Explorer is a constructed format for MTG: Arena. It’s a true-to-tabletop format that uses all the pioneer-legal cards with the same banlist. It’s a way of filling the gaps between Arena and tabletop Pioneer, as some cards from the time haven’t remained relevant or have been reprinted. It features any cards on Arena from any set, starting with Return to Ravnica onwards.
10. Jeskai Mutate
Mutation is the name of the game here.
This deck isn’t the powerhouse it was back in its glory days, but there are still plenty of ways to take game actions. The Alchemy rebalancing has hindered Goldspan Dragon a bit in Historic, but you can still relive that golden age in Explorer… assuming you get bored of popping off with it in Standard. It’s all about the mutate for this deck, as the name suggests. It only runs three unique creatures: Vadrok, Apex of Thunder, Lore Drakkis, and Goldspan Dragon. With a playset of all three in tow, their mutate abilities can stack to make dangerous combos.
What this deck excels in:
- Lots of direct damage spells
- Dangerous mutate creatures
- Card advantage from Mazemind Tome and Valakut Awakening
- A splash of control with Unsubstantiate
Decklist:
- 4 Vadrok, Apex of Thunder
- 4 Lore Drakkis
- 4 Goldspan Dragon
- 1 Mountain
- 4 Spirebluff Canal
- 4 Raugrin Triome
- 4 Riverglide Pathway
- 4 Hengegate Pathway
- 1 Den of the Bugbear
- 1 Hall of Storm Giants
- 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
- 1 Otawara, Soaring City
- 1 Anger of the Gods
- 4 Unsubstantiate
- 1 Fire Prophecy
- 1 Mazemind Tome
- 1 Valakut Awakening
- 2 Sejiri Shelter
- 4 Spikefield Hazard
- 2 Prismari Command
- 4 Expressive Iteration
- 1 Dragon's Fire
- 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
- 2 Voltage Surge
9. Jeskai Fires
Let the forges glow
This deck makes use of some cards that can easily be lost in translation. Portable Hole is a great line of defense against creature decks, and The Birth of Meletis is a great building defender. If you can make it to the mid-game, Fires of Invention and Yorion, Sky Nomad combo is one of the most powerful strategies in Pioneer itself. Along with Agent of Treachery to grab opponent’s creatures, this deck can be a dangerous foe.
What this deck excels in:
- Good control from Narset, Parter of Veils and Portable Hole
- Strong direct damage from Anger of the Gods and Rip Apart
- Powerful planeswalkers create tokens and provide card advantage
- Optional counters in the sideboard
Decklist:
- 2 Agent of Treachery
- 4 Narset, Parter of Veils
- 4 The Wandering Emperor
- 3 Plains
- 4 Sacred Foundry
- 4 Hallowed Fountain
- 4 Sulfur Falls
- 4 Irrigated Farmland
- 1 Castle Vantress
- 1 Castle Ardenvale
- 4 Raugrin Triome
- 2 Needleverge Pathway
- 1 Hengegate Pathway
- 4 Stormcarved Coast
- 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
- 1 Otawara, Soaring City
- 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
- 4 Anger of the Gods
- 4 Fires of Invention
- 4 Omen of the Sea
- 4 The Birth of Meletis
- 4 Shark Typhoon
- 4 Transmogrify
- 3 Rip Apart
- 4 Portable Hole
- 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
- Sideboard:
- 4 Dovin's Veto
- 2 Fry
- 2 Mystical Dispute
- 4 Redcap Melee
- 2 Dream Trawler
- 1 Yorion, Sky Nomad
8. Azorius Control
Everyone likes having an extra twenty cards to work with
This deck is all about the flow. You control the flow of your enemy’s spells, their creatures, and the boardstate in general. Teferi, hero of Dominaria is definitely going to make his mark in this format, and the Azorius Control shell from Pioneer carries over pretty well. With cards like Dovin’s Veto and Absorb, you have plenty of options to block out your opponent's strategies. If you decide the board is getting a little crowded for your taste, you’ve got a full set of Depopulate to wipe it out. Between Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, and Narset, Parter of Veils, this deck has powerful card advantage engines.
What this deck excels in:
- Various options to counter enemy spells
- Plenty of ways to deal with resolved cards on the board, such as Portable Hole
- Strong card advantage from Teferi and Narset
- Optional Yorion, Sky Nomad
Decklist:
- 1 Hullbreaker Horror
- 4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
- 3 Narset, Parter of Veils
- 4 The Wandering Emperor
- 2 Plains
- 2 Island
- 4 Hallowed Fountain
- 4 Glacial Fortress
- 4 Irrigated Farmland
- 2 Field of Ruin
- 1 Castle Vantress
- 1 Castle Ardenvale
- 4 Hengegate Pathway
- 2 Hall of Storm Giants
- 4 Deserted Beach
- 1 Otawara, Soaring City
- 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
- 4 Absorb
- 2 Dovin's Veto
- 4 Omen of the Sea
- 1 Elspeth Conquers Death
- 4 Shark Typhoon
- 4 Jwari Disruption
- 3 Portable Hole
- 2 Memory Deluge
- 3 Fateful Absence
- 4 March of Otherworldly Light
- 1 Farewell
- 4 Depopulate
- Sideboard:
- 2 Lyra Dawnbringer
- 2 Dovin's Veto
- 1 Narset, Parter of Veils
- 3 Mystical Dispute
- 1 Yorion, Sky Nomad
- 1 Portable Hole
- 3 Sunset Revelry
- 1 Hullbreaker Horror
- 1 Farewell
7. Mono-Red Aggro
Mining, feasting, drinking ale. Dwarf life in a nutshell.
This deck is a certified classic. The bread and butter of aggro decks, there are years of mono-red decks to draw inspiration from. This deck focuses on using creatures as sources of damage, rather than a spell-heavy direct damage or haste creature deck. With cards like Rampaging Fercidon, Fanatical Firebrand, and Bonecrusher Giant, your opponent will be staring down some large and consistent damage. You do have a bit of chip damage ability from Play with Fire, but nothing in the way of Shock or Lightning Bolt as you may expect in a more spell-heavy mono-red deck.
What this deck excels in:
- Permanent damage from creatures like Bonecrusher Giant
- Cheap creatures like Goblin Chainwhirler help with fast starts
- Option to flex into more direct damage with Lava Coil and Redcap Melee in your sideboard
Decklist:
- 3 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
- 4 Rampaging Ferocidon
- 4 Fanatical Firebrand
- 4 Goblin Chainwhirler
- 4 Robber of the Rich
- 4 Bonecrusher Giant
- 3 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell
- 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
- 17 Mountain
- 2 Castle Embereth
- 4 Den of the Bugbear
- 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
- 4 Play with Fire
- 4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan
Sideboard:
- 1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
- 4 Lava Coil
- 3 Redcap Melee
- 4 Roiling Vortex
- 3 Chandra, Dressed to Kill
6. Rakdos Midrange
"Commander, remember that Death Titan? Well, it kind of escaped."
Is it generic? Yes. Is it effective? Also yes. Rakdos has been a popular combination for years, and with good reason. The playstyle itself is already a staple of Pioneer due to its combo of Red speed and Black utility. This deck gives you a handful of good control options that aren’t quite like the usual control mechanics; namely Thoughtseize and Duress. Both of these cards allow you to look at an opponent’s hand, and force them to discard a card of your choice. It’s very helpful, especially against combo decks.
What this deck excels in:
- Unique methods of control
- Plethora of direct kill spells
- Serious direct damage from Chandra, Torch of Defiance’s +1 and -7 ability
- Force your opponent to keep track of day/night from Graveyard Trespasser
Decklist:
- 4 Bonecrusher Giant
- 2 Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
- 4 Graveyard Trespasser
- 4 Bloodtithe Harvester
- 3 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
- 2 Sorin the Mirthless
- 1 Duress
- 4 Thoughtseize
- 2 Kolaghan's Command
- 4 Fatal Push
- 1 Bedevil
- 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
- 2 Swamp
- 2 Mountain
- 4 Blood Crypt
- 3 Fabled Passage
- 4 Blightstep Pathway
- 2 Den of the Bugbear
- 2 Hive of the Eye Tyrant
- 4 Haunted Ridge
- 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
- 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
5. Mardu Vampires
These aren't your granddad's vampires. These vampires have class. And Blood tokens.
This is a pretty classic Tribal deck for Pioneer. It had some issues holding its own against some of the more refined Pioneer lists, but moving into Mardu territory gives Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord enough potent vampires to deliver it’s full potential. As expected with Vampires, this deck plays a lot around Lifelink and Deathtouch. Gifted Aetherborn has both of these already, but Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord’s +1 ability gives both of these effects. If you use it on a vampire, you can quickly ramp your vampires up with +1/+1 counters
What this deck excels in:
- Lots of card advantage from Blood tokens
- Options to produce +1/+1 counters for Vampires
- Board control with Fatal Push and Thoughtseize
- Strong lifegain from Lifelink
Decklist:
- 4 Gifted Aetherborn
- 4 Dusk Legion Zealot
- 4 Knight of the Ebon Legion
- 3 Anje, Maid of Dishonor
- 4 Bloodtithe Harvester
- 4 Edgar, Charmed Groom
- 4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord
- 4 Thoughtseize
- 4 Fatal Push
- 3 Swamp
- 2 Godless Shrine
- 4 Blood Crypt
- 4 Brightclimb Pathway
- 4 Blightstep Pathway
- 3 Hive of the Eye Tyrant
- 4 Voldaren Estate
- 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
4. Bant Angels
Such an explosive engine from such a low-cost card
This deck specializes in gaining lots of life, moreso even than Vampires. It’s a synergistic creature deck that can pull off some explosive starts with Giada, Font of Hope. Angels are powerful in any format, and Explorer is no different. Synergy is a core feature of Angel decks. With cards like Lyra Dawnbringer, which gives other Angels +1/+1 and lifelink, Bishop of Wings, which nets you four life for every angel that comes onto the battlefield, and Youthful Valkyrie which gets +1/+1 counters for every other angel played, this deck has tons and tons of synergy which makes for very powerful angels, quickly.
What this deck excels in:
- Lots of lifegain
- Powerful synergy between Angels
- Explosive starts with some cheap, powerful creatures
Decklist:
- 2 Lyra Dawnbringer
- 4 Resplendent Angel
- 4 Bishop of Wings
- 3 Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate
- 1 Legion Angel
- 4 Skyclave Apparition
- 3 Glasspool Mimic
- 4 Youthful Valkyrie
- 4 Righteous Valkyrie
- 4 Giada, Font of Hope
- 2 Plains
- 4 Temple Garden
- 4 Hallowed Fountain
- 4 Sunpetal Grove
- 4 Branchloft Pathway
- 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
- 4 Spara's Headquarters
- 4 Collected Company
Sideboard:
- 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 3 Legion Angel
- 4 Archon of Emeria
- 4 Portable Hole
3. Orzhov Humans
You know he's a great general. Just look at all those jewels!
Humans are always a potent choice, and there’s plenty of humans to choose from in Explorer. Humans tend to either go wide or go tall, and this deck opts to go tall. Cards like Thalia’s Lieutenant and General Kudro of Drannith buff your other humans with +1/+1 counters, while others like Adeline, Resplendent Cathar can bring reinforcements in the form of tokens. This deck is a heavy creature deck with the nice, smooth curve that white decks are known for. It has the option to add some black utility in its sideboard with Thoughtseize, and a bit more of white’s signature board control from Skyclave Apparition.
What this deck excels in:
- Strong synergy between Humans
- Steady power curve
- Quickly ramp creatures into large threats
- Options for more control in your sideboard
Decklist:
- 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 4 Thraben Inspector
- 4 Thalia's Lieutenant
- 4 Benalish Marshal
- 4 Dauntless Bodyguard
- 3 General Kudro of Drannith
- 4 Luminarch Aspirant
- 3 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
- 4 Hopeful Initiate
- 4 Dire Tactics
- 8 Plains
- 4 Godless Shrine
- 4 Concealed Courtyard
- 4 Brightclimb Pathway
- 2 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
Sideboard:
- 4 Thoughtseize
- 4 Containment Priest
- 4 Skyclave Apparition
- 3 Cathar Commando
2. Jund Citadel
If you're able to tap it twice, you win. Game over.
This deck involves a bit of attrition. It’s built around creating tokens and sacrificing them to take advantage of creature effects, using cards like Mayhem Devil or Priest of Forgotten Gods. Callous Bloodmage and Woe Strider are both good options to create tokens for sacrifice, and Gilded Goose is a great Food token engine. Bolas’s Citadel is, as the name suggests, a big part of this deck. This card allows you to look at and play the top card of your library at any time, with the catch that you pay the card’s CMC with life, not mana. This is where the Food engine comes in: each Food token you sacrifice will give you three life. The other, arguably more dangerous part of Bolas’s Citadel is its sacrifice ability: you sacrifice 10 nonland permanents, and each opponent loses 10 life. You only need to get that off twice.
What this deck excels in:
- Unique play style focused on sacrificing tokens
- Plenty of utility options from creatures
- Token creation from Gilded Goose and Callous Bloodmage
- Bolas’s Citadel enables game-ending sacrifices
Decklist:
- 4 Llanowar Elves
- 4 Priest of Forgotten Gods
- 4 Mayhem Devil
- 4 Gilded Goose
- 4 Woe Strider
- 4 Callous Bloodmage
- 4 Prosperous Innkeeper
- 2 Shambling Ghast
- 4 Collected Company
- 4 Bolas's Citadel
- 1 Swamp
- 4 Overgrown Tomb
- 4 Blooming Marsh
- 4 Cragcrown Pathway
- 4 Blightstep Pathway
- 4 Darkbore Pathway
- 1 Lair of the Hydra
1. Naya Winota
She truly earns her title, joining Human and non-Human forces to become an absolute wrecking ball.
Naya Winota was a terror in both Standard and Historic, and may be one of the best decks in Explorer. Winota is an absolute powerhouse with Humans in the deck, allowing you to place a Human from the top six cards of your deck onto the battlefield when a non-Human attacks. This, combined with Esika’s Chariot, creates a deluge of Cats and Humans, all attacking together. Kenrith, the Returned King opens up lots of utility for your creatures, while Elite Spellbinder and Brutal Cathar provide some board control for those big, stompy creatures. Llanowar Elves and Paradise Druid are both great mana dorks, the latter of which allows you to access Kenrith’s blue and black abilities.
What this deck excels in:
- Lots of token from Tovolar’s Huntmaster and Esika’s Chariot
- Powerful creature ramping using Winota, Joiner of Forces
- Options to flex into more direct damage
- Strong white board control
Decklist:
- 4 Llanowar Elves
- 1 Paradise Druid
- 4 Gilded Goose
- 1 Kenrith, the Returned King
- 4 Winota, Joiner of Forces
- 2 Elite Spellbinder
- 4 Prosperous Innkeeper
- 4 Brutal Cathar
- 4 Tovolar's Huntmaster
- 4 Esika's Chariot
- 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
- 1 Forest
- 1 Plains
- 4 Sacred Foundry
- 4 Temple Garden
- 4 Stomping Ground
- 4 Cragcrown Pathway
- 4 Branchloft Pathway
- 2 Lair of the Hydra
Sideboard:
- 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 2 Knight of Autumn
- 3 Fry
- 2 Redcap Melee
- 3 Yasharn, Implacable Earth
- 2 Elite Spellbinder
