Wizards of the coast do a pretty good job of releasing pre-constructed decks that allow players to jump right into MTGs most popular formats. One great example of this is of course the commander precons. Another instance is the challenger decks that started in April 2018. Challenger decks are great for players who want an easy onramp to playing Pioneer or Standard Magic: The Gathering. If you are interested in challenger decks at all, you’ve come to the right place. Before we dive in, let’s start with what an mtg challenger deck is.
Challenger decks are 75- card (60-card main deck & 15-card sideboard), preconstructed decks, built with tournament level or competitive play in mind. They are designed primarily for the Standard format at the Friday Night Magic level. Furthermore, they are playable and competitive right out of the box.
As mentioned above, these decks are generally made with Standard in mind. However, as of 2021, there are challenger decks for Pioneer as well. Regardless of format, challenger decks are awesome pick-ups for new and veteran players alike. So, let’s take a look at the decks, which formats you can play them in, and what you can expect to pay for them. As well as how best to upgrade them.
Table Of Contents:
- Challenger Decks 2022 Overview And Upgrades
- Challenger Decks 2021 Overview And Upgrades
- Frequently Asked Questions
Challenger Decks 2022 Overview And Upgrades
Mono-White Aggro
Full Decklist
| Creatures: (30) 2 Reidane, God of the Worthy 4 Monk of the Open Hand 4 Usher of the Fallen 4 Codespell Cleric 4 Clarion Spirit 4 Luminarch Aspirant 1 Intrepid Adversary 2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 2 Skyclave Apparition 3 Elite Spellbinder Instants: (4) 2 Kabira Takedown 2 Fateful Absence Enchantments: (3) 3 Paladin Class | Lands: (23) 3 Faceless Haven 20 Snow-Covered Plains Sideboard: (15) 2 Loyal Warhound 3 Cathar Commando 2 Portable Hole 2 Maul of the Skyclaves 2 Selfless Samurai 2 Sungold Sentinel 2 Imperial Recovery Unit |
How The Deck Works
The low CMC creatures in the deck make it so you can play multiple threats each turn. While cards like Monk of the Open Hand and Codespell Cleric reward you for it and turn your early plays into finishers. All the while, the deck “taxes” the opponent’s resources leaving them without answers and easy prey.
Upgrades
There are a lot of Standard-legal cards that could be added to this mtg challenger deck to increase its power level and consistency. While also adding in more removal and interaction and increasing the threat density. Let’s take a look at some high-level upgrades to Standard Mono-White Aggro.
Main
| In | Out | Why |
| 4 Hopeful Initiate | 4 Codespell Cleric | Hopeful Initiate is much easier to trigger multiple times and is less conditional. Has much better consistency. Gives main |
| 2 Brutal Cathar | 2 Clarion Spirit | Brutal Cathar is more aggressive, less situational, and offers a repeated form of removal. |
| 1Thalia, Guardian of Thraben & 1 Elite Spellbinder | 2 Clarion Spirit | Trimming the amount of non-creature spells in the deck makes Thalia more effective. While Elite Spellbinder adds more creature-based disruption. |
| 2 The Wandering Emperor | 2 Kabira Takedown | The Wandering Emperor is much better against far more matchups (pressures control decks & exiles aggressive threats), pumps up creatures, and makes tokens. Overall a much more powerful card. |
| 3 Intrepid Adversary | 2 Fateful Absence & 1 Reidane, God of the Worthy | With things like Brutal Cathar and The Wandering Emperor we can afford to cut things like Fateful Absence for more impactful cards. Intrepid Adversary has good stats for it’s cmc, can be a lord for the deck and is a much better topdeck late game. |
| 3 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar | 3 Paladin Class | Adeline, Resplendent Cathar is much more aggressive. Contributes to the |
| 2 Cave of the Frost Dragon & 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire | 3 Faceless Haven | Faceless Haven is banned in Standard and has to be replaced to upgrade the deck. So, Cave of the Frost Dragon is our “man-land” replacement of choice. While there is no downside at all to a single copy of Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire. |
| 2 Crawling Barrens | 2 Snow-Covered Plains | Replacing 2 Plains with Crawling Barrens still gives the deck access to 20 sources of white mana and ups the deck’s threat density |
Related: Complete List of MTG Arena Codes – December 2022
Sideboard
Sideboards will be more dependent on your specific meta than the main deck. However, there are a few cards from the stock list that have some clear upgrades that we can touch on.
| In | Out | Why |
| Brutal Cathar | Cathar Commando | There are many more match-ups where I would want extra removal. With that said, Hopeful Initiate in the mainboard is a replacement for Cathar Commando. |
| Guardian of Faith | Selfless Samurai | Guardian of Faith offers more complete protection and can save multiple creatures instead of only one. |
| The Wandering Emperor | Imperial Recovery Unit | A much more well-rounded card that can come in against many more decks and be effective. |
Dimir Control
Full Decklist
| Creatures: (6) 3 Graveyard Trespasser 2 Iymrith, Desert Doom 1 Hullbreaker Horror Sorceries: (6) 3 Crippling Fear 3 Blood on the Snow Instants: (22) 2 Jwari Disruption 3 Power Word Kill 2 Baleful Mastery 3 Saw It Coming 2 Thirst for Discovery 2 Parasitic Grasp 2 Hero’s Downfall 4 Memory Deluge 1 Infernal Grasp 1 March of Wretched Sorrow | Lands: (26) 2 Field of Ruin 4 Ice Tunnel 2 Hall of Storm Giants 2 Evolving Wilds 4 Shipwreck Marsh 7 Snow-Covered Swamp 5 Snow-Covered Island Sideboard: (15) 1 Saw It Coming 2 Mischievous Catgeist 2 Duress 2 Siphon Insight 2 Negate 2 Ray of Enfeeblement 2 Bloodvial Purveyor 2 Bloodchief’s Thirst |
How The Deck Works
This blue/black control deck thwarts opposing gameplans with copious amounts of interaction; like spot removal,
Upgrades
This mtg challenger deck has a very good control shell right out of the box. Therefore, most of the upgrades here will be improvements to the quality of the interaction. However, there are some powerful card advantage pieces that I feel are too good to pass up. Let’s take a look at the changes.
Main
| In | Out | Why |
| 4 Syncopate & 1 Negate | 3 Saw it Coming & 2 Thirst for Discovery | Syncopate & Negate improve the versatility of the decks counter spells and are more efficient than Saw it Coming. |
| 2 Jwari Disruption & 1 Negate | 3 Blood on The Snow | Blood on The Snow is a fine card. However, it’s inferior to some of the upgraded spot removal and |
| 1 Lolth, Spider Queen & 1 Mordenkainen | 2 Memory Deluge | Lolth, Spider Queen & Mordenkainen both offer card advantage that is superior to Memory Deluge. Furthermore, both are impactful for the deck in several other ways. |
| 1 March of Wretched Sorrow & 2 Baleful Mastery | 3 Shadows’ Verdict | March of Wretched Sorrow & Baleful Mastery are slightly too expensive for their benefit if you don’t throw away resources to cheapen them. Shadows’ Verdict is somewhat costly but it is a one-sided |
| 1 Infernal Grasp, 2 Soul Shatter and 2 Bloodchief’s Thirst | 3 Power Word Kill & 2 Parasitic Grasp | Infernal Grasp, Soul Shatter and Bloodchief’s Thirst are far less conditional removal spells than Power Word Kill and Parasitic Grasp. |
| 2 Kotose, the Silent Spider & 2 Kairi, the Swirling Sky | 3 Graveyard Trespasser & 1 Hullbreaker Horror | Kotose, the Silent Spider can remove cards from the graveyard just like Graveyard Trespasser but is more disruptive and can be a win-con. While Kairi, the Swirling Sky does the same thing as Hullbreaker Horror but at a far better rate. |
| 4 Clearwater Pathway | 4 Ice Tunnel | Lands coming in untapped makes holding up early counterspells or removal much easier. Furthermore, without Blood on The Snow in the deck there isn’t much incentive to play a tap land here. |
| 1 Otawara, Soaring City & 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire | 2 Evolving Wilds | Evolving Wilds is slightly too slow for my liking. While Otawara, Soaring City and Takenuma, Abandoned Mire offer some strong upsides with six legendary creatures in the deck. |
Sideboards will be more dependent on your specific meta than the main deck. However, there are a few cards from the main deck that I think make great post-board cards for the deck. Let’s take a look at them.
Sideboard
| In | Why |
| 3 Graveyard Trespasser | Good Graveyard hate and can gain life against aggro and burn. Great in the sideboard but is a bit hit or miss for the main deck. |
| 1 Hullbreaker Horror | A great spell to bring in against opposing control decks. |
| 2 Crippling Fear | Too conditional for the main deck but is great post-board against tribal decks. |
| 3 Ray of Enfeeblement | With mono-white aggro running rampant in the meta this is a must somewhere in the 75 |
Rakdos Vampires
Full Decklist
| Creatures: (25) 4 Voldaren Bloodcaster 1 Henrika Domnathi 4 Voldaren Epicure 4 Bloodtithe Harvester 2 Vampire Socialite 2 Florian, Voldaren Scion 2 Dominating Vampire 4 Immersturm Predator 2 Sokenzan Smelter Instants: (7) 2 Infernal Grasp 1 Village Rites 4 Voltage Surge | Lands: (24) 2 Blightstep Pathway 3 Voldaren Estate 2 Den of the Bugbear 4 Bloodfell Caves 7 Swamp 6 Mountain Artifacts: (4) 2 Mukotai Soulripper 2 Oni-Cult Anvil Sideboard: (15) 1 Infernal Grasp 3 Duress 3 Falkenrath Forebear 4 Abrade 2 Callous Bloodmage 2 Anje, Maid of Dishonor |
How The Deck Works
In typical vampire fashion, blood is a resource and lives are a resource. The deck wants to be creating blood tokens and sacrificing them, as well as your creatures to ping opponents for damage. Draining opponents of life not only brings you closer to victory but also pumps of several of the deck’s vampires.
Upgrades
This is the mtg challenger deck I feel needs the most upgrades. In my experience, it is the least focused of the four decks from 2022. It divides its resources between, Vampire Tribal, Aristocrats (sacrificing creatures), and some artifact synergies that I’m assuming are there for the blood tokens.
My upgrades are to focus the deck on the first two strategies mentioned to make it more cohesive and thus, more powerful. While it was one of the weaker stock lists, I think it is close to the top after upgrades.
| In | Out | Why |
| 3 Ob Nixilis, the Adversary | 2 Dominating Vampire & 1 Henrika Domnathi | Ob Nixilis, the Adversary does everything the deck wants. It allows you to sacrifice creatures and rewards you for it. While Dominating Vampire and Henrika Domnathi are powerful cards they don’t contribute much to the strategy. |
| 3 The Meathook Massacre | 2 Immersturm Predator & 1 Florian, Voldaren Scion | Immersturm Predator & Florian, Voldaren Scion are both awesome cards in the deck. However, The Meathook Massacre is an amazing sacrifice payoff and removal that can’t be passed up. So, we will trim some good cards for some great cards. |
| 1 Anje, Maid of Dishonor & 1 Olivia, Crimson Bride | 2 Sokenzan Smelter | Anje, Maid of Dishonor has a much better ability to pay mana into than Sokenzan Smelter. Her ability works with creatures and our blood tokens. While, Olivia, Crimson Bride is a powerful win-con that can reanimate previously sacrificed creatures. |
| 3 Falkenrath Pit Fighter & 2 Vampire Socialite | 2 Mukotai Soulripper, 2 Oni-Cult Anvil & 1 Voltage Surge | These changes move us away from the sub-par artifact theme of the stock list and help to focus the deck’s strategy a bit. While also giving us card draw and more targets to sacrifice to Ob Nixilis on turn 3. |
| 4 Deadly Dispute | 3 Voltage Surge & 1 Village Rites | Deadly Dispute simply generates too much value and card advantage not to be in the deck. |
| 1 Agadeem, the Undercrypt, 1 Shatterskull, the Hammer Pass, 2 Blightstep Pathway & 4 Haubted Ridge | 3 Basic Swamp, 1 Basic Mountian & 4 Bloodfell Caves | M.D.F.C cards like Agadeem’s Awakening and Shatterskull Smashing are very powerful. While, Blightstep Pathway & Haunted Ridge are strictly upgrades over basics and Bloodfell Caves. |
| 1 Hive of the Eye Tyrant & 2 Secluded Courtyard, | 1 Basic Mountian, 1 Den of the Bugbear, 1 Voldaren Estate | Removing a Den of the Bugbear for Hive of the Eye Tyrant gives us a man land for both colors. While, playing less Voldaren Estate makes room for the less painful Secluded Courtyard. |
| 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance & 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire | 1 Basic Swamp & 1 Basic Mountian | With lots of legendary creatures in the deck post upgrades, Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance & Takenuma, Abandoned Mire are quite nice to have as a 1-of. |
Related: The MTG Color Wheel
Sideboard
| In | Out | Why |
| 3 Vampire’s Vengence | 3 Falkenrath Forebear | Falkenrath Forebear is a nice grindy card but with things like Olivia, Crimson Bride & Agadeem’s Awakening in the main |
| 2 Go Blank | 2 Abrade | Abrade should be in the 75 for sure. However, four copies may be a bit much for most meta’s. In its place, Go Blank is good hand disruption and graveyard hate. |
| 2 Sorin the Mirthless | 2 Anje, Maid of Dishonor | Since we already play Anje in the mainboard post upgrades, we can fill these spots with a nice Jack-Of-All-Trades planeswalker for the deck post-board. |
Gruul Stompy
Full Decklist
| Creatures: (22) 3 Ulvenwald Oddity 2 Tovolar’s Huntmaster 2 Halana and Alena, Partners 1 Goldspan Dragon 4 Jaspera Sentinel 4 Magda, Brazen Outlaw 4 Briarbridge Tracker 2 Twinshot Sniper Sorceries: (2) 1 Light Up the Night 1 Thundering Rebuke Instants: (8) 4 Abrade 4 Snakeskin Veil Enchantments: (4) 4 Ranger Class | Lands: (24) 4 Rockfall Vale 10 Forest 2 Lair of the Hydra 8 Mountain Sideboard: (15) 2 Twinshot Sniper 3 Thundering Rebuke 2 Tovolar, Dire Overlord 3 Burning Hands 2 Kappa Tech-Wrecker 2 Lantern of the Lost 1 Froghemoth |
How The Deck Works
Gruul always has access to well-costed powerful creatures. This deck is no exception. However, it can ramp out its threats even faster than usual thanks to its strong treasure token sub-theme. Not only do the treasures accelerate the game plan but they also make several of the creatures like Briarbridge Tracker stronger.
Upgrades
This list is quite strong right out of the box. With that said, there are a few notable cards that are missing from the list. Considering there are very few bad cards in this stock list, we are going to have to cut some good cards for some great cards. Without further ado, let’s upgrade Gruul Stompy.
| In | Out | Why |
| 3 Goldspan Dragon | 1 Ulvenwald Oddity, 1 Magda, Brazen Outlaw and 1 Tovolar’s Huntmaster | Are the cards removed here are good cards for the deck. However, playing a full playset of Goldspan Dragon is a must. |
| 3 Esika’s Charriot | 2 Twinshot Sniper and 1 Abrade | Esika’s Charriot contributes much more to the |
| 1 Atsushi, the Burning Sky | 1 Snakeskin Veil | Atsushi, the Burning Sky is an aggressive, evasive creature that offers a ton of value if it gets removed. Furthermore, this can be tutored out with agda, Brazen Outlaw. Dropping a Snakeskin Veil helps lower our non-creature count just a bit. |
| 2 Moonveil Regent | 2 Ulvenwald Oddity | Moonveil Regent and Ulvenwald Oddity have very similar stat-lines. I give the nod to Regent here because of the powerful card advantage it can offer in the late game, when your hand is empty. This too can be tutored out with agda, Brazen Outlaw. |
| 2 Reckless Stormseeker | 2 Briarbridge Tracker | Briarbridge Tracker isn’t a bad card at all. However, giving our larger creatures haste and +1/+0 with Reckless Stormseeker makes for some huge turns out of nowhere. |
| 2 Prosperous Innkeeper | 2 Briarbridge Tracker | Prosperous Innkeeper isn’t flashy but it does a lot for the deck. |
| 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defience and 1 Boseiju, Who Endures | 1 Basic Mountian and 1 Basic Forest | The mana base is solid overall. However, there is no downside to playing one of each of the channel lands available to the deck. |
| 4 Cragcrown Pathway and 1 Den of the Bugbear | 2 Basic Mountains, 2 Basic Forest, and 1 Lair of the Hydra | Playing four pathway lands over basics helps to fix mana a bit. While Den of the Bugbear gives the deck a man land in both colors. |
Sideboard
| In | Out | Why |
| 2 Outland Liberator | 2 Kappa Tech-Wrecker | These cards have similar effects. However, Outland Liberator doesn’t require you to deal damage to remove an opposing threat. |
| 2 Toski, Bearer of Secrets | 2 Tovolar, Dire Overlord | This slot of the sideboard is devoted to control match-ups and Toski, Bearer of Secrets is the card for the job. He can’t be countered or easily removed, so he is sure to keep your hand full of threats. |
| 2 Tangletrap | 2 Twinshot Sniper | Tangletrap is a much more versatile. Helps clear the way for the decks flying creatures. Furthermore, it is another way to remove artifacts post-board since we cut one Abrade. |
Challenger Decks 2021 Overview And Upgrades
The 2021 decks are no longer standard legal. So, we will look at how to upgrade the decks to make them competitively playable for Pioneer. That way people who picked up these decks for Standard last year can play them again.
With that said, I won’t go into the reasoning behind each change as much, as most of the upgrades are cards with similar effects at much better mana costs.
Azorius Control
Full Decklist
| Creature (6) 2 Skyclave Cleric 2 Dream Trawler 2 Archon of Sun’s Grace Sorcery (4) 1 Emeria’s Call 2 Shatter the Sky 1 Doomskar Instant (10) 3 Neutralize 1 Saw It Coming 1 Negate 3 Thirst for Meaning 2 Behold the Multiverse Artifact (2) 2 Glass Casket Enchantment (14) 1 Shark Typhoon 3 Elspeth Conquers Death 4 The Birth of Meletis 4 Omen of the Sea 2 Banishing Light Land (24) 4 Temple of Enlightenment 8 Plains 8 Island 4 Tranquil Cove | Sideboard (15) 1 Archon of Sun’s Grace 2 Banishing Light 2 Glass Casket 2 Skyclave Apparition 3 Confounding Conundrum 3 Mystical Dispute 2 Essence Scatter |
How The Deck Works
This is a take on classic blue/white control. The deck wants to negate opposing threats using counterspells and removal. Then close out games with some strong flying creatures like Dream Trawler.
Upgrades
Upgrading this mtg challenger deck for Pioneer will consist of some power upgrades to the counterspells and other control pieces. Furthermore, the enchantment synergies will stay, but they will also be improved upon.
| In | Out |
| 3 Opt and 2 Dig Through Time | 3 Thirst for Meaning and 2 Behold the Multiverse |
| 3 Supreme Verdict | 1 Emeria’s Call, 2 Shatter the Sky, |
| 2 Dovin’s Veto and 3 Absorb | 3 Neutralize, 1 Saw It Coming, and 1 Negate |
| 2 Search for Azcanta, 2 Detention Sphere, and 1 Cast Out | 3 Elspeth Conquers Death and 2 Banishing Light |
| 2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, 2 Azorius Charm, 1 Sphinx’s Revelation, 1 Syncopate, and 1 Mystical Dispute | 4 The Birth of Meletis, 3 Omen of the Sea |
| 4 Glacial Fortress and 4 Hallowed Fountain | 4 Temple of Enlightenment and 4 Tranquil Cove |
| 3 Sigil of the Empty Throne, 2 Starfield Mystic, 1 Sphere of Safety, and 1 Prison Realm | 2 Skyclave Cleric, 2 Dream Trawler, 2 Glass Casket and 1 Omen of the Sea |
Sideboard
Dimir Rouges
Full Decklist
| Creature (24) 2 Blackbloom Rogue 1 Rankle, Master of Pranks 4 Thieves’ Guild Enforcer 3 Vantress Gargoyle 3 Nighthawk Scavenger 3 Zareth San, the Trickster 4 Merfolk Windrobber 4 Soaring Thought-Thief Sorcery (2) 2 Bloodchief’s Thirst Instant (9) 1 Malakir Rebirth 4 Drown in the Loch 2 Eliminate 2 Heartless Act Land (25) 4 Temple of Deceit 8 Island 9 Swamp 4 Dismal Backwater | Sideboard (15) 1 Bloodchief’s Thirst 2 Negate 2 Into the Story 2 Pestilent Haze 2 Agonizing Remorse 3 Cling to Dust 3 Duress |
How The Deck Works
This deck’s game plan is to use its evasive creatures to mill the opponent’s libraries. Then, use your opponent’s full graveyard to enhance creatures like, Thieves’ Guild Enforcer and close games with some sneaky abilities.
Upgrades
This rouge tribal mtg challenger deck is pretty well suited for Pioneer as is. However, there are a few potent rouges and some good interaction that we gain access to being in Pioneer instead of Standard. Let’s take a look at some Dimir upgrades.
| In | Out |
| 2 Brazen Borrower and 4 Glint-Sleeve Siphoner | 2 Blackbloom Rogue, 3 Vantress Gargoyle, and 1 Nighthawk Scavenger |
| 2 Agonizing Remorse and 1 Into the Story | 1 Malakir Rebirth and 2 Heartless Act |
| Cling to Dust | Basic Swamp |
| 4 Clearwater Pathway, 4 Drowned Catacomb, and 4 Watery Grave | 4 Temple of Deceit, 4 Dismal Backwater, 2 Basic Island, 2 Basic Swamp |
Sideboard
| In | Out |
| 3 Crypt Incursion | 1 Bloodchief’s Thirst and 2 Pestilent Haze |
| 2 Crux of Fate | 2 Into the Story |
Mono-Red Aggro
Full Decklist
| Creature (27) 4 Fervent Champion 4 Kargan Intimidator 4 Bonecrusher Giant 3 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell 4 Akoum Hellhound 4 Rimrock Knight 4 Anax, Hardened in the Forge Sorcery (6) 2 Shatterskull Smashing 4 Roil Eruption Instant (8) 4 Spikefield Hazard 4 Shock Artifact (1) 1 Embercleave Land (18) 2 Castle Embereth 16 Mountain | Sideboard (15) 2 Relic Robber 2 Roiling Vortex 2 Soul-Guide Lantern 4 Redcap Melee 3 Thundering Rebuke 2 Soul Sear |
How The Deck Works
This red deck wins is a classic strategy, that does indeed when games. Burn spells that can function as removal or be direct damage to your opponent help clear the way for the deck’s low-costed aggressive creatures, to finish opponents off.
Upgrades
This is another example of a deck that is quite well-positioned to transition into the Pioneer meta from Standard. Mono-Red is always good, regardless of format and Pioneer is no exception.
Sideboard
| In | Out |
| 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel | 4 Redcap Melee |
| 2 Abrade and 2 Experimental Frenzy | 2 Relic Robber and 2 Roiling Vortex |
| 3 Searing Blood and 2 Rampaging Ferocidon | 3 Thundering Rebuke and 2 Soul Sear |
Mono-Green Stompy
Full Decklist
| Planeswalker (1) 1 Garruk, Unleashed Creature (29) 3 Kazandu Mammoth 2 Stonecoil Serpent 3 Swarm Shambler 2 Scavenging Ooze 2 Wildborn Preserver 2 Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig 4 Lovestruck Beast 2 Gemrazer 4 Wildwood Tracker 2 Syr Faren, the Hengehammer 3 Thrashing Brontodon Sorcery (5) 2 Turntimber Symbiosis 3 Primal Might Instant (6) 4 Ram Through 2 Snakeskin Veil Land (19) 19 Forest | Sideboard (15) 1 Thrashing Brontodon 2 Snakeskin Veil 2 Khalni Ambush 3 Chainweb Aracnir 2 Return to Nature 3 Oakhame Adversary 2 Run Afoul |
How The Deck Works
Like most mono green decks, this one also loves to beat opponents down with huge, powerful creatures. Not only does the deck play some of the biggest creatures it can, but they are all well-costed for their stats. Meaning you can put opponents on the back foot early as you power out your threats.
Upgrades
Mono-Green Stompy is a classic strategy in Magic: The Gathering. While this base does the archetype justice, there are some strong creatures that are gained by branching into Pioneer. Let’s take a look at how to make this list stomp as hard as possible.
| In | Out |
| 4 Llanowar Elves and 4 Elvish Mystic | 3 Swarm Shambler, 4 Wildwood Tracker and 1 Stonecoil Serpent |
| 4 Werewolf Pack Leader | 2 Scavenging Ooze, 2 Wildborn Preserver |
| 4 Steel Leaf Champion | 3 Kazandu Mammoth and 1 Stonecoil Serpent |
| 2 Elder Gargaroth, 2 Questing Beast, and 1 Ghalta, Primal Hunger | 2 Gemrazer and 3Thrashing Brontodon |
| 2 Garruk, Unleashed and 4 Garruk’s Harbinger | 4 Ram Through and 2 Snakeskin Veil |
| 1 The Great Henge | 1 Turntimber Symbiosis |
| 2 Castle Garenbrig, 1 Boseiju, Who Endures, 2 Hashep Oasis | 5 Basic Forest |
Related: The 10 Best MTG Green Board Wipes
Sideboard
| In | Out |
| 2 Heroic Intervention | 2 Snakeskin Veil |
| 3 Scavenging Ooze | 3 Oakhame Adversary |
| 3 Reclamation Sage | 2 Return to Nature and 1 Thrashing Brontodon |
| 3 Hornet Nest | 3 Chainweb Aracnir |
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Challenger Decks?
Challenger decks are preconstructed MTG decks that are built with competitive play in mind. They contain everything a player needs to play at Friday Night Magic level events right out of the box. Each one is modeled after a top-tier deck in Standard and/or Pioneer at the time of its release.
Contents
Each mtg challenger deck contains the following:
- a 60-card main deck
- a 15-card sideboard
- 1 spindown life counter
- a quick reference guide
- a box capable of holding 75-sleeved cards
Related: All MTG Commander Precons – The Complete Guide
What Formats Are They Legal In?
Challenger decks released for Standard are legal in Standard (until any cards in the deck “rotate” out) Pioneer, Modern, Vintage, and Legacy. So, decks are legal in the format they are released in, and all other formats where each card in the deck is legal.
As an example, Pioneer challenger decks are legal to play in Pioneer and can be played in Modern, Vintage, and Legacy since all cards legal in Pioneer are legal in those formats as well.
Related: MTG Modern: A Getting Started Guide (Primer)
If you wanna play a challenger deck in a format with a larger card pool than the one it was released for, consider upgrading it using all the cards available to you in that format. That way you can be as competitive as possible for the format you’re playing.
For our reader’s convenience, I have listed the challenger decks and which format they’re currently legal in below.
| Challenger Decks | Legal In |
| 2018 challenger decks | Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage |
| 2019 challenger decks | Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage |
| 2020 challenger decks | Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage |
| 2021 challenger decks | Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage |
| Pioneer challenger decks | Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage |
| 2022 challenger decks *See below for the mono-white aggro deck | Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, and Vintage |
*The mono-white aggro deck contains three copies of Faceless Haven which was banned in Standard before the release of the deck. Despite this, the deck remains Standard-legal as long as you play the challenger deck exactly as it comes out of the box.
Here is Wizards of the Coast’s statement regarding the deck.
The Mono White Aggro Standard Challenger Deck set to release on April 1, 2022, will contain three copies of the now-Standard-banned Faceless Haven. In terms of what this means for tabletop and digital formats, please see below.
1. For tabletop formats: This deck will still be legal for tournament play in tabletop Magic: The Gathering formats, but only as is. Specifically, the 60-card deck and 15-card sideboard will be legal as long as no changes are made to it.
Wizards of the Coast
2. For digital formats: Both Magic: The Gathering Arena and Magic Online will be handling these bans in the same way they normally handle Standard bans. Since the challenger decks are not offered as a product on either platform, there will not be an exception to Standard legality to allow that precise list of cards in Standard play.
End Step
Challenger decks are a lot of fun for new and veteran players alike. So, if you play MTG at any level I can’t recommend them enough. Whether you’re looking to break into Standard for the first time, trying to take your Standard play to the next level, or converting last year’s decks into solid-budget Pioneer decks, I hope you have found this article helpful. Until next time, get out there and play some MTG.
