Intro Historic Standard is rapidly becoming one of my favorite formats. By nature, it has the most diverse metagame of any format I've ever played. Whether you're a brewer, or cutthroat, or you just have a pet deck, if you've ever enjoyed Standard, Extended, or Modern, you will love this format.
What is Historic Standard? Historic Standard is a variant format which allows any deck that was once (or currently is) standard to be played. For Example, Replenish from Urza's standard, Madness from Odyssey, Heartbeat Combo from Kamigawa, Dragonstorm from Time Spiral, Jund or Mythic from Shards of Alara, and Caw-Go/Blade from Zendikar.
Due to the vast metagame, no one deck is the best deck. In fact, Junk Aristocrats (from ISD/RTR) was a strong contender when Caw-Blade was running rampant.
All archetypes are represented; Aggro, Tempo, Midrange, Ramp, Combo, Control, all have an equal shot at taking down any given tournament.
How can I play?
First things first, it is preferable that you have Cockatrice installed, with a registered account. All the tournaments are hosted on cockatrice. However, you can play the format with your local playgroup or friends in person, MWS, or even MTGO (probably in an freeform queue)
Next, you must have a deck. You can use netdecks of old tournament winners, strategy articles, etc. You may also brew/build your own deck. Be careful in doing so, however, as you must be sure that the deck you are building was indeed standard at one point. For reference, please use this cheat sheet:
11th Standard:
Eighth Edition, Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn, Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa
Banned: Skullclamp
12th Standard: Ninth Edition, Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn, Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa
Banned: Skullclamp
13th Standard:
Ninth Edition, Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa, Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension, Coldsnap
14th Standard:
Ninth Edition, Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension, Coldsnap, Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight
15th Standard:
Tenth Edition, Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension, Coldsnap, Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight
17th Standard:
Tenth Edition, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide, Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn
18th Standard:
Magic 2010, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide, Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn
19th Standard:Magic 2010, Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn, Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi, Magic 2011
20th Standard:
Magic 2011, Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi, Scars of Mirrodin, Mirrodin Besieged, New Phyrexia
Banned: Stoneforge Mystic + Batterskull (either but not both)
21st Standard:
Magic 2012, Scars of mirrodin, Mirrodin Besieged, New Phyrexia, Innistrad, Dark Ascension, Avacyn Restore, M13
22nd Standard:
M13, Innistrad, Dark Ascension, Avacyn Restored, Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, Dragon's Maze, M14
Once you have your deck, you're good to go. On Cockatrice, ssynesthesia and jesdae often host Historic Standard tournaments. If there isn't a tournament, you can do what I do: Open a room, game type "Standard, Other" and room name "Historic Standard." Wait for someone to join, and explain the format, if they've never heard of it. (I personally have gotten at least 10 users involved in the format. Doesn't sound like much, but I'm proud of myself haha.) Then play! And don't forget to have a blast!
Banned List
Tolarian Academy
Yawgmoth's Bargain
Memory Jar
Skullclamp
Stoneforge WITH Batterskull (you can play either card separately, but not together)
Old standard? So I can play Caw-Blade in the environment it existed in and not facing down either Intro Packs or Legacy decks? This should be fun. I thought Cockatrice was down, though. Are there still some servers up?
This is "Bring your own standard", not historical. Good luck with affinity.
(Id play 5th standard in real world)
Affinity actually isn't that good. While it was the boogeyman in its time, it was only pulling turn 4/5 wins, even with plating. And it basically can't beat pyroclasm.
Old standard? So I can play Caw-Blade in the environment it existed in and not facing down either Intro Packs or Legacy decks? This should be fun. I thought Cockatrice was down, though. Are there still some servers up?
Yes, but you may face Dragonstorm, Junk Aristocrats, Wolf-Run with Cavern of Souls, etc.
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Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Yeah I would play this 100%, and I would love to see some sort of fun-type tournament get hosted under these rules a la battle of the blocks. I assume we are playing with modern rules no matter what the format, as opposed to the rules that would be under effect during that standard. I.E. damage not stacking etc etc.
Correct, current rules: No mana burn, damage doesn't use the stack, current legendary/planeswalker rule (Sweet seeing two Jace's battle it out, or a Gideon attacking another Gideon haha), interrupts don't exist....
Glad to see more support for this. If we get some more people, I may run a tournament like Lantern's IQ or my Vintage League.
I think it would be easy to organize, and will be a ton of fun
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Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
You can't play them in the formats that they were in. Example, if you're playing Zendikar + Scars, you can't play both Batterskull and Stoneforge together in your 75. Or if you're playing a deck with Mirrodin in it, you can't use Skullclamp, period.
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Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
My friends and I absolutely love this format, which is surprising since none of us are really "casual" players per say. We're all relatively competitive Legacy players most of the time but this format is just incredible for finding yourself in crazy fun matchups, however we play it a little differently when it comes to the banned list. How we handle the matter of banned cards is that your deck and sideboard must contain only cards that were all legal in Standard format at the same time, and that means if they were ever legal in Standard at the same time then you can play them together. It doesn't matter if one or more of the cards in your deck were later banned, as long as all the cards in your deck were legal in Standard together at some point in time then it's cool. So we do have decks playing Tolarian Academy and Windfall, Stoneforge and Jace, Strip Mine and Hymn to Tourach, all that Affinity stuff, etc. and that's totally fine. As long as all the cards in your deck were legal together in Standard format at some point in time then it's all good.
What has resulted from this is a very diverse and interesting metagame full of powerful and historically significant decks, and it's ridiculously fun pitting the best that Standard has had to offer from different eras against each other. You get matches like Caw Blade VS Necropotence, Faeries vs The Tolarian Academy Deck, Zendikar era RDW with Goblin Guide, Ball Lightning, and Lightning Bolt vs Land Tax White Weenie, Splinter Twin vs Prosperous Bloom, Affinity vs Valakut Ramp, and so on.
This is by far the coolest format I've ever played (I'd go as far as to say that I'm actually starting to prefer Historic Standard over Legacy) and I can't say enough good things about it. The Historic Standard deck I play the most is:
What about instead of Historic Standard you played Historic Block? That would make the decks preserve a lot more flavor and stop a lot of the abusive combos.
Or no?
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Historic Standard is rapidly becoming one of my favorite formats. By nature, it has the most diverse metagame of any format I've ever played. Whether you're a brewer, or cutthroat, or you just have a pet deck, if you've ever enjoyed Standard, Extended, or Modern, you will love this format.
What is Historic Standard?
Historic Standard is a variant format which allows any deck that was once (or currently is) standard to be played. For Example, Replenish from Urza's standard, Madness from Odyssey, Heartbeat Combo from Kamigawa, Dragonstorm from Time Spiral, Jund or Mythic from Shards of Alara, and Caw-Go/Blade from Zendikar.
Due to the vast metagame, no one deck is the best deck. In fact, Junk Aristocrats (from ISD/RTR) was a strong contender when Caw-Blade was running rampant.
All archetypes are represented; Aggro, Tempo, Midrange, Ramp, Combo, Control, all have an equal shot at taking down any given tournament.
How can I play?
First things first, it is preferable that you have Cockatrice installed, with a registered account. All the tournaments are hosted on cockatrice. However, you can play the format with your local playgroup or friends in person, MWS, or even MTGO (probably in an freeform queue)
Next, you must have a deck. You can use netdecks of old tournament winners, strategy articles, etc. You may also brew/build your own deck. Be careful in doing so, however, as you must be sure that the deck you are building was indeed standard at one point. For reference, please use this cheat sheet:
1st Standard:
Fourth Edition, Chronicles, Fallen Empires, Homelands, Ice Age, Alliances
2nd Standard:
Fifth Edition, Fallen Empires, Ice Age, Alliances, Homelands, Mirage, Visions, Weatherlight
3rd Standard:
Fifth Edition, Mirage, Weatherlight, Visions, Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus
4th Standard:
Sixth Edition, Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus, Urza's Saga, Urza's Legacy, Urza's Destiny
Banned: Memory Jar, Tolarian Academy, Yawgmoth's Bargain
5th Standard:
Sixth Edition, Urza's Saga, Urza's Legacy, Urza's Destiny, Mercadian Masques, Nemesis, Prophecy
Banned: Memory Jar, Tolarian Academy, Yawgmoth's Bargain
6th Standard:
Seventh Edition, Urza's Saga, Urza's Legacy, Urza's Destiny, Mercadian Masques, Nemesis, Prophecy
Banned: Memory Jar, Tolarian Academy, Yawgmoth's Bargain
7th Standard:
Seventh Edition, Mercadian Masques, Nemesis, Prophecy, Invasion, Apocalypse, Planeshift
8th Standard:
Seventh Edition, Invasion, Apocalypse, Planeshift, Odyssey, Torment, Judgement
9th Standard:
Eighth Edition, Odyssey, Torment, Judgement, Onslaught, Legions,
Scourge
10th Standard:
Eighth Edition, Onslaught, Legions, Scourge, Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn
Banned: Skullclamp
11th Standard:
Eighth Edition, Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn, Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa
Banned: Skullclamp
12th Standard: Ninth Edition, Mirrodin, Darksteel, Fifth Dawn, Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa
Banned: Skullclamp
13th Standard:
Ninth Edition, Champions of Kamigawa, Betrayers of Kamigawa, Saviors of Kamigawa, Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension, Coldsnap
14th Standard:
Ninth Edition, Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension, Coldsnap, Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight
15th Standard:
Tenth Edition, Ravnica: City of Guilds, Guildpact, Dissension, Coldsnap, Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight
16th Standard: Tenth Edition, Coldsnap, Time Spiral, Planar Chaos, Future Sight, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide
17th Standard:
Tenth Edition, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide, Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn
18th Standard:
Magic 2010, Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, Eventide, Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn
19th Standard:Magic 2010, Shards of Alara, Conflux, Alara Reborn, Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi, Magic 2011
20th Standard:
Magic 2011, Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi, Scars of Mirrodin, Mirrodin Besieged, New Phyrexia
Banned: Stoneforge Mystic + Batterskull (either but not both)
21st Standard:
Magic 2012, Scars of mirrodin, Mirrodin Besieged, New Phyrexia, Innistrad, Dark Ascension, Avacyn Restore, M13
22nd Standard:
M13, Innistrad, Dark Ascension, Avacyn Restored, Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, Dragon's Maze, M14
23rd Standard:
Magic 2014, Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, Dragon's Maze, Theros
Once you have your deck, you're good to go. On Cockatrice, ssynesthesia and jesdae often host Historic Standard tournaments. If there isn't a tournament, you can do what I do: Open a room, game type "Standard, Other" and room name "Historic Standard." Wait for someone to join, and explain the format, if they've never heard of it. (I personally have gotten at least 10 users involved in the format. Doesn't sound like much, but I'm proud of myself haha.) Then play! And don't forget to have a blast!
Banned List
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
WU Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
RWU Numot, the Devastator
WUB Oloro, Ageless Ascetic
WB Athreos, God of Passage
Affinity actually isn't that good. While it was the boogeyman in its time, it was only pulling turn 4/5 wins, even with plating. And it basically can't beat pyroclasm.
Yes, but you may face Dragonstorm, Junk Aristocrats, Wolf-Run with Cavern of Souls, etc.
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
Considering Flash was never in standard with Protean Hulk, no.
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
It seems to be pretty popular on Cockatrice, just wanted to open it up to this community as well.
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
Glad to see more support for this. If we get some more people, I may run a tournament like Lantern's IQ or my Vintage League.
I think it would be easy to organize, and will be a ton of fun
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
yep. The past standard cardpools are listed above. I'm going to update the 2nd post with "Metagame/Popular deck choices"
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
You can't play them in the formats that they were in. Example, if you're playing Zendikar + Scars, you can't play both Batterskull and Stoneforge together in your 75. Or if you're playing a deck with Mirrodin in it, you can't use Skullclamp, period.
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
Also, trying to get my friends into this, I absolutely adore this format.
To be honest, I don't know exactly enough about it but it appears you're right. I'll have Ssynesthesia fix it.
Yeah, the format is just amazing. I have almost 50 brews in my cockatrice folder xD.
Cool! I look forward to seeing you online sometime
Thanks to Rivenor for the signature and XenoNinja for the Avi!
Quotes:
What has resulted from this is a very diverse and interesting metagame full of powerful and historically significant decks, and it's ridiculously fun pitting the best that Standard has had to offer from different eras against each other. You get matches like Caw Blade VS Necropotence, Faeries vs The Tolarian Academy Deck, Zendikar era RDW with Goblin Guide, Ball Lightning, and Lightning Bolt vs Land Tax White Weenie, Splinter Twin vs Prosperous Bloom, Affinity vs Valakut Ramp, and so on.
This is by far the coolest format I've ever played (I'd go as far as to say that I'm actually starting to prefer Historic Standard over Legacy) and I can't say enough good things about it. The Historic Standard deck I play the most is:
4 Black Knight
4 Order of the Ebon Hand
4 Hypnotic Specter
[18 Spells]
4 Dark Ritual
3 Demonic Consultation
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Contagion
3 Drain Life
1 Zuran Orb
1 Ivory Tower
2 Nevinyrral's Disk
[4 Enchantments]
4 Necropotence
[22 Lands]
4 Strip Mine
18 Swamp
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Deathgrip
2 Gloom
3 Dark Banishing
4 Icequake
1 Nevinyrral's Disk
I want to play Unlimited, Revised, Legends, Dark, Arabian nights, and Antiquities
basically everything released by 1994 (except fallen empires uughh)
I call this 1994mat
everything with the old style art
Is there a name for standard before this ? Do people play this ?
Or no?