As I write this, I'm waiting for Magic Online to switch over to Guilds of Ravnica. The departure of so many sets is going to inevitably make for a brand new world, a world not overshadowed by the energy of Kaladesh nor the gods of Amonkhet. I think it will be a new world indeed, with the tribes of Ixalan finally having their opportunity for a day in the sun.

Other than the reduction in card pool changing the overall power level of the Standard pool, there is something else to consider that is incredibly significant:

Soul-Scar Mage is gone.

Granted, in the final days of Standard at the World Championship, there were very few Soul-Scar Mage. But this is a fairly special case; in such a small field, there was simply going to be less format diversity, especially in a format so well-defined by the Red-Black deck that dominated the event. As a result, Soul-Scar Mage was not particularly represented. But, going back even a little bit in time to the previous Standard GP, you can see Soul-Scar Mage well-represented in the Top 8, as well as the Top 16. Even if the card is no long ubiquitous, should any strategy that goes wide come into prominence, Soul-Scar Mage would have been there, waiting, to punish that strategy.

While Goblin Chainwhirler certainly pushes a lot of cards into the margins, it's made all the worse by the addition of Soul-Scar Mage. If you've played Tempest Djinn decks, the old Vampire-tokens decks, or anything that goes wide, you know how devastating the one-two combo of Soul-Scar Mage and Goblin Chainwhirler is - you might be able to weather the storm on one, but together, they undo too much of the work.

The departure of Soul-Scar Mage entirely from the format hearkens a new world for creature decks, especially decks that build themselves off of tribes.

Without further ado, here are what I currently believe will be the top three tribes in Guilds of Ravnica Standard:

Boros "Knights"

I put quotes around the naming of this deck "Knights" because, while there are a fair number of Knights, the only card that pays the deck off for using a tribe is History of Benalia, whose Chapter three payoff can be quite powerful if you have a number of Knights, but is so good on its own it doesn't require a Knight-tribe theme to be worthy of playing.

Here is the deck:

Boros Knights | Guilds Standard | Adrian Sullivan

• Creatures (24)
• 1 Lyra Dawnbringer
• 2 Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice
• 2 Tajic, Legion's Edge
• 3 Dauntless Bodyguard
• 4 Benalish Marshall
• 4 Knight of Grace
• 4 Skyknight Legionnaire
• 4 Swiftblade Vindicator

• Instants (4)
• 4 Integrity // Intervention

• Enchantments (7)
• 3 Conclave Tribunal
• 4 History of Benalia

• Lands (25)
• 11 Plains
• 3 Mountain
• 3 Boros Guildgate
• 4 Clifftop Retreat
• 4 Sacred Foundry

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Ixalan's Binding
• 1 Sorcerous Spyglass
• 2 Settle the Wreckage
• 1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
• 2 Lyra Dawnbringer
• 3 Ajani, Adversary of Tyrants
• 2 Banefire
• 1 Dauntless Bodyguard

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One of the most intriguing additions is Swiftblade Vindicator. Pumping up a Swiftblade Vindicator is a frightening prospect. Whether done by Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice, Tajic, Legion's Edge, Benalish Marshal, or Integrity (of Integrity // Intervention), Swiftblade Vindicator threatens to create a great deal of damage with even the slightest assistance. Of course, this deck isn't designed to maximize the card, but it is easy to imagine the deck that would do that, adding in more efficient 1-drops, for example, and becoming a true, full-on aggressive deck.

Conclave Tribunal is my current go-to "Cast Out replacement"; the need for this kind of effect seems likely, and the potential discount from Convoke feels like it will come into play fairly often. The sideboard relies on Ixalan's Binding instead, recognizing that when you're looking for this kind of effect, the more powerful enchantment is more important than a potentially cheaper card.

Integrity // Intervention also feels like it deserves a special mention. A cheap pump spell will always have some kind of marginal value, but being able to also get in an expensive Lightning Helix when that kind of card is important can easily steal games, with both the damage and the lifegain in Intervention being able to swing that game's result.

Mana in a deck like this is tricky. Every comes-into-play tapped card feels like a problem, but you do need sufficient Red and sufficient White. Without Benalish Marshal, Boros Guildgate could simply be more Mountains, so, if you like your land not punishing you, find another card to replace the Marshall and you'll be set.

Of course, this isn't a "true" tribal deck, even if it very nearly is. The next deck absolutely is.

Simic Merfolk

This is a deck that was very nearly good enough in the past, but simply couldn't manage to live in a world with Soul-Scar Mage and Goblin Chainwhirler. Without that tag team opposing them, Merfolk seem poised to be a horrifying threat.

Merfolk | Guilds Standard | Adrian Sullivan

• Creatures (27)
• 3 Merfolk Branchwalker
• 4 Deeproot Elite
• 4 Jungleborn Pioneer
• 4 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
• 4 Kumena's Speaker
• 4 Merfolk Mistbinder
• 4 Silvergill Adept

• Instants (4)
• 4 Might of the Masses

• Sorceries (3)
• 3 Adventurous Impulse

• Enchantments (3)
• 3 Deeproot Waters

• Lands (23)
• 6 Island
• 9 Forest
• 4 Hinterland Harbor
• 4 Unclaimed Territory

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Seafloor Oracle
• 2 Vivien Reid
• 1 Deeproot Waters
• 2 Tempest Caller
• 4 Negate
• 1 Sorcerous Spyglass
• 2 Shaper's Sanctuary
• 1 Dive Down

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Going wide makes the re-emergence of the card Might of the Masses look pretty fantastic. Deeproot Elite already encourages the deck to cast some pre-combat creatures, but Might of the Masses really drives the point home, certainly setting up plenty of situations where a few more Merfolk might make for a death blow from Might of the Masses.

The biggest thing holding this deck back is the loss of some mana stability. No Botanical Sanctum is a huge blow. Woodland Stream might belong in this deck in some number, but I feel a bit loathe to include it. Experimentation might show the card to be a necessity, though.

In controlling matchups, this deck has the ability to actively turn into a true aggro-control deck, with Negate making for a frightening card for any Teferi, Hero of Dominaria deck (or other control deck that emerges). In addition to that aggro-control element, it also includes a few cards that let it grind in a long game, making it a natural enemy to any slower deck.

While nearly devoid of new cards to take the deck to the next level, Might of the Masses is a very potent addition, and what the deck really gains it gains from subtraction: the loss of its natural enemy in Soul-Scar Mage makes this deck a real contender in the new format.

Of course, I do think there is likely a new King of Tribes due to hit the format.

Goblins

Every now and again, enough Goblins get together to make a party worth attending. This is now that moment.

Goblins | Guilds Standard | Adrian Sullivan

• Creatures (32)
• 4 Goblin Banneret
• 4 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 4 Goblin Trashmaster
• 4 Goblin Warchief
• 4 Legion Warboss
• 4 Siege-Gang Commander
• 4 Skirk Prospector
• 4 Wily Goblin

• Instants (3)
• 3 Shock

• Lands (25)
• 23 Mountain
• 1 Detection Tower
• 1 Zhalfirin Void

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Volley Veteran
• 3 Hijack
• 4 Rekindling Phoenix
• 1 Sorcerous Spyglass
• 1 Experimental Frenzy
• 3 Inescapable Blaze

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There are so many reasonable Goblins available in Standard right now, you could go in a wildly different direction and still have a great deck. My own build uses Wily Goblin as another means to build toward a fast Siege-Gang Commander or Goblin Trashmaster. In addition, it uses two Goblins I think will be pretty ubiquitous in nearly every build of the archetype: Goblin Banneret and Legion Warboss. Both of these Mentor-wielding Goblins feels capable of being a frightening force all on their own, but they seem especially potent when backed by so many Goblin payoffs.

I am still a bit sad I don't have Goblin Barrage in the 75, but I couldn't find room for it; access to direct damage to the face is always powerful, but the limitations on the Goblin Barrage are large enough it felt too narrow for the main deck and not powerful enough for the sideboard.

Inescapable Blaze is another Guilds of Ravnica card that I brought to the deck, hiding out at three copies in the board. This is a fairly big mana deck, and I feel like this deck is very capable of dropping a controlling deck down in life a fair amount; the uncounterable damage feels like a very frightening card to have access to in the board, and it can also come in against decks that have fairly large, need-to-kill creatures like Lyra Dawnbringer, perhaps joining with Volley Veteran in the attempt to fight that fight.

The deck runs a lot of Mountains. While I've thought about Memorial to War in the deck, I think the deck mostly wants to be untapped with its mana. Detection Tower seems like a potentially important card to have access to, and Zhalfirin Void feels like a better choice for the deck than Arch of Orazca. After that, I feel like the deck really wants to make sure that it can cast a Goblin Chainwhirler on time, so, Red sources it is!

I'm excited to see what other tribes are going to make an appearance. Zombies and Vampires seem the most likely, but I won't be surprised if another tribe sneaks into Constructed tournaments in the near future.

I'm pumped for what Guilds of Ravnica is going to do for the new format; this weekend you'll find me at the Misty Mountain Games prerelease in Madison, slinging away with the newest cards! May your prerelease be rewarding and fun as we head into a new world, once again!

- Adrian Sullivan

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