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5 New Emerging Decks from Karlov Manor's Firsts Tournament
Quick intro
Last week, I wrote an article containing my predictions about cards that might see play in both Pioneer and Standard. Today, we're going to examine the first tournament results and determine which predictions have become a reality in the respective formats and which cards have already begun to see play.
#1: Pioneer UW Control by BobtheDog
(4 - 0)
100% in MTGO Pioneer Preliminary #12611445 [30 Players] — 08-Feb-2024
$377/102.56 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Instant [21] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sinister Sabotage | $0.35 | |
| 2 Memory Deluge | $1.49 | |
| 3 Censor | $0.35 | |
| 2 Hallowed Moonlight | $2.49 | |
| 3 Get Lost | $8.99 | |
| 3 Dovin's Veto | $4.49 | |
| 1 Dig Through Time | $0.49 | |
| 4 No More Lies | $2.79 | |
| 2 Deduce | $0.35 | |
| Sorcery [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Supreme Verdict | $2.99 | |
| 1 Farewell | $9.49 | |
| Enchantment [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Temporary Lockdown | $6.99 | |
| 2 Shark Typhoon | $3.99 | |
| Planeswalker [5] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria | $20.99 | |
| 3 The Wandering Emperor | $29.99 | |
| Land [26] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire | $9.99 | |
| 2 Island | $0.01 | |
| 1 Otawara, Soaring City | $24.99 | |
| 1 Hall of Storm Giants | $3.99 | |
| 4 Meticulous Archive | $9.49 | |
| 4 Hallowed Fountain | $10.99 | |
| 1 Castle Ardenvale | $0.49 | |
| 3 Field of Ruin | $0.39 | |
| 4 Deserted Beach | $6.49 | |
| 1 Castle Vantress | $1.99 | |
| 3 Plains | $0.01 | |
| 1 Restless Anchorage | $1.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Mystical Dispute | $0.39 | |
| 1 Narset's Reversal | $9.49 | |
| 2 Shark Typhoon | $3.99 | |
| 1 Narset, Parter of Veils | $0.79 | |
| 1 Hullbreaker Horror | $4.49 | |
| 2 Temporary Lockdown | $6.99 | |
| 1 Summary Dismissal | $0.49 | |
| 2 Chrome Host Seedshark | $4.49 | |
| 2 Rest in Peace | $0.99 | |
| 1 Ezrim, Agency Chief | $0.49 | |
$102.56 Tix @cardhoarder
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$318.17 @tcgplayer
$436.51 @cardkingdom
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Apprentice and MWS .dec
No More Lies
To begin, it came as no surprise that the multi-champion player Gabriel Nassif went 4-0 in the Pioneer Preliminary with his updated UW Control deck. No More Lies is an exceptional addition to a deck that was already considered tier 1 in the format.
Having access to a Mana Leak that can also exile spells such as Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger, Memory Deluge, or Esika's Chariot —preventing its return with Greasefang's ability—at a point in the curve that lacked effective counters, may have been the crucial piece needed to solidify UW's position in the metagame.
Deduce
Furthermore, Nassif also played with some copies of Deduce, which ends up playing a role similar to what Think Twice used to do in some old control decks: being able to pass the turn with mana open, to counter something, or to draw a card and then be able to draw another one in a later turn through the token.
Meticulous Archive
Not to mention that 4 copies of Meticulous Archive make the deck much more consistent, being able to dig for both spells and lands when necessary, with a small drawback of entering tapped, but nothing that is too detrimental to the deck.
Moreover, I believe that this cycle of surveil lands is one of the best in recent times, being comparable to the cycle of triomes, which completely changed modern. They play a very interesting role in certain decks, often making surveil feel like a draw.
Ezrim
Finally, a copy of Ezrim, a card that is unbeatable in sealed, which gets even better when we can protect it, also playing a role similar to what Dream Trawler did: a card that is difficult to remove and also a good source of card advantage.
#2: Pioneer Yorion Niv to Light by Claudioh
(4 - 0)
100% in MTGO Pioneer Preliminary #12611435 [25 Players] — 07-Feb-2024
Maindeck (80)
| Creature [14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Niv-Mizzet, Supreme | $0.49 | |
| 3 Omnath, Locus of Creation | $8.99 | |
| 1 Valki, God of Lies | $5.99 | |
| 4 Sylvan Caryatid | $6.49 | |
| 1 Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines | $27.99 | |
| 1 Klothys, God of Destiny | $4.99 | |
| 3 Niv-Mizzet Reborn | $0.99 | |
| Instant [12] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 No More Lies | $2.79 | |
| 3 Vanishing Verse | $0.49 | |
| 1 Abrupt Decay | $1.29 | |
| 1 Kolaghan's Command | $1.49 | |
| 3 Lightning Helix | $0.35 | |
| 1 Urgent Necropsy | $0.99 | |
| Sorcery [10] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Deafening Clarion | $0.49 | |
| 1 Deadly Cover-Up | $0.49 | |
| 1 Slaughter Games | $0.49 | |
| 4 Bring to Light | $0.69 | |
| 1 Molten Collapse | $1.29 | |
| 1 Ill-Timed Explosion | $0.49 | |
| 1 Analyze the Pollen | $0.49 | |
| Enchantment [8] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Leyline Binding | $5.99 | |
| 4 Up the Beanstalk | $1.99 | |
| Planeswalker [1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nahiri, the Harbinger | $0.99 | |
| Land [35] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Fabled Passage | $6.99 | |
| 1 Rootbound Crag | $1.99 | |
| 1 Dragonskull Summit | $0.69 | |
| 1 Spara's Headquarters | $16.99 | |
| 1 Plains | $0.01 | |
| 1 Hinterland Harbor | $0.69 | |
| 1 Blood Crypt | $17.99 | |
| 1 Forest | $0.01 | |
| 1 Ziatora's Proving Ground | $11.99 | |
| 1 Drowned Catacomb | $1.79 | |
| 1 Island | $0.01 | |
| 1 Watery Grave | $14.99 | |
| 1 Steam Vents | $17.99 | |
| 1 Hallowed Fountain | $10.99 | |
| 3 Indatha Triome | $19.99 | |
| 2 Savai Triome | $20.99 | |
| 1 Glacial Fortress | $1.29 | |
| 1 Mountain | $0.01 | |
| 1 Sunpetal Grove | $1.79 | |
| 2 Ketria Triome | $14.99 | |
| 1 Swamp | $0.01 | |
| 1 Raugrin Triome | $17.99 | |
| 1 Godless Shrine | $13.99 | |
| 2 Jetmir's Garden | $22.99 | |
| 1 Sulfur Falls | $0.49 | |
| 1 Raffine's Tower | $15.99 | |
| 1 Mana Confluence | $44.99 | |
| Sideboard [14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade | $0.69 | |
| 1 Yorion, Sky Nomad | $0.49 | |
| 1 Notion Thief | $1.29 | |
| 3 Dovin's Veto | $4.49 | |
| 2 Deafening Silence | $1.49 | |
| 1 Deafening Clarion | $0.49 | |
| 1 Urgent Necropsy | $0.99 | |
| 4 Soul Search | $0.35 | |
$105.07 Tix @cardhoarder
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$472.18 @tcgplayer
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Apprentice and MWS .dec
Lightning Helix and No More Lies
Once again, Claudioh shows up in the first week of a new edition, now with a well-known deck. Without a doubt, Niv to Light was one of the decks that benefited the most from this new edition, as No More Lies and Lightning Helix are great additions to the deck, serving slightly different purposes.
With No More Lies, the deck can play a much more comfortable game, countering whatever is needed early on and better developing its own game plan. Helix, on the other hand, offers a much more aggressive angle of attack, with damage that can finish off planeswalkers, kill countless creatures, and also end games.
The One-ofs
He also chose some very interesting 1-ofs. Ill Times Explosion can be both a source of card selection and a mass removal when necessary.
Urgent Necropsy can be tutored and also have a feel of Casualties of War, being able to destroy multiple permanents instantly.
Deadly Cover-Up is another mass removal, with the potential to also act as Surgical Extraction, removing the best creature and also its copies from the deck.
Completing the setup, Analyse the Pollen can serve as a fifth Bring to Light, tutoring Niv Mizzet in later turns, or searching for a necessary land to develop your game plan.
Finally, Soul Search was not a card I expected to see, but it makes some sense. The deck has already used Thought Erasure, and perhaps the clause of making a token by exiling something with cost 1 is more useful than the surveil.
Some good targets are Cauldron Familiar/Witch’s Oven, Shapers’s Sanctuary, Chained to the
#3: Standard Monogreen Aggro by Yoman5
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [22] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Bloated Contaminator | $3.49 | |
| 2 Polukranos Reborn | $0.49 | |
| 4 Flourishing Bloom-Kin | $0.35 | |
| 4 Sharp-Eyed Rookie | $0.49 | |
| 4 Ulvenwald Oddity | $0.69 | |
| 4 Evolving Adaptive | $0.35 | |
| Instant [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Archdruid's Charm | $9.99 | |
| Sorcery [8] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Bushwhack | $0.69 | |
| 4 Invoke the Ancients | $0.49 | |
| Planeswalker [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Nissa, Ascended Animist | $4.49 | |
| Land [22] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Boseiju, Who Endures | $49.99 | |
| 20 Forest | $0.01 | |
| 1 Argoth, Sanctum of Nature | $2.79 | |
$18.51 Tix @cardhoarder
$0.99 / Week @cardhoarder
$102.83 @tcgplayer
$138.08 @cardkingdom
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Apprentice and MWS .dec
I confess that my green heart beat stronger when I saw this list from grinder Yoman5, also known for innovative lists. And he managed to get a 5-0 in the Magic Online Standard list with this Monogreen Aggro, supported by some very interesting MKM cards.
Flourishing Bloom-Kin
Flourishing Bloom-Kin is a card that fits very well in a deck with only forests, and in this list, it easily becomes the largest creature on the table. Dungrove Elder had its moment of glory and, even though it doesn't have hexproof, by turn 3 you can already make it so it won't die to Cut Down, and the longer the game goes, the better it gets.
Sharp-Eyed Rookie
Sharp-Eyed Rookie is another very interesting card for this deck, as it complements the 2 curve well and still has a great chance of becoming one of the biggest creatures on the table. A Rookie/Bloom-Kin curve puts two 3/3 creatures on the field, applying a lot of pressure on the opponent and on top of that generating card advantage with the clue.
Archdruid’s Charm
Archdruid’s Charm has multiple modes and all are very good, being able to search for a land and ramp or even a creature that is appropriate at the time, including Ulvenwald Oddity to finish games. Or even kill a big creature on the table without fighting, important against cards like Sheoldred and Preacher of the Schism. The last mode is a bonus, but the format has many relevant targets, like Leyline Binding, Wedding Announcement, and Virtue of Loyalty. It is definitely a deck that I am going to test, even though I know I will probably lose to all the Domain Ramps I encounter.
#4: Standard Dimir Control by Etoustar
(3 - 1)
75% in MTGO Standard Preliminary #12611439 [15 Players] — 07-Feb-2024
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch | $3.99 | |
| Artifact [2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cryptic Coat | $2.99 | |
| Instant [26] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Go for the Throat | $1.49 | |
| 4 Memory Deluge | $1.49 | |
| 3 Disruption Protocol | $0.35 | |
| 4 Cut Down | $1.29 | |
| 1 Sheoldred's Edict | $4.49 | |
| 4 Deduce | $0.35 | |
| 4 Long Goodbye | $0.35 | |
| 2 Drag the Canal | $0.49 | |
| 2 Negate | $0.35 | |
| Sorcery [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Deadly Cover-Up | $0.49 | |
| Land [27] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Island | $0.01 | |
| 3 Swamp | $0.01 | |
| 3 Underground River | $2.79 | |
| 1 Shipwreck Marsh | $7.49 | |
| 2 Mirrex | $7.99 | |
| 1 Otawara, Soaring City | $24.99 | |
| 2 Sunken Citadel | $1.99 | |
| 4 Darkslick Shores | $1.99 | |
| 4 Field of Ruin | $0.39 | |
| 4 Restless Reef | $1.49 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Disdainful Stroke | $0.35 | |
| 3 Parasitic Grasp | $0.35 | |
| 2 Path of Peril | $6.99 | |
| 1 Pilfer | $0.35 | |
| 1 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | $79.99 | |
| 1 Sheoldred's Edict | $4.49 | |
| 2 Jace, the Perfected Mind | $9.99 | |
| 2 Chrome Host Seedshark | $4.49 | |
| 1 Outrageous Robbery | $0.69 | |
$85.28 Tix @cardhoarder
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Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
This is practically a new archetype, given the number of MKM cards present in the list. The format already had another Dimir, a bit more aggro/midrange, but this list is the pure nectar for control lovers.
Cryptic Coat
Cryptic Coat counts as an endless source of creatures and Ojer Pakpatiq, as a creature that provides great value with rebound on its main spells. Looking at it superficially, it seems to be a very solid control list, with all the elements that a deck of this type desires: lots of card draws, counters, removals, and mass removal. The removals are efficient, just like the counters, and the deck can hold back the aggressive start of certain decks, as well as having a late game that competes against any deck.
These cards speak for themselves, but I would like to highlight Drag the Canal, a card that seems simple but basically does everything the deck wants: it puts surprise blockers and attackers into play and when used together with another removal, it makes a very favorable exchange for the user, with card selection and advantage. Another standout is Long Goodbye, which, although it doesn't hit all creatures, hits some that are very difficult to remove, such as Raffine, Scheming Seer.
#5: Standard Boros Convoke by strong_sad
Lastly, it's not a deck that has made results yet, but I believe it has a lot of potential in this format. Boros Convoke is a very strong deck in Pioneer and now, it seems to have found some interesting pieces to shine in Standard as well.
Novice Inspector
To begin with, Novice Inspector is the 1-drop that the deck always needed, the absence of Thraben Inspector really hurt and made openings with Gleeful Demolition not very good. Now, with 8 good artifact generators on turn 1, the possibility of stealing with demolition on turn 2 and Knight on turn 3 becomes much more real. We still don't have Ornithopter for 3 tokens on turn 1, but who knows in a future edition?
Warleader’s Call
Warleader's Call is a card with potential even for making it to the Pioneer lists, and here in Standard, it fits like a glove. One of the problems with the anthem effects in tier 2 was that the fact of just increasing the creatures' power, often wasn't enough. Now, Warleader also serves as a kill condition, as a recurring damage for each creature that enters the battlefield with very good synergy with several cards in the deck, like Resolute Reinforcements and Mirrex. Without a doubt, it is a card that deserves its slots in the main deck.
Case of the Gateway Express
Case of the Gateway Express is not a card that impresses me much, but it might have potential in this list. With so many token generators, it could be very easy to kill almost any creature in the format and still solve the case by giving a significant attack bonus. Also, without a doubt, it will be a deck that I'll include in my tests for the upcoming tournaments.
Final words
Murders at Karlov Manor has just arrived and has already set fire to both formats, bringing new ideas and strengthening existing decks. Let's see what can still happen in the coming weeks, but I must confess that I'm already quite excited to play both Pioneer and Standard!
Until next time!