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Main » Articles » Six Sweet Standard Singletons

Six Sweet Standard Singletons

Michael Flores
Posted on March 9, 2021
 Reddit

Some singletons aren't singletons at all.

Like, you know those Pioneer Red Decks that have four copies of Wild Slash and one copy of Shock? That's just a deck that wants five Shocks, but grudgingly realizes that Wild Slash is somewhat, if only infrequently, better in a deck that plays Monastery Swiftspear.

Some singletons aren't sweet.

Like you know those low-to-the-ground beatdown decks that cram in one copy of a five-mana flyer? If they could get away with all four they would. Or maybe that is the sweetest Magic: The Gathering of all? Throwing away a little consistency for a lot of excitement one out of every seven games? Let's say that's at least not overly strategic.

... But I hope you take my meaning.

Standard, right now, is a format of madcap diversity. There is more than one mono-colored creature deck! There might even be four! And at least two are viable :)

There is more than one Ultimatum-based Ramp deck... With completely different color combinations and play patterns!

There are decks with two copies of The Great Henge main, and decks with four. The same macro archetypes play four Goldspan Dragons, or none at all. It's diverse, exciting, and just unpredictable enough to keep surprising even the sharp-eyed.

And it's also the home to many a sweet singleton. Some decks are stodgy and full of four-ofs; but others run more than one. Following are six (more-or-less) one-ofs, and the underlying strategies that make them sing.

1. Plains

Naya Adventures | KHM Standard | Autumn Burchett, MPL February Kaldheim League 2/27/2021

Let's softball into the land of sweet singletons, shall we?

If you're reading this, chances are you've seen a one-of basic land in the past. You probably already know the underlying engine that makes that one basic Plains work.

But look a little more closely.

We've seen Selesnya Adventures decks in the past.

We've seen three-color Adventures decks, too (but formerly Blue instead of White).

The banning of Lucky Clover de-emphasized the Adventures engine somewhat, but these cards retain some good oomph. Edgewall Innkeeper can draw a lot of cards with the right opener, and Lovestruck Beast is still - pardon the phrase - an absolute beast in the proper matchup. Autumn's archetype makes up for the missing engine pieces nicely with a heck of an Escape to the Wilds replacement, and a hasty flyer that can just finish the game.

So, what's up with this Plains?

It's not that there aren't other sources of White. Both modal double-faced cards and Pathways have that covered. But the Plains is just a wee bit extra special cool here.

Fabled Passage

It just so happens Fabled Passage can find the one Plains untapped starting on four total lands in play. That's perfect if Autumn wanted to tap out for this in a sideboarded game:

Archon of Absolution

... Or more saliently find exactly one pip for Showdown of the Skalds in Game 1. You may or may not want to tap out for Showdown of the Skalds on turn four (as doing so can potentially strand more lands than if you wait a turn or two), but it is very nice to have in the range, and not uncommon at all. It's also a perfect overlap for one Plains and mostly Fabled Passage to find it.

2. Yasharn, Implacable Earth

Naya Adventures | KHM Standard | Reid Duke, MPL February Kaldheim League 2/27/2021

Remember Yasharn?

Last time around, the postmodern Loxodon Hierarch was tossing a spanner in the Historic Goblins engine more than it was blocking the Goblins on the ground. But it did both.

How about in Standard?

Here is another look at Naya Adventures. You'll notice that for one thing, the Yasharn version plays more than one Plains - in part because it can find one with Yasharn.

This is a pretty sweet singleton. It's as big as a Goldspan Dragon, but costs one less. It also kind of helps to fill that card advantage-y hole left by the former Lucky Clover. It's a three-for-one that is probably actually better on the ground than most of the opponent's stuff. Not for nothing (becuase you'll usually want to use your Lovestruck Beast for this) but Yasharn can curve you straight into The Great Henge next turn and ensure you make your next couple of land drops.

As in Historic, it can disrupt certain utility creatures; in Standard they will probably be something like a Selfless Savior or Alseid of Life's Bounty... But that value is there.

So, the question is... Why only one?

There are two answers. One is the diminishing returns. It's a Legendary Creature and not strategic enough in the metagame (i.e. you're not playing only against White Weenie decks) that you really Really REALLY need one in your opening hand. Moreover, you will run out basic Forests and basic Plains quickly, at least under the current mana configuration.

The second reason is just the boring classic: Curve considerations. This deck has a bigger, faster, more The Great Henge-making body in Lovestruck Beast; and is glutted at the card advantage engine four spot. There are only three copies of Showdown of the Skalds!

Still... Sweet.

3. Legion Angel

Mono-White Aggro | KHM Standard | Raphael Levy, MPL February Kaldheim League 2/27/2021

Swimsuit Model Raphael Levy has the sweetest Legion Angel in Standard. His fellow Pro Tour Top 8 competitor Ken Yukuhiro also played the card, but played 2+2 rather than 1+3.

The singleton take on Legion Angel is quite different from the 2+2, even though both configurations play all four copies.

Basically, playing two copies main deck increases your likelihood of drawing one Legion Angel. The problem is that by drawing one, you can now chain up "only" to three. This is a three-for-one that just asks you to pay four mana for each of your 4/3 flyers.

Raph's version is more romantic. He has a lower likelihood of drawing the first Legion Angel, but can chain up to a four-for-one instead of three-for-one. In grindy games, long games, games that are mostly about middle turns creature combat... This is the more powerful way of playing Legion Angel.

And before you worry over much that he won't have an expensive card to play on four, this version has the Maximum Number of Halvar, God of Battle for that slot; so it's not over likely Raph won't have something to do if he doesn't draw the one Legion Angel.

A cynical or at least kind of faithless way would be 3+1 (basically maximizing your chances of drawing the first one, but settling for a two-for-one).

Whereas a stupid way would be 4+0. You basically actually maximize your chances of drawing a Legion Angel, But now you have a 4/3 flyer for four. Big deal.

4. Rielle, the Everwise

Jeskai Cycling | KHM Standard | Grzegorz Kowalksi, Rivals February Kaldheim League 2/27/2021

Boros Cycling was all the rage a few months back.

The Pathway cycle (and probably more importantly, a spat of bannings) have brought cycling back in more than one way. There is a pretty direct Boros inheritor. That's not really what Kowalski's deck is.

Improbable Alliance
Improbable Alliance
Improbable Alliance
Improbable Alliance

This deck takes advantage of the many paths to the Blue splash to bring back Improbable Alliance. That it can startle the opponent in combat with a Startling Development or top back up with Boon of the Wish-Giver is kind of insane. The cycling decks historically had a tendency to flood out in versions past. Actually, being able to cast Boon of the Wish-Giver can go a long way in preventing that from happening [while still putting an instant or sorcery in your graveyard].

Irencrag Pyromancer is probably my favorite part about this deck. Four toughness might as well be seven toughness in a lot of matchups.

But none of these are the singleton in question.

In a cycling sixty, you can actually "shrink" your deck to increase the likelihood you find a particular card. Rielle is cool, and powerful... But not actually better than some of the other options. Maybe she is a "fifth Wild Slash" kind of singleton; the Irencrag Pyromancer without the fourth toughness, or part Boon of the Wish-Giver (but one that can reward you at instant speed).

Part engine and part payoff, if you can keep blockers out of the way for a second, that one Rielle can have the opponent seeing one thousand stars.

5. Emergent Ultimatum Targets

Sultai Control | KHM Standard | Seth Manfield, MPL February Kaldheim League 2/27/2021

This one is kind of cheating, but I really wanted to set the table for our sixth and final singleton.

So how does this deck work?

Emergent Ultimatum

Once you've Ramped yourself to Emergent Ultimatum's seven mana you have to go about finding something interesting to kill the opponent with. Mostly these will be the decks singletons.

It's important to note that you have to get Mono-colored cards to prevent you from chaining Ultimatums in Standard.

So, what are some mono-colored cards?

Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Kiora Bests the Sea God
Alrund's Epiphany

Imagine those were the three cards Seth fetched up. How would you split it?

I feel like giving the opponent an extra turn is big trouble, especially if you've also given them Vorinclex, which already has haste. What's it going to be? Two chapters of Kiora Bests the Sea God, along with a free shot?

But like I said, this point was mostly setting the table. You've seen a Ramp deck before. Manfield's is about getting there and staying alive long enough to enjoy the fruits of his Cultivate.

6. Ketria Triome

Patrick Chapin told me this one on the most recent episode of the Top Level Podcast and I thought it was absolutely ingenious. Which is why I'm closing this one out by telling you.

Manfield's deck doesn't actually play any Red cards. Why play Ketria Triome?

Because it does have a Red pip - on the back side of Valki, God of Lies.

Now imagine your RNG gods didn't quite cooperate and you drew Valki, God of Lies before you were able to cast Emergent Ultimatum. Is one of your few end game singletons now completely wasted?

No!

You also have one Ketria Triome to cast it!

Except that sounds crazy. One and one in seventy-five? As a nonbasic land, you can't even find Ketria Triome with Fabled Passage. But it's a nonbasic Forest land; meaning you can find it with any of your Binding the Old Gods!

You can defend yourself, Ramp a little, and be hard casting Tibalt, Cosmic Imposter a turn early!

What more can you ask of a one-of?

LOVE

MIKE

TAGS articles, standard, metagame, constructed, analysis, decklist, michael flores, khm standard, 03092021

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