Standard Review: Outlaws of Thunder Junction!

Outlaws of Thunder Junction (OTJ) is a complex set that will change the state of Standard with its new mechanics and powerful reprints.

As we'll have a Standard Pro Tour soon, and all the cards from this set have been revealed, now is the time to assess which cards might see play in this format.

Before we analyze the best cards in each color, it is important to highlight that this set has a sub-set that will be released alongside it called The Big Score, and it will bring thirty Standard-legal cards. So, we'll include those too.

White

Spree is one of the new mechanics in OTJ, and it shows up in some very interesting cards; it introduces modes that you can use if you pay an additional cost for each mode. You can also use all modes at once, as long as you have the mana to do it.

Final Showdown can disable the abilities of all creatures in play, give Indestructible to a creature you control, or be a six mana board wipe. Even though Spree's costs seem restrictive, decks like Domain Ramp wouldn't have any issues paying for the cost of these abilities.

Additionally, Farewell, which is the main six mana board wipe in Standard, will soon leave the format.

Aven Interrupter has an ability that can interact with your opponent's stack, a Stax ability, a reasonable body for combat, and evasion. Decks like Azorius Flash, Azorius Tempo, and even other strategies can find space for Aven Interrupter in their lists.

One Last Job is another Spree card that can fit well into Standard Reanimator decks, as it can Reanimate not only creatures, but also vehicles, and even auras and equipment.

Atraxa, Grand Unifier is still one of the strongest and most important creatures in this format, and many decks want different ways to put it on the battlefield earlier.

Blue

Saddle is another mechanic coming to Standard in OTJ. Like Crew, you can activate a creature's Saddle if you tap creatures with a total power equal or higher than its Saddle cost. A creature with this ability can attack and block as usually, unlike vehicles, which can only attack if you pay their Crew cost.

However, these creatures gain powerful abilities if you activate their Saddle. That is the case for Archmage's Newt, an excellent 2-drop that allows you to cast instants and sorceries from your graveyard for free if you pay for its Saddle cost.

Without Saddle, this creature is still interesting, considering it gives Flashback to the instants and sorceries in your graveyard. Decks like Dimir Midrange, Azorius Tempo, and Mono-U Tempo can all be new homes for it.

Spree appears to have a lot of potential in Standard, as it brings versatile cards that can go in many strategies. Three Steps Ahead can be a counter, copy a creature or artifact you control, or create a "looting" effect, important in Reanimator decks.

Black

Gisa, the Hellraiser is a five-mana threat with Ward and an ability that works with another mechanic introduced in OTJ. To Commit a Crime, you need to target, with a spell or ability, an opponent or anything else they control; removals, discards, and counters are ways to Commit a Crime. With Gisa on the board, any time you Commit a Crime, you'll create two 2/2 Zombie Rogue tokens.

As this is a legendary creature, she might be added to Esper Legends or even Esper Midrange, due to the various ways this deck can Commit Crimes. Additionally, Gisa is like a lord to the tokens she creates, which makes her even more interesting.

This is another legendary card that has potential in Standard. Kaervek, the Punisher is the perfect engine to abuse the Crime mechanic in this set, and it allows us to use absurd synergies with cards like Deep-Cavern Bat and Duress.

Imagine you have a Kaervek on the board, another bat in your graveyard, and you play a bat - you'll remove an important resource from your opponent while you gain information and copy the bat in your graveyard, and repeat this process while you have the mana necessary to do so. The same applies to Duress and any other card that allows you to Commit a Crime.

Rush of Dread enables a combo in Standard with Bloodletter of Aclazotz. You can check out more details about this interaction by clicking here.

I think it will be difficult for this combo to gain some space in this format considering it seems so fragile, but it is still interesting. Let's wait until this set is released and see how this interaction performs in the metagame.

Vampires got another friend: Blood Hustler has an impactful synergy with Committing a Crime and cards like Voldaren Epicure, Deep-Cavern Bat, and Kumano Faces Kakkazan. It also has synergy with the mana base that supports decks that focus on only one type of creature, and many relevant creatures like Preacher of the Schism and Voldaren Thrillseeker.

Will Rakdos Vampires get a strong version in Standard? Who knows.

Red

Terror of the Peaks will return to Standard with a lot of potential. It is a 5/5 Dragon with Flying and a sort of "Ward at home" that has a lot of synergy with decks that cast several big creatures, like Domain Ramp. Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, Terror of the Peaks deals damage equal to the power of that creature to any target.

The Discover mechanic also has an interesting synergy with Terror of the Peaks, considering it allows you to put up to two creatures at once on the battlefield and deal even more damage with it.

Calamity, Galloping Inferno is another threat in this set that interacts really well with the card above, Terror of the Peaks, and another card we'll discuss when we get to the green cards in this set. It has an excellent body for combat, goes in ready to attack, and also creates a copy of a creature that was used to pay for its Saddle.

Hell to Pay is a red removal that deals X damage and creates a Treasure token for each point of excess damage you deal while doing so. Mono-Red will really enjoy this card, even more so if we consider that doing this in earlier turns can still create Tokens and Standard has Gleeful Demolition, which is a bit unpopular in this archetype, but can find some space.

Cunning Coyote is another fascinating creature for Aggro lists, as it is a 2/2 creature with Haste that gives another creature a +1/+1 counter and Haste. It can play in Mono-Red and Gruul Aggro lists.

Green

Smuggler's Surprise is one of the best cards in this set, without a doubt. If you pay , you'll mill four cards into your graveyard and put up to two creatures and/or lands in your hand. If you pay , you'll give Hexproof and Indestructible to your creatures with power 4 or greater. If you pay , and this is the most interesting ability in this card, you can put up to two creatures from your hand on the battlefield.

Because Standard has excellent ramp tools that allow us to cast six cost spells more easily, and considering Atraxa, Grand Unifier is valid, we can expect a lot from Smuggler's Surprise.

Another pro to this card is its combo with Terror of the Peaks and Calamity Galloping Inferno, which allows you to put both in play on the same turn, activate Calamity's Saddle, and attack copying Terror of the Peaks. This will deal a total of 18 damage to your opponent on a single turn.

This is another creature that is interesting in Aggro decks, this time in green. Goldvein Hydra goes on the board ready to attack, and its power and toughness are equal to the X you use to cast it. Trample and Vigilance make this card even better, as it attacks better and blocks when it isn't your turn to attack anymore.

Multi-colored

Annie Joins Up is part of a type of enchantment cycle in this set; each has different costs and abilities. This card can remove an enemy planeswalker or creature and trigger the triggered abilities on the legendary creatures you control an extra time. It works perfectly with cards like Atraxa, Grand Unifier, Etali, Primal Conqueror, and Trumpeting Carnosaur, and creates a lot of value with any combination of these cards.

I wrote an article about this card. You can check out more details by clicking here.

This card can be quite interesting in builds that focus on legendary creatures or even builds that use a good number of these creatures, as it works as an engine for this type of deck. In the article above, I mentioned that Five Color Legends and maybe a Sultai Legends, besides Golgari Midrange itself, can add this card to their builds.

The Return of Fast Lands

OTJ will bring back to Standard the "enemy colors" Fast Lands, which will allow us to build decks with three or more colors more easily, and will consolidate this format's mana base.

The Big Score

The Big Score is a "sub-set" in OTJ that would be released separately, just like MOM and The Aftermath, but Wizards of the Coast decided to release both together at the same time as a single product. So, these cards will be Standard-legal and some of them deserve to be mentioned in this article.

Grand Abolisher is a human with a cost and body reasonable enough to play in some Standard decks. Its ability can help you with the worst matchups these decks have. Humans, Boros Convoke, and other Aggro lists can consider this card.

Pest Control is a two mana global removal that deals with creatures with a mana value of 1 or less. It can be really useful against Boros Convoke and similar decks that use several creature tokens. Pest Control is relatively interesting and is even better with Cycling.

An incredible card against any graveyard deck, Rest in Peace will return to Standard and should put up a fight against Reanimator decks and Temur Lands, as both depend on the graveyard to develop their game plan.

Another article has ended. I hope you enjoyed it.

Leave your questions in the comment section, and tell us what you expect from this new set in Standard.

See you next time!