Is Commander Legends Legal in Pioneer? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer is: No, the cards from the original Commander Legends set are not legal in Pioneer. While the set was designed to be a powerful addition to the Commander format and other eternal formats, it was not printed with Pioneer legality in mind. This means you won’t find any Commander Legends cards in Pioneer decks, regardless of how strong they might seem. However, there’s more to the story than just this simple answer, so let’s delve into the specifics and explore related questions about card legality in Magic: The Gathering.
Understanding Card Legality in Magic: The Gathering
Before we dive deeper into Commander Legends, it’s crucial to understand how card legality works in Magic: The Gathering. Each format—Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander—has a specific set of rules dictating which cards are allowed. These rules are not arbitrary; they’re designed to ensure that the gameplay is balanced and reflects the format’s intended spirit.
- Standard includes the most recent sets and rotates frequently.
- Pioneer includes all premier sets starting with Return to Ravnica and onward, excluding specific banned cards.
- Modern includes cards from Eighth Edition and onward.
- Legacy and Vintage are considered “eternal formats”, with almost all cards (except specific bans) being legal.
- Commander (also known as Elder Dragon Highlander or EDH) is another eternal format, with some specific cards banned to maintain balance.
The key takeaway for our purposes: Not every set is legal in every format. Sets are typically designed with a specific format or formats in mind.
Why Isn’t Commander Legends Pioneer Legal?
The original Commander Legends set was created to enhance the Commander experience with new cards designed specifically for multiplayer games. It’s part of a series of sets that are aimed at non-Standard formats. These sets are typically not meant to be legal in constructed formats like Standard, Pioneer, and Modern. They are considered “supplemental sets,” or “direct-to-eternal” sets, meaning their primary purpose is to support eternal formats.
Furthermore, Pioneer only includes cards from “premier sets,” meaning those that were legal in Standard at their initial release. Because Commander Legends was not legal in Standard, it automatically is excluded from Pioneer legality.
Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate – A Slight Twist
It’s important not to confuse the original Commander Legends with Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate. While Battle for Baldur’s Gate shares the Commander Legends branding, it is still a supplemental set designed primarily for Commander, Legacy, and Vintage. The situation is much the same here as it is with the original Commander Legends: cards from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate are not legal in Pioneer.
Exceptions to the Rule
There is a slight exception here, specifically for Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate. This is a digital set, separate from the Battle for Baldur’s Gate paper release, and it is legal in Alchemy, Historic, and Historic Brawl. If any of the cards included in Alchemy Horizons: Baldur’s Gate happen to be part of a Pioneer-legal set, then those specific cards would be Pioneer legal, but the primary digital set is not legal in Pioneer
FAQs: Common Questions About Card Legality
To further clarify things, here are some Frequently Asked Questions related to card legality, focusing on Commander and Pioneer.
1. What Formats are Commander Legends Cards Legal In?
Commander Legends cards are legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Pauper (for common rarity cards from Unfinity). They are not legal in Standard, Pioneer, or Modern.
2. Are Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate Cards Pioneer Legal?
No, cards with the CLB set code from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate are not legal in Pioneer. They are primarily designed for Commander, Legacy, and Vintage.
3. What is a “Premier Set” in Relation to Pioneer?
A premier set is any Magic: The Gathering expansion set that was initially legal in Standard upon its release. Pioneer only considers premier sets starting with Return to Ravnica as legal.
4. Why aren’t supplemental sets Pioneer Legal?
Supplemental sets, such as Commander Legends, Modern Horizons, and Jumpstart, are generally designed for formats outside of Standard and aren’t included in the Pioneer card pool. They don’t go through the “Standard” format and bypass that system.
5. Is Sol Ring legal in Pioneer?
Yes, Sol Ring is legal in Pioneer, as the latest gatherer rules indicate this.
6. What cards are banned in Pioneer?
As of October 10th, 2023, the following cards are banned in Pioneer: Balustrade Spy, Bloodstained Mire, and Expressive Iteration. Walking Ballista was also banned to disrupt certain strategies, but is now unbanned.
7. What card sets are legal in Modern?
Modern legal sets include all regular core sets and expansions starting from Eighth Edition onwards, including cards from specific supplemental sets such as the Timeshifted cards in Time Spiral, Planeswalker Decks, and Buy-a-Box promos.
8. Are Secret Lair cards legal in Commander?
Yes, Secret Lair cards are legal in eternal formats like Commander, Legacy, and Vintage, provided they are not banned or otherwise excluded by being a silver-bordered, gold-bordered, or acorn stamped card.
9. Are Unfinity cards legal in Commander?
Yes, Unfinity eternal cards are legal in the Commander, Legacy, and Vintage formats, while common cards are legal in Pauper.
10. What makes a card legal as a Commander?
Any legendary creature or card that specifically states “This card can be your Commander” is eligible to be a commander in Commander games.
11. What is banned in Commander?
The Commander banned list includes cards that reference “playing for ante,” and cards with racially or culturally offensive art, names, or text. Some individual cards like Braids, Cabal Minion, Mox Amber, and Panoptic Mirror are also banned.
12. Why is Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow banned?
Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow is banned as a commander only, but is legal in the 99 of a deck.
13. Why is Biorhythm banned in Commander?
Biorhythm is banned because in today’s meta, with far more powerful creatures, it is a card that can cause the auto-loss or auto-draw situations which are deemed undesirable for the Commander format.
14. Why is Panoptic Mirror banned?
Panoptic Mirror is banned due to its potential to repeatedly cast powerful spells like Time Warp, leading to the quick shut-down of a game.
15. What cards are NOT legal in Commander?
Generally, all cards are legal in Commander with the exceptions of: silver-bordered, gold-bordered, or acorn-stamped cards, cards on the Commander ban list, and cards from other unsupported product lines.
Conclusion
In summary, while Commander Legends has brought many powerful and exciting cards to the Commander format, they remain firmly outside of the Pioneer meta. Understanding the nuances of card legality is essential for enjoying the diverse formats that Magic: The Gathering has to offer. Hopefully, this article has provided a clear explanation of why Commander Legends cards are not Pioneer legal and answered related questions you may have had. Always consult the official Wizards of the Coast resources for the most up-to-date information on card legality and bans.