The Strange Story of Pioneer: A Budget Dredge Perspective

Pioneer, once my number one favorite format to play in all of Magic, has had a strange and tumultuous journey since its inception. The format, which was initially met with excitement and anticipation, quickly became dominated by combo decks, leading to a decline in popularity and player interest.

For months, Wizards refused to take action, despite constant complaints from players about the lack of diversity in the meta and long wait times in queues. It seemed like they were ignoring the problem, hoping it would somehow resolve itself on its own. But as the format continued to struggle, I found myself losing interest and wondering why I even bothered playing.

That was until Theros: Beyond Death dropped, unleashing three dominant combo decks onto the scene: Inverter, Lotus Breach, and Heliod / Ballista Mono-White Devotion. The metagame became new and surprisingly fair, offering a fresh start for players like me who were tired of the same old combo-ridden meta.

As someone who plays budget dredge, I've had to adapt to this new reality. Gone are the days when I could just muddle through with my trusty old deck. Now, I need to be more strategic and prepared to take on these powerful combo decks head-on. It's not always easy, but it's been a fun challenge to rise to the occasion.

For those who are still struggling with the format, I say this: stick with it. The metagame may be dominated by combo decks, but there's still room for innovation and creativity. With enough practice and experimentation, you can find ways to beat these powerful strategies and have a blast doing it.

So, if you're on the fence about playing Pioneer, I encourage you to give it another shot. Who knows? You might just discover a new favorite format like I did. And who knows what the future holds for Pioneer? Maybe Wizards will finally take action to address the combo problem and bring more diversity back to the meta. Until then, I'll be here, dredging away and enjoying every minute of it.

Mtggoldfish budget dredge