So it’s been two weeks since we lost Miracles. I pondered that we were looking forward to a format full of Storm and Prison. So far it doesn’t look like that’s too far off from reality with combo making up 40% of the metagame.
For the last two weeks Storm has made up 11% of the metagame. Show and Tell has made up 10%, Elves isn’t too far behind at 5%, and Reanimator is 4%. For some context, last year combo made up 24% of the format with 5% Storm, 4% Show and Tell, 4% Reanimator, and 4% Elves. Obviously the sample size here is much smaller and therfore the numbers are a bit skewed, but I do think it helps give us an idea of what the metagame will be like going forward.
Aggro makes up the same amount of the format at 37%, which is relieving. I didn’t expect Aggro to continue doing so well. Which decks are doing well has changed, though. There is twice as much Grixis Delver (from 7% up to 14%) while Eldrazi dropped from 9% of the format last year to only 2% over the last two weeks.
With Miracles gone, Stoneblade and Sultai Midrange are the big holdouts in Control which now only makes up 23% of the format instead of its previous 37%. Only one blue/white control deck has gotten top eight in the past two weeks, and it was definitely not anything attempting to be Miracles. It runs 29 instants and sorceries, all of which are just countermagic and removal. The eight creatures: four Snapcaster Mages and single copies of Vendilion Clique, Venser, Shaper Savant, Palace Jailer, and Dragonlord Ojutai. If you thought playing against Miracles was slow and frustrating, this deck feels like it’d make me even more mad.
I know these are all very preliminary numbers. They could even out during the next few weeks or months, but I can’t pretend that it doesn’t leave me sitting at home brewing prison decks. Maindeck Chalice of the Void and Back to Basics seem pretty good right now. I’m seeing so many of the Grixis decks running maindeck Flusterstorm, which is a bit crazy when you think about it. But there is currently enough Storm to warrant running maindeck Flusterstorm.
If it wasn’t for Legacy Hero, I’d be ready to sleeve up one of the mono-blue prison decks I’ve brewed this last week. They feel unbeatable in this metagame. Going forward I’m really curious how this Miracle-less metagame will shape out. I’m interested to see if a strong prison deck does come forward or if we’re going to end up in a format full of storm and lots of aggro creatures.
Kate hails from Worcester MA and also does a bit of Card Altering. Check her Stuff out on Facebook! She mainly plays legacy and modern though will occasionally find herself playing EDH.