Standard is amazing right now. The three-year rotation window has grown the format, and given it a deep card pool with a ton of cards just waiting to be explored. Standard feels as open to innovation as it ever has right now, and every color has cards that seem like they are on the brink of breaking out. These are my picks for some cards to watch in the coming year.

One Last Job

Possibly the most flexible reanimation spell ever printed. When you're hitting multiple targets with this card it gets out of hand. Creature is an easy choice, as there is no shortage of powerful creatures to reanimate. When you can also pair the reanimated creature with something like a Sheltered by Ghosts to take care of their best creature, you're getting a very powerful 2-for1 at a decent cost. What really draws me to One Last Job is the looming presence of Aetherdrift. If the released artwork is any indication, we should be getting an influx of powerful Vehicle cards to push this card on another axis.

Mystical Teachings

Maybe I still need to address the PTSD from getting my teeth kicked in by Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir in the Time Spiral Standard format (yes, I'm old), but this card was the bane of my existence and while I would love nothing more than for it to never see the inside of a card sleeve ever again, I can't help but think it is still good enough to be part of the current Standard format. Some of the popular Dimir decks walk right up to the line of being a control deck, and it wouldn't take much to push them over. If that happens, this should definitely slip into the 75.

Liliana, Dreadhorde General

Black is by far the best color in Standard and it still has an embarrassment of riches with cards that could see more play. I could list 4-5 cards here and each of the could break out big in the next 12-months. But, back to the wall, I think Liliana has the most potential to break out. Black decks are the best at managing the board state right now, and big Lily can come down to wipe up anything your Cut Downs and Go for the Throats didn't get (and possibly grabbing you some cards in the process). Planeswalkers are in a pretty good spot right now, and I think this one definitely warrants more exploration.

Invasion of Tarkir

It only makes sense, since we are return to Tarkir in Tarkir: Dragonstorm,that the card that would make the most of Tarkir's Dragons would be poised to make a big splash. The card is close to playable already, and if we get a couple of playable dragons in Dragonstorm, it can fill the role of early game removal and possibly late game-ending burn spell.

Archdruid's Charm

I've talked about this one before, in my article on the Landfall deck, but it bears repeating. This is a ridiculously versatile card mostly held back by the mana requirement. The more I play it, the more I think it's worth bending your manabase to include this card if you can (and as more and more dual lands are printed into the format, it should get easier).

Leyline Axe

We're just starting to crack this cards power, and I think it has potential to become a staple next year. The Leyline ability is one of the most powerful in Magic, and the bonuses granted by the Axe are powerful enough to take a game over. Equipment has been comically bad in Standard the last few years, but this is very reminiscent of the last Equipment card to see consistent Standard play, Embercleave.

Blast Zone

Between Red decks, Dimir Aggro, Boros, Azorius, etc, Standard right now has a ton of low-to-the-ground decks seeing play. With just 1 or 2 counters, Blast Zone has the potential to provide a form of mass removal for decks that normally don't get access to that type of card. Yes, the ability is expensive, but this card provides too unique an ability on a land to not see more play.

You can find more of my Magic musings on Twitter/X @travishall456 and on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/anakinsdad.bsky.social