As we approach the end of a Standard format we're usually looking for two things:

A. Is there anything fun and competitive not already doing well?

B. If there is, will that deck survive rotation?

And for the answer to that question, let me introduce you to my friend Chandra! And her friend Chandra. And her friend Chandra too... Oh boy this is quite the Paradox.

Time Stamps:

Match 1 - 00:12:43

Match 2 - 00:25:30

Match 3 - 01: 03:19

Match 4 - 01:22:26

Match 5 - 01:41:47

Chandra Tribal | Core Set 2020 Standard | Jim Davis

• Planeswalkers (20)
• 1 Karn, Scion of Urza
• 1 Ugin, the Ineffable
• 2 Chandra, Awakened Inferno
• 2 Tibalt, Rakish Instigator
• 3 Chandra, Fire Artisan
• 3 Saheeli, Sublime Artificer
• 4 Chandra, Acolyte of Flame
• 4 Sarkhan the Masterless

• Instants (10)
• 2 Flame Sweep
• 4 Chandra's Triumph
• 4 Shock

• Sorceries (3)
• 1 Jaya's Immolating Inferno
• 2 Lava Coil

• Artifacts (3)
• 1 Mox Amber
• 2 Chandra's Regulator

• Lands (24)
• 16 Mountain
• 4 Interplanar Beacon
• 4 Mobilized District

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Alpine Moon
• 2 Dire Fleet Daredevil
• 2 Lava Coil
• 4 Unchained Berserker
• 2 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 2 Legion Warboss

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Who needs other colors when you have more Chandras? There's such a great density of planeswalkers in Red that other colors aren't even needed, and with Red's excellent removal we form the core of a very good superfriends-style deck with a mana base that is smooth as butter and that almost completely avoids rotation.

While the deck is called Chandra Tribal, the real star of the show is Sarkhan The Masterless. Most planeswalker decks have the problem of grinding well but not winning very quickly. This means that decks with huge endgames can go over the top of what they are doing. Not so with Sarkhan, who is able to take your opponent from 20 to dead in two short turns. Already a great card, Sarkhan is phenomenal when put in a deck with 20 total planeswalkers. You also get to utilize Chandra's Triumph which is a very underrated removal spell in Standard right now if you have Chandra in your deck, as it's almost a Lightning Strike on the floor but turns into a pseudo-Bedevil if you do have a Chandra. That's an amazing deal for two mana in only one color!

The only real disappointment from the deck was Chandra's Regulator, which just doesn't perform very well unless the game goes super late or we already have a Chandra in play. We need most of our cards and if we mulligan or get Thought Erasured there just isn't enough cardboard to go around to start looting in the midgame. I would replace at least one Regulator with the fourth copy of Chandra, Fire Artisan and consider cutting the other as well.

All and all Chandra Tribal is a blast. The deck is fun, competitive, a nice mixup before rotation, and most importantly a deck that is safe to pick up or craft because almost all of it remains playable post-rotation. Furthermore once Nexus of Fate and Scapeshift, two endgames that go way over the top of planeswalkers, rotate and the format powers down as a whole, the deck looks ever better.

Let's light it up!