This weekend, players are gathering together at the Dulles Expo Center for a weekend of action-packed Magic gameplay. It's the latest SCGCon event with this one playing host to the Pioneer season's Regional Championship. With thousands of dollars and Pro Tour invites on the line, it's bound to be an exciting time! To help folks get up to speed on the format a little bit more, I figured I'd offer a brief look at several of the most played decks in the metagame at this time.

Following the bannings of both Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord and Amalia Benavides Aguirre, the format has seen some potent shifts. Couple this with an influx of some remarkably powerful cards in both Bloomburrow and Duskmourn: House of Horror and you've got a recipe for a surprisingly fresh metagame. Even the decks that you may know probably don't look the way they once did prior to a few months ago, making it a good time to go through some of the current lists. I'm going to cover ten different archetypes and give a brief rundown of how they function so you know what to expect when watching the RC soon.

Let's kick things off by talking about one of the most popular decks in the format, Izzet Phoenix.

Izzet Phoenix

Izzet Phoenix | Pioneer | zveibil, 7th Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Creatures (12)
• 4 Arclight Phoenix
• 4 Ledger Shredder
• 4 Picklock Prankster

• Instants (20)
• 1 Galvanic Iteration
• 1 Jwari Disruption // Jwari Ruins
• 1 Temur Battle Rage
• 1 Torch the Tower
• 2 Fiery Impulse
• 2 Spell Pierce
• 4 Consider
• 4 Lightning Axe
• 4 Opt

• Sorceries (5)
• 1 Temporal Trespass
• 4 Treasure Cruise

• Enchantments (5)
• 2 Artist's Talent
• 3 Proft's Eidetic Memory

• Lands (18)
• 3 Island
• 1 Hall of Storm Giants
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City
• 1 Stormcarved Coast
• 4 Riverglide Pathway // Lavaglide Pathway
• 4 Spirebluff Canal
• 4 Steam Vents

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Aether Gust
• 1 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 1 Crackling Drake
• 1 Mystical Dispute
• 1 Negate
• 1 Ratchet Bomb
• 1 The Filigree Sylex
• 2 Abrade
• 2 Brazen Borrower
• 2 Brotherhood's End
• 2 Pithing Needle

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When Pioneer received bans in August, many players were concerned about Izzet Phoenix being left untouched. Prior to the ban announcement, the format seemed locked in a three deck format between Rakdos Vampires, Abzan Amalia, and Izzet Phoenix (with some other viable decks at lower tiers). By taking out the other two decks, this makes Izzet Phoenix extremely powerful and the sure-fire best deck, right? Well, interestingly, the format largely seems to have self-corrected and Phoenix isn't quite the dominant powerhouse people expected it to be. Make no mistake, it's still very good and likely will be the most popular deck of the RC, but its potency has definitely diminished somewhat.

So, how does this deck function? Essentially, it's an Izzet Tempo deck that slowly chips away at opponents' resources while building your own board simultaneously. You do this primarily through removal spells like Fiery Impulse and Lightning Axe, as well as a handful of interactive spells like Spell Pierce and Brazen Borrower. All of this is in service of building yourself to a state where you can kill your opponent with a large Ledger Shredder or else by casting multiple spells to return multiple copies of Arclight Phoenix from your graveyard to the battlefield with one mighty swing. This list also boasts the powerful Treasure Cruise - a card banned in multiple formats due to its ability to act as an Ancestral Recall and has been notably on the ban watch list for some time.

Rakdos Aggro (and Gruul Aggro)

Rakdos Aggro | Pioneer | KanyMTG 1st Place, MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Companion (1)
• 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring

• Creatures (20)
• 1 Dreadhorde Arcanist
• 3 Callous Sell-Sword
• 4 Emberheart Challenger
• 4 Heartfire Hero
• 4 Monastery Swiftspear
• 4 Slickshot Show-Off

• Instants (11)
• 1 Reckless Rage
• 2 Fatal Push
• 4 Monstrous Rage
• 4 Titan's Strength

• Sorceries (5)
• 1 Claim // Fame
• 4 Ancestral Anger

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan // Etching of Kumano

• Lands (20)
• 2 Mountain
• 1 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
• 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
• 2 Den of the Bugbear
• 2 Ramunap Ruins
• 4 Blackcleave Cliffs
• 4 Blood Crypt
• 4 Sulfurous Springs

• Sideboard (14)
• 1 Claim // Fame
• 1 Duress
• 1 Hazoret the Fervent
• 1 Urabrask's Forge
• 2 Fatal Push
• 2 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary
• 2 Unlicensed Hearse
• 4 Thoughtseize

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If you've been playing Standard or Pioneer over the last year or so, odds are decent that you've noticed an interesting evolution of Red-based aggro decks lately. The Mono-Red Aggro lists have started to take on different forms using multiple colors. This started thanks to the addition of cards like Slickshot Show-Off, Monstrous Rage, and Questing Druid, which led to the formation of a Gruul Aggro list. This version still proves to be rather popular among players, as a quick way to dish out damage via prowess and prowess-like creatures, but since Bloomburrow a new variation has popped up.

Rakdos Aggro has taken the entire Pioneer meta by storm over the past month or so. Thanks to cards like Heartfire Hero and Emberheart Challenger, it's easier than ever to take your opponents' life totals to zero in record time. What really pushes this over the edge is the access the deck gains to Callous Sell-Sword - a cheap Fling spell that can double as a creature later on. Since the front side of this card requires Black mana, the Rakdos build also opens up access to powerful cards like Thoughtseize and Fatal Push out of the sideboard to attack matchups in different ways.

Additionally, with Duskmourn: House of Horror, a new variant of this Rakdos list has shown up. This is thanks to the addition of Leyline of Resonance, a card that enables you to double up on your buff spells, allowing you to deal even more damage at a quicker pace. The list has also gained access to Turn Inside Out as a new possible buff option that gives you your choice of another creature from the top of your deck. Opinions currently seem mixed on if the Leyline or no Leyline build is better, but it's almost certain that you can expect to see both this weekend.

Jund Sacrifice

Jund Sacrifice | Pioneer | levunga21, 1st Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Creatures (14)
• 1 Unlucky Witness
• 2 Ygra, Eater of All
• 3 Bloodtithe Harvester
• 4 Cauldron Familiar
• 4 Mayhem Devil

• Instants (9)
• 1 Bitter Triumph
• 4 Deadly Dispute
• 4 Fatal Push

• Sorceries (3)
• 3 Claim the Firstborn

• Enchantments (8)
• 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki
• 4 Scavenger's Talent

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Witch's Oven

• Lands (22)
• 1 Mountain
• 2 Swamp
• 1 Castle Locthwain
• 1 Den of the Bugbear
• 1 Hive of the Eye Tyrant
• 1 Sulfurous Springs
• 2 Blooming Marsh
• 2 Overgrown Tomb
• 3 Blackcleave Cliffs
• 4 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
• 4 Blood Crypt

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 1 Duress
• 1 Unlicensed Hearse
• 2 Damping Sphere
• 2 Haywire Mite
• 2 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary
• 2 The Meathook Massacre
• 4 Thoughtseize

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Prior to the innovations of Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor creating the powerful Rakdos Vampires deck, players had two variations of Rakdos to choose from. Those included Rakdos Midrange - arguably the more popular version - and Rakdos Sacrifice. The Sacrifice variation functioned primarily off the power interaction between Mayhem Devil and the Cat Oven combo of Cauldron Familiar and Witch's Oven.

Post August bans, players quickly gravitated to the Sacrifice list instead, largely off the back of 2 powerful cards printed in Bloomburrow: Scavenger's Talent and Ygra, Eater of All. Scavenger's Talent helps because it provides you with everything you want to be doing in the deck: sacrifice fodder, self-mill to hit your core cards, and a final ability to get back your finishing threats. These threats particularly include Ygra, which provides a massive threat that's difficult to deal with and also enables an infinite combo provided that you have access to two Cauldron Familiars in the graveyard.

Azorius Control

Azorius Control | Pioneer | ScarletStorms, 1st Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Companion (1)
• 1 Kaheera, the Orphanguard

• Planeswalkers (6)
• 1 Narset, Parter of Veils
• 2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
• 3 The Wandering Emperor

• Instants (20)
• 1 Change the Equation
• 1 Settle the Wreckage
• 1 Three Steps Ahead
• 2 Deduce
• 2 Dovin's Veto
• 2 Get Lost
• 3 Memory Deluge
• 4 March of Otherworldly Light
• 4 No More Lies

• Sorceries (3)
• 1 Farewell
• 2 Supreme Verdict

• Enchantments (4)
• 2 High Noon
• 2 Temporary Lockdown

• Lands (27)
• 2 Island
• 3 Plains
• 1 Castle Ardenvale
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1 Fountainport
• 1 Irrigated Farmland
• 1 Meticulous Archive
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City
• 1 Sunken Citadel
• 2 Hengegate Pathway // Mistgate Pathway
• 2 Restless Anchorage
• 3 Field of Ruin
• 4 Deserted Beach
• 4 Hallowed Fountain

• Sideboard (14)
• 1 Aether Gust
• 1 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 1 Dovin's Veto
• 1 Farewell
• 1 Narset, Parter of Veils
• 1 Temporary Lockdown
• 2 Beza, the Bounding Spring
• 2 Knockout Blow
• 2 Mystical Dispute
• 2 Shark Typhoon

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Azorius Control is about as much of a mainstay as you can get with decks in just about any format. Countermagic, spot removal, and board wipes are the name of the game, all leading you up to a big finishing threat. Setting up for a big Supreme Verdict or sticking a Teferi, Hero of Dominaria can absolutely devastate opponents, making Azorius Control a popular choice for those who have a preference for Blue mana.

What's really been making Azorius Control stand out lately, though, is the inclusion of High Noon, a card first introduced in Outlaws of Thunder Junction earlier this year. This card limits players to only casting a single spell a turn for just 2 mana. With some of the popular decks such as Izzet Phoenix, Rakdos Aggro, and Nykthos Ramp casting numerous spells every turn, this provides players with

Selesnya Angels

Selesnya Angels | Pioneer | Waldo-, 2nd Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Creatures (29)
• 2 Elvish Mystic
• 2 Inspiring Overseer
• 2 Llanowar Elves
• 3 Youthful Valkyrie
• 4 Bishop of Wings
• 4 Giada, Font of Hope
• 4 Resplendent Angel
• 4 Righteous Valkyrie
• 4 Skyclave Apparition

• Instants (4)
• 4 Collected Company

• Sorceries (5)
• 1 Emeria's Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave
• 4 Kayla's Reconstruction

• Lands (22)
• 4 Plains
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1 Overgrown Farmland
• 4 Branchloft Pathway // Boulderloft Pathway
• 4 Brushland
• 4 Razorverge Thicket
• 4 Temple Garden

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Brutal Cathar
• 2 Reidane, God of the Worthy // Valkmira, Protector's Shield
• 2 Tocasia's Welcome
• 3 Archon of Emeria
• 3 Rest in Peace
• 4 Portable Hole

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Your average player starts out rather taken by lifegain, as a way to keep yourself alive and going in the game. Usually those same players learn rather quickly that this strategy isn't all that great, as while it typically keeps you playing, it doesn't do anything to further your own game plan. As a result, they usually stop focusing heavily on lifegain and instead move onto other strategies. However, what if lifegain was your primary objective and what if it did allow you to win the game? That's the core MO of Selesnya Angels.

At its heart, the deck does what it says on the tin and focuses on lots of angels, with an average 15 of them showing up in the deck. What really pushes them over the edge, though, is how much more potent they become thanks to lifegain. The key card here is Righteous Valkyrie, a creature that gains life when an angel or cleric enters and pumps all creatures on your board when your life is 27 or higher. Utilizing this and Bishop of Wings, getting to that life threshold is trivial and enables explosive starts - especially if you can follow it up with a Resplendent Angel which then makes even more angel tokens.

Many players discussed whether or not the new Leyline of Hope from Duskmourn: House of Horror would make an impact on the deck. As of the time of writing, however, the card has yet to make a showing in any posted decklists.

Rakdos Midrange

Rakdos Midrange | Pioneer | tchuco, 1st Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Creatures (14)
• 1 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
• 2 Bonecrusher Giant
• 3 Graveyard Trespasser
• 4 Archfiend of the Dross
• 4 Bloodtithe Harvester

• Instants (9)
• 1 Bitter Triumph
• 1 Kolaghan's Command
• 1 Torch the Tower
• 2 Go for the Throat
• 4 Fatal Push

• Sorceries (6)
• 2 Duress
• 4 Thoughtseize

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki

• Artifacts (2)
• 2 Reckoner Bankbuster

• Lands (25)
• 1 Mountain
• 2 Swmap
• 1 Castle Locthwain
• 1 Den of the Bugbear
• 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
• 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
• 2 Hive of the Eye Tyrant
• 4 Blackcleave Cliffs
• 4 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
• 4 Blood Crypt
• 4 Haunted Ridge

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Damping Sphere
• 1 Duress
• 1 Legion's End
• 1 Torch the Tower
• 2 Go Blank
• 2 Hidetsugu Consumes All
• 2 The Meathook Massacre
• 2 Unlicensed Hearse
• 3 Extinction Event

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While Rakdos Sacrifice came back as one of the current forerunners of the format, Rakdos Midrange has made a much quieter return. If you're familiar with how Rakdos Vampires played prior to the bans in August, you'll recognize how this deck plays pretty quickly. Essentially you're playing a disruption game with your opponent, both utilizing hand disruption and creature removal to slow your opponent's game while you load up the board with powerful creatures. Oftentimes your creatures even get to double as removal spells thanks to cards like Bloodtithe Harvester and Bonecrusher Giant.

Perhaps the most powerful innovation in the current builds is the fact that they're now playing four copies of Archfiend of the Dross. Previously, you'd see this card show up in small numbers, but here it comes in with the full playset. This is because it's difficult to remove via most traditional means (difficult to Fatal Push and survives spells like Lightning Axe) while being a massive threat that also punishes opponents if their creatures die. Since your deck is built to pick off plenty of creatures, this is sure to mean your opponents will end up feeling very punished in the end.

Nykthos Ramp

Nykthos Ramp | Pioneer | BeoulveHeart, 1st Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Creatures (23)
• 1 Polukranos Reborn // Polukranos, Engine of Ruin
• 2 Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth
• 4 Cavalier of Thorns
• 4 Elvish Mystic
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Old-Growth Troll
• 4 Outcaster Trailblazer

• Planeswalkers (4)
• 4 Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner

• Sorceries (4)
• 4 Storm the Festival

• Enchantments (6)
• 2 Oath of Nissa
• 4 Leyline of the Guildpact

• Battles (2)
• 2 Invasion of Ixalan // Belligerent Regisaur

• Lands (21)
• 12 Forest
• 1 Sunken Citadel
• 2 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 2 Lair of the Hydra
• 4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Emrakul, the Promised End
• 2 Obstinate Baloth
• 2 Pick Your Poison
• 2 Scrapshooter
• 2 Tail Swipe
• 3 Arasta of the Endless Web
• 3 Setessan Petitioner

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Following the banning of Karn, the Great Creator at the end of 2023, many players thought Nykthos Ramp (aka Mono-Green Devotion) was dead in the water. Numerous fans continued to try to see if they could make a less combo-oriented version work without Karn, taking advantage of cards like Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth to close out games fast. Unfortunately, this wasn't quite able to take off and the deck fell dormant for a month or two... until this past February, that is.

With Murders at Karlov Manor came the introduction of Leyline of the Guildpact. If you're a fan of Modern, you've no doubt seen the way this card tore up the meta for months prior to the release of Modern Horizons 3 thanks to the prevalence of Domain Zoo. This card provided a way to access plenty of early devotion pips for Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx so as to go off quickly. Then when Outlaws of Thunder Junction released, we got Outcaster Trailblazer, which provides a means of drawing into more and more cards to allow you to go in for the kill.

While I've explained how the deck has evolved, I haven't so much explained how it functions. You utilize Llanowar Elves and Elvish Mystic alongside ramp effects like Nykthos and Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner to churn out big creatures like Old-Growth Troll and Cavalier of Thorns. In doing so, you can generate absurd amounts of mana and use Storm the Festival to find more copies of Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner to go even deeper into your list. Then you cast Ulvenwald Oddity, transform it, and swing for a lethal blow.

Lotus Field Combo

Lotus Field Combo | Pioneer | wkmidori, 1st Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Creatures (10)
• 1 Fae of Wishes
• 1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
• 4 Strict Proctor
• 4 Vizier of Tumbling Sands

• Instants (6)
• 2 Impulse
• 4 Archdruid's Charm

• Sorceries (18)
• 1 Behold the Beyond
• 1 Dark Petition
• 2 Bala Ged Recovery // Bala Ged Sanctuary
• 2 Emergent Ultimatum
• 4 Hidden Strings
• 4 Pore Over the Pages
• 4 Sylvan Scrying

• Enchantments (2)
• 1 Nine Lives
• 1 Omniscience

• Lands (24)
• 1 Forest
• 1 Brushland
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City
• 2 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 3 Thespian's Stage
• 4 Lotus Field
• 4 Mana Confluence
• 4 Razorverge Thicket
• 4 Spara's Headquarters

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Approach of the Second Sun
• 1 Emergent Ultimatum
• 1 Grand Abolisher
• 1 Into the Flood Maw
• 1 Mystical Dispute
• 1 Silence
• 1 Solemnity
• 1 Thespian's Stage
• 1 Zacama, Primal Calamity
• 2 Nine Lives
• 2 Temporary Lockdown
• 2 Voyaging Satyr

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If there's one consistent part of the Pioneer meta, it's the certainty of Lotus Field being a notable player. This deck has been a mainstay for years, generating tremendous amounts of mana with Lotus Field and a cloned copy from Thespian's Stage. From there, you can use cards like Hidden Strings and Pore Over the Pages to make even more mana which can enable you to win in all kinds of various ways. Do you want to win by setting up a kill condition off an Emergent Ultimatum or perhaps find a means of victory from your sideboard via Fae of Wishes?

This deck is interesting because there are simply so many variations of it. It can be difficult to explain without seeing it in action and to that end, it's best to prepare for it by finding ways to attack it instead. Utilizing disruption effects like Damping Sphere can absolutely cripple the deck, as can well-timed graveyard hate and countermagic to prevent the opponent from going off. If you're someone looking to give the deck a shot, I recommend finding lists online to solitaire with a bit and seeing which version you feel most comfortable with and go from there.

Boros Control

Boros Control | Pioneer | Obviously, 1st Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Companion (1)
• 1 Kaheera, the Orphanguard

• Instants (11)
• 3 March of Otherworldly Light
• 4 Get Lost
• 4 Torch the Tower

• Sorceries (4)
• 4 Sunfall

• Enchantments (11)
• 3 High Noon
• 4 Caretaker's Talent
• 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Carrot Cake

• Lands (26)
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Snow-Covered Plains
• 2 Plains
• 1 Castle Ardenvale
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
• 2 Needleverge Pathway // Pillarverge Pathway
• 2 Sundown Pass
• 3 Field of Ruin
• 4 Fountainport
• 4 Sacred Foundry
• 4 Sunken Citadel

• Sideboard (14)
• 1 High Noon
• 2 Chandra, Awakened Inferno
• 2 Settle the Wreckage
• 2 Wear // Tear
• 3 Wedding Announcement // Wedding Festivity
• 4 Rest in Peace

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If you've been following Standard at all since Bloomburrow released, you've likely run into Boros Token Control lists in some form or fashion. These lists have been taking advantage of cards like Caretaker's Talent, Carrot Cake, Urabrask's Forge, and Beza, the Bounding Spring to set up a board of creatures slowly. Additionally, they utilize Temporary Lockdown, Sunfall, and spot removal to whittle away an opponent's resources in order to better set up their strategy and overtake the opponent in the long game.

As luck would have it, a similar build has been popping up quite a bit in the last couple of weeks in Pioneer as well. This list is making rounds owing to the fact that, much like Azorius Control builds, it's able to take full advantage of High Noon. With that powerful enchantment locking down opponents, it lets you pick off threats while establishing your own board presence. With how new this list is, I'd expect to see less of it at the RC than online, but it's no doubt likely to show up all the same.

Rakdos Transmogrify

Rakdos Transmogrify | Pioneer | ShadowTitan1, 1st Place MTGO Pioneer Challenge

• Companion (1)
• 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring

• Creatures (2)
• 2 Atraxa, Grand Unifier

• Instants (9)
• 1 Bitter Triumph
• 1 Cling to Dust
• 1 Volcanic Spite
• 3 Fatal Push
• 3 Torch the Tower

• Sorceries (10)
• 1 Duress
• 1 Extinction Event
• 4 Thoughtseize
• 4 Transmogrify

• Enchantments (9)
• 1 Rakdos Joins Up
• 4 Case of the Stashed Skeleton
• 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki

• Artifacts (4)
• 1 Urabrask's Forge
• 3 Reckoner Bankbuster

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary

• Lands (25)
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Swamp
• 1 Mirrex
• 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 2 Blightstep Pathway // Searstep Pathway
• 2 Fountainport
• 2 Mutavault
• 2 Sulfurous Springs
• 4 Blackcleave Cliffs
• 4 Blood Crypt
• 4 Haunted Ridge

• Sideboard (14)
• 1 Duress
• 1 Extinction Event
• 1 Fatal Push
• 1 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary
• 1 Radiant Flames
• 1 Unlicensed Hearse
• 1 Urabrask's Forge
• 2 Damping Sphere
• 2 Hidetsugu Consumes All // Vessel of the All-Consuming
• 3 Go Blank

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Rakdos Transmogrify has been waiting in the wings for some time now, a lower tier list that could provide explosive starts by spitting out an early Atraxa, Grand Unifier. Variations on this style of deck have been popular for some time now, with the notable Izzet Creativity list winning Pro Tour Phyrexia: All Will Be One in the hands of Reid Duke. As of now, though, Rakdos Transmog seems to be the popular choice of late.

This deck functions by putting cheap creatures into play with cards like Case of the Stashed Skeleton and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki. From there, you cast Transmogrify on the creature token and go find another creature out of your deck. Since all your cheap creatures are made by noncreature spells, your only creature is a massive game-ending threat. Typically, as mentioned before, this has been Atraxa. However, new lists have popped up using Valgavoth, Terror-Eater as the Leyline of the Void graveyard hate impacts numerous top lists in the current field. Both finisher options seem extremely viable right now, though, and are well worth playing.

Interestingly, this deck had the highest win rate at the Brazilian RC over the past weekend. However, its staggering 59% win rate was only out of 27 matches, indicating a fairly small sample size. It should be interesting if this deck can continue to crush it in DC this weekend.

This rundown of decks only represents a small portion of the overall metagame leading into the weekend. It's extremely likely we'll see even more decks that I didn't touch on, such as Niv to Light, Abzan Greasefang, Bant Spirits, and Enigmatic Fires/Overlords. The meta feels deep and open, and with roughly 1800 players bearing down upon the Dulles Expo Center next week, there's no doubt that we're going to see all kinds of exciting decks.

If you're interested in checking out what the format has to offer, many of these decks are fairly accessible and even have some overlap with Standard as well. It's not hard to pick up a Gruul or Rakdos Aggro list in Standard and then convert it over to Pioneer, for example, and is even something you can do on MTG Arena. And of course, if you really want to see what all the hubbub is about, you can follow all the weekend's action as it's streamed on StarCityGames' official Twitch page starting this Saturday! I'll be at the event hall playing in the RC myself so if you happen to be at the event, I'll see you there!

Paige Smith

Twitter: @TheMaverickGal

Twitch: twitch.tv/themaverickgirl

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