After countless weeks of hype and brewing, we finally have our first results rolling in for the new Standard format. It seems that nearly everything is plausible given how smooth the mana is. So far, we have seen little to no reason to remain mono-colored, and with red taking such a beating with the loss of many key cards to the burn strategy, even that has had to adapt, and adapt it has.

Michigan’s own Brian Demars takes down the Standard portion of this weekend’s StarCityGames event with a new spin on Atarka Red. This deck looks fantastic and has the capability to kill from nowhere with only a few cards. The combination of efficient early damage with the late-game combo gives a two-pronged way to attack, which the old red lacked. I am not saying I don’t miss Searing Spear and Eidiolon of the Great Revel, but if this is what is replacing that archetype moving forward, I can get behind that.

Atarka Red ? Battle for Zendikar Standard | Brain Demars, 1st at StarCityGames Open Indianapolis

• Creatures (17)
• 1 Makindi Sliderunner
• 2 Lightning Berserker
• 4 Abbot of Keral Keep
• 4 Monastery Swiftspear
• 2 Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh
• 4 Zurgo Bellstriker

• Spells (22)
• 3 Become Immense
• 3 Temur Battle Rage
• 4 Atarka's Command
• 4 Titan's Strength
• 4 Wild Slash
• 4 Dragon Fodder

• Lands (21)
• 1 Forest
• 8 Mountain
• 2 Cinder Glade
• 2 Windswept Heath
• 4 Bloodstained Mire
• 4 Wooded Foothills

• Sideboard (15)
• 4 Hangarback Walker
• 2 Fiery Impulse
• 2 Roast
• 2 Thunderbreak Regent
• 2 Goblin Heelcutter
• 3 Arc Lightning

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I am not sure where to begin in tweaking this deck, though Demars did reveal that Lightning Berserker underperformed most of the day. This could be a simple fix by just playing around with other early 2-drops, but I really like how well-position Goblin Heelcutter is right now, and I would probably at least test one or two in the main. Making it past an early Hangarback Walker can let you close the game before Thopters come out, and that seems to be a major player in this format.

Though the weekend was certainly not all about aggro, it is typical that we see that play a strong role in the beginning. This format provides us with not only fast decks—as the one above—but decks that can also out-card-advantage most of the typical blue control decks we have seen in the past. It is likely control will rise over the coming weeks, and in some ways, there were already hints of it this weekend. With the two top finishers creating a great deal of pressure from very different directions, the format may be too diverse for a dedicated control deck.

G/W Megamorph ? Battle for Zendikar Standard | Michael Majors, 2nd at StarCityGames Open Indianapolis

• Creatures (24)
• 2 Hidden Dragonslayer
• 3 Wingmate Roc
• 4 Deathmist Raptor
• 4 Den Protector
• 4 Warden of the First Tree
• 4 Hangarback Walker
• 3 Nissa, Vastwood Seer

• Planeswalkers (4)
• 4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar

• Spells (7)
• 3 Valorous Stance
• 4 Dromoka's Command

• Lands (25)
• 4 Plains
• 6 Forest
• 1 Blighted Steppe
• 3 Canopy Vista
• 3 Flooded Strand
• 4 Windswept Heath
• 4 Wooded Foothills

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Tragic Arrogance
• 3 Evolutionary Leap
• 2 Silkwrap
• 1 Radiant Purge
• 1 Mastery of the Unseen
• 3 Arashin Cleric
• 1 Valorous Stance
• 2 Whisperwood Elemental

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This deck gained very little, in terms of quantity, from the new set. The only real additions are Gideon, Ally of Zendikar and the buffed mana base, but that has proven to be enough to let Den Protector ride his Deathmist Raptors to victory against a great deal of the field. The finals played out in a way I did not expect, but I do believe with some tweaking this shell has the capability to dominate Atarka Red. Rotation helped this deck a great deal, removing some of the more problematic cards from the format and taking very little from the initial shell. I would expect this to be one of the safer decks to build if you are looking to invest in Standard one time this season. This deck has a great deal of play against most strategies, and the sideboard can easily shore up whatever your local meta has to offer.

This week, I want to dive into the card pool—rather than toward a particular deck—and see what options we have to help alleviate control’s current conundrum. I don't believe typical counter control is going to get there right now, so I will probably be looking for a way to also present some sort of aggression that can close the game quickly if you can gain advantage.

Ojutai's Command is still one of those breakout cards that I don't believe has seen its full potential in the new environment. I am a huge fan of the plethora of abilities that can prove useful against these aggro decks—as long as we can keep control up until that point. Returning something like Fathom Feeder or Arashin Cleric and gaining 4 or countering a creature can be a fairly large swing—in the worst-case scenario, it cycles, so the card will never be dead even against control.

A few weeks back, Archangel of Tithes made its debut and has been relatively silent since. I feel this is a strong option right now with the ability to block everything from a Mantis Rider to a Siege Rhino. Being nonlegendary means we can stack this ability, and though the mana is restrictive, I feel if we keep to three colors, casting this on 4 should not be an issue, as our fetches align nicely in Bant. If we end up Esper-colored, this may be more of a drag on mana, but right now, I love the position this card has against the field.

Of course, if we head toward Bant, that also gives us another tried-and-true Command in the form of Dromoka's Command. This card speaks for itself, as it has been played in a variety of decks since it first showed up on the scene, and this looks to be another shell just looking for what Dromoka can provide.

Speaking of the Dragonlord Dromoka, I can imagine if we can find enough early game to keep us alive, it would make a great finisher to slam the door on aggro while also causing control fits and forcing control players to tap out on their turns. The main deck only has so much room for threats of this variety, but in the ’board, I would also want to pair this with some number of Sagu Maulers, a card that has seen very little love but that should prove to be useful in a format in which the number of Wrath of God effects are dwindling and Languish is the most commonly played among them.

I don’t have nearly enough room to run down every card this week, but if I were playing Constructed this weekend, I would probably settle on a list including the above cards that would look something like this before testing:

Bant Command ? Battle for Zendikar Standard | Ryan Bushard

• Creatures (24)
• 2 Bounding Krasis
• 4 Archangel of Tithes
• 4 Beastcaller Savant
• 4 Hangarback Walker
• 4 Heir of the Wilds
• 2 Dragonlord Dromoka
• 4 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy

• Spells (12)
• 2 Valorous Stance
• 3 Dromoka's Command
• 3 Ojutai's Command
• 2 Treasure Cruise
• 2 Citadel Siege

• Lands (24)
• 3 Forest
• 3 Island
• 5 Plains
• 3 Canopy Vista
• 3 Flooded Strand
• 3 Prairie Stream
• 4 WIndswept Heath

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I am sure there are a ton of different ways to spin this, and though I do see the power behind Collected Company and Megamorph, they just do not play to my style. I really enjoy looping my cards at instant speed if possible, and though this deck does tap out more than I would like, I feel you almost need to be doing that in the early game to keep up with the aggressive decks. And once the board has smoothed out, you can then sit back with tricks and removal to keep your Archangel locking down the board. One of my favorite interactions is with Ojutai's Command off the rebound with Jace; you can gain life and return the Jace untransformed if you like to keep digging further. If anyone else has an approach on midrange or control or a hybrid like this, let's see some lists. The Pro Tour is right around the corner, and that means if you suspect a deck or card is going to do well, now is the time to begin picking up your play set!

As always, thank you for reading. Next week, I will be continuing to dissect the format and preparing for a long weekend of coverage as the best of the best hit the stage to take what we think we know now and throw it all in disarray. With all the Eldrazi and cool things to cast, Standard seems far too tame right now, and I look forward to seeing some of the brews that push the limit of both the mana base and the curve of the game!