Introduction
The best time of the year is finally upon us. Ravnica Allegiance (RNA) has been fully spoiled! With Wizard of the Coast’s first Mythic Championship right around the corner, the excitement for Ravnica Allegiance is at an all-time high. Since the release of Guilds of Ravnica Standard has revolved around the five Shocklands available to us. Now that we have all ten Shocklands at our disposal, the possibilities are endless!
As a Magic player, I absolutely love analyzing the new cards and game mechanics with friends. When a set has yet to be released, the Standard landscape is unexplored territory, since no one has had the opportunity to see how the cards play out in practice. Having had a chance to review the spoiler, Ravnica Allegiance looks like it will certainly have an impact on Standard even beyond the cycle of Shocklands. In this article, I’m going to highlight 10 cards that stand out to me in terms of metagame significance. Without further ado…My Ravnica Allegiance top 10 constructed rankings!
10. 《Dovin, Grand Arbiter》
Starting off the power rankings we have 《Dovin, Grand Arbiter》. A three-mana Planeswalker that fits best in an aggressive-tempo-oriented shell. 《Dovin》 is somewhat unique in the sense that for just three mana he can protect himself by using his “-1” ability to make a 1/1 creature, it can also threaten card advantage via his “ultimate” ability. If an aggressive Azorious deck doesn’t see Standard play, I think it’s still a safe bet to say that we will see 《Dovin》 team up with one of Standards biggest villains 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》. I think 《Dovin》 will see constructed play.
9. 《Rix Maadi Reveler》
This is a card that I’m struggling to evaluate. I can see 《Rix Maadi Reveler》 being very insane or borderline unplayable. On the surface, 《Rix Maadi》 offers card selection and average stats for 1R. When 《Rix Maadi》 is at his best, he nets you 3 cards and provides a serviceable 2/2 body, which is unheard of for 2BR. I predict this card finds a home in Rakdos Aggro. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised to see a few copies of this card played in Modern decks that utilize 《Bedlam Reveler》.
8. 《Bedevil》
Outside of 《Bedevil》s mana cost, this is one flexible magic card. Being able to answer almost any problematic permanent at instant speed for (B)(B)(R) is nothing to scoff at. I see this card finding a home in Grixis Control or a Rakdos Midrange deck. Having an instant speed answer for cards like 《Teferi》, 《Niv-Mizzet, Parun》 and 《Lyra Dawnbringer》 will be valuable. Aggressive Rakdos may opt to keep 《Bedevil》 in the sideboard to streamline their main deck to deal damage.
7. 《Gruul Spellbreaker》
We have quite the aggressive and versatile creature in 《Gruul Spellbreaker》. This card will often be played as a 3/3 haste that shuts off 《Settle the Wreckage》 which inherently makes it a strong card against controlling archetypes. When playing against opposing aggro decks you’ll often want 《Gruul Spellbreaker》 to be a 4/4 since it can dodge three damage removal spells. I expect to see a wealth of 《Llanowar Elves》 and 《Gruul Spellbreaker》s over the next few months.
6. 《Ravager Wurm》
《Ravager Wurm》 certainly earns its keep as a mythic rare. What’s not to like about a 4/5 with haste that can fight a creature when it comes into play or destroy problematic lands like 《Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin》 or 《Adanto, the First Fort》. Having to compete against 《Carnage Tyrant》 makes the 《Ravager》 a tough sell, but If the metagame caters to aggressive strategies, I predict this big mythic wurm will be playing right alongside 《Gruul Spellbreaker》 and 《Llanowar Elves》 for the foreseeable future.
5. 《Growth Spiral》
It should come as no surprise that 《Growth Spiral》 made its way into the top 10. 《Explore》 proved its worth as both a Standard and Modern playable. 《Growth Spiral》 is a perfect addition to the Turbo Fog deck. Having a card that cantrips while allowing you to ramp into 《Teferi》 and 《Nexus of Fate》 will prove to be no joke.
4. 《Theater of Horrors》
Card advantage is a hot commodity for red and this card generates quite the advantage and at a very affordable rate (1BR). If this wasn’t enough, 《Theater of Horrors》 has a mana sink which allows you to push damage in the late game. 《Theater of Horrors》 strikes me as a total powerhouse in an aggressive Rakdos deck. Don’t let this card fool you due to 《Experimental Frenzy》 already being a mainstay in red decks. 《Theater of Horrors》 is the real deal.
3. 《Skewer the Critics》
I’m ranking 《Skewer the Critics》 highly due to it being playable in both Standard and Modern. 《Experimental Frenzy》 and 《Skewer the Critics》 play well together, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see 《Skewer》 takes 《Rift Bolt》‘s place in Modern Burn. Regardless of the format it won’t take much for this card to shine.
2. 《Spawn of Mayhem》
《Spawn of Mayhem》 could very well be the best card in Ravnica Allegiance. Being able to cast a 4/4 flyer with major upside on turn three is something that we haven’t experienced all too often in Standard. Not only does this 《Spawn》 exert major pressure, but it also has four toughness, making it that much harder to kill. I anticipate 《Spawn of Mayhem》 being a four of in any black based aggressive deck for quite some time.
1. 《Absorb》
Coming in at number one, we have the fan favorite, 《Absorb》. Unfortunately, I was unable to have the luxury of playing with 《Absorb》 when it was initially printed in Invasion. The consensus seems to be that 《Absorb》 was amazing then and it will continue to be an all-star now. Being able to gain life with little to no downside can be the difference between winning or losing. The only reservation I have involves a world where control is extremely dominant. If the metagame becomes control oriented, 《Sinister Sabotage》 will outshine 《Absorb》.
Making this list was tough because RNA is full of powerful cards. Here are just a few of the cards I had to leave off the list, but could easily play a big role in Standard.
Honorable Mentions (in no order)
Conclusion
To conclude, I’m excited to see how new Standard shapes up. Now that we have the full suite of dual lands, Standard can really go anywhere and I look forward to seeing what decks are showcased at the Mythic Championship in Cleveland, Ohio.
Brandon Ayers@AyersRares
