Standard: Boros Auras - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

In recent weeks, one of the most popular archetypes in Magic Arena's Best of One mode has reached Best of Three and has seen results in Challenges and Leagues: Boros Auras.

A version that trades the explosive openings and free wins of Burn for a more restrained plan, but with greater potential for permanent power and an easier matchup in Aggro mirrors, Boros Auras has become one the main choice for players who like the mice package with Heartfire Hero, Emberheart Challenger and Manifold Mouse when mixed with Optimistic Scavenger, Sheltered by Ghosts and a hidden gem from Wilds of Eldraine, Spellbook Vendor.

In this article, we delve deeper into this new Aggro variant of Standard, with a Sideboard guide for the main competitors in the current Metagame!

This is the standard decklist we've seen in Magic Online Leagues and Magic Arena ranked matches, and it also has 72 of the 75 cards used by the player MicroPago to win the Standard Challenge on December 8th.

A notable exclusion from the deck is Ethereal Armor, a Best of One star, but the reason is pretty clear: it's win-more. Boros Auras doesn't need it, and everything it offers, Manifold Mouse does just as well. Even Boros Charm, a card I particularly like in this archetype category, doesn't seem necessary in the Sideboard for the same reason.

Maindeck

Like every red Aggro deck in Standard today, Boros Auras takes advantage of the mouse package as its primary means of pressuring players in the match. Valiant interacts well with enchantments and Instant-Speed ​​pumps, and each of them has a specific property that benefits it in the list.

Heartfire Hero punishes the opponent for not dealing with it early. If it stays on the board for too many turns, it punishes favorable blocks and removals with significant damage.

Emberheart Challenger is our primary source of resources and another means of speeding up our clock in the match. It is usually the first target of enchantments and effects that target it in our list to generate card advantage.

Manifold Mouse is our “combo-kill”. With either creature large enough, Double Strike and/or Trample is what we need to get to lethal damage. It can also put two bodies on the board for our enchantments.

Optimistic Scavenger has more permanent power than Monastery Swiftspear in this list, and since we traded the speed of Boros Burn for a more interactive and resilient game plan, it's a good addition for the early game.

Spellbook Vendor is a creature that interacts with almost everything we want: it creates enchantment tokens every turn in an ability that targets creatures, allowing to trigger Valiant while increasing the power of Optimistic Scavenger.

Kellan, Planar Trailblazer has become one of the best aggressive drops in recent weeks. For a low mana investment, it grants resources every turn, and if the game goes on for a while, it becomes a threat on its own, especially alongside Monstrous Rage.

Sheltered by Ghosts is the main reason to play Auras in Standard. In addition to interacting with the battlefield, it protects the enchanted creature from spot removal, and Lifelink provides extra gas against other Aggro decks in the Metagame.

Demonic Ruckus complements Monstrous Rage in the evasion package. I consider it a flexible slot, but one which is difficult to trade for something else.

Shardmage’s Rescue is a necessity both because it is another enchantment to trigger Optimistic Scavenger and because our strategy demands having creatures to use our spells, so we need to protect them whenever possible.

Monstrous Rage works as an Aura for when we need it and is one of the main means of guaranteeing evasion for our creatures. Its increased toughness is also relevant as a combat trick.

Burst Lightning can be seen as a flexible slot, but we need cheap interaction with the opponent’s board, especially in Aggro mirrors. Games where we pay the Kicker cost are uncommon, but not impossible.

We don't have much room for flexibility in our lands, so we're betting on as many duals as possible that enter untapped, in addition to Restless Bivouac, which can turn into a creature in longer games and is its ability on the attack triggers Valiant as well.

Sideboard

Our attrition package.

Personally, I don’t like Case of the Crimson Pulse. I consider it too conditional and with a very high failure rate in Auras when played and/or drawn from the top at the wrong time, but it’s the best we have in this category today since we don’t take too much advantage of Urabrask’s Forge.

That doesn’t mean we don’t use Forge. It’s still one of the best ways to benefit from games where the opponent prolongs the game, increasing the clock we force on them each turn. It also grants more resilience against removals.

Our package against Aggro.

Torch the Tower deals with any small creature in the early game, and its interaction with Spellbook Vendor or any other Aura we use turns it into a more efficient version of Strangle. There are games where putting it in the deck instead of Burst Lightning is an option to respond to recurring threats and/or deal with Duskmourn's enchantment creatures.

Lightning Helix provides more breathing room in Aggro mirrors and comes into some games against Midrange, especially if we need to resolve Glissa Sunslayer or any other three-toughness card that actively disrupts our game plan.

Destroy Evil is still one of the most important cards in the current Metagame and deals with a dozen problems in Standard today, in addition to being the ideal answer against Four-Color Zur, which has solidified itself as one of the main competitors in the format recently.

Get Lost complements Destroy Evil and is also a clean and unconditional answer to Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, which has become the most important Planeswalker in current Standard and one of the hardest cards to interact with and remove from the battlefield once it enters the battlefield.

Dimir Midrange

IN

OUT

Gruul Prowess

IN

OUT

Mono White Control

IN

OUT

Four-Color Zur

IN

OUT

Azorius Oculus

IN

OUT

That’s all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!