Before we get into it, a small disclaimer from me. This article is meant to break down perhaps the two best decks in Standard, and how these two decks match up versus one another. The article isn’t meant to advocate for playing one deck over the other. Both archetypes have been putting up solid results over the past couple of months now. Neither deck is easy to play with, especially as we discuss the intricacies of this matchup from both sides. 

Without further ado, let's get into it!

The Gruul Gameplan

When I talk about decisions from the Gruul side of this matchup I will be referencing my current decklist, which is similar to the one I won a recent Arena Championship Qualifier with:

This version of Gruul Aggro is admittedly a little different from the typical lists you usually see of this archetype. 

This version plays 2 copies of Innkeeper’s Talent. Innkeeper’s Talent is a good card over the course of a few turns, but I personally haven’t enjoyed the games where I have drawn two copies of the card. On the flip side many lists don’t play the full four Questing Druid in the maindeck. Questing Druid helps provide a form of card advantage while being a play that can be made on the opponent’s turn. In my opinion, the biggest reason to play Gruul instead on Mono Red is Questing Druid. 

Sideboarding vs Dimir Midrange

In: 2 Urabrask's Forge, 1 Scorching Shot, 2 Obliterating Bolt, 3 Torch the Tower, and 2 Wrenn's Resolve

Out: 4 Monstrous Rage, 1 Monastery Swiftspear, 4 Burst Lightning, and 1 Snakeskin Veil

Sideboarding against Dimir Midrange is tricky, and is somewhat list and player dependent. This is my generic guide that I use without knowing exactly what’s in my opponent’s decklist. However here are some key considerations:

Do you expect the opponent to bring in Sheoldred, the Apocalypse or threats like Preacher of the Schism? If the answer is yes then Scorching Shot becomes a necessity, if the answer is no then Scorching Shot doesn’t need to be in the deck after sideboard. 

The main sweeper the Dimir decks have access to after sideboard is Gix’s Command. 

It’s necessary to put enough pressure on the Dimir Midrange player so that they can’t play Kaito, Bane of Nightmares and keep it on the battlefield for a full turn cycle. 

Exile removal like Obliterating Bolt and sometimes Torch the Tower is the best way to deal with Enduring Curiosity. 

The way the Dimir Midrange deck typically wins is by chaining extra cards together from an Enduring Curiosity or Kaito, Bane of Nightmares. 

This sideboard plan sets the Gruul deck up to be able to play a longer game and get ahead with cards like Questing Druid.

Sideboard games are not a pure race, expect the Dimir Midrange player to have an abundance of spot removal spells.

There is a lot to think about and consider when playing against Dimir Midrange. When the Dimir Midrange player has open mana available it’s generally best to assume that they have access to some form of disruption. The good news for the Gruul player is that the threats in the Gruul deck are inexpensive, and the Gruul player often is able to get ahead in the early game. 

The Dimir Midrange Gameplan

The version of Dimir Midrange I am presenting in this article is one that I both personally recommend, and is fairly “stock.” It’s a reasonable expectation to face off against a similar version of the deck at your next Standard event.

Dimir Midrange has been gradually going higher and higher on the number of copies of Kaito, Bane of Nightmares in the deck. This list is up to the full four, though after sideboard taking some number out against Gruul is part of the plan. By having both Preacher of the Schism and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse the deck can try to overload the four and five damage removal spells in the Gruul deck. These large creatures also play very well alongside the two copies of Gix’s Command. 

Sideboarding vs Gruul Aggro

IN: 1 Cut Down 2 Duress 2 Preacher of the Schism 3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse 2 Gix’s Command

OUT: 2 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares 4 Spyglass Siren 2 Tishana’s Tidebinder

In terms of a consensus sideboard plan against Gruul, there really isn’t one, but again this is a plan I’m confident in without having additional information regarding decklists. Let’s talk about some of the key considerations to think about:

Tishana’s Tidebinder is pretty high variance. Sometimes countering a trigger is important, but having a three-mana creature trade with an opposing one mana instant speed removal spell isn’t a great exchange for the Dimir Midrange player. 

Duress helps take away removal that could otherwise answer one of the big creature threats.

I have found Spyglass Siren gets worse once Kaito, Bane of Nightmares starts to get taken out of the deck. 

Spell Stutter being able to answer a Seek the Beast on turn two is the main reason to leave it in. 

If you do expect lots of copies of Scorching Shot the Dimir Midrange player can pivot away from the big creature threats like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse and back towards Spyglass Siren. 

I hope this matchup breakdown is useful, for perhaps the most important matchup in Standard. Understanding how to play against Dimir Midrange and Gruul Aggro is a winning recipe in today’s Standard environment!

Thanks for reading,

Seth Manfield