Patriot Games

Monday 3 December 2012

A Standard approach

So this week at FNM it is Standard, I didn't define FNM between Relax and Elite as both are Standard this week.  Standard is a funny format - I still think of it as "Type 2" from way back when, because they stopped us playing all of our sweet old cards.  I was one of the many who massively objected to my old cards becoming worthless and voted with my feet by quitting Magic.  As always though just as I thought I was out they pulled me back in!

So MTG is like the Mafia now?

However, type 2 has become the "Standard" way of playing magic and it has changed the face of the game and has created a more accessible way for people to enter the game to begin with.  Other than actual  limited, Standard is the most limited format in Magic - there is currently a total of 1,109 different cards legal in Standard.

However, it has to be noted that standard is the most open and diverse it has been for a number of years with no CAW Blade or Delver deck to be the defining deck of the format at present.

I didn't break standard - I am Standard!

I am not a massive fan of net decking but I thought it might be useful to look at the top decks from this weekends Star City Games Standard Open:

Naya midrange 1st place

Creatures (24)

4 Avacyn's Pilgrim
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Loxodon Smiter
4 Restoration Angel
4 Thragtusk
4 Thundermaw Hellkite

Lands (24)

4 Forest
3 Mountain
4 Cavern of Souls
3 Clifftop Retreat
2 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Temple Garden

Spells (12)

4 Selesnya Charm
4 Bonfire of the Damned
4 Farseek

Sideboard

3 Angel of Serenity
2 Zealous Conscripts
2 Rest in Peace
2 Garruk Relentless
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
4 Pillar of Flame
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We even have a playable dragon in Standard...


Jund Midrange 2nd Place

Creatures (14)

2 Deathrite Shaman
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Thragtusk
2 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Olivia Voldaren

Planeswalkers (5)

2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
3 Liliana of the Veil

Lands (24)

2 Swamp
4 Blood Crypt
2 Cavern of Souls
3 Dragonskull Summit
1 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Woodland Cemetery

Spells (17)

3 Abrupt Decay
2 Ultimate Price
1 Bonfire of the Damned
3 Dreadbore
4 Farseek
2 Pillar of Flame
1 Rakdos's Return
1 Sever the Bloodline

Sideboard

2 Deathrite Shaman
3 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Appetite for Brains
1 Blasphemous Act
1 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Pillar of Flame
1 Rakdos's Return
2 Slaughter Games
1 Cavern of Souls

So very good - try her with Basilisk Collar in extended...
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5 Colour Control 3rd Place

Creatures (10)

4 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Thragtusk
1 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
1 Griselbrand

Planeswalkers (2)

1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker

Lands (26)

1 Alchemist's Refuge
1 Blood Crypt
3 Cavern of Souls
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Hallowed Fountain
2 Hinterland Harbor
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Overgrown Tomb
2 Rootbound Crag
1 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
2 Sunpetal Grove
4 Temple Garden

Spells (22)

3 Chromatic Lantern
2 Curse of Death's Hold
1 Detention Sphere
1 Abrupt Decay
3 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Ultimate Price
4 Farseek
3 Lingering Souls
2 Rakdos's Return
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Terminus

Sideboard

1 Door To Nothingness
2 Centaur Healer
2 Rhox Faithmender
1 Curse of Echoes
2 Rest in Peace
1 Abrupt Decay
2 Tragic Slip
1 Jace, Memory Adept
3 Duress
Will see more play come Gatecrash.
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B/R Zombies 4th Place


Creatures (29)

4 Blood Artist
1 Bloodflow Connoisseur
3 Bloodthrone Vampire
4 Butcher Ghoul
4 Diregraf Ghoul
3 Falkenrath Aristocrat
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Gravecrawler
1 Hellrider
1 Zealous Conscripts

Lands (21)

6 Swamp
4 Blood Crypt
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Dragonskull Summit
3 Rakdos Guildgate

Spells (10)

4 Brimstone Volley
2 Searing Spear
3 Tragic Slip
1 Flames of the Firebrand

Sideboard

2 Rakdos Keyrune
1 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Zealous Conscripts
2 Ultimate Price
1 Dreadbore
4 Pillar of Flame
1 Rakdos's Return
2 Sever the Bloodline

Brainssssssssssssssssssss!!!
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U/W Control 5th Place

Creatures (14)

3 Augur of Bolas
4 Restoration Angel
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Geist of Saint Traft

Planeswalkers (2)

2 Jace, Architect of Thought

Lands (23)

8 Island
3 Plains
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
2 Moorland Haunt

Spells (21)

2 Runechanter's Pike
4 Azorius Charm
4 Dissipate
2 Essence Scatter
2 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Think Twice
3 Thought Scour
2 Unsummon

Sideboard

2 Detention Sphere
1 Oblivion Ring
2 Dispel
2 Negate
2 Purify the Grave
2 Righteous Blow
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
3 Supreme Verdict

Card advantage and incidental life gain - Boo-Yaa!


This really is a massively eclectic mix of decks.  There is full on control, including the holy grail of Magic in 5 colour control as well as uber aggro in the form of B/R Zombies and the whole thing got won by Naya midrange.  The top 3 decks all ran 4 copies of Thragtusk who seems to be the right card at the right time just now.  With all these top tier possibilities I am looking forward to what we may see on Friday.

That's all for today but I will be back on Friday with the first part of an article on how to build a deck.  I know that there are a number of people at FNM Relax who have asked about this so I hope the blog will answer these questions.  Goodbye till then.

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