Big changes are coming to Pioneer upon Duskmourn’s release, here’s why.
Pioneer is a growing format with a high ceiling when it comes to power level, but not as high as compared to something like Modern. Every set has some reasonably impactful cards that always hit Pioneer, and with all eyes focusing on the US Regional Championships in Washington DC in just a few short weeks, it’s worth highlighting some cards from Duskmourn: House of Horror that could be of potential impact to the format.
Pyroclasm
Pyroclasm
Duskmourn: House of Horror, Uncommon
Pyroclasm is one of the best sweepers Red has ever had, and it’s seeing a reprint in Duskmourn: House of Horror. When looking at the format as a whole, Pioneer has recently seen a surge in Prowess and Aggro builds led by Slickshot Show-Off, where it’s expected that Pyroclasm will become a massive gamechanger upon the set’s release.
Pioneer
Rakdos Aggro
Market Price:$258.01
Maindeck, 60 cards
Sortsort deckCreature (21)
- 3Callous Sell-Sword//
- 2Dreadhorde Arcanist
- 4Emberheart Challenger
- 4Heartfire Hero
- 4Monastery Swiftspear
- 4Slickshot Show-Off
Sorcery (3)
- 3Claim // Fame//
Instant (10)
- 4Monstrous Rage
- 2Reckless Rage
- 4Titan’s Strength
Enchantment (6)
- 2Hammerhand
- 4Kumano Faces Kakkazan
Land (20)
- 4Blackcleave Cliffs
- 1Blightstep Pathway
- 4Blood Crypt
- 1Den of the Bugbear
- 2Mountain
- 2Ramunap Ruins
- 1Rockface Village
- 1Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
- 4Sulfurous Springs
Sideboard (15)
- 4Fatal Push
- 1Flowstone Infusion
- 1Hazoret the Fervent
- 1Jegantha, the Wellspring
- 1Ob Nixilis, the Adversary
- 1Reckless Rage
- 4Thoughtseize
- 2Unlicensed Hearse
The flavors of Rakdos and Mono-Red Aggro have been trying to pressure opponents quickly and efficiently with decent success (based on Magic Online Challenge data). While at first, it seems like they are weak to Pyroclasm, it’s not quite as simple. All of these creatures you play out on-curve can grow outside of Pyroclasm range with a single spell (outside of Slickshot Show-Off), but you can be smart in when to play the card thanks to the Plot ability. These Aggro shells also play Claim // Fame, which reanimates a threat from a well-timed Pyroclasm, so it’s not like decks are going to fold to the Duskmourn: House of Horror Uncommon.
Even Boros Convoke, where it’s probably the weakest to Pyroclasm in Pioneer, but isn’t totally dead in the water. Boros Convoke has a high density of 1/2s that can grow outside of Pyroclasm range throughout a game. Also, if you manage to get a turn two a 4/4 (either Knight-Errant of Eos or Venerated Loxodon) on board, you aren’t dead to a Pyroclasm but you aren’t in the most favorable of positions either.
Pioneer
Boros Convoke
Market Price:$165.15
Maindeck, 60 cards
Sortsort deckCreature (32)
- 3Imodane’s Recruiter//
- 4Knight-Errant of Eos
- 4Novice Inspector
- 2Resolute Reinforcements
- 3Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 4Thraben Inspector
- 4Venerated Loxodon
- 4Voldaren Epicure
- 4Warden of the Inner Sky
Sorcery (4)
- 4Gleeful Demolition
Enchantment (2)
- 2Case of the Gateway Express
Land (22)
- 4Battlefield Forge
- 1Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
- 4Inspiring Vantage
- 1Mountain
- 4Needleverge Pathway
- 1Plains
- 4Sacred Foundry
- 2Shefet Dunes
- 1Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
Sideboard (15)
- 2Get Lost
- 3Invasion of Gobakhan
- 1Jegantha, the Wellspring
- 3Redcap Melee
- 1Reidane, God of the Worthy
- 3Rending Volley
- 2Rest in Peace
That said, I’m not trying to downplay how massive of an impact Pyroclasm will make in Pioneer. Even if your opponent takes a while to develop the board state, that’s still a big game for a card like this to provide. Especially with Izzet Phoenix, one of the top strategies in the format is happy to have that breathing space where historically, Izzet Phoenix has a hard time versus these aggressive archetypes. We are going to see Pyroclasm affect the format even if it is in a way people will reconsider building their deck and their deck selection going forward.
Valgavoth, Terror Eater
Valgavoth, Terror Eater
Duskmourn: House of Horror, Mythic
This might read as a Commander-only card, but I think Valgavoth, Terror Eater is far from that. Do you know what other card was deemed as Commander fodder that ended up having a dramatic impact on Pioneer? Atraxa, Grand Unifier from Phyrexia: All Will Be One.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, “You’re comparing this creepy moth to Atraxa? You know Atraxa draws two to three cards (at worst) every time, right?”
Market Price: $18.11
While that remains true, I think in formats such as Pioneer Valgavoth, Terror Eater is an unkillable-yet-stabilizing threat. When I read this card, two things strike out at me. First, is the 9/9 lifelinking flying body that will do a fantastic job of stabilizing life totals much like Atraxa, Grand Unifier does, however, Valgavoth has built-in protection. This brings me to my second point, the Ward cost of sacrificing three nonland permanents — meaning your opponent has to four-for-one themselves to answer Valgavoth — is remarkably strong. With these Ward costs in mind, this is an incredibly high bar to clear for the opponent. Most decks can’t pass that threshold and keep a reasonable board state afterward. While Valgavoth is weak to Pick Your Poison and Wrath effects (such as Supreme Verdict and company), this is a common trend with even the best targets to reanimate in Pioneer.
It’s unclear to me that Valgavoth, Terror Eater is much better than Atraxa, Grand Unifier that it’s going to usurp the Phyrexian Angel long-term, however, it does strike me as a card that can rival it in power in formats such as Pioneer, where the answers are just so much worse.
The Wandering Rescuer
The Wandering Rescuer
Duskmourn: House of Horror, Mythic
The emperor has a new groove, and this time, she’s lost her spark and is now a creature! That said, The Wandering Rescuer is a powerful payoff for Convoke archetypes that also adds a bit of protection for good measure. Now, the payoffs we have in Pioneer are already quite strong for Convoke. With Knight-Errant of Eos and Venerated Loxodon being two all-star cards for the archetype, can The Wandering Rescuer really compete in this space?
Well, I think she’s less interested in going in a Boros Convoke build as the complete playset, but could easily become a one or two of upon Duskmourn: House of Horror’s release. As a Legendary, she does become awkward in multiples which is untrue of every card in the deck, but she also offers a lifeline against removal-heavy decks which Convoke is already good at managing. The Wandering Rescuer also provides a new angle of attack that Convoke archetypes should explore going forward, especially with Pyroclasm entering Pioneer soon, where it’s going to cause some downward pressure on Convoke where it’s going to need some raw power to survive.
The Overlord Cards (Hauntwoods and Boilerbilges)
Overlord of the Hauntwoods
Duskmourn: House of Horror, Mythic
The Overlord cycle may appear a bit underwhelming at first glance for Pioneer, but it creates some very interesting implications for the Enigmatic Fires strategy. Impending being a way to cast these high-mana value cards for cheap and then convert them into a bigger body is a great way to leverage Enigmatic Fires and the namesake card, Enigmatic Incarnation.
Pioneer
Enigmatic Fires
Market Price:$521.98
Maindeck, 80 cards
Sortsort deckCreature (12)
- 1Atraxa, Grand Unifier
- 1Beza, the Bounding Spring
- 1Deputy of Detention
- 1Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
- 1Glasspool Mimic
- 1Kenrith, the Returned King
- 1Knight of Autumn
- 1Kutzil’s Flanker
- 1Skyclave Apparition
- 1Titan of Industry
- 1Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves
- 1Tranquil Frillback
Instant (2)
- 2Torch the Tower
Artifact (4)
- 4Portable Hole
Enchantment (29)
- 4Chained to the Rocks
- 4Enigmatic Incarnation
- 4Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
- 4Fires of Invention
- 4Leyline Binding
- 2Nylea’s Presence
- 3Path to the World Tree
- 4Up the Beanstalk
Land (33)
- 1Boseiju, Who Endures
- 4Breeding Pool
- 1Forest
- 1Island
- 4Jetmir’s Garden
- 1Mountain
- 1Otawara, Soaring City
- 1Plains
- 4Raugrin Triome
- 2Rootbound Crag
- 4Sacred Foundry
- 2Stomping Ground
- 4Sunpetal Grove
- 1Swamp
- 2Temple Garden
Sideboard (15)
- 1Archon of Emeria
- 2Dovin’s Veto
- 2Knockout Blow
- 1Krenko’s Buzzcrusher
- 2Mystical Dispute
- 1Nimble Larcenist
- 2Rest in Peace
- 2Torch the Tower
- 1Yasharn, Implacable Earth
- 1Yorion, Sky Nomad
Overlord of the Hauntwoods helps you curve into Fires of Invention and Enigmatic Incarnation, allowing you to consistently have those cards on-curve while reducing the amount of mulliganing needed. Also, this enables you to jump into a six-mana value creature card, something the Enigmatic Fires strategy didn’t have until now.
I’ve seen some players highlight how Overlord of the Hauntwoods is bad for Engimatic Fires since the current build doesn’t play any six-mana value creature cards, but this is easy to remedy and gives you options. Cards such as Dragonlord Dromoka could become a great addition, or you could play the other Overlord card that I’ll be highlighting today.
Overlord of the Boilerbilges
Duskmourn: House of Horror, Mythic
Overlord of the Boilerbilges is a six-drop you can cast for its Impending cost of four, which admittedly causes tension on the curve with Engimatic Incarnation and Fires of Invention, but does deal four damage to something and then converting Overlord of the Boilerbilges into one of our best seven drops in Atraxa, Grand Unifier. Going from Overlord of the Hauntwoods into [Boilerbilges]] means you’ll get to tag something for four damage and then on your turn, attack to clean up more threats before being traded away for another card on the Enigmatic Incarnation chain. It’s also reasonable to assume that Overlord of the Boilerbilges is just good enough to win a bunch of games independently, meaning there’s less need to keep jumping up the chain.
With these reconfigurations in mind, Enigmatic Fires would need some level of retooling but the strategy hasn’t seen a huge amount of success as of late, where it could do with an update. Since Yorion, Sky Nomad is often a companion in these builds, there’s plenty of space to tinker and innovate especially since the deck isn’t winning a bunch right now. There’s nothing to lose in messing around with the new cards and seeing what you can come up with, you may end up being pleasantly surprised with the results.