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

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. 

Standard's been anything but boring lately—and the 5-0 MTGO League data proves it. Since the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm, players have been testing, brewing, and locking in their favorite decks—and the results are starting to paint a clear picture of the current Standard metagame. We've gone through every undefeated (5-0) League finish on MTGO since the set dropped, and while the field remains diverse, two archetypes have been standing above the rest. Let’s break down the biggest winners, the decks that won’t quit, and the strategies making a splash along the way.

We just finished up the Regional Championship in Bologna, and we are finally getting some answers in regards to what the best decks are in Standard. We had the confirmation of aggro still being very effective, and those pesky mice continue to do their thing. In addition to that, Izzet Prowess has made a name for itself. Jeskai Control had a good showing, and Domain was still represented as well. We have all known about Esper Pixie for a bit, and many of us have been adequately terrorized by it. A new, more consistent version of this archetype is here and it uses some great cards. This archetype had a good showing at the Regional Championship, and had a list that qualified for the next RC, while just missing a spot at the pro tour. Orzhov Pixie is a deck that aims to be more consistent with its mana, and also allows for a pivot to more of a midrange battle when needed. The plethora of discard and removal make it a deck that is right up my alley, and I will never turn down the opportunity to play cards that make the opponent lose life. Today we are going to examine Orzhov Pixie, and why I believe it is the best version of the Pixie Archetype. We will go over some important cards that this list uses that the Esper version does not, then we will compare the pros and cons of playing each list.  This list that was pretty well curated by Massimiliano earned him an honorable finish in Bologna. This player was one win away from a pro tour invitation and at that point, you have to say that they are in the conversation to be considered one of the top-tier players in Europe at least. They will be back for more opportunities to qualify. This deck has started to break into the meta, and it has finally made a name for itself by having three different players finish in the top 64 with the deck. All three players took home at least $500. Not bad for playing your favorite game over a weekend. What strikes me the most in this deck is the versatility of it. There are cards that we can top deck that make it so we are a lot less likely to run out of gas. I think that is what I enjoy most about this compared to the Esper Version. Esper is all in on the combo itself, and it doesn't have as good of a backup plan. This list allows you to play the midrange and attrition-based matchups that are sometimes demanded of you based on what the opponent is playing. The versatility of Orzhov Pixie is what sets it apart. Relevant Cards

Welcome Magic lovers!  As we enter the last round of major Standard-format tournaments, the Regional Championships, its clear that the meta game is anything but stable. With the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm, the final piece of the Standard format puzzle leading up to the culmination of the most recent Regional Championship Qualifier season, there have been a bevy of new takes on existing decks, as well as a couple of newly-minted archetypes having success on Magic Online and Arena.

Sibsig Ceremony is one of the most intriguing build-arounds we’ve seen in a while. It challenges you to build a deck with creatures, but it destroys them when they first enter the battlefield. On its face, this is a blatant contradiction, but with some clever deck building, we can benefit from the creatures dying and have a reanimation backup plan to get our win cons out of the graveyard and into the fight. The Main Event