HOB Week 5 Meta Table

Since Week 2

What moved between Arstall’s Week 2 review (Aug 27) and Week 5

Bo1 matchup cycle

Arstall’s Week 2 read: each deck is beaten by the next one down.

Mono-White Aurasmost played and cheapest
beaten by
Jeskai Artifacts
beaten by
Temur Kona and 4-Color Reanimatorturn-4 combo
beaten by
Rakdos Flingthe Fling decks
beaten by
Mono-White Lifegain and Mono-White Aurasback to the top

Week 5 still fits: Rakdos Fling beats the combo decks and loses to Abzan Lifegain.

Lineup changes

Joined after Week 2

Selesnya RabbitsBo1Rakdos FlingBo1Boros DwarvesBo3Boros TokensBo3Azorius ControlBo3

Left after Week 2

Orzhov Skeletons Bo1 · a Mythic Mike build · top card Corpses of the Lost
Mono-White Lifegain Bo1 · tier 2 · payoff Essence Channeler
Mardu Discard Bo3 · Zonda, 1st place, Aug 15
Azorius Momo Bo3 · TrueHero, 3rd place, Aug 18 · added four Steamcore Scholar
Lifegain Bo3 · Traft, 1st place, Aug 14 · a full set of Raise the Past

Most played Bo3 deck

Mono-Green Landfall led in Week 2. Izzet Spellementals leads in Week 5.

List trends

Copies by week in the Izzet Spellementals main deck

Flow State

4W1

0W2

0W3

2W4

0W5

Traumatic Critique

2W1

3W2

3W3

3W4

4W5

Mono-Green Landfall: Mossborn Hydra moved from four in the sideboard to four in the main, Shared Roots went 0 to 3 and Glimpse the Core went 3 to 0.
Jeskai Artifacts: Castle Doom went 0 to 4, The Mind Stone 0 to 2 and Spring-Loaded Sawblades 4 to 2.
Dimir Excruciator: Archenemy's Charm went 0 to 2 and Cavern of Souls 1 to 2.
Same list since Week 2: Temur Kona, Sultai Reanimator, 4-Color Reanimator, Abzan Lifegain and Mono-White Auras.

Best of One

MTG Arena ladder · last week's win rates, top cards and Arstall's read · turn-4 decks set the pace

TimeDeckWin rate · matchesTop 3 cardsWhat Arstall says

Tier 1 · about 57%

00:00

Temur Kona

Same list since Week 2

Decklist on Moxfield

57.6%

50%60%

7,200 matches

North Wind Avatar

Get Kona, Rescue Beastie tapped, and its second-main-phase trigger puts Omniscience into play for free.
Finisher slot: North Wind Avatar, or Arstall's picks Terror of the Peaks and Extinguisher Battleship.
Skipping a finisher works too: a 4th Dispelling Exhale, then Marang River Regent bounces two permanents with a counter held up.

List vs week 4: no changes.

01:27

Sultai Reanimator

Same list since Week 2Small sample

Decklist on Moxfield

57%

50%60%

2,100 matches

Superior Spider-Man copies Bringer of the Last Gift from a graveyard. Other creatures get sacrificed, and creature cards already in graveyards return.
Formidable Speaker discards Bringer and tutors Spider-Man, like running eight Spider-Men.
It skips Terror of the Peaks and wins around turn 5 with less graveyard setup.

Back to the week 3 build, with these changes from week 4:

List

Commune with Beavers+1

Wastewood Verge−1 Deceit

Deceit−1

Wistfulness−1

Botanical Sanctum

Tier 2 · closer to 55%

02:41

Jeskai Artifacts

Decklist on Moxfield

55.7%

50%60%

21,000 matches

A tried and true list that depends on hitting United Battlefront and activating Repurposing Bay.
Authority of the Consuls climbed into its top 3 cards to help against aggro.
Biggest Bo1 sample this week at 21,000 matches.

List vs week 4: no changes.

03:25

4-Color Reanimator

Same list since Week 2

Decklist on Moxfield

55.6%

50%60%

13,000 matches

The same Spider-Man into Bringer combo, with Terror of the Peaks to win on the spot.
It needs a stocked graveyard, so Town Greeter joins its top 3 cards.
Arstall never crafted the mythics Deceit and Wistfulness and says the combo runs without them.

List vs week 4: no changes.

04:12

Selesnya Rabbits

New this weekSmall sample

Decklist on Moxfield

55.6%

50%60%

1,500 matches

New this week: aggro built to win by turn 4 and race the combo decks.
The deck wants Valley Mightcaller on turn 1, and Pawpatch Recruit punishes single-target removal.
Valley Questcaller pumps the team and scries. All three are older Bloomburrow cards that rotate in 2027.

There is no earlier list to compare.

05:20

Rakdos Fling

New since Week 2

Decklist on Moxfield

55.6%

50%60%

6,400 matches

Pump Slickshot Show-Off, then fling it with Burn Together, the adventure half of Callous Sell-Sword.
Full Bore rounds out the top 3, and the deck wins on turn 3.
That speed beats the combo decks, and it loses to Abzan Lifegain.

List vs week 4: no changes.

05:56

Abzan Lifegain

Same list since Week 2

Decklist on Moxfield

55.5%

50%60%

11,000 matches

Removal is its weakness, and the end-step card draw on Haliya, Guided by Light offsets it.
Amalia Benavides Aguirre is payoff and enabler in one card, and it rotates in 2027.
Hinterland Sanctifier rounds out the top 3, and the deck beats Rakdos Fling.

List vs week 4: no changes.

Budget pick · no stats read aloud

06:32

Mono-White Auras

BudgetSame list since Week 2

Decklist on Moxfield

No win rate or match count read aloud

Arstall's pick for players short on wildcards, since its top 3 cards are common or uncommon.
Rares like Spellbook Vendor have substitutes. Keep them for the full turn-4 clock.
Origin of Spider-Man reaches chapter III on turn 4 for double strike. Most of the deck rotates in 2027.

List vs week 4: no changes.

Best of Three

Tournament top finishes · what changed from the last list, and why

TimeDeck · pilotFinishCards to knowWhat changed and why

07:34

Izzet Spellementals

by fazparte

Most played

Decklist on Moxfield

1^st

MTGO · Sept 8

The most played Bo3 deck by a wide margin, and still climbing.
Zero Flow State reads as an aggro field. A slow meta shows four copies.

Main

Traumatic Critique4th copy+1 Get Out

Get Out+1

Spell Snare+1 Sear

Sear−2

Flow Statenow zero−1

Winternight Stories−1

Impractical Joke

Side

Shore Upvs spot removal+2

Spell Snarevs aggro+1

Disdainful Strokevs

Sunderflock,

Jeskai Revelation+1

Colorstorm Stallion4th copy, strong in the mirror−1

Hydro-Man, Fluid Felon−1

Ghost Vacuum−1 Get Out

Get Out−1

Ill-Timed Explosion−1

Soul-Guide Lantern−1

Ral, Crackling Wit

List note: the video mentions cutting a

Multiversal Passage, and the posted list runs two (61 cards).

09:42

Mono-Green Landfall

by yolad

Arstall's ladder deck

Decklist on Moxfield

1^st

Sept 9

Mossborn Hydra moves to the main. Sunderflock leaves this Elemental in play, and it grows past damage-based removal.
Arstall's ladder tech: Gigantic Big Bear plus Leatherhead, Swamp Stalker for hexproof threats against Izzet.

Main

Mossborn Hydrafrom the side+1

Keen-Eyed Curatorfrom the side+1

Sapling Nurseryvs control, Dimir Midrange+1

Shared Roots+1 Forest

Forest−1

Earthbender Ascensionweak vs Izzet−1

Mightform Harmonizer−1

Meltstrider's Resolve−1

Ba Sing Se−1

Snakeskin Veil−1

Demolition Field−1

Lumbering Worldwagonto the side−1

Surrak, Elusive Hunterto the side

Side

Soul-Guide Lanterngraveyard hate+1

Meltstrider's Resolve3 total, more aggro+1

Warg Tacticstrample and hexproof+1

Surrak, Elusive Hunterpunishes spot removal+1

Lumbering Worldwagonvs wrath decks−4

Mossborn Hydrato the main−1

Keen-Eyed Curatorto the main−2

Gigantic Big Bear−1

Snakeskin Veil

13:56

Dimir Midrange

by kthanakit26

Covered in past weeks

Decklist on Moxfield

1^st

Sept 1

4-ofs in the linked list

Same list as week 4, so Arstall skips it this week and points viewers to earlier coverage.

List vs week 4: no changes.

14:18

Boros Dwarves

by L1X0

New since Week 2

Decklist on Moxfield

1^st

Sept 4

4-ofs in the linked list

It runs the same list as last week. Arstall plans a deeper look during Reality Fracture.
Other Bo3 lists keep adding answers to it and to Boros Tokens.

List vs week 4: no changes.

14:39

4c Control

by Vlacho

Decklist on Moxfield

2^nd

RCQ · Sept 5

Two 4c builds keep placing. Vlacho runs the black-heavy build with Deadly Cover-Up, compared here with the week 1 list.
Inevitable Defeat goes to four copies, one of Arstall's main reasons to play the deck.

Main

Inevitable Defeatnow 4+1

Thor, God of Thunderthe second win condition+1

Shoot the Sheriff+1

Consult the Star Chartsnow 3+1

Mistrise Villagevs control+1

Watery Grave−1

Together as One−1

Undercity Sewers−1

Nowhere to Run−1 Duress

Duress−1

Pest Control−1

Spell Snare

Side

Negatevs control+2

Strategic Betrayalvs graveyard decks+1

Day of Judgmentvs Boros boards+1

Ancient Vendettavs one key threat−1

Thor, God of Thunderto the main−2

Sage of the Skies−1

Disdainful Stroke−1

Return the Favor−1

Riverchurn Monument

17:16

Dimir Excruciator

by tchuco

Decklist on Moxfield

2^nd

Sept 7

Earlier sweepers for Boros Tokens and Boros Dwarves.
Cavern of Souls comes back as more control shows up.

Main

Day of Black Sunfrom the side+2

Cavern of Souls+1

Harvester of Misery+1

Requiting Hexnow 4−2

Hidden Lair−1

Deadly Cover-Up−1 Duress

Duress−1

Bitter Triumph−1

M.O.D.O.K.better as a side card

Side

Oildeep Gearhulkvs aggro+2

Qarsi Revenantvs aggro+2

Quantum Riddlervs midrange, control+1

Harvester of Miseryvs wide boards+1

Ghost Vacuumgraveyard hate+1 Negate

Negatevs control+1 Duress

Duressvs control−3

Preacher of the Schism−2

Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel−2

Day of Black Sunto the main−1

Strategic Betrayal−1

Flashfreeze−1

Emeritus of Ideation

19:31

Azorius Control

by jtl005

New this week

Decklist on Moxfield

1^st

Sept 11

Its first appearance in this series, and Arstall expects a control meta in 2027.
Turn 3 Bender's Waterskin, turn 4 Emeritus of Ideation. The Waterskin untaps on their turn to pay for the Ancestral Recall copy.
Ugin, Eye of the Storms is the main win condition.