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Browse > Home / Strategy / Articles / Single Scoop: Archfiend of the Dross is Cracked! (Phyrexia Standard)

Single Scoop: Archfiend of the Dross is Cracked! (Phyrexia Standard)


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We all knew black was good in this standard, but it might've just acquired a new four-drop! Archfiend of the Dross is pretty darn aggressive and a card I've been hyped to play since it was previewed. It's been awhile since standard has had an Abyssal Persecutor or Desecration Demon and this card is even better! In a deck that can remove creatures pretty easily, not only will this be clocking people for a considerable chunk of damage, it'll also be burning our opponents for 2 damage for every creature of theirs' that dies!

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We've also got some returning favorites like Phyrexian Arena which was good the last time it was in standard so it's still got to be somewhat playable, right? There's a lot of enchantment hate right now but regardless, this card seems like it's still worth a few slots to help us grind out opponents. Phyrexian Obliterator was a really cool card and I definitely jammed it in an older standard but it wasn't that good outside of aggro matchups. Fast forward to 2023 and I'm curious to see if this card can throw hands with the current meta. If we can keep it around, it'll be one of the best blockers until we're ready to go offensive. In a Bo1 ladder, I really expect this card to shine as most decks are aggro. 

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Lastly, the new Vraska is the truth. This card's +0 ability is better than I thought it'd be. The -2 does ramp our opponents but it's nice to have a clean answer that can get around indestructible and etc. She helps us fill out our curve so well and should totally be played in slots that would normally be Sorin the Mirthless. With mono black having a chunk of powerful cards at the four-drop slot, this fills out the top of our curve perfectly!

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