Magic: The Gathering Pioneer Challenger Deck 2021 – Azorius Spirits (White-Blue)

Product Information

Niv-Mizzet Parun can essentially win the game if combined with one or more copies of Peer into the Abyss, while also functioning as a wincondition if you can put it into play and maintain the spell streak flowing, drawing a card and dealing 1 damage to the opponent for each spell cast.

Commander Clash S7 E18: Original Theros Commanders | Erebos vs. Medomai vs. Phenax vs. Tromokratis, Orzhov Auras is another great choice for intermediate players. The initial gameplan is easy to grasp but there’s some room for optimization with good sequencing and mulligans. Auras may arguably be even more linear than Mono Red Burn since you almost always end up suiting up creatures with auras and then bashing your opponent with massive beaters. Finally, the sideboard has an equally strange mix of cards, but all are relatively understandable given that these products were not built to be fully complete, although I still consider that there are better options that could be applied, such as an increase in the number of Devout Decree.

Card Breakdown

Shadow Tribal vs. Golgari Artifacts vs. Tengen Uzui vs. Opponent Triggers | Commander Clash S13 E01, Estrid vs. Hazezon Tamar vs. Ephara vs. Kardur Doomsayer| New Year's Resolutions | Commander Clash S11E21, Commander Clash S8 E10: Commander 2020 w/ Gavin Verhey | Ruthless Regiment vs. Enhanced Evolution vs. Symbiotic Swarm vs. Timeless Wisdom, It's important to point out that, unlike Modern or Legacy, where you usually want to play Eidolon as soon as possible, there is a significant number of times when, because of how game development in the format works, you first need to establish some pressure and/ or board damage advantage before casting it, as you'll usually still have cards to play as the game progresses, and you want to avoid risking ending up falling behind in damage and getting punished by your own creature.

Mono Red Burn’s mana curve is rather low with 16(!) 1-drop creatures, no spells over 3-mana, and only 20 lands. It can operate on land-light draws thanks to its low mana curve and can lean on Ramunap Ruins to finish the job if you happen to draw a few too many lands. A solid opening hand has two or three lands, a couple of creatures, and a couple of burn spells. Sideboard Strategy Pioneer is still a decently popular format in Magic Online, though the delay of Pioneer Masters was definitely a bummer for fans of the format. Paper play of Pioneer (really, paper play in general) is spotty thanks to COVID so hopefully that doesn’t last forever. On the other hand, Niv-Mizzet, Parun and Jace, Wielder of Mysteries work as card advantage and wincondition simultaneously. Commander Clash S5 Episode 2: M19 Elder Dragon Highlander! (Arcades vs. Chromium vs. Nicol Bolas vs. Vaevictis),Commander Clash S10 E7: Anything Goes w/ Adriano! | Ramos vs. Syr Gwyn vs. Volrath vs. Akiri & Dargo, Commander Clash S5 E24: Holiday Gift Exchange! (Gitrog Monster vs. Niv-Mizzet vs. Sharuum vs. Ludevic & Sidar),

Innistrad: Crimson Vow II | Olivia vs. Torens vs. Runo vs. Halana & Alena | Commander Clash S11E17, Mono White Samurai vs. Mono Blue Burn vs. Naya Urborg vs. Niv-Mizzet Creatures | Commander Clash S12 E21,

More in this Series

Commander Clash S9 E16: Halloween Special! | Sorin's Lot vs. Salem Witch Trials vs. Spooky Skeletons vs. Us (The Movie), Commander Clash S4 Episode 11: Secret Santa! (Mistform Ultimus vs. Xenagos vs. Nazahn vs. Ludevic & Sidar Kondo), Pioneer Tier:1.5 (for Boros Burn), ???? (for Mono-Red Burn; all of the top-performing lists are Boros) Commander Clash S8 E2: CEDH w/ Play To Win | Flash Hulk vs. Curious Control vs. Urza Paradox Scepter vs. Opus Thief, Auras works like a "voltron", or a "Bogles" on Pioneer, where you, instead of using creatures with built-in protection, benefit from using cards that give protection or indestructible to your enchanted creatures, which will commonly be evasive and/or are value-added threats.