Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Standard”
Two weeks have passed since War of the Spark’s release, and we have enough data to start analyzing the new Standard metagame. From the looks of it, the landscape is as diverse as ever, with aggro, midrange, and control strategies each claiming a large slice of the pie. While there are at least a dozen viable strategies, a few decks …
War of the Spark is available today, but its early release online has already given Magic fans ample opportunities to play the new Standard format. The first Magic Online League results are in, and MTG Arena players have been sharing their brews with @arenadecklists on Twitter all week long. While there’s still plenty of room for innovation, we have a …
When Autumn Burchett won the first Mythic Championship, they did so with a lone copy of Jace, Cunning Castaway in their sideboard. With that victory, Stupid Sexy Jace became a championship-winning planeswalker, something that many would have found surprising back when Ixalan was first released. As I looked over the decklists, though, a thought occurred to me: Which planeswalker cards …
With War of the Spark spoiler season in full swing, we’ve seen a torrent of new cards – including plenty of planeswalkers. While there’s plenty of room to brew new decks, I can’t help but wonder how they’re going to slot into the current Standard metagame. Teferi, Time Raveler Teferi, Time Raveler is the most obvious inclusion on this list. …
Tomik, Distinguished Advokist generated quite a buzz when he was previewed last Friday. A 2/3 flying creature for two mana will always get Magic players’ attention, but Tomik’s ability to protect lands makes him valuable beyond Standard. Magic Designer Melissa DeTora provided some useful context about Tomik’s card design and some hints about how he might affect competitive formats. Today, …
Last year, Wizards of the Coast introduced Challenger Decks: a quartet of pre-constructed Standard decks built for new and returning players. If you were just getting into Magic and needed a deck to bring to your local Friday Night Magic, Challenger Decks were a competitive and affordable option. Each deck came with a full 60-card deck and 15-card sideboard, and …
A couple of weeks ago saw the “first” ever Mythic Championship, and what an event it was! History was made as Autumn Burchett took the trophy with Mono-Blue Tempo, and we warned you, the deck is good! Although the Standard meta at the event was predictable for the most part, there were plenty of successful rogue brews. This week, we’re …
Last week, the SCG Dallas Open showed us that Mono-Blue Aggro is a force to be reckoned with. Although Mono-Blue Aggro originated during Ixalan‘s release as a budget deck, it has come strength-to-strength with the addition of Pteramander and Essence Capture. This week, we delve into why Mono-Blue Aggro is one of the best decks in the format, what tools …
With the release of Ravnica Allegiance, Standard has entered a new and exciting age. The format is more popular than it has been in years, due in part to its diversity and budget-friendliness at all levels. Recent SCG events offered us a snapshot of new Standard, and the outcome looks to be positive. This week, we’ll examine various decks from …
At long last, here’s my Orzhov brew for Ravnica Allegiance! Orzhov posed a particular problem in deckbuilding – you could go the route of the Azorius aggro deck I wrote about last week with Afterlife creatures instead, but it felt like you were passing up on so much black-based removal. On the other hand, a more aggressive black strategy sees …
