Pioneer
Pioneer is a new nonrotating format where players build decks using cards from Return to Ravnica and Magic 2014 forward. Introduced in 2019, Pioneer received high-level tournament support right away, first on Magic Online, then at several major tabletop events starting in 2020.
The initial ban list of Bloodstained Mire, Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Windswept Heath, and Wooded Foothills made for a completely different kind of nonrotating format, allowing cards like Deathrite Shaman to roam freely without dominating. Nevertheless, Wizards announced plans to monitor tournament results closely and to update the list of banned cards frequently.
Rules Specific to Pioneer
- Only cards printed in Standard legal sets from Return to Ravnica and Magic 2014 onward may be used for deck construction. This includes Sample, Welcome, and Planeswalkers Decks which are considered to be part of a set. However, it doesn't include cards from the Masterpiece Series which haven't been printed in one of the sets otherwise.
- For a list of sets legal in Pioneer and for the list of currently banned cards, please check: magic.wizards.com
