We have had a weekend of events following the announcement of SCG con’s return. With pressure on the format it has evolved and now we are seeing some new decks joining the cast. Let’s hop into the tier list and see what’s going on.
Before we dive into the list, here’s a quick refresher on the tier list grading criteria:
S Tier: Decks that are above the rest. This is normally the default “best deck in the format” and the deck(s) you should have in mind when building or picking your deck.
A Tier: Decks that are great. These decks are knocking on the door of S Tier, but they may have a small weakness that keeps them out of the upper echelon.
B Tier: Good, solid decks. You wouldn’t be surprised if a B Tier deck takes down an event, but they have bigger weaknesses or liabilities than the decks in A Tier.
C Tier: Decks that are totally fine, but not notable. These decks aren’t exactly tearing up the tournament or ladder scene, but you should expect to face them every now and then.
D Tier: Decks with strong elements, but that generally aren’t great choices compared to the rest of the format.
Without further ado, here’s the list!
Sultai
Sultai has been a top player in the format since the release of Kaldheim. In the past, it had decks like rogues to prey on it, but now with rouges getting too far outclassed in other matchups, we are seeing Sultai rise to the top as the uncontested best deck.
Temur
Gruul
Mono Green
You will notice a trend here of decks that can get on the board quickly and either kill the Sultai players or disrupt them just enough. Both Mono-Green and Gruul are looking to quickly put the pressure on Sultai before they can cast their massive spells. We see Temur Adventures do a similar thing but lean on some permission as another additional way to prevent the large spells. These decks all have a nice grindy aspect to them as well that allows them to compete with the next tier of decks and not be overtaken by them.
Jeskai Combo
Naya Adventures
Naya Winota
Starting with the flashiest deck on today’s article we have Jeskai Mutate. Jeskai looks to do their own combo and invalidate the Sultai players. Jeksai Mutate put up some good results and expect to see slightly more of it in the coming weeks. Naya Winota and Adventures are both fine decks that look to get board control. While Wionta looks to close the game out quicker than Naya both are trying to build up an overwhelming board presence.
Izzet dragons
Dimir Rogues
These last two decks are ones that try to put all their chips in on Sultai being the deck to beat and are primarily trying to win on that axis. Unfortunately, this often comes at the expense of the other decks and in the case of rogues. You haven’t gotten a meaningful upgrade for your deck since Zendikar and the general power level is just higher than your decks. Combine this with even with favorable matchups versus Sultai the Sultai players are packing sideboard hate for them and are trying to gain points in this matchup as it’s there worse. All in all these decks are fine but not exciting at all.
Standard will continue to churn a fair bit and solidify as the weeks go on but as things currently sit this is what you should expect when going into events.
Mason Clark is a grinder in every corner of the game who has played at the pro level and on the SCG Tour with Team Nova. Whether he’s competing in Standard, Historic or Modern, Mason plays with one goal in mind: to be a better player than he was the day before. Check out his podcast, Constructed Criticism, and catch his streams on Twitch.