Most aggressive red decks took a significant hit with the banning of Cori-Steel Cutter from Pioneer. Izzet Prowess versions and other spellslinger variants need to reassess their positions, knowing they no longer have a constant source of threats that punished spot removal.
It wouldn't be surprising if Prowess remains competitive; what we need to know is whether its variants will be better than what Pioneer already has. Izzet Phoenix is a direct competitor against versions of that color combination, while the other variants have to compete with Mono Red Aggro—the most reliable variant in this category.
The Decklist
Unlike other variants, Mono Red Aggro never needed Cori-Steel Cutter and leans on individual threats that establish an aggressive clock. It runs Prowess creatures like Monastery Swiftspear and Emberheart Challenger, but its trump card lies in the mid‑to‑top end of the curve: Screaming Nemesis, which punishes blocks and shuts down one of the main ways to hold off red decks, and Sunspine Lynx, whose ETB benefits from how greedy most Pioneer lists are with their mana bases.
The strategy in this version is a "Sligh" with an escalating curve: a one‑drop on turn one, followed by a two‑drop or a spell plus a one‑drop on turn two, then Screaming Nemesis or a two‑drop with burn on turn three, until the opponent's life total reaches the point where Sunspine Lynx can finish the game. Otherwise, Monstrous Rage combinations with any creature tend to push through the damage points.
Maindeck
The one‑drops.
Monastery Swiftspear and Soul-Scar Mage provide early pressure while growing with a significant portion of our list. Having multiple copies of them on board makes blocking math difficult for the opponent, while we benefit from running many cheap noncreature spells.
Kumano Faces Kakkazan is a 2/2 for one mana in the long run, with a small burn early and the potential to bring a larger threat onto the board the following turn. It triggers Prowess, and unless I have a specific two‑drop, casting it on turn two alongside another spell after a Swiftspear/Soul‑Scar Mage is preferable.
Emberheart Challenger has become the best red two‑drop in the format. Unless your list is focused on hit‑kills with Slickshot Show‑Off and pumps, the more aggressive base body and the mix of Prowess and card advantage tend to make Challenger a reliable choice.
Hexing Squelcher is a flex slot, and we can turn it into any two‑drop or more board interaction. It protects our creatures from stack interaction and punishes spot removal with a Shock. If Midrange/Control decks grow in the format, we can move more copies of it into the 75.
Screaming Nemesis does it all: it has a decent body, immediate impact, punishes blocks, and any damage dealt to it benefits its controller with a permanent life‑gain lock.
Sunspine Lynx is the late‑game bomb that punishes most of the most played decks in Pioneer. Once on board, it shuts down life gain and is one of the best targets for Monstrous Rage.
Monstrous Rage, a banned staple in Standard, is the main way to push damage from our creatures past blockers and punish the opponent's poor combat and interaction decisions.
Burst Lightning is the best Burn spell available in Pioneer, with the flexibility to answer Badgermole Cub, the opponent's Emberheart Challenger, and other small creatures to remove blockers.
Reckless Rage interacts with Prowess triggers to destroy larger threats without killing our creatures. It also serves as a damage source to lock the opponent with Screaming Nemesis.
Even though we're a Sunspine Lynx deck, we run a few utility lands: Ramunap Ruins for damage reach in the late game, Den of the Bugbear as a manland that helps maintain pressure against sweepers, Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance which puts two bodies on board with its Channel ability, and Rockface Village, whose interaction with Emberheart Challenger creates a card advantage source each turn.
Sideboard
Soul-Guide Lantern is our graveyard hate against Greasefang, Okiba Boss, Izzet Phoenix, and others. We could choose Tormod's Crypt for mana efficiency, but the extra draw can make a difference in some circumstances.
Flowstone Infusion comes in against Orzhov Greasefang to deal with indestructible X/1 blockers and against other smaller Aggro decks like Humans. It could also come in against Selesnya Company if that deck adopts more X/2 creatures in the coming weeks.
Pyroclasm is a cheap sweeper that almost all of our creatures dodge. Ideal against Selesnya Company, Humans, Boros Convoke, and other go‑wide categories.
Scorching Shot deals with Beza, the Bounding Spring and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, as well as other larger threats from Midrange decks.
The presence of Midrange decks demands additional card advantage sources, and The Legend of Roku is a more efficient, monocolored version of Showdown of the Skalds. If transformed, our resources can be dedicated to attacking with it and generating mana to create dragon tokens alongside Firebending.
Maelstrom Artisan comes in against Unholy Annex decks to answer Mutavault and against archetypes with utility lands or strategies where a specific set of lands is essential for the opponent's game plan execution.
Despite the decline of Prowess lists, Magebane Lizard is essential against Izzet Phoenix and Lotus Combo.
Sideboard Guide
Golgari Midrange
IN
OUT
Rakdos Midrange
IN
OUT
Orzhov Greasefang
IN
OUT
Abzan Greasefang
IN
OUT
Izzet Phoenix
IN
OUT
Selesnya Company
IN
OUT
Azorius Control
IN
OUT
Mono Red Aggro
IN
OUT
Niv to Light
IN
OUT
Wrapping Up
That's all for today!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
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