Hello and welcome to another episode of Raise Your Standards. The month after starting a new block is some of the most exciting time for a Magic player. There are so many brand new decks popping up that it can be hard to choose what to play at your next tournament. This week, we’re going to take a look back at some of the decks from the Pro Tour as well as some decks from MTGO to see what’s new and exciting.
We’ll start off by taking a look at Gerry Thompson’s Mono-Black Zombie deck.
Mono-Black Zombies – (by Gerry Thompson, 1st place at Pro Tour Amonkhet)
Creatures
- 4 x Cryptbreaker
- 4 x Diregraf Colossus
- 4 x Dread Wanderer
- 4 x Lord of the Accursed
- 4 x Metallic Mimic
- 4 x Relentless Dead
Spells
- 4 x Dark Salvation
- 2 x Fatal Push
- 3 x Grasp of Darkness
- 3 x Liliana’s Mastery
Lands
- 22 x Swamp
- 2 x Westvale Abbey
Sideboard
- 2 x Aethersphere Harvester
- 2 x Gonti, Lord of Luxury
- 1 x Grasp of Darkness
- 3 x Liliana, the Last Hope
- 2 x Lost Legacy
- 3 x Scrapheap Scrounger
- 2 x Transgress the Mind
A zombie tribal deck is a deck that many people tried to build when the Shadows Over Innistrad block was released, but at that time there simply weren’t enough pieces for the deck to be viable. Many people are saying that Dread Wanderer is the missing puzzle piece that was needed to complete the picture. I’d also argue that the additional “lords” (Lord of the Accursed and Liliana’s Mastery) also were needed to allow this deck to compete with decks that have creatures larger than 2/2.
While Gerry Thompson opted to go mono-black with his Zombie deck, there are other options. Many people have found success with W/B builds, and I’ve even seen some B/R Zombie decks doing well. In a future article, I plan to take a look at these various builds and we’ll go over the pros and cons of each type.
Moving on to our next deck, let’s take a look at the 2nd place deck, Temur Marvel.
Temur Marvel – (by Yuuya Watanabe, 2nd place at Pro Tour Amonkhet)
Creatures
- 4 x Rogue Refiner
- 1 x Torrential Gearhulk
- 3 x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
- 2 x Whirler Virtuoso
Spells
- 4 x Aetherworks Marvel
- 4 x Attune with Aether
- 3 x Censor
- 3 x Dissenter’s Deliverance
- 4 x Glimmer of Genius
- 4 x Harnessed Lightning
- 1 x Kozilek’s Return
- 1 x Negate
- 4 x Woodweaver’s Puzzleknot
Lands
- 4 x Aether Hub
- 4 x Botanical Sanctum
- 5 x Forest
- 1 x Island
- 2 x Lumbering Falls
- 1 x Mountain
- 1 x Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
- 4 x Spirebluff Canal
Sideboard
- 3 x Bristling Hydra
- 1 x Dispel
- 3 x Negate
- 2 x Radiant Flames
- 2 x Shielded Aether Thief
- 4 x Tireless Tracker
With Felidar Guardian being forced to leave Standard, Aetherworks Marvel picked up the baton and ran with it to become the next deck to threaten a turn 4 kill. While getting a “free” Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger on turn 4 isn’t a guaranteed win, it’s pretty darn close. The randomness of what will appear in the top 6 cards is what allows this combo deck to feel much less oppressive than the Copy Cat deck did, even though both of them have the potential to end the game on turn 4 effectively. It’ll be interesting to see if Aetherworks Marvel will remain a competitive deck once Ulamog rotates with the release of Ixilan.
Next up, let’s take a look at B/G Energy.
B/G Energy – (by Ken Yukuhiro)
Creatures
- 4 x Bone Picker
- 3 x Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
- 4 x Greenbelt Rampager
- 4 x Longtusk Cub
- 4 x Rishkar, Peema Renegade
- 4 x Walking Ballista
- 4 x Winding Constrictor
Spells
- 4 x Attune with Aether
- 4 x Fatal Push
- 2 x Grasp of Darkness
- 3 x Heart of Kiran
Lands
- 4 x Aether Hub
- 4 x Blooming Marsh
- 5 x Forest
- 4 x Hissing Quagmire
- 3 x Swamp
Sideboard
- 4 x Blossoming Defense
- 2 x Dispossess
- 1 x Grasp of Darkness
- 1 x Heart of Kiran
- 1 x Lay Bare the Heart
- 3 x Manglehorn
- 1 x Nissa, Vital Force
- 2 x Tireless Tracker
This deck is very reminiscent of the B/G Energy decks being played when Kaladesh released. While it did pick up some sideboard tools from Amonkhet, the main deck only has one new card which is Bone Picker. This is a great addition as it is a flying creature with deathtouch that has the capability of coming down for just 1 mana. So, between Bone Picker and Hissing Quagmire, you never again have to worry about an opponent’s creature being too large to block effectively.
While this deck only had 1 card from Amonkhet in the main deck, our next deck has a lot more. Let’s take a look at Jund Gods.
Jund Gods – (by Patrick Dickmann)
Creatures
- 2 x Bristling Hydra
- 2 x Glorybringer
- 4 x Greenbelt Rampager
- 3 x Hazoret the Fervent
- 2 x Longtusk Cub
- 2 x Rhonas the Indomitable
- 4 x Scrapheap Scrounger
- 4 x Voltaic Brawler
Spells
- 4 x Attune with Aether
- 2 x Blossoming Defense
- 2 x Fatal Push
- 4 x Heart of Kiran
- 4 x Unlicensed Disintegration
Lands
- 4 x Aether Hub
- 4 x Blooming Marsh
- 4 x Forest
- 4 x Game Trail
- 3 x Mountain
- 1 x Sheltered Thicket
- 1 x Swamp
Sideboard
- 1 x Dispossess
- 1 x Fatal Push
- 1 x Nissa, Vital Force
- 1 x Ob Nixilis Reignited
- 2 x Prowling Serpopard
- 3 x Radiant Flames
- 2 x Release the Gremlins
- 2 x Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
- 2 x Transgress the Mind
Here’s a spicy G/R deck that adds a bit of black for its powerful removal spells (and the potential recursion of Scrapheap Scrounger). This deck looks to be a blast to play. I especially like the way Hazoret the Fervent and Rhonas the Indomitable work well together. If you manage to get them both onto the battlefield at the same time, Rhonas automatically gains the ability to attack and block. My only wish is that there were a spot for Fling in the deck, as the ability to Fling Hazoret to finish off your opponent sounds amazing.
The next deck from the Pro Tour we’ll take a look at is a new and improved version of Mardu Vehicles.
Mardu Vehicles – (by Ryan Cubit)
Creatures
- 2 x Inventor’s Apprentice
- 2 x Pia Nalaar
- 4 x Reckless Bushwhacker
- 4 x Scrapheap Scrounger
- 4 x Thraben Inspector
- 4 x Toolcraft Exemplar
- 4 x Veteran Motorist
Planeswalkers
Spells
- 1 x Cut // Ribbons
- 3 x Fatal Push
- 4 x Heart of Kiran
- 4 x Unlicensed Disintegration
Lands
- 1 x Aether Hub
- 2 x Canyon Slough
- 4 x Concealed Courtyard
- 4 x Inspiring Vantage
- 2 x Mountain
- 2 x Needle Spires
- 3 x Plains
- 4 x Spire of Industry
Sideboard
- 1 x Anguished Unmaking
- 2 x Archangel Avacyn
- 1 x Chandra, Torch of Defiance
- 1 x Cut // Ribbons
- 2 x Declaration in Stone
- 2 x Fumigate
- 1 x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
- 1 x Nahiri, the Harbinger
- 1 x Needle Spires
- 1 x Painful Truths
- 1 x Release the Gremlins
- 1 x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
As you can see by the deck list, “new and improved” means basically the same as it has been. Besides adding a couple of Canyon Sloughs to the mana base, the only other addition from Amonkhet is Cut // Ribbons. This is a great addition because it allows you to close out the game even in the face of the additional hate cards that Amonkhet provided against this deck.
The next deck we’ll look at is called Sultai Marvel.
Sultai Marvel – (by William “Huey” Jensen)
Creatures
- 2 x Demon of Dark Schemes
- 2 x Ishkanah, Grafwidow
- 1 x Noxious Gearhulk
- 4 x Rogue Refiner
- 4 x Servant of the Conduit
- 3 x Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Planeswalkers
Spells
- 4 x Aetherworks Marvel
- 4 x Attune with Aether
- 2 x Dissenter’s Deliverance
- 4 x Fatal Push
- 1 x Traverse the Ulvenwald
- 3 x Vessel of Nascency
- 2 x Woodweaver’s Puzzleknot
Lands
- 4 x Aether Hub
- 4 x Blooming Marsh
- 4 x Botanical Sanctum
- 2 x Evolving Wilds
- 4 x Forest
- 1 x Island
- 3 x Swamp
Sideboard
- 2 x Dispossess
- 4 x Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
- 1 x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
- 2 x Negate
- 2 x Never // Return
- 2 x Tireless Tracker
- 2 x Yahenni’s Expertise
While this is called Sultai Marvel for clarity sake, a case could be made for adding the word Delirium to the title. This deck is basically a mash-up of your typical Delirium deck with Aetherworks Marvel and Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger. Two great tastes that taste great together. I especially love that Liliana, Death’s Majesty can zombify any of the big creatures that have gone to your graveyard thanks to your delirium enablers. This deck looks like it has the potential to be a big player if aggro decks can be held in check.
Speaking of holding aggro decks in check, our next deck looks to do just that. It’s U/R Control.
U/R Control – (by Peter Vieren)
Creatures
Spells
- 3 x Censor
- 3 x Disallow
- 2 x Essence Scatter
- 4 x Glimmer of Genius
- 4 x Harnessed Lightning
- 4 x Hieroglyphic Illumination
- 4 x Magma Spray
- 3 x Negate
- 1 x Pull from Tomorrow
- 3 x Sweltering Suns
- 1 x Void Shatter
Lands
- 4 x Aether Hub
- 8 x Island
- 4 x Mountain
- 4 x Spirebluff Canal
- 4 x Wandering Fumarole
Sideboard
- 1 x Brutal Expulsion
- 1 x Commit // Memory
- 3 x Dispel
- 3 x Dynavolt Tower
- 1 x Essence Scatter
- 1 x Glorybringer
- 1 x Negate
- 4 x Thing in the Ice
Welcome back, Torrential Gearhulk. If you’re looking to play a deck that’s as close to the Draw-Go control deck of the past, then this is the deck for you. While the tools are very different, this deck is typically tapping its mana on the opponent’s turn. I like the Glorybringer and Thing in the Ice in the sideboard so you don’t get blown out by Dispossess.
Our next deck looks to take advantage of making +1/+1 counters. Let’s look at B/G Constrictor.
B/G Constrictor – (by Shaun McLaren)
Creatures
- 4 x Grim Flayer
- 1 x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
- 2 x Rishkar, Peema Renegade
- 4 x Tireless Tracker
- 2 x Verdurous Gearhulk
- 4 x Walking Ballista
- 4 x Winding Constrictor
Planeswalkers
Spells
- 3 x Dissenter’s Deliverance
- 4 x Fatal Push
- 2 x Never // Return
- 4 x Traverse the Ulvenwald
Lands
- 4 x Blooming Marsh
- 3 x Evolving Wilds
- 7 x Forest
- 4 x Hissing Quagmire
- 4 x Swamp
Sideboard
- 2 x Dispossess
- 2 x Gonti, Lord of Luxury
- 1 x Grasp of Darkness
- 1 x Ishkanah, Grafwidow
- 1 x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
- 2 x Never // Return
- 2 x Ob Nixilis Reignited
- 4 x Transgress the Mind
Here’s a deck from the days right after Aether Revolt‘s release. This is the version that utilizes a few cards with delirium to try to gain a slight advantage in the late game. The addition of Dissenter’s Deliverance, which has cycling, and Never // Return, which provides two card types, means that you can have delirium fairly easily and with as few as two cards in your graveyard (provided those cards are Walking Ballista and Never // Return).
Earlier we looked at U/R Control. Our next deck is also U/R, but it’s a bit more aggressive. It’s called U/R Emerge.
U/R Emerge – (by Andrew Wolbers)
Creatures
- 4 x Advanced Stitchwing
- 4 x Elder Deep-Fiend
- 4 x Prized Amalgam
- 4 x Stitchwing Skaab
Spells
- 4 x Cathartic Reunion
- 2 x Censor
- 2 x Drake Haven
- 2 x Fevered Visions
- 4 x Kozilek’s Return
- 4 x Lightning Axe
- 1 x Pull from Tomorrow
- 2 x Tormenting Voice
Lands
- 1 x Highland Lake
- 6 x Island
- 6 x Mountain
- 2 x Sanctum of Ugin
- 4 x Spirebluff Canal
- 4 x Wandering Fumarole
Sideboard
- 2 x Disallow
- 2 x Dispel
- 2 x Fevered Visions
- 2 x Magma Spray
- 2 x Nahiri’s Wrath
- 3 x Negate
- 2 x Release the Gremlins
Here’s another deck that’s basically a throwback to a past deck, but with a small change. In this case, that change is Drake Haven. It’s a great addition to this deck that utilizes madness to discard cards.
That’s all I have for you for decks from the Pro Tour, but before I wrap things up there were a couple of decks from MTGO this week that I’d like to share. The first is U/W Midrange.
W/U Midrange – (by ghett_smart)
Creatures
- 4 x Archangel Avacyn
- 1 x Devoted Crop-Mate
- 4 x Glory-Bound Initiate
- 4 x Selfless Spirit
- 4 x Spell Queller
- 4 x Thraben Inspector
Planeswalkers
Spells
- 3 x Cast Out
- 4 x Censor
- 2 x Stasis Snare
- 2 x Void Shatter
Lands
- 4 x Irrigated Farmland
- 5 x Island
- 7 x Plains
- 4 x Port Town
- 4 x Prairie Stream
Sideboard
- 1 x Bruna, the Fading Light
- 2 x Declaration in Stone
- 1 x Dispel
- 1 x Fragmentize
- 2 x Fumigate
- 2 x Gisela, the Broken Blade
- 1 x Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
- 1 x Linvala, the Preserver
- 3 x Negate
- 1 x Thalia’s Lancers
Do you want to play a control deck or a beatdown deck? Why not play both! This deck has the tools to cause a lot of damage on the battlefield, while still playing plenty of counter spells. I really like the cards in the sideboard which allow you to either add additional creatures so you can be the aggressor in game 2 or more counters and sweepers to become more controlling instead.
The final deck we’ll take a look at is R/W Humans.
R/W Humans – (by AddledMind)
Creatures
- 2 x Bloodlust Inciter
- 1 x Devoted Crop-Mate
- 4 x Glory-Bound Initiate
- 4 x Hanweir Garrison
- 2 x Hazoret the Fervent
- 4 x Honored Crop-Captain
- 2 x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
- 4 x Thalia’s Lieutenant
- 4 x Thraben Inspector
- 3 x Town Gossipmonger
Spells
- 4 x Always Watching
- 3 x Declaration in Stone
Lands
- 2 x Hanweir Battlements
- 4 x Inspiring Vantage
- 5 x Mountain
- 3 x Needle Spires
- 8 x Plains
- 1 x Westvale Abbey
Sideboard
- 1 x Archangel Avacyn
- 2 x Cast Out
- 1 x Declaration in Stone
- 1 x Devoted Crop-Mate
- 2 x Dusk // Dawn
- 2 x Glorybringer
- 2 x Magma Spray
- 1 x Mountain
- 1 x Release the Gremlins
- 2 x Selfless Spirit
This deck does exactly what you’d think a R/W deck would do. It plays a lot of creatures, hits early and for a lot of damage, and tries to outrace your opponent to victory. For me, a happy format is one where R/W has a good deck, and this deck makes me very happy.
Conclusion
That’s all the time I have for this week. Did you have a favorite deck from Pro Tour Amonkhet? Have you seen a great MTGO deck? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Amonkhet Game Day is this weekend, so hopefully one of these decks can bring you victory. Let me know how your Game Day goes. And, as always, join me again next week when we’ll take a look at the Standard decks tearing up the charts to find the most fun and innovative of the lot. I’ll see you then.
Mike Likes