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Keeping you up to date with what is new, interesting and powerful in the Magic the Gathering Pioneer format
Episodes
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
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/
Tuesday Dec 26, 2023
Tuesday Dec 26, 2023
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/
Monday Dec 11, 2023
Monday Dec 11, 2023
"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/
Monday Nov 27, 2023
Monday Nov 27, 2023
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/
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
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/
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
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/
Monday Oct 23, 2023
Monday Oct 23, 2023
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/
Monday Oct 09, 2023
Monday Oct 09, 2023
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/
Monday Sep 25, 2023
Monday Sep 25, 2023
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/
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
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/