Ixalan’s Impact

Jeremy Dezani

Hello everyone,

Today I am going to talk about the upcoming set, Ixalan.

“For centuries, the untamed jungles of Ixalan have hidden a coveted secret: Orazca, the city of gold. But no secret can remain undiscovered, and no treasure can be taken uncontested. Unfurl your sails, saddle up a dinosaur, and battle your rivals as you embark on a journey to claim the plane’s greatest fortune for yourself!”

It will be the 76th Magic expansion, here are some useful information about it:

IXALAN

Set Name: Ixalan (XLN)
Block: Set 1 of 2 in the Ixalan block
Number of Cards: 279
Magic Open House: September 16-17, 2017
Prerelease Weekend: September 23-24, 2017
Release Date: September 29, 2017
Magic Online Launch: September 25, 2017
Standard Showdown Begins: October 7, 2017
Pro Tour Ixalan: November 3-5, 2017 Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Well, many things to say about it.

First, release date is the same as 2 Grand Prix, both in Team Limited, so players will get only 1 week to practice after pre-release and only 4 days on magic online.

Then we can see that Pro Tour: Ixalan will be more than a month after the release. Many tournaments will be played around the world before and the preparation of the pro tour will be different for the players who are qualified. Metagame could be really clear this time, like a Grand Prix.

With the new set Ixalan, standard will change a lot. Let’s check together the consequences.

New Standard Rotation:

Only 5 sets for the next standard. We will lose 4 expansions:
– Battle of Zendikar
– Oath of the Gatewatch
– Shadow of Innistrad
– Eldritch Moon

Here, is the list of the important cards who leave standard in each set.

Battle of Zendikar

Oath of the Gatewatch

Shadow of Innistrad

Eldritch Moon

Actual Standard decks:

Green-Black Constrictor


Green-Black Constrictor

9 《Forest》
7 《Swamp》
4 《Blooming Marsh》
4 《Hissing Quagmire》

-Lands (24)-

4 《Walking Ballista》
4 《Sylvan Advocate》
4 《Winding Constrictor》
4 《Catacomb Sifter》
2 《Rishkar, Peema Renegade》
3 《Verdurous Gearhulk》

-Creatures (21)-
4 《Fatal Push》
3 《Grasp of Darkness》
4 《Oath of Nissa》
1 《Aethersphere Harvester》
3 《Nissa, Voice of Zendikar》

-Spells (15)-
hareruya


Attune with AetherGlint-Sleeve SiphonerAethersphere Harvester

《Attune with Aether》 will be the only one green mana spell. 《Traverse the Ulvenwald》 and 《Oath of Nissa》 will be not legal.

《Grim Flayer》 and 《Sylvan Advocate》 can be replace by Energy guys like 《Glint-Sleeve Siphoner》, 《Longtusk Cub》, 《Servant of the Conduit》 or 《Greenbelt Rampager》.

《Catacomb Sifter》, 《Tireless Tracker》, 《Liliana, the Last Hope》 and 《Nissa, Voice of Zendikar》 are a big lost for the turn 3 of the deck. Only 《Rishkar, Peema Renegade》, 《Rhonas the Indomitable》 and 《Aethersphere Harvester》 can be played and no one is good for a full playset. If the number of 2 drops increase, 《Aethersphere Harvester》 could be play as 4 copies.

《Grasp of Darkness》 will be replace by 《Never // Return》, or 《Blossoming Defense》.

《Hissing Quagmire》 out, 《Aether Hub》 in.

With the rotation, the deck clearly become GB energy aggressive deck. Delirium is not an option anymore.

Mono Black Zombies


Mono Black Zombies

9 《Swamp》
4 《Ifnir Deadlands》
2 《Scavenger Grounds》

-Lands (25)-

4 《Cryptbreaker》
4 《Relentless Dead》
1 《Metallic Mimic》
4 《Dread Wanderer》
4 《Diregraf Colossus》
4 《Lord of the Accursed》

-Creatures (21)-
4 《Dark Salvation》
3 《Fatal Push》
3 《Grasp of Darkness》
4 《Liliana's Mastery》

-Spells (14)-
hareruya


CryptbreakerRelentless DeadDark Salvation

If 《Ammit Eternal》 could replace 《Diregraf Colossus》, there is no possibilities for 《Cryptbreaker》 and 《Relentless Dead》. 2 cards that are really important for the deck. Add to this the loss of 《Grasp of Darkness》 and 《Dark Salvation》 Deck after rotation and you will understand the deck will be not strong enough anymore. RIP Zombies.

Mono Red


Mono Red

4 《Mountain》
4 《Ramunap Ruins》
4 《Sunscorched Desert》
2 《Scavenger Grounds》

-Lands (24)-

4 《Bomat Courier》
4 《Soul-Scar Mage》
4 《Earthshaker Khenra》
3 《Kari Zev, Skyship Raider》
4 《Ahn-Crop Crasher》
3 《Hazoret the Fervent》

-Creatures (22)-
4 《Shock》
4 《Abrade》
3 《Incendiary Flow》
1 《Collective Defiance》
2 《Chandra, Torch of Defiance》

-Spells (14)-
hareruya


Bomat CourierHazoret the FerventSoul-Scar Mage

《Falkenrath Gorger》 and 《Village Messenger》 will not be available anymore. 《Soul-Scar Mage》 and 《Bomat Courier》 will be the exclusive turn one of the deck if Ixalan is not giving new possibilities. This said, the deck is not losing a lot of cards, 《Incendiary Flow》 and 《Collective Defiance》 are not a big lost. The deck will survive to the rotation and still be strong.

Temur Energy


Temur Energy

4 《Forest》
2 《Mountain》
1 《Island》
3 《Sheltered Thicket》
4 《Aether Hub》
4 《Botanical Sanctum》
2 《Spirebluff Canal》
1 《Game Trail》
1 《Lumbering Falls》

-Lands (22)-

4 《Longtusk Cub》
4 《Servant of the Conduit》
4 《Rogue Refiner》
4 《Whirler Virtuoso》
1 《Rhonas the Indomitable》
4 《Bristling Hydra》
3 《Glorybringer》

-Creatures (24)-
4 《Attune with Aether》
2 《Magma Spray》
4 《Harnessed Lightning》
2 《Abrade》
2 《Skysovereign, Consul Flagship》

-Spells (14)-
hareruya


Rogue RefinerBristling HydraHarnessed Lightning

It is now maybe the best standard deck and it is absolutely losing nothing but 2 one of lands. We will continue to see Temur Energy on the top.

Mardu Vehicles


Mardu Vehicles

3 《Plains》
4 《Aether Hub》
4 《Concealed Courtyard》
4 《Inspiring Vantage》
4 《Spire of Industry》
4 《Spirebluff Canal》

-Lands (23)-

4 《Walking Ballista》
4 《Thraben Inspector》
4 《Toolcraft Exemplar》
3 《Scrapheap Scrounger》
3 《Glint-Nest Crane》
1 《Filigree Familiar》

-Creatures (19)-
1 《Fatal Push》
4 《Abrade》
3 《Unlicensed Disintegration》
3 《Heart of Kiran》
3 《Aethersphere Harvester》
4 《Gideon, Ally of Zendikar》

-Spells (18)-
hareruya


Gideon, Ally of ZendikarThraben InspectorChandra, Torch of Defiance

Mardu is losing only 2 cards, but 2 of the best. 《Thraben Inspector》 and 《Gideon, Ally of Zendikar》 were so great. The first one was a perfect one drop. It makes 《Toolcraft Exemplar》, 《Spire of Industry》 and 《Aethersphere Harvester》, not sure this card will be as good are they were without 《Thraben Inspector》. I see only 《Bomat Courier》 who can be played instead but the card is clearly worst.

The second could be replaced by 《Chandra, Torch of Defiance》 but 《Gideon, Ally of Zendikar》 won 4 Pro Tours… 《Archangel Avacyn》 is also gone, 《Glorybringer》 is the new 5 drop for the deck.

UW Monument


UW Monument

8 《Plains》
4 《Island》
4 《Prairie Stream》
4 《Port Town》
2 《Shefet Dunes》
3 《Westvale Abbey》

-Lands (25)-

4 《Thraben Inspector》
4 《Bygone Bishop》
4 《Hanweir Militia Captain》
4 《Selfless Spirit》
4 《Spell Queller》
4 《Cloudblazer》

-Creatures (24)-
2 《Declaration in Stone》
2 《Metallic Rebuke》
3 《Dusk // Dawn》
4 《Oketra's Monument》

-Spells (11)-
hareruya


Westvale AbbeyBygone BishopHanweir Militia Captain

Let’s be clear, the deck is good but not the best now and with all these losses, I can’t imagine it will survive even if 《Oketra's Monument》 is still in the new standard.

Blue Red Control


Blue Red Control

7 《Island》
6 《Mountain》
4 《Aether Hub》
4 《Spirebluff Canal》
4 《Wandering Fumarole》

-Lands (25)-

4 《Torrential Gearhulk》

-Creatures (4)-
4 《Magma Spray》
4 《Harnessed Lightning》
3 《Censor》
3 《Abrade》
2 《Essence Scatter》
2 《Disallow》
2 《Supreme Will》
2 《Sweltering Suns》
4 《Glimmer of Genius》
3 《Hieroglyphic Illumination》
2 《Hour of Devastation》

-Spells (31)-
hareruya


Torrential GearhulkGlimmer of GeniusSupreme Will

Blue Red will miss 《Wandering Fumarole》. It is not nothing but it could be worth. If no other 《Torrential Gearhulk》 deck is better, Blue Red Control will still be a deck to count on.

Green Red Ramp


Green Red Ramp

4 《Forest》
2 《Mountain》
4 《Sheltered Thicket》
2 《Game Trail》
4 《Hashep Oasis》
3 《Ramunap Ruins》
4 《Shrine of the Forsaken Gods》
1 《Sanctum of Ugin》
1 《Scavenger Grounds》
1 《Sea Gate Wreckage》

-Lands (26)-

1 《Neheb, the Eternal》
3 《World Breaker》
3 《Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger》

-Creatures (7)-
4 《Abrade》
4 《Beneath the Sands》
1 《Dissenter's Deliverance》
4 《Kozilek's Return》
4 《Hour of Promise》
3 《Hour of Devastation》
4 《Weirding Wood》
1 《Gift of Paradise》
2 《Chandra, Flamecaller》

-Spells (27)-
hareruya


Sifter WurmOverwhelming SplendorAjani Unyielding

The big loss here is all the finishers, 《Chandra, Flamecaller》, 《Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger》 and 《World Breaker》 are gone 《Approach of the Second Sun》, 《Overwhelming Splendor》, 《Sandwurm Convergence》 and 《Sifter Wurm》, 《Ajani Unyielding》 will be options, so it could become a GW Ramp deck instead.

This said, the new standard metagame should be dominate by Temur Energy, Mono Red, Blue/red Control and Green Black Energy. But Ixalan will be for sure full of good cards and will change things.

Hope this article was useful,

Thanks for reading

Jeremy DEZANI

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