I think Pauper has not changed much over the last year, and I expect it to remain the same for the rest of it, as I think there are no major set releases going forward for the rest of the year. This will give at least a month for the PFP to think if the format needs a change or if we will keep relying on new set releases and downshifts to take control of the Pauper, as it’s been for 2023. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the winner of the challenge was Azorius Affinity, a deck that relies on luck and explosive starts meta mtg to take over games as early as turn three or four. In the format, there might be just a handful of creatures, like God-Pharaoh’s Faithful, that can stop it in its tracks on turn one. While there are multiple creatures like Excavated Wall, your best bet is to run cheap removal to solve the problem for good.
However, unless the meta changes or a new variation of the build emerges, these decks are a notch below the dominant ones in Tier 1 and Tier 2. In order to create this chart, den is using data from our Marvel Snap Tracker, as well as other available data online and his own expertise and opinion of respected players. If a deck showed great performances with a very limited presence in the meta, you can find it in the Silent Performers section.
Thanos Good Cards
Apart from Mobius M. Mobius, there aren’t many cards that can completely shut down Mister Negative. Cosmo and Juggernaut will cost you a few games, but you can adapt to them once you know your opponent is running them. A meta staple at this point, Bullseye Discard just needs to be wary of the popular counter cards. Mobius M. Mobius is a problem for Swarm, and more of Luke Cage (thanks to Toxic) could be bad news for Bullseye.
Aetherdrift gave us a lot of interesting new goblins, with dft-134-howlsquad-heavy leading the charge giving your gobbos haste. At max speed, it combos nicely with m krenko-mob-boss to let you cast everything, too. Dft-115-burnout-bashtronaut and dft-121-draconautics-engineer give the deck more payoffs late-game. Dimir Bounce feels like a hybrid of Esper Pixie and Dimir Midrange, with the value engine of the former and the tempo elements of the latter. Without white, it’s more streamlined and can run dsk-371-enduring-curiosity to go with evasive blue creatures. The key choice when building the deck is deciding whether to go dsk-379-leyline-of-resonance or dsk-157-screaming-nemesis plus blb-180-innkeepers-talent.
Alongside this, Standard Brawl has a rotation and only uses Standard legal cards. Beyond the combo itself, Abzan Explore also features staples such as Deep-Cavern Bat and Chord of Calling. Offering the deck protection alongside a reliable tutor, this deck will often hit its win condition. At its core, the Rakdos Vampires deck revolves around Vein Ripper from Murders at Karlov Manor.
Top 16 Archetypes – Duskmourn Last Week
Unless your opponent knows what they’re playing against and keeps a huge off-curve threat, usually you’ll come out on top. Interestingly, while it is the most popular Historic deck for best-of-one, in Traditional Historic, Mono Green Elves is absolutely nowhere. In this variant of the format, you’d be much better off playing a more traditional and versatile mono-green deck. While this is worth keeping in mind if you want to jump to best-of-three, Mono Green Elves is still a tremendous amount of fun.
Esper Legends and Ramp have fallen off heavily whilst Esper Midrange may have solidified its position even more. New cards from Aetherdrift that have found their way to Dimir Midrange lists include dft-215-oildeep-gearhulk and dft-92-intimidation-tactics, which can snipe key cards proactively. Golgari players continue to innovate though, as a list sporting 4-of Phyrexian Obliterator and Bushwhack that did well in the Pro Tour can attest. Gruul Aggro and Dimir Midrange have fallen by the wayside, in terms of numbers at least, though they are still formidable weapons in the right hands.
Due to just how fresh the format is, however, there’s little information about exactly which deck is best. Thankfully, despite this important detail, we’re already seeing trends and definitely playable decks emerging. While it’s not the closest rotation on the horizon, Standard is nonetheless rotating soon.
While this deck is good, it requires a decent degree of skill to play, as tempo decks usually do. It also has some difficulties winning against Tolarian Terror decks, as they can play the game in such a way to deploy multiple creatures in a turn. Mono-Blue, as a whole, is an excellent meta choice, particularly in leagues where mono-red strategies are prevalent. The ability to run up to eight copies of [card]Hydroblast[/card] significantly boosts your chances of winning those matchups. Beyond that, the deck performs solidly against the rest of the meta, thanks to its suite of countermagic and powerful game-ending creatures like [card]Tolarian Terror[/card]. For a long time, Chainer’s Edict was a core part of control decks as a way to deal with creatures like Tolarian Terror or Guardian of the Guildpact from taking over decks.
It took a big hit losing ltr-246-the-one-ring, as it lost its Time Walk effect against aggressive decks and Ancestral Recall against slower ones. Rvr-1-karn-the-great-creator and mh3-13-nulldrifter are trying to make up for it but they hardly compare. Check out what you’re likely to face in your next event so you can prepare your deck of choice accordingly.
Golgari Yawgmoth
The best Standard decks in MTG right now are Dimir Midrange, Gruul Prowess, Boros Prowess, Jeskai Aggro, and Azorius Midrange. These decks stand out for their consistent performance, as shown by recent in-person and online event data. Each of these archetypes has achieved strong, often undefeated, results across multiple tournaments. Combo players had to make considerable changes to the deck with the loss of ltr-246-the-one-ring and to build around som-179-mox-opal’s Metalcraft requirements. Immediately standing out is Grinding Breach, powered by the returning som-179-mox-opal.
Recently storming to victory at Pro Tour Murders at Karlov Manor, this deck is undeniably powerful. Ultimately, Show and Tell is one of the most bizarre and powerful decks on Timeless right now. That being said, it might not always be the most fun to play or play against. Unlike normal MTG games that ramp up over time, Show and Tell skips right to the end.