Deck Guide: Temur Treasures in Standard

Last updated on December 22, 2022

Magda, Brazen Outlaw | Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak

This year’s MTG World Championship was without a doubt polarized between aggro and control. Yuta Takahashi was the winner in the end with a surprising 10-0 run with Izzet () Dragons, proclaiming himself the unbeaten Standard player of the event.

But despite Yuta’s dominance, another player made an impressive run with an off-meta deck: Jean-Emmanuel Depraz caught everyone by surprise with his Temur () Treasures deck. Was it a good meta decision, or is the deck a dominant force on its own? I’ll find out today and uncover this deck’s secrets.

Let’s get started!

The Deck

Jaspera Sentinel | Illustrated by Raoul Vitale

The Strategy

The deck may look like a Gruul () Aggro build with a couple of counters at first glance. It is, but there’s a reason it joined a meta dominated by Izzet Dragons and Grixis () Control.

This list aims to pressure your opponent in the early stages of the game with a solid plan for the later stages. Your primary strategy is to resolve an early Esika's Chariot and close the game quickly.

How is this possible? Let’s find out.

The Creatures

Ramp Package

This deck runs a total of twelve creatures that ramp you in no time to cast your best spells. The main ones responsible for this are Jaspera Sentinel and Magda, Brazen Outlaw which can add two mana per activation combined. What does this mean in practice?

Not only can ramp into a turn 3 Esika's Chariot, but you can also potentially ramp into five mana so you can cast an unscheduled Goldspan Dragon. This is huge to pressure opponents that may have stumbled on early turns, especially on the draw.

Prosperous Innkeeper also joins the task of creating Treasures and keeps you healthy since you get some life every time a creature enters the battlefield. Its impact on the board isn’t as significant as the others but the added value earned it a spot in the deck.

Threat Package

What about the rest?

Since this is technically a beatdown deck, it makes sense to run potent threats like Reckless Stormseeker, Moonveil Regent, and Goldspan Dragon.

Stormseeker is the cheaper of the three but it’s a powerhouse on its own. Its backside especially can give haste and trample to itself or any other creature. Even on its front side, giving haste to a creature is a big deal for an aggro deck.

Regent is a big flier that can be cast early. More importantly, its main ability prevents you from running out of gas since it can cascade into a seemingly endless stream of cards. If that isn’t enough it has a second ability that punishes your opponent if they get rid of it since their permanents take more damage the more colors you have on the battlefield.

Finally you have a creature that already proved its value, Goldspan, filling the final creature slot.

Pseudo-Creature Spells

The deck runs pseudo-creature cards in the form of Esika's Chariot and Ranger Class. These have the potential to generate multiple creatures throughout the game.

The class goes beyond just generating tokens. Its second ability can pump one of your creatures during attacks, which is crucial in the middle-to-late game. Its last ability helps you dig through your deck in grindy matchups. Getting something to spend your extra mana generated from your first play is good, and Ranger Class is the perfect mana sink for it.

There’s not much to say about the Chariot aside from the fun fact that it can copy any token, including Treasures. It’s a powerhouse on its own, probably borderline ban material, so it makes sense for this deck to run it.

Interaction Spells

I’ve expressed how much I like the card design on Shatterskull Smashing and other modal double-faced lands that solve the mana flood and screw problem in the past. This one in particular is perfect for this deck given how many Treasure tokens you may end up generating in the long game.

Dragon's Fire is your removal of choice since you run seven giant fliers that increase the spell's firepower.

Last but not least, two humble copies of Negate are here to battle the control matchups. I’d probably swap them for two Burning Hands if you’re against an open field, though.

Lands

You have two copies of Den of the Bugbear and Lair of the Hydra each which serve as the manlands of the deck. The former benefits greatly from the Treasures you may have accumulated throughout the course of the game. Cragcrown Pathway, Barkchannel Pathway, and Riverglide Pathway are here to help cast your spells on a curve and ease the splash.

The deck mainly consists of green spells, so it only makes sense to run more Forests than Mountains. Given that you create so many Treasures, you don’t need to mess with your mana by adding Islands for the Negate or your sideboard.

Common Interactions

Esika's Chariot | Illustrated by Raoul Vitale

• As I mentioned earlier, Jaspera Sentinel and Magda, Brazen Outlaw can generate two mana when combined. You don’t need to spend your Treasure right away, so keep it around until you need it.
• Accumulating Treasures throughout the game is an excellent strategy, especially with Magda, Brazen Outlaw in play since its second ability lets you tutor for any dragon or artifact in your deck.
• Moonveil Regent’s first ability is key in the late game. Its second ability only triggers if you have other permanents around, meaning that its ability won’t trigger if the dragon is the only thing in play and it’s killed.
• Sometimes it’s better to attack with just your Esika's Chariot cat tokens than activating it if you suspect your opponent has removal, especially if you suspect an impending Burning Hands.
• Reckless Stormseeker can give any creature haste, but you have to crew Esika's Chariot before it attacks rather than at the beginning of the phase if you want to give it haste. Otherwise you lose the opportunity.

Sideboard Guide

Izzet Dragons Matchups

This match is in Izzet Dragons’ favor, but not by too much. You need to play around their Burning Hands post-sideboard and trim your ramp creatures to bring more impactful cards against them.

If you’re ahead, pressure them as much as you can. Reckless Stormseeker and Ranger Class are key here, so you should be prioritizing those on early turns. Goldspan Dragon can take over the late game but be aware that your opponent has dragons of their own so growing yours with Ranger Class is crucial. Tangletrap may seem niche, but it’s very good against Izzet Dragons’ win condition.

In

• +2 Briarbridge Tracker
• +2 Reckless Stormseeker
• +2 Kessig Naturalist
• +3 Tangletrap

Out

• -1 Dragon's Fire
• -4 Jaspera Sentinel
• -4 Prosperous Innkeeper

Grixis Epiphany Matchups

Another grindy matchup, but Grixis Epiphany doesn’t pressure you. Instead they try to pull off the Alrund's Epiphany plus Galvanic Iteration, combo, so you have more room to make different plays.

Disdainful Stroke is vital in this matchup if your opponent tries to cast a natural Alrund's Epiphany. It also deals with their other enablers like Lier, Disciple of the Drowned that are otherwise unkillable.

Reckless Stormseeker is the best card against this deck so you want to sideboard it in as well. Briarbridge Tracker is naturally a big guy that provides you with card advantage even if it dies.

In

• +2 Briarbridge Tracker
• +2 Reckless Stormseeker
• +2 Disdainful Stroke

Out

• -1 Prosperous Innkeeper
• -1 Jaspera Sentinel
• -2 Moonveil Regent
• -2 Negate

Mono Green Aggro Matchups

This matchup can go either way if it’s not handled carefully. You have stronger starts thanks to your mana enablers in theory, but mono green aggro runs creatures that are naturally bigger than yours. They also have access to Wrenn and Seven whose tokens easily stop your dragons.

Negate is key in this matchup, though you’ll feel a bit unfavored 1 game 1. The match turns in your favor after that since you have access to four Burning Hands post-sideboard. Make sure to watch out for Blizzard Brawl since it’ll ruin your kill-their-creatures plan and get you 2-for1’ed.

In

• +4 Burning Hands

Out

• -2 Reckless Stormseeker
• -1 Jaspera Sentinel
• -1 Prosperous Innkeeper

Other Cards to Try

Wrenn and Seven

If you’re looking for other win conditions, Wrenn and Seven is by far one of the better options you have available. It’s not very popular in this version of the deck, but it can catch lots of players off guard. It’s also particularly good against the Izzet Dragons deck that are rising in popularity thanks to the World Championships.

Test of Talents

If you’re bored playing against Alrund's Epiphany decks, Test of Talents is a solid answer. If you counter the first Epiphany, you won’t have to worry about a second one.

Play with Fire

If your mana accelerators are dead and you just want a pseudo-burn spell to quickly kill your opponent, or maybe you’re facing the popular mono white aggro deck that runs small, value-providing creatures. Play with Fire outperforms in those matchups, and it might even be worth it to slot some copies into your sideboard.

Burn Down the House

I wouldn’t play many copies of Burn Down the House, but it’s good against green and white decks in general. Plus, three little Devils are always happy to help you defeat your opponents if you’re ahead.

Outland Liberator / Frenzied Trapbreaker

Last but not least, Outland Liberator is good against Esika's Chariot and Ranger Class in theory, but it’s not being played that much. It’s still potentially worth a slot or two if you see a lot of them.

Wrap Up

Goldspan Dragon | Illustrated by Andrew Mar

So what’s the verdict? Is Temur Treasures a good deck?

I found multiple versions of this deck making 5-0’s on MTGO Leagues, numerous top 8 finishes in paper and online events, and his deck managed to win the Standard Challenge at the beginning of October. This deck is a solid strategy that can be tuned according to the metagame.

What do you think? What changes would you make for a better version of this build? Did you enjoy watching it in action at the Worlds? Please let me know in the comments! And don’t forget to grab Arena Tutor if you’re playing on MTGA a lot and want a free app to track your matches.

As always, take care and have a good one!