One of the neat things about Magic is that Constructed metagames are constantly evolving. Players who can identify shifts and adjust accordingly can get a huge edge in the field. While “netdecking” has its benefits, getting ahead by using underrated and impactful tools, especially sideboard cards, can be especially successful.
With this in mind, today, we’ll be highlighting some of the most underrated gems in Standard and Pioneer. These cards simply aren’t getting the recognition they deserve as they’re quite effective against some of the top decks in these formats. To kick things off, let’s talk about some tools that can help against arguably Standard’s most powerful engine.
Enduring Curiosity Tech
In a recent survey conducted by MTG pro player Jim Davis, many other pro players stated that they believe Enduring Curiosity is the best card in Standard. It’s hard to argue against this stance, as Dimir tempo has emerged as a consistent top-tier archetype thanks to the potent Glimmer.
Part of what makes Enduring Curiosity so strong is that, just like the other Glimmers in this rare cycle, traditional removal doesn’t cleanly answer the card. Sure, you got the 4/3 off the board but any other creature that the opponent connects with in combat will generate card advantage.
With Dimir tempo on the rise, it’s important to have access to some removal spells that are capable of exiling Enduring Curiosity to get it off the board permanently.
In red, Scorching Dragonfire is an incredibly underrated card that is finally starting to pick up steam. Beyond just Enduring Curiosity out of Dimir tempo, Enduring Innocence out of mono-white tokens, and Enduring Vitality out of Temur Prowess are quite popular in their own rights. Whether you’re playing mono-red aggro or Temur Prowess, Scorching Dragonfire is an efficient and effective card.
For black, Blot Out is likely your best bet. Blot Out can always deal with other big threats like Archfiend of the Dross, too.
At the same time, for those who enjoy playing with Enduring Curiosity, there are some heavily underrated cards that pair nicely with the Glimmer. At the top of the list, we have Faebloom Trick. Faebloom Trick is an awesome tempo swing. It’s the perfect card to precede Enduring Curiosity, creating multiple evasive attackers. Getting to tap down a big opposing attacker in the process helps buy you time to set things up.
Demon Hate
In both Standard and Pioneer, another archetype that has become a force to be reckoned with is Demons. Both the Standard Golgari and Pioneer Rakdos flavors are incredibly strong. At the center of these decks lies Unholy Annex/Ritual Chamber. If you’re going to have success against these decks, you really want ways to get this card off the table.
Answering enchantments is not a tough task for green or white decks. Strategies that don’t utilize these colors need to go deep in their bag for decent enchantment removal spells.
For Izzet Phoenix in Pioneer, one of the best sideboard cards that’s becoming a staple is Annul. If you can’t effectively deal with Unholy Annex/Ritual Chamber, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, and more when they come down, why not prevent them from resolving in the first place? Of course, Annul is incredible against Up the Beanstalk decks, too.
If you want to get an edge in the Rakdos Demons mirror in Pioneer, Invoke Despair is a great place to turn. Invoke is a bit expensive, but it’s super strong in attrition battles. It can deal with Unholy Annex and pick off an opposing Demon at the same time if you set things up. Even if the opponent doesn’t have enchantments or creatures to sacrifice, all that means is that you get to draw more cards instead.
Lastly, for more assertive decks, you really want to apply a lot of pressure. If you don’t, you’re going to get buried in card advantage. This can be tough in the face of Cut Down in Standard or Fatal Push in Pioneer.
Well, one group of cards you can turn to are those with Protection from or Hexproof from black. In Standard, Knight of Grace is a great threat against these Demon decks, especially if you have ways to buff it. Monstrous Rage from burn decks and Ethereal Armor from enchantment shells can work wonders when suiting up Knight of Grace.
Blood Baron of Vizkopa can similarly blow a Demons mirror wide open in Pioneer. Don’t sleep on these cards, or you might end up in a bit of a pickle when facing one of them down.
Aggro Hate
The final collection of cards we wanted to discuss are those that shine against Convoke and Auras strategies in Standard. Both of these decks are capable of explosive starts that are very difficult to beat if you aren’t prepared.
In the case of Convoke, Gleeful Demolition is a powerhouse. While some decks can make use of Malicious Eclipse, this isn’t the best tool for decks like Dimir tempo that play small creatures themselves. Instead, it may be worth playing cards like Neutralize the Guards.
Neutralize the Guards sees very little play at the moment, but its ability to harm only opposing creatures means you’re safe to deploy copies of Spyglass Siren and Faerie Mastermind early without consequences. As an instant, Neutralize the Guards lines up particularly well against Resolute Reinforcements, as well.
As for enchantment shells, Nowhere to Run is insanely underrated right now. Sheltered by Ghosts is everywhere in Standard, from enchantment decks to Convoke and beyond. Just by staying on the battlefield, Nowhere to Run ensures that your future removal isn’t taxed versus Sheltered by Ghosts.
Nowhere to Run is particularly excellent in the face of Toadstool Admirer out of Selesnya enchantments. That deck isn’t super popular right now, but it’s worth keeping in mind.
At the end of the day, if you want to have the most success, you really want to be a step ahead of your opponents. These cards are all gems in the right situation, so make sure to keep them on your radar moving forward.
