The new set has officially dropped, and that means new tools for your favorite decks! One card that immediately caught my eye is Sunpearl Kirin—a potential multi-format all-star. Think of it like Bloodtithe Harvester: not flashy, but so solid you can’t imagine a deck without it. I think Sunpearl Kirin has that same kind of staying power.
There are plenty of homes for this card, but the most immediate—and arguably most exciting—are the various self-bounce decks that are, well, bouncing around the top tables in Standard right now.
🖤⚪ Orzhov Self-Bounce
Key Cards:
Sample Decklist:
4 Nurturing Pixie
3 Restless Fortress
3 Grim Bauble
4 Get Lost
4 Momentum Breaker
4 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber
4 Temporary Lockdown
3 Liliana of the Veil
3 Plains
3 Swamp
4 Concealed Courtyard
4 Caves of Koilos
3 Sunpearl Kirin
4 Bleachbone Verge
3 Soulstone Sanctuary
2 Loran of the Third Path
2 Nowhere to Run
1 Beza, the Bounding SpringThis version is built to out-grind its mirror matches. Loran of the Third Path answers opposing enchantments, and Temporary Lockdown sweeps up pesky permanents. While Orzhov lacks the raw threat density of Dimir or Esper, going removal-heavy with Momentum Breaker makes up for it.
Adding Sunpearl Kirin gives Orzhov more bounce capability and helps protect its limited win conditions. It’s a fun choice for a field full of bounce decks—but might struggle against more diverse metagames.
🖤🔵 Dimir Self-Bounce
Key Cards:
Sample Decklist:
4 Floodpits Drowner
4 Nowhere to Run
4 Stormchaser's Talent
4 Spyglass Siren
4 This Town Ain’t Big Enough
4 Underground River
4 Hopeless Nightmare
4 Fear of Isolation
4 Island
4 Swamp
2 Restless Reef
2 Soulstone Sanctuary
2 Enduring Curiosity
1 Spell Pierce
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Gloomlake Verge
2 Go for the Throat
3 Kaito, Bane of NightmaresDimir takes a more tempo-oriented approach. Fear of Isolation and This Town Ain’t Big Enough enable powerful bounce plays, sometimes even on your opponent’s board. Stormchaser’s Talent creates repeatable late-game value, and Kaito is an MVP: hard to remove, uncounterable, and a consistent engine.
This deck also ports well to Pioneer and Explorer, especially if you add Roiling Dragonstorm and Yorion for extended value. Between all the options, this version is flexible and deadly.
⚪🔵⚫ Esper Self-Bounce
Key Cards:
- Stock Up
- Duress (or Dreams of Steel and Oil)
- Access to white sideboard tech
Sample Decklist:
1 Adarkar Wastes
2 Restless Anchorage
4 Concealed Courtyard
4 Seachrome Coast
2 Sunpearl Kirin
3 Duress
3 Fear of Isolation
2 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
4 Hopeless Nightmare
1 Swamp
1 Momentum Breaker
4 Nowhere to Run
4 Nurturing Pixie
3 Underground River
1 Restless Reef
1 Island
4 Stock Up
4 Stormchaser's Talent
4 This Town Ain’t Big Enough
3 Caves of Koilos
4 Darkslick ShoresThanks to a robust mana base—featuring Verges, surveil lands, and pain lands—Esper can reliably run all three colors. This version includes a full playset of Stock Up to ensure you hit your critical pieces. While I prefer Duress for hand disruption, Dreams of Steel and Oil is also viable.
Even if you're not running much white in the main deck, it unlocks excellent sideboard options like Destroy Evil, Pest Control, and Loran of the Third Path.
That added flexibility is what makes Esper stand out. It can pivot between Orzhov’s removal plan and Dimir’s value engine depending on the meta—making it, in my opinion, the best bounce deck in Standard right now.
Final Thoughts
Even if Sunpearl Kirin ends up being the only real gain from Dragonstorm, it still gives this archetype the consistency and versatility it needs to thrive. Whether you're leaning into raw tempo, control, or toolbox interaction, self-bounce remains one of the most fun—and competitive—ways to play Standard right now.
So which bounce deck is best for you? The answer might just depend on what your local meta looks like. But rest assured—whichever version you choose, you're in for a bouncy, disruptive good time.