I appreciate you trying to push some lesser used archetypes to make explorer more different from pioneer, but nobody is seriously playing those because we have so many actual pioneer decks in the format. Like we have Rakdos mid, Rakdos sac, mono-g ramp, U/W control, greasefang, mono-U spirits, mono-W aggro, and enigmatic incarnation fires. The faster we get the last few decks we're missing the happier everyone will be.

If you just give us **** why do we pay money to you?

The strategy behind this anthology is both puzzling and disappointing. Clearly the Pioneer format is being prioritized quite highly by the organized play team, as it's the most common format for Regional Championships and the RCQ seasons. It's likewise apparent that the team behind these Anthologies is aware of the competitive Pioneer metagame, and has even shared a stated goal of mirroring the Pioneer and Explorer environments. And yet withholding specific cards needed to play certain decks, such as Hidden Strings in Lotus Field, deserves some kind of public acknowledgement or explanation.

What is the point of these anthologies if not to expedite the transition from Explorer to Pioneer? How do you explain the decision to add cards that see little to no play in paper or Magic Online, while simultaneously withholding cards that are format staples such as Treasure Cruise, Oath of Nissa, Chained to the Rocks, and Hidden Strings?

I would like the community to make Wizard understand how many missed opportunities they are having with Arena. Pioneer intentionally distant, Historic ruined by Digital Cards. It would take very little to make Arena their flagship platform.

Instead of adding unnecessary cards with the addition of just 25 (+ Fetches), there would even be a pseudo-modern. It would just take the will to do it.

Fetches +

1. Grief
2. Fury
3. Solitude
4. Endurance
5. Subtlety
6. Wrenn and Six
7. Murktide Regent
8. Blood Moon
9. Stoneforge Mystic
10. Urza’s Saga
11. Prismatic Ending
12. Force of Vigor
13. Dress Down
14. Force of Negation
15. Fire/Ice
16. Shardless Agent
17. Violent Outburst
18. Living End
19. Archon of Cruelty
20. Crashing Footfalls
21. Engineered Explosive
22. Dauthi Voidwalker
23. Santifier En Vec
24. Strangleroot Geist
25. Valakut, The Molten Pinnacle

This anthology is a slap in the face for every pioneer player that had hopes that one day explorer will become pioneer.

Even though it was announced that anthologies are shaped by the pioneer meta we have now proof three times that this is not the case.

Our hopes were not high and we still got let down

20+ year competitive player here, other than introducing monthly limited arena opens (which are basically a license for wizards to print money anyway), the handling of this client has been disastrous. This anthology is an especially egregious example. I cannot fathom the reasoning behind it. Even allowing for multiple "remastered" sets coming down the pipeline where you'd want to hold off on highly played pioneer cards from them, this suite of cards is unacceptable.

As fireshoes correctly pointed out, this EA3 was just a huge slap in the face to all the Arena users. Choosing cards so poorly that you managed to disenfranchise a central member of the community like fireshoes is impressive, and the fact that you didn't even provide an explanation for the card choices shows how little you care for your customers. Which is a pity, because Magic is great and it would be so much fun if you gave more relevance to player feedback

The anthology should focus more on putting Pioneer playable cards on Arena, not Accorders Shield

This Anthologie is a total disaster. If you see the historic Anthologie 7. That is a realy great Anthologie, interessting cards with a lot history and play in diffrent formats. And this explorer Anthologie is useless. 4 cards are slightly important for the format and 2 of them are unplayable because the most important parts from the combo aren't on Arena. You can finish the format in 2 or 3 Anthologies if you want. When wotc make this progess in the future, we get Pioneer 2045 or something like this

I went from spending $50-75 a set not including anthologies to converting to free to play over time.

No delve cards, Bring to Light, Chained to the Rocks, Reckless Bushwhacker?

I want to play Magic Arena more, put money into building my collecting, and I love the client - but with the last few Explorer Anthologies I feel disrespected. I never comment on anything online, I know the Magic community will gripe about anything and everything, but this has been pretty frustrating to see how the community is valued.

Explorer was supposed to be a temp solution until enough pioneer cards were brought to arena which is fine but with this anthology it doesn't seem like you are working towards that promised goal. Do better!

This anthology is borderline insulting to people who want Pioneer. The playerbase of MTG:A is not going to migrate to MO and thus the only way (and the promised way) is to bring Pioneer to MTG:A. And yeah, we want Pioneer, not more kitcken magic, so we only care about cards that see play in the format, specially those keys to some archetypes.

We have lands with no play and some other usless cards. We miss 5-6 staples to bring arena several meta decks. Disaster

I want to play Pioneer on Arena because it's my favorite format, but you guys are making fun of your player base for a few dollars. You'll see the consequences of this on the long run, that's for sure

Unfortunately a missed opportunity to move the format closer to the intended state of reflecting Pioneer.

Voting

Go check companies like Theranos.
They promised.
And they lied.
What you are doing to us is exactly the same.
You promised.
And you lied.

Please focus on explorer it is one of the better formats on arena and would only get better with the cards needed to make the pioneer decks playable

It is disheartening to see that WotC does not moving on to bring "cards that matter" to the exlporer.

This anthology has been a massive disaster, with so few playable cards in it. I understand that you are making these months in advance. But with the goal making explorer as close to pioneer as possible this has missed majorly. There has been a similar set of cards that have seen consistent play that haven't been added. Those cards should be a priority, not these brawl centric cards. If you want to do that add them to the historic one or make a brawl anthology