Hello, and welcome back to Metagame Mentor, your weekly guide to the top decks and latest Constructed developments on the path to the Pro Tour. Over the past weekend, 767 players converged at Regional Championships across Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Australia/New Zealand, each competing fiercely for 1 of the 46 coveted Pro Tour invitations in total. Pioneer showed a remarkable diversity of decklists, with the format thriving on fresh innovations and bold choices. In this article, I'll break down the Pioneer metagame and highlight the standout decks that rose to the top.

Marc Tobiasch Triumphs in Europe with Golgari Food

Congratulations to Marc Tobiasch, who claimed victory at the Ultimate Guard European Magic Series – Regional Championship Lille. This was the Regional Championship for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and Tobiasch claimed victory with his Golgari Food deck. In an intense final match, he bested Sergio Gimenez's Rakdos Demons deck. Both finalists secured invitations to Magic World Championship 31, set for late 2025. In addition, the Top 36 players who had not yet qualified for the Pro Tour at MagicCon: Chicago in February 2025 earned their spots for that event.

4 Cauldron Familiar 4 Witch's Oven 4 Ygra, Eater of All 4 Fatal Push 4 Cache Grab 4 Darkbore Pathway 4 Deadly Dispute 4 Traverse the Ulvenwald 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 4 Vinereap Mentor 4 Scavenger's Talent 4 Gilded Goose 4 Blooming Marsh 3 Overgrown Tomb 1 Forest 1 Swamp 3 Boseiju, Who Endures 1 Llanowar Wastes 1 Vraska, Golgari Queen 1 Cavern of Souls 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 4 Leyline of the Void 4 Thoughtseize 3 Abrupt Decay 3 Pawpatch Formation 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring

Marc Tobiasch, a Top 8 competitor from Pro Tour Amonkhet, has long established himself as a player with a knack for unconventional combos. When Bloomburrow introduced Ygra, Eater of All, he quickly spotted its potential. Ygra, along with two copies of Cauldron Familiar, creates an infinite loop: each Cat counts as Food, enabling one to be sacrificed to the other for continuous life drain. It's a formidable interaction that can end the game on the spot. "It's so difficult to interact with because it's an instant-speed combo, and you can combo for every Food you have in play," Tobiasch explained.

While others slotted Ygra into a Rakdos Sacrifice shell, Tobiasch took a different approach. He set aside Mayhem Devil, instead focusing on a streamlined version of the deck to assemble the Ygra combo quickly and consistently. Scavenger's Talent and Cache Grab fill the graveyard while Traverse the Ulvenwald finds combo pieces. Meanwhile, Gilded Goose helps accelerate into Ygra, Eater of All.

For Tobiasch, this "ComboCat" strategy was perfect for the Pioneer metagame. "If the opponent's plan is to cast creatures and kill yours, they're going to lose." His prediction paid off and his deck performed impressively across the tournament.

Sergio Gimenez Showcases Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber

4 Swamp 4 Blazemire Verge 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 4 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber 2 Torch the Tower 2 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 2 Blade of the Oni 2 Go for the Throat 4 Blightstep Pathway 4 Thoughtseize 4 Mutavault 2 Sulfurous Springs 2 Blackcleave Cliffs 2 Duress 4 Fatal Push 4 Unstoppable Slasher 4 Blood Crypt 4 Bloodtithe Harvester 1 Anoint with Affliction 1 Torch the Tower 2 Archfiend of the Dross 1 Extinction Event 4 Unlicensed Hearse 2 Hidetsugu Consumes All 2 Invoke Despair 1 Reckoner Bankbuster 1 Feed the Swarm 1 Duress

Sergio Gimenez, a 28-year-old competitor from Spain, achieved a breakout finish in his third Regional Championship on Day Two, reaching the finals with a Rakdos Demons deck. "As a team, we felt this deck was the strongest option for the field," he explained. "The value engine of Unholy Annex and Ritual Chamber's 6/6 body is just too powerful."

Duskmourn: House of Horror's Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber, a new Room card, proved pivotal. Across both Regional Championships last weekend, Rakdos Demons was the second most popular archetype, with 13% of the field and an impressive 53.9% win rate. Unholy Annex, key to the deck's strategy, was the fifth most played nonland main deck card, just trailing behind format staples like Fatal Push, Thoughtseize, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, and Bloodtithe Harvester. The Top 8 decklists from both events saw 20 copies of Unholy Annex spread across four different Rakdos Demons decks and one Rakdos Transmogrify deck which featured Valgavoth, Terror Eater as its Demon. Dubbed the "black Fable of the Mirror-Breaker" by Pioneer players, Unholy Annex has already proven its value across formats.

Rakdos Demons builds varied significantly. Some lists included Archfiend of the Dross or Bloodletter of Aclazotz to turn Unholy Annex into a potent life-draining engine, while others, like Gimenez's build, chose Mutavault and Blade of the Oni as their Demons, with the potential to sideboard in Archfiend of the Dross. Versions featuring Blade of the Oni, which enables Unholy Annex's life drain ability as early as turn three, posted slightly higher win rates, though the difference was not statistically significant. Regardless of the ongoing debate over the optimal list, Rakdos Demons has firmly cemented itself as a top-tier choice in Pioneer.

James Moore Triumphs in Australia with Jund Creativity

Congratulations to James Moore, who claimed victory at the ANZ Super Series: Sydney (the Regional Championship for Australia/New Zealand) with his innovative Jund Creativity deck. His win earned him a place at Magic World Championship 31, while the Top 10 eligible players also qualified for the Pro Tour at MagicCon: Chicago.

1 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 4 Blazemire Verge 4 Blood Crypt 4 Case of the Stashed Skeleton 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 1 Fabled Passage 4 Fatal Push 1 Forest 2 Fountainport 4 Indomitable Creativity 1 Mountain 2 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary 4 Pawpatch Formation 2 Pillage the Bog 1 Raucous Theater 4 Stomping Ground 1 Swamp 4 Thornspire Verge 4 Thoughtseize 1 Titan of Industry 2 Torch the Tower 1 Valgavoth, Terror Eater 2 Volcanic Spite 2 Ziatora's Proving Ground 2 Anger of the Gods 2 Back to Nature 3 Duress 2 Go Blank 2 Leyline of the Void 1 Thought Distortion 1 Worldspine Wurm 1 Xenagos, God of Revels 1 Hidetsugu Consumes All

Like the Golgari Food deck that took the top spot in Europe, Jund Creativity was off the radar for many players. Its success highlights the extraordinary diversity of Pioneer archetypes that have claimed victory in this Regional Championship cycle: from Azorius Control to Rakdos Tree, Rakdos Prowess, Mono-Black Demons, Rakdos Demons, Enigmatic Incarnation, Izzet Phoenix, Jund Food, and now Jund Creativity. Remarkably, every one of the nine Regional Championships thus far has been won by a different archetype!

Jund Creativity's strategy centers on targeting tokens created by Case of the Stashed Skeleton, Pawpatch Formation, or Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, transforming them into powerful game-ending creatures. Due to their legendary status, the deck includes a single copy each of Atraxa, Grand Unifier and the newly introduced Valgavoth, Terror Eater, with a single Titan of Industry completing the creature suite. This lineup allows for a potent setup by casting Indomitable Creativity at X equaling two, potentially generating multiple threats at once. This is a major advantage in matchups where a single Atraxa or Valgavoth can be outmaneuvered but a follow-up creature overwhelms the opponent. "The Thoughtseize, Fatal Push, and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker shell is strong," James Moore noted, "and Creativity goes over the top of most matchups."

The deck's green splash is primarily for Pawpatch Formation, a card that's currently well-positioned in the Pioneer metagame. Moore explained that the card is "a main deck answer to the enchantments and flyers from Demons and Phoenix and an instant-speed Creativity target that dodges spot removal." With popular threats like Archfiend of the Dross and Unholy Annex on the rise, Pawpatch Formation is a perfect inclusion for taking down Pioneer's top-tier archetypes.

The Metagame and Win Rates

In total, 767 decklists were submitted across the two Regional Championships. Notably, Magic: The Gathering Foundations was not permitted for play in these events, as a special exception.

After standardizing archetype names and correcting discrepancies, I calculated each archetype's combined metagame share and match win rates (excluding mirror matches, byes, and draws) for the Swiss rounds. In the table below, each archetype name links to a top-performing decklist that closely represents the archetype's aggregate build.

The "Other" category encompasses a broad range of archetypes, including Mono-Red Wizards, Niv to Light, Dimir Ninjas, Gruul Prowess, Mono-Green Devotion, Golgari Food, Abzan Greasefang, Selesnya Angels, Rakdos Midrange, Quintorius Combo, Azorius Spirits, Mono-White Humans, Boros Convoke, Jund Creativity, Esper Control, Izzet Creativity, Boros Heroic, Rona Lukka Combo, Naya Overlords, Jeskai Creativity, Boros Burn, and many more. The sheer diversity of viable strategies in Pioneer is impressive.

The current Pioneer metagame appears vibrant and healthy, as a wide variety of archetypes found competitive success. Compared to the metagame in the past five Regional Championships, Izzet Phoenix has seen a notable increase in representation. Versions incorporating Artist's Talent have become the norm, while those with Ledger Shredder posted significantly lower win rates. "Tristan Wylde-LaRue is a talented artist," noted Stefan Schütz, who acknowledged the creative force behind this strategic innovation after reaching the Regional Championship Top 8. Artist's Talent even made its way into some Lotus Field Combo builds, though these versions didn't achieve tournament success.

Rakdos Demons has edged out Mono-Black Demons in both popularity and performance. While both decks share a core package of Thoughtseize, Fatal Push, and Unholy Annex, the added power from red cards has proven stronger than the monocolor version's superior mana stability. This ongoing evolution of Pioneer's premier midrange deck highlights how the Rakdos shell continually adapts to stay on top. It calls back to the transformation of Rakdos Vampires during testing for Pro Tour Murders of Karlov Manor, which began as Mono-Black Vampires before evolving to include Bloodtithe Harvester and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker.

Meanwhile, Rakdos Prowess performed exceptionally well in Australia, securing three Top 8 spots with each list stripped of Ancestral Anger and running three to four copies of Infuriate. Selesnya Company, despite a strong win rate, fell just short of a Top 8 finish in either Regional Championship.

Acererak Combo Claimed Three Pro Tour Slots

4 Relic of Legends 4 Collected Company 3 Atraxa, Grand Unifier 4 Llanowar Elves 3 Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy 4 Acererak the Archlich 3 Elvish Mystic 4 Rona, Herald of Invasion 4 Honest Rutstein 4 Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea 1 Otawara, Soaring City 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire 1 Forest 2 Boseiju, Who Endures 2 Breeding Pool 3 Overgrown Tomb 4 Botanical Sanctum 4 Blooming Marsh 4 Plaza of Heroes 1 Mox Amber 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 3 Back to Nature 2 Ghost Vacuum 3 Thoughtseize 4 Fatal Push 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines 1 Otawara, Soaring City

One of the biggest surprises of the past Regional Championship weekend was the impressive performance of Acererak Combo. Despite comprising only 1.6% of the field, this deck claimed three of the 46 Pro Tour slots, achieving an impressive 60.2% win rate across both events. Kieran Tierney, for instance, piloted this offbeat combo to a Top 8 finish in Australia, explaining that he wanted "to come at the metagame sideways with something people hadn't tested against, and to see how many players I could get to ask for the Oracle text."

For those planning to compete in a Pioneer tournament, understanding Acererak Combo's game plan could prove invaluable. The deck centers around tapping Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea and Relic of Legends for three mana to cast Acererak the Archlich. This untaps Gwenna, and Acererak can untap Relic of Legends with its enters trigger on the stack. Acererak then bounces itself, allowing you to venture into the Lost Mine of Phandelver repeatedly, ultimately creating an infinite life-drain loop.

As an alternative, the deck can also ramp into Atraxa, Grand Unifier as early as turn three. With a favorable draw involving Relic of Legends and two mana Elves, Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy can supercharge your mana-producing permanents, enabling this explosive potential. Note, however, that Kinnan does not increase the mana output of the second ability of Relic of Legends because Kinnan requires the nonland permanent to tap itself for mana. Acererak Combo frequently outmuscled Rakdos Demons in the Swiss rounds, marking it as a serious contender in the Pioneer metagame.

Four-Color Zur Broke Out

3 Cavern of Souls 2 Floodfarm Verge 2 Godless Shrine 2 Hushwood Verge 2 Indatha Triome 2 Mana Confluence 2 Overgrown Tomb 4 Spara's Headquarters 1 Swamp 2 Watery Grave 3 Zagoth Triome 4 Fatal Push 3 Thoughtseize 1 Go for the Throat 4 Up the Beanstalk 4 Vanishing Verse 4 Zur, Eternal Schemer 4 Overlord of the Floodpits 4 Overlord of the Hauntwoods 4 Leyline Binding 3 Overlord of the Mistmoors 1 Cut Down 2 Rest in Peace 2 High Noon 2 Dovin's Veto 2 Heliod's Intervention 2 Knockout Blow 2 Mystical Dispute 1 Thoughtseize 1 Extinction Event

Another standout from the Regional Championships was Four-Color Zur, also known as Zur Overlords. This deck saw a notable rise in popularity and shined with favorable matchups against many of Pioneer's top archetypes. Given that both red and black decks traditionally struggle against enchantments, Four-Color Zur proved strong against Rakdos Demons in particular, thriving in today's metagame. It also performed well against Izzet Phoenix and Selesnya Company.

At the heart of the deck is Zur, Eternal Schemer, whose synergy with enchantments like Overlord of the Hauntwoods creates a formidable game plan. On turn four, you can cast Zur and immediately animate an impending Overlord of the Hauntwoods into a 5/5 creature with lifelink and a powerful attack trigger, even if it still has time counters on it. Zur's flexibility extends to cards like Overlord of the Floodpits, Overlord of the Mistmoors, and even Leyline Binding, transforming them into potent threats with lifelink.

While Enigmatic Incarnation decks often included a few copies of Zur, Eternal Schemer, this streamlined Four-Color Zur build omits Enigmatic Incarnation and its toolbox of one-ofs, increasing consistency and freeing up slots for Thoughtseize to address weaker matchups. With slightly higher popularity and win rates than Enigmatic Incarnation, Four-Color Zur is making a real impact in Pioneer, as evidenced by Max Penzkofer's Top 8 finish in Europe. This three-color Wizard is clearly scheming to make a significant mark on the metagame.

Jund Sacrifice: The Cat's Out of the Bag

4 Fatal Push 4 Witch's Oven 4 Mayhem Devil 2 Swamp 4 Scavenger's Talent 4 Cauldron Familiar 4 Blackcleave Cliffs 2 Blood Crypt 4 Deadly Dispute 4 Overgrown Tomb 1 Blooming Marsh 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker 4 Bloodtithe Harvester 1 Heartless Act 1 Sulfurous Springs 4 Blightstep Pathway 3 Ygra, Eater of All 1 Claim the Firstborn 1 Blazemire Verge 1 Llanowar Wastes 1 Fountainport 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance 1 Den of the Bugbear 2 Haywire Mite 4 Thoughtseize 1 Unlicensed Hearse 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 1 Chandra's Defeat 2 Torch the Tower 1 Damping Sphere 2 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary 1 Ghost Vacuum 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring

While Marc Tobiasch's green-black ComboCat build took the top prize, Jund Sacrifice made an equally strong impression, boasting a 55.7% win rate over a substantial sample size. This performance marked a striking turnaround from the first few Regional Championships in Brazil and the United States, where the deck had struggled. The change came as Rakdos Demons—a favorable matchup for Jund Sacrifice—grew in popularity, pushing out more difficult matchups like Azorius Control. This metagame shift created a suitable landscape for the resurgence of Jund Sacrifice.

In Europe, two of the earliest players to secure Top 8 finishes were Mythic Invitational winner Andrea Mengucci and World Championship XXIX Top 8 competitor Lorenzo Terlizzi, both running nearly identical Jund Sacrifice lists. Terlizzi, who had also made the Top 8 in his previous Pioneer Regional Championship with Mayhem Devil, once again proved himself a master of the archetype in Lille. "It's my pet deck, and it's actually busted," he declared with confidence.

Mengucci, relishing the challenge of assembling exactly 20 points of damage, credited his Italian compatriot for teaching him the intricacies of piloting the deck to its fullest potential. He noted that Jund Sacrifice boasted strong matchups against two of the format's most popular decks: Izzet Phoenix and Rakdos Demons. But with three Cauldron Familiar decks in the Top 8, the Pioneer metagame is poised to keep shifting.

Boros Burn Surprised with a Pro Tour–Qualifying Run

4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan 4 Monastery Swiftspear 4 Hired Claw 2 Soul-Scar Mage 4 Play with Fire 4 Monstrous Rage 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 4 Lightning Helix 4 Boros Charm 2 Lightning Strike 4 Screaming Nemesis 4 Sacred Foundry 4 Inspiring Vantage 3 Battlefield Forge 3 Needleverge Pathway 2 Den of the Bugbear 2 Ramunap Ruins 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance 1 Mountain 2 Leyline of the Void 3 Roiling Vortex 2 Strict Proctor 1 Kari Zev's Expertise 2 Twisted Fealty 2 Chandra's Defeat 1 Deflecting Palm 1 Rampaging Ferocidon 1 Searing Blood

Burn strategies have often lingered on the fringes of competitive Pioneer, overshadowed by aggro decks that dominate the board with valiant Mice or resilient Humans. Yet throwing Boros Charm or Lightning Helix at the opponent, all while pressuring their life total with Eidolon of the Great Revel, remains a perfectly valid and potent strategy. Duskmourn: House of Horror's Screaming Nemesis adds another layer, effectively shutting down life gain, the most common defense against burn.

This is the exact approach that Emanuele Giordano utilized, finishing 11th at the Ultimate Guard Regional Championship in Lille and securing a Pro Tour invitation. His performance proved that Boros Burn still holds competitive merit. In addition, it may soon be enhanced by Magic: The Gathering Foundations. Although the new set was not yet a part of last weekend's Regional Championships, the potential addition of Boltwave promises to bolster this archetype even further. In Pioneer, counting to 20 has never been more important.

Dimir Ninjas Made a Successful Regional Championship Debut

1 Underground River 4 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares 3 Gloomlake Verge 4 Floodpits Drowner 2 Enduring Curiosity 4 Mockingbird 4 Spyglass Siren 1 Otawara, Soaring City 4 Moon-Circuit Hacker 4 Brazen Borrower 2 Clearwater Pathway 2 Island 4 Mutavault 4 Darkslick Shores 4 Watery Grave 4 Thoughtseize 4 Faerie Miscreant 4 Fatal Push 1 Hall of Storm Giants 2 Spell Pierce 2 Disdainful Stroke 2 Extinction Event 2 Cut Down 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 2 Anoint with Affliction 3 Unlicensed Hearse 1 Ghost Vacuum

Dimir Ninjas emerged as an unexpected standout at the Ultimate Guard European Magic Series – Regional Championship, making a splash despite not having a significant presence at previous such events. Several players chose to pilot this archetype, with Carlos Gomez Perez finishing in 33rd place and securing a coveted Pro Tour invitation.

At the heart of the deck is Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, a new addition from Duskmourn: House of Horror that brings a fresh dimension to the archetype. The deck's abundance of cheap fliers makes it easy to enable Kaito's ninjutsu ability, allowing you to sneak him in for a reduced cost. Kaito's emblem not only boosts himself but also enhances Moon-Circuit Hacker, a Ninja that further strengthens the deck's synergies.

Duskmourn: House of Horror also introduced two pivotal creatures that contributed to the deck's success. Floodpits Drowner is an excellent ninjutsu enabler, as returning it to your hand allows you to tap down more creatures, providing an edge in the damage race. Meanwhile, Enduring Curiosity excels in a deck full of inexpensive fliers, helping to draw cards and maintain momentum.

Dimir Ninjas showed a strong performance in Lille, with new cards adding a layer of variety to the Pioneer format, proving that innovative strategies can make waves even in established metagames and demonstrating how virtually any strategy can flourish in Pioneer when piloted by a skilled player.

Looking Ahead: Upcoming Premier Play

Two Pioneer Regional Championships remain in this cycle: the Regional Championship for Canada scheduled for this weekend, November 16–17, and the Regional Championship for Mexico/Central America/Caribbean taking place November 30–December 1. These will be the first major Pioneer events to feature the new Magic: The Gathering Foundations set, and it will be interesting to see how the format evolves with the addition of these new cards. These tournaments will also set the stage for the future, as tournament Pioneer is poised to be unlocked on MTG Arena with the release of Pioneer Masters on December 10.

In addition, the Standard RCQ round kicks off globally this coming weekend, highlighted by a $10,000 Standard event at SCG CON Columbus. This promises to be a thrilling showcase of competitive Magic, and I look forward to analyzing the Standard metagame evolutions in the coming week!