While it is a superhero series, Spider Man has always been defined mainly by its excellent cast of villains, and that remains true for its MTG set. There are a ton of sinister icons represented here, including serious heavy hitters like Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. On the other end of the spectrum, some of Spidey’s less well-known foes also appear. Despite their niche status, these villains are actually doing pretty well in early tournament results.
Whether it’s Dimir Midrange, or the dark horse Simic and Self-Mill decks, a range of strategies are putting Spider Man’s rogues’ gallery to work. It’s encouraging to see players trying these new cards out, especially given the bad rap the set is getting at present. These may not end up being permanent additions, but the fact that players are getting results with the cards gives a lot of hope for their future in the format.
New Additions To Dimir Midrange
As Spider Man villains go, Hydro-Man probably wasn’t on anyone’s list for an MTG card. Not only is this one of the most interesting designs in the set, but it’s also incredibly powerful. We said as much during preview season, and now the card is putting up results in Dimir Midrange. In yesterday’s MTGO Standard Challenge, Kampo went 5-0 with a list running three copies of this liquid legend.
Despite the Vivi/Mono-Red meta, this is still one of the best decks in Standard. Hydro-Man is a perfect fit there, too, since the deck has so much it can do at instant speed. The card is essentially a Hasty mana dork in blue, that only works on your opponent’s turn. You can drop it on turn two and immediately hold up Spell Pierce, and then on turn three it can ramp you into an early Enduring Curiosity.
You can also spend your Hydro-Man mana on removal like Shoot the Sheriff, or other interaction like Tishana’s Tidebinder. The card’s potential as a proactive threat shouldn’t be underestimated, either, since Dimir Midrange can often take aggressive lines in games.
Hydro-Man also pairs perfectly with Unstable Experiment, another new Spider Man card that Kampo ran in their list. This is one of the better blue card draw spells we’ve seen in a few sets. It not only lets you sculpt a much better hand, but it also has applications in creature combat thanks to the Connive. This card alone can take Hydro-Man to 4/4 in stats. It also works wonders on your Spyglass Sirens and Kaitos.
Both of these cards are great pickups for Dimir Midrange, though I expect Hydro-Man to have more staying power in the deck going forward.
Experiments In Simic Midrange
From one little-known two-mana Villain to another, Jackal, Genius Geneticist has been putting up results in Simic Midrange. This is a newcomer compared to Dimir, but it’s still got a solid foundation in current Standard. In yesterday’s MTGO Standard League, JonnyB4ss8 went 5-0 while running a full playset of this card.
Jackal is obviously at its best in decks with low curves, and JonnyB4ss8 adjusted their list to take full advantage of that. With 14 one-drops and eight two-drops, chances are you’ll get at least two free creatures if Jackal survives. Those creatures can be pretty impactful, too. Getting an extra Llanowar Elves is free ramp, and both Pawpatch Recruit and Genemorph Imago play great in multiples. You can even copy Surrak, Elusive Hunter and Ouroboroid if the stars align. This isn’t super-likely, but it’s backbreaking when it happens.
This new version of Simic Midrange is a lot more aggressive than its predecessors, and Jackal is an ideal fit there. A good turn three with this Villain out can put you so far ahead of your opponent that the game really isn’t salvageable anymore.
While there are probably wackier things you can do with Jackal than boost Aggro curves, this is likely the role it’ll perform best in. In this regard, it’s hard to think of a better home for the card than Simic Midrange. Going forward, the card appears to be an obvious staple in the strategy. The only issue here is that Simic Midrange isn’t particularly prominent in the current metagame. November’s bans could well change that, mind you.
Self-Mill Gets Tag-Teamed
The Villains of MTG Spider Man aren’t just doing work in established lists. We’re also seeing them show up in some of Standard’s up-and-coming decks, including the very recent Sultai Self-Mill. A new version of the deck by Cavedan went 5-0 in today’s Standard League, running a pair of new Spider Man Villains.
This is a deck all about milling yourself for value, then winning the game with Season of Loss. In the process, you ramp yourself a ton using Icetill Explorer. In the versions of the deck we’ve seen so far this is mostly incidental, but the addition of Spider Man’s Morlun turns it into a win condition.
This is an ever-scaling X-damage spell, attached to an ever-scaling body. If you have a ton of mana built up via Icetill and friends, you can sink it all into Morlun to end the game on the spot. This was technically possible before with Exsanguinate, but the addition of a body here makes Morlun a much better option.
Morlun is also joined by Sandman, another excellent mana sink. This is both a ramp piece and an evasive, scaling threat. While it’s expensive to use, the ability does everything the deck wants to do. It’s also something you can use at instant speed, so you can hold it up alongside Shoot the Sheriff or Nowhere to Run.
Both of these cards give Sultai Self-Mill more ways to win the game, as well as more threats for early on. They fit perfectly with the overall gameplan of the deck, and as such I could easily see them becoming regular fixtures in lists from here on out.
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