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Remember the last time there was a ban in Standard? We needed it so badly that the format was almost unplayable and two different decks were way too powerful compared to everything else. We aren't in as dire a situation currently, but this time it is arguably more annoying and unfun. Magic Spotlight just wrapped up in Orlando and we saw a top 8 field that had 75% Vivi Cauldron representation. The metagame itself was about 55%. This is even worse than it was with Cutter. It is evident that Vivi is the best deck, and it has gotten to the point where other decks are abandoning their gameplan to include cards in the main deck to try and stop the Vivi combo. This is a dead giveaway that we have a glaring issue. Since I believe that some type of ban will happen, I think it is useful to consider what Standard looks like after that, and what decks might emerge. We will take a look at the other deck that did well in the event, and what list starts to stand out after the imminent ban on either Vivi or Cauldron. There was a silver lining today. Amidst all of the complaints about the current format, mono red set all that aside and took care of business. Needless to say, the deck looks very different than it did the last time we saw it in a major event, but the archetype itself is proving to have evergreen efficacy. You have to figure that this deck is still good after additional bans, but it definitely would look different. It would be allowed to have more of a gameplan, and the gameplay of the deck would likely be more linear. It was relieving to see that Vivi didn't outright win the event, but even without the deck getting first, it still feels like it won in a lot of ways.  There isn't a ton to actually recap for the event. It was a ton of Vivi, and Mono Red did its best to fight against it. There were a couple of Mono Black decks that made two, some Dimir, and some Azorius Midrange. When it came down to it, however, the top 16 was virtually all of the top 2 decks.

The Standard RCQ season is in full swing, and although it's still early, it is always nice to get that first qualification out of the way. I was fortunate enough to do that a week ago at a local RCQ and it was with this demon list that I finalized a little bit before heading over to the event. Things worked out really well for me, as I only dropped one match all day, and the person who handed me my only loss, I ended up beating in the finals. The matchups were pretty diverse. We are cautiously optimistic about calling Standard a "healthy" format right now. The Vivi Cauldron and Dimir Kaito decks might say otherwise, but it is pretty healthy otherwise. I was fortunate enough to not go up against Vivi at all this day, but I did have to go against Kaito twice. Thankfully I was able to beat it both times.  As for the deck itself, it definitely has to take on a new look after rotation. There are a couple of new choices that we use for removal, and we even get to use a new card from Edge of Eternities. This modal spell actually helps a ton with synergy in the deck outside of simple removal. We will check on that momentarily. What is most interesting to me about this deck, and intriguing is the fact that it is successful so far in the new meta, is that we are reverting back to the combo that we played previously. We have reintroduced the Slasher/Bloodletter combo and it seems to be working well. When I think of where the list is at now, I think of it as a sort of "back to basics" list. There aren't a ton of demons, but just enough to make it consistent. Each slot is pretty carefully chosen and we have definitely lowered the AMC compared to other lists, and I think that helps out with a meta that is still fast - even after rotation. Alright, enough of me yapping and gloating. Let's take a look at the deck!  You will see that there are a lot of familiar faces here. A couple of new friends, but we have kept the shell that has been around for the last eight to ten months. My favorite part about the deck is that while it does have the combo option, it can simply grind with or without the combo pieces in play. Equally, the combo pieces themselves are just good cards on their own. Bloodletter of Aclazotz is good in almost any deck that makes someone lose life and Unstoppable Slasher forces bad resource trades in a format that demands decks to run removal. The opponent often has to burn two spells to get rid of it, and we usually come out on top in that exchange. The important part here is that we get a lot of value out of all of our creatures. I'll show you some of the new cards from the last couple of sets that we have, and then go over new removal choices so we can get a feel for how to pilot this going forward.

Insidious Roots is one of my favorite cards in the current standard that encourages all kinds of silly builds involving the graveyard and pulling creatures out of it in one way or another. One popular build prior to our recent rotation featured Osteomancer Adept and Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler to create a self-feeding engine that could play out an entire deck and fling an enormous plant for a win. If you’re curious, check out the article I wrote on that deck here: While the theory on that deck was sound and it performed very well, one of the key combo enablers has now rotated out of the format. Tyvar is gone from Insidious Roots, but rather than accept this as the death of the deck, I've decided to push forward and accept it as a challenge to overcome.

If you're looking for an off-meta brew to take down your opponents at your next Standard event, this mono-red Dragons list might be exactly what you need. It's a budget-friendly build that still delivers explosive plays, letting you punish slower decks with early pressure and finish with hard-hitting flyers. Between efficient removal, treasure-powered ramp, and game-ending threats, this deck can go toe-to-toe with the format's heavyweights while keeping your opponents guessing. The Deck This mono-red Dragons build keeps things simple but packs plenty of firepower for the new Standard environment after rotation. By trimming down on flashy but expensive mythics, the deck stays budget-friendly while still delivering big threats and solid interaction. It's built to curve out aggressively, pressure opponents early, and finish with powerful flying Dragons. Here's how each part of the deck comes together.

Welcome Magic lovers! With the recent Standard rotation, which coincides with the release of the latest set, Edge of Eternities, and coming hot off the heels of the biggest Standard ban in twenty years, it's safe to say that the format is currently a deck-brewer's paradise. While the Regional Championship Qualifier season has officially started, we haven't started seeing results from the highly-competitive RCQ tournaments that will be happening very soon. This means that the format is mostly directionless, with the only real competitive data coming in the form of Magic Online Standard Challenge results. That, in turn, means that the Magic Arena ranked ladder, as well as the leagues on Magic Online, are full of players trying out new ideas, going back to tried-and-true strategies to see if they have any life left, and determining if there are any hidden gems to unearth in Standard with which to gain an advantage come tournament time.

It really feels like we are still taking in everything from Final Fantasy. About a month ago we had MC Vegas and the collector boosters were all the craze, along with the pro tour. In less than five weeks, we have seen a bunch of cards banned, had rotation, and had a new set release. It is an eventful MTG Summer to say the least. Right now, it is that time that we all love where a new meta will be formed. I know that I usually release deck lists before the new set comes out, but this time I wanted to wait for the set to be released and test it a bit after rotation before I advised whether or not some of this stuff was worth burning wildcards on. The first list that I have for you is the discard list. We got some new tools in Edge of Eternities and in this post-ban/rotation meta we are going to have a better opportunity to get back to basics and try out some of the good old-fashioned mono black fun. My favorite thing about this deck is that we can turn our main engine into a creature when we are ready. There are so many good discard spells in the format right now. We are approaching a point where control decks are going to be relevant again because aggro decks are still good. It is part of my due diligence to find out a good control/discard deck for you. This is my first attempt. We are going to use our efficient threats to trade with problematic creatures, and remove them where needed. We will use our discard spells to help ensure that the opponent runs out of gas. Once they get to that point, we will punish them for having no cards in hand. This will eventually lead to them getting too far behind to simply beat us with a top deck. We even have some options for gaining life that will help us stay in the game. Let's take a look at some of the new cards that are making a splash early. Fun New Toys

Welcome Magic lovers!   As we stand on the cusp of Standard rotation, which coincides with the imminent release of the new Edge of Eternities set, it's time to start reviewing and updating some of the established archetypes to see if they still have what it takes to remain in tier 1 after losing several of their powerful tools.

EOE Cards Worth Building Around As of today, Edge of Eternities is live on MTG Arena, and we're just now getting a chance to tinker with the new cards. While deck lists will be forthcoming from me and others in the coming days, let's take a look at some of the individual cards to see what might be playable in Standard. I've had the privilege of playing in the Streamer Event last week, so I'll be pulling from my own personal experience in this analysis both as the player and the opponent to these cards. White Weenie Might be Back