Tier 1 Standard Deck Updates Going Into Innistrad: Crimson Vow

Innistrad: Crimson Vow is here! With it, incredible new cards arrive to enrich Standard. It’s true that new archetypes will be born, the Innistrad tribes will be strengthened, and some strategies in particular will be favored, however, after a thorough analysis, today I can clearly say that the strongest strategies of pre-Crimson Vow Standard will remain and all will have new cards to enjoy.

I think there is no doubt about which are the strongest decks. With the passing of the weeks and a considerable amount of tournaments already in the books, five are the decks that repeatedly demonstrate their competitiveness by securing top-eight spots on a recurring basis.

What can Crimson Vow bring to the table for White Weenie, Izzet Dragons, Izzet Turns, Mono Green, and Temur? I invite you to discover it with me in the following lines.

---

Mono White Aggro

Hands down one of my favorite decks from the current Standard. White Weenie was a great contender from moments before the rotation (Standard 2022), and with Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, the deck received great improvements that catapulted it into direct combat with the strongest decks on equal terms.

It is important to note that this archetype currently has two variants. One focused on playing two spells per turn during early game playing cards as Codespell Cleric, Monk of the Open Hand and Clarion Spirit, and another which focuses mainly on the relevance of exiling cards from the game in order to make our Stonebinder's Familiar bigger, using cards like Sungold Sentinel.

Both iterations of the deck are really strong, however, it is the second that is currently the most popular, thanks to the players who decided to register it as their deck for Standard during the last World Championship.

Regardless of popularity, I think Innistrad: Crimson Vow brings a lot of tools that allow us to propose two lists, one for each variant of this archetype.

Do you remember Seasoned Hallowblade? It’s back, in form of Fleeting Spirit. For those who don’t remember how amazing Seasoned Hallowblade was, even if it’s not a rare you can compare it to Luminarch Aspirant in some way; a second drop that can single handedly win a game if not answered asap. Removing this kind of creature is a nightmare for our opponents. They could try, but every card in our hand counts as a “counter” for any removal they have.

This is the reason why we can’t let the chance of trying this new uncommon creature pass by. But wait, when we protect Fleeting Spirit we do it by exiling a card, our Stonebinder's Familiar found a new best friend.

With other amazing cards that exile an opponent’s card during our turn like Portable Hole or Sungold Sentinel, playing 4 Stonebinder's Familiar is going to be better than ever. If we add to this the Thalia, Guardian of Thraben reprint, Mono White looks in amazing shape. Not only are our opponents going to have a hard time dealing with our creatures, it’s going to cost them more thanks to one of the best white two drops in the history of the game.

Speaking of old acquaintances and little dogs, do you remember Selfless Savior? Now Ollenbock Escort is here, ready to save more than one with his amazing ability. Unlike Selfless Savior, Ollenbock Escort needs a +1/+1 counter on our targeted creature, but in this shell it’s something really easy to accomplish. Plus, Ollenbock Escort‘s ability gives lifelink, something that in some scenarios can be a game changer.

As we can see, both lists have their own plan, but in general terms both function very similarly and many of the cards could work in one or the other. It’s just matter of time (and some testing) to solidify the best White aggro strategy. Who knows? Maybe the best deck is somewhere in a fusion of both lists. I really want to start testing them!

Honorable Mentions

I reviewed the whole set trying to find the best new cards for this archetype, and that led me to some cards that, even if they are not in my final list, could be testing material without a doubt. For White we have 6 potential inclusions.

The first and most important of all is Valorous Stance. Without a doubt this card is strong. In Fate Reforged (second set in the Khans of Tarkir block), we wanted to always play 4 in our 75 and we probably want the same here but the situation now is that we have so many good cards in White. Only a lot of testing and attention to how the meta evolves can tell us what to do. Keep an eye open to the new evolving competitive environment and don’t doubt in adding this card when needed.

Welcoming Vampire is gas! If control revives (Dimir is on its way) or midrange decks rise again, attrition matches are going to be to the order of the day. If this happens, drawing cards in a Mentor of the Meek way (but free) is surely going to let us grind those matchups.

Even if we don’t splash red or play Boros, Lantern Flare looks amazing in certain situations. If Mono Green or an aggro metagame is the future of standard, playing this card even without paying the Cleave ability is extremely powerful. It’s like our Kabira Takedown but with a lifegain effect included. It’s not a land, but as a two mana removal spell like Fateful Absence, it’s 100% playable.

Many new powerful vampires and a new triland (Voldaren Estate) are pushing this tribe hard. If that became relevant in the new Standard, Circle of Confinement is surely going to be sideboard material.

On the same idea train, By Invitation Only could be incredibly good in the proper meta. We swarm the board quickly enough for casting this spell and sacrifice 2 or 3 creatures (especially if we play Clarion Spirit in our deck) and leave our opponent’s side of the battlefield blank while we still keep 2 or 3 powerful threats.

---

Izzet Dragons and Izzet Ephipany

Nothing more and nothing less than the actual World Champion and its fraternal twin. One card is extremely important here; one that can change the future of Standard. Manaform Hellkite will define a lot in the post Crimson Vow era and with it, Izzet Dragons and Izzet Ephipany will overlap more than ever. Both decks really like the idea of playing a full set of it. Nonetheless, there are key differences in our building process and we have to be attentive to them.

Both decks play Alrund's Epiphany and make the most of this powerful spell, but the first key difference lies in the creature count. Izzet Dragons play Smoldering Egg and Goldspan Dragon while Izzet Ephipany tends to play without creatures; both approaches have their advantages. For example (and another difference between both decks): Dragon's Fire could easily deal 4 damage in a dragons deck (something incredibly relevant in the current state of the meta), meanwhile Izzet Ephipany relies on other tricks like Burn Down the House or Demon Bolt to deal with larger creatures. Izzet Dragons could win without going for a power play with the extra turns, Izzet Ephipany on the other hand (well, as it names implies) needs a big set up and preparation for winning with a x3 or x4 extra turns in a row.

These differences and how both decks try to function would be better described with examples of their new versions.

In the Dragons version of Izzet, we can see that we are still playing 4 Smoldering Egg and we cut 2 Goldspan Dragon because we don’t want to be too creature dense; 10 creatures looks like the right number for us. Now, with an increased number of Dragons, Dragon's Fire would be better against Mono Green for dealing 4 damage more often. Everything looks similar to our older version, except we are playing 1 Thirst for Discovery. This draw spell looks amazing to me. As an old player I remember cards like Thirst for Knowledge or Thirst for Meaning. If those cards work, why wouldn’t a card that goes for a basic land discard (something that we can do most of the time).

It’s just a matter of time for us to realize how many Thirst for Discovery we really want and with that in consideration adapt our mana base.

On our sideboard we can see a few new cards that look very promising. To me, Hullbreaker Horror is some kind of Nezahal, Primal Tide. Many of us remember how Nezahal destroys Jeskai Control Mirrors in Historic. I know Hullbreaker Horror doesn’t have an ability that protects it by default, but if we play it in the right moment (something not too hard because it has Flash), protecting it with its own ability of returning threatening spells to our opponent hands can be an easy task.

Wash Away looks like a direct answer to Izzet mirrors. It lets us counter any Alrund's Epiphany attempt for just one mana while being a regular Cancel if we pay its Cleave cost. Without a doubt this counter is going to be around as long as Ephipany is.

Finally, Consuming Tide looks like an incredible tempo swing to me. Having amazing creatures that can impact the game so powerfully if unchecked for a turn, returning all the white (or green) swarm to our opponents hands and drawing some cards in the process could be a very good play.

Now, on the other side of the mirror, Izzet Ephipany’s old version plays without creatures, but leaving Manaform Hellkite out looks like something we don’t want to do. One single Alrund's Epiphany with Manaform Hellkite in play could mean the end of the game.

This deck plays more cheap interaction like Fading Hope, Cathartic Pyre and Demon Bolt for surviving the first turns (because of the lack of Smoldering Egg) and some kind of ramp in Unexpected Windfall form. We cut Burn Down the House because most of the time we don’t want to kill any of our dragons in the process, but sneaking in 1 or 2 copies could be possible.

Beside that, Alchemist's Gambit is our newest toy. Look at it as a Galvanic Iteration number 5 and 6 for our Alrund's Epiphany when needed but with the advantage of not having to pay for it until the next turn. Let me explain further, most of the time with Manaform Hellkite on the battlefield, one single extra turn could mean the end of the game. In the case our opponent is still alive after receiving 10 damage (Hellkite + foretold Epiphany), having an extra turn for 3 mana even if we lose the game after it is all we need for closing games more consistently without extremely big setups. On the other hand, as a bonus, if we manage to play Alchemist's Gambit for it’s full Cleave cost, that would mean 12 flying attacking power.

In the sideboard , we play almost identically as Izzet Dragons but with 1 , who is better in this almost creatureless shell becase we have more spells to “flashback” with it.

With all this we can clearly say that both variants of Izzet look even more powerful (yes, as scary it sounds) than before. And if that wasn’t enough, I have some honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions

I already talked a bit about Thirst for Discovery, but Inspired Idea could be another draw spell to consider. Most of the time, its drawback of reducing our hand size is something that doesn’t worry us. Played in the mid or late states of the game, our hand would be almost empty or with just 2 or 3 cards, so testing 2 copies is very doable (and playing it for five without the drawback is extremely fair).

Syncopate is a classic. Since Oddysey block, this counter is always played when legal on Standard. Figuring out how many copies we want in our 75 is just a matter of time and careful study on how the metagame evolves.

Reckless Impulse sounds very familiar to me. It’s like a Light Up the Stage but in the middle of the regular mana value and the Spectacle one. And know that this could be better in some kind of mono red that lacks drawing capabilities, but a sorcery for 2 mana that (virtually) gives us 2 cards is something we want to consider and maybe play accompanying Expressive Iteration.

Jacob Hauken, Inspector is being compared to Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. It can be a very difficult pair of shoes to fill, but if Jacob lives long enough (like Jace) we can start gaining the advantage provided by Hauken's Insight.

I was wondering about making a full Eruth, Tormented Prophet version. Focusing more on combo-ing with the turns asap instead of controlling the game. Who knows, maybe this could be a potentially faster way of setting up.

On the other hand, Wandering Mind could be an amazing way of finding the pieces we need for going off with the extra turns. Looking at six or more cards most of the time ends up meaning that we are in front of a strong/broken card. Testing this Horror can surely be impressive.

Finally, one of the best flex removals from Modern/Historic is here. Abrade is a good Magic card overall. Instant, can kill a creature, can check artifacts such as Esika's Chariot… Playing 2-3 if our deck is playing red could start becoming the way to go depending on how the meta evolves.

---

Mono Green Aggro

Another member of the Big Three during Standard 2022 is here. Mono Green has proven many times post rotation that it’s one of the stronger contenders in the Tier 1 environment. Now with the new tools (our, should I say, puppies?) Innistrad: Crimson Vow brings us, it’s easy to say that this archetype has all it needs to remain at the top of the contest.

There was a moment during Innistrad: Midnight Hunt meta when Mono Green shifted its wheels a little bit and started playing Sculptor of Winter and in some cases even Jaspera Sentinel. It’s not a bad idea going for ramping creatures the first turns and then start slamming threat after threat, but now Innistrad: Crimson Vow gives us what we needed to cover vital missing spots in a completely aggro plan, so how does it look?

Ascendant Packleader is the Savannah Lions that the archetype needed a long time ago. It was because of the necessity of having a turn one play Jaspera Sentinel was included in the last iteration of the deck, but now with this one drop, attacking for two on turn two is possible once again. It doesn’t have any immediate ability in the early game, but with 8 four drops, making this little fella a 3/2 is not that hard. The fact that this could be a 3/2 for one when top decked in the mid or late game I think is going to be relevant enough for claiming a spot on the Mono Green list.

With the sure increase in the popularity of graveyard based strategies (and many Flashback and Disturb cards floating around), Cemetery Prowler looks amazing. A 3/4 vigilance body for 3 sounds good, now imagine that plus checking problematic spells, removing a creature from any graveyard and playing almost all our creatures for 1 less mana? This is going to be more relevant that you think, amigos.

Now, the jewel in the crown. Ulvenwald Oddity is the newest Questing Beast in town. It hits fast, it hits hard and if we pay 7, well, you know how this is going to end. The best part, it can enter the battlefield on turn 3 thanks to our 4 Tangled Florahedron.

With these three new friends, Mono Green is in an extremely good position, and surely is going to be making a a lot of people hit Mythic (just like Mono White). Don’t doubt Mono Green is going to be in any top 8 of a tournament you play. Ah! By the way, we have a few potential inclusions here too!

Honorable Mentions

Avabruck Caretaker is a card that could be a the top of our curve. It costs 6, but in the proper state of the meta, playing two copies on our sideboard could be the tool we need to grind those attrition matchups that could be hard if midrange or control rise again.

Do you remember how one single copy of Pelakka Wurm could destroy Mono Red or aggro strategies a few years ago? Well, its “cousin” Bramble Wurm is here to do the same. If aggro is going to be the shape of the new meta game, 1-2 of these wurms could be our MVPs.

---

Temur Teasures

Last but not least, Temur. Even if it might be less played these days, it’s a top 2 Worlds archetype. Without a doubt, this deck is going to remain relevant after Innistrad: Crimson Vow’s release. We have to keep in mind that Gruul had its moment when Innistrad: Midnight Hunt was released, and the inclusion of a third color was a meta call for the World Championship. Negate and Disdainful Stroke were a crucial part of Jean-Emmanuel Depraz’s fight against Izzet decks.

With the relevance Izzet is going to have with Manaform Hellkite, keeping this archetype tricolored is a good choice.

Of all the decks we presented today, Temur is probably the one with the least new cards, but adding Ulvenwald Oddity instead of Moonveil Regent makes the deck more aggressive than before. First, Ulvenwald Oddity doesn’t depend on Reckless Stormseeker to give it haste, and with the incredible amount of mana this deck can generate, playing it on turn 3 or even transforming it on turn 5 is more common that it might seem.

Our other Innistrad: Crimson Vow card is in our sideboard. Instead of two copies of Disdainful Stroke we play Wash Away. Having the capability of countering Alrund's Epiphany for just one blue mana lets us play aggressively. On many occasions, having to leave one mana open instead of two can be the difference between winning and losing.

Without a doubt, RGx strategies are going to be in the meta. Having the opportunity of generating 6 mana on turn three is something that we don’t see everyday in Standard.

Honorable Mentions

We already mentioned in this column cards such as Manaform Hellkite (that could have some shenanigans with Esika's Chariot in this deck), Reckless Impulse, Abrade, Cemetery Prowler, Avabruck Caretaker and Bramble Wurm, but we still have two new cards that could potentially see play in this archetype.

First, we have to mention Kessig Wolfrider. As simple as the card seems, this creature could win attrition matches alone. This Temur deck packs a “transforming plan” with many Wolf/Werewolves on our sideboard. Having the chance of recovering board presence while getting +1/+1 with Kessig Naturalist looks like something we could try.

The last new card in this column, Halana and Alena, Partners. I was extremly close to maindecking 2 copies of this creature. Even if our two heavy beaters, Ulvenwald Oddity and Goldspan Dragon, have haste now, making them 6/6 permanently sounds amazing and something that our opponents have to answer immediately or lose the game in two turns.

---

Final Notes

Without a doubt, Innistrad: Crimson Vow brings with it a lot of really interesting new cards and will be the bases of the new Standard. Many are comparing the new set in terms of power level to thrones of Eldraine, and honestly, after thoroughly studying every new card, it doesn’t seems like a very far off from reality comparision.

It is clear that with the passage of the first few days, the new cards and archetypes will gradually consolidate. Surely many new strategies will rise and it’s only matter of time until we really know what the new meta game holds for us. What is clear is that these five archetypes, the Tier 1 of the Midnight Hunt Standard, are still there and stronger than ever. Until then, I hope these list that I have brought to you serve as a basis to start off with the right foot and step firmly into the new Standard.

Until the next time, remember to be positive, believe in yourself and enjoy life.