Near the end of a Standard format it can be tough to innovate and come up with new decks. Most cards have been explored, and frankly with a new set just around the corner acquiring new cards to try things out can be a chore, so why not look to put a sweet twist onto an existing archetype?

Perhaps I can interest you in a one sided Armageddon?

Ashiok, Dream Render is already a reasonable card in Standard, as the anti-shuffle clause has good utility against Scapeshift decks and the graveyard hate clause works wonders against the Four-Color Kethis Combo deck from last week and a few other places, but we're thinking bigger.

I'll just lay it out for you; if you play Fall of the Thran with an Ashiok in play, you can exile all of the lands in your opponent's graveyard, making Fall of the Thran a one-sided Armageddon... nice Field of the Dead!

Time Stamps:

Match 1 - 00:07:09

Match 2 - 00:29:18

Match 3 - 00:46:44

Match 4 - 01:05:33

Match 5 - 01:14:51

Ashiok-Geddon | Core Set 2020 Standard | Jim Davis

• Planeswalkers (15)
• 1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
• 2 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 4 Narset, Parter of Veils
• 4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
• 4 Teferi, Time Raveler

• Instants (4)
• 2 Cast Down
• 2 Disfigure

• Sorceries (10)
• 1 The Elderspell
• 2 Legion's End
• 3 Kaya's Wrath
• 4 Thought Erasure

• Enchantments (5)
• 2 Fall of the Thran
• 3 Oath of Kaya

• Lands (26)
• 1 Plains
• 1 Swamp
• 4 Drowned Catacomb
• 4 Glacial Fortress
• 4 Godless Shrine
• 4 Hallowed Fountain
• 4 Isolated Chapel
• 4 Watery Grave

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Disfigure
• 3 Duress
• 2 Noxious Grasp
• 1 The Elderspell
• 1 Dovin's Veto
• 1 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 2 Thief of Sanity
• 2 Basilica Bell-Haunt
• 1 Kaya's Wrath
• 1 Enter the God-Eternals

Buy This Deck Export text format Export Arena format

Hah, well that's embarrassing. Damn you Field of the Dead decks!

Grafting the Ashiok+Fall of the Thran package onto Esper Control helps to give it an answer to Field of the Dead and other decks that try to go over the top with it, while also removing any need for creatures to win the game, thus blanking your opponent's removal. While Ashiok and Fall of the Thran don't perform well against more aggressive decks you're already very well situated there, and as we saw they are going to have dead creature removal as well.

If you're a control player looking for a different take on Esper Control, or just an evil person who loves destroying their opponent's lands, give Ashiok-Geddon a spin!

Follow Jim Davis on Twitter and Twitch!

https://twitter.com/JimDavisMTG

https://www.twitch.tv/jimdavismtg