?!?!? This week the First Pioneers break down the latest build of the Waste Not deck and talk about how the deck is winning, why it's suddenly better than it has been in past metas, and how you can play it. If you feel like talking more about it, be sure to stop in to our Discord or follow us on Twitter/X!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Howdy Partners! This week the First Pioneers put on our cowboy boots, holster our six-shooters, and straighten the brim of our Stetson hats to bring you the Pioneer set review for Outlaws of Thunder Junction! We go over what cards are going to make a splash in the format, which ones will be fun to brew with, and which will ones could end up being role players. After listening be sure to stop by our Discord or Twitter to share your top 5 or to talk about what cards you're most excited to play with from the new set!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

It's been quite a while since we talked about one drops in the Pioneer format (almost 3 years to be exact. Strixhaven had just come out!), but with the recent influx of powerful and useful one drops in Pioneer we felt it was time to revisit the topic! The First Pioneers talk about what used to be good, what new one drops have joined the previous ones, what one drops have potential, and which one drops are stuck in limbo with no decks to go into. If you're looking for some cards to brew with, or hoping to revisit some past strategies, this week's episode is a great deep dive into format's best one mana cards! If your favorite one drops didn't get mentioned in the discussion, be sure to join the discussion about it in our Discord or on Twitter!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Vampires had been counted out of Pioneer for a while. It was a fun deck and one of people's favorite typal strategies, but it hadn't been relevant for a while. That all changed last weekend during Pro Tour Murder at Karlov Manor. Seth Manfield and a team of other players brought resurrected the archetype with Black/Red vampires, backed by the new card Vein Ripper. This new blood proved to be too strong for his competitors and he took down the event. The following week more and more people were turned (into vampire players) and now the vampire menace is among us. This week the First Pioneers go over all results from last week and talk about what comes next. Be sure to listen then stop in to our Discord to chat about the new Pioneer metagame!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Welcome to a new Pioneer Metagame! Or is it? While a few new cards have snuck their way into Pioneer this season from the newest set, most of the other cards seem to be biding their time and waiting for the right moment to make their move from the shadows. This week the First Pioneers talk about some new brews and updates they have with the cards from Murders at Karlov Manor, and take a look at the early online results before the next major event in Chicago. If you have some cool brews of your own be sure to stop in to our Discord later and share them! We'd love to see how you're using the newest cards.   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

There seems to be a lot of killing going on in Ravnica, but does the Murders at Karlov Manor set have any killer cards for Pioneer? This week the First Pioneers team once again breaks down all of the cards in the newest set and talks about their potential impact in Pioneer before making our top 5. As you listen, make your own top 5 and if you think we missed any cards in our review be sure to let us know on Twitter or Discord afterwards!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

After a slow winter vacation for The First Pioneers and the Pioneer format, both of us are ready to get back into the swing of things. Murder is afoot in Ravnica and a group of magical gumshoes are on the case. While that's about the extent of my knowledge of the story for the next set, what we DO know is that Murders at Karlov Manor is bringing back some older mechanics as well as introducing some brand new ones. Since we'll be devoting our next episode entirely to the full spoiler of cards, this week seemed like a great time to talk about the potential effect these new abilities and mechanics could have on the format. Will it enable new decks, power up old ones, or fall flat and soon be forgotten? Before the full spoiler is out, wrack your brain with ours and join in the conversation on our Discord and Twitter! Which cards and decks do YOU think will be the biggest winners once the investigation at Karlov Manor is concluded?   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Pioneer has had some good and bad things happen in 2023, so in this final episode of the year we go over what we think had positive impacts on the format, as well as what things hurt it. We also go over our hopes for Pioneer in 2024, our favorite cards of 2023, and our favorite decks of 2023! See if your favorite things made the list and if they didn't, stop in to your Discord or Twitter and let us know!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

"Welcome back Your ban was your ticket out Welcome back to that same old place That you hovered about Well, the card names have all changed Since you flew around But those decks have remained And they've turned around Who'd have thought they'd need you (Who'd have thought they'd need you) Back here where we loot with you (Back here where we loot with you) Yeah, we squeeze him in a lot Cause we got him in the 2 slot Welcome back Welcome back Welcome back Welcome back Welcome back Welcome back"   Johhann Bastion, Kaladesh Thopter Enthusiast   Welcome back to Pioneer Mr. Co(p)ter! I personally was very sad to see you go after such a short time in the then fledgling format, but now I think that Pioneer is ready to take competition to the next level. While the unbanning of Smuggler's Copter was exciting for many of us, that wasn't the only thing that came with last week's Banned and Restricted announcement. After a few short weeks, Geological Appraiser was buried, and after years of wishboarding Karn, the Great Creator was finally unmade.  These bans had created some monumental shifts in the Pioneer metagame and we at the First Pioneers took a first look at all of the new decks that have popped up with Smuggler's Copter in them and the decks that are coming back because Karn is gone. We also discuss where the Pioneer format goes from here and what to look out for down the road as the metagame shifts and adapts to these changes. Be sure to listen before going into your next event or choosing your deck for this season, and if you want to talk more about the current state of Pioneer be sure to join us on Twitter or in our Discord!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

It's been an exciting time in Pioneer since Lost Caverns of Ixalan was released. The format has seen new decks, new cards, and new strategies pop up all over the place. Aside from doing our usual brew episode, we added in a deep discussion on two of the best new decks this season: Explore Combo and Discover Combo. The decks seem like they are here to stay and we wanted to talk about the current iterations and where they go from here. We also talked about which cards from our set review panned out, and which ones ended up disappointing us. If you want to skip ahead to the brews at the end, we talk about a new version of Ensoul Artifact, Dinosaurs, Vampires, and Dredge! Be sure to stop by our Discord later to share your own brews and to talk about the decks we went over in this week's episode!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

There was quite a bit of apprehension about the newest Magic the Gathering set after recent misfires, but to say that people aren't excited about the Lost Caverns of Ixalan set would be an understatement. While people expected a number of typal strategies to get better (such as Merfolk, Vampires, etc), I think people didn't expect the sheer number of cards that would compliment existing strategies in Pioneer. There are also a number of cards that could spawn their own decks themselves, and a few that could give second chances to dead archetypes. As you listen to the set review, be sure to put together your own Top 5 list and when you finish head on over to our Discord or Twitter and share it!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

This week's special bonus episode wraps up the Wilds of Eldraine Pioneer metagame and goes over the mechanics of the Lost Caverns of Ixalan. A lot has changed in Pioneer since the start of October and in this episode we take a macro look at the format to see how it's changed, why it changed, and also discuss the difference between the paper and digital metagames. We dive deep into the combo and midrange decks that made a splash this season, and also talk about control's downfall (even before Cavern of Souls was announced). With our upcoming Lost Caverns of Ixalan set review bound to be packed with hot takes, all star picks, and honorable mentions, we simply wouldn't have time to say everything we wanted to about the set so in this episode we went over the themes, the new and returning mechanics, and discussed how that might figure into a future Pioneer metagame. If you have anything you're excited to talk about from the new set, be sure to stop in to our Discord after listening or drop us a line on Twitter!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

With the Boros Pia, Boros Convoke, and even Boros Burn (way back in the day), the only Boros (red/white) deck we hadn't covered yet on The First Pioneer's podcast was Boros Heroic. It was never really a player in the Pioneer format, just showing up from time to time when the metagame conditions were right. But with the printing of Monstrous Rage in Wilds of Eldraine, the deck seems to have reached a tipping point and has put up some interesting results. While the deck probably won't ever be solidified as a top tier strategy, it does lock in Boros as one of the most diverse aggro colors in all of Pioneer. You can now go fast, go hard, go wide, or go to the face with the colors now. So how does Boros Heroic compare to the other red and white strategies and how does it work? Listen to this week's episode to find out everything you need to know whether it's how to play with or play against the deck. And after you're finished, be sure to stop by our Twitter or Discord to discuss the deck or Pioneer in general!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

No, you didn't read that episode title wrong. This week we did our first ever "draft" of the best cards, our favorite cards, or cards we just straight up "vibe" with in the Pioneer format. But it's not a draft in the essence of how people in Magic the Gathering usually draft. This episode is probably more closely related to a sports draft where we can pick any card we want from a card type as long as nobody else has already chosen it. We're also not drafting these to play them together in a deck, but rather just to have the "rights" to them such as sports franchises do when they draft a player for their team. As you listen through our choices for each card type, make a list of your own top 3 choices for each (minus Battles we decided), and then see how they match up with ours. We'd also love to hear who you think drafted the best cards for each type of card afterwards, so be sure to let us know in either our Discord, or on Twitter!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

After all the talk players made about which Wilds of Eldraine cards would break out in the new season of Pioneer, we finally have some initial results and they are quite promising! Join the First Pioneers as we take a look at some recent events and talk about how the newest cards to the Pioneer format are making some waves in the metagame! If you're gearing up for a big tournament and want a snapshot of the new meta or are putting together some decks and want to know what's good, be sure to check out this episode!   Afterwards feel free to hop into our Discord and post your own event results and talk about any prep you're doing for upcoming events!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Updates, upgrades, and new decks galore in this episode of The First Pioneers! We go over no less than 10 Pioneer decks total this week and showcase a variety of archetypes such as combo, aggro, and midrange that have added in new Wilds of Eldraine cards (Sorry, no control brews this time). In no particular order, we go over: GR Bard Class RW Shrapnel Blast RW Convoke Jund Adventures GB Knights UG Manlands Enchanties 5 color Beanstalk GB Fight Club Doom Foretold Pact Be sure to listen how the decks work in the podcast, then head over to the Discord channel to see the decklists. If you try them out, be sure to let us know how you'd optimize them, and if you have any brews of your own be sure to share them in our various colored channels!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

The next set has finally dropped and The First Pioneers are ready to head deep into the woods with the Wilds of Eldraine! As always we focus on the cards we think will have the biggest impact on the Pioneer format, talk about which archetypes will get a boost, and give our Top 5 picks we think will make a splash. After listening, if you want to drop your own Top 5 picks from Wilds of Eldraine, be sure to visit our Discord or let us know on Twitter!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Gen Con in Indianapolis dropped A LOT of information about the future of Magic the Gathering, or at least one heck of a timeline of new sets that will be affecting the Pioneer format when they release. Before we jump into the Wilds of Eldraine next show, we want to invite you to go over all the new sets that were announced and talk about their potential impact on our favorite eternal format. In this episode we talked about what these new sets are going to be about, what kind of themes we can expect, as well as a wishlist of cards we'd like to see show up and any possible reprints.   But what about your reaction to all the news? Are you as excited as us or are you being a little more cautious? Whatever you're thinking, we'd love to hear it so be sure to jump into our Discord or find us on Twitter after listening!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Pioneer players were met with the news that there would be NO cards banned or restricted in Wizards of the Coast's annual ban announcement this week, deflating a lot of people's hope that the format would have some new life breathed into it after a draining season of qualifiers against Mono Green devotion, Rakdos, and various combo and control decks. We at The First Pioneers had been taking it easy this summer making content so we could focus on self care and enjoying a slower pace of life for once, but after this announcement we could stay quiet no longer. There is a lot we want to say about the silence and deaf ear being turned to competitive formats in Magic the Gathering, and we're sure many of our followers would like to hear their concerns voiced as well. We also go over some of the early spoilers from Wilds of Eldraine and talk about what kind of cards we'd like to see printed (or reprinted!) in the set. After listening to this week's episode, if you would like to add to the discussion you can do so on our Discord or you can give us a follow on Twitter. Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

One of the great things about Pioneer is that new decks are still being discovered every season. While it might now be at the same frequency as the format's early years, you can still count on things to be shaken up from time to time. Color combinations of all types have found strategies to play, and since we finished most of the land cycles, mana bases have never been better. But not all color combinations have been so fortunate. For every Rakdos or Azorious archetype, color combinations like Orzhov (BW) and Golgari (BG) have few or none.   In this week's episode the First Pioneers want to get to the bottom of the reason why not every Guild combination is created equal. We focus solely on those forgotten colors with very few or no playable archetypes in Pioneer and discuss what we think their identity should be. We also go over what Wizards of the Coast needs to print in those colors in order to make them viable.   After listening, if you want to add some suggestions of your own, stop into our Discord and join the discussion or tweet at us on Twitter!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

As the end of the Pioneer regional qualifier season draws to a close, The First Pioneers go over the most recent results from the last 2 weeks of events and talk about the future of the Pioneer format. While the majority of Pioneer players probably think that the format is fine, many people would be happy to see it change too. But what are the problems that Wizards of Coast needs to fix in Pioneer and how should they fix them? There's always room for improvement and we give Wizards of the Coast a long list of things we don't like about the format at the moment and what we'd like to see happen to it in the near future. I'm sure many of you also have some suggestions for Pioneer and we'd like to hear from you! Join our discord and talk about it or give us a follow on Twitter! Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

The First Pioneers aren't some group of jive turkeys. We're cooler than cool, hipper than hip, and if you want to play a card nobody else plays in Pioneer, we can dig it. In fact, we love to dig up new things to do in the format. After our last show's topic on Boros Convoke, we wanted to expand on Knight Errant of Eos' ability to "dig" for cards. Were there any other cards that could do the same type of thing in Pioneer? What kind of ways can you "dig" through your deck? After discussing the idea with my co-hosts we decided that any ability that lets you look at 4 or more cards at a time would be included, and with that in mind we went through the entire pool of Pioneer. We started with the most played cards that can "dig" and finished with cards that also dug into decks, but weren't seeing much or any play. We hoped that somebody else would hear about these cards and further help expand the format. You'd be surprised by how many dig cards there are that people currently aren't using. We hope that after listening to this week's show though, that you too, can "dig" it. Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

The Boros Convoke deck has made big waves in Pioneer over the last few weeks but not everybody has been able to wrap their heads around it. As with every other new deck that breaks onto the scene, at first it seems broken and unstoppable. But is it? Does it have any bad match ups? And what about its good ones? What are the main cards of the deck and what is the best deck list? This week The First Pioneers give you the total run down on this new strategy and talk about its place in the new Pioneer metagame. We go over the last few weeks of Pioneer tournament results, including the Grand Open Qualifier at Valencia, and discuss what Pioneer will look like going forward with this new deck. If you're looking to learn to play or play against Boros Convoke, definitely give this week's show a listen! Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

This week The First Pioneers hop into the way back machine to revisit some of the best decks the Pioneer format has ever seen to talk about what made them tick, what the format lost when the decks disappeared, and what happened to the deck's cards when the deck was forgotten. We believe it's time to take another look at some of those past strategies and cards to see if they could have life once more in the Pioneer format in some other shape or form. While we were on the topic of cards that were once we good, we thought it would also be good to talk about cards that we think people should give a chance to in Pioneer. New cards are always pushing old ones to the forefront in Magic the Gathering, but just because we find one thing that works doesn't mean we should stop looking. Join us this week as we rediscover cards and look for new things to do in Pioneer!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

This Mother's Day, skip out on the flowers and candies and get her something special, like a break down of the Pioneer metagame leading up to March of the Machines Aftermath. She'll be grateful for your thoughtfulness and happy that you care (about Magic the Gathering). While short, the MOM metagame created a lot of innovation and added a lot of new lines of play to a wide variety of decks. But will the new decks and cards stick around as the Aftermath cards shake things up yet again? Will we continue to see decks innovate and optimize or players give up on doing so until after the next Pioneer qualifier season? Listen to The First Pioneers discuss what's happened to the Pioneer metagame since March of the Machines since it launched, and where we think it will go now that Aftermath is out.   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

The paint on the cards in March of the Machines had barely dried when Wizards of the Coast decided to release Aftermath, a supplemental, undraftable mini set (but Standard/Pioneer legal). How will competitive players react to this set? Will they embrace the cards or will they dismiss them as an afterthought? The First Pioneers believe we should give some of them a try in the Pioneer format, but with players still feeling out the last set, it might be some time before any of the Aftermath cards makes a splash in the format. If you're feeling some new set fatigue or just don't want to devote any time to the new cards right now, let us give you some suggestions to get you started brewing or to prepare you for what you might see in the metagame this summer. And if we missed some cards be sure to pop into our Discord or onto our Twitter to let us know how you'd build decks with them! Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

One of the biggest decks to come out of the Phyrexia: All Will Be One metagame was Neoform Atraxa. The deck joins a long list of powerful midrange strategies that can effectively combo out early into an Atraxa, Grand Unifier and take over the game with either a huge creature or incredible card advantage. While it might not be able to always play against the top decks of the format like Rakdos Midrange, it has shown itself not to be taken lightly and that it can take unsuspecting metagames by storm. With Dreams of Ashiok still on vacation, he introduced us to one of his friends in Canada that has a lot of experience with the deck. The First Pioneers welcome Canadian Magic the Gathering player Andrew (@andrw1232) to tell us everything he knows about this new and exciting strategy. Whether you've been wondering how to play the deck, or how to beat it, be sure to listen to this week's episode!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Does Pioneer have an aggro problem? Absolutely, but it's less the cause of the problem and more the result of everything else. Recently The First Pioneers discussed how Combo decks in the format had taken advantage of Pioneer, and while midrange and control decks have been able to keep combo in check somewhat, the rise of these archetypes has totally pushed aggro out. But you might be saying "what about mono white humans?" Well, can you honestly name any other recent aggro decks in Pioneer that have done well consistently in the format? Sure we have the occasional "flash in the pan" deck that can spike tournaments, but it seems like whenever somebody sleeves up mono red aggro or Atarka red, it's just one unlucky result after the other. So how do we fix this aggro problem and what caused it? In this week's episode, we go into depth about the current state of aggro and offer some solutions on how to fix it. After listening, if you have some thoughts of your own on what to do about the current state of Pioneer, be sure to reach out to us on Twitter or on Discord!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Midrange and Combo players rejoice! Mother of Machines brings tons of new cards that can slip right into your existing decks in Pioneer, and some that are great for building around. Whether they'll end up being strong enough for competitive play is yet to be seen, but if you're itching to try out something new, The First Pioneers have a little bit for everyone. This episode we bring you no less than 11 MOM brews for Pioneer! We have decks centered around +1/+1 counters, a never before seen tribal strategy (Phyrexians!), and even a deck with Happily Ever After as one of its win conditions! You'll definitely want to check out the decklists and listen to how we would play them! After listening, if you have some sweet brews of your own be sure to stop into our Discord and share them in our Decklists or Jank channels! Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Wizards of the Coast has been giving us less of what we want and more of what we need in Pioneer, at least from my point of view. Gone are the days when one card would go into every deck. Nowadays where a card fits into the metagame has become more blurred. Cards that seemed unplayable in the format now find themselves as core cards of previously fringe decks thrust into the spotlight due to new cards. However, this doesn't always work out. Will Mother of Machines further expand the Pioneer metagame, or be nothing more than just a few updates to what we already have? This week The First Pioneers look into how Mother of Machines will Impact Pioneer. Will the Battles fight their way into midrange decks? Will Collected Company get new hits to put into the battlefield at the end of turn? Or perhaps control will find new ways to spoil our fun. Find out all this any more in this week's episode! And after listening, if we didn't get a chance to talk about one of your favorite cards from the new set, be sure to drop us a line on Twitter or Discord!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/  

It's been a while since the Pro Tour flipped the Pioneer metagame on its head. We had a few new decks join the metagame, and a few others make a glorious comeback. But when the dust settled, where did that leave Pioneer? In our final episode before the Mother of Machine spoilers explode all over the internet, The First Pioneers talk about what has happened in the format over the last few months, where Pioneer was at the start of MTG ONE, and how this last season not only changed the cards we play with, but also how we play the game. Whether you're looking forward or backward in Pioneer, we got you covered with this week's show!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

The Modern format has always been known for the strong power level of its cards. At the inception of the format there were a number of bannings and as more and more cards were added into the pool, those once powerful cards were now deemed disposable. Players who had shelled out top dollar for cards like Liliana of the Veil and Phyrexian Obliterator were finding that their favorite cards were becoming more and more irrelevant due to new sets like Modern Horizons. If you had asked me at the start of Pioneer if these Modern playable cards would have been good for the format I would have had my doubts, but here we are. Both those mentioned cards (Liliana of the Veil and Phyrexian Obliterator) are now legal in Pioneer which makes me want to ask; is it time to bring more past Modern power level cards to The First Pioneer's favorite format? In this week's episode we talk about all the cards that have made their way to Pioneer from Modern so far, what Modern mechanics have been introduced into the format, what other cards sharing those mechanics we'd like to see, as well as other mechanics and cards not yet in Pioneer that we think would make a great addition to the format. Be sure to join the Discord if you already haven't to talk about what other Modern cards and mechanics you'd think make great additions to the Pioneer format in the future!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/  

This week we're shifting gears to focus more on the financial side of Pioneer as we discuss how people can play the format competitively while not spending an arm and a leg. The recent Pro Tour catapulted the Pioneer format to new heights but with that popularity some cards reached new heights in price as well. In the past we've focused on a few decks and tried to make budget versions of them in the $50 and $100 range, but we believe that has become unsustainable and unrealistic. Prices are going up, and people want to have fun playing Pioneer but also want to win. So this time around instead of building an inconsistent budget deck around a few pricey cards, we decided to do the opposite: replace the pricey cards of the deck with cards that can work with the strategy but are also a fraction of the deck's original cost.    If you want to know which expensive cards you can prune from the top decks in Pioneer and still be competitive, you'll definitely want to give this episode a listen. It could save you hundreds of dollars before you invest in a deck for your next event, and also enable you to build a very useful gauntlet of decks that emulate the Pioneer metagame. Don't let your wallet dictate what decks you can or can't play and get creative with your builds of Pioneer metagame all-stars! If you have any other ideas for budget versions of decks be sure to join our discord and share them! Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

With the fastlands in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, the Pioneer format finally finished all of it's enemy and friendly manabases (well all the relevant ones at least). We had complained on more than one occasion that the format wouldn't really be fair and fully functional until they all were printed. So now that we have them all, what has changed? Were our wishes granted? Did our manabase dreams come true? In this week's episode The First Pioneers talk about what the full manabase means for the format, from building them for all types of decks to how to splash when you need that extra color to cast a powerful spell. If you're still working on collecting your lands for the format or want to learn how to fine tune the manabases in your current decks, be sure to check out this episode!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

A combo deck won the last Pioneer Pro Tour. A few other combo decks have been showing up regularly in the format lately. Is Pioneer currently in a combo metagame? If so, do we need to be worried about it? This week The First Pioneers (+ Dreams of Ashiok) take a deeper look at the combo decks currently doing well in Pioneer, and also talk about the other ones that are very close to breaking into the top tiers of the metagame. But maybe you're not a combo player? Maybe you're hoping to learn how to beat these combo decks. Don't worry, we got you covered from that angle too. We also go over the weakness of each combo deck, and which sideboard cards or strategies you can use to beat them. A must listen for all players before their next big Pioneer event!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Due to the popularity of our last Pioneer 101 episode on Angels and Vehicles, as well as the renewed interest in the Enigmatic Fires deck after the Pro Tour, we thought we'd do another breakdown this week to get people up to speed on all the new tech that people are using. And who better to talk about the deck than one of its most vocal supporters and champion of Enchanties, Dreams of Ashiok. Aside from the new tech, Ashiok walks us through the core cards of the deck, the alternative cards you can play in it, Enigmatic Fire's match ups, and how to play it. Whether you're looking to use the deck in your next event or want to learn how to play against it, you don't want to miss this episode! If you have any questions or want to talk more about it afterwards, be sure to join our Discord or tweet at us on Twitter!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Pioneer was front and center on the biggest stage of Magic the Gathering last weekend: The Pro Tour. The excitement that had been building through the previous qualifier seasons finally boiled over into the mainstream. Tens of thousands of players watched the top Pioneer players in the world battle it out live on camera, and when all was said and done, ONE player remained: Reid Duke. But how did we get to this point? The new set, Phryexia: All Will Be One, went live barely a week before and even with a full spoiler it left most teams scrambling to figure out the new metagame. To help us chart a course from that first day to the Pro Tour, The First Pioneers welcomed back Dreams of Ashiok to talk about how he tested with the new cards that first week, and also to explain why some of new cards lived up to their hype while others fell flat. We break down lots of decklists, talk above innovation, and discuss where the Pioneer format goes from here on out in this week's episode. Be sure to stop into our Discord or drop us a line on Twitter afterwards if you want to talk about the results of last weekend's Pioneer Pro Tour more!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

While we wait for the upcoming Pioneer Pro tour to shake things up, The First Pioneers decided it would be a good idea to showcase two of the biggest decks to rise to popularity in the last season: Angel Company and Gruul Vehicles. One deck seeks to gain a bunch of life and sends legions of flyers over the heads of your enemy, and the other likes to go fast. Like really fast (and sometimes furious).  The Pioneer 101 series (which seeks to educate listeners about the ins and outs of decks in Pioneer that they might not know about) is joined by Dreams of Ashiok once again this week. Ashiok helps us to break down the key cards from both strategies, gives us ideas for alternate cards, reasons for sideboard choices, as well as what the decks' match ups are like. If you're looking to learn how to play or how to beat these decks, you'll definitely want to give this episode a listen. If you want to talk about either Angels or Vehicles more after listening, be sure to pop into our Discord! (NOTE: This episode had audio issues which needed to be fixed and re-recorded which is why it's being released out of order. 158 will be next week!) Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

At first glance Phyrexia: All Will Be One might not have any obvious homeruns for the Pioneer format, but maybe that's a good thing? If we don't know where the cards go at first we'll just have to brew with them until we see where they fit! MTGO grinder and fellow lover of brews Conorman11 joins us this week to throw some new decks together and see what sticks. We start with some updates to crowd favorites (Bard Class, Esper Parhelion, Enigmatic Incarnation) and then move into some really spicy lists like Anvil Blast, UB Rogues, a new take on Hammertime in white, and more! If you're looking to try something new in Pioneer and want to take these lists for a spin be our guest! And afterwards, be sure to stop into our Discord to let us know how they went or to share some ideas of your own.   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Will Phyrexia, All Will be One be another Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set for the Pioneer format with a huge impact, or be more subdued like Innistrad: Crimson Vow with only a handful of cards seeing any play? Returning guest Dreams of Ashiok joins us again this week to finish up what we started with our first reactions episode. Do the other cards in the new set have what it takes to reshape Pioneer? Or will the best decks in the format shrug off the challenge from these pesky Phyrexians? Be sure to listen for the cards we think can become all stars, which will be relegated to role players, and what cards could become sleeper hits.   If some of your favorite cards don't show up in the podcast, be sure to hop into the Discord to let us know why you like them! Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

With our Pioneer set review due out next week for Phyrexia: All Will be One, we thought we'd save ourselves some time by talking about what cards we think will have a big impact on the format like the reprint of the allied Fastlands, and also cover all the other things that MTG ONE is bringing to Pioneer. Special guest Dreams of Ashiok joins us again to talk about Toxic, Phyrexian mana, proliferate, and everything else from the new set and how it relates to the Pioneer metagame. Be sure to listen to this primer before diving into all the playable cards next week on the set review! (NOTE: We had audio issues for episode 154 and will be releasing it when we have the time to re-record parts of it.)   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

While everybody is currently focused on the future and what the next set will bring for Pioneer this February, we thought it would be a good idea to look back. We did a few episodes on Explorer last year and how it inches ever so closer to a normal Pioneer format, but before Explorer was a thing everybody was playing Historic. I was one of those people and while everybody was out there trying to win, I was out there trying to collect cards that would be playable in Pioneer in the future when it came to the MTG Arena platform. I remember being excited by each Historic Anthology and looking for cards that I could make a "Pioneer lite" deck with, but now that Explorer is a thing I've kind of forgotten about many of those Historic cards.   But maybe we shouldn't have. Did you know that there are a good number of cards in Historic that came with Historic Horizons and Jumpstart that are legal in Pioneer such as Slivers? Or maybe you've always wanted to try and make Goblin Dark Dwellers work. Unfortunately, finding these Pioneer/Explorer legal cards on Arena can be a chore, especially if your parameters are set to only include Explorer legal sets. While some of these cards will show up if you type in the card type in a general search, if you don't know exactly what cards to look for you could be missing on on some neat tech your deck is missing. But why stop there? While researching these cards in Historic, The First Pioneers thought it would be fun to see which other cards not in Explorer, such as the Modern Horizon or Alchemy Cards, might also make great additions to the Pioneer format in the future. And while you're listening, feel free to make a list of your own cards you think aren't too powerful for Pioneer from older sets and be sure to share them with us on Discord our Twitter! Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

The year 2022 started very unassuming for Pioneer but it ended up being one of the most eventful years since the format's inception. We had tons of break out cards, new decks appeared, some old ones returned to the metagame, there were bannings, and through it all The First Pioneers were there cover it. There was so much going on in Magic the Gathering you might have confused what did and did happen this year in Pioneer, so with this week's episode we want to set the record straight and help everybody understand how we got to where we were so we can look forward to next year.  What better way to wrap things up for the year then than to have one of the best competitive Pioneer guests on to talk about what happened both competitively and digitally in Pioneer than Harry13SCO. He found himself in the thick of things in 2022, going from frustration to elation as he battled through various metagames, sometimes finding himself at the bottom but near the end of the year, coming out on top. He offers us valuable insight on not only the metagame but also the decks he played, why some cards did better than others, and why some were a big let down. Make sure to listen to this episode before the new year so you can start Pioneer with a fresh slate in 2023! We'd also like to wish all our listeners out there happy holidays!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

She's making a list, and checking it twice, going to find out who's naughty or nice, She-oldred is coming to town. She knows when you are drawing, She gains life while she's awake, She know if your removal is goodorbad so be good for goodness sake.   - Phyrexian Holiday Song   It's that time of year again, and I don't mean me trying to write horrible music lyrics related to Magic the Gathering. No, the holiday's are just around the corner and instead of asking for presents this year the First Pioneers are asking for some things for the Pioneer format in 2023. But does every deck deserve presents? We beg to differ. Some decks were very naughty this year and think they shouldn't get any presents, while other decks tried really hard to be good but just couldn't cut it. But which ones? And what kind of presents should they get?    In this week's episode we talk not only about what we want for each of those decks, but also what we want for the Pioneer format as a whole. If you think some decks deserve some different presents than what we talked about, be sure to pop into our discord and share your own holiday wishlist! Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

While our 150th episode probably deserves more pomp and celebration, there is simply too much going on in the world of Pioneer to take a week off! With the Explorer Anthology 2 dropping on MTG Arena this week, we're guessing there are more than a few of you wondering if you can finally play your favorite Pioneer decks on the client. The new anthology drops 24 new cards into Explorer, and while some of them are obvious inclusions for the Arena only Brawl or Historic formats, we feel like the majority of cards will find homes and totally change the "Pioneer-lite" format. The real question is, after we add all of these cards, how much closer does that bring us to having Pioneer available to the masses for free (grinding included)? Will the Explorer metagame finally mirror the Pioneer one? Will you be able to test out new decks on the client before your next paper Pioneer event? We're hoping you will, and Ryan also tries to convince Kevin to finally drop MTGO and open up Arena on his computer. Whether he succeeds or not ... well you'll just have to listen.   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/

Continuing our tradition from last year, Kevin and I over at The First Pioneers own up to the mistakes we made on our Top 5 picks during our Pioneer set reviews (and also gloat about the picks we DID get right in 2022). While The Innistrad Double Feature set released in January, this years set reviews only included: Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty The Streets of New Capenna Dominaria United The Brother's War While the Brother's War set only recently came out, we've seen enough results to remake our previous top 5s into new ones, and did the same for the other sets that came out in 2022. Listen to find out what our new top 5 cards from each set this year was, why we got our original Top 5's wrong, and what cards might still have a chance to shine in the coming year!   Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer You can find our other episodes on the Untap Leagues website as well! https://untapleagues.com/author/the-first-pioneers/