Six different Standard decks were showcased in Vegas at the Magic: The Gathering World Championship top eight playoffs on Sept. 24, supporting Wizards of the Coast’s decision to change the number of sets legal to play in the format.
Over 100 of the best MTG players in the world gathered in Las Vegas for the 2023 Magic World Championship, featuring gameplay in Wilds of Eldraine (WOE) Draft and Standard Constructed. Before the release of WOE, a change was made to the Standard format by removing rotation this year and increasing the number of legal sets to play in the format.
The release of WOE increased the number of legal sets to nine, and the impact on the meta was showcased at the 2023 Magic World Championship. Over 30 unique Standard decks were brought to Worlds by players, with Esper Midrange getting played by 19 percent of the field. Only two of these decks made it to the 2023 MTG Worlds top eight, though, piloted by Kazune Kosaka and Lorenzo Terlizzi.
New cards within the Esper Midrange deck were Lord Skitter, Sewer King, and Virtue of Loyalty//Ardenvale Fealty. Esper Legends was another popular deck that made the 2023 MTG Worlds top eight, piloted by veteran Jean-Emmanuel Depraz, which also featured Lord Skitter, Sewer King.
Another past Standard favorite, Domain Ramp, also obtained new cards to boost the build. Piloted by MTG Hall of Famer Reid Duke, he and his team added Up the Beanstalk, Virtue of Persistence//Locthwain Scorn.
Azorius Soldiers also returned to the main stage with a new look, piloted by Simon Nielsen. Shifting away from the best-of-one version typically found on MTG Arena, Nielsen added cards like Regal Bunnycorn and Werefox Bodyguard. He also included four copies of Make Disappear, alongside four copies of Wedding Announcement.
But the star new deck that made it to the top eight at MTG Worlds was Golgari Midrange, piloted by Anthony Lee. New cards that elevated the build back to the top of the Standard meta included Blossoming Tortoise, Mosswood Dreadknight//Dread Whispers, Sentinel of Lost Lore, and Virtue of Persistence//Locthwain Scorn.
Fans can watch all six of these decks in action at the Magic World Championship in Vegas on Sept. 24.
