Standard: Spider-Man's Impact in the Format

It's been a few weeks since Marvel's Spider-Man was released in Magic: The Gathering. Due to an unfortunate combination of circumstances—launching on the same day as Pro Tour Edge of Eternities, which was also the same day Wizards of the Coast announced the 2026 roadmap and a dozen Secret Lairs—the set feels overshadowed, with little competitive interest in its cards and relatively few staples having a significant impact.

Perhaps there's still time for the set to mature. Perhaps, like me, Magic: The Gathering caused a feeling of burnout with everything revealed during MagicCon Atlanta, or perhaps the excitement surrounding the expansion has simply faded because nothing significant is happening that won't dissipate in a little over a month, when the next banlist and previews for Avatar: The Last Airbender begin.

That doesn't mean players aren't trying. From Jackal, Genius Geneticist to Superior Spider-Man, improvements and new versions of established archetypes have been emerging in recent tournaments. In this article, we evaluate the set's impact on Standard, highlighting the main new decklists that have emerged.

Mono White Lifegain emerged weeks before Spider-Man's release as a response to the popularity of Mono Red Aggro, considered the natural predator of the Izzet Cauldron, and Aunt May expanded the archetype's consistency in triggering Ajani's Pridemate and Essence Channeler, while also being a creature for Enduring Innocence.

Jackal, Genius Geneticist was a major improvement to Simic Counters and changed some key aspects of the archetype. Its presence influenced the inclusion of Gene Pollinator, where playing this dork on the first turn followed by a Jackal on the second allows you to cast (and copy) another one-drop on the same turn, increasing the consistency already achieved with Llanowar Elves and helping to speed up Ouroboroid.

Players have discovered a potential combo between Superior Spider-Man and Bringer of the Last Gift, where Spider-Man copies the demon, and as it is cast, Bringer's ability will trigger, clearing the battlefield and putting into play all creatures in its controllers' graveyards that were not destroyed this way.

Since this is a self-mill deck in the Sultai versions or a looting deck in the Grixis colors, it's only natural to have many creatures in the graveyard when this ability triggers, culminating in several bombs coming into play and/or simply a very effective board position in the Grixis versions.

Araña, Heart of the Spider paired with Cosmogrand Zenith for a Boros Aggro variant that finished fourth in a recent Challenge. The archetype runs the already solid Boros Aggro shell with cards like Opera Love Song to easily trigger Cosmogrand Zenith, while Hired Claw, Emberheart Challenger, and other cards interact with Araña for card advantage.

The rest of the deck is essentially the same as seen in other Boros versions, with Lightning Helix and Sheltered by Ghosts for the mirror, in addition to Screaming Nemesis. Origin of Spider-Man provides a way to modify a creature early in the same slot it guarantees a 2/1, but perhaps including Razorkin Needlehead would be more effective.

Hollowmurk Siege has gained more consistency as a consistent source of card advantage with the addition of Morlun, Devourer of Spiders and Kraven the Hunter in Spider-Man. Combined with Sentinel of the Nameless City, Scavenging Ooze, and Ouroboroid, the enchantment becomes a new core for the format's Midranges, but it still requires refinement to reach the ideal version—or a more favorable and fair Metagame.

That's all for today!

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Thanks for reading!