Pioneer: Dimir Bounce (Yorion) - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Since Duskmourn, Bounce decks have been growing considerably in Magic. Initially showing up in Standard, it took a few months for the mechanic to be transferred to Pioneer.

First, the versions with Waste Not and Hopeless Nightmare came up, changing the way to play the discard-focused deck in the format. Then came the Esper variants with Yorion, Sky Nomad and a plan very similar to the Standard version, and finally, the variant that has been on the rise in Pioneer for weeks: Dimir Bounce with Yorion.

In this article, we delve deeper into this Bounce variant, with a Sideboard guide for the main matchups of the current Metagame!

This is basically the standard list that has appeared in most Challenges and Leagues on Magic Online. Personally, I like the 4-4-2 setup between cards that can dig deep for answers or threats, so we play a Sheoldred, the Apocalypse in the Sideboard.

As a Yorion deck, Dimir Bounce wants to take the match to the late game where it can extract the most from the ETBs of its permanents, but there are games where the opening with Stormchaser’s Talent allows efficient Tempo plays with cheap removals, significantly increasing the clock we exert. Therefore, our opponent is forced to count on us having ways to pressure them from the first turn, while our game plan masterfully holds the late game, putting them in a position where a keep on the wrong angle is way more punishing.

Maindeck

The most important pieces of the deck. Since we run 80 cards and no tutor, ETB effects and abilities that allow us to dig deep for what we need are the core cards in Dimir Bounce.

Thundertrap Trainer is a pseudo-Impulse in a body that can block early in the game and whose added value in longer games only accumulates through Offspring, making it a card as good as Memory Deluge in longer games.

Narset, Parter of Veils not only guarantees two activations to dig deep into the deck, but also punishes archetypes that draw too many cards in one turn and/or try to generate value through Unholy Annex, Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner or Artist’s Talent.

Omen of the Sea is not the most efficient of our card draws, but it is the only one that can guarantee our lands at the beginning of the game and be cast on the opponent's turn.

Stormchaser's Talent is our main win condition, and unlike the Standard version, our game plan extends the game long enough to, if necessary, raise it to Level 3. However, we have few Instants and Sorceries to trigger this ability, so the ideal is to use This Town Ain't Big Enough and Level 2 to perform some loops.

Hopeless Nightmare is the other card that motivated the creation of Bounce decks. It may not seem like much, but it significantly speeds up our deck's clock and allows for a degree of inevitability when we combine This Town Ain't Big Enough and Stormchaser's Talent with it.

Momentum Breaker is a new card from Aetherdrift that functions as an improved version of Trial of Ambition and has great interactions with Hopeless Nightmare.

Nowhere to Run is our standard permanent removal and deals with most creatures in Aggro decks and a portion of the threats in Midrange. Its ability to prevent Hexproof and Ward has occasional good uses.

Grim Bauble is another new card that complements Fatal Push as a first-turn removal against smaller creatures, with the advantage of being reusable and even works to filter the top in longer games.

The bounces… or almost.

This Town Ain’t Big Enough allows for a dozen interactions: bounce a Stormchaser’s Talent and an opponent’s permanent while triggering the Prowess of the otter token in play and removing a blocker from the path, bounce two permanents to reuse them in the same turn, or in the next turn, bounce two opponent’s cards at the end of the turn to attack for lethal, among many other options that make this a pillar of Bounce decks.

Fear of Isolation is the blue Kor Skyfisher and has all the properties that Skyfisher has in Pauper. Interestingly, effects like this would have been irrelevant to Pioneer in the past, but the addition of efficient cards with powerful ETBs has made this creature as good as a Snapcaster Mage for permanents.

Kaito, Bane of Nightmares commonly wants Fear of Isolation or Thundertrap Trainer as a creature to enable Ninjutsu. It does a bit of everything once it's in play: it filters the top and offers card advantage, it's a threat on its own, and it holds back the opponent's Aggro.

A Yorion, Sky Nomad in the maindeck allows for more interactions where we reuse all of our permanents' ETBs at the same time, often creating a snowball that our opponent can't overcome.

The other cards on the list are the standard of what we find in most Pioneer black-based decks: Thoughtseize is the best early game interaction in the format and perhaps in Magic as a whole, and Fatal Push is an unconditional early game removal that this archetype has no trouble triggering Revolt against.

Go for the Throat is a flexible slot (as is the second Kaito), but I like the idea of ​​having more interaction against the opponent, and it covers one of the few flaws of the archetype in not dealing well with cards like Niv-Mizzet Reborn.

The utility lands.

Geier Reach Sanitarium has an interaction with Narset, Parter of Veils where we can activate it on the opponent's turn to force them to discard a card, since they won't be able to draw another.

Field of Ruin deals with mainlands, can respond to the activation of Thespian’s Stage, or also deprive the opponent of a certain color of mana if their manabase is too greedy.

Takenuma, Abandoned Mire helps to recur any creature or Planeswalker that was destroyed during the game. Kaito, Bane of Nightmares is a common target for it.

Otawara, Soaring City is another bounce effect that we can use against the opponent while doubling as a land.

Hall of Storm Giants and Hive of the Eye-Tyrant are manlands that allow you to pressure the opponent in longer games and with the board empty, with Hive still operating as a functional graveyard hate.

With 34 lands, we need to increase our number of duals to maintain consistency in color access. In this case, we have a full set of Gloomlake Verge, Watery Grave, Darkslick Shores, and Clearwater Pathway and three copies of Shipwreck Marsh, plus Fetid Pools and Underground River as one-ofs.

Sideboard

The sweepers.

Extinction Event gets into more games than just Aggro. Its scope allows it to trade favorably against Midranges as well, making it an efficient removal in longer games.

The Meathook Massacre deals with small creatures, but it also works as an answer to Jund Ygra and any other Sacrifice variant and plays in mirrors or against Midrange since we can reuse it whenever necessary.

Negate is our default answer to anything we don't want to resolve. It works against Rakdos Demons, Izzet Phoenix, Lotus Combo, Niv-to-Light, Enigmatic Fires, and other games with impactful non-creature spells.

Mystical Dispute works against Izzet Phoenix, Spirits, and also plays in games against five-color stacks that tend to have a greedy mana base to hold out for a few turns to pay .

Unlicensed Hearse and Grafdigger’s Cage are essential against Izzet Phoenix and Jund Ygra. There are cases where I consider swapping this set for one of Leyline of the Void, but the chances of opening with one of them in the starting hand are much lower in an 80-card deck.

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse is useful against Midrange, games where opponents draw plenty of cards like Izzet Phoenix, and can also be useful against Aggro due to its large body and lifegain effect every turn.

Yorion, Sky Nomad is the reason to play with 80 cards. Having constant access to a Companion that reuses all ETBs on the board is the biggest advantage of Dimir Bounce today compared to other deck variants.

Rakdos Demons

IN

OUT

Nykthos Ramp

IN

OUT

Rakdos Prowess

IN

OUT

Izzet Phoenix

IN

OUT

Selesnya Company

IN

OUT

That’s all for today!

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

Thanks for reading!