MtG: 15 Best Phyrexia All Will Be One Cards for Standard

Right now mono white and mono red decks dominate the standard meta in Magic: The Gathering, but that trend may very well change with the release of the Phyrexia: All Will Be One set.

The set reintroduces the toxic mechanic that brings back poison counters to standard may have an interesting effect on today's rather stale meta.

Check out some of the best new MtG cards from Phyrexia: All Will Be One set for standard, and decide just how "toxic" the meta gets this season.

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Tyrranax Rex

Poison damage is back in standard, and in a big way!

Tyrranax Rex is basically the Carnage Tyrant, but with haste and toxic damage that requires players to hit for only 10 poison counters in order to defeat an opponent.

This will be a huge new strategy in standard, and it looks like Selesnya archetype will gain the most benefit from Tyrranax Rex and other similar cards with the mechanic.

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The Eternal Wanderer

The new white planeswalker has some really cool active abilities, but the winner here is the static clause, which protects The Eternal Wanderer from being attacked by more than one creature.

This card will be huge in almost all control lists in standard, but it may also find its way into some midrange lists that use white as well, including Mono White, Azorius, and Esper archetypes.

Be sure to use the first active ability on Portal to Phyrexia for repeatable board wipes.

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Nahiri, the Unforgiving

Here is another excellent planeswalker that may cost you no more than 3 mana for 3 points of loyalty that will go straight into the Mardu Midrange deck with Bloodtithe Harvester.

Use Nahiri's final ability, which is free, to bring back Bloodtithe Harvester and smash all the undesirable creatures on the other side of the table. 

Note that her second ability with discard mechanic can also fuel your graveyard for an even more efficient use of her last ability.

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Vraska, Betrayal's Sting

The new Vraska is probably the most classic-looking planeswalker in the Phyrexia: All Will Be One set.

Her first ability is a card draw, her second ability is a removal spell, and the ultimate ability basically wins you the game. The cost is a bit steep, but it doesn't mean that she won't be used.

On the contrary, you will see a couple of copies like Dimir, Esper, and Grixis, where she will serve as a reliable "superfriend".

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Experimental Augury

Proliferate mechanic will play a huge role in the new standard meta, since poison counters will quickly become a new win condition.

Experimental Augury looks highly exploitable even without the Proliferate clause, and it has quickly become the best and most sought out instant spell in Phyrexia: All Will Be One.

Although it is much better than Anticipate, it won't see much play beyond the specifically poison-based archetypes.

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Mondrak, Glory Dominus

What you see here is an indestructible Anointed Procession on a stick, which is a very powerful effect regardless of the format, but it will see play only in specifically token-based decks.

Of course, there are plenty of other alternatives in standard and in white color, but the indestructible ability makes it very appealing between its cost and the fact that you can easily sacrifice two token creatures that you've just created with Mondrak.

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Skrelv, Defector Mite

Here is another Phyrexian creature that grants protection, but this time in the fashion of Mother of Runes, which specifically protects from a single chosen color.

This will be a great and welcome addition to any posion-based deck that would want to defend some of its most important pieces on the table. Its only drawback is that it can't block, which is a serious downside.

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The Filigree Sylex

The Filigree Sylex is not simply an effective removal spell, but a somewhat better Ratchet Bomb.

As soon as it enters the battlefield, you can immediately put an oil counter on it and on the next turn, wipe all 1-cost nonland permanents from the board. On top of that, it has the ability to smash an opponent with 10 damage, albeit the set up may take a while.

You'll mostly see it in control decks that need something like this in order to remove all the cheap aggressive creatures.

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Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus

Tekuthal is another piece for poison counters archetype that will swarm standard this season.

The double Proliferate is as good as it gets, and then you have the option to make it indestructible. Taking into account that it's also a flying creature, it makes a fantastic blocker as well.

Exile removal spells will be in huge demand this season, as there is simply no other way to remove creatures like Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus.

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Exuberant Fuseling

Oil counters will make an impact this meta, although not as much as poison counters.

This is a great example of a new oil-based red aggro archetype, which can use Thundering Raiju, which feeds on modified creatures such Exuberant Fuseling, as well as Cacophony Scamp that can increase the number of oil counters on it.

This also works with the Filigree Sylex's final ability when one needs to finish the job quickly.

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Nissa, Ascended Animist

A new Nissa planeswalker is a real treat for mono green stompy decks with Awaken the Woods, as you can use Dryad lands to ramp into her ultimate ability and give them a powerful boost, as all these lands are also forests.

Even if you play her for 5 mana and simply use the first active ability, it's still worthwhile as the solid planeswalker and a 6/6 creature token in a single turn are both great.

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Mindsplice Apparatus

Everybody remembers As Foretold from the Amonkhet set that made your spells cheaper by the turn. This artifact does the same but with instants and sorceries, which could be a real game changer for Izzet decks.

Since there are plenty of tools that allow to quickly increase the number of oil counters in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, it does look like Mindsplice Apparatus could have a solid impact on the upcoming standard meta.

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Evolving Adaptive

What makes this little warrior interesting is the ability to increase power if you play another creature with higher toughness. This actually opens up doors to some cool combos that have not been accessible in standard before.

All this points out to one thing: making Evolving Adaptive grow quickly will be no trouble, especially with the re-introduction of the Proliferate mechanic. You can basically make it bigger each turn by more than one counter.

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Gleeful Demolition

This little sorcery will not be played in your main deck, but will gladly enter the sideboard strategy of any red deck.

Being able to destroy a powerful artifact for just 1 mana is a really good deal, and the ability to create some tokens by sacrificing one of your own is a nice flexible touch.

The fact the tokens are goblins makes it almost an instant sideboard choice for Goblin Tribal decks in standard.

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Tyvar's Stand

We haven't seen some really good combat tricks until now, but Tyvar's Stand breaks the cycle, and emerges as one of the most interesting instant spells for competitive standard.

It will see play in various green decks and not just mono green stompy, and may even be included in other colored decks that can generate a single green mana to pay its cost.

Those are the best 15 cards in MtG's Phyrexia: All Will Be One set. In addition to this list of the best Phyrexia: All Will Be One cards for standard, be sure to check out our other MtG guides and card lists here. 

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