With the launch of Dominaria United mere moments away, rotation is closer than ever before. This means it’s a blissfully short amount of time before the MTG Standard metagame is turned on its head. With four sets leaving and one joining the Standard rotation, things are certainly about to change. After two years of the same cards being dominant in Standard, that change can’t come quickly enough. Thankfully, for MTG Arena players, at least, that change has happened right now. Paper players, you’re still stuck with a week of Magma Opus misery.
With several MTG cards having reigned supreme in Standard for months, if not years, players certainly are sick and tired of some of them. Players who’re playing against them, at least. This is making Standard rotation even more of a welcome relief for some. To run down exactly what cards have been so troublesome, here are the top 11 cards we will not miss in Standard.
Honorable Mentions – Alrund’s Epiphany / Omnath, Locus of Creation / Faceless Haven
As astute Standard players may already know, the trio of cards above technically aren’t in Standard right now. Instead, these cards were banned because they were far too powerful for their own good. Before they were banned, however, these cards wrought absolute havoc on Standard. While it was legal, you could barely even think about playing Magic without Omnath, Locus of Creation appearing to ruin your day. Thankfully, players didn’t have to endure these cards for an entire two years. However, their impact on the format is unavoidable.
Old-Growth Troll
Along with Esika’s Chariot Old-Growth Troll is a staple of the prominent mono green deck in Standard. As a 4/4 for three with Trample Old-Growth Troll is a menace in the early game that doesn’t quit. Thanks to its ability to enchant a forest after dying, Old-Growth Troll can often do more work dead than alive. Alongside tapping a Forest for GG, this enchantment can even be sacrificed to bring a 4/4 troll token to the battlefield. Old-Growth Troll is literally two for the price of one. For the sake of variance, players will not miss it.
Lolth, Spider Queen
Speaking of things that are hard to get rid of, Lolth, Spider Queen loves to hide behind her Spider army. By gaining a loyalty counter whenever a creature you control dies, Lolth, Spider Queen has incredible staying power. Lolth, Spider Queen can even make a pair of 2/1 spider tokens, albeit for three loyalty, to ensure it isn’t going anywhere. While their 0 ability to draw a card and lose a life is valuable, the main reason to play Lolth is to create some Spiders, let them regenerate her loyalty, and create more Spiders. Lolth can be an incredibly frustrating opponent, thanks to their ability to stick around.
Showdown of the Skalds
As a core component to Naya Enchantment decks, Showdown of the Skalds[/tootips] is never a welcome sight. With the ability to effectively draw four cards to use until your next turn, Showdown of the Skalds would be powerful enough as an Instant, let alone a Saga. With two more chapters that put a +1/+1 counter on a creature whenever you cast a spell, Showdown of the Skalds is a game-winning threat whenever it appears. As one you can see coming for a turn in advance, it’s rarely fun to play against.
Elite Spellbinder
While its stats may not be much to write home about, Elite Spellbinder is just plain annoying to play against. By increasing the cost of a spell by two, even after it dies, [tooltips]Elite Spellbinder is exceptionally frustrating. This ability can ensure white weenie decks the win when it hits the right, or rather wrong, targets by pushing removal out of reach for a turn or two. Should it not be hit with a cheeky one-cost The Meathook Massacre, Elite Spellbinder can also put you on a 7-turn clock.
Reidane, God of the Worthy // Valkmira, Protector’s Shield
If you thought Elite Spellbinder was bad, ho boy, you must hate Reidane, God of the Worthy. By increasing the cost of expensive non-creature spells and forcing Snow lands to enter the battlefield tapped, Reidane, God of the Worthy can slow your progress to a crawl. If that wasn’t bad enough, Reidane can be played as Valkmira, Protector’s Shield to be extra annoying. By preventing one damage from each source, Valkmira, Protector’s Shield can absolutely hose aggressive decks. Its ability to counter spells that target you and your board can also be viciously effective to unprepared players.
Magma Opus
Given that Magma Opus is the finisher of the dominant Jeskai Hinata deck, you may be surprised by its position on this list. While it does do a lot, Magma Opus is just too expensive to be viable on its own. Costing 6UR, its ability to deal four damage, tap two permanents, draw two cards, and create a 4/4 elemental is strong but not cheap. Without the Jeskai Hinata deck to back it up, you’ll likely be long-dead before you cast it.
Luminarch Aspirant
While Luminarch Aspirant may not be as annoying as Reidane, God of the Worthy, it’s a potent threat. By giving a creature a +1/+1 counter each turn, Luminarch Aspirant can accelerate your demise to a frightening degree. When giving those +1/+1 counters to other creatures, Luminarch Aspirant can often protect itself from being the best target for removal. This ensures it sticks around to keep giving out those counters and giving you more problems to take care of.
Blood on the Snow
Similarly to Magma Opus, Blood on the Snow does not come cheap. Despite being slightly cheaper, Blood on the Snow is arguably even better at turning the game around. Not only is Blood on the Snow a board wipe, but it can even bring back a sizeable threat. That is, so long as you have enough snow land to support resurrecting something big. Admittedly, Blood on the Snow isn’t nearly as prevalent as Magma Opus or The Meathook Massacre. However, it’s no less frustrating to play against.
Blizzard Brawl
Typically, fight spells come with one major drawback; you’re putting your creature at risk. For Blizzard Brawl, however, that’s not a problem. On top of giving a creature +1/+0, Blizzard Brawl can also bestow Indestructible to truly ruin your opponent’s day. While three snow permanents are needed to get this added effect, that’s rarely trouble since snow lands are basics. Blizzard Brawl is one of the most effective tools in a green deck’s arsenal, only costing one green mana.
Expressive Iteration
So good it’s banned in Pioneer, Expressive Iteration is an absolute powerhouse in Standard. Expressive Iteration ensures Izzet decks have no end of gas by drawing one card, exiling another to be played, and putting a card on the bottom of your library. As a result, there are only a few bad times to play Expressive Iteration, so it gets played a lot. Expressive Iteration ensures the oppressive Jeskai Hinata deck always has what it needs, as if it wasn’t strong enough already.
Goldspan Dragon
Last but not least, it surely could be none other than Goldspan Dragon. Since appearing in February of 2021, Goldspan Dragon has been a dominant force in Standard. With the ability to not only create treasures but double how much they’re worth, Goldspan Dragon gives red decks no end of gas. If not immediately dealt with, Goldspan Dragon allows decks to ramp into Magma Opus to ensure victory or win the game on its own with various self-targeting effects. While Izzet and combo players may miss this powerful card, we certainly won’t.
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