Sometimes, new Magic decks come together from disparate parts. Cards from different sets finally get a key piece, and they unite to take a format by storm. Other times, a new deck can be built almost fully formed from cards in a new set. That’s what we’re seeing here today, as Gruul Delirium makes its mark on the Standard MTG format.
Delirium was a strong mechanic back in its day, and it seems just as good this time around. With a suite of hyper-aggressive creatures and potent removal, this list is a match for most in the current Standard. If you’re looking to grab a new Standard deck for spooky season, this may just be your best option.
Gruul Delirium In MTG Standard
In many ways, Gruul Delirium is one of the most beautifully simple decks in MTG Standard. It plays a bunch of Delirium cards, and a bunch of cards that help enable Delirium, and it rides them to victory.
In Gruul Delirium, many cards in the deck serve as both enablers and payoffs. Patchwork Beastie, for example, is a 3/3 for just one mana with Delirium active. It also mills you a card each turn, which helps turn it on. Fear of Missing Out is similar. It rummages on entry, which lets you dump a card type you need in the graveyard. Both of these creatures also have an extra card type as they’re also artifacts and enchantments, respectively. This lets them fuel your Delirium even if your opponent removes them.
Wildfire Wickerfolk rounds out the core aggressive creature package in the deck. Beyond this, there are different ways to fill Gruul Delirium out. So far, the most successful tops out at three mana for Omnivorous Flytrap. With Delirium active this can be a 6/8 for three mana, or buff two of your existing creatures by +2/+2. That’s a great deal, especially considering how low the deck’s curve is.
Evolving Adaptive is a great one drop that works perfectly with Flytrap, while Stubborn Burrowfiend and Inti, Seneschal of the Sun are both great Delirium enablers. Throw in some quality removal, and you’ve got yourself a League-winning deck.
Mix N’ Match
The straightforward Aggro list above has proven the most successful version of Gruul Delirium in the Standard MTG format so far. The beauty of the deck is its flexibility, however, so other versions have been popping up too, running very different cards and curves.
One common feature of the deck is the Say Its Name/Altanak, the Thrice-Called package. This looked like a total meme at first, but turns out it’s more than possible to get Altanak out via this funky alternate method. Both cards are natural additions to Delirium on their own, too. Say Its Name loads up your graveyard and recurs your threats, while Altanak can discard itself early to recur milled lands. This package definitely plays slower than the version above, but it gives the deck a lot of staying power and helps get Delirium online consistently.
Some builds also choose to go a bit more Midrange with their threats. Overlord of the Boilerbilges hasn’t quite set the world on fire like some suspected during preview season, but it plays great here. Being an enchantment makes it fine discard fodder for FOMO, while its burn effect and big body are handy during grindy matches.
Balustrade Wurm has also seen some testing in the deck. Immunity to counterspells makes it fantastic in the Dimir Midrange matchup, while 5/5 Trample/Haste stats for five make it great everywhere else. Getting to recur it from the graveyard later for four is no joke, either. With how easily this deck can get Delirium online, discarding this early can often guarantee an early cast.
Slower variants of Gruul Delirium aren’t doing as well right now. They are still very potent, however, and let you play some of the most fun cards from Duskmourn.
Player Beware
Gruul Delirium is a fairly young deck, so it hasn’t had a proper chance to dominate Standard yet. It faces an uphill struggle to do so, however, whether you play the Aggro or Midrange version.
A concern for both versions of the deck is the quality and quantity of graveyard hate in Standard right now. Rest in Peace and Tranquil Frillback are already sideboard staples. Duskmourn adds even more great options, in Leyline of the Void and Ghost Vacuum. Vacuum in particular is excellent as a hate piece that doubles as a surprise finisher late in the game, meaning some decks are already running it in the main, never mind the sideboard. These cards are difficult to overcome, but your best bet is artifact/enchantment hate.
Ironically, this is also a problem area for the deck. Since so many of your creatures are also artifacts/enchantments, cards that remove them get a lot of extra value against your deck. Pick Your Poison becomes a one mana removal spell, for example. Tranquil Frillback can also remove your creatures as well as your graveyard, as if the card needed any more play against your deck. You can counter this by sideboarding out your mixed-type creatures for other options, but in doing so you’ll greatly hurt the consistency of Delirium. For that reason, it’s best to think of this as an inherent weakness that can’t be fixed.
Finally, as with most decks in Standard, Gruul Delirium can struggle against fast Aggro. Gruul Prowess, in particular. You can certainly get on board and contest these decks, but you can’t do much against their combo-esque Leyline of Resonance finishes. The best way to remedy this is the addition of more cheap removal, like Lightning Strike.
Read More: Deadly Duskmourn Removal Spell Makes A Splash In Multiple Formats
