Top MTG Standard Cards for Winning: Meta Bombs & Strategies

Want to WIN Games in Standard? Play These Cards!

Discover the top Standard "bombs" in Magic: The Gathering with high win rates when cast. Optimize your deck strategy for competitive play!

People often discuss win rates when cards are included in a deck, or maybe win rates if a card is drawn during a game. There is even something to take from the percentage of decks a card appears in. Sure, we can say x and y are good cards to put in your deck, but what cards are truly the best? Which ones give you the best chance of winning a game after you cast them? We are going to look at those cards today. We are effectively examining the biggest bombs in the format. There is still a concept of not relying on one card to win the game, and using synergies to win. I get it. I would invite you to consider, however, even if you do not plan to play any of these cards, you should definitely be aware of what is a bomb that needs your attention in the format. Without further ado, let's check out the bombs in Standard, and see how insane their win rates are.

Standard Cards with Highest Win Rate (When Cast)

Note that this statistic is simply if the card was cast from someone's hand. It does not look at whether or not the spell was resolved. I think this has bearing on the outcome of the game as well. If it gets countered or removed, we know it is also that much more important. This is why I believe looking at win rate when cast is the best metric for the biggest threats.

Magic the Gathering Card - Harmless Offering - MTG Circle

If you aren't familiar with this card, it is used with cards that say "Lose the game" on them, and it is used to hand it off to an opponent. With a recent printing of Demonic Pact in Foundations, this deck has become a thing in Standard. It doesn't have a crazy metashare, but when it works, it works. Harmless Offering boasts an 82% win rate in Standard when cast. That has quickly propelled this to the top. The best way that we can deal with it is to have removal for the permanent that is about to be handed off. That and counter spells are likely the only reason this card doesn't have a 100% win rate.

Magic the Gathering Card - Omniscience - MTG Circle

When this card was spoiled, the groans were audible from miles away. It's safe to say that we don't see this card a ton in Standard currently, but if someone casts it, it's pretty hard to win the game after that. There are too many other ridiculous cards in the format that make it just about impossible to win if they are being cast for free. This ten-mana enchantment has a win rate of 80% when cast. It is close to Harmless Offering, and it is possible that the two could trade places from time to time given metashare. This card is seeing a lot of play in Pioneer in Hidden Strings decks, and I imagine the win rate is pretty high for it there too.

Magic the Gathering Card - Doomsday Excruciator - MTG Circle

This card is a little more fun, and has an exciting interaction. It doesn't immediately make you lose the game, or directly lead to things that make you lose, usually. It just accelerates the clock for...doomsday. It is also possible that players can lose to decking themselves by playing this card, which I think is interesting too. It's also a demon, and you know that those things are in right now. Excruciator is also more commonly played. We have over 8,000 games of data to go from with this deck, which should give it more consistency and accuracy in the numbers. If that isn't enough for you to want to play it, the guy who just won the World Championship used it to win his trophy. I think that alone could be enough to convince me. I'll sweeten the pot even more: it has a 75% win rate when cast.

Magic the Gathering Card - White Sun's Twilight - MTG Circle

This card is the opposite of fun to play against. It doesn't help that it is not very commonly played, but when it does resolve, this thing hurts. If it is late enough in the game, and your opponent has enough mana, they will basically kill you in two turns after getting rid of all of your creatures. It also helps the opponent stabilize with the life gain. Twilight has a 75% win rate when cast, and it is pretty tough to deal with the aftermath of it. Two swings from the five mites that they make and you lose. Some decks have the audacity to play sunfall and this card, and sometimes we are left to wonder if some people were loved enough as a child.

Magic the Gathering Card - Atraxa, Grand Unifier - MTG Circle

Atraxa has solidified itself ever since being included in the format. With a 74% win rate when cast, it turns out that refilling your hand after casting a huge spell is really good. It is also helpful that it is one of the best attackers and blockers in the format. The lifelink can help you stabilize and deter an opponent's attack, and the vigilance allows you to attack on your turn and still hold it back as a blocker. It is a great combination of keywords, and it is definitely one of the keys to winning games in Standard.

Best Practices for Dealing with Bombs in Standard

Two of these cards are creatures, but the other three are spells. Something else that is noteworthy is that for all of these cards to be good, they cost four or more mana. This means cards like Disdainful Stroke could be a really good answer for people to have in their sideboards. It also contributes to a great mana-positive exchange while dealing with a card that could hand us a loss if resolved. With one of the spells being a board wipe, it is also effective to have cards that give creatures indestructible. If you are concerned with losing to Demonic Pact, it would be a good idea to have enchantment removal. Three out of the five colors have it available now, and one of the colors can at least bounce permanents to their owner's hand. Having these answers can help you deal with Omniscience and Demonic Pact. I personally play Withering Torment to deal with pesky enchantments. These are the top five bombs in Standard, and even if you don't want to play these cards, I hope this has helped you prepare to deal with them!

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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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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Recapping MTG in 2024

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