The Top Best New Cards of Standard 2023 (Half Year Later)

Yes, it has already been half a year since 2023 started. From Standard's perspective, many changes should have occurred already but… it seems we are in for the ‘longer’ haul as this format gets extended by one more year.

With that in mind, we can at least show proof that things have indeed been changing (even if bit by bit), by showcasing the best Standard cards of the first half year from among the new sets released during that time period. The selections may be short, but bear with me, it is still a substantial-ish list nonetheless.

This list will be derived from the following Standard-legal 2023 sets: (no reprints)

• Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
• March of the Machine (MOM)
• March of the Machine: The Aftermath (MAT)

Ossification

Set: Phyrexia: All Will Be One (Uncommon)

Climbing up the Standard ranks with already established niches is a huge hurdle. But as Ossificiation proves, it is never impossible. Initially considered as a nifty little Leyline Binding with very minimal casting conditions, it shot up the popularity charts due to its sheer staple status in many Standard builds. In fact, the card and its signature deck (Selesnya Enchantments) became even more prevalent after the initial May 29th bannings with the loss Invoke Despair. Today, it stands among the ranks of Go for the Throat, Play with Fire, and is just right below the ever-universal Kamigawa channel lands.

Skrelv, Defector Mite

Set: Phyrexia: All Will Be One (Rare)

An unlikely critter that crawled out of Phyrexia: All Will be One’s otherwise mediocre (existing) deck upgrade offerings. Even during its initial reveal, the card already looked very promising for many players. It proved even more of a pestilence when it turned out that you can pair it with just about any other deck that is remotely dedicated to creature-based advantage. It probably thrived the best in Mono-white Human soldiers and various superfriends builds, where its best typing specialties aid further to its already very cheap, almost Mom-esque protection universality.

Sunfall

Set: March of the Machine (Rare)

While Depopulate and Farewell still retain a fair bit of their specialties in Standard, Sunfall immediately landed right in the middle of both. Like, in all aspects and abilities, except for its last effect since it is a five-mana board sweeper that exiles, albeit only limited to creatures. The Incubator token is the technical icing on the cake, since not only is the opponent punished for pushing too many creatures. You even get to use their investment against them! The value shenanigans get even crazier with more focus on Incubator tokens or Phyrexian typing, though in practice, that admittedly kind of makes it somewhat less meta-efficient (at least in my opinion).

Mirrex

Set: Phyrexia: All Will Be One (Rare)

Versatile cards offering a nigh-infinite resource are always welcome in MTG, even if the effect is initially inefficient. As such, there is already considerable focus on Mirrex as a sort of alternate win condition in just about any grindy game, especially if the build happens to be one of those annoying survivalist control brews. Even without the long-game necessity, this particular land still found its way through more colorful builds involving cards like Mindsplice Apparatus and simply because… there is no reason not to use them for such a build. Keep in mind that it is almost never used in any deck that involves ramping, however.

Calix, Guided by Fate

Set: March of the Machine: The Aftermath (Mythic Rare)

This is quite a rather odd entry here, given the absolutely abysmal reception of March of the Machine: The Aftermath when it was initially spoiled. But, it is one of the lucky exceptions, that happens to fit very snugly and perfectly into one of the more popular Standard meta decks as of late. Again, we take special mention to the banning of Invoke Despair as it helped the deck, and most likely this card as well, to gain higher prominence. Mechanically speaking, there isn’t anything complex to explain. This current, sparkless form of Calix simply synergizes evenly with what Selesnya Enchantments generally do, with a mana cost that is just as perfectly matched.

Breach the Multiverse

Set: March of the Machine (Rare)

The notoriety of this card is starting to get out of hand within the last month, especially when combined with equally annoying high-mana spells like Etali, Primal Conqueror // Etali, Primal Sickness and Chandra, Hope’s Beacon. But more than just a strong Timmy-evoking card, it is outright very versatile. So long as the game gets grindy enough, you can pop this one out of nowhere and immediately turn the tide of the game in your favor. At worst, you simply snatch your opponent’s (creature-based) win condition. At best, you get two unexpectedly synergistic bodies that win the game on the spot.

Conversely, it is also an absolute joy to see it completely fizzle with the likes of Spell Pierce.

Coppercoat Vanguard

Set: March of the Machine: The Aftermath (Uncommon)

Another card from March of the Machine: The Aftermath that happened to fit very snugly into another meta-level deck. Simple stats, straightforward ability, and a very manageable cost, both in terms of mana and rarity. With this creature in play, suddenly every other Human you control becomes a formidable trade against your opponent’s less nimble resources. Though, of course, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, is a notable exception. Unlike, Hopeful Initiate and Recruitment Officer, she gets considerably trickier to kill with each Coppercoat copy successfully landing on the board.

Etali, Primal Conqueror

Set: March of the Machine (Rare)

Ah yes, the chaos-loving advantage regenerator that has been the staple of four and five-color decks in the meta since four months ago. It doesn’t help that a good number of jank decks also keep the cuddly dino as one of their alternative win conditions. Atraxa may provide more cards per se, and you get to choose. But Etali simply chucks all those spells to the field right away, and unlike Breach, there are no typing limitations. You can even reroll if Etali manages to choose another copy, restarting the cycle all over again.

And if all else fails, you still have the alternative of dumping mana on Etali to transform it into a Blightsteel Colossus.

Sheoldred

Set: March of the Machine (Mythic Rare)

The most expensive card of March of the Machine, Sheoldred // The True Scriptures secured her place in Standard quite quickly as the midrange value stabilizer, and the countdown win condition. She acts as an immediate counter to most four or five-mana planeswalkers, inflicting the very edict effect that she evokes from the previous set. Her saga transformation doesn’t come up often, but at least it is there for when the option becomes ultimately viable.

Sadly, she will never be a prominent pick, due to Sheoldred, the Apocalypse’s more solid specs. But, she still counts, at least with regards to the two new Standard sets for the first half of 2023.

Atraxa, Grand Unifier

Set: Phyrexia: All Will Be One (Mythic Rare)

The ace card and the “deckmaster” of all four and five-mana meta decks for the foreseeable future. Her stats with very stacked keyword abilities are already super fantastic for the mana cost. But even if a removal spell immediately hits her, she still gives you a free hand replenishment of your own choice. This is where the crux of most of her bannable arguments come from, as it just gets bonkers once her effect is triggered twice or thrice over the course of the game.

Worse, you don’t even need to recast her. Freeing her from an enchantment, or popping a Breach or Etali is enough for things to get immediately out of whack.

Runner-ups

Invasion of Zendikar (Set: MOM, U) – ironically the most popular battle card right now due to its tasteful usability in both meta decks and non-meta alike, boosting its usage numbers. Plus it curves and combos really well with Topiary Stomper.

The Eternal Wanderer (Set: ONE, R) – is mostly treated as a modal 6-mana removal that has other options depending on the situation. Quite a surprising addition to the list, given that Kaya, Intangible Slayer might be considered the better ‘grindy’ counter to the meta as of late.

Knight-Errant of Eos (Set: MOM, R)– on most low-cost mono-white decks, convoking it by at least two creatures already nets the user a whole lot of value. Typically only used as a single copy at most, though.

Jace, the Perfected Mind (Set: ONE, MR) – the unlikely popularity pick. Does not really appear much in the meta, but can be spotted very often in non-typical control decks, where his unique set of abilities can be both a stalling outlet, or an outright win condition.

Not included?

Invasion of Gobakhan (Set: MOM, R) – despite enjoying initial popularity for its wild combination of effects and low cost, it actually fell a bit short in the rankings of Standard sets released in 2023 by the time June rolled in. It is still very much in pretty good use mind you. But, perhaps the wider availability of enchantments with the disappearance of Invoke Despair stymied its growth?

Nahiri’s Warcrafting (Set: MOM, R) – another rather promising card from March of the Machine that eventually had its usage growth stunted as Standard stabilized once more into the current half-year meta. Which is a shame, since its gimmick is actually pretty interesting all things considered.