Suspended Cards

Banned List

The following cards are banned in Historic:

The Jund / Rakdos Graveyard Decks

There are 4 different kinds of the deck in this category.

Rakdos Pyromancer

Companion 1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den Deck 1 Abrade 3 Archfiend’s Vessel 4 Blood Crypt 1 Call of the Death-Dweller 2 Castle Locthwain 4 Claim /// Fame 4 Dragonskull Summit 4 Dreadhorde Arcanist 4 Fabled Passage 2 Heartless Act 3 Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger 3 Mountain 4 Shock 4 Stitcher’s Supplier 5 Swamp 4 Thoughtseize 4 Village Rites 4 Young Pyromancer Sideboard 2 Abrade 1 Call of the Death-Dweller 1 Cling to Dust 1 Dragonmaster Outcast 3 Duress 2 Innocent Blood 2 Legion’s End 1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den 2 Priest of Forgotten Gods

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

This deck is creating value with the help of the graveyard. You have a lot of synergy and interaction in it. 《Dreadhorde Arcanist》 can Flashback spells like 《Thoughtseize》 and 《Shock》 so it also interacts pretty well with your opponent plan too. Most of the deck costs 2 mana or less and it allows you to play a lot of spells during the same turn.

The deck is sensible to graveyard hate like 《Grafdigger’s Cage》, 《Rest in Peace》, and 《Leyline of the Void》. It can deal with 《Grafdigger’s Cage》 with the help of 《Abrade》 but 《Rest in Peace》 can only be discarded with 《Duress》. So many cards in the deck link to the graveyard that I think you should pick this deck when the meta is less graveyard oriented and people decrease the hate.

Jund Sacrifice With 《Collected Company》

Companion 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring Deck 4 Blood Crypt 4 Bolas’s Citadel 2 Dragonskull Summit 2 Claim the Firstborn 2 Forest 4 Gilded Goose 4 Mayhem Devil 4 Collected Company 4 Overgrown Tomb 4 Priest of Forgotten Gods 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Stomping Ground 4 Paradise Druid 4 Woe Strider 2 Woodland Cemetery 2 Phyrexian Tower 4 Blood Artist 2 Midnight Reaper Sideboard 2 Claim the Firstborn 4 Thoughtseize 3 Scavenging Ooze 1 Klothys, God of Destiny 2 Reclamation Sage 2 Bonecrusher Giant 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

Jund Sacrifice is one of the most popular decks right now, but it has multiple versions. This one is mostly a combo deck.

Your goal is to try to have a maximum copy of 《Mayhem Devil》 or 《Blood Artist》 in play and have a sacrifice engine like 《Woe Strider》. Do you know what is good? All of these cards are 3 mana or fewer creatures, this is why 《Collected Company》 is in the deck to help you to assemble the combo.

This said the most important card of the deck is 《Bolas’s Citadel》. It creates an insane amount of value where both the gain life from 《Blood Artist》 and the Scry from 《Woe Strider》 make the card almost unstoppable.

The deck has big trouble facing 《Grafdigger’s Cage》 since it annihilates 《Collected Company》 and 《Bolas’s Citadel》. 《Reclamation Sage》 is the main way to deal with it, otherwise it should be discarded with 《Thoughtseize》. 《Rest in Peace》 and 《Leyline of the Void》 is impacting 《Blood Artist》 and 《Midnight Reaper》 who will not have triggers but it doesn’t stop 《Bolas’s Citadel》 and 《Collected Company》.

Jund Sacrifice With 《Witch’s Oven》 + 《Cauldron Familiar》

Deck 4 Cauldron Familiar 4 Blood Crypt 3 Claim the Firstborn 1 Forest 3 Trail of Crumbs 3 Dragonskull Summit 4 Gilded Goose 1 Castle Locthwain 4 Mayhem Devil 4 Overgrown Tomb 1 Phyrexian Tower 4 Priest of Forgotten Gods 4 Stomping Ground 2 Swamp 4 Woe Strider 2 Woodland Cemetery 4 Witch’s Oven 2 Blood Artist 2 Bolas’s Citadel 1 Maelstrom Pulse 1 Mountain 1 Klothys, God of Destiny 1 Fabled Passage Sideboard 4 Abrade 2 Noxious Grasp 4 Duress 1 Cindervines 1 Reclamation Sage 1 Heartless Act 1 Klothys, God of Destiny 1 Claim the Firstborn

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

The other version of the deck doesn’t play 《Collected Company》. It is replaced by 《Witch’s Oven》 and 《Trail of Crumbs》 which interact with 《Cauldron Familiar》. The deck is more grindy and less combo than the 《Collected Company》 version. It makes more card advantage and is less dependent on some key card. 《Rest in Peace》 is much better against this version but removals or 《Wrath of God》s have less impact.

I saw some people trying to mix the two versions of the deck trying to play 《Collected Company》 but also 《Witch’s Oven》 / 《Cauldron Familiar》. The thing is you need to respect the number of 3 or less CMC creatures and the number of lands in your deck. It’s possible but pretty hard to build it, especially when most of your sideboard include instant and sorcery. At this point, sideboarding became awkward and it felt uncomfortable.

Mono-Black 《God-Pharaoh’s Gift》

Deck 2 God-Pharaoh’s Gift 3 Castle Locthwain 4 Cryptbreaker 4 Fiend Artisan 4 Gate to the Afterlife 4 Lazotep Reaver 2 Massacre Wurm 3 Mire Triton 4 Phyrexian Tower 4 Priest of Forgotten Gods 1 Ravenous Chupacabra 4 Stitcher’s Supplier 15 Swamp 4 Woe Strider 1 Cavalier of Night 1 Brain Maggot Sideboard 1 Plaguecrafter 1 Massacre Girl 1 Plague Mare 1 Ravenous Chupacabra 4 Thoughtseize 1 Brain Maggot 2 Heartless Act 1 Massacre Wurm 3 Grafdigger’s Cage

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

This deck won an online tournament recently. The goal is to put a maximum amount of creatures in your graveyard, where from 6, you can search 《God-Pharaoh’s Gift》 with 《Gate to the Afterlife》.

《Phyrexian Tower》 is pretty insane in the deck and this is why, even if it’s legendary, 4 seems to be the right number. The zombies package with the help of 《Cryptbreaker》 is making value. Turn one 《Cryptbreaker》, turn two 《Lazotep Reaver》 is such a good start.

But to me, the most important card of the deck might be 《Stitcher’s Supplier》. It’s a zombie, it puts cards in your graveyard for 《Gate to the Afterlife》 and 《Fiend Artisan》, makes 《Phyrexian Tower》 and 《Priest of Forgotten Gods》 great.

The deck doesn’t care about 《Grafdigger’s Cage》 since 《God-Pharaoh’s Gift》 exiles a creature from the graveyard and then creates a token. What is good is that you can play 《Grafdigger’s Cage》 in your sideboard too. It’s not the same story when you face 《Rest in Peace》 or 《Leyline of the Void》. Most of your deck doesn’t work if they are in play and as a Mono-Black deck, there are almost no 《Disenchant》 options. 《Pharika’s Libation》 and 《Blast Zone》 might be the only thing to deal with if you don’t discard it.

The Aggro Decks

Azorius Aura

Companion 1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den Deck 2 Adanto Vanguard 4 All That Glitters 4 Alseid of Life’s Bounty 4 Curious Obsession 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Island 4 Kor Spiritdancer 2 Ornithopter 8 Plains 4 Selfless Savior 3 Sentinel’s Eyes 4 Staggering Insight 2 Temple of Enlightenment 3 Cartouche of Knowledge 4 Cartouche of Solidarity Sideboard 1 Containment Priest 3 Aether Gust 3 Baffling End 1 Dovin’s Veto 3 Grafdigger’s Cage 1 Lurrus of the Dream-Den 3 Spell Pierce

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

This deck is very similar to the old Boggles deck in Modern. The difference is that instead of cheap Hexproof creatures that don’t exist in Historic (thanks god), you play a bunch of creatures that protect each other, like 《Selfless Savior》 and 《Alseid of Life’s Bounty》.

The main card of the deck is obviously 《Kor Spiritdancer》 but the deck has other ways to create card advantage. 《Curious Obsession》 and 《Staggering Insight》 even on an 《Ornithopter》 can do the job too. Add to this, 《Lurrus of the Dream-Den》 as a Companion to bring back creatures and enchantment and you understand that to beat this deck you need to do a lot of things.

What I like about the deck is the sideboard. Counterspells, removals, and graveyard hates are simple and cover all the metagame. 《Grafdigger’s Cage》 alongside 《Lurrus of the Dream-Den》 to bring it back if it’s destroyed is so good too.

Mono-Red Goblin

Deck 4 Muxus, Goblin Grandee 4 Conspicuous Snoop 4 Skirk Prospector 4 Wily Goblin 4 Goblin Warchief 4 Goblin Chieftain 3 Goblin Matron 4 Krenko, Mob Boss 3 Goblin Ringleader 1 Goblin Chainwhirler 2 Phyrexian Tower 4 Blood Crypt 4 Dragonskull Summit 1 Castle Embereth 13 Mountain 1 Canyon Slough Sideboard 1 Goblin Trashmaster 2 Gempalm Incinerator 1 Scrabbling Claws 3 Thoughtseize 3 Redcap Melee 4 Leyline of the Void 1 Siege-Gang Commander

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

Mono-Red Goblin, a deck name that sounds dumb and id easy to play right? Actually, I believe it might be the most difficult deck to play perfectly in Historic. The deck has a lot of options during the games and it’s pretty easy to pick the wrong one. If you start to play with the deck and lose, don’t worry and try harder.

Obviously, 《Muxus, Goblin Grandee》 is the most powerful card and 《Phyrexian Tower》, 《Skirk Prospector》, 《Wily Goblin》 and 《Goblin Warchief》 have one main goal…play it as fast as possible.

《Goblin Matron》 makes the deck super consistent by being able to search 《Muxus, Goblin Grandee》, and goblin like 《Conspicuous Snoop》 and 《Goblin Ringleader》 create card advantage. The interaction between 《Krenko, Mob Boss》 on the top of the library, and 《Conspicuous Snoop》 is incredible.

To beat this deck you need to win before it assembles all pieces of combo. Otherwise, you need to kill every goblin and to prevent 《Muxus, Goblin Grandee》 with discard spells, counterspells, 《Hushbringer》, or 《Grafdigger’s Cage》.

Mono-Red Aggro

Companion 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring Deck 4 Ghitu Lavarunner 4 Soul-Scar Mage 2 Grim Lavamancer 4 Viashino Pyromancer 4 Earthshaker Khenra 2 Rampaging Ferocidon 4 Bonecrusher Giant 1 Hazoret the Fervent 4 Shock 2 Lightning Strike 4 Wizard’s Lightning 4 Light Up the Stage 17 Mountain 4 Ramunap Ruins Sideboard 2 Redcap Melee 2 Grafdigger’s Cage 2 Abrade 1 Fry 4 Goblin Chainwhirler 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring 2 Rampaging Ferocidon 1 Hazoret the Fervent

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

Like every format, there is a mono-red aggro deck. The power of the deck is that it’s playing burn spells that support the creatures to deal with the last damages against control decks and are removals against the aggro decks. 《Bonecrusher Giant》 symbolizes by himself how the deck can become control in some matchups.

Unfortunately, the deck has a hard time against 《Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath》, which is one of the most popular cards right now in Historic. 《Rampaging Ferocidon》 is helping but it’s not enough to solve the problem completely.

Gruul Aggro

Deck 4 Gruul Spellbreaker 4 Bonecrusher Giant 1 Domri’s Ambush 4 Embercleave 8 Forest 2 Gallia of the Endless Dance 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Earthshaker Khenra 7 Mountain 4 Pelt Collector 4 Questing Beast 3 Robber of the Rich 4 Rootbound Crag 4 Stomping Ground 3 Zhur-Taa Goblin Sideboard 4 Lava Coil 4 Rampaging Ferocidon 4 Unchained Berserker 2 Grafdigger’s Cage 1 Fry

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

Both 《Llanowar Elves》 and 《Pelt Collector》 are great turn one in Gruul. They allow a strong start and make 《Robber of the Rich》 and 《Gallia of the Endless Dance》 strong.

The power of the deck is to have a lot of haste creatures that are so good against control decks. 《Embercleave》 is the main reason to play the deck, and the synergy with 《Questing Beast》 makes the deck very good even if there is a lot of blockers to face.

The Ramp / Control Decks

Sultai Ramp

Deck 3 Nissa, Who Shakes the World 1 Search for Azcanta 2 Swamp 4 Thoughtseize 2 Island 2 Eliminate 2 Heartless Act 3 Extinction Event 3 Forest 4 Drowned Catacomb 1 Fetid Pools 4 Overgrown Tomb 2 Maelstrom Pulse 4 Breeding Pool 4 Growth Spiral 4 Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath 4 Zagoth Triome 4 Fabled Passage 1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon 2 Hydroid Krasis 4 Shark Typhoon Sideboard 4 Negate 3 Narset, Parter of Veils 2 Cry of the Carnarium 1 Witch’s Vengeance 1 Scavenging Ooze 2 Elder Gargaroth 2 Innocent Blood

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

Like Jund sacrifice, there are multiple versions of Sultai. A few cards might change between them but the general idea is that some versions are more control-oriented, like a UB control splash 《Uro》, and others more ramp-oriented.

Like the deck in Standard, you play 《Uro》, 《Nissa, Who Shakes the World》, and 《Hydroid Krasis》 to take advantage and interactions to disrupt your opponent plan (discards, removals, or counterspell).

The power of this deck is also its main weakness: 3 colors. If it’s pretty good to have access to so many kinds of cards, the price to pay is to have a bad mana base. This mana is painful (4 《Overgrown Tomb》 + 4 《Breeding Pool》) and have many tap lands on the early turns (4 《Zagoth Triome》, 4 《Fabled Passage》, 4 《Drowned Catacomb》). The result of that is you have to delay your spells. 《Search for Azcanta》 or 《Growth Spiral》 turn 3…《Thoughtseize》 turn 2 … these details actually lose games.

This said the power level of each card you play is super high and if you dodge this mana issue, you are playing a very strong deck which can answer anything and fight any kind of matchup.

Azorius Control

Companion 1 Kaheera, the Orphanguard Deck 4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria 4 Absorb 3 Baffling End 3 Cast Out 2 Castle Ardenvale 2 Castle Vantress 4 Censor 1 Disdainful Stroke 1 Dovin’s Veto 1 Essence Scatter 2 Fabled Passage 1 Field of Ruin 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Hallowed Fountain 2 Irrigated Farmland 4 Island 3 Narset, Parter of Veils 4 Plains 2 Search for Azcanta 4 Shark Typhoon 4 Wrath of God 1 Temple of Enlightenment Sideboard 1 Baffling End 1 Disdainful Stroke 2 Dovin’s Veto 2 Grafdigger’s Cage 1 Kaheera, the Orphanguard 4 Mystical Dispute 2 Timely Reinforcements 2 Rest in Peace

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

Azorius control might be one of the most popular deck right now. The reason for that? 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》.

The planswalker is as good as it was in Standard before. Resolving a Teferi and untapping two lands for 《Dovin’s Veto》 or 《Negate》 is a game breaker. You need to discard / counter it, or to have a board presence that forces your opponent to use the -3 ability. If Azorius control can counter everything before turn 5, then the game might be over very quickly.

Bant Ramp

Deck 4 Growth Spiral 3 Absorb 1 Baffling End 4 Breeding Pool 1 Castle Ardenvale 4 Censor 1 Elspeth Conquers Death 4 Glacial Fortress 4 Hallowed Fountain 2 Hinterland Harbor 1 Irrigated Farmland 1 Mystical Dispute 2 Narset, Parter of Veils 2 Temple of Enlightenment 1 Search for Azcanta 2 Shark Typhoon 4 Sunpetal Grove 1 Teferi’s Ageless Insight 4 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria 4 Temple Garden 4 Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath 4 Wrath of God 2 Island Sideboard 2 Aether Gust 3 Baffling End 1 Commence the Endgame 2 Dovin’s Veto 1 Elder Gargaroth 1 Grafdigger’s Cage 1 Mystical Dispute 1 Scavenging Ooze 2 Shark Typhoon 1 Timely Reinforcements

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

Bant is like a mix between Sultai and Azorius control. 《Uro》 and 《Growth Spiral》 are here to ramp into 《Teferi, Hero of Dominaria》 instead of 《Nissa, Who Shakes the World》. The deck plays a lot of counterspells and interactions.

Like Sultai, the mana is also a problem since sometimes you don’t have double green to bring back Uro or double blue for 《Narset, Parter of Veils》 or double white for 《Wrath of God》 at the right time.

Mono-Green Ramp

Deck 4 Vivien, Arkbow Ranger 1 Cascading Cataracts 2 Castle Garenbrig 1 Elder Gargaroth 4 Paradise Druid 20 Forest 4 Gilded Goose 4 Karn, the Great Creator 4 Llanowar Elves 4 Llanowar Visionary 4 Wolfwillow Haven 4 Nissa, Who Shakes the World 3 Voracious Hydra 1 Ugin, the Ineffable Sideboard 1 Mazemind Tome 1 God-Pharaoh’s Gift 2 Elder Gargaroth 1 God-Pharaoh’s Statue 1 Golos, Tireless Pilgrim 1 Grafdigger’s Cage 1 Meteor Golem 1 Platinum Angel 1 Shadowspear 1 Sorcerous Spyglass 1 The Great Henge 1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger 1 Tormod’s Crypt 1 Shifting Ceratops

How to Use It?

　1. Copy the whole text.

　2. Open the Deck menu on MTG Arena and click “Import”.

　3. If you succeeded, your deck will be there as an “Imported Deck”.

The deck has very high stability due to the 20 《Forest》 mana base. It has a very strong sideboard and 《Karn, the Great Creator》 can answer to any kind of situation and decks. 《Vivien, Arkbow Ranger》 also searches creatures in the sideboard.

It’s fun but probably too fair for crazy decks like goblins and as a tapout deck, very sensible to counterspells like control decks or Azorius aura play.