Tear Asunder is a highly useful main deck card in the current MTG Standard metagame because it offers flexible, efficient removal in a format filled with problematic noncreature permanents. Right now, many top-tier decks lean on enchantments like Up the Beanstalk, Leyline Binding, or artifacts like Cori-Steel Cutter and Urabrask’s Forge. Having a main-deck answer to these without relying on narrow sideboard tech is a huge advantage.

Even without the kicker, Tear Asunder cleanly handles early threats at instant speed, keeping your opponent’s tempo in check while preserving your game plan as you curve to your big spells.

What really pushes the card over the top is its kicker mode, letting it exile any nonland permanent for just four mana. That flexibility makes it live in almost every matchup—whether you’re dealing with planeswalkers like Ugin, creatures like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, or even surprise tech like Bitter Triumph-protected threats.

In a Standard where many decks play across multiple card types and use recursion or value engines, Tear Asunder gives you a clean exile effect that cuts through those strategies. It’s proactive, reactive, and relevant in nearly every game one scenario—exactly what you want from a strong main deck tool.

Here below is an example lineup of spot removal spells in your maindeck build where the card fits in.

Deck: Golgari Midrange

2 Anoint with Affliction
3 Cut Down
3 Go For the Throat
2 Tear Asunder
1 Gix’s Command
1 Maelstrom Pulse