Top Standard Decks - March 2024

Well, well... looks like we have a lot of investigating to do. Puns aside, we are now effectively a month after the release of Murders at Karlov Manor. Did it affect Standard? Umm... yes and no. We had quite a lot of staple contenders for new slot-ins within the last three sets or so. Even for something as super-optimized as a Mono-Red deck. But compared to like, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan? Unfortunately no. Still, we have the expected switcheroos and changes, so that's still going to be a thing, at least.

Standard Tournament Meta - Top 8 Decks

Esper bumps up one place back to the top spot, once again switching places with Mono-Red, with an overwhelming 18.83% of the meta, with Rakdos Aggro falling down all the way to the 7th spot. For a good number of decks splashed with blue, Cryptic Coat proved to be a very versatile card to provide both a surprise advantage, and a mana-efficient body, bonus points if the creature itself has Disguise (for non-meta ones). And of course, No More Lies is just powercrept more efficient for any deck using Azorius colors compared to other counterspells used in Standard up to this point.

Notable Cards Used from Murders at Karlov Manor:

^{(Arranged alphabetically, excludes lands)}

• Cryptic Coat
• Doorkeeper Thrull
• Fugitive Codebreaker
• No More Lies

Standard MTG Arena: Best of Three - Top 8 Decks

Boros! Yes indeed my brothers. Though, to be fair, combat trick "Mono-Red" (usually featuring Imodane's Recruiter as its win-con) has already been doing the rounds in many matchups over the last few months, closely following the top 8. But this is the first time we've seen the current known build climb its way to the top, at 10.26% of the meta. The actual Mono-Red is still there, of course, at 3rd (7.04 of the meta), and Azorius instantly appearing in 2nd place, after falling completely out of the top 8 last month.

Notable Cards Used from Murders at Karlov Manor:

^{(Arranged alphabetically, excludes lands)}

• Aurelia's Vindicator
• Case of the Crimson Pulse
• Case of the Gateway Express
• Fugitive Codebreaker
• Long Goodbye
• No More Lies
• Novice Inspector

Standard MTG Arena: Best of One - Top 8 Decks

Gruul Dinosaurs still holding on to dear life after all this top, though now it's at the very edge with its 8th spot (1.71% of the meta). And no, actually Mono-Red is the only one up top this time. Boros still takes influence here in the 2nd spot (9.57% of the meta), followed very closely behind by Orzhov (4.19% of the meta), rising back from its disappearance last month. Oh, and Mono-Black is at 7th as usual.

Notable Cards Used from Murders at Karlov Manor:

^{(Arranged alphabetically, excludes lands)}

• Case of the Uneaten Feast
• Cryptic Coat
• Deduce
• Delney, Streetwise Lookout
• Long Goodbye
• No More Lies
• No Witnesses
• Novice Inspector
• Pick Your Poison
• Warleader's Call