New Standard Deck Musings

I’ve been looking at the standard decks coming out of the Philly $5k and have been thinking about a landfall-based deck. Sure, Vampires are cool and everyone loves some Jund… but there’s clearly more to be developed in Standard. I find it really funny when some pro says on their twitter feed or in an article on SCG or some site that they’ve “broken” standard. I think I’ve heard it like five or so times since Zendikar came out yet none of the decks they speak of have done anything (if they even discuss the deck). I just don’t think it’s as easy as casually mentioning “oh I broke Standard today, btw.” Like somewhere in between brunch and lunch they found a way to dominate the current format.

I definitely don’t claim to have broken the current Standard, as I’ve done zero playtesting. But since this is my only public forum I feel like I should throw something out there that at least gets you thinking about something other than Jund, Vampires, and Boros Bushwhacker (thank you, Kelly Reid!).

The first deck I’m rather fond of was a part of the Philly $5k 16-deck extravaganza, Naya Lotus Angel. This deck does most of what I want to do in the current Standard.  Here’s the list from top 16 player Rob Theiringer:

4 Baneslayer Angel
4 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Enlisted Wurm
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Lotus Cobra
2 Noble Hierarch
2 Rampaging Baloths
4 Woolly Thoctar
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Naya Charm
3 Path to Exile
5 Forest
2 Mountain
3 Plains
4 Arid Mesa
4 Jungle Shrine
3 Rootbound Crag
3 Sunpetal Grove

Sideboard:

2 Behemoth Sledge
3 Dauntless Escort
1 Enlisted Wurm
1 Qasali Ambusher
1 Luminarch Ascension
4 Celestial Purge
1 Naya Charm
1 Volcanic Fallout
1 Earthquake

This deck does just many things I’m a fan of. It abuses new cards like Lotus Cobra and Rampaging Baloths while dropping phatties like Baneslayer Angel and Woolly Thoctar. I’m pretty sure I’ve gone on at length before about my love for Thoctars.  Sure they die to tons of removal (Doom Blade, Hideous End, Path to Exile, Pitfall Trap, Bituminous Blast), but they’re so damn snugly! I also enjoy the ability to side in white answers to current threats like Behemoth Sledge for aggro decks and Celestial Purge for Jund/Red decks (excuse me Sprouting Thrinax, I’m gonna let you finish, but Woolly Thoctar is one of the best three-drops of all time! Of All Time!!!).

I expect the Naya Lotus Angel deck to do nothing but evolve into a bigger badder monster. This is only the beginning of the Nayan war on Standard. Rawr.

Now for something less competitive and potentially more abusive. My own concoction of a Black/Green/White deck that attempts to use Landfall in the best ways.

G/W/B Landfall

4 Lotus Cobra
4 Putrid Leech
3 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
2 Baneslayer Angel
2 Rampaging Baloths
4 Knight of the Reliquary

4 Path to Exile
4 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Harrow
2 Grim Discovery

4 Marsh Flats
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Forest
4 Sunpetal Grove
3 Swamp
2 Plains

I think this deck has a lot of groovy synergies (obv, right?) with the Cobras/Oracles ramping you into Ob Nixilis, Baneslayer, or Baloths. Personally, I think that the Cobra is overhyped. But time will tell if it makes the cut over that loveable little mana-ramper Noble Hierarch. The Baneslayer Angels might be out of place, but they just seem to be too good to ignore. The Cobras have the added benefit of producing black, which is nice when you need to get that Ob into play.

My only real concern is having enough time to setup against aggressive rush decks like Boros Bushwhacker. Maelstrom Pulse is a utility card but may very well need to come out for something else like Doom Blade or Day of Judgment. The other possibilities for the deck involve Green/White cascade spells and black discard disruption. I’m not a huge fan of the current discard (except for Blightning). I mean, Duress is a powerhouse in spell-defined formats. But given the power creep of creatures over the past few blocks, Standard is becoming a creature-based format, thus lessening Duress’ impact. Perhaps the best thing to do is go Jund. *shrug*  I’m still a fan of Naya and an even bigger fan of non-allied combinations like GBW or BUG.

I’m very curious to see what’s around the corner for this format. I haven’t been able to do much testing with the new stuff from Zen but hopefully I”ll get a chance in the months before January. I’d love to play more FNM to test out my ideas but the closest Standard FNM to me is at least an hour away and that’s just too much to do an FNM. Thanks for reading! Oh, and if anyone has some MTGO M10 Mythic Rares they’d like to give away please hit me up so I can finish my set for redemption. 🙂  I need 1 Baneslayer, 1 Jace, and 1 Vampire Nocturnus!