Pioneer has a diverse and fun metagame, yet relatively few people play the format. But that might change soon. Last week, Wizards of the Coast announced a new structure for competitive Magic which coincidentally breathed new life into the Pioneer format. Consequently, the prices of many Pioneer cards spiked over the weekend.
Why is There Pioneer Hype?
WOTC revamped Magic’s Organized Play structure to reintroduce in-person tournaments. As part of this initiative, they brought back Pro Tours as the pinnacle of competitive Magic. And guess which format takes center stage for the first returning Pro Tour. That’s right–Pioneer.
But there are a couple of steps you must take before you can play in the Pro Tour. The first step is winning a Regional Championship Qualifier, which once again features Pioneer as one of its possible formats.
This is the support from Wizards that Pioneer desperately needed to reinvigorate the format, and many Magic players are excited.
Pioneer Price Spikes
With the recent announcement, Magic players want to prepare their Pioneer decks for the Regional Championship Qualifiers and the first Pro Tour. This created a wave of Pioneer demand over the weekend.
Winota, Joiner of Forces
Winota was the first card players bought out in response to the Pioneer hype. She is one of the most powerful decks in the format, which is why she shot up from $6.00 to $22.00 at the tail end of last week.
RELATED: Winota, Joiner of Forces – An MTG Commander Buyer’s Guide
Hengegate Pathway
The regular art version of Hengegate Pathway rose from $8.00 to $14.00 over the weekend. The borderless printing is $16.00. This land is a staple of several Pioneer strategies including Azorius Control, Bant Spirits, and Esper Greasefang.
Read More: Standout Kamigawa Card Breaks Out Across MTG Formats and Rises in Price
Arclight Phoenix
Arclight Phoenix is the namesake card of the popular Pioneer deck Izzet Phoenix. This weekend, the bird rose from $6.00 to $9.00.
Read More: This Scary Control Commander Casts Your Spells Twice For Double the Value
Chandra, Dressed to Kill
Chandra, Dressed to Kill, is an insanely strong planeswalker. She is good enough to see some play in Mono-Red Modern decks. So, she’s definitely good enough for Pioneer where she’s played in Mono-Red Aggro decks and Burn decks.
Chandra rose from $9.00 to $15.00 as a result of the Pro Tour announcement. The borderless printing is now $18.00-$20.00.
Read More: Are You Following The Market? All of These Powerful Cards Are Rising in Price
