Flying creatures can be a pain. Whether these are pesky 1/1 fliers or a giant 5/5 angel swinging at you from the air, it is always a daunting task to defend against these creatures. That is why flying decks are becoming more popular in the arena due to the fact that not a lot of creatures have reached, which increases the threat of an aerial attack. This list compiles the best decks that use fliers in the current meta.
5. Mono White Angels
Angels are associated with the color white since they are often seen as good and pure. This is why one of the best decks that uses flying creatures is mono white angels. It’s ability to deal damage from the air coupled with its ability to protect its creatures, makes it a great deck in Standard
What this deck excels in:
- Typically, flying creatures can be easily removed, however, with this deck, it gives the opportunity to protect your own battlefield through cards like Serra Paragon which essentially gives your other creatures a second chance to enter the battlefield
- This deck also deals with the opponent’s permanents quite easily as it can either exile or destroy them
- The presence of Elspeth and The Wandering Emperor increases the strength of this deck
Deck list:
- 2 Lunarch Veteran
- 2 Enduring Angel
- 2 Archangel of Wrath
- 2 Inspiring Overseer
- 2 Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
- 3 Phyrexian Missionary
- 3 Ambitious Farmhand
- 3 Serra Paragon
- 4 Giada, Font of Hope
- 2 March of Otherworldly Light
- 1 Farewell
- 1 Vanquish the Horde
- 2 Candletrap
- 4 Borrowed Time
- 1 Elspeth Resplendent
- 3 The Wandering Emperor
- 1 Swamp
- 1 Mountain
- 2 Wind-Scarred Crag
- 4 Obscura Storefront
- 4 Shattered Sanctum
- 11 Plains
4. Orzhov Angels
Despite their typical connotation that Angels are good, this deck showcases that even the good guys can be harmful. These angels deal their damage through the air and with the addition of black in the mana pool, you get access to Liesa, Forgotten Archangel which essentially gives your creatures an extra life.
What this deck excels in:
- It has the right balance of early game aggro and late-game bangers. Despite this being an Angels deck, it also has creatures that can help you deal with early game threats
Deck list:
- 1 Enduring Angel
- 1 Tenacious Underdog
- 1 Extraction Specialist
- 2 Sanctuary Warden
- 2 Sigardian Savior
- 2 Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
- 2 Serra Paragon
- 2 Archangel of Wrath
- 3 Giada, Font of Hope
- 4 Spirited Companion
- 4 Phyrexian Missionary
- 4 Inspiring Overseer
- 2 Reckoner Bankbuster
- 4 Infernal Grasp
- 2 The Wandering Emperor
- 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
- 1 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
- 4 Shattered Sanctum
- 4 Caves of Koilos
- 4 Swamp
- 10 Plains
3. Mono Red
It's well known that red decks are particularly combative. However, this Red iteration exploits tempo to outplay the opposition. You may easily switch from early-game aggro to late-game steamrolling with the help of cards like Shivan Devastator and Atsushi, the Blazing Sky.
What this deck excels in:
- When you play aggressively, you can put a lot of pressure on your opponent, forcing them to play more defensively.
- Once you've gotten the most out of your early-cast creatures, you can free up your opponent with aerial terror to let the job of dragons like Shivan Destroyer and Atsushi.
Deck list:
- 1 Shivan Devastator
- 1 Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
- 2 Squee, Dubious Monarch
- 3 Thundering Raiju
- 4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan
- 4 Phoenix Chick
- 4 Bloodthirsty Adversary
- 4 Radha's Firebrand
- 4 Reckless Stormseeker
- 4 Play with Fire
- 4 Lightning Strike
- 2 Hammerhand
- 23 Mountain
2. Rakdos Dragons
An enhanced version of the deck mentioned above is this Rakdos Dragons decklist. The enhancement is brought about by the inclusion of black mana, which allows for the casting of removal spells and makes your deck more effective versus the current meta.
What this deck excels in:
- It's an enhanced version of Mono Red. You can play removal spells with Rakdos, which can help you stay in the game longer.
- Additionally, these colors provide you access to more dragon cards, which can aid in dealing deadly damage with your flying monsters.
Deck list:
- 2 Shivan Devastator
- 2 Florian, Voldaren Scion
- 2 Junji, the Midnight Sky
- 3 Atsushi, the Blazing Sky
- 3 Moonveil Regent
- 3 Rivaz of the Claw
- 3 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
- 3 Tenacious Underdog
- 3 Evolved Sleeper
- 4 Bloodtithe Harvester
- 2 Abrade
- 2 Infernal Grasp
- 2 Cut Down
- 3 Voltage Surge
- 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
- 2 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
- 4 Sulfurous Springs
- 4 Haunted Ridge
- 5 Swamp
- 7 Mountain
1. Mono Blue Delver
This deck has a lot of counterspells and is instant-heavy. These spells make it simple to cast instants from the graveyard, allowing Haughty Djinn to increase the strength of its attacks. It is also basically a fliers deck since Delver of Secrets is a 3/2 flier when transformed.
What this deck excels in:
- The aggressive creatures and control-based noncreature spells in this deck work really well together. With so many counterspells, this deck can handle numerous threats even when competing with the best meta decks.
- You may cast your instants more readily thanks to Haughty Djinn because each one on the battlefield reduces the casting cost by one.
- As the game advances and you are able to cast more instants, the Djinn also enhances your attacking strength.
Deck list:
- 1 Ledger Shredder
- 1 Tolarian Terror
- 2 Faerie Vandal
- 4 Haughty Djinn
- 1 Essence Scatter
- 1 Syncopate
- 2 Essence Capture
- 2 March of Swirling Mist
- 3 Make Disappear
- 3 Ertai's Scorn
- 3 Impulse
- 3 Thirst for Discovery
- 3 Negate
- 4 Consider
- 4 Fading Hope
- 2 Combat Research
- 1 Otawara, Soaring City
- 21 Island
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