Abzan Never Dies
You will not breach its stronghold, and you will fear its counterattack.
Volrath’s Stronghold illustrated by Kev Walker
Murkyaztec emerges victorious from the 2nd tournament of the season with an Abzan Midrange list. Leaning towards aggressive tendencies, this deck grinds out with smaller threats that can replace themselves before landing a big threat once the opponent has run out of resources. Let’s see how they took 1st place.
Flexibility
Each card fits multiple roles, minimizing “dead” draws
The greatest advantage of the Midrange archetype is its ability to effectively operate as either the control role or the beatdown role. Against slower decks, midrange applies pressure with quality creatures and has some form of card advantage to maintain pressure throughout the game. Against faster decks, midrange deploys disruption (either by removing creatures or combo pieces) and eventually turns the corner to become the beatdown themselves.
Flexible cards enable midrange decks to have this advantage. Selesnya Charm can get damage through chump blockers against aggro, be a removal spell against other midrange decks or make a surprise threat against control decks. Kitchen Finks buys you a lot of time against aggro by creating two blockers that gain you life or is a sticky threat against control. Deathrite Shaman acts as a combo-breaker against some graveyard strategies, life gain against aggro and a deathly clock against other midrange decks if the board stalls out.
Each top-deck feels like a good draw, since each card can fit multiple roles. If the aggro deck stumbles early, then midrange can capitalize on the weakness with relevant pressure. If a control deck lands their win-condition early, midrange can stall until they find the answer they need. Each card is individually powerful, and therefore midrange tends to want some sort of card-advantage engine, or Grind Factor, to play bomb after bomb.
Grind Factor
If given the time to do so, midrange can produce never-ending value
Abzan Midrange can play the long game if it needs to, gaining incremental advantages turn after turn. Lifecrafter’s Bestiary keeps relevant cards flowing as each threat deployed is instantly replaced with another card. This specific inclusion is strong against counter-magic, as you can still draw a card if the creature is countered. Volrath’s Stronghold is strong against point-removal, as you can guarantee your most powerful threat returns turn after turn. When paired with Dusk Urchins or Kitchen Finks, the Stronghold creates a stone wall of value that protects your life-total while drawing you cards or gaining you life. While Ohran Viper doesn’t threaten life-totals much, the potential for it to draw multiple cards makes it something that must be answered, and your opponent might have to take an unfavorable block to do so.
Notably, these three cards create a loop or engine. You cast Ohran Viper and draw a card off of Lifecrafter’s Bestiary. Next turn, you attack with Ohran Viper. If it connects, you draw a card. If it dies, you can put it on top of your library with Volrath’s Stronghold and start all over again. Whether your opponent deals with your creatures or not, you are gaining card advantage and are fairing well in the long game.
Beaters
Quality creatures can quickly end the game
While drawing cards is powerful, the deck still needs to close out the game and Abzan Midrange has many aggressively slanted creatures to pressure the opponent. Glint-Sleeve Siphoner is an evasive, on-rate creature and will fuel additional pressure if it isn’t dealt with (much like Ohran Viper). Loxodon Smiter is a brick wall against aggressive decks, letting other threats attack in before joining the battle when it’s safe to do so. Being uncounterable makes it a rather punishing play against blue decks that hold up mana for Counterspell on defense. Last but not least, Desecration Demon really turns up the heat with its pushed stat-line and evasive ability that consequently shortens any game it lands a hit in.
The demon’s downside is mitigated by the strong defense Abzan Midrange can muster. Access to good blockers buys time for the deck to set up its engine and draw into removal. Then, it can leave the skies clear for Desecration Demon to terrorize the battlefield. An opponent sacrificing creatures to appease the demon only clears the board for other beaters to get in and lengthens the game for the grindy deck to further eke out advantages.
Volrath’s Stronghold
Midrange
Volrath’s Stronghold is the epitome of the midrange archetype. It asserts, “Each card on the top of my library is the best card I could draw.” It proclaims, “My cards have value beyond the grave.” It declares, “Even my lands are must answer threats.”
The Abzan Midrange deck never runs out of gas. You will not breach its stronghold, and you will fear its counterattack.
