When it comes to the Standard meta in Magic: The Gathering, Izzet Lessons is one of the top meta decks that you'll encounter in competitive play. After taking the win in the last major tournament of 2025, Izzet Lessons is now running multiple variants but core of the deck works the same either way.

Izzet Lessons is built around a few defining pieces. Low-cost lesson spells are set up to keep the pilot's hand stocked and keeping your creatures and threats off the board. While the lessons, are the fuel that makes the deck go, but not necessarily the way that the deck wins.

While casting lessons, they will keep cycling their key spells back into their hand using Stormchaser's Talent and Boomerang Basics. This also will provide them with 1/1 otters with prowess. This is threat number one, as there will be a ton of spells being cast and it will be difficult to keep bodies on the board.

With Gran-Granand Artist's Talent providing card cycling options and spell discounts. While this will burn through their deck quickly, the next major threat lies in Monument to Endurance. This artifact will allow them to create treasure tokens, draw additional cards, and ping you for 3 damage every turn for each Monument to Endurance they have when they discard cards.

So how do you beat this deck?

By shutting it down.

Izzet Lessons requires a few things to function correctly. First off, lessons in the graveyard allow Gran-Gran to discount spells and Accumulate Wisdom to pull three cards into their hand instead of one.

The next thing the deck needs is the ability to chain spells. Drawing cards and discarding spells they don't need keeps their hand dangerous, while making full use of Monument to Endurance while also keeping counterspell options like It'll Quench Ya looming.

Finally, the reliance on the two enchantments and the artifact are what creates the major wincons. They tie the whole strategy together and keep the chamber full. Each piece that is missing weakens the deck.

If you are running White in your deck, consider:

• High Noon - Only casting one spell a turn slows down Izzet Lessons considerably. It also allows you to also retaliate against their best pieces. Plus if you are also running Red you can also blast any target with some damage (including directly to their face).
• Rest in Peace - No graveyard, no problem! Without spell recursion and half of their discount engine, the deck slows to a crawl.
• Get Lost - Remove threats at instant speed. You may end up giving your opponent a map token or two, but that's a better option than those otters and Monument to Endurance.

If your are running Black, congratulations, you have a ton of options:

• Ancient Vendetta - Exile 4 cards with the same name. Remove Monument to Endurance, Stormchaser's Talent and Artist's Talent.
• Strategic Betrayal - Get rid of one of those pesky otters, or even Gran-Gran. Then the Izzet Lesson player also gets rid of their graveyard. Two birds with one sorcery.
• Deadly Cover-Up - This requires one of the deck's key pieces to be in their graveyard, but if used smart, you can get rid of a pesky spell, or even one of their key pieces you've caught up in a counterspell.

Speaking of counterspells, if you are running Blue, consider:

• Counterspells - Annul, Phantom Interference, It'll Quench Ya! plus many others are absolutely viable options.

If you are running Red you can do really have some fun if you consider:

• Magebane Lizard - Most of Izzet Lessons are noncreature spells. This sneaky burn option will even hurt to remove, with damage stacking on each spell cast on the turn.
• Scalding Viper - Much like the lizard, this creature will ping your opponent (and your opponent only) each time they cast ANY spell three mana or less. That's like every spell in the deck! Plus it has a bounce baked in as an adventure.

If you are running Green, things are much more straightforward:

• Pick Your Poison - You can easily pick the biggest threat that on your turn and cause your opponent to sacrifice it. It's not the super direct solution, but it works!
• Broken Wings or Pawpatch Formation - Just like Pick Your Poison but you get to choose your target.

Brute force options like Ouroboroid work well too. As long as you can keep them on the board to attack.

With these options, it is important to remember that newer versions of Izzet Lesson are using more creatures with a lot more power. Be ready to deal with those in your sideboard too!