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Category:
MTG

Esper Midrange floods Standard meta at 2022 Magic World Championship

Many players choose the safe deck to play.
Image of Danny Forster
Danny Forster
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Published: Oct 27, 2022 12:35 pm

The Standard format at the Magic: The Gathering 2022 World Championship will feature a large number of mirror matches with 22 of the 32 total players locking in Esper Midrange.

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Scheduled to take place from Oct. 28 to 30, the 2022 MTG World Championship will feature gameplay in three formats. The Standard format is featured during the day one Swiss rounds after DMU Draft and in the top four double-elimination bracket playoffs. 

Leading up to MTG Worlds, Wizards of the Coast banned The Meathook Massacre in hopes of preventing one archetype from dominating the Standard meta. But that decision has seemed to backfire with 68.8 percent of the Worlds field locking in Esper Midrange as their Standard deck, according to Frank Karsten and WotC. 

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  • Esper Midrange: 22 players and 68.8 percent of field
  • Jund Midrange: Two players and 6.3 percent of field
  • Jund Reanimator: Two players and 6.3 percent of field
  • Azorius Control: One player and 3.1 percent of field
  • Bant Tokens: One player and 3.1 percent of field
  • Grixis Midrange: One player and 3.1 percent of field
  • Izzet Tempo: One player and 3.1 percent of field
  • Mardu Midrange: One player and 3.1 percent of field
  • Mono-Blue Tempo: One player and 3.1 percent of field

Not every MTG Worlds player took the safe road, however, with eight other archetypes also getting locked in. Jund Midrange, Gixis Midrange, and Jund Reanimator have performed well at Standard tournaments. Of the three, Jund Reanimator is a favorite against Esper Midrange builds. 

Related: How to watch the 2022 Magic: The Gathering World Championship

Mono-Blue Tempo is a new addition to the top-tier Standard meta following The Meathook Massacre ban and is definitely a deck to watch out for. Other builds that could challenge Esper Midrange include Mardu Midrange, Izzet Tempo, Bant Tokens, and Azorius Control. 

Decklists have not been published yet and are slated to release on Oct. 28 at around 11am CT on the MTG 2022 World Championship official page.

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Author
Image of Danny Forster
Danny Forster
Staff writer, lead beat writer for MTG and TFT
Danny has been writing for Dot Esports for over five years, first as a freelancer and now as a staff writer. He is the lead beat writer for Magic: The Gathering and Teamfight Tactics. Danny is also a solid Monopoly GO player, having beaten every main event without spending a dime. When Danny isn't writing or gaming, he's chilling by the water in Spacecoast Florida with his family and friends. He's always got a tan, because touching grass is important, and loves playing strategic digital and tabletop games. Past outlets Danny has written for include TheGamer and ScreenRant.
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