Standard: Lost Caverns of Ixalan Review for the Format

Standard post-Wilds of Eldraine is, undoubtedly, the Midrange format - as it has been in all its more recent phases. Domain Ramp and Esper Midrange are the most played decks and most consistent decks in the format, showcasing their predominance one weekend after the another.

The arrival of cards such as Up the Beanstalk and Virtue of Loyalty has put these decks on another level, but there's still space for other strategies in the format. Azorius Soldiers and Mono-Red Aggro are the decks that go along with Esper and Domain, completing the format's top 4. Werefox Bodyguard was a welcomed addition to Azorius, just like Goddric, Cloaked Reveler and Monstrous Rage in Mono-Red.

Another deck that has proved itself as an efficient option in the format, and that started appearing when Wilds of Eldraine was released, was Golgari Midrange, which gathers powerful cards from that set, such as Mosswood Dreadknight, Lord Skitter, Sewer King and Blossoming Tortoise.

Now that we have discussed the current state of the format's metagame, we can look at the new set that is coming, Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI), and assess the cards that will most likely impact the format and which strategies they might fit into.

White

White has a few very interesting options for the format, enabling a new archetype and offering support for already-known decks.

This card stood out a lot during spoiler season, particularly because of its similarities with Fateful Absence and Destroy Evil, but Get Lost is undoubtedly superior because of its versatility and because it has a lighter drawback. Being able to destroy a creature, enchantment or planeswalker at instant speed is something quite relevant in current Standard, even if you give your opponent two Map tokens in return.

In a format in which we have cards as impactful as Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, Leyline Binding and The Wandering Emperor, Get Lost will be useful to many decks.

Token decks got another support card in this format with this card that brings back the Battle Cry mechanic. Sanguine Evangelist fills the board and can buff other attacking creatures for just three mana.

I wrote an article about this card during spoiler season, highlighting the potential it introduces to Control decks in the format as an alternative win condition.

Unstable Glyphbridge acts as a global removal, and, later on, with its Craft ability, becomes a threat that can end the game with just a few strikes. Besides that, it disrupts the opponent with its Stax ability, forcing them to decide between playing their spells or attacking.

Humans and Soldiers will meet a new buddy in Ixalan. Warden of the Inner Sky is an excellent 1-drop for Mono-White Aggro and Azorius Soldiers, and has the potential to grow throughout the game.

Blue

The new Ixalan brings a new cycle of gods, and Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch represents Blue as a god. This creature has evasion and a relevant body for combat, and brings back to this format the Rebound mechanic, which hasn't been seen since Dragons of Tarkir. I believe this card has a lot of potential in this format, and should be explored in decks such as Mono Blue Tempo, Dimir Midrange and Esper Midrange.

This is a two-mana creature with Flying that can be cast at instant speed, has an ability that creates card selection and later on allows you to cast a spell for free. Esper Legends welcomes the release of this card and Mono Blue Tempo can find a space for Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel as well.

This is a two-mana vehicle with a Crew 1 cost that allows the creature that crewed it to use the Explore ability. This card is very reminiscent of Smuggler's Copter, which was a very powerful card in its time in Standard. Subterranean Schooner acts similarly, creating advantage through resource selection while it attacks the opponent.

Black

This is the god connected to Black from the LCI's god cycle. This is a creature that takes away resources from your opponent, fills the board, imposes a powerful clock, gets back life points with Lifelink, has evasion and can return to the board after it dies.

The biggest issue is that, unlike the blue god Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch, Aclazotz only creates value when it attacks and the format has many ways of dealing with it before it can do that.

This 4-drop, unlike the previous card, can create value as soon as it goes on board. It has a relevant body for combat and Flying, besides also having synergy with Sheoldred, the Apocalypse.

This is another interesting 4-drop. It creates card advantage and drains life from your opponent when its Descend 8 is enabled, besides being a 4/4 that can put on a lot of pressure on board. Revenant creates immediate value when it goes on board, but it will be difficult to compete for slots with Sheoldred. It is a card that brings reasonable potential and deserves to be explored.

Red

Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might can be a great 4-drop for Mono-Red, converting Play With Fire and Lightning Strike into massive burn. Maybe Trample is worse than Haste, but is still a creature that can potentially see play and that, just like other gods in the set, can come back to the board after it dies.

Reanimator decks got a new piece to enable their graveyard. This artifact can, who knows, fill the shoes left by Fable of the Mirror-Breaker in Reanimator decks. Its potential to create card advantage at the same time it fills the graveyard is already quite interesting, but this card also has a transformation that makes it a land that can create a snowball effect with the Discover mechanic.

We have a creature that creates value through combat. Its ability to place counters on an attacking creature while it enables you to loot comes with the bonus of bringing an effect similar to Experimental Synthesizer still during the attack. I believe it can go in Feldon, Ronom Excavator's slot in Mono-Red or even help some Pia Aggro version in the format.

We have a common Goblin Guide that doesn't place lands on your opponent's hands and that needs an artifact in play to show its potential. Standard counts with cards such as Experimental Synthesizer, Voldaren Epicure, Gingerbrute, Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender and Mishra's Research Desk. For a common card, I believe this Goblin shows potential in Aggro decks and deserves to be explored.

Green

Ghalta returns in LCI with a very interesting ETB for ramp strategies and Reanimator, mostly the second one, as it can place this creature on the board quite fast. With Ghalta on board, you can play the creatures on your hand for free, and this opens up space for a series of interesting opportunities and possible combos.

This card comes down on turn three, guarantees a land drop and can become a very powerful saga that deserves to be explored. We'll still see a few more Dinosaurs in this article and the new Huatli can integrate well with a strategy that focuses on this type of creature.

The green god in this set, Ojer Kaslem, Deepest Growth comes with an ability that also depends on combat and doesn't create immediate value, but that, when played well, can really compensate for all these downsides. The most interesting part is that you can bring a Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant with its ability or even an Atraxa, Grand Unifier.

A green 4-drop that protects itself and attacks really well needs no introduction, right? Hulking Raptor is all that and still has a ramp ability. Standard still needs an Aggro Mono-Green or Gruul that can really compete in this format, and this creature would go really well in a deck of that type.

It still isn't time for Merfolks in Standard, but it might be time for Cenote Scout. This creature already comes in creating some value with its Explore. It will be another green card that can help build an Aggro deck in this color.

Colorless

Ramp decks naturally struggle against blue decks. This artifact can help you go around counterspell effects and its Discover ability can be quite relevant in these strategies.

Multi-Colored

Imagine placing on board on turn 5 a 7/6 creature with Vigilance, Trample and Haste that can pull from your deck a Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant or Etali, Primal Conqueror and place them on the board for free on that same turn. Yeah, abusing Gishath, Sun's Avatar will certainly be in Standard's priority list with Ixalan's release, and a Dinosaur ramp deck is quite viable with this card.

This set's planeswalker brings abilities that on their own already make it quite relevant. It has damage, life gain, fills the board with its +1, can mini-Cascade with its -2 ability and has an ultimate that can be quite impactful and finish games. Quintorius Kand has a lot of space to explore in this format and I hope to see it starring in various lists, but the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this card was Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival. The new planeswalker can come in as a big reinforcement in strategies that involve Pia and spells cast from exile in a more Midrange build.

This card is a three mana 2/2 with Flying, Ward 2 and a blink ability that can be explored thoroughly given the number of strong ETB creatures that are in this format.

Lands

Ixalan also counts with the rest of the Restless Lands, a land cycle introduced in Wilds of Eldraine that is only now complete in this format. We'll highlight Prarie, Reef and Ridgeline, which are the lands that represent more potential among all lands in this cycle that were introduced in LCI.

I wrote an article about this land highlighting the impact it will have on the format. You can check out more details by clicking here, but, to sum up, Cavern of Souls will be a great help to decks like Soldiers and Humans, and will be able to enable decks focused on other types of creatures as well.

Another article comes to an end. I hope you liked it. Leave your questions in the comment section and tell me what you expect from the new set releases in Standard. I'll try to answer all.

See you next time!