Pioneer: Nykthos Ramp - Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

Mono-Green Ramp was the best deck in Pioneer for a long time, but, after Karn, the Great Creator was banned, it was considered "dead" and ended up forgotten. Now, it is returning to the meta bit by bit, and is already one of the most popular decks in the format again!

The current list is really similar to the classic 2019 version, which played a lot of ramp so you could put your threats in play faster. On the other side, the current version includes the strongest elements from the combo-focused version, like Storm the Festival and Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner.

We can say that these three cards are all cogs in the core engine of Nykthos Ramp. Nykthos is the card that names this list - without it, Mono-Green is only a green deck full of expensive cards. However, to get the most out of this land, you need Devotion, and that's when you'll use dorks like Llanowar Elves. They'll accelerate your mana curve, and improve the Kiora side of this deck even more.

Storm the Festival will fill the board for you, and many times let you create even more mana - which, in turn, means you'll be able to fill the board even more.

Oath of Nissa and Invasion of Ixalan are similar, as they both let you get a permanent from the top of your deck. You'll usually play them to find Nykthos, Kiora, or another piece. The difference is that you can turn Invasion of Ixalan into a creature with Trample later on.

Leyline of the Guildpact replaced Wolfwillow Haven. It will give us the explosiveness we need in the first few turns, even though we might get an opening hand without a single copy of it. It might essentially be useless when we draw it later on, but I don't see much difference between this and drawing a Wolfwillow Haven later on. Nonetheless, Haven certainly won't give us such a strong initial turn as Leyline of the Guildpact.

Cavalier of Thorns and Troll will give you the Devotion you need, so you should play them as fast as possible. Cavalier can also get Nykthos for you, or let you create even more mana by keeping a new Nykthos in play. Outcaster works really well as a card draw, and also creates more mana for you while it is in play.

This creature is basically a finisher in this list, as it lets you attack with everything you have after you throw your entire deck on the board. It represents a lethal amount of damage in nearly all situations.

Mulligan and Game Style

Though this deck lost its combo-focused side, it still plays like a combo. Your goal is to jump ahead in mana so you can put as many creatures as possible in play. For this reason, you must plan your turns really well, particularly your first few turns.

This hand is interesting, as it has Nykthos, mana dorks, and ways to find important pieces. However, it might end up too slow, as you'll have to rely on luck to try to find what you need in the top cards in your deck, and the only card with a lot of Devotion is Cavalier, which you won't be able to put in play any time soon.

This hand is excellent. It gives you Devotion 5 as early as turn 2, and, with Kiora, you'll be able to accelerate your game plan even more.

This hand is quite tempting, but it relies a lot on the next land drops you'll get, and there's a huge chance you'll simply get stuck with the first land you get. The best way to handle it is to mulligan it.

Why Play Nykthos Ramp?

This deck lost a lot when Karn was banned, but this new build gave it a new life. Now, it focuses a lot more on creating value with your creatures, and can give you explosive starts. You might play entire turns alone very early on, and even win the game on that very same turn.

So, if you enjoy complex decks full of impactful creatures as well as combos, this is an excellent choice. It is also quite fun, and has recently stood out in the metagame with solid performances!

Pros and Cons

Nykthos is relatively consistent, as it has great opening turns that can lead you to explosive turns later on. It can also face most of the metagame on the same ground.

However, it is a bit more complex, so you'll need to understand it really well to pilot it really well. The iconic mana dork on turn 1 play can easily be used against you if your opponent has removals like Fatal Push to answer. Furthermore, there are many other decks in the meta with powerful interactions that put Nykthos in vulnerable situations.

This sideboard is quite different from the sideboard of the Karn version, as that sideboard worked more like a toolbox, as well as an extension, of the main deck. This sideboard is more traditional - it tries to even out most matchups and improve them for Nykthos.

Wicked Wolf is useful in this list more because it fights another creature than because of its indestructible. It deals with problematic creatures.

Tranquil Frillback is another hate piece against cards like Damping Sphere, which can disrupt Nykthos' game plan quite severely.

Tyrranax Rex and Pithing Needle are excellent against control decks, and The Mightstone and Weakstone is very versatile - it will be useful in many situations.

Cityscape Leveler is a value-based creature that goes into play, immediately affects the game state, and fits this deck really well. The Stone Brain removes any enemy resource you want.

Vs. Gruul Aggro

Gruul Aggro is another Prowess variant that uses cards like Heartfire Hero and Emberheart Challenger. This build is really similar to what Gruul is in Standard, with Innkeeper's Talent and Questing Druid.

Gruul can put pressure on you incredibly fast, so you'll have to be even faster. Try to get the best opening hand you can, as well as great card draw.

Try to stick your big creatures on the board as fast as possible, and get as much as you can from Old-Growth Troll when you block with it. Thanks to its ability, you'll be able to use its Devotion to create more mana. If all goes well, you'll be able to fill the board fast enough to stabilize and start turning the game back around.

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Vs. Izzet Phoenix

Izzet Phoenix is still one of the best decks in the format, and, as such, I still consider this matchup quite complicated. Your opponent will have many cards to deal with your first few creatures, and might create a lot of value quite fast.

Cavalier of Thorns is an important creature in this matchup because it can deal with "flying" attacks, but this won't be enough. You'll need to build a solid board, as fast as you can, to finish the game.

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Vs. Azorius Control

In this matchup, your biggest issue will be global removals and counters, which Azorius plays lots of. A Supreme Verdict resolved at the right time is basically the end of the road for you. However, you can still win this!

Azorius Control sometimes starts out really slow, which will give you time to develop your game plan. Use your turns well, don't waste any opportunity to deal damage, and always be careful with your opponent's removals. Play around their counters too.

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Vs. Nykthos Ramp

The mirror is always interesting to see, and, in this case, it is even more, as it is a combo mirror. The player with the best starting hand and the best draws will be the winner, so make good choices and try to play the right cards at the right times.

This matchup will hardly drag out for several turns. Once one of you gets going, it will practically be impossible for the other player to stop it. Post-side, there are a few useful pieces that can improve this matchup and give you some advantage.

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Vs. Rakdos Midrange

Rakdos Midrange is currently the most popular deck in the format. It plays a few of the best cards in Pioneer, and can deal with enemy threats all while it controls enemy resources with disruption. Yet, it is actually not that difficult as a matchup.

Look for hands with lots of creatures, as you'll need as many of them as you can get to progress your game plan while they force you to discard your cards.

If you handle it well in the first few turns, you'll be able to overcome the value Rakdos can create, and literally mow your opponent down!

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Without Karn, this archetype might actually have gone through some rough days, but the worst has already passed. Now, this deck is solid, strong, and as explosive as ever. Considering most of the metagame is Prowess and Midranges, Mono-Green can stay under the radar but still take advantage of the opportunities it gets. If you enjoy Nykthos Ramp, now is the best time to return to this list!

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Thank you for reading, and see you next time!