This past weekend brought us our first back-to-back world champion, something I imagine we will never see again. Not only was this a historic event for the Magic history books, it was also a weekend packed with Magic action. Portand also hosted a StarCityGames 5k that may have been a bit overshadowed by Worlds in France, but between the two, we have plenty to cover this week.

Abzan Whip ? Khans of Tarkir Standard| Glenn Jones, SCG Standard 5k Portland Top 8

• Creatures (23)
• 1 Elvish Mystic
• 1 Reclamation Sage
• 2 Doomwake Giant
• 3 Hornet Queen
• 4 Courser of Kruphix
• 4 Satyr Wayfinder
• 4 Siege Rhino
• 4 Sylvan Caryatid

• Spells (13)
• 2 Hero's Downfall
• 4 Murderous Cut
• 2 Commune with the Gods
• 2 Thoughtseize
• 3 Whip of Erebos

• Lands (24)
• 1 Plains
• 4 Forest
• 1 Caves of Koilos
• 2 Sandsteppe Citadel
• 2 Temple of Silence
• 4 Llanowar Wastes
• 4 Temple of Malady
• 4 Windswept Heath
• 2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Anafenza, the Foremost
• 1 Bile Blight
• 3 Drown in Sorrow
• 3 Glare of Heresy
• 1 Nissa, Worldwaker
• 1 Pharika, God of Affliction
• 2 Reclamation Sage
• 1 Soul of Innistrad
• 1 Thoughtseize

Buy This Deck

This deck has been kicking around online for a little while now, but it had not really pushed its way to the front of the pack until now. Most of these cards have little action on them; in fact, most of Standard is in a holding pattern right now, but I will get to that in a minute. The interesting thing to me about this deck is how it has taken two well-tested strategies and found a way to hybridize them. Abzan Midrange, which won this particular event, is still showing up as a consistent finisher, almost always at least showing up in a Top 8. Sidisi Whip has been around for a number of months now as well and tends to do really well given the right metagame at that particular event.

The most notable financial upside would have to be in Whip of Erebos. These legendary weapons have always held their own in Standard while never carrying the price tag to show as much. This time around, we are now seeing multiple shells relying on Whip, and as we have seen in the past, that is what it takes to make a price move. This is still not something I would be particularly bullish about, however, as it is unlikely to see much more play after the new set comes out unless we see additional support within the only other tribe—Mardu—that it could be played in. I like picking these up in trades, as there will certainly be an increased number of players looking to pick them up, but I do not see that overcoming the supply to double the price. They will move easily in trades, partially due to the low price, but beyond that, I would not move in with cash.

As far as new decks go, this was about the extent of what most people had not seen yet. This, however, does not mean the field was not just as diverse as ever. Between the events this weekend, we had over a dozen different decks in Top 8s; granted, some of those, like the above list, are hybrids of other decks. This broad format has really divided the value among cards in Standard right now, which is why we are seeing most of the Planeswalkers and other staples falling off in value, even with the amount of play they are seeing.

My suggestion is to take this opportunity to pick up the staples you know you will be tinkering with once the spoilers start to hit next month. Many of these prices will begin to peak again when people begin to brew and the format once again sees a shakeup. Though we do have a variety of decks that have all shown their ability to compete, the number of new cards seeing play has diminished over the past few weeks. As such, anything that has flown under the radar thus far has probably hit the proverbial floor.

I would not be buying for short-term speculation, as we have no idea what will be playable after Fate Reforged is spoiled, but picking up cards you believe you will play has very little downside, as most of these cards will not be much, if any, cheaper through their lives in Standard. Combined with the upcoming holiday season, which has historically lulled prices as well, now is a fairly quiet time in Standard until the new set. It’s a great time to slowly work toward that new deck you want to play or just take some time off for the holidays. I am still jamming the same cheap deck online, as I have not found anything new that has interested me as much as strapping on Ordeal on a Centaur and going to town.

That being said, it is time for an update on W/U Heroic, which has recently fallen out of favor but may be back on the rise if Mardu fades as well. I really did not care much for the Heliod's Pilgrims, as I have said before, so I have taken a more aggressive approach, which has netted me well over what I paid for the deck. The great part about playing a cheaper deck is that you do not need to play as often to still be able to feel that you got your value out of it in the time it was legal; the fact that it happens to do well against most of the current field is just a bonus.

W/U Heroic ? Khans of Tarkir Standard | Ryan Bushard

• Creatures (18)
• 1 Hopeful Eidolon
• 2 Eidolon of Countless Battles
• 3 Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
• 4 Battlewise Hoplite
• 4 Favored Hoplite
• 4 Hero of Iroas

• Spells (21)
• 2 Feat of Resistance
• 2 Stubborn Denial
• 4 Defiant Strike
• 4 Gods Willing
• 2 Aqueous Form
• 3 Ordeal of Heliod
• 4 Ordeal of Thassa

• Lands (21)
• 3 Island
• 7 Plains
• 3 Mana Confluence
• 4 Flooded Strand
• 4 Temple of Enlightenment

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Ajani's Presence
• 2 Stubborn Denail
• 1 Ordeal of Heliod
• 1 Disdainful Stroke
• 3 Erase
• 1 Feat of Resistance
• 1 Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
• 2 Hopeful Eidolon
• 1 Aqueous Form

Buy This Deck

As you can see, I have abandoned almost all of the mid- to late-game in favor of a few counters and more 1-drops. This may seem far less versatile than the older builds, but in my opinion, it does far more to achieve the primary goal: Kill your opponent before he or she can react. This format is filled with bombs, from Siege Rhino to Hornet Queen, and you, plain and simple, will not win the late game if that is what your opponent is doing. Why fight for position with a bunch of silver bullets and only a clunky version of Stoneforge Mystic’s grandmother to defeat opponents when you could just increase the number of hands with which you can land a guy on turn one and an Ordeal on turn two? Those are the hands I was winning with before the changes anyway.

Over the next few weeks, as we approach the holidays, I will be shifting focus away from Standard some to talk about Modern Masters (2015 Edition) and what you, even as a Standard player, can do to both prepare and profit from the upcoming storm. With the holidays fast approaching, this lull in Standard is unlikely to let up, so now seems to be a great time to cover some of the subjects I may have been straying away from over the past few months.

Ryan Bushard

@CryppleCommand