Some decks you tend to see at every event. In today's Standard, for example, you're bound to come across a Bant Company deck or two. Other decks are a little more out there. But it's worth exploring the fringes of the metagame too. There might just be something here which deserves further investigation …

Take a look at Gerard Higgins's Esper Dragons for instance. The archetype had been a dominant force in Standard about a year ago, now Higgins took it for one final spin before the impending rotation of Dragons of Tarkir. And he didn't do too badly with it either. So maybe the Dragons should be flying into battle more often? They're definitely underrepresented in the current metagame.

Gerard Higgins – Esper Dragons

Main Deck:
  • 3 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
  • 2 Liliana, the Last Hope
  • 2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
  • 4 Dragonlord Ojutai
  • 2 Dragonlord Silumgar
  • 1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis
  • 1 Emrakul, the Promised End
  • 4 Silumgar's Scorn
  • 2 Transgress the Mind
  • 1 Read the Bones
  • 2 Painful Truths
  • 1 Ultimate Price
  • 1 Grasp of Darkness
  • 3 Foul-Tongue Invocation
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 4 Languish
  • 3 Evolving Wilds
  • 2 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
  • 3 Shambling Vent
  • 1 Plains
  • 3 Swamp
  • 4 Island
  • 2 Prairie Stream
  • 4 Sunken Hollow
  • 4 Choked Estuary
Sideboard:
  • 1 Dispel
  • 2 Duress
  • 2 Negate
  • 1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
  • 1 Foul-Tongue Invocation
  • 1 Coax from the Blind Eternities
  • 1 Ruinous Path
  • 1 Anguished Unmaking
  • 1 Infinite Obliteration
  • 1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
  • 2 Dark Petition
  • 1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis
txt version

Gerard Higgins – Esper Dragons
Main Deck:
3 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
4 Dragonlord Ojutai
2 Dragonlord Silumgar
1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
4 Silumgar's Scorn
2 Transgress the Mind
1 Read the Bones
2 Painful Truths
1 Ultimate Price
1 Grasp of Darkness
3 Foul-Tongue Invocation
1 Anguished Unmaking
4 Languish
3 Evolving Wilds
2 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
3 Shambling Vent
1 Plains
3 Swamp
4 Island
2 Prairie Stream
4 Sunken Hollow
4 Choked Estuary
Sideboard:
1 Dispel
2 Duress
2 Negate
1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
1 Foul-Tongue Invocation
1 Coax from the Blind Eternities
1 Ruinous Path
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Infinite Obliteration
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2 Dark Petition
1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis

Meanwhile, Vicent Silvestre brought White-Blue Spirits. The deck never really caught on in Standard, overshadowed by three-color options with Collected Company. But with the upcoming rotation, things would change. Spirits might prove a real player then …

Vicent Silvestre – White-Blue Spirits

Main Deck:
  • 8 Plains
  • 8 Island
  • 4 Port Town
  • 4 Prairie Stream
  • 4 Stasis Snare
  • 4 Ojutai's Command
  • 4 Spell Queller
  • 4 Mausoleum Wanderer
  • 4 Clash of Wills
  • 4 Anticipate
  • 4 Selfless Spirit
  • 4 Rattlechains
  • 4 Archangel Avacyn
Sideboard:
  • 4 Reflector Mage
  • 2 Negate
  • 2 Planar Outburst
  • 2 Summary Dismissal
  • 2 Confirm Suspicions
  • 3 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
txt version

Vicent Silvestre – White-Blue Spirits
Main Deck:
8 Plains
8 Island
4 Port Town
4 Prairie Stream
4 Stasis Snare
4 Ojutai's Command
4 Spell Queller
4 Mausoleum Wanderer
4 Clash of Wills
4 Anticipate
4 Selfless Spirit
4 Rattlechains
4 Archangel Avacyn
Sideboard:
4 Reflector Mage
2 Negate
2 Planar Outburst
2 Summary Dismissal
2 Confirm Suspicions
3 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar

Finally, Luke May's deck, completely colorless, deserves another look. Not only would it survive the rotation almost completely intact; it's also one of the coolest Standard decks we saw all day, and a big flavor win!

Luke May – Colorless Eldrazi

Main Deck:
  • 4 Foundry of the Consuls
  • 4 Mage-Ring Network
  • 4 Sanctum of Ugin
  • 4 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
  • 4 Spawning Bed
  • 4 Westvale Abbey / Ormendahl, Profane Prince
  • 1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
  • 1 Sea Gate Wreckage
  • 2 Wastes
  • 4 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
  • 1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
  • 1 Emrakul, the Promised End
  • 4 Oblivion Sower
  • 1 Kozilek's Channeler
  • 1 Warden of Geometries
  • 4 Matter Reshaper
  • 4 Hedron Crawler
  • 3 Spatial Contortion
  • 3 Warping Wail
  • 2 Titan's Presence
  • 4 Hedron Archive
Sideboard:
  • 4 Thought-Knot Seer
  • 4 Reality Smasher
  • 2 Hangarback Walker
  • 1 Warping Wail
  • 1 Spatial Contortion
  • 1 Titan's Presence
  • 1 Elder Deep-Fiend
  • 1 Void Winnower
txt version

Luke May – Colorless Eldrazi
Main Deck:
4 Foundry of the Consuls
4 Mage-Ring Network
4 Sanctum of Ugin
4 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
4 Spawning Bed
4 Westvale Abbey / Ormendahl, Profane Prince
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
1 Sea Gate Wreckage
2 Wastes
4 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
4 Oblivion Sower
1 Kozilek's Channeler
1 Warden of Geometries
4 Matter Reshaper
4 Hedron Crawler
3 Spatial Contortion
3 Warping Wail
2 Titan's Presence
4 Hedron Archive
Sideboard:
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Reality Smasher
2 Hangarback Walker
1 Warping Wail
1 Spatial Contortion
1 Titan's Presence
1 Elder Deep-Fiend
1 Void Winnower