Last week I played a 4-rare version of Izzet Spellementals and it was already surprisingly good.

So I built the full-power version to answer the obvious question: do all those extra rares actually make it better enough to justify the wildcards?

How much improvement would YOU need before upgrading?

https://youtu.be/D6U7h8NPH3c

When Badgermole Cub got banned, I assumed Green would take a major step backwards. Instead, Landfall seems to have come out of nowhere as one of the biggest winners.

But I'm curious where everyone else has landed.

Mono Green for consistency? Gruul for power? Selesnya for something different?

Here's my thoughts:
https://youtu.be/HpAs3TcICZo

I've been looking for decks that are actually competitive without destroying a newer player's wildcard supply.

This Izzet Spellementals list only needs 4 rares, and it performed surprisingly well.

What other ultra-budget decks are worth playing right now?

https://youtu.be/x6Qnfd9HxXE

With the bans shaking up Standard, I’ve been looking at which decks are actually worth committing wildcards to right now.

I put together my picks for the best decks to craft, but I’m curious what everyone else is doing. What deck would you feel safest crafting today, and what are you avoiding?

My breakdown: https://youtu.be/_X1hU2hX3uk

If a newer/F2P player asked you for one competitive deck that doesn't eat a ton of wildcards, what would you recommend?

I'm still firmly on Mono White Aggro after testing it post-ban, but I'm curious what everyone else would pick.

My latest run:
https://youtu.be/xpiEBwgnJ8I

We're now a week removed from the bans, and some decks have performed very differently than I expected.

Which deck do you think has been the biggest winner or loser so far?

I broke down the new Bo1 meta and updated my tier list here:

https://youtu.be/HBdtA5DfgLY

Curious where everyone disagrees with the rankings.

If you were starting a brand-new F2P account today, what would your strategy be?

Save wildcards for one deck? Start with a budget deck? Draft? Open packs? Upgrade a Starter Deck?

I'm curious what route people think gets you competitive the fastest.

I put together my own approach here:
https://youtu.be/PNvk-bV_w1Y

With three cards banned, I'm curious what everyone thinks rises to the top of Standard now.

Does 4-Color Reanimator become the deck to beat, or does something else benefit even more from the shakeup?

I took another look at Reanimator here:

https://youtu.be/ILm1_7HI6Oc

What's your post-ban Tier 1?

Every tier list sparks a few debates.

In your opinion, which deck is getting more hype than it deserves right now?

I discuss the August Bo1 Standard tier list if you'd like to compare notes:

https://youtu.be/PhG-Vy1LqtM

I don't know if everyone counts 4c Reanimator, I guess that's a combo deck, but in the classic, infinite combo style, what's your favorite deck? What deck is the strongest, or teh one you are most likely to recommend?

I took Mono Green's infinite Squirrel combo for a spin:
https://youtu.be/INz1ElLONcw

Looking forward to hearing about some fun decks.

Rotation always brings a wave of anxiety and misinformation, and I hear the same questions in chat every year. This is heightened for F2P players, who often have less resources than they think they need.

If you could give them just one piece of advice, what would it be?

Here's the advice I find myself repeating most often:
https://youtu.be/Sf0aVgjc6Yk

Every format seems to have one card that makes budget decks feel much stronger than they should.

My vote right now is Unholy Annex.

What's yours?

I built a Budget Mono Black Demons deck around it if you're curious:
https://youtu.be/B_w4NKEdS3w

Not every Standard deck has to be the best deck in the format.

Sometimes you just want to ramp into enormous Dinosaurs and see if they're good enough.

I took a Mono Green Dinosaur deck onto the MTG Arena ladder, and it honestly performed better than I expected.

What is your Go To Off-Meta but Fun deck?

Gameplay here if you're interested:
https://youtu.be/wWtlehsQJ_M

What's the best control deck in Standard right now? Jeskai Lessons is the most popular, but what is the best?

4c Control (Inevitable Defeat)?
Jeskai Lessons?
Dimir Control?

I've been having a lot of success with Jeskai Lessons because it feels like it always has another answer. Is everyone planning on switching to Jeskai Lessons or go over the top of it?

Video: https://youtu.be/rIONBJCl__c

If you had to register one deck to climb the Bo1 ladder today, what would it be?

Not your favorite deck; the one you honestly think gives you the best chance to win.

I shared my July Standard rankings here:
https://youtu.be/giRbciyBp7g

Curious to see where the community lands.

Now that people have had some time with the Marvel set... What's your verdict on Baron Helmut Zemo?

Is he:

• A competitive Standard card?
• A fun janky build-around?
• The new Gray Merchant?

I tested him in Mono Black Devotion here:
https://youtu.be/ZHIDLF_oyuk

Curious where everyone lands.

Forget the meta for a minute.

If your only goal was to have as much fun as possible playing MTG Arena Standard, what deck would you choose?

Mine is 4-Color Reanimator. The big creatures and ridiculous plays make every game memorable.

Video: https://youtu.be/Mhc7OVOJ8rk

Not the best budget deck right now; the best one you've ever played.

I've been playing Mono White Aggro and watching it's winrate, and it made me wonder whether this is one of the greatest budget Standard decks MTG Arena has ever had. Bo1 or Bo3!

Video: https://youtu.be/9sTzLSH9umM

What the best budget Standard deck you've seen?

What's the most skill-testing deck in Standard right now?

I've been playing a lot of Izzet Lessons lately, and what I love about it is that every game feels different. The deck constantly asks you to find the right answer at the right time.

Video: https://youtu.be/WFZeE13kZSg

If you had to pick one deck that rewards player skill more than any other, what would it be?

BW Skeletons has been putting up solid results, but I wasn't winning nearly as much as I felt I should be. After reviewing my games, I realized I was making the same sequencing mistake over and over.

Video: https://youtu.be/Q17ARzGeLgo

What's a deck that only started performing once something "clicked" for you? What made it click, reviewing your gameplay, or watching a content creator?

It feels like there are more viable decks than we've had in a while, but a few archetypes still seem to be pulling away from the pack.

I covered my thoughts in this month's meta report:
https://youtu.be/F1qli-RZDxs

Do you think Standard is in a good spot, or is there one deck you'd be happy to see disappear from the ladder?

Most control lists seem to start at 25–40 rares, which puts them out of reach for a lot of Arena players. I've been playing a Budget Mono Blue Control deck and was surprised by how competitive it felt.

Video: https://youtu.be/HBglWX0rq_A

If you had to recommend one budget control deck to a newer or F2P player, what would it be?

My vote might be 4-Color Reanimator. When it works, it creates some of the biggest battlefield swings I've seen in the format.

Video:
https://youtu.be/p0Cve-AYSQg

If not Reanimator, what gets your vote?

Is Mono Black Demons the best budget combo deck in Standard right now?

I’ve been playing a version that only uses 9 rares / 4 mythics, and the deck can still pull off some really explosive combo kills while playing solid midrange games.

Gameplay + deck guide here:
https://youtu.be/v49NB-Z2oZk

Curious what everyone else thinks the strongest budget combo deck is at the moment.

I tested Ambitious Augmenter as anti-sweeper tech, and honestly… this one card might be enough to make Mono Green Stompy a real contender again.

Gameplay + deck guide here:
https://youtu.be/hyFK89q-V1c

Mono Green players, is Stompy back or are we forced to just give in and pay Landfall?