Table of Contents
Hey everyone! The second MOM Arena Open (does that make it the stepmom open?) is coming this weekend and I’m here to help you do a little more prep. We had a suggestion in the MTG Arena Zone Premium Discord that I do an update on my archetype skeletons article half way through the set and I’m glad to deliver that here.
It’s an excellent opportunity to compare what I was right and wrong about as well as giving examples to shoot for in March of the Machine limited. For reference, you can look at my before the format started archetype predictions here:
For a quick refresher, these are what a solid version of these archetypes should look like. Basically, if you have an open lane but without anything too busted being opened. That means no mythics, one main set rare, one non-mythic card from the bonus sheet, four different uncommons, and not more than two of any common.
The mana bases are going to be static in every archetype with a dual land along with an eight and eight split of basics. We’re also going to try to choose rares that go along with the archetype theme instead of “I’m going to put Chrome Host Seedshark or Sunfall in because it is the stone-cold nuts”.
For more March of the Machine Limited resources, check them out below:
March of the Machine (MOM) Limited Guides
- Five-Color Archetype Guide - New!
- Tier List
- Archetypes Guide and Example Decks
- Battles Guide
- March of the Machine: The Aftermath Guide and Review
- Arena Open
- Draft Guide
- Combos and Synergies
- Underperformers and Overperformers
- Mechanics Guide
- Removal Guide: Unconditional Removal
- Removal Guide: Conditional Removal, Tempo and Sweepers
- Sealed and Prerelease Guide
- Multiverse Legends
- White Review
- Blue Review
- Black Review
- Red Review
- Green Review
- Artifacts, Lands, and Multicolor
Azorius
I’m going with the synergistic knights version of Azorius even though there are a few other variations that you can build. I was pretty close on this one, but there were certainly some things that could be upgraded. I mostly streamlined a low to the ground deck even further to go under any of the value decks.
I still like Angelic Intervention in these decks, but the potentially free to play Aerial Boost has been great in this style deck so I went with a mix. I spent way too long tinkering with this as there are a ton of different configurations even when committing to a specific archetype.
I changed the rare from Knight-Errant of Eos to Invasion of Gobakhan because it slides into the curve easier while keeping the pressure on instead of taking a turn off.
Creatures (16)
40 Cards
$20.14
Orzhov
This has been the much maligned “worst archetype” of the format. I actually think that people make way too big of a deal over things like that. It’s helpful up to a point of determining preference, but I see people writing things off way too early because of it (seriously it happens with red every set). Overall card quality is so high these days that being in a wide open lane is far more valuable than forcing the best deck.
In this case, I went with companioning Lurrus of the Dream-Den which obviously required an overhaul of the deck. If you’ve never companioned it before, it is cracked in half. Even if they remove it, you are still up a card and whatever you played off of it. If they don’t deal with it, they just lose. That’s a pretty insane range there.
It’s still a pile of Phyrexians stuffed with removal spells to try to control the board. While I wouldn’t recommend actively trying to be in Orzhov, you can certainly fall back on a good deck like this.
Companion
Creatures (12)
Sorceries (2)
Artifacts (1)
40 Cards
$14.24
Sideboard
1 Cards
$1.29
Boros
There really isn’t much to discuss about Boros because I identified that the equipment version with Reyav, Master Smith would be the preferred version. Seriously that card is terrifying at times. This still has back up as the back up plan (see what I did there?) with Bola Slinger being one of the main additions to help push damage.
Another change was adding in Marauding Dreadship as it has proven to be a big winner in any aggressive red decks. It’s still the same basic strategy of smashing the face with just enough stuff to clear the way.
Creatures (13)
Sorceries (2)
40 Cards
$14.42
Selesnya
Selesnya is another one that stayed pretty close to the original version with a little streamlining. I switched the rare from Ozolith, the Shattered Spire to Dusk Legion Duelist because I prefer to be ending games quickly here. I’d still happily play Ozzy in this deck, but optimally I would prefer the duelist.
I also took Invasion of Moag out for Storm the Seedcore because it applies a similar effect, but with a better chance at ending the game the turn you play it.
One of the other modifications I made was replacing Alabaster Host Sanctifier with Wary Thespian. This is mostly because the lifelink doesn’t matter as much as it has in previous formats (a lot to do with battles pseudo inflating life totals). The Wary Thespian also hits harder while providing card selection.
Creatures (17)
Sorceries (1)
Enchantments (2)
40 Cards
$16.92
Dimir
I was spot on with this one by saying that it was going to be better to just play a bunch of quality Dimir cards instead of focusing on the eight cards in your opponent’s graveyard plan. The original version basically nailed it with most of the changes being adding in cheaper cards like Assimilate Essence and Traumatic Revelationfor more expensive cards like Tidal Terror
In the uncommons, I flipped out Nezumi Freewheeler and Invasion of Eldraine for Captive Weird and Blightreaper Thallid Those are both cards you still actively want along with Skyclave Aerialist, but I only had room for so many uncommons here.
Creatures (13)
Instants (8)
40 Cards
$14.28
Izzet
Looking at my original version, there are quite a few misses. Halo Hopper is really bad unless you have the one drop into Ral's Reinforcements into turn two Hoppy. I’m not even playing the convoke signpost uncommon in this version (more of an uncommon restriction than a power level problem).
This version comes out hard and fast with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive being an absolute unit. As you can imagine, an unblockable Marauding Dreadship is a serious problem for your opponent.
Dafore and I talked about this deck a lot on the drafting red in MOM podcast episode and you should give it a listen if you are curious about it.
Creatures (10)
Instants (7)
Sorceries (2)
40 Cards
$14.42
Simic
There is another version of Simic with Tangled Skyline and Corruption of Towashi that I’ve had success with, but I went with the cheaper transform uncommons here instead. I also prefer to be in Sultai over straight Simic, but I am playing by the rules.
I was close, but somehow simultaneously very far away on this archetype. While keeping the same theme as the original version, it was missing a lot of cards whose overall power level were just higher than what was being provided by the synergistic ones from the original list.
Once I took out cards that cared about other cards being transformed, I was free to upgrade janky things like Order of the Mirror to Wary Thespian. Let’s be honest here, every single deck with blue should have had Preening Champion in it. I was trying to maintain some diversity, but it’s far too good to leave out.
Creatures (15)
40 Cards
$14.14
Rakdos
While the sacrifice version is viable, I have had a lot more success with the heavily aggressive version of this deck. It’s not nearly as underdrafted as it was a couple of weeks ago, but it’s still a nice lane to slide into when you see it wide open.
The Beamtown Beatstickis pretty key to keeping the beats coming as well as providing a stead stream of 3/3s in combination with Compleated Huntmaster.
Step one: Do red deck things. Step two: Profit.
Creatures (12)
Sorceries (2)
40 Cards
$14.42
Golgari
Good old Golgari midrange is still doing it’s thing here. One of my biggest mistakes was playing Renata, Called to the Hunt in the original version. It is just atrociously bad in this format since it’s too slow, doesn’t block well, and gets zero value when you play it. Not exactly optimum for four mana. I flipped that out for Fynn, the Fangbearer who does have the chance of a random poison kill between Glissa, Herald of Predation and Aetherblade Agent.
Most of the rest of the deck is pretty similar except for adding in Wary Thespians for smoothing. I apparently underrated that card in preview season as its being added into a lot of these decks.
Dropping the curve a bit is the main thing I’ve been doing on most of these decks. That’s in line with what happens as a format develops and people figure things out.
Creatures (15)
Instants (6)
Sorceries (1)
Enchantments (1)
40 Cards
$14.14
Gruul
I’m going to be honest here, I haven’t drafted a Gruul deck that I have actually liked this entire format. I’ve trophied with them, but I always feel like they are missing something. Maybe it’s because it’s supposed to be a battle deck, but that takes away from the whole Smorc approach Gruul is known for.
I’m pretty much scrapping the majority of the old list and counting this as my biggest miss of the format. Instead, I’m going with what I feel is the way to win with red decks in the format. That means Beamtown Beatstickand Marauding Dreadship while turning everything sideways ASAP.
It still feels like I am forcing this deck to exist, but Kogla and Yidaro is a good reason to be in these colors. Part of the struggle is that most of the good green commons are for multicolor shenanigans instead of beatdown. I’m not happy with it, but its an improvement on my original take.
Creatures (12)
Sorceries (2)
40 Cards
$15.56
Wrap Up
Thanks for reading! Hopefully this was a useful update that helps you score some of that sweet cash from WotC! Keep checking back as I’ll have another article up early next week. Until then, stay classy people!
I’m always open to feedback, let me know what you loved, what you hated, or just send dog pics. You can contact at:
