Welcome to the Daily Dose of Shadows Over Innistrad! Today we will be talking about the ten cards from Fate Reforged that players will be missing the most come April 8th when Shadows Over Innistrad is released. With two sets rotating out (Khans of Tarkir, Fate Reforged) and one set rotating in (Shadows Over Innistrad), the card pool will be a lot smaller after these cards are removed from the Standard Format. Let’s have a look at those cards and possible replacements for them.
Sometimes known as the Black Tarmogoyf, this potentially mana cheap 4/5 creature will be missed. Tasigur’s ability to get you card advantage will be hard to replace, but if you are looking for a 4/5 with some added bonuses definitely check out Sylvan Advocate.
A two-mana Lifelink 2/2 creature by itself isn’t too bad. This special creature allows you to gain life for all of your damage spells. Needless to say, there will not be a replacement card when this rotates out.
This Figure of Destiny-like creature is definitely something that Abzan Aggro will be missing come April. Look for Sylvan Advocate to fill this void as well.
This recurring card advantage for Red often gave them the card advantage needed to take over the game. Look for cards like Chandra, Flamecaller and Abbot of Keral Keep to be used more to gain that advantage.
One of the best sideboard cards against Mono Red decks. This card might not be missed too much as a lot of cards used to make Atarka Red and Mono Red decks strong will be rotating out of the format like Monastery Swiftspear and Temur Battle Rage. Could be missed if Blue-Red Prowess decks start to appear more often.
This finisher in Red aggro decks will make it harder for those types of decks to finish off an opponent. There’s nothing out there at the moment that can combo out like this card at the moment.
A card that has its own deck named after it will surely make a huge impact once rotated out of Standard. Whether it be three, four, or even five-color variations, Rally the Ancestors was the key card that could win you a game out of nowhere. Standard players will have to stick to using Collected Company for now.
Although not as powerful as say, Lightning Bolt is, it is one card that was in the format for one-mana that did damage to both creature or to your opponent. Although a lot of players are more worried about creatures in the early game, they will have to continue to use Fiery Impulse for that early removal.
Although not Damnation, Black mages will still have to have a board sweeper they could call their own. With Crux of Fate and End Hostilities rotating out, it will be up to Planar Outburst or red damage sweepers to clear the way. With a lot of five-toughness creatures leaving the format, look for Languish to start to see more play.
Standard Eldrazi decks will be missing this ultimate finisher. Eldrazi decks will have to look to their other finishers like World Breaker, Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, and Kozilek, the Great Distortion.
Like Khans of Tarkir, Fate Reforged will provide each current Standard deck with a giant hole that will need to be filled. With less cards in the format this will be a challenge worthy of deck builders. Will certain cards from Magic Origins, Battle for Zendikar, and Oath of the Gatewatch start to see more play. Or will it be the new cards on the block from Shadows Over Innistrad that will shape the format. Only time will tell.
Thanks again for reading the Daily Dose of Shadows Over Innistrad and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow for some more talk about the exciting new set coming out on April 8th.
