Pioneer Masters

Pioneer Masters
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	A telescope/spyglass
Design	Ben Weitz (lead)
Release date	December 10, 2024
Plane	Multiversal
Set size	398
Expansion code	PIO
MTG Arena series
Magic: The Gathering Chronology

Pioneer Masters

Bonus sheet

Pioneer Masters is a digital-only reprint set that was released on Magic: The Gathering Arena on December 10, 2024.

Set details[]

Pioneer Masters combines cards from all the sets legal in Pioneer, pulling them together into a single set for both Limited and Constructed play.^[3] It is designed to “fill out those remaining archetype gaps” that are not currently in Explorer, while also “being a fun experience on its own”.^[4] It brings many cards to MTG Arena for the first time as Wizards of the Coast works towards their goal of parity with competitive Pioneer in tabletop. It was designed as a draftable set featuring 398 cards (278 in the main set (91 commons, 100 uncommons, 60 rares, 27 mythic rares), and 120 on the bonus sheets).

Besides in Explorer, the cards of this set are also legal in Timeless, Historic, and Brawl.

Bonus sheet[]

Main article: Pioneer Masters/Bonus sheet

Similar to Shadows over Innistrad Remastered, Pioneer Masters features a bonus sheet. It also features a similar draft structure, with each two weeks featuring a different subset of the cards available for Limited events.^[5]^[6]^[7]

History[]

The set was originally planned for release at the end of 2020 but was pushed back to 2021 for more playtesting.^[8] In July 2021, it was put on hold.^[9]

It was stated that Wizards of the Coast's schedule didn't have room to focus on growing a unique identity for the Historic format while fully supporting Pioneer at the same time. Some steps toward Pioneer were expected to come as part of Historic's growth, but they paused work toward Pioneer Masters sets.^[9]

In August 2021, the release of Jumpstart: Historic Horizons included a selection of cards with digital only mechanics. This addition to the historic format, alongside the December 2021 release of Alchemy: Innistrad whose cards were added to Historic, meant MTG Arena lost its only “true to tabletop” non-rotating format. As the introduction of Pioneer also had been put on hold, the negative feedback forced Wizards of the Coast to quickly announce that they would be searching for an alternative.^[10] Although people asked for the return of Pioneer or Pioneer light, Wizards seemed to search for another format. This made the eventual release of Pioneer Masters even more unlikely.

However, when Explorer was introduced as a format in April 2022, this turned out to be exactly what the people had been asking for a Constructed, non-rotating, “true-to-tabletop” format using all the Pioneer-legal cards available on MTG Arena, with a path towards becoming Pioneer.^[11] On Weekly MTG it was stated that Pioneer Masters was still a possibility but wasn't on the schedule for the immediate future. They also said that priorities could shift and that it was more likely to happen if Explorer would take off.^[12]

At Gen Con 2023, it was announced that “Tournament Pioneer” would be available on MTG Arena “by the end of 2024”. To facilitate this, the full Khans of Tarkir set would be released in fall 2023, followed by Pioneer Masters at the end of 2024. The set will be designed to fill out the remaining tournament archetypes while also being a fun experience on its own.^[4] The December 2024 release date was confirmed at the 2024 Announcement Day.^[13]

In October 2024, it was said that once Pioneer Masters was released, Explorer would be renamed to Pioneer on MTG Arena.^[14]

Mechanics[]

The Pioneer sets yet to be released on Arena in any form comprised Return to Ravnica block, Theros block, Fate Reforged, Dragons of Tarkir, Magic Origins, Battle for Zendikar block, Magic 2014 and Magic 2015. The mechanics were derived from this selection, though not all were represented as no cards of the mechanic have seen play.

Mechanics that had representation already on Arena included Converge, Devoid, Support, Landfall, Dash, Exploit, Rebound, Formidable, Manifest, Prowess, Delve, Ferocious, Devotion, Heroic, Bestow, Extort, Scavenge, Evolve, Overload, and Battalion.

Mechanics that were new to Arena included Surge, Awaken, Renown, Monstrosity, Fuse, Detain, Cipher, and Bloodrush.

Additional mechanics from other released sets included Afterlife, Adventure, Delirium, Double-faced cards, Exert, Convoke, Embalm, Kicker, Roles, Undergrowth, Ferocious, and Blood.

Changes in rarity[]

Rarity shifts are the major tool R&D has to make significant Limited adjustments for remastered sets. There are cards that have to be included in the set for Constructed reasons that aren't very functional in Limited. Sideboard cards were upshifted to uncommon to make them less present in the set and less likely to flood the late picks in a pack. Meanwhile, Zendikar Rising MDFCs were moved to common to function as a "smoothing mechanic". Two rares were noted to have been appropriate to shift to common.^[15]

Note: Sets released exclusively on Magic: The Gathering Arena do not change the legality of cards in Pauper. Cards printed at common for the first time in Pioneer Masters are not legal for play in tabletop - and Magic Online Pauper.^[16]^[7]

Rare to Mythic[]

Assemble the Legion

Common to Uncommon[]

Mythic to Rare[]

Rare to Uncommon[]

Uncommon to Common[]

Rare to Common[]

Cycles[]

Cycle name
Dragonlords	Dragonlord Ojutai	Dragonlord Silumgar	Dragonlord Kolaghan	Dragonlord Atarka	Dragonlord Dromoka
Dragonlords	Five mythic legendary allied-colored elder dragons from Dragons of Tarkir.
Cycle name
Mythic Enemy-colored Spells	Blood Baron of Vizkopa	Epic Experiment	Garruk, Apex Predator	Assemble the Legion	Progenitor Mimic
Mythic Enemy-colored Spells	Five mythic legendary enemy-colored spells.
Enemy colored creature lands	Shambling Vent	Wandering Fumarole	Hissing Quagmire	Needle Spires	Lumbering Falls
Enemy colored creature lands	Five enemy-color rare lands that can turn into creatures until end of turn, from Battle for Zendikar block.
Cycle name
Gate Spells	Archway Angel	Guild Summit	Ubul Sar Gatekeepers	Gates Ablaze	Gatebreaker Ram
Gate Spells	Five uncommon spells that care about Gates from across the Ravnica blocks.
Bestowers	Ghostblade Eidolon	Nimbus Naiad	Baleful Eidolon	Purphoros's Emissary	Leafcrown Dryad
Bestowers	Five common enchantment creatures with Bestow from Theros block.
Double-Faced Lands	Kabira Takedown	Jwari Disruption	Blackbloom Rogue	Valakut Awakening	Bala Ged Recovery
	Kabira Plateau	Jwari Ruins	Blackbloom Bog	Valakut Stoneforge	Bala Ged Sanctuary
	Sejiri Shelter	Silundi Vision	Pelakka Predation	Akoum Warrior	Khalni Ambush
	Sejiri Glacier	Silundi Isle	Pelakka Caverns	Akoum Teeth	Khalni Territory
	Five uncommon and five common modal double-faced cards from Zendikar Rising each with a tapland on the back side. The commons are all downshifted, and one of the uncommons is downshifted from rare.

Cycle name
Rare gold cards	Medomai, the Ageless	Notion Thief	Sire of Insanity	Ruric Thar, the Unbowed	Fleecemane Lion	Ashen Rider	Counterflux	Lotleth Troll	Boros Reckoner	Bring to Light
Rare gold cards	Ten rare multicolored spells.
Uncommon gold cards	Azorius Charm Thunderclap Wyvern	Dinrova Horror Tomebound Lich	Bloodtithe Harvester Swift Warkite	Destructive Revelry Ghor-Clan Rampager	Loxodon Smiter Unflinching Courage	Sin Collector Cartel Aristocrat	Steam Augury Stormchaser Mage	Nyx Weaver Catacomb Sifter	Anax and Cymede Tenth District Legionnaire	Kiora's Follower Urban Evolution
Uncommon gold cards	Each of these uncommon multicolor spells are of payoffs and general power.
Common gold cards	Lyev Skyknight	Possessed Skaab	Dreadbore	Zendikar Incarnate	Selesnya Charm	Imperious Oligarch	Nivix Cyclops	Dreg Mangler	Martial Glory	Skyrider Elf
Common gold cards	Each of these common multicolor spells serve as the draft signpost.
Gates	Azorius Guildgate	Dimir Guildgate	Rakdos Guildgate	Gruul Guildgate	Selesnya Guildgate	Orzhov Guildgate	Izzet Guildgate	Golgari Guildgate	Boros Guildgate	Simic Guildgate
Gates	The ten common nonbasic Gates, reprinted from Return to Ravnica block.