Magic The Gathering (MTG) is a game of endless possibilities, offering a variety of deck archetypes that cater to different playstyles. Whether you prefer overwhelming your opponent with swift aggression, meticulously controlling the game, or setting up intricate combos, there’s a deck archetype that suits your style. Understanding these archetypes not only helps you find the deck that fits you best but also improves your overall gameplay by allowing you to anticipate and counter your opponents’ strategies. In this guide, we’ll explore the most common MTG decks archetypes—Aggro, Control, Combo, Midrange, and more—explaining what makes each one unique and providing examples of popular decks in MTG Arena.
Aggro: Speed and Aggression
What is Aggro?
Aggro (short for aggressive) decks focus on dealing damage to the opponent as quickly as possible. These decks are built around low-cost, high-impact creatures and spells designed to apply pressure from the very first turn. The goal of an Aggro deck is to overwhelm the opponent before they have a chance to stabilize or set up their own strategy.
Playstyle
Aggro decks are fast-paced and straightforward, making them a great choice for players who enjoy quick, decisive games. Playing Aggro requires a keen sense of timing, as you need to know when to flood the board with creatures and when to hold back to avoid overextending. Aggro decks thrive in metas where slower, more reactive decks are prevalent, as they can often win before those decks can get going.
Popular Aggro Decks
- Mono-Red Aggro: One of the most iconic Aggro decks, Mono-Red Aggro leverages cheap creatures like Monastery Swiftspear and Kumano Faces Kakkazan alongside burn spells like Lightning Strike to deal direct damage to the opponent. The deck’s simplicity and speed make it a perennial favorite in MTG Arena.
- Gruul Stompy: A variant of Aggro that incorporates Green for larger creatures and ramp spells, Gruul Stompy aims to quickly build a board presence with cards like Questing Beast and Embercleave. This deck can switch between aggressive plays and more midrange strategies depending on the matchup.
- White Weenie: This deck focuses on small, efficient white creatures that can quickly swarm the board. Cards like Luminarch Aspirant and Elite Spellbinder provide early-game pressure, while Adeline, Resplendent Cathar helps flood the board with tokens.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Fast games that can catch opponents off guard.
- Simple and consistent game plan.
- Effective against slower decks.
Weaknesses:
- Prone to running out of steam in the late game.
- Vulnerable to board wipes and heavy removal.
Control: Patience and Precision
What is Control?
Control decks are the polar opposite of Aggro decks. Instead of winning quickly, Control decks seek to extend the game, slowly gaining incremental advantages until they can secure victory. Control players focus on neutralizing threats through counterspells, removal, and card draw, waiting for the right moment to deploy a powerful win condition.
Playstyle
Playing a Control deck requires patience and a deep understanding of the game. You’ll need to anticipate your opponent’s moves and decide when to spend your resources on countering their threats. Control decks often win through card advantage, as they can keep drawing answers while the opponent runs out of threats.
Control decks are ideal for players who enjoy thinking several steps ahead and are comfortable with longer games where each decision carries significant weight.
Popular Control Decks
- Azorius Control: A classic Control deck, Azorius (Blue/White) Control uses counterspells like Absorb and removal spells like March of Otherworldly Light to keep the board clear. Teferi, Hero of Dominaria often serves as the win condition, providing card draw and eventually exiling the opponent’s permanents.
- Esper Control: Adding Black to the traditional Azorius Control, Esper Control gains access to powerful removal like Doom Blade and discard effects like Thoughtseize. This deck is more versatile, with a broader range of answers to different threats.
- Dimir Control: Focused on Blue and Black, Dimir Control combines counterspells with hand disruption and graveyard recursion. Ashiok, Dream Render and Narset, Parter of Veils can effectively shut down the opponent’s strategy while building towards a win condition like Torrential Gearhulk or Karn, Scion of Urza.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Highly effective at shutting down opponents’ strategies.
- Strong late-game potential with card draw and recursion.
- Excellent at adapting to different matchups.
Weaknesses:
- Requires precise play and deep game knowledge.
- Can struggle against aggressive decks if overwhelmed early.
- May be vulnerable to fast combo decks that can win before control can stabilize.
Combo: Intricacy and Surprise
What is Combo?
Combo decks aim to assemble a specific combination of cards that, when played together, result in an immediate win or overwhelming board state. These decks often focus on drawing cards and stalling the game until the pieces of the combo are in place. Once the combo is ready, a single turn can turn the game around entirely.
Playstyle
Playing a Combo deck is all about setup and execution. You’ll need to carefully manage your resources and protect your combo pieces until the right moment. Combo decks can be incredibly rewarding to play, as they often require precise sequencing and timing. However, they can also be risky, as drawing the wrong cards or facing disruption can derail your plan.
Combo decks are perfect for players who enjoy puzzles and complex interactions, and who are comfortable with the high-risk, high-reward nature of the archetype.
Popular Combo Decks
- Izzet Phoenix: This deck revolves around casting multiple spells in a single turn to bring back Arclight Phoenix from the graveyard and overwhelm the opponent. The deck’s combo-like nature comes from the synergy between the spells and the graveyard recursion.
- Lotus Field Combo: In formats like Pioneer, this deck uses Lotus Field and untap effects like Hidden Strings to generate massive amounts of mana, enabling a win condition like Thassa’s Oracle or Omniscience. The deck is intricate and requires careful play to execute the combo successfully.
- Historic Jeskai Creativity: This deck in MTG Arena utilizes Indomitable Creativity to cheat powerful creatures like Velomachus Lorehold into play, often leading to a swift and decisive victory if the combo is executed correctly.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Can win games out of nowhere with a well-timed combo.
- Often difficult for opponents to disrupt if they can’t interact with the combo.
- Thrilling and rewarding to play when executed correctly.
Weaknesses:
- High risk of failure if key pieces are countered or removed.
- Can be inconsistent if the combo doesn’t come together.
- Vulnerable to fast decks that win before the combo is assembled.
Midrange: Flexibility and Balance
What is Midrange?
Midrange decks aim to strike a balance between aggression and control, using powerful creatures and spells that can adapt to various situations. These decks typically start the game defensively, using removal and value creatures to survive the early game. As the game progresses, Midrange decks transition into a more aggressive role, using their superior card quality to overpower the opponent.
Playstyle
Midrange decks require a flexible approach, as you’ll need to shift between offense and defense depending on the matchup. The key to success with Midrange is making efficient trades, gaining incremental advantages, and knowing when to turn the corner and start applying pressure.
Midrange decks are well-suited to players who appreciate a versatile strategy that can adapt to different opponents and situations.
Popular Midrange Decks
- Jund Midrange: A classic Midrange deck, Jund (Red/Green/Black) Midrange is known for its efficient removal, value creatures like Tarmogoyf, and powerful planeswalkers like Liliana of the Veil. The deck excels at grinding out wins through incremental advantages and powerful top-decks.
- Sultai Midrange: Combining Blue, Black, and Green, Sultai Midrange focuses on card advantage and graveyard synergy. Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath and Hydroid Krasis are key cards that provide life gain, card draw, and powerful bodies on the battlefield.
- Abzan Midrange: Abzan (White/Black/Green) Midrange blends removal, resilient creatures, and planeswalkers. Cards like Siege Rhino and Gideon, Ally of Zendikar allow the deck to apply pressure while maintaining board control.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Versatile and adaptable to different matchups.
- Strong individual card quality.
- Can effectively shift between offense and defense.
Weaknesses:
- May struggle against decks that are more focused on a single strategy (e.g., pure control or aggro).
- Can be outpaced by faster decks or outvalued by dedicated control decks.
- Requires skillful play to navigate the different phases of the game.
Other Archetypes: Specialization and Niche Strategies
Ramp
Ramp decks focus on accelerating their mana production to cast powerful, high-cost spells ahead of schedule. These decks often rely on creatures and spells that generate extra mana, allowing them to play massive threats like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger or Genesis Ultimatum.
- Popular Example: Gruul Ramp in Standard uses cards like Lotus Cobra and Cultivate to ramp into powerful creatures like Elder Gargaroth and Terror of the Peaks.
Burn
Burn decks are a subtype of Aggro that focus exclusively on dealing damage through spells rather than creatures. These decks aim to reduce the opponent’s life total to zero as quickly as possible, using direct damage spells like Lightning Bolt and Skewer the Critics.
- Popular Example: Mono-Red Burn in Modern is a classic example, with a low mana curve and plenty of direct damage spells to finish games quickly.
Tokens
Token decks focus on creating large numbers of creature tokens, which can overwhelm opponents through sheer numbers. These decks often include cards that generate tokens and cards that buff them, creating a massive army out of nowhere.
- Popular Example: Selesnya Tokens in Standard, which uses Scute Swarm and Felidar Retreat to create a board full of tokens that can quickly overrun the opponent.
Conclusion: Finding Your Playstyle in Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering offers a deck archetype for every type of player, from the fast-paced excitement of Aggro to the intricate planning of Combo and the careful control of, well, Control. Understanding these archetypes and how they cater to different playstyles is key to finding the deck that suits you best.
Whether you’re a new player exploring your options in MTG Arena or a seasoned veteran looking to refine your strategy, there’s a deck out there that fits your style. Experiment with different archetypes, learn their strengths and weaknesses, and discover the one that feels just right. In Magic, the possibilities are endless, and the right deck can make all the difference in your journey to mastering the game.
