Fifty (Forty) Decklists for Zendikar Rising, Part Two

Here comes decklists 26-40, with a lot more Uro! I was going to hit 50 but wasn't very well the past few days so went for 40 instead. I'll put the ten ideas I haven't put time into at the bottom!

26. Sultai Landfall - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/d166f9aa-423d-444f-b857-2614a3208471

Uro is obviously going to be one of the major stressors on the upcoming Standard format. Nissa of Shadowed Boughs is a quite strong card (though I need more convincing that it's a key card in the new standard). Together with other interaction and threats (along with a nice helping of spell lands for consistency) they support a reasonable midrange pile like this one. Though I don't think this will be even close to as dominant as Sultai Midrange was in the final weeks of Core Set 2021 Standard, I think this is worth more than just a passing look, despite the far-from-incomplete mana base.

27. Sultai Kicker - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/fc82af81-5f1f-46f5-a22c-628950b9081c

Another Sultai deck that looks solid but lacks good mana (though Throne of Makindi is an excellent ramp-land for the kicker decks), building this has persuaded me that Coralhelm Chronicler is quite good. Not only does it do a nice Rogue Refiner impression here (a three mana body that replaces itself and is mechanic-supporting) but the looting trigger is excellent with Jolrael, and maybe the deck wants more copies of her. On top of all that, Sea Gate Stormcaller and Verazol provide extra utility as well as late-game power, which makes this deck feel good in both the early and late game.

28. Simic Kicker - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/a3ef0059-88fa-477a-906c-47771eedcf49

The black splash in the above Sultai Kicker list is quite small but may well be necessary to gain access to good removal like Bloodchief's Thirst. However, the mana can be improved (at least somewhat) and the existence of good removal can be somewhat replaced just in blue and green, by adding Khalni Ambush to the deck. Though it's a fight spell rather than a Rabid Bite type effect,

29. Golgari Landfall Midrange - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/0e01e739-7a29-4403-aac6-afed42f6cf2e

Another list longing for better mana - it's going to be worth revisiting so many things once we get the rest of the flip duals. With 17 spell lands and 19 other lands, this deck should never have mana problems in any direction, and the removal plus threats package here seems solid. Scute Swarm is an interesting way to extend into the late game, acting as a three mana (and much worse, but that's probably sensible) Field of the Dead. 

30. Gruul Landfall Aggro - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/259b423a-a582-47cb-a948-86710c34f2ea

This is another archetype I'm sure will be good when the right build is found. This is roughly where I'd start (more copies of some/all of the legendary creatures might end up being worthwhile, especially Questing Beast) - Embercleave and creatures that can get big is an obvious strategy, and it's possible that Skyclave Geopede might slot into a mono-red deck (especially since such a deck is very close to this one).

31. Naya Landfall Equipment Aggro - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/309fa9a8-b436-4135-89d3-dfdde689b832

The perfect Naya manabase meets the nice selection of equipment and is tied together with Nahiri, Heir to the Ancients. Though I'm still not sold on her (or any of the new planeswalkers) this could be a place that she makes it.

32. Mono-Green Stompy - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/7be97e70-8306-470a-bad2-bcc2ae29a6db

This is incredibly straightforward, but most of these cards were the key pieces of a top deck in the Standard we're just leaving. Pelt Collector is a big loss with no replacement, but "mana agency" (a term I am coining to mean the flexibility you get from the spell lands) plus the ability to be a bigger "stompy" deck make this a very attractive week one deck.

33. Temur Stormcaller Adventures - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/9db10f15-8527-42c5-9798-703a534bbbea

I bet you've never seen this before. All the important Temur Adventures cards survive rotation, and the deck gets Sea Gate Stormcaller to fit into those last few slots that the deck previously had to run random interaction in, which was always something I thought the deck was missing (since most of the meaningful interaction it could want is tied into the adventures/wishboard). I'm really high on Stormcaller, and I know not everyone is, but this is one of the better homes for it.

34. Temur Lukka Kinnan - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/8a5763b9-2e79-4a79-9283-cc7801872113

Lukka, Coppercoat Outcast is a card that has not been explored nearly enough since its printing. After the advent of the broken Jeskai Lukka Fires with the old companion rule (which was what? Nine years ago?), the walker hasn't seen the light of day in Standard, and there aren't many tools to make him especially good from Zendikar Rising. In building this deck I set out to maximise the other parts of Lukka alongside the polymorph; mainly including 28 creatures to make Lukka's plus almost always at least "draw a card". 

For the creature package, I've opted for the 12 2-drop mana dorks and 12 7-mana payoffs, with Kinnan and Lukka as glue that let you cheat out the big creatures with help from the small ones. The spell lands help give a use for all the extra mana generated by Nyxbloom Ancient, and both Cragplate Baloth and Yidaro are large hasty tramplers that come in with both Lukka and Kinnan and close out the game.

35. Colorless Aggro - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/a30aad60-e627-4417-9046-c4c47110d535

The colored cards here are just to fill the deck. I chose blue for the artifact synergies with Emry and Animating Faerie but really, the colorless shell is strong enough that I think another colour - perhaps black for removal - would work just as well. The tiny Jegantha bonus is quite cool, and an excellent example of the rewards that can be reaped from the little opportunity cost the new dual lands require.

Historic 

36. Bladewing Combo - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/2af220c4-9ca8-4cf0-8c15-de2a220c2109

Historic is the newfangled format that I haven't really gotten my head around, but this is a sweet option for those looking for something different. Bladewing the Risen (which is apparently in Historic) combos nicely with Body Double, allowing you to get infinite enters-the-battlefield and dies triggers. It's possible to utilise this with something like Blood Artist, but Selhoff Occultist is a rogue, making it possible to play it, then cast Thwart the grave to reanimate the combo, and then mill your opponent! A wild idea, but definitely one worth exploring. I probably missed something big with the bizarre Historic card pool.

Pioneer

37. Colorless Eldrazi - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/6e45441e-523f-4800-ad98-e40c51ad01f3

Forsaken Monument is fundamentally broken. I don't know if it'll ever have a good shell in any format (and I guess some people would argue "broken" only applies to things that people have found the right deck for) but I'm going to throw it into every format I can. Mirari's Wake is a historically (and is legal there, apparently) broken card and this is wildly better for colorless decks. Black was the colour of choice here, but like in Standard, you could justify it with basically any colour in Pioneer.

38. Dimir Lurrus - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/19afe739-c6eb-4cca-ac47-92f3df7fd3f3

I'm so excited to try this one out. It's possible that I'm overrating Sea Gate Stormcaller in Lurrus decks, and here is no different. Thing in the Ice is the biggest gain from moving up to Pioneer, giving you a threat that kills the game quickly that can be played with Lurrus that also lets you rebuy your Stormcallers for further value. Collective Brutality is really cool when copied since it keeps any escalation, allowing for large blowouts around turn four (especially with a Thing in the Ice in play).

39. Abzan 12-Scales - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/3d4e1cd8-58f9-4f15-b5cf-4b49404949f7

This is something I've been thinking about since the release of Core Set 2021, but with the Walking Ballista ban there wasn't enough counter-making payoff (that was any good). That might have changed with the advent of Luminarch Aspirant and Swarm Shambler, two cards I have a high opinion of. Being able to run twelve copies of the Hardened Scales effect (eight of which can attack themselves) and a bunch of payoffs, while still getting access to Lurrus, makes me want to give this one at least a fair attempt.

Modern

40. 8-Shadow - https://scryfall.com/@Teskeract/decks/3c4c4464-d04c-403b-8c40-89eeb21ebae9

Not the most revolutionary idea (I don't think I saw anyone not compare Scourge of the Skyclaves to Death's Shadow) but combining the eight "Shadow" creatures with an aggressive and disruptive strategy (utilising Monastery Swiftspear to lean more heavily into the aggressive nook) is a new interpretation of a deck with a lot of pedigree.

And that's everything! My other ideas were:

Standard

4c Jolrael Uro Omnath

Azorius Crab Auras

Selesnya Setessan Champion Bogles

Orzhov Clerics

Abzan Yorion Doom Foretold

Pioneer

Azorius Control with lots of fliplands

Thassa's Oracle + Balustrade Spy + A lot of fliplands

Colossus Hammer + Thieving Skydiver

Mono-Black Vampires with Nullpriest of Oblivion and Nighthawk Scavenger

Modern

Kiki-Jiki Party with Thwart the Grave and Zealous Conscripts

 If you want to hear more about a particular idea, feel free to let me know via my twitter account @Teskeract!