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Sure, everyone is talking about the future of Magic: The Gathering’s Standard meta, but what about the here-and-now? February 2023 will bring the next expansion, Phyrexia: All Will Be One. However, we just recently had The Brothers’ War, which brought its own share of changes to the meta.
The ban of The Meathook Massacre changed things, but we still have a pretty fast-paced Standard. Magic: The Gathering’s top decks vary from player to player, but I’m considering which decks have the best win rates and overall builds. For the percentages I considered, I used a variety of sources that track the win percentages of decks, such as Aetherhub.
There are other decks not featured here that almost made it. Esper Legends, Rakdos Midrange, and Naya Humans in particular almost made the cut. But which decks are the best, and what loadouts do you need to succeed?
The 5 best decks in Magic: The Gathering’s best-of-one Standard meta
1) Mono-Black Midrange
Mono-Black Midrange differs from Mono-Black Aggro, primarily in pace. This Magic: The Gathering deck is going to take its time, remove threats from the board, and slowly take control. Unlike other midrange decks, though, the mana curve is lower than normal. You’ve got plenty of cheap ways to get threats on the board, like Reckoner Bankbuster.
Cut Down, Go for the Throat are excellent removal spells, and you also have Liliana of the Veil to make players discard and sacrifice. Your win condition is likely going to be Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, since she makes an opponent lose 2 life anytime they draw a card.
Why is this deck so great? This deck is all power, all threat. It’s easily one of the best in Magic: The Gathering, but it’s not cheap to build. Even with The Meathook Massacre gone, it shines.
Decklist
- 4 Liliana of the Veil
- 2 Sorin the Mirthless
- 4 Evolved Sleeper
- 4 Tenacious Underdog
- 4 Graveyard Trespasser
- 3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
- 4 Cut Down
- 3 Go for the Throat
- 4 Invoke Despair
- 3 Reckoner Bankbuster
- 22 Swamp
- 1 Field of Ruin
- 2 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
2) Red Deck Wins (Mono-Red Aggro)
Is it a surprise to anyone who plays Magic: The Gathering to see “Red Deck Wins” is still sticking around? It’s a concept that never goes away. It goes hard on both aggressive useful creatures and damaging spells. You can use them as creature-removal, or to smash through a player’s life total.
Play with Fire and Lightning Strike are excellent ways to solve problems. If you want to play a deck that doesn’t require much thought, Magic: The Gathering’s Red Deck Wins is for you. There’s nothing wrong with just playing creatures and casting spells until you win. You want to damage the other player immediately before they can get a defense set up.
Decklist
- 2 Chandra, Dressed to Kill
- 4 Monastery Swiftspear
- 4 Phoenix Chick
- 4 Voldaren Epicure
- 4 Radha's Firebrand
- 4 Play with Fire
- 4 Lightning Strike
- 1 Strangle
- 4 Reckless Impulse
- 4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan
- 4 Mechanized Warfare
- 18 Mountain
- 2 Mishra's Foundry
- 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
3) Selesnya Enchantments
One of two multi-colored Magic: The Gathering decks in the top of the charts, White/Green Enchantments continues to impress. Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty was when this deck really became a threat again, and it continues to shine here in The Brothers’ War. Do you enjoy stacking tons of +1/+1 counters, and smashing opponents with enormous creatures? Here’s what you want to run.
Generous Visitor buffs a creature with a +1/+1 counter anytime you cast an enchantment, so you want to have this out on the first turn. Jukai Naturalist makes your enchantments cheaper, and Weaver of Harmony makes your enchantment creatures stronger with a +1/+1 buff.
It can also copy activated or triggered abilities from an enchantment source, making your creatures bigger and faster.
This deck is all about synergy and is a very high-speed aggro choice. However, its big, glaring flaw is that mass removal can completely bury all of your momentum.
Decklist
- 4 Generous Visitor
- 4 Kami of Transience
- 2 Spirited Companion
- 4 Jukai Naturalist
- 4 Weaver of Harmony
- 3 Katilda, Dawnhart Martyr
- 2 Bushwhack
- 2 Audacity
- 4 Circle of Confinement
- 4 Michiko's Reign of Truth
- 2 Borrowed Time
- 4 Wedding Announcement
- 4 Forest
- 7 Plains
- 4 Brushland
- 4 Overgrown Farmland
- 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
- 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
4) Mono-White Soldiers
That’s right, White Weenie decks are back in The Brothers' War meta for Magic: The Gathering! Since we’re playing best-of-one, you want a fast, hard-hitting deck. We’re running some familiar cards, like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben which makes non-creature spells more expensive, alongside the new Myrel, Shield of Argive.
She’s one of the big busters for this Magic: The Gathering deck. Your opponents can’t cast spells or activate abilities on your turn, and whenever she attacks, she creates X 1 power, 1 toughness Soldier tokens, where X is the number of Soldiers you control.
This makes it so you can safely ramp up and start overrunning people. Now, with that said, your opponent can board-wipe you on their turn, even if it costs more.
Decklist
- 1 The Wandering Emperor
- 4 Yotian Frontliner
- 4 Recruitment Officer
- 4 Guardian of New Benalia
- 4 Valiant Veteran
- 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 4 Siege Veteran
- 4 Brutal Cathar
- 3 Myrel, Shield of Argive
- 4 Lay Down Arms
- 20 Plains
- 3 Mishra's Foundry
- 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
5) Azorius Soldiers
Another multi-colored deck, you have White/Blue Soldiers pulling up the rear of this list of best decks in Magic: The Gathering. I love two-colored decks, and while you dilute your mana pool with an aggressive selection, this particular arrangement has a solution. Fortied Beachhead can buff your Soldiers and is a solid rare dual land.
Don’t forget that Blue has its own noteworthy soldiers in Magic: The Gathering. Dennick, Pious Apprentice prevents graveyard shenanigans, and Skystrike Officer creates colorless Soldier artifact creatures, is a flyer, and can use Soldiers to help you draw. Harbin, Vanguard Aviator, can also be an excellent game-winner.
A creature with 3 power, 2 toughness, and flying, he grants creatures you control +1/+1 and flying for the turn if you attack with five or more of them. Suddenly, your host of Soldiers are all in the air, and could easily go unblocked.
Deck
- 4 Yotian Frontliner
- 4 Recruitment Officer
- 4 Valiant Veteran
- 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- 1 Dennick, Pious Apprentice
- 4 Harbin, Vanguard Aviator
- 4 Skystrike Officer
- 4 Siege Veteran
- 4 Brutal Cathar
- 2 Myrel, Shield of Argive
- 2 In the Trenches
- 6 Plains
- 4 Adarkar Wastes
- 4 Secluded Courtyard
- 2 Plaza of Heroes
- 4 Fortified Beachhead
- 1 Mishra's Foundry
- 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
- 1 Otawara, Soaring City
Most of these Magic: The Gathering are excellent, high-speed decks. They all suffer from the same weakness, except Mono-Black Midrange - removal. Your opponents, if they prepare for an aggro meta, you could have a rough time. Regardless, these are the best decks to play for BO1 in the current meta.
