Hello, and welcome back to Metagame Mentor, your weekly guide to the top decks and latest Constructed developments on the path to the Pro Tour. The November 10 banned and restricted announcement shook up several formats, and in Standard, Vivi Ornitier, Screaming Nemesis, and Proft's Eidetic Memory all received the axe.

Proft's Eidetic Memory
Screaming Nemesis
Vivi Ornitier

Because Standard is the format for both the next round of Regional Championship Qualifiers and for Magic World Championship 31, this article examines the early winners and losers from these bans. Can the archetypes that lost key cards stay afloat? Which decks benefit the most from the bans? Using sample lists from the first Magic Online tournaments since the changes, we'll get an early sense of the metagame just before the release of Magic: The Gathering® | Avatar: The Last Airbender™.

Loser: Izzet Decks

2 Astrologian's Planisphere 1 Cori Mountain Monastery 1 Frostcliff Siege 2 Get Out 4 Into the Flood Maw 6 Island 2 Mountain 4 Multiversal Passage 1 Obliterating Bolt 3 Opt 4 Quantum Riddler 2 Ral, Crackling Wit 4 Riverpyre Verge 1 Roaring Furnace 4 Spirebluff Canal 4 Splash Portal 3 Stock Up 4 Stormchaser's Talent 1 Thundering Falls 3 Thundertrap Trainer 4 Torch the Tower 2 Annul 2 Detect Intrusion 2 Disdainful Stroke 2 Enduring Curiosity 2 Fire Magic 2 Obliterating Bolt 1 Pyroclasm 2 Spell Pierce

No longer can Izzet decks exile Vivi Ornitier with Agatha's Soul Cauldron for an explosive burst of mana, nor can they leverage a suite of draw-and-discard creatures through Proft's Eidetic Memory. With these disruptions, Izzet shells lost a meaningful amount of raw power and had to recalibrate. Yet the blue-red core remains resilient, supported by prowess creatures, efficient interaction, and powerful card-draw spells. Over the past week, both Henry_Morehouse and _ruda_ won Standard Challenges on Magic Online with Izzet lists, proving the archetype still has competitive fuel in the tank.

Without Vivi Ornitier and with Fear of Missing Out weakened, this version turns to Stormchaser's Talent and Astrologian's Planisphere to apply early pressure. It can also threaten to warp Quantum Riddler on turn three and immediately blink it with Splash Portal. This sequence looks similar to Ephemerate in Modern, enabling a formidable 4/6 flier as early as turn three. Even without Quantum Riddler, blinking Thundertrap Trainer allows you to grab a noncreature spell and draw an extra card because it's an Otter. Rounded out by proven tools like Into the Flood Maw and Stock Up, the blue-red core remains sturdy and adaptable.

Loser: Mono-Red Aggro

4 Burnout Bashtronaut 4 Burst Lightning 4 Hired Claw 4 Lightning Strike 14 Mountain 4 Nova Hellkite 4 Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might 4 Razorkin Needlehead 4 Riverpyre Verge 2 Rockface Village 4 Scalding Viper 3 Shock 3 Soulstone Sanctuary 2 Spirebluff Canal 4 Magebane Lizard 4 Obliterating Bolt 1 Shock 2 Soul-Guide Lantern 4 Sunspine Lynx

Mono-Red Aggro lost one of its strongest cards in Screaming Nemesis, weakening its ability to punch through life gain and large blockers. Still, the classic formula of cheap, hasty threats backed by burn spells never goes out of style. Deleon91 made the Top 8 of a recent Magic Online Challenge with a list that replaces Screaming Nemesis with Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might. Ojer Axonil amplifies every ping from Scalding Viper, Hired Claw, or Razorkin Needlehead into a burst of four damage, making it an elegant centerpiece. Witchstalker Frenzy also disappeared, replaced by Shock, since the deck can no longer benefit by shooting five damage at its own Screaming Nemesis.

Other red builds have tried Tersa Lightshatter, while some have leaned into Leyline of Resonance and Slickshot Show-Off for a more explosive, all-in approach. These different versions all made Magic Online Challenge Top 8 appearances over the past week. So even though Mono-Red Aggro is weaker without Screaming Nemesis and counts as one of the losers from November 10's bans, it remains a competitive Standard strategy.

Winner: Dimir Midrange

2 Bitter Triumph 2 Cecil, Dark Knight 4 Deep-Cavern Bat 4 Enduring Curiosity 1 Essence Scatter 2 Faebloom Trick 4 Floodpits Drowner 1 Fountainport 4 Gloomlake Verge 4 Island 3 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares 1 Long Goodbye 2 Multiversal Passage 1 Phantom Interference 2 Restless Reef 2 Shoot the Sheriff 2 Soulstone Sanctuary 4 Spyglass Siren 1 Stab 1 Starting Town 5 Swamp 3 Tishana's Tidebinder 1 Tragic Trajectory 4 Watery Grave 1 Annul 2 Duress 1 Faebloom Trick 1 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares 1 Lord Skitter, Sewer King 2 Negate 1 Qarsi Revenant 1 Spell Pierce 2 Stab 2 Strategic Betrayal 1 Tishana's Tidebinder

At Magic Spotlight: Spider-Man events in Baltimore and Liverpool, Dimir Midrange was the most popular deck that emerged from the bans unscathed. As such, it was expected to be an early frontrunner for the post-ban metagame, and so far, that expectation appears well placed: Dimir Midrange has reliably captured multiple Top 8 slots every Challenge, and O_Danielakos won one with the list shown above. Of note is the return of Deep-Cavern Bat over Azure Beastbinder and the choice of Faebloom Trick over Preacher of the Schism—sensible adjustments if you expect more mirror matches.

Dimir Midrange still leans on Enduring Curiosity and Kaito, Bane of Nightmares for steady card advantage, while a stream of pinpoint removal and countermagic keeps opponents off balance. It's a well-rounded deck with a flexible sideboard, and any successful Standard deck needs to have a plan against it.

Winner: Simic Ouroboroid

4 Azure Beastbinder 4 Botanical Sanctum 4 Breeding Pool 4 Jackal, Genius Geneticist 4 Floodpits Drowner 5 Forest 4 Gene Pollinator 4 Innkeeper's Talent 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Multiversal Passage 4 Ouroboroid 4 Pawpatch Recruit 2 Sab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied 1 Soulstone Sanctuary 2 Tishana's Tidebinder 2 Tyvar, the Pummeler 4 Willowrush Verge 1 Disdainful Stroke 3 Dragon Sniper 1 Keen-Eyed Curator 4 Repulsive Mutation 1 Sab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied 2 Tishana's Tidebinder 1 Tyvar, the Pummeler 2 Wear Down

With Dimir Midrange claiming a large slice of the post-ban metagame, a natural question is how to defeat it. Based on results from both Magic Spotlight: Spider-Man events, Simic Ouroboroid is one of the best answers. Across Baltimore and Liverpool, the archetype posted an impressive 18-7 record (72% win rate) against Dimir Midrange, making it a well-positioned choice in the new Standard.

_Batutinha_ won a Standard Challenge with the list shown above. The deck reliably ramps into a turn-three Ouroboroid, whose power can scale to astronomical heights. This threat forces Dimir Midrange players to hold up removal constantly. Pawpatch Recruit punishes those removal spells with ruthless efficiency, while Innkeeper's Talent reinforces board presence every turn. And since Simic Ouroboroid floods the battlefield with cheap creatures, it becomes difficult for Dimir to ninjitsu in Kaito, Bane of Nightmares or accrue value from Enduring Curiosity.

Winner: Sultai Reanimator

2 Ardyn, the Usurper 4 Awaken the Honored Dead 3 Bitter Triumph 3 Blooming Marsh 4 Breeding Pool 4 Bringer of the Last Gift 3 Cache Grab 1 Cavern of Souls 2 Forest 2 Gloomlake Verge 1 Harvester of Misery 4 Superior Spider-Man 1 Marang River Regent 4 Oblivious Bookworm 3 Overlord of the Balemurk 1 Smuggler's Surprise 2 Steamcore Scholar 1 Swamp 2 Terror of the Peaks 1 Town Greeter 1 Undercity Sewers 1 Underground Mortuary 2 Valgavoth, Terror Eater 2 Wastewood Verge 4 Watery Grave 2 Willowrush Verge 1 Cavern of Souls 3 Duress 1 Harvester of Misery 2 Heritage Reclamation 3 Intimidation Tactics 2 Malicious Eclipse 1 Myojin of Night's Reach 1 Reclamation Sage 1 Terror Tide

Since the release of Superior Spider-Man in Magic: The Gathering | Marvel's Spider-Man, Sultai Reanimator has been steadily rising in popularity and results. When cast, Superior Spider-Man can enter as a copy of Bringer of the Last Gift, producing a devastating Living End-style effect. With careful stacking of the triggers, you can even return the original Bringer of the Last Gift to the battlefield. Ares80 demonstrated the deck's strength with a Top 8 finish at a Standard Challenge.

This strategy tended to struggle against Izzet Cauldron because it relied heavily on the graveyard and had to fight through four main-deck copies of Agatha's Soul Cauldron. Even though Superior Spider-Man doesn't target the card in your graveyard, the Cauldron's graveyard hate is still relevant disruption. With Vivi Ornitier gone, Agatha's Soul Cauldron has nearly vanished from Standard, creating a friendlier environment for graveyard-focused decks. Orzhov Sacrifice lists built around Raise the Past may enjoy similar gains.

Winner: Jeskai Control

2 Consult the Star Charts 2 Dispelling Exhale 1 Elegant Parlor 4 Floodfarm Verge 3 Get Lost 1 Island 2 Jeskai Revelation 3 Lightning Helix 3 Marang River Regent 4 Meticulous Archive 2 Mistrise Village 1 Mountain 2 Plains 1 Rediscover the Way 4 Riverpyre Verge 4 Sacred Foundry 3 Scorching Dragonfire 2 Seam Rip 3 Shiko, Paragon of the Way 3 Split Up 4 Stock Up 2 Sunbillow Verge 2 Three Steps Ahead 1 Thundering Falls 1 Ultima 2 Authority of the Consuls 1 Beza, the Bounding Spring 2 Elspeth, Storm Slayer 2 Kutzil's Flanker 2 Rest in Peace 1 Riverchurn Monument 2 Ultima 3 Voice of Victory

Jeskai Control emerged as another early standout in the post-ban metagame. Peter78010 won a Standard Challenge on Magic Online with the list above. The deck is built to dictate the pace of the game through countermagic, spot removal, sweepers, and card draw. Eventually, Shiko, Paragon of the Way can unleash a free Lightning Helix, Split Up, or Stock Up, flipping the game in dramatic fashion.

A relevant benefit of the bans is that Jeskai Control no longer needs to fear Screaming Nemesis shutting off life gain. Previously, a burn spell aimed at Screaming Nemesis would blank the life gain from Lightning Helix, Jeskai Revelation, or various options from the sideboard. This made comebacks from a low life total more difficult. With Screaming Nemesis gone, these tools are fully online again. Decks centered around other life-gain effects may enjoy a similar boost.

What's Next for Standard?

Post-ban Standard is wide open. Izzet decks and Mono-Red Aggro have lost a step but remain serviceable. Meanwhile, Dimir Midrange, Simic Ouroboroid, Sultai Reanimator, and Jeskai Control have all surged into the spotlight, offering a snapshot of the new metagame. A wide array of other archetypes, from Jeskai Artifacts to Orzhov Pixie, look promising as well. It is, quite simply, a deck builder's paradise.

The release of Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender will also add a massive influx of new tools for both existing and new archetypes. Here are eight cards that jumped out to me for their Standard potential.

Earth King's Lieutenant
Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop

Ally typal is one of the main themes in Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the set features plenty of payoffs and enablers. For example, Earth King's Lieutenant calls back to Thalia's Lieutenant and the Five-Color Humans deck that ruled Modern six years ago, and Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop is like an Unclaimed Territory with upside.

Appa, Steadfast Guardian
Aang, Swift Savior

Airbending allows you to remove opposing permanents for tempo or reset your own creatures for fresh enters value. Appa, Steadfast Guardian and Aang, Swift Savior are among the most-efficient Airbenders in the new set. When combined with Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius, which lets you cast airbended spells for free, Aang, Swift Savior and Appa, Steadfast Guardian can infinitely airbend, creating an arbitrarily large number of Ally tokens.

Badgermole Cub
Firebending Student

Two-mana creatures that produce mana while applying pressure have a long history of success in Standard. Badgermole Cub is a strong follow-up to a turn-one Llanowar Elves, and it could power out explosive turns alongside Enduring Vitality. Firebending Student belongs to a completely different deck, but it may be a powerhouse in an instant-heavy red deck, potentially enabling blisteringly fast turn-three kills with Dreadmaw's Ire and Bulk Up.

Momo, Friendly Flier
Wan Shi Tong, Librarian

Finally, Momo, Friendly Flier and Wan Shi Tong, Librarian are individually strong and synergistic together. An evasive Azorius shell could easily emerge, where a turn-one Momo, Friendly Flier acts like a hyper-aggressive Llanowar Elves. Momo can ramp you into a discounted Wan Shi Tong, which feels like a copy of Hydroid Krasis for the current era. All in all, there is no shortage of fresh ideas to explore with Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender.

If you want to test your mettle in competitive Standard, then the next round of RCQs begins on November 29, 2025, and runs through March 22, 2026. In-store Constructed RCQs, which you can find via your local game store or regional organizer's website, will use the Standard format.

To cap off the 2024–25 Magic premier play season, over a hundred of the world's best players will converge at Magic World Championship 31 to battle for a $1,000,000 prize pool and the year's most coveted title, with Standard and Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender Draft as the formats. Will reigning champion Javier Dominguez defend his title, or will a new challenger carve their own name into the history of competitive Magic? Catch all the action live from December 5–7!