Introduction
This is a guide with tips regarding the ubiquitous Standard Abzan midrange. This deck is deceptively complex; and a misplay involving Courser of Kruphix or Abzan Charm on turn 3 or 4 can often determine the course of a game five turns later. I found relatively few free sources on the internet covering how to play this deck, especially if one is transitioning away from the aggressive build; which is a shame as I feel this deck requires a lot tighter play.
How to Win
This is an Ari Lax-style Abzan Midrange (Superfriends) deck that first reached fame at Pro Tour Khans on Oct. 14, beating Jeskai in the finals. This is not the "Zoo" Abzan Aggro build; eschewing lions and tigers for planeswalkers and removal. This deck needs to carefully manage resources, trading removal one-for-one with threats or playing a very competitive threat of our own - in particular, compared to the aggro version of the deck, Abzan charm needs to do more work towards developing a winning board state; covered in its own section below.
How to Lose
You can lose, primarily, to two things: Fliers, namely Mantis Riders, Sarkhan,
Ashcloud Phoenix
, and
Stormbreath Dragon
, and an opponent repeatedly out-tempo'ing you by casting cheap removal while building value.
Fortunately, there is one solution to both of the main ways you can lose: Play removal then threats, in that order. In general, if you have a choice between playing a threat and holding up mana for Hero's Downfall or Abzan Charm as removal, hold up the mana. Against a green opponent about to hit his fifth mana, save a Downfall for Stormbreath or Sarkhan. Against Jeskai anything; save an Abzan charm for Mantis Riders. Siege Rhino can wait. Against any form of red, try to save Elspeth until she can either immediately kill two creatures or at least kill one Stormbreath Dragon.
If you are playing a threat, make sure you're playing it into tapped mana. Currently, Standard is heavily dominated by decks trying to make you tap out on your turn for a threat that they remove. The only time you want to be using removal on your turn is if your opponent has the option to Monstrous fleecemane on his turn.
The three Thoughtseizes, while bad in a few matchups, are there to help maintain tempo, allowing you to play something on your main phase while still holding up three mana removal at instant speed as early as turn 3. A fourth Thoughtseize is an acceptable choice; but as Sorin is more often used as a token producer than a lifegainer in this deck, protecting your life total is often an issue. The trade off between 3 and 4 thoughtseizes is whether you think a strong, early thoughtseize is more useful than a bad, dead thoughtseize is harmful. The fourth one lives in the sideboard for me - this is very much a 75 card deck; and remember that you should be playing almost two thirds of your matches sideboarded. Against UB control, opposing Abzan Superfriends (Not aggro!), G/R or Temur monsters, G/x Devotion, I go up to four. Against any aggro; and Jeskai tempo if I'm on the draw, I go down to zero. Against Jeskai when I'm on the play, I keep two (On the draw, Jeskai will often attempt to board in more control elements. On the play they will be more likely to put in burn/tempo elements.
Sligh or black Aggro : -3 Thoughtseize, -1
Duneblast
, -2 Elspeth; +1 Drown in Sorrow, +2 Bile Blight, +1 Whip of Erebos, +1 Murderous Cut, +1 Banishing Light
The aggro matchup is simple: Thoughtseize hurts you more than that 2/1 you're taking would have. Elspeth stabilizes the board but works slowly. Replace the painful removal and the slow removal with fast, cheaper removal.
Jeskaiwhen I'm on the play:
-1 Thoughtseize, -2 Elspeth, -1
Duneblast
, -1 Utter End +1 Murderous Cut, +2 Anafenza, the Foremost, +1 Bile Blight, +1 Arbor Colossus
Jeskai I'm on the draw: -3 Thoughtseize, -2 Elspeth, -1 Duneblast+2 Bile Blight, +1 Arbor Colossus, +1 Drown in Sorrow (If I see Rabblemaster), +1 Banishing Light
The SB vs Jeskai varies slightly between games 2 and 3; depending on whether I see Stormbreath Dragon (warrants Murderous Cut over Utter End), Ashcloud Phoenix (add Banishing Light), Disdainful Stroke (Add Banishing Light, remove Utter End), or Goblin Rabblemaster (Add a miser's Drown in Sorrow). Arbor Colossus is usually excellent, as is Bile Blight. Elspeth is usually bad; but stays on as a one-of to answer 4-power fliers. Anafenza provides pressure if you're going first, with the added utility of occasionally pumping a creature or slowing down Dig Through Time.
Abzan Aggro:
-3 Thoughtseize+1 Murderous Cut +1 Bile Blight +1 Whip of Erebos
The Abzan Aggro matchup is pretty good - the singleton maindeck Duneblast often shows up when you need it; your removal suite is often deeper, and accelerating into a turn 3 Rhino supported by removal often works wonders. I recommend cutting thoughtseize; because you can lose to them getting two of them early or you getting one of them late.
Abzan Midrange:
+1 Thoughtseize +1 Duneblast +1 Murderous Cut -1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor -1 Elspeth, Sun's Champion -1 Utter End
Abzan Mirror is, again, largely shaped by attempts to bottleneck an opponent's mana, keeping your turns flexible by either killing a creature or drawing cards with Abzan Charm, or picking off opponent's Rhinos with Elspeth. Keeping a creature on the board is more important here than keeping a planeswalker - the first player to play a planeswalker- ANY planeswalker- with a Wingmate Roc out to protect it will most likely win. Sorin, Ajani, Liliana, Elspeth; doesn't matter. Duneblast really shapes games here; as does any turn where thoughtseize/cut accompanies Courser, Rhino, or Sorin.
: Kills Sarkhan, not Stormbreath!
Unlike the aggressive zoo-type version of this deck, the inclusion of two Elvish mystics and only two
Wingmate Roc
means that often, you will be very short on threats even when you stabilize a board. Some proportion of your games will be decided by 3/4 or even 2/4 Courser beatdowns. This means that you should always keep your eyes open for opportunities to use the +1/+1 counter mode of Abzan Charm in ways that provide you with a resilient threat; particularly useful against the Lightning Strikes, Stoke the Flames, and Crater's Claws opposing red decks may play. I've outlined the most common times I've seen that below:
You're attacking your courser into their courser in the mirror. They're thinking you're going to trigger raid for a Wingmate. They block; you Charm your Courser to kill theirs and leave behind a threat that blocks Rhinos. This is almost always worth it.
You've got Elspeth and Abzan Charm in hand, they've got two 3/4s (usually Wingmate Roc leads to this sort of board state). Abzan Charm both the 3/4s into 4/4s during your end step; untap, play Elspeth on your turn and -3 to clear the rocs as well as any opposing Butcher/Stormbreath/Siege Rhino.
If a Jeskai opponent attacks with a Seeker of the Way into a Courser; block and wait for an instant to trigger Prowess. If it's a Lightning Strike; allow it and the Prowess trigger to resolve, then exile the Seeker with Charm to keep your courser in a 2-for-1. If it's a Magma Jet or Magma Spray instead, Charm to put two +1/+1 counters on Courser - it will become a 4/6 that takes 3 from seeker and 2 from burn, providing you with the same 2-for-1 plus turning a normally docile Courser into a game-winning threat.
If an opposing player confidently attacks with Rabblemaster and two 1/1 Goblin tokens into your poor 0/3 Sylvan Caryatid, block the Rabblemaster with Caryatid, then tap it for Charm mana and pump it for a 2/5 that survives combat and kills Rabblemaster and providing a sturdy deterrent to future 1/1 goblin tokens.
If it's your 4th turn, and you played a courser the prior turn but missed a land drop on this one, draw two cards with the Charm and pay the two life - it's worth the extra chance at a hitting your land drop unless you're suspecting a Sarkhan or Ashcloud Phoenix on that turn.
Any board state involving Polukranos without monstrous mana open where you have a Rhino in play and a Charm in hand is a good, good board state. Even with Monstrous, charm removes him before his trigger initiates fights
: Blight and Blast
Both cards provide an answer to Hornet Queen; a card otherwise capable of making winning impossible. Seriously, our game 1 vs green devotion is terrible - short of chaining Thoughtseize or drawing a perfect combination of Elspeth, Ajani, and Hero's Downfall, they steamroll us.
One Bile Blight, to serve as a 9th removal spell against Mantis Riders; as cheap removal to cover my ass against Fleecemanes and Rabblemasters on the draw, and a clean, tempo-friendly answer to Hordeling Outburst from the new Mardu midrange deck.
One maindeck Duneblast: If it shows up in the opening hand, it's frequently a dead card, but I make it to 7 mana against basically any deck in standard right now even when I lose, and it wins some games that would otherwise be a loss.
