The Current Standard #6
Current Standard
Owlus
19 April 2013
3211 views
19 April 2013
3211 views
Hello and welcome back to another week of The Current Standard. This week Salazar968 and I will be breaking down Dark Naya.
Card advantage, power, and disruption. Most midrange decks are really good at 1 or 2 of those categories, but fail in the third. Dark Naya is good at all three. Restoration Angel, Thragtusk, Rakdos's Return, Huntmaster of the Fells Flip and Undying Evil all create card advantage, the creature base is as strong as any other midrange deck, and our burn disrupts the opponent enough to stay ahead. This is what makes Dark Naya the best naya variant in Standard right now.
So lets get down to breaking down this beast.
The Current Dark Naya
Standard
SCORE: 1 | 926 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER
Land(24)
1x Blood Crypt
Creature(24)
3x Huntmaster of the Fells Flip
4x Thragtusk
Instant(4)
2x Undying Evil
Sorcery(8)
4x Farseek
Sideboard
3x Boros Charm
Card Selection
Salazar968 here, lets break down the list]]
Falkenrath Aristocrat - A 4/1 flying haste in a midrange deck seems out of place. Wouldn’t Olivia Voldaren be better? No, because Falkenrath gives the deck the aggressive draws it needs against control. As a resilient flier, this girl gets in there for damage. And she gets in there quickly and efficiently.
Undying Evil - This card is what makes black a good color. For B, you can revive a Angel of Serenity, Thragtusk, Falkenrath Aristocrat, or a Boros Reckoner Anything you want will come back, and be bigger, better, and looking to feast on the blood of your foes.
Rakdos's Return - Gives this deck the disruption it needs to survive against Control decks. They rely heavily on Sphinx’s Revelation to stabilize, so knocking the cards back out of their hands and ticking down their life as we do it for less mana is a decent trade. We need to stop their responses in order to survive, and this is one of the few ways to do it.
Boros Reckoner (Over Loxodon Smiter) - Boros Reckoner is very well placed in this deck. With G/R Aggro and Aristocrats: Act II currently running rampant in the format, Reckoner is coming back to shine. Against Silverheart? Seems good. Against Blasphemous Act? Hope you’ve got your triggers positioned properly.
Huntmaster of the Fells Flip - With control decks starting to become more board-wipe happy in order to combat Reanimator, this guy works great as a post-wipe dude. 4-6 power, 2 life, and a powerhouse flipper against the recently tapped-out control player.
Sideboard
2x Assemble the Legion - Our bullet against control decks. Landing one T3-T4 is a death-knell, stopping them from being able to stabilize as we flood the field with more and more tokens.
3x Boros Charm - Keeping our guys alive against control is crucial, and the ability to randomly dome them for 4 makes this card perfect against those decks.
3x Centaur Healer - The anti-aggro guy of GW. 1GW for essentially a Time Walk against the red decks.
1x Mizzium Mortars - In there for UWR Flash and GR aggro. The ability to kill their guys is desperately needed, and as such this card slides in as a third copy.
1x Oblivion Ring - Bullet against Planeswalkers and enchantments.
2x Rest in Peace - Pretty standard GY hate in a Reanimator Meta.
1x Searing Spear - Helps burn out the control decks, and kills the smaller aggro guys.
2x Selesnya Charm - For the Midrange matchup, we need an out to Angel of Serenity, and this is about as good as we’re gonna get.
Matchups
Onto The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly with Owlus (and as always, matt sideboarding).
The Good
Aristocrats (The Current Aristocrats)
Lingering Souls is usually a great stall against any midrange deck, but 1/1s are too weak to match our inexorable wave of creatures. Undying Evil is a great counter to any removal they have, and we are harder, better, faster, stronger than they are. Thragtusk puts us far ahead of them, Farseek and Avacyn's Pilgrim accelerate us, and Angel of Serenity can quickly end the game. We are fast enough to make them play defense for the majority of the game, and when we have a Boros Reckoner of our own, a Blasphemous Acts is near-suicidal.
Out(2):
In(2):
B/R Zombies (The Current BR Zombies)
B/R zombies is too weak against us. Thragtusks and early ramp puts us out of reach, and then we win with better creatures. Huntmaster of the Fells Flip, Boros Reckoner and Restoration Angel easily slow them down, and Thragtusks and Angel of Serenitys secure the win.
Out(3):
In(3):
B/W Zombies (The Current BW Zombies)
Other than Obzedat, Ghost Council, this matchup is almost identical to that of B/R zombies. Although Obzedat is annoying, we can ignore him since the 2 life isn’t very relevant against our Thragtusks, Huntmasters and Restoration Angels. He isn’t very useful as a blocker either, since our creatures are big enough to kill him.
Out(7):
In(7):
Colonel Muster (The Current Colonel Muster)
The other competitive Naya Midrange deck in the meta right now. This matchup boils down to a race of the naya decks, and we are just better at it. Undying Evil dodges their removal and grinds extra value out of all of our creatures. Falkenrath Aristocrat beats through pretty much anything. Rakdos's Return wraps up the day nicely, making sure they can’t come back.
Out(4):
2x Avacyn's Pilgrim 2x Searing Spear
In(4):
Esper Control (augur-of-control)
Here is where splashing for black really shines. Undying Evil on a Thragtusk, Huntmaster of the Fells Flip or Angel of Serenity in response to Supreme Verdict makes even the strongest control player cry. Rakdos's Return, the polar opposite of Sphinx's Revelation, keeps their hand empty and their life total down, even after they rev for 100. Falkenrath Aristocrat smacks them repeatedly, and will live through all the Supreme Verdicts. Huntmaster of the Fells Flip, Thragtusk, and Angel of Serenity wrap the game up very nicely, and give us one of the strongest control matchups in standard.
Out(6):
In(6):
3x Boros Charm
Grixis Control (Bolas for a Better Tomorrow, Grixis dream)
Another matchup where splashing black shows its value. Just like in the esper matchup, Falkenrath Aristocrat gives us speed, Rakdos's Return helps keep their hand empty and their planeswalkers dead, and Undying Evil “counters” their removal. We should play conservatively until they are either tapped out or down to 1-2 cards in hand. The biggest problem is Olivia Voldaren, who is INSANE against all midrange decks.
Out(4):
In(4):
Hyperaggro (The Current Naya Blitz, Madcap Rush and The Current Gruul)
King Thragswag will consistently win the hyper-aggro matchup, especially when backed up by Huntmaster of the Fells Flip and Restoration Angel. Searing Spears and Mizzium Mortars take care of things that are getting a bit too scary, and Huntmaster of the Fells Flip, Thragtusk and Restoration Angel put us far enough ahead that they can’t catch up.
Out(4):
1x Undying Evil
In(4):
Jund Aggro (The Current Jund Aggro)
This matchup is almost identical to the hyper-aggro matchup. Hellrider, [Dreg Mangler]] and Deathrite Shaman do provide a little bit more push, but it isn’t enough for them. Huntmaster of the Fells Flip and Thragtusk will still put us far ahead of the aggro.
Out(4):
In(4):
UWR Flash (The Current Flash)
The black package shows its worth again. Just like in the Esper and Grixis matchups, it pulls the deck together and covers up the holes in our strategy. UWR doesn’t really have any tech against us, so we can just stomp through their Sphinx's Revelations and Supreme Verdicts.
Out():
2x Searing Spear (Against the Thundermaw Version ONLY)
In():
2x Selesnya Charm (Against the Thundermaw Version ONLY)
The Bad
Jund Zombies (The Current Jund Zombies)
Jund Zombies is probably the best of our bad matchups. Even though Thragtusk and Huntmaster of the Fells Flip can keep them in check, Lotleth Troll, Dreg Mangler and Falkenrath Aristocrat might be able to push through our defenses. The matchup leans in our favor, but don’t underestimate the power of the zombies.
Out(6):
In(6):
Junk Midrange (The Current Desecration Junk)
Junk Midrange is probably one of the most resilient midrange decks right now. We both play the late game well, but they have more removal and they’re creatures are just as strong. In the end, it comes down to which creatures we draw, and when we see our removal. Rakdos's Return is amazing in this matchup, but sometimes it isn’t enough. Basically, whoever sees their Angel of Serenity first can power through in a couple of turns.
Out(4):
In(4):
Prime Speaker Bant (The Current Bant)
The hardest midrange deck to out card, Prime Speaker Bant is an even matchup. Even though Rakdos's Return can kill Garruk and try to keep their hand empty, a Prime Speaker Zegana just gets it all back. Falkenrath Aristocrat races them, but Angel of Serenity can come out really early and ruin our day. It comes down to who draws what, and since all they do is draw, we never like facing them.
Out(2):
In(2):
RG Sage (The Current RG Sage)
Thundermaw Hellkite and Wolfir Silverheart are 2 huge cards in this matchup. We have very few answers, and they can come out insanely fast. RG sage swarms the board very effectively, and we only have 4 removal cards to stop them. Thragtusk is not actually as relevant in this matchup, because Wolfir Silverheart, Thundermaw Hellkite, and Hellrider all hit for an insane amount of damage.
Out(2):
In(2):
Wolf Run Bant (the-current-wolf-run)
Another insanely resilient deck, this one backed by Supreme Verdict and Sphinx's Revelation. Rakdos's Return is insane in this matchup, as well as Undying Evil and Falkenrath Aristocrat. But Angel of Serenity and Thragtusks can keep us in check, and the ability to end the game in one turn makes us play defense more than we would like to.
Out(4):
In(4):
The Ugly
Bant Enchantments (The Current Banthexchant)
Probably the worst matchup possible for this deck. They can race us easily, because of hexproof. Their creatures either have or can get flying, and usually can’t be killed by Mizzium Mortars. That leaves us basically no outs against their relentless beatdown.
Out(3):
2x Undying Evil
In(3):
Humanimator (The Current Humanimator)
The most boring deck in standard. We either pull off the Rest in Peace, or we lose. Searing Spear also helps break up the combo. Pretty much all of our “Ugly” matchups are really bad.
Out(3):
In(3):
Jund Midrange (The Current Jund)
Since we only have a splash of black, we don’t have nearly as much disruption as Jund. Our least favorite vampire, Olivia Voldaren haunts us again in this matchup. Liliana of the Veil and Garruk, Primal Hunter also annoy us to no end, because we have very few answers. Angel of Serenity can help us survive, but most of the time it just isn’t enough.
Out(3):
In(3):
Junk Rites (The Current Junk Rites)
The big bully of standard, and the main reason this deck isn’t a huge part of the metagame. We have a horrible matchup against Craterhoof Behemoth, because all of our efforts to keep him under control don’t work. Rest in Peace and Angel of Serenity help, but with mana dorks they can still just cast it and swing for lethal. We basically have to nut-draw in order to beat them.
Out():
In(4):
Adjusting to your meta
Like all decklists, this list is made for a certain meta. Chances are, you have a different one wherever you play. In this section I hope to outline a few ways you can make this deck better in certain metas.
Control Heavy Meta
Do you have to constantly play around turn 4 Supreme Verdicts? Do you dread turn 10, and your opponent Sphinx's Revelationing for a new hand? If so, these changes are for you.
Put Skullcrack in the sideboard. Oh, that’s a nice Sphinx's Revelation you’ve got...die. Skullcrack is a great card against any U/W/x deck and can provide that last little push. I would suggest replacing the Mizzium Mortars and Searing Spear in the sideboard with two Skullcrack, since it isn’t versatile enough to go in the mainboard.
One more Huntmaster of the Fells Flip. Control decks have to answer this guy as soon as he hits the field, sometimes even single-handedly forcing them to Supreme Verdict, leaving them vulnerable to you swarming the field again. Since Boros Reckoner isn’t so relevant against control, I’d recommend replacing it.
Other alternatives to Huntmaster of the Fells Flip is an additional Angel of Serenity, Rakdos's Return, or even Undying Evil. It all depends on what fits best in your meta. For any of these, pull either Boros Reckoner or Searing Spears, which both aren’t that relevant against U/W/x.
Aggro Heavy Meta
Does Burning-Tree Emissary rule the world, followed closely by Lightning Mauler? If so, these changes are for you.
More removal. Rakdos's Return is almost always too slow to be relevant, so replace them with two more Mizzium Mortars, or one mortars and one Searing Spear. If midrange and control are a relevant part of the meta, you can always replace the burn in the sideboard for 2x Rakdos's Return.
Other than that, Thragtusk and Centaur Healer win the aggro matchup for us, so not very many changes are necessary.
Midrange Heavy Meta
Does Thragtusk have its own religion, heralded by the angels? If so, these changes are for you.
Add two Olivia Voldaren. This vampire is a tank that straight-up wins the midrange matchup. Any Thragtusk, Angel of Serenity, or even Aurelia, the Warleader can immediately become yours for a small price. Earlier in the game, she can eat mana dorks, slowing down your opponent and giving you an edge. In addition, she can easily survive Mizzium Mortars and Searing Spear, provided you have enough mana. I would probably pull the 2 Searing Spear, which isn’t really relevant against the huge midrange monsters.
Angel of Serenity is also a really good card against midrange, but 2 is usually enough. Garruk, Primal Hunter is an option to consider, refilling your hand so you have more options.
Wrapping Up
In my opinion, Dark Naya is the strongest Naya midrange variant there is right now. The splash of black provides the necessary support (Undying Evil), speed (Falkenrath Aristocrat), and disruption (Rakdos's Return) for you to out-class aggro, outlive midrange, and out-power control. If naya is your favorite shard, and you love playing good old beat-your-face-in midrange, Dark Naya is definitely a good choice.
That’s it for this week. Next week, we will be going back to good old aggro, with Madcap Rush. If you want to see a specific match up, or have any suggestions or concerns, make sure to leave a comment. Thanks for reading!
Salazar968 says... #2
WRB is more of a bant deck splashing red, whereas this is a naya deck splashing black. I can see where the comparisons come from, but they operate completely differently.
thanks for reading!
- Matt
April 20, 2013 5:41 p.m.
Love it...everytime I read this I try and run the deck at FNM and it plays out pretty dead on to what you guys say.To clarify, I run it for fun, not always as my tournament build.
April 20, 2013 10:24 p.m.
Salazar968 says... #4
Glad you like it, hope it continues doing well for you.
April 21, 2013 11:15 a.m.
And what about Control with no creatures except for tokens from Plainwalkers, Board wipes, and counters? While running Witchbane Orb 's,Blind Obedience ?? Thats my deck just want info on that because i wana know whet ill be looking at when i play FNM next time. I also run sidebored Orings
April 22, 2013 7:56 p.m.
Salazar968 says... #7
@ Dasberry
Do you mind linking me to your deck? I can write up a match-up for it once I get a list.
Thanks,
- Matt
April 22, 2013 10:26 p.m.
@ Salazar968 here ya go, mine is a cheaper virsion compared to most but still effective. I do use Nevermore keep that in mind. Psycho's ESPER Control SuperFriends
April 22, 2013 11:58 p.m.
BaceJeleren says... #9
That Dark Naya deck looks nice. At my LGS last week I played Human Reanimator, UWR Flash, Wolf Run Bant, and BR Zombies. I ended up getting 2nd with Punishing Grixis Control. I feel like my Grixis build is pretty solid. Can't wait to see the metagame after DGM.
April 23, 2013 5:05 p.m.
Thanks for reading, Im glad you enjoyed the deck. Grixis seems pretty good right now, it can stomp most midrange and control, but has a hard time against hyper aggro. However, DGM seems to give it a lot of options, and it may be the new control deck. No Sphinx's Revelation hurts though.
April 23, 2013 6:36 p.m.
BaceJeleren says... #11
@OwlusThat pretty much sums up Grixis. That's why I only lost against zombies. I'm hoping to test Aetherling, Notion Thief, and Master of Cruelties after DGM. Notion Thief wins against Sphinx's Revelation and will most likely be a sideboard card. I really want to smack someone with Master of Cruelties and then use Stensia Bloodhall , too.
April 23, 2013 8:02 p.m.
Oh, there is gonna be no article this week, I bet you can all guess why.
DGM pre release weekend is gonna be sweet(for some people), and at the wake of the new set there is no point in writing an article about any deck. The metagame is undefined, and we have no idea what will emerge. We are still debating what to do the 1st week of DGM, I kind of want to a DGM speculation article, what do you guys think?
SwiftDeath says... #1
another very strong variant is Wolf Run Bant that has naya colors and does very well competitively seeing multiple top 8's.
April 20, 2013 5:31 p.m.