NRG Roundtable: The State of Standard
Standard received a big shake-up with the bannings of Smuggler’s Copter, Emrakul, the Promised End and Reflector Mage. As Pro Tour Aether Revolt rolled around, players were anxious to see how a format that was suddenly missing three of its biggest villains would shape up.
Then everybody played Mardu Vehicles. The end.
OK, not really. But it wasn’t necessarily what everyone was expecting. I put together a roundtable with Nerd Rage Gaming authors Mat Bimonte, Justin Brickman and Ben Meine to discuss the current state of Standard.
Casey: Obviously, the story
of the Pro Tour was the dominance of Mardu Vehicles. Is it now the deck to beat, or was it a brilliant meta game call that will quickly get hated out?
Mat: Two-part answer. First, Mardu Vehicles was the best deck not being played. Second, it is far and away the best deck against Saheeli combo decks.
I still think Saheeli combo is the “deck to beat” but it needs to reconfigure to keep up with Mardu Vehicles.
Justin: It’s not necessarily a meta call, as it was already one of the top decks in Standard, but rather it showed up in such high numbers due to its strong match-up against the Saheeli-Guardian decks. Since it’s a linear aggro deck, people can easily beat it if they adjust. One move people might make going into GP Pittsburgh this weekend is that the sweeper of choice going into the PT was Fumigate, mostly for the B/G constrictor decks; now we might see more moves towards Radiant Flames.
Casey: Flaying Tendrils seems like a pretty good possibility as well.
Ben: Mardu Vehicles has been around since the last Standard format and was kept in place by Ishkanah, Grafwidow. With this card out of the picture, essentially, and clunky combo decks taking the field by storm, a good place to be is with a consistent and powerful aggro deck. It goes without saying that Heart of Kiran was the most overperforming vehicle, and likely overall card, next to Aethersphere Harvester and Fatal Push. Heart is just the worst-case scenario for decks with damage-based removal and planeswalkers, which likely played a large role in the tournament.
A large number of players had the idea that Mardu was going to be a large contender in the tournament, but the ones that were not ready suffered. Everyone knew that Heart of Kiran lines up well against Saheeli, putting too much pressure on the board too quickly to safely present the combo early enough. Only the best of players came to the decision about pulling the trigger on the deck, but the ones that did were rewarded handsomely.
Casey: With that in mind, let’s look forward to GP Pittsburgh this week. What do you see as the best tools to beat Mardu Vehicles?
Mat: Fatal Push. Would be surprised to not see an uptick in that card. Also main deck sweepers, have people forgotten those exist?
I’m going to be surprised if people don’t find this G/W Tokens deck that Pascal Maynard played. I think that deck is very well built for Saheeli decks, and very strong against Mardu, as his 8-2 performance would indicate.
Justin: I agree with Mat that Saheeli is still a great choice in standard (disregarding my personal bias for a Twin deck). The configuration just needs to change. I’ve been personally more slanted towards a less combo/more control-heavy version, and that frees up slots to have more removal and sweepers to keep up with the Vehicles decks.
Ben: Cheaper sweepers in the form of Radiant Flames, Flaying Tendrils, and Yahenni’s Expertise will be needed to hold off the damage from this deck. Fatal Push is also necessary, being able to always kill Heart of Kiran for one mana. These are the obvious answers.
One of the better tools that I have found for this matchup is Release the Gremlins. Being able to take out one or two threats while deploying your own that all line up well to trade with or eat the Mardu player’s threats.
Casey: The interesting thing about
most of the cards you mentioned is that Mardu Vehicles can play them as well. The deck can also maximize Unlicensed Disintegration. Does that flexibility — being able to play Fatal Push, Shock, Unlicensed Disintegration, Fragmentize, Release the Gremlins — mean that there’s basically no room for any other aggro deck in the format?
Mat: Correct. Every other aggressive deck is shelved. Playing the best aggressive cards, and the best removal seems like a good recipe.
You might be able to call the G/W deck “aggro” but it’s midrangey.
Casey: Same thing with the B/G decks. They may appear aggressive, but they’re midrange decks at heart.
Ben: There is a downtick in Blessed Alliance, so R/G Pummeler may have a window. That being said, yes, this deck gets the best sideboard options with three colors to choose from and the flexibility to turn into a midrange/control deck as we saw Marcio Carvalho do in the Finals of Dublin.
This does not mean it is the “best aggro deck.” You can never turn your aggro deck completely into a control deck. There are just too many cards that you would need to board out. Boarding into that kind of deck just turns you into a worse aggro deck with sweepers and planeswalkers in it. This turns to be Marcio’s deathmark, as he cast a Chandra on the last turn of the tournament, doing nothing, and conceding.
To answer your question — yes, Mardu is the best aggro deck right now. It gains points for power and flexibility, but it needs to be built right.
Justin: As far as a pure aggro decks are concerned, yes, Mardu is the only choice. Other decks strategies that try to maximize Walking Ballista are great at creating positive racing situations against Mardu, but at their core are much more in the midrange camp of deck building. The R/B Aggro deck did show up in some numbers at the PT, but it didn’t perform all that well
Ben: B/G Counters is definitely an aggro deck, Casey. B/G Delirium is not.
Casey: Fair point, but I would classify B/G Counters as “aggro-midrange” as opposed to pure aggro. Agree or disagree?
Mat: Agree. Can pivot the same way this G/W deck can.
Ben: It’s still trying to kill the opponent as fast as possible. But, casting planeswalkers and five-drops can make it play like a midrange deck, yes.
Justin: Agree! It can play a very aggressive game and has the ability to close quickly when they have their curve uninterrupted, but that isn’t always what their game is up to. Mardu is very much in the camp of trying to flood the board with creatures and jam.
Casey: Regardless of the specifics, casting a Verdurous Gearhulk with a Winding Constrictor in play is more fun than should be allowed.
Justin: Speak for yourself!
Ben: To be fair, both (B/G) decks are trying to do the same thing. They have to, if they’re going to pressure Saheeli.
Casey: Now we get to the
elephant in the room. When Smuggler’s Copter, Emrakul and Reflector Mage were banned, WOTC made it clear they will not hesitate to be aggressive in banning cards if they feel the Standard format needs to be shaken up. Is Heart of Kiran the next two-mana vehicle that hits the banned list?
Justin: My bet is actually on Gideon. It’s been a problem in Standard for quite some time, and it’s easier for them to ban a card that is closer to its way out than a freshly released mythic. Gideon also creates the situation where Heart of Kiran is more often abused, with the addition of a 2/2 every turn plus crewing Heart of Kiran by using a loyalty counter.
Ben: No. Heart of Kiran requires deckbuilding to go with it. A deckbuilder must be conscientious about the number of three-power creatures in the deck to make sure that crewing is not an issue. Thraben Inspector/Toolcraft Exemplar into Smuggler’s Copter was oppressive for the community. Now with only one one-drop able to crew the vehicle in Standard, it can be much clunkier and can be left stranded more often. This doesn’t mean that it’s a worse Copter in the Vehicles deck, though.
In fact, I believe it’s much better. 4 Power? Huge. 4 Toughness? Huge. It’s hard to interact with once it’s crewed and it packs one of the biggest punches a two drop can make. Every creature in the deck outside of Needle Spires and Thraben Inspector can crew it, so you will be able to bash in for four, at least, on turn three with the mythic vehicle.
This requires specific deckbuilding. The list had to be made this way, which makes it feel much more fair in the format because it means spot removal can be much more effective when trying to keep Heart of Kiran on the ground. This is much different than a two drop, 3/3, looting flier able to be played in virtually any strategy with creatures.
Casey: Gideon
being banned is an interesting possibility. Five weeks from the PT would put us in mid-March for the next B&R update, and Battle for Zendikar was originally supposed to rotate out in late April.
Ben: Definitely ban-worthy, if we’re going by WOTC’s terms.
Mat: Perhaps one day they’ll stop printing splashable (colorless) two-drops that require nothing to be good. Hangarback, Copter, Ballista, Heart. I understand pushing cards but goodness.
I’m not even sure they will ban something in Standard again given the backlash they received.
Justin: Agreed! (Pushing cards has) been getting out of hand.
Casey: Pushed cards brings us to my next question: It’s clear that over the last few years, creatures have been pushed more than answers. So, let’s do a hypothetical: If you could balance the format by adding any three cards from original Zendikar forward to Standard, what would they be and why?
Ben: Well, since aggro and control are strong right now, I’m a fan of the following:
- Bloodghast: This card is a fantastic addition to the Zombies deck that could actually push it into a top tier. The deck is just looking for one more piece of “staying power.”
- Lotus Cobra: Ramp needs some help, but it’s also a very versatile card being a mono-colored two drop. Could have a lot of possibilities coming forth for deckbuilding.
- Goblin Guide: This could open up some ideas for one or two-color strategies in aggro so one isn’t forced to play three colors. This one is No. 3 since it’s the closest to “probably not OK,” but giving more options to aggro could be just fine.
Justin:
- Oblivion Ring: Cheap, catch-all interaction is great at interacting with both planeswalkers and vehicles.
- Day of Judgment: people have been begging for a four-mana sweeper since we lost Supreme Verdict, and between Radiant Flames not hitting B/G quick enough and Fumigate being too slow against Mardu it feels like a good balance.
- Scavenging Ooze: Scrapheap Scrounger is actually one of the more annoying cards to deal with out of both Mardu and B/G, and Standard has been lacking graveyard interaction for quite some time. Also, more life gain in the format has a better chance at keeping aggressive decks in check.
Mat: #makecontrolgreatagain.
- Mana Leak. OK, this is probably a pipe dream, but man would this card hold the format in check. Likely too good for Standard, but a guy can dream, right?
- Hero’s Downfall. A cleaner answer to planeswalkers, which are pushed beyond belief. Good generic answer to creatures. Fine power level, one of the best cards to come out in a long time.
- THE SCRY LANDS. Likely the best-designed dual lands ever. Scrying is a powerful effect, and while they may be slow for this Standard, that type of effect is good for every deck in the format. It would likely make a control deck viable, or at least give it a shot.
Casey: Just for the record, mine would be:
- Spell Pierce. Like Mana Leak, it might be a little *too* good, but it’s a one-mana answer to both vehicles and planeswalkers.
- Doom Blade. Hero’s Downfall would also work here, as Mat mentioned.
- Naturalize. The artifact removal we have access to is either conditional, slow, or both.
OK, last question: Looking at the next couple months before Amonkhet releases, how do you feel about Standard? Optimistic that the format will settle into a more diverse one, or pessimistic that you’re going to have to play a bunch of Vehicles mirrors?
Justin: Disclaimer: As long as I can play a deck that resembles Twin, I’m happy!
However, I’m not sure the format will get more diverse and we’ll probably see much of the same patterns we saw last season. I’m hoping it does shape out to be more diverse than the pro tour suggested, but innovation seemed to be all but absent this last weekend
Ben: I feel much better about this format than the previous, and I will continue to play it. I don’t feel the need to protect myself from Emrakul anymore, giving me much more flexibility. Yes, I have to make sure I don’t lose to Saheeli, but that’s so much more doable and fair.
I will continue to play G/W because it is highly customizable to beat any strategy. Keep your eyes on Quarantine Field.
Justin: Quarantine field is no Oblivion Ring, but it’s all we got!
Ben: Quarantine Field is insane.
Justin: Can’t actually build a control deck without it right now.
Ben: We also have a good enough oblivion ring in standard if three mana is your restriction.
Mat: I’m not convinced that Standard has even progressed from where it was. Instead of dying a slow painful Emrakul death, now we are all subject to getting run over by buses.
I defend and play more Standard than anyone I know, but I don’t think even I will be able to defend this format. Expect to see a ton of Mardu Vehicles mirrors, with a few outliers, but this deck will have a long reign atop the standings. Its efficiency is through the roof, and while I hope decks will adapt, I’m just not sure you can cover every angle this deck is attacking from.
Mat Bimonte (@Matbimonte), Justin Brickman (@Brickerclaw_Myr) and Ben Meine (@UrzasMeine) are writers for Nerd Rage Gaming. Casey Laughman (@caseylaughman) is editor of Nerd Rage Gaming.
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