MTG Top 8 Standard Analysis

Greetings Ladies, Gentlemen and Kavu, we are due for another Top 8 Standard analysis, this time around we are going to cover Top 8 Standard for Pro Tour Qualifier Lorwyn Eclipsed Richmond, Virginia 01/31/2026, first one this year dropping here on MTGAzone.

Lorwyn Eclipsed hit the Meta, here is the current top 8 standing with the new changes in Standard.

5th-8th

Ryan Bellamy – Temur Battlerage

Burst Lightning and Spell Snare will protect you the early turns while mana fixing into a Icetill Explorer, you can do a fourth turn Warp of Mightform Harmonizer drop a land and on landfall trigger use the Full Bore granting a +3/+2 and warp conditions grants Trample and Haste, ending up into a 14/12 trample insect, emphasis on Trample guaranteeing a clear hit into your opponents life total, and if the explorer is still on the battlefield another landfall trigger will happen.

Simic Nature’s Rhythm – Josh Moscoe

A simple ramping Ouroboroid-ish Simic, Badgermole grants more mana pressure into your opponent a releasing the Mockingbird copying a threat on the board, you will expect some board wipe intervention, but easily catch up with Formidable Speaker tutoring that specific creat ETB effect, and ultimately using Craterhoof Behemoth.

Izzet Lesson – David Åberg

First Izzet Lesson appearance in this list, you already probably have seen this deck create tense situations as this was the latest archetype to win at Magiccon 2025.

Gran-Gran is the big early enabler in this archetype, reducing spells costs when condition is met, as the Stormchaser’s Talent and Artist’s Talent hits play and set up the board to be redundant and spellsling its way through victory as Monument of Endurance chips the life points away from your opponent.

Izzet Lesson – Ondrej Strasky

Another Izzet Lesson archetype, Monument of endurance setting up the sequential damage on discard triggers, Talents on the battlefield as engines into bringing recursion options and spellslinging Boomerang Basics, Abandon Attachments, Accumulate Wisdom bringing that discard trigger.

3rd – 4th

Izzet Spellementals – Thomas Mechin

Spellementals is a really fresh Izzet sighting, Sleight of Hand is present, Hearth Elemental, and ultimately for the late game control Eddymurk Crab, Winternight Stories helping with the draw resources, and your typical cheap spells present Burst Lightning, Opt, Spell Snare.

Bant Airbending – Guiyote

Bant Airbending breathing fresh air from the Izzet siege into the metagame for the last year or so, here comes a fresh new mechanic dominating the Meta, Badegermole and Llanowar Elves bringing the early mana ramp possible, into having options for Doc Aurlock, Grizzled Genius granting that free airbend return into the battlefield as it cheaps out the airbending alternate cost, and Airbender Ascension with the cheap Aribend trigger for the early turns.

2nd

Dimir Control – Edgar Magalhaes

Dimir Control for the second place, Wan Shi Tong, Librarian and Marang River Regent leading the creature front with great draw effects and sinergies, Deadly Cover-Up, this is basically a heavy Control Counterspell and the use of black only for removal, and Restless Reef for the late game Land Attack.

1st

Temur Full Bore Harmonizer – Collins Mullen

And another Temur reaching the top as 1st place standing Collins Mullen, leading with the Temur Full Bore Harmonizer, a simple yet aggresive archetype, having the Mightform Harmonizer double in strength each a land hits the battlefield with a spell help to reach Trample effect Full Bore, and a bit of blue splash to gain card advantage Stock Up and Consult the Star Charts.

Conclusion

This is a really big change for Standard coming from the latest Magic Cup 2025 where almost everything was Izzet oriented, now we have Blue with Black splash contenders, Bant airbending, new forms of Izzet shaping, so its in a healthy direction nonetheless, Temur Full Bore is really good and healthy, manageable contender, and better than it all, no counterspell in sight, life is good, remember kids stay away from counterspells they are bad for you and your opponents health, stay classy and with this one Code is out, and by the way let us know what do you think Garruk is up to in our Twitter and Discord!