Explorer: The Most Important Reprints from Pioneer Masters

Pioneer Masters, the new reprint set exclusive to Magic Arena is coming, and with it, the gap between the Pioneer card pool and the Explorer format on the digital platform is even smaller, despite there still being some specific and relevant absences in smaller categories of the Metagame.

But with such a large and potentially impactful set coming, it is common for Explorer players to have doubts about which cards are or are not worth having in their collection if they want to dedicate themselves to the format and play it as close to Pioneer as possible.

In this article, we seek to help these players and point out which are the most important Pioneer Masters cards for Explorer and how much and where it is worth investing rare and mythic wildcards for each occasion!

Chained to the Rocks sees play in two archetypes in Pioneer today: Enigmatic Fires and in the Boros Burn sideboard, with occasional appearances in some Boros Prowess versions that need more efficient board interaction against Archfiend of the Dross and other large creatures.

Because it comes out as a rare, it's recommended to only craft this enchantment if you're actually going to use it in your deck. In Best and One, for example, there's usually no need to play it in Boros decks, but Enigmatic Fires may want this card as extra one-mana removal for a faster Metagame.

Eidolon of Rhetoric is a sideboard option for Collected Company or Chord of Calling decks that need answers to Izzet Phoenix or Lotus Combo. Since it's an uncommon, there's not much trouble crafting a set for your collection.

Gideon, Ally of Zendikar sees play in the Selesnya Company's sideboard and occasionally in a few Azorius Spirits lists. Its best use is to give more resilience to these value Aggro decks and/or to increase the power of your creatures for mirror matches.

It's worth crafting as a one-of or two-of if you play Selesnya Company, but it's not a necessary card in every Metagame.

Hallowed Moonlight is a Sideboard staple to deal with Indomitable Creativity or combos like the old Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord and Vein Ripper. It's an essential addition to Magic Arena, but it's only worth the wildcards if the Metagame demands this type of response and if your deck doesn't benefit from Containment Priest.

Kytheon, Hero of Akros is often a one-of in several Humans lists as an aggressive one-drop that generates value as the game goes on. It's worth the investment of a mythic wildcard if you play Humans, but it's not present in any other archetype in the Metagame.

Silence is an important answer for combo decks like Abzan Greasefang against removals and counterspells. Another relevant piece inserted into the format that only sees play in the Sideboard and in specific archetypes. Since Greasefang isn't a top tier today, I don't think it's a necessary investment in Explorer.

Day's Undoing has a combo with Narset, Parter of Veils where we empty the opponent's hand while replenishing all of our resources. This interaction occasionally shows up in some Dimir Control lists, but neither the combo nor the archetype has reached the point of being at the top of the competitive chain, so crafting it is only worth it if you really want to frustrate your opponents occasionally and/or if other interactions with this card arise in the future.

Hidden Strings is part of the pillar that constitutes the Lotus Field deck, and now MTGArena players will discover how frustrating this gameplay experience can be. Its inclusion can change the dynamics of many games, both Best of One and Best of Three, and regardless of the version, Lotus Combo is an archetype that is well worth dedicating yourself to if its mechanics are something you enjoy.

Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy is a powerful card that doesn’t have a home in Pioneer because Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time are better options for feeding from the graveyard. Good addition, interesting for some lists, but probably not worth the wildcard investment at this point

Retraction Helix has a combo with Rona, Herald of Invasion and Mox Amber that does some good in Pioneer sometimes and has a dozen micro-interactions between its cards. Since it is common, there is not a very high cost to craft it, and you will probably get some when opening boosters or playing drafts.

Temporal Trespass was once a staple of Izzet Phoenix alongside Galvanic Iteration, and some versions still rely on this interaction to win games, but current variants with Artist’s Talent forgo this spell in favor of interactions with Proft’s Eidetic Memory.

Worth it if you play Izzet Phoenix, especially since it’s usually just a one-of in lists.

Tidebinder Mage has started to see play in the Merfolks' Sideboard with the rise of Rakdos Prowess and other aggressive red archetypes. Currently, it's only worth investing in it if you intend to play Merfolks in Best of Three and/or if you want a strong meta call against Red Aggro in Best of One.

Behold the Beyond often shows up as a one-of in Lotus Combo lists in Sultai colors, but it's only worth crafting at the moment if it's in this archetype and in this specific version.

The same logic applies to Dark Petition. The Sultai version of Lotus Combo runs the card as an efficient tutor, but the archetype has been investing increasingly in the Izzet variants with Artist's Talent and Expedition Map.

Soulflayer is the kind of card you build around for a low cost on paper, but it's an absurdly expensive archetype in Magic Arena. Its key cards include several rares with keyword soups like Zetalpa, Primal Dawn and Samut, Voice of Dissent to turn it into a game-winning threat on its own.

While it's one of my favorite Pioneer archetypes, I only encourage investing in it if a player really wants to play Soulflayer, or if they already have most of the pieces - which tend to be the rares we hate to open - in their collection.

Tasigur, the Golden Fang is part of a combo that involves using it and Hooting Mandrills with Neoform to bring Atraxa, Grand Unifier onto the battlefield as early as turn three. The archetype has fallen out of favor with the rise of Rakdos Vampires, but it's a solid Best-of-One pick that doesn't require many rare and mythic wildcards in addition to the mana base.

Zulaport Cutthroat is a good addition to budget sacrifice decks, and is ideal for a more casual audience. Its Golgari Sacrifice list with Bolas's Citadel has largely been replaced in Pioneer by the new version with Ygra, Eater of All, so it doesn't have as many competitive applications.

Goblin Rabblemaster no longer has the same impact in Pioneer that it did at the beginning of the format, and even playing it on turn 2 after a Llanowar Elves isn't enough to put it in the competitive Metagame. It would be a good addition to Goblin decks, but those, for some reason, didn't get Goblin Piledriver either.

Legion Loyalist sees occasional play in go-wide decks like Gruul Aggro and Atarka Red. It's usually a one-of, so it's worth checking out if you want to try it in one of those archetypes.

Speaking of Atarka Red, Reckless Bushwhacker is one of the enablers of the Burning-Tree Emissary version, which is also commonly used by Legion Loyalist. It also shows up in some Izzet Ensoul and Boros Convoke lists, and since it is an uncommon, it should be worth the investment.

Smash to Smithereens is a common that serves as a good answer against artifacts in Burn or Prowess lists. Its ability is partially conditional and the Metagame does not favor the use of this card as much, but its addition is important for the Explorer.

Commune with the Gods has occasional appearances in Neoform and Soulflayer lists. It's not a staple, but it can be used to increase the viability of more combos in Best of One.

Bogles is an archetype that worked for a season and then disappeared after the banning of Lurrus of the Dream-Den. In Magic Arena, it was a difficult deck to build due to the lack of good creatures with Hexproof, but the reprint of Gladecover Scout makes the archetype more viable and more consistent, perhaps even deserving more testing in Best of One against a more aggressive Metagame now that we have Sheltered by Ghosts.

Oath of Nissa is a staple of Mono Green Devotion and enabled versions of Planeswalkers when Karn, the Great Creator was still legal. Today, it's a cantrip that grants a devotion point while searching for a creature or land, so it's worth the investment if you're dedicated to this archetype.

Sylvan Caryatid is part of the glue that makes Niv to Light and other Five-Color Goodstuff decks viable, being the closest thing to Birds of Paradise that we have in the format and with a reliable body against removal. It's also a useful addition to Soulflayer lists.

It's worth the rare wildcard set if you want to play Niv-Mizzet Reborn and/or Omnath, Locus of Creation.

Bring to Light is the centerpiece of Niv to Light, which has become one of the best Pioneer decks this season, while it was unavailable in Explorer due to the lack of this card. Due to its toolbox nature, it's not an easy strategy to pilot, but it's the ideal archetype for any player who likes a huge stack of value and the flexibility to use almost any card they want in their list.

Dreadbore doesn't see much play in Pioneer anymore, but its reprint as a common in Pioneer Masters means it's worth investing in a set of the card, regardless of how playable it is compared to other options.

Dragonlord Dromoka is a common Sideboard option in Lotus Combo to find with Mastermind's Acquisition or in Games 2 and 3 against decks that rely heavily on Counterspells to deal with the combo. A great option if a player wants to dedicate themselves to this archetype.

Xenagos, God of Revels enables the combo-kill version of Indomitable Creativity alongside Worldspine Wurm that won Pro Tour Phyrexia last year. This version has fallen into disuse and today the archetype is focused on Valgavoth, Terror Eater and Atraxa, Grand Unifier in Jund , but it is still a viable option, potentially easier to win games in Best of One and whose wildcard investment is low.

Wear // Tear is a Sideboard staple in Modern and Legacy, but it doesn't show up as much in Pioneer. As it is uncommon, it is worth having it in your collection for eventual changes in the Metagame.

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is probably the card that will appear the most in different Pioneer Masters lists eventually because most archetypes that play black want at least one copy of it.

Turning all lands into Swamps increases the consistency of color access and splash usage, and since it is legendary and has no additional abilities, it is likely that only one copy will be needed per player.

That's all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!