Editor's Note: This video was filmed before the banning of both Amalia Benavides Aguirre and Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord in Pioneer on August 26th, 2024.

When it comes to Pioneer, there have been basically three decks that have remained omnipresent - Izzet Phoenix, Rakdos Vampires, and Amalia Combo.

Well, it turns out that Amalia is actually a vampire... so what if we...

Time Stamps:

02:07 - Match 1

17:36 - Match 2

29:40 - Match 3

Amalia Vampires Combo | Pioneer | Jim Davis

• Creatures (26)
• 1 Cenote Scout
• 1 Deep-Cavern Bat
• 1 Dina, Soul Steeper
• 1 Selfless Savior
• 1 Silversmote Ghoul
• 1 Skyclave Apparition
• 2 Extraction Specialist
• 2 Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom
• 4 Amalia Benavides Aguirre
• 4 Prosperous Innkeeper
• 4 Vein Ripper
• 4 Wildgrowth Walker

• Planeswalkers (4)
• 4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord

• Instants (4)
• 4 Chord of Calling

• Sorceries (1)
• 1 Return to the Ranks

• Lands (25)
• 1 Plains
• 1 Swamp
• 1 Aetherflux Reservoir
• 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 3 Blooming Marsh
• 3 Overgrown Tomb
• 3 Razorverge Thicket
• 3 Temple Garden
• 4 Mana Confluence
• 4 Mutavault

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Skyclave Apparition
• 2 Tamiyo's Safekeeping
• 2 Knight of Dusk's Shadow
• 1 Deep-Cavern Bat
• 3 Fatal Push
• 3 Thoughtseize
• 1 Haywire Mite
• 1 Ruthless Lawbringer

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Between Mutavault and Amalia, this deck only a few less vampires than the normal Rakdos Vampires deck, while still being able to dump Vein Ripper into play on turn three. But that's just the plan B!

By and large this is still just an Amalia combo deck, complete with all the usual suspects, albeit in lower numbers. While this does make the deck a bit less consistent, it also gives it a completely different angle of attack that your opponent has to worry about. And while they spend their time keeping Sorin and pals in check, you can set up your primary combo.

Is this the future of Pioneer or a meme? You'll have to watch the video to find out!