So whats happened since states? Well..a lot...too much for me to go over. Zombies isnt as strong as it once was, GB is dead and BR is the king...Tempo decks are alive and well, and, as shown in my sig, I've embrace them. White aggro is the new king of the aggro hill and Cavern came out of hibernation to prove that its necessary in standard again.
So...where are we exactly? Glad you asked.
Essentially the entire meta, and your gauntlet, should look like this:
GW Beatdown (GW Humans, GW Midrange)
UW/x Tempo (UWR, Esper, UW Flash)
Bant Control
Junk Reanimator (Hoof and Angel versions)
Red Aggro (BR and RDW)
These are the bread and butter of the format atm. These are the most prominent lists on MTGO, at the GP's this weekend. Jund Midrange, Junk Tokens, UW Aggro and Esper Control are what I would define as "Tier 2" at the moment and decks that I would look out for, but not nearly as prominent as the first 5.
So what does the enemy look like ladies and gents? Well, lets take a look at my gauntlet:
What Works in these decks
1,2,3,4. Thats what these decks are about and that is why they will continue to do well. Curving out and putting your opponent on the back foot is all that GW wants to do.
The aggro deck is more about speed and board presence, whereas the midrange decks are a bit more about size and presence of threats, not so much board. They aren't as fast, but not nearly as susceptible to board wipes. both are solid options, and I'm a bigger fan of the Aggro version.
What to look out for
If you can, keep your guys below 5 power for as long as possible. As you can see, both decks are running Selesnya Charm, and its becoming a mainstay in the format. Outwit your opponent by playing around it. Also, keep an eye out for open white mana. Faith's Shield has arrived and its actually quite back breaking when used right.
What works in these decks
Counters, threat, more counters, and removal. Tempo decks are all about landing a hard to deal with threat that looks to kill the opponent, and these decks certainly fit the bill. When Cavern wasn't in ANY decks it seemed, these were at the top of standard, and good reason. Everyone seemed to forget to play around counters with mana leak gone, and syncopating for 1 was easy to do when people were playing Thragtusks on turn 5 with no protection.
The main thing is removal + geist vs. counters + versatility. UW Flash WAS a very good deck, but with the abundance of caverns counters aren't as good as they were 2 weeks ago. Having searing spear and detention sphere are important again, and the UWR deck has pillars for the aggressive decks. IMO UWR is a better deck, but both are solid
What to look out for
If you can, play around Syncopate, but don't do so if you dont have to. If your an aggressive deck, make them have it. They WILL run out eventually. Also, play Cavern as early as possible. If you force them to tap out, you can resolve a bigger, counterable threat if they think they have to deal with your threats on the board.
Also, many decks are starting to pack sweepers/Angel of Serenity main. Don't overcommit. Be aware of your clock, and only add threats to reduce their time. If you can hold threats, do so.
(as a note, the Canada83 decklist isn't very tuned, however the key points I want to make about it are there. Mainly, running Centaur Healer, Angel of Serenity, and more walkers, rather than the major control such as Owen's deck)
What works in these decks:
As stated above, there are 2 major versions: A "Midrange" Version, and a Control version. The Midrange version is fine with tapping out for large threats, and spending the early turns matching aggro decks with Centaur Healers, Resto Angels, and Walkers. The Control version is much more about the long game, and eeking out advantage. Taking full advantage of Sphinx's Revelation as your end game is all this version is about, and the longer the game goes the better it is your going to win.
In a Flash/Control world, Owen's version is better. In an aggro/midrange world, I believe Canada's version is better, although not that exact list. If i was testing it more, I'd provide my list, but Canada did well in a premier so props to him if he reads this.
What to look out for:
Do NOT overextend. Supreme Verdict is all these guys are about. You want to apply as much pressure as possible to race their tusks and revelations, but do NOT allow yourself to let them wipe and just destroy you. Restoration Angel is pretty good, along with large threats that require them to sweep and you can lay down more and just continue as normal.
Keep the game quick. The longer it goes, the harder it is to win. Don't let them play their game. Make them play yours.
What works in these decks:
Fattie, deal with it. Thats all these decks are about, and the faster the better. IMO, they are both equally strong decks, but the latter is the more consistent and bound to be the more popular. I mean come on, turn 4 20 you, gg? is just so awesome. Brad really hit the nail on the head, so props to him.
What I love about Brad's version is the sideboard. You turn into some Junk Midrange deck that can turn Rest in Peaces into Rest in Pieces bro. I mean its just a dead card if you want it to be, which I think is awesome. Resiliency is the key to success, and if you can mix that with power, I say **** ya.
What to watch out for:
Even against Brad's deck, bring in the RIP's. You need the graveyard hate, and as soon as that fattie is in their, sound the alarms. Because any Unburial Rites and you could be in serious trouble.
If you have it, always keep up Charm. It could be the difference between life and death, especially against Brads deck. exiling a Behemoth could be key to living, so always be aware of the Hoofing Math, as I like to call it.
And finally:
What works in these decks:
Turn 5, your dead. With insane consistency. Seriously if you have no life gain, your just dead. Dropping a Hellrider, Aristocrat, or Thundermaw after you've just been eeking at their life total is a complete blowout, and shows why Haste is so good. Red does what it does best, and shows why it is the premier of burning people. (God i cant wait for boros)
with 8+ 1, 2 drops and burn, the decks are consistent and fast. After turn 4 you need to always look at your life total because they can just kill you. Early drops are key, and there is a reason Centaur Healer is played in Bant decks. These guys keep the format honest.
What to watch out for:
If possible, never be below 8. This is the danger zone, and you need to stay out of it or you can just die.
Never rely on dropping a Thragtusk and hoping to survive. Between Thundermaw, Aristocrat and Mark of Mutiny/Threaten effects, the Tusk might as well have been a bad 5 mana fog, that doesnt even fog the turn you want. Mitigate damage, use removal often and early. BUY TIME. All you want to do is stay alive. The longer the game goes, the better.
So where would I want to be in the format? In order:
1) GW Humans
2) Bant Control
3) UWR Tempo
GW is just so brutally fast atm, and so very consistent that it just punishes people. The only hard match ups are Bant Control and the mirror, and with a couple tweaks I think I may have fixed both.
Bant can be tweaked for any and all metagames, and if your prepared (and have a couple Caverns main) laying down threats, walkers and sweepers is a proven strategy. Also, just laying down dolla bills is always fun.
UWR Tempo is brutal, and if played right unstoppable. With aggro reemerging, Pillar is again necessary, and Geist is still keeping his pimp hand strong. Sorry Gerry and Adam, I love this guy and I think his Angels are gonna kick people asses day in and day out.
All in all, standard is a good place to be right now. I'm enjoying it, and its kinda nice to see so much rotation and diversity within a format. Just as its becoming dry, something else pops up to screw with peoples perception and to keep things interesting. Keep it up WotC, and hopefully Gatecrash doesnt screw around too much with this.
Leave in the comments what you want to hear about next, and dont forget to nominate me for any forum awards. Best Sig, Writer, and Standard Strategist seem most fit for me, but if you think I'm eligible for any others I won't complain.
As always, DXI-Edge everywhere but twitter. @3totheFace there. If you have questions or props for me, just PM/tweet me. I WILL respond, I promise (although with finals coming up, it might take a while)
Thanks for reading guys, and w/e you want to hear about next let me know!
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Posted Jan 3, 2013