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Shifting Ideas

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Bant Scapeshift is arguably the best deck currently in Standard. Week after week, it has taken down tournaments left and right. The combination of Scapeshift and Field of the Dead has proven itself to be extremely powerful. But just because Bant Scapeshift has a history of performing well doesn't mean there's no room for innovation. If the engine of the deck is a colorless land and a Green sorcery, could this engine perform just as well in a different color combination? Today I have for you a few decks that use the Scapeshift/Field of the Dead combo but aren't in Bant colors. Let's see how they stack up.

Simic Scapeshift

The first deck I have for you this week runs on two of the three colors in Bant - Blue and Green. Without White, what can this deck do? Let's take a look at it:


Elvish Rejuvenator
While removing the White from this type of deck means you can no longer play Teferi, Time Raveler, it also makes the deck a little more streamlined. This deck is very focused on getting extra lands into play and creating extra mana. That means that Elvish Rejuvenator and Jadelight Ranger should be held back for defense, since they've already helped your cause with their enter-the-battlefield effects. All of your other creatures either tap for mana or have a scaling effect that happens when multiple of them are on the battlefield, so you'll want to keep them around as long as possible.

The overall plan with this deck is still the same. You'll want to find a copy of Scapeshift as soon as possible so you can start building up a Zombie horde with Field of the Dead. You won't be able to cast Scapeshift on your opponent's turn, so you'll be a bit vulnerable for a turn. With any luck, your opponent won't be able to play a sweeper since you have plenty of ways to power out Scapeshift earlier than usual. This Simic Scapeshift deck does sacrifice a little bit of flexibility in order to gain a bit of speed.

Jund Scapeshift

The next Scapeshift deck I have for you is a Jund version. It has quite a few tools not normally available to the Bant version that make the deck unique. Let's take a look at it:


Mayhem Devil
Much like the Simic deck we just looked at, this deck is also playing a few creatures that tap for mana. The main difference is that you'll want to use that additional mana to cast more than just Scapeshift. Mayhem Devil is a creature that you'll want to have out when you cast Scapeshift, as it will allow you to deal a point of damage anywhere you'd like for each land you sacrifice. With multiple copies of Mayhem Devil on the battlefield, that damage can quickly become lethal.

Another card you'll want to ramp into if possible is Cavalier of Flame. By doing so, you offer the Zombie creature tokens you create a way to gain haste when you cast Scapeshift and get Field of the Dead onto the battlefield. Cavalier of Flame will also be able to give those Zombies a bonus of +1/+0 every time you activate its ability. While the multiple instances of haste are irrelevant, multiple instances of +1/+0 certainly isn't, and that will also quickly add up to a ton of damage.

Golos Scapeshift

The final Scapeshift deck I have for you this week is a primarily Sultai deck that capitalizes on the power of Golos, Tireless Pilgrim to help you win. Let's take a look at the deck:


Golos, Tireless Pilgrim
When Golos, Tireless Pilgrim enters the battlefield, you are able to search your library for any land card to put onto the battlefield tapped. This is an easy way to search out your Field of the Dead. You can also use this ability to find Blast Zone, which you can use to destroy an opponent's creatures and stay alive long enough to be able to get your Zombie train going. Golos also allows you the possibility of finding the mana needed to activate his activated ability, which will allow you to play cards for free.

The rest of this deck is comprised of ways to ramp your mana and ways to destroy your opponent's creatures. With all of the mana ramp happening, being able to cast The Immortal Sun quickly can be helpful against many of the decks currently in Standard. Currently there are 85 Planeswalkers legal in Standard, and while not all of them see play, enough of them do that it will usually be worth your while to get The Immortal Sun into play. Even if you don't hinder your opponent with it, it still gives you an additional card each turn, a discount to all of your spells, and a bonus for each creature you have on the battlefield.

Wrapping Up

As you can see, the combination of Scapeshift and Field of the Dead can work in many different color combinations. If you're looking to beat Bant Scapeshift while also using their toys against them, you might try giving one of these decks a try.

What do you think of these decks? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? Let me know by leaving a comment below or you can reply to me directly on Twitter (@mikelikesmtg), or email me directly at mikelikesmtg@gmail.com. Also, feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!

- Mike Likes

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