Standard is definitely in a rocky place right now with the dominance of Vivi Cauldron, a deck that put up a staggering 63% win percentage at the Spotlight Series event in Orlando, via Frank Karsten's metagame data:

That being the case, there are still a variety of decks to play, with Mono-Red Aggro actually winning that event, making it one of the premier decks to play in a Vivi Ornitier-dominated world. If you play a lot of MTG Arena like me, there are lots of edges to be gained in the Best of One-ranked ladder, especially with the advent of this Mono-Red/Vivi rivalry in Standard.

Gearing up for the last big Best of One event I played, the Arena Direct, I mentioned three decks I would play: Boros Burn, Sultai Dragons, and Azorius Control. After swapping the Boros list I wrote about for one I came across on social media, that won a player seven boxes, I ended up winning two boxes on my second run of the event.

Honorable Mention: Boros Aggro

Boros "Burn" | Edge of Eternities Standard | Roman Fusco

• Creatures (20)
• 4 Emberheart Challenger
• 4 Greasewrench Goblin
• 4 Hired Claw
• 4 Screaming Nemesis
• 4 Slickshot Show-Off

• Instants (16)
• 4 Boros Charm
• 4 Burst Lightning
• 4 Lightning Helix
• 4 Shock

• Enchantments (3)
• 3 Sheltered by Ghosts

• Lands (21)
• 7 Mountains
• 2 Starting Town
• 4 Inspiring Vantage
• 4 Sacred Foundry
• 4 Sunbillow Verge

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While this deck does have Boros Charm and Lightning Helix, as well as eight Shock effects, it plays closer to a Prowess/Mono-Red Aggro deck than anything else. Your goal is to play effectively to the board while timing your burn spells correctly. I had a number of matches won off a Vivi deck taking off turn two to play a Proft's Eidetic Memory, while I beat down with a Hired Claw and Slickshot Show-Off. Even if my opponents were able to gain back control of the board state, I still had Boros Charms and Burst Lightnings waiting in the wings to finish them off.

One other aspect about this deck I like compared to straight Mono-Red is how you can combat non-Vivi decks, like Azorius Control. Creature-based Aggro decks can definitely get locked out of the game once your opponent has amassed cards after casting a wrath-effect, like Day of Judgment. However, Burn decks like this one can play more cautiously, timing their spells effectively to force the Control opponent to have counterspell or die, or play in a way where they have to tap out that you can take advantage of. It's a really dynamic matchup, and one you have to be patient in. If you're able to assemble a Screaming Nemesis trigger on them you just have to wait until the right moment to amass all your burn spells.

Overall, I do think this deck can suffer from Vivi decks that have more interaction, and with the rise of Mono-Red I worry about the fragility of this deck. You can still win some games by winning the die roll, which is why this archetype is always a safe choice to pick for the Best of One ladder.

Sultai Control| Edge of Eternities Standard | Nick J., RCQ/1st

• Creatures (8)
• 1 Quantum Riddler
• 1 Tishana's Tidebinder
• 3 Fangkeeper's Familiar
• 3 Marang River Regent

• Instants (23)
• 1 Bitter Triumph
• 1 Feed the Cycle
• 1 Rakshasa's Bargain
• 2 Long Goodbye
• 2 Urgent Necropsy
• 4 Consult the Star Charts
• 4 Dispelling Exhale
• 4 Shoot the Sheriff
• 4 Three Steps Ahead

• Sorceries (3)
• 3 Deadly Cover-Up

• Lands (26)
• 1 Forest
• 2 Island
• 2 Swamp
• 2 Breeding Pool
• 2 Restless Cottage
• 2 Underground Mortuary
• 3 Fabled Passage
• 4 Gloomlake Verge
• 4 Watery Grave
• 4 Willowrush Verge

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This next decklist comes from a good friend of mine, Nick, who won a RCQ with it recently. In a field that was about half Vivi Cauldron decks, Nick was able to pilot this build to a victory, defeating an Azorius Control opponent in the finals. This list initially was based off the recent Arena Championship best performing version, but it has a couple of key changes.

Fangkeeper's Familiar is probably one of my favorite cards in Standard that doesn't see enough play. More creatures gives this deck more ways to win, and you especially beat down much faster with an army of these little snakes rather than wait for a Marang River Regent to come along. All of Fangkeeper's Familiar's options are relevant in current Standard - the lifegain offsets your games against Aggro, especially if you lose the die roll in best of one, countering creatures is pretty much always relevant in every matchup except hard Control decks, and destroying enchantments targets a number of haymakers, like Proft's Eidetic Memory and Fear of Missing Out.

Finally, Urgent Necropsy is one of my favorite cards in Standard and the reason to play this deck, giving you a way to combat Vivi Cauldron by getting two of their cards for one. I think this deck could even play some copies of Strategic Betrayal if you want to be tech'd versus Vivi Cauldron, but you can adjust the numbers to combat Aggro if you're more worried about facing Mono-Red decks.

Mono-Red Aggro | Edge of Eternities Standard | Brennan Roy, Spotlight Series Orlando/1st

• Creatures (25)
• 2 Sunspine Lynx
• 3 Nova Hellkite
• 4 Burnout Bashtronaut
• 4 Emberheart Challenger
• 4 Hired Claw
• 4 Razorkin Needlehead
• 4 Screaming Nemesis

• Instants (8)
• 1 Abrade
• 3 Lightning Strike
• 4 Burst Lightning

• Sorceries (3)
• 3 Scorching Shot

• Lands (24)
• 18 Mountain
• 2 Soulstone Sanctuary
• 4 Rockface Village

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Our next deck comes from no other than the winning list from the Spotlight Series in Orlando, Mono-Red Aggro by Brennan Roy. Regardless if your opponent is tech'd to beat Aggro, you still have the opportunity to just win the roll and smash your opponent to bits. This deck also just punishes any deck that takes a turn off or stumbles, with Razorkin Needlehead being especially punishing against Vivi decks.

I would definitely expect to see a lot of this deck on ladder, due to the nature of it just being a winning Mono-Red list that debuted a week before a best of one tournament, so be prepared to play the mirror and use your Screaming Nemesis accordingly. One aspect about this deck that I like compared to Boros, in terms of the Vivi matchup is Scorching Shot. In my first run of the last Arena Direct I ended up losing to a Vivi deck that won the die roll, and was able to beef up a Marauding Mako and Fear of Missing Out pretty quickly with Winternight Stories in conjunction with Proft's Eidetic Memory. Scorching Shot gives at least a little more reach against high toughness creatures from the Vivi side, whereas Sheltered by Ghosts can be fragile against Into the Flood Maw.

Overall, I think Mono-Red is a great choice, especially if you expect to see a lot of Vivi on the ladder.

Simic Aggro | Edge of Eternities Standard | Raydan, Standard Challenge 32 2025/08/31/2nd

• Creatures (29)
• 2 Azure Beastbinder
• 2 Enduring Curiosity
• 2 Pawpatch Recruit
• 2 Scrapshooter
• 2 Surrak, Elusive Hunter
• 3 Genemorph Imago
• 4 Floodpits Drowner
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Ouroboroid
• 4 Spyglass Siren

• Instants (6)
• 1 Repulsive Mutation
• 1 Royal Treatment
• 4 Into the Flood Maw

• Sorceries (2)
• 2 Bushwhack

• Lands (23)
• 6 Forest
• 2 Island
• 1 Restless Vinestalk
• 2 Soulstone Sanctuary
• 4 Botanical Sanctum
• 4 Breeding Pool
• 4 Willowrush Verge

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The last deck I want to talk about today is Simic Aggro, piloted by Raydan to a second place finish at a recent Standard Challenge. Another way to attack a best of one metagame is just to ramp out cards that snowball fast, and what better way to do that than Ouroboroid. This list also has considerations for Izzet Cauldron, with maindeck Azure Beastbinder and Scrapshooter. I also like that Floodpits Drowner can clear high-toughness blockers while also just being a good way to deal with Screaming Nemesis and Nova Hellkite.

With four copies of Into the Flood Maw you can keep your opponent's blockers at bay, helping you pull ahead with Enduring Curiosity. Surrak, Elusive Hunter also gives you some reach against Control in an uncounterable threat that also can net you cards, as long as your team doesn't fall victim to some sort of Ultima or Day of Judgment effect.

Overall, this looks like another cool way to attack a fast best of one format, especially if you want both a deck that benefits greatly off winning the die roll that also has card considerations for the Izzet Cauldron matchup. I think you could also play some more countermagic in more copies of Repulsive Mutation, but that's only if you really want to target Control. After losing a game in a draft recently to a turn four Ouroboroid, I'm impressed how quickly that card can just steal games, especially if you can cast it a turn prior with Llanowar Elves.

While Standard isn't in the best spot right now, it is interesting to see the dynamic within the format change between Vivi and non-Vivi decks. There's a lot of interesting strategies to try as we deal with the Izzet menace.

-Roman Fusco