Top MTG Standard decks and multicolored cards leaving the meta in the fall rotation

The Magic Standard metagame hit new heights this year with the release of War of the Spark and continued to morph with Core Set 2020. But with key multicolored cards rotating out, some archetypes might not survive. 

Multicolored cards in MTG are the glue that holds most decks together. As the fall rotation approaches in Standard with the release of Throne of Eldraine, several tier-one meta decks are going to lose major cards. Some might find substitutes while others will simply fade away.

Top MTG Standard decks

As the meta following the release of the M20 set unfolds, there are three decks (within the top 12) that contain multicolored creatures and spells rotating out. These three archetypes are often a popular choice in competitive tournaments, often finishing within the top eight.  

• Orzhov Vampires
• Esper Tempo (Control, Hero)
• Jund Dinosaurs

Orzhov Vampires

Considered one of the hottest archetypes in the Standard meta, Orzhov Vampires are dominating over Control, Mid-range, and other Aggro decks. In the main deck, vamps are losing out on Legion Lieutenant, who fuels the indestructible Adanto Vanguard. Icon of Ancestry is a decent replacement for Legion Lieutenant but there’s nothing that can replace Adanto Vanguard. 

Vona, Butcher of Magan is another extremely valuable card in the sideboard and some main decks. It’s able to remove any permanent with the cost of life points, rather than mana, which makes losing Vona huge. 

Esper Tempo

Esper decks have been dominating the Standard meta for months, giving Control and Mid-range players an archetype that’s consistent and powerful. Come rotation, however, Esper loses a major planeswalker in Teferi, Hero of Dominaria. Tef-six is a staple across so many archetypes and hated by many in the MTG community. But fear not, Esper heads, because Teferi, Time Raveler survives the rotation. 

Whether little Teferi can hold Esper Tempo together on his own is unknown. It’s unlikely WotC will reprint another big Teferi and there aren’t any Standard cards that can fill his shoes at the moment. 

Jund Dinosaurs

With the release of M20, Jund Dinosaurs jumped back into the tier-one fray with Marauding Raptor. The archetype, however, will suffer once again come rotation due to mono-colored cards like Llanowar Elves (ramp) rotating out, as well as the multicolored haste beast, Regisaur Alpha. 

Giving all dinosaurs haste is a win-con that’ll be missed once the rotation hits. But even if Regisaur Alpha did survive, it’s unlikely Jund Dinosaurs will unless the Throne of Eldraine supports tribal dinos. But dinosaurs don’t really fit into the theme of fairy tales. 

Dual-colored lands

In addition to creatures and spells rotating out in the fall, there’s a handful of dual-colored lands that almost every archetype relies on for tempo. These lands come in untapped as long as a player has a basic (or shock) land on the battlefield with the same color. 

In combination with shock lands from the Ravnica block, these dual lands from Ixalan and Dominaria maintain tempo while opening doors of possibilities. Their departure from Standard will cripple several top meta decks such as Bant Ramp, Boros Feather, and Dimir Control.

• Glacial Fortress: Blue/White
• Isolated Chapel: While/Black
• Drowned Catacomb: Blue/Black
• Sulfur Falls: Blue/Red
• Dragonskull Summit: Black/Red
• Woodland Cemetery: Black/Green
• Rootbound Crag: Red/Green
• Clifftop Retreat: Red/white
• Sunpetal Grove: Green/White
• Hinterland Harbor: Green/Blue

Other multicolored spells and creatures

Multicolored cards that play instrumental roles within Jank and constructed competitive decks are spread across the Standard meta. Whether it be Merfolk or Token builds, many of these cards will be missed. Some, however, will live on via Commander and perhaps the new MTG Arena format, Historic. 

• Profane Procession
• Aryel, Knight of Windgrace
• Call to the Feast
• Arvad the Cursed
• Elinda the Dusk Rose
• Primevals’ Glorious Rebirth
• Deadeye Brawler
• Hostage Taker
• Storm Fleet Sprinter
• Storm the Vault
• Angrath, the Flamechained
• Jungle Creeper
• Slimefoot, the Stowaway
• Poison-Tip Archer
• Vraska, Relic Seeker
• Draconic Disciple
• Raging Regisaur
• Heroic Reinforcements
• Tiana, Ships Caretaker
• Shana, Sisay’s Legacy
• Seighorn Ceratops
• Satyr Enchanter
• Merfolk Mistbinder
• Hadana’s Climb
• Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
• Tatyova, Benthic Druid
• Admiral Beckett Brass
• Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
• Gishath, Sun’s Avatar
• Zacama, Primal Calamity
• Muldrotha, the Gravetide

The fall rotation in MTG Standard takes place at the end of September digitally and the beginning of October for tabletop with the release of Throne of Eldraine. The four sets rotating out are Ixalan, Rivals of Ixalan, Dominaria, and M19.