Standard Metagame Snapshot: Top Decks for the Week of April 13, 2022

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned

Bo1 Jeskai Combo

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $223.87

Standard

Combo

best of 1

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Creatures (8)

Goldspan Dragon

$83.96

$27.96

Instants (25)

Spikefield Hazard

$3.16

You See a Guard Approach

$0.35

Voltage Surge

$1.05

March of Swirling Mist

$11.98

$1.49

$0.70

$0.70

$1.77

$0.59

$1.98

$3.96

Sorceries (7)

$1.77

Alchemist’s Gambit

$0.98

$2.98

Lands (20)

$1.05

$1.40

$33.96

$9.49

$6.49

$3.49

$15.96

$24.99

Lier, Disciple of the Drowned

$5.99

60 Cards
$248.2

Jeskai Combo by Tristan Wylde-LaRue (1st)

by MTG Arena Zone

Buy on TCGplayer $226.69

Standard

Combo

best of 3

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Creatures (8)

Goldspan Dragon

$83.96

$27.96

Instants (26)

Spikefield Hazard

$3.16

Voltage Surge

$0.70

You See a Guard Approach

$0.35

March of Swirling Mist

$11.98

$1.49

$0.70

$1.77

$0.70

$1.98

$0.59

$0.35

$3.96

$0.35

Sorceries (6)

$1.77

Alchemist’s Gambit

$0.98

$1.49

Lands (20)

$1.05

$1.40

$3.49

$33.96

$9.49

$6.49

$15.96

$24.99

$5.99

60 Cards
$247.06

Sideboard

$0.59

$0.70

$0.70

$0.35

$1.05

$0.35

Galvanic Iteration

$0.59

Saw It Coming

$0.35

$1.05

15 Cards
$5.73

Topping our list for the overperformer of this week has to be the comeback kid story of Jeskai Combo. Jeskai is one of the most interesting cases in Standard as if you only looked at matchup data, you would assume this deck just isn’t good when that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s not that the deck isn’t good, it’s that it’s extremely difficult. It seems that only in the hands on extremely talented players can the deck’s true colors really show, and that’s proven with cftsoc winning a tournament with this deck out of nowhere weeks ago into Jeskai taking the first and third place spots in the hands of excellent players this week as well.

So establishing this deck is good what is it good at doing? Jeskai Combo is the inevitability machine. You can set up to such a point that your opponent is going to need a boatload of interaction to stop you or they risk losing the game in one fell swoop. What’s scary about this deck is that it can win out of complete nowhere too so the opponent has to be equally skilled to know when they can go for their best play or when they have to hold back. This is so effective as, again, given enough time this deck will pretty much always win as it can just brute force wins through a lot of interaction. This game plan is going to be more and more effective as the Standard meta has been an arms race of who can be the most grindy deck, an angle a combo deck doesn’t particularly care about.

I expect a lot more players to try this deck out short term, but as a whole, to continue to underperform as it’ll be too taxing for most people to play. Whether this deck doing well will have an appreciable impact on how the slower decks are constructed will also have to be seen, but if you’re bringing Esper to a tournament, you best load up on Soul Shatter.

Esper Planeswalkers

Find more Esper Planeswalker decklists in our deck database

esper planeswalkers

46.1% global win rate

Bo1 Esper Planeswalkers

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $351.12

Standard

Control

best of 1

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (12)

$13.96

$119.96

Sorin the Mirthless

$5.99

$20.97

Instants (11)

$7.16

$0.35

$2.29

$1.96

$2.79

Sorceries (5)

Doomskar

$2.97

Emeria’s Call

$15.98

Artifacts (5)

Portable Hole

$1.98

$5.97

Enchantments (2)

$79.98

Lands (25)

$0.35

$0.35

$13.47

$28.47

$20.97

$19.47

$7.98

Shattered Sanctum

$87.96

Shipwreck Marsh

$20.97

$9.99

$12.99

60 Cards
$505.28

Esper Planeswalkers

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $355.68

Standard

Control

best of 3

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (12)

$13.96

$119.96

Sorin the Mirthless

$5.99

$20.97

Instants (11)

$5.37

$2.29

$0.70

$1.96

$2.79

Sorceries (5)

Doomskar

$2.97

Emeria’s Call

$15.98

Artifacts (5)

Portable Hole

$1.98

$5.97

Enchantments (2)

$79.98

Lands (25)

$0.35

$0.35

$7.98

$65.97

$20.97

$19.47

$28.47

$20.97

$17.96

$12.99

$9.99

60 Cards
$486.34

Sideboard

Graveyard Trespasser

$1.98

Ray of Enfeeblement

$1.05

$0.70

Duress

$1.40

Doomskar

$0.99

Farewell

$17.98

$1.99

15 Cards
$26.09

Once again, we have Esper Planeswalkers gracing our list for another consecutive week. As everyone is starting to realize, this deck is just brutal to combat. It’s packed full of interaction and grindy cards so it can go long against realistically any deck and wind up on top. It’s done a fantastic job at gatekeeping smaller midrange decks from continued success as Esper can easily just accrue more value than they can in the course of a longer game. That said, while Esper persists to be an excellent choice, I believe it’s stranglehold is loosening on the metagame.

Now that Esper has been the top dog for a few weeks, it finally has developed a justifiable target on it’s back. A lot more decks are building with Esper in mind, and despite how strong it is, it’s far from unbeatable. The biggest indication of this is the uptick in Blue combo strategies which looks to circumvent the attrition game Esper wants to play and instead make it a game about interaction: stop me from doing this or you lose, it doesn’t matter how far ahead you are. With more decks going that direction and other strategies adding Blue in general to gain access to counter magic, I expect Esper’s grip to keep loosening, but to firmly remain as an strong choice regardless.

Naya Runes

naya runes

53.3% global win rate

vs Mono White Control

0.0% win rate

8 tracked matches

Bo1 Naya Runes

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $111.75

Standard

best of 1

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Creatures (15)

$1.40

$1.47

$1.40

$1.96

Sorceries (4)

Commune with Spirits

$1.40

Enchantments (18)

Rune of Might

$1.40

Rune of Speed

$0.70

Rune of Sustenance

$1.40

Touch the Spirit Realm

$3.16

Showdown of the Skalds

$7.16

Lands (23)

Forest

$0.70

$0.35

$11.96

$21.96

$25.96

$1.99

$2.49

$12.99

$0.00

$49.99

$9.99

60 Cards
$159.83

Naya Runes by hikiyamamatsurika (2nd)

by MTG Arena Zone

Buy on TCGplayer $216.49

Standard

Aggro

best of 3

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Creatures (16)

$1.40

$1.96

$1.40

$1.96

Sorceries (3)

Commune with Spirits

$1.05

Enchantments (18)

Rune of Speed

$1.05

Rune of Might

$1.40

Rune of Sustenance

$1.05

$79.96

Showdown of the Skalds

$7.16

Lands (23)

$51.96

$25.96

$17.97

$3.98

$21.96

$11.96

Cave of the Frost Dragon

$0.49

Boseiju, Who Endures

$49.99

60 Cards
$282.66

Sideboard

Reidane, God of the Worthy

$29.99

Elite Spellbinder

$1.47

Skyclave Apparition

$2.49

Guardian of Faith

$6.49

$0.69

$2.29

$0.35

$0.35

$2.97

Circle of Confinement

$0.35

Ranger Class

$0.49

15 Cards
$47.93

I did say last week that if the metagame changes a bit, you can expect Naya Runes to come rocketing back in the standings, I just didn’t expect it so soon! Rather than wait for the metagame to be a bit kinder to it, it’s starting to adapt by adding Fable of the Mirror-Breaker into the fold to make the deck more resilient to the slow decks of the format. Right now, I would say Runes is in a bit of a precarious position, but a very interesting one.

First off, Runes is still excellent at dismantling opposing creature strategies. If you aren’t interacting early and often, Runes can easily out-scale whatever front Mono White or Mono Green could produce. In a similar vein, Runes is really good at rebuilding and extracting a lot of value out of their cards so it can still be strong against the slower decks as well. So why the precarious position? It’s all about how much respect it gets. If people keep packing Farewell and other exile based removal, it will be a bear for Runes to continue winning at the rate it has. However, if the meta evolves to be more inbred slow decks trying to one up each other and aggro decks trying to go underneath them, I wouldn’t be surprised if Runes ends up as the best deck in Standard. Which way the meta will go is impossible to say, but I do expect Runes to be a great option for at least the short term.

Esper Midrange

esper midrange

52.4% global win rate

10.36% metagame share

vs Mono White Control

Bo1 Esper Midrange

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $356.21

Standard

Midrange

best of 1

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (10)

$13.96

$119.96

$13.98

Creatures (7)

Tainted Adversary

$6.98

Spirited Companion

$1.56

$0.49

Instants (6)

$0.35

Vanishing Verse

$1.96

Hagra Mauling

$1.29

Sorceries (4)

Bloodchief’s Thirst

$0.70

Starnheim Unleashed

$8.98

Enchantments (8)

The Restoration of Eiganjo

$79.98

Wedding Announcement

$55.96

$1.58

Lands (25)

$0.70

Hengegate Pathway

$28.47

Brightclimb Pathway

$17.96

Clearwater Pathway

$27.96

$7.98

Deserted Beach

$12.98

Shattered Sanctum

$87.96

Shipwreck Marsh

$13.98

$9.99

$12.99

60 Cards
$528.7

Sideboard

$1.47

3 Cards
$1.47

Esper Midrange by Alexander Rosdahl (8th)

by MTG Arena Zone

Buy on TCGplayer $394.53

Standard

Midrange

best of 3

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (10)

$13.96

$119.96

$13.98

Creatures (7)

Tainted Adversary

$6.98

Spirited Companion

$1.56

$0.49

Instants (7)

$0.35

Vanishing Verse

$1.96

$0.35

Hagra Mauling

$1.29

Sorceries (3)

Bloodchief’s Thirst

$0.35

Starnheim Unleashed

$8.98

Enchantments (8)

The Restoration of Eiganjo

$79.98

Wedding Announcement

$55.96

$1.58

Lands (25)

$0.70

$7.98

$28.47

$12.98

$17.96

$87.96

$27.96

$13.98

$9.99

$12.99

60 Cards
$528.7

Sideboard

$1.47

Annul

$0.35

Ray of Enfeeblement

$1.40

$0.35

$0.35

Duress

$0.70

Go Blank

$1.18

$39.99

15 Cards
$45.79

Last week it was Orzhov Midrange that I had claiming the best decks to play spot, this week, we have the Blue splash variant with Esper! Like Orzhov, Esper likes to split the difference between it’s matchups. You have a good amount of tools to give aggressive opponents migraines, but you also have a lot of interaction for the slower decks. Why this strategy is so effective right now is that the metagame is evolving to accommodate it better.

Last week, Orzhov was good as there were still a good amount of aggressive strategies and the slow decks were still respecting the fast decks a lot more. This week, I envision the slow decks to be more focused on beating each other and the aggro decks focused on beating the slow decks. When everyone else has a target on their back, it’s a good time to exploit that with a deck that can meaningfully take advantage of that.

Esper Midrange I believe is going to overperform this week specifically, and depending on how the metagame develops, continue to be an excellent option or need to quickly adapt if the meta goes a different direction like more combo decks. Esper does not do well against Jeskai Combo or Mill so those performing better is definitely scary, but they are still small parts of the metagame, so it may be an unfounded fear overall.

Temur Aggro

Find more Temur Aggro decklists in our deck database

temur aggro

54.7% global win rate

vs Mono White Control

Bo1 Temur Aggro

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $296.14

Standard

Aggro

best of 1

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (2)

Wrenn and Seven

$14.98

Creatures (18)

$1.40

$3.87

$3.96

$8.37

$83.96

Instants (6)

$1.05

Dragon’s Fire

$1.05

Sorceries (3)

$28.47

Artifacts (4)

Esika’s Chariot

$17.96

Enchantments (4)

$79.96

Lands (23)

Forest

$1.05

$0.35

$21.96

$33.96

$25.96

$11.98

$3.98

$2.49

$49.99

$5.99

60 Cards
$402.74

Temur Aggro by Mogged

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $237.82

Standard

Aggro

best of 3

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (2)

Wrenn and Seven

$14.98

Creatures (17)

$1.40

$3.87

$3.96

$8.37

$1.98

$20.99

Instants (3)

$1.05

Sorceries (7)

$28.47

$0.70

Invoke the Ancients

$0.98

Artifacts (4)

Esika’s Chariot

$17.96

Enchantments (4)

$79.96

Lands (23)

Forest

$1.05

$0.35

$25.96

$21.96

$5.97

$33.96

$4.98

$49.99

$5.99

60 Cards
$334.88

Sideboard

$1.40

$1.40

$1.05

$0.70

$0.70

15 Cards
$5.25

Just as I was ready to give up on Temur completely, it starts to impress me last week. With another weekend of results under it’s belt, it’s firmly in the category of one of my favorite decks to be playing right now.

In a weird sense, I would say Temur doesn’t do any one thing phenomenally, but does a lot of things well. It puts up reasonable pressure, it has reasonable interaction for aggressive matchups, and it has reasonable interaction for slower matchups. While I wouldn’t say it’s particularly dominant anywhere, it can be good everywhere as a result. Furthermore, the deck is malleable enough that it can adapt to particularly polarizing metagames which is a unique strength of the archetype. Think Blue decks are going to be really good this week? Just pack on more Disdainful Stroke!

I’m still a fan of having tools to beat anything like the list above, but I’m definitely not against adjusting to where you think the metagame is heading.

The Deck’s Looking To Break In / Next Best Options

Rakdos Anvil

rakdos anvil

49.8% global win rate

Bo1 Rakdos Anvil

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $267.3

Standard

Artifacts

best of 1

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Creatures (9)

Voldaren Epicure

$1.56

Sokenzan Smelter

$0.35

Bloodtithe Harvester

$1.40

Instants (12)

$1.40

$5.96

$0.70

$2.58

Sorceries (2)

Bloodchief’s Thirst

$0.35

$9.49

Artifacts (9)

Blood Fountain

$0.35

Experimental Synthesizer

$3.96

Oni-Cult Anvil

$1.40

Enchantments (6)

$159.96

$39.98

Lands (22)

Mountain

$1.40

$1.40

Blightstep Pathway

$27.96

Den of the Bugbear

$11.98

Haunted Ridge

$35.96

$7.98

$5.99

$12.99

60 Cards
$335.1

Rakdos Anvil by Daniel Duffee

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $311.91

Standard

Artifacts

best of 3

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (2)

Sorin the Mirthless

$11.98

Creatures (8)

Voldaren Epicure

$1.56

Bloodtithe Harvester

$1.40

Instants (12)

$1.40

$5.96

$0.70

$2.58

Sorceries (1)

$9.49

Artifacts (9)

Blood Fountain

$0.35

Experimental Synthesizer

$3.96

Oni-Cult Anvil

$1.40

Enchantments (6)

$79.98

$79.96

Lands (22)

Mountain

$1.40

$1.40

Blightstep Pathway

$27.96

Den of the Bugbear

$11.98

Haunted Ridge

$35.96

$7.98

$5.99

$12.99

60 Cards
$306.38

Sideboard

$6.99

Graveyard Trespasser

$1.98

Infernal Grasp

$4.58

Duress

$1.40

Go Blank

$1.18

$3.98

$79.98

15 Cards
$100.09

Rakdos Anvil’s Standard life cycle has been a rather tumultuous one going from unplayable, to one of the best decks, and now a very solid option. While Rakdos persists to be a good option against fast and slow decks alike, I think it has lost a bit of it’s edge on the metagame.

First off, there are fewer small ball aggro decks that Anvil can absolutely massacre (this may not continue to be true, but it was definitely true for this week). Second, there’s been an uptick of Esper and with more Esper means more Farewell. Anvil is a deck that’s great at grinding, but beating a Farewell is a very big ask. Last off, if combo decks become more popular, Anvil can lose it’s edge even more as barring a fast draw from them, the combo decks can definitely race what Anvil is doing.

If you have your reps with Anvil, I wouldn’t give up hope on it, but definitely look to start adapting it if possible.

Jeskai Mill

jeskai mill

0% global win rate

0.00% metagame share

Bo1 Jeskai Mill

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $164.92

Standard

Combo

best of 1

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Instants (27)

Spikefield Hazard

$3.16

Voltage Surge

$0.70

Abrade

$0.70

$0.35

$1.05

$2.36

$0.78

$0.99

$3.96

$1.96

Sorceries (12)

$0.70

$9.49

$1.77

Tasha’s Hideous Laughter

$20.97

$1.49

Farewell

$17.98

Artifacts (1)

$1.99

Lands (20)

$0.35

$0.35

$25.96

$33.96

$3.49

$11.98

$15.96

$25.98

$5.99

60 Cards
$194.42

Jeskai Mill by Tomas Pokorny (4th)

by MTG Arena Zone

Buy on TCGplayer $171.79

Standard

Tempo

best of 3

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Instants (28)

$0.35

$3.16

$2.36

$0.78

Abrade

$0.70

Jwari Disruption

$1.05

$0.35

Prismari Command

$0.99

Demon Bolt

$0.35

$0.35

Unexpected Windfall

$3.96

Invoke Calamity

$1.96

Sorceries (11)

$1.77

$0.35

$9.49

Tasha’s Hideous Laughter

$20.97

$1.49

Farewell

$17.98

Artifacts (1)

$1.99

Lands (20)

$0.35

$0.35

$25.96

$15.96

$25.98

$33.96

$3.49

$11.98

$5.99

60 Cards
$194.42

Sideboard

Smoldering Egg

$2.76

$0.70

$0.70

Abrade

$0.35

$0.70

$0.35

Crush the Weak

$0.70

Starnheim Unleashed

$4.49

15 Cards
$10.75

Coming up to our second Jeskai combo deck of the article, we have Jeskai Mill!

Originally championed by Shota Yasooka as an Alchemy deck, Jeskai has finally gotten the respect it deserves in Standard and is starting to see good results. Based on the metagame trends, this isn’t really surprising. Aggressive decks are becoming less and less prevalent where grinding people out is becoming increasingly more important. Like Jeskai Combo from above, all the advantages in the world don’t mean much if you’re just dead. Jeskai Mill is really good at getting the game to a point where it can copy a boatload of Tasha’s Hideous Laughter to kill the opponent in one fell swoop, and beyond counter magic and hand disruption, there isn’t too much opposing decks can do about it.

Right now I have Jeskai relegated as just a fine option as it still needs two definitive things: more results and a more stable metagame. More results is self-explanatory, but a more stable metagame is vital for Mill’s continued success. It’s pulled in a lot of directions between having enough interaction for aggro and enough interaction for control so if you always have to split the difference, I don’t think Jeskai can perform up to it’s true strength. If the meta keeps slowing down and Mill can safely play more counter magic, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this becoming one of the best meta decks in a few weeks.

Azorius Control

Find more Azorius Control decklists in our deck database

azorius control

49.5% global win rate

71.4% win rate

7 tracked matches

66.7% win rate

6 tracked matches

Bo1 Azorius Control

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $201.98

Standard

Control

best of 1

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (3)

$89.97

Creatures (3)

Iymrith, Desert Doom

$6.87

Instants (20)

Syncopate

$0.70

$5.37

$0.70

Jwari Disruption

$1.40

Fateful Absence

$2.37

$1.05

Memory Deluge

$3.87

Sorceries (11)

$1.05

$2.97

$17.98

$27.99

$15.98

Artifacts (2)

$1.99

$1.99

Lands (21)

$0.70

$1.05

Field of Ruin

$1.47

Hengegate Pathway

$37.96

Hall of Storm Giants

$3.49

Cave of the Frost Dragon

$0.98

Deserted Beach

$25.96

$24.99

$9.99

60 Cards
$288.84

Azorius Control by Pedro Urquisa Barbosa

by DoggertQBones

Buy on TCGplayer $216.63

Standard

Control

best of 3

mythic
rare
uncommon
common

Planeswalkers (3)

$89.97

Creatures (3)

Iymrith, Desert Doom

$6.87

Instants (22)

$5.37

Syncopate

$0.70

Jwari Disruption

$1.40

Fateful Absence

$2.37

You Find the Villains’ Lair

$0.70

$0.70

$1.05

Memory Deluge

$3.87

Sorceries (8)

$2.97

$17.98

$27.99

$15.98

Artifacts (3)

$3.98

$1.99

Lands (21)

$0.70

$1.05

Field of Ruin

$1.47

Deserted Beach

$25.96

Hall of Storm Giants

$3.49

Cave of the Frost Dragon

$0.98

Hengegate Pathway

$37.96

$24.99