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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 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
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Monday Apr 25, 2022
Demon, Cats, and Angels oh my! EkerossMTG joins us again after a long break to talk about Streets of New Capenna Pioneer brews (and the people who love them). We go over a variety of archetypes, both new and old, and discuss if some of these new cards finally give some decks what they needed to win. Listen and choose which brew you think is the best, and then join us on Twitter or Discord to share your brews and ideas!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Apr 18, 2022
Monday Apr 18, 2022
Is Streets of New Capenna good for Pioneer? Is it bad? Which cards will probably see play and which cards could start a new archetype? MTGO grinder and recent Face to Face games event winner Dreams of Ashiok (@DreamsofAshiok on Twitter) joins Ryan and Kevin on The First Pioneers to walk these "streets" and to recruit some hired muscle for our favorite Magic the Gathering format.
Find out if your favorite cards from the set make the cut! If we missed it, be sure to hop into our Discord or Twitter and let us know what you think of the set!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Apr 11, 2022
Monday Apr 11, 2022
Or at least I'd like to think that we know what cards you need for Pioneer if you're getting into the format. We've been doing Pioneer set reviews for longer than I care to remember, and we also went over every plane in Pioneer before Eldraine came out, breaking down all of the mechanics, staples, and playable cards in each. That, coupled with our constant contact with MTGO greats like Harry13SCO, ClaudiohMTG, and EkerossMTG, leads me to believe we know or stuff and we want you to know it as well.
Starting from Throne of Eldraine, Kevin and I go through every card that has shown up in Pioneer and discuss whether or not we can consider it a staple of the format that players should have in their collection. With so many people jumping into the format now, it seemed like a good time to help people put together their paper collections. Whether you're starting your collection from scratch, filling in missing slots in your playsets, or on the fence about whether or not to bite the bullet and get a card, you'll want to listen to this episode!
If you think we missed some staples, be sure to jump into our Discord or to let us know on Twitter!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
PAST STAPLE EPISODES:
Ravnica: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-k8x34-fc3627
Kaladesh: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-gp68d-f1b62b
Dominaria and Origins: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-nws3b-f3bd58
Theros: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-sub72-ee384c
Tarkir: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-yrvk7-e3e142
Core Sets: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-ekmt8-dff9a5
Zendikar: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-kr5b8-d66896
Ixalan and Amonkhet: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-7tuuf-d14d4e
Innistrad: https://www.podbean.com/ei/pb-kkut6-d042d7
Monday Apr 04, 2022
Monday Apr 04, 2022
We prayed so hard for Wizards to give some relevancy to Pioneer over the last two years and after some teasing (the challenger decks) and some hiccups (never getting Pioneer on Arena), finally our prayers were answered in the form of the new Organized Play system.
If you're a new player you're probably not sure what organized play is and wondering what this means for you. If you're a Pioneer player you're probably excited but not sure what steps you need to take next as excitement around the format builds. Well look no further because we answer all those questions and more with the help of MTGO grinder and all around swell guy Martin Porter (@Harry13SCO on Twitter). Get all the details here and get ready to launch your Magic career into over drive this year!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Mar 28, 2022
Monday Mar 28, 2022
Before 5 Color Humans could run in Pioneer, they had ClaudiohMTG holding their hands to help them walk. He was an early supporter of the archetype and along with his and a few others' efforts, a new deck was born. The deck isn't quite fully optimized just yet but it's close and with a few missing lands and one or two key cards it should be able to take down any kind of event! Whether you're a fan of the archetype in other formats, think the deck looks like fun, or just looking for something fresh to play, give 5C Humans a try!
Uncle Claudioh will tell us what the key cards of the deck are, how to play the deck, and also how it matches up against the rest of the metagame. Also, If you're planning on participating in a big Pioneer event in the future make sure you listen to all of our Pioneer 101 episodes to get an idea for how to play with and how to play against some of the most popular decks in the format or to get some ideas on how to play some others!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Monday Mar 21, 2022
Competitive Pioneer made its return to Paper Magic in the USA at the Star City Games Open and 5k and The First Pioneers wanted to have a good look at all the decks that were being played at the event. While it was part of a team event, Pioneer fans should still get a lot of great data and information about the format from the results. We also took a look at the 5K event the following day as well.
Aside from the results, last weekend we also got a chance to see what the format was like without its good friend Lurrus. How did those decks that had Lurrus previously change their style, their gameplay, and their sideboard? We took a look at some of the newest post Lurrus decklists as well as described how the metagame has changed without it. If your Lurrus deck took a hit, be sure to check out how to go about fixing it!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Mar 14, 2022
Monday Mar 14, 2022
We had originally planned to have Harry13SCO on last weekend for another topic but when the Lurrus ban in Pioneer was announced we dropped everything to record our take on it. Aside from the obvious discussion on what decks will be getting worse without our favorite ethereal feline, we also talked about what decks would get better, which 3 drops might see play in aggro decks now that there's no longer a "soft" 2cmc limit to permanents, and also made 3 wishes about what we'd like to see happen in the Pioneer format in the banning's aftermath.
Will Pioneer get better? Was the banning necessary? Does your pet card get better? All that and more in this week's episode!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Mar 07, 2022
Monday Mar 07, 2022
The closer Pioneer moves to the mainstream the higher the price of decks are going to become, but that doesn't mean you still can't play some of the best decks in the format. While the $300 average price tag of Pioneer decks are relatively cheap compared to other eternal formats like Modern and Legacy, it's still a hefty amount for some people which is why we at The First Pioneers like to make cheaper versions of the top decks to help people get into the format from time to time.
We once again called in our budgetary constultant, ServoToken, and had him run the numbers with us to make sure we didn't break the bank. In this episode we go over $120 and $50 versions of:
- UW Control
- BR Anvil
- Mono Green Stompy
- Abzan Greasefang
- RW Heroic
- 5 Color Humans
Each deck is remarkably playable, albeit missing some of the more powerful cards, but the cores and a number of key cards are still intact which make these budget brews great starting points for getting into the format or just to build your gauntlet of Pioneer decks. Which one is your favorite? What are some other good cards you'd suggest for each of the brews? Be sure to jump onto Discord or Twitter and let us know!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Monday Feb 28, 2022
It's been a while since we had our good friend and MTGO grinder Harry13SCO (Martin Porter) on so we thought we'd ask him to stop by and give us his thoughts on how the Kamigawa Neon Dynasty Pioneer metagame is shaping up. Well he had some thoughts, and then had some more. Martin gives us a great in-depth look at how the metagame started when Kamigawa was released, as well as how it has continued to evolved a few weeks in.
Following last week's Gauntlet episode, we also asked him what decks he would build to play against so that he could prepare himself for tournaments. There's no better place to hear about where the Pioneer format has been or where it's going than with the First Pioneers! If you're going to be playing at our local game store, online, or if you're heading to a big tournament, there's no better place to get competitive edge than with The First Pioneers!
Our Discord: https://discord.gg/SBRF8DH
Our Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtgPioneer