The release of Edge of Eternities is right around the corner. As we gear up for all that the new set has to offer, it’s important to remember that Standard is in for a major shakeup as a bunch of other sets are leaving the format via rotation. Dominaria United, The Brother’s War, Phyrexia: All Will be One, March of the Machine, and March of the Machine: the Aftermath are all on their way out.
While some of Standard’s top archetypes will remain mostly intact, there are plenty of decks that simply won’t survive rotation. Add in all the new cards from Edge of Eternities, and the metagame is bound to look different.
Today, our goal is to discuss the decks that are most and least affected by rotation, and how we think the Standard metagame will shape up early in the format. To start, why don’t we take a look at the strategies that take the biggest hits moving forward.
Tough Sledding
There are a number of strategies in Standard that are centered around one or two key cards, so unsurprisingly, when those cards leave Standard, the decks may cease to exist. At the top of that list, we have Boros Convoke.
Technically, Boros Convoke gets to retain most of the one-drops in the deck as well as Imodane’s Recruiter. The problem is that the two strongest cards in the deck that give it its identity and explosiveness are out.
Knight-Errant of Eos is rotating out, and it’s simply irreplaceable. It generates tons of value to help you grind versus the midrange decks, something other Convoke monsters like The Wandering Rescuer doesn’t do. On top of that, Gleeful Demolition is rotating, which was your best enabler for Knight-Errant, Recruiter, and Case of the Gateway Express.
Another archetype that will almost certainly fall by the wayside is five-color legends. Once again, some of the filler cards are staying, but the payoffs are gone. Jodah, the Unifier was your elite finisher, and Relic of Legends allowed you to get on board quickly and fixed your mana perfectly.
Even a deck like Domain ramp which gets to keep all the Overlords won’t look anything like it does now. Without Leyline Binding or Zur, Eternal Schemer, you won’t much incentive to play four or five colors or a big Overlord package in the first place.
The Best Decks Remain
While these archetypes that took huge hits with rotation are noteworthy, nearly every current tier one Standard deck loses very little. For Izzet Cauldron, the only maindeck card that’s rotating is Voldaren Thrillseeker. Voldaren Thrillseeker did make it easier to win games outside of combat, but as long as Agatha’s Soul Cauldron, Vivi Ornitier, and the rest of the support elements are there, it’s hard to bet against the deck’s success.
Next in line, Dimir midrange still retains the Enduring Curiosity and Kaito, Bane of Nightmares. The biggest area of concern here is that multiple removal spells, like Cut Down and Anoint with Affliction, will need replacing. Perhaps Cryoshatter or Tragic Trajectory can fill the void.
Moving on to mono-green Landfall, the maindeck is completely rotation proof! Gruul Delirium is as well outside of the manabase. Losing Copperline Gorge and Karplusan Forest sucks, but at least Stomping Ground is coming to Standard. Standard really does have the potential to look quite similar following rotation.
Potential Shifts
The good news, at least, is that Edge of Eternities is bringing some powerful cards to Standard that could elevate some fringe archetypes and potentially introduce new decks to the format. One particular low tier deck that is getting some nice support is artifacts.
The Artifact decks in Standard typically rely on the power of Simulacrum Synthesizer and Repurposing Bay to pull ahead. Most of the non-land cards in these decks are sticking around, and the addition of Pinnacle Emissary is huge.
Pinnacle Emissary can trigger Synthesizer for one mana and flood the board with tokens to pump your Constructs. Throw in some extra support in the form of Cryogen Relic, and it wouldn’t be surprising if this deck had a resurgence. Just be weary of Annul, which could be a frustrating new sideboard card to play against.
One archetype that will also be receiving some major upgrades is Azorius control. Azorius control is already a strong deck choice. The combination of good Counterspells, board wipes, finishers, and pieces of card advantage like Stock Up make the deck tough to play against.
Now, the printing of Seam Rip solves some of the deck’s weaknesses. Azorius control was lacking one-mana removal for early creatures as well as efficient answers to Agatha’s Soul Cauldron. Seam Rip addresses both problems at once. It doesn’t even get swept away by Pinnacle Starcage!
Lastly, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention mono-green aggro. Frenzied Baloth is a scary card that should lead to some brews right out of the gates. Edge Rover is a neat support card for a green aggro deck, too. Whether or not Frenzied Baloth can compete with the Landfall synergies that Tifa Lockhart and friends provide awaits to be seen. Either way, we can’t count the deck out just yet.
We look forward to seeing how players adjust to the new Standard format. Will Izzet Cauldron continue its dominance, or will a new deck arise atop the throne? We’ll just have to wait and see.
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