Table of Contents
Introduction
Discover the best Magic: The Gathering Arena Standard decks and archetypes the players use 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 various factors and sources, with a comprehensive analysis of the available data.
Standard Best of One (Bo1) Meta Tier List
| Tier | Deck Name |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Mono-White Humans 🔼 |
| Tier 1 | 4-Color Reanimate 🆕 |
| Tier 1 | Mono-Red Prowess 🆕 |
| Tier 1 | Mono-Red Aggro 🔽 |
| Tier 1 | Selesnya Enchantments 🔽 |
| Tier 1 | Rakdos Aggro 🆕 |
| Tier 1 | Boros Convoke 🔼 |
| Tier 2 | Boros Heroic 🆕 |
| Tier 2 | Mono-Black Skeletons 🆕 |
| Tier 2 | Temur Ramp 🆕 |
| Tier 2 | Temur Prowess 🆕 |
| Tier 2 | Azorius Control 🔽 |
| Tier 2 | Bant Toxic 🔽 |
| Tier 2 | Mono-Blue Tempo 🔽 |
| Tier 2 | Izzet Prowess 🆕 |
| Tier 3 | Mono-Black Aggro |
| Tier 3 | Orzhov Amalia 🔽 |
| Tier 3 | Naya Discover 🆕 |
Tier List Disclaimer
- Tier 1: The most dominant decks of the format since the release of Outlaws at Thunder Junction. This implies the percentage of victories, presence in the meta, and favorable games.
- Tier 2: These will be solid decks with relevant presence in the OTJ Bo1 meta. A good pilot will probably be able to play one of these archetypes and have good results. They usually have at least one difficult match against the Tier 1 meta archetypes.
- Tier 3: In last place, we find decks with little presence, but enough to be considered. In addition to their low popularity, they are decks that present two or more complicated matchups against the meta. This prevents them from standing out until the release of new cards or a meta shift happens. However, players who dedicate themselves to mastering these archetypes usually have the opportunity to obtain good results.
🔼 – 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
Mono-White Humans
Creatures (36)
Enchantments (2)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$305.36
The already-established aggro decks are a constant during the release of a new set. Mono-White Humans don’t need new cards to prove how strong it is.
It may not be the most popular deck, but, without a doubt, you will face it on the ladder. The archetype doesn’t get any relevant cards from OTJ, however, Requisition Raid could be good for further testing. Having flexible cards such as these new Spree cards for the Bo1 queue could save your life more than once.
4-Color Reanimate
Creatures (12)
Lands (24)
60 Cards
$200.08
I didn’t think the Abuelo's Awakening combo would perform as well as it has performed since the OTJ release. Nevertheless, it’s known that Bo1 is a different beast than Bo3 queue or a tournament.
In that regard, combo decks like 4-Color Reanimate are always a good option for this competitive environment where graveyard hate is almost non-existent.
Let me explain the combo. Our goal is to cast Abuelo's Awakening targeting Rakdos Joins Up. This will make the legendary enchantment a 1/1 creature that reanimates Hulking Metamorph. Hulking Metamorph becomes a 7/7 legendary enchantment creature that dies to state-based effects, then, is reanimated by its trigger.
This will kill our opponent thanks to the damage dealt by the second effect of Rakdos Joins Up.
Mono-Red Prowess
Creatures (16)
Sorceries (4)
60 Cards
$117.12
This deck reminds me of a Modern season where Prowess was everywhere. The print of Slickshot Show-Off pushes this iteration of aggressive decks in every format. The card is over $20 for a reason.
It is also interesting how good Plot cards work amazingly well with this archetype. Demonic Ruckus gives us an extra one-drop when we don’t have Monastery Swiftspear or Kumano Faces Kakkazan. This spell lets us trigger prowess with our other hasty creatures without spending mana. At the same time Goddric, Cloaked Reveler transforms into a dragon more easily than ever.
If things keep the same rhythm during the next two weeks, this iteration of Mono-Red will be the main and best Mono-Red deck.
Mono-Red Aggro
Planeswalkers (2)
Creatures (20)
Enchantments (4)
60 Cards
$95.28
It is hard to think of a reason to play the classic Mono-Red iteration over Mono-Red Prowess. However, in a format where midrange decks were the bread and butter, this iteration of Mono-Red has more tools to fight against an environment like that.
Chandra, Dressed to Kill gives us gas, while Bloodthirsty Adversary and Squee, Dubious Monarch gives us graveyard recursion, letting us fight attrition games efficiently.
Regardless of which version of Mono-Red you decide to play, the archetype is strong in the current state of the mate. Take that for granted.
Selesnya Enchantments
Creatures (27)
Sorceries (1)
Lands (20)
60 Cards
$139.68
Selesnya Enchantments list doesn’t present changes. The Kamigawa block deck is still a Tier 1 contender on Bo1 since its early days.
The core is powerful and many cards of the latest sets like Audacity and Ossification make it stronger.
There are not many cards on OTJ that truly deserve to be on this archetype list, however, the impression of Snakeskin Veil could be something to consider.
Rakdos Aggro
Creatures (20)
Instants (12)
Artifacts (3)
60 Cards
$37.52
I started questioning myself about “Where’s Gruul Aggro?” while gathering data for this tier list update. After some digging, it looks like it mutates to this “new flavor of Mono-Red” Rakdos Aggro.
Many old well-known Gruul Aggro creatures are here like Cacophony Scamp and Picnic Ruiner. The spice is the playset of Callous Sell-Sword and Blazing Crescendo. The adventure part, Burn Together of Callous Sell-Sword is an amazing finisher in this deck. Also, this soldier can be easily a 4/4 for 1B most of the time.
As a Gruul Aggro player, this iteration of “Gruul” gave me something fresh to test, and let me tell you, it doesn’t let you down.
Boros Convoke
Creatures (30)
Sorceries (4)
Enchantments (3)
Lands (23)
60 Cards
$316.16
Boros lose some places on the table, but it is still one of the strongest decks of the format, period.
As I suggest in the Mono-White Humans explanation, testing Requisition Raid could be interesting. Boros have even more creatures on the board than Mono-White most of the time, and having an answer against pesky artifacts and enchantments is valuable.
This archetype is relevant enough to be on this tier list until the Standard rotation, I’m sure about that. However, its survival will depend on having a replacement for Voldaren Epicure.
Tier 2
Boros Heroic
Creatures (12)
Instants (19)
Sorceries (4)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (21)
60 Cards
$144.52
Is clear which is the best card of OTJ in this format. Slickshot Show-Off is responsible for strengthening existing archetypes while creating new ones alike.
Also, Demonic Ruckus is one of the best Plot cards for this kind of aggressive decks. There are many reasons for this. First, like I said above on Mono-Red Prowess section, it give us another thing to do during our first turn. Most importantly, it let us save extra spells for an explosive turn when needed, which let us exert pressure without committing resources until is needed.
Mono-Black Skeletons
Creatures (16)
Enchantments (12)
Lands (24)
60 Cards
$171.4
This archetype was going to be a reality sooner or later. Many cards from the latest sets were anticipating this tribe. Now, with new cards as Tinybones, the Pickpocket Forsaken Miner, and Gisa, the Hellraiser, building a consistent skeletons decks is finally possible (after almost 30 years!).
Skeletons is clearly the archetype with the more number of new cards in this tier list which makes it very appealing; and let me tell you, is also very fun to play.
I really like how the existence of new skeletons on OTJ makes Case of the Sashed Skeleton and Corpses of the Lost into playable cards.
Also, if you want to stick to a plan, this archetype is the most consistent in that regard in this tier list. With a full play set of every card in the deck you’re going to have the same board in many games. However, it has many tricks, so, I suggest you to try it more than once to master those lines.
Temur Ramp
Creatures (12)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (30)
60 Cards
$188.64
With many creature aggressive decks in the queue, playing a deck with 6 board-sweepers and good blockers is a good idea.
Fallaji Archaeologist and Aftermath Analystcan block well during the early game. This let us reach the mid game where Vampires' Vengeance and Ill-Timed Explosion will get rid of any swarm that threatens our life total.
From there, Worldsoul's Rage can explode on any opponents face strong enough to finish the game in one turn.
Temur Prowess
Creatures (14)
Instants (18)
Sorceries (4)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (20)
60 Cards
$158.8
As a fan of Elusive Otter, I can’t state clearly enough how much I like this iteration of Prowess.
I said above that Slickshot Show-Off reminds me a Modern season where many iterations of Prowess where everywhere. Now, with this bird in Standard, is the same story once again.
The mana-base is very good with the three fastlands available for Temur. Also, playing Blue give us access to Consider which let us dig faster thru our library and green give us Giant Growth and Grove’s Bounty, the adventure part of Elusive Otter.
Having the option of playing Snakeskin Veil make this version of Temur better where you want to play around spot-removal.
Azorius Control
Planeswalkers (1)
Instants (20)
Artifacts (1)
Enchantments (4)
Lands (26)
60 Cards
$255.02
On my “New Outlaws of Thunder Junction Standard Decks for Day 1” article, I stated Stoic Sphinx could be the card that enables the old “Draw-Go” control style.
It looks like is the case, also, the archetype gets Bovine Intervention, a solid removal that also let us destroy artifacts. This new cards ties the archetype together and with the support of amazing cards like No More Lies, The Wandering Emperor and Temporary Lookdown, the strategy is prepared against almost anything.
The incorporation of Kutzil's Flanker is something to notice. It’s extremely helpful against 4-Color Reanimator, Temur Ramp, and any graveyard centered strategies that are always precent in this queue. And it’s that not enough, having the chance to gain life and dig for our sweepers if we are facing aggro give this creature more reasons to be in the deck.
Bant Toxic
Creatures (20)
Instants (15)
Enchantments (3)
Lands (22)
60 Cards
$210.58
The current state of the Bo1 queue is not the best environment for Bant Toxic.
Don’t get me wrong, this is an amazing deck. However, it was design to destroy 5-Color Domain, a deck that is not present in this queue or at least is not very popular nowadays.
Against other aggressive decks you are paddling against the current, but, against midrange or control you have a better chance than other aggro strategies.
Mono-Blue Tempo
Creatures (24)
Artifacts (4)
Enchantments (4)
60 Cards
$28.52
Mono-Blue has to evolve to a new form to face the current meta.
This is not a Haughty Djinn deck. Instead, this deck would exert pressure early with many one-drops with evasion. From there, we are going to convert treasures or maps to 4/4 or 5/4 artifact creatures, allowing us to continue the pressure during the mid-game.
Really easy to build and not that hard to play. If you are looking for a budget deck for the format, this is your choice.
Izzet Prowess
Creatures (21)
Sorceries (4)
Lands (21)
60 Cards
$172.56
When I told you “This is Modern Prowess era for Standard” I wasn’t joking about it.
This is just a different flavor of Prowess. However, Scalding Viper and Frolicking Familiar give this archetype a new approach were we are going to ping our opponent a lot.
Doing this gives this iteration a tempo advantage against other decks that also want to play a lot of spells. By this I mean that having Scalding Viper on the field against other versions of Prowess could give Izzet the upper hand.
Frolicking Familiar is another creature that only Izzet plays. Blow Off Steam, its adventure part is very good in this shell helping us keep up the spell count while pinging any target, something very helpful.
Tier 3
Mono-Black Aggro
Planeswalkers (2)
Creatures (23)
Sorceries (2)
Enchantments (1)
60 Cards
$378.4
Another classic deck in the format that will undoubtedly continue to appear in the Bo1 ranked 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 OTJ cards that still make the cut but Forsaken Miner could be a consideration.
Orzhov Amalia
Creatures (28)
Sorceries (2)
Lands (24)
60 Cards
$379.1
Certainly Amalia Benavides Aguirre cannot go infinite like in Explorer with Wildgrowth Walker. However, the archetype is fairly consistent in Standard.
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 new 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.
Naya Discover
Planeswalkers (2)
Creatures (16)
Instants (3)
Lands (26)
60 Cards
$487.82
Another archetype that evolves during the last weeks is Discover. Rakdos Discover was a thing not so long ago. However, it banished from the meta really quick.
The incorporation of Fight Rigging makes me remember how good was Golgari Fight Rigging when New Capenna was released. This gives Discover a new approach making it more consistent and not extremely dependant on Geological Appraiser.
Playing White and Green instead of Black gives this deck more tools like Lightning Helix, Quintorius Kand, Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines. And the most important of all is Temporary Lockdown, giving Naya more chances to fight against Aggro than Rakdos has before.
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 more impactful card would be Slickshot Show-Off, which impacts so hard that now Prowess has three different competitive and highly playable flavors Mono-Red, Temur, and Izzet; and don’t discard Gruul to appear soon.
Let’s see what the next few weeks have in 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]
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Thank you so much for reaching this last paragraph and remember; don’t forget to smile every day; it surely makes a difference.
