Hello, and welcome back to Metagame Mentor, your weekly guide to the top decks and latest Constructed developments on the road to the Pro Tour. Tarkir: Dragonstorm is set to soar onto the stage as the second Standard-legal release of the year, with Prerelease events kicking off this weekend, April 5–6. The new set promises to shake up the Standard format just in time for the upcoming cycle of Regional Championships in April and May, where the world's best players will showcase their Standard prowess and battle for coveted Pro Tour invitations.
To offer an early glimpse of what to expect at those Regional Championships, today's article provides a snapshot of the Standard metagame right before the release of Tarkir: Dragonstorm along with my initial thoughts on potential upgrades for top-tier archetypes. While some of the set's most powerful cards might spark the creation of entirely new Standard decks (which I'll showcase in this article), it's crucial to take stock of the current metagame. So, here's everything we know about the format as dragons and clans prepare for their triumphant return.
Standard Before Tarkir: Dragonstorm
Standard is a rotating 60-card format and currently includes expansion sets from Dominaria United onward. To get a clear snapshot of the metagame, I analyzed 992 published decklists from Magic Online Challenges held in March alongside 435 top-performing decklists from major tabletop Standard tournaments over the same period: the $5,000 RCQ at SCG CON Charlotte and the first, second, and third RCQs at that event; the Champions Cup Area Qualifiers at Hareruya Tokyo, Batoloco Takadanobaba, and Cardbox Seimado; and the NRG Series $10,000 Showdown.
To show which decks are dominating the top tables, I assigned points to each deck based on its rectified number of net wins—calculated as the number of match wins minus losses, with negative values adjusted to zero. By combining these points across all events, each archetype's share of the total rectified net wins blends popularity and performance into a single, comprehensive metric: the winner's metagame share.
In this table, each archetype name hyperlinks to a well-performing, representative decklist. The "Other" category encompasses a wide range of strategies, including Orzhov Control, Azorius Bunnicorn, Golgari Graveyard, Esper Paragon, Selesnya Cage, Mono-Black Demons, Gruul Delirium, Golgari Ramp, Orzhov Pixie, Azorius Oculus, Boros Enchantments, Temur Otters, and more.
Compared to the metagame at Pro Tour Aetherdrift, the once dominant Domain Overlords has waned in popularity. This decline can largely be traced to the rise of Mono-Red Aggro, a deck that blends relentless pressure with Sunspine Lynx to punish Domain Overlords's slower game plan. With its streamlined curve and pristine mana base, Mono-Red Aggro has overtaken Gruul Mice as Standard's premier aggro deck, keeping Domain Overlords in check.
The sheer explosiveness of Manifold Mouse and Monstrous Rage, combining into a trampling, double-striking behemoth, was also on full display at Arena Championship 8 last weekend. There, in the Explorer format, the entire Top 4 consisted of Mono-Red Aggro decks that bore a striking resemblance to their Standard counterparts.
Meanwhile, Azorius Control and Azorius Omniscience—two decks that delivered stellar performances at Pro Tour Aetherdrift—have only gained ground. With main deck access to Stock Up and Temporary Lockdown, these strategies boast the right mix of consistency and answers to bridge into their powerful endgames.
To capture the evolving metagame, I've compiled aggregate decklists for the top-performing strategies using an algorithm that weighs popularity, success, and individual card synergies. Let's take a closer look at the ten most prominent archetypes—each commanding at least a 2% share of the winner's metagame—along with a potential Tarkir: Dragonstorm addition for each.
1. Esper Pixie
4 Seachrome Coast
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Concealed Courtyard
4 Fear of Isolation
4 Hopeless Nightmare
4 Nowhere to Run
4 Nurturing Pixie
4 Stormchaser's Talent
4 This Town Ain't Big Enough
3 Caves of Koilos
3 Underground River
3 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
3 Optimistic Scavenger
2 Restless Anchorage
2 Adarkar Wastes
2 Momentum Breaker
2 Stock Up
1 Swamp
1 Go for the Throat
1 Destroy Evil
1 Island
2 Destroy Evil
2 Grim Bauble
2 Dreams of Steel and Oil
2 Rest in Peace
2 No More Lies
1 Preacher of the Schism
1 Pest Control
1 Ghost Vacuum
1 Temporary Lockdown
1 Stock Up
Esper Pixie, commanding a formidable 19.7% share of the winner's metagame, thrives on enchantments with enters effects—Stormchaser's Talent, Hopeless Nightmare, and Nowhere to Run—paired with a suite of self-bounce effects. Namely, Nurturing Pixie, Fear of Isolation, and This Town Ain't Big Enough. Repeated Nowhere to Run triggers keep aggressive decks at bay while looping Hopeless Nightmare grinds control decks into submission. Recent builds have begun incorporating multiple copies of Stock Up, trimming Spiteful Hexmage from the main deck to make room.
Sunpearl Kirin
With Tarkir: Dragonstorm entering the format, several new cards could find a home in Esper Pixie, but one early standout is Sunpearl Kirin. While its stats are slightly weaker than Fear of Isolation, the deck may want more than twelve self-bounce effects overall, and a few copies of Sunpearl Kirin could improve consistency. Its flash ability also adds a layer of flexibility, allowing you to hold up two mana, assess your opponent's play, and then respond with the best option—whether that's Nowhere to Run, This Town Ain't Big Enough, or the Kirin itself.
2. Mono-Red Aggro
15 Mountain
4 Burst Lightning
4 Emberheart Challenger
4 Heartfire Hero
4 Hired Claw
4 Manifold Mouse
4 Monstrous Rage
4 Rockface Village
4 Screaming Nemesis
4 Lightning Strike
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Soulstone Sanctuary
2 Witchstalker Frenzy
4 Sunspine Lynx
4 Lithomantic Barrage
4 Torch the Tower
2 Ghost Vacuum
1 Witchstalker Frenzy
Mono-Red Aggro is a classic, hard-hitting strategy that leverages aggressive creatures and burn spells to keep opponents on the back foot. At its core are Heartfire Hero and Emberheart Challenger, whose powerful valiant abilities can be triggered every turn thanks to Manifold Mouse. The deck's monocolor mana base allows for multiple copies of Rockface Village, which further supports valiant, and Soulstone Sanctuary, which doubles as both a Mouse for Manifold Mouse and a Lizard for Hired Claw.
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One intriguing addition from Tarkir: Dragonstorm could be Stadium Headliner, a one-drop creature that creates a token, making Witchstalker Frenzy cost even less. When necessary, it can also pivot to acting as a removal spell, adding versatility to the deck. And much like Witchstalker Frenzy, it can even target your own Screaming Nemesis, unleashing a devastating avalanche of damage directly at your opponent. Whether Stadium Headliner ultimately earns a slot remains to be seen, but testing a few copies of the Goblin in place of Monastery Swiftspear or Lightning Strike could be worthwhile.
3. Gruul Mice
6 Mountain
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Thornspire Verge
4 Monstrous Rage
4 Manifold Mouse
4 Emberheart Challenger
4 Heartfire Hero
4 Hired Claw
4 Screaming Nemesis
4 Karplusan Forest
3 Innkeeper's Talent
3 Burst Lightning
2 Rockface Village
2 Soulstone Sanctuary
2 Pawpatch Recruit
2 Questing Druid
2 Torch the Tower
1 Restless Ridgeline
1 Witchstalker Frenzy
3 Pawpatch Formation
3 Sunspine Lynx
2 Lithomantic Barrage
2 Torch the Tower
2 Ghost Vacuum
1 Questing Druid
1 Obliterating Bolt
1 Sentinel of the Nameless City
Gruul Mice is essentially a Mono-Red Aggro deck with a light green splash, trading the clean mana base for a stronger long game. Instead of Monastery Swiftspear and Lightning Strike, Gruul Mice gains staying power through Innkeeper's Talent, Pawpatch Recruit, and Questing Druid. While the archetype has been losing ground to Mono-Red Aggro—whose untapped lands and painless mana base give it an edge in the head-to-head matchup—Gruul's green splash for Innkeeper's Talent allows the valiant Mice to stand out even more.
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From Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Warden of the Grove presents an intriguing option given its synergy with Innkeeper's Talent. If you curve these two cards into each other, you can have a Warden of the Grove with three +1/+1 counters by turn four, setting you up to deploy a board of overwhelming threats. However, its vulnerability to spot removal raises questions about its viability. While I'm not convinced it warrants a dedicated slot, it's worth trying out.
4. Domain Overlords
4 Up the Beanstalk
4 Leyline Binding
4 Overlord of the Hauntwoods
4 Hushwood Verge
4 Overlord of the Mistmoors
4 Zur, Eternal Schemer
4 Lush Portico
4 Ride's End
3 Hedge Maze
3 Floodfarm Verge
3 Temporary Lockdown
2 Get Lost
2 Shadowy Backstreet
2 Analyze the Pollen
2 Day of Judgment
2 Wastewood Verge
2 Razorverge Thicket
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Beza, the Bounding Spring
1 Sunfall
1 Cavern of Souls
3 Obstinate Baloth
2 Negate
2 Rest in Peace
2 Nissa, Ascended Animist
1 Tear Asunder
1 Atraxa, Grand Unifier
1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
1 Elspeth's Smite
1 Pawpatch Formation
1 Beza, the Bounding Spring
This four-color deck revolves around Zur, Eternal Schemer, transforming its Overlords into lifelinking threats with devastating attack triggers. At the heart of the deck is Overlord of the Hauntwoods, which fuels Up the Beanstalk and provides full domain for Leyline Binding. Up the Beanstalk remains one of the format's most powerful draw engines, and its impact only increased with the deck's adoption of Ride's End. Most builds closely resemble the version piloted by Matt Nass at Pro Tour Aetherdrift, featuring multiple copies of Temporary Lockdown in the main deck.
Kin-Tree Severance
A potential addition from Tarkir: Dragonstorm is Kin-Tree Severance. Much like Ride's End, it can be cast for three mana while having a higher mana value. As a three-mana answer to Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, Leyline Binding, and Screaming Nemesis, its versatility could be enough to justify inclusion in the deck.
5. Dimir Midrange
4 Cut Down
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Gloomlake Verge
4 Island
4 Swamp
4 Underground River
4 Floodpits Drowner
4 Spyglass Siren
4 Deep-Cavern Bat
3 Go for the Throat
3 Enduring Curiosity
3 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
2 Restless Reef
2 Soulstone Sanctuary
2 Preacher of the Schism
2 Phantom Interference
2 Faerie Mastermind
1 Gix's Command
1 Fountainport
1 Tishana's Tidebinder
1 Anoint with Affliction
1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
3 Duress
2 Tishana's Tidebinder
1 Ghost Vacuum
1 Gix's Command
1 Negate
1 Spell Pierce
1 Anoint with Affliction
1 Faerie Mastermind
1 Preacher of the Schism
1 Ertai Resurrected
1 Faebloom Trick
1 Sheoldred's Edict
At Pro Tour Aetherdrift, Dimir Midrange put up a rough 14-40 record, corresponding to a brutal 25.9% win rate that nearly sent it to the scrapyard. Yet, in March, the deck clawed its way back, securing an 8.4% share of the winner's metagame. It remains a quintessential midrange strategy, blending disruption with efficient threats. While it mostly uses unassuming 1/1 and 2/1 creatures, their evasive abilities fuel Enduring Curiosity and enable the ninjutsu ability of Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, two of the deck's defining powerhouses.
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Tarkir: Dragonstorm introduces several solid options for the deck, with Qarsi Revenant standing out as an early frontrunner. Somewhere, Vampire Nighthawk is shedding a tear—this new three-mana contender looks primed to dominate mid-game combat. It wins damage races, provides evasion for Enduring Curiosity, and can even take down the biggest Dragons in battle. Plus, it gives extra value after dying, making it a headache for removal-heavy decks. Even though it's vulnerable to Nowhere to Run, it seems like a promising fit for any black-based midrange strategy.
6. Azorius Control
4 Stock Up
4 Ride's End
4 Get Lost
4 Island
4 Floodfarm Verge
4 Plains
3 No More Lies
3 Beza, the Bounding Spring
3 Restless Anchorage
3 Day of Judgment
3 Seachrome Coast
3 Overlord of the Mistmoors
3 Jace, the Perfected Mind
3 Temporary Lockdown
3 Three Steps Ahead
2 Fountainport
2 Demolition Field
2 Meticulous Archive
1 Blast Zone
1 Sunfall
1 Adarkar Wastes
3 Tishana's Tidebinder
2 Rest in Peace
2 Negate
2 Wilt-Leaf Liege
1 Jace, the Perfected Mind
1 Beza, the Bounding Spring
1 Overlord of the Mistmoors
1 Authority of the Consuls
1 Devout Decree
1 Elspeth's Smite
Following a strong performance at Pro Tour Aetherdrift, where Azorius Control demonstrated the power of Stock Up and Ride's End, the deck has gained momentum and risen in popularity. Its classic game plan of countering spells with No More Lies remains a time-tested strategy. With powerful sweepers like Temporary Lockdown and Day of Judgment, the deck has the tools to dismantle aggressive red decks and regain control of the battlefield.
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From Tarkir: Dragonstorm, Marang River Regent could be an enticing addition to the deck. Its Omen effect offers a valuable burst of card draw, letting you keep mana up for either countermagic or card draw on your opponent's turn. As a six-mana Dragon, it can help stabilize the board before shifting into win-con mode. If Domain Overlords continues to fade in popularity, then fewer opponents may deplete their libraries with Up the Beanstalk, which could lessen the power of Jace, the Perfected Mind. In that case, this new Dragon might serve as a solid replacement for closing out games.
7. Azorius Omniscience
5 Island
4 Fallaji Archaeologist
4 Abuelo's Awakening
4 Omniscience
4 Floodfarm Verge
4 Meticulous Archive
4 Stock Up
4 Moment of Truth
3 Ephara's Dispersal
3 Confounding Riddle
3 Chart a Course
3 Temporary Lockdown
3 Seachrome Coast
3 Plains
3 Adarkar Wastes
3 Invasion of Arcavios
2 Blast Zone
1 Oracle of Tragedy
3 Grand Abolisher
3 Riptide Gearhulk
2 Negate
2 Get Lost
1 Johann's Stopgap
1 Temporary Lockdown
1 This Town Ain't Big Enough
1 Haunt the Network
1 Day of Judgment
Azorius Omniscience stands as the premier combo deck in today's Standard. The goal is to mill or discard Omniscience, then bring it back onto the battlefield by turn four via Abuelo's Awakening. From there, you cast Invasion of Arcavios for free, fetching Johann's Stopgap from your sideboard. You then bounce Invasion of Arcavios, replay it, retrieve Johann's Stopgap from your graveyard, and repeat the loop—drawing your entire deck in the process. A second copy of Invasion of Arcavios then grabs This Town Ain't Big Enough, eventually enabling you to cast Haunt the Network infinitely and win the game.
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Tarkir: Dragonstorm introduces the harmonize mechanic, which the deck doesn't capitalize on as effectively as others. Omniscience doesn't allow you to cast spells for free from your graveyard, and the deck's creatures don't boast particularly high power. However, even without harmonize, Winternight Stories offers potent card draw. It digs three cards deep while letting you put Omniscience into your graveyard. Whether it's better or worse than Chart a Course ultimately comes down to mana curve considerations, but Winternight Stories should certainly be a contender in the deck's toolbox.
8. Golgari Midrange
5 Swamp
4 Restless Cottage
4 Llanowar Wastes
4 Blooming Marsh
4 Mosswood Dreadknight
4 Llanowar Elves
3 Cut Down
3 Forest
3 Go for the Throat
3 Wastewood Verge
3 Sentinel of the Nameless City
3 Preacher of the Schism
3 Soulstone Sanctuary
3 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber
2 Gix's Command
2 Anoint with Affliction
2 Archfiend of the Dross
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Tear Asunder
1 Tranquil Frillback
1 Shoot the Sheriff
1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
3 Duress
2 Nissa, Ascended Animist
2 Choking Miasma
2 Ghost Vacuum
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Tear Asunder
1 Harvester of Misery
1 Cut Down
1 Liliana of the Veil
Golgari Midrange remains a strong contender in Standard, provided the deck is tuned to keep up with the evolving metagame. At Pro Tour Aetherdrift, Llanowar Elves accelerated into Thrun, Breaker of Silence as players were wary of Archfiend of the Dross becoming a liability against Floodpits Drowner. With the number of Floodpits Drowner decks dwindling, the deck's powerful Demon package—Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber, Archfiend of the Dross, and Soulstone Sanctuary—has made a return, stronger than ever.
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Tarkir: Dragonstorm brings Rot-Curse Rakshasa into the fray, a perfect addition to any aggressive Demon-focused strategy. Indeed, this two-drop immediately turns Unholy Annex into a life-draining powerhouse. While the deck may need a slight retooling to maximize the effectiveness of a high-power creature that can't block, the card could shine in a deck with a lower curve, more aggression, and perhaps a few vehicles for Rot-Curse Rakshasa to crew. With the right support, this new Demon could deliver the kind of crushing impact that could make it a standout in Standard.
9. Gruul Leyline
8 Mountain
4 Cacophony Scamp
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Emberheart Challenger
4 Heartfire Hero
4 Karplusan Forest
4 Leyline of Resonance
4 Monstrous Rage
4 Thornspire Verge
4 Turn Inside Out
4 Slickshot Show-Off
4 Might of the Meek
4 Manifold Mouse
2 Snakeskin Veil
1 Overprotect
1 Callous Sell-Sword
4 Obstinate Baloth
4 Questing Druid
3 Lithomantic Barrage
2 Pawpatch Formation
2 Pick Your Poison
Gruul Leyline, the deck piloted by Nicholas Odenheimer to victory at Magic Spotlight: Foundations, fully embraces the explosive turn-two kill potential enabled by Leyline of Resonance. The sequence revolves around a turn-one Cacophony Scamp, followed by two pump spells—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 deal lethal damage. Recent builds have also integrated Manifold Mouse into the main deck, with Obstinate Baloth in the sideboard to combat Hopeless Nightmare.
Wild Ride
Tarkir: Dragonstorm introduces Wild Ride as a promising option to increase the consistency of turn-two kills for this deck. The haste it grants could enable kills out of nowhere, providing solid counterplay to sorcery-speed sweepers and giving the deck an added layer of surprise. Additionally, the harmonize mechanic might enable a flurry of spells, allowing Slickshot Show-Off to finish opponents with a one-shot punch. This card could be just what Gruul Leyline needs to refine its explosive strategy even further.
10. Jeskai Oculus
4 Proft's Eidetic Memory
4 Helping Hand
4 Torch the Tower
4 Steamcore Scholar
4 Abhorrent Oculus
4 Fear of Missing Out
4 Inspiring Vantage
4 Seachrome Coast
4 Shivan Reef
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Spyglass Siren
3 Inti, Seneschal of the Sun
2 Recommission
2 Spell Pierce
2 Adarkar Wastes
2 Battlefield Forge
2 Thundering Falls
2 Bitter Reunion
1 Into the Flood Maw
3 Ghost Vacuum
3 Chandra, Spark Hunter
2 Destroy Evil
2 Pyroclasm
2 Negate
2 The Filigree Sylex
1 Sheltered by Ghosts
Jeskai Oculus aims to cheat out Abhorrent Oculus by getting it into the graveyard, then reanimating it via Helping Hand or Recommission to bypass its steep additional cost. Once it lands, Oculus takes over the game by flooding the board with manifested creatures. Red is mainly for discard enablers like Fear of Missing Out and Inti, Seneschal of the Sun. Notably, Fear of Missing Out synergizes particularly well with Proft's Eidetic Memory, as the additional combat step gives you a second opportunity to dish out +1/+1 counters.
Glacial Dragonhunt
Tarkir: Dragonstorm introduces Glacial Dragonhunt, which could be a sweet addition to Jeskai Oculus. It allows you to discard Abhorrent Oculus on turn two while simultaneously controlling the board. The card draw also provides an extra +1/+1 counter through Proft's Eidetic Memory, and the harmonize ability can help clear the opponent's creatures as the game progresses. Glacial Dragonhunt might just be the key to making Jeskai Oculus more consistent and explosive.
New Build-Around Cards and Exciting Possibilities
Tarkir: Dragonstorm not only provides potential buffs to existing archetypes but also introduces numerous build-arounds that could fit perfectly into brand-new decks. When Khans of Tarkir was released in 2014, the subsequent Pro Tour Khans of Tarkir was dominated by three-color Abzan and Jeskai decks as Siege Rhino and Mantis Rider battled it out in the Top 8. With mana bases in Standard being equally robust today, we could see a similar impact with the new set in the upcoming Standard format.
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Each of the five wedges is led by a mythic rare Spirit Dragon that could spearhead a fresh Standard archetype:
- Abzan: Betor, Kin to All supports a midrange strategy with repeatable card draw, while Skirmish Rhino evokes memories of Siege Rhino, which dominated Standard a decade ago.
- Mardu: Neriv, Heart of the Storm heads up an aggro strategy based around creatures with haste and mobilize, letting Zurgo, Thunder's Decree reach his full potential.
- Jeskai: Shiko, Paragon of the Way highlights a flurry deck that thrives on casting multiple spells per turn. Between Sage of the Skies; Taigam, Master Opportunist; and Cori-Steel Cutter, there's ample support for this strategy.
- Sultai: Teval, Arbiter of Virtue enables a graveyard-based strategy, showcasing that delve remains a potent mechanic. Awaken the Honored Dead and Rakshasa's Bargain can fill your graveyard before you finish off opponents with Exsanguinate.
- Temur: Ureni, the Song Unending is an incredible ramp payoff that you can accelerate into with cards like Herd Heirloom, Temur Battlecrier, and Bloomvine Regent.
Here's a sample list for an Abzan deck, brewed to showcase some of the possibilities.
4 Blooming Marsh
4 Razorverge Thicket
4 Concealed Courtyard
3 Llanowar Wastes
3 Brushland
2 Caves of Koilos
1 Sandsteppe Citadel
2 Restless Cottage
1 Swamp
1 Soulstone Sanctuary
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Rot-Curse Rakshasa
4 Mosswood Dreadknight
4 Skirmish Rhino
4 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber
4 Archfiend of the Dross
2 Debris Beetle
1 Yathan Roadwatcher
1 Betor, Kin to All
3 Cut Down
3 Go for the Throat
1 Duress
3 Duress
2 Rest in Peace
2 Obstinate Baloth
1 Revival of the Ancestors
1 Sage of the Skies
1 Cut Down
1 Ghost Vacuum
1 Choking Miasma
1 Gix's Command
1 Anoint with Affliction
1 Tear Asunder
Between Skirmish Rhino, Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber, and Debris Beetle, this deck relentlessly drains the opponent. Rot-Curse Rakshasa enables Unholy Annex, crews Debris Beetle, and rumbles in for the final points of damage.
The mana base is a tight squeeze, but it should be able to consistently cast Llanowar Elves, Skirmish Rhino, and Archfiend of the Dross on curve. The mix of 12 fast lands, 8 pain lands, 3 tap lands, and 2 other lands feels decent overall. That said, mana bases for the new three-color decks in Standard may depend on how aggressive you are. More aggressive builds, like this one, can lean on pain lands and fast lands. Slower decks, however, may prefer a combination of surveil lands, Verges, and Fabled Passage instead. Because Verges need a lot of lands with the right basic types—and likewise for the new utility lands like Dalkovan Encampment—you need to pick one of the two approaches and commit to it. Proper mana base construction will certainly be an exciting challenge.
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The build-around cards in Tarkir: Dragonstorm aren't limited to the three-color cards; there are several other cards that caught my eye. For example, Ugin, Eye of the Storms may excel in Izzet Artifacts alongside Thran Spider, while Elspeth, Storm Slayer and United Battlefront could support a Boros Token strategy with Caretaker's Talent and Urabrask's Forge.
Additionally, there are several new Dragon typal synergies to explore. Here's a sample list, showing how Dragons may burn bright.
3 Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant
1 Cunning Coyote
1 Draconautics Engineer
4 Shivan Devastator
1 Phyrexian Dragon Engine
1 Goddric, Cloaked Reveler
3 Sarkhan, Soul Aflame
4 Stingerback Terror
4 Twinflame Tyrant
2 Stormscale Scion
4 Invasion of Tarkir
3 Mox Jasper
7 Mountain
2 Restless Spire
4 Riverpyre Verge
4 Shivan Reef
4 Soulstone Sanctuary
4 Spirebluff Canal
4 Burst Lightning
3 Ghost Vacuum
2 Negate
2 Spell Pierce
2 Pyroclasm
2 Torch the Tower
2 The Stone Brain
2 Lithomantic Barrage
The dream with this deck starts with Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant on turn two, who is ready to turn into a 3/3 flier at a moment's notice. On turn three, you cast Sarkhan, Soul Aflame, setting up for a fiery finish. Then on turn four, you cast Twinflame Tyrant, letting Sarkhan, Soul Aflame transform into a copy of the formidable 3/5 Dragon. This effectively quadruples any damage dealt to your opponent during that turn. You then soar in with a total of 6 power in fliers, culminating in a staggering 24-damage hit.
Alternatively, if you don't have Twinflame Tyrant, you can go wild with Mox Jasper and Stormscale Scion. You can rack up a fearsome storm count by casting plotted cards, transformed battles, and copies of Mox Jasper. While this is just a wacky brew to explore the power of the new cards, it looks like a lot of fun to try. I look forward to seeing more innovations from this exciting set.
What's Next for Standard?
As we stand on the cusp of the Tarkir: Dragonstorm release, the Standard metagame is currently anchored by three main pillars:
- Red Aggro decks leveraging Manifold Mouse and Monstrous Rage for explosive early damage.
- Bounce decks that focus on This Town Ain't Big Enough and Stormchaser's Talent, enabling continual value.
- Domain decks powered by Up the Beanstalk and Leyline Binding, giving access to a wide array of colors and powerful effects.
However, with the arrival of Tarkir: Dragonstorm, the format may be in for a shakeup. The expansion is brimming with possibilities, introducing new mechanics, synergies, and strategies that could invigorate Standard. It'll be fascinating to see if these new brews can measure up to the current top tier of the format, and I'm particularly eager to see how the upcoming Regional Championships will shape the competitive scene.
Here's the schedule for the upcoming Regional Championship cycle:
