Magic Arena‘s youngest eternal format, Explorer, is on the road to becoming Pioneer as the first Pioneer Anthology collection launches July 28.
Explorer Anthology One collects 20 cards with the intention of making the format feel closer to Pioneer, the format it will eventually turn into. Wizards of the Coast said it would take several years for Explorer to align with Pioneer, and these Anthology sets are a key building block in this process.
The bundle costs 4,000 gems or 25,000 gold. Explorer Anthology One is available from July 28 to Oct. 5. Players can also craft cards individually using their wildcards. Cards in the collection are legal in Historic.
This collection brings a handful of Pioneer staples alongside support for a R/W Heroic strategy. Here are all of the cards in Explorer Anthology One.
- Favored Hoplite
- Rally the Ancestors
- Ensoul Artifact
- Mausoleum Wanderer
- Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
- Shadowborn Apostle
- Tainted Remedy
- Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
- Searing Blood
- Temur Battle Rage
- Titan’s Strength
- Back to Nature
- Elvish Mystic
- Tireless Tracker
- Battlewise Hoplite
- Siege Rhino
- Slaughter Games
- Supreme Verdict
- Hangarback Walker
- Darksteel Citadel
For Pioneer players, this set is a mixed bag. There are several format staples included that will be welcome additions to Explorer. Mausoleum Wanderer was one of the missing cards that prevented Explorer’s Mono-Blue Spirits from being great. Supreme Verdict is one of the best board wipes in Magic and is a key spell that contributes to U/W Control being a dominant force.
Tireless Tracker is a simple but powerful spell that benefits value-based Green builds. The same is true for Elvish Mystic, which acts as another one-mana dork for ramp decks. Hardened Scales fans will be delighted to slot Hangarback Walker in their builds.
Several nice-to-have additions include Siege Rhino, Shadowborn Apostle; and Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet.
The support for R/W Heroic is puzzling. It’s not a top-tier archetype in Pioneer but could find play in Explorer with its smaller card pool. But Red has two staples that were left out that could have been added instead of supporting a fringe archetype.
Sideboard options were added to help give certain strategies answers. Back to Nature is Enchantment hate, and Tainted Remedy will help counter the Angel Lifegain decks populating the format.
Mono-Red Aggro in Pioneer benefits from two cheap spells: Monastery Swiftspear and Eidolon of the Great Revel. The exclusion of these cards is glaring considering Spirits got Mausoleum Wanderer and U/W Control received Supreme Verdict.
Other missing Pioneer staples are Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx; Bring to Light, Treasure Cruise, and Hidden Strings. Players should expect these other staples to be added through future Explorer Anthology collections.
