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4 Powerful and Fun Standard Decks without Black

Rapsolo
29/09/2022 · 6 min read
meta

INTRO

Hi everyone!

New week new decks as I promised I would! So let's take a look at some highly recommended and competitively-focused decks  that don't use black mana. Each one has a different game plan, so you can decide which one best fits your style of play.

Here we go!

BOROS INVOKE

Boros Justice. Builder: JUJUBEAN__2004.MTGO - Magic Online
1st in MTGO Standard Challenge #12476829 [32 Players] 25-Sep-2022
MTG Decks Maindeck (60)
Creature [24]
4  Ao, the Dawn Sky   $2.29
4  Raffine's Informant   $0.35
4  Sanctuary Warden   $0.99
4  Spirited Companion   $0.49
4  Fable of the Mirror-Breaker   $19.99
4  The Restoration of Eiganjo   $1.29
Artifact [1]
1  Reckoner Bankbuster   $1.99
Instant [2]
2  Fateful Absence   $0.99
Sorcery [4]
4  Invoke Justice   $0.49
Planeswalker [4]
4  The Wandering Emperor   $34.99
Land [25]
1  Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire   $9.99
4  Jetmir's Garden   $23.99
2  Mountain   $0.01
12  Plains   $0.01
1  Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance   $6.99
4  Sundown Pass   $12.99
1  Wind-Scarred Crag   $0.35
Sideboard [15]
2  Fateful Absence   $0.99
2  Reckoner Bankbuster   $1.99
1  Destroy Evil   $1.99
3  Farewell   $8.49
1  Lion Sash   $1.99
1  March of Otherworldly Light   $1.79
1  Unlicensed Hearse   $6.99
4  Wedding Announcement   $18.99
Buy this deck:

$117.73 Tix @cardhoarder   $2.94 / Week @cardhoarder   $391.53 @tcgplayer   $533.03 @cardkingdom  


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Let’s abuse Invoke Justice!

And that's what this deck is all about, getting a permanent back from the graveyard, either because we've sent it there previously with discard abilities like Raffine's Informant, Fable of the Mirror Breaker, and The Restoration of Eiganjo, or because it's been killed from the battlefield.

Justice decks Key cards
Justice decks Key cards

We never stop putting pressure on our opponent, until they run out of resources to deal with our threats. We have to be careful about when we send something to the graveyard, because in this block, there is a lot of hate against the graveyard. It is a deck to play calmly, with patience, thinking about the late game and not about unloading all our fury quickly.

We'll be using Spirited Companion and The Wandering Emperor to generate some traction, since our early game is a bit poor and we don't have any good creatures to deal with our opponents' threats during the combat phase. Our plan is simple: survive those early turns while building our long term plan.  And... when we have everything ready.... INVOKEEEE!

AZORIUS MIDRANGE / CONTROL

Azorius Control. Builder: thebuttermerchant.MTGO - Magic Online
Top8 in MTGO Standard Challenge #12476829 [32 Players] 25-Sep-2022
MTG Decks Maindeck (60)
Creature [13]
3  Adeline, Resplendent Cathar   $12.99
3  Ao, the Dawn Sky   $2.29
3  Dennick, Pious Apprentice   $0.79
4  Spirited Companion   $0.49
Artifact [4]
4  Reckoner Bankbuster   $1.99
Instant [6]
4  Make Disappear   $0.79
2  Syncopate   $0.35
Sorcery [2]
2  Farewell   $8.49
Enchantment [4]
4  Wedding Announcement   $18.99
Planeswalker [5]
2  Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset   $5.99
3  The Wandering Emperor   $34.99
Land [26]
4  Adarkar Wastes   $8.99
4  Deserted Beach   $5.99
1  Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire   $9.99
5  Island   $0.01
1  Otawara, Soaring City   $29.99
7  Plains   $0.01
4  Tranquil Cove   $0.35
Sideboard [15]
2  Farewell   $8.49
3  Anointed Peacekeeper   $0.99
2  Destroy Evil   $1.99
1  Disdainful Stroke   $0.35
2  Knockout Blow   $0.49
1  Negate   $0.35
1  Spell Pierce   $0.79
1  Toluz, Clever Conductor   $0.49
2  Unlicensed Hearse   $6.99
Buy this deck:

$83.28 Tix @cardhoarder   $2.08 / Week @cardhoarder   $280.49 @tcgplayer   $402.17 @cardkingdom  


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Export & Save: Magic online format Apprentice and MWS .dec


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There are several alternatives when playing Azorius. We can choose from more midrange versions with a more creature-based game or a pure control deck. The version I bring you today is a mix of both. With the right sideboarding, we can adapt to our liking/needs.

The most important cards in this deck are: The Wandering Emperor, Ao, the Dawn Sky, Wedding Announcement and Reckoner Bankbuster.

UW Key cards
UW Key cards

We must try to abuse our card drawing resources as much as possible (4x Reckoner, 4x Spirited, 2x Teferi, 4x Wedding) that will give us a good position in the late game with enough resources in hand to deal with almost anything.

Unlike the previous Boros deck, we will be able to put pressure earlier in the game as soon as turn 2 with the help of Dennick, Pious Apprentice, and Adeline, Resplendent Cathar.

It is really important to protect our Planeswalkers. They are the key to keep a good board position after using/facing massive removal. Bear in mind that we're including 2x Farewell in our main deck and also a few counters to backup them.

SELESNYA ENCHANTMENTS

[STD] SELESNYA ENCHANTS. Builder: Rapsolo.MTGA - Magic Arena
W/L
(4 - 3)
57%
in 26-Sep-2022
MTG Decks Maindeck (60)
Creature [23]
4  Jukai Naturalist   $0.35
4  Kami of Transience   $0.49
4  Teachings of the Kirin   $0.49
3  Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr   $2.99
2  The Fall of Lord Konda   $0.35
4  The Restoration of Eiganjo   $1.29
2  Serra Paragon   $3.99
Instant [4]
4  Rite of Harmony   $1.49
Enchantment [9]
2  Circle of Confinement   $0.35
1  Borrowed Time   $0.35
4  Wedding Announcement   $18.99
2  Prayer of Binding   $0.35
Land [24]
6  Forest   $0.01
6  Plains   $0.01
4  Overgrown Farmland   $6.49
1  Boseiju, Who Endures   $54.99
1  Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire   $9.99
4  Jetmir's Garden   $23.99
2  Spara's Headquarters   $17.99
Sideboard [15]
2  Tamiyo's Safekeeping   $2.29
2  Circle of Confinement   $0.35
1  Outland Liberator   $0.35
2  Unlicensed Hearse   $6.99
2  Valorous Stance   $0.35
1  Borrowed Time   $0.35
1  The Fall of Lord Konda   $0.35
1  Prayer of Binding   $0.35
2  The Wandering Emperor   $34.99
1  Farewell   $8.49
Buy this deck:

$79.05 Tix @cardhoarder   $1.98 / Week @cardhoarder   $314.50 @tcgplayer   $434.63 @cardkingdom  


Deck Tools: Visual View Similar Decks Proxies Archetype Analysis
Export & Save: Magic online format Apprentice and MWS .dec


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Selesnya Enchantments is a deck that revolves around small creatures that become very powerful, reduced costs for all enchantments, and fast board recovery after a disaster occurs.

This deck can be very difficult to master and will require many more hours of play than any of the other decks mentioned today. This is not only because there are different strategies that must be learned and executed correctly in order to win (we will talk about them later). It also requires a really good understanding of our board position, since playing all our creatures too fast or dumping all of our resources in one "furious" attack can cost us the game.

Once again, we need to take advantage of our card draw as much as possible (Rite of Harmony and Wedding Announcement) because we do not have many cards that allow us to do so, and it is really important doing it at the right time.

It does not matter if we do not generate much board advantage in the early game, we have 3 copies of Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr to block, gain life, kill Planeswalkers with evasion and disruptive tools like Borrowed Time, Circle of Confinement, or Prayer of Binding until we have gathered enough cards in hand to take action.

There is a small trick with Rite of Harmony that should be mentioned: When our sagas are about to transform, or our Wedding Announcement is about to take the third counter, we will STOP in our draw step just after untapping, and we will launch Rite of Harmony so that we draw cards from returning the saga to the battlefield  and also from the token that we will put at the end of the turn with Wedding Announcement.

Don't be afraid to use Serra Paragon. With Jukai Naturalist in play, our permanents cost is reduced and can be returned to the battlefield for a lower mana cost. We do not need to wait to have too much mana in order to get the most out of our Paragon.

A complex deck to master, as I said, but VERY FUN! You will be surprised by what it can do and the games that seem lost that it can win.

BANT TOKENS

[EXP] BANT TOKENS. Builder: Rapsolo.MTGA - Magic Arena
W/L
(3 - 3)
50%
in 28-Sep-2022
MTG Decks Maindeck (60)
Creature [19]
4  Hopeful Initiate   $3.49
2  Dennick, Pious Apprentice   $0.79
3  Katilda, Dawnhart Prime   $0.69
4  Resolute Reinforcements   $0.99
2  Shanna, Purifying Blade   $0.99
2  Serra Paragon   $3.99
1  Sigarda, Champion of Light   $0.99
1  Ao, the Dawn Sky   $2.29
Instant [2]
2  Tail Swipe   $0.39
Sorcery [4]
4  Join the Dance   $0.35
Enchantment [8]
4  Brokers Ascendancy   $1.99
4  Wedding Announcement   $18.99
Planeswalker [3]
3  The Wandering Emperor   $34.99
Land [24]
3  Forest   $0.01
2  Plains   $0.01
3  Adarkar Wastes   $8.99
3  Yavimaya Coast   $1.49
4  Deserted Beach   $5.99
4  Overgrown Farmland   $6.49
1  Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire   $9.99
4  Spara's Headquarters   $17.99
Sideboard [15]
1  March of Otherworldly Light   $1.79
4  Destroy Evil   $1.99
2  Protect the Negotiators   $0.35
2  Unlicensed Hearse   $6.99
2  Anointed Peacekeeper   $0.99
1  King Darien XLVIII   $0.59
3  Grafted Identity   $0.49
Buy this deck:

$88.08 Tix @cardhoarder   $2.20 / Week @cardhoarder   $293.39 @tcgplayer   $408.71 @cardkingdom  


Deck Tools: Visual View Similar Decks Proxies Archetype Analysis
Export & Save: Magic online format Apprentice and MWS .dec


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Do you like filling the table with creatures? And that those 1/1 creatures  end up being HUUUGE? This is your deck then!

The main engine for doing this is Brokers' Ascendancy and Wedding Announcement.

The game plan is to fill the board with small creatures and make them huge turn after turn with the aforementioned enchantments. That said, PATIENCE, don't look for unnecessary attacks or blocks where we're going to lose our creatures, even though they're small, we need them all.

Take damage, hold on, use The Wandering Emperor to protect yourself and gain some time, don't be afraid to take damage or be at less than 10 life. There will come a time when the opponent won't be able to do anything but watch how you run over him in just a couple of combat phases or even just one!

Probably the best matchup for Bant is Mono Black! And that's because this deck completely shuts down MB's game plan. Their Lilianas are useless, their Invokes are barely relevant, and their creatures.... well, they're just too small!

We have the tools to get rid of those pesky Sheoldreds and Serra Paragons so we can make the opponent understand that it doesn't matter if they destroy our enchantments, because we're going to play them again over and over.

Very fun deck with a lot of room to be customized and adapted since it has 3 colors. You can give it an effective post-sideboard focus against control thanks to blue, or focus against Aggro with the help of white.

FINAL WORDS

Yes, I know that black is the dominant color, that it is difficult to match its power, but with the right tools, we can fight those Tier 1 decks of the format (Esper , Grixis , Jund , and Mono Black ) with good and, above all, fun mechanics.

Which one are you going to try first?

I'll see you next week with the next article.

I remind you that you can find me live on Twitch, Monday through Friday from 7 UTC+1 at Twitch.tv/rapsolo_.

See you next week, friends!

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Rapsolo
Always competitive never friendly
My name is Rapsolo. I'm a content creator on Twitch, I organize tournaments and I play Standard most of the time on Mtg Arena and MTGO.

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Published: 2022-09-29 00:00:00
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