Alex Frank
May 15, 2020
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It's Lurrus Time (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the Cat Nightmare)
has made us as a competitive Magic community re-evaluate almost all Magic cards. Almost overnight this card made some nearly unplayable cards into mainboard cards and has put us into the position of having to re-imagine the Pioneer format. In this article, I'm going to talk about three different decks that have had success in Pioneer and take advantage of . Lurrus Orzhov Sram First off, we have...
Alex Frank
May 7, 2020
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Companions within Pioneer
With the online release of Ikoria the landscape of constructed magic has changed drastically in ways that no one could've easily predicted. Decks that previously hovered in lower tiers have turned into new format defining decks. with or 80 card with are but a few of the new decks in our current paradigm. Let's go over most of the Companions and where they likely will find their place in Pioneer....
Alex Frank
April 3, 2020
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Sultai Reclamation in Pioneer
Pioneer has been a combo heavy format since its inception. Temur Reclamation with being an obvious early deck that since the ban has evolved into a Temur flash deck essentially with being the new finisher. Reclamation hasn't converged on a singular list and still offers a variety of options. From testing, I've reached the conclusion that Sultai currently has the answers and the cards that I...
Alex Frank
March 19, 2020
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Jund Em Out in Pioneer
So over the past week or so, an intriguing 5-0 decklist has begun making the rounds online. It looked to abuse and the sacrificing of another Pioneer special, the previously unplayed . More recently there has been more and more focus on this deck and in Pioneer. Let's break down how the deck functions as well as its powers and weaknesses in the format. Main Deck First, let's talk about . An...
Alex Frank
March 4, 2020
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Indomitable Creativity in Pioneer
Pioneer so far has been a great place for brewing, strategies and certain build-around cards that it's shocked me. Who could've said with a straight face a year ago that and would have the best decks built around them? The newest brew I've come across in my play is one involving the combo of and . After many leagues and a number of events, a playable list has come to form. The deck looks like...
Alex Frank
February 21, 2020
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Attacking Combo with Rakdos Control
So after the past few weeks with PT Brussels, Nagoya, and Phoenix the meta has evolved and solidified. With all this new information it is time to delve back into brewing and hopefully find a new deck to attack all those s and es out there. But what tools do we want to attack those troublesome decks as well as Swedish Sultai, Mono-Black decks and all those other spicy brews out there? At this...
Alex Frank
January 30, 2020
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Pioneer Dance of the Manse (or can I jam Calix in everything)
So, my last few articles have been mostly combo-focused and I wanted to branch out just a little. I thought over the past few years of standard decks and decided on attempting to play my Esper Dance deck. I found some lists online but none of them really sparked anything that would be fun. So instead, I started off with just 2 cards and . First, let's talk about . It is a clearly designed...
Alex Frank
January 22, 2020
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A New World Order in Pioneer Combo
This is a reexamination of my article and deck that I've been playing regularly in paper and a little online: Storm deck in Pioneer. As my readers may be familiar, I'm a combo player and I have fallen in love with the lotus deck and its many variants. A few weeks ago with preview season in full swing, an innocuous red enchantment for two was spoiled. I was on a train ride home and saw a picture...
