What Is the Pioneer Format in Magic The Gathering – Budget-Friendly Decks – The Pioneer 2021 Challenger Decks

In late 2021, Wizards of the Coast introduced Challenger Decks for Pioneer. Before, these products were only available for Standard but extended the range to Pioneer to encourage players to play the format. From a financial standpoint, these Challenger Decks offer decent value and provide and excellent foot into Pioneer. There are four Pioneer Challenger Decks to choose from — Orzhov Auras, Lotus Combo, Azorius Spirits, and Mono-Red Aggro. Each of these offer a different approach to the Pioneer format depending on your playstyle, and are easy to upgrade if you want to slowly optimize into something more competitive down the line. The only one you may want to avoid is Orzhov Auras since it features a banned card in Lurrus of the Dream-Den but you can easily remove the card and easily play the strategy without the Nightmare Cat.