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Episodes
Keeping you up to date with what is new, interesting and powerful in the Magic the Gathering Pioneer format
Episodes
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Monday Jul 04, 2022
So much happened to Pioneer in June that it might be hard to keep track of it all. From bannings at the start of the month to the shifting metagame, we thought it would a good idea to put all this data and information in once place so that you don't have to go searching around the internet to know what's going on in the format. We talk about how a bunch of green meanies took over after Winota left, the Phantom Menace that followed, and also go over a lot of paper and MTGO results to discuss how the metagame is shaping up going into July.
If you're preparing to play in some qualifiers at your local store this month or next, you don't want to miss this episode! Be sure to stop into our discord later for all of the top 8 lists and links to the decks!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Jun 27, 2022
Monday Jun 27, 2022
Bacon and Eggs. Cookies and milk. Apples and Oranges? Sometimes a combination works so well it's hard to imagine one part without the other. Other times the two parts bounce off each other to crash and burn. Magic the Gathering is no different. We've seen a number of strategies come and go in the Pioneer format, some lost to time, while others suddenly come back repackaged and better than ever. Take Jund Food for example. It was an okay deck until it wasn't. Rakdos Anvil was also good deck in its own right, but was never going to dominate by playing subpar cards. But when they came together into the Jund Sacrifice deck? Perfect. Adding Cauldron Familiar and Witches Oven really took the deck to another level. This got me thinking, are there other archetypes that we could meld together to make them better?
In this episode, The First Pioneers Kevin and Ryan brew up some decks that fuse two archetypes together and see if they could work. The combinations are endless though, and where we might have failed, maybe you could succeed! Be sure to jump into our Discord or Twitter later and share your own fused deck ideas. You never know, it might just be the next better than chocolate and peanut butter!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Jun 20, 2022
Monday Jun 20, 2022
Fresh off a few top finishes and qualifying for the next Pioneer Pro Tour, IslandGoSAMe (Twitch streamer and MTGO Grinder) joined us to talk about his recent experiences with the new Atarka Ramp deck, as well how the Mono green devotion deck has been fairing since the Winota ban. While we did originally have on Dreams of Ashiok to talk about Mono green planeswalkers a while back, we thought it was time for an update and Sam was kind enough to join us with his take on the deck. We also took the new Atarka Ramp and Green Devotion deck head to head to see which would come out on top in a fight. If you like big mana, big plays, and even BIGGER creatures, you don't want to miss this episode! Learn how to play, how to beat, and how to build each of the decks for your next tournament!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Monday Jun 13, 2022
Magic players felt a great disturbance in the Pioneer metagame last week as thousands of Naya Winota players suddenly cried out in terror and then were silenced. The ban hammer dropped hard on the archetype and effectively erased it from existence. While Expressive Iteration was also banned in the same announcement, the shockwave from the Winota banning will be felt for months to come.
Just how wide reaching will it be and which decks will be the winners is yet to be seen, but luckily the First Pioneers were able to call on top MTGO grinder and good friend ClaudiohMTG to help make heads and tales of everything. While losing your favorite deck in a format is never an easy thing, we do give some advice to those players on how they can repurpose their Winota cards in other decks, as well as talk about how the metagame will react as organized play starts in less than 3 weeks.
Whether you're scrambling to choose another deck now or wondering what kind of changes you have to make due to a gaping hole in the metagame, you don't want to miss this week's episode!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Jun 06, 2022
Monday Jun 06, 2022
"Gotta find a card that 2 for 1s for meeee,
Card to keep me drawin,
drawin and keeping my synergyyyy
Won't you take me to,
Value Town?
Won't you take me to,
Value Town??"
- Icatian Moneychanger bedtime song
You can't blame those moneychangers for knowing value when they see it. When a effect gives you a board advantage, draws you a lot of resources, or is able to be used again and again, we call that "value". There's a reason decks like 5 Color Niv Mizzet are called "Value Piles". In this week's episode we cover some obvious value cards, some less obvious value cards, and some cards you probably never considered to be value cards. People were quick to jump on cards like Fable of the Mirror Breaker for all the value it creates for you, but there's so much more value out there that we haven't even considered!
If you think we missed some cards of value though, be sure to come into our discord or Twitter and let us know!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday May 30, 2022
Monday May 30, 2022
We all have our pet decks, our favorite colors, or our favorite cards. We love them so much that sometimes we just can't see that they are bad. Blinded by our affection, sometimes the only way we can be made to see how we went wrong is with some tough love. Personally, I'm too much of a Timmy player to deal out that kind of pain, but luckily resident MTGO grinder and voice of reason Harry13SCO has none of those reservations. When we need the truth and want to be spared the ridicule of our deck choices, Martin knows what to say.
The question is, does your deck REALLY suck, or is your deck just a bad choice for an event? The First Pioneers and Harry13SCO seek to break the format in two this week and separate the hopeful decks from the hopeless ones. Some decks might just need a few changes to be better, but others might just have to wait until better cards are printed for it. Does your deck "suck", or is it just unlucky? Listen to this week's show to find out!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday May 23, 2022
Monday May 23, 2022
As more and more people flock to Pioneer, prices are heating up and inventory is going down. So where does that leave people wanting to get into the format? When the popularity of Modern hit a fever pitch a few years back, prices in the format got a little out of control as stock dried up. Wizards knew they had to do something to address the lack of inventory and get cards into the hands of players, so they released Modern Masters. Not only were the packs incredibly popular, but so was the limited format.
Since then, we've also got legacy themed masters set, as well as different iterations of Modern Masters. Seeing as this is the tried and true way to infuse cards into eternal formats, it's only a mater of time before we get a similar masters set for Pioneer. The real question is when, how much, and which cards will show up in it. In this week's show, The First Pioneers explore what a Pioneer Masters set would look like, what kind of limited strategies it could have, and go over which cards are either desperately needed or would be great for Pioneer players to have.
If we missed a card you think should be in this theoretical masters set, or if you have some ideas for the limited format, be sure to join our discord!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday May 16, 2022
Monday May 16, 2022
MTGO Grinder and Pioneer Twitch all-star Conorman11 joins us on The First Pioneers this week to talk about what's been happening in the format since Streets of New Capenna came out. We go over recent results, new cards making waves, resurrected archtypes, and how it will all fit together when Pioneer organized play finally starts next month.
Listen for some valuable insight on deck selection and what you can expect to see a lot of at these events. With no new cards set to enter the Pioneer format until the fall, it's time to settle in for the long haul and learn everything you can about the New Capenna metagame!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday May 09, 2022
Monday May 09, 2022
One different card, one different line, and the entire way of playing a deck can change. If I told you that there were various versions of decks within the same colors with the same cards, would you believe me?
What started as an idea to help new players evolved into what I'd like to call, "metashifting". Have you ever found your deck hated out of the format or your local meta? Do you only have access to a limited amount of cards? Do you find it hard to pick up an entirely new archetype, especially if they are in different colors?
In this week's episode, The First Pioneers talk about how you can build the maximum amount of decks with the minimum amount of cards. We jump into the most popular color combinations and suggest the best decks out of each, and what you would need to build them with the least amount of effort and cost possible.
Interested? Check it out and jump into the Discord afterwards to share your thoughts or other ideas on how to use your cards more efficiently!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday May 02, 2022
Monday May 02, 2022
Pioneer is one of the most fun (and affordable) eternal Magic the Gathering formats out there, and while the number of players grows daily it still hasn't reached its full potential. Wizards of the Coast's Arena team released a new format last week called "Explorer", which eventually will turn into the Pioneer format we know and love on this somewhat 'free' platform. But should you play it?
In this week's episode I try to convert my co-host Kevin, who is a long time MTGO player, to Arena. While there are a number of restrictions right off the bat (such as the MTG Arena economy), there are also a great number of benefits to starting an Arena account to play Explorer. As one of the players who's been playing since the platform launched, I have quite the collection of cards and decks that I can make. But what about somebody like my co-host who is just NOW starting to play Arena? I take Kevin's concerns in stride and try to allay his worries, helping him to get up to speed, start his collection of cards, and to give him some tips on building decks going forward.
Whether you're a long time player like me who's on the fence about buying into the Explorer format, or a first time Arena player like Kevin looking to learn the in and outs of the platform, you don't want to miss this episode! If you have any other questions, feel free to join our Discord and check out the newly created Explorer channel!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer