Magic Arena’s Standard 2022 is in full swing, with a metagame currently fully formulated. Following the release of the first Innistrad expansion, Midnight Hunt, we’ve got a newly launched set of cards from the Crimson Vow set. As usual, with a new set come exciting cards that open up tons of possibilities so we’re fully expecting the meta to evolve over the coming months.

 

In this post, we’re going to look at the November 2021 state of Magic Arena’s Standard 2022 queues and give you a rundown of the top decks to play to climb the ladder.

 

Current Standard 2022 Metagame at a Glance

 

As it stands, the metagame in standard is sending a very clear message: it’s all about the Aggro. More specifically, these dominating Aggro decks are of the monochromatic flavor, meaning that strategies are as straightforward as they can get.

 

There are some possibilities for slower mid-range decks or even control strategies, such as Mono-Black Control,  to counter the current meta. As it stands, though, fast and aggressive seems to be the order of the day in Standard 2022. Which is just as well when you consider how incredibly fast you can reach the highest ranks by piloting an Aggro deck.

 

 

Mono-White Aggro

 

On the top spot we see no surprises. Mono-White is still a dominant force to be reckoned with thanks to the beefy armies it can summon to control the battlefield. The primary variation of this deck consists purely of aggressive and cheap creatures. There’s also a more protection-based version that’s a tad slower and makes use of a Planeswalker, in case you’re feeling a bit too fraudulent going all in on Aggro.

 

Deck

• Creatures
  • 3 x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
  • 1 x Legion Angel
  • 4 x Luminarch Aspirant
  • 3 x Skyclave Apparition
  • 2 x Reidane, God of the Worthy
  • 4 x Usher of the Fallen
  • 4 x Elite Spellbinder
  • 2 x Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
  • 2 x Brutal Cathar
  • 4 x Intrepid Adversary
  • 2 x Sungold Sentinel
  • 4 x Hopeful Initiate
• Artifacts
  • 2 x Portable Hole
• Lands
  • 20 x Snow-Covered Plains
  • 3 x Faceless Haven

 

Sideboard

3 x Legion Angel

 

 

Mono-Black Control

 

Despite being a slightly boring deck to play, the control flavor of Mono-Black seems to be the best way to counter the fast meta. The main reason it’s a bit dull is due to a lack of solid attacking creatures. Instead, this deck relies heavily on removal and using Planeswalkers to keep the board under its control. Playing this deck can be incredibly frustrating so if you enjoy making your opponents tear their hair out, then you should definitely pick this one up during your Standard 2022 climbs.

 

Deck

• Planeswalkers
  • 2 x Professor Onyx
  • 4 x Lolth, Spider Queen
• Creatures
  • 4 x Eyetwitch
  • 4 x Shambling Ghast
  • 4 x Skullport Merchant
• Sorcery
  • 2 x Hunt for Specimens
  • 1 x Inscription of Ruin
  • 4 x Blood on the Snow
• Instants
  • 4 x Infernal Grasp
  • 4 x Deadly Dispute
• Enchantments
  • 3 x The Meathook Massacre
• Lands
  • 14 x Snow-Covered Swamp
  • 4 x Field of Ruin
  • 2 x Hive of the Eye Tyrant
  • 4 x Faceless Haven

 

Sideboard

2 x Environmental Sciences

1 x Introduction to Annihilation

2 x Mascot Exhibition

1 x Confront the Past

1 x Necrotic Fumes

 

 

Mono-Green Aggro

 

Green has a penchant for making big creatures appear in early turns and Mono-Green Aggro carries that tradition to full effect. This can be a massively challenging deck to overcome, especially when its Lotus Cobras are left unchecked. These pesky cards will fuel you with mana and can provide you with a massive advantage when you have a couple of them on the board early on. Couple in Esika’s Chariot and your aggressive strategy will be near-unstoppable.

 

Deck

• Creatures
  • 4 x Werewolf Pack Leader
  • 4 x Ascendant Packleader
  • 3 x Ulvenwald Oddity
  • 2 x Lotus Cobra
  • 4 x Kazandu Mammoth
  • 4 x Old-Growth Troll
  • 4 x Sculptor of Winter
• Artifacts
  • 4 x Esika's Chariot
• Sorcery
  • 4 x Blizzard Brawl
• Instants
  • 1 x Snakeskin Veil
  • 1 x Inscription of Abundance
• Enchantments
  • 2 x Ranger Class
• Lands
  • 20 x Snow-Covered Forest
  • 3 x Faceless Haven

 

 

Izzet Dragons

 

This deck is an honorable mention as it has the potential to counter the current Standard 2022 metagame. It’s also the only strong dual color deck to play when climbing the ladder at the moment.  It’s speciality is holding its own through the early stages of a game until it’s time to drop its big cards, like Alrund’s Epiphany, and its massive dragons. It’s just as frustrating to play against as Mono-Black with the added perk of having some fun creatures to bring out during the end stages of a game.

 

Deck

• Creatures
  • 1 x Manaform Hellkite
  • 4 x Wandering Mind
  • 4 x Goldspan Dragon
  • 4 x Smoldering Egg
  • 1 x Galazeth Prismari
• Instants
  • 1 x Negate
  • 1 x Jwari Disruption
  • 1 x Spikefield Hazard
  • 1 x Cinderclasm
  • 1 x Divide by Zero
  • 4 x Dragon's Fire
  • 1 x Fading Hope
• Sorcery
  • 4 x Shatterskull Smashing
  • 4 x Alrund's Epiphany
  • 4 x Expressive Iteration
  • 4 x Alchemist's Gambit
• Lands
  • 5 x Island
  • 5 x Mountain
  • 4 x Stormcarved Coast
  • 4 x Riverglide Pathway
  • 2 Hall of Storm Giants

 

Sideboard

1 x Environmental Sciences

1 x Expanded Anatomy

1 x Introduction to Annihilation

1 x Introduction to Prophecy

1 x Mascot Exhibition

1 x Teachings of the Archaics

1 x Start from Scratch