On the eve of MKM Series Rome, it was once again time for us to follow long-standing tradition and review what happened last time at the MKM Series. Ten weeks ago, players from all over Europe gathered in Frankfurt for the first stop of the MKM Series 2018, including 127 stars of Standard.

The story of Standard at the MKM Series Frankfurt 2018 wasn't just all energy all the way. Temur Energy only accounted for 22% of the field, but it did place first, second, and third at the event. Chris Castro-Rappl, an American currently teaching at the University in Tübingen, Germany, became champion, although he himself immediately commented: “I don't feel like I earned this.”

Almost-champion Melvin Schmidt

Instead, the secret star of the tournament was 15-year-old Melvin Schmidt who piloted his deck with expert precision past all opposition. He even defeated the current German national champion in the semifinals and then took the first game in the final. However, one risky but reasonable keep, one double mulligan, and entirely too many missed land drops later, Schmidt's run came to an unfortunate end.

In theory, things could have been learned from looking at the finalists' decks. Alas, this was the last hurrah for this particular Standard environment. Just eight days later Wizards of the Coast took action and banned Attune with Aether, Rogue Refiner as well as Rampaging Ferocidon and Ramunap Ruins from the format. The latter two demanded an explanation and it was given: While curtailing the power of energy was obviously called for, Wizards were afraid that Mono-Red might benefit too much. After all, Temur Energy was the only strategy which regularly beat Mono-Red so far.

However, insight could still be gained. The Top 8 in Frankfurt featured four decks which weren't directly impacted by the bans, an unusually high number in those dark days before the bans.

Thoralf Severin's White-Blue Approach

This was the third time for Thoralf “Toffel” Severin to make the Top 8 at the Standard main event, in just as many trips to the MKM Series. As usual, he'd picked a deck which he felt would actually beat the “deck to beat.” That was then. Later, though, resolving a 7-mana sorcery, twice even, turned into a long shot with the rise of blue-black decks.

Philipp Krüger's White-Blue Cycling

Standard's other creatureless white-blue control deck uses Drake Haven and Abandoned Sarcophagus to benefit from upwards of 24 cards with cycling. Rivals of Ixalan didn't add anything here, but the new format with all of its blue-black or Grixis decks became a lot weaker to enchantments. A definite plus for Drake Haven!

Bugra Cal Alp's Mardu Vehicles

Mardu Vehicles has been around for, like, ever. This particular version didn't offer any new tricks, and hardly does Rivals of Ixalan. What should be noted, however, is that with Ramunap Ruins one of the best reasons to keep one's aggressive deck mono-colored left the format!

Philipp Krieger's Green-White Aggro

Finally, German national champion Philipp Krieger reached his second Top 8 of the weekend after making the quarterfinals in Limited the day before. The deck he used, Green-White Aggro, had been a minor sensation in Standard a while back, but had never really caught on.

Krieger nevertheless assured me that it was criminally underrated, possibly because of all the weird-looking cards in it. One has to admit: weird is a generous description when it comes to beating down with cards like Sacred Cat, Merfolk Branchwalker, Adanto Vanguard, and Oketra the True. What makes the deck tick is the combination of double strike, mainly Adorned Pouncer, with various pump effects. There's Resilient Khenra, there's Blossoming Defense offering additional protection, and there's Hashep Oasis for later on. In particular, there's Appeal // Authority, both halves of which can combine for a proper turn four kill!

Green-White Aggro is notable as well because, finally, here is a deck which gained a lot of cards with Rivals of Ixalan. Below I'll quote a list proposed by World Magic Cup champion Simon Nielsen:

Simon Nielsen's Green-White Aggro

Main Deck:
  • 6 Forest
  • 3 Hashep Oasis
  • 5 Plains
  • 3 Scattered Groves
  • 3 Shefet Dunes
  • 4 Sunpetal Grove
  • 4 Adanto Vanguard
  • 4 Adorned Pouncer
  • 4 Jadelight Ranger
  • 2 Kinjalli's Sunwing
  • 2 Merfolk Branchwalker
  • 4 Resilient Khenra
  • 4 Skymarcher Aspirant
  • 4 Appeal // Authority
  • 2 Baffling End
  • 3 Huatli, Radiant Champion
  • 3 Legion's Landing / Adanto, the First Fort
Sideboard:
  • 1 Ajani Unyielding
  • 1 Baffling End
  • 3 Blossoming Defense
  • 3 Cast Out
  • 2 Gideon of the Trials
  • 2 Settle the Wreckage
  • 1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
  • 2 Squire's Devotion
txt version

Simon Nielsen's Green-White Aggro
Main Deck:
6 Forest
3 Hashep Oasis
5 Plains
3 Scattered Groves
3 Shefet Dunes
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Adanto Vanguard
4 Adorned Pouncer
4 Jadelight Ranger
2 Kinjalli's Sunwing
2 Merfolk Branchwalker
4 Resilient Khenra
4 Skymarcher Aspirant
4 Appeal // Authority
2 Baffling End
3 Huatli, Radiant Champion
3 Legion's Landing / Adanto, the First Fort
Sideboard:
1 Ajani Unyielding
1 Baffling End
3 Blossoming Defense
3 Cast Out
2 Gideon of the Trials
2 Settle the Wreckage
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
2 Squire's Devotion

You can read more about Standard at MKM Series Frankfurt 2018 in our archives.