Core Set 2020 Prerelease is next week, and the spoilers are all out! There are just a lot of good cards that might be utilized by various Standard decks!
I Have 20-20 Vision Because I See Good Cards!
Pardon the pun, but I just had to. Core Set 2020 looks good as an unopened box of Japanese WAR of the Spark Booster boxes.
And out of the 280 cards, I’ve selected my own top 10 cards that might be utilized in Standard.
Now, this article is merely my opinion, so feel free to provide some rebuttals and arguments in the comment section below.
Also note that the list is in no particular order as well.
Top 10 Cards for Mainboards
Mu Yanling, Sky Dancer
I’m definitely seeing this card being played in decks such as Mono-Blue Tempo and Izzet Phoenix.
It can defend itself against flyers by giving them a -2/-0 and can churn out a 4/4 flyer that’s just too strong to ignore.
Vivien, Arkbow Ranger
Ah, yes, another Vivien planeswalker, and I think this is the best one yet. Being 1-mana cheaper than Vivien Reid, its power levels and utility provides a lot of value.
Giving your creatures counters and trample (until end of turn), a removal, and a fetch ability makes it a good addition for Gruul Midrange and Bant Ramp.
Chandra, Awakened Inferno
This is one planeswalker that can’t be countered. At 6-mana, it’s a guaranteed late drop that churns out emblems and a Lava Coil-like ability that also removes Planeswalkers.
Ajani, Strength of the Pride
If there’s a card that could make the White Weenie deck stronger, it’s this one.
Ajani, Strength of the Pride makes you gain life and churns out Ajani’s Pridemate tokens that grow every time you gain life.
On top of that, it’s a 4-to-cast board wipe that hits creatures and artifacts your opponents control.
Planar Cleansing
It’s a board wipe. Nothing more. Although it’s heavy on White mana, it can still find a place in decks like Esper Control.
Lotus Fields
Sacrifice two land when it enters the battlefield, but it does get you some decent mana-fixing by producing 3 mana of any one color.
This might find a place in ramp decks and control decks for additional speed, but I could also see this getting played in some aggro decks.
Dungeon Geists
It’s a Somnophore-like card that taps a creature permanently (or long enough while Dungeon Geists is in play).
It costs the same as Somnophore, but is stronger and tougher by 1, and doesn’t need to deal combat damage to lock out a creature.
Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord
I still get the feeling that White Weenie might turn into Orzhov Aggro, or some other variation, and this card might just give it the support it needs.
While I don’t think Vampire tribal will be a thing any time soon, its ability to give deathtouch and lifelink gives you a strong defender to take out even the most annoying creatures such as Nullhide Ferox and Carnage Tyrant.
Shared Summons
A card that fetches any creatures for 5-mana at Instant speed is a creature-heavy deck’s best friend.
While it can’t get you the same card, it’s still too powerful to not use it in a green midrange or stompy deck.
Voracious Hydra
Voracious Hydra is a big bad monster that has an ETB that can make it stronger or remove a creature.
I would gladly run a copy or two in my Gruul Midrange deck.
Top 10 Cards for Sideboards
Leyline of Sanctity
This card is definitely a Burn deck’s worst nightmare, and this is why I think Mono-Red Aggro might die off come Core Set 2020.
And it’s not only Mono-Red that’ll have a hard time going against this card, but any deck that relies heavily on targeting the player.
Leyline of Abundance
This is more of a support card than anything for Bant Ramp and Gruul Midrange, especially when they’re up against Control decks.
The speed it provides by letting your dorks provide additional mana is the best way to dictate tempo in the postboarded rounds.
And it just pumps out your creatures too for 8-mana.
Leyline of the Void
Okay, much like Leyline of Sanctity, this one also hits a particular deck: Izzet Phoenix. Its ability to exile cards the moment it’s discarded kills the Phoenix’s engine and thus making it less effective.
Leyline of Combustion
Leyline of Combustion taxes your opponents by dealing 2 damage any time you and your permanents become the targets of spells or abilities.
I don’t think I need to explain it further. This card is threatening enough against Control decks and may find its place in Phoenix decks and Mono-Red (if it survives).
Rienne, Angel of Rebirth
Rienne is a good sideboard option to prevent your multi-colored creatures from being sent straight to the graveyard.
It’s a 5/4 flyer that gives your multi-colored creatures +1/+0 as well.
Jeskai Aggro might not be a thing, but it’s certainly a good card to have around for Boros Feather decks.
Shifting Ceratops
A card that has protection from blue that can give itself, Trample, Reach, or Haste (or all three) is going to be a pain in the behind for Blue-based Control decks.
Flood of Tears
Flood of Tears is a good card against decks that go wide or go fast, especially against Token, Midrange, and Stompy decks.
For 6-mana, it also allows you to put a card into the battlefield if you return at least 4 nontoken permanents.
This might synergize well with Leyline of Anticipation so you can play it at Instant speed.
Tale’s End
Quite a handy spell to have around if you weren’t able to counter your opponent’s win conditions, so it may be useful against PW-heavy decks.
It can also counter Legendary spells so it’s kind of like a better alternative for Negate.
Scheming Symmetry
Black’s version of Opt, minus the card draw and scry. Except that it’s a lot more potent because you can search for certain cards to guarantee drawing it at the next turn (or at the soonest time possible).
Legion’s End
This may be a worst version of Lost Legacy, but it is useful against cripping Ramp and Midrange decks by going after their mana dorks and removing copies of it permanently.
The list that I’ve created is not the end-all, be-all of what’s going to see play in Standard, but I am pretty confident that we’ll be seeing these cards more often than the others.
Check Out The Mana Source’s Own Take on Their Best Core Set 2020 Cards!
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