Innistrad: Crimson Vow previews are done and it’s going to offer a lot for the Pioneer format. With reprints and tribes heavily supported, there’s a lot to like about the Vampire-focused set.
If you missed out on the recent previews, we have a dedicated spoiler gallery to get you up to speed! With that, let’s look at some of the best cards from Innistrad: Crimson Vow for Pioneer.
Deathcap Glade, Sundown Pass, Stormcarved Coast, Shattered Sanctum, and Dreamroot Cascade
Continuing from Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, these will see play in Pioneer for any strategy that can afford to have lands come in tapped early on. Expect Control and Midrange archetypes to run a few of these in their lists but it creates tension with the Triomes, since these can be cycled away.
However, the Pioneer mana base is currently unbalanced. You have more enemy-colored lands available compared to allied ones, so these may see less play compared to the others. However, it’s nice to see the complete cycle of lands available for Pioneer usage, as this is a common criticism of the format at present.
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Hullbreaker Horror
Indomitable Creativity
Indomitable Creativity
Destroy X target artifacts and/or creatures. For each permanent destroyed this way, its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until an artifact or creature card is revealed and exiles that card. Those players put the exiled cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
is seeing frequent play in Modern for its combo potential. The reason we haven’t seen similar in Pioneer is the payoffs aren’t as good, however,
Hullbreaker Horror
Hullbreaker Horror
Flash
This spell can't be countered.
Whenever you cast a spell, choose up to one —
• Return target spell you don't control to its owner's hand.
• Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.
could change that upon release. The Kraken comes with an ability that converts spells into
Unsubstantiate
Unsubstantiate
Return target spell or creature to its owner's hand.
, which is an incredible tempo swing in your favor. Even outside of combo, the card is an impressive Control finisher that can break parity in the mirrors.
Even without the sorcery,
Hullbreaker Horror
Hullbreaker Horror
Flash
This spell can't be countered.
Whenever you cast a spell, choose up to one —
• Return target spell you don't control to its owner's hand.
• Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.
can win games independently especially as Pioneer has plenty of low mana value cantrips on offer. If you want to get spicy with your Lotus Combo lists, running a copy of this in the sideboard could be fun but isn’t required.
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Stormchaser Drake
Stormchaser Drake
Stormchaser Drake
Flying
Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell you control, draw a card.
could bolster fringe strategies in Pioneer. For two mana, you get a Drake that can draw cards if you target the creature with a spell. Mono-Blue Tempo sees some play in Pioneer and
Stormchaser Drake
Stormchaser Drake
Flying
Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell you control, draw a card.
could slot right in with ease. By using cards such as
Dive Down
Dive Down
Target creature you control gets +0/+3 and gains hexproof until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
and
Curious Obsession
Curious Obsession
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card."
At the beginning of your end step, if you didn't attack with a creature this turn, sacrifice this Aura.
, you have a bunch of ways to draw cards as you are rewarded for protecting the creature.
Even then, you could see a riff on Auras falling into Azorius colors for
Stormchaser Drake
Stormchaser Drake
Flying
Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell you control, draw a card.
. With cards such as
Staggering Insight
Staggering Insight
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has lifelink and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card."
and other auras you see in Orzhov Auras, you could create a fun tempo take on the archetype. Not to mention, the Drake immediately falls into Izzet prowess strategies as you have so many spells.
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Dread Fugue
Perhaps a little cumbersome, but
Dread Fugue
Dread Fugue
Cleave {2}{B} (You may cast this spell for its cleave cost. If you do, remove the words in square brackets.)
Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it [with mana value 2 or less]. That player discards that card.
could be Pioneer’s version of
Inquisition of Kozilek
Inquisition of Kozilek
Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it with mana value 3 or less. That player discards that card.
. The card does a lot for one mana, it allows you to remove tricky Burn creatures and spells as
Thoughtseize
Thoughtseize
Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. You lose 2 life.
isn’t good in the matchup. Even with the Cleave cost, you never lose the usefulness of
Dread Fugue
Dread Fugue
Cleave {2}{B} (You may cast this spell for its cleave cost. If you do, remove the words in square brackets.)
Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it [with mana value 2 or less]. That player discards that card.
as you can remove any non-land card from your opponents’ hand.
Expect to see the sorcery in sideboards especially in Mono-Black Aggro, Mono-Black Vampires, and Dimir Control. It’s not a gamechanger by any means, but will give you an option for efficient discard if required. The fact the card doesn’t exile the discarded card upon resolution is a big deal here, and would much more play otherwise.
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Avabruck Caretaker / Hollowhenge Huntmaster
When any Mythic Human is printed in a new set, Winota players often ask if the creature is good to slide into the strategy. With
Avabruck Caretaker
Avabruck Caretaker
Hexproof
At the beginning of combat on your turn, put two +1/+1 counters on another target creature you control.
Daybound (If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.)
, the answer is yes.
A creature with Hexproof that if transformed, puts two +1/+1 counters on all your creatures while offering Hexproof is a powerful way to win a game of MTG. However, you’ll probably want to run a one-off in Winota since you have so many good Humans already – with
Tovolar’s Huntmaster
Tovolar’s Huntmaster
When this creature enters, create two 2/2 green Wolf creature tokens.
Daybound (If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.)
being a recent addition. Either way, it’s a good headache to have and allows you to diversify your lists depending on your local metagame.
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Headless Rider
Crimson Vow brought plenty of tribes outside of Vampires with Zombies receiving some attention. Out of the bunch, but
Headless Rider
Headless Rider
Whenever this creature or another nontoken Zombie you control dies, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
offers the most potential for Pioneer.
Rally Zombies is on the fringe of the Pioneer metagame which is able to take down Challenges. With
Headless Rider
Headless Rider
Whenever this creature or another nontoken Zombie you control dies, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
, it gives the strategy a powerful angle of attack since you’ll have more death triggers. Alternatively, you can create a huge board of Zombies along with
Rally the Ancestors
Rally the Ancestors
Return each creature card with mana value X or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. Exile those creatures at the beginning of your next upkeep. Exile Rally the Ancestors.
, and a sacrifice outlet. Otherwise, the card could see play in dedicated tribal Zombie lists as it replaces your threats with token creatures of the same typing.
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Geistlight Snare
Similar to
Mana Leak
Mana Leak
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.
,
Geistlight Snare
Geistlight Snare
This spell costs {1} less to cast if you control a Spirit. It also costs {1} less to cast if you control an enchantment.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.
can counter any spell unless your opponent pays three mana to cast the spell. Expect to see the card crop up in Azorius and Bant Spirits since the discount is easy to achieve. Also, this is the closest Pioneer will likely get to having
Mana Leak
Mana Leak
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.
in the format, so expect Spirits to take full advantage of this.
It won’t be an immediate four of in these lists, but a couple to leverage against troublesome match-ups. At worst,
Geistlight Snare
Geistlight Snare
This spell costs {1} less to cast if you control a Spirit. It also costs {1} less to cast if you control an enchantment.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.
will offer an excellent tool in the Spirits arsenal which is always needed.
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Cemetery Illuminator
With the continued support of Spirits,
Cemetery Illuminator
Cemetery Illuminator
Flying
Whenever this creature enters or attacks, exile a card from a graveyard.
You may look at the top card of your library any time.
Once each turn, you may cast a spell from the top of your library if it shares a card type with a card exiled with this creature.
looks to offer a lot for the Pioneer archetype. For three mana, you get a Spirit that can exile cards from the graveyard on attack or when entering play. Then, you can cast cards from the top of your library that shares the same card type. It offers the ability to look at the top of your library too, which allows you to prepare for future turns. It’s a lot of text for three mana, which also makes for an excellent
Collected Company
Collected Company
Look at the top six cards of your library. Put up to two creature cards with mana value 3 or less from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
target in Bant Spirits.
The only issue is that it creates tension with staples such as
Empyrean Eagle
Empyrean Eagle
Flying
Other creatures you control with flying get +1/+1.
,
Spell Queller
Spell Queller
Flash
Flying
When this creature enters, exile target spell with mana value 4 or less.
When this creature leaves the battlefield, the exiled card's owner may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
, and
Skyclave Apparition
Skyclave Apparition
When this creature enters, exile up to one target nonland, nontoken permanent you don't control with mana value 4 or less.
When this creature leaves the battlefield, the exiled card's owner creates an X/X blue Illusion creature token, where X is the mana value of the exiled card.
for the three mana slot.Tailoring the list for the mythic Spirit may be difficult, but a one-off may be enough to get things going.
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Flame-Blessed Bolt
Magma Spray
Magma Spray
Magma Spray deals 2 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
sees heavy play in the format because it handles cards such as
Arclight Phoenix
Arclight Phoenix
Flying, haste
At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you've cast three or more instant and sorcery spells this turn, return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
with ease. Also, it can be used against
Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger
Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger
When Kroxa enters, sacrifice it unless it escaped.
Whenever Kroxa enters or attacks, each opponent discards a card, then each opponent who didn't discard a nonland card this way loses 3 life.
Escape—{B}{B}{R}{R}, Exile five other cards from your graveyard. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.)
since you can cast the instant when the creature enters play, when sacrificed, the Elder Giant will go into exile.
Then,
Magma Spray
Magma Spray
Magma Spray deals 2 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
offers an answer to
Lurrus of the Dream-Den
Lurrus of the Dream-Den
Companion — Each permanent card in your starting deck has mana value 2 or less. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for {3} as a sorcery.)
Lifelink
Once during each of your turns, you may cast a permanent spell with mana value 2 or less from your graveyard.
which sees regular play in the format.
Flame-Blessed Bolt
Flame-Blessed Bolt
Flame-Blessed Bolt deals 2 damage to target creature or planeswalker. If that creature or planeswalker would die this turn, exile it instead.
is an upgrade on
Magma Spray
Magma Spray
Magma Spray deals 2 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
since it can target Planeswalkers too, so expect this card to be an immediate replacement on
Magma Spray
Magma Spray
Magma Spray deals 2 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
. If you’re cracking Crimson Vow packs on release day, keep a playset of these aside as they will become a Pioneer staple upon release.
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Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
First strike
Noncreature spells cost {1} more to cast.
is a Modern and Legacy staple as it’s one of the best taxing effects ever printed. Simply because it punishes strategies that are heavy on spells which is common in Pioneer. Strategies such as Izzet Phoenix, Control, Burn, Lotus Combo, and Rakdos Pyromancer abuse noncreature spells in a big way, and they’ll have to figure out a way to deal with Thalia soon.
Orzhov Humans, Winota, Mono-White Humans, and Bant Spirits are all interested in accommodating the card. Both Mono-White and Orzhov Humans are fringe decks that win the odd Pioneer challenge on occasion, however, that could become regular with the introduction of Thalia into Pioneer. Admittedly, there are various and cheap ways to deal with the Human Soldier but expect to see Thalia make waves in Pioneer upon release.
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