Izzet Cauldron has risen to be one of the most dominant Standard decks in quite some time. This has caused it to have a huge target on its back, though. As such, players are figuring out more ways to compete against it. Mono-red aggro, for example, has become a formidable threat in its own right due to its solid gameplan against Izzet.
As players continue to explore new ways to attack the Standard menace, we’re starting to see some unique and underrated tools pop up. Just yesterday, one rare from MTG Foundations that hasn’t made much of an impact up to this point made its presence felt. It appeared as a four-of out of the sideboard of a decklist that went 5-0 in a Magic Online Standard League, clearly designed to mess with Izzet Cauldron’s gameplan. Is it finally time for this sleeper to break out?
Tinybones, Mirror Breaker
The hidden gem that’s beginning to show up is Tinybones, Bauble Burglar. Tinybones is a pretty narrow card. Unless your opponent is routinely discarding cards, this creature isn’t going to pull its weight.
You might expect that in order to maximize this effect, you’d want a bunch of discard spells of your own. However, in the context of Standard, the Izzet Cauldron deck relies on its numerous looting and rummaging effects to pull ahead. Whether that be with Fear of Missing Out, Steamcore Scholar, or Winternight Stories, chances are Tinybones will be able to nab some juicy cards.
On top of letting you play anything your opponent discards, including lands, Tinybones serves as a form of graveyard hate. Your opponent can respond to Tinybones’s triggered ability by exiling whatever they discard with Agatha’s Soul Cauldron, but if they don’t already have Cauldron in play, they have to be very careful about what cards they ditch.
Part of the reason Tinybones is so appealing specifically as a splashable option in the mirror match (as shown in the decklist above) is that any spell your opponent could discard will be useful to you. Izzet Cauldron decks don’t tend to play much in the way of removal for Tinybones, either.
Abrade is technically a clean answer. Still, if your opponent is using Abrade to kill Tinybones, that makes it more likely you can stick a Cauldron of your own. Just watch out for Into the Flood Maw as a way for your opponent to steal back a card they own.
Notably, splashing black does come at a cost. Using playsets of Watery Grave and Starting Town may come back to bite you versus red aggro, which has been on the rise. Nonetheless, the upside of having access to Tinybones for the mirror, as well as some other sideboard options like Bitter Triumph, is powerful.
Tinybones in Other Shells
While Tinybones isn’t quite as impressive outside of Cauldron mirror applications, there are some strategies where it could shine. Recently, a mono-black aggro deck abusing the power of Corpses of the Lost emerged following some strong tournament showings. Tinybones is a solid disruptive element that also happens to be a Skeleton, so it gets a nice bonus from Corpses of the Lost’s static ability.
Unfortunately, Tinybones doesn’t synergize with Intimidation Tactics because Intimidation Tactics doesn’t actually cause your opponent to discard a card. It does pair with Duress for an extra bonus, at least.
As Tinybones continues to gain more traction, perhaps other popular black strategies such as Dimir midrange will adopt the potent two-drop. Between Tinybones and Strategic Betrayal, there are plenty of ways to keep Izzet Cauldron’s graveyard in check. We’ll have to see if this innovation catches on, but one thing’s for certain: players continue to adapt to the Izzet menace.
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