For a long time, Dimir Tempo has been the de facto best deck in MTG Legacy. Combining efficient threats like
Moonshadow
Moonshadow
Menace
This creature enters with six -1/-1 counters on it.
Whenever one or more permanent cards are put into your graveyard from anywhere while this creature has a -1/-1 counter on it, remove a -1/-1 counter from this creature.
and
Nethergoyf
Nethergoyf
Nethergoyf's power is equal to the number of card types among cards in your graveyard and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1.
Escape—{2}{B}, Exile any number of other cards from your graveyard with four or more card types among them. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.)
with the format’s signpost-free counterspells, this deck is far more popular than any other.
While Dimir Tempo’s spot on Legacy’s podium doesn’t look like it will shift any time soon, the deck appears to be going through a massive overhaul. Thanks to Reality Fracture’s Dark Matter Manipulator, Dimir Tempo is shifting to a new threat package that takes advantage of the obscenely broken
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
You can't spend mana to cast this spell.
Convoke, delve (Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color. Each card you exile from your graveyard pays for {1}.)
You may cast this card from your graveyard.
Trample
.
This new build already has multiple 5-0 league results and some MTGO Challenge top eights, suggesting Dimir Hogaak might be a new tier-one deck. As a card that already got multiple cards banned in Modern and ruined an entire competitive season of MTG, seeing this card return to competitive Magic at all is a warning sign.
Legacy Dimir Hogaak

By including
Stitcher’s Supplier
Stitcher’s Supplier
When this creature enters or dies, mill three cards. (Put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard.)
and
Dark Matter Manipulator
Dark Matter Manipulator
When this creature enters, mill three cards.
This creature gets +2/+0 for every seven cards in your graveyard.
in Dimir Tempo’s threat suite, this new spinoff unlocks the infamous
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
You can't spend mana to cast this spell.
Convoke, delve (Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color. Each card you exile from your graveyard pays for {1}.)
You may cast this card from your graveyard.
Trample
, one of MTG’s most problematically broken cards. By casting just two of these one-mana creatures, you can put Hogaak into play on turn two by tapping the two one-drops for Convoke and exiling the six cards they milled. Of course, you can also cast Hogaak from the graveyard, which you can do on turn two if you have a third one-drop in play.
Like Rakdos Delirium in Modern,
Dark Matter Manipulator
Dark Matter Manipulator
When this creature enters, mill three cards.
This creature gets +2/+0 for every seven cards in your graveyard.
also makes
Nethergoyf
Nethergoyf
Nethergoyf's power is equal to the number of card types among cards in your graveyard and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1.
Escape—{2}{B}, Exile any number of other cards from your graveyard with four or more card types among them. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.)
and
Moonshadow
Moonshadow
Menace
This creature enters with six -1/-1 counters on it.
Whenever one or more permanent cards are put into your graveyard from anywhere while this creature has a -1/-1 counter on it, remove a -1/-1 counter from this creature.
more efficient threats, two cards the previous Legacy Dimir Tempo variant already played. By milling cards over, Moonshadow can shave a -1/-1 counter, while Nethergoyf gets buffed by the card types in your graveyard. This gives you a strong threat base even if you don’t highroll into a Hogaak, offering consistent pressure.
That said, to increase your odds of highrolling into Hogaak, this new Dimir build also runs
Mockingbird
Mockingbird
Flying
You may have this creature enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield with mana value less than or equal to the amount of mana spent to cast this creature, except it's a Bird in addition to its other types and it has flying.
, another 1-mana threat that can copy your mill creatures. Since this creature will always have Flying, it also makes for a fantastic way to Ninjutsu your
Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
Ninjutsu {1}{U}{B} ({1}{U}{B}, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
During your turn, as long as Kaito has one or more loyalty counters on him, he's a 3/4 Ninja creature and has hexproof.
+1: You get an emblem with "Ninjas you control get +1/+1."
0: Surveil 2. Then draw a card for each opponent who lost life this turn.
−2: Tap target creature. Put two stun counters on it.
into play. Then, you can cast Mockingbird, copying your milling threats once again, building closer to another Hogaak.
Notably, Mockingbird can also copy opposing creatures, which can come up surprisingly often in Legacy. Copying an opposing
Orcish Bowmasters
Orcish Bowmasters
Flash
When this creature enters and whenever an opponent draws a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, this creature deals 1 damage to any target. Then amass Orcs 1.
, for example, can shoot down their copy, unlocking your
Ponder
Ponder
Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle.
Draw a card.
s and
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
Draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
s. Of course, you also run a few Bowmasters of your own, taxing card draw effects and shooting down problematic cards like
Goblin Welder
Goblin Welder
{T}: Choose target artifact a player controls and target artifact card in that player's graveyard. If both targets are still legal as this ability resolves, that player simultaneously sacrifices the artifact and returns the artifact card to the battlefield.
.
As a finishing touch, this incredibly aggressive threat plan is backed by two playsets of free counterspells:
Force of Will
Force of Will
You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target spell.
and
Daze
Daze
You may return an Island you control to its owner's hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.
, which slow graveyard hate and opposing combo decks. You also get access to
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
Draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
and
Ponder
Ponder
Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle.
Draw a card.
, giving your deck an incredible amount of consistency. Frankly, this deck keeps everything that made Dimir Tempo powerful, but adds an even more threatening creature suite.
Stopping the Return of the ‘Gaak
With a massive upgrade to its threat package, Dimir Hogaak seems like a great way to get ahead of Dimir Tempo mirrors coming into Eternal Weekend. Your threat suite simply outclasses your opponent’s, allowing you to roll over them in most games. Hogaak is similarly a nightmare for other non-white fair decks, like Izzet Delver or Eldrazi, giving you a strong matchup there.
With tons of pressure and free counterspells, Dimir Hogaak should, in theory, have a decent combo matchup, too. Notably, the list doesn’t currently seem to run any hand disruption like
Thoughtseize
Thoughtseize
Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. You lose 2 life.
, which could improve combo matchups if you’re worried about them.
If you’re worried about Dimir Hogaak and want to combat it, White decks seem to be the way to do it. By running cards like
Swords to Plowshares
Swords to Plowshares
Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
,
Solitude
Solitude
Flash
Lifelink
When this creature enters, exile up to one other target creature. That creature's controller gains life equal to its power.
Evoke—Exile a white card from your hand.
, and
Erode
Erode
Destroy target creature or planeswalker. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
, decks like Boros Energy, and Death and Taxes aren’t nearly as scared of Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis. While your other threats can run down control decks, Boros Energy’s threat package can easily contend with them, making this matchup seem difficult.
Unfortunately for those who want to try Dimir Hogaak themselves, this deck isn’t a secret anymore, so players are starting to slot in graveyard hate in the sideboard, too. You’ll need to play around common pieces like
Dauthi Voidwalker
Dauthi Voidwalker
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
If a card would be put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, instead exile it with a void counter on it.
{T}, Sacrifice this creature: Choose an exiled card an opponent owns with a void counter on it. You may play it this turn without paying its mana cost.
that can stop your plans, but even
Leyline of the Void
Leyline of the Void
If this card is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
If a card would be put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.
appears to be on the uptick.
Still, this deck needs a very small window to slam a Hogaak into play and take over the game if it isn’t dealt with. As the deck’s early results suggest, you’ll want to prepare for this if you’re planning to play any MTG Legacy moving forward.
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