What makes a Magic: the Gathering deck unique is how it interacts with other deck archetypes in the format. For instance, it can be just straightforward casting cheap creatures and attacking with them or go slowly developing their mana base for their big spells while controlling the board.
For today’s Kaldheim Standard deck feature, I can probably say that this is the best deck in the current metagame. I have posted before a list of this build but I was not able to detail how it works and interacts. The deck is Boros Cycling or let us call it Jeskai because of a little Blue in the main deck and sideboard.
18 CREATURES
4 Drannith Stinger
4 Flourishing Fox
4 Irencrag Pyromancer
2 Rielle, the Everwise
4 Valiant Rescuer
19 INSTANTS and SORC.
4 Boon of the Wish-Giver
3 Frostveil Ambush
4 Go for Blood
4 Startling Development
4 Zenith Flare
4 OTHER SPELLS
4 Improbable Alliance
19 LANDS
4 Hengegate Pathway
1 Island
2 Mountain
4 Needleverge Pathway
4 Raugrin Triome
4 Riverglide Pathway
SIDEBOARD
2 Disdainful Stroke
4 Glass Casket
2 Mystical Dispute
2 Negate
3 Redcap Melee
2 Soul-Guide Lantern
The Cycling mechanic was reintroduced in Ikoria and whole bunch of cards with those abilities along with interactions whenever you cycle a card is what mostly composed the deck. The steady flow of the cards for every cycle basically just replaces your hand while gaining advantage such as pinging your opponents, or creating a Faerie token.
Why it became popular? It is because of how this cycle advantage outlast other Standard deck matchups. Irencrag Pyromancer is a threat against UB Rogue, Mono-White Aggro and also consistently works against Temur and Naya Adventures. A turn-two Improbable Alliance is doom omen against control as the sprout of 1/1 Fearies can continuously pick of their life totals.
Boros or Jeskai Cycling decks had been garnering top finishes in the recent major and local Magic: the Gathering Standard tournaments and is expected to perform in an above average rating if not answered with the other decks boarding in graveyard removal or enchantment destruction for the Improbable Alliance.
We shall observe in the next weeks if the deck popularity will continue or the metagame adoption against this archetype will be effective.
That is a wrap. Until the next blog post.