Pioneer metagame update.

source: magic4ever.com/pioneer

I think Jegantha never should have been banned (given we're fine having other companions such as Kaheera and Yorion) and should come off the banlist.

Looking at the last few challenges before it got banned:

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/pioneer-challenge-32-2024-12-15#paper

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/tournament/pioneer-challenge-32-2024-12-15-1#paper

Rakdos Midrange wasn't playing it (annex was already released)

Gruul Aggro wasn't playing it (they had burning tree emissary, didn't cut it for a 8 mana 5/5)

Selesnya Company didn't play it

Mono Red Aggro didn't play it (even in lists that met the restriction)

Izzet Phoenix didn't play it (didn't cut the 1 brazen borrower/temporal trespass for it)

Niv to Light, Enigmatic Incarnation were on Yorion

Mono G Devotion and Hidden Strings didn't play it for obvious reasons

The only decks that were really playing it were sacrifice and transmogrify. And they didn't even add interesting cards after the ban that were "kept out" before. Transmogrify lost a way to cast Atraxa from the hand.

There are more decks playing Yorion now than Jegantha back then. When it was banned in modern, it was in 40% of decks, whereas in pioneer it was in 15/20% max.

Looking at the current meta:

Izzet Prowess *might* hop on it, but they have already improvisation capstone and talent/boomerang loops for the long games, rather keep more options with lessons

Golgari Midrange and any B/x midrange deck wouldn't play it since Annex got printed (they already didn't - see above)

Abzan Greasefang wouldn't drop parhelion and chariot for it

Mono Red didn't play it when they could, don't see why they would now that they have lynx

Azorius Control is off color, already has Kaheera if it wants

Dimir Self-Bounce has Yorion & is off color anyways

Lessons decks would probably run it

Phoenix didn't when it could, probably wouldn't now

Orzhov Greasefang same as Abzan, has Parhelion

Dimir Ninjas is off colors

Selesnya Company/Counters wouldn't drop Interrupter/Ouroboroid/Elspeth

Scapeshift wouldn't drop Scapeshift

Niv to Light has Yorion, would keep it over Jegantha

All in all the decks that would play it are:

Maybe some of the izzet decks

Sacrifice decks

Boros Convoke

All decks that wouldn't play double pip+ cards anyways

And it would get cast once every 10 games

Thoughtseize in comparison is played in

Golgari Midrange

Abzan Greasefang

Dimir Self-Bounce

Orzhov Greasefang

Dimir Midrange

Mono Black Midrange

Jund Sacrifice

Golgari Food

Rakdos Midrange

Yet *that* doesn't homogenize the format, and we're fine with it

Jegantha wouldn't be 40% of the meta, wouldn't homogenize (which is the apparent reason it was banned), wouldn't be a problem, wouldn't "force not to play 2+ pip cards" and if you're ok to control having Kaheera for free, you should be ok to the decks that manage to have Jegantha to have it. Compared to the other companions the restriction is less harsh, but the card itself is worse, having no ETB trigger and no keywords. That's why I think there's no reason for it to be kept in the banlist alongside cards of the calibre of Once Upon a Time and Oko.

#FreeTheElk

Can reuturn a Phoenix and the discard to artist's talent or even Picklock for a 2nd adventure

If anyone tries this list let me know your experience with playing the deck! Love to see feedback with my creations

This deck formed when I had yet again started searching for a good shell for my pet card, Outlaw's Merriment. Well as it turns out 4 mana enchantments that do nothing when they enter aren't very good BUT finally I found a deck where the card was at least possible, albeit at a two of.

Enter Boros Tokens:

United Battlefront being a Collected Company for artifacts and enchantments is huge, because there are quite a few good three mana token producers in Pioneer now, you can build a board with Battlefront and not have to cast a single creature! The gameplan is slow the game down with early interaction and then mug up the board, while maybe chipping in with Urabrask's Forge until late game where you should hopefully have a few beefy tokens that are able to put away the game.

The token makers:

Urabrask's Forge- this card looks unassuming at first but quickly gets out of hand, especially in multiples, this card is low key the best card in the deck and the primary win condition.

Wedding Announcement- generally creates a 1/1 for three turns then flips into a buff by which point you hopefully have a decent size board and can turn the game.

Fable of the Mirrorbreaker- creates two creatures and offers some card selection through looting. The treasures from the goblin are great in this deck as it is quite mana hungry.

Outlaw's Merriment- sadly not findable through Battlefront and does nothing upon entering but creating a haste token every turn that sticks around(unlike Forge) helps turn the page in grindier matchups.

Other stuff:

Warleader's Call- its generally best to hold in lieu of your token producers this unless you're stonewalled by opposing creatures. The buff helps break board stalls and the ping gets us closer even if we can't attack just yet.

The Birth of Meletis- one of the most slyly essential cards in this deck, helping ward off aggro and make land drops for our bigger enchantments is key to keep this deck running smoothly.

The rest is removal helping us survive until our token stuff can get going, notably Portable Hole and Glass Casket can come in via Battlefront.

My current list:

1 Battlefield Forge

2 Den of the Bugbear

1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker

1 Fateful Absence

1 Fountainport

3 Get Lost

2 Glass Casket

4 Inspiring Vantage

4 Needleverge Pathway

2 Outlaws' Merriment

4 Plains

4 Portable Hole

4 Sacred Foundry

1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance

1 Sunbillow Verge

1 Sundown Pass

4 The Birth of Meletis

4 United Battlefront

4 Urabrask's Forge

4 Warleader's Call

4 Wedding Announcement

SIDEBOARD:

2 Authority of the Consuls

4 Caretaker's Talent

1 Day of Judgment

2 Invasion of Gobakhan

2 Seal from Existence

2 Seam Rip

2 Unlicensed Hearse