Standard Top 8 Store Championship Aetherdrift (Bordeaux, France) | Analysis

Happy monday to everyone looking for some news on Standard metagame this week I come up with a new analysis on Aetherdrift Store Championship held in Bordeaux, France, oui mon amie let’s dive a little on what seems to be the new metagame changes since the Aetherdrift Protour held on chicago, from back then I knew things would turn over more in favor to control decks given that stalling decks with overlords present or reanimator decks play in the longrun strategy and that’s why mono red exists to keep things in check while everybody plays to win on turn 4 through 7, mono red wants to end the match in turn 3 with heartfire hero being extremely convenient, but surprinsingly enough at this championship store event, you can clearly reflect on the MTG Arena meta presence all too well, with the addition of Aetherdrift Mono red Goblin is having a solid chance to make it big time. let’s take a look at the Top 8.

5th-8th

Rakdos Reanimator – Pierre Pouysegur

This is a reanimator deck you rarely see out there, it’s focused on the premise that either way you reanimate a bomb it will be dealt with, so its all about keeping the reanimator running rather than a one time early bomb, Overlord of the Balemurk is a distinct piece to bring out creatures to the graveyard and reanimate later on, Overlord of Boilerbilges another removal or damage dealing source, Phyrexian Arena and Fear of Missing out as I like to call it draw lubricators helps get that draw going, as for the big threat factor Coiling Rebirth you have the cool option to gift a card and you will make a copy of target reanimated creature you are already bringing to the table “Talk about Value huh”, so by 5th turn you’ll bring 2 red overlords dealing 8 damage total on abilities and if by any chance you have a Enduring Courage these overlords will stomp through that very same turn for another 8 damage total from abilities and I am not factoring combat damage let’s just leave it to your imagination if you can survive that.

So this deck is a low setup into monumental reanimating value, with a swift removal early on to live through until the massacre happens.

Totally love this decks might try out later on the week.

Gruul Aggro – Hugo Bost

You have probably encountered a bunch of these Gruul’s archetypes by now if not, well its simple if a bit slower than monored but with the guarantee Innkeeper's Talent will protect creatures and pump up creatures steadily as turns goes by, other versions try to cast hexproofing spells but this one is all about damage first questions later, Screaming Nemesis is a tremendous value card with just one activation of its ability you can prevent your opponent from gaining life the rest of the game, and yes you have your typical mice hate gang present maximizing efforts either with top decking Emberheart Challenger or stomping faces with Heartfire Hero, and I cannot stop to think how unfair Monstrous Rage is, its a +3/+1 and trample source that triggers both mice abilities and even prowess, every time I see it being played I just close my eyes and hope for the best.

I am still conviced that deck that run Sentinel of the nameless city is just to get rid of the lands to top deck through, yeah value creature at first but easily to get rid off and not much of a threat in comparison.

Golgari Midrange – Tom Papacotsia

This deck wants to bully its opponent the first turns by removing cards from hand, and removing the first critters that enters the battlefield, I would consider this to be a slow deck in comparison to Overlords decks that gain advantage with the Beanstalk and green Overlord spitting lands for cheap, but to put things into perspective this deck heavily relies on Glissa Sunslayer and everytime she damages an opponent gets to pick to destroy an enchantment so speaking in Overlords terms there are no Overlords, and later on this wants to reanimate or wincon through Season of Loss a card that deserves more play but given the current meta I don’t it will happen anytime soon, there are too many decks getting graveyard attention and then everybody will main Rest in Peace anyways, this deck focuses on midgame scratching life points with Sheoldred, The Apocalypse punishing draws and Preacher of the Schism getting that pressure going.

It seems Mr. Papacotsia got a chance to make it Top 8 which I am impressed because there is too many combo decks exploding turn 4, and being able to pilot it through is no easy feat.

3rd-4th

Bant Poison – Georges Lucianaz

I’ve been saying for quite some time that cards like Skrelv, Defector Mite and Skrelv's Hive not just because I am fond the little cute phyrexian king critter, but because he is a hexproof and poison source, this deck I really like is constant creature output, and it’s incredibly difficult nearly impossible to remove poison counters, unless you are a madlad maining Melira, The living cure, Mockingbird play into Jawbone Duelist is just pure nightmare fuel, not only two toxic critters but double strike, pair them with Shore Up and its a real menace, and if you happen to wipe the board a few times, there are some Proliferate spell you should worry about that might close the deal.

Zur Linkisiteur – Chris Linkisiteur

Well you probably know this one if you have played Standard Arena enough, this deck is slow but once Up hits play and Overlord of the hauntwoods comes next turn its just the draw engine running, that’s why I try to remove on sight the Beanstalk and delay its sources, I am going to be honest and devote my hatred into the Leyline Binding just one land of the Green Overlord cheaps it to one mana, yes, a one mana spell that triggers the beanstalk, and removes one of your threats easily, I think that’s why nowadays if your decks has enchantmant removals you are pretty much safe, but it doesn’t seem to be enough, this deck might play an Atraxa, Grand Unifier early on, if that’s not all, the big menace here is Zur, Eternal Schemer by merely two mana he can convert enchantments into creatures, yes those impending counter doesn’t matter anymore.

In my experience against this deck is just to destroy beanstalk on sight, and be quirurgic precise with board wipes and removals.

Mono Red Goblin – Gabriel Doux

What a sight to behold a new mono red theme into the fray, Goblins once at it again dominating play, it might not have the early turn damages of the mice hate gang, but has other resources to come up top on the later turns, the main new protagonists I am expecting to see for some time now are the Burnout Bashtronaut with the new mechanic Start your engines and at max speed it gains double strike with a 2 mana pump up ability, and Howlsquad Heavy ditching out goblins that must attack if able, and of course this deck relies on its signature ability goblins gains haste, a surprise Krenko, Mob Boss populates the battlefield with many goblins with said again haste and you could maximizes with Max speed and add tons of mana with the Howlsquad into a complete hand cast of goblins and attack for the win.

2nd

UW Control – Søren Neumann Hansen

I firmly believe this a 100% stall strategy, early spellcounters No More Lies and early critter removal Temporary Lockdown into playing a Jace, The Perfected Mind milling decks the sinister way, yes, he just comes to -5 a few times and mill 15 cards per appearance, diminishing your abilities to fight the endgame of the match yes its that simple its not even aiming to mill you completely just to stall the match enough to defeat you with small critters or the Horned Loch-Whale flashing in for big damages.

1st

Azorius Omniscience Combo – Raphaël Mas

Remember when I was talking about 4th turn kills and combos? well here it is, this deck I love to hate it, counterspell your turns into a 4th turn Abuelo's Awakening into a 1/1 critter Omniscience yeah what harm could a small critter enchantment do? well, it starts by drawing the deck until he finds Invasion of Archavios finding Breach the Multiverse and if it that’s not all to win trough it will go on repeat by casting This town isn't big enough and recasting Invasion of Archavios for another Breach, take a look at the sideboard and it has a plan for anything coming up against it.

Final Thoughts

The reason I pick this top 8 its because the Omniscience combo is too strong to answer against, our only hero that could do anything against it seems to be Mice Hate gang mono red, which I never expect to say it, yes of course Combo decks have a hard time against counterspells but it ends up being blue against blue, Though I am really satisfied with these decks on this top 8, but everyday I match up against Omniscience decks and it’s getting tiring, I am coming up with an Izzet deck to spellsling through the Omniscience but time will tell, until the next one may your spells never be counterspelled! Code out !