My initial reaction after that win of the (Jeskai Hinata Midrange) deck in the New Capenna Championships this weekend is “There goes the old school.” We do not really need the families of the new set to be that effective in the Standard deck strategy. The strategy of controlling the board and going airforce with Hinata and Goldspan Dragon is just consistent.
The other Standard deck that stand out in the tournament and was also a finalist was Esper Midrange, centered on Raffine, Scheming Seer’s Connive ability along with spot removals, counterspells, and card draws effects.
Here below is the winning Jeskai Hinata list piloted by Jan Merkel who initially thought that he did not qualify for the top 8 after the Swiss rounds.
Maindeck
22 LANDS (28)
2 Deserted Beach
1 Hall of Storm Giants
3 Hengegate Pathway
1 Island
1 Mountain
3 Needleverge Pathway
4 Riverglide Pathway
4 Stormcarved Coast
3 Sundown Pass
8 CREATURES
4 Goldspan Dragon
4 Hinata, Dawn-Crowned
26 INSTANTS and SORC.
1 Dragon’s Fire
4 Expressive Iteration
3 Flame-Blessed Bolt
4 Jwari Disruption
4 Magma Opus
2 Make Disappear
3 March of Swirling Mist
2 Negate
1 Shatterskull Smashing
1 Spikefield Hazard
1 Voltage Surge
4 OTHER SPELLS
4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
Sideboard
1 Behold the Multiverse
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Dragon’s Fire
1 Flame-Blessed Bolt
1 Hullbreaker Horror
1 Memory Deluge
1 Reckoner Bankbuster
1 Seismic Wave
1 Spell Pierce
1 Suspicious Stowaway
2 Valorous Stance
1 Voltage Surge
Here is the Finalist deck, Esper Midrange, played by Simon Nielsen.
Maindeck
4 Brightclimb Pathway
4 Clearwater Pathway
3 Deserted Beach
1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
3 Hengegate Pathway
2 Hive of the Eye Tyrant
1 Plains
4 Raffine’s Tower
2 Shattered Sanctum
2 Shipwreck Marsh
12 CREATURES
4 Luminarch Aspirant
4 Raffine, Scheming Seer
4 Tenacious Underdog
9 INSTANTS and SORC.
1 Emeria’s Call
3 Infernal Grasp
1 Spell Pierce
4 Vanishing Verse
13 OTHER SPELLS
1 Kaito Shizuki
1 Lolth, Spider Queen
1 Sorin the Mirthless
2 The Meathook Massacre
4 The Wandering Emperor
4 Wedding Announcement
Sideboard
3 Archon of Emeria
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
1 Lolth, Spider Queen
3 Negate
3 Ray of Enfeeblement
1 Reckoner Bankbuster
1 The Meathook Massacre
Reference list: https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=36375&d=473519&f=ST