MTGO Standard Challenge – June 25, 2023 – Top 8 Decklists

Hi! My name is Vertyx and I will go over the top finishes of the Magic Online Standard Challenge that took place on the weekend: June 25, 2023. Lets go take a look at all of the interesting decks people chose to register this weekend!

standard challenge 32 #12560130

25 June, 2023 - standard - 32 players

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Top 8 Decks

A very control dominated top 8. Even that people are trying to be prepared against Esper Legends and Mono-Red Aggro since it has been popular both of them still managed to put up a copy in the top 4! The 2 other remaining decks are Orzhov Midrange which has been putting up strong results recently and the last one is Mono-White Aggro

The top 8 consists of 4 copies of Esper Control, 1 copy of Esper Legends, 1 copy of Mono-Red Aggro, 1 copy of Orzhov Midrange and 1 copy of Mono-White Aggro!

Esper Control by Johnny_Hobbs

by Vertyx

Buy on TCGplayer $437.46

Buy on Card Kingdom $605.19

Standard

best of 3

4 mythic

38 rare

10 uncommon

8 common

0

1

2

3

4

5

6+

Generate hand save deck (mtgo/arena) copy to clipboard (arena) Visual view Copy URL

Planeswalkers (4)

4

The Wandering Emperor

$111.96

Instants (21)

3

Cut Down

$5.37

1

Siphon Insight

$0.49

1

Disdainful Stroke

$0.35

3

Make Disappear

$1.17

2

Go for the Throat

$2.98

2

Sheoldred’s Edict

$8.98

1

Negate

$0.35

2

Dissipate

$0.70

2

Void Rend

$0.98

4

Memory Deluge

$5.96

Sorceries (7)

1

Sunset Revelry

$0.35

1

Silver Scrutiny

$0.49

3

Sunfall

$22.47

2

Farewell

$18.98

Artifacts (1)

1

The Celestus

$2.29

Lands (27)

1

Island

$0.35

1

Plains

$0.35

1

Swamp

$0.35

2

Adarkar Wastes

$14.98

2

Underground River

$7.98

4

Darkslick Shores

$9.96

4

Deserted Beach

$23.96

2

Shipwreck Marsh

$11.98

2

Shattered Sanctum

$43.98

4

Raffine’s Tower

$63.96

2

Mirrex

$14.98

1

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

$8.99

1

Otawara, Soaring City

$27.99

60 Cards
$413.68

Sideboard

3

Chrome Host Seedshark

$13.47

2

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

$159.98

2

Siphon Insight

$0.98

1

Disdainful Stroke

$0.35

1

Negate

$0.35

2

Duress

$0.70

2

Sunset Revelry

$0.70

2

Temporary Lockdown

$14.98

15 Cards
$191.51

Esper Control by Kazuga

by Vertyx

Buy on TCGplayer $437.46

Buy on Card Kingdom $605.19

Standard

best of 3

4 mythic

38 rare

10 uncommon

8 common

0

1

2

3

4

5

6+

Generate hand save deck (mtgo/arena) copy to clipboard (arena) Visual view Copy URL

Planeswalkers (4)

4

The Wandering Emperor

$111.96

Instants (21)

3

Cut Down

$5.37

1

Disdainful Stroke

$0.35

1

Siphon Insight

$0.49

3

Make Disappear

$1.17

1

Negate

$0.35

2

Go for the Throat

$2.98

2

Sheoldred’s Edict

$8.98

2

Dissipate

$0.70

2

Void Rend

$0.98

4

Memory Deluge

$5.96

Sorceries (7)

1

Sunset Revelry

$0.35

1

Silver Scrutiny

$0.49

3

Sunfall

$22.47

2

Farewell

$18.98

Artifacts (1)

1

The Celestus

$2.29

Lands (27)

1

Island

$0.35

1

Plains

$0.35

1

Swamp

$0.35

2

Adarkar Wastes

$14.98

4

Deserted Beach

$23.96

2

Shipwreck Marsh

$11.98

2

Shattered Sanctum

$43.98

2

Underground River

$7.98

4

Darkslick Shores

$9.96

4

Raffine’s Tower

$63.96

2

Mirrex

$14.98

1

Otawara, Soaring City

$27.99

1

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

$8.99

60 Cards
$413.68

Sideboard

3

Chrome Host Seedshark

$13.47

2

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

$159.98

1

Disdainful Stroke

$0.35

2

Siphon Insight

$0.98

1

Negate

$0.35

2

Duress

$0.70

2

Sunset Revelry

$0.70

2

Temporary Lockdown

$14.98

15 Cards
$191.51

Esper Control by SilvergillLord

by Vertyx

Buy on TCGplayer $437.46

Buy on Card Kingdom $605.19

Standard

best of 3

4 mythic

38 rare

10 uncommon

8 common

0

1

2

3

4

5

6+

Generate hand save deck (mtgo/arena) copy to clipboard (arena) Visual view Copy URL

Planeswalkers (4)

4

The Wandering Emperor

$111.96

Instants (21)

3

Cut Down

$5.37

2

Go for the Throat

$2.98

1

Siphon Insight

$0.49

1

Disdainful Stroke

$0.35

3

Make Disappear

$1.17

2

Sheoldred’s Edict

$8.98

1

Negate

$0.35

2

Dissipate

$0.70

2

Void Rend

$0.98

4

Memory Deluge

$5.96

Sorceries (7)

1

Sunset Revelry

$0.35

1

Silver Scrutiny

$0.49

3

Sunfall

$22.47

2

Farewell

$18.98

Artifacts (1)

1

The Celestus

$2.29

Lands (27)

1

Island

$0.35

1

Plains

$0.35

1

Swamp

$0.35

2

Adarkar Wastes

$14.98

4

Deserted Beach

$23.96

2

Shipwreck Marsh

$11.98

2

Shattered Sanctum

$43.98

2

Underground River

$7.98

4

Darkslick Shores

$9.96

4

Raffine’s Tower

$63.96

2

Mirrex

$14.98

1

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

$8.99

1

Otawara, Soaring City

$27.99

60 Cards
$413.68

Sideboard

3

Chrome Host Seedshark

$13.47

2

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

$159.98

2

Siphon Insight

$0.98

1

Disdainful Stroke

$0.35

1

Negate

$0.35

2

Duress

$0.70

2

Sunset Revelry

$0.70

2

Temporary Lockdown

$14.98

15 Cards
$191.51

Esper Control by Phill_Hellmuth

by Vertyx

Buy on TCGplayer $444.28

Buy on Card Kingdom $615.61

Standard

best of 3

4 mythic

38 rare

8 uncommon

10 common

0

1

2

3

4

5

6+

Generate hand save deck (mtgo/arena) copy to clipboard (arena) Visual view Copy URL

Planeswalkers (5)

4

The Wandering Emperor

$111.96

1

Kaya, Intangible Slayer

$0.49

Instants (21)

4

Cut Down

$7.16

2

Disdainful Stroke

$0.70

4

Make Disappear

$1.56

2

Go for the Throat

$2.98

2

Sheoldred’s Edict

$8.98

1

Negate

$0.35

2

Void Rend

$0.98

4

Memory Deluge

$5.96

Sorceries (5)

3

Sunfall

$22.47

2

Farewell

$18.98

Artifacts (2)

2

The Celestus

$4.58

Lands (27)

1

Island

$0.35

1

Plains

$0.35

1

Swamp

$0.35

2

Adarkar Wastes

$14.98

2

Underground River

$7.98

4

Deserted Beach

$23.96

2

Shipwreck Marsh

$11.98

2

Shattered Sanctum

$43.98

4

Darkslick Shores

$9.96

4

Raffine’s Tower

$63.96

2

Mirrex

$14.98

1

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

$8.99

1

Otawara, Soaring City

$27.99

60 Cards
$416.96

Sideboard

3

Chrome Host Seedshark

$13.47

2

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

$159.98

2

Siphon Insight

$0.98

1

Negate

$0.35

2

Duress

$0.70

2

Sunset Revelry

$0.70

3

Temporary Lockdown

$22.47

15 Cards
$198.65

The first place was taken down with Esper Control (by Johnny_Hobbs), the deck also took down 4th place (by Kazuga), 6th place (by SilvergillLord) and 7th place (by Phill_Hellmuth)!

The idea of the deck is straightforward. It wants to do the thing all control decks try to do and that is controlling the board with removal and counterspells early in the game. When they manage to get the battlefield under control and are in a good spot from which they can interact with most cards the opponent can cast they slowly proceed to finish the opponent with a threat (mostly it being a creature land or a planeswalker that puts them so much ahead that the opponent cannot win).

This deck finishes the opponent most often with Sunfall which is a very strong boardwipe that also nets you a big threat for only investing 2 more mana! If Sunfall isn’t enough the deck also plays The Wandering Emperor which mostly acts as a removal spell and Mirrex which slowly finishes the opponent when needed! All of the lists are very similar so for that reason I chose to feature them all at once.

Mono-Red Aggro by ejk

by Vertyx

Buy on TCGplayer $96.94

Buy on Card Kingdom $132.17

Standard

best of 3

8 mythic

11 rare

20 uncommon

21 common

0

1

2

3

4

5

6+

Generate hand save deck (mtgo/arena) copy to clipboard (arena) Visual view Copy URL

Creatures (19)

4

Monastery Swiftspear

$2.76

4

Phoenix Chick

$3.16

4

Bloodthirsty Adversary

$3.96

3

Feldon, Ronom Excavator

$1.77

4

Furnace Punisher

$1.40

Instants (8)

4

Play with Fire

$19.96

4

Lightning Strike

$1.40

Sorceries (2)

2

Nahiri’s Warcrafting

$0.98

Enchantments (4)

4

Kumano Faces Kakkazan

$2.36

4

Invasion of Tarkir

$27.96

Lands (23)

17

Mountain

$5.95

4

Mishra’s Foundry

$7.96

2

Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance

$11.98

60 Cards
$91.6

Sideboard

3

Chandra, Dressed to Kill

$32.97

2

Jaya, Fiery Negotiator

$1.98

4

Lithomantic Barrage

$3.16

2

Obliterating Bolt

$0.78

2

Bloody Betrayal

$0.70

2

Nahiri’s Warcrafting

$0.98

15 Cards
$40.57

The 2th place was taken down with Mono-Red Aggro piloted by ejk!

A very stock Mono-Red Aggro list. As with every aggro deck it wants to win the game as fast as possible. This deck does that well with total of 12 copies of 1 mana threats and 11 copies of 2 mana threats with all of them having haste so they can connect the turn they come in! The Mono-Red Aggro strategy has been strong in a lot of standard rotations and this one isn’t an exception!

Esper Legends by MJ_23

by Vertyx

Buy on TCGplayer $509.48

Buy on Card Kingdom $666.45

Standard

best of 3

10 mythic

41 rare

5 uncommon

4 common

0

1

2

3

4

5

6+

Generate hand save deck (mtgo/arena) copy to clipboard (arena) Visual view Copy URL

Creatures (22)

4

Skrelv, Defector Mite

$19.96

4

Dennick, Pious Apprentice

$2.76

4

Rona, Herald of Invasion

$7.96

4

Raffine, Scheming Seer

$23.96

4

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

$319.96

2

Ao, the Dawn Sky

$3.98

Instants (8)

2

Cut Down

$3.58

3

Go for the Throat

$4.47

3

Make Disappear

$1.17

Enchantments (4)

4

Wedding Announcement

$39.96

Lands (26)

1

Plains

$0.35

4

Caves of Koilos

$3.16

4

Seachrome Coast

$19.96

1

Shipwreck Marsh

$5.99

4

Plaza of Heroes

$43.96

4

Darkslick Shores

$9.96

3

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

$26.97

3

Otawara, Soaring City

$83.97

2

Takenuma, Abandoned Mire

$23.98

60 Cards
$646.06

Sideboard

4

Razorlash Transmogrant

$1.96

2

Loran of the Third Path

$9.98

2

Ertai Resurrected

$1.98

2

Cut Down

$3.58

1

Surge of Salvation

$1.49

4

Disdainful Stroke

$1.40

15 Cards
$20.39

The 3rd place was took down with Esper Legends by MJ_23!

There are a few ways to build this deck. This pilot chose to play a very clean list with no one of card choices to maximize the probability of you drawing the same threats. 4 copies of Skrelv, Defector Mite as a powerful way to protect your strong threats like Raffine, Scheming Seer and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse.

This creature gameplan is also supported with Wedding Announcement which acts as an anthem effect that also creatures 1/1 tokens or draws you cards! Esper went down in numbers compared to the first 2 weeks but still puts up strong results almost every weekend!

Orzhov Midrange by _Batutinha_

by Vertyx

Buy on TCGplayer $285.77

Buy on Card Kingdom $407.51

Standard

best of 3

9 mythic

20 rare

15 uncommon

16 common

0

1

2

3

4

5

6+

Generate hand save deck (mtgo/arena) copy to clipboard (arena) Visual view Copy URL

Planeswalkers (6)

4

The Wandering Emperor

$111.96

2

The Eternal Wanderer

$4.98

Creatures (9)

3

Ambitious Farmhand

$1.05

1

Loran of the Third Path

$4.99

4

Serra Paragon

$19.96

1

Sanctuary Warden

$1.29

Instants (1)

1

Destroy Evil

$1.79

Sorceries (10)

4

Lay Down Arms

$1.40

2

Sunfall

$14.98

2

Farewell

$18.98

2

Breach the Multiverse

$18.98

Artifacts (1)

1

The Celestus

$2.29

Enchantments (9)

4

Ossification

$2.76

4

Wedding Announcement

$39.96

1

The Restoration of Eiganjo

$0.79

Lands (24)

9

Plains

$3.15

2

Swamp

$0.70

2

Field of Ruin

$0.78

2

Roadside Reliquary

$0.70

4

Obscura Storefront

$2.76

4

Raffine’s Tower

$63.96

1

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

$8.99

60 Cards
$327.2

Sideboard

1

Kaya, Intangible Slayer

$0.49

1

Loran of the Third Path

$4.99

3

Phyrexian Vindicator

$13.47

2

Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines

$49.98

1

Destroy Evil

$1.79

2

Knockout Blow

$0.70

4

Duress

$1.40

1

Sunfall

$7.49

15 Cards
$80.31

5th place was taken down with Orzhov Midrange by _Batutinha_! We also talk about this deck almost every weekend so you are probably already familiar with it.

To those who don’t know it the idea of the deck is quite simple. It wants to control the board with removal which white is really good at doing (either it being removal or planeswalkers)! When it comes to finishing the game the creatures this deck plays provide some sort of value either by replacing themselves or having other benefits (for example Serra Paragon and Loran of the Third Path).

If the clock of these smaller creatures in combination with Wedding Announcement isn’t enough the deck also splashes black for Breach the Multiverse which should be able to finish the game faster!

Mono-White Aggro by Hamuda

by Vertyx

Buy on TCGplayer $218.12

Buy on Card Kingdom $280.61

Standard

best of 3

3 mythic

25 rare

12 uncommon

20 common

0

1

2

3

4

5

6+

Generate hand save deck (mtgo/arena) copy to clipboard (arena) Visual view Copy URL

Planeswalkers (2)

2

The Wandering Emperor

$55.98

Creatures (30)

4

Recruitment Officer

$1.40

4

Hopeful Initiate

$11.96

2

Skrelv, Defector Mite

$9.98

1

Intrepid Adversary

$1.49

2

Cathar Commando

$1.58

4

Coppercoat Vanguard

$2.36

4

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

$3.96

2

Brutal Cathar

$2.58

4

Adeline, Resplendent Cathar

$51.96

1

Knight-Errant of Eos

$7.49

2

Steel Seraph

$4.58

Instants (1)

1

Destroy Evil

$1.79

Enchantments (4)

4

Ossification

$2.76

Lands (23)

17

Plains

$5.95

4

Mishra’s Foundry

$7.96

2

Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire

$17.98

60 Cards
$191.76

Sideboard

1

The Wandering Emperor

$27.99

2

Extraction Specialist

$1.18

2

Brutal Cathar

$2.58

1

Fateful Absence

$0.79

3

Destroy Evil

$5.37

4

Wedding Announcement

$39.96

2

Invasion of Gobakhan

$10.98

15 Cards
$88.85

The last 8th place was taken down with Mono-White Aggro by Hamuda!

Another aggro deck but this one in white! As with every aggro deck this one also wants to finish the opponent as fast as possible. When this deck gets to cast its creatures on curve it can get really tough for the opponent!

A good example would be turn 1 Recruitment Officer, turn 2 Coppercoat Vanguard into turn 3 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar which makes you attack for 7 on turn 3 in standard! That is a lot of power for standard so this deck can be very powerful when it works!

That’s it for today! I hope you enjoyed the article and see you soon!