Fall is almost officially here, which means that a new Magic: The Gathering set is about to drop. The fall set is usually one of the most exciting of the year because it helps kick off the new Standard season. That means that some sets will be leaving the Standard legal format the game’s most popular format with see a massive metagame shift to adjust for the disappearance of old staples.
Zendikar Rising arrives in just a few weeks and then players will be saying good-bye to some of the sets that have been a staple of the Standard format for many months and tons of in-person, MTGO, and Magic Arena tournaments. Although the rotation may be just business as usual for veteran players who are used to the “new” standard rotation practice at this point, it can be a little cofusing for Magic: The Gathering players who are either new to the game or who took the last few years off and are used to the old (more frequent) rotation rules.
Not to worry though. The rotation is fairly straightforward once it’s broken down into simple terms. That said, it does represent a significant metagame shift and a ton of cards will be left to the legacy formats. With that in mind, here are all of the key points that players need to know heading into the coming weeks and the launch of Zendikar Rising…
What is leaving Standard when Zendikar Rising releases?
First, let’s take a closer look at the biggest news. There are a massive number of cards leaving Standard, which will completely change the current metagame and make room for new decks to take over the top spots. The following four sets are all heading into the sunset and will no longer be Standard legal once Zendikar Rising officially releases.
Guilds of Ravnica
Ravnica Allegiance
War of the Spark
Core Set 2020
What is staying in Standard?
Next, let’s take a look at the existing sets that aren’t going anywhere. These sets are here to stay for now and many of them will shift out of the Standard lineup when fall 2021 arrives. That means there’s still plenty of time to use these cards.
Throne of Eldraine
Theros Beyond Death
Ikoria Lair of the Behemoths
Core 2021
What is new to Standard?
One obvious change is that Zendikar Rising will be added to Standard. That means that all the cards players pick up through pre-release events and launch events will be good to go for Standard tournaments going forward. Just keep in mind that the special Expeditions available in some packs may not be Standard legal.
Zendikar Rising
What is coming to Standard in 2021?
Taking a look forward into the next twelve months it seems like Magic: The Gathering players are in for a very exciting year. From Vikings, to a magic academy setting, all the way to D&D’s Forgotten Realms; Magic: The Gathering is jam-packed with exciting sets for the coming year. For now the attention will stay on Zendikar Rising as it launches, but here’s a quick recap of what comes throughout 2021, as well…
Kaldheim (Q1)
Strixhaven: School Of Mages - Spring 2021
Dungeons And Dragons Adventures In The Forgotten Realms - Summer 2021
Innistrad Vampires And Innistrad Werewolves - Fall 2021
With all of that in mind, Magic Arena and tabletop Magic players may be wondering what to buy if they are trying to improve their Standard decks or make a new one. The easiest choice would be to plan on picking up a bunch of Zendikar Rising packs either through events or by purchasing Set Boosters when they launch. Getting the staples from the new set will likely be an essential part of building competitive decks in the months to come.
What is Standard?
For those who are new to the Magic lingo, Standard is one of the most popular format. A format basically is a set of rules that limits which cards players are allowed to use during deckbuilding for a given tournament or game. Standard is a format designed to only use the most recent handful of sets. This means that players don’t need to worry about going back years and collecting rare cards that are hard to find and expensive.
That said, Standard isn’t necessarily cheap either. Staying competitive in Standard means always have the best staples from the newest sets and does require purchasing cards more frequently than needed for some of the formats that stick to cards from older sets. That said, this only really matters for players who are trying to be super competitive and want to play with the best decks possible. It’s very easy to make a budget Standard deck with a lower win ratio at an affordable rate.
Players who have some money to burn now and don’t want to wait for Zendikar Rising still have some good options though. Currently Magic Arena is running Throne of Eldraine limited events and Core 2021 limited events, so that is a great way to continue building those collections three packs (plus prize support) at a time.
“Standard is a dynamic format where you build decks and play using cards in your collection from recently released Magic sets. Evolving gameplay and fresh strategies make it one of the most fun and popular ways to play Magic.”
Core 2021 and Throne cards will certainly remain just as important to Standard in the coming months and players who still need to pick up staple cards from those sets should take advantage of these events before the Zendikar Rising pre-release and launch events take over most of the running events. Just be sure to keep the banned list in mind and remember that some cards are already banned from Standard from these sets.
In the coming days, we should learn a ton more about Zendikar Rising spoilers, mechanics, and more. Start studying early so that you’ll be prepared for a new standard rotation and the upcoming draft format.
Magic: The Gathering Zendikar Rising releases September 25, 2020.
