At the end of June, went through a major shakeup that changed the landscape of the format. With some of the top decks knocked out, players quickly began exploring new strategies and rebuilding around fresh ideas. Now that we've had a week of MTGO results, we're starting to see which decks are rising to the top—and how the meta is beginning to evolve. Let's take a look at what the data shows so far.
What was Banned in Standard on June 30th?
On June 30th, Wizards of the Coast banned several cards from Standard that had been shaping the format. The banned cards are:
- Up the Beanstalk
- Monstrous Rage
- Hopeless Nightmare
- Cori-Steel Cutter
- Abuelo's Awakening
- Heartfire Hero
- This Town Ain't Big Enough
These bans hit some of the most popular and powerful decks, leaving players curious about what would come next.
Now that over a week has passed and we've seen results from MTGO Standard Leagues, it's clear some new strategies are already stepping up. Let's take a look at what the data shows and which decks are rising in this post-ban format.
What Decks Are on Top?
Izzet Cauldron is leading the way right now, with 24 league appearances and 20 different pilots trying it out. That’s a strong sign it’s not just a fluke—it’s a real contender in this new meta. Instead of relying on banned cards, this deck leans on synergy and value, using blue and red tools to keep the board under control while slowly building up power.
The centerpiece is Agatha's Soul Cauldron, which turns your graveyard into a toolbox. You exile creatures, slap +1/+1 counters on your board, and suddenly your small threats are packing serious utility.
Creatures like Marauding Mako and Vivi Ornitier scale fast and keep pressure on, especially as you loot, cycle, and discard with spells like Glacial Dragonhunt and Winternight Stories.
With aggro decks weakened by the bans, a deck like Izzet Cauldron—one that can play a longer game while still threatening bursts of damage—has a lot more breathing room. It controls well, draws tons of cards, and turns the graveyard into fuel. It’s no wonder so many players are picking it up right now.
Dimir Midrange isn't far behind, with 18 appearances and a strong mix of disruption and value. Even though it lost Hopeless Nightmare in the June 30th bans, the deck hasn't missed a beat. It's still packing some of the best interaction in the format, including cheap removal like Cut Down, Go for the Throat, and Anoint with Affliction. These spells clear the board early and help the deck stabilize against aggressive starts.
For hand disruption, Duress and Deep-Cavern Bat give you a peek at your opponent's game plan—and often take away their best tool. The bat even comes with flying and lifelink, making it useful beyond just disruption.
On the control side, Tishana's Tidebinder and Floodpits Drowner help stop key abilities and stall the board, while threats like Preacher of the Schism generate value turn after turn. You've also got Cecil, Dark Knight, who flips into a lifelinking powerhouse if the game goes long, and Vren, the Relentless, which exiles enemy creatures and floods the board with pumped-up Rats.
Planeswalkers like Kaito, Bane of Nightmares round out the top end, giving you card draw, board control, and a ninja twist on tempo plays. And with a smooth mana base supported by lands like Darkslick Shores, Underground River, and Restless Reef, the deck doesn't stumble on colors.
Overall, Dimir Midrange is thriving because it answers almost everything, builds card advantage, and closes out games with underrated but powerful threats.
New and Returning Strategies
Izzet Prowess is showing up again with 7 appearances, and while it lost Monstrous Rage, it's still proving it has the tools to compete. This version leans heavily on a mix of cheap spells and scaling threats like Vivi Ornitier, who grows and pings your opponent every time you cast a non-creature spell.
Cards like Torch the Tower and Obliterating Bolt keep the board clear, while Opt, Sleight of Hand, and Stock Up help you dig for answers and keep the pressure on. You'll also find Ral, Crackling Wit, and Stormchaser's Talent supporting the spell-based game plan, giving you tokens, draw, and recursion. It may not be as explosive as before, but it's fast, flexible, and still very dangerous.
Jund Insidious Roots is the biggest surprise so far, showing up 5 times and bringing a totally different spin to the format. The centerpiece is Insidious Roots, an enchantment that rewards you with Plant tokens and +1/+1 counters whenever creatures leave your graveyard.
From there, the deck builds around self-mill and recursion, using cards like Town Greeter, Dredger's Insight, and Cache Grab to fill the graveyard, then leveraging Coati Scavenger, Osteomancer Adept, and Overlord of the Balemurk to bring creatures back and trigger Roots. It's a grindy, value-packed engine that takes full advantage of slower matchups—and with Tyvar and Scavenging Ooze in the mix, it can control the graveyard and scale into a massive board quickly.
Naya Yuna also has 5 appearances, each piloted by a different player—a good sign that people are exploring this new archetype. The deck is built around Yuna, Hope of Spira, who gives your enchantment creatures trample, lifelink, and ward, and brings back enchantments from the graveyard every turn.
That recursion power pairs beautifully with cards like Joshua, Phoenix's Dominant, and Terra, Magical Adept, both of which fill your graveyard and transform into enchantment creatures that flood the board with tokens, damage, or extra mana. Summon: Knights of Round and Overlord of the Mistmoors add even more late-game punch, while Fear of Missing Out gives the deck surprise combat steps. This is a value-heavy, midrange deck that's still finding its final form, but it's already showing promise in the hands of creative brewers.
What We’re Learning So Far
Slower, value-focused decks are definitely on the rise now that explosive aggro tools like Monstrous Rage and Hopeless Nightmare are gone. Decks like Dimir Midrange and Jund Insidious Roots are capitalizing on longer games with recursion, disruption, and graveyard synergies. At the same time, Izzet Cauldron stands out not just for its power, but for how widely it's being picked up—its mix of flexibility, card draw, and inevitability makes it both strong and rewarding to play.
We're also seeing Izzet Prowess stay alive post-ban by adapting with new spell packages, and decks like Naya Yuna are proving that synergy-driven builds built around enchantments and sagas have real potential in this slower format. With so much variety and new tech emerging, the post-ban meta feels more open than it has in a while.
Wrapping Up
Standard is still settling after the bans, but things are already looking really interesting. The decks doing well right now aren't just fast or flashy—they're smart, flexible, and built around cool combos and engines that reward good planning. Whether you like controlling the game, grinding out long matches, or finding creative ways to win, this is a great time to experiment and try new ideas.
We'll keep an eye on the meta as it keeps shifting and share what's working week to week. Until then, happy brewing—and let us know what decks you're playing in this new post-ban Standard!
