Duskmourn has presented us with the survival mechanic. This mechanic features a triggered ability that activates when a creature is tapped during the second main phase. The ability initiates and subsequently verifies whether the creature remains tapped; if this condition is met, the ability proceeds to resolve. However, if the creature becomes untapped during this verification, the ability will not resolve. For instance, if you enter the second main phase and initiate the trigger, but your opponent uses an instant to untap the creature, the ability will not activate. Conversely, if you enter the second main phase with your creature tapped, and the ability begins to trigger, even if your opponent removes the creature using "Go for the Throat," the ability will still resolve. Below are the current rulings regarding survival.

• Survival abilities will trigger at the beginning of the second main phase you take in a turn. They will not trigger in the third, fourth or any additional main phases in a single turn.
• Survival abilities check if the creature is tapped both when they trigger and when they resolve
• If a creature with survival ability isn’t tapped when your second main phase begins, the ability will not trigger.
• If a creature’s survival ability triggers but the creature leaves the battlefield before the ability resolves, use its tapped or untapped status as it last existed on the battlefield to determine whether the ability will do anything.

Survival has not influenced the metagame significantly, as many survival creatures lack independent utility. Previously, players were required to attack or use convoke to tap these creatures, which left them vulnerable. However, with the introduction of Aetherdrift, there is now an ample array of vehicles that enable the tapping of survival creatures without exposing them to opponents. The vehicle mechanic permits the tapping of a creature with summoning sickness, akin to an enter-the-battlefield effect. It is now essential to reassess the existing survival cards for their potential impact in the standard meta. Currently, there are 13 standard-legal cards featuring survival, with none classified as mythic rare.

To review the cards, we will use the following criteria:

1. - Impact of ability
2. - Casting cost
3. - How well it fits into existing shells
4. - Does it die to cut down?

Let's review the cards

Rare:

Kona, Rescue Beastie – Kona tops the charts with a survival ability that matters. The ability to take a permanent card from your hand and put it into the battlefield is a solid way to cheat something into play. If we examine this card, the struggle is going to be the four-mana casting cost. By the time you get to four mana you would need to cheat something huge into play. Re-animator decks are cheating on turn three/four for the impact. He does not fit into any decks right now that play green. Kona has a long way to go unfortunately. As a nice side impact he does not die to cut down. Current price: $1.29


Reluctant Role Model – I expected his guy to be used in the boros convoke deck right away. His ability allows for avoidance, lifegain or +1/+1 which is solid but more importantly if he dies his counters transfer to another creature. His survival ability paired with his power and toughness for two mana makes him a reasonable player. Remember you don’t have to have the right power to crew a vehicle he can be tapped to crew a vehicle of 3 and still get his ability. This has not seen play in boros convoke because resolute reinforcements for the same casting cost makes two bodies and more bodies matter in convoke. The exit the battlefield capability makes this a possible player with a vehicle deck. It does die to cut down. Current price: $0.32


Rip, Spawn Hunter – Rip is a fun card put at least 4 cards worth of vehicles or creatures into your hand each turn.. in the right deck this could be insane. Casting cost of W, G 2 make it a struggle four mana is a lot for standard and there is only one deck in these colors. I suspect Rip will continue to be a commander card. (I would love to see this ability trigger but I think it’s just too slow) He does not die to cut down. Current price: $0.16

Uncommon:

Cynical Loner – Search your library for a card to put into the graveyard as early as turn two? Seems like a good idea in re-animator decks to assure you get your target into the battlefield. To really use this, we need a one casting cost vehicle followed by this on turn two. At 3 power it can crew some decent vehicles. Two mana is fine for a 3/1. Being black does not allow it to fit into any existing shells with re-animator other than zombify. It has potential but very limited. It dies to cut down. Current price: $0.12


Defiant Survivor – The ability to create another body each turn via manifest dread makes this a very interesting player. Occulus that has a similar effect is a must kill threat. Three mana for a 3/2 is a little sub-par I would love this to be a 3/3 to avoid cut down. Not a ton of green shells right now unfortunately. Current price: $0.05


Glimmer Seeker – The ability to create a 1/1 is not impressive but the ability to draw an additional card each turn is impactful. Three mana for a 3/3 is on par and avoids cut down. The struggle is the three mana slot has a ton of good choices with similar effects including caretakers talent which is a powerhouse. Currently none of the meta decks need this body or effect they would rather get it from talents or another creature. I don’t think this will see play. Current price: $0.04


House Cartographer – Reveal top deck until you get a land and put it into your hand. It’s a classic ramp card but must be tapped to be used. At two mana you want to cast this turn two with a turn one vehicle to get some ramp. With green having llanowar elves and tons of good instant ramp spells this one is weak at 2/2. It dies to cut down and will not be played in any existing shells. Current price: $0.05


Rootwise Survivor – Ability to turn a land into a +3/+3 and keep stacking counters each turn sound solid but at a casting cost of 5 for a 3/4 with hast means this guy is pretty useless. He does not due to cut down but has zero shell at this cost… in green this should be a 5/5 with trample at least. Current price: $0.03


Savior of the small – Return a creature with mana value 4 or less to your hand – sounds ok. At four mana he is expensive for a 3/4. He does not die to cut down. He does not fit any other shell… Raise the past has the same mana cost and returns all creatures casting cost 2 or less to battlefield… this does not fit existing shells. Current cost: $0.04


Shrewd Storyteller – Put a +1/+1 counter on a creature… Three mana (W/G 1) does not die to cut down. The token deck is in this color but it really does not have a place current cost: $0.05


Veteran Survivor – Exile a card from a graveyard and if you have exiled three cards it becomes 5/4 and has hexproof. Good effect. Casting cost of W for a 2/1 this one is a solid little human survivor. It might fit into boros convoke but no other deck today needs this cards. It does die to cut down but trades one mana for one mana. I could see this one getting some play in the future. Current cost: $0.08


Commons:

Acrobatic Cheerleader – You get a flying counter once. W1 for a 2/2 is on par but the effect is not great for the cost. It dies to cut down. Not much chance this highschool nightmare gets to see play. Current cost: $0.02


Cautious Survivor – Gain to 2 life if tapped. G3 for a 4/4 is ok. Life gain is valuable but in green four mana is a lot for a ground-based creature without trample. It does not fit into any existing shells and honestly, I would want to attack with this vs crew some vehicle. It does not die to cut down. It does not fit into any existing shells. Current cost: $0.01

Short version: Veteran Survivor, Reluctant Role Model and maybe Kona (All white and Green) are the most likely players to hit your vehicle synergy decks. I hope we will get a new deck type with Aetherdrift and a good portion of these see play.

We will see.