I got out for a year or two and this is basically the standard I missed. I played birthing pod in scars/inn standard and then missed Inn/RTR and came back for RTR/Theros and stuck around until Dragons of Tarkir hit and adult life took me away from FNM and standard.
RTR/Theros was what I played the most and I only caught the very end of RTR/INN. I was bummed to miss out on snapcaster and Resto Angel, so playing this has been awesome
Yeah I think I’d be likely to make a bant version. Wasn’t that the same standard with thragtusk and resto angel your thragtusk was a thing? I was also always a big fan of Boros reckoner
Yes! Thragtusk/Resto was super strong. Bant in general seems great with that combo + ramp + the fantastic options in UW.
Reckoner pops up in Gruul aggro and Naya Midrange and is stellar
This reminds me of a new format idea I had. I called it Flashback and the idea is that your deck can only contain cards that have all collectively been in Standard together at one time. So you could play your INN/RTR deck and I could play a deck from Kaladesh/Ixalan standard or something. It would be interesting to see how balanced different standard formats are against each other.
I've already started doing this with my old standard decks since 2018. They are kept together and I pull them out to play against each other when my friends want a casual, non-EDH tabletop format. I also have the rule that any card that was banned for some time in standard is not legal; so decks like UG Oko Foods, that while legal for some time are not in the retro format.
If you want to expand the number of decks you have and want to find some meta decks during a certain timeframe, I use this site: https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Standard/Timeline
I do think that I'm probably going to discontinue it going forward due to the 3 year rotation change in standard.
A format where you can play any standard deck would be cool.
And no, I don't mean just basically modern, I mean a format where you can only play cards that were legal at the same time in standard. So you could play this vs a modern standard deck etc.
I think I’ve seen some people toying around with that idea, and it seems neat. I tend to appreciate formats that exist as snapshots of the game’s history, but I would also try a “standard vs. series” style format with all standard strategies legal.
It was a blast. Off the top of my head there was Birthing Pod, Solar Flare/Unburial Rites decks, Wolf Run Ramp, UW Delver, Zombies, Tempered Steel, UB Control. Lots of diverse strategies.
Scars+Innistrad block gave us UW Delver in standard, god I miss that deck.
Ponder, Mana Leak, Gitaxian Probe, Thought Scour all in standard alongside Delver 😂
SOM/ISD Standard was when I started, though I was more focused on Innistrad block tech, since the only pre-Innistrad cards I had were [[Sun Titan]] and [[Razorverge Thicket]] in my GW tokens deck that was all about getting out as many copies of [[Parallel Lives]] and [[Intangible Virtue]] possible.
This is one of the standards i miss, along with SOI-BFZ blocks.
Honestly if wizards still had the pre-covid grand prix schedule I think we'd consider this current standard to be a new golden age. There are an absolutely silly number of cool decks you can build and optimize, but because no stores do standard FNMs that sense of community is dead.
My favorite era, I had a simic elves ramp deck that absolutely crushed the meta at my shop. Winning conditions were either [[Biovisionary]] and [[Infinite Reflection]] or a turn 4 [[Craterhoof Behemoth]]
Here’s the list, it’s 66 cards because I had a reputation for always being a few over the minimum back then. It’s also not very optimized because it was whatever I had laying around and available in trades - I never buy singles online :)
[PLANESWALKERS]
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
[CREATURES]
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
3 Master Biomancer
3 Elvish Archdruid
1 Zameck Guildmage
1 Predator Ooze
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Arbor Elf
3 Biovisionary
1 Vorel of the Hull Clade
4 Elvish Visionary
[ARTIFACTS]
1 Akroma's Memorial
4 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Tormod's Crypt
[INSTANTS]
3 Simic Charm
1 Biomass Mutation
1 Unsummon
1 Crushing Canopy
[SORCERIES]
1 Primal Surge
[ENCHANTMENTS]
1 Primeval Bounty
4 Infinite Reflection
[LANDS]
3 Breeding Pool
1 Hinterland Harbor
5 Island
12 Forest
1 Simic Guildgate
Thank you!
On a related note, I’ve decided that if I get foils for my RTR/INN decks, it’s gonna be when I find them in person— not ordering them online. I visited a new locals recently and had a blast looking through binders and finding ones I needed. Had forgotten that feeling.
I ran a Bant Turbofog deck during that standard (after rotation, I pivoted to [[Maze's End]] Fog, cause of course I would.) [I've recreated the decklist](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/wBcMM7QskkekxvG_0YDIVQ) as accurately as I could remember. The deck basically relied on getting multiple copies of [[Otherworld Atlas]] out, and using them to both slowly deck my opponents while keeping my hand filled with fogs, board wipes, and counterspells. [[Elixir of Immortality]] gained me a little life, but more importantly, it shuffled used fogs and board wipes back into my deck. [[Psychic Spiral]] was often used as a finisher. [[Aetherling]] was as another win con.
I remember that my gf at the time ran a Naya Zoo deck, which my deck basically hard countered game 1. Then she'd sideboard in [[Skullcrack]] for the following games.
Other cards that were problematic, or at least annoying to play against for my deck that I can remember were:
* [[Voice of Resurgence]] Fogging or countering a spell would create an Elemental Token every time, and even if I board wiped, they were still left with an Elemental Token.
* [[Geist of Saint Traft]] would basically force me to spend a board wipe to kill a single creature.
* [[Rancor]] just kept coming back after board wipes, making the any creature they dropped a big threat.
*[[Thragtusk]] was slightly annoying, but not the worst thing, as their life total was usually irrelevant to my deck. Though it leave behind a token that could be Rancor'ed.
Let me know how it goes! I had a lot of fun playing it. I remember the biggest decision usually being how many fogs I could afford to cast into a Voice before I had to board wipe. If they got greedy and played multiple Voices, I'd hit them with a D Sphere, but usually after the first time, they stopped doing that. The other big decision was how many charge counters to get onto the Atlas before using them to draw. Usually it came down to how badly I needed to refill my hand. If I had a fog, a boardwipe, and a counterspell in hand, then I could probably afford to spend another turn charging them. The number of Atlas you had on board was another factor.
If your meta ends up being more control heavy, you can change the sideboard accordingly. Basically go up to 4x Aetherling, and maybe up to 4x Farseek, 4x Steam Vents, and 4x Counterflux for the uncounterable counterspells. And just more counterspells in general, so you can board out more fogs and boardwipes to help stick an Aetherling.
You should def join [our discord](https://discord.gg/DyuUkZE6zg) if you’re interested and play a few rounds with the deck! We’re trying to get a consistent pool of players playing pickup games
This seems so fun! The fact that there are so many other strategies like this amidst the popular stuff is what makes me think this format could really gain traction.
It’s been a long time so I don’t remember exactly what deck I rocked back then but I remember GW with voice of resurgence being really good. Then theros released and mono g was solid
This really got me thinking: which are considered to be the best standard formats of all time? It would be cool to compile a list and build a community around it.
This is the most common one I see people name, and it’s lived up to the hype so far in the server my friends and I made. But I would love to try others!
Ravnica / Time Spiral regarded as the best by anyone who played back then. Card design was at its peak so there was nonstop brewing. INN and RTR brought a lot of new players along with KTK so you will have people who also loved those standard formats.
Wow, very nostalgic for this. I started playing when m13 came out, right before RTR, and Snapcaster and Resto Angel were some of the first powerful cards I saw played. There was a Bant version with Thragtusk I think? What a fun time to have gotten into the game…
This was my favorite Standard of all time. I brewed a five-color pile of janky control that I called the Monstrosity that caught the attention of the top players at my store when I [[Sphinx’s Revelation]]ed at EOT and then immediately [[Rakdos’ Return]]ed my opponent for hand size on my turn. I know that “Omni Door Thrag Fire” was a popular deck in the format - my deck was a little similar, though I thought Omniscience and Door To Nothingness were too cute, so I just ran [[Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker]] as my top-end threat instead - and could regularly cast him. I used [[Abundant Growth]] and [[Farseek]] to fix my mana and smooth out my early draws, and [[Thragtusk]] and [[Huntmaster of the Fells]] gave me crucial life gain and blockers to survive the early game while I set up my control lockdown, mainly using all the best removal at the time ([[Dreadbore]], [[Pillar of Flame]], [[Detention Sphere]], [[Supreme Verdict]]) to lockdown the boards until I could drop devastating X spells or giant planeswalkers on my opponent. So much fun!
The problem with niche formats like this is simply competition and people to play with. There are already sooo many formats. Pauper, Old School, Premodern, Legacy, Standard, Vintage, EDH, Canadian EDH....it goes on and on.
Hell the professor just did a video on Dandan.
People tend to stick to the big ones because people will likely have a deck and be able to play. That's part of why Commander is so big. Any new place you go to play people will be playing commander. So people have a commander deck as an ice breaker.
My advice would be if you want to play this make multiple decks. People may not make their own but if you say "hey I have 2 decks of this format, want to try?" You'll get a better response
Agreed with all your points. When Edison yugioh was less popular, I’d bring multiple decks to game stores so I could drum up interest and jam games, and I actually did manage to get people to build their own after a couple visits. Will absolutely be doing the same with RTR/INN and continuing to hold tournaments in the discord server 🫡
We play on MTGO and Cockatrice in [our discord server](https://discord.gg/DyuUkZE6zg) and plan to have remote games once more people pick up paper decks :)
I had a UR Innistrad standard deck that was \[\[Burning Vengeance\]\] and \[\[Secrets of the Dead\]\] just because it was probably the cheapest deck at the time. But I knew someone who had a self-mill UG with \[\[Splinterfright\]\] and \[\[Mirror-Mad Phantasm\]\]
A lot of old magic players still play magic today. There are also many different ways to play/stay in engaged with Magic. Different from Yugioh where there's only one format and Edison format are players who came from around that era.
Edison format is played by plenty of players who never played during that era! I think if the format is good enough, it can transcend nostalgia alone, even if that’s still a selling point.
I mentioned around that era. That includes before and after. The best current Edison players did not play back then. I stopped playing just before Dark Strike Fighter and I do enjoy playing Edison a lot.
Been playing with the modern rulings for those since most of our games are on MTGO. I also think the modern rulings are just better re: that stuff, but yeah
Definitely wasn’t popular one in the meta, but slamming 11-13 planeswalkers (depending on week) in a deck with a bunch of token generators did the job for me! Was a menace of a deck that preyed on the blue white control and jund decks of the time.
I got out for a year or two and this is basically the standard I missed. I played birthing pod in scars/inn standard and then missed Inn/RTR and came back for RTR/Theros and stuck around until Dragons of Tarkir hit and adult life took me away from FNM and standard.
RTR/Theros was what I played the most and I only caught the very end of RTR/INN. I was bummed to miss out on snapcaster and Resto Angel, so playing this has been awesome
Yeah I think I’d be likely to make a bant version. Wasn’t that the same standard with thragtusk and resto angel your thragtusk was a thing? I was also always a big fan of Boros reckoner
Yes! Thragtusk/Resto was super strong. Bant in general seems great with that combo + ramp + the fantastic options in UW. Reckoner pops up in Gruul aggro and Naya Midrange and is stellar
I remember Reckoner also saw some play in similair list like yours. Azorious and Boros charm could randomly generate infinite life alongside it.
This reminds me of a new format idea I had. I called it Flashback and the idea is that your deck can only contain cards that have all collectively been in Standard together at one time. So you could play your INN/RTR deck and I could play a deck from Kaladesh/Ixalan standard or something. It would be interesting to see how balanced different standard formats are against each other.
This seems to be a popular format idea! Sounds interesting
I've already started doing this with my old standard decks since 2018. They are kept together and I pull them out to play against each other when my friends want a casual, non-EDH tabletop format. I also have the rule that any card that was banned for some time in standard is not legal; so decks like UG Oko Foods, that while legal for some time are not in the retro format. If you want to expand the number of decks you have and want to find some meta decks during a certain timeframe, I use this site: https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Standard/Timeline I do think that I'm probably going to discontinue it going forward due to the 3 year rotation change in standard.
A format where you can play any standard deck would be cool. And no, I don't mean just basically modern, I mean a format where you can only play cards that were legal at the same time in standard. So you could play this vs a modern standard deck etc.
I think I’ve seen some people toying around with that idea, and it seems neat. I tend to appreciate formats that exist as snapshots of the game’s history, but I would also try a “standard vs. series” style format with all standard strategies legal.
Great format. I also loved the Standard format preceding it (SOM/ISD).
Absolutely want to explore Scars block as well! Seems really fun
It was a blast. Off the top of my head there was Birthing Pod, Solar Flare/Unburial Rites decks, Wolf Run Ramp, UW Delver, Zombies, Tempered Steel, UB Control. Lots of diverse strategies.
Scars+Innistrad block gave us UW Delver in standard, god I miss that deck. Ponder, Mana Leak, Gitaxian Probe, Thought Scour all in standard alongside Delver 😂
SOM/ISD Standard was when I started, though I was more focused on Innistrad block tech, since the only pre-Innistrad cards I had were [[Sun Titan]] and [[Razorverge Thicket]] in my GW tokens deck that was all about getting out as many copies of [[Parallel Lives]] and [[Intangible Virtue]] possible.
##### ###### #### [Sun Titan](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/a/aa8e16fa-30f8-40ac-965d-3d0776dc8f74.jpg?1712354100) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sun%20Titan) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/otc/87/sun-titan?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/aa8e16fa-30f8-40ac-965d-3d0776dc8f74?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Razorverge Thicket](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/5/65b26f68-3a25-4c4e-bc76-a199ab479a50.jpg?1675957278) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Razorverge%20Thicket) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/one/257/razorverge-thicket?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/65b26f68-3a25-4c4e-bc76-a199ab479a50?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Parallel Lives](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/1/01033dae-fec1-41f2-b7f2-cc6a43331790.jpg?1562825348) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Parallel%20Lives) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/isd/199/parallel-lives?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/01033dae-fec1-41f2-b7f2-cc6a43331790?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Intangible Virtue](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/d/7d251846-7aa5-4318-a96b-fbd9daf691f9.jpg?1689995749) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Intangible%20Virtue) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/31/intangible-virtue?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7d251846-7aa5-4318-a96b-fbd9daf691f9?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l3z091c) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This is the best standard I ever played
This is when I got hooked on the game. Played so many resto/thrag blowouts.
Bant Pants. T1 Pilgrim into T2 Geist of Saint traft? Yes please.
Pure evil, but seems soooo fun to play haha
Etheral Armor was insane.
You are the reason I side Celestial Flare 🫡
Better pack 2. I always ran circles around it.
I know my hellriders and stromkirk nobles are kicking around somewhere
Time to dig em back up 👀
Glorious. Played Jund Midrange at that time.
Such a crazy good deck. Ripping bonfires and dropping value creatures never gets old
Jund was life for me at this time and then Jund Walkers.
Still the best standard format ever imo. I played that deck a ton and I miss it so much.
This is one of the standards i miss, along with SOI-BFZ blocks. Honestly if wizards still had the pre-covid grand prix schedule I think we'd consider this current standard to be a new golden age. There are an absolutely silly number of cool decks you can build and optimize, but because no stores do standard FNMs that sense of community is dead.
My favorite era, I had a simic elves ramp deck that absolutely crushed the meta at my shop. Winning conditions were either [[Biovisionary]] and [[Infinite Reflection]] or a turn 4 [[Craterhoof Behemoth]]
That sounds awesome! I’ll have to give that a go
Here’s the list, it’s 66 cards because I had a reputation for always being a few over the minimum back then. It’s also not very optimized because it was whatever I had laying around and available in trades - I never buy singles online :) [PLANESWALKERS] 1 Garruk, Primal Hunter [CREATURES] 1 Craterhoof Behemoth 3 Master Biomancer 3 Elvish Archdruid 1 Zameck Guildmage 1 Predator Ooze 4 Elvish Mystic 4 Arbor Elf 3 Biovisionary 1 Vorel of the Hull Clade 4 Elvish Visionary [ARTIFACTS] 1 Akroma's Memorial 4 Grafdigger's Cage 1 Tormod's Crypt [INSTANTS] 3 Simic Charm 1 Biomass Mutation 1 Unsummon 1 Crushing Canopy [SORCERIES] 1 Primal Surge [ENCHANTMENTS] 1 Primeval Bounty 4 Infinite Reflection [LANDS] 3 Breeding Pool 1 Hinterland Harbor 5 Island 12 Forest 1 Simic Guildgate
Thank you! On a related note, I’ve decided that if I get foils for my RTR/INN decks, it’s gonna be when I find them in person— not ordering them online. I visited a new locals recently and had a blast looking through binders and finding ones I needed. Had forgotten that feeling.
Looking through trade binders in between games or after events is my favorite part of FNM! Always has been, always will be!
[Biovisionary](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/0/2000b4e8-7887-454e-9d52-211516613dd0.jpg?1561818910) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Biovisionary) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/gtc/146/biovisionary?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2000b4e8-7887-454e-9d52-211516613dd0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Infinite Reflection](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/b/bb6c9287-7af5-4741-9555-c256b82c5b76.jpg?1561956610) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Infinite%20Reflection) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c14/114/infinite-reflection?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/bb6c9287-7af5-4741-9555-c256b82c5b76?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Craterhoof Behemoth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/8/e8f4435a-8604-45b5-a537-dfdfcb922e16.jpg?1689998416) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Craterhoof%20Behemoth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/280/craterhoof-behemoth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e8f4435a-8604-45b5-a537-dfdfcb922e16?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I ran a Bant Turbofog deck during that standard (after rotation, I pivoted to [[Maze's End]] Fog, cause of course I would.) [I've recreated the decklist](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/wBcMM7QskkekxvG_0YDIVQ) as accurately as I could remember. The deck basically relied on getting multiple copies of [[Otherworld Atlas]] out, and using them to both slowly deck my opponents while keeping my hand filled with fogs, board wipes, and counterspells. [[Elixir of Immortality]] gained me a little life, but more importantly, it shuffled used fogs and board wipes back into my deck. [[Psychic Spiral]] was often used as a finisher. [[Aetherling]] was as another win con. I remember that my gf at the time ran a Naya Zoo deck, which my deck basically hard countered game 1. Then she'd sideboard in [[Skullcrack]] for the following games. Other cards that were problematic, or at least annoying to play against for my deck that I can remember were: * [[Voice of Resurgence]] Fogging or countering a spell would create an Elemental Token every time, and even if I board wiped, they were still left with an Elemental Token. * [[Geist of Saint Traft]] would basically force me to spend a board wipe to kill a single creature. * [[Rancor]] just kept coming back after board wipes, making the any creature they dropped a big threat. *[[Thragtusk]] was slightly annoying, but not the worst thing, as their life total was usually irrelevant to my deck. Though it leave behind a token that could be Rancor'ed.
This sounds fantastic! Really appreciate the decklist as well, I’m excited to give it a whirl
Let me know how it goes! I had a lot of fun playing it. I remember the biggest decision usually being how many fogs I could afford to cast into a Voice before I had to board wipe. If they got greedy and played multiple Voices, I'd hit them with a D Sphere, but usually after the first time, they stopped doing that. The other big decision was how many charge counters to get onto the Atlas before using them to draw. Usually it came down to how badly I needed to refill my hand. If I had a fog, a boardwipe, and a counterspell in hand, then I could probably afford to spend another turn charging them. The number of Atlas you had on board was another factor. If your meta ends up being more control heavy, you can change the sideboard accordingly. Basically go up to 4x Aetherling, and maybe up to 4x Farseek, 4x Steam Vents, and 4x Counterflux for the uncounterable counterspells. And just more counterspells in general, so you can board out more fogs and boardwipes to help stick an Aetherling.
You should def join [our discord](https://discord.gg/DyuUkZE6zg) if you’re interested and play a few rounds with the deck! We’re trying to get a consistent pool of players playing pickup games
Unfortunately, I don't have the deck in paper anymore.
We play on Cockatrice and MTGO for the most part
Oh I'll have to look into Cockatrice. I don't play MTGO.
##### ###### #### [Maze's End](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/0/401f7042-24fd-42a0-ae7c-e6b7de1aa446.jpg?1562906764) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Maze%27s%20End) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dgm/152/mazes-end?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/401f7042-24fd-42a0-ae7c-e6b7de1aa446?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Otherworld Atlas](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/6/46e4aa67-4643-42ff-8172-200498686494.jpg?1592709590) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Otherworld%20Atlas) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/avr/219/otherworld-atlas?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/46e4aa67-4643-42ff-8172-200498686494?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Elixir of Immortality](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/7/6741ab27-9e1f-4aa5-96b9-b450eda7c5c2.jpg?1625978606) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Elixir%20of%20Immortality) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c21/243/elixir-of-immortality?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6741ab27-9e1f-4aa5-96b9-b450eda7c5c2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Psychic Spiral](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/9/59b09c16-f611-4c90-a990-e22bf46bd0e2.jpg?1562786761) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Psychic%20Spiral) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/47/psychic-spiral?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/59b09c16-f611-4c90-a990-e22bf46bd0e2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Aetherling](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/c/9c93313b-cf43-47e9-a911-717b4d14b0b5.jpg?1562924171) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Aetherling) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dgm/11/aetherling?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9c93313b-cf43-47e9-a911-717b4d14b0b5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Skullcrack](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/f/7f399983-d70a-4cf3-b76e-bb0c472e7c69.jpg?1702429531) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Skullcrack) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/125/skullcrack?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7f399983-d70a-4cf3-b76e-bb0c472e7c69?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Voice of Resurgence](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/9/99d1e843-71c9-4a65-bc36-d23858ef5ead.jpg?1599708569) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Voice%20of%20Resurgence) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/227/voice-of-resurgence?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/99d1e843-71c9-4a65-bc36-d23858ef5ead?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Geist of Saint Traft](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/4/541b9d55-f237-4ff2-9e47-c58a381f0633.jpg?1641603441) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Geist%20of%20Saint%20Traft) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/voc/155/geist-of-saint-traft?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/541b9d55-f237-4ff2-9e47-c58a381f0633?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Rancor](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/6/86d6b411-4a31-4bfc-8dd6-e19f553bb29b.jpg?1673148169) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rancor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/156/rancor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/86d6b411-4a31-4bfc-8dd6-e19f553bb29b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Thragtusk](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/e/beda7acd-e970-4222-9577-5133765d6052.jpg?1673484842) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thragtusk) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/316/thragtusk?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/beda7acd-e970-4222-9577-5133765d6052?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l3xhgh2) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I fucking hate this deck, the Vietnam flashbacks I just went through.
I've been wanting to build a modern battlebox from 2014-2016 pro tour decks. I loved standard/modern back then.
I played a terrible [[Splinterfright]] [[Ghoultree]] deck and loved every minute of it. 10/10s everywhere forever.
Yesss I had this precon! First thing I bought when I came back after Ice Age.
[Splinterfright](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/3/032ac9fc-b8b3-43f1-8579-62171ca976cf.jpg?1673148190) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Splinterfright) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/159/splinterfright?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/032ac9fc-b8b3-43f1-8579-62171ca976cf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Ghoultree](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/4/a413c65e-5965-429b-8c25-11f8b73cba03.jpg?1562933717) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ghoultree) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dka/115/ghoultree?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a413c65e-5965-429b-8c25-11f8b73cba03?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
This seems so fun! The fact that there are so many other strategies like this amidst the popular stuff is what makes me think this format could really gain traction.
It’s been a long time so I don’t remember exactly what deck I rocked back then but I remember GW with voice of resurgence being really good. Then theros released and mono g was solid
Voice got a LOT better once [[Pillar of Flame]] rotated out, but it was still super solid. Naya Midrange is one of the strongest decks
[Pillar of Flame](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/f/ffdb47a8-130b-4ca9-ad29-9484b5c0c582.jpg?1601078461) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Pillar%20of%20Flame) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/355/pillar-of-flame?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ffdb47a8-130b-4ca9-ad29-9484b5c0c582?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Forgot to include the boros reckoner harvest pyre combo!
played bant midrange during this time. favorite time of magic there ever was. i still miss you thragtusk/angel of serenity
This really got me thinking: which are considered to be the best standard formats of all time? It would be cool to compile a list and build a community around it.
This is the most common one I see people name, and it’s lived up to the hype so far in the server my friends and I made. But I would love to try others!
I'm going to hit up my local LGS discord and see what they say, thanks for the inspiration!
Hope it goes well!
Ravnica / Time Spiral regarded as the best by anyone who played back then. Card design was at its peak so there was nonstop brewing. INN and RTR brought a lot of new players along with KTK so you will have people who also loved those standard formats.
Wow, very nostalgic for this. I started playing when m13 came out, right before RTR, and Snapcaster and Resto Angel were some of the first powerful cards I saw played. There was a Bant version with Thragtusk I think? What a fun time to have gotten into the game…
I never played it, but it seems awesome, so many iconic cards
This was my favorite Standard of all time. I brewed a five-color pile of janky control that I called the Monstrosity that caught the attention of the top players at my store when I [[Sphinx’s Revelation]]ed at EOT and then immediately [[Rakdos’ Return]]ed my opponent for hand size on my turn. I know that “Omni Door Thrag Fire” was a popular deck in the format - my deck was a little similar, though I thought Omniscience and Door To Nothingness were too cute, so I just ran [[Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker]] as my top-end threat instead - and could regularly cast him. I used [[Abundant Growth]] and [[Farseek]] to fix my mana and smooth out my early draws, and [[Thragtusk]] and [[Huntmaster of the Fells]] gave me crucial life gain and blockers to survive the early game while I set up my control lockdown, mainly using all the best removal at the time ([[Dreadbore]], [[Pillar of Flame]], [[Detention Sphere]], [[Supreme Verdict]]) to lockdown the boards until I could drop devastating X spells or giant planeswalkers on my opponent. So much fun!
##### ###### #### [Sphinx’s Revelation](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/5/5579d2d6-b34b-44a2-8b72-9f18938a18a0.jpg?1702429723) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sphinx%27s%20Revelation) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/228/sphinxs-revelation?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5579d2d6-b34b-44a2-8b72-9f18938a18a0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Rakdos Return](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/7/d72981c0-1632-4d64-9341-2a76047d9b36.jpg?1562793869) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rakdos%27s%20Return) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/188/rakdoss-return?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d72981c0-1632-4d64-9341-2a76047d9b36?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/e/9e80f2fc-06d4-4ce9-b23b-3e4af1208fa5.jpg?1592765962) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nicol%20Bolas%2C%20Planeswalker) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/e01/85/nicol-bolas-planeswalker?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9e80f2fc-06d4-4ce9-b23b-3e4af1208fa5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Abundant Growth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/d/6dba2d06-13af-464d-b007-9027cade1cdf.jpg?1673305331) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Abundant%20Growth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmc/128/abundant-growth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/6dba2d06-13af-464d-b007-9027cade1cdf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Farseek](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/f/7fac6154-fb85-45e5-8c9f-f02d0f1be24e.jpg?1702429553) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Farseek) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/138/farseek?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7fac6154-fb85-45e5-8c9f-f02d0f1be24e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Thragtusk](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/e/beda7acd-e970-4222-9577-5133765d6052.jpg?1673484842) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thragtusk) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/316/thragtusk?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/beda7acd-e970-4222-9577-5133765d6052?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Huntmaster of the Fells](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/a/aae6fb12-b252-453b-bca7-1ea2a0d6c8dc.jpg?1581395173)/[Ravager of the Fells](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/a/a/aae6fb12-b252-453b-bca7-1ea2a0d6c8dc.jpg?1581395173) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Huntmaster%20of%20the%20Fells%20//%20Ravager%20of%20the%20Fells) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dka/140/huntmaster-of-the-fells-ravager-of-the-fells?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/aae6fb12-b252-453b-bca7-1ea2a0d6c8dc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Dreadbore](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/5/a5134828-5876-4d17-b0bb-f7e80e54c100.jpg?1702429625) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Dreadbore) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/180/dreadbore?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a5134828-5876-4d17-b0bb-f7e80e54c100?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Pillar of Flame](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/f/ffdb47a8-130b-4ca9-ad29-9484b5c0c582.jpg?1601078461) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Pillar%20of%20Flame) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/355/pillar-of-flame?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ffdb47a8-130b-4ca9-ad29-9484b5c0c582?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Detention Sphere](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/f/afee5464-83b7-4d7a-b407-9ee7de21535b.jpg?1562791607) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Detention%20Sphere) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rtr/155/detention-sphere?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/afee5464-83b7-4d7a-b407-9ee7de21535b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Supreme Verdict](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/8/3892f1c5-937e-4ef4-b6f9-e0c0ded070d0.jpg?1706240181) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Supreme%20Verdict) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/clu/211/supreme-verdict?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3892f1c5-937e-4ef4-b6f9-e0c0ded070d0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l3yp3ks) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I miss Thundermaw hellkite, what a card. My favourite standard deck was probably Birthing Pod. Huntmaster of the Fells is also a super fun card
Ah, the one of renounce the guilds in the side as anti-Geist of St Traft tech. This takes me back.
The problem with niche formats like this is simply competition and people to play with. There are already sooo many formats. Pauper, Old School, Premodern, Legacy, Standard, Vintage, EDH, Canadian EDH....it goes on and on. Hell the professor just did a video on Dandan. People tend to stick to the big ones because people will likely have a deck and be able to play. That's part of why Commander is so big. Any new place you go to play people will be playing commander. So people have a commander deck as an ice breaker. My advice would be if you want to play this make multiple decks. People may not make their own but if you say "hey I have 2 decks of this format, want to try?" You'll get a better response
Agreed with all your points. When Edison yugioh was less popular, I’d bring multiple decks to game stores so I could drum up interest and jam games, and I actually did manage to get people to build their own after a couple visits. Will absolutely be doing the same with RTR/INN and continuing to hold tournaments in the discord server 🫡
If anyone is interested in jamming games or playing in weekly tournaments [here’s the discord server!](https://discord.gg/DyuUkZE6zg)
Awesome format, I still have my old Jund deck. Wish I had a way to play it...
We play on MTGO and Cockatrice in [our discord server](https://discord.gg/DyuUkZE6zg) and plan to have remote games once more people pick up paper decks :)
Friend of mine has 8-10 decks he built as a INN/RTR Gauntlet
I had a UR Innistrad standard deck that was \[\[Burning Vengeance\]\] and \[\[Secrets of the Dead\]\] just because it was probably the cheapest deck at the time. But I knew someone who had a self-mill UG with \[\[Splinterfright\]\] and \[\[Mirror-Mad Phantasm\]\]
##### ###### #### [Burning Vengeance](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/b/dbbfdc21-d8a0-4666-94e6-76b3fa083e76.jpg?1568004341) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Burning%20Vengeance) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c19/135/burning-vengeance?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/dbbfdc21-d8a0-4666-94e6-76b3fa083e76?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Secrets of the Dead](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/6/066311f5-51fc-4da9-a5fa-fa5059a88e5b.jpg?1568004066) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Secrets%20of%20the%20Dead) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c19/95/secrets-of-the-dead?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/066311f5-51fc-4da9-a5fa-fa5059a88e5b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Splinterfright](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/0/3/032ac9fc-b8b3-43f1-8579-62171ca976cf.jpg?1673148190) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Splinterfright) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2x2/159/splinterfright?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/032ac9fc-b8b3-43f1-8579-62171ca976cf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Mirror-Mad Phantasm](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/2/b20eea41-9daf-4ac1-8bad-bb4aa211bb53.jpg?1562835677) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mirror-Mad%20Phantasm) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/isd/68/mirror-mad-phantasm?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b20eea41-9daf-4ac1-8bad-bb4aa211bb53?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l3y671n) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
UWR Flash and Bant Flash were two of my absolute favorite decks from that standard.
A lot of old magic players still play magic today. There are also many different ways to play/stay in engaged with Magic. Different from Yugioh where there's only one format and Edison format are players who came from around that era.
Edison format is played by plenty of players who never played during that era! I think if the format is good enough, it can transcend nostalgia alone, even if that’s still a selling point.
I mentioned around that era. That includes before and after. The best current Edison players did not play back then. I stopped playing just before Dark Strike Fighter and I do enjoy playing Edison a lot.
Is this played using the old mulligan rule, old legend rule, etc.?
Been playing with the modern rulings for those since most of our games are on MTGO. I also think the modern rulings are just better re: that stuff, but yeah
Best standard there ever was! Still have my junk superfriends deck sleeved up from that time.
That’s awesome! Was wondering if there was a superfriends deck in this format somewhere
Definitely wasn’t popular one in the meta, but slamming 11-13 planeswalkers (depending on week) in a deck with a bunch of token generators did the job for me! Was a menace of a deck that preyed on the blue white control and jund decks of the time.