"The Best Deck" (Standard)

[Thomas David Baker]

The best deck in the format where the latest set was ...

M13 = UW Delver (Delver of Secrets, Snapcaster Mage, Ponder)

Avacyn Restored = UW Delver (Delver of Secrets, Snapcaster Mage, Ponder)
Dark Ascension = UW Delver (Delver of Secrets, Snapcaster Mage, Ponder)
Innistrad = UW Delver (Delver of Secrets, Snapcaster Mage, Ponder)

M12 = Valakut (Valakut the Molten Pinnacle, Primeval Titan)

New Phyrexia = Caw-Blade (Stoneforge Mystic, Batterskull, Jace the Mind Sculptor)
Mirrodin Beseiged = Caw-Blade (Stoneforge Mystic, Sword of Feast and Famine, Jace the Mind Sculptor)
Scars of Mirrodin = Valakut (Valakut the Molten Pinnacle, Primeval Titan)

M11 = Valakut (Valakut the Molten Pinnacle, Primeval Titan)

Rise of the Eldrazi = Mythic (Lotus Cobra, Sovereigns of Lost Alara, Eldrazi Conscription)
Worldwake = Jund (Bloodbraid Elf, Blightning, Maelstrom Pulse)
Zendikar = Jund (Bloodbraid Elf, Blightning, Maelstrom Pulse)

M10 = Five Color Control (Vivid Lands, Broodmate Dragon, Cruel Ultimatum)

Alara Reborn = Five Color Control (Vivid Lands, Broodmate Dragon, Cruel Ultimatum)
Conflux = Faeries (Ancestral Vision, Bitterblossom, Mistbind Clique)
Shards of Alara = Faeries (Ancestral Vision, Bitterblossom, Mistbind Clique)

Is that right?  I haven't got that Naya deck with the pinger and the deathtouch equipment, UW Baneslayer control or anything with Spreading Seas here but I think I have it about right? It's also contentious whether 5CC ever did overtake Faeries post-Volcanic Fallout?  And whether Township Tokens or Wolf Run were better than UW Delver early on?  I've not included 5 color blood despite wild claims made on its behalf.

[Thomas David Baker]

Crap, what about Super Friends?  When was that?  That doesn't seem better than any of the decks on this list.  RUG was never as good as Caw-Blade, was it?

[Kieran Symington]

Are you planning something with this? Or is it just some interesting info? It does make it seem that despite their best efforts WoTC always end up making hate cards that just don't work and the best deck remains the same until the format rotates! No wonder people say innovation in Standard is dead.

[Thomas David Baker]

I am toying with the idea of playing them all off against one another in some way else even though it proves nothing about anything and they will all have weird and inappropriate sideboards.  If I add in BW tokens or Wolf Run or something I will have 8 decks which is a convenient number.

[Ben Titmarsh]

You totally forgot Time Sieve

[Dan Barrett]

Super Friends has surely got to be in there. It was SO good even someone semi-bad like me could beat Jund with it and qualify for Nationals.

[Russell Davies]

Five Colour Control did overtake faeries, you have that bit right in the list  :)

[Thomas David Baker]

What about going further back in the past?

Eventide = Faeries

Shadowmoor = Faeries

Morningtide = Faeries

Lorwyn = GB Elves/Doran/Reveillark/Quick n' Toast???

10th Edition = ???

Future Sight = Dragonstorm/Solar Flare/Project X/Zoo ???

Planar Chaos = 

Time Spiral = 

 

9th = 

 

Dissension = 

Guildpact = Ghost Husk

Ravnica = 

 

Hmm, yeah, I have no idea :) and deckcheck.de is not enough help.

 

[Dan Barrett]

I think Rob's Doran deck was the best deck in the format at the time he played it at Nationals.

Around 10th ed/Lorwyn time, Tarmorack was the top deck IIRC.

[James Mills]

Aethermage's touch decks were good around the ravnica time. also Azurius control, Ghost dad (not Ghost Husk) Snakes and The GW tokens deck that had glare of subdual. Also Rakdos burn decks were pretty sick. 

With Time spiral came the dranul de luvre decks, Dredge (with magus of the bazaar), Scrybe and force I think which was a sick deck. 

Greater good decks were about at the arse end of Kamigawa rotating as were G/R aggro decks featuring Scab Clan Mauler. Also Zoo deck with Kird Ape and Watchwolf were popular too. 

Takes me back! 

[Russell Davies]

I'm unsure what standard format that was, but my Nats top 4 (2008) was with a Doran deck, it was basically a meta call - tight v Faeries, and smashed everything else except 'Lark which was essentially unwinnable.

Dan Barrett said:

I think Rob's Doran deck was the best deck in the format at the time he played it at Nationals.