Getting Redy To Rotation: Izzet, Rakdos and Selesnya Standard 2023 Decks

Dominaria United is right around the corner, so within this article are a few decks for you to test out with all the cards that will still be legal come next month!

Upcoming Standard Rotation

On September 1st, Standard will undergo rotation, and all of the cards from Zendikar Rising, Kaldheim, Strixhaven, and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms will no longer be legal. With that in mind, I wanted to share a couple of rotation-proof decks I’ve been working on so you can be ready with a deck to play right away in conjunction with the release of Dominaria United!

Rotation-Proof Rakdos Anvil

First off, we have my version of a rotation-proof Rakdos Anvil deck. The deck barely lost any key cards. However, the pathway lands will no longer be legal, and the deck took its biggest hit in the mana-base. Still, even if there are more tapped lands in this version, I managed to go 6-2 in a Standard constructed event. That’s with everyone else playing all the meta decks still legal, and it held its own, so it’s probably a safe bet moving forward that the archetype will continue to see some success.

I included two Xander’s Lounge for another dual land and cycling, but you can also replace them with two Ziatora’s Proving Ground if that’s what you already have and don’t want to craft more rares. I’m also trying 4 Tramway Station, which adds additional dual lands to the deck to replace the pathways. It enters tapped, but I’ve found its draw ability somewhat helpful throughout the games I’ve played. Shambling Ghast and Deadly Dispute will also be gone, so having the extra draw will be essential moving forward.

rotation-proof-rakdos-anvil-decklist

Rotation-Proof Izzet Shredder

Next up is my version of a rotation-proof Izzet Shredder deck. I was able to go 5-2 in a Standard constructed event with this version, again facing all the current meta decks people are still playing. It didn’t feel quite as strong as the Rakdos deck, but it held its own, and with possible new cards coming, there could be upgrades for it in the future. I’m unsure whether Kumano Faces Kakkazan fits in this deck, as this archetype is losing many vital cards, such as Expressive Iteration. For now, I’ve included it and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, which I usually wouldn’t include in more of a burn-type deck like this one.

rotation-proof-izzet-shredder-decklist

Rotation-Proof Selesnya Enchantments

Last, we have a rotation-proof Selesnya Enchantments deck. Runes will be gone, but people have been trying all kinds of enchantment decks in the past several months. Even with many cards rotating out, this version of Selesnya Enchantments dominated a Standard constructed event for me. It took me to 7 wins. It’s not a perfect list, and all three decks could surely use improvements, but I wanted to get some test games in with each deck before rotation, so I focused more on that rather than fine-tuning the decklists.

rotation-proof-selesnya-enchantments-4face

Tips and Strategies for Rotation

Before we know it, Standard rotation will be upon us. Everyone will try to keep old archetypes strong and experiment with new cards. Your best bet would be to search online for articles or watch content creators, who will review new cards for you and warn you whether they think you should use your wildcards on them and how well they believe they will perform in the future. I’ve given you three different decks you could try moving forward, and I have seen many content creators posting videos of their versions of rotation-proof decks. Start there, and you should have no problem keeping up with Standard. As far as the decklists I’ve provided you, experiment with them. Make them your own, take out (or add in) cards, or make your version of a rotation-proof deck and power it up with new cards once Dominiara United is live!