With Pro Tour Battle for Zendikar less than 48 hours away, all eyes are on the Open Series results from this weekend’s event at #SCGATL. Without question, the breakout deck of the weekend was G/W/X Megamorph. G/W Megamorph was around in Week One, but ultimately lost in the finals to Atarka Red.
The new combo-riffic red deck’s Week One win was a slap to the face of the format. For two Pro Tours in a row, Red Aggro has performed well in the pre-PT Open Series events and then gone on to win the main event. Could we possibly be gotten three times in a row?
In response to the new red menace, savvy players moved to Jeskai and Jeskai Black en masse. The Jeskai variants naturally have a good red matchup while also being great decks (and fun). Half of the Top Eight was Jeskai and Jeskai Black, with half a dozen more in the Top 32. The highest finisher among them was Todd Anderson with this build:
Creatures (16)
Planeswalkers (1)
Lands (26)
Spells (17)
There’s a lot of new technology here, moving this list away from previous builds of Jeskai Black. The current Standard format has so much overlapping between different decks, and so much splashing, we’ll often be able to learn lessons from one deck that we can apply to another. Besides, Jeskai variants are surely going to be one of the two most popular decks this weekend. We better know what they are capable of and how to compete with them!
Wait, Hangarback Walker? Todd didn’t play Hangarback Walker.
Exactly! One of the important changes Todd embraced is the move away from Hangarback Walker, anticipating the format would adjust to the overwhelming popularity of the most generically useful artifact creature since Masticore.
Silkwrap has been growing in popularity over the past few weeks. It’s the only removal spell that can stop Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy and Hangarback Walker on turn two on the draw without losing value. It has good targets against every single deck in the Top 32 of #SCGATL. Its drawback of being destroyable is largely diminished because of the power of exiling a Hangarback Walker. Now if your opponent tries to Dromoka’s Command, you can sacrifice the Silkwrap keeping Hangarback out and give them back a 0/0!
Silkwrap’s meteoric rise has been a sharp blow to Hangarback Walker, a card that is likely to continue to decline in popularity as Silkwrap continues to wrap around the format. Already, almost 90% of the successful decks are white. Of the Top 32 decks from #SCGATL, there were three Atarka Red and one G/B Evolutionary Leap. Literally all 28 others were playing white!
Another controversially absent card, Todd presumably cut the Gideons at least partially because of Hangarback Walker no longer appearing in his list. At this point, it should be noted that Todd did not like his list and does not recommend it. He’s a great player, but I don’t blame him. Gideon is great. I strongly prefer it to…
Both Monastery Mentor and Dragonlord Ojutai are one-card plans that can just take over a game completely if left unchecked. Both can be vulnerable to Crackling Doom, but at least the Mentor can leave you with a buddy and Dragonlord Ojutai is durable against most everything else. I’m not sure if Todd was anticipating less Crackling Dooms this week, or what, but I don’t love walking face-first into them.
Dispel is a really interesting card in the new format. On the surface it seems super narrow, but who doesn’t play Instants? Against Atarka Red it’s actually a super awesome card as it gives you a one-mana answer to most of their best cards. Against Jeskai variants it’s often a huge tempo boost, countering Jeskai Charm, Crackling Doom, or Ojutai’s Command for just one mana. Even just protecting your Jace from a Wild Slash can be a big deal.
The primary tension is that playing Dispel over Negate increases your vulnerability to planeswalkers. Of course, if you play Mantis Rider on turn four, you’re not stopping people from casting planeswalkers anyway. If you are thinking of waiting on Mantis Rider, why exactly are you playing such an aggressive deck anyway?
Despite disagreeing with the direction of Todd’s maindeck, there is good tech here. Dragonlord Silumgar is a super insane answer to opposing Gideons, which can often suicide immediately to give you the emblem. Now, even if your opponent can produce an answer to Silumgar, they are still down a Gideon and you are up an emblem.
Of course, Ob Nixilis Reignited and Nissa, Vastwood Seer are also both great targets to steal just before they fire off their ultimates. Jeskai Black is already good at attacking planeswalkers, but the added dimension of Dragonlord Silumgar is particularly nice given how many people are relying on cards like Dispel and Negate to protect them from you. Of course, Dragonlord Silumgar is a great creature to protect with Dispel and Valorous Stance himself!
In a four-color deck, Exert Influence is a Control Magic for creatures with power four or less than can’t be removed with enchantment removal. This makes it perfect for stealing Siege Rhinos as long as you are careful and don’t have it countered by Dromoka’s Command or Abzan Charm putting +1/+1 counters on it!
Exert Influence is also a great answer to Hangarback Walker since you’ll be the one to get the Thopters when it dies. Just be careful if you steal Jace, Nissa, or any of the other flip Planeswalkers as they come back from exile on their owner’s side.
Here’s a little bit more normal of a Jeskai Black build:
Creatures (14)
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (25)
Spells (17)
As we discussed last week, Dragonmaster Outcast is a sweet card to Ojutai’s Command back on turn six, unless something goes…
Horribly Awry is particularly nice against Abzan, with Hangarback Walker, Nissa, Vastwood Seer, Den Protector, and Siege Rhino all being nice to stop pre-emptively, not to mention the possibility of exiling a Deathmist Raptor. Of course, it’s also nice for winning the Ojutai’s Command battles, since the exile means the Jace you countered isn’t coming back.
With Silkwrap on the rise and both Evolutionary Leap and Mastery of the Unseen seeing play, Felidar Cub has been showing up more and more as an enchantment removal spell with a bit of versatility in case they don’t draw an enchantment worth killing. The really sweet part is that you can Ojutai’s Command it back if you need to kill a second enchantment.
Fiery Impulse (over some number of Wild Slash) is a big deal in the mirror thanks to its ability to kill Mantis Rider. It’s also important for getting out from under a Warden of the First Tree, which G/W can frequently use to make our life hard. It might not be able to go to the face, but who doesn’t play with good targets? Everyone has Jace, Warden, or Zurgo!
So, it would appear that Jeskai Black is crushing it. Is there anything that can keep it in check?
G/W Megamorph’s dominating weekend was largely on the back of a favorable Jeskai Black matchup. With the Top Eight half Megamorph and half Jeskai variants, it’s not surprising to see a pair of Megamorph decks in the finals. Here’s the winner’s list:
Creatures (24)
- 3 Wingmate Roc
- 4 Warden of the First Tree
- 2 Hidden Dragonslayer
- 4 Den Protector
- 4 Deathmist Raptor
- 3 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
- 4 Hangarback Walker
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (25)
Spells (7)
G/W Megamorph’s biggest weakness was Elspeth, Sun’s Champion. With her out of the picture, Deathmist Raptor and friends are free to run wild. They even gained the early candidate for best non-land card in the new set, Gideon. Gideon is particularly awesome in this list because of how many bodies the G/W deck seems to have at all times and how much it loves having Gideon as a virtual seven-power attacker (play him, make a 2/2, then attack with Gideon next turn).
Gideon also gives G/W Megamorph a layer of protection against sweepers which would otherwise leave it completely helpless. Even still, one of the best ways to gain edge against G/W Megamorph is with Languish, Crux of Fate, Planar Outburst, and End Hostilities. As long as you have something else going on, a sweeper can give you a winning advantage on the board.
For instance, if you and your G/W Megamorph opponent each have a Gideon, their copy can often tick up while yours is stuck making 2/2s to block their Gideon with. If you follow Gideon up with an End Hostilities, however, you can often animate Gideon and attack theirs for five, killing it. Likewise, if your Crux of Fate kills their whole board while also killing your Hangarback Walker, you can really pull ahead.
One of the biggest advantages of G/W Megamorph is their successful use of one of the few Tier One one-drops in the format. When Warden of the First Tree is played on turn one it can put people under enormous pressure, hitting for three as early as the second turn. However, unlike most one-drops, it’s still a good draw even later. Cast it on turn four and it can become a 3/3 immediately. When you untap it can gain lifelink and trample, and then threatens to become an 8/8 when you untap again!
If the deck with Wild Slashes and Fiery Impulses is behind against the Warden of the First Tree deck, what are you supposed to do?
Well, my recommendation is to start by making sure you have tons of two- and three-mana plays. You cannot afford to miss the second turn on the draw against these decks, nor can you afford to miss the third turn when on the play.
The next lesson to remember is to do something proactive. While cheap removal spells and sweepers are good against G/W Megamorph, you can’t just hang out. They are extremely good at grinding with two-for-ones, durable threats, a variety of angles of attack including enchantments and planeswalkers, and on top of that they are both fast and hyper-consistent. Their Achilles heel is their relative shortage of interactivity on top of a heavy reliance on creatures. They have access to Dromoka’s Command, Valorous Stance, and white enchantments like Silkwrap and Stasis Snare.
Here are some cards to consider:
Of course, you can’t just lead with a bunch of cards that cost four to eight and think that is the plan. These cards can generate a big advantage turn after turn, but you have to buy yourself enough time first. That’s where the cheap interaction comes in.
Of course, you can also exploit their relative shortage of interaction with combos such as Temur Battle Rage and Become Immense. G/W Megamorph took advantage of the format going after Red Aggro this week, but it’s not clear the Pro Tour field will be so hateful towards Red Aggro. If the G/W Megamorph decks are not prepared, they can easily find themselves unable to meaningfully break up the combo (much the same way G/W Megamorph lost in the finals at #SCGINDY).
It’s important to be aware of the G/W/X Megamorph variants besides just straight G/W. The most notable among them is Bant Megamorph, such as the list piloted to a Top Eight finish by Tom Ross:
Creatures (24)
- 2 Wingmate Roc
- 4 Warden of the First Tree
- 1 Stratus Dancer
- 2 Hidden Dragonslayer
- 4 Den Protector
- 4 Deathmist Raptor
- 3 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
- 4 Hangarback Walker
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (25)
Spells (8)
As you can see, this is very much the exact same deck but with access to Lumbering Falls and a touch of permission. Stratus Dancer, in particular, is a vital card to get experience with.
Stratus Dancer can absolutely devastate someone trying to fight the G/W deck with Languish or End Hostilities, but it’s not without a weakness of its own. Everyone seems to forget that Stratus Dancer’s ability is not just Negate, that it cannot counter planeswalkers or enchantments. Silkwrap and Stasis Snare, in particular, are removal spells that can get morphs off of the table reliably.
It’s important to not get too caught up in trying to play around everything that you accidentally give your opponent way better chances than they deserve. If you respect every morph as a potential Stratus Dancer, you will generally take way too much damage when you should have just tried to kill the morph and taken your chances.
Another important strategic consideration is G/W Megamorph’s reliance on enchantments.
In addition to Silkwrap and Stasis Snare, G/W Megamorph uses a pair of powerful grind-enabler enchantments, Master of the Unseen and Evolutionary Leap. They are powerful tools against removal-heavy opponents, but they also increase G/W’s vulnerability to enchantment removal.
In addition to Dromoka’s Command, Felidar Cub, and Ugin as discussed above, we should also consider:
Neither G/W Megamorph nor Jeskai Black are the sort of decks that will easily fold to “hate” cards. You can tune your deck to be ready for them, but they are too strong and too durable to simply hate out. The metagame is shaping up to be built around Jeskai Black, G/W Megamorph and Atarka Red, but Abzan, Bring to Light, Blue Control, Drana Aggro, and Eldrazi Ramp are all potential threats waiting in the fringes of the metagame, just ready to strike.
What will the metagame look like this weekend?
It’s going to be fun to watch, as I have a feeling people have only scratched the surface of what’s possible in this format…