Since the moment it was revealed, the Max Speed mechanic from Magic: The Gathering’s Aetherdrift set has been under heavy fire. Most thought it was too slow and not flavorful enough, even after Wizards’ Designers explained the reasoning behind it. Max Speed has also failed to make any kind of impact in competitive Magic, too, until now, at least. This week, a spicy new Orzhov Sacrifice deck has stepped onto the MTG Standard stage. This deck not only plays Max Speed cards but also has a bit of a Max Speed theme going on.
While we’ve seen variants of this deck in the past, the Max Speed innovations from Aetherdrift really help this new list stand out. It seems to be doing pretty well so far, too, with solid League results already. It just goes to show that you should never judge a new mechanic too quickly. The bulk pile of today can easily become the meta deck of tomorrow.
Orzhov Sacrifice In MTG Standard
The Orzhov Sacrifice deck we’re looking at today comes via well-known MTG content creator Aspiringspike. They piloted the list to a 5-0 finish in an MTGO Standard League yesterday, which is a great result by anyone’s standards.
At a base level, the deck isn’t too dissimilar from Orzhov Sacrifice lists that have done well in the past. Indeed, the core game plan here is pretty much identical. You play a ton of small creatures, fill your graveyard via self-mill and sacrifice effects, and then land a huge Raise the Past for the win. Bartolomé del Presidio is a free sacrifice outlet, and Vengeful Bloodwitch drains your opponent whenever one of your creatures dies. Bring back both alongside other small creatures and you can often engineer an instant win.
In this sense, Orzhov Sacrifice often functions a bit like a Combo deck. As soon as you have Raise the Past available, you can start doing the math based on your opponent’s life, your board state, and the creatures in your graveyard. On the other hand, it’s also a deck more than happy to play a Midrange game. While it only plays small creatures, they can still gum up the board nicely. Enduring Innocence keeps the cards flowing too, so you don’t fall behind the likes of Dimir Midrange.
So far, this all feels rather familiar. Aspiringspike’s list even plays the classic Orzhov Sacrifice one drops like Snarling Gorehound and Infestation Sage, just as good here as they’ve always been. What sets their new list apart, however, is the addition of a sizable Max Speed package.
Vindication For Max Speed
Aspiringspike’s new Orzhov Sacrifice deck plays not one, not two, but three whole cards with the MTG Max Speed mechanic. I’m not talking one-ofs here, either, but full playsets. This makes the deck the first serious Max Speed list we’ve seen since Aetherdrift launched, which is exciting stuff.
This trio works well together, naturally, but it also ties seamlessly into the gameplan of the deck as a whole. First of all, all three cards are creatures that cost two or less. This makes them all recurrable via Raise the Past, which is a big deal for the deck. Second, they all enable sacrifice shenanigans in one way or another.
Nesting Bot is the simplest of the three, really just here to serve as copies five through eight of Infestation Sage. Creatures that can die twice are great with your sacrifice engine, so even without Max Speed Bot would make sense here. The fact that it can also start your engines on turn one, however, pushes it over the edge.
Gas Guzzler is next up, and it’s an absolute doozy. A Savannah Lions that enters tapped is far from exciting, but once you have Max Speed online this becomes one of the most efficient sacrifice outlets and draw engines we’ve ever seen. That activated ability can either dig you into your Raise the Past or just win you the Midrange game with ease.
Speaking of the Midrange plan, Zahur is the absolute king of that strategy. You’re getting a reasonable body and a solid sacrifice outlet for two mana here. Hit Max Speed, and you’re also getting a constant stream of Zombies. If you’re not winning all at once, Zahur will ensure you win eventually.
A First-Place Contender?
Given Aspiringspike’s 5-0 League result, this new take on Orzhov Sacrifice clearly has some potential in MTG Standard. Looking at the current competition, the deck is actually pretty well-placed against the big players in the meta right now.
Take Gruul Aggro, for instance. With the sheer number of cheap creatures at your disposal, it’s easy to clog up the board here until you can find the win. Sure you can find yourself struggling against Monstrous Rage and Pawpatch Recruit due to their Trample, but the plentiful lifegain you’re packing should offset that. Aggro is always a bit of a coinflip, but Orzhov Sacrifice feels better against it than most decks.
Esper Pixie is another surprisingly good matchup for the deck. Pixie’s core game plan involves forcing you to discard all of your cards, but Orzhov Sacrifice is one of the few decks that doesn’t mind this too much. Any creatures you discard will just be coming back later on anyway.
Domain is trickier since it runs a lot of exile-based removal. The likes of Leyline Binding and Elspeth’s Smite are great at dealing with your key pieces permanently. It’s still possible to combo off with an early Gorehound/Zahur line, but for the most part, Domain will counter and outvalue Orzhov Sacrifice. Thankfully sideboard options like Duress and Cathar Commando can give you a fighting chance.
Overall, Aspiringspike’s Orzhov Sacrifice list is the perfect embodiment of one of the most exciting aspects of Magic: the Gathering. No matter how well you think you know the game, there will always be new strategies ready to surprise you. Max Speed: we may have judged you too soon.
