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Bant Airbending Flex Slots and Tech

1 requestsStarted 1/31/2026, 9:15:12 AM
what are some flex slot cards or even fringe cards I should consider playing in my standard Bant airbending deck, based on the current meta

I'll analyze the current Standard meta to identify flex slot and fringe cards that could be valuable in Bant Airbending based on what's performing well.

🛠️Get Meta Report

Great! Bant Airbending has a strong 57% winrate in the current meta. Now let me look at what cards are being played in the archetype and what the top decks in the meta are using that might be relevant tech:

🛠️Get Archetype Cards
🛠️Get Archetype Cards
🛠️Get Card Presence

Let me get more specific data about Bant Airbending's actual card list:

🛠️QueryTop Cards in Archetype Tournament Meta
🛠️QuerySideboard Card Popularity in Specific Archetype Decks

Based on the tournament data from the last 30 days, here are flex slot and fringe cards you should consider for Bant Airbending:

Mainboard Flex Options

Interaction/Tempo (10-24% presence):

  • Formidable Speaker (24%) - Strong value creature gaining traction
  • Seam Rip (20%) - Instant-speed removal that's seeing more main deck play
  • Quantum Riddler (20%) - Draw engine that some lists run, though less common in Airbending than other Simic decks
  • Gene Pollinator (19%) - Good with your mana dorks and combo pieces

Midrange Tools (5-12% presence):

  • Kutzil's Flanker (12%) - Protection for your key creatures
  • Oko, Lorwyn Liege (10%) - Strong planeswalker in the mirror and vs midrange
  • Voice of Victory (5%) - Resilient threat
  • Nature's Rhythm (5%) - Removal on a land adventure
  • Beza, the Bounding Spring (5%) - Instant-speed value piece
  • Werefox Bodyguard (5%) - Flexible removal creature

Counter-Meta Picks (<5% presence):

  • Spider Manifestation (2%) - Tech against flying-heavy decks
  • Tishana's Tidebinder (2%) - Great vs red-based aggro and spell-heavy decks
  • Get Lost (1.4%) - Clean exile removal
  • Spider-Sense (1.4%) - Protection/evasion

Sideboard Considerations

Your sideboard staples are Avatar's Wrath (56%), Seam Rip (52%), and Aven Interrupter (47%). Here are strong fringe options:

Graveyard Hate:

  • Rest in Peace (22%) - Nuclear option vs Reanimator (7% meta)
  • Soul-Guide Lantern (7%) - Softer but more flexible

Additional Interaction:

  • Wistfulness (12%) - Card selection
  • Spell Snare (4%) - With the meta full of 2-drops, this catches key spells
  • Negate (7%) - Clean counter for control/combo matchups
  • Disdainful Stroke (3%) - Hits big threats

Creature Options:

  • Surrak, Elusive Hunter (3%) - Uncounterable threat with haste
  • Glen Elendra Guardian (2%) - Repeatable counter on a body

Given the meta is 15% Izzet Lessons, 15% Simic Cub, 10% Jeskai Control, and 9% Dimir Midrange, prioritize interaction that handles both aggressive starts and value engines.

Sources

Data from 73 tournaments (56% Melee, 44% MTGO). Recent events: Standard Challenge 32, ReCQ Portland