Standard Deck Predictions
Standard forum
Posted on Feb. 10, 2014, 9:57 a.m. by trentfaris242
What do you guys think will be the top five decks post BNG?
Here's my list:
1) MBD
2) MUD
3) Selesnya Aggro
4) Gruul Midrange
5) Esper Control
Servo_Token says... #3
MBD, UW control variants, MUD, Ghor-clan aggro, GW Aggro
With BNG Out, MUD didn't actually get any better, whereas MBD and UW control did. Xenagos will spark a ghor-clan ramager deck to go wild again, and selesnya is still really strong. We may also see a heroic strategy come around in the small tournies.
February 10, 2014 10:05 a.m.
KnightsBattlecry001 says... #4
White Weenie will be very strong with all the stuff we got in BNG. I also thing Selesnya Heroic might be fairly good. MUD and MBD will still be good as well.
February 10, 2014 10:08 a.m.
I had expected it in this order: MBD, G/R midrange, MUD, UW, everything else.
But according to this weeks tournament results, it looked like this: MUD, G/R, BW, UW, MBD.
February 10, 2014 10:45 a.m.
I really think R/B aggro is getting over looked.
kriskurse which tournament results? and is that b/w control, b/w midrange or b/w humans (more aggro than the two above)?
February 10, 2014 10:48 a.m.
Ohthenoises says... #7
White weenie is looking VERY scary to me.
BestoWeenies is my wife's current standard deck and it's frightening.
February 10, 2014 10:50 a.m.
Servo_Token says... #8
SCGOpen in nashville.
MUD won, and there was the BW Midrange list that was essentially MB/wD.
February 10, 2014 10:58 a.m.
fluffybunnypants - please can you elaborate on WHY you think esper is dead. I don't see any reason for it to do worse than it used to. In fact, including black gives access to Bile Blight and Drown in Sorrow which may be essential cards against MBD with Pack Rat and white weenie with..... weenies.
February 10, 2014 1:23 p.m.
Servo_Token says... #11
In my testing of both of the new black cards, Bile Blight is significantly better than Drown in Sorrow in every match but white weenie. I would consider Drown in Sorrow to be a sideboard card right now until x/2s start making their move.
Not really on topic, but just an observation that i've made.
Though I would agree that Esper can still go back and forth with UW control based on the field at the time.
February 10, 2014 1:29 p.m.
CrimsonKing says... #12
Esper is getting some great cards in Born of the Gods! We have better mana now thanks to our new scry land and a host of sweet removal. Step aside mono black!
February 10, 2014 1:32 p.m.
My Top Five Theory
1: MUD - MUD isn't any weaker and BNG gives it Fated Infatuation and really nothing to combat it.
2: GR - Ghor-Clan Rampager and Xenagos, God of Revels are just stupid good
3: MBD - just as good, and now stronger removal with Bile Blight and Drown in Sorrow . The White splash version is just as good.
4: GWx - Fleecemane Lion , Loxodon Smiter , and Advent of the Wurm are all pretty awesome already. Nothing in BNG looks like it'll cripple the deck, and third color splash can only make it stronger
5: UW Control - classic control deck. BNG didn't really help it, but it still has Supreme Verdict and Sphinx's Revelation
February 10, 2014 1:57 p.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #14
It's all about consistency and the mana base, which just isn't there anymore since scry lands come into play tapped. Also, Bile Blight and Drown in Sorrow requiring double black doesn't help you at all, especially when you want to drop Jace turn 4.
February 10, 2014 2:02 p.m.
The only thing that U/W control has over Esper in the mana base, is that u/w control doesn't die to Burning Earth . Esper has no problems with scry lands and double colors in any of the 3. To say so, is not knowing the deck or playing it. I will say this, I never had mana issues in esper control, regardless of the colors, running 12 sxhocks and 6 srylands. and 6 basics. I was able to cast anything and everything I wanted on the turns I wanted. The only reason I lost, is because I misplayed or didn't draw the card I needed when I needed it. My biggest issue with esper right now, is that it has too many options available to it. But at the moment, I moved from esper, because I wanted something more aggroy than that. So I'm currently playing MBDw midrange.
February 10, 2014 3:21 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #16
thePESSIMIST just gonna point out the timing on the triggers for Xenagos, God of Revels
and Ghor-Clan Rampager
.
Xenagos, God of Revels
triggers at the beginning of your attack phase.
Ghor-Clan Rampager
can't be used until the creature is declared attacking.
You can't get +8/+8 out of Ghor-Clan Rampager
.
My top 5:
MBD
MUD
Esper
G/R Monsters
W/x Weenies.
February 10, 2014 3:42 p.m.
@Ohthenoises: I realized that, I was just pointing out that both of those cards in the same deck make it a little bit ridiculous, and then there's also Flesh / Blood . I believe RG Monsters will be one of the strongest decks in the format.
February 10, 2014 3:48 p.m.
trentfaris242 says... #18
I agree with thePESSIMIST about GR Monsters. That's why I'm running it this set :)
February 10, 2014 3:50 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #19
You can't do much if the threat is removed. There is SO MUCH removal now so I have to give it to B and U for top two, esper control is ridiculous right now as well.
Notice that in my top 5 I put the three decks that have a bunch of removal, G/R doesn't really have as much, yes there is Domri Rade 's -2 and some fringe decks play Flesh / Blood but B, U, and Esper all have more answers.
February 10, 2014 3:53 p.m.
Schuesseled says... #20
I see Jund midrange making a come back, some very strong decklists floating around.
I would say Jund Blitz will be taking the top spot, but unfortunately i'm not playing my deck in any ptq's :P
Revel In The Power Of A Jund Blitzkrieg Playtest
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February 10, 2014 9:08 p.m.
CanadianShinobi says... #21
I can't comment on a general top 5, but I think everyone is overlooking Kiora. I've heard discussion of using her in Bant and Maze Turbo Fog decks. However, I think she'll be able to push U/G devotion into a competitive level in standard.
February 11, 2014 11:14 p.m.
ChrisHansonBiomancin says... #22
I'm going to have to agree with those who are putting UW over Esper. It has all of the same important tools (Sphinx's Revelation , Supreme Verdict , Detention Sphere , AEtherling , Jace, Architect of Thought , and Elspeth, Sun's Champion ) while having a more consistent (and faster) mana base, and getting Temple of Enlightenment will help big time. There's a reason UW has supplanted Esper in the last couple months, and neither of the double-black all-stars in BNG will make a difference.
So my Top 5:
1) MBD: Bile Blight and Drown in Sorrow are huge additions. It will be interesting to see if Gild makes any sideboards to deal with Gods, since currently the only answer is Liliana of the Dark Realms .
2) UW: Temple of Enlightenment is a big boost, and don't sleep on Fated Retribution . Brimaz, King of Oreskos will be seen on sideboards here.
3) MUD: not much was gained here, and if a deck doesn't get better with a new set, that means it got worse. Bile Blight and Drown in Sorrow are a problem. Still Tier 1 tho.
4) GR Monsters: Fanatic of Xenagos , Courser of Kruphix , and Xenagos, God of Revels are all boosts for this shell, tho it's unlikely that all 3 will make the cut. I like the Courser the best since it helps a little to shore up the deck's biggest weakness: lack of consistent draw power.
5) WW: New kid on the block will be aided by the best card in BNG- Brimaz, King of Oreskos . Archetype of Courage may be the best of the five Archetypes, and I also really like Eidolon of Countless Battles . Spirit of the Labyrinth is a nasty sideboard.
Dark Horse) GU Devotion: 99% chance that this is just biased, wishful thinking on my part. But hear me out. It's not as explosive as GR, but it has a huge advantage in terms of draw power thanks to Prime Speaker Zegana and Jace, Architect of Thought . When GR loses to MBD or UW (or Esper), it's because they run out of gas, so this is very important. Also, Cyclonic Rift is a thing, especially in a Green ramp deck. If Prophet of Kruphix is to make its mark in Standard, this is the deck. However, unlike CanadianSamurai, I don't think Kiora, the Crashing Wave will have any part in it.
February 18, 2014 3:44 a.m.
Schuesseled says... #23
You want to draw and ramp then kiora could definetly earn her place, but probably not in jace's spot. So in less numbers.
February 18, 2014 4:45 a.m.
- Esper whip
- MBD
- Selesnya Aggro
- Naya midrange / gruul devotion
- MUD
Esper whip is insane. You play a control shell, which verdicts and revelations, and play some early bodies like Precinct Captain , you follow this up with ephara, and Whip of Erebos all your stuff back! draw heaps of cards! and win with Obzedat, Ghost Council .
February 18, 2014 5:41 a.m.
VirtuousBane says... #25
To all of the people saying esper has disappeared, GP melbourne has proved you all wrong. seeing as UW control didnt make top 8 while 3 esper decks did. The beauty of the game that is magic, the unpredictability.
March 10, 2014 8:37 p.m.
According to mtgtop8, UW control placed one place higher than esper control (second versus joint third / fourth). Although I do think it's absolute rubbish, people claiming that esper is dead. Two esper decks appear in that lists top 8, versus one uw control deck.
Results from the starcityopen from 2 weeks ago have esper control, no UW. Moving down a level to regional events, PTQ Paris has two esper control lists, no UW. And, anecdotally, from my local PTQ, esper control outnumbered UW greatly - the results of that aren't up on mtgtop8 yet.
March 11, 2014 7:42 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #27
ChiefBell Sorry, man. According to mtgtop8, UW control is 11% of the meta and Esper is 4%. That's 89 decks vs 30.
Also, Wafo-Tapa's "Esper" list is not really truly Esper. It's UW control splash black for sideboard cards.
March 11, 2014 8:42 a.m.
True, but that's including MTGO daily which I take with a pinch of salt (not seriously).
March 11, 2014 9:02 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #29
Why? That's where a lot of the innovation currently is. A lot of the players on the pro tour now finding success were online players first (Duke, Dickmann, etc.).
fluffybunnypants says... #2
Esper is dead, U/W control will do fine in its place.
I think White Weenier will surprise people.
February 10, 2014 10:04 a.m.