‘Ello ladles and jellyspoons! Today I’ve got a second little quick-list of Pioneer specs now that we’re settling into the format. This list is mostly comprised of those “second-thought” sort of cards that people forgot to order on their initial first purchase of obvious must have cards like Supreme Verdict, Thoughtseize, etc. So with that, let’s boogie!
[scryimg] Warden of the First Tree [/scryimg]
This card was a Standard All-Star and a staple in Abzan during it’s time. The card is great flood insurance, is a mythic rare with only one printing, and can easily be played in slew of different strategies. For .75¢ you can’t lose… Oh and don’t forget that the last ability can be activated at instant speed and multiple times (and yes, I’ve actually seen a double activation for lethal before in Standard).
[scryimg] fatal push [/scryimg]
This is easily the most vulnerable card on the list today. It only has one real printing, is literally played in every format imaginable, and is some how still under 5 bucks at the time of this article. If I wasn’t saving for my trip to Europe in Feb, I’d be dropping 100-200$ on every sub 3$ copy I could buy right now. With a mechanic like revolt I find it unlikely that we will see a reprint any time soon unless it’s in a Masters set.
[scryimg] dreadbore [/scryimg]
Speaking of premium removal (for a sorcery that is…), did you know Dreadbore kills planeswalkers?!? And guess what Oko is? (Other than a pain in the butt and the biggest meme of 2019…) A PLANESWALKER! That’s right, as long as WotC continues to troll us by not banning Oko, expect Dreadbore to gain in value.
[scryimg] sorin, solemn visitor [/scryimg]
I know what you might be thinking and yes, I know we don’t have Lingering Souls or Bitterblossom to make Sorin pure gas in Pioneer the same way he is in Modern (as fringe as BW Tokens is…). But, Pioneer does have Hidden Stockpile and Raise the Alarm which are pretty sweet and if that isn’t enough to convince you there is Always Watching + Glory-Bound Initiate (former Standard spice) if you don’t want to take the token route. Or for the whopping 4.21$ Sorin will set you back, just jam a copy or two into Abzan… If you have ever played with this card you will know how powerful the +1 is: “Until your next turn, creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain lifelink.” When you’re dudes have vigilance it really starts putting victory out of reach for your opponent. He can protect himself in a pinch by making a 2/2 flying vampire or close out the game if your ground pounders can’t punch through. Yet another mythic rare with only one printing and from one of Pioneer’s oldest sets. Something to think about.
[scryimg] bedevil [/scryimg]
A newer card, similar to Dreadbore, but more flexible and at instant speed makes Bedevil one bad mama jama. Right now I feel 3.20$ a copy is a fair price if you don’t already own a playset I don’t see you losing money if you bought some right now. It is rather mana intensive so I don’t see it being more than 5$ so there isn’t a lot of room for “gains” per se but who knows, some crazy RBx Control deck might burst onto the scene and everyone will be scrambling to get their Bedevils?… 🤷🏻♀️ But still worth owning a set in general if you think you’re ever going to play the card.
[scryimg] goblin dark-dwellers [/scryimg]
Ah, GDD. Oh how I had high hopes for you in Modern but now this might be your time to shine in Pioneer. Maybe, just maybe you will crawl out of the bulk rare bin and climb to the shiny pinnacle of glory that I had hoped for you. We don’t have Snapcaster Mage but GGD does make a good mono red impression of it. GDD is the main reason I considered putting Bedevil on the list today 🤗 For 2$ you can buy an entire playset of GDDs. Just do it, you’re only out two cheeseburgers at McDonald’s if I’m wrong.
[scryimg] whisperwood elemental [/scryimg]
This thing used to be a 14$ card because it was played in a gazillion different deck during it’s time in Standard. It’s pure value stapled to a 4/4 body that can’t be Lightning Striked or Pushed. I’ve talked about this card before as an underrated Commander card and now with the power level of Pioneer I think we could see Whisperwood rise again. Oh and Elemental tribal is cool too.
[scryimg] aether hub [/scryimg]
Forgot about this card didn’t you? This pricey little uncommon was in high demand during Standard garnishing a 4.25$ price tag and the FNM promo for once actually helped alleviate some of this pressure. I’m thinking it will find a home in Eldrazi and Affinity decks. It already sees play in a bunch of fringe deck currently. For .40¢ it’s kind of hard to go wrong with this card…
[scryimg] siren stormtamer [/scryimg]
This card is the real deal. It’s kind of a blue hate bear and has already proven to be a 5.29$ card not all too long ago in Mono Blue Temp decks. .65¢ right now on TCGplayer is the lowest it’s ever been. I’d rather have a playset laying around for that price than wait for someone to find a sick deck that calls for 4x of them and for the price to jump….
[scryimg] chained to the rocks [/scryimg]
Someone reminded me of this card the other day and I totally forgot about it being Pioneer legal. Honestly, at times when there isn’t a lot of enchantment removal running around this thing is better than Path to Exile in Modern. Now don’t get me wrong: I do love me some Path. Nice simple easy instant speed *boop* problem gone (and they get a basic…) but sometimes the meta allows Chained and the slight advantage of not ramping your opponent is enough to win you the game. Michael Flores seems to be a fan.
[scryimg] scrapheap scrounger [/scryimg]
And lastly, Scrounger. Yet another Standard All-Star that was a must have 5$ card in just about every Bx deck at the time (mostly Rakdos Aggro). Chances were: if you had access to black you were playing 4x copies of Scrappy in your deck. Currently a cool .49¢ so grab your copies now on the cheap before people remember how good this card is.
Welp, that all the spec talk for today folks! Let me know in the comment section what cards you think I missed, cards you have your eye on, or cards you think will gain in value in the future of Pioneer?
And as always, if you’re in the market for some snazzy new sleeves be sure to cruise on over to the shop and use my discount code MADMAGIC for 15% off on your next purchase.
