This has been a long year for Standard. We’ve seen many sets enter the format with some new spicy cards shaking things up, looking at you Hostage Taker. But the monarch of Standard has failed to be dethroned. There’s been a lot of spin offs of it but the original still remains the best. That’s right I’m talking about Temur energy.
Energy is the biggest mixed bag of Standard right now, you either love it or you hate it. It’s a very pushed mechanic that on its own its innocuous but with so many pay off cards it has the answers to everything. Energy exist in every color but Temur provides the best combination of generation, pay offs, and additional good stuff. This particular brew is coming from Shahar Shenhar and his GP Portland victory.
Planeswalker: 2
Creatures: 22
4 Bristling Hydra
3 Glorybringer
4 Longtusk Cub
4 Rogue Refiner
4 Servant of the Conduit
3 Whirler Virtuoso
Sorcery: 6
4 Attune with Aether
2 Confiscation Coup
Instant: 8
2 Abrade
1 Commit // Memory
4 Harnessed Lightning
1 Magma Spray
Land: 22
4 Aether Hub
4 Botanical Sanctum
4 Forest
1 Island
2 Mountain
3 Rootbound Crag
1 Sheltered Thicket
3 Spirebluff Canal
Sideboard: 15
2 Abrade
1 Confiscation Coup
1 Magma Spray
1 Aethersphere Harvester
1 Chandra’s Defeat
1 Lifecrafter’s Bestiary
2 Negate
1 Nissa, Steward of Elements
1 Slice in Twain
1 Supreme Will
1 Torrential Gearhulk
2 Vizier of Many Faces
Starting with creatures we can work our way up the curve starting at two mana, both of which cost 1G. 4 Longtusk Cub is the first all star. This is a 2/2 cat that gets a +1/+1 counter for every two energy spent on it. It’s a solid pay off card but also comes with the added benefit of when it does combat damage it generates two energy.
This is the crux of what makes energy so powerful. Many of the cards can generate energy and pay off. A cub early creates a strong creature that if unchecked will amass lots of energy. Later you can take the energy you’ve been storing and turn this little guy into a 4/4 or even a 5/5 and that’s all for two mana. And at instant speed! The creature is a threat just by existing on the board.
The second two drop is a play set of Servant of the Conduit. A two mana 2/2 that can generate 2 energy but can spend an energy to produce a mana of any color. A mana dork that is one of the core reasons why four-color energy can exist but serves as simple ramp in the three color variant as well as being on a decent body. A great utility creature in the beginning and chump blocker later if you need it.
But it doesn’t stop there. At the three drop level there are two of the strongest energy creatures. The first, at only a 3 of, is Whirler Virtuoso. For 1UR you get a 2/3 body that produces 3 energy on entry to the battlefield. But it comes with the ability of pay 3 energy and create a 1/1 thopter with flying. This seems small but it’s huge for the energy deck.
Energy will often have an excess of energy floating around in their pool while also having a sizeable ground force. So, having one or two flyers means that’s damage the enemy cannot contest. It’s that 2 damage a turn that forces an answer that would have preferably be used on a bigger ground threat. The Virtuoso is more often than not a win condition in energy decks.
The next three mana body is Rogue Refiner. A playset of this 3/2 body for 1UG. When it enters the battlefield is generates two energy and draws you a card. Once again innocuous and just okay in any other deck. But in this deck this refuels your hand, refuels your energy, and creates a great blocker. Being able to do three damage means this thing will trade for many creatures higher on the curve than it.
The final energy creature is a four drop and once again, a playset. 4 whole Bristling Hydra. For 2GG you get a 4/3 body and three energy. Like many creatures on the list you can pay three energy to do something. This one gets a +1/+1 counter and hexproof. The hydra gets to grow and become immune to removal. If one of these resolves it’s likely smashing in because it becomes a gamble. Can you block this thing? Do you want them to force an energy dump or will they just trade creatures? The energy deck can afford that trade but it’s doubtful if any other decks can.
Finally, the deck rounds out the top of the curve at five mana, 3RR, with 3 Glorybringer. A Standard all-star since it was spoiled. A 4/4 haster that flies and burns things to death. Just one of those good stuffs.
The deck has a robust creature package and even has great instants and sorceries. Just like before we’re gonna work our way up the curve, starting with one of the single best energy cards in Standard: Attune with Aether. Another playset, a trend with energy, and it’s great.
For one green mana you can bring a basic land to your hand and produce two energy. Producing two energy for one mana, especially on turn one makes that turn two Longtusk Cub a 3/3 threat. This card does so much for the deck it’s in a league of its own.
The only other 1 mana spell is one magma spray. Just being able to do two damage to something, and if need be exile it, for one R is always nice. Nothing special, especially since zombies are no longer a thing, but it helps against agro.
At two mana there are better removal options. 4 Harnessed Lightning and 2 Abrade both for 1R. A pair of Abrade to deal 3 damages to any creature or snipe out an artifact. And then Harnessed Lightning. A spell that produces three energy and then does as much damage to a creature as you feel like spending energy on it. So, it will do a guaranteed 3 damage but can do upwards of 6 or 7 depending on how much extra you can afford. It’s prime removal and sometimes it’s just two mana for three energy. Flexible in every way shape and form.
Next as another one of is Commit to Memory. The first half is a 4 mana, 3U, instant that puts a spell or nonland permanent ontop of its owners library second from the top. A fun little tempo play, especially later in the game that can stop certain creatures from resolving or put a God back in the library and gain some breathing room.
The second half is 6 mana, 4BB, sorcery that reads shuffles graveyards back into libraries and each player draws seven cards. Late game this can refuel your entire hand and but it’s six mana. So, you’re almost guaranteed taking a turn off just to cast it. The most situational play in the deck, the fact that it casts from the graveyard is a plus.
The deck runs 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance which is petty standard at this point if you’re in red. Just an almost broken Planeswalker in Standard right now. Let’s be honest. She does literally everything and at only four mana. She’s nuts, run her.
Finally, we’re jumping on the curve all the way to five mana again for two copies of Confiscation Coup. This is a fun card that recently found a home in Temur energy. For 3BB it grants energy, four to be exact. You may then pay energy equal to a creature or artifacts converted mana cost and gain control of it. This is the card that steals a Hazoret, a Scarab God, or even a God-Pharaoh’s Gift. This can ruin an opponent’s gameplan and just win it for you.
Surprisingly, the deck only runs only twenty-two lands. Lighter than most but having Atune with Aether and Conduit of the Servant usually makes it pretty easy to hit your curve. The only important land in the deck is the four copies of Aether Hub. The land that makes every energy deck work. It produces an energy on entry and taps for colorless or spends one energy to tap for a mana of any color.
Turn one Attune with an Aether Hub means your deck is set for several turns on colors. And with the low curve of the deck, it will rarely stumble on mana. The rest of the lands the deck runs are 4 Botanical Sanctum, 4 Forest, 1 Island, 2 Mountain, 3 Rootbound Crag, 1 Sheltered Thicket, and 3 Spirebluff Canal. That makes 16 green sources, 12 blue sources and 10 red sources in the deck.
With a solid mid-range package like this the sideboard can only exist to strengthen the holes. Many of the sideboard additions are ones ofs to better answer threats as they come.
Against agro there’s another Confiscation Coup, to answer Hazoret. A magma spray to shut down Earthshaker Khenra and other agro threats. A Chandra’s defeat to answer enemy Chandra’s or agro threats. A single Aethsphere Harvester to just honestly go over the heads of agro and gain some life.
There’s a few counter spells in the form of Negate and Supreme Will against Approach of the Second Sun or God Pharaoh’s Gift, two Abrade for the removal or the gifts, Lifecrafter’s Bestiary for some card selection and card draw if you have extra mana on hand.
A Torrential Gearhulk and two Vizier of Many Faces let Temur flashback removal and energy spells or copy the enemy threats. Copy their Hazoret or Scarab God for yourself and it can even be embalmed for a second attempt if it dies. Slice in Twain exist to take care of the flip enchantments before they flip and draws a card.
Finally, there’s one Nissa, Steward of Elements to break board stalls with the scry ability, forcing creatures onto the battlefield or make a pair of 5/5 flyers. Once again early or late this is relevant thanks to it’s X casting cost,
Temur Energy might as well be Temur good stuff. Because of Energy the deck is able to react to any and everything that can happen. Early, mid, late it’s relevant. This is the strongest deck in standard bar none. Sultai and 4-Color Energy like to play different gameplans but both of those aren’t as consistent. Temur is favored because of it’s reliability and power level. If you want to just play all of the best things in Standard right now pick up Temur Energy for your local FNM.
