Pioneer Set Review: Innistrad Crimson Vow

With the end of the Innistrad: Crimson Vow Spoiler Season, it's time to make our reviews of the new set based on specific competitive formats.

Today, I will be doing this review focusing on my current favorite format, Pioneer.

One thing that really caught my attention in this set is the number of cards that are individually acceptable, but have an effect of exiling things from the graveyard attached to them.

As far as Pioneer is concerned, interactions with graveyards have become increasingly necessary because of the format's current state, where many of the top decks are making constant use of it to gain some advantage, whether by reanimating Arclight Phoenix or Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger, by casting Dig Through Time or Treasure Cruise, or even replaying your creatures with Lurrus of the Dream-Den.

Personally, I don't believe we're at a time when something needs to be banned from the format, although I believe there are about twenty cards, including Treasure Cruise, Dig Through Time and Lurrus of the Dream- Den, in addition to others that aren't currently played, such as Thassa's Oracle, which have a date set to leave the format, as eventually, there will be mechanics, decks or cards that will simply break these superpowerful effects and lead the format to a polarized state; but we are not at this moment yet.

On November 14th, we will have the Pioneer Showcase, and I believe I will be able to address this issue in greater depth after the results of this event, as it is a sensitive topic which requires more attention than a note in a review article and a more profound analysis than I'm proposing at the moment.

However, as far as Pioneer is concerned, the inclusion of good new cards that function as graveyard interaction in addition to its other purposes is a great choice for Wizards and something I hope to see again, both for this type of interaction and for others that we commonly use on Sideboard.

That said, let's get into the Review!

I start the review by giving an honorable mention to By Invitation Only, as it is a sweeper that can play around effects that make creatures indestructible, such as Selfless Spirit, while it can also serve as a white spell to deal with multiple creatures with Hexproof if they ever become relevant in the Metagame.

I can't say I like Cemetery Protector for four mana because even on white decks, you can do more interesting things on turn 4, like Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, and nor will I mention what Naya Winota and others can do for four mana.

However, this card is a part of the cycle of maindeck cards that serve as good graveyard answers, and so deserves this honorable mention.

At the moment, we don't have enough payoffs to make an Enchantments deck a viable option for the format, as we don't have Sythis, Harvest's Hand, or other effects of the same nature at a good cost ( and we don't even have efficient Aura ramps to cast Eidolon of Blossoms and the like).

However, if we eventually have more enchantment-oriented cards in future sets to make this archetype viable, Hallowed Haunting works as a great Monastery Mentor effect, and will definitely make an interesting Finisher.

I know at the moment the archetype still doesn't have enough to be competitively viable (and Crimson Vow may change that a bit), but I really like Hopeful Initiate as a one-drop for Humans because it grows naturally with the deck, and its ability interacts very well with Thalia's Lieutenant, making it an effective drop to respond to decks like Ensoul.

If Humans become relevant in the Metagame, this card can find its place in the One-drop slots on the list.

One more card from the graveyard interaction creature cycle, but I don't particularly like Savior of Ollenbock because the format seems to have better three-mana options for all occasions, while the fact that it returns exiled creatures to the Battlefield is pretty unfavorable in a format where you'll commonly be returning Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger and Arclight Phoenix.

I'm really surprised by the addition of Thalia, Guardian of Thraben to Pioneer, and it's a card the format really needed!

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is one of the most powerful taxing effects in Magic to date, and is a Modern and Legacy staple, where it's commonly a huge delay for decks trying to abuse low-cost spells, which is exactly where Pioneer is right now: full of archetypes, such as Izzet Phoenix, Four-Color Ascendancy, Rakdos Pyromancer, Azorius/Dimir Control, Burn, Lotus Combo, among several other archetypes of the format trying to abuse noncreature spells to play with a low curve, and will now have to deal with a significant delay in their game plan if they don't have good answers for the new card.

However, the main decks today tend to have good answers for Thalia, Guardian of Thraben: Izzet Phoenix has a number of efficient removals, ranging from Magma Spray to Lightning Axe, while Rakdos Pyromancer has Fatal Push, Magma Spray and Bloodchief's Thirst for this same purpose, so an archetype with Thalia will need to capitalize on this almost mandatory removal of the opponent on the card to take advantage of the “extra turn” generated by it.

Among the archetypes that can use it, I imagine that Spirits, Selesnya/Bant Company and Winota are the ones that can take the most advantage out of her, but it is possible that it is also present in other aggressive archetypes.

Although we don't have the Soul Sisters package, with Soul Warden and Soul's Attendant, I believe Voice of the Blessed is so strong and so easy to build around that players will definitely try to use it on some lifegain list.

In the format, the base for Selesnya Angels is intact, and features Righteous Valkyrie and Bishop of Wings, while other Lifegain effects can be acquired through Daxos, Blessed by the Sun with creatures and Courser of Kruphix with land drops.

I'm not convinced this card will be good enough to establish an archetype on its own and make it competitively viable, but Voice of the Blessed will definitely make players interested in trying out lists built around its mechanics.

A Plumeveil that, in Late-Game, can be used as an alternate wincondition deserves an honorable mention in this article, especially if players figure out a way to speed up casting Sinner's Judgment, which would force the opponent to deal with the enchantment in three turns, or lose the game.

I don't think Spirits has room for Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr, and it's pretty much a “win more” effect than something necessary for the archetype. However, this is another card that works as a payoff/wincondition if Enchantments gets more support later.

The Aura version is also a viable option as an overpriced version of Daybreak Coronet for Selesnya Auras, which doesn't recur to Lurrus of the Dream-Den.

Cemetery Illuminator is one of my favorite cards in the set for offering an evasive body, recurring graveyard hate, and card advantage in a single card, so it ends up doing a lot for a relatively low cost.

When we talk about Spirits, I can't imagine it having much space in the archetype, as it's another 3-drop, in an archetype that already has this curve absurdly crowded between Spell Queller, Skyclave Apparition and Empyrean Eagle, but it's possible to show up as 1-of in the deck's flexible slots, or in larger copies in Mono-Blue versions.

Outside Spirits, this card looks like an interesting Sideboard card for some blue decks, as you can exile your opponent's Instants, Sorceries, or even Planeswalkers to generate some occasional card advantage throughout the game.

Honorable mention because I'm sure there will be people trying to use this card.

Cobbled Lancer is a bad card in any archetype I can think of for Pioneer these days.

Again, a good Spirit, but another three-drop for a deck that's already full of these effects.

Also, Shacklegeist is a more efficient option for removing blockers, while Nebelgast Herald also seems a better option for the archetype as a three-drop.

It may be possible to abuse Geralf, Visionary Stitcher to create large tokens with high-toughness, low-cost creatures in the format, especially in Blue.

I don't think it will be a competitively viable option, but it definitely should make a fun casual deck.

I have a saying in my head that Indomitable Creativity just hasn't been banned from the format yet because there aren't as good payoffs for it as there are in other formats, since the combination of The Locust God with Sage of the Falls is an easy combo to interact with.

Hullbreaker Horror, as a high-powered creature with an ability that turns all spells into an Unsubstantiate, is almost close enough to turn Indomitable Creativity into a one-card combo that can win the game on its own, but it's still not enough.

That said, this creature can actually win games on its own if it's well protected by Pioneer's low-cost cantrips, but it doesn't seem any more efficient than Nezahal, Primal Tide or Niv-Mizzet, Parun.

Maybe Lotus Combo wants a copy of this card on the Sideboard as an alternative wincondition, but I'm not so sure if it's needed.

We don't have Gravecrawler and means of sacrificing creatures to generate mana to abuse Necroduality easily, but we do have Risen Executioner, which can be cast from the Graveyard and if we find ways to get all the mana available to cast it repeatedly (Rooftop Storm is not legal), it is possible to create an infinite token combo using the new enchantment.

Honorable mention because you never know what you might find in Pioneer's confines.

A 3/3 Flying body with a conditional Disallow attached to it may be a viable option for some decks if the format requires this effect.

I think Disallow is a better option on most occasions, but I wouldn't be surprised if Overcharged Amalgam appears on some lists as a Meta Call.

I haven't researched what combos are possible in Pioneer, but there should definitely be some infinite combo options enabled by Patchwork Crawler.

However, any 2-card combo that can be used with this creature requires a lot of setup: Two specific cards in graveyard + eight mana to cast Patchwork Crawler and exile both combo pieces + rely on the opponent's lack of interaction.

In short, too conditional to work.

I really like the inclusion of Stormchaser Drake for archetypes like Mono Blue Tempo or Izzet Prowess lists that runs targeted pumps and protections, like Curious Obsession and Dive Down because the new creature rewards the player very well for protecting it.

In addition, this card also offers an interesting reason to try playing an Azorius version of Auras, rather than an Orzhov version, as it offers another way to reward the use of your Auras with card draw effects.

At the moment, we have much better cheap draw options for Control decks, but Thirst for Discovery deserves an honorable mention as it's a more viable version of Thirst for Meaning, which occasionally appears on some lists.

Wash Away can be an interesting sideboard option if archetypes that cast stuff from other zones become more popular

For one mana, you can counter cards that are cast through Foretell, Escape, Adventure, Flashback (including Dreadhorde Arcanist's free casts), and any other effect that makes a spell to be cast from another zone, without losing its occasional usefulness as a three-mana counterspell (not that Cancel is actually good, but you get the picture).

It is possible that it becomes a one-of on Control lists.

I'm a bit divided on this card, but I'd say it's worth considering in Azorius Spirits, while it seems to me an obvious addition to Mono-Blue Spirits, as these decks don't have Collected Company for Card Advantage.

Winged Portent can allow, for three mana and as an Instant, non-green variants to accumulate value during the game, commonly drawing 3 or more cards mid-game, or even more in Late-Game if your board is established.

Looking at the obvious downside, however, Winged Portent is a bad option if you're behind in the game, making it a bad topdeck and possibly condemning it to just being a win more effect than something really necessary for the archetype.

For six mana, you need to be doing something very absurd with Jacob's transformed side, Hauken's Insight, and for that cost I believe you would benefit most from using Emergent Ultimatum or Genesis Ultimatum.

Crimson Vow is a set about the marriage of two vampires, so of course we would have support for Vampires in the format (though I'm surprised we didn't have a good new tribal lord).

Bloodvial Purveyor is an extremely impactful creature that offers a huge clock, while its 5/6 body protects it from pretty much all damage-based removals in the format, including Lightning Axe, making it a threat that needs to be respected by the opponent.

Its ability to create Blood tokens for your opponent is a double-edged sword: On the one hand, you give the opponent the option to filter his hand and even discard cards he wants to remain in the graveyard, such as Arclight Phoenix or Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger.

On the other hand, the opponent who chooses to follow their game plan will naturally be punished for not using the artifacts, as this will increase the clock set by the new creature.

In the four-drop slot, Bloodvial Purveyor is competing with Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, where I believe Kalitas is a better option, but if the format eventually leads the archetype to need a creature that sets a very fast clock, a 5/6 creature with Flying and Trample seems to do a good job.

Honorable mention because exiling things from your deck can always be abused in some way and, although I can't think of ways to get Demonic Bargain to exile your entire deck without having to go through too many steps, like copying the card over and over again or using multiple casts of it, it's important to remember that Thassa's Oracle is still legal and rewards players for abusing certain self-mill effects.

I've wanted Inquisition of Kozilek in the format for a long time, and I believe I can accept Dread Fugue as a good replacement.

Dread Fugue is an interesting card because it's pretty good against certain decks for one mana, but it never loses its usefulness throughout the game, and the only part that surprises me about its text is that it makes the player discard the card, rather than exile, a clause that makes huge difference.

For one mana, the new discard deals with several Burn creatures and spells (which is important because Thoughtseize sucks against this archetype), with virtually every card from Rakdos Arcanist, Izzet Ensoul, and other Lurrus decks, with the cheap cantrips and counterspells of blue decks, with the more common Untap effects of Lotus Combo, and the occasional mana dorks of Jund Citadel and Naya Winota, while for three mana, it handles essentially everything the format has, which technically means it never loses its usefulness.

However, which decks really need Dread Fugue? Rakdos Arcanist can certainly use it quite efficiently, but does the archetype really need two more copies of one-mana discards when its core proposition is to get both players to the topdeck mode?

What about Vampires? Can it resort to more maindeck or Sideboard discards? And does Dimir Control need this card?

I can't say how much Dread Fugue will be useful in Maindeck, but I can say that it will definitely have space on the Sideboard of some archetypes and should become much more used in times when aggressive, punishing decks for Thoughtseize, become more present.

Honorable mention for being another recurrent threat that can be used in both Mono-Black Aggro and Vampires.

However, the conditions for returning it to the battlefield don't seem very favorable for any deck that doesn't try to abuse Blood tokens. So, I think Falkenrath Forebear won't see much play.

Honorable mention. A 3/2 body with Deathtouch that gives a Sign in Blood when sacrificing a creature may have some use in Sacrifice decks.

A Dead Weight that has the flexibility of being a pump for your creatures in Vampires can make Gift of Fangs gain some space in the archetype lists, as its removal side handles several creatures these days, while the +2/+2 provided by the aura can be a significant clock boost, or be those two extra toughness that make Gifted Aetherborn a lethal threat against some decks.

Honorable mention.

A 3/3 body for two mana that can kill a Planeswalker can be an option for Mono-Black Aggro and the occasional Zombie decks that occasionally appear in the format.

Speaking of Zombies, Headless Rider adds another powerful angle to Rally Zombies, which occasionally make results in Challenges or appear in Leagues, by allowing the deck to have even more Death Triggers, or even to create an irreversible board situation along Rally the Ancestors with a Sac Outlet.

Black-Based Decks have just received a new early game sweeper, which can help to hold back the aggressiveness of decks like Azorius Ensoul and Boros Burn, while also becoming useful for dealing against some mana dorks, and also have utilities against other Lurrus decks.

For six mana, Path of Peril is a worse version than many other sweepers played on black decks, and the need for a splash to cast it doesn't make it a very exciting option either, but archetypes like Dimir Control may resort to a few copies of Pathways for occasional moments where it becomes necessary to cast this card for its Cleave cost.

This is a difficult card to assess.

On the one hand, there isn't a deck currently where I believe Concealing Curtains is better than other options used by these lists, a 0/4 creature for one mana isn't a very interesting effect to have, although it is a great blocker.

On the other hand, cards like Thought-Knot Seer and Vendilion Clique see a lot of play in competitive formats, and in this comparison, Concealing Curtains is essentially a mix of the two cards for four mana and that, as an added bonus, it can be reused in decks with Lurrus of the Dream-Den or returned to the battlefield with Claim // Fame, while possessing a 3/4 body with Menace.

As for the archetypes that can make good use of the new creature, I can imagine that both Rakdos Arcanist and Dimir Control can test the card on the maindeck or Sideboard.

Another four-drop for Vampires, and one that works similarly to Rankle, Master of Pranks, but only if you don't transform it, and without the immediate impact.

Honestly, I think Henrika Domnathi is an interesting card for Standard, but in Pioneer, she's competing with other powerful four-drops on both Vampires and other Black-Based Decks and probably doesn't deserve a slot in these archetypes.

Honorable mention.

There was a time when players tried to use Chance for Glory along with Discontinuity, Disallow and other effects that nullify the clause of losing the game that the extra turn of has.

Alchemist's Gambit can give this idea more consistency, with eight “extra turn” spells that can have their drawback countered with a variety of effects, including the newly released Overcharged Amalgam.

As Thiago mentioned in his Standard review, it's possible that the card it also has some use in aggressive decks to win the game with an extra turn when your board has some inevitability, but I believe Pioneer may have too many interactions for this combination to work.

I am not certain whether this card might be a staple or not.

My issue with Cemetery Gatekeeper is its mana cost, where it competes with Eidolon of the Great Revel and Viashino Pyromancer in Boros Burn, and it obviously loses to Eidolon of the Great Revel.

On the other hand, with the Metagame geared towards graveyard interactions as it is now, it's possible that Cemetery Gatekeeper is better than Viashino Pyromancer on Boros Burn, as the creature can also be replayed with Lurrus, trades favorably in combat against X/2 or smaller creatures, while its ability can be very punishing for the most diverse opponents.

Consider a matchup against Izzet Phoenix, for example: you'd rather not exile Arclight Phoenix itself with Cemetery Gatekeeper (although you could if the situation seems favorable for that), you'd probably prefer to exile an Opt, or any other Instant to force tem to significantly delay their plays and still be punished for deciding to spend a removal on your creature, as this will grant two damage anyway.

On the other hand, the new creature has two significant shortcomings for Boros Burn, with the first being the absence of an immediate impact that interacts with the archetype's plan, as is the case with Viashino Pyromancer, and the second is giving the opponent the opportunity to play around it much easier than when playing around Eidolon of the Great Revel, which is a huge downside.

My personal conclusion is that it is worth testing Cemetery Gatekeeper in Boros Burn, especially in the current metagame, and especially considering that there are decks that have a lot of difficulty in dealing with it and, in the case of Mono-Red Aggro, which has some flexible slots, I believe Crimson Vow's new card is significantly better in the current Metagame than Kari Zev, Skyship Raider or Torbran, Thane of Red Fell.

In many ways, the new Chandra looks like a nerfed but more cost-effective version of the format's main red Planeswalker, Chandra, Torch of Defiance, and with restrictions that make it useful only on red decks.

I believe the cost reduction and versatility of a planeswalker that works as ramp, a mini-Light up the Stage, both +1 abilities, and a finisher that works like a Wincondition make it worthy of a test on Mono-Red Aggro, possibly substituting one or two copies of its 4th-cost version, so it can be gauged whether it's really worth the slots in the archetype.

Magma Spray has been extensively played on the maindeck and sideboard of several decks of the format because it handles Arclight Phoenix very well, serves as a quirky interaction against Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger and also resolves creatures you prefer not to be cast with Lurrus of the Dream-Den.

Flame-Blessed Bolt is simply an improved version of Magma Spray, and has utility against Planeswalkers.

Instant Staple, have four copies in the binder when the set comes out.

I don't know if this card will see play in Pioneer, but it's so naturally powerful that it deserves an honorable mention.

Wizards was smart in making the tokens created by Manaform Hellkite have a power equal to the total mana invested in the spell, rather than the spell's cost, thus preventing the card from being abused with Delve, such as Treasure Cruise.

However, if Manaform Hellkite remains in play for a turn, an army of 1/1 and 2/2 creatures with Haste in a single turn may be enough for this creature to win the game on its own, dealing 10 or more damage with just one threat, while also being protected by a variety of means, such as Negate or Stubborn Denial.

As a curve topper, Volatile Arsonist is competing with Glorybringer, which I believe the dragon works much better in this role, but for Naya Winota, I believe Volatile Arsonist can appear as one or two copies in the deck, as while being a powerful creature to play with Winota, Joiner of Forces, it's also an immediate impact threat and, if transformed, can handle a variety of creatures merely by attacking.

Cemetery Prowler is not very exciting for green decks, as its body is inferior to other three-drops, while it competes as graveyard hate against Scavenging Ooze, which I believe the new creature is significantly worse.

A Diabolic Tutor which serves as a manafixer in Early-Game deserves an honorable mention, and it's possible that decks like Lotus Combo could take some advantage of it, though I consider it unlikely since Mastermind's Acquisition is widely played to search for cards that cannot be searched with Fae of Wishes.

If a deck with Humans and Collected Company comes up in the format, I think Hamlet Vanguard can be a great payoff for a full board, as the creature naturally protects itself, while it can be put on the battlefield through a Company.

Howling Moon is an interesting Sideboard option against archetypes that cast many spells in one turn, such as Control, Izzet Phoenix, and Rakdos Pyromancer decks, while it can also have utilities against archetypes that have low-cost drops.

It's an interesting sideboard option, but I'm not sure which deck can really resort to this enchantment in the current format.

Mulch saw a lot of play the last time it was in Standard, and it's great for securing your land drops and putting some cards to the graveyard.

I don't knowwhich decks might actually want to use it in Pioneer these days, but since it has a history as a former Standard staple, I wouldn't mind having a playset saved in case another powerful graveyard archetype that makes good use of this card appears.

A creature with Hexproof that, if transformed, puts +1/+1 counters on all of your creatures while giving Hexproof to all of them makes Avabruck Caretaker another mighty payoff for Winota decks.

However, there is a limit on how many Human creatures these decks can have and how many enablers they need, and I don't know if Avabruck Caretakeris superior to Tovolar's Huntmaster in this archetype, since Huntmaster brings with it two tokens that help with more Winota triggers.

It's possible that this card will appear on the lists as a one-of, but I suppose its cost and the existence of a better 6-drop to the deck's plan make it not good enough at the moment.

We've never had the opportunity to play Elvish Piper on Pioneer, and Howlpack Piper does a pretty good job of being a relatively improved version of the Urza Block card.

As for the creatures we can play with the new Piper, I think the best option is Worldspine Wurm, as the others doesn't seem to do enough, or need to be cast to have their main effects triggered.

I don't think this strategy is competitively viable, and no creature released so far is really a good payoff for “putting creatures on the battlefield” effects, especially with a creature that needs to stay alive for a turn for the combo to work.

On proactive Izzet decks, Eruth, Tormented Prophet can offer, for three mana, recurring Card Advantage while in play, and interacts insanely well with low-cost cantrips like Opt and Consider.

This card advantage, however, comes with a price: You need to use the revealed cards immediately or never use them again, which can prove problematic even with a deck geared toward several low-cost spells, as this can mean losing some important resources.

It's worth trying a copy or two in Izzet Drake as a good way to accumulate card advantage in attrition matchups, and possibly even in Izzet Phoenix, though the possibility of exiling Arclight Phoenix isn't very attractive.

If, at some point in the future, Deilirium decks return to the Metagame, Old Rutstein could be an interesting addition to the archetype as a recurring self-mill with a strong added value, in a body that blocks aggressive decks well.

I really liked the new Olivia, but I don't know if she has a home in the format these days.

You can always try using her with Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord on turn 3 in a Rakdos Vampire, but it doesn't seem to do enough compared to Champion of Dusk.

On the other hand, Olivia, Crimson Bride is a late-game bomb in literally any Midrange deck that run the card's colors, and any creature reanimated by it can be as impactful as her or win the game in a few turns, or accumulating a significant amount of value, along the lines of what has been done on several occasions with The Scarab God.

Therefore, it is possible that the poster card of the set has a home as one-of in Niv-to-Light.

Another card that may have some space in Selesnya Humans, should this archetype become a viable option in the format, and one that, when played quickly, can create extremely explosive situations with cards like Thalia's Lieutenant or even Metallic Mimic.

The only question that needs to be considered is whether we will have enough space for all the three-drops that Humans can have in Pioneer.

An Impulse attached to a 2/1 body deserves an honorable mention.

It doesn't seem like a very viable option for Izzet decks, but Wandering Mind might be an option in Jeskai Control, or less proactive archetypes as a blocker that replaces itself in your hand or a flying threat on an empty board.

A 4/4 creature for two mana that can attack (or block) once before becoming an aura that essentially turns a creature you control into a Geist of Saint Traft deserves an honorable mention in this article, even though I believe Spirits has better options, despite the fact that the token created by Dorothea's Retribution is a Spirit, which makes room for many interactions.

The new Edgar Markov doesn't seem good enough for Pioneer, as it competes with several other four-drops while, despite being a technically immortal creature, it takes a long time to get the most out of both of its abilities.

Lantern of the Lost is a mix of Soul-Guide Lantern and Relic of Progenitus that doesn't allow interactions with Lurrus of the Dream-Den.

Depending on the archetype, its inclusion may be a viable option, being significantly better than Scrabbling Claws or Soul-Guide Lantern if your deck doesn't rely on Lurrus, but is still worse than Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void if your list has access to these cards.

It might see play on the Sideboard of some decks, especially for those who don't need their graveyard, but it shouldn't become an instant staple.

The Slow Lands cycle is closed in Crimson Vow, with the enemy colors.

Allied Slow Lands saw play on some lists, but I don't think the new lands will have the same opportunity, as the format has a significantly larger number of duals in enemy colors, especially Fast Lands and Painlands, which does an impressive job at manafixing.

On slower decks, it's possible that Slow Lands have some space, even competing with more useful lands like Triomes, which can be recycled when no longer needed, but I can't imagine a list in the format currently that wants to use this cycle in anywhere instead of a Shockland, Checkland, Painland or Fastland.

However, new duals are always welcome to the format, and the more of them we have available to improve Pioneer's manabase, the better!

That was my review of Innistrad: Crimson Vow for Pioneer.

I believe that the format has received some very interesting additions, and that some cards may be present among the most played archetypes, while others may have space in less competitive decks, or that are not currently in Tier 1.

As for the amount of graveyard interactions on set, I think Wizards of the Coast wanted to be cautious with the power level that Innistrad's mechanics brought to Standard and Limited, or they are setting the stage for a future set with a strong focus in graveyard themes, something that commonly leads to problematic mechanics and decks that play Magic: The Gathering unnaturally.

As for Pioneer, the more graveyard interactions we have the better, as we have some archetypes that are currently at the top of the format and use graveyards to their own advantage in different ways.

And although the cards received in this set for this purpose don't seem to be enough for Pioneer, this new idea presented of “good cards with an added interaction” seems to me to be a good initiative on the game's development.

Thanks for reading!