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Pioneer
Pioneer is a non-rotating format featuring all Standard-legal sets from Return to Ravnica (2012) forward. It offers a middle ground between the accessibility of Standard and the power level of Modern, with a diverse metagame and room for creative deck building.
Pioneer was created in October 2019 to provide a non-rotating format more accessible than Modern, using sets from the modern card frame era starting with Return to Ravnica.
Where to Play
TabletopMTG ArenaMagic Online
Deck Size60 cards
Starting Life20
Copies AllowedUp to 4
Sideboard15 cards
Players2 players (1v1)
Game Duration~20 minutes
RotationNon-rotating
Legal Cards
Return to Ravnica (2012) through present
Deck Construction
- Minimum 60 cards in main deck
- Up to 15 cards in sideboard
- Maximum 4 copies of any card (except basic lands)
Gameplay
Mulligan Rule
Draw 7 cards. You may mulligan any number of times, drawing 7 each time. After keeping, put cards equal to the number of mulligans taken on the bottom of your library.
Format Management
Maintained by: Wizards of the Coast
Maintains a banned card list for format balance
Ban Schedule: As needed
Notes
- Non-rotating: cards never rotate out
- No fetch lands (Khans of Tarkir fetch lands are banned)
- Encourages innovative deck building independent of Standard rotation
- Available on MTG Arena as of 2025