While I've been on a relaxing holiday break from Magic, as I've been home visiting family coupled with the fact I won an early RCQ this season, it's hard to imagine that at the time of writing this article the next Standard Regional Championship is only weeks away. While part of me wants to get back into testing, it's hard to say what the best deck will be on the eve of RC Portland when the weekend falls on the actual release of Lorwyn Eclipsed.

With one qualification for the season I did really think about going to Milwaukee instead, but Portland is a much easier and convenient trip from Burbank, California, so week one Standard, here we come. What worries me about this event, is that given how powerful Standard sets are these days, even Universes Beyond products (cough cough, Avatar: The Last Airbender), card availability and deck perfection is going to be tough for this event.

I will say, what's nice about this event is that since I'll probably be playing some flavor of Azorius or Jeskai Control, I hopefully don't need any new cards.

Hallowed Fountain is coming back to Standard, and while Spell Snare hasn't been officially previewed, it was spoiled in the card list for the upcoming tournament deck product. I think while there is merit to just jamming an Izzet deck or something with Badgermole Cub in it, I'd rather stick to what I know with not much time to really even prepare - the set is only available on MTG Arena less than four days before the event starts!

The important thing though is how I'm going to adapt my list for whatever comes in Lorwyn Eclipsed. I've been taking a close watch on Azorius and Jeskai lists in recent events, seeing how they're adapting to the powerful Izzet Lessons decks, and I have a few thoughts as we head into Lorwyn Eclipsed spoiler season.

Take this Jeskai list from a recent Standard Challenge - we're at the point where Shiko, Paragon of the Way is too slow!

Jeskai Control | Standard | Ignotus97, Standard Challenge 32 12/30/2025/10th

• Creatures (3)
• 1 Marang River Regent
• 1 The Unagi of Kyoshi Island
• 1 Wan Shi Tong, Librarian

• Instants (23)
• 2 Abrade
• 4 Consult the Star Charts
• 4 Get Lost
• 3 Jeskai Revelation
• 4 Lightning Helix
• 4 No More Lies
• 2 Three Steps Ahead

• Sorceries (6)
• 2 Day of Judgment
• 3 Stock Up
• 1 Ultima

• Enchantments (2)
• 2 Rest in Peace

• Lands (26)
• 1 Cori Mountain Monastery
• 1 Elegant Parlor
• 4 Floodfarm Verge
• 1 Island
• 4 Meticulous Archive
• 2 Mistrise Village
• 1 Multiversal Passage
• 1 Plains
• 3 Riverpyre Verge
• 4 Sacred Foundry
• 2 Sunbillow Verge
• 2 Thundering Falls

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Annul
• 2 Beza, the Bounding Spring
• 1 Fire Magic
• 1 Negate
• 1 Riverchurn Monument
• 1 The Unagi of Kyoshi Island
• 2 Tishana's Tidebinder
• 1 Ultima
• 3 Voice of Victory
• 1 Wan Shi Tong, Librarian

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While I'm still not the biggest fan of Wan Shi Tong, Librarian, and would rather have a Shiko in this slot, I do think it's interesting to note how decks have warped around graveyard-centric strategies, with two copies of Rest in Peace in the maindeck here. I at least like that you can filter away Rest in Peace with Three Steps Ahead and Marang River Regent, if it ever gets stranded in your hand against a deck like Mono-Red or Dimir.

Abrade is also at an all-time high since Cori-Steel Cutter, with the rise of Selesnya Lumbering Worldwagon decks, alongside just being an answer to Monument to Endurance. With Lorwyn Eclipsed we get not only Hallowed Fountain, but Steam Vents as well, making me shift towards Jeskai for RC Portland a bit more than regular Azorius. I think if the RC were tomorrow I'd play this deck but cut down on two No More Lies for two copies of Spell Snare.

I will say with Azorius, you get some cleaner answers against problem cards in the format, play less Shocklands, but lose out on big haymakers like Jeskai Revelation. While both decks have access to Get Lost I do like Aang's Iceberg still as a flexible Oblivion Ring. Here's what Azorius might look like closer to the RC based on the knowledge we have:

Azorius Control | Standard | Roman Fusco, Test Deck

• Creatures (4)
• 2 Beza, the Bounding Spring
• 1 The Unagi of Kyoshi Island
• 1 Overlord of the Mistmoors

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Elspeth, Storm Slayer

• Instants (17)
• 2 Spell Snare
• 4 No More Lies
• 3 Three Steps Ahead
• 4 Consult the Star Charts
• 4 Get Lost

• Sorceries (6)
• 3 Day of Judgment
• 1 Ultima
• 2 Stock Up

• Enchantments (6)
• 3 Seam Rip
• 2 Aang's Iceberg
• 1 Rest in Peace

• Lands (26)
• 4 Hallowed Fountain
• 4 Floodfarm Verge
• 4 Meticulous Archive
• 2 Restless Anchorage
• 2 Demolition Field
• 2 Fountainport
• 4 Island
• 4 Plains

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One of the attributes to Standard in this day and age is that decks snowball out of control fast. This is due to the powerful one and two-drops in the format, like Gran Gran, Badgermole Cub, Stormchaser's Talent, Artist's Talent, and Llanowar Elves to name a few. Back during the Regional Championship I went 11-3-1 at earlier this year with Jeskai, an important change I made to the deck was the inclusion of Torch the Tower and Spell Pierce maindeck. This was mainly to combat the huge amount of Cori-Steel Cutter decks in the room, a matchup I went 8-1-1 over the course of the weekend.

With the format having just as many haymakers, if not more a mere six months later, I think Control decks need to adapt in a similar fashion as I did back in the Spring. This is why I like access to Spell Snare and multiple copies of Seam Rip. While this isn't always a clean answer to cards that put two permanents in play, like Badgermole Cub and Stormchaser's Talent, you can at least slow your opponent down to the point to where you can start to turn the tables, with cards like Day of Judgment and Ultima.

While I'm not decided on anything just yet, I am pretty confident in playing some version of a Control strategy at RC Portland. I do think sometimes I dig myself into a hole of falling back on Control, as I don't put enough practice into other decks, especially the Tier One strategies of the format. However, I've always felt that I succeeded in competitive Magic playing more of a rogue controlling strategy, whereas when I tested and played the "best deck" I found myself falling short.

I will say, when I do fall back on Control, I do my utmost to keep up with the format at large, and this has led me to the most success in my career. I worked hard on getting the numbers right in Minnesota with Mike Flores as my collaborator, and when I won my last RCQ this year it was all due to my deckbuilding around Aang's Iceberg.

As Lorwyn Eclipsed approaches, as well as RC Portland I'm going to keep that mentality in mind when considering how to adapt to this quick Standard format.

-Roman Fusco