Hello everyone. Last week, Wizards of the Coast announced a new non-rotating format that does not include any cards that are digital only or rebalanced cards. This format is the precursor to adding Pioneer to Magic Arena, and it is called Explorer. For the full scoop on this new format, check out the original article on the mothership at https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-digital/mtg-arena-state-game-streets-new-capenna-2022-04-21. With this exciting new format on the horizon, I'm taking today's article to share a few decks with you that I'm excited to try out. Let's get started.

(Explorer) Boros Feather

We'll get started with a deck in my two favorite colors, Red and White. It also features one of my favorite creatures from Ravnica. Let's take a look at the deck.

Boros Feather | Explorer | TrollMan, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (19)
• 3 Feather, the Redeemed
• 4 Clever Lumimancer
• 4 Dreadhorde Arcanist
• 4 Soul-Scar Mage
• 4 Tenth District Legionnaire

• Instants (12)
• 4 Defiant Strike
• 4 Gods Willing
• 4 Reckless Rage

• Sorceries (10)
• 2 Angelfire Ignition
• 4 Ancestral Anger
• 4 Homestead Courage

• Lands (19)
• 2 Mountain
• 3 Plains
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
• 4 Inspiring Vantage
• 4 Needleverge Pathway // Pillarverge Pathway
• 4 Sacred Foundry

Buy This Deck Export text format Export Arena format

Because of her ability to return spells to your hand, Feather, the Redeemed is certain to be a target for your opponent's removal spells. Luckily for her, this deck includes a couple of spells that you can use to help keep her in play. The first is Gods Willing. By targeting a creature with Gods Willing, you can cause a spell your opponent has cast to fizzle thanks to the protection Gods Willing provides. Be careful with the color you choose, because you can accidentally cause your own spell to fizzle if you were to choose White or Red. Secondly, you have Angelfire Ignition. Since this is a sorcery, you can't use it to save you from a removal spell once you're out of your main phases, but you'll still want to cast it for all of the value it provides. In tandem, these two spells can make Feather nearly untouchable.

This deck also includes a playset of another creature I adore, Soul-Scar Mage. This Human Wizard has prowess, so it will get +1/+1 until the end of the turn whenever you cast a noncreature spell. That can allow Soul-Scar Mage to grow quite large, making it a great attacking creature. It also has an ability that replaces noncombat damage with -1/-1 counters that you can use to help reduce the size of your opponent's forces. The only spell you have that you can use repeatedly (due to Feather's ability) is Reckless Rage. Putting four -1/-1 counters on an opponent's creature will often be enough to destroy it, but if it's not, it's certainly going to be much less effective than it was.

(Explorer) Mardu Greasefang

The next deck I have for you features Greasefang, Okiba Boss alongside a pair of very powerful vehicles. Let's take a look at the deck.

Mardu Greasefang | Explorer | MTG_Joe, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (17)
• 1 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
• 4 Bloodtithe Harvester
• 4 Greasefang, Okiba Boss
• 4 Stitcher's Supplier
• 4 Voldaren Epicure

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord

• Instants (8)
• 1 Lightning Axe
• 3 Fatal Push
• 4 Deadly Dispute

• Sorceries (2)
• 2 Can't Stay Away

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker

• Artifacts (5)
• 1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
• 4 Parhelion II

• Lands (23)
• 1 Brightclimb Pathway // Grimclimb Pathway
• 1 Haunted Ridge
• 1 Needleverge Pathway // Pillarverge Pathway
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 2 Godless Shrine
• 4 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
• 4 Blood Crypt
• 4 Concealed Courtyard
• 4 Inspiring Vantage

Buy This Deck Export text format Export Arena format

This deck includes a pair of vehicles for you to use. There's a single copy of Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, which offers you the means of dealing a total of six damage to an opponent's creatures or planeswalkers when it is targeted by Greasefang. There is also a playset of Parhelion II, a vehicle that leaves behind a pair of 4/4 Angel creature tokens that have flying and vigilance when it attacks. These Angels will remain on the battlefield after Parhelion II has been put into your hand, giving you a ton of value for returning it from the graveyard.

One very helpful card in this deck is the lone copy of Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord. While Sorin is on the battlefield, creatures and planeswalkers you control will have lifelink, as long as it is your turn. That means that the vehicles you return to the battlefield and crew with Greasefang will offer you extra points of life that can keep you alive against even the quickest of decks. Sorin's -X loyalty ability also offers you the means of returning Greasefang to the battlefield in the event that your opponent manages to destroy him.

(Explorer) Naya Winota

The final deck I have for you features Winota, Joiner of Forces, who can increase your battlefield presence in a hurry. Let's check it out.

Naya Winota | Explorer | LegenVD, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (30)
• 1 Angrath's Marauders
• 1 Blade Historian
• 2 Gilded Goose
• 2 Legion Warboss
• 4 Brutal Cathar
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Paradise Druid
• 4 Prosperous Innkeeper
• 4 Tovolar's Huntmaster
• 4 Winota, Joiner of Forces

• Enchantments (3)
• 3 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki

• Artifact (4)
• 4 Esika's Chariot

• Lands (23)
• 1 Plains
• 1 Lair of the Hydra
• 1 Sacred Foundry
• 4 Branchloft Pathway // Boulderloft Pathway
• 4 Cragcrown Pathway // Timbercrown Pathway
• 4 Needleverge Pathway // Pillarverge Pathway
• 4 Stomping Ground
• 4 Temple Garden

Buy This Deck Export text format Export Arena format

In order to quickly attack with as many non-Human creatures as possible, this deck runs a lot of low mana value creatures that also act as mana ramp. Llanowar Elves and Gilded Goose cost one mana, while Prosperous Innkeeper and Paradise Druid cost two. Each of these provide you with additional mana that can help you cast Winota, Joiner of Forces right away. Once she is in play, feel free to attack with these creatures to allow Winota more chances to put Humans onto the battlefield.

Another great enabler for Winota is Legion Warboss. Once you have a copy of Legion Warboss on the battlefield, you'll begin creating 1/1 Goblin creature tokens that have haste and that must attack that turn, if possible. This token will guarantee triggering Winota's ability to search for a Human creature to put into play at least once each turn. You'll be able to find such creatures as Blade Historian and Angrath's Marauders, which will help you dominate in combat.

Wrapping Up

As a person who got into Magic around Lorwyn, I've always felt a little behind the curve when it came to collecting the cards I need to play Modern. Pioneer is a different story, though, and I'm thrilled for it to come to Magic Arena. I know that day is still quite a while off, but it's nice that the Explorer format gets that journey started. Even though these decks only feature cards from the past few years, there are nearly over 6,000 cards available to play (according to Scryfall). While that's only around 2/3 of the cards available in Pioneer, it's a great starting point. As new cards get added, I'm excited to see what new decks become available for Explorer.

What do you think of these decks? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Also, feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!

-Mike Likes