Pioneer: Boros Burn (2025) - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Boros Burn was my most played Pioneer deck in 2020 and 2021. At the time, the combination of Lurrus of the Dream-Den with a cheap damage package and efficient creatures made it one of the best archetypes in the format and the most consistent Aggro in the Metagame.

But times have changed. Lurrus of the Dream-Den has been banned, and while red Aggros have managed to maintain a permanent spot in the Metagame, they are now more dedicated to the Prowess variants with the package of Heartfire Hero, Emberheart Challenger and Manifold Mouse, which provide a more resilient flow of pressure.

Burn, however, is not an archetype that is dying out. A few weeks ago, the deck took the Top 8 in one of Magic Online's Pioneer Challenges and has been posting some recent results. In this article, I present my current deck setup with a guide to the main matchups of the current Metagame!

This is the list I've been using in Magic Arena ranked matches over the past few weeks. Unlike the Prowess builds, our goal is less about establishing the beatdown and more about dealing as much damage as possible to the opponent with each spell.

There are many options and routes we can take with Burn in Pioneer. Some lists opt for a Wizard package to gain access to Wizard's Lightning, while others opt for cards like Viashino Pyromancer to increase the damage output, and there are also builds that try to combine Burn with Prowess to attack on two different fronts.

In this build, I'm going for the plan of focusing exclusively on Burn. Our creatures, except for Monastery Swiftspear, care much more about punishing the opponent's actions, dealing damage without having to enter the combat phase, which makes it easier to create a more consistent proposition without losing steam so quickly.

Maindeck

Monastery Swiftspear is our main attacker and means of exerting pressure on the board. With it, Play with Fire turns into Lightning Bolt and Lightning Helix turns into Warleader's Helix for two mana, allowing us to increase the range and speed with which we can close the game, especially in non-interactive games.

Eidolon of the great Revel can be punishing for us, but it is even more so for the opponent in most games. It's common for them to need to waste removal on it so they don't get punished too much in the long run, and even if they do, two damage and one less card in hand is already an advantage for us.

Especially if we sequence Screaming Nemesis the next turn, which has a good impact on the board and can be used together with our Burns to prevent the opponent from gaining life, in addition to punishing blockers.

Our burns.

The cards above only hit the opponent and, therefore, do not interact with the board, but they are essential to make this deck work.

Boltwave is the closest thing to Lightning Bolt that we have in the format, and has become one of the best Burn spells of all time for making the famous exchange of one mana for three damage without specific conditions.

Skullcrack is the least impressive of our spells, but it has the essential function of preventing the opponent from gaining life. There are rare situations where the ability to prevent damage is also relevant.

Boros Charm is our only spell capable of dealing four damage, and its other modes can be used to increase combat damage in some situations.

Burn spells that can be used for board control as well. It is common to need to go this route in Aggro mirrors, and one of the biggest weaknesses of this version when compared to Prowess lists is that we have less permanent power on the board.

Play with Fire is an improved Shock and a more efficient way to deal with one-drops or get a smaller blocker out of the way of Monastery Swiftspear on turn two, and if we need it, it can also be a source of damage to the opponent with the bonus of filtering the top.

Lightning Helix is the best Lightning Strike variant we have in Boros colors and the life gain is key in Aggro mirrors, such as against Prowess or Selesnya Company decks

Skewer the Critics requires a bit of work, but with so many cheap ways to deal damage, we don't need to put much effort into turning it into a Lightning Bolt

Searing Blood is a card that we usually see in the Sideboard, but it is well-positioned in the Metagame right now to deal with smaller threats while increasing the pressure on the opponent. Don't forget that in the absence of other targets, you can use it on Screaming Nemesis to deal damage to the opponent while triggering Monastery Swiftspear.

Ramunap Ruins, Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance and Den of the Bugbear help keep the pressure on the opponent in longer games, especially in games where we need to target our spells on creatures or Planeswalkers, or when the opponent can catch their breath for a few turns.

Our mana base is complemented by twelve untapped duals. Since we have a low number of mountains, the new Sunbillow Verge, which primarily generates , doesn't deserve a slot in an archetype where we always want on the first turn.

Sideboard

Magebane Lizard primarily plays against archetypes that cast multiple spells in one turn, such as Izzet Phoenix and Lotus Combo, but it also works in Prowess decks to pull in some extra damage, while its 1/4 body is a decent block to guarantee another turn.

Roiling Vortex plays against Control lists and also against combos that try to bypass mana costs, such as the aforementioned Lotus Combo or Quintorius Kand lists.

Rampaging Ferocidon is mainly played against Aggro lists like Humans or Selesnya Company and in games where we need to constantly prevent the opponent from gaining life, like against Angels.

Roast is our best removal against Sheoldred, the Apocalypse and other large creatures in Midrange decks. It is worth mentioning that we can also use it with Screaming Nemesis to deal five damage to the opponent.

Rending Volley is great against Spirits, Humans, Greasefang, Okiba Boss and Selesnya Company as a cheap and unconditional removal that can dodge common counterspells. It is possible to add it against Izzet Phoenix if the opponent's list still has the Ledger Shredder or Thing in the Ice package.

Torch the Tower is an extra removal against Aggro and is also a decent answer against Arclight Phoenix for just one mana.

Get Lost offers versatile removal against three categories of permanents and often comes into play in games where we need to immediately deal with a larger creature, enchantment, or Planeswalker, such as Nykthos Ramp.

Rakdos Demons

IN

OUT

Gruul / Rakdos Prowess

IN

OUT

Note: It's tempting to stick with Eidolon of the Great Revel in these games, but with Prowess moving away from Slickshot Show-Off and focusing on the mice package, they have an easier time playing around Eidolon than Boros Burn.

Izzet Phoenix

IN

OUT

Lotus Combo

IN

OUT

Nykthos Ramp

IN

OUT

Selesnya Company

IN

OUT

That's all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!