It took a long time, but MTG Standard is finally in a relatively sturdy place. While the format isn’t perfect, it is the most balanced Standard we’ve seen in quite some time. With no Vivi Ornitiers to rule the roost and Badgermole Cub acting as a balancing pole, we get a healthy format with week-by-week churn.
That said, while Standard is balanced, it’s also a bit different from the Standard that many players are used to. The format is a lot faster than usual, punishing a few turns of missed interaction with a concession. Even Wizards of the Coast themselves are concerned about this.
With this in mind, Wizards of the Coast is understandably looking to slow Standard down a bit. Now, it appears that a new Magic Online Contraption format might be the first step towards realizing this goal.
Returning to Two-Year Standard?
Next in Magic’s Online’s hit Contraption format series is a return to two-year Standard. On a quest to discover what the format would look like if it rotated at Edge of Eternities, one week of friendly league play will be available until April 1st. From there, higher-stakes leagues and Challenges will start to be introduced starting on April 20th. This follows the same formula that Magic Online used to roll out Premodern and No-Banlist Modern, which have both grown into massive community followings. Notably, obvious Standard power outliers, like Heartfire Hero, Screaming Nemesis, Vivi Ornitier, and Cori-Steel Cutter, will remain banned in this Two-Year Standard.
Like Contraption’s other introductions, Two-Year Standard immediately gained interest from the community. The format being announced now is particularly coincidental, since this could be an easy answer to Standard’s speed problem. At the very least, MTG players are bound to be interested, given that the community has complained incessantly about Wizards’ decision to make Standard a three-year format. Considering that three-year Standard struggled for a long time before becoming good recently, these complaints feel justified.
By cutting six sets off of Standard’s bloated 18-set format, many powerful Standard mainstays, from Monument to Endurance to Sleight of Hand, will be forced to sit on the bench with this one. While the new format is likely to be a fast one regardless, it will be interesting to see how a two-year rotation will play out.
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