By Corbin Hosler

Who Wants to Play Fair?

It wasn't that long ago that the top of the Pioneer metagame was dominated by "fair" decks – that is, decks like Spirits or Mono-Black that primarily sought to slowly and steadily (or perhaps a little less slowly in the case of Mono-Red) reduce their opponent's life to zero. There was even a brief period where Big Red, featuring expensive top-end cards like Glorybringer and Chandra, Torch of Defiance, were leading the way.

But all that has changed in a few short weeks. At least in Phoenix, it seems that most competitors agreed that playing fair was not the way to go. By far, the most-represented archetype was combo, with about a third of the field bringing some form of combo deck.

(Note: Sideboard card quantities will not be published for Players Tour Swiss rounds. Top-performing Pioneer decklists with complete sideboards will be published on Sunday.)

Burkhart, Corey - Dimir Inverter

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Planeswalker (3)

3 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries

Creature (8)

4 Inverter of Truth 4 Thassa's Oracle

Sorcery (6)

2 Thought Erasure 4 Thoughtseize

Instant (17)

2 Censor 4 Dig Through Time 2 Drown in the Loch 4 Fatal Push 1 Hero's Downfall 4 Opt

Enchantment (1)

1 Omen of the Sea

Land (25)

2 Choked Estuary 4 Drowned Catacomb 4 Fabled Passage 2 Fetid Pools 1 Ipnu Rivulet 5 Island 2 Swamp 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 4 Watery Grave

60 Cards

Sideboard (11)

1 Hero's Downfall 1 Cry of the Carnarium 1 Damping Sphere 1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 1 Languish 1 Legion's End 1 Mystical Dispute 1 Negate 1 Pack Rat 1 Witch's Vengeance

Deal Another Hand

There's more than one way to Thassa's Oracle.

Froehlich, Eric - Lotus Breach

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (15)

4 Arboreal Grazer 4 Fae of Wishes 2 Satyr Wayfinder 1 Thassa's Oracle 4 Vizier of Tumbling Sands

Sorcery (17)

1 Drawn from Dreams 4 Hidden Strings 4 Pore Over the Pages 4 Strategic Planning 4 Sylvan Scrying

Instant (1)

1 Blink of an Eye

Enchantment (3)

3 Underworld Breach

Land (24)

1 Blast Zone 4 Botanical Sanctum 1 Breeding Pool 1 Forest 4 Lotus Field 1 Sheltered Thicket 4 Temple of Mystery 4 Thespian's Stage 4 Yavimaya Coast

60 Cards

Sideboard (12)

1 Underworld Breach 1 Anger of the Gods 1 Chandra, Awakened Inferno 1 Fog 1 Hour of Devastation 1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries 1 Lost Legacy 1 Natural State 1 Thought Distortion 1 Tome Scour 1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon 1 Unravel the Aether

Deal Another Hand

The Changing Shape of Aggression

For much of the young existence of Pioneer, Mono-Black has been the aggressive deck of choice, ranging from Vampire tribal variants to decks built entirely one and two-drops. But by the time players submitted lists for Phoenix, it seems that the black menace has begun to fall out of favor. Backed up by Thoughtseize, the deck was able to contest the combo decks of the format, but in the United States it seems that competitors have opted for a little bit of fire as well.

Thirty-six players brought Mono-Red Aggro to the tournament, just a shade under the number who brought some form of Mono-Black. With the combo decks leaning on Dig Through Time to refill their hands after a barrage of discard spells, many players opted instead to simply fling Wild Slashes to the face.

Karsten, Frank - Mono-Red Aggro

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Planeswalker (1)

1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance

Creature (27)

1 Abbot of Keral Keep 4 Bonecrusher Giant 4 Goblin Chainwhirler 1 Goblin Rabblemaster 1 Hazoret the Fervent 3 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider 3 Monastery Swiftspear 1 Rimrock Knight 4 Soul-Scar Mage 3 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell 2 Zurgo Bellstriker

Instant (8)

4 Lightning Strike 4 Wild Slash

Land (24)

2 Castle Embereth 17 Mountain 1 Mutavault 4 Ramunap Ruins

60 Cards

Sideboard (8)

1 2 Abrade 1 1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance 1 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 1 1 Hazoret the Fervent 1 2 Kari Zev's Expertise 1 2 Lava Coil 1 2 Rampaging Ferocidon 1 1 Tormod's Crypt

Deal Another Hand

The Big Red decks of recent weeks have receded. As the combo decks have gained power, red mages have turned to speed to compete. With a litany of early drops and more expensive cards like Torbran, Thane of Red Fell to push through damage, the red decks can rival the combo decks for speed.

Of course, some players are still finding success with Mono-Black, including a Vampires variant that benefits from the power of Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord.

Kiefer, Jack - Mono-Black Vampires

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Planeswalker (4)

4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord

Creature (23)

4 Champion of Dusk 4 Dusk Legion Zealot 4 Gifted Aetherborn 3 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet 4 Knight of the Ebon Legion 4 Murderous Rider

Sorcery (5)

1 Agonizing Remorse 4 Thoughtseize

Instant (4)

4 Fatal Push

Land (24)

4 Castle Locthwain 4 Mutavault 15 Swamp 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

60 Cards

Sideboard (8)

1 Agonizing Remorse 1 Aethersphere Harvester 1 Damping Sphere 1 Davriel, Rogue Shadowmage 1 Liliana, the Last Hope 1 Noxious Grasp 1 Ritual of Soot 1 Tormod's Crypt

Deal Another Hand

The Best of the Rest

Perhaps nothing leaps off the page more than this crazy Mono-Blue Devotion list designed by Sam Black. While the archetype isn't an unknown entity, Black pushed it in a wild new direction.

Black, Samuel - Mono-Blue Devotion

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Planeswalker (2)

2 Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer

Creature (16)

4 Brazen Borrower 1 Fblthp, the Lost 4 Gadwick, the Wizened 4 Thassa's Oracle 3 Thassa, God of the Sea

Sorcery (1)

1 Mass Manipulation

Artifact (4)

4 Witching Well

Enchantment (12)

4 Ashiok's Erasure 4 Leyline of Anticipation 4 Omen of the Sea