The main objective of MTG is to reduce your opponent’s life to zero in order for you to win the game. You can assemble an aggro deck that hits the opponent hard and fast, you can also assemble a control deck that allows you to protect yourself from threats until you are already able to deploy your win conditions. Whatever deck build you have, it all goes down to taking your opponent’s life total and crushing it to bits. One variant of control, however, does not care about your starting life. Contrary to typical MTG, this deck runs against a 60-point lifeline. This deck is none other than the mill. 

The objective of a mill deck is to reduce your library to zero so that when you draw a card, you automatically lose the game. A mill deck is usually a combination of a control deck and a combo deck since it needs quite a lot of pieces for it to function properly. Because of this, mill hasn’t been the really competitive archetype that players often use in ranked. However, there are still a few who want to try and be janky with their mill builds. This list tackles the top 5 current builds you can follow if you want to mill your opponent to death.

5. Elementals Self-Mill

Time for nature to strike back!

What’s good about this deck?

• You can play this deck as a self-mill deck as well as a combo deck that can bring out an overwhelming number of creatures
  • Because of Risen Reef’s ability, this deck has a huge range from being a tribal deck to being a self-mill deck, and finally, being a ramp deck. 
  • You can modify your gameplan on the fly since these three playstyles are closely knitted together in this deck.
• You are also playing with a lot of creatures and spells.
  • Since mill is not the primary strategy of this deck, you still have a strong case against your opponents by bringing out your huge creatures and planeswalkers. 

How to play this deck effectively

• The basic principle of this deck is to bring out Risen Reef on curve to help you with card and mana advantage.
  • Since Risen Reef is a must in the early game, make sure that you get your mana right. Running a three-colored deck can be difficult especially when you deal with mana problems.
  • You can cheat in your cheaper Elemental spells once you have Risen Reef on the board already so you can hold those out for later.
• Do not deploy your Jace too early. Getting it removed from the battlefield can result in a huge flip of the game.
  • Since you will already get a card draw from your Elemental spells, you should only cast Jace when you are already close to milling yourself out. This is important since there is a lot of removal in the meta, and there are also some decks that benefit from having cards in their graveyard. To prevent both from utilizing your gameplan to their advantage, deploy Jace only at the last second.

Decklist

Yorion, Sky Nomad - Companion

• 3 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
• 4 Omnath, Locus of the Roil
• 4 Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath
• 2 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
• 4 Arboreal Grazer
• 4 Ruin Crab
• 4 Leafkin Druid
• 4 Risen Reef
• 3 Cavalier of Thorns
• 4 Cultivate
• 3 Genesis Ultimatum
• 3 Mystical Dispute
• 2 Aether Gust
• 4 Temple of Mystery
• 2 Temple of Epiphany
• 2 Temple of Abandon
• 4 Steam Vents
• 4 Stomping Ground
• 4 Breeding Pool
• 4 Ketria Triome
• 4 Fabled Passage
• 3 Island
• 3 Forest
• 2 Mountain

4. Adventure

Feeling adventurous? 

What’s good about this deck?

• Just like the deck above, this list is also not primarily mill. It allows you to have mill as a safety net for when things go to a stalemate.
  • There are still a good number of players who use Adventure decks. Since you are likely to run against them, you can use mill as a game-breaker, giving you a solid edge when it comes to the late game.
  • You can use Fae of Wishes to bring out a Jace from your sideboard to help in milling out the opponent, or to give you the win when you mill yourself out. 

How to play this deck effectively

• Establish your combo pieces early on, focusing on getting copies of Lucky Clover to stick.
  • Lucky Clover is your main piece as it will open up a lot of opportunities for you throughout the game. It is then important that you get this early on and that you get this to stay on the board for future turns.
  • Another key piece is Edgewall Innkeeper since it’s very cheap, you need to play this early so you can get card advantage when you start casting your adventure creatures. 
• Since you will be drawing a lot of cards from Innkeeper, ideally, you can employ a self-mill strategy.
  • The self-mill strategy can be employed in the later stages of the game since you have probably already gone through more than half of your deck. You can then use Merfolk Secretkeeper to target yourself. Finish off the game by fetching a copy of Jace on your sideboard.

Decklist

• 4 Bonecrusher Giant
• 4 Edgewall Innkeeper
• 4 Lovestruck Beast
• 4 Merfolk Secretkeeper
• 4 Ruin Crab
• 3 Terror of the Peaks
• 4 Fae of Wishes
• 3 Brazen Borrower
• 3 Lucky Clover
• 2 Cultivate
• 3 Genesis Ultimatum
• 4 Ketria Triome
• 3 Cragcrown Pathway
• 3 Riverglide Pathway
• 4 Fabled Passage
• 3 Island
• 3 Forest
• 2 Mountain

Sideboard

• 2 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
• 1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
• 2 Shark Typhoon
• 1 Tormod’s Crypt
• 2 Mystical Dispute
• 1 Genesis Ultimatum
• 1 Sorcerous Spyglass
• 1 Shadowspear
• 1 Mystic Repeal
• 2 Scavenging Ooze
• 1 Ashiok, Dream Render

3. UW Mill Enchantments - Yorion companion

Teferi, a magical prodigy that can cause multiple rage quits in a short span of time. 

What’s good about this deck?

• ETB effects + Yorion = perfect match
  • When playing with Yorion as your companion, you would want to have a lot of cards with ETB (enter-the-battlefield) effects to maximize your Yorion drop.
  • Since most of the enchantments found in this deck have mill abilities when they enter the battlefield, you can wreak havoc on your opponent’s deck when you finally drop a Yorion
• It doubles up as a good control deck, allowing late-game beatdown gameplay for your opponent.
  • You can be a hard control deck until a point where you can maximize the potential of your Sigil of the Empty Throne, dealing massive amounts of damage in the air.

How to play this deck effectively

• The chances that you get a specific card in your opening hand and in your draw steps are smaller since you are playing with 20 extra cards in your library. You must know how to navigate through your game plan with the different cards in your deck.
  • It is almost unlikely that you get a god hand or a great top deck with this type of deck. However, since most of your enchantments are really great on their own, you don’t have to worry about getting your key pieces early.
  • Focus on survival in the early game as well as building a good board state.
• Since there is a lot of removal on the meta, be sure that you have counterspells when you already have a good board state. The last thing you want is to get your board wiped out a turn before you cast Yorion.
  • With the presence of Rule of Law in this deck, it will be much easier to deal with your opponent’s threats since you will only need to deal with a single spell each turn.

Decklist

Yorion, Sky Nomad - Companion

• 2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
• 2 Narset, Parter of Veils
• 2 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 2 Search for Azcanta
• 4 Teferi’s Tutelage
• 4 Omen of the Sea
• 3 Elspeth Conquers Death
• 2 Rule of Law
• 4 Birth of Meletis
• 3 Sigil of the Empty Throne
• 3 Shark Typhoon
• 4 Archon of Sun’s Grace
• 2 Settle the Wreckage
• 2 Wrath of God
• 3 Mystical Dispute
• 3 Dovin’s Veto
• 4 Hallowed Fountain
• 3 Glacial Fortress
• 4 Temple of Enlightenment
• 4 Fabled Passage
• 3 Castle Ardenvale
• 3 Castle Vantress
• 7 Plains
• 7 Island

2. Thassa’s Oracle

According to Thassa's prophecy, you are about to lose this game in less than four turns. 

What’s good about this deck?

• Because of the Treasure Hunt + Thassa’s Oracle combo, this deck is pretty effortless, meaning, anyone can pick up this deck and start stringing out wins.
  • If you want a quick game, this deck is definitely for you. It can end the game easily. The result, however, will depend on how lucky your draw is.

How to play this deck effectively

• Make sure you cast Treasure Hunt on curve.
  • This is basically the only strategy since your combo only requires this and Thassa’s Oracle.
  • Ensuring that you get Treasure Hunt on Turn Two will give your opponent a really small margin to play with before you claim victory.

Decklist

• 4 Treasure Hunt
• 4 Thassa’s Oracle
• 3 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
• 4 Lonely Sandbar
• 4 Mystic Sanctuary
• 41 Island

1. Mono-blue Bruvac

Bruvac, the Savior of Mill Decks.

What’s good about this deck?

• This list can be considered an aggressive mill deck since it can mill the opponent very quickly.
  • Because of Bruvac’s ability, all mill effects are basically doubled for your opponent. This means that if you have Bruvac on board, casting a Maddening Cacophony is almost the same as casting it with its Kicker effect. 
• Persistent Petitioners can really turn the tide of the game.
  • Since you can have any number of Petitioners on your deck, you are likely to assemble four of these on the battlefield at a very early stage. Combined with Bruvac, tapping four advisors can mill almost half of the opponent’s deck.

How to play this deck effectively

• Get the right curve
  • It is a pretty straightforward deck which means the bulk of it relies on how you play out your hand. Getting a Petitioner and Bruvac in Turns 2 and 3 is ideal since you can start removing cards from your opponent’s library.
• Utilize the card advantage.
  • Milling your opponent is already a huge card advantage however card draw is still a very important feature in any control deck.
• Survive removals.
  • You need to have counterspells on the ready especially in the early part of the game since your opponent will try to deal with your threats before they materialize. 

Decklist

• 2 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 3 Bruvac the Grandiloquent
• 4 Ruin Crab
• 12 Persistent Petitioners
• 2 Brazen Borrower
• 2 Maddening Cacophony
• 4 Teferi’s Tutelage
• 3 Didn’t Say Please
• 3 Anticognition
• 3 Drowned Secrets
• 2 Sea Gate Restoration
• 4 Ipnu Rivulet
• 2 Castle Vantress
• 14 Island

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