The Theros/Khans of Tarkir Standard season has seen sixteen major tournaments so far, during which a number of viable deck options have evolved. Change is coming, however, in the form of Fate Reforged, which will bring 185 cards to the metagame in late January. Before it arrives, let’s take a look at the decks that have dominated Standard so far.

The following decklists are literally and intentionally average. I built them by aggregating and averaging the cards included in the Top 16 finishes for each deck at major tournaments over the last month. This will give some idea of the card selections made by successful pilots of each deck.

Abzan Midrange

Abzan Midrange is the top archetype of both the last month and the entire Standard season. Here is the average decklist:

Average Abzan Midrange ? Khans of Tarkir Standard | Nick Vigabool

• Creatures (16)
• 2 Fleecemane Lion
• 2 Wingmate Roc
• 4 Courser of Kruphix
• 4 Siege Rhino
• 4 Sylvan Caryatid

• Planeswalkers (6)
• 1 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
• 2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
• 3 Elspeth, Sun's Champion

• Spells (13)
• 1 Utter End
• 4 Abzan Charm
• 4 Hero's Downfall
• 4 Thoughtseize

• Lands (25)
• 2 Forest
• 2 Plains
• 2 Caves of Koilos
• 3 Llanowar Wastes
• 3 Temple of Silence
• 4 Sandsteppe Citadel
• 4 Temple of Malady
• 4 Windswept Heath
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Utter End
• 3 Bile Blight
• 1 Erase
• 1 Liliana Vess
• 2 Nissa, Worldwaker
• 3 Drown in Sorrow
• 2 End Hostilities
• 1 Glare of Heresy
• 1 Duneblast

Buy This Deck

The default creature package has included full sets of Courser of Kruphix, Siege Rhino, and Sylvan Caryatid. Fleecemane Lion (50% of decks) and Wingmate Roc (64%) were also common, with anywhere from two to four copies played. Hornet Queen (43%) and Brimaz, King of Oreskos (29%) have also seen recent play.

Elspeth, Sun's Champion and Sorin, Solemn Visitor have been the mainstay Planeswalkers, appearing in almost 100% of decks. Liliana Vess (80%) and Nissa, Worldwaker (71%) were also common, sometimes played in the main, but more frequently in the sideboard. Ajani, Mentor of Heroes showed up in half of the decks, with usually a single copy in the main deck.

One to two copies of Murderous Cut (36%) made the main deck—same thing with Unravel the Aether (29%) in the sideboard. Mana Confluence was used in half of the main decks as well, with one to three copies in the main.

Mardu Midrange

Mardu Midrange has not seen as much success as its Abzan competitor, but is still among the best decks based on Top 16 finishes, both in the last month and overall. Here is an average version of the deck:

Average Mardu Midrange ? Khans of Tarkir Standard | Nick Vigabool

• Creatures (13)
• 2 Wingmate Roc
• 3 Seeker of the Way
• 4 Butcher of the Horde
• 4 Goblin Rabblemaster

• Planeswalkers (4)
• 2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
• 2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor

• Spells (18)
• 1 Magma Jet
• 2 Murderous Cut
• 4 Crackling Doom
• 4 Lightning Strike
• 4 Hordeling Outburst
• 3 Chained to the Rocks

• Lands (25)
• 1 Swamp
• 6 Mountain
• 2 Caves of Koilos
• 2 Temple of Silence
• 3 Battlefield Forge
• 3 Temple of Triumph
• 4 Bloodstained Mire
• 4 Nomad Outpost

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
• 3 Anger of the Gods
• 2 End Hostilities
• 2 Glare of Heresy
• 2 Read the Bones
• 3 Thoughtseize
• 1 Utter End

Buy This Deck

Butcher of the Horde and Goblin Rabblemaster found a home in 100% of Mardu Midrange decks. Seeker of the Way (89%) and Wingmate Roc (89%) were common inclusions as well. Less common was Stormbreath Dragon (33%), though recent tournaments have seen two or three played in the main deck.

Stoke the Flames (33%) is the odd card out in the average deck’s removal package, though some Mardu Midrange decks have included one or two in the main.

Duneblast (43%) has been coming on strong in December, with one or two copies on average in the sideboard. Erase (56%) appears as a one- or two-of in the sideboard of many decks as well.

Abzan Reanimator

Abzan Reanimator is a deck on the rise in Standard, with seven Top 16 finishes in the last three major tournaments. Here is an average version of the deck:

Average Abzan Reanimator ? Khans of Tarkir Standard | Nick Vigabool

• Creatures (24)
• 1 Reclamation Sage
• 1 Soul of Innistrad
• 3 Doomwake Giant
• 3 Hornet Queen
• 4 Courser of Kruphix
• 4 Satyr Wayfinder
• 4 Siege Rhino
• 4 Sylvan Caryatid

• Spells (12)
• 3 Hero's Downfall
• 3 Murderous Cut
• 1 Commune with the Gods
• 2 Thoughtseize
• 3 Whip of Erebos

• Lands (24)
• 1 Plains
• 4 Forest
• 1 Caves of Koilos
• 2 Temple of Silence
• 3 Sandsteppe Citadel
• 4 Llanowar Wastes
• 4 Temple of Malady
• 4 Windswept Heath
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

• Sideboard (13)
• 2 Reclamation Sage
• 1 Pharika, God of Affliction
• 1 Abzan Charm
• 1 Bile Blight
• 1 Utter End
• 2 Nissa, Worldwaker
• 3 Drown in Sorrow
• 2 Glare of Heresy

Buy This Deck

Soul of Innistrad (71%) is the only creature in the main deck not in 100% of Abzan Reanimator decks. It is sometimes replaced by Soul of Theros (43%), and it has also appeared as a one-of in the sideboard. Murderous Cut (86%) and Commune with the Gods (71%) are the only other cards in the main deck that are not in all decks.

In the sideboard, Glare of Heresy and Nissa are in 86% of decks, and one to two copies of Abzan Charm (43%), Bile Blight (43%), and Utter End (57%) compete for space.

In Closing

These decks are average, and they are not tuned to a specific metagame. They do offer some insight into what each archetype looks like going into Fate Reforged, and they are useful as starting points for building your own versions.