MTGNexus

I usually like to start by listing the fast decks of the format so we can get a baseline. The fastest decks I have played against so far were

1. Elves
2. Mono red prowess (no phoenix)

Both were consistent and linear. Elves was more explosive, but prowess can burn the face and your critters at the same time seering blaze type effects.

Azorious Control (feat Wilderness Reclamation)
1. Divine Verdict
2. Sphinx Revelation
3. Spell Pierce
4. Teferi & Teferi
5. Azcanta

Zombie Tribal again?
1. Thoughtseize
2. Lily, Untouched + Majesty
3. Gary
4. Amonkhet +Shadows
5. Mutavault


Nissa Tribal
think about it all our Nissas (except the first one) are legal
1 Nissa's Triupmh (is kinda bad in standard) but Pioneer has ...
2. TWO 3CMC Nissas
3. BIG Nissas
- M15 + WAR = 7/7 Trample, Haste, Vigilance
- m15 + WAR + four forests = like absurd amounts of mana
- Heroic Intervention

UW control seems to be the safest bet. A shocking amount of the Modern deck ports right over, and it gets Dig/Cruise. Maybe even a Bant Nexus deck would be optimal.

I'd also expect some kind of Grixis tempo with Deathrite, Copter, Tasigur, Fatal Push, Thoughseize, K command, and Angler.

I've been messing around with Kefnet the Mindful bouncing Mystic Sanctuary to set up God-Eternal Kefnet. So far, bombing people with multiple Liliana's Triumph or Abrupt Decay has been pretty good. Occasionally, it's nice to get a cheaper Dig through Time. It's not the easiest thing to setup, but once you start it's pretty good. Kefnet alone is still pretty powerful even if you can't attack with him yet. Just having the option to continually draw an additional card when your opponent does nothing or you have nothing pushed me through a good number of games last night. I started out with one Kefnet the Mindful, last night I was up to three and only regret it once when my opening hand was all three of them. He's nearly impossible to get rid of, easy to get back if he dies, and 3cmc is super cheap. I just view him as a different Search for Azcanta.

I lost to a guy playing Gideon Tribal. He was on Copter, Thraben Inspector, Charming Prince, Heart of Kiran, Thoughtseize, and a bunch of Gideons. It was really aggressive and tough to manage for all the damage prevention and indestructible he was throwing.

I've been trying to put together a list for Jund and/or Abzan and I really think there's a list out there for both, but finding the right 75 is tough considering there are a ton of options.

Saheeli Rai suddenly shot up in price. So maybe Saheeli Cat will be a thing?

It is a thing, one of the 'best' things right now.

I still think its impossible to say, with all the interest and the various untuned lists, what will be good. There are so many lists pulling a 5-0 its too wide open to know what is 'great' and what is just winning 5 times.

I think that some kind of copy cat deck could be good, especially with 3feri

cat recently went to the sin bin.

Hard to know what decks will be good, we need to wait for some large tournaments to happen.

The Fluff wrote: ↑

4 years ago

cat recently went to the sin bin.

Hard to know what decks will be good, we need to wait for some large tournaments to happen.

It's fun to speculate, and I am very interested in individual takes on the format so far. What do you think?

to answer that. I have no idea at all what would be the top decks.

a few days ago I gathered most of my useful modern cards also legal in pioneer like tracker, thoughtseize... etc. Took a picture of them, then will post in a fb mtg group once a pioneer meta become established. Hopefully, some of the cards would end up in top decks, so I can make some good money. :>

Obnoxious decks so far: Bomat, Field of the Dead.

Merge with the What Deck should I play thread? I made this as a placeholder for that discussion.

Seems like Hardened Scales is spiking a bit. Not the card itself, but the deck named for it. I'm not certain the deck is going to be that amazing. It'll have some power to it, but it lacks modular and is in a format deep in Abrupt Decay and Trophy. I really only see Hangarback Walker doing work, but I could be very wrong. Certainly have been before!

I agree with the Field of the Dead comment. I really don't think Pioneer needs a Valakut like card that goes with Scapeshift. Land strategies are horribly annoying.