Going into the Regional Championships in Atlanta, my goal was to fully immerse and understand the Pioneer format. Along the way a few decks stood out, including the deck I piloted to 48th place in the tournament (good enough to earn an invite to the Pro Tour!).
Over the course of my testing experience, I learned that there are many viable strategies in the Pioneer format. Personally, I like this format and think it’s quite healthy at the moment, at least on the deck diversity front. Brothers’ War has significantly impacted Pioneer and allowed multiple archetypes to add key additions in order to enhance their overall power level.
Izzet Phoenix
The first deck I want to highlight is Izzet Phoenix. Izzet Phoenix put up a strong showing across the three Regional Championships that took place last weekend. The deck seems like it’s always a factor, but maybe not fully respected still. Izzet Phoenix is the deck I chose to play in the event, and this is my list:
