(Editor’s note: none of this article was written using the assistance of AI or LLMs. If there’s any parts you don’t like, it’s explicitly the fault of a human being.)
Lightning Bolt never got banned in Standard. It never got banned to the point it was brought back into Standard in Magic 2010. Yet here we are, charging through the 21st century, and one-mana red instants that don’t see play outside of Standard are getting banned:
I’m not offering judgment here. The year 2025 is different than the year 2010, and it’s VERY different than the year 1995. I’m just struggling to believe that this is a 1-drop that has been banned in Standard for power concerns:
And this one was NOT:
Green Day is on the classic rock station. Biff Tannen got elected president (twice!). Final Fantasy booster packs are $1. The children. The children. They will. not. stay. off. my. grass…
Here’s what I made Mythic with on Arena this month playing best of three Standard:
Deck
4 Boltwave (FDN) 79
16 Mountain (SLD) 66
4 Burst Lightning (FDN) 192
4 Shock (MKM) 144
4 Screaming Nemesis (DSK) 157
2 Soulstone Sanctuary (FDN) 133
4 Emberheart Challenger (BLB) 133
4 Slickshot Show-Off (OTJ) 146
4 Hired Claw (BLB) 140
4 Viashino Pyromancer (M19) 166
2 Rockface Village (BLB) 259
4 Lightning Strike (DFT) 136
2 Grab the Prize (DSK) 138
2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
Sideboard
3 Sunspine Lynx (BLB) 155
4 Untimely Malfunction (DSK) 161
1 Sunspine Lynx (BLB) 155
4 Torch the Tower (WOE) 153
3 Witchstalker Frenzy (WOE) 159
What’s In the Deck
Listen, this is a red deck. There’s no need for us to get into a deep dive on what’s happening here. I’ll share some details on some of the oddities.
Grab the Prize: Once I crammed in all 60 of the cards I wanted, I discovered it was actually only 58. This card seemed fine until I figured out what I actually wanted, but then it kept being just “fine.” It’s almost never a Shock, instead pushing through manaflood situations, unless it’s the last spell you’ll play when your opponent is at 2. It’s always the first card I sideboard out, so it probably is wrong, so please let me know what this should be when you figure it out.
Cavern of Souls: There were a few counterspell decks in the format. All of those decks play mostly non-basic lands. Sunspine Lynx kills them if you can stick it. The 2 Caverns are a hedge to allow you to do this. They’re mostly “free,” though if there are no counterspells in your format replace these with Mountains so you’re never in a situation where you need RRR and only have 1RR because of Cavern.
How to Sideboard
Sunspine Lynx is this format’s Doctor Dre. Ya’ll forgot about him, running around with these greedy ass manabases that look like Ravnica-era Standard circa the mid-2000s, but he did not, in fact, sell all his guns. Bring this in against any deck playing almost exclusively non-basic lands which is not an aggro deck. The Jeskai Tempo deck is the biggest culprit here. If there are lifegain decks you’re seeing, bring it in against those too. Mostly this means as a hate card against Authority of the Consuls.
Untimely Malfunction is for those artifact decks trying to make big golems and kill you with triggers. Do not. DO NOT. Are you listening to me? LISTEN TO ME. DO NOT USE THIS CARD TO TRY TO KILL AGATHA’S SOUL CAULDRON. You are faster than that deck. Using this card as a removal spell for exactly 4 non-creature cards in one archetype’s deck SLOWS YOU DOWN and will see you losing to a Vivi deck you’re favored against.
Torch the Tower is for the mirror and other decks that care about small creatures. Cut Boltweave for this as Boltweave cannot kill Llanowar Elves or Hired Claw. And remember folks: you always kill Llanowar Elves or Jay Schneider himself will appear over your shoulder and whisper, “You should have killed that Llanowar Elf,” while you lose to Llanowar Elf things. The ancient wisdom is the ancient wisdom for a reason.
Witchstalker Frenzy is for decks that play large creatures, like the 2/4 Vampire or Vivi. Sideboard out Grab the Prize and 1 Viashino Pyromancer. This is the only card I board in against UR.
The UR Matchup
This is the current boogeyman in Standard. Should it be? I don’t have an opinion. I don’t envy Magic Design fighting off the Magic AI on this one and there was no way your marquee hot mythic from your best-selling set of all time was getting banned, but I know this deck is favored against UR using an old tactic: going faster. Use your burn on their creatures wherever you can before the creatures get too large and apply pressure with your own team. I beat this deck far more than I lost to it. I’m not actually sure I ever lost to it. Remember they have an instant speed Wrath in games 2 and 3 in Fire Magic so be wary of how you’re spreading your creatures out (but still, go fast).
Tips and Tricks
Slickshot Show-Off is a card you play like a combo deck. You’ll normally find yourself plotting it on turn 2. If you cast it, your opponent is just going to kill it with their first removal. By plotting it you set up a turn 3 in which your opponent, who has to keep committing to the board, taps out to play things. You then cast Slick Rick from exile, unload a flurry of burn, and get 2-3 “free” Shocks out of your flyer that they can’t block. Boltweave is Lava Spike, and Lava Spike is Legacy playable but with ole’ Rick here it becomes 5 damage for 1 and that’s too powerful even for Legacy.
Viashino Pyromancer is a Lizard. Rockface Village works on it. You know what? While we’re on the subject, Soulstone Sanctuary is also a LIzard (or Mouse) and is also impacted by Rockface Village.
In game 1 you should set Cavern of Souls to either Lizard, which affects Pyromancer and Hired Claw, or Wizard which affects Pyromancer and Slickshot, or Spirit if you need to resolve Screaming Nemesis. In Game 2 the Game 1 rules apply unless you have boarded in Sunspine Lynx, then you should set it to “Elemental” because that’s sneakier than “Cat” and helps hide what you’re doing so your opponent doesn’t stop playing lands.
Screaming Nemesis is your most important card against a lot of decks. The sneaky play is to hold it until turn 4 so you can cast it and Shock it at the same time. Don’t get blown out by a two-for-one with that Shock; cast it when they’ve committed to killing Nemesis as a response to ensure it connects or when they’re tapped out. Once your opponent has been screamed at the game is just a math equation: can you draw X amount of damage where X = their life total before they kill you? It’s also your best bet against Authority of the Consuls. Play it, then with the trigger on the stack Shock it and make like your mom when the lawn needs mowing by turning off the Consul.
Remember Brian Kowal’s Rule of Red: if you died with your opponent at 1 life, you are to blame for losing the game. Honestly, that’s probably true if they were under 5 life so every turn you should ask yourself this question: “Can I kill my opponent this turn?” Do the math carefully to get your answer.
If you’re going to use Burst Lightning to target the opponent, casting it with Slick Rick on the table is like casting it with Kicker but not having to pay the extra 4 mana. It’s still doing 4, so sometimes that’s the right play while your Bird can punch through instead of waiting to 5 mana to stick it for 6 (4 from kicker, plus 2 from the bird). Slickshot Show-Off has a lot in common with birds when Chesley Sullenburger is around: they don’t live long, and it can be a disaster when they die.
That’s it for this month. Love you.
