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Undervalued Cards in Standard (Part 3 – DOM)

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Welcome back readers.

Today continues my series on undervalued mythics in Standard. (Check out Part 1 on Ixalan and Part 2 on Rivals of Ixalan if you haven't yet). Today's focus is on Dominaria. I will continue to use the four characteristics I laid out before:

  1. There is a superior alternative currently available.
  2. There is currently a more powerful archetype that makes the card unplayable.
  3. The card lacks necessary support (either color or archetypal).
  4. The card has been misevaluated.

Dominaria


  1. Currently we have Rekindling Phoenix as a recursive threat, which is three mana less and two fewer colors compared to Darigaaz.
  2. There currently aren't any good Jund decks in Standard. However, that may change at rotation.
  3. Having three different colors in its mana cost means that it isn't a very splashable card, so it would likely only fit in an actual Jund deck.
  4. This card has been properly evaluated (and it's just not very good).

  1. There isn't any other card like it, however, our current Standard environment can easily have a player dead before one gets the mana to play a six-drop (thanks to RB aggro). Trying to resolve a six-drop through counterspells is also hard right now.
  2. There isn't an archetype that can really abuse this card in the current environment.
  3. In the current environment black is more of a splash color as opposed to a main color (and the double-black is something to keep in mind).
  4. This card could have some potential if the format slows down, and/or if a black-based deck develops that can go toe to toe with UW Control. If you look at this card as a 6/6 flying trampler that draws you at least one nonland card, it does seem like it could find a home.

  1. The current environment has Chandra, Torch of Defiance as a powerful red planeswalker, that produces mana without restrictions and can provide additional cards.
  2. Current red decks in the environment don't want a planeswalker that costs five and can't remove a potential blocker (despite the fact that her card-filtering ability can be good for aggro decks).
  3. This type of card belongs best in a spell-based R/x deck (that plays a lot of instants/sorceries) to utilize the big mana boost she provides. Unfortunately, there isn't one in the current environment. However, that doesn't mean one won't develop. I've actually been playing a couple copies in a Nexus of Fate deck, as she can help you cast it the turn after you play her with mana to spare.
  4. I think she's been properly evaluated, however, she just doesn't have a home at this time. This is definitely the type of card that, should a deck develop, would jump to $10-$15 easily (and likely for a short time).

  1. There isn't any similar card in the format (unless you count Sai, Master Thopterist).
  2. There is a UR Paradoxical Deck that is playable, but it is inferior in power level to both RB Aggro and UW Control.
  3. There is currently a lot of support for the UR Paradoxical Outcome deck. Jhoira and Paradoxical Outcome seem like an awesome combo if there are enough cheap artifacts.
  4. This card does seem like it's on the cusp of being broken (it allows free card draw in a color combination that often plays a lot of artifacts). The real question is whether we'll get anything to replace Paradoxical Outcome, or any additional zero- to one-drop artifacts worth playing on their own.

  1. There isn't any card that provides the same repeatable card advantage (and this card started out at $10 thanks to Commander demand).
  2. There isn't any Sultai midrange deck in the format. However, that color combination does provide the options needed to hang with UW Control and/or R/x Aggro.
  3. The biggest problem is that there currently aren't enough Sultai-colored permanents that can be repeatedly used to really abuse Muldrotha. However, with both Golgari and Dimir guilds coming out in Guilds of Ravnica it's important to keep this card in mind.
  4. The card has been properly evaluated (as Commander players know how powerful it is), it just doesn't have a home currently.

  1. As mentioned previously there is already Rekindling Phoenix as a powerful recursive threat in the format. While Multani is green instead of red, it's also costs two more, and requires mana to recur it, as opposed to Phoenix which is free. And there is Ghalta, Primal Hunger filling up the giant green threat spot (which can often be cast with six or less mana).
  2. Currently green is one of the weaker colors of Standard. The only decks playing it are Mono-Green Aggro, BG Snek, and Bant Nexus, none of which have space for this six-drop creature.
  3. While we do have Wayward Swordtooth to provide more land drops, there just isn't any big reason to try to play Multani.
  4. This card seems properly evaluated, and simply bad.

  1. If you want to double a spell it seems like a flipped Primal Amulet // Primal Wellspring would be a better option as it doesn't add an additional four mana to the spell to do so. If you want a Wizard lord, it seems like Metallic Mimic is a better option, as its pumps stick around even when it dies.
  2. Currently there is no room for a card like this in UW Control (which is the best blue-based deck in Standard). There is a UR Wizards deck floating around, however, it's slower than RB Aggro.
  3. There are a fair number of Wizards in Standard right now, however, Naru just costs too much and does too little to make it worth playing.
  4. This card has been properly evaluated.

  1. Currently the best four-drop removal spell in black is Vraska's Contempt. While Scriptures is definitely the best black mass-removal spell in Standard, its delayed trigger allows the opponent to avoid overcommitting to the board, which greatly reduces its power level.
  2. As stated earlier, black is predominately a splash color for removal in the current Standard environment, so there isn't any existing archetype that might play this card.
  3. There isn't a ton of support for this card, however, it is important to note that this card plays somewhat well with Muldrotha as a repeatable, though slow, wrath effect.
  4. This card actually started out in the $10-$15 range, before dropping down to near-bulk status. It's definitely one to keep an eye on—if the format slows down and black decks become an archetype with either Golgari, Dimir, or possibly Sultai, when Guilds comes out.

  1. This card has been compared a lot to Broodmate Dragon. Right now Standard seems to prefer Rekindling Phoenix as the four-power flier for 2RR (thanks to its recursive ability) as opposed to one that gets better in a longer game like Verix.
  2. Currently the RB aggro decks have very low mana curve (typically the only four-drop played is Chandra, Torch of Defiance as she can kill creatures and provide card advantage).
  3. There is definitely plenty of support for red decks currently, although those decks lose a fair amount at rotation. So we'll see if the archetype can stick around and adapt.
  4. This card has been properly evaluated, but it may find a home (especially if we get a Jund midrange deck, as that's the style of deck that really wants a card like this).

  1. While there isn't any card this is directly similar too, it's still a four-drop that requires three power to crew it.
  2. Currently Heart of Kiran is available and it's much better at protecting planeswalkers. Once we get to rotation, that option won't be around, though I still don't see Board the Weatherlight finding a home in any Tier 1 decks.
  3. There isn't a ton of support for vehicles at this time (as vehicles themselves dominated the Standard format when Kaladesh/Aether Revolt originally released).
  4. This card just does too little for too much—it's been properly evaluated.

Conclusion

I loved Dominaria as a set, and I'm not alone—it was very well received thanks to some powerful cards and a nostalgia factor. This means that a lot of product was opened and a lot of cards are cheap. Due to both Teferi, Hero of Dominaria and Karn, Scion of Urza, I also expect a lot of MTGO sets to be redeemed, which will keep the price ceiling on any cards that spike down.

However, I still think some of these mythics have potential and room to grow. While not mythic, I also think the Dominaria check lands have a lot of potential given their very low price and the fact that they play so well with shocks (as we saw back when RTR was released).

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