Theorycrafting Post Ban Standard
Hey everyone!
I'll be going over some decklists that I think will climb their way back to the top after recent changes due to the B&R announcement. I'll also be spitballing some ideas that might not have worked last format but maybe that changes now!
So if you haven't read or heard yet, these are the changes to Standard, Historic, and the companion mechanic :
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/banned-and-restricted-update-june-1-2020-agent-fires-banned-companion-mechanic-change
The first thing I'd like to talk about is how the fix to Companion mechanic will definitely hurt Companions in older formats. But in Standard? I think standard is slow and grindy enough to allow our favorite little friends to stay around, but they won't be an auto-include in every deck. The companions that really took a hit from this will be Gyruda, Doom of Depths, Obosh, The Preypiercer, and Lurrus of The Dream Den to an extent. Mostly because the decks that were using these companions really can't handle that additional three mana tax. However, I think the more midrange to control decks won't notice the tax. It just means we're going to have to plan a turn or two in advance before deploying their companions. Yorion, Sky Nomad decks will be interesting as the Yorion decks have lost Fires of Invention, which means they won't have those crazy double spell turns and can't use their Castle Vantress to scry freely while being able to deploy their game plan. However, that's not the end of Yorion as I've seen Azorius Control and a ton of other Yorion decks that are looking to go late into the game which means their value train will take a bit more time to go off.
With the way the format will probably play out, I think Azorius Control can be pretty good again. I assume Teferi, Time Raveler not getting the axe means he will be needed to help fight off the Wilderness Reclamation and Flash decks. Dovin's Veto is currently a four of as the ability to be uncounterable against Wilderness Reclamation decks will be nice. I also have to imagine that decks like Simic Midrange and Simic Flash will be returning and though Veto won't hit their creatures, it's not absolutely dead. With how slow this deck plays, It can deal with the additional three mana on Yorion as it normally doesn't deploy it early unless it's in need of a defensive body.
Speaking of Simic Flash ...
I think it might be time to try Simic Flash again as Midrange decks will still run rampant and this deck is pretty good at keeping them in check. I despise Nissa, Who Shakes the World but I know she'll be returning and she feels like the perfect late-game closer for the deck. I'm not putting Sea-Dasher Octopus in because I don't think that game plan of protecting our one threat works as well anymore. If I were to try that, I'd probably play a Dimir Flash deck...
Sea-Dasher Octopus feels better in this deck due to the synergies with Slitherwisp. This way, we at least get to draw a card because nowadays, we don't have great protection spells for our creature unless we add white for Gods Willing. Because of this, I'd rather save my counterspells for Teferi, Time Raveler as that card destroys us. I've also made sure to add Cunning Nightbonder to make sure we have a creature that will help us edge out our game plan against the Simic Variant or control decks.
As I had also mentioned above, Nissa, Who Shakes the World will definitely have an uptick in popularity again so here's where I'd probably start:
I think with how fast the Elementals package can ramp, the tax on Yorion won't be noticed all too much. The question will be whether the deck can handle losing the powerhouse that was Agent of Treachery. At the very least, this is the shell I'd probably start with if I'm looking for something Elementals related.
For those that are looking for a less tribal deck, we have Ketria Reclamation which was untouched by the B&R announcements and looks to be one of the better decks
A deck that will definitely see it's way back to the spotlight will be a variant of Cauldron Familiar and Witch's Oven
I'm personally a fan of the Rakdos version more than the Jund version but the Jund version can definitely grind a bit more with an engine like Trail of Crumbs and Korvold, Fae-Cursed King. However, I like the tuned aggression out of Rakdos. With increase in Lurrus of the Dream Den, the deck will definitely go back to being a Mayhem Devil and Woe Strider version. Without Lurrus, I chose to drop Serrated Scorpion and that could be wrong. Some people have said that you can just play Lurrus in the main deck but I really feel like our other three cost cards are better. If the deck does gravitate towards playing main deck Lurrus, I'd recommend bringing back the Serrated Scorpion. I also like Call of the Death-Dweller out of the sideboard as a way to buy back our best threats like Mayhem Devil.
Lastly, my baby. My favorite deck for all of this standard has been Grixis Lurrus Control.
I think with the way the deck played, we don't lose much by the tax on Lurrus as we never really deployed it until turn six or eight. Most of the early game will be dominated by our disruptive starts with Lazav, the Multifarious and Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger. If Azorius Control because really dominant, it might be time to look into adding more cards like Agonizing Remorse out of the sideboard and maybe going up to the fourth copy of Mystical Dispute in the main deck. Otherwise, I think the list I played in the Day 2 Arena Open should be okay.
Conclusion
It's crazy but in the last year, it's felt like we've had a crazy amount of new standards, but for right now, the decks I'd be looking to target are some form of Cat Oven, Nissa, Who Shakes the World, Wilderness Reclamation decks, and Azorius Control. If your deck can keep up with those, you're probably heading in the right direction. It feels good knowing our stuff won't get stolen anymore by Agent of Treachery so go out there and enjoy ... unless Mass Manipulation becomes a thing ...
Thanks for reading and I'll see you all out there on the ladder!
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-Your Friendly Neighborhood AsianAvenger
Twitter: @TheAsianAvenger || Twitch: twitch.tv/TheAsianAvenger || Email: theasianavenger@mtggoldfish.com
