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 featured Magic Spotlight: Planetary Rotation, a high-stakes, two-day open tournament where 674 competitors gathered to test their Standard mettle. Players competed for eight Pro Tour invitations, their share of a $50,000 prize pool, and special promo cards.

We have a winner at #SpotlightPlanetary! After an incredible run that saw him post an 11-2 record against Izzet Cauldron with his dialed-in Red Aggro list, Brennan Roy is your champion of Magic Spotlight: Planetary Rotation! pic.twitter.com/FxSIl1EP4L

— PlayMTG (@PlayMTG) August 31, 2025

Congratulations to Brennan Roy, who claimed the trophy with his finely tuned Mono-Red Aggro deck! Alongside the rest of the Top 8, Roy secured an invitation to Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed in 2026. As champion, Roy walked away with $10,000, a gleaming trophy, and a Play Booster case of every Standard-legal Magic release in 2026.

Mono-Red Aggro proved it had the firepower to take down the format's top contender: Izzet Cauldron. In this article, I'll take a closer look at this weekend's metagame, the win rates across archetypes, and the standout strategies that managed to score favorable records against Izzet Cauldron.

The Standard Metagame and Win Rates

Standard, the rotating 60-card format that currently allows expansion sets from Wilds of Eldraine forward, is one of Magic's premier competitive formats. To understand the metagame, I analyzed the results from Magic Spotlight: Planetary Rotation alongside other Standard events at SCG CON Orlando, including Friday's ReCQs (at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.) and Sunday's Super RCQ. This produced a data set of more than 1,000 decks.

The table below presents the raw metagame numbers from these Orlando events, along with the match win rates for each deck archetype (excluding mirror matches, byes, and draws). For clarity, I set aside the archetype labels from Melee and applied my own classifications, based on the specific contents of each list.

Archetype	Percentage of Field	Match Win Rate
1. Izzet Cauldron	29.9%	63.1% ✓✓
2. Dimir Midrange	12.6%	47.2%
3. Azorius Control	7.7%	46.7%
4. Mono-Red Aggro	4.4%	62.0% ✓✓
5. Esper Pixie	3.1%	42.9%
6. Mono-Red Dragons	2.8%	47.2%
7. Four-Color Control	2.5%	44.1%
8. Izzet Prowess	2.3%	42.6%
9. Orzhov Sacrifice	2.0%	40.5%
10. Boros Aggro	1.9%	43.2%
11. Temur Ferocious	1.5%	45.5%
12. Mono-White Tokens	1.3%	43.8%
13. Jeskai Artifacts	1.2%	39.1%
14. Simic Ouroboroid	1.1%	43.9%
15. Gruul Delirium	1.1%	36.5%
16. Naya Yuna	1.0%	45.6%
17. Other	23.5%	38.9%

In this table, each archetype name hyperlinks to a top-performing decklist that closely reflects its aggregate build. The "Other" category collects decks with one percent metagame share or less, including Sultai Control, Golgari Midrange, Gruul Aggro, Gruul Landfall, Mono-Black Demons, Mono-Black Aggro, Orzhov Control, Simic Aggro, Boros Tokens, Orzhov Pixie, Boros Dragons, Simic Omniscience, Temur Onslaught, Selesnya Kona, Mono-Red Leyline, Rakdos Lizards, Bant Kona, and more.

Overall, the metagame largely mirrored the expectations laid out in last week's Standard primer, which introduced the leading archetypes based on Magic Online and RCQ results. Izzet Cauldron was the most prominent deck at Magic Spotlight: Planetary Rotation by a large margin, climbing even higher in share after the cut to Day Two and the cut to the Top 8. With an impressive win rate and six of the Top 8 slots, Izzet Cauldron defined the weekend.

5 Mountain 2 Thundering Falls 5 Island 2 Starting Town 2 Abrade 4 Agatha's Soul Cauldron 4 Vivi Ornitier 4 Winternight Stories 3 Into the Flood Maw 1 Wild Ride 4 Marauding Mako 4 Fear of Missing Out 1 Annul 1 Soulstone Sanctuary 4 Riverpyre Verge 4 Spirebluff Canal 4 Proft's Eidetic Memory 3 Quantum Riddler 3 Steamcore Scholar 1 Disdainful Stroke 1 Essence Scatter 1 Annul 1 Bounce Off 3 Torch the Tower 1 Into the Flood Maw 2 Obliterating Bolt 1 Marang River Regent 1 Quantum Riddler 1 Spell Pierce 2 Fire Magic

The deck's core package, centered around exploiting Agatha's Soul Cauldron and Proft's Eidetic Memory, has been well established. Recently, the most successful lists have embraced the aerial duo of Steamcore Scholar and Quantum Riddler while trimming down on Torch the Tower. Jack Potter's 2nd-place decklist is a prime example of this approach.

Last week, I wrote: "Izzet Cauldron is the clear deck to beat in Standard right now. It can pressure opponents with aggressive starts—say, curving Marauding Mako into Proft's Eidetic Memory—but it can also settle into a longer game, drawing cards and ultimately exiling Vivi Ornitier with Agatha's Soul Cauldron. So Izzet Cauldron attacks from different angles, which makes it difficult to answer or claim a truly favorable matchup against. Still, this is the kind of challenge that inspires creativity. Standard is just waiting for someone to find the strategy that topples the behemoth. Who will rise to the occasion this weekend?"

As it turned out, very few players cracked the code. Dimir Midrange, for instance, could not establish a winning record against Izzet Cauldron decks. Even as Dimir Midrange players increasingly shifted toward Azure Beastbinder over Deep-Cavern Bat to better answer an Agatha's Soul Cauldron on the battlefield, they still fell short. Likewise, Mono-Red Dragon lists with Sarkhan, Dragon Ascendant and Twinmaw Stormbrood struggled as Izzet Cauldron lists increasingly packed additional fliers.

Yet a handful of formidable strategies did rise to the challenge, including the one that carried Brennan Roy all the way to 1st.

Mono-Red Aggro Strikes Back

This past weekend, Mono-Red Aggro blazed to a 62% win rate against the rest of the field, with a 96-67 (59%) matchup against Izzet Cauldron in particular. In many ways, the story echoed Pro Tour Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY, where Ken Yukuhiro's Mono-Red Aggro deck toppled the dominant Cori-Steel Cutter deck. Once again, the familiar recipe of fiery burn spells and cheap creatures emerged as the most effective answer to the format's reigning menace.

At the last Pro Tour, main deck copies of Magebane Lizard proved instrumental against decks reliant on noncreature spells. This time, Razorkin Needlehead stole the spotlight. Hailed as "phenomenal in every matchup" by Brennan Roy, the two-drop is particularly devastating against Izzet Cauldron. Whether opponents are drawing cards with Fear of Missing Out, Winternight Stories, or Steamcore Scholar, Razorkin Needlehead deals damage every time they draw. And with most Izzet Cauldron decks shaving Torch the Tower to shore up their mirrors, they were often left without an answer.

Two Mono-Red Aggro decks reached the Top 8 at Magic Spotlight: Planetary Rotation. While both tailored their builds with the Izzet Cauldron matchup in mind, their lists diverged in interesting ways. Let's examine their approaches.

3 Lightning Strike 4 Razorkin Needlehead 4 Burnout Bashtronaut 4 Emberheart Challenger 1 Abrade 4 Burst Lightning 18 Mountain 4 Rockface Village 3 Scorching Shot 4 Hired Claw 2 Soulstone Sanctuary 2 Sunspine Lynx 3 Nova Hellkite 4 Screaming Nemesis 3 Obliterating Bolt 2 Chandra, Spark Hunter 1 Abrade 1 Nova Hellkite 2 Vengeful Possession 2 Magebane Lizard 2 Sunspine Lynx 2 Fire Magic

It's a time-tested formula. Eight aggressive one-drops, eight powerful two-drops, a curve topped by hasty or damage-dealing finishers, a suite of burn spells, and flexible sideboard options. It's a tried-and-true formula, but when the card choices align with the metagame, it remains devastating. Burnout Bashtronaut, for example, has menace to evade a single 4/4 Steamcore Scholar, while Vengeful Possession from the sideboard can turn the tables on Quantum Riddler in style.

Roy's list stands out for retaining Emberheart Challenger and Rockface Village, along with Sunspine Lynx as a powerful four-drop creature. Roy also included Scorching Shot in the main deck over more common removal options like Obliterating Bolt, Fiery Annihilation, and Witchstalker Frenzy. While the exact creature and removal mix may be a matter of taste, these decisions set Roy's list apart from the aggregate builds, and it remains to be seen whether they will become the standard going forward.

2 Obliterating Bolt 2 Fiery Annihilation 4 Razorkin Needlehead 3 Fanatical Firebrand 16 Mountain 4 Burst Lightning 4 Scalding Viper 2 Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might 4 Hired Claw 4 Riverpyre Verge 3 Soulstone Sanctuary 1 Spirebluff Canal 1 Tersa Lightshatter 4 Nova Hellkite 4 Screaming Nemesis 2 Lightning Strike 2 Stingerback Terror 1 Dreadmaw's Ire 1 Abrade 1 Cut Propulsion 4 Sunspine Lynx 1 Fire Magic 2 Case of the Crimson Pulse 3 Magebane Lizard

Meanwhile, the card choices in Marco Cammilluzzi's Top 8 list were more typical among top-performing Mono-Red Aggro lists this past weekend, possibly inspired by Quinniac's victory in a Magic Online Challenge just days before SCG CON Orlando. In place of Emberheart Challenger, Rockface Village, and Sunspine Lynx, he ran Scalding Viper; blue-red dual lands; and Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might. Scalding Viper punished Izzet Cauldron's explosive combo turns, while Ojer Axonil transformed every ping from Scalding Viper and Razorkin Needlehead into a burst of four damage.

The two Top 8 lists also differed significantly in their sideboards, and Cammilluzzi's choice of Fanatical Firebrand over Burnout Bashtronaut for Ojer Axonil synergy was unusual, setting his build apart from the aggregate list. So, there is no clear consensus yet on the ideal way to build Mono-Red Aggro.

What is clear, however, is that the archetype has all the right tools for the current Standard. It packs Razorkin Needlehead as a formidable main deck hate piece versus the card-draw effects in Izzet Cauldron. On the play, it has plenty of small creatures and burn spells to reliably go for the win. On the draw, it can pivot into a reactive role, armed with suitable removal spells for a big Marauding Mako or Vivi Ornitier. This flexibility, combined with raw speed, has allowed Mono-Red Aggro to rise as the premier answer to the current Standard metagame.

Combo Decks Outpaced Izzet Cauldron

Besides Mono-Red Aggro, a number of combo strategies also posted favorable records against Izzet Cauldron. While their sample sizes are modest, the results are promising:

• Decks featuring multiple main deck copies of Temur Battlecrier, Devastating Onslaught, and Railway Brawler scored a combined 20-11 (65% win rate) against the rest of the field, including a 7-3 record (70%) against Izzet Cauldron.
• Decks featuring multiple main deck copies of Kona, Rescue Beastie and Evendo, Waking Haven scored a combined 51-42 (55% win rate) against the rest of the field, including a 19-14 record (58%) against Izzet Cauldron.

So, if you're looking for a way other than Mono-Red Aggro to crush Izzet Cauldron at your next RCQ, these combo archetypes are well worth exploring. They can consistently go over the top before Izzet Cauldron has its engines online, and Izzet Cauldron doesn't run as many answers. Let's take a closer look at three inventive lists that found success last weekend.

4 Devastating Onslaught 4 Botanical Sanctum 3 Willowrush Verge 2 Smuggler's Surprise 2 Forest 1 Abrade 4 Temur Battlecrier 4 Starting Town 1 Torch the Tower 4 Stomping Ground 3 Winternight Stories 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Outcaster Trailblazer 4 Breeding Pool 3 Railway Brawler 2 Thornspire Verge 2 Into the Flood Maw 4 Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius 4 Esper Origins 1 Nova Hellkite 2 Scrapshooter 1 Disdainful Stroke 1 Surrak, Elusive Hunter 1 Dissection Tools 1 Torch the Tower 1 Ghost Vacuum 3 Annul 1 Heritage Reclamation 1 Negate 2 Fire Magic 1 Broadside Barrage

Haotian Wang went 11-4, finishing in 20th place, with a deck capable of delivering lethal damage out of nowhere. The main plan involves plotting Railway Brawler, playing it from exile on the following turn, then unleashing Devastating Onslaught for five mana. This creates two copies of Railway Brawler, both of which become game-winning 20/20 tramplers with haste!

The rest of the deck is built for speed and consistency, with ramp and card-selection spells enabling game-ending combos as early as turn four. As a member of the supporting cast, Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius not only reduces the plot cost of Railway Brawler but also synergizes with casting Esper Origins and Winternight Stories from the graveyard. And even if you don't find Railway Brawler, then flooding the board with copies of Outcaster Trailblazer can also overwhelm opponents, especially when they're backed up by Devastating Onslaught and Temur Battlecrier.

4 Dispelling Exhale 4 Willowrush Verge 3 Forest 2 Unauthorized Exit 1 Bounce Off 4 Consult the Star Charts 1 Bloomvine Regent 4 Breeding Pool 3 Island 2 Cavern of Souls 4 Kona, Rescue Beastie 4 Roiling Dragonstorm 4 Uthros, Titanic Godcore 2 Lost in the Maze 4 Stock Up 4 Evendo, Waking Haven 2 Quantum Riddler 4 Omniscience 4 Marang River Regent 2 Negate 4 Heritage Reclamation 1 Bounce Off 2 Fresh Start 1 Spellscorn Coven 2 Dreamdew Entrancer 1 Cavern of Souls 2 Quantum Riddler

This Simic Omniscience deck went 10-5, finishing in 61st place. Once Omniscience is on the board, the plan is to cast Marang River Regent, bounce a second Regent, and repeat the cycle to draw your entire deck with Roiling Dragonstorm. Following the banning of Abuelo's Awakening, the Omniscience-cheating card of choice has shifted to Kona, Rescue Beastie.

The new Planet lands from Edge of Eternities (particularly Evendo, Waking Haven and Uthros, Titanic Godcore) perfectly slot into this plan by enabling Kona's survivor ability. The rest of the list is focused, filled with card selection and efficient interaction. Lost in the Maze is particularly sweet, simultaneously buying time and protecting Kona from removal before the combo goes off.

1 Lumra, Bellow of the Woods 3 Summon: Fenrir 4 Starting Town 3 The Seriema 5 Forest 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Adagia, Windswept Bastion 2 Cavern of Souls 4 Kona, Rescue Beastie 1 Summon: Knights of Round 4 Hushwood Verge 2 Split Up 4 Esper Origins 4 Overlord of the Mistmoors 3 Evendo, Waking Haven 4 Dredger's Insight 2 Plains 2 Yuna, Hope of Spira 1 Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant 3 Summon: Bahamut 1 High Noon 2 Seam Rip 2 Get Lost 1 Ghost Vacuum 1 Absolute Virtue 1 Split Up 2 Elspeth, Storm Slayer 2 Heritage Reclamation 3 Voice of Victory

Robert Beverley's Selesnya Kona list went 10-4-1, landing him in 40th place, offering a different twist on Kona, Rescue Beastie. Instead of aiming for an Omniscience combo finish, this version often wins simply by cheating Summon: Bahamut into play on turn three or four. For most opponents, that's game over.

The move into white unlocks The Seriema, a Spacecraft that dramatically improves the deck's consistency. It lets you easily tap Kona, searches up the legendary Beast itself, and even protects it from removal like Abrade if charged ahead of time. If you already hold Kona alongside a bunch of other creatures, The Seriema can also fetch Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant for the ultimate highlight reel. All in all, this deck blends raw power with remarkable consistency.

What's Next for Standard?

Now that the ways to defeat Izzet Cauldron have been established, new competitive dynamics can emerge. The Standard RCQ season remains in full swing and continues through November 9, offering competitive players a chance to secure their spot in the Standard Regional Championships scheduled for January–March 2026. You can find an RCQ near you by checking with your local game store or visiting your regional organizer's website.

If you're aiming even higher, the Magic Spotlight: Spider-Man events present a major opportunity. These large-scale, two-day open tournaments feature a direct path to the Pro Tour for Standard competitors. These will be held in Baltimore on October 24–26 and in Liverpool on October 31–November 2. Register now for your chance to take on Magic's best.