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Top 10 Magic: the Gathering Commons & Uncommons from Ravnica Allegiance For Standard


Wizards of the Coast

Last time, I looked at 14 rare and mythic cards from the new set Ravnica Allegiance that I think will see Standard play. Since that article came out, two sets of decklists that went 5-0 in Magic Online Competitive Standard Leagues have been published.

It looks like I slept on some cards that put up strong showings in the first week of the new format, including Biogenic Ooze and Incubation Druid. It remains to be seen how good the rest of my predictions will look as some archetypes are refined and others make their debut in upcoming premier tournaments. I may be wrong about some cards, but I maintain that Spawn of Mayhem has no place in the top tier of Standard.

Anyway, today I’ll be looking at the unsung heroes of Standard: the commons and uncommons that make decks tick and that support the big splashy bombs and hyper-efficient removal at higher rarities. I’m really glad that Ravnica Allegiance seems to have continued Magic’s recent trend of printing a lot of powerful commons and uncommons. Let’s dive right in!

  1. Drill Bit

    Whenever a new set is spoiled, I go through the full card file looking for cool bombs and powerful removal. After I’ve taken the whole set in and noted which cards look amazing, I like to take another look. My second or third pass through the set is to find Standard roleplayers and useful sideboard cards that slot into existing decks or that make new color combinations more attractive.

    While Drill Bit isn’t the most exciting card from Ravnica Allegiance, it looks both strong and, more importantly, versatile enough to see regular sideboard play in Standard. It can take any nonland card and can be cast wherever it fits best on curve whether that be for the full 3 mana or alongside another spell at its discounted rate.

    On the other hand, the card will compete with the hyper-efficient Duress for slots in black sideboards. But I think Standard is at its best when deck-builders have a lot of interesting choices to make for limited deck slots.

  2. Frilled Mystic

    This Simic Lizard Wizard absolutely screams value. Like his vaguely canine companion from another plane, Ravenous Chupacabra, Frilled Mystic deals with another card effortlessly, while also leaving behind a relevant body that can get in for damage or stay back to block.

    The Mystic is somewhat hard to cast, but like Crackling Drake, the value the card offers outweighs the cost in any deck that plays blue and green. It’s amazing that she can negate anything from a Teferi to a key removal spell, and she will often seal the win for you once you’ve already built up a presence on board.

    As for what deck Frilled Mystic slots into, we’ll have to see if a new blue-green deck that isn’t Bant Turbofog emerges. It will need to have a lot of creatures to take advantages of the tempo swing she offers, and preferably a few other reasons to keep up mana on turn 4 without falling behind.

  3. Essence Capture

     

    Mono Blue Tempo mages got a lot of goodies from Ravnica Allegiance, including this strict upgrade to Essence Scatter. The extra blue pip in th mana cost doesn’t matter, and +1/+1 counter is especially relevant in a deck where every point of damage matters.

    It also has a lot of interesting synergy with the rest of the deck, including making Tempest Djinns big enough to survive Lava Coil. This also goes great with another card I think will see play in Mono Blue, Benthic Biomancer. Notably, his ability doesn’t just trigger when he Adapts, countering a spell with a 2/2 Biomancer will add another counter and give you a loot effect.

  4. Pteramander

    While I had the previous blue one drop on the list pegged to potentially play a role in Mono Blue Tempo lists in the coming months, I have much bigger plans for this cute little flier. Pteramander chips in for one in the air before becoming truly monstrous later in the game. 8 mana looks like a steep cost for the upgrade, but this Salamander Drake merely asks that you play a few instants and sorceries to help him grow into a huge dragon.

    The aggressive and combo-like Izzet Phoenix deck powered by cheap cantrips, Arclight Phoenix’s graveyard recursion ability, and giant drakes was a strong early contender for best deck in Guilds of Ravnica Standard. It eventually gave way to the more midrange-oriented Izzet Drakes list that relied less on speed and more on value from Treasure Map and Niv-Mizzet, Parun.

    But with Pteramander entering the format, I feel pretty confident in predicting that the faster version will make a resurgence. In the right build, activating its Adapt ability will feel like a breeze, especially since the rest of the deck rewards you just as much for playing cheap spells.

  5. Mortify

    This is a welcome reprint and will definitely be a key piece in Orzhov and Esper decks for as long as it will be legal in Standard. As I noted in my previous article on notable rares and mythics, having great options for removal in different color combinations makes the Standard environment more diverse and more fun as a result. The addition of Mortify alongside rare card Bedevil will allow Esper and Grixis decks to compete better with Jeskai for a share of the metagame.

    While Bedevil definitely looks stronger than Mortify at face value and consequently deserves its printing at rare, I wouldn’t discount this spell’s ability to kill a Search for Azcanta or an Ixalan’s Binding before you hit your sideboard. Plus, Mortify was printed years ago in full-art, textless glory as part of the defunct Player Rewards program.

  6. Light up the Stage

    In a Mono Red or Black/Red Burn deck, this is basically a Divination for one mana. While this isn’t the card from Ravnica Allegiance that has improved red aggro the most, it certainly helps address one of the deck’s biggest weaknesses.

    After a quick start, red decks would often run out of gas or draw too many lands, giving the opponent time to stabilize the board and eventually turn the corner. Experimental Frenzy gives the deck a ton of late game power, but you don’t always draw it, so having some copies of this alongside the enchantment should provide ample backup.

    I think the card is also powerful enough to try in other red decks, especially a faster variant of Izzet Phoenix, where it can help your Arclight Phoenixes light your opponents up with damage quickly.

  7. Rhythm of the Wild

    This Gruul enchantment is incredibly powerful, but as a noncreature that isn’t a removal spell it fits somewhat awkwardly into the guild’s aggressive, curve-out style game plan. In a deck full of creatures that plays 2-4 copies of Rhythm of the Wild and not much else, it will help crush control decks by making threats uncounterable and giving them haste. It also helps in midrange matchups by growing your creatures on a stalled board, eventually allowing you to break through with a big attack.

    Putting the enchantment in your deck does come at a significant cost, however, as to get the most of it you’ll have to play very little removal and few, if any, Planeswalkers. It will still be good with 2-4 other noncreature spells, but any more than that and you run the risk of falling behind on board early. The payoff definitely looks worth it, so expect Gruul mages to be dancing to this rhythm in Standard.

  8. Consecrate//Consume

    Esper gets another versatile spell alongside Mortify in this split uncommon, Consecrate//Consume. Both these cards give control mages a lot of interesting options to help combat the varied threats that other decks present.

    Consecrate provides some nifty utility against Golgari Midrange and cards with Jump-Start, as well as a nice cantrip, but the real draw is the other half of the card. Consume is an excellent answer to Carnage Tyrant, a card that black control decks have struggled against for a long time. One or two copies of the card will slot right into Esper Control, likely replacing the powerful but clunky Eldest Reborn.  

    While Jeskai still looks like it has a better finisher in Niv-Mizzet, Parun, as well as more efficient sweepers, Esper may have the edge in a metagame where enchantments are heavily played, or if both halves of Consecrate//Consume are relevant.

  9. Skewer the Critics

    One of the main reasons that Burn decks in Modern are never a terrible choice and are often very strong is because they’re just so incredibly consistent. Games with Burn tend to play out the same way, with most of the cards in the deck essentially doing the same thing: doing 3 damage.

    You don’t often see this level of redundancy of burn spells in Standard, but the addition of Skewer the Critics to the format means that Red Aggro have a frightening array of options to get opponents dead quickly. Casting this for 1 mana is trivial in a deck playing cheap creatures and other burn spells, but as we’ve seen with Wizard’s Lightning, paying full price isn’t terrible either.

    I predict that Mono Red will be one of the decks most improved by Ravnica Allegiance. Skewer the Critics contributes efficient damage, while Light up the Stage helps the deck keep up in the midgame. The deck even got a cheap and repeated source of damage in Spear Spewer!

  10. Wilderness Reclamation

    When players are taking to social media to call for the banning of a card that’s been legal in Standard for less than a week, that probably means it’s a card worth looking at.

    While it’s probably a bit early for WotC to ban Wilderness Reclamation, what’s undeniable is how much power this enchantment contributes to Bant Turbofog strategies. Magic Arena Standard grinders are already doing filthy things with it, including casting both Teferi, Hero of Dominaria and Nexus of Fate on the same turn.

    It will be exciting to see whether the card helps Turbofog reclaim its place in the metagame at upcoming MagicFests and Mythic Championships. I’m likely in the minority of players who think Turbofog makes Standard more interesting and challenging, but I’m still going to be packing more Viviens and Thrashing Brontodons in my Arena decks.

     

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