Pioneer: Mono Red Mice - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Mono Red has seen a significant rise in competitive formats since the release of Slickshot Show-Off in Outlaws of Thunder Junction. However, as formats evolve and new cards are released, distinct variants of them emerge and make waves in competitive events.

One such variant is Mono Red Mice, an archetype that forgoes this key card in favor of a full suite of mouse interactions led by Manifold Mouse, a creature version of Embercleave for the archetype, capable of turning all creatures into threats that win games instantly.

This is the same deck used by player Xuxa to make Top 8 in the Pioneer Challenge on November 23. Some changes are necessary for a local Metagame, but the maindeck and sideboard seem pretty solid for a large environment like Magic Online and Magic Arena.

Maindeck

The mice package.

Heartfire Hero needs no introduction when Rakdos Prowess has remained at the top of the Metagame for quite some time. In this list, its interaction with Manifold Mouse and Rockface Village ensures that it increases its power even without casting any spells, making it a greater threat every turn.

Emberheart Challenger does a little bit of everything: it's a mouse for Manifold Mouse, generates card advantage, scales with our damage spells and has an immediate impact on the board.

Manifold Mouse is the deck's Embercleave: lethal with Monstrous Rage, lethal if cast with Offspring to put a copy of it into play, and transforms our spells into ways to end the game with Emberheart Challenger.

Monastery Swiftspear is the best red one-drop in Pioneer. It grows with our spells, allows for some favorable trades in combat, establishes pressure from the first turn, and is a good follow-up to Heartfire Hero on the first turn, especially if accompanied by another one-mana spell.

Kumano Faces Kakkazan is the other ideal one-drop on the first turn and one of the main ways to pressure the opponent. Its usefulness ends up being limited if the game goes on too long to the point where we empty our resources, so it is an occasional side out.

Screaming Nemesis has become a staple for red Aggro in Standard, and is starting to follow suit in Pioneer. In addition to preventing life gain for the rest of the game, it has an immediate impact on the board and punishes blockers by damaging the opponent whenever it takes damage - an ability we can take advantage of with Reckless Rage.

Spikefield Hazard doubles as a land when we need it and a Prowess trigger when we want it. It also has some micro-interactions in the list, such as using it to block the opponent's life gain with Screaming Nemesis, or casting it on Emberheart Challenger, or Heartfire Hero to trigger Valiant without losing the damage potential.

Reckless Rage has the same interactions when dealing with larger creatures, essential in Aggro mirrors and to deal with some Midrange threats. Don't be afraid to use it in response to a creature with five toughness or higher that is blocking one of your attackers.

Burst Lightning competes with Play with Fire in the one-mana burn slot. Unlike a more dedicated list, Mono Red Mice can reach five mana more often, as it has more resilience to stay in the game, so the potential four damage is preferable to Scry 1.

Monstrous Rage and Ancestral Anger are our means of guaranteeing evasion for our creatures. Especially useful alongside Manifold Mouse, but also functional to pull damage against opponents.

Den of the Bugbear is another way to keep the pressure on if the game goes on. Ramunap Ruins serves the same function by granting us more damage as the turns go on.

Rockface Village grants Haste for Manifold Mouse and Heartfire Hero and is a constant means of triggering Valiant from our creatures, being one of the most useful lands possible with Emberheart Challenge, where its controller basically pays two mana to draw a card.

Sideboard

Apart from Searing Blood in the Sideboard, we don't have any cards that limit the use of Jegantha, the Wellspring in the Sideboard, so we can use her as an extra threat in longer games.

Hazoret the Fervent is the perfect threat for games with a lot of removal and/or where we are forced to trade a lot to deplete the opponent's resources. Once it comes into play, every draw becomes a potential damage dealer, and the pressure it provides alone is enough to win games while holding off the opponent's aggression.

Urabrask's Forge is another way to keep us in attrition games, as the tokens it produces grow every turn and not every archetype comes in with cards like Abrade or Kolaghan's Command, while it bypasses Temporary Lockdown.

Unlicensed Hearse is the answer we need against graveyards, and we have no problem using it as a creature as the game goes on. It is still the best option we have against Izzet Phoenix and Cauldron Familiar.

Searing Blood is our answer to Aggro. Dealing damage to the opponent while dealing with a creature is a way to not waste resources, and two damage is what is needed to answer creatures like Brutal Cathar and Werefox Bodyguard.

Rending Volley is another answer to Aggro that also fits against Greasefang, Okiba Boss and occasionally against Izzet Phoenix in lists that still use Ledger Shredder.

The fourth copy of Reckless Rage provides a bit more consistency in the mirror and/or in games where we need to deal with slightly larger creatures, but I consider it a flexible slot, and it can become any other card as the Metagame changes.

Izzet Phoenix

IN

OUT

If the opponent has Ledger Shredder and/or Crackling Drake:

IN

OUT

Rakdos Demons

IN

OUT

Rakdos Prowess

IN

OUT

Jund Sacrifice

IN

OUT

Selesnya Company

IN

OUT

Azorius Control

IN

OUT