Hello, and welcome back to Metagame Mentor, your weekly guide to the top decks and latest Constructed developments on the path to the Pro Tour. This past weekend marked the thrilling kickoff of the competitive Magic year with the debut of the Magic Spotlight Series. At this inaugural event, an impressive 1,453 competitors converged to test their skills in Standard. The metagame showcased an extraordinary blend of diversity and innovation, and after fifteen grueling rounds and a dramatic Top 8 playoff, Nicholas Odenheimer claimed a well-deserved victory.

@Nick_Odenheimer is your inaugural Magic Spotlight Champion! 🏆

With an overall record of 16-2, Nick absolutely dominated Standard with Gruul Aggro featuring Leylines! 🔴🟢

Thank you for joining us for Magic Spotlight: Foundations at SCG CON Atlanta! #SpotlightFoundations… pic.twitter.com/Sm7QMSggqH

— Star City Games (@StarCityGames) January 6, 2025

The Magic Spotlight Series offers multi-day competitive events that provide players a direct route to the Pro Tour. With eight events scheduled for 2025, each installment features a marquee two-day open tournament that awards Pro Tour invitations to the Top 8 players, along with exclusive promos and $50,000 in prize money. Adding a layer of thematic flair, each event celebrates a unique aspect of Magic. For this inaugural showcase, the spotlight was firmly on Magic: The Gathering Foundations, the latest addition to Standard.

Fittingly, the newly crowned champion, Nicholas Odenheimer, not only walked away with the trophy and a $10,000 1st-place prize but also earned an enviable reward: a full case of Play Booster boxes for every Standard-legal Magic release in 2025. It's a treasure trove worthy of a true Standard champion.

A HUGE congratulations to the Top 8 of the first ever Magic Spotlight! 🎆

Nicholas Odenheimer
Scott McNamara
Eli Swafford
Zhao Li
Gray Payne
Rei Zhang
Victor Moy
Steven Rorabaugh

LIVE from SCG CON Atlanta! 👇 pic.twitter.com/4AY6okpBDU

— Star City Games (@StarCityGames) January 5, 2025

The metagame was initially defined by the dominant presence of Dimir Midrange and Gruul Aggro, but the Top 8 told a more complex story. The Top 8 featured a diversity of archetypes: Temur Otters, Azorius Oculus, Azorius Curiosity, Zur Overlords, Dimir Bounce, Gruul Leyline, and two versions of traditional Gruul Aggro. The finals, despite featuring a much-anticipated clash between Kaito, Bane of Nightmares and Emberheart Challenger, defied expectations—it was a brand-new Dimir Bounce deck facing off against an unexpected Gruul Leyline build!

All in all, this tournament underscored one thing: the current Standard format is rich, teeming with unexplored strategies and untapped potential. In this article, we'll dive deep into the Standard metagame at Magic Spotlight: Foundations, dissecting the standout decks that rose to the top.

The Standard Metagame and Win Rates

In total, 1,453 Standard decklists were submitted for Magic Spotlight: Foundations. To ensure accuracy, I disregarded archetype labels from Melee, instead reclassifying each deck based solely on its card composition. After standardizing archetype names and resolving discrepancies, I calculated each archetype's combined metagame share and match win rates for the Swiss rounds, excluding mirror matches, byes, and draws. The table below provides these metrics, with each archetype name linked to a top-performing decklist that closely reflects its aggregate build.

The Other category—comprising archetypes with less than one percent metagame share—featured a wild mix of strategies, including Azorius Artifacts, Surprise Ramp, Azorius Enchantments, Bant Terror, Domain Ramp, Selesnya Tokens, Boros Enchantments, Gruul Leyline, Orzhov Midrange, Mono-Red Prowess, Dimir Doomsday, Rakdos Sacrifice, Azorius Control, Rakdos Aggro, Orzhov Tokens, Sultai Terror, Boros Tokens, Azorius Omniscience, Izzet Artifacts, Boros Equipment, Selesnya Aggro, Naya Aggro, Golgari Roots, and more. Notably, I distinguished Gruul Leyline from its more conventional Gruul Aggro counterparts.

In terms of performance, Dimir Bounce, Esper Pixie, Selesnya Cage, and Gruul Aggro exceeded expectations, particularly given their sample sizes. Each of these decks demonstrated strong win rates against Dimir Midrange, the most played deck at the event. Conversely, archetypes like Boros Burn, Golgari Ramp, and Golgari Midrange struggled, primarily due to unfavorable matchups against Dimir Midrange. However, Golgari decks featuring Thrun, Breaker of Silence and Gix's Command achieved significantly better results than those that leaned on Unholy Annex and Archfiend of the Dross.

Broadly speaking, the metagame aligned with expectations outlined in my Standard format primer from three weeks ago. That primer identified the ten archetypes most likely to dominate, detailing their strategies and key card choices. While Dimir Midrange and Jeskai Convoke appeared slightly less frequently in Atlanta than anticipated, Gruul Aggro surged in popularity. Despite these shifts, all ten archetypes were prominent in the Standard metagame. Minor evolutions in card selection—such as Mono-Red Aggro adopting Soulstone Sanctuary and Zur Overlords integrating Analyze the Pollen—added fresh wrinkles to familiar strategies, but the primer remains a useful entry point for understanding the format.

This article, however, will focus on the weekend's spiciest developments. Chief among them was the meteoric rise of Esper Pixie. Virtually nonexistent just three weeks ago, the archetype rapidly gained traction, claiming an impressive 6.2% of the field. But before diving into Esper Pixie and other emergent archetypes, let's begin with the deck that took home the trophy.

Gruul Leyline Claimed the Spotlight

4 Copperline Gorge 4 Karplusan Forest 6 Mountain 2 Restless Ridgeline 4 Thornspire Verge 4 Cacophony Scamp 4 Heartfire Hero 4 Monstrous Rage 4 Snakeskin Veil 4 Turn Inside Out 2 Callous Sell-Sword 4 Emberheart Challenger 2 Overprotect 4 Questing Druid 4 Slickshot Show-Off 4 Leyline of Resonance 3 Burst Lightning 2 Innkeeper's Talent 2 Lithomantic Barrage 4 Pawpatch Recruit 2 Screaming Nemesis 2 Twisted Fealty

The Top 8 showcased three Gruul decks, each with a distinct build. Victor Moy advanced with an unconventional Gruul Aggro version featuring four copies of Inti, Seneschal of the Sun. Steven Rorabaugh opted for a more traditional approach, running four copies of Innkeeper's Talent. But it was Nicholas Odenheimer's innovative take, leveraging four copies of Leyline of Resonance, that claimed the trophy. Despite being banned in best-of-one formats, Leyline of Resonance is perfectly legal in best-of-three—and Odenheimer demonstrated just how potent it can be.

Among the hundreds of red-based aggro players in the tournament, only fifteen chose to run Leyline of Resonance. Odenheimer's inspiration came from watching Jean-Emmanuel Depraz pilot a similar build with Overprotect at Magic World Championship 30. As he put it, "It seemed like the most broken thing to be doing in Standard, and I wanted to prove it wasn't bad."

Odenheimer's deck stood out for its combo-oriented approach, fully committing to the explosive turn-two kill potential enabled by Leyline of Resonance. The sequence requires a turn-one Cacophony Scamp, followed by two pump spells—either Monstrous Rage or Turn Inside Out—on turn two. Leyline of Resonance doubles the effects of these spells, allowing Cacophony Scamp to deal over 10 combat damage before sacrificing itself to deliver lethal damage. Alternative turn-two kills, utilizing Heartfire Hero and Callous Sell-Sword, added another layer of versatility to the deck's high-octane strategy.

However, this build has a notable Achilles heel in the form of spot removal. The vulnerability becomes even more pronounced after sideboarding, as opponents reinforce their suite of removal spells. Odenheimer addressed this weakness with a transformational sideboard plan. Against removal-heavy decks like Dimir Midrange and Esper Pixie—both packing the hexproof-piercing Nowhere to Run—he would cut Leyline of Resonance and Snakeskin Veil, pivoting to Pawpatch Recruit and Innkeeper's Talent. This shift toward a more resilient, attrition-focused strategy allowed him to outmaneuver opponents in Games 2 and 3.

While this adaptability proved crucial against removal-heavy decks, Odenheimer's build retained blistering speed, making it a nightmare for control strategies like Mono-White Tokens and Zur Overlords. Armed with a balanced combination of explosiveness and flexibility, Odenheimer entered the tournament with confidence, ultimately securing a well-earned victory.

Esper Pixie Took Flight

4 This Town Ain't Big Enough 4 Stormchaser's Talent 2 Sheltered by Ghosts 4 Nowhere to Run 4 Hopeless Nightmare 4 Concealed Courtyard 4 Optimistic Scavenger 4 Nurturing Pixie 4 Fear of Isolation 3 Adarkar Wastes 4 Darkslick Shores 4 Seachrome Coast 3 Caves of Koilos 4 Spiteful Hexmage 4 Underground River 2 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares 2 Defiled Crypt // Cadaver Lab 1 Tithing Blade 2 Sheltered by Ghosts 1 Sporogenic Infection 2 Shrouded Shepherd 2 Rest in Peace 2 No More Lies 2 Meticulous Excavation 2 Get Out 1 Destroy Evil

Magic Spotlight: Foundations marked the breakout performance of Esper Pixie, a deck that breathed new life into the Standard format. Just three weeks ago, this archetype was virtually unknown. But after posting strong results on Magic Online, it rapidly gained traction and became a force to be reckoned with, making up 6.2% of the tournament's metagame. Several players piloted it to impressive 12-3 finishes, including Derrik Smith. Their decklist, featured above, closely aligns with the archetype's aggregated build.

At its core, Esper Pixie thrives on a synergy between efficient enters effects and cards that return permanents to your hand. Key value-generating permanents include Stormchaser's Talent, Hopeless Nightmare, and Nowhere to Run. These are supported by bounce enablers like the namesake Nurturing Pixie, Fear of Isolation, and This Town Ain't Big Enough. With twelve value-packed permanents and another twelve self-bounce effects, the deck consistently unlocks its powerful synergies. The dream curve of Hopeless Nightmare on turn one, followed by Nurturing Pixie and Hopeless Nightmare on turn two, then Fear of Isolation and the same Hopeless Nightmare yet again on turn three creates a relentless onslaught that often spells doom for opponents.

The deck leverages its enchantment-based recursion with Optimistic Scavenger, turning its disruptive engine into a significant offensive threat. Spiteful Hexmage complements this aggressive angle, as its Cursed Role token provides yet another convenient permanent to pick up with the self-bounce effects. This low-curve design enables Esper Pixie to explode out of the gates. Even in prolonged games, the ability to repeatedly bounce and replay Hopeless Nightmare ensures a steady drain on the opponent's life total. Late-game loops, such as Stormchaser's Talent combined with This Town Ain't Big Enough, provide staying power against slower strategies.

With a stellar 59.1% win rate, Esper Pixie emerged as one of the weekend's top-performing archetypes, particularly excelling against red aggro decks. Cards like Nowhere to Run help keep the board clear, allowing the deck to dominate the game.

However, Esper Pixie is not without its vulnerabilities. Cards like Obstinate Baloth and Wilt-Leaf Liege can exploit Hopeless Nightmare's discard effect, landing free 4/4 creatures as early as turn one. After sideboarding, tools like Lithomantic Barrage can pierce through the ward ability of Sheltered by Ghosts and take down key flyers. Additionally, the deck's mana base relies exclusively on fast lands and pain lands, omitting basic lands entirely. Many Mono-White Tokens players exploited this weakness by adding Demolition Field, targeting the deck's fragile land base. And surely, there is a lot of other counterplay yet to be discovered.

Dimir Bounce Redefines Standard

4 Floodpits Drowner 4 Nowhere to Run 2 Cut Down 4 Stormchaser's Talent 4 Spyglass Siren 4 This Town Ain't Big Enough 2 Soulstone Sanctuary 3 Hopeless Nightmare 2 Restless Reef 4 Fear of Isolation 4 Gloomlake Verge 3 Enduring Curiosity 4 Island 4 Swamp 4 Darkslick Shores 3 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares 4 Underground River 1 Go for the Throat 2 Gix's Command 2 Cut Down 2 Negate 2 Duress 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 2 Tishana's Tidebinder 3 Preacher of the Schism 1 Get Out

Dimir Bounce, sometimes referred to as Dimir Enchantments, emerged as the tournament's most exciting newcomer, posting an exceptional 62.9% win rate. Scott McNamara piloted the archetype to an impressive 2nd-place finish, showcasing its potential in the evolving Standard metagame.

Effectively a fusion of Esper Pixie and Dimir Midrange, Dimir Bounce cherry-picks the strengths of both archetypes. Dimir Midrange typically thrives by chaining extra cards through Enduring Curiosity or Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, often bouncing Floodpits Drowner with Kaito's ninjutsu ability. Meanwhile, Esper Pixie generates incremental value by bouncing value-generating enchantments with Fear of Isolation and This Town Ain't Big Enough. Dimir Bounce takes the best of both worlds, combining synergy, tempo, and card advantage into one formidable package.

Notably, Dimir Bounce forgoes cards like Nurturing Pixie and Optimistic Scavenger, hallmarks of Esper Pixie. While this might seem odd given their synergy, the deck makes up for it with a cleaner mana base that supports powerful utility lands like Soulstone Sanctuary and Restless Reef. In contrast, Esper Pixie often takes a lot of damage from its lands, as it runs ten or more pain lands to consistently cast its spells.

As Dimir Bounce took the tournament by storm, I anticipate it becoming a significant player in the Standard metagame. It's a versatile, well-rounded strategy that will likely appeal to players seeking a balance of synergy and power. However, it is not without weaknesses. Decks that have traditionally fared well against Dimir Midrange—such as Simic Terror, Jeskai Convoke, Azorius Oculus, Temur Otters, Azorius Curiosity, and Selesnya Cage—could prove effective against Dimir Bounce as well.

Selesnya Cage Was a Clever Metagame Call

4 Brushland 4 Collector's Cage 3 Forest 2 Get Lost 4 Hushwood Verge 4 Llanowar Elves 2 Melira, the Living Cure 1 Mirrex 4 Overlord of the Mistmoors 4 Pawpatch Recruit 4 Plains 4 Razorverge Thicket 4 Restless Prairie 4 Sandstorm Salvager 4 Sanguine Evangelist 2 Seraphic Steed 3 Sheltered by Ghosts 1 Toby, Beastie Befriender 2 Wilt-Leaf Liege 3 Aven Interrupter 1 Destroy Evil 2 Elspeth's Smite 3 Invasion of Gobakhan 1 Sheltered by Ghosts 2 Split Up 1 Thrun, Breaker of Silence 2 Wilt-Leaf Liege

Selesnya Cage leverages Collector's Cage to play Overlord of the Mistmoors as early as turn three. Since the deck makes so many creature tokens, you're almost always able to activate Collector's Cage and cast the hideaway card right away. The ideal sequence begins with Llanowar Elves on turn one followed by Sandstorm Salvager on turn two. On turn three, you play the Cage, hopefully exile the seven-drop, and place a +1/+1 counter on a 1/1 creature. Since this results in three creatures with different powers, you get to play the Overlord for free. With this potential, it's fitting to name the deck after Collector's Cage, which leaves the name "Selesnya Tokens" for decks based around Caretaker's Talent.

While this is undeniably a token deck, it's also one that thrives on aggression. Sandstorm Salvager and other anthem effects can amplify your board's power, allowing for a fast clock. And Collector's Cage makes combat hard for your opponent because you can activate its +1/+1 counter effect at instant speed.

Though the archetype made up only 1.2% of the field, it posted an impressive 57.4% win rate, performing particularly well against Dimir Midrange and Esper Pixie. Devon "d00mwake" O'Donnell piloted the deck to an undefeated Day One, showcasing a build that diverged from the norm by opting for Wilt-Leaf Liege and Seraphic Steed instead of the more common Skyknight Squire. Wilt-Leaf Liege proved invaluable against Hopeless Nightmare, and it can turn Seraphic Steed into a 4/4 lifelinker to win the damage race against aggressive red decks. Meanwhile, Overlord of the Mistmoors is a powerhouse against Dimir Midrange, and the deck was well-suited to the metagame, with Sunfall strategies seeing minimal play. Overall, it was a brilliant metagame choice that delivered excellent results.

Azorius Curiosity Reached the Top 8

4 Seachrome Coast 4 Adarkar Wastes 4 Floodfarm Verge 5 Island 5 Plains 1 Mirrex 4 Novice Inspector 4 Spyglass Siren 4 Warden of the Inner Sky 4 Mockingbird 4 Regal Bunnicorn 3 Sheltered by Ghosts 2 Faebloom Trick 2 Sanguine Evangelist 2 Steel Seraph 4 Enduring Curiosity 4 Floodpits Drowner 2 Destroy Evil 2 Loran of the Third Path 1 Sheltered by Ghosts 3 Split Up 4 Protect the Negotiators 1 Unidentified Hovership 2 Raise the Past

Azorius Curiosity is often referred to as Azorius Aggro, but I find that naming it after Enduring Curiosity is a more accurate reflection of its core strategy. This distinction also helps set it apart from Azorius Artifact decks, which rely on Zoetic Glyph instead. Much like Dimir Midrange, Azorius Curiosity seeks to apply pressure with cheap, evasive creatures while refilling its hand with the card advantage provided by Enduring Curiosity.

Though it represented only 1.5% of the metagame, Azorius Curiosity posted a solid 53.8% win rate. Zhao Li piloted the deck all the way to the Top 8, securing a coveted Pro Tour invite. A standout feature of the deck is Regal Bunnicorn, which can grow to immense proportions thanks to tokens created by Novice Inspector and Spyglass Siren. Suiting up the Bunnicorn with Sheltered by Ghosts transforms it into a massive lifelinker with a removal effect attached, which is particularly formidable against red aggro decks. While Enduring Curiosity may fall prey to exile removal like Torch the Tower or Obliterating Bolt, the Rabbit Unicorn is simply too large to be dealt with easily.

In the end, Azorius Curiosity is a valuable addition to the diversity of Standard, proving that even lesser-represented decks can make a major impact.

Azorius Omniscience Can Go Infinite on Turn Four

4 Picklock Prankster 4 Fallaji Archaeologist 4 Invasion of Arcavios 4 Chart a Course 4 Moment of Truth 4 Confounding Riddle 4 Ephara's Dispersal 4 Abuelo's Awakening 4 Omniscience 3 Adarkar Wastes 2 Blast Zone 1 Hidden Grotto 2 Fabled Passage 3 Floodfarm Verge 4 Island 4 Meticulous Archive 2 Plains 3 Seachrome Coast 3 Temporary Lockdown 2 Kitsa, Otterball Elite 1 Negate 2 Exorcise 1 Get Lost 1 Unnerving Grasp 3 Grand Abolisher 1 Season of Weaving 1 Rona, Herald of Invasion

While Standard is largely shaped by creature combat, efficient trades, and midrange strategies, there are also viable combo decks that can catch opponents off guard. Notably, seventeen players brought Omniscience decks, with Azorius Combo being the most popular archetype. Ryan Normandin piloted this deck to a solid 10-5 finish.

The core strategy of Azorius Omniscience revolves around milling or discarding Omniscience and then bringing it back to the battlefield on turn four using Abuelo's Awakening. From there, you cast Invasion of Arcavios for free, fetching Season of Weaving from your sideboard. With Season of Weaving, you create a token copy of Omniscience (thanks to Abuelo's Awakening making it into a creature) and bounce everything else, including Invasion of Arcavios. Afterward, you can replay Invasion of Arcavios for free, retrieve Season of Weaving from your graveyard, and repeat the bounce loop, leaving only the Omniscience token on the battlefield.

This loop now generates two free pawprints worth of modes, allowing you to draw nearly your entire deck and create infinite copies of, say, Picklock Prankster. These creatures allow you to deal lethal damage on the following turn. Since you've drawn nearly your entire deck, you can hold up several counterspells to protect against potential sweepers. If you're planning to try this deck online, however, then adding Heroic Reinforcements to your sideboard can help speed things up.

Despite being essentially a three-card combo, the deck has enough card selection and self-mill effects for consistency, and the spice level is off the charts.

Temur Analyst Surprisingly Remains Viable

3 Lumra, Bellow of the Woods 4 Ill-Timed Explosion 4 Aftermath Analyst 1 Doppelgang 3 Worldsoul's Rage 1 Inspiration from Beyond 1 Think Twice 3 Fires of Victory 4 Spelunking 3 Virtue of Strength 4 Nissa, Resurgent Animist 4 Fabled Passage 4 Evolving Wilds 4 Escape Tunnel 2 Terramorphic Expanse 8 Forest 4 Island 3 Mountain 1 Roxanne, Starfall Savant 3 Bonny Pall, Clearcutter 2 Pyroclasm 2 Negate 2 Three Steps Ahead 1 Doppelgang 2 Unable to Scream 1 Sire of Seven Deaths 1 Titania, Voice of Gaea

Despite the rotation of key fetch lands from Streets of New Capenna—like Brokers Hideout and Cabaretti Courtyard—Temur Analyst remains a viable archetype in Standard, as demonstrated by Pro Tour Phyrexia finalist Benton Madsen. He was the only player to bring Aftermath Analyst to the tournament, and his impressive 11-4 record proves that the traditional Temur Analyst strategy can still hold its ground, even with alternative lands such as Fabled Passage, Evolving Wilds, Escape Tunnel, and Terramorphic Expanse.

Though these lands lack life gain against aggressive decks and can't be sacrificed immediately when Aftermath Analyst returns lands tapped, they still allow for powerful mana generation. The deck can ultimately close out games with a lethal Worldsoul's Rage. If you're looking for a spicy combo option in Standard, this deck remains a strong contender.

Looking Ahead

Standard at Magic Spotlight: Foundations demonstrated that anything is possible—from fresh approaches for aggro and midrange decks to the resurgence of combo strategies. While many decks continue to feature key cards like Emberheart Challenger or Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, the metagame is ever-evolving, with new innovations still waiting to be discovered.

For those aspiring to reach the Pro Tour or a Regional Championship, the current round of Regional Championship Qualifiers (RCQs) offers Standard as the format for in-store Constructed events. To learn more, this article provides an overview of the various paths to qualify for the Pro Tour in 2025.

Whether you're aiming for competitive play, dreaming of a Pro Tour spot, or simply looking to join in the fun with friends, you can be part of the next Spotlight Series event. Especially for players who are unable to engage fully with to the RCQ system due to life commitments, these large open tournaments offer an incredible opportunity. The next three Spotlight Series events in Europe and the United States are as follows:

• March 14–16: Magic Spotlight: Modern in Utrecht, featuring Modern as the main event format
• April 11–13: Magic Spotlight: Dragons in Denver, featuring Tarkir: Dragonstorm Limited as the main event format
• May 30–June 1: Magic Spotlight: Secret Lair in Indianapolis, featuring Modern as the main event format