For the longest time, Magic: The Gathering Standard has felt like a format out of balance. The traditional Aggro/Midrange/Control triangle has been pushed to the side, giving way to a one-archetype format for the most part. We saw this most recently with the dominance of Izzet Prowess, and before that, when Dimir and Golgari Midrange ruled the roost. After this week’s bans, however, balance seems to be returning. Control decks, long neglected in the format, are on the rise in MTG Standard.
Both Azorius and Mono-White Token variants of the archetype are putting up consistent results in Challenges and Leagues. You rarely saw either of these decks before the bans, so it’s great to see them rejoin the fray. Both decks are packing spicy new innovations, too, some from Final Fantasy. The meta is definitely in an experimental state right now, so these decks may not stick. That said, with how things appear to be slowing down that seems unlikely.
Azorius Control
Of the two Control decks currently flourishing in MTG Standard, Azorius Control is definitely the most exciting. This is a deck that’s been on the fringes of the meta for a while now. With the change in format speed, however, it’s making a well-deserved comeback.
Azorius is very much a Control deck in the traditional sense. It runs minimal creatures, alongside a hefty suite of removal and countermagic to keep your opponent in check. The creatures it does run are all multipurpose. Beza is a fantastic stabilizer in losing games, for example, and also a solid defensive body. The deck’s other creatures, Marang River Regent and Horned Loch-Whale, also double as spells. You can use either to progress your plan early, then play them as creatures later to close things out.
So far this is all classic Azorius Control. The deck has gotten some new additions recently, however, in a couple of spicy cards from Final Fantasy. Ultima is the big one, seemingly the new five mana board wipe of choice over Sunfall. Hitting artifacts is great against the new Izzet Vivi Combo decks, to remove their Agatha’s Soul Cauldron. It also hits Carrot Cake against Mono-White Token Control.
The other new addition to the deck is Dreams of Laguna. This is a pretty inefficient draw spell overall, but instant speed and Flashback gives it a ton of utility. It’s easy to hold up alongside No More Lies or Three Steps Ahead, or even the Coil and Catch half of Marang River Regent.
Aggro, the archetype that saw an excessive amount of bans, traditionally beats Control, so it’s little surprise that this deck is doing much better in the new meta. The above list from Evariel went 5-0 in yesterday’s MTG Online Standard League, and it’s far from the only one.
Mono-White Token Control
Mono-White Token Control is the second of the big MTG Standard Control decks of the moment. This is another deck that’s lain dormant during the cold Aggro winter, and is now emerging to take full advantage of the shifting season.
Mono-White Token Control largely exists due to Bloomburrow, more specifically, Caretaker’s Talent. This card lets you maintain advantage as you pump out tokens, creating a kind of Midrange/Control hybrid plan that’s fairly unique in Magic. Efficient token generators like Carrot Cake and Beza help things along nicely. Players tested the deck around Bloomburrow’s release, but it was quickly overshadowed by Heartfire Hero and friends.
After the bans the deck is back, and better than ever. Tarkir: Dragonstorm added some absolute bangers for Token Control, most notably Elspeth, Storm Slayer. This does everything you could ask for: makes tokens, removes threats, and serves as a finisher. Voice of Victory is a huge add too, turning off interaction from your opponents while also pumping out tokens of its own.
Throw in Enduring Innocence as a draw engine, and solid removal like Lay Down Arms and Day of Judgment, and that’s Mono-White Token Control. Though this is a deck with theoretically good matchups against Aggro, in practice that didn’t really work out. Gumming up the board with tokens is ineffective when Monstrous Rage can grant everything Trample, after all.
Now that fair Magic is back on the menu, Mono-White Token Control seems to be thriving. The list above, from Gazmon48, took first place in today’s Standard Challenge. The deck has seen plenty of League 5-0s over the course of the week, as well. So far the deck hasn’t adopted any new Final Fantasy cards, but Battle Menu looks like a potential add for sure.
The Future Of Control In MTG Standard
Seeing Control decks thrive in MTG Standard again is an encouraging sign. Whatever your personal thoughts on the archetype, it’s hard to deny that the game is better when it’s at least represented in the meta. That said, we’re in the very early stages of a new format right now. Things are changing fast, and Control’s fortunes could change just as quickly.
The biggest threat to Control right now is probably Izzet Vivi Combo. This is a deck that can produce massive threats via Proft’s Eidetic Memory, then leverage Vivi’s mana production to power Voldaren Thrillseeker wins. As a Combo deck, this can often get underneath Control and win out of nowhere.
Both of the decks we’ve discussed today have answers. Azorius can clear Agatha’s Soul Cauldron via Ultima, and Mono-White Token can chump block the big threats until it finds an answer. That said, Combo tends to beat Control most of the time. If this deck continues to thrive, it’ll be a real weak point for Control in Standard.
Outside of Izzet Vivi, things are looking great for Control. Standard seems to be moving back into a Midrange phase, with Dimir and Golgari resuming their previous dominant roles. We’re also seeing a lot of Naya Enchantment decks at the moment, which definitely fall under the Midrange category too. Control decks like those above typically do very well against Midrange. Without a strong Aggro option to balance things out, we could well see Control take over the format as things develop. The format is young, mind you, so expect a lot more experimentation over the next week or so.
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