The Throne of Eldraine Set Revealed: Highlights from the MTG Arena Early Access Event
The Throne of Eldraine (ELD) set is set to make a major impact on the Standard metagame when it is released on September 26th via MTG Arena. During the recent MTGA early access event, dozens of Magic: The Gathering streamers, including seasoned pros, had the opportunity to test out the new set. The results were impressive, with various archetypes and standout cards emerging. Let’s take a closer look at some of the biggest takeaways from the event.
Domination of ELD Cards
The MTGA early access event provided players with the chance to test out the most anticipated cards and strategies from the set. Some of these cards lived up to the hype, while others fell short. For example, Torbran, Thane of Fell played a significant role in elevating the Mono-Red aggro deck. Additionally, cards like Bonecrusher Giant, Fervent Champion, Robber of the Rich, and Fires of Invention showcased their power and generated strong results in a variety of decks. Mono-Black also gained a staple in Murderous Rider, which is predicted to become the new Ravenous Chupacabra in Standard. Rankle, Master of Pranks and Ayara, First of Lochthwain also showed promise in Black-based strategies. In the Green color, Lovestruck Beast outperformed the highly-anticipated Questing Beast, and Gilded Goose proved to be a dominant force when paired with Oko, Thief of Crowns.
ELD Cards That Fell Short
Not every card lived up to the expectations placed upon them. Once Upon a Time, for example, did not have the overwhelming impact that many had predicted. Similarly, The Royal Scions, one of the planeswalkers in the ELD set, did not match the overall advantage of cantrip and slowed down gameplay in most decks.
Top Performing Decks
Aggro decks typically perform well in the early stages of a set release. During the MTGA early access event, several archetypes stood out, including Brian Braun-Duin’s five-color Fires on Invention deck, Simic Flash, and Bant Ramp. Players like Brad Nelson, Caleb Durward, and Emma Handy showcased their skills and success with these decks.
Jank Builds
While developing top-tier decks is fun, playing unconventional and janky decks can also be a blast. Ali Eldrazi’s Happy Ending Bant deck exemplified this creativity and showcased his deckbuilding skills during the event.
Increased Viewership Despite WotC Failings
Despite Wizards of the Coast’s lackluster promotion and failure to host streamers on its Twitch channel, the MTG streamers and pros participating in the early access event successfully increased viewership on Twitch. Their preparation and engagement with viewers led to peak viewership of over 1,000 viewers on average. It became evident that outsourcing marketing efforts to Magic streamers would be a viable solution for future events.
Throne of Eldraine, MTG Arena, ELD set, Magic: The Gathering, early access event, archetypes, cards, dominate, aggro, control, Torbran, Bonecrusher Giant, Fervent Champion, Robber of the Rich, Fires of Invention, Murderous Rider, Rankle, Ayara, Lovestruck Beast, Gilded Goose, Oko, Standard metagame, Once Upon a Time, The Royal Scions, top performing decks, Simic Flash, Bant Ramp, jank builds, viewership, marketing.