Standard Breakdown of Pro Tour: Khans of Tarkir

The top performing standard decks were posted here and here. Let's dig into the numbers to see how you should be preparing for your next Standard event!

The field was absolutely dominated by Jeskai Wins and Abzan Midrange. These were the big known decks coming in and they put up the results.  Ari Lax took down the whole event with Abzan Midrange on the backs of powerful Planeswalkers and Siege Rhino. With the rotation of Sphinx's Revelation and Supreme Verdict many feared the demise of control. Although Ivan Floch managed to get into the Top 8 with Blue-Black Control, only six control decks managed to crack 21+ points.

Color Combination	Number of Decks
	18
	12
	6
	4
	2
	2
	2
	2

Looking at the deck color combinations, we are clearly in the age of three-color decks. With multiple dual-lands, tri-lands, fetches and Mana Confluence, most decks are playing as many good cards as possible.

Top Cards
	Card	Mana Cost	Copies	Decks
1	Lightning Strike		86	45.83%
2	Seeker of the Way		80	45.83%
3	Stoke the Flames		80	41.67%
4	Thoughtseize		78	54.17%
5	Hero's Downfall		76	41.67%
6	Mantis Rider		72	37.50%
7	Jeskai Charm		72	37.50%
8	Goblin Rabblemaster		72	37.50%
9	Courser of Kruphix		70	37.50%
10	Magma Jet		68	41.67%
11	Sylvan Caryatid		68	37.50%
12	Disdainful Stroke		64	66.67%
13	Dig Through Time		58	50.00%
14	Drown in Sorrow		58	45.83%
15	Bile Blight		50	45.83%
16	Siege Rhino		48	25.00%
17	Suspension Field		48	37.50%
18	Fleecemane Lion		48	25.00%
19	Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker		44	41.67%
20	Elspeth, Sun's Champion		44	50.00%

Taking a look at the top cards overall, they're mainly split between efficient creatures (Seeker of the Way, Mantis Rider) and good removal (Lightning Strike, Hero's Downfall). Let's break it down further into card types:

Creatures
	Card	Mana Cost	Copies	Decks
1	Seeker of the Way		80	45.83%
2	Mantis Rider		72	37.50%
3	Goblin Rabblemaster		72	37.50%
4	Courser of Kruphix		70	37.50%
5	Sylvan Caryatid		68	37.50%
6	Siege Rhino		48	25.00%
7	Fleecemane Lion		48	25.00%
8	Polukranos, World Eater		40	25.00%
9	Brimaz, King of Oreskos		32	20.83%
10	Elvish Mystic		32	16.67%
11	Stormbreath Dragon		26	29.17%
12	Nylea's Disciple		24	12.50%
13	Voyaging Satyr		22	12.50%
14	Anafenza, the Foremost		22	20.83%
15	Doomwake Giant		22	12.50%
16	Wingmate Roc		22	20.83%
17	Eidolon of Blossoms		20	12.50%
18	Hornet Queen		18	20.83%
19	Rattleclaw Mystic		16	8.33%
20	Genesis Hydra		16	8.33%

Coming into the Pro Tour: Khans of Tarkir, everyone was talking about Courser of Kruphix and Sylvan Caryatid. They did show up at #4 and #5, but the top spot goes to Seeker of the Way. Seeker of the Way is an absolute beating in an aggressive deck looking to race. The ideal play is T2 Seeker of the Way, T3 removal spell on opponent's creature and hit for a six point life swing. Prowess also makes blocking incredibly awkward. The other Khans of Tarkir all-star was Mantis Rider. With the ground being gummed up by Sylvan Caryatid and Courser of Kruphix, Mantis Rider can fly over and hit for three (hastily I might add). Further, its vigilance is not only relevant for racing/blocking, but it also helps you cast Stoke the Flames. The 4-drop slot is interesting with Siege Rhino edging out Polukranos, World Eater. Siege Rhino is doing its best Thragtusk impression by helping you stabilize with a formidable body and some life gain. 

Planeswalkers
	Card	Mana Cost	Copies	Decks
1	Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker		44	41.67%
2	Elspeth, Sun's Champion		44	50.00%
3	Sorin, Solemn Visitor		18	20.83%
4	Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver		16	12.50%
5	Ajani, Mentor of Heroes		12	16.67%
6	Nissa, Worldwaker		12	16.67%
7	Chandra, Pyromaster		10	8.33%
8	Xenagos, the Reveler		6	4.17%
9	Liliana Vess		4	8.33%
10	Garruk, Apex Predator		4	8.33%

Who won the battle of the Planeswalkers? Spoiler Alert: Elspeth, Sun's Champion is still good. The newcomer Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker made an impressive showing with many decks choosing him over Stormbreath Dragon. Sorin, Solemn Visitor is no slouch either. His +1 ability is very relevant in Siege Rhino mirrors allowing you to kill the opposing Siege Rhino. Nissa, Worldwaker took a back seat at this Pro Tour. It's not surprising when you realize 4/4 lands match up very poorly against the 4/5 Siege Rhino.

Spells
	Card	Mana Cost	Copies	Decks
1	Lightning Strike		86	45.83%
2	Stoke the Flames		80	41.67%
3	Thoughtseize		78	54.17%
4	Hero's Downfall		76	41.67%
5	Jeskai Charm		72	37.50%
6	Magma Jet		68	41.67%
7	Disdainful Stroke		64	66.67%
8	Dig Through Time		58	50.00%
9	Drown in Sorrow		58	45.83%
10	Bile Blight		50	45.83%
11	Suspension Field		48	37.50%
12	Abzan Charm		40	25.00%
13	End Hostilities		38	29.17%
14	Negate		36	33.33%
15	Magma Spray		34	25.00%
16	Anger of the Gods		28	29.17%
17	Banishing Light		24	25.00%
18	Erase		22	25.00%
19	Back to Nature		20	16.67%
20	Dissolve		16	8.33%

With Jeskai Wins dominating the field, it's no surprise most of the top spells were burn spells. The first non-burn, non-removal spell is Dig Through Time. Every deck playing blue is jamming these in. It gives aggressive decks much needed gas while giving control decks more selection. Dig Through Time is so powerful that many decks are playing fetch lands just to fill their graveyard for Delve. Disdainful Stroke also made an appearance for its ability to deal with midrange threats and Planeswalkers. Chord of Calling is surprisingly absent from this list.

Tri-lands were out in full-force (Mystic Monastery, Sandsteppe Citadel). We have so many lands to choose from in this Standard so the prevalence of 3-color decks is unsurprising. Unfortunately most of the lands come into play tapped, so it will be interesting to see if people try to push into 4-color territory as the format evolves.

Top Khans of Tarkir
	Card	Mana Cost	Copies	Decks
1	Seeker of the Way		80	45.83%
2	Mantis Rider		72	37.50%
3	Jeskai Charm		72	37.50%
4	Disdainful Stroke		64	66.67%
5	Dig Through Time		58	50.00%
6	Siege Rhino		48	25.00%
7	Suspension Field		48	37.50%
8	Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker		44	41.67%
9	Abzan Charm		40	25.00%
10	End Hostilities		38	29.17%
11	Anafenza, the Foremost		22	20.83%
12	Wingmate Roc		22	20.83%
13	Sorin, Solemn Visitor		18	20.83%
14	Rattleclaw Mystic		16	8.33%
15	Ashcloud Phoenix		14	12.50%
16	Despise		14	12.50%
17	Utter End		12	16.67%
18	Rakshasa Deathdealer		12	8.33%
19	Deflecting Palm		10	12.50%
20	Murderous Cut		10	16.67%

So what did Khans of Tarkir bring to standard? Aggressive creatures ([Seeker of the Way]], Mantis Rider), efficient mid-range theats (Siege Rhino, Wingmate Roc), flexible spells (Abzan Charm, Jeskai Charm, Dig Through Time) and powerful planeswalkers (Sorin, Solemn Visitor, Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker). The only thing missing are efficient control cards. End Hostilities saw play, but it's no Supreme Verdict. The lack of cheap instant speed card draw made control decks too inconsistent. 

Conclusion

Overall, we saw a lot of new cards showcased this weekend at PT: Khans of Tarkir. Although the field was dominated by a few decks, we did see various new archetypes pop-up. Standard is shaping up to be very interesting!