The Star of Aftermath

Hello everyone! Welcome to Standard Weekly!

Recently we had the release of “March of the Machine: The Aftermath.” The key story element was that some planeswalkers have lost their spark and have become legendary creatures. Each of the mythic rares from the set is a de-sparked planeswalker. Many of these new legendary creatures have only appeared as planeswalkers in the past, so seeing them as legendary creatures is an interesting twist.

Instead of creating a Top 10 or Top 5 list for the set, today I am going to focus on the new card that fits best into an expanded standard. For those of you who haven’t heard, there will not be a fall rotation this year because sets will now remain part of standard for up to three years. As a result, we hope to see more deck possibilities emerge in standard.

Currently, black/Red/x decks dominate the format, with “Fable of the Mirror-Breaker” reigning as the top card in standard. However, “March of the Machine: The Aftermath” offers some interesting deck options that don’t include “Fable of the Mirror-Breaker.” I will explore some of them over the next couple of weeks.

One card that will have an immediate impact is “Coppercoat Vanguard.” For two mana, you get a 2/2 human soldier that gives each other human you control +1/+0 and has ward 1.

“Coppercoat Vanguard” fits well into several decks. Azorius or Mono-White Soldiers will benefit from including “Coppercoat Vanguard.” After reviewing the deck lists for both versions, the only non-human cards in these decks are “Yotian Frontliner” and “Valiant Veteran.” Replacing “Yotian Frontliner” with “Coppercoat Vanguard” would be an easy exchange for soldiers, allowing you to keep all the other humans in the deck.

MONO-WHITE SOLDIERS, Scott Trepanier

Azorius Soldiers gives you access to flyers. This gives the deck the ability to go over the top when the battlefield is filled with other creatures. Blue gives the deck to eleven flyers. Each adds additional value. Zephyr Sentinel gives you the ability to return a creature to your hand in exchange for putting a +1/+1 counter on Sentinel. Resolute Reinforcements makes an ideal target for Zephyr Sentinel. This will allow you to create an additional soldier token when you recast Resolute Reinforcements. Zephyr Sentinel can also return to your hand a creature that was targeted with removal. Skystrike Officer gives you the ability to draw cards and create a soldier token when it attacks. Finally, Harbin, Vanguard Aviator serves as the finisher for the deck. When you have five or more soldiers attack, Harbin gives each one +1/+1 and flying. This usually finishes the game.

AZORIUS SOLDIERS, Scott Trepanier

By: Scott Trepanier

Scott began playing Magic the Gathering in 1994.  His preferred format is standard.  Typically, you will see him playing aggro decks focused on quickly defeating his opponent but will pivot to midrange or control when standard is unfavorable for aggro decks.  He began creating Magic content in 2019.