Move over Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, a new Magic: The Gathering Naya Tokens deck by Yuu Nonn won the largest Standard tournament since the launch of Wilds of Eldraine.
Following the digital launch of Wilds of Eldraine (WOE) set on Sept. 5, multiple surprising decks have risen to the top of the Standard meta. Over the weekend, a Japanese VTuber named Chika Aobeni ran a Standard tournament on Sept. 9, featuring 128 enrolled players. And some of the top-performing decks may surprise MTG players who think WOE hasn’t impacted the meta.
Some of the best MTG Standard decks at the time of writing placed in the top eight, like Esper Legends, Atraxa Domain/Ramp, and Golgari Midrange. Three surprising decks also made it to the top eight, though, with Nonn’s Naya Tokens winning the event and going undefeated. And in fifth was Dimir Tempo, followed by Orzhov Aggro in eighth.
Naya Tokens MTG Standard deck
The new Naya deck piloted by Nonn doesn’t run a bunch of tokens as the deck title suggests. Instead, it buffs tokens with the WOE card Virtue of Loyalty and runs solid token synergies with Pia Nalaar as the token generated in conjunction with Wedding Announcement. Printed through March of the Machine Aftermath set, Pia Nalaar hasn’t seen much Standard play.
The release of WOE bumped the value of Pia Nalaar in Standard through the return of the Adventure mechanic, creating a token each time its controller plays a land or casts a spell from exile. Naya Tokens also runs four copies of Reckless Impulse to synergize with Pia Nalaar, along with Wrenn’s Resolve.
Adding power and board presence to the early game is the new WOE card Questing Druid//Seek the Beast, along with the Adventure Virtue of Loyalty//Ardenvale Fealty. The Virtue of Loyalty Adventure card is also a powerful addition, creating tokens through its Adventure spell and then pumping up the team for lethal damage later on in the match.
Questing Druid stands out by synergizing with Pia Nalaar through its Adventure spell and then scales in power and toughness through three colors getting played in the deck. Also seeing play in the main deck were two copies of Torch the Tower, a new one-drop removal spell in Red.
Dimir Tempo MTG Standard deck
Faeries are making waves in the Standard format through a Dimir Tempo build piloted by Ryuumei. Halo Forager, from the March of the Machine set, fuels the build—synergizing with Instant and Sorcery spells, along with Faeries. Sleep-Cursed Faerie is a powerful one-drop, along with the other new WOE Faerie, Talion, the Kindly Lord. The addition of Faeries also allows for additional removal through Faerie Fencing.
Two copies of Sheoldred, the Apocalypse are included in the Dimir Tempo Standard deck, along with single copies of Kaito Shizuki and Ertai Resurrected.
Orzhov Aggro MTG Standard deck
Orzhov is back at the top of the Standard meta through a new build piloted by Masayasu Tanahashi. Fueling the Orzhov Aggro Standard deck are new WOE cards Gumdrop//Tempt with Treats, Virtue of Loyalty//Ardenvale Fealty, and Lord Skitter, Sewer King.
Lord Skitter, Sewer King is the token engine that gets pumped up by Virtue of Loyalty. Gumdrop Poisoner is the Lifegain to compensate for life lost through Lord Skitter. And the Adventure side of Gumdrop Poisoner, Tempt with Treats, creates a Food token for only one mana.
Orzhov staples that were included in one of the upcoming best Standard decks were The Wandering Emperor, Sorin the Mirthless, Phyrxian Missionary, and Adeline, Resplendent Cathar. And not one single copy of Sheldred, the Apocalypse was included in the Orzhov Aggro Standard deck.
Players can test out the new Standard decks impacting the Wilds of Eldraine Standard meta through MTG Arena or Magic Online. Tabletop players should contact their local game store to find out when Standard events are offered.
