Raph & Leo, Sibling Rivals enters Standard as a highly aggressive build-around that rewards proactive combat sequencing and board development. In formats where curving out and applying early pressure are key, a card that naturally pushes combat damage can immediately slot into Magic: the Gathering Boros or Mardu shells & deck build looking to close games quickly.

Its biggest strength lies in enabling an additional combat phase, which dramatically increases the ceiling of any board-centric strategy. Extra combat steps not only double attack triggers but also amplify the effectiveness of go-wide pressure, forcing opponents into difficult blocks and stretching removal thin. Even modest boards can suddenly represent lethal damage when they swing twice.

The added combat phase becomes especially dangerous when combined with anthem effects and temporary pump spells. Cards that grant +1/+1 to the team or provide instant-speed power boosts scale exponentially when applied across two combat steps, effectively turning incremental buffs into game-ending bursts. Sequencing an anthem before the first attack can create overwhelming damage output that few midrange decks can stabilize against.

Ultimately, this card thrives in an environment where creature density is high, and removal is either sorcery-speed or inefficient. If Standard supports strong anthem effects and token production, this card could anchor a top-tier aggressive archetype built around maximizing combat math and punishing slow starts.

Stay tuned for a possible Standard deck tech blog post related to this card. Thanks for reading.

With the Magic: the Gathering Standard format still adjusting to recent bannings and the Edge of Eternity set looming, there’s growing curiosity around archetypes that were once overshadowed.

One of the decks quietly gaining traction among competitive players is Dimir Dragons. Traditionally, a fringe strategy, the deck now has breathing room thanks to the exit of key oppressive cards—particularly those that fueled aggressive midrange and tempo shells. With new tools on the horizon and fewer format-warping threats to contend with, Dimir Dragons could finally make their move from rogue brew to real contender.

At its core, Dimir Dragons is a control-leaning midrange deck that uses early interaction to stall the board before unleashing large, evasive threats. Its identity lies in a mix of efficient removal (like Go for the Throat, Cut Down, and counterspells) paired with powerful dragon finishers. Cards like Silumgar’s Scorn may not be legal, but spiritual successors often exist in blue-based control shells as provided by the Tarkir Dragonstorm deck. The goal is to grind through the early game, trade resources one-for-one, then stick a flying threat that wins in a few swings and is hard to answer cleanly.

The recent Standard bannings—specifically Monstrous Rage and Heartfire Hero—have significantly weakened hyper-aggressive Mono-Red strategies that previously kept slower decks in check. Without Monstrous Rage enabling early blowouts and Heartfire Hero providing cheap, die-trigger pressure, red aggro loses much of its ability to close games quickly or punch through removal. This shift opens the door for midrange and control builds like Dimir Dragons to stabilize more consistently in the early turns. With less pressure to survive turn-three kill setups, the deck can now lean into its strengths, which are efficient disruption, value-generating dragons, and inevitability in longer games.

What’s particularly exciting is how Edge of Eternity appears to be introducing a fresh suite of support for both Dragons and control strategies—potentially even within Dimir colors. Hints of tempo-positive flyers, discard synergy, and even graveyard recursion could give the deck more flexibility in both threat selection and game planning. If we get a dragon with built-in disruption or recursion (say, a dragon that reanimates or taxes opponents), Dimir will have a unique angle compared to the traditional red-based dragon lists.

As a competitive player, I’m watching Dimir Dragons closely. The strategy sits at the intersection of control and pressure—two things that thrive when the format slows down and stumbles through a shift.

The metagame is wide open, and if Edge of Eternity delivers just one or two efficient dragons or supporting tools, Dimir Dragons could turn from a side-table curiosity into a consistent tournament threat. This might be the deck that flies under the radar—until it starts flying over everything else.

Thanks for reading, and until the next blog post.

Mono Red continues to thrive as a powerhouse archetype in the Magic: the Gathering Standard format due to its speed, efficiency, and ability to exploit opponent’s slower strategies. This is evident in the consistent top finishes among various online tournaments and major MTG event gatherings such as the Regional Championships.

Its low mana curve allows it to establish an early presence with creatures like Monastery Swiftspear and Heartfire Hero quickly putting pressure on opponents before they can stabilize.

Paired with burn spells such as Lightning Strike, Mono Red can efficiently clear blockers and directly damage opponents, making it difficult for them to recover. This aggressive playstyle means that even when other archetypes aim to build mid-game synergies, Mono Red is often able to close out games even before they can fully develop.

The archetype’s consistency and straightforward game plan make it resilient against shifting metagames. With a mono-colored mana base, players are less prone to color screw, and the deck’s fast tempo punishes slower control or ramp strategies.

Even when the metagame shifts towards midrange decks or life-gain archetypes, Mono Red can adjust by adding tech cards like Urabrask’s Forge for more pressure and constant threat midgame. This adaptability ensures that the deck remains relevant and can perform well in most Standard environments, making it a perennial threat at most competitive tables.

Another reason for Mono Red’s success is its accessibility and affordability compared to other archetypes. Unlike multicolored decks that rely on expensive lands or niche mythic rares, Mono Red’s core cards are often commons, uncommon, or widely available rares. This makes it appealing to newer players and veterans alike, ensuring a steady player base.

Additionally, the deck’s simplicity in execution — prioritizing damage over complex interactions — offers an attractive entry point for those looking to compete in Standard without an overwhelming learning curve.

Despite this straightforward approach, the archetype demands skillful decision-making, as players must know when to commit resources or switch to burn spells for a lethal finish. This balance between simplicity and depth is what keeps Mono Red a powerhouse archetype, season after season.

The current Magic: the Gathering Standard format is looking to be a healthy metagame in the sense that the balance of the top-tier deck archetypes is moderated fairly. There is no deck build that seems to be overwhelming other decks and the sideboard can basically answer most of them.

Currently, the variance of aggro goes with Boros Tokens/Convoke, Mono-Red Aggro, Gruul Aggro, Dimir, Selesnya, and Mono-White Aggro. The midrange goes with Golgari, Orzhov, Rakdos, and 4-color Legends, and the control archetypes are Azorius, Dimir, Orzhov, Temur, and Esper Control. We have been posting videos of the recent matchups on Ranked Standard grind on MTG Arena and did some observation of the matchups of these decks. We will then base these results on adjusting possible sideboard options and explore further the other strategies.

Here are some of the recent matchups recorded and posted on my YouTube channel Deathmarked TV. 

The local and online Magic: the Gathering tournaments are running at full blast with the various events posted and a few major events to consider. While The Brother’s War has produced a new batch of artifact-based Standard decks, the metagame that has stirred with the new set has continued to be dominated by the top-tier tri-color midrange decks. 

Based on the Magic: the Gathering Standard tournament results posted at the MTG Top 8 website, here below are the cards that have been on the top performance of the decks and reflected on the tournament results for the December 1st week. 

Fifth in rank is Fable of the Mirror-Breaker. This three-mana enchantment is an auto-inclusion of the playset to most Red-based decks or tricolored such as Grixis, Jund, and Jeskai. Nothing to explain further as it provides only pure card advantage to these builds. 

In Fourth place, the card is Cut Down. This one-mana Black instant removal is now a staple in the curve of the top-tier decks and is even used in Mono-Black Aggro and Rakdos Anvil decks. It has the most relevant targets in the current metagame, mentioning some are Reckless Stormseeker, Raffine, and Goblin Shaman tokens. At least two copies are included in the main deck and one more is on the board for aggro matchups. 

In Third place is the most played artifact in the format: Reckoner Bankbuster. I consider this a unique card that provides various advantages in both card draws and board. Providing mana sink card draws is relevant against other midrange and control decks while having the opportunity to attack with a 4/4 with just an easy Crew 3 ability. It averages from 2-3 copies main deck in midrange decks. 

Second in card popularity in Standard is Go for the Throat. This is now the spot removal choice of the Black-based Tricolor Midrange decks over Infernal Grasp, as the latter’s life loss is more of a liability in most situations. Personally, I’d prefer variance in my spot removal list as there are relevant artifact creatures that can be dealt with by the grasp. The card’s average use in these decks is between 3 to playset copies.

The first and on top of the list on the cards widely used in Standard as of the recent is surprisingly a nonbasic land. It is the Takenuma, Abandoned Mire, and while it is usually just a copy on the main deck, its Channel ability really is your late-game gas in midrange attrition matchups. You can get back a Sheoldred or relevant planeswalkers such as Liliana of the Veil or The Wandering Emperor to help do the finishing moves on opponents.

There are your Top 5 cards for the Standard format, and with this format’s metagame might not be changing in the coming weeks, we can expect some similar cards but the percentage of use might not be the same.

That is a wrap for now, until the next blog post.

One of the major Magic: the Gathering events or tournaments in our local MTG Iloilo City community was the yearly Iloilo City Championships held every December of the year. I call it a tribute to the community and commemoration of another year of competitive, meaningful, and fun Magic: the Gathering gameplay.

One of the previously-held MTG City Champs which I will feature today was last 2016. The formats were Standard, Pauper, Booster Draft, and Duel Commander for the side events. It was a two-day event held December 29-30 at Robinsons Place, Jaro. It was a good thing that the mall management was able to accommodate us with no payment for rent whatsoever. They also included placing tables and chairs for us and we only provided the event poster to be placed on the stage of the mall activity area.

Here are some highlight photos from the MTG Iloilo Champs 2016.

Here is the album link to the full copy of the pictures during the course of the tournament.

I have started with the Top Green cards for Standard for the upcoming Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty set. I had realized that this weekend is the supposed schedule of the Prerelease events but due to the logistics issue that might be caused again by the pandemic, it was delayed for the Philippines. I guess I’ll just watch some product opening videos in the meantime.

The next color I have chosen to do the top Standard cards was Black, due to the reason that it was one of my deck’s colors when I was just starting to be competitive with the game. I remember playing Orzhov aggro in a Regionals event in Bacolod City back in college. It was Invasion block in the Standard format and I was using Spectral Lynx and Sengir Vampire as my main creatures.

Anyhow, here below are some of the notable Black cards from the set which I can consider as an upgrade for the Standard decks.

Blade of the Oni

An evasive two-drop with a good power to deal early damage and later on can turn your lesser creature into a 5/5 menacing Demon. It is also non-Legendary so having a playset in the deck would not hurt.

Biting-Palm Ninja

This is a good three-drop creature with Ninjutsu as its Coercion effect gives you the chance to discard their best card at the moment and also know their next moves. This will fit perfectly in the Dimir Ninja Rogues deck.

Dockside Chef

Another Black sacrifice enabler with card draw for replacement. I see the current Standard Rakdos Sacrifice deck having this as another component of their engine.

Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos

Speaking of another sacrifice compo for Rakdos, this provides a variance as its late-game pseudo-card draw effect on exiling the top card of your library and being able to play it this turn. The bonus damage effect can act as a finisher, while indirectly attacking the life total of the opponent.

Junji, the Midnight Sky

The same description can be said the last time I previewed this card in the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty batch spoilers. The mana cost, the power/toughness, the flying menace ability are all too good in value.

Malicious Malfunction

Cheap removals like this for Black-based control decks are essential components of the sideboard. The bonus exile effect would also trigger in that turn when you cast spot removals and destroy effects.

March of Wretched Sorrow

The cost of exiling several cards while getting you to deal with an early threat is a good trade. Life gain is also a plus. Imagine drawing into your bulky spells in your early turns, but you have March of Wretched Sorrow to protect you from early damage.

Nashi, Moon Sage’s Scion

This Legendary Rat Ninja is auto-included in the Dimir deck with its card advantage provided at any cost err life. You just need a good creature curve so it can be out to Ninjutsu by your turn four.

Soul Transfer

It is a slow but situational Hero’s Downfall and the good thing is the chance that you can choose both by having an artifact & an enchantment in play. Need a gas late game? Just return your best creature or planeswalker back to your hand.

Tatsunari, Toad Rider

A good three-drop that can summon a 3/3 Frog token, the only commitment in your deck build is to have enchantment creatures in the list. It is not that hard to fulfill as Kamigawa has a lot of options for you to check.

You Are Already Dead

Nani???? *twinkling sounds*

Takenuma, Abandoned Mire

The Black Channel land is a good utility in the late game having the chance to return your best creature or planeswalker back to your hand. Adding three copies in the deck would not hurt. That is unless you are too unlucky to draw three of them in your starting hand.

With the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty full card spoilers already published in various Magic: the Gathering websites, we now check on which of the cards can become a candidate in the Standard format. This is in the terms of usability, adaptability, and variance in the setup of the deck build. I am starting with Green as it is one of the deck’s colors where I was successful in my record as a professional Magic: the Gathering player.

I see the Magic: the Gathering set’s mechanics fit well in an interesting way, not only with Green but also with other colors, but we will stick with that one for now. The newest Boseiju land is an auto-inclusion for the categories mentioned so I would not delve further into discussing it.

Let us begin, shall we?

First up is Careful Cultivation.

Casting Auras on your dudes is one way to get them modified, and this card is a good choice to add to the list. When you have nothing to do on your second turn, you can just Channel at end of turn of your opponent, to create a mana dude and then you can use it to ramp to a Chariot or Oddity for example.

It’s Channel ability is a ramp spell which may be costly at three-mana but given that it will relevant in the late game as a 6/5 Trampler then it gets my merit.

So two 4/5s for five mana, not bad right? You can have one of them Vigilance so it can still block for defense and the other one with Trample so it can get past chump blockers. Aside from mass removal spells, this is hard to deal with if you are also an aggro deck.

Kura, the Boundless Sky
A Mythic Dragon Spirit will surely get into my list, though its only drawback is it is a 4/4 only. To be able to replace itself with an X/X Spirit that gets bigger for each land you control and played is by itself a finisher in the late game. Also, the ability in searching for Channel lands is an added bonus.

Another instant Green ‘removal’ spell that can also deal with Planeswalkers is automatically considered in Green or Gruul Aggro decks. It sure is situational but you just need to beef up your team for it to be effective which is just natural for Green.

This is more of a sideboard card against control decks as it can at times return two of your best creatures, given that one of them has an enchantment subtype.

Shigeki, Jukai Visionary
This Legendary Snake’s channel ability is a good late-game mana sink that fits in Gruul or Bant Ramp deck build strategy. At a two-drop, it can fend off random 2/1s & 1/1s as well as let you ramp and get to choose the right land from the top four cards of your library.

Spring-Leaf Avenger
While it is unusual for Green on the Ninjutsu ability, having this in an aggro would not hurt. You get a chance to deal six damage and return an enchantment or creature from your yard for only four mana costs.

Jugan Defends the Temple
This is an interesting Green Mythic Saga that does a lot of things. Having one mana dude at first is okay, getting two of your best creatures +1/+1 counters each is better. Having a 2/2 Flyer with a good mana sink in the late game looks to be fine though it is a win more ability & depending on what other creatures you have added to your list.

Last but not least is Weaver of Harmony.

It is a built-around lord for enchantment creatures in which the set is predominantly having. You can build it on Green-White as it looks to be more supported than the other color combinations. If you’d risk enough for mana fixing, a three-colors deck build would also be fine.

This is a wrap for now, in the next few days I will discuss the other of my favorite colors, Red and Black so just stay tuned for those. Also, I might be posting some Standard deck techs on this blog and on my Youtube channel within the week. Thanks for reading.

As we check each weekend for the Magic: the Gathering Standard tournaments online and the recent face-to-face tournaments, we know which of the top deck archetypes made some adjustments to gain the advantage of the metagame. Preparing for these events, of course, includes a prediction of the possible archetype matchups and the proper sideboard plan prepared for them.

The current Standard metagame already identified the top-tier metagame decks, and the next thing to work with is how to be ahead of their predicted gameplay. It could be an endgame card, a color hoser, or any card that will put their plan in shambles. We won’t expect that much given the limited sets and power level of the cards in the format, but catching them off guard will highly get you the win in the end.

One deck archetype example that I will present here and use for my statement above is the Mono-White Aggro, and here below is the decklist.

23 LANDS (24)
4 Faceless Haven
19 Snow-Covered Plains

33 CREATURES
3 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
3 Brutal Cathar
4 Clarion Spirit
4 Hopeful Initiate
2 Intrepid Adversary
4 Luminarch Aspirant
4 Monk of the Open Hand
2 Reidane, God of the Worthy
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Usher of the Fallen

1 INSTANTS and SORC.
1 Kabira Takedown
3 OTHER SPELLS
3 Paladin Class

SIDEBOARD
1 Brutal Cathar
3 Elite Spellbinder
3 Portable Hole
1 Reidane, God of the Worthy
3 Skyclave Apparition
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Valorous Stance

Reference: https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=33320&d=454262&f=ST

My argument here is the main decked Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, and the question is: Is she worth in the main or on the side? Sure it is good against control. It slows them, but can we weigh how many control decks are expected in the tournament? It has the first strike but it could not pass against stompy Green decks and the mirror match. Also, it still dies to some cheap spot removals.

The deck configuration would be according to the dominant deck in the metagame prediction and would result in a trial-and-error. We analyze the probability of facing more control than aggro decks wherein our card package (Thalia and Paladin Class) will be effective. We site the deck’s performance in the tournament and the result is that it finished 2nd place where the rest of the lower ranks in the Top 8 are mostly control decks. We can conclude that he had predicted correctly the event metagame and won most of their matchups.

Overall, identifying the metagame comes with a risk but it still depends on what dominant decks fall under which category in the format. A good metagame study with a few stats analyses would be a great help.

Another weekend means another chance to compete in Magic: the Gathering tournaments, whether in your local game store if they are now allowing face-to-face gameplay or on online platforms like Magic Online and Arena for their scheduled events. Our local Magic Iloilo also held an Arena tournament last night though I was not able to check on the results from our TO Rei.

For today’s Standard deck top finishers, we have a list from the recently uploaded Magic Online Challenge at the Starcity Games website. The Finalist was Gruul Adventures and Sultai Ramp (Yorion) deck archetypes while the rest of the top 8 are composed of Mono-Red, Naya Adventures, and Dimir Control. It looks like that these are the trending deck archetypes in the metagame and with a good reason to be so.

The first placer was piloted by Bielzito, and here below is the decklist.

Gruul Adventures Maindeck
Lands (22)
5 Forest
1 Mountain
4 Barkchannel Pathway
4 Cragcrown Pathway
3 Den of the Bugbear
2 Lair of the Hydra
3 Riverglide Pathway

Creatures (26)
4 Bonecrusher Giant
4 Edgewall Innkeeper
2 Goldspan Dragon
4 Jaspera Sentinel
4 Lovestruck Beast
4 Rimrock Knight
4 Magda, Brazen Outlaw

Spells (12)
2 Embercleave
4 Esika’s Chariot
2 The Great Henge
4 Shatterskull Smashing

Sideboard
1 Elder Gargaroth
2 Ox of Agonas
2 Ranger Class
2 The Akroan War
3 Disdainful Stroke
2 Redcap Melee
2 Wilt
1 Toski, Bearer of Secrets

As for the Sultai Ramp deck with the end-game Emergent Ultimatum, the decklist is below. It was played by username Patxi.

Sultai Ramp Maindeck
Lands (32)
3 Forest
2 Island
2 Swamp
4 Barkchannel Pathway
4 Clearwater Pathway
4 Darkbore Pathway
4 Fabled Passage
1 Ketria Triome
4 Temple of Malady
4 Zagoth Triome

Creatures (8)
4 Elder Gargaroth
2 Polukranos, Unchained
1 Valki, God of Lies
1 Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider

Spells (40)
4 Binding the Old Gods
1 Kiora Bests the Sea God
4 Omen of the Sea
4 Wolfwillow Haven
4 Heartless Act
3 Jwari Disruption
3 Power Word Kill
2 Alrund’s Epiphany
2 Check for Traps
1 Crippling Fear
4 Cultivate
4 Emergent Ultimatum
1 Extinction Event
1 Pestilent Haze
1 Sea Gate Restoration
1 Shadows’ Verdict

Sideboard
1 Mazemind Tome
2 Elspeth’s Nightmare
2 Mystical Dispute
1 Power Word Kill
1 Test of Talents
2 Kaervek, the Spiteful
2 Koma, Cosmos Serpent
1 Yorion, Sky Nomad
3 Duress

See the rest of the Top 8 decks on this link.

In the past Magic: the Gathering Standard format metagame, there is no missing point of facing a Mono-Red aggro match in your local game store and on online platforms like Magic Arena. This deck archetype seems to stick like a piece of gum on the shoe of every metagame and is barely affected by the Standard rotation. What makes it the best deck choice among most players is its consistency and fast gameplay that will certainly catch opponents off-guard.

So how do we deal with a Mono-Red Aggro matchup? Let me count the ways.

1. Play cheap spot removals. The Red aggro player usually starts with a one-two-three punch, starting a one drop like a Fervent Champion for example then followed by Robber of the Rich. You respond by killing their best creature turn after turn. Shock aimed to the Robber, ping the Champion, and then Heartless Act on the Torbran.
2. Play a bigger creature. In my experience against Mono-Red when I was playing Gruul Adventures, it usually stops their assault when I got out a Lovestruck Beast. A 5/5 body is hard for them to deal with especially that they only have burn spells that cover a maximum of three damage.
3. Fill your board with 1/1s. Their creatures are cheaper to cast, like 2/1s & Rimrock Knight’s 3/1, but the drawback of only having 1 toughness makes them vulnerable to trade-offs with your own 1/1 creatures. Your best source of having them is via token-producing spells such as the gameplan of White and Green token decks. One spell can produce three 1/1s is already a big problem for them.
4. Play Lifegain effects. What is more annoying for a Mono-Red Aggro player is when opponents are gaining life. This easily nullifies their early damage dealt and the longer they take to finish the match, the harder it is for them to win. There is a Mono-White lifegain deck existing in the Standard metagame that is 100% win rate against Mono-Red so just look for its complete decklist. Outgrind them with lifegain effects is an efficient way of winning the matchup.

Overall, it ain’t hard to answer the Mono-Red’s assault as long as you are interacting with them beginning from your turn one. I hope this list helps you in your future Mono-Red matchups. I am pretty sure after this year’s Standard rotation, Mono-Red is still here to stay in the format metagame.

Until the next blog post.

The current Magic: the Gathering Standard metagame under the aggro category considers Winota decks as one of the top-tier archetypes. Aside from the main strategy of Winota trigger and Blade Historian, the deck offers versatile gameplay that makes it last for the late game. The only major drawback would be its three-color deck build which is handled by Magda and Prosperous Innkeeper. Can we conclude that it is a top-tier house aggro deck? Yes, we can. Now how do we deal with it?

Here below are a few ways of dealing with Winota Aggro decks.

1. Do not let them develop their board early on. They can hastily curve from turns one to three so if you have ways to deal with their creatures that can benefit from Winota’s trigger ability, you can just kill them or block-trade with them before he/she can reach four mana. Sorcery spot removals such as Bloodchief’s Thirst get their one or two-drop and then later on if you have counterspells or instant removal, open your mana during their turn four. Dimir control does this well.
2. Discard Winota from their hand. The current Standard has a few Black discard spells that are cast on turn two or three which can check their hand to reveal their gameplan that which you can. If they don’t have it, then you just take their best card in the current situation.
3. Remove them from their library. This is one option but has less effect. “Extracting” Winota makes them into a lesser typical aggro deck though their recent build does not rely on the card. If this is the major way you want to deal with Winota, then add cards like Necromentia to your sideboard.
4. Prevent them from casting the card. A specific Blue card named Ashiok’s Erasure, a Flash enchantment that exiles a spell when it etb. In addition, your opponents can’t cast spells with the same name as the exiled card. That basically counters their Winota and stuck the rest of the copies in their hand. The only drawback is when the erasure leaves the battlefield.