Yesterday, Festival of the Fae, a three-part event taking place on Magic: The Gathering Arena, kicked off with The Artisan Market, which tasks players with building 60-card Standard decks using only Commons and Uncommons. Wins in The Artisan Market reward players with several Showcase card styles from Magic: The Gathering's Throne of Eldraine set, and many players are sure to want to add these cosmetics to their collections. Indeed, the purpose of this article is to assist these players by offering a number of solid MTG Artisan decks to consider.
To note, there are several cards banned in Magic: The Gathering Arena's Artisan format, and they will not be included in any of the decklists featured here as a result. Specifically, the banned cards are Cauldron Familiar, Cavalcade of Calamity, Gates Ablaze, and Persistent Petitioners.
Artisan Izzet
10 Island (ANA) 62
4 Opt (ELD) 59
4 Radical Idea (GRN) 52
9 Mountain (ANA) 64
4 Faerie Vandal (ELD) 45
4 Thrill of Possibility (ELD) 146
4 Improbable Alliance (ELD) 193
3 Chemister's Insight (GRN) 32
4 Hypothesizzle (GRN) 178
4 Swiftwater Cliffs (M20) 252
3 Merchant of the Vale (ELD) 131
3 Crackling Drake (GRN) 163
4 Flame Sweep (M20) 139
While this blue-red Artisan deck, which was shared by Reddit user DisgracePT, may not be strong enough to compete in Magic Arena's Historic format, it is still perfect for players that like to draw cards. Featuring a myriad of ways for fans to quickly churn through their libraries, this deck gives players frequent access to their one-sided sweeper, Flame Sweep, and creates giant Faerie Vandals and Crackling Drakes in the process.
Artisan Boros Knights
4 Venerable Knight (ELD) 35
4 Weaselback Redcap (ELD) 148
4 Inspiring Veteran (ELD) 194
4 Skyknight Vanguard (M20) 218
4 Rimrock Knight (ELD) 137
2 Heraldic Banner (ELD) 222
4 Skyknight Legionnaire (GRN) 198
2 Cosmotronic Wave (GRN) 95
2 Conclave Tribunal (GRN) 6
6 Mountain (ELD) 262
8 Plains (ELD) 250
4 Wind-Scarred Crag (M20) 260
4 Integrity // Intervention (GRN) 227
4 Tournament Grounds (ELD) 248
4 Goblin Banneret (GRN) 102
This synergistic Artisan deck, which was shared by Reddit user Uries_Frostmourne, is great for fans that are looking to beat down during the Festival of the Fae. Featuring a critical mass of aggressive Magic: The Gathering creatures, backed up by a small suite of removal, this red-white Knights deck looks to go under midrange and controls strategies and end matches quickly.
Artisan Mono Black
4 Ob Nixilis's Cruelty (WAR) 101
23 Swamp (ROE) 237
4 Ill-Gotten Inheritance (RNA) 77
4 Murder (M20) 109
3 Cry of the Carnarium (RNA) 70
4 Disfigure (M20) 95
4 Covetous Urge (ELD) 207
4 Revenge of Ravens (ELD) 104
4 Foulmire Knight (ELD) 90
4 Burglar Rat (GRN) 64
1 Meteor Golem (M19) 241
1 God-Pharaoh's Statue (WAR) 238
This mono-black Artisan deck was shared by Reddit user Cryael, and it looks to pray on creature-heavy decks. Described by the creator as a "prison" strategy, this deck focuses on controlling the board with removal spells and attacking the opponent's hand with discard. As far as win conditions, a suite of Enchantments do the heavy lifting while the players uses cards from Throne of Eldraine and beyond to grind their foe's resources into dust.
For fans that are looking to take a break from Magic: The Gathering's Standard format, this temporary Artisan event may be just what the doctor ordered. Certainly, the decks presented here are just a few of the viable strategies that players can take into battle, but with the event set to end on November 6, there is not a great deal of time left for fans to brew and earn those featured Showcase card styles.
Magic: The Gathering Arena is available now on PC.