Table of Contents
Introduction
Discover the best Magic: The Gathering Arena Standard decks and archetypes that the players are using to climb the ranked ladder and win tournaments. Our MTG Arena Best of One (Bo1) Standard Meta Tier List regularly reviews and ranks the top decks in the format, carefully curated by Bohe, an old wizard who undoubtedly has a lot to share. We also follow up our choices based on a variety of factors and sources, with a comprehensive analysis of the data available.
Meta Report
Standard Best of One (Bo1) Meta Tier List
| Tier | Deck Name | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Boros Convoke 🔼 | Guide |
| Tier 1 | Selesnya Enchantments 🔼 | Guide |
| Tier 1 | Mono Red Aggro 🔽 | Guide |
| Tier 1 | Azorius Control 🔼 | |
| Tier 1 | Jeskai Control 🆕 | |
| Tier 1 | Mono White Aggro 🔽 | Guide |
| Tier 1 | Bant Toxic | Guide ⭐ |
| Tier 1 | Boros Aggro 🔽 | Guide |
| Tier 2 | Orzhov Amalia 🆕 | |
| Tier 2 | Simic Artifacts 🆕 | |
| Tier 2 | 5-Color Domain 🆕 | |
| Tier 2 | Gruul Aggro | Guide 🆕 |
| Tier 2 | Naya Humans 🆕 | |
| Tier 2 | Mono-Blue Tempo 🆕 | |
| Tier 2 | Azorius Mentor 🔼 | Guide |
| Tier 2 | Azorius Soldiers 🔽 | Guide |
| Tier 3 | Mono Black Aggro 🆕 | |
| Tier 3 | Dimir Midrange 🆕 | |
| Tier 3 | Esper Control | |
| Tier 3 | Esper Legends | Guide |
| Tier 3 | Naya Dinosaurs 🆕 | |
| Tier 3 | Izzet Pirates | Guide |
| Tier 3 | Mono Black Midrange 🆕 |
Tier List Disclaimer
Only decks that have a win rate greater than 51% in this raked queue have been considered.
- Tier 1: 55.0%+
- Tier 2: 52.5% – 54.9%
- Tier 3: 51.0% – 52.4%
🔼 – The deck has improved its position on the chart. This includes movements within the same tier.
🔽 – The deck has lost positions on the table. This includes movements within the same tier.
🆕 – First appearance in the tier list.
Tier 1
Boros Convoke
Creatures (27)
Sorceries (4)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$339.18
Sideboard
15 Cards
$84.27
Coming in twelfth place at DreamHack is no small feat. Yes, certainly that result is not part of the statistics of this tier list, but it’s a clear example of the increase in popularity of the archetype as a result of its recent strengthening.
57.1% win rate in Bo1 is a lot. Without a doubt one of the most favored archetypes with the departure of Karlov Manor.
Novice Inspector is a technical reprint of Thraben Inspector a fundamental piece of the archetype in other formats. Additionally, the new enchantments Case of the Gateway Express and Warleader's Call give it the punch it was missing.
Selesnya Enchantments
Creatures (15)
Sorceries (4)
Enchantments (16)
Lands (21)
60 Cards
$197.64
An old acquaintance who is undoubtedly taking advantage of the troubled river.
It’s common that at the entrance of a new set, old established aggro decks come to the fore, bypassing those who are trying to test new cards in search of the new interaction that will break the meta.
A very aggressive archetype that gets out of control quickly. Additionally, this build with Hallowed Haunting can rebuild the field quickly in the rare case of facing a deck sweeper in Bo1 or having to trade against other aggressive decks.
56.7% winning rate in over 38,000 matches.
Mono Red Aggro
Creatures (18)
Instants (15)
60 Cards
$69.06
Speaking of archetypes that take advantage of troubled rivers. Mono Red has always been the king of new metagames.
Historically, Mono Red is one of the best choices for competitive Magic when no one has resolved the meta. Whether in its previous version without cards of Karlov Manor or this new iteration with a Fugitive Codebreaker playset and 3 Case of the Crimson Pulse, going quickly and directly for the opponent’s 20 lives is rewarding in this beginning of the Karlov Manor meta.
In this build 100% of the creatures have haste and filling the hand with threats, keeping the gas at full capacity is much easier than before.
56.7% WR combining all the iterations. 21,000+ matches.
Azorius Control
Planeswalkers (4)
Creatures (2)
Instants (18)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (27)
60 Cards
$356.4
We were right with No More Lies. His impression has seemed to be enough to catapult UW Control to Tier 1.
And we’re not just talking about Bo3 where it is clear that the archetype is capable of beating anyone. In this much more aggressive queue, playing Control is often a challenge.
This new counter is perfect for reducing aggression in the first turns and thus keeping the ship afloat.
You can play 1-2 copies of Ezrim, Agency Chief without a problem. Either instead of some copy of Horned Loch-Whale or play a total of 3-4 creatures between both cards.
55.9% WR in 17,000 games.
Jeskai Control
Planeswalkers (3)
Instants (13)
Enchantments (1)
Lands (26)
60 Cards
$361.16
Something that commonly happens whenever Lightning Helix is part of Standard is the appearance of Jeskai control. As long as UW is already at least moderately viable.
As this is well the case, this archetype is beginning to position itself as an option that contends even in Bo1. I already pointed out in the UW section that No More Lies is a great counter for early game. If we add Lightning Helix to this, the aggressiveness of Mono Red, Humans, Gruul and the like is usually under control.
I’ve seen several versions and it’s possible to play Manaform Hellkite, Ezrim, Agency Chief, or even play without creatures. We will know the answer to which will be the best iteration over time.
Not to many games as other archetypes, but 55.5% win rate in 4,500 matches it’s still relevant enough for this tier list.
Mono White Aggro
Creatures (37)
60 Cards
$158.38
This archetype is another regular in the Bo1 queue. Certainly in the physical competitive environment, Mono-White Toxic tends to be played more, but in Arena this old acquaintance is still very popular.
The slight problem I might have is that there is a lot of incentive to prefer playing Azorius or Boros over Mono-White. Phyrexian Vindicator might be a reason to play Mono White, but it’s not very popular.
The popularity of this archetype will continue as it is friendly to people who don’t have all the dual lands in the format at their disposal.
55.4% WR in 11,000+ games.
Bant Toxic
Creatures (24)
Instants (13)
Enchantments (3)
Lands (20)
60 Cards
$282.4
A moment ago we were talking about Mono White Toxic. The archetype is certainly solid, but playing Bant with Venerated Rotpriest in combination with March of Swirling Mist is certainly compelling.
Additionally, thanks to fastlands and painlands, Bant’s mana base is not so complicated to manage in Aggro. With the increasing rise of UW and Jeskai Control, Bant Toxic might have a better chance than some other aggressive decks.
We cannot fail to mention that thanks to the multiple ways to proliferate, Bant has a way of finishing off opponents even after they could control our plan.
Even if there only a little less than 4,000 matches, a 55.1% is amazingly good.
Boros Aggro
Creatures (28)
Instants (2)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (26)
60 Cards
$161.38
Choosing to be slightly greedier with base mana has certain advantages.
In the case of Boros, it gives us some tools to deal damage more quickly thanks to creatures with haste like Ash, Party Crasher and Goddric, Cloaked Reveler.
Inti, Seneschal of the Sun gives us card selection without losing aggressiveness thanks to the +1/+1 counters it can put on our creatures. Lastly (and I say this because the vast majority of us know how good a card Kumano Faces Kakkazan is), adding a couple copies of Witchstalker Frenzy helps clear the path of problematic blockers like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, something that is highly valued.
55.1% WR in 3,800 games.
Tier 2
Orzhov Amalia
Creatures (28)
Sorceries (2)
Lands (24)
60 Cards
$380.3
Certainly Amalia Benavides Aguirre cannot go infinite like in Explorer with Wildgrowth Walker. However, the archetype is fairly consistent in Standard and is only 0.1% below the win rate required to enter Tier 1.
Its great advantage is that thanks to the large amount of life it gains, other aggro decks usually suffer a lot of problems trying to kill you. And when Amalia Benavides Aguirre is already big enough, it is quite difficult for Mono Red to take her out of the game.
Other iterations of the archetype often play Roaming Throne, which boosts the life gain ability. Additionally, Karlov Manor has also given this archetype a tool. Case of the Uneaten Feast goes quite well with the main plan of the deck, giving us late-game tools that are quite useful against decks that are gaining popularity and tend to lengthen the game.
13,000 games with a win rate of 54.9%
Simic Artifacts
Creatures (27)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$324.64
A deck to which Karlov Manor has not brought any new tools so far. However, it’s good enough to remain on the Tier List and surprise more than a few with how hard it can hit out of nowhere.
Card selection with the maps, good combat creatures like Teething Wurmlet and plenty of ways to make maps and food become 4/4 or 5/4 thanks to Tough Cookie and Zoetic Glyph make this archetype solid. and very consistent.
One creature that is not on this list and used to be part of the archetype is The Goose Mother carrying 1-3 copies still seems relevant to me in case you still prefer it.
A 54.3 win rate in 2,600 matches.
5-Color Domain
Planeswalkers (1)
Creatures (13)
Enchantments (8)
Lands (26)
60 Cards
$671.42
One of the most powerful decks in Bo3 and has clearly been the deck to beat in Standard for a long time.
Playing it in Bo1 is not crazy. It can certainly be complicated if some hyper aggressive decks come out with their best curve. However, if they have killed you by turn 5, they most likely won’t make it anymore.
There hasn’t been any major addition with Karlov Manor although, if you wanted to play a couple copies of Pick Your Poison it wouldn’t be an unrealistic choice. Some Bo3 lists are already carrying them on the sideboard.
Just 2,200 games, but relevant enough with a 54.2% win rate.
Gruul Aggro
Creatures (16)
Instants (15)
Lands (21)
60 Cards
$155.64
Curiously, the most current lists of the archetype do not yet incorporate copies of Fugitive Codebreaker. However, I think it is good enough to replace some cards in the deck and be played at 2-4 copies.
Outside of this data, whether it’s this version or the one that plays Mirran Banesplitter, the deck wins out of nowhere thanks to its explosiveness. It reminds me of times in Modern where Prowess reigned in almost any color combination. It’s probably for this reason that this archetype is one of my favorites.
53.7% winning percentage with 5,200 games.
Naya Humans
Creatures (35)
Instants (2)
Lands (23)
60 Cards
$369.32
Naya Aggro or Naya Legends is a bit more pretentious with the tricolor mana base. Despite this, having a large number of creatures with the legend type and that the vast majority are of the human type makes playing 4 Plaza of Heroes and 4 Cavern of Souls make the plan much easier.
It can be aggressive enough to punish slow decks, and thanks to its slightly higher curve it can set up creatures that other aggro decks have a hard time dealing with.
There is little data and it seems that no Karlov Manor card has yet been incorporated into the archetype. Either way, his 53.2% win rate in 1,200 games makes it interesting enough to place on this tier list.
Mono-Blue Tempo
Creatures (14)
Instants (16)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$98.02
Surprisingly more popular than I would expect. Mono Blue-Tempo has over 12,000 recent games in Bo1, and although he has yet to add any Karlov Manor cards to the rosters, his win rate remains at a solid 53.1%
I think the key lies in how strong it is if the opponent slightly misses a turn in playing curve. It’s certainly difficult to stop the most aggressive decks when they have a perfect hand, but that’s a general problem and not just with Mono-Blue. One turn out of rhythm and a deck like this can take complete control of the situation and not let you do anything else.
Will it be worth splashing lands that produce white mana to play No More Lies?
Azorius Mentor
Creatures (15)
Instants (14)
Sorceries (12)
Lands (19)
60 Cards
$246.72
It’s certainly not a very popular deck. Azorius Mentor has a total of 2,500 games. Now, the fact that the winning percentage remains at 53% in Bo1 makes me think that it is a well-positioned deck but with the advantages of Mono Blue but by requiring more rare cards it remains as a second option.
Being able to field Monastery Mentor for a single white mana thanks to Helping Hand is undoubtedly something very powerful and that regardless of the ranked queue we decide to play, we should not fail to consider.
While this archetype generally doesn’t play as many counters as Mono-Blue, playing No More Lies in place of the Spell Pierce pair doesn’t seem unrealistic to me. Although I would certainly choose to increase the amount of total lands by 1-2.
Azorius Soldiers
Creatures (25)
Instants (4)
Artifacts (1)
Lands (24)
60 Cards
$411.08
The archetype that was the dominant plan if we want to play creatures a few months ago is still putting up a fight.
The singular copy of Cryptic Coat is an interesting addition. Putting an unblockable 3/2 creature on the field can close more games than we imagine. In addition to surprising the opponent by turning cards like Harbin face up, Vanguard Aviator can break the math very easily.
This archetype has a 52.5% winning percentage in 3,200 games.
Tier 3
Mono Black Aggro
Planeswalkers (4)
Creatures (24)
60 Cards
$197.86
Another classic deck in the format that will undoubtedly continue to appear in the Bo1 qualifying queue until the rotation says otherwise.
The release of Deep-Cavern Bat and Preacher of the Schism put a new spin on the archetype. Thanks to card advantage and disruption to the opponent’s hand, it is easy to stay energized while punishing the opponent. There aren’t any MKM cards that still make the cut but Hunted Bonebrute could be a consideration.
This archetype is still very popular with 14,000+ games in the Bo1 queue in the last 10 days with a 52.4% win rate.
Dimir Midrange
Creatures (22)
Lands (25)
60 Cards
$475.7
Sideboard
15 Cards
$35.95
It’s important to place the Bo3 list of this deck here. I say this because he has recently won a fairly big tournament. Yutaro Tokuyama came in first place in a tournament of almost 450 players on February 11.
This has triggered the popularity of the archetype that was already beginning to become known since the release of Ixalan and has begun to be seen in the Bo1 queue more frequently.
With a curve that allows for presence from the early game, the archetype is capable of playing as an aggressor or defender as required. This makes it really consistent and able to take on almost any other archetype in the meta comfortably. I have no doubt its popularity on the Bo1 ladder will begin to increase step by step.
52.2% WR in 3,200 matches
Esper Control
Planeswalkers (4)
Creatures (2)
Instants (27)
Enchantments (2)
Lands (25)
60 Cards
$291.46
The existence of No More Lies and Long Goodbye in Standard makes it quite tempting to play this color combination.
With a variety of planeswalkers and late-game creatures available, it’s up to each player to decide the right combination of these cards. Liliana of the Veil or Sorin the Mirthless are examples that are not on the list and could be considered. Same case with Ezrim, Agency Chief regarding the creatures.
The mana base is a bit more ambitious than just playing UW or even Jeskai, however, I think it’s consistent enough to make it worth giving the archetype a chance.
Curiously, is more popular than other decks that are higher in the this tier list. 52.5% win rate in 6,200 matches.
Esper Legends
Planeswalkers (2)
Creatures (16)
Lands (26)
60 Cards
$483.66
A deck that in Bo3 continues to be the most popular and without a doubt an archetype that will continue to be present due to its consistency.
If we realize, it has had an important evolution. He already plays fewer legends than before, and although he no longer plays Plaza of Heroes, the mana base is solid enough to still be solid.
If you want to look for more lists of this archetype, you can probably already find it as Esper Midrange nowadays.
It has a similarity to Dimir Midrange that makes him compete directly with this archetype in popularity. Both decks have outputs aggressive enough to pressure slow decks, and tools capable of making them hold their own against other hyper-aggressive decks. This will likely result in Dimir being a preference, thus avoiding forcing the mana base to three colors. A matter of taste.
A little more over 3,500 games with a 52.5% win rate.
Naya Dinosaurs
Creatures (32)
Lands (24)
60 Cards
$193.72
This deck could very well be played in Gruul version if it weren’t for Gishath’s solo copy, Sun’s Avatar. However, it is a powerful enough bomb that the slight white splash is justifiable.
I think that of all the aggressive decks in the format, it is thanks to Huatli, Poet of Unity and the Saga on its backside that it can hold its own best in battles of attrition. The value that Roar of the Fifth People gives us is undoubtedly spectacular and makes playing Huatli worth it even if it is slightly slow.
51.3% WR in 3,100 games.
Izzet Pirates
Creatures (25)
Instants (7)
Lands (24)
60 Cards
$394.72
Reaching almost the bottom of the table, Izzet Pirates maintains a 51% win rate, the minimum necessary to remain on this list.
This number in almost 2,000 games is good enough that we should not stop considering the good number of cards with incredible synergies in this archetype. Many cards, such as Spyglass Siren, Malcom, Alluring Scoundrel, and Kitsail Larcenist, appear frequently in other better-placed decks in this tier list. That is why playing them together by adding synergies like Breeches, Eager Pillager is natural.
Thanks to its relevant number of Instants, playing at tempo is also an option, which allows us to adapt the playing style to our opponents.
Mono Black Midrange
Creatures (20)
Enchantments (2)
60 Cards
$313.72
I hesitated to put this archetype in the tier list. However, I think its differences from Mono-Black Aggro are enough for me to consider it.
Having copies, even if they are few, of Gix's Command and Virtue of Persistence, in addition to opting for removals like Go for the Throat make Mono Black different in the mid and late game. If we add to this the presence of Sorin the Mirthless, this version can undoubtedly have some more favorable matchups that could be a problem for the Black-Aggro Monkey (and vice versa).
With 51% win rate or more in 1,700 games, Mono-Black Midrange is the last archetype in this tier list update.
End Step
Wow, that has been a great update to the tier list. Many new archetypes, many others renewed, and sudden movements on the table. The clearest example would be Boros Convoke, which although it was already a strong deck to consider, the appearance of Novice Inspector, Case of the Gateway Express, and Warleader's Call has been more than enough to revisit the archetype, make it more consistent and enhance the deck to first place.
Let’s see what the next few weeks have in store for us. In the meantime, see you soon in a new article.
Let us know your thoughts on this and any other MTG-related topics in the MTG Arena Zone 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.
