With the spoiler season coming to a rap, we can already start to see some new archetypes emerging as well as old ones strengthening. What decks will you play post rotation? Which do you think look to be the strongest? Here is a deck I am considering, Black/White Warriors.
I'm updating my pet deck, G/R Monsters (Old school monsters, not the more aggressive version) but strangely enough, it's only running (currently) one card from Fate Reforged, and that's just a one-of. However, the list now runs black for Murderous Cut. Because Murderous Cut is a card I really want to try out in a monsters shell, because I've been missing my hard removal from my days of playing black. Crater's Claws is often not great against stuff like Rhino (though it's still good enough to get two slots in my 75)
I'm also interesting in Manifest, actually. Temur War Shaman and Wildcall really caught my eye from the spoiler. War Shaman has an interesting ability and decent stats, and Wildcall just seems like a cool card in general. Might try to see if Manifest makes the morph deck any more playable. I feel like Trail of Mystery might actually have a chance to shine. The +2/+2 goes very well with War Shaman. There may be a deck there. Not sure.
Soulflayer is another interesting card, probably a new pet card as well, alongside the War Shaman. And speaking of Sultai Demons, I still need to find a home for Necropolis Fiend, one of my biggest pet cards from Khans.
Jeskai tokens, probably, as it's the only deck I have most of the pieces for already (aside from the lands and a certain notable Fate Reforged card). Might put together a manifests deck (green and two or three of blue/white/red) if the pieces stay affordable. Ditto for a Jund reanimator list (nice combination of natural recursion and potentially potent gimmicks in those colors - there's a good Whip list in there somewhere). Ditto again for a deck of low-cost legends with Hero's Blade (might just buy a bunch of 1-ofs and see what works: worst case, I have a bunch of possible commanders for the future). Alternatively, cry because the deck I really want to play - R/W Burn with Soulfire Grand Master and Monastery Mentor - is almost definitely going to be firmly out of my price range.
I'm probably going to cut a good number of one- and two-drops to add more removal and top-end stuff, like Brutal Hordechief. Heck, maybe I should just build Mardu Tokens with the Hordechief and stuff like Raise the Alarm, Mardu Charm, and Hordeling Outburst.
The problem with defining this format by what is "fun" is that everyone seems to define fun as what they don't lose to. If you keep losing to easily answered cards, that means you should improve your deck. If you don't want to improve your deck, then you should come to peace with the idea that you are going to lose because you chose to not interact with better strategies.
I know I'd really like to play G/u NiRaGin. But that's contingent on me getting enough Ugins and then I need to track down a couple of Kioras. So instead I might try a Temur Ascendency deck I've been kicking around
That's what I came up with before spoilers. Obviously there are some weaklinks, like Crystalline Nautilus, that can be replaced with stuff like Yasova Dragonclaw, Frost Walker, Shaman of the Great Hunt, or Flamewake Phoenix. That last one doesn't have 4 power, but works well in the deck. The idea is to hopefully get an ascendency on the board and then chain together 4 drops, hopefully two a turn. I wasn't gonna bother with it thought because it's big weakness is it has almost 0 interaction. But I think some of the power of the cards that are coming out can allow me to win despite that. I might give that one a go.
I'll be playing my own version of Jeskai Tokens. It's set up to be a counter burn shell that poops me tokens to back up my burn and provide chump blockers until I can overwhelm them. Still playing around with land and haven't really edited it, I think there's a solid amount of counters where I can stop whatever midrange can put out. The TC allows me to draw more steam but I'm debating about turning those into Digs. The burn hurts pretty badly, and Dictate has actually been an all star. Nobody expects it to be flashed in, and they don't side in enchantment removal. So my burn hits them hard and a single lightning strike becomes a huge removal tool. The Monastery Mentor comes down and from that point on my counters become tokens and my burn becomes triggers. It's hard to deal with when you have the support to defend him. The sideboard is obviously still in testing but the Grandmaster will probably be staying against matchups where I have difficulty stabilizing my life and for grindier matchups so I can buy back burn and counters.
I'm running w/u heroic right now so if I leave that it will probably be w/u control just because of the new blue exile spell. That deck severly needed an instant spell to deal with creatures who made it to the field and I think that is going to help it alot.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Trying to make crappy pet cards work since 2002.
I'm usually typing quickly at work or on my phone so I appolize from the crummy grammar
Really leaning towards UB Control though I'd love to sleeve up Gx (all of the other colors seem like strong splashes), Mono Red / Mono Green Devotion, Temur, BW warriors, Abzan, Sultai, or Mardu. I refuse to play Jeskai on principle.
Well, just made up MY mind, having seen all of the spoilers. I'm gonna try to make a mono black Waste Not deck work, and I'm probably gonna be trying a Sultai delve aggro deck out too.
This looks to be a really fun upcoming standard, I can't wait to see what people are playing!
I think BW warriors seems interesting, but I also think RW tokens will get a big push. It was already one of the top decks and it got a lot of tools in the new set.
I feel like warriors will be a fringe deck. Something that's respectable at FNM, but never makes a splash in larger scenes. That said, weird tribal decks are fun, and I might build B/W warriors if it ends up being relatively cheap.
Again, though, if I have to build a weird deck, it'll be morph/manifest. Something with this shell:
I have a mardu warriors deck that i want to try and rebuild with all the stuff available not completely sure how to go about it though. I could stay with the smaller stuff and and do some recursion with Alesha and maybe Athreos or use butch and hordechief as my finishers with Rabblemaster
I think that Reality Shift is the real deal, and U/x options will literally open up because of this card. Particularly G/U which never had a chance, because it never had removal for problem cards. All the straight blue bounce cards aren't effective enough, but now with a great "kill" spell, blue doesnt HAVE to lean into red or black or white.
In a format (currently) full of low toughness guys who are just screaming to be Anger of the Gods'd, I would give G/R midrange a shot. That deck got a lot of gas with the new set.
I've been playtesting Master of the Games with really awesome results in my blue/white control, with two Whelming Waves in the deck.
My favorite so far has been Abzan Bolster, which is an Abzan aggro deck with Warden of the First Tree, Dragonscale General, Honor's Reward, and Valorous Stance...
I think with no effective edicts currently, but for Crackling doom, I might play test Merciless Executioner as an edict.
My other successful playtest has been with Palace Siege in an esper control deck. I know, I know, people keep thinking it won't work, but, been managing to control the board by turn 6, Palace Siege, which can eat away at their life total each turn, while you wait for Ugin or Pearl Lake to come out and finish the game. Meanwhile, as you keep clearing the board, any turn your opponent doesn't drop a creature, is a turn you're building up 2 life. Get two out, and forget about it. An 8 point life swing each turn isn't something most people can deal with.
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Mardu Woe-Reaper
4 Mardu Shadowspear
4 Mardu Skullhunter
4 Chief of the Edge
4 Chief of the Scale
4 Mardu Strike Leader
4 Despise
4 Suspension Field
4 Utter End
Lands
10 Plains
10 Swamp
Although this was made with Khans in mind, it could easily be reverted back to Standard.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
4 Ajani's Pridemate
4 Nyx-Fleece Ram
4 Watcher of the Roost
Noncreatures
4 Soul Summons
2 Mastery of the Unseen
2 Spirit Bonds
4 Banishing Light
4 Lightform
4 Skybind
4 Ghostfire Blade
14 Plains
4 Temple of Plenty
2 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
4 Radiant Fountain
I've been wanting to play Skybind in Standard for a long time, and now that Manifest is a thing, I'm not turning it down!
4 Ornithopter
4 Generator servant
4 Scuttling doom engine
4 Renowned Weaponsmith
2 Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest
3 Ghostfire Blade
2 Springleaf Drum
2 Traveler's Amulet
Sorcery: (3)
3 Divination
Enchantment: (4)
4 Ensoul Artifact
4 Shrapnel Blast
2 Stoke the Flames
2 Titan's Strength
Land: (20)
4 Darksteel Citadel
5 Island
7 Mountain
4 Shivan Reef
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Courser of Kruphix
4 Ashcloud Phoenix
2 Polukranos, World Eater
4 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Hornet Queen
1 Atarka, World Render
3 Genesis Hydra
Instants and Sorceries
3 Murderous Cut
1 Crater's Claws
2 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
Land
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Temple of Abandon
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Llanowar Wastes
1 Swamp
4 Mountain
10 Forest
3 Destructive Revelry
3 Hornet Nest
3 Anger of the Gods
3 Nylea's Disciple
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
1 Crater's Claws
1 Genesis Hydra
That'll be my starting point, anyway.
I'm also interesting in Manifest, actually. Temur War Shaman and Wildcall really caught my eye from the spoiler. War Shaman has an interesting ability and decent stats, and Wildcall just seems like a cool card in general. Might try to see if Manifest makes the morph deck any more playable. I feel like Trail of Mystery might actually have a chance to shine. The +2/+2 goes very well with War Shaman. There may be a deck there. Not sure.
Soulflayer is another interesting card, probably a new pet card as well, alongside the War Shaman. And speaking of Sultai Demons, I still need to find a home for Necropolis Fiend, one of my biggest pet cards from Khans.
WUBRGCommander Decklists - PaperWUBRG
CCCCCommander Decklists - TheorycraftCCCC
Sig Credit: Pegasus Bishop
There are options. I like having options.
After that, I made this super low-to-the-ground Warriors list.
4 Tormented Hero
4 Mardu Shadowspear
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Chief of the Edge
3 Chief of the Scale
4 War-Name Aspirant
4 Battle Brawler
2 Mardu Strike Leader
3 Mardu Charm
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
4 Caves of Koilos
4 Mana Confluence
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Mountain
3 Swamp
I'm probably going to cut a good number of one- and two-drops to add more removal and top-end stuff, like Brutal Hordechief. Heck, maybe I should just build Mardu Tokens with the Hordechief and stuff like Raise the Alarm, Mardu Charm, and Hordeling Outburst.
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Polukranos, World Eater
2 Genesis Hydra
3 Swarmborn Giant
4 Savage Knuckleblade
4 Boon Satyr
4 Alpine Grizzly
2 Crystalline Nautilus
3 Forgeborn Oreads
4 Temur Ascendency
22 lands
That's what I came up with before spoilers. Obviously there are some weaklinks, like Crystalline Nautilus, that can be replaced with stuff like Yasova Dragonclaw, Frost Walker, Shaman of the Great Hunt, or Flamewake Phoenix. That last one doesn't have 4 power, but works well in the deck. The idea is to hopefully get an ascendency on the board and then chain together 4 drops, hopefully two a turn. I wasn't gonna bother with it thought because it's big weakness is it has almost 0 interaction. But I think some of the power of the cards that are coming out can allow me to win despite that. I might give that one a go.
2x Disdainful Stroke
3x Dissolve
2x Negate
1x Nullify
2x Mindswipe
Card draw
3x Jace's Ingenuity
3x Treasure Cruise
Burn
2x Dictate of the Twin Gods
2x Jeskai Charm
4x Lightning Strike
2x Magma Jet
2x Anger of the Gods
3x Stoke the Flames
1x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
3x Monastery Mentor
Lands
3x Battlefield Forge
3x Flooded Strand
2x Island
2x Mountain
4x Mystic Monastery
2x Plains
3x Shivan Reef
2x Temple of Epiphany
4x Temple of Triumph
1x Anger of the Gods
3x End Hostilities
2x Erase
3x Goblin Rabblemaster
1x Magma Jet
2x Magma Spray
1x Negate
2x Soulfire Grand Master
Find me on TappedOut also!
Trade with me!! Always in search of cards!
I'm usually typing quickly at work or on my phone so I appolize from the crummy grammar
Super excited to see where the format goes.
This looks to be a really fun upcoming standard, I can't wait to see what people are playing!
A comic about the world's most addictive game, Magic: The Gathering.
Again, though, if I have to build a weird deck, it'll be morph/manifest. Something with this shell:
3 Whisperwood Elemental
4 Trail of Mystery
3 Secret Plans
That's probably the best place to start. I feel like Hooded Hydra and Wildcall probably earn a spot very quickly, though. Perhaps Sagu Mauler as well.
WUBRGCommander Decklists - PaperWUBRG
CCCCCommander Decklists - TheorycraftCCCC
Sig Credit: Pegasus Bishop
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Mardu Scout
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Frost Walker
Spells
3 Treasure Cruise
3 Icy Blast
4 Lightning Strike
4 Wild Slash
2 Collateral Damage
4 Stoke the Flames
3 Void Snare
4 Shivan Reef
4 Flooded Strand
2 Temple of Epiphany
8 Mountain
4 Island
That being said, the meta will likely shift.
My favorite so far has been Abzan Bolster, which is an Abzan aggro deck with Warden of the First Tree, Dragonscale General, Honor's Reward, and Valorous Stance...
I think with no effective edicts currently, but for Crackling doom, I might play test Merciless Executioner as an edict.
My other successful playtest has been with Palace Siege in an esper control deck. I know, I know, people keep thinking it won't work, but, been managing to control the board by turn 6, Palace Siege, which can eat away at their life total each turn, while you wait for Ugin or Pearl Lake to come out and finish the game. Meanwhile, as you keep clearing the board, any turn your opponent doesn't drop a creature, is a turn you're building up 2 life. Get two out, and forget about it. An 8 point life swing each turn isn't something most people can deal with.