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This Week in Standard: Friday, January 24th

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Standard continues to change and adapt as Gruul and various builds of Esper and Dimir Bounce put up strong results online. However, more importantly, this week marks the first week of Aetherdrift spoilers!

Without further ado, let's jump in.

By far the most important spoilers revealed so far are the remaining five Verges. Wastebloom and Sunbillow Verge are particular standouts for me, for a few reasons. Golgari Midrange and Boros Mice/Jeskai Convoke have been strong contenders in the Standard metagame, albeit maybe a few steps behind the top decks in the format. However, with the printing of these Verges I'm confident in their catapulting these decks right beside Gruul and Dimir.

While Golgari isn't the best-performing Midrange deck in the current metagame, it still is putting up decent results here and there, pre-Aetherdrift. Take this list for example:


It's important that Wastebloom Verge always adds Green mana, as this helps you power out your Llanowar Elves draws into a turn two Glissa Sunslayer or Unholy Annex, etc. Perhaps with more Vehicles entering the Standard scene with the release of Aetherdrift, Tranquil Frillback will become an even more valuable asset to the maindeck.

I'm also really interested to see how Boros decks evolve with this new Verge. While I know Gruul and Mono-Red are top dogs at this point, I've really wanted to try an all-in Boros Burn deck with Boros Charm, Lightning Helix, and Boltwave. Here's what a shell could look like with the new Verge land included:

While this might just be worse than Gruul or Boros Mice with cards like Mabel, Heir to Cragflame and Flowerfoot Swordmaster, I wonder if you gain some reach with more direct Burn spells instead of relying mainly on creatures to get the job done. All in all, this is a huge win for Boros Charm and Lightning Helix enjoyers.

Part of me also wants to try a Jeskai Control deck with Lightning Helix and Ill-Timed Explosion, but I'll keep that on the backburner for now.

Next up is Momentum Breaker.

Momentum Breaker

This card seems like an automatic inclusion in Esper Pixie/Dimir Bounce, and a clear replacement for Tithing Blade. I wasn't very high on Tithing Blade to begin with, and this card is strictly better - for multiple reasons. This card is an enchantment, so it triggers Optimistic Scavenger, first of all. More importantly are its first and last lines of text. You can trigger Start your engines! Easily, either by resolving a Hopeless Nightmare or chipping in damage with a Nurturing Pixie, Fear of Isolation, or a cheeky 1/1 Otter token.

Lastly, this card can at least gain you some life back against Red, while also being a Terminate effect. I don't think you'd want to max out on four copies of this card, as Nowhere to Run is a bit more flexible at instant-speed, but I do really like this as a one or two-of to start in these UB-based bounce decks.

Ketramose, the New Dawn

Ketramose, the New Dawn is a pretty interesting card. I'm not exactly sure where this card slots into Standard, which makes me skeptical of its applications in the current metagame, but I do think it is a cool build-around. Ketramose synergizes well with cards like Deadly Cover-Up, which will net you a card both by Collecting Evidence and exiling card(s) from your opponent's graveyard and library.

I don't think you'd go as far as slotting in Rest in Peace maindeck, but it certainly gets much better with this guy post-board. Some initial cards that seem good with Ketramose include Deep-Cavern Bat, Dusk Rose Reliquary, and Kaya, Spirits' Justice.

The last card on my radar is Voyager Glidecar.

Voyager Glidecar

Very similar to the already popular Warden of the Inner Sky, Voyager Glidecar has some peculiar differences. While Warden of the Inner Sky combos better with Artifact-makers, like Novice Inspector and Spyglass Siren, Voyager Glidecar feels better in decks with Resolute Reinforcements. I do like that this Vehicle scries one upon entering, gives you a way to smooth out your draw - I think this is relevant in low to the ground aggro decks where you're playing ~22 lands.

I'm not sure the exact shell this slots into, but I do want to play this with cards like Resolute Reinforcements, Skyknight Squire, and Pawpatch Recruit - as well as Warden of the Inner Sky! While it may be difficult to evaluate this card's place in Standard right away, the fact that it's a 2/3 body that can grow and gives you a scry just on entering makes me think this will see some serious place throughout its Standard life cycle.

That's all I have for this week! Aetherdrift's release is speeding toward us, and with it an exciting new Standard format. I'm pumped to see what Magic's next set brings us.

-Roman Fusco

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