With the Magic: the Gathering Last Avatar set shaking up Standard, the Dimir Control might finally be getting its moment in the spotlight. Blue-black decks have always had the brains and tools to dominate—counterspells, removal, and late-game inevitability—but they’ve been missing just a few key pieces. The new set could change that.

Between fresh win conditions and more flexible answers, Dimir Control has a real shot at climbing from a fringe pick to a top-tier powerhouse in the format.

The idea of the Dimir Control deck rising to a top-tier spot in Standard with the inclusion of the Last Avatar set is compelling. Control decks in blue-black have always been about denying what the opponent wants and eventually winning on card advantage or inevitability. With new cards from Last Avatar likely refreshing the arsenal of interaction, card draw, and late-game finishers, Dimir Control is positioned to step up. The archetype has demonstrated solid viability, as evidenced by multiple recent lists for Standard, which show the archetype performing respectably.

First, let’s discuss the strengths that Dimir Control offers. Blue-black offers excellent removal and disruption — counterspells, targeted removal, hand disruption — which means the deck is well equipped to face the faster archetypes in Standard. You can answer key threats, delay the opponent’s plan, and then close the game when their resources are tapped out. Furthermore, the blue side provides card draw or selection to keep you ahead. Given those tools, if Last Avatar introduces strong new cards that reinforce control’s late game or refine its disruption, Dimir Control can leverage them to punch above its weight.

Second, with the meta shifting around and many aggressive or midrange decks dominating expected play patterns, there is space for a well-tuned control deck to make serious waves. If players are leaning into hyper-aggressive strategies, a control list with the right hate cards and finishers can exploit that. Moreover, if Last Avatar includes cards that shut down aggressive openings or provide a resilient finish, Dimir Control could exploit the gap. We’ve seen lists suggesting the archetype is doing well even when not at the top of the tier list.  

However—and this is important—there are clear hurdles. Magic: the Gathering control decks typically require time, resource accumulation, and stable mana, which means they can be weaker to very fast aggro decks or to strategies that punish you before you stabilize. If Last Avatar doesn’t provide early-game defense or the meta coalesces around ultra-fast kill-strategies, Dimir Control could struggle. Also, missing a signature “big finish” card or a consistent method to close out the game can leave it vulnerable to being overtaken despite good disruption. In past discussions, players have pointed to the missing piece in making Dimir Control truly tier one.  

Finally, the path to top-tier status will depend on how well deckbuilders integrate the new set and adjust for the expected meta. If Last Avatar brings in efficient removal, stronger draw engines, or a resilient threat that rewards patience, then Dimir Control’s underlying architecture is solid. The real question will be: can it do the “dirty work” of disruption and also pull ahead in the late game consistently? If yes, then we might see the Magic: the Gathering Dimir Control not just as a rogue contender, but as a serious tier-one archetype in Standard.

In short: it has the potential — the tools mostly exist — it just needs the right final pieces and a favourable meta. Thanks for reading.