[Top 5] MTG Arena Best Control Decks (Latest Patch)

Updated:

18 Sep 2023

One of the most entertaining MTG strategies is to attack your opponent with creatures. You position your creatures, cast various spells on them, and then aim for the kill. The majority of players, however, find greater satisfaction in winning games with a card advantage. Control decks focus on disrupting opponents, eliminating threats, and countering spells as their major points of attack.

This list gives players a variety of control options that are all tailored to the current metagame.

5. Mono Blue Tempo

The sorceries and instants in your graveyard are used by Mono Blue Tempo, which is essentially an aggressive control deck, to create a strong attack. The creatures in this deck get stronger as you play more instants and sorceries, while the number of instants and sorceries you have in your graveyard lets you cast another creature for less mana. You'll be able to draw cards, gain an advantage on the board by blocking your opponent's spells, and gain more spells in your graveyard.

What this deck excels in:

This deck has a ton of counterspells, so you can deal with whatever spell your opponent casts against you.
This deck combines the capacity to generate card advantage with the capacity to strengthen your creatures to provide you a more potent strike.

Deck list:

21 Island
4 Consider
4 Slip Out the Back
4 Spell Pierce
4 Fading Hope
4 Essence Scatter
4 Make Disappear
3 Thirst for Discovery
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Haughty Djinn
4 Tolarian Terror

4. Dimir Control

The defining characteristics of a Dimir deck are disruption and control. Heavy counters and disruptive spells that can harm the adversary even before their spells leave their hands have been attributed to this color combination.

What this deck excels in:

This deck prioritizes creature removal more than typical control decks, which typically have a number of counterspells. It has the ability to either remove creatures permanently or simply return them to their owner's hand to buy time.
This deck uses Invoke Despair, which is practically required in every black mana deck. This card is incredibly potent because it deals with a variety of threats and it provides an answer against enchantments which is not very common in the current meta.

Deck list:

1 Undercover Operative
1 Hullbreaker Horror
2 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
2 The Celestus
4 Reckoner Bankbuster
2 Rona's Vortex
2 Fading Hope
3 Infernal Grasp
4 Cut Down
2 Invoke Despair
3 Duress
1 The Cruelty of Gix
2 The Meathook Massacre
4 Liliana of the Veil
9 Island
15 Swamp

3. Jeskai Control

This deck is a good control variant because it was made to address all the pertinent threats in the meta. As a result of the numerous saves, board wipes, and card advantages, this might be your go-to control deck.

What this deck excels in:

The threats in the meta can be neutralized by this deck.
It gives a lot of firepower in addition to negating the majority of meta strategies.
Lier, Disciple of the Drowned is a very strong card, allowing you to cast your spells twice thanks to Flashback. This is especially beneficial when addressing persistent threats.

Deck list:

2 Archangel of Wrath
2 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
1 The Celestus
4 Reckoner Bankbuster
2 Fading Hope
2 Destroy Evil
2 Negate
3 Flame-Blessed Bolt
3 Abrade
2 Sunset Revelry
4 Temporal Firestorm
3 Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset
4 The Wandering Emperor
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
1 Plains
1 Otawara, Soaring City
1 Mountain
1 Island
1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
4 Wind-Scarred Crag
4 Sundown Pass
4 Shivan Reef
4 Adarkar Wastes
4 Deserted Beach

2. Azorius Control

It's not always necessary to negate every spell that an adversary has under control. Control entails gaining whatever advantage you are capable of up until you are immensely superior to your opponent in every way. The card draw, life gain, board wipes, and other abilities of this deck accomplish it.

What this deck excels in:

Every card in this deck is intended to provide you some sort of edge over your opponent.
Although it can still compete in Bo1 games, this deck performs well in Bo3 games. The majority of its power stems from its sideboarding flexibility to adapt to the opponent's deck.
Sunset Revelry is underrated because it gives you many benefits for only two mana.

Deck list:

2 Ao, the Dawn Sky
3 Dennick, Pious Apprentice
4 Spirited Companion
4 Reckoner Bankbuster
1 Syncopate
1 Destroy Evil
3 Make Disappear
2 Silver Scrutiny
2 Farewell
3 Sunset Revelry
4 Wedding Announcement
2 Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset
3 The Wandering Emperor
1 Otawara, Soaring City
1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
2 Skybridge Towers
2 Adarkar Wastes
4 Deserted Beach
4 Tranquil Cove
5 Island
7 Plains

1. Izzet Control

A standard control deck, Izzet Control uses counterspells and removal/burn spells to neutralize the threat posed by the opponent. Due to its ability to handle the majority of the significant threats that are present in popular Midrange decks like Rakdos and Mono-Black, it is a solid deck in the meta.

What this deck excels in:

In the early phases of the game, strong counterspells and removal spells can assist protect you so you can set up your board.
Because it may switch to an aggressive deck against slower opponents, it offers flexible gaming.

Deck list: