MTG Meta Shift: Izzet Prowess Rises in Standard

The Meta is Changing, so it's Time for a Standard Check-In

Explore the dynamic shifts in Magic: The Gathering's Standard meta. Discover how Izzet Prowess and Orzhov Pixie are reshaping competitive play.

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.

Cori is a card that I don't believe too many people had on their radar to be one of the best in the set, but it is definitely stealing the show so far. It is a card that just keeps constant pressure at all times. It used to be that if you wanted to have the prowess decks pop off, you had to ensure that creatures stayed on the board, and that if they didn't you continued to draw creatures. This often caused the decks to be too slow to be competitive. Cori allows for the creation of a prowess creature almost every turn, and it gives the creature haste. Even if you can't do that, and you top deck a creature, you can attach Cori to the creature to give it trample and haste. It's just too good to pass up, and the deck adds the plethora of blue cantrips that we currently have in the format to ensure that it is incredibly simple to cast two spells per turn. If that isn't enough, it also uses Stormchaser's Talent to generate more prowess creatures, and to buy back spells to cast again from the graveyard. The deck can do a lot, but what it does best is kill quickly. Izzet Prowess has earned itself a metashare of almost 14% in less than a month. There wasn't even data on this deck a month ago, because it wasn't really a thing. It is starting to take over, and it won RC Bologna.

The Fall from Grace

Domain decks have taken a huge hit due to the resurgence of the prowess/aggro decks. Some decks are just winning the game on turn four, and Domain doesn't always have time to properly set up their board, or even amass proper mana to avoid dying to these lists. Cori is also incredibly relevant, because it allows players to have immediate pressure after a board wipe. Domain lists used to be able to cast Day of Judgment, Split Up, or Sunfall in order to turn the corner in a given matchup, but the threat of another prowess creature with haste the very next turn makes that option not as viable. It's not to say that the deck still isn't good, but it's harder to say that everyone should play it when the majority of the meta is trying to kill you by turn four. Without a doubt, this deck has the highest ceiling, but lately, it isn't getting a chance to get off the ground.

The Diverse Archetype

You may have seen in my other article that I recently spoke about why I believe that Orzhov Pixie is the best Pixie deck currently. I have plenty of reasons for thinking that, but what I think is most important regarding the meta is that the Pixie decks in general are creating a roadblock for some of the other decks that used to cause us issues in the meta. At their root, they look to make the opponent discard a lot of cards, and gain card advantage. If you combine the different Pixie archetypes, their metashare just about equals that of Izzet Prowess. Even if you do not like the deck, they act as necessary evils to give us a transformative meta by punishing the do-nothing for five turns control decks, by keeping aggro decks honest, and by forcing people to use life gain again. We have a format where people are utilizing the life gain spells, aggro has to respect open mana, and control is forced to play to the board - at least a little bit. I think we are getting closer to being in a good spot. The Pixie decks are a product of cards amassed from the last few sets. Some of the tools that we got in Aetherdrift really helped make the dream a reality. Tarkir didn't contribute too much to it, but one could argue that the cards that it gave to other archetypes created an environment for Pixie to thrive.

So, What's Next?

Things will get interesting. Our next set is Final Fantasy. It will be the first Standard-Legal set for Universes Beyond. Some say it will be the end of Magic as we know it, and others say it will help give things to the game that we've never had before. Many people are considering Tarkir a "return to form" if you will - where it just gets back to being good ol' MTG. Is it a swan song for the game that we love? Or is it simply setting up the stage for an impactful transition into a different approach to set design that will allow us to have a more diverse meta? One thing I always say is that it always matters how Wizards follows up. We had a good set, now we have to see if they want to keep it going. Either way, I'll be here for the ride, and I'm excited to have some new characters in the multiverse.

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I am a Magic The Gathering competitive player, and streamer. I specialize in homebrew decks. My favorite formats are: Standard, Pioneer (Explorer on Arena), and EDH. I first started playing MTG in 2001, and have played on and off since then.

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