Pioneer Tier List
The Gathering creates tier lists for the RCQ and RC formats differently than our other tier lists. While data analysis serves as the basis, competitive Magic: The Gathering player IslandGoSAMe uses that data to create more of a predictive, forward-looking tier list for the RC/Q formats rather than a metagame share analysis, backwards-looking tier list.
S Tier
A Tier
A Consistent Tempo Aggro Spells Deck: Draw cards, discard cards, and kill creatures with low cost spells while filling the graveyard. Izzet Phoenix is packed full of cantrips and cheap interaction, delve spells to keep cards flowing, and recursive threats that count the number of spells played per turn. Phoenix can always dig up what it needs while applying pressure.
A Synergistic Tempo Drain Deck: Jund Sac’s spells are rarely powerful on their own, but together they generate a myriad of different engines for dealing damage, drawing cards, and draining the opponent. Jund Sac runs creatures that sacrifice themselves, generate sacrificial permanents, and ultimately provide a lethal burst of damage or slowly bleed an opponent to death.
B Tier
A Traditional Hard Control Deck: Answer threats, generate value, lock down the game, and win at your leisure. Azorius Control runs the best removal and sweepers available in Pioneer, with counterspells tuned to the meta as needed and strict instant-speed card advantage. A few planeswalkers, tokens, and lands are the only threats. This is the deck for simply telling your opponent “No”.
An Aggressive Explosive Bodies Deck: Spread the aggro with as many “free” creatures as possible. Use Plotted creatures, sagas, and Burning-Tree Emissary to flood the board all at once, pulling as maximum damage out of Atarka’s Command and Reckless Bushwacker. Gruul is more resilient against lifegain and targeted removal than other aggressive builds.
An Aggressive Explosive Prowess Deck: 16 Prowess/”Prowess” creatures all get a little extra size out of already efficient cheap spells. Monstrous Rage its ilk can’t burn a player directly, but translate to 5+ damage each for one of the fastest possible Pioneer kills. Burn Together(Callous Sell-Sword) with Heartfire Hero offers an explosive combo finish
A Controlling Interactive Token Deck: A new style of control deck, using Caretaker’s Talent and other value-generating token producers. Being a single color allows for more colorless lands, making the most out of Fountainport, Sunken Citadel, and Field of Ruin effects. Compared to other control decks, Tokens make excellent blockers and finishers.
C Tier
A Midrange Graveyard Combo Deck: Greasefang is back! Use the namesake Greasfang to reanimate a large vehicle for a semi-lethal attack! Red rummaging replaces the traditional green self-mill spells for stronger value cards like Fable of the Mirror Breaker and Fear of Missing Out. This makes for a less consistent combo and a much stronger midrange plan B.
An Interactive Value Tempo Deck: Kaito and Moon-Circuit Hacker keep cards flowing and turn into real threats with a few emblems, with numerous other creatures that generate value or clear the board every time they return to play via ninjutsu. Cheap interaction spells keep the game plan safe, and Mutavault is a strong finisher with a few ninja-pumping emblems around.
A Consistent Disruptive Midrange Deck: Rakdos Midrange runs cards with looser synergy, each strong on their own. It has returned with a more dedicated approach to disrupting the opposing hand and game plan with minimal bad topdecks compared to other midrange Pioneer decklists.
D Tier
A Consistent Pure Combo Deck: Search up, copy, and untap the namesake Lotus Field to generate absurd amounts of mana. As a true dedicated combo deck, Lotus Field requires a lot of moving pieces to tap Lotus Field many times in one turn and cast a massive threat or Emergent Ultimatum to win the game all at once, as early as turn three.
