Explore the Realm of Magic: The Gathering - Articles and Insights

If you thought aggro was dead in Standard, think again. Gruul Delirium brings the heat with fast threats, graveyard synergy, and enough tricks to keep your opponents guessing. It's aggressive, grindy, and way smarter than it looks—exactly the kind of deck that punishes slow starts! Gruul Delirium Standard Deck Overview Best Card Choices for Gruul Delirium in Standard

Final Fantasy is right around the corner, and the time has come to theorize about what cards are going to see play once the set hits MTG Arena. The overall power level looks in line with the standard we've come to expect for Standard sets like this, which is to say, very powerful and very fast, but which ones will stand out from the crowd and make a meaningful impact on the Standard meta? While I can’t claim to know the future, here are my predictions and explanations for five cards that just might make the cut once the set drops on June 10th. Honorable Mentions

As soon as the Alchemy Qualifier Weekend was over, we didn't even have time to try out the winning lists, because the format underwent some rebalancing the very next day! No buffs, just nerfs to tone down some of the strongest and most popular decks in order to reduce their explosiveness and have a fresher and less stagnant format for the months to come... Especially in view of the arrival of MTG—Final Fantasy, which will not have its own Alchemy miniset. But let's take a look at the rebalances!

If you love the long game and watching your opponent slowly run out of options, this one's for you. MonoBlack Control is back in Standard, and it's packing everything you'd expect—clean removal, brutal hand disruption, and a few game-ending bombs. Let's take a closer look at what makes it tick. Mono-Black Control Standard Deck Overview Best Card Choices for Mono Black Control in Standard

Welcome Magic lovers! The Standard format has seen some incredible shifts recently, with the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm and the birth of a new archetype, Izzet Aggro, throwing the established tier 1 decks into flux. However, with all the attention on new, breakout superstar Cori-Steel Cutter, it's easy to miss the other powerful additions to Standard that have elevated several of the other top decks to new heights. We spoke last time about the updates to the Omniscience Combo deck, which has since earned its spot in tier 1 by clinching a number of top finishes in recent Regional Championships, but today let's focus on what may be the strongest, and most difficult to pilot, deck in the format: Jeskai Oculus.

We live in a Standard Valgavoth, Terror Eater, and Atraxa, Grand Unifier coexist, so of course graveyard junkies are going to reanimate them. While reanimating a huge threat faster than the opponent can respond is a tried-and-true Magic: the Gathering tradition, today's deck isn't focusing on that as much as you might think. Yes, the possibility of a turn four Valgavoth exists within this deck, but that's only one of many gameplans that we're going to use to move forward and climb the ladder. You could call this a midrange deck without lying, but reanimation is also a key element, so I'll stick to the reanimator label. The Core Package

Remember when Domain was the best deck in the format? Pepperidge Farm remembers. We are currently experiencing some pretty hefty shifts in the meta regarding the most popular decks, and it seems that many players who enjoy big mana decks are making the shift towards an aggro-based list. A few of us have gotten our wish - myself included - Tarkir has brought us the shift in the meta that many felt we desperately needed. There are some cards in Tarkir that stand out and are helping to shape the meta. We have new archetypes rising, and there are some other archetypes that were on the edge of being relevant, and just needed a couple of cards. Some of those archetypes are now lit up, and the meta is becoming more diverse. I think it's a little too early to flat out call it healthy, but I think that it is starting to feel better, and to feel as if we can play fun decks without playing against the same thing every time. Today we will look at some of the biggest shifts in the metagame, and check out some of the cards that are causing these shifts. The Latest Challenger We'll start out with the biggest difference-maker in the meta: Izzet Prowess. This is a deck that people have tried to play before, and there were random times where it was good, but it has finally been given a tool that allows for constant generation of creatures, and rewards proper sequencing of spells. 

About a year ago we were here wondering if the heist mechanic was too strong, or at least too oppressive, for the Alchemy format. In this regard, Wizards of the Coast initially chose not to take any action, perhaps trusting in a natural evolution of the format, but then came to the conclusion that it would be better to limit its power and announced the nerf of Grenzo, Crooked Jailer first (November 2023) and that of Impetuous Lootmonger then (March 2024). Today, heist is no longer considered a problem, but we could find ourselves faced with an Alchemy mechanic that is a bit too pushed again.