Hello and welcome back to Metagame Mentor, the weekly column in which I highlight the decks to beat and the latest Constructed developments on the path to the Pro Tour. Today, I'll showcase the current metagame in Pioneer, which is the Constructed format for this weekend's Magic Online Champions Showcase with live video coverage. This article can act as your one-stop shop to acquaint yourself with the format for upcoming tournaments.

Last Weekend's Biggest Events

But as always, before breaking down the Pioneer metagame, I will start by summarizing last weekend's biggest events across all formats.

The Top 8 Modern decklists of the 134-player Grand Open Qualifier in Amsterdam featured three Yawgmoth decks, including the winner's. Yawgmoth, Thran Physician has always powerful, but it's even better now that the metagame has more 1/1 creatures to kill in response to Indomitable Creativity or Colossus Hammer.

Since the Yawgmoth deck is filled with creature tutors, little tweaks can sometimes matter a lot. "The Scavenging Ooze has been insane all weekend", Oscar Christensen said after his victory. He also said that Rakdos Undying—the archetype of his finals opponent Tristan Leenders—is the worst matchup. Indeed, their main deck Fury and Dauthi Voidwalker can break up Yawgmoth loops, but Christensen drew well, played well, and clinched the trophy.

The Legacy Pit Open II, a 306-player Legacy event, was won by Hunter Nance. He was one of the three Izzet Delver players in the Top 8.

The same venue also featured the 126-player Abra Roberts Modern Memorial, where Tyler Mollenkopf earned a Regional Championship invite with Living End.

As a reminder: From October 1 through December 18, Regional Championship Qualifiers (RCQs) will award invitations for the second round of Regional Championships, which will take place in the first quarter of 2023. In Europe, for example, it'll be on March 11-12 in Napoli. I'm looking forward to competing there myself since I earned an invitation last weekend with a sufficiently high finish at the Grand Open Qualifier in Amsterdam. Top finishers at these Regional Championships will then qualify for the second Pro Tour in 2023. To find RCQs around you, you can use the store and event locator with the filter "Regional Championship Qualifier" and/or visit your regional organizer's website.

The Pioneer Metagame

Pioneer, created in 2019, is a nonrotating, 60-card format that allows expansion sets and core sets from Return to Ravnica forward, and the most notable cards on its ban list are the fetch lands.

Three weeks ago, I analyzed the impact of Dominaria United on the Pioneer format. Today, I'll show how the metagame has developed further since then. For this, I used all Magic Online decklists from Pioneer Preliminary, Challenge, Showcase Challenge, Super Qualifier, and Premier events held from September 14 through October 3. In addition, I used top decklists from RCQs at Card Monster Con Lexington, La Boutique Mythique, Galactus Tuscolana, MTG Oasis, Cardbox Seimado Yakou, TC Batoroko Takadanobaba, Yellow Submarine Akihabara, CentrumMTG, Thailand Open, and NRG Series Trial Minneapolis. In total, this yielded 458 decks.

ThoughtseizeFatal PushFable of the Mirror-Breaker

Across all main decks and sideboards, the most-played nonland cards from any set were Thoughtseize, Fatal Push, and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker. From Dominaria United, it's Liliana of the Veil; Sheoldred, the Apocalypse; and Sulfurous Springs. Indeed, Rakdos Midrange is still on top.

To provide a metagame breakdown that combines both popularity and performance, I assigned archetype labels to all decklists and awarded to each deck a number of points equal to its net wins, i.e., its number of match wins minus losses. For example, a deck that went 5–1 in the Swiss in a Challenge event followed by a loss in the quarterfinals was assigned three points. The sum of these numbers for every archetype was then used to determine its record-weighted metagame share, which represents its share of total net wins. Each archetype name hyperlinks to a well-performing decklist closest to the aggregate of the archetype.

Archetype Record-Weighted Metagame Share
1. Rakdos Midrange 21.6%
2. Green Devotion 16.7%
3. Abzan Greasefang 7.3%
4. Mono-White Humans 6.2%
5. Bant Spirits 5.4%
6. Izzet Phoenix 5.3%
7. Azorius Control 5.2%
8. Rakdos Sacrifice 5.1%
9. Enigmatic Incarnation 3.1%
10. Lotus Field 3.0%
11. Mono-Blue Spirits 2.8%
12. Atarka Red 2.0%
13. Boros Heroic 1.9%
14. Jund Sacrifice 1.6%
15. Izzet Creativity 1.5%
16. Boros Midrange 1.4%
17. Mono-Red Aggro 1.1%
18. Niv to Light 1.0%
Other 7.8%

The "Other" category, continuing the descending order, includes Elves, Gruul Stompy, Esper Control, Mono-Black Midrange, Bard Class, Bant Humans, Izzet Prowess, Mono-Black Aggro, Mono-Red Wizards, Transmogrify Fires, Rakdos Aggro, Mono-Red Creativity, Jeskai Midrange, Affinity, Izzet Control, Grixis Midrange, Goblins, Mono-Red Ramp, Orzhov Humans, Orzhov Midrange, Azorius Midrange, Sultai Ultimatum, Mono Green Aggro, Mono-Black Devotion, and more. The number of competitively viable Pioneer archetypes remains enormous.

The breakdown in this table could be interpreted as a winner's metagame, i.e., a distribution of the types of decks that you can expect to face at the top tables if you make a deep run in a Pioneer tournament. Rakdos Midrange and Green Devotion remain dominant, and together they form over a third of the record-weighted metagame.

The most notable developments over the last few weeks are the uptick in Abzan Greasefang and the downtick in Azorius Control. Moreover, Jund Sacrifice players are hopping over to Rakdos Sacrifice, and Mono-Red Aggro players are flocking to Atarka Red.

To analyze these developments in more detail, let's go over the archetypes that comprise at least 1% of the metagame one-by-one, starting with the most prominent. To provide a good, representative decklist for each, I used a proprietary decklist aggregation method that combines popularity and performance. The core of the method was explained in an article, but I have since extended it by considering win rates, sideboards, land counts, and other relevant aspects, inspired by the theory behind artificial neural networks. It provides a systematic way to pinpoint decklists for the "Decks to Beat" in Pioneer right now and to show differences with the ones from three weeks ago.


Title: Aggregate Rakdos Midrange
Format: Pioneer
4 Blightstep Pathway
4 Blood Crypt
4 Haunted Ridge
4 Fatal Push
4 Thoughtseize
4 Bloodtithe Harvester
4 Bonecrusher Giant
4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
3 Dreadbore
3 Graveyard Trespasser
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Swamp
2 Den of the Bugbear
2 Hive of the Eye Tyrant
2 Castle Locthwain
2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
2 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
1 Mountain
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Sulfurous Springs
1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
1 Tenacious Underdog
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
*3 Extinction Event
*2 Unlicensed Hearse
*2 Duress
*2 Reckoner Bankbuster
*2 Rending Volley
*2 Hidetsugu Consumes All
*1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
*1 Go Blank

Rakdos Midrange, at 21.6% of the record-weighted metagame, is the premier midrange deck in Pioneer. Featuring discard, removal, value-generating permanents, and mid-sized creatures, it can take the role of an aggro deck against control players or the role of a control deck against aggro players. Add a flexible sideboard, and Rakdos Midrange has game against everything.

Liliana has been a huge boost from Dominaria United, and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse has become a staple inclusion by now as well. Sheoldred is contextually powerful. She punishes opponents for drawing cards with Treasure Cruise, pushed Burn decks out of the format, and has enough toughness to block Bonecrusher Giant. Her abilities and size are excellent in a variety of matchups.

Compared to the aggregate list from three weeks ago, we now see the second copy of Sheoldred in the main deck. Moreover, there are more Reckoner Bankbuster and fewer Epic Downfall in the sideboard, perhaps to improve in the prevalent mirror match.

In Explorer, the online true-to-paper format featuring all Pioneer-legal cards that appear on MTG Arena, Rakdos Midrange is merely missing Dreadbore; Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth; and Rending Volley. None of those are essential, so Rakdos Midrange is also the most popular archetype in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Green Devotion
Format: Pioneer
13 Forest
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Old-Growth Troll
4 Cavalier of Thorns
4 Karn, the Great Creator
4 Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner
4 Oath of Nissa
4 Storm the Festival
4 Wolfwillow Haven
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
2 Lair of the Hydra
2 Boseiju, Who Endures
1 Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
*1 The Chain Veil
*1 God-Pharaoh's Statue
*1 Pestilent Cauldron
*1 Pithing Needle
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
*1 Tormod's Crypt
*1 Heart of Kiran
*1 Reckoner Bankbuster
*1 Meteor Golem
*1 Damping Sphere
*1 Esika's Chariot
*1 Transmogrifying Wand
*1 Voracious Hydra
*1 Treasure Vault
*1 Shadowspear

Green Devotion, at 16.7% of the winner's metagame, is the premier ramp deck in Pioneer. With Elves and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, you can potentially ramp into a turn-three Storm the Festival and put Karn, the Great Creator and Cavalier of Thorns onto the battlefield. With such raw power, it can go over the top of Rakdos Midrange, although the Dominaria United additions to Rakdos Midrange have made the matchup closer to even.

There is still no consensus on which cards to run in the main deck flex slots. The singleton Skysovereign, Consul Flagship is relatively new; it's a powerful card against Rakdos Midrange that can be turned into a creature with Karn, the Great Creator's +1. The singleton Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset remains the most popular off-color planeswalker to put onto the battlefield via Storm the Festival and Oath of Nissa.

If you control Teferi alongside The Chain Veil, Llanowar Elves, and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx with five devotion to green, then you can gain infinite life: With Teferi's +1, untap The Chain Veil, Llanowar Elves, and Nykthos, then tap them for mana, activate The Chain Veil again, and loop. This is a bit easier than the infinite loops involving multiple copies of Karn, the Great Creator and Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner along with the Pestilent Cauldron // Restorative Burst from the sideboard.

Compared to the aggregate list from three weeks ago, Branchloft Pathway and Temple Garden have left the main deck, and there's no more Portable Hole in the sideboard. Instead, we have a cleaner mana base with more basic Forest.

In Explorer, Mono-Green Devotion is missing Oath of Nissa; Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx; Sylvan Caryatid; and The Chain Veil. Due to the lack of Nykthos in particular, the deck is not as popular in Explorer as it is in Pioneer. It does exist, but you'd just as commonly see mono-green aggro decks with Werewolf Pack Leader and Steel Leaf Champion.


Title: Aggregate Abzan Greasefang
Format: Pioneer
4 Concealed Courtyard
4 Parhelion II
4 Esika's Chariot
4 Thoughtseize
4 Grisly Salvage
4 Raffine's Informant
4 Satyr Wayfinder
4 Greasefang, Okiba Boss
4 Temple Garden
4 Blooming Marsh
3 Can't Stay Away
3 Overgrown Tomb
3 Witherbloom Command
2 Darkbore Pathway
2 Stitcher's Supplier
1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
1 Godless Shrine
1 Boseiju, Who Endures
1 Swamp
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
1 Duress
*4 Fatal Push
*3 Abrupt Decay
*2 Duress
*2 Unlicensed Hearse
*2 Graveyard Trespasser
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
*1 Liliana of the Veil

Abzan Greasefang, at 7.3% of the record-weighted metagame, is the premier combo deck in Pioneer. The plan is to put Parhelion II into the graveyard on turn two and return it to the battlefield on turn three. After crewing the vehicle with Greasefang, Okiba Boss, you'll attack for 13 in the air right away and pass the turn with 12 power on the battlefield. The archetype has been waxing and waning over the past months based on the popularity of Leyline of the Void in the metagame, but it's currently an important part of the format.

Compared to the aggregate list from three weeks ago, Stitcher's Supplier has returned while Liliana of the Veil has dropped to a single copy. An extra discard outlet remains nice to put a Vehicle into your graveyard, but Liliana doesn't actually dig for combo pieces, and the list is tight. Besides, if you can expect your Rakdos Midrange opponent to activate their Liliana, then you don't need your own.

In Explorer, Abzan Greasefang is missing Satyr Wayfinder and Abrupt Decay. However, Stitcher's Supplier and/or Corpse Churn can act as replacements for Satyr Wayfinder, and Abzan Greasefang is one of the most popular archetypes as a result.


Title: Aggregate Mono-White Humans
Format: Pioneer
12 Plains
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Mutavault
4 Brave the Elements
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
4 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
4 Hopeful Initiate
4 Dauntless Bodyguard
4 Luminarch Aspirant
4 Brutal Cathar
3 Soldier of the Pantheon
2 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
2 Shefet Dunes
2 Extraction Specialist
2 Castle Ardenvale
1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
*4 Wedding Announcement
*3 Portable Hole
*3 Declaration in Stone
*3 Rest in Peace
*2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Mono-White Humans, at 6.2% of the winner's metagame, is the premier aggro deck in Pioneer. The benefit of staying mono-color is that you can effortlessly fit Mutavault into your mana base and can steal games with Brave the Elements. The instant can not only counter removal spells but also break through your opponent's blockers. Mono-White Humans struggles against all the removal spells from Rakdos Midrange, but it's usually fast enough to beat Mono-Green Devotion.

Mono-White Humans lists are still getting tuned, and card choices tend to vary. Compared to the aggregate list from three weeks ago, the aggregate list now has Soldier of the Pantheon instead of Thraben Inspector, and a pair of Castle Ardenvale has replaced a pair of Plains. The sideboard has also been revamped, for example with Wedding Announcement to help grind in slower matchups and Rest in Peace to stop Vehicles from returning to the battlefield. Yet none of these cards are universal inclusions, and there's a lot of variety in card choices across decklists.

In Explorer, Mono-White Humans is missing Mutavault; Brave the Elements; Soldier of the Pantheon; Kytheon, Hero of Akros; and Thalia, Heretic Cathar. Given the importance of the Mutavault and Brave the Elements in particular, the archetype is rarely seen in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Bant Spirits
Format: Pioneer
4 Branchloft Pathway
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Rattlechains
4 Shacklegeist
4 Spell Queller
4 Supreme Phantom
4 Skyclave Apparition
4 Collected Company
4 Hallowed Fountain
3 Adarkar Wastes
3 Hengegate Pathway
3 Botanical Sanctum
3 Spectral Sailor
2 Selfless Spirit
2 Empyrean Eagle
1 Temple Garden
1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
1 Barkchannel Pathway
1 Breeding Pool
1 Island
1 Otawara, Soaring City
1 Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr
1 Remorseful Cleric
*3 Lofty Denial
*3 Portable Hole
*3 Extraction Specialist
*2 Unlicensed Hearse
*1 Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr
*1 Reidane, God of the Worthy
*1 Cemetery Illuminator
*1 Toski, Bearer of Secrets

Bant Spirits, at 5.4% of the record-weighted metagame, has overtaken Mono-Blue Spirits as the premier Supreme Phantom deck in the format. In part, this is due to Dominaria United's new-to-Pioneer printing of Adarkar Wastes, which improves the three-color mana base.

The dream with Bant Spirits is to cast Collected Company into Spell Queller and Selfless Spirit. When playing against them, be wary of Spell Queller when they have three mana untapped. Think twice before jamming your best spell on turn three into open mana.

In Explorer, neither Spell Queller nor Selfless Spirit is available, so Mono-Blue Spirits is the dominant approach by far. Almost no one plays Bant Spirits in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Izzet Phoenix
Format: Pioneer
4 Arclight Phoenix
4 Pieces of the Puzzle
4 Treasure Cruise
4 Consider
4 Lightning Axe
4 Opt
4 Riverglide Pathway
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Steam Vents
4 Thing in the Ice
3 Fiery Impulse
2 Chart a Course
2 Hall of Storm Giants
2 Island
2 Stormcarved Coast
2 Strategic Planning
1 Otawara, Soaring City
1 Temporal Trespass
1 Galvanic Iteration
1 Spikefield Hazard
1 Spell Pierce
1 Crackling Drake
1 Izzet Charm
*2 Disdainful Stroke
*2 Abrade
*2 Aether Gust
*2 Young Pyromancer
*2 Mystical Dispute
*2 Unlicensed Hearse
*1 Spell Pierce
*1 Anger of the Gods
*1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries

Izzet Phoenix, at 5.3% of the winner's metagame, aims to put Arclight Phoenix into the graveyard (typically via Pieces of the Puzzle or Lightning Axe) and then recurs it by chaining three one-mana spells in a single turn. Treasure Cruise is legal in Pioneer, and it's at its best in Izzet Phoenix.

Compared to the aggregate list from three weeks ago, Thing in the Ice has now narrowly edged out Ledger Shredder. The lack of Ledger Shredder makes it slightly more difficult to put Arclight Phoenix into the graveyard, but opposing Liliana of the Veil can help in that respect. Meanwhile, Thing in the Ice is a huge threat that can control the battlefield and win the game. However, Thing in the Ice is far from a universal choice, and you will see many lists with Ledger Shredder as well. The final verdict on the optimal two-drop for Izzet Phoenix has yet to come down.

In Explorer, this archetype is missing Pieces of the Puzzle, Treasure Cruise, Fiery Impulse, Temporal Trespass, Izzet Charm, and Thing in the Ice. As a result, it doesn't really exist on MTG Arena.


Title: Aggregate Azorius Control
Format: Pioneer
4 Censor
4 Deserted Beach
4 Portable Hole
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Irrigated Farmland
3 Absorb
3 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
3 The Wandering Emperor
3 Shark Typhoon
2 Field of Ruin
2 Hall of Storm Giants
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Dovin's Veto
2 Island
2 Plains
2 Glacial Fortress
2 Memory Deluge
2 March of Otherworldly Light
2 Detention Sphere
1 Otawara, Soaring City
1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
1 Farewell
1 Castle Ardenvale
1 Castle Vantress
1 Behold the Multiverse
1 Doomskar
1 Saw It Coming
*2 Aether Gust
*2 Rest in Peace
*2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
*2 Mystical Dispute
*2 Narset, Parter of Veils
*1 Dovin's Veto
*1 Temporary Lockdown
*1 Starnheim Unleashed
*1 Lyra Dawnbringer
*1 Baneslayer Angel

Azorius Control, at 5.2% of the record-weighted metagame, is the premier control deck in Pioneer. Nearly everyone over the past three weeks opted for a 60-card version, steering clear of Yorion, Sky Nomad to get better consistency. That's a smart choice when you expect many aggro or combo decks that won't even give you the time to benefit from a free Yorion.

When playing against this deck, you always have to be wary of sweepers. They could be holding Supreme Verdict, Farewell, or Doomskar. After sideboard, there's Temporary Lockdown as well.

In Explorer, this archetype is missing Detention Sphere and Elspeth, Sun's Champion, but neither are essential. As a result, Azorius Control is one of the most popular archetypes in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Rakdos Sacrifice
Format: Pioneer
4 Cauldron Familiar
4 Mayhem Devil
4 Claim the Firstborn
4 Deadly Dispute
4 Fatal Push
4 Witch's Oven
4 Blightstep Pathway
4 Blood Crypt
4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
4 Bloodtithe Harvester
3 Haunted Ridge
2 Den of the Bugbear
2 Hive of the Eye Tyrant
2 Mountain
2 Sulfurous Springs
2 Voldaren Epicure
2 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
1 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
1 Eaten Alive
*4 Thoughtseize
*4 Leyline of the Void
*2 Kari Zev's Expertise
*2 Abrade
*1 Dreadbore
*1 Priest of Forgotten Gods
*1 Extinction Event

Rakdos Sacrifice, at 5.1% of the winner's metagame, has overtaken Jund Sacrifice as the premier Mayhem Devil deck in the format. In part, this is due to the printing of Sheoldred, the Apocalypse in Dominaria United. Rakdos, with its cleaner two-color mana base, is more capable of running the double-black Sheoldred itself, which can be cast as early as turn three via Deadly Dispute. Meanwhile, the main draw towards Jund is Korvold, Fae-Cursed King, but its card draw ability will backfire enormously against opposing Sheoldred.

Compared to the aggregate Rakdos Sacrifice list from three weeks ago, we're no longer playing Oni-Cult Anvil; Priest of Forgotten Gods; Shrapnel Blast; or Braids, Arisen Nightmare. The artifact package comes and goes over time, but it's dangerous when Mono-Green Devotion is popular, as their main deck Karn, the Great Creator will shut down Oni-Cult Anvil. Instead, the aggregate Rakdos Sacrifice deck has incorporated several elements from Rakdos Midrange, such as Bloodtithe Harvester; Fable of the Mirror-Breaker; and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse.

There were still many Rakdos Sacrifice versions with Unlucky Witness and Village Rites main deck and with Jegantha, the Wellspring as their companion, but they didn't perform as well as the ones with Sheoldred. It'll be interesting to see how this will develop in the coming weeks and whether the sacrifice/midrange hybrid will catch on.

In Explorer, Rakdos Sacrifice is missing Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth and Dreadbore, neither of which are essential. Accordingly, Rakdos Sacrifice is also a popular archetype in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Enigmatic Incarnation
Format: Pioneer
4 Chained to the Rocks
4 Enigmatic Incarnation
4 Fires of Invention
4 Leyline Binding
4 Nylea's Presence
4 Omen of the Sea
4 Trial of Ambition
4 Ketria Triome
4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
3 Raugrin Triome
3 Sunpetal Grove
3 Temple Garden
2 Godless Shrine
2 Indatha Triome
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Glasspool Mimic
1 Knight of Autumn
1 Skyclave Apparition
1 Titan of Industry
1 Forest
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Zagoth Triome
1 Moon-Blessed Cleric
1 Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves
1 The Scarab God
1 Callous Bloodmage
1 Yorion, Sky Nomad
1 Mana Confluence
1 Savai Triome
1 Watery Grave
1 Gloomshrieker
1 Renegade Rallier
1 Spirited Companion
1 Blood Crypt
1 Breeding Pool
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Archon of Sun's Grace
1 Deputy of Detention
1 Archon of Emeria
1 Serra Paragon
1 Island
1 Plains
*3 Portable Hole
*2 Rest in Peace
*2 Disdainful Stroke
*1 Yorion, Sky Nomad
*1 Agent of Treachery
*1 Yasharn, Implacable Earth
*1 Koma, Cosmos Serpent
*1 Rending Volley
*1 Nimble Larcenist
*1 Elite Spellbinder
*1 Kambal, Consul of Allocation

Enigmatic Incarnation, at 3.1% of the record-weighted metagame, has become a Pioneer mainstay ever since Dominaria United added Leyline Binding. The dream is to cast Leyline Binding on turn two or turn three, followed by Enigmatic Incarnation on turn four. This allows you to turn your six-mana enchantment into Titan of Industry, which will rule the battlefield on turn four.

The toolbox of creatures and the mana base is still getting tweaked. Compared to the aggregate list from three weeks ago, Kenrith, the Returned King has been cut and Agent of Treachery has moved to the sideboard. Instead, the main deck now holds The Scarab God, Gloomshrieker, and Serra Paragon. Yet card choices remain in flux. In the sideboard, there is now a larger set of silver bullet creatures, which replaced Mystical Dispute and Temporary Lockdown.

In Explorer, Chained to the Rocks, Nylea's Presence, Mana Confluence, and Rending Volley are unavailable, but Urban Utopia can act as a replacement for Nylea's Presence. Enigmatic Incarnation has also turned into a fairly popular archetype in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Lotus Field
Format: Pioneer
4 Arboreal Grazer
4 Vizier of Tumbling Sands
4 Impulse
4 Hidden Strings
4 Sylvan Scrying
4 Pore Over the Pages
4 Emergent Ultimatum
4 Botanical Sanctum
4 Lotus Field
4 Thespian's Stage
3 Bala Ged Recovery
3 Boseiju, Who Endures
2 Otawara, Soaring City
2 Temple of Mystery
1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
1 Dig Through Time
1 Mastermind's Acquisition
1 Omniscience
1 Breeding Pool
1 Island
1 Yavimaya Coast
1 Behold the Beyond
1 Shimmer of Possibility
1 Baral, Chief of Compliance
*3 Supreme Verdict
*2 Mystical Dispute
*2 Zacama, Primal Calamity
*2 Natural State
*2 Behold the Multiverse
*1 Thought Distortion
*1 Pithing Needle
*1 Approach of the Second Sun
*1 Sphinx of the Final Word

Lotus Field, at 3.0% of the winner's metagame, has been around in Pioneer for years and was one of the 2021 Challenger Decks, but it hadn't been particularly popular in recent months. Yet it can exploit the relative lack of Damping Sphere and Eidolon of the Great Revel in the metagame, and it gained Impulse as a tiny Dominaria United upgrade over Shimmer of Possibility.

The game plan with this combo deck is to find Lotus Field, get another copy via Thespian's Stage, and untap those lands with Hidden Strings and Pore Over the Pages. This allows you to generate loads of mana in a single turn. Through some wild combination of Emergent Ultimatums, wishes, and tutors, you then generally put Omniscience into play, grab Approach of the Second Sun from your sideboard, and cast it twice to win the game.

Lotus Field shrugs off all the removal spells from Rakdos Midrange, and it won last weekend's 388-player Super Qualifier on Magic Online. I also like the innovation of Zacama, Primal Calamity in the sideboard. After your hand gets stripped by Liliana of the Veil and Thoughtseize, having more game-winning topdecks is invaluable. Moreover, Zacama beats Sheoldred.

In Explorer, the archetype is missing Hidden Strings, Sylvan Scrying, Pore Over the Pages, Thespian's Stage, Dig Through Time, Behold the Beyond from the maindeck, so it's impossible to play it on MTG Arena.


Title: Aggregate Mono-Blue Spirits
Format: Pioneer
18 Snow-Covered Island
4 Ascendant Spirit
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Spectral Sailor
4 Rattlechains
4 Shacklegeist
4 Supreme Phantom
4 Geistlight Snare
4 Curious Obsession
3 Faceless Haven
2 Slip Out the Back
2 Combat Research
1 Spell Pierce
1 Lofty Denial
1 Otawara, Soaring City
*4 Mystical Dispute
*4 Cerulean Drake
*3 Aether Gust
*2 Unlicensed Hearse
*1 Witness Protection
*1 Brazen Borrower

Mono-Blue Spirits, at 2.8% of the record-weighted metagame, has been overtaken by Bant Spirits, but it remains a viable archetype. Although you can't surprise opponents with Spell Queller, the mono-color variant has room for noncreature spells. Combat Research from Dominaria United acts as Curious Obsession numbers five and six, so you'll be drawing cards consistently.

Playing against Mono-Blue Spirits can be tough because they have so many different instants, including various one-ofs and two-ofs. For focus, it's best to remember their most played instants—the four-ofs. For example, if they have two mana up and a Spirit on the battlefield, then you should mainly think about Rattlechains or Geistlight Snare. Be careful with your removal spell, and sequence around a Mana Leak. And if they already control Rattlechains, then be wary of a Supreme Phantom that gets flashed in mid-combat.

In Explorer, this deck is fully legal. Accordingly, Mono-Blue Spirits is one of the most popular archetypes in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Atarka Red
Format: Pioneer
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Phoenix Chick
4 Reckless Bushwhacker
4 Atarka's Command
4 Cragcrown Pathway
4 Den of the Bugbear
4 Karplusan Forest
4 Stomping Ground
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Play with Fire
4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan
4 Bomat Courier
3 Legion Loyalist
3 Mountain
3 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
2 Bonecrusher Giant
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
*4 Rending Volley
*3 Kari Zev's Expertise
*2 Squee, Dubious Monarch
*2 Lava Coil
*2 Hazoret the Fervent
*1 Strangle
*1 Bonecrusher Giant

Three weeks ago, Mono-Red Obosh was the new hotness for red aggro players. Now, it's Atarka Red, at 2.0% of the winner's metagame. The new additions from Dominaria United include Phoenix Chick and Karplusan Forest in the main deck and Squee, Dubious Monarch in the sideboard. Out of these, Karplusan Forest is the most important one, as it finally makes the mana base work.

In essence, Atarka Red is a red-based aggro deck that splashes Atarka's Command. As Martin Dang showed when he won Pro Tour Dragons of Tarkir in 2015, the most important modes are dealing three damage to the opponent and giving all of your creatures +1/+1. To make the most of it, you want to offload your hand quickly, and blazingly fast starts involving Burning-Tree Emissary into Reckless Bushwhacker can win games rapidly.

Since it's a novel archetype, Atarka Red decklists are still in development. Fanatical Firebrand has been cut from most lists, but different card choices are being tried as a replacement. There are also different builds with Anax, Hardened in the Forge and Embercleave.

In Explorer, the archetype is missing Reckless Bushwhacker, Monastery Swiftspear, Legion Loyalist, and Rending Volley, so it can't really exist, at least not in this form.


Title: Aggregate Boros Heroic
Format: Pioneer
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Needleverge Pathway
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Inspiring Vantage
4 Illuminator Virtuoso
4 Favored Hoplite
4 Tenth District Legionnaire
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Gods Willing
4 Defiant Strike
4 Ancestral Anger
4 Reckless Rage
4 Homestead Courage
2 Dreadhorde Arcanist
2 Sejiri Shelter
2 Invigorated Rampage
1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
1 Plains
*4 Showdown of the Skalds
*3 Portable Hole
*2 Rending Volley
*2 Jaya, Fiery Negotiator
*2 Unlicensed Hearse
*1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
*1 Den of the Bugbear

Boros Heroic, at 1.9% of the record-weighted metagame, aims to target their own creatures with pump spells. It will earn heroic triggers, connive triggers, and prowess triggers along the way.

The archetype has dropped in popularity ever since Dominaria United introduced Liliana of the Veil. While the deck has Gods Willing and Sejiri Shelter to protect its creatures from spot removal, it is weak to sacrifice effects. However, the newly added Jaya, Fiery Negotiator in the sideboard might help to fight back.

In Explorer, this archetype is missing Monastery Swiftspear, Battlefield Forge, and Rending Volley. They are replaceable, though, and Boros Prowess is seeing little bits of play in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Jund Sacrifice
Format: Pioneer
4 Cauldron Familiar
4 Mayhem Devil
4 Unlucky Witness
4 Claim the Firstborn
4 Deadly Dispute
4 Witch's Oven
4 Blightstep Pathway
4 Blood Crypt
3 Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
3 Fatal Push
3 Darkbore Pathway
3 Haunted Ridge
3 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary
2 Cragcrown Pathway
2 Den of the Bugbear
2 Blooming Marsh
2 Stomping Ground
2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
1 Hive of the Eye Tyrant
1 Voldaren Epicure
1 Eaten Alive
*4 Thoughtseize
*2 Unlicensed Hearse
*2 Damping Sphere
*2 Kolaghan's Command
*1 Fatal Push
*1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
*1 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary
*1 Pithing Needle
*1 Bloody Betrayal

Jund Sacrifice, at 1.6% of the winner's metagame, has been overtaken by Rakdos Sacrifice, but it remains a viable archetype. Korvold, Fae-Cursed King lines up poorly against Sheoldred, but it can crush in other scenarios.

The aggregate list from three weeks ago featured Weatherlight Compleated, but it did not catch on. There are many ways to build Jund Sacrifice, and there is no consensus, but it's worth nothing that today's aggregate list features more Ob Nixilis, the Adversary and Unlucky Witness and fewer Bloodtithe Harvester and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker than the one from three weeks ago. The sideboard also has fewer Leyline of the Void and more Damping Sphere, perhaps anticipating a drop in Abzan Greasefang and a rise of Lotus Field. The Pioneer metagame will march ever onwards.

In Explorer, this deck is fully legal. Accordingly, Jund Sacrifice is a popular archetype in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Izzet Creativity
Format: Pioneer
4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Fiery Impulse
4 Indomitable Creativity
4 Steam Vents
4 Riverglide Pathway
4 Big Score
4 Jwari Disruption
3 Stormcarved Coast
3 Mountain
3 Unexpected Windfall
3 Fire Prophecy
2 Dig Through Time
2 Spell Pierce
2 Field of Ruin
2 Fires of Victory
2 Valakut Awakening
2 Izzet Charm
1 Otawara, Soaring City
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
1 Xenagos, God of Revels
1 Worldspine Wurm
*3 Rending Volley
*2 Mystical Dispute
*2 Disdainful Stroke
*2 Hullbreaker Horror
*2 Narset's Reversal
*1 Anger of the Gods
*1 Negate
*1 Niv-Mizzet, Parun
*1 Omen of the Sea

Izzet Creativity, at 1.5% of the record-weighted metagame, aims to win by casting Indomitable Creativity for X=2. If you haven't drawn either of your creatures by that point, you'll put Worldspine Wurm and Xenagos, God of Revels onto the battlefield, turn Worldspine Wurm into a 30/30 creature with trample and haste, and attack for the win. To provide multiple targets for Indomitable Creativity, the deck relies on Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, Big Score, and Unexpected Windfall.

But what if we've drawn one or both of our creatures? Well, if we've drawn Xenagos, then we can play Indomitable Creativity for X=1 to put Worldspine Wurm onto the battlefield, which will generally be good enough to win the game by itself. If we've drawn Worldspine Wurm, then we can discard it to one of our token generators, and it will shuffle itself back into our library. Also, Valakut Awakening and Fire Prophecy can put either creature back into our library.

Izzet Creativity gained Fires of Victory from Dominaria United, but this particular build is not viable in Explorer because neither Xenagos, God of Revels nor Worldspine Wurm are available on MTG Arena. Less importantly, Fiery Impulse, Dig Through Time, Izzet Charm, and Rending Volley are not available on MTG Arena either.


Title: Aggregate Boros Midrange
Format: Pioneer
10 Plains
4 Karn, the Great Creator
4 Extraction Specialist
4 Knight of the White Orchid
4 Raffine's Informant
4 Serra Paragon
4 Skyclave Apparition
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Portable Hole
4 Chained to the Rocks
4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
4 Field of Ruin
4 Sacred Foundry
3 Charming Prince
3 Elspeth Conquers Death
3 Cave of the Frost Dragon
3 Clifftop Retreat
3 Mountain
2 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
2 Spirited Companion
1 Jetmir's Garden
1 Raugrin Triome
1 Savai Triome
*2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
*2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
*2 March of Otherworldly Light
*1 Cataclysmic Gearhulk
*1 Damping Sphere
*1 Glass Casket
*1 God-Pharaoh's Statue
*1 Pithing Needle
*1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
*1 Tormod's Crypt
*1 Weathered Runestone
*1 Yorion, Sky Nomad

Boros Midrange, at 1.4% of the winner's metagame, is a newcomer made possible by Dominaria United's Serra Paragon.

If you recast Fable of the Mirror-Breaker from the graveyard and exile it with the third chapter, then the transformed version will lose the "When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it and you gain 2 life" text. This means that after Reflection of Kiki-Jiki dies, you can replay it over and over with Serra Paragon. That's a sweet combo, and it's flanked by an excellent suite of value-generating permanents and efficient answers in a midrange shell.

In Explorer, Knight of the White Orchid; Chained to the Rocks; Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx; Elspeth, Sun's Champion; Gideon, Ally of Zendikar are not available, and I have not seen these decks on MTG Arena.


Title: Aggregate Mono-Red Aggro
Format: Pioneer
14 Mountain
4 Den of the Bugbear
4 Bonecrusher Giant
4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan
4 Play with Fire
4 Fanatical Firebrand
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
3 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
3 Anax, Hardened in the Forge
3 Embercleave
2 Ramunap Ruins
2 Castle Embereth
2 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
2 Monastery Swiftspear
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
*4 Unchained Berserker
*3 Rending Volley
*3 Roast
*3 Unlicensed Hearse
*2 Hazoret the Fervent

Mono-Red Aggro, at 1.1% of the record-weighted metagame, has fallen by the wayside as everyone's trying Atarka Red, but equipping Anax, Hardened in the Forge with Embercleave remains a viable strategy. There are also Obosh, the Preypiercer versions and burn-heavy lists, but it looks like the Obosh experiment didn't pan out, and the typical Mono-Red build in Pioneer now looks like the one shown above.

In Explorer, the archetype is missing Eidolon of the Great Revel, Monastery Swiftspear, Rending Volley, and Roast (which, by the way, is one of the best possible answers to Sheoldred). Yet they are replaceable, and Mono-Red Aggro is one of the top archetypes in Explorer.


Title: Aggregate Niv to Light
Format: Pioneer
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Bring to Light
4 Leyline Binding
3 Niv-Mizzet Reborn
3 Growth Spiral
2 Vanishing Verse
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
1 Klothys, God of Destiny
1 Selfless Glyphweaver
1 The Scarab God
1 Valki, God of Lies
1 Deafening Clarion
1 Dreadbore
1 Extinction Event
1 Slaughter Games
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Kolaghan's Command
1 The Celestus
1 Blood Crypt
1 Forest
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Indatha Triome
1 Jetmir's Garden
1 Ketria Triome
1 Mana Confluence
1 Plains
1 Raffine's Tower
1 Raugrin Triome
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Savai Triome
1 Spara's Headquarters
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Temple Garden
1 Watery Grave
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Xander's Lounge
1 Zagoth Triome
*2 Dovin's Veto
*2 Rending Volley
*2 Thoughtseize
*2 Weathered Runestone
*1 Klothys, God of Destiny
*1 Deafening Clarion
*1 Arlinn, the Pack's Hope
*1 Ashiok, Nightmare Muse
*1 Go Blank
*1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
*1 Kambal, Consul of Allocation

The final archetype in today's roundup is Niv to Light, at 1.0% of the winner's metagame. This number is almost single-handedly due to Magic Online Champions Showcase competitor claudioh, who won a Pioneer Challenge with the deck recently. Perhaps Niv to Light is underplayed, and it got a massive boost from Dominaria United in the form of Leyline Binding.

The dream with Niv to Light is to put Niv-Mizzet Reborn onto the battlefield, possibly via Bring to Light, and to hit the perfect eight: Dovin's Veto; Vanishing Verse; Deafening Clarion; The Scarab God; Growth Spiral; Dreadbore; Abrupt Decay; and Klothys, God of Destiny. Blue-red and green-white are missing, but replenishing your entire hand will be pretty sweet regardless.

In Explorer, this archetype is not yet possible because Bring to Light and Sylvan Caryatid are not yet legal. Less importantly, Nahiri, the Harbinger, Dreadbore, Abrupt Decay, Mana Confluence, and Rending Volley are not available on MTG Arena either.

Looking Ahead

This weekend, October 8-9, there will be Modern $30K and Modern $5K tournaments at SCG Con Dallas, both of which award Regional Championship slots. In addition, there is the 2022 Magic Online Champions Showcase Season 2, where the formats are Pioneer and Modern Cube. It will be streamed live beginning at 10 a.m. PT on October 8 at twitch.tv/magic. Don't miss the action!

Next weekend, October 15-16, there is the Magic Showdown in Warsaw, where both the Grand Open Qualifier and the Classic Qualifier feature the Pioneer format. And later in the month, we of course have Magic 30 and the Magic World Championship XXVIII coming up. On October 28–30, you'll be able to watch the best in the world battling it out live in Dominaria United Booster Draft, Standard, and Explorer for their chance to be crowned Magic World Champion!