U/W Approach was a fringe deck at the tail end of last Standard season and it gained a few interesting tools from Ixalan. It also lost some key early removal spells to rotation, but this is heavily offset by no longer having to deal with Gideon, Ally of Zendikar or Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger.
With a maindeck completely devoid of creatures, U/W Approach has an excellent Game 1 against most decks because of how many copies of Fatal Push, Harnessed Lightning, and other removal spells people have to play to deal with the multitude of amazing creatures currently available. This is a major advantage for a Week 1 deck, as one look at all the cards people are excited about shows nothing but creatures:Dinosaurs! Pirates! Vampires!
People want to play with the new exciting threats, and U/W Approach does a very good job of containing them with cards like Fumigate and Settle the Wreckage while also providing a win condition completely different from all of these perceived threats. This is usually a recipe for Week 1 success, so do not sleep on this deck.t also forces players to play around new, tricky cards like Settle the Wreckage, which is great for inducing mistakes. I can't tell you how many players walked blindly into my very obvious Archangel Avacyn blowouts Week 1 of Shadows over Innistrad Standard, and putting players into unfamiliar waters over and over again will usually yield positive results.
Tip: Be aware of Settle the Wreckage, but don't play around it just to play around it. Sometimes it is going to be correct to attack into it and make them spend their mana (so they can't do something like Glimmer of Genius). Never forget your goal is to "make the play that helps you win the game," not "be clever and play around Settle the Wreckage."
The weakness of U/W Approach lies in two Ixalan reprints and a current sideboard staple:U/W Approach is entirely dependent on resolving some very expensive, sorcery-speed threats, and a well-timed Duress, Spell Pierce, or Negate can completely unravel their plans. Having access to any of these three cards will wildly swing your matchup against the deck, which is something to keep in mind when building your deck and sideboard. Also be aware that the U/W Approach players are aware of this as well; be ready for them to bring in creatures like Regal Caracal and Torrential Gearhulk!
U/W Approach is probably going to be the most important deck at #SCGDFW, so whether you plan on playing it or playing against it, be ready.
- Jim Davishttp://www.starcitygames.com/article/35910_8-Decks-For-SCG-Dallas-And-New-Standard.html
