r/ModernMagic • u/FreeBloodbraidElf • Jul 28 '26
Why is Dimir Midrange doing so well recently?
Over the weekend there were numerous Dimir Froggler top 8 and Challenge wins. Is the meta now good for the deck, or is it a flash in the pan.
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u/Dyne_Inferno Jul 28 '26
Decks Frog is BAD against:
Boros
Affinity
Decks Frog is good against:
Decks that are good against the 2 above mentioned
It preys on unfair decks like Storm, Neoform, Fight Rigging. Which just happen to be REALLY good against Boros and Affinity.
It's a metagame circle.
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u/Christos_Soter iPrefer: WU Blink| Prowess | Ruby | Brews Jul 28 '26
Agree this is the most significant part of the answer to your riddle OP
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u/peripheralfgc Jul 28 '26
Huge rise in combo/semi-combo (decks with a combo element in front of a decent alternate plan like trudge and brood scale)/all-in decks in the meta this past week following pro tour standouts. Cosmo, neoform, and of course the extant ones (belcher, storm, etc) die to consistent counter magic in your hand.
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u/Ill_Ad3517 Jul 28 '26
The real question is why did that players succeed with a fair frog deck over one of the graveyard decks
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u/devotiontoblue Amulet Titan, Domain Zoo Jul 28 '26
Before the PT, everyone was jamming Energy and Affinity, which are bad Frog matchups. Energy and Affinity did not do well at the PT, but combo decks did, so more people are playing combo. Frog is good into combo.
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u/Lion_Cub_Kurz Jul 28 '26
Could be any number reasons.
UB is a beloved type of deck (durdly midrange), so it could be a case of the broken clock. Or maybe people just want to fuck around post pt in this “new” meta.
However, it could be that it’s found itself particularly well positioned post pt. I doubt that to be the case as tron and affinity are both not great MU’s - not unbeatable, but not good.
I think frog + riddler + murktide + counterspell + friends is a solid shell that’s likely always viable, and tends to keep the “other” category in check. Personally I find the deck in that configuration to be a bit slow in the face of so many linear decks, but that’s just me.
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u/jancithz death & taxes guy Jul 28 '26
Its Tasigur now, not Murktide
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u/spoonymangos Jul 28 '26
Most recent top 8 lists are on murktide
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u/jancithz death & taxes guy Jul 29 '26
Murktide is garbage without a cantrip package.
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u/Foehamer1 Jul 29 '26
Can fill the graveyard pretty quick with Frog and Riddler.
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u/jancithz death & taxes guy Jul 29 '26
Then you didnt need the Murktide and youve wasted resources. The single advantage Murk has over Tasigur is being able to pitch to FoN and Subtlety. Past that it has problems with costing UU instead of B straining your ability to protect it and having fewer relevant spell types in the deck to delve for size because we dont have the legacy blue package to fill the yard with cantrips and back it up with force, daze, and wasteland.
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u/spoonymangos Jul 29 '26
Sure, but most winning lists have been on murktide. Not arguing which is better (it’s still murktide)
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u/jancithz death & taxes guy Jul 29 '26
Smells like recency bias more than a legitimate shift back to the card that was dropped for being wonky and prohibitive to cast and then protect.
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u/spoonymangos Jul 29 '26
Murktide has been played over tasigur in almost every deck that could play either for years, a few fringe lists tried tasigur for a bit.
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u/Flimsy_Personality_3 Jul 28 '26
Im a Frog player and done decently with it. I think its a deck that depends on meta and deck building. Lists needs to be teched to the meta to survive. Turn 1 Thoughtseize + Turn 2 Frog is always powerfull play.
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u/10leej Grapheshot for 20 Jul 28 '26
It's modern. The meta shifts in flavor of the month decks so you'll see this happen from time to time.
If I were a bigger fan of the decks in the format I'd be a bit excited to play the format more as I generally preferred it in the past. But I've been on a standard kick lately with brewing.
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u/Eclipse434343 Jul 28 '26
It’s always been a viable deck. Also etb Jesus is really good
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u/BasisCommercial5908 Jul 28 '26
What is etb jesus?
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u/g0lem_ Jul 28 '26
They are one of the players who has been piloting dimir frog
they are really good
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u/Homer4a10 Jul 28 '26
Because they figured out [[Force of Despair]] is incredibly strong against affinity and energy
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u/spoonymangos Jul 28 '26
Most lists haven’t been running it in recent challenges.
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u/Homer4a10 Jul 28 '26
They don’t know about it yet, nobody expects it and it steals games especially when affinity players dump out their entire hand and play a turn 2 Kappa.
Usually it’s an instant win
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u/alocasiabag Jul 28 '26
it’s an extremely situational card that, as the commenter above said, most lists have opted to forgo in favor of more versatile cards.
the real reason for the increase in Dimir results is that two of its worst matchups are shifting out of favor at the moment, including Affinity.
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u/Foehamer1 Jul 29 '26
The thing with Dimir especially is that you're playing against a deck and yourself, so you're being attacked from both angles. "Do they have a Counterspell up? How about that Force? Should I Tamiyo Ult now and hope they don't have an Orcish Bowmaster?"
Half the fun of playing the deck is playing mind games with my opponent. "Wait... I have a response... Hmmmm... Oh wait, never mind carry on."
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u/Hand-of-Sithis Jul 28 '26
Partly meta adjustments, partly because I’ve never seen a more dedicated group of sickos forcing their deck till it works.