Magic: The Gathering deck types

The game Magic: The Gathering requires each player to construct their own deck in order to play. There are thousands of unique cards which can be used for this purpose, thus a considerable number of different decks can be constructed. However, decks can usually be loosely classified based on their play style and mode of victory.

Basic Deck types

Most decks can be roughly classified by three basic deck types, used by many Magic authors and strategists. These three types can be further broken down into a number of subtypes.

• Aggro is a strategy that aims to win as quickly as possible. This is usually done by aiming for maximum damage output in the early turns and often places a heavy emphasis on using creatures as efficient damage sources. Aggro strategies are normally tempo based; they force opposing decks to respond quickly or be overwhelmed.

• Control is a strategy that aims to slow the game down and "not lose." To do this, control decks attempt to interfere with, prevent, deny, or otherwise cancel the opponent's actions. Once a superior board position has been established, it can then deploy expensive threats that opposing decks would be unlikely to stop. Some variants are often called "Permission" because of the tendency to not allow the opposing player to do anything, thus making a player feel like they have to ask for permission to do anything.

• Combo is a strategy that utilizes the interaction between two or more cards to create a powerful effect. This strategy can also refer to using a singular, powerful spell to instantly win the game while the rest of the deck is designed to ensure its success. Many decks have smaller, combo-like interactions between its cards, which is better described as synergy. A good combo should be fast (achievable early enough in the game to matter), consistent (consistent between each game), and powerful (so the effect translates into victory).

Decktype and Subtype Breakdown

Aggro

Aggro ("aggressive") decks attack the opponent by producing maximum damage output in the shortest number of turns, usually with fast hitting creatures, often supplemented by direct damage. Aggro decks are notorious for "running out of gas", as they often use more short-sighted cards at the expense of long-game efficacy. Minor control is sometimes included in the form of resource denial via cards such as Molten Rain, Armageddon or Sinkhole which can help keep control and combo decks from gaining momentum.

• Example cards: Goblin Cadets, Jungle Lion, Rancor, Incinerate
• Example decks:
  • Goblins, which uses cards like Goblin Piledriver, Goblin Ringleader and Siege-Gang Commander
  • White Weenie, which uses cards like Isamaru Hound of Konda, Savannah Lions and Soltari Priest (sample decklists: Kamigawa Block and Old Standard)
  • Affinity, which uses cards like Arcbound Ravager, Cranial Plating and Frogmite
  • Red-Green Beats (some versions are also called Zoo), which uses cards like Kird Ape, Flametongue Kavu or Rumbling Slum
  • Sligh, which uses cards like Jackal Pup, Ball Lightning and Cursed Scroll
  • Black Suicide, which uses cards like Dark Ritual, Sarcomancy, Carnophage, and Flesh Reaver

Control

Control decks seek to enforce the pace and rules of the game. They are reactionary and often extremely disruptive to the opponent, protecting their resources and prolonging the game at all costs. Control decks require a large amount of mana over many turns to build up control over the game, and eventually become unbeatable via an academic win condition (a creature or possibly a combo). Most control decks exercise the concept of card advantage; that is, drawing more cards than the opponent, or making uneven card-for-card trades. Blue and White together are the classic Control colors, though Black is also more than capable.

• Example cards: Counterspell, Wrath of God, Fact or Fiction, Rewind
• Example decks:
  • MUC (Draw-Go), which uses a heavy suite of counterspells with card draw like Ophidian or Jushi Apprentice and a finisher like Morphling or Meloku
  • Blue-White Control, which is similar to Mono-Blue Control, but features more board control with cards like Wrath of God
  • Psychatog, which uses Psychatog with card draw like Fact or Fiction and a number of disruptive spells
  • Slide, which uses Astral Slide, Wrath of God, Eternal Dragon and Decree of Justice
  • Wake, which uses Mirari's Wake, Wrath of God, Moment's Peace and Mana Leak
  • Mono-Black Control, which uses cards like Phyrexian Arena, Mutilate, Mind Sludge and Consume Spirit

Combo

Combo decks typically seek to accomplish one of two things - assemble a small set of cards that generate a powerful combination; or generate a large amount of mana to play one massive game-winning spell (this mana is often generated by a small set of cards). Combo decks can vary wildly; they can be fast or slow, fragile or resilient, and relatively simple or extremely complex. They are also famous for killing the opponent in a single explosive turn after some preparation time. Combo decks run the gamut of colors and power levels, though Blue and Black traditionally provide excellent tutors (ways of searching through one's library) for finding combo pieces quickly.

• Example cards: Aluren, Tendrils of Agony, Vampiric Tutor
• Example decks:
  • ProsBloom, which uses Prosperity, Squandered Resources, Cadaverous Bloom and Drain Life
  • Dragonstorm, which uses mana acceleration such as Rite of Flame to quickly combo into Dragonstorm and Bogardan Hellkite
  • Bargain, which also uses mana acceleration such as Skirge Familiar, Yawgmoth's Bargain, and Soul Feast
  • Combo Enchantress, which uses cards like Argothian Enchantress or Enchantress's Presence with Words of Wind and other enchantments
  • Aluren, which uses Aluren and Cavern Harpy for a kill with either Raven Familiar, Stroke of Genius or Brain Freeze (sample Extended decklist: Old Extended)
  • Angry Hermit, which uses Hermit Druid, Anger, Reanimate and Sutured Ghoul
  • Desire, which revolves around Mind's Desire
  • Channel-Fireball, one of the oldest Combo Decks, uses Black Lotus, Channel, Fireball and a basic Mountain land

(sample decklists: Old Extended)

Aggro-control

Aggro-Control (often referred to as "Tempo") is a hybrid archetype that contains both aggressive creatures and control elements. There are two types of aggro-control, well-typified by Blue-Green Madness and The Rock. The former (Blue-Green Madness) executes a gameplan based on the rapid deployment of threats which are protected by light control elements. The latter (the Rock) takes an entirely different approach, typically using control, disruption and/or mana development to launch into a more late-game aggro strategy using heavier hitting creatures. Attempts have been made to class the more control-aggro forms into a completely different archetype, such as Will Rieffer's classification of midgame deck; however the Magic community at large has not picked up on such classifications and generally refers to such decks as aggro-control.

• Example cards:Pernicious Deed, Standstill, Force of Will
• Example decks:
  • Blue-Green Madness, which uses cards like Wild Mongrel, Careful Study and Circular Logic
  • PT Junk, which uses cards such as Spectral Lynx, River Boa and Swords to Plowshares
  • The Rock, which uses cards like Troll Ascetic, Spiritmonger and Pernicious Deed
  • Dump Truck, which uses cards like Exalted Angel, Duress and Meddling Mage

Combo-control

Normally, control-combo is a control deck with a combo finisher that it can spring quickly if need be. A notable subtype of combo-control is "prison," which institutes control through resource denial and tap/untap effects (usually via a combo).

• Example cards: Isochron Scepter, Opposition, Winter Orb
• Example decks:
  • Squirrel Opposition, which uses Opposition with token generators such as Squirrel Nest
  • Stax, which uses cards such as Smokestack, Tangle Wire and Goblin Welder
  • Stasis, which uses Stasis and cards such as Forsaken City or Boomerang
  • Scepter-Chant, which uses Isochron Scepter and Orim's Chant
  • Trix, which uses the Illusions of Grandeur/Donate combo
  • Oath, which uses Oath of Druids with cards such as Akroma, Angel of Wrath/Razia, Boros Archangel and Gaea's Blessing
  • Pickles, which uses Brine Elemental and Vesuvan Shapeshifter combo.

Aggro-combo

Aggro-Combo is a relatively rare archetype that usually stems from a typical Aggro deck that has a notable, but non-critical combo. For the sake of simplicity, Aggro-Combo decks are usually regarded simply as Aggro decks with a "trick" that can suddenly win the game. They can be dangerous due to the fact that this can give them an edge against simple Aggro decks while giving them some possibility of matching speed against Combo decks.

• Example cards: Berserk, Food Chain, Hatred
• Example decks:
  • Fling Affinity, which uses Arcbound Ravager or Atog and Fling along with Disciple of the Vault
  • Food Chain Goblins, which uses Food Chain and Goblin Recruiter and Goblin Ringleader
  • Suicide Black, which uses small creatures such as Dauthi Slayer with Hatred
  • Fires, which uses Fires of Yavimaya with Saproling Burst and Blastoderm

Aggro-control-combo

Some Magic decks are adaptable enough to perform all three roles. By utilizing strong "engines", playing only the best cards for sheer power level, or using a large "toolbox" of silver bullet cards, decks that can claim to be all archetypes at once are usually both adaptive and unpredictable in nature. Generally lacking the full speed of an aggro deck, the constant disruption of a control deck and the pure focus of a combo deck, the extremely rare Aggro-Control-Combo archetype attempts to make up for any shortcomings with metagame adaptability and/or sheer power.

• Example cards: Tinker, Survival of the Fittest, Cunning Wish
• Example decks:
  • Gro-A-Tog, which originally used Psychatog, Quirion Dryad, Mana Drain, Gush (since restricted), Fastbond and Berserk
  • Full English Breakfast, which originally used Survival of the Fittest, Volrath's Shapeshifter, Phyrexian Dreadnought, Flowstone Hellion and various counters
  • Tinker, which used Masticore, Rishadan Port, Tangle Wire and Tinker

See also

• Magic: The Gathering preconstructed theme decks
• Magic: The Gathering theme decks