Magic the Gathering: Standard Rotation 2019 and Beyond
It is that time of year once again, rotation is upon us and that means that a number of sets will be leaving the Standard format forever.
For some, this is a period in time in which they are feverishly selling their old singles, recouping some of their cards value as they prepare to build their next deck.
For others, it is a time of opportunity, in which they are waiting to pounce on low priced cards that see play in EDH, Modern, or even the Vintage formats.
For us and many others, it is a time of excitement and anticipation, as rotation breathes new life into the standard format, making way for new and exciting decks that are sure to shake up the format, while at the same time getting rid of stale ones.
But what does all this mean? What sets are coming, and which ones are going?
Let’s get started.
Sets Rotating Out of Standard on October 4th, 2019
This falls rotation is going to see a number of sets leaving the Standard format, which include the following;
- Ixalan
- Rivals of Ixalan
- Dominaria
- Core Set 2019
This means that many of you’re most beloved dinosaurs, vampires and pirates are going to be exiting the room, which is sad for many, especially given the fact that two tribal decks, dinosaurs and vampires only just truly found their footing with the release of Core Set 2020.
At the time of writing, there are currently eight sets in the Standard format, which means that this is the period in time, in which there are the most cards in the “pool”, enabling many dominating archetypes.
As these four sets rotate out, only one will be rotating into the Standard format immediately, Throne of Eldraine.
But what comes further into the future? What sets are coming throughout the course of 2020?
Magic the Gathering: Sets Releasing in 2020
Until recently, as can be seen from the image above, only code names were given for future sets that were scheduled to be released throughout the course of 2020, however, fortunately, more information has just recently been revealed to us.
We now know the names of the four sets coming, which will help players make key decisions in their deck building moving forward, as these are Planes in which Wizards of the Coast have visited before.
Theros, Beyond Death releases in the first quarter of 2020. The description of Theros is as follows;
“Theros is a plane governed by the gods of Nyx, where heroes face monsters, the sea rages, people offer burnt offerings and adventures take place. It is defined by mankind’s struggle against the primal forces of the world, and mankind’s conflict with the many other sapient races that populate the world.”
Theros was the home plane of Gideon, one of the founding members of the Gatewatch and until his recent heroic sacrifice and death in the War of the Spark, was one of the key characters in the Magic the Gathering storyline.
The sets included in the previous Theros block were “Theros”, “Born of the Gods” and “Journey into Nyx”.
We strongly suggest checking out these sets card pools to get a good understanding of some of the mechanics that may be returning with the release of the “Theros, Beyond Death” set.
The next two sets upcoming are “Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths” and “Core Set 2021”.
The Core Sets are not part of the main storyline and are largely used to supplement cards into the format that don’t easily fit into the storyline of the main sets, however, “Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths” is likely to do with Kiora, the Planeswalker.
Kiora is a Planeswalker hailing from Zendikar, one of the most popular sets in Magic the Gatherings long history.
There is a strong chance that this set is going to have players return to the Plane of Zendikar, especially since the next main set to be released is named “Zendikar Rising”.
Below is a brief description of the Plane of Zendikar;
“Zendikar is a plane with powerful sources of mana, which flows differently there. Its riches in mana and other wealth has made it a destination for Planeswalkers to explore and exploit. The promise of this is also enough to lure in various local explorers and adventurers.”
Hopefully, these two sets are going to see Zendikar reborn and renewed, as it was largely destroyed by the Eldrazi Titans Kozilek and Ulamog in the “Battle for Zendikar”.
Zendikar was last seen in the “Oath of the Gatewatch” set and was first seen in the “Zendikar” set, so make sure to check out the cards from these sets to get a good grasp on what these upcoming sets are going to have in store.
In Conclusion
Throughout the course of the coming months, we will continue to discuss and share with you the latest news concerning these upcoming sets that will shape and define the new Standard format throughout the remainder of 2019 and 2020.
We highly recommend that you check out a number of “rotation proof” decks that look both fun and exciting to build and play;
The three decks shown above are just a few of the many brews that players have been crafting as of recently, as they prepare for the upcoming fall rotation, however, many more are out there!
We hope you are as excited as us for the release of upcoming set “Throne of Eldraine”, of which is now available for pre-order on Zephyr Epic, and the many other sets coming out throughout the course of 2020.
Let us know which cards you are going to miss the most? Which cards you are the most excited to see reprinted in future sets, and as always, thanks for reading!