Duskmourn: House of Horror: how did people adapt the first days after the standard set was released?

Updated:
Explore how "Duskmourn: House of Horror" reshaped the Standard metagame, with top decks and strategies post-release in competitive Magic: The Gathering.

Duskmourn: House of Horror was released on September 27th and since then Standard metagame seems to be completely overturned. Many things have changed in these few weeks and the metagame we were used to play after the rotation is now all water under the bridge. In today's article we'll take a look at the very first events held on MTGO after the release of the set to understand how players adapt to the release of a set in the early days.

 

MTGO Challenge 32 on 27/09/2024

Gruul Aggro by L1X0

Total Cards:

In first place we have a well-known deck that has seen its popularity grow considerably after the rotation and release of Bloomburrow Gruul Aggro/ Prowess. This version of the deck contains 3 cards from the last set all played in 4 copies. Specifically we have Thornspire Verge, Leyline of Resonance and Turn Inside Out. The deck's manabase has been improved considerably with this addition and you can finally give up on Thran Portal. Personally I am still skeptical about the addition of the new Leyline. The deck was already very all-in oriented and now with this addition it becomes even more so. Leyline of Resonance is a card that's completely dead to the deck if not in our initial hand. I don't think this archetype needed any more instability as it was already explosive without this addition. Turn Inside Out is a very good addition from my point of view.

Azorius Glyph by Hamuda

Total Cards:

In second place we have an old acquaintance as well: Azorius Aggro/Glyph. In this case we find the addition of the double lands released from the last set in 4 copies (Floodfarm Verge) and we also find Splitskin Doll, Sheltered by Ghosts and Unidentified Hovership. While the two artifacts are good but not too relevant additions, on the other hand the addition of Sheltered by Ghosts can greatly improve the strength of the deck. From my point of view this spell has managed to impose itself in the standard right away thanks to its very modest cost and the fact that it gives Ward 2 to the enchanted creature. Obviously the main reason for using it is to exile a creature but without the other I think we would have hardly seen it played.

5 Color Legends by guiyote

Total Cards:

In third place we have a deck where there are completely absent cards from the new set. The archetype is well known to us even if after the rotation it lost its combo. The deck is definitely very fun but I think it’s far away, in terms of power level, from the pre-rotation version.

Mardu Aggro by wcl

Total Cards:

In fourth place we have an aggro mardu that differs (lands excluded) Historic Brawl only for 8 cards from monored. In this case Historic as well we have a very all-in version of the deck thanks to the inclusion of Leyline of Resonance. Four copies of Turn Inside Out and a surprising copy of Shardmage's Rescue are included in the maindeck and another 3 in the sideboard of the deck. This card, unlike the other two already mentioned, is intended to protect our threats. The main function of the card will be to give Hexproof to our creature. Overall I think the manabase of this deck is too fragile and that the gruul or monored version of the deck may have less problems.

 

MTGO Challenge 32 on 28/09/2024

Azorius Tempo by Makoobi

Total Cards:

In first place we have another deck now well known for months: Azorius Tempo. 4 Color Control The additions are also in this case few: Floodfarm Verge in three copies and Abhorrent Oculus in four copies. If the inclusion of land was almost automatic, that of Abhorrent Oculus was not so obvious. In fact, Oculus has replaced Monastery Mentor, a fundamental card for the deck until the release of Duskmourn: House of Horror. Being able to exile 6 cards from the graveyard, so that you can cast this flying giant, is very easy for the deck. On the other hand, paying this price can greatly reduce the strength of Naughty Djinn during the game. It is also true that the value created by Abhorrent Oculus in a couple of turns should be enough to overcome this problem. Also, we can often not pay this cost and just rereanimate our one-eyed friend from the cemetery thanks to the many reanimating spells in the deck.

4 Color Control by LukasDusek2

Total Cards:

Once again we are talking about an archetype that has been played for a long time in the Standard metagame. In this case the inclusions are two but from my point of view much more relevant than those seen so far: Overlord of the Hauntwoods and Overlord of the Mistmoors. The first one playes a similar role then the one played by Topiary Stomper before rotation: it performs a very similar function in the same turn if casted for its Impending cost. The card is much stronger than its predecessor from my point of view for several reasons: we can cast it for 5 mana as well with a much better body; continues to generate tapped colorless land tokens by attacking; it's an enchantment spell and therefore synergizes with Zur, Eternal Schemer. His mate Overlord of the Mistmoors is an absolute novelty for the archetype: the chance to generate two tokens already from turn four (or even earlier if we successfully ramp), accompanied by the chance to cast the creature directly for seven mana makes the inclusion in the deck very relevant. On the one hand the card provides us with blockers and on the other hand it can represent one of our winning conditions in late game. In general, the impending mechanics is very useful in this archetype thanks to its flexibility.

Azorius Enchantments by Sapoa

Total Cards:

This is a completely new archetype for the recent standard and Ajani, Nacatl Pariah to talk about the new inclusions would be senseless and reductive precisely because the entire archetype was born after the release of the set. It's still very interesting to see how soon after the release a new archetype was created from scratch. In fact 32/38 of the non-land cards on the maindeck belong to Duskmourn: House of Horror. The archetype is definitely worth exploring in more depth as it could be a good alternative to the other versions of Azorius presented in this article.

Boros Aggro by bless_von

Total Cards:

In fourth place we have a Boros Aggro that moves away from the Monored version thanks to the inclusion of 14 cards from the last set. Almost all new inclusions are enchantments and the only exception is Optimistic Scavenger (a card that greatly benefits from the inclusion of so many enchantments). Other additions include Shardmage's Rescue, Sheltered by Ghosts and Painter's Studio. This room performs a very important function for the deck as it can be used both to attack and to create value. In an aggressive archetype like this it becomes very relevant to have the chance of choosing the right sequence of activation of the two rooms based on the moment of the match and the matchup we face. Although the flexibility of the card is very interesting, I am a little skeptical about the real usefulness of it in such an aggressive archetype.

 

Conclusions

The first days after a new set is released are always very special in terms of deckbuilding and often what happens is that people take already working archetypes and decide to make some additions in order to improve them. We rarely see immediate results from completely new decks like in the case of Azorius Enchantments. Obviously in the following weeks much has changed and it might be very interesting to see how. Maybe in a future article?

Rate this article
I started playing MTG when the open beta of MTGA was released . I took part to the Arena National League in 2019 reaching the final and placing second.

Check out more content by burp93

Discover the impact of MTG Foundations on Standard with our review of Simic Flash and Mono-Red Aggro reprints. Explore card synergies and strategies!
Featured
MTG Foundations Spoilers: Is Simic Flash back? Red is getting some friends back as well!
Magic: The Gathering Foundations will be released on MTG Arena on November 12, 2024, while the paper release date is November 15, 2024. In the previous article we took a look at some of the revealed cards. If you have missed it, you must absolutely retrieve it as it contains general information about the Foundations set as well. In today’s article's article we will evaluate other revealed cards. Now the set is fully revealed so we have a clearer idea of what its impact on Standard will be.
Explore MTG Foundations spoilers and insights as we revisit iconic cards. Discover their potential impact on the current standard metagame in this mtg article.
Popular
MTG Foundations Spoilers and Set Information: let’s take a look at some old friends!
Magic: The Gathering Foundations will be released on MTG Arena on November 12, 2024, while the paper release date is November 15, 2024. The spoilers of the set have already started a while ago, and now most of the cards of the set have been revealed. In today's article, we will talk about some of the revealed cards already available on Arena and try to understand if they fit well into the current standard or if their time is now past. In essence, will there be room for these cards in standard in the coming months? What is Foundations? Before we start talking about cards, I think it's worth mentioning what Foundations represents and will represent for Magic players.
Wizards of the Coast bans Leyline of Resonance in MTG Arena's Best-of-One Standard for quick, fun gameplay. Discover the reasons and impact on players.
MTG Arena Banned and Restricted Announcement – October 22, 2024: what is going on?
On October 22, 2024 Wizards of the Coast has anticipated its ban list (which was actually due to arrive on December 16) to announce that: Leyline of Resonance is banned in MTG Arena Standard Best-of-One Constructed formats. It is not banned in Traditional Standard (Best-of-Three), Limited formats (Draft/Sealed), or special formats; Leyline of Resonance is suspended in MTG Arena Alchemy Best-of-One and Best-of-Three Constructed formats, pending a rebalance.
Discover the versatility of Rakdos Midrange in MTG Alchemy, blending heist mechanics and graveyard revival for competitive play in BO1/BO3 formats.
Rakdos Midrange in alchemy: a deck you can play in both BO1 and BO3!
In the last period, the rotation has brought a breath of fresh air into Al, allowing the meta to find viable alternatives to Grixis Heist. The deck we will talk about today has some cards that use the heist mechanics, but unlike many other lists, the mechanics are not fundamental to win matches. The deck is a classic Midrange that makes special use of the possibility to revive creatures from the graveyard.    
Explore the latest Pioneer results on MTGO after the bans of Amalia and Sorin. Discover how the meta has shifted and which decks are in the new landscape.
Pioneer events on MTGO: let’s take a look at the results after the bans of Amalia and Sorin
In recent months we have observed how Pioneer's meta (and at the same time the Explorer one as well) has increasingly polarized around Rakdos Vampires and Amalia Combo, two decks that have dominated the format for a long time. However, on 26th August WOTC announced the bans of Amalia Benavides Aguirre and Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord. The cards were obviously fundamental for these two archetypes: the first, in fact, defined the deck itself while the second made it possible to play Vein Ripper on turn 3. The presence of two decks like Rakdos Vampires and Amalia combo has obviously limited the possibilities of deckbuilding because of their very high presence in the format. Now, thanks to the bans, there is a chance to review old acquaintances in the meta and open up completely new possibilities of deckbuilding compared to those of the last few months. Two bans of such importance, occurring simultaneously, could cause a mess within the format that. As a result, it may have problems settling in quickly and it may take a few weeks or even months to get a clearer idea.
Crush the competition in MTG Alchemy BO1 with the best Mono-Red deck. Get fast wins with key strategies and essential card choices for efficient farming.
Mono-Red in Alchemy BO1: the best deck to farm with!
Alchemy metagame has undergone several important changes in recent months. Just a few months ago, the meta seemed divided between Naya Midrange, Esper Control, and Naya Convoke. Then, with the release of Outlaws of Thunder Junction and its related alchemy set, Heist took over, polarizing completely the meta around Grixis Heist and leaving (at least in Bo1) additional space only for Naya Convoke. The last two alchemy sets (before the rotation) had, unfortunately, gradually removed from the meta also the various versions of Monored Aggro (the one with Fiery Inscription remained, however, the most popular), eliminating completely aggro/burn alternatives in the format (except for Naya Convoke as an aggro alternative). In such a polarized meta, it seemed absurd not to proceed with some nerf as repeatedly suggested by the community. In fact, from the very beginning, the situation in alchemy seemed quite serious and many people thought that the arrival of a ban or nerf was practically obvious. Then, on the 24th of June, WOTC announced that: "Alchemy's top-end metagame is looking more varied than it has in a while, with the Heist deck as a new entrant to challenge perennial stalwarts like Mono-Red and Mono-Black." A bolt from the blue for all the players of Alchemy, all unchanged and for reasons that in reality were not supported by any data. Mono-Black was a deck that didn't exist in the meta and Mono-Red had practically disappeared from the radar because of Heist. However, in retrospect, among the various statements of WOTC regarding the format, one turned out to be true after the rotation: "With rotation coming in about a month, Alchemy isn't in need of any action." In fact, at the moment, the various decks that are based on the Heist mechanics are strong but not oppressive as just a month ago.   Heist vs Mono-Red pre-rotation: an awful matchup
Discover the impact of MTG Foundations on Standard with our review of Simic Flash and Mono-Red Aggro reprints. Explore card synergies and strategies!
Featured
MTG Foundations Spoilers: Is Simic Flash back? Red is getting some friends back as well!
Magic: The Gathering Foundations will be released on MTG Arena on November 12, 2024, while the paper release date is November 15, 2024. In the previous article we took a look at some of the revealed cards. If you have missed it, you must absolutely retrieve it as it contains general information about the Foundations set as well. In today’s article's article we will evaluate other revealed cards. Now the set is fully revealed so we have a clearer idea of what its impact on Standard will be.
logo

By joining our community, you can immerse yourself in MTG Arena gameplay. Watch matches, engage with content, comment, share thoughts, and rate videos for an interactive experience.

Follow Us

LATEST VIDEOS