Authors Note: This article was written at the start of the Spider-Man season, but translation was delayed due to time constraints as I was working on covering the Brazil Game Show.
The Spider-Man season has begun, and Standard players wasted no time in taking advantage of the new set's cards on digital platforms. One of the first "new" decks born with the set is the Grixis Copycat, a blend of the old Reanimator with the famous Izzet shell, using Superior Spider-Man alongside Ardyn, the Usurper to bury the opponent with powerful threats while cheating on mana costs.
The Decklist
This is the list used by player eswaff in an MTGO League and the first Spider-Man deck to be featured on the platform. The only change was swapping Tragic Trajectory for Obliterating Bolt in the Sideboard to provide a more effective response against some higher-toughness cards without having to sacrifice one of our resources, since we don't have many ways to consistently enable Void.
Overall, this archetype blends last season's Reanimator with the current Izzet setup running Proft's Eidetic Memory and looting effects. While it provides two concise and interconnected game plans, it also tries to do a bit too much and ends up bogging down some matches, especially when everyone has graveyard hate ready due to the Izzet Cauldron.
Still, there's a lot of potential in Superior Spider-Man and its interaction, which echoes Cauldron's potential in some lines, while on its own, a 4/4 that can copy, for example, Steamcore Scholar to become a Flying 6/6 after a Proft trigger, does enough to justify trying the new deck.
Maindeck
The "Combo."
Superior Spider-Man (Kavaero, Mind-Bitten) can copy any creature from any graveyard when it enters while also exiling the copied card, functioning as both a graveyard hate that can, for example, remove a Vivi Ornitier from the way or copy one of our bombs and threats to generate value.
Ideally, we want to copy Ardyn, the Usurper, whose ability will allow us to exile another card and copy it as a demon, creating a snowball effect, but we can also opt for Valgavoth, Terror Eater, which can generate card advantage with the opponent's spells while more effectively protecting against removal.
The Looting package.
Besides fueling Superior Spider-Man's plan by placing bombs in the graveyard, our cards enable Proft's Eidetic Memory, which becomes a way to achieve a fair win condition in addition to our combo plan.
Steamcore Scholar and Tersa Lightshatter have the same function of drawing two cards and discarding two for three mana, while also having additional abilities beyond their efficient bodies, with Flying and Haste for immediate impact or evasion.
Fear of Missing Out also feeds the graveyard for cheap, and we can consider using its Delirium ability for potential hit-kills, especially if we copy Ardyn and use its ability to copy FOMO with Delirium enabled, allowing him to attack for ten on his own with Flying and Haste.
To complement Proft's Eidetic Memory, we also have Winternight Stories, which works with the looting mechanic while also being reusable late-game, allowing for some explosive turns with the +1/+1 counters placed by the enchantment.
Overlord of the Balemurk serves two functions: it feeds the graveyard for Superior Spider-Man while also functioning as a late-game threat. If we want to follow a less combo-driven and more midrange-oriented approach, we can swap some slots from Ardyn, the Usurper and Ardyn, the Usurper for Quantum Riddler.
The interaction.
Bitter Triumph deals with any creature or Planeswalker for the low cost of two mana and a card, which we usually want to discard naturally to enable our combo, while Torch the Tower deals with small threats and can feed from Overlord of the Balemurk or Fear of Missing Out to deal three damage to a creature or Planeswalker.
Oscorp Industries is the newest addition to the Standard mana base and makes it easier to build a Grixis list that runs looting effects, since we can generate values by guaranteeing our land drop with discard effects.
Watery Grave enables Blazemire Verge and Gloomlake Verge with ease, and we run Multiversal Passage, another addition from the new set, to increase consistency in access to the colors, since we don't have Blood Crypt or Steam Vents yet.
Sideboard
Duress and Negate are our standard answers in attrition and Control games. They're essential in matches against Azorius, Four-Color, and also against Caretaker's Talent and Omniscience archetypes.
Both can also be played against Izzet Prowess and Bounce lists, but I consider Negate a bit too reactive for the type of matchup Prowess usually presents.
Abrade is the standard answer against Agatha's Soul Cauldron and also deals with some creatures with three or less aggro toughness. Personally, as a Cauldron hate piece, I consider it an easy card to play around, but we prioritized a bit more versatility in this list.
Obliterating Bolt is a great card against Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, Nova Hellkite, and also a way to deal with Vivi Ornitier if the opponent doesn't make it go out of control the same turn it enters.
Fire Magic works as a cheap sweeper against Dimir Midrange and Esper Bounce, and is also an option against Mono White Tokens and to clear the board from Cosmogrand Zenith in decks that use the card around a go-wide plan, such as Selesnya Gearhulk or Boros Araña.
Qarsi Revenant is one of our tools against Aggro. Besides being a 3/3 for three mana with Deathtouch and Lifelink, it also grants these stats to another creature with its Renew ability, potentially turning games around when used alongside Proft's Eidetic Memory.
Preacher of the Schism handles most Aggro beatdown while also being an attrition card in Midrange mirrors. Four toughness also means it survives most combat trades against other creature-based archetypes.
Sideboard Guide
Izzet Cauldron
IN
OUT
Mono Red Aggro
IN
OUT
Dimir Midrange
IN
OUT
Azorius Control
IN
OUT
Orzhov Bounce
IN
OUT
Izzet Prowess
IN
OUT
Wrapping Up
That's all for today!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
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