How to beat Izzet Prowess in Pioneer
Over the last 90 days of recorded Pioneer matches, the decks with the best results against Izzet Prowess are Mono-Black Midrange (91% over 11 matches), Abzan Greasefang (64% over 11 matches) and Golgari Midrange (63% over 8 matches). Mono-Black Midrange's 91% sits in a 95% range of 62%–98%, which is the range a 11-match sample actually supports. The decks with the best records against it most often carry Ashiok, Dream Render, Unlicensed Hearse and Duress in the sideboard — those are their sideboards in general, not cards chosen for this matchup.
Best records against Izzet Prowess
Matches played in the last 90 days, from events that publish round-by-round pairings. Ranked by the bottom of each 95% range, not by the headline percentage, so a small sample cannot outrank a large one.
| Deck | Win rate vs Izzet Prowess | Record | Matches | Sample | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mono-Black Midrange | 90.9% | 10-1 | 11 | Medium sample | 62%–98% |
| Abzan Greasefang | 63.6% | 7-4 | 11 | Medium sample | 35%–85% |
| Golgari Midrange | 62.5% | 5-3 | 8 | Medium sample | 31%–86% |
| Azorius Control | 66.7% | 4-2 | 6 | Low sample | 30%–90% |
| Izzet Midrange | 60.0% | 3-2 | 5 | Low sample | 23%–88% |
- High sample · 20+ matches
- Medium sample · 8–19 matches
- Low sample · 5–7 matches
25 further pairings (48 matches) fall below the 5-match floor and are not given a percentage. Full history, retired archetypes included, is on Izzet Prowess's archetype page and in the Pioneer matchup matrix.
What the decks that beat Izzet Prowess bring
Sideboard cards run by Mono-Black Midrange, Abzan Greasefang, Golgari Midrange, Azorius Control, Izzet Midrange. This is not a sideboard guide for this matchup. We record who beat whom, not what either player boarded, so these are whole-sideboard frequencies across every matchup those decks play — a hint about the kind of card that punishes Izzet Prowess, not a list to bring in.
| Card | Decks running it | Average copies | Which decks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashiok, Dream Render | 4 of 5 | 1.0 | Mono-Black Midrange, Abzan Greasefang, Golgari Midrange, Izzet Midrange |
| Unlicensed Hearse | 3 of 5 | 1.7 | Mono-Black Midrange, Abzan Greasefang, Golgari Midrange |
| Duress | 3 of 5 | 1.6 | Mono-Black Midrange, Abzan Greasefang, Golgari Midrange |
| Mystical Dispute | 2 of 5 | 1.7 | Azorius Control, Izzet Midrange |
| Invoke Despair | 2 of 5 | 1.6 | Mono-Black Midrange, Golgari Midrange |
| Change the Equation | 2 of 5 | 1.3 | Azorius Control, Izzet Midrange |
| Go Blank | 2 of 5 | 1.1 | Mono-Black Midrange, Golgari Midrange |
| Kutzil's Flanker | 1 of 5 | 2.2 | Azorius Control |
| Rest in Peace | 1 of 5 | 2.0 | Azorius Control |
| Abrade | 1 of 5 | 2.0 | Izzet Midrange |
| Culling Ritual | 1 of 5 | 1.9 | Golgari Midrange |
| Beza, the Bounding Spring | 1 of 5 | 1.7 | Azorius Control |
Average copies is expected copies per deck — average copies played multiplied by the share of that archetype's lists running the card — so a 4-of in half the lists reads as 2.0.
Decks Izzet Prowess beats
The other end of the same table. If you are choosing a deck to attack Izzet Prowess with, the record argues against these.
| Deck | Win rate vs Izzet Prowess | Record | Matches | Sample | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mono-Red Prowess | 40.0% | 2-3 | 5 | Low sample | 12%–77% |
- High sample · 20+ matches
- Medium sample · 8–19 matches
- Low sample · 5–7 matches
Questions
What beats Izzet Prowess in Pioneer?
Across the last 90 days, Mono-Black Midrange (91% over 11 matches), Abzan Greasefang (64% over 11 matches) and Golgari Midrange (63% over 8 matches) hold the best recorded results against Izzet Prowess. Records come from events that publish round-by-round pairings, and both decks in a match have to be identified for it to count, so these are the pairings we can see rather than every match played.
What should I bring in against Izzet Prowess?
We do not have sideboard choices tied to individual matches, so this is not a sideboard guide. What the data supports is narrower: the 5 decks with the best records against Izzet Prowess — Mono-Black Midrange, Abzan Greasefang, Golgari Midrange, Azorius Control and Izzet Midrange — most commonly run Ashiok, Dream Render, Unlicensed Hearse, Duress, Mystical Dispute and Invoke Despair in their sideboards. Those are whole-sideboard frequencies across every matchup those decks play.
What does Izzet Prowess beat?
Izzet Prowess's best recorded matchups over the same window are Mono-Red Prowess (60% across 5 matches). If you are picking a deck to attack Izzet Prowess with, these are the ones the record argues against.
How reliable are these Pioneer matchup numbers?
Not very, and the page says so per row rather than in aggregate. Every pairing shows its match count, its sample band and a 95% range; the strongest band we award is 20+ matches, which is still roughly a ±20-point range around the figure shown. Pairings under 5 matches are counted but never given a percentage — there are 25 of those for Izzet Prowess right now. Rankings use the bottom of each range rather than the headline percentage, so a small sample cannot outrank a large one it has not earned.
What period does this cover?
Matches played in the last 90 days, filtered on when each match was actually played. Archetypes that have dropped out of the Pioneer metagame are excluded from the ranking — their historical records are still on Izzet Prowess's own archetype page and in the format matchup matrix.
What each number on this site measures, and where it is least reliable, is set out on the methodology page.