With the recent Standard bannings, two of the most relevant cards in the format got axed and the Companion mechanic was changed. This resort to the archetypes shifts back to about one set earlier when Theros was inducted.

Last weekend was the MTG Players Tour Online event (using the Magic Arena platform) and one of the new decks that got the spotlight after these bannings was the Orzhov Yorion or Orzhov Doom. The updated decklist used creatures with ETB effects (Burglar Rat, Charming Prince, etc) that Yorion, Sky Nomad can later on ‘blink’ when it enters the battlefield. Also, in order to comply with the Companion requirement, the main deck was upped to 80 cards.

A lone copy piloted by Pro Player Ben Stark made it to the Top 8 of Players Tour Online 3. Other relevant finishes were that of Seth Manfield in 10th place and also Ben Dixon in the 17th-32nd place.

Check out the Orzhov Yorion full decklist below.

Source:
https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=26182&d=398457&f=ST

I expect this deck archetype will continue to be one of the top tier decks in the Standard format come Core Set 2021 with the new cards to work with, given its 80-card main deck.

For today’s blog post on the Magic: the Gathering Standard budget deck builds with the latest Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths set, we have this list that is a version of the Mutate deck that theme with the companion creature Umori, the Collector. The companion requirement is only to have one card type in each non-land card in the deck.

Check out this decklist below referenced from MTG Arena Zone.

Creatures
4 Arboreal Grazer
2 Archipelagore
4 Auspicious Starrix
2 End-Raze Forerunners
4 Migratory Greathorn
2 Mysterious Egg
4 Paradise Druid
4 Parcelbeast
4 Pollywog Symbiote
4 Pouncing Shoreshark

Lands
4 Simic Guildgate
4 Thornwood Falls
13 Forest
5 Island

Sideboard
1 Umori, the Collector

Source:
https://mtgazone.com/deck/simic-umori-mutate-budget-ikoria-lair-of-behemoths-standard-deck/

In the recent Magic: the Gathering tournament called MagicFest Online – Season 2 Finals held last Saturday, May 9th, the deck that got into the Top 8 which is the only deck under the control category is the one piloted by Brazilian Pro and Hall of Famer Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa. He is known by his username PVDDR and the deck he played in the event is the Bant Yorion Control. A few of his top finishes in major tournaments were using control decks so it is no surprise that he preferred to play this archetype in the Standard metagame.

The deck is themed on the companion Yorion, Sky Nomad, which requirement is that the starting deck contains at least twenty cards more than the minimum deck size.

Check out the decklist below:

37 LANDS
4 Breeding Pool
1 Castle Vantress
4 Fabled Passage
2 Forest
4 Hallowed Fountain
3 Island
2 Plains
1 Raugrin Triome
4 Temple Garden
4 Temple of Enlightenment
4 Temple of Mystery
4 Temple of Plenty

5 CREATURES
2 Brazen Borrower
3 Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath

17 INSTANTS and SORC.
2 Dovin’s Veto
4 Growth Spiral
4 Mystical Dispute
4 Neutralize
3 Shatter the Sky

21 OTHER SPELLS
4 Elspeth Conquers Death
3 Narset, Parter of Veils
4 Omen of the Sea
4 Shark Typhoon
2 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales
4 Teferi, Time Raveler

SIDEBOARD
1 Yorion, Sky Nomad
2 Dovin’s Veto
4 Glass Casket
2 Knight of Autumn
4 Nightpack Ambusher
1 Shatter the Sky
1 Tale’s End

Having an 80-card maindeck means the ratio of the lands to the spells is adjusted to that number. Also on its second ability, the combination of the nonland permanents should also be considered. The good thing nowadays is just we let the pros do the deck building and just check on the first version of the deck and playtest it.

In this deck setup, we have a few enchantments and planeswalkers that Yorion can blink when it enters the battlefield. Elspeth Conquers Death and Teferi, Time Raveler are known card staples in these types of decks, and Narset and Omen of the Sea make sure that you still get your needed spells in specific scenarios. The deck is also equipped with ten counterspells so the matchup against midrange and other control decks is covered.

Probably the popular win condition of this deck is the Shark Typhoon enchantment which can generate a school or a game of flying Shark tokens that will finish off opponents.

The deck finished in the Top 4 of the event which is quite remarkable as the next batch of Yorion control decks is in the Top 32 places respectively.

That is a wrap for this deck feature, until the next blog post.

Recent major Magic: the Gathering tournaments have come to the online platforms to continue the events such as the MagicFest Online Season 2 – Weekly Championships. The Week 1 was in Standard format, held last weekend of April 2020. The tournament was topped by an updated Ikoria version of the Rakdos Sacrifice deck, with the use of the companion creature Obosh, the Preypiercer.

The deck was piloted by the username Jammernaut and finished first place out of the 470-player event.

Check out the decklist below.

22 LANDS
4 Blood Crypt
3 Castle Locthwain
4 Fabled Passage
5 Mountain
6 Swamp

26 CREATURES
4 Cauldron Familiar
4 Gutterbones
2 Judith, the Scourge Diva
4 Mayhem Devil
4 Serrated Scorpion
4 Whisper Squad
4 Woe Strider

4 INSTANTS and SORC.
4 Claim the Firstborn
8 OTHER SPELLS
4 Heraldic Banner
4 Witch’s Oven

SIDEBOARD
1 Obosh, the Preypiercer
2 Act of Treason
2 Bedevil
2 Disfigure
2 Drill Bit
2 Pharika’s Libation
4 Rotting Regisaur

Source:
http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=25444&d=383456&f=ST

The coming of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths has opened new deck possibilities with the new mechanics (Companion, Mutate, Cycling) and cards to work around and explore. The Standard format, in particular, is the front line beneficiary of these deck ideas. That does not mean though that we will go all out with the Rares and Mythics and other expensive cards in the set. Playing in the format on a strict budget is still very viable.

First, we choose what deck strategy would be our goal. Is it fast aggro and deals much damage as possible? Or is it curving out with cheap creatures and then later on powering them up with Mutate? Or have cards or permanents that gain your advantage when you Cycle cards? Thus, it needs to be identified.

Next, we check if there are already existing deck list using that strategy that we wanted. In that way, we can lessen the time brewing the possible components and cards from the recent Magic: The Gathering sets. You get to the needed cards and possible substitute options for the build that contains expensive cards.

The good thing I have observed on the recent Magic sets is that most of the playable cards ended in affordable prices after the first month of release. The demand probably stabilizes with the supply of sealed products. You can later purchase and upgrade the deck.

Let us have one example deck archetype. Here is a sample Mono Black Devotion deck in the current Standard pre-Ikoria.

Creatures
3 Ayara, First of Locthwain
4 Cauldron Familiar
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4 Murderous Rider
4 Nightmare Shepherd
2 Tymaret, Chosen from Death
2 Woe Strider
4 Yarok’s Fenlurker

Spells
2 Drag to the Underworld
2 Bolas’s Citadel
1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General
4 Witch’s Oven

Lands
3 Castle Locthwain
21 Swamp

Source: http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=24978&d=374790&f=ST

You will notice that a few of the Rares and Mythics in the deck are of high value. For instance, we have Liliana, Dreadhorde General at 19.99 usd. As a starting player, that is quite an expensive purchase for one card. The same thing with Murderous Rider (10.25 usd) and Bolas’s Citadel (3.59 usd average). What you will do here is to set your budget limit on each card or a playset. In that way, you can cut off the expensive ones and then do the card substitution.

In the deck build above, we cut off Liliana, the Rider, Citadel, and Nightmare Shepherd. What will Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths offer, or the sets before it? Also, take note that we also consider cards that are not prone to the Standard rotation this year.

We have an ideal example of a budget Mono Black Devotion here from this website, MTG Arena Zone:
https://mtgazone.com/deck/mono-black-devotion-budget-ikoria-lair-of-behemoths-standard-deck/

The list are as follows:

4 Bloodthirsty Aerialist
4 Cauldron Familiar
4 Deathless Knight
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Tymaret, Chosen from Death
4 Yarok’s Fenlurker
4 Grimdancer
4 Whisper Squad

2 Drag to the Underworld
4 Witch’s Oven

22 Swamp
2 Witch’s Cottage

In their build, they also took out Ayara and placed in Grimdancer to further lessen the total deck cost. This is reasonable, though I personally think that her current price is already budgeted.

In conclusion, building a budget Standard deck goes with your target strategy and then base it on the current deck brews going around the internet while setting a budget limit.

Until the next blog post.

Just recently, a good friend shared with me the decklist that he used to gain a majority of wins in his Standard queue on Magic: the Gathering Online. He has been grinding in this format for quite a while now and has tried a few of the popular deck archetypes in the metagame. His deck is a Grrul (Red-Green) aggro deck and is one of the known aggro deck in the format, though lately, it has fallen behind the Mono-Red in terms of popularity.

With the introduction of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths in Standard, existing decks are adjusting to include these new cards and making use of the new mechanics such as Mutate. This also opens some experimentation and playtesting of some of the builds published by pro deck builders. This means that they are to be vulnerable to decks that are proven to be efficient and this deck build is one of them.

Check out his deck list below.

The unusual creature included in the deck build is the playset of Stonecoil Serpent. Its built-in ability Protection from Multicolored is the major reason why. It can survive Deafening Clarion and can block creatures like Dream Trawler because of Reach. Also, it can be cast on both early and late game, serving each specific purpose.

The sideboard list includes:

2 Cosmotronic Wave
3 Domri’s Ambush
3 Embereth Shieldbreaker
1 Skarrgan Hellkite
3 Shifting Ceratops
3 Thrashing Brontodon

I like how each of the card’s choices is straightforward answers to certain matchups. Are you facing Blue-based counter heavy and disruption decks? Board in Shifting Ceratops. Need more fatty creatures on a less mana cost against Mono-Red aggro? Add in the Thrashing Brontodons. Having problems with weenie and tokens clogging the board? Include
Cosmotronic Wave in sideboarded games.

As the deck is consistently winning currently in MTGO, I am pretty sure that it will come a time that it needed to be adjusted when the Standard metagame will face another major change once the Ikoria-based deck archetypes stabilize.