Pioneer is a Magic: The Gathering format that never rotates. Build a deck of at least 60 cards from sets released since Return to Ravnica, start at 20 life, and win by reducing your opponent to 0. Wizards describes Pioneer as more powerful than Standard but less powerful than Modern or Legacy, which makes it a popular step up once you know the basics. If you've never played Magic before, this guide walks you through Pioneer one step at a time, with no experience needed.
Last checked: October 3, 2026. The format rules below come from Wizards' official Pioneer page. New sets are added and the banned list can change, so check both before you buy cards for a deck.
Download the free printable quick guide (PDF)
Two pages you can print and keep next to your cards while you learn.
Want the full official rules? Visit Wizards' official How to Play page (magic.wizards.com).
What do you need to play Pioneer?
No commander, no singleton rule, build it however you like. Not sure whether a card is Pioneer-legal? Ask us at the counter, we're happy to help.
Which cards are legal in Pioneer?
Pioneer is a nonrotating format that uses the sets from Return to Ravnica (2012) forward. Newer sets are added as they release, and Wizards' Pioneer page lists every legal set.
Beginner trap
Old doesn't always mean illegal. A card is legal if any printing of it is in one of those sets. An older card reprinted in a recent set can be played, even if its first printing came long before 2012. A card that was only ever printed in older sets is not legal. Check the printing list, not only the copy in your hand.
In the picture above, Supreme Verdict (from Return to Ravnica) and Lightning Helix (from Murders at Karlov Manor) are both Pioneer-legal, while Lightning Bolt is not, because it has only been printed in older sets and in products that Pioneer doesn't use.
How does Pioneer compare to Standard?
Standard uses a rolling pool of the newest sets, and older sets rotate out. Pioneer doesn't rotate, so the cards you buy stay legal, and the card pool keeps growing as new sets come out. Wizards says Pioneer aims to be more powerful than Standard but less powerful than Modern or Legacy, so you'll see older, stronger cards than in Standard without going all the way to the biggest card pools.
What do Pioneer cards actually look like?
Rules stick better once you've seen the cards. Here are eight real Pioneer-legal cards, grouped by the job they do. Pioneer decks mix cheap spells, ways to answer your opponent, and threats that win the game. These are examples to show you the flavor of the format, not a shopping list. Tap or click any card to see it full-size.
How do you check if a card is legal in Pioneer?
Tap step 4 to open Wizards' official banned and restricted list.
- Look the card up by name on Scryfall or Gatherer.
- Check all of its printings, not only the copy in your hand.
- Look for a printing from Return to Ravnica forward. If there is one, the card is legal.
- Check the banned list. A short list of strong cards is banned, and the next section explains how that works.
Scryfall also shows a Legality section on every card page that tells you whether the card is legal, not legal or banned in Pioneer.
What are the deck-building rules?
- 60-card minimum main deck, with no maximum.
- No more than 4 copies of any single card, counting your main deck and sideboard together. Basic lands are the exception, run as many as you want.
- An optional sideboard of up to 15 cards to swap in between games.
Are any cards banned in Pioneer?
Yes. Pioneer has a short banned list of cards that proved too strong for the format. A banned card can't be in your deck or your sideboard, even if it comes from a legal set. Pioneer's list is separate from Standard's, so a card can be banned in one and fine in the other. The current list is posted on Wizards' banned and restricted page. It changes from time to time, so check it before you buy cards for a deck, or ask us.
Three Pioneer myths, busted
“Pioneer is just old Standard.”
FactStandard rotates and Pioneer never does. It starts at Return to Ravnica and keeps growing, and Wizards aims for it to be more powerful than Standard.
“Anything old is illegal.”
FactAny printing from Return to Ravnica forward makes a card legal, so older cards reprinted in a legal set count.
“If it's legal in Standard, I'm all set.”
FactAlmost always, since those sets are in Pioneer. But Pioneer has its own banned list, so check it.
How do you set up a game?
- Shuffle your deck. Decide who goes first (a die roll, or however your group likes to settle it).
- Draw 7 cards. Don't like your hand? You may mulligan: shuffle it back in and draw 7 again, then put a card on the bottom of your library for each mulligan you've taken.
- The player going first skips their first draw step.
What happens on your turn?
- Untap: untap everything you control.
- Upkeep: any "at the beginning of upkeep" triggers happen.
- Draw: draw 1 card.
- Main Phase 1: play a land, cast spells.
- Combat: attack.
- Main Phase 2: play more spells, or your land if you haven't yet.
- End Step: end-of-turn triggers, then cleanup.
You can only play 1 land per turn, in either main phase. A cost like 2R means pay 2 generic mana (any color), then 1 red mana: tap that many lands to pay it.
How does combat work?
- Declare attackers: turn your attacking creatures sideways and pick a target: your opponent, or a planeswalker of theirs.
- Declare blockers: the defending player assigns any of their untapped creatures to block.
- Combat damage: attacker and blocker deal damage equal to their power, all at once.
- After: lethal damage destroys a creature. Unblocked damage hits the defending player.
Spells and abilities don't happen the instant you play them, they go on the stack first, and the most recently added one resolves first, like a stack of plates. Players get a chance to respond before anything on the stack resolves.
How do you win?
| Life hits 0 | The most common way. Everyone starts at 20. |
| Empty library | Would you draw with 0 cards left? You lose right away. |
| An effect says so | Rare, but some cards have their own win condition. |
A match is best 2 of 3 games. Lose game 1? You may swap in sideboard cards.
Common keywords
| Keyword | What it means |
|---|---|
| Flying | Can only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach. |
| Trample | Extra damage beyond lethal spills past a blocker. |
| Deathtouch | Any amount of damage from it is lethal. |
| First / Double Strike | Deals damage before other creatures, or twice. |
| Vigilance | Doesn't tap when it attacks. |
| Removal | Community term for a spell or ability that destroys or neutralizes a creature. |
What are the best tips for your first game?
What to bring to your first night
- Your deck: 60 or more cards, plus a sideboard of up to 15 if you have one.
- Something to track your life total, like dice, a pen and paper, or a phone app.
- A legality and banned-list check already done on any card you're unsure about.
- The printable quick guide from this page, and your questions. We're happy to answer them.
Quick reference
| Deck | 60 cards minimum, from Return to Ravnica forward, no more than 4 of any card (basics excepted) |
| Legal? | Any printing from Return to Ravnica on makes a card legal, unless it is banned |
| Start | 20 life, draw 7 (mulligans allowed) |
| Your turn | Untap, upkeep, draw, main 1, combat, main 2, end step |
| Win | Reduce your opponent to 0 life, or outlast an empty library |
Printable quick guide
Everything above fits on two printable pages. Print it double-sided and keep it at the table.
Download the printable guide (PDF)
Official Magic rules (free)
Wizards of the Coast posts the official rules for free.
- How to Play: Wizards' own beginner walkthrough.
- Pioneer format page: the official overview of the format, including every legal set.
- Banned and restricted list: the current Pioneer banned cards.
- Comprehensive Rules: every Magic rule in full detail, for when a card does something tricky.
Where can you play Pioneer near Newport, TN?
Landfall Outpost is a Magic: The Gathering store at 138 North St, Newport, TN 37821, and new players are always welcome. We're starting Pioneer events at the store in October 2026, so it's a good time to build your first deck. We're happy to help you check that a deck is Pioneer-legal before you play. Pick up singles, sealed product and supplies in our Magic: The Gathering collection, and check our events page or ask us in the store to see what's on the schedule. Free on-site parking.