Table of Contents
- Metagame Rotation Implications
- Boros Convoke
- Dimir Aggro
- Golgari Aggro
- Bant-Selesnya Toxic
- Dimir Control
- Simic Artifacts
- Gruul Aggro
- Mono-Red Aggro
- All Rotation-Proof Standard 2024 Decklists
- Standard 2024 Boros Convoke – Rotation-Proof Deck
- Standard 2024 Jeskai Convoke – Rotation-Proof Deck
- Standard 2024 Dimir Aggro – Rotation-Proof Deck
- Standard 2024 Golgari Aggro – Rotation-Proof Deck
- Standard 2024 Selesnya Toxic – Rotation-Proof Deck
- Standard 2024 Dimir Control – Rotation-Proof Deck
- Standard 2024 Simic Artifacts – Rotation-Proof Deck
- Standard 2024 Gruul Prowess – Rotation-Proof Deck
- Standard 2024 Mono Red Aggro – Rotation-Proof Deck
- End Step
A new Standard format is in the horizon. With the release of Bloomborrow on July 30, 2024, four will say goodbye and their cards won’t be legal in the format anymore. The long awaited Standard Rotation will happen, starting its new cycle where expansions will stay in the format for up to 3 years.
What does this mean to the meta decks of the format? That depends; many Streets of New Capenna cards are key to Tier 1 decks, and many other decks completely disappear with the rotation like Selesnya Enchantments.
Selesnya Enchantments was almost non-existent in the Bo3 + tournaments meta, but it is a key part of the Bo1 metagame. Depending on where we focus our review, the release of Bloomborrow has many implications. Many of them affect the Standard environment in the big picture, and we will tackle those in this article.
Let’s discuss this piece by piece, with a breakdown on each deck you can play as we wait for Standard Rotation.
Metagame Rotation Implications
- With the rotation of New Capenna, decks with lands like Spara's Headquarters or Raffine's Tower like 5-Color Domain and Esper Midrange will receive a hard hit.
- Esper not only loses a land, but Raffine, Scheming Seer, Dennick, Pious Apprentice, and Wedding Announcement also rotate.
- 5-Color Legends will also suffer without the New Capenna, but what hits it harder is losing Kamigawa legendary lands such as Otawara, Soaring City, and Takenuma, Abandoned Mire. Also, this deck loses one arm without
Slogurk, . However, Rona, Herald of Invasion is its beating heart and will still be legal. - I think Rakdos Aggro will survive without Bloodtithe Harvester, but this vampire was one of the best creatures in the format for a long time. Will it be missed? or not?
- Aftermath Analyst Decks like Temur or Jund Ramp will be torn apart. This strategy will no longer be possible without Capenna’s fetches like Cabaretti Courtyard, Maestros Theater, etc.
- UW Control is grateful for having Three Steps Ahead and Phantom Interference. However, does it will find a replacement for The Wandering Emperor and Memory Deluge? And even if it does, Depopulate, Farewell, and March of Otherworldly Light also say goodbye.
- Mono-Red loses one of the best one-drops historically in Kumano Faces Kakkazan. Bloodthirsty Adversary is not hard to replace, but adding Play With Fire to the equation feels awkward. Gruul will also miss Kumano Faces Kakkazan and Play With Fire.
There are many more implications, but these changes will shake the metagame. However, some highly competitive decks start positioning themselves as the front runners post-Bloomborrow. This will be the backbone of this article. Let’s tackle them one by one.
Boros Convoke
Boros Convoke – Louis Sommers Super RCQ 1st Place
by Bohe
Standard
best of 3
2 mythic
27 rare
17 uncommon
14 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (27)
Sorceries (4)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$245.6
Sideboard
15 Cards
$64.05
If we inspect the current list in detail, the only card we will miss is Voldaren Epicure. Having 8 one-drops with an ETB that put an artifact token was the real difference for this deck.
Nevertheless, most of the time, this archetype over-swarm the board. This will make you kill your opponents with extra damage during the final turn most of the time. In this situation, playing the full set of Yotian Frontliner will help mitigate Voldaren Epicure‘s absence, letting us play Gleeful Demolition on turn 2 even if we don’t draw Novice Inspector.
There’s also an opportunity to explore Convoke at UW, Jeskai, or Bant. Spyglass Siren is the perfect replacement for Voldaren Epicure but force the deck to pivot outside red unless you want to try Jeskai.
Playing Bant could give us access to Kellan, Daring Traveler, which put more artifact tokens + an effect similar to Knight-Errant of Eos. If we are on Bant and want more artifact tokens, Officious Interrogation could make a ton. Do you think there’s a way to capitalize on that many clue tokens?
Here is the updated Boros list prepared for rotation + a Jeskai Theorycraft:
Boros Convoke – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
2 mythic
24 rare
20 uncommon
14 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (27)
Sorceries (4)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$216.62
Jeskai Convoke – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
2 mythic
27 rare
24 uncommon
7 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (27)
Sorceries (4)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$223.3
Dimir Aggro
Dimir Aggro – Nakata Tsuyoshi Champions Cup 2nd Place
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
8 mythic
28 rare
15 uncommon
9 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (25)
Lands (25)
60 Cards
$509.86
Sideboard
15 Cards
$60.81
We can’t deny losing Make Disappear is significant for this deck. However, even without this amazing counter, and Shipwreck March, Dimir would remain strong.
We have options like Phantom Interference or Reasonable Doubt that will have some upsides depending on the situation. We don’t have the opportunity to make our opponents pay 4, but putting a 2/2 spirit or suspecting one of our creatures for evasion are good exchanges.
Considering Three Steps Aheadit’s not crazy. Let’s wait until Bloomborrow arrives, but until then, any of these three cards would do the job.
Also, we already play 4 Faerie Mastermind. Adding 4 Sleep-Cursed Faerie + Spell Stutter is another option even without more faeries, Spell Stutter is a consideration.
Dimir Aggro – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
10 mythic
24 rare
15 uncommon
11 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (25)
Lands (25)
60 Cards
$539.96
Golgari Aggro
Golgari Aggro – MTGHolic MTGO Challenge 7th Place
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
6 mythic
38 rare
8 uncommon
8 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Planeswalkers (1)
Creatures (20)
Lands (26)
60 Cards
$527.94
Sideboard
15 Cards
$73.61
After analyzing Dimir, looking closely at Golgari made me realize how good Black is post-rotation.
Cut Down, Shoot the Sheriff, and Go for the Throat are amazing removals, and having Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, Caustic Bronco, and Preacher of the Schism makes this color feel at the top of the competition.
Right now, every Black two-color is playable. After the rotation things look the same about Rakdos, it all depends if there’s an acceptable replacement for Bloodtithe Harvester.
Losing Deathcap Glade could feel bad. However, there are many dual lands nowadays which makes us not not miss Innistrad lands so much.
Graveyard Trespasser was an auto-include creature in almost every Black deck back then. Now, the quality of Black creatures is good enough to relegate this card to 1-0 copies. That’s a huge statement about how this color will dominate post-rotation.
Golgari Aggro – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
6 mythic
33 rare
8 uncommon
13 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Planeswalkers (1)
Creatures (20)
Lands (26)
60 Cards
$410.24
Bant-Selesnya Toxic
Bant Toxic – gcb MTGO Challenge 4th Place
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
0 mythic
36 rare
11 uncommon
13 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (16)
Instants (18)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$201.32
Sideboard
15 Cards
$17.33
Toxic is one of the main implications of rotation I didn’t mention in the introduction of this article.
Just as how Selesnya Enchantments is a Kamigawa deck and will rotate, Toxic is a Phyrexia deck without cards from other sets in their main core. The issue here is March of Swirling Mist. Bant Toxic is an iteration of the archetype built as a direct response against 5-Color Domain. However, Selesnya performed well during the Phyrexia: All Will Be One release.
With 5-Color Domain rotating out from Standard, returning to Selesnya Toxic is the safest move and will ensure you have a competitive deck for a long time.
Don’t get me wrong, killing your opponents with Venerated Rotpriest + proliferate spells is possible. Nevertheless, I will wait until Bloomborrow to see if something can replace March of Swirling Mist and Fading Hope.
Selesnya Toxic – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
0 mythic
31 rare
15 uncommon
14 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (23)
Lands (23)
60 Cards
$151.94
Dimir Control
Dimir Control – Edgar Magalhaes Reg Champ F2F 3rd Place
by Bohe
Standard
Control
best of 3
2 mythic
31 rare
14 uncommon
13 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Planeswalkers (2)
Instants (23)
Artifacts (1)
Lands (27)
60 Cards
$185.08
Sideboard
15 Cards
$145.59
Dimir Control has gained popularity in the last weeks, and if you are thinking about playing control post-rotation, this deck will be your perfect starting point.
As I said during the rotation implications, UW will be torn apart. However, even if Dimir also loses Memory Deluge, replacing Path of Peril, the other relevant card this archetype loses, seems not that hard.
All the amazing removal of Black + with the new Blue cards as Three Steps Ahead and Phantom Interference will surely make this archetype stand tall as the way to go for slower peace decks.
There are other good options that we have to test more. Jace Reawakened has a lot of targets in this deck for its second ability, and the card selection from the first ability is also good. Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayalis amazing for grinding attrition games. Also, playing Tishana's Tidebinder on your mainboard is not crazy.
Dimir Control – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
Control
best of 3
6 mythic
23 rare
15 uncommon
16 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Planeswalkers (2)
Creatures (1)
Instants (23)
Lands (27)
60 Cards
$207.28
Simic Artifacts
Simic Artifacts – Noah Michaud Reg Champ 6th Place
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
6 mythic
31 rare
15 uncommon
8 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (23)
Sorceries (3)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$294.28
Sideboard
15 Cards
$56.41
If I had to put all my coins in a bag, I would beat for Simic Artifact as one of the strongest Tier 1 archetypes post-rotation.
Let me explain myself. Since this archetype was born, its win rate has been one of the highest among all archetypes. It has great matchups, and the bad ones are navigable at least. I’m not sure why Simic Cookies never explode in popularity, however, many of the most impressive win strings in Arena during the current Standard are from players using this deck.
I think the reason behind all this is the playstyle of this deck. It doesn’t look flashy or with cards that instantly win the game when you play them. I’m probably biased with this archetype, but the numbers don’t let me lie.
Give Simic a chance and you will not regret it especially now that this archetype doesn’t have rotating core cards.
I’m tweaking the list to take Dreamroot Cascade, Slip Out the Back, Spell Pierce + Boseiju, Who Endures, and Otawara, Soaring City out.
Simic Artifacts – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
Aggro
best of 3
6 mythic
28 rare
15 uncommon
11 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (23)
Instants (2)
Sorceries (3)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$211.12
Gruul Aggro
Gruul Prowess – Stanley Hartman Super RCQ 2nd Place
by Bohe
Standard
best of 3
0 mythic
24 rare
27 uncommon
9 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (16)
Instants (16)
Lands (20)
60 Cards
$192.16
Sideboard
15 Cards
$19.41
I end this article talking about two decks that lose one of the best one-drops in the game’s history.
Kumano Faces Kakkazan does a lot for being a one-mana card. Since its release, every aggressive Red deck plays 4 copies. And it’s not a surprise; it exerts pressure, helps build prowess, gives a +1/+1 counter to one of our creatures, and has haste. As if it was not enough, it helps exile pesky recursive creatures exile them if Kumano is on the field.
Thinking about replacing Kumano directly is out of discussion. However, something that is also undeniable is how Red-based aggro decks can always stay afloat when a new set is released or the format rotates.
Cacophony Scamp is a creature this archetype has played before, and as someone who has dedicated some time to this archetype, curving our starting with this goblin on turn 1 is also very good.
Shock is not Play With Fire. Nevertheless, even if we lose utility, we will have the same result targeting Shock to our opponent’s face during our final attack triggering prowess.
Gruul Prowess – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
best of 3
0 mythic
24 rare
22 uncommon
14 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (20)
Lands (20)
60 Cards
$162.64
Mono-Red Aggro
Mono-Red Aggro – William Bossanelli Showdown VI 3rd Place
by Bohe
Standard
best of 3
4 mythic
13 rare
23 uncommon
20 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (14)
Instants (12)
Artifacts (3)
Enchantments (4)
60 Cards
$165.04
Sideboard
15 Cards
$26.55
The situation of Gruul is similar to Mono-Red Aggro. However, Mono-Red has an extra problem. It not only loses Play With Fire and Kumano Faces Kakkazan, but it also loses Bloodthirsty Adversary.
In any case, Red has good options for the post-rotation Standard. I choose Phoenix Chick as the new one drop. This little bird already proved that it have what it’s needed for Standard. However, if you prefer, Frantic Scapegoat is also a good option.
The same goes for Charming Scoundrel and Goddric, Cloaked Reveler. Both are good but replacing Bloodthirsty Adversary and covering the rest of the spots with Feldon, Ronom Excavator, and Squee, Dubious Monarch works almost identical. The decision would depend on the post-Bloomborrow meta. Goddric gains evasion while Squee gives us recursion; Feldon gives us gas, while Scoundrel gives us more options.
Mono-Red Aggro – Standard 2024
by Bohe
Standard
best of 3
0 mythic
17 rare
18 uncommon
25 common
0
1
2
3
4
5
6+
Creatures (18)
Instants (12)
Artifacts (3)
60 Cards
$146.18
All Rotation-Proof Standard 2024 Decklists
End Step
With the standard’s change to a 3-year format, we can play with our favorite strategies a little longer. However, nothing lasts forever.
Some archetypes are going to disappear. New Capenna land cycles will impact the format meaningfully. The Streets of New Capenna have more impact than I expected before working on this article. Even if there are some good cards in both Innistrad sets and Kamigawa, many other cards like Topiary Stomper Depopulate, Raffine, Scheming Seer, Make Disappear, and Unlicensed Hearse will be remembered.
New Capenna has more cards that impact the format in their moment like Evelyn, the Covetous, Titan of Industry, and Ledger Shredder. Kamigawa has Selesnya Enchantments, a full deck rotating out, and both Innistrad collections provide us with tools that make Standard enjoyable.
Let’s make the best of this rotation. Now is the time to tweak the archetypes that are still alive, innovate with new ideas, and be prepared for Bloomborrow‘s release. I’m excited about it!
Let us know your thoughts on this and any other MTG-related topics in the MTG Arena Community Discord, on my Twitter, and in the comment section of this article.
Don’t forget that I have started providing personal coaching services for Magic the Gathering and Marvel Snap. If you want to contact me, look for me:
- On Discord as bohettv
- On my Twitter
- Via email at [email protected]
- On Twitch
Thank you so much for reaching this last paragraph and remember; don’t forget to smile every day; it surely makes a difference.
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Bohe
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