Pioneer: Boros Burn - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Boros Burn is one of my favorite decks, and also one of the most nostalgic in Pioneer.

For months, it was my main choice for playing various independent online events during the pandemic, at a time when Lurrus of the Dream-Den had not yet been banned and the archetype was among one of the best decks in the format - it was also the first guide I wrote for this website!

As the Metagame changed and Lurrus was banned, Boros Burn became obsolete and other variants of aggressive decks took their place even in this color category, such as Boros Heroic and Boros Convoke, so it was a big surprise to see the archetype had achieved one of the best results in the Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor, despite having done so in the hands of just one player, Benjamin Stark.

In this article, we will analyze this new version of Burn, with the inclusion of Lightning Helix and a sideboard adapted to play against the Metagame!

Boros Burn is the second most recent variant of the archetype, better known as Burn, which seeks to cast a dozen spells which deal direct damage to the opponent to reduce their life total to zero in the least number of turns possible - This strategy is as old as Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning and has been present in competitive Magic for more than two decades.

Pioneer doesn't have many of Burn's historical staples, like the aforementioned Lightning Bolt, but it has a dozen versatile damage spells and creatures that interact with it through the Prowess ability, creating a fast clock, capable of winning games in a few turns, but without giving up the interactivity that these spells allow against creatures or Planeswalkers.

This is the same list ran by Benjamin Stark in Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor. Most of his picks seem solid enough for the overall Pioneer Metagame and even for the recent rise of Rakdos Vampires as the format's potential best deck.

I didn't see the need to change anything on the list to my personal taste, but other players can do so to have a better matchup against specific archetypes from a local Metagame, such as increasing the number of End the Festivities to deal with Boros Convoke, or move up the fourth Eidolon of the Great Revel to the maindeck for a more solid Game 1 against Izzet Phoenix and other strategies who casts too many spells in a single turn.

Maindeck

Our threats.

Kumano Faces Kakkazan allows for great sequencing with our other creatures, in addition to turning into a 2/2 with haste after two turns. It also triggers the spectacle for Skewer the Critics and Light up the Stage, making it a great option at various stages of the game.

Monastery Swiftspear and Soul-Scar Mage are our main sources of damage in the first few turns and reward playing multiple spells before attacking. It is common for the damage done by them to force the opponent into a reactive stance, spending resources looking for answers before they carry the game on their own.

Eidolon of the Great Revel is a good Meta Call if you expect strategies with low-cost spells, and interacts well with Kumano Faces Kakkazan. In most games where it comes in early, it can deal at least two damage before being removed - enough to speed up our strategy by one turn.

Bonecrusher Giant is the perfect mix of damage and impactful threat. It is a little slow in some matchups, but the versatility and extra toughness guarantees a place in Burn lists and other aggressive red decks.

Our “burns”.

Is Play with Fire a glorified Shock? Yes! But it's the best we have to do damage to the opponent in the first turns, and Scry makes a lot more difference than people imagine, especially in games where we can't afford to draw the wrong card.

Boros Charm is the “do it all” on the list. It protects our creatures from sweepers, can be especially lethal in a spell sequence, and, on its own, deals the most individual damage we can do with just one card and two mana.

Lightning Helix was a recent addition and replaces Lightning Strike as a three-damage spell. The extra life it provides makes a difference in race matchups, where we can direct more damage to our opponent without taking too many risks.

Cards with Spectacle tend to be a recurring side out in Boros Burn because they are slow and/or too specific for certain matchups. However, they do help a lot to add consistency in Game 1, and I wouldn't recommend playing without them.

A set of each land capable of generating and and that comes into play untapped is mandatory for an archetype to maximize the use of its mana turn after turn. Battlefield Forge, Sacred Foundry and Inspiring Vantage are the best options in this category on Pioneer today.

Den of the Bugbear and Ramunap Ruins help give Boros Burn more reach in longer games, as well as making it more resilient to opponent's sweepers.

Sideboard

Get Lost is a necessity for dealing with Planeswalkers and larger creatures we have difficulty with, such as Sheoldred, the Apocalypse. It also works against a dozen other matchups where many creatures fall outside the damage scope of our spells.

Searing Blood goes the opposite way, being excellent against smaller creatures, where we can spend a resource to deal with them without giving an "extra turn" to the opponent.

End the Festivities is specifically good against Boros Convoke, but can find uses in dealing with mana dorks.

Loran of the Third Path deals with Ensoul Artifact, Temporary Lockdown, Smuggler's Copter, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker and a dozen other artifacts and enchantments while keeping another body, capable of generating card advantage.

The extra copy of Eidolon of the Great Revel is useful for games where players sequence many spells in one turn and/or where we need to pull enough damage to prevent them from casting many of them, such as against Lotus Combo.

Rampaging Ferocidon and Roiling Vortex are a necessity in a Metagame where Abzan Amalia is among the best decks, as well as serving as decent threats in attrition matchups.

Rakdos Vampires

IN

OUT

Izzet Phoenix

IN

OUT

If the opponent has Young Pyromancer or Saheeli, Sublime Artificer in Game 2:

IN

OUT

Abzan Amalia

IN

OUT

Azorius Control

IN

OUT

Boros Convoke

IN

OUT

That's all for today!

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

Thanks for reading!