Episodes
Monday Mar 27, 2023
#163 - A Pioneer Home for Modern Refugees
Monday Mar 27, 2023
Monday Mar 27, 2023
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/
Monday Mar 20, 2023
#162 - Pioneer on a Budget
Monday Mar 20, 2023
Monday Mar 20, 2023
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/
Monday Mar 13, 2023
#161 - March of the Manabases
Monday Mar 13, 2023
Monday Mar 13, 2023
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/
Monday Mar 06, 2023
#160 - Combo Breaker
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Monday Mar 06, 2023
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/
Monday Feb 27, 2023
#159 - Pioneer 101: Enigmatic Fires
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
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/
Monday Feb 20, 2023
#158 - Pro Tour Phyrexia: All Will Be Meta
Monday Feb 20, 2023
Monday Feb 20, 2023
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/
Monday Feb 13, 2023
#154 - Pioneer 101: Angels and Engines
Monday Feb 13, 2023
Monday Feb 13, 2023
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/
Monday Feb 06, 2023
#157 - Phyrexian Pioneers: All Will Be Brews
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
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/
Monday Jan 30, 2023
#156 - Phyrexia, All Will Be One Pioneer Set Review
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Monday Jan 30, 2023
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/
Monday Jan 23, 2023
#155 - Phirst Pioneer Impressions from Phyrexia: All will be One
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
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/