Hello, everyone! Now that we have the full spoiler list for Theros Beyond Death, people have begun building decks in hopes of finding the best deck in the format. This week, I have a few new decks featuring cards from Theros Beyond Death. Let's get started.

Mono-Blue Mill

The first deck I have for you features one of my favorite alternate ways to win. Let's take a look at the deck:

Mono-Blue Mill | THB Standard | tenochi, archidekt.com user

• Creatures (21)
• 2 Gadwick, the Wizened
• 3 Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
• 4 Overwhelmed Apprentice
• 4 Sage's Row Denizen
• 4 Thassa's Oracle
• 4 Wall of Lost Thoughts

• Planeswalkers (3)
• 3 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries

• Instants (4)
• 4 Didn't Say Please

• Sorceries (6)
• 2 Flood of Tears
• 4 Sweet Oblivion

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Drowned Secrets

• Artifacts (4)
• 2 Folio of Fancies
• 2 Nyx Lotus

• Lands (20)
• 12 Island
• 4 Castle Vantress
• 4 Mystic Sanctuary

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Jace, Wielder of Mysteries has been in Standard for a while now, and he always seems to find a home in the early period right after a new set releases. His static ability allows you to win the game if you would draw a card while your library has no cards left in it. Thassa's Oracle is a new card that also offers you a way to win on the spot if you can trigger its ETB effect (enter the battlefield effect) when your devotion to Blue is at least equal to the number of cards in your library. So, this deck has three alternate ways to win, making it a deck that I have to try out soon.

If you happen to play a number of creatures that force one player to "mill", but can't quite finish things off, you've got a couple of copies of Flood of Tears. Successfully casting this Sorcery allows you to return all nonland permanents to their owners' hands, allowing you to play those creatures one more time. You also have a playset of Sweet Oblivion that can be cast from your graveyard, thanks to its escape ability, making it possible for you to continue "milling" cards from libraries over and over again.

Mono-Black Devotion

The next deck I have for you hearkens back to the last time we were on Theros. Let's take a look at it:

Mono-Black Devotion | THB Standard | otateral, archidekt.com user

• Creatures (34)
• 2 Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
• 2 Foulmire Knight
• 3 Ayara, First of Locthwain
• 3 Tymaret, Chosen from Death
• 4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
• 4 Knight of the Ebon Legion
• 4 Murderous Rider
• 4 Nightmare Shepherd
• 4 Spawn of Mayhem
• 4 Yarok's Fenlurker

• Instants (2)
• 2 Drag to the Underworld

• Lands (24)
• 21 Swamp
• 3 Castle Locthwain

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This deck has a number of other ways it can win, even if your devotion to Black remains low. Both Nightmare Shepherd and Spawn of Mayhem are 4/4 creatures with flying that will need to be answered rather quickly. Knight of the Ebon Legion has proven it has what it takes to be a contender in Standard. Even Yarok's Fenlurker can grow in size, allowing you to deal extra damage with each attack, provided that you have enough mana to use on it.

This deck also features quite a bit of creature removal as well. Foulmire Knight and Knight of the Ebon Legion both have the possibility of deathtouch, allowing you to stave off creatures of all sizes. Drag to the Underworld and Murderous Rider offer unrestricted targeted removal. Finally, Erebos, Bleak-Hearted has an activated ability that can be used repeatedly to shrink an opponent's creatures (provided you have enough mana and sacrificial creatures).

Mono-White Devotion

The final deck I have for you this week is another devotion deck, this time in White instead of Black. Let's take a look at it:

Mono-White Devotion | THB Standard | BenW12, archidekt.com user

• Creatures (18)
• 3 Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
• 3 Oakhame Ranger
• 4 Charming Prince
• 4 Fireborn Knight
• 4 Reverent Hoplite

• Planeswalkers (5)
• 2 Elspeth, Undaunted Hero
• 3 Gideon Blackblade

• Instants (5)
• 2 Unbreakable Formation
• 3 Gods Willing

• Sorceries (1)
• 1 Planar Cleansing

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Banishing Light

• Artifacts (3)
• 3 Heraldic Banner

• Lands (24)
• 20 Plains
• 4 Castle Ardenvale

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Elspeth, Undaunted Hero has a +2 loyalty ability that allows her to put a +1/+1 counter on up to two creatures. If you manage to keep her in play for a few turns, you'll be able to activate her -8 loyalty ability, giving all of your creatures flying and a +X/+X bonus where X is your devotion to White. Oakhame Ranger has an activated ability that gives all of your creatures +1/+1 until the end of the turn. Heraldic Banner gives all of your creatures a +1/+0 bonus (as long as you choose White as it enters the battlefield). Finally, Unbreakable Formation can give each of your creatures a +1/+1 counter, provided that you cast it during your main phase.

One way you can gain additional creature tokens is through the use of Charming Prince. When he enters the battlefield, you can choose to exile another creature you own, which will return to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step. If you choose Reverent Hoplite, you'll create additional Human Soldier tokens when it returns to the battlefield.

Wrapping Up

Theros Beyond Death offers lots of great cards that should help shake up Standard. If you've taken a break from Standard because of the dominance of overpowered cards from Throne of Eldraine, now is the time to come back. I'm looking forward to trying out these new cards at my local prerelease this weekend.

What do you think of these decks? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? Let me know by leaving a comment below or email me directly at mikelikesmtg@gmail.com. Also, feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!

- Mike Likes