Phyrexia: All Will Be One Standard – Which Cards Survived?
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It’s been a month since Phyrexia: All Will Be One became officially available, and so, we’re now pretty sure how the release molded the Standard metagame. Some of the trendier archetypes might still be floating around, dictating your typical Standard play experience for the past few weeks. But if we are to analyze per card, these are the ones that truly made it to Standard:
Top 10 Phyrexia: All Will Be One Cards in MTG Arena Standard
(BO1, 5000+ games, from release till now, includes reprints)
A month after release, the most popularly used cards in Phyrexia: All Will Be One gives a rather salty image for mono-black, which once again gets the most exploitable toys in the current meta. That being said, many have already predicted the entries shown here. This is especially the case with Mirrex
, which becomes a rather effective alternative win condition, more than Mishra's Foundry
, but quite less than the super universal Channel lands.
Unfortunately, not a single oil counter-themed card made it in the list, not even Migloz, Maze Crusher
. None of them can be seen at the top ten/eight slots even when split between card rarities.
Sheoldred’s Edict (Uncommon) – unsurprisingly, the most universal black removal card became the most played card in Phyrexia: All Will Be One almost immediately. Two mana for a modal edict effect that bypasses all forms of protection at instant speed? Well, sign me up! It’s also nice that you can choose between a token and a non-token creature, so you still have a considerable level of precise targeting.
Vraska, Betrayal’s Sting (Mythic Rare) – the only compleated planeswalker in this set to have effectively survived Standard. You get to draw, and multiply every counter on the board, including her own! She also has her very own form of removal that can bypass a good number of defensive strategies, a flavorful ability that is perfectly in line with her identity. Her ultimate is convenient, but it requires another separate effect before you instantly win the game.
Phyrexian Obliterator (Mythic Rare) – is it overhyped? Or simply an obligatory addition to current mono-black builds? Well, it’s quite a mix of both. This 5/5 bruiser isn’t as scary as it was before. But its presence does add a lot of pressure on the opponent, leaving them no choice but to let it swing around if dropped without an immediate response. You can even use it as bait for removal before dropping your Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
.
The Eternal Wanderer (Rare) – If control and tempo decks are confident in running decks with more than two copies of Farewell
, then this card should immediately be a welcome addition. She has 80% the potency of such board wipes, plus much, much more. Samurai double strikers for free? Yes, please. Recurring ETB? Of course. Putting other planeswalkers in limbo potentially forever? Hell yes! It’s also quite hilarious to see how both the controller and opponent consistently forget her passive ability.
Experimental Augury (Common) – okay, maybe I was wrong about easily throwing away treasures and blood tokens for Annihilating Glare
. Experimental Augury instead takes the crown for the most used common in this set for the first month of its release. It may be weaker than Impulse
, but the added Proliferate creates double to triple the advantages while stabilizing your draws on dedicated counter builds.
Venerated Rotpriest (Rare) – ah yes, the poster creature for poison counter decks. The mere fact that it bypasses combat requirements is already dangerous on its own. But at one green mana, you can immediately create a threat that can easily tick the poison clock halfway past being dead in just one turn. Its straightforward use is a double-edged sword, however. While decks maining it are easy to pilot, you also become an open book to your opponent, since Rotpriests are never ever dropped without a prepared response.
Bloated Contaminator (Rare) – a relative partner to the Toxic priest, is the Toxic beast, which is the most efficient combat-based poison counter dealer of the set. Just look at its stats. Then add the fact that it Proliferates and has Trample. Is it any wonder that there are Toxic decks built solely around these two cards?
Seachrome Coast (Rare) – obligatory Azorius mana fixer reprint. ‘Nuff said.
Mirrex (Rare) – probably the most flexible land card for various control and tempo builds. Not only is it a consistent mana sink, but it can actually overwhelm opponents bit by bit with the Toxic mites it produces. Becomes even more potent as a build-around.
Darkslick Shores (Rare) - another obligatory mana fixer reprint. This time it’s Dimir.
Runner Ups:
Skrelv, Defector Mite (Rare) – just like mom, but fits in your pocket! No seriously, pair this with like a Glissa Sunslayer
and watch your opponent contemplate cutting it down like any other white one-drop bombs of the recent meta.
Tyvar’s Stand (Uncommon) – mostly used in Rotpriest decks at the moment. But it should also find a nice home in green beatstick brews. After all, it’s basically Tamiyo’s Safekeeping with added benefits.
Ossification (Uncommon) – A more expensive Chained to the Rocks
, but without land type restrictions, and can hit planeswalkers. Theoretically works even better when paired with Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines
, but unfortunately our glorious praetor never really made the cut in Standard.
By Card Rarity: Commons
As explained earlier, Experimental Augury takes a good chunk from this list due to its stabilization and multiple card advantage properties. After that, some of the entries here are pretty obligatory, such as Duress and Anoint with Affliction. No green or red card made it on this list, and more than half are black cards.
|
Experimental Augury (7.2%) Crawling Chrous (3.6%) Bring the Ending (3.4%) Anoint with Affliction (3.3%) |
Prologue to Phyresis (3.3%) Duress (2.3%) Vraska’s Fall (2.2%) Infectious Inquiry (1.5%) |
By Card Rarity: Uncommons
The number of well-rated uncommons in every set is generally quite high. However, the statistics get skewed by the number of cards available (number used per deck) plus the staple status of some of these cards. The reprinted Go for the Throat
for example, immediately gets a rival in the form of Sheoldred's Edict.
|
Sheoldred’s Edict (12.5%) Tyvar’s Stand (5.7%) Ossification (5.6%) Drown in Ichor (5.2%) |
Armored Scrapgorger (4.9%) Annex Sentry (3.5%) Distorted Curiosity (3.4%) Jawbone Duelist (3.4%) |
By Card Rarity: Rares
Phyrexia: All Will Be One Rares shows a very slow drop-off in usage rate along its entries, at a line that seems to be quite smoother than The Brothers’ War during the same release period. As a result, this is the rarity where we get the most entries for the overall top 10 list.
|
The Eternal Wanderer (8.1%) Venerated Rotpriest (7.2%) Bloated Contaminator (6.9%) Seachrome Coast (6.8%) |
Mirrex (6.6%) Darkslick Shores (6.5%) Skrelv, Defector Mite (6.1%) Skrelv’s Hive (5.1%) |
By Card Rarity: Mythic Rares
The territory of either very specific build-arounds, or super universal nightmares. The use percentage drop-off after the first few entries is as expected, with little change to how The Brothers’ War molded Standard a month after its release. And no, Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines is nowhere to be seen on this list.
|
Vraska Betrayal’s Sting (8.8%) Phyrexian Obliterator (8.2%) Jace, the Perfected Mind (5.0%) Atraxa, Grand Unifier (4.6%) |
Nissa, Ascended Animist (3.4%) Mondrak, Glory Dominus (2.9% Trranax Rex (2.0%) Phyrexian Vindicator (1.9%) |
So... What Happened to Red Cards?
If anyone is curious, here are the statistics of the top eight Red (aligned) cards in Phyrexia: All Will Be One. As the themes of these cards are quite unique, they weren't really too synergistic with the current competitive mono-red builds, hence their little relative use in current Standard.
Blackcleave Cliffs (Rare, 5.0%)
Copperline Gorge (Rare, 4.4%)
Migloz, Maze Crusher (Rare, 1.7%)
Koth, Fire of Resistance (Rare, 1.5%)
Urabrask's Forge (Rare, 1.2%)
Lukka, Bound to Ruin (Mythic Rare, 0.9%)
Solphim, Mayhem Dominus (Mythic Rare, 0.9%)
Vindictive Flamestoker (Rare, 0.9%)
Top Meta Decks Using Phyrexia: All Will Be One Cards
(Standard BO1)
Mono Black Midrange
Main 60 cards (19 distinct)
Lands - 26
Main 60 cards (19 distinct)
Lands - 26
Main 60 cards (19 distinct)
| Creature (10) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $81.80€77.2412.86 | |||
| $0.72€1.171.58 | |||
| $3.82€5.270.58 | |||
| $18.23€14.573.66 | |||
| $10.00€7.870.06 | |||
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (21) | |||
|
3
Cut Down
|
$1.10€0.940.03 | ||
| $5.08 | |||
| $1.15€2.031.80 | |||
| $0.46€0.800.41 | |||
| $0.96€0.670.03 | |||
| $1.14€0.620.22 | |||
| $0.13€0.120.03 | |||
| $0.14€0.080.01 | |||
| Planeswalker (3) | |||
| $12.44€14.036.92 | |||
| $6.600.03 | |||
| Land (26) | |||
| $8.96€9.252.80 | |||
|
21
Swamp
|
$14.96 | ||
| $1.48€0.730.88 | |||
|
1
Mirrex
|
$5.150.84 | ||
Mono White
Main 60 cards (13 distinct)
Lands - 24
Main 60 cards (13 distinct)
Lands - 24
Grixis Control
Main 60 cards (25 distinct)
Lands - 26
Main 60 cards (25 distinct)
Lands - 26
Main 60 cards (25 distinct)
| Creature (11) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $81.80€77.2412.86 | |||
| $0.15 | |||
| $0.25 | |||
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (20) | |||
| $14.95€20.0110.78 | |||
| $1.15€2.031.80 | |||
|
2
Cut Down
|
$1.10€0.940.03 | ||
| $0.39€0.620.02 | |||
|
2
Negate
|
$0.25€0.080.03 | ||
| $0.96€0.670.03 | |||
| $0.550.06 | |||
| $0.46€0.800.41 | |||
| Planeswalker (3) | |||
| $0.50€0.480.02 | |||
| $12.44€14.036.92 | |||
| Land (26) | |||
|
5
Swamp
|
$14.96 | ||
| $6.99€6.430.83 | |||
| $5.20€3.314.25 | |||
| $8.96€9.252.80 | |||
| $19.84€19.818.17 | |||
| $4.60€4.030.17 | |||
| $9.22€9.570.87 | |||
| $0.20€0.100.01 | |||
| $4.76€5.841.37 | |||
| $0.20€0.080.01 | |||
| $2.00€1.070.02 | |||
| $3.300.15 | |||
Selesnya
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
Lands - 22
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
Lands - 22
Main 60 cards (20 distinct)
| Creature (26) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $4.460.49 | |||
| $2.250.02 | |||
| $3.150.35 | |||
| $0.25€0.090.03 | |||
| $0.25€0.110.03 | |||
| $0.40 | |||
| $0.25€0.110.03 | |||
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (12) | |||
| $0.20€0.130.03 | |||
| $2.580.07 | |||
| $2.19€1.240.03 | |||
| $0.85€0.910.03 | |||
| Land (22) | |||
|
1
Plains
|
$38.76 | ||
|
1
Forest
|
$17.59 | ||
| $10.39 | |||
| $37.00€38.1713.28 | |||
| $0.910.03 | |||
| $2.550.31 | |||
| $5.00€3.850.30 | |||
| $2.58€2.840.02 | |||
| $0.59€0.690.01 | |||
Esper
Main 60 cards (27 distinct)
Lands - 27
Side 15 cards (9 distinct)
Main 60 cards (27 distinct)
Lands - 27
Side 15 cards (9 distinct)
Main 60 cards (27 distinct)
| Instant, Sorcery, Enchantment, Artifact (16) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.96€0.670.03 | |||
| $0.59€0.460.01 | |||
| $5.00€3.453.15 | |||
| $0.89 | |||
| $5.08 | |||
| Planeswalker (17) | |||
| $12.44€14.036.92 | |||
| $22.09€22.693.70 | |||
| $6.85€6.400.17 | |||
| $1.60€1.640.02 | |||
| $5.952.25 | |||
| $6.600.03 | |||
| $0.50€0.480.02 | |||
| $0.46€0.300.02 | |||
| Land (27) | |||
|
1
Plains
|
$38.76 | ||
|
1
Island
|
$29.99 | ||
|
1
Swamp
|
$14.96 | ||
| $4.60€4.030.17 | |||
| $0.86€0.740.02 | |||
| $5.87€5.502.16 | |||
| $16.26 | |||
| $10.39 | |||
| $19.84€19.818.17 | |||
| $8.96€9.252.80 | |||
| $10.28€11.361.88 | |||
| $5.20€3.314.25 | |||
| $0.20€0.110.01 | |||
| $5.49€5.270.09 | |||
Side 15 cards (9 distinct)
|
3
Cut Down
|
$1.10€0.940.03 | ||
|
1
Duress
|
$0.150.03 | ||
|
1
Duress
|
$0.150.03 | ||
|
1
Duress
|
$0.150.03 | ||
|
2
Farewell
|
$7.091.72 | ||
| $3.61€4.767.67 | |||
| $0.34€0.310.02 | |||
| $3.99€6.730.15 | |||
| $2.87€3.950.94 |
About ChrisCee:
A witness since the time the benevolent silver planeswalker first left Dominaria, ChrisCee has since went back and forth on a number of plane-shattering incidents to oversee the current state of the Multiverse.
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