Standard: 8 Outlaws of Thunder Junction Cards to Keep an Eye Post-Rotation

Standard rotation is coming. Starting with the prerelease of Edge of Eternities, the sets from Dominaria United to March of the Machines: Aftermath leave the format and, with them, a range of preexisting options and staples that have solidified in recent years: Temporary Lockdown, Cut Down, Atraxa, Grand Unifier, Monastery Swiftspear, Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, the pain lands and half of the fast lands are just a few examples.

With this blank space and the clear changes in the Metagame caused by them, it is natural that some cards that were previously irrelevant may gain more space in Standard, whether due to their power level, interaction with a specific mechanic, or simply because their deck becomes more viable without certain cards in the Metagame.

In this series, we've listed cards from each set that will remain in Standard that are worth a second look for the upcoming season, and today we're covering cards from Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

Duelist of the Mind

Duelist of the Mind had its time in the spotlight when Raffine, Scheming Seer was legal, but it clearly lost its place last season due to its lack of interactions with pre-combat draw effects.

While we don't have another Raffine in the format, Duelist is a powerful two-drop in an archetype that is missing Faerie Mastermind and has cards like Preacher of the Schism, Kaito, Bane of Nightmares and Emet-Selch, Unsundered to trigger extra draws, in addition to easily benefiting from the Dimir Midrange's many removals and counterspells.

Geralf, the Fleshwright

There are many ways to get Agatha's Soul Cauldron eventually banned from Standard, and almost all of them involve Vivi Ornitier. In one of them, we can simulate a “Storm” deck with Geralf, the Fleshwright, where we create Zombie tokens with +1/+1 counters that can, with Vivi exiled with Cauldron, generate mana equal to their power, eventually resulting in an unbeatable board position.

This combo could be a potential competitor to Standard, since the mix of Vivi with Cauldron has already appeared in other versions, and in this case, Geralf, the Fleshwright could offer a distinct version, closer to the Prowess lists of the last few months.

Kaervek, the Punisher

Between Cecil, Dark Knight and Dark Confidant, there is a possibility that we will see a new version of Black-Based Aggro emerge next season. In this case, Kaervek, the Punisher and other cheap creatures deserve a second chance to prove their potential, especially if we have cheap removals to complement this plan.

Kaervek, the Punisher is one of these cards, and in an archetype that could harken back to the old Death’s Shadow decks, it would be possible to make it an equivalent of Snapcaster Mage to reuse its creatures and spells every turn for a life cost that speeds up Cecil’s transformation or even allows turning The Last Ride into a real threat.

Shoot the Sheriff

We are losing Go for the Throat to the rotation, and so far, there is no viable replacement other than Shoot the Sheriff as a more comprehensive removal for the future Standard.

If it becomes the main form of interaction, it is likely that some cards that categorize themselves as outlaws will gain more notoriety in the coming months.

Tinybones, the Pickpocket

Tinybones, the Pickpocket has had some results in Pioneer and even appears occasionally in Standard, but it has never reached the top of the Metagame.

The ability to cast spells from the opponent's graveyard attached to a 1/1 body with Deathtouch can have value in lists with lower mana curves. Additionally, in topdeck wars and/or empty boards, the ability to “steal” cards from the opponent's graveyard generates incremental value each turn that, if left unanswered, easily turns into a snowball.

It doesn't seem like a future staple, but it could work in the right games if we can, for example, cast an Unholy Annex or even some creatures from the opponent's graveyard.

Bristly Bill, Spine Sower

With Tifa Lockhart, Mossborn Hydra and Sazh's Chocobo, there are enough reasons to explore new possibilities with Landfall in Standard, and we will still have Fabled Passage and Escape Tunnel next season as “slow fetches with bonuses” to trigger their abilities twice — So, Bristly Bill, Spine Sower has potential for next season if this is the ideal path for Green Aggro in the future Metagame. However, the competition for additional slots is quite high on this archetype.

Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero

Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero has had some standout moments in Selesnya Aggro lists this season with Seraphic Steed, and between the Saddle mechanics, Aetherdrift's Vehicles, and the new Spacecrafts in Edge of Eternities, it feels like there are plenty of ways to generate card advantage every turn with him.

He's particularly good for the Station mechanic, where tapped creatures generate charge counters until the ship becomes a creature permanently, so we can tap Wylie multiple times during turns while drawing more cards with him.

Torpor Orb

Torpor Orb is a great answer for any deck if the Overlords cycle and its “combo” with Yuna, Hope of Spira becomes too dominant in the Metagame and works as a perfect safety valve in the format if we have any combos with ETB effects in the future.

That’s all for today!

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

Thanks for reading!