Well, that was unexpected. Players have been shouting that Wizards needs to do something about the Standard power-level and, after months of watching the metagame to see if anything could break through, they have finally acted by banning Badgermole Cub, Gran-Gran, and Stormchaser's Talent.

The conflux of an impactful banning and the arrival of The Hobbit (HOB) makes this the biggest shake-up the format has had since rotation. While it's not a whole new format, this should allow for some big changes, and the chance for players to attack the format with new decks, or to tune existing decks to be more competitive.

Current Pillars of Standard

Before we can begin looking at where we can go with Standard, we need to take a look at what's still standing after the ban bomb dropped. While the bans took many of the top decks down a notch, the cards within them are still strong enough to fight their way to the top tables.

Jeskai Control

The first, and most obvious, deck we will need to consider is the Control deck built around Jeskai Revelation. The deck has been lurking around the top of the meta game all year, since its 4th place showing in Pro Tour Lorwyn Eclipsed.

With the printing of Tablet of Discovery (a card many people thought should have been included in the most recent ban discussion) the deck has exploded in popularity and has put up consistent finishes.

The Gran-Gran ban does hit this a bit, as the Lessons version of the deck had grown to be the most popular, but the deck could easily shift back to a Jeskai Black configuration and continue chugging right along as one of the most powerful decks in the format.

Mono-Green Landfall

Landfall is another deck that took a glancing blow from the bans. The deck isn't as strong without Badgermole Cub, but that doesn't mean it isn't still strong enough to win tournaments.

Whether the deck remains Mono-Green or reverts back to a Selesnya version, like the list that won Pro Tour Secrets of Strixhaven, will be the question, but the core components of the deck, cards like Icetill Explorer and Mightform Harmonizer, remain in place.

Landfall seems to be the primary design focus for Green right now, as the ability is popping up in every set, as evident by its return as the main theme for the Elves in The Hobbit.

Selesnya Offense

The Selesnya Offense deck, which focuses on landing a Leatherhead, Swamp Stalker and then using Practiced Offense to make it a Double-Striking, game ending threat, was cited as the primary catalyst for the Badgermole Cub banning.

And, while the Cub ban does slow the deck down, it doesn't take it out of contention. In truth, Practiced Offense and a large Creature with Trample is going to be good enough to win games as long as the card is legal, and Leatherhead has proven itself in multiple decks at this point. It really feels like we're just scratching the surface on Practiced Offense's potential.

Dimir Excruciator

Doomsday Excruciator is the lynchpin of a deck that has won a Pro Tour and consistently puts up strong finishes. The only reason it doesn't see more play is that it is extremely difficult to pilot well, and it has a small margin-of-error.

With the format possibly slowing a bit through these bans, those margins start to disappear, and this Dimir deck is suddenly one of the most intriguing decks in the format. You shouldn't be shocked if this deck lurks around the lower play percentages on the Arena ladder only to put up a great finish at the next major Standard tournament.

Izzet Spellemental

Izzet Spellemental is a weird deck. It focuses on slinging spells like Opt and Sleight of Hand in the first few turns to accelerate out an early game Eddymurk Crab and then playing a Sunderflock to clean up the opponent's Creatures and end the game quickly.

It keeps all of its pieces, but it was at its best when battling the Badgermole Cub decks, as bouncing the Earthbending Lands was the best way to deal with them. This should still be strong, but it could perform less as the bans removed the deck's chosen prey. If the format pivots to go-wide Creature decks, this is a great way to reign them in.

New Contenders

Now that we know how these bans will likely impact Standard, we should look at some cards from The Hobbit that will likely influence Standard's metagame. The biggest question after a major ban is always what fills the vacuum, and with several of the format's most established strategies being forced to adapt, there should be plenty of room for previously overlooked cards to shine.

Gandalf, Goblins' Bane

Izzet decks, as they existed prior to the ban update, were such a tightly constructed list that Gandalf, Goblins' Bane likely wouldn't be able to find its way inside.

But, with the banning of Stormchaser's Talent, Izzet will be forced to change, and that should open a door to a spell-slinger version of the deck again, focusing on cards like Ghitu Lavarunner and Slickshot Show-Off. Gandalf will be a fantastic addition to that style of Izzet deck.

Kili the Resourceful

Kili the Resourceful is another card that's already showing promise now that the set is seeing play. Getting Storied is ridiculously easy, since Kili counts toward 1/3 of the requirement himself. He works as a draw engine and a mana engine, allowing you to cancel out an Equip cost each turn.

There is a lot of room for innovation in Equipment decks right now, as you could go with a straight Dwarves build or a build that incorporates cards like Cloud, Midgar Mercenary. This is the most intriguing deck right now, and one that will require a ton of testing, but the power level is there.

Momo, Friendly Flier

This banning doesn't just open the door for cards from The Hobbit to see play. It also means many cards from previous sets get a new chance to shine, and none more than Momo, Friendly Flier.

Turn one Momo into a turn two Quantum Riddler that you immediately Blink with Daydream is one of the strongest opening play patterns in the format. The deck should be considered a serious contender going forward.

Moonshadow

Mardu Discard is another strong deck with relevant play history that was not impacted by the bans. Practiced Offense makes another appearance in these lists, allowing the deck to kill out of nowhere, but it also grinds out a surprising number of wins thanks to Cool but Rude. This could be the fastest deck in the format now that Cub is gone.

Conclusion

Overall, the bans are a good thing, energizing a Standard format that had grown a bit stale. The general consensus among both the player base and Wizards themselves has been that Standard has gotten to be too fast for their liking, and this should take a step towards slowing it down.

Coupled with The Hobbit hitting Arena this week, and a Standard RCQ season on the horizon, this looks to be one of the more exciting times to be a Standard brewer. Now is the time to take those cards that you love from The Hobbit and go on an adventure.