Last updated on November 30, 2023
Karn, Jhoira, and Teferi | Dominaria Key Art by Tyler Jacobson
The Historic Brawl meta is always in flux. With each set released on MTG Arena we have more options to build decks and more powerful cards, mana rocks, legendary creatures, and mana fixing options.
5-color decks have plenty of mana fixing available to them thanks to the tri-lands and Triomes, the shock and check lands, and artifacts like Chromatic Lantern. As such lots of 5-color commanders are at the top of the meta.
Today we’re going to take a look at the Historic Brawl format on MTG Arena and the decks that are at the top tier. Ready? Let's get into it!
What Is Historic Brawl?
If you’re not familiar with this other format, Historic is a Constructed, non-rotating game format introduced for MTG Arena in late 2019 that includes sets that have rotated out of Standard. It’s fair to say that players really enjoy the format as it’s become a pretty popular play mode in Arena.
As for Historic Brawl, as the name suggests, it’s a variant of Brawl format. It was first introduced during the Festival: Erebos’s Memoir of Death event in March. It was even extended for an extra day because of how popular it was!
Basically, Historic Brawl is just what you would expect: the Brawl format (which otherwise uses only Standard-legal sets) with the added Historic card pool. That is to say, sets that are no longer Standard-legal due to rotation.
Historic Brawl was added to the regular game modes on Arena due to popular demand. It also switched from a 60-card format to a 100-card format meaning you now have more options to brew your decks, making it more similar to Commander.
It's best-of-one and does not have a sideboard.
How to Play Historic Brawl
Originally there weren't many events where you could test your beloved Historic Brawl brews. But it's now available indefinitely in the Arena queue! You can also directly challenge your friends by going to Challenge Match (crossed swords icon) and selecting “Deck Type: Friendly Brawl”.
Top Tier Historic Brawl Decks
5-Color The First Sliver
The First Sliver | Illustration by Svetlin Velinov
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (6)
Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
Liliana, Dreadhorde General
A-Teferi, Time Raveler
Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God
Chandra, Awakened Inferno
Tasha, Unholy Archmage
Creature (15)
Golos, Tireless Pilgrim
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Oracle of Mul Daya
Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Paradise Druid
Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
Scholar of the Lost Trove
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
Ornithopter of Paradise
Displacer Kitten
Zacama, Primal Calamity
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Sorcery (17)
Solve the Equation
Time Warp
Ruinous Ultimatum
Final Parting
Karn's Temporal Sundering
Mastermind's Acquisition
Supreme Verdict
Farewell
Cartographer's Survey
Settle the Wilds
Day of Judgment
A-Alrund's Epiphany
Verdant Rejuvenation
Cultivate
Genesis Ultimatum
Casualties of War
Emergent Ultimatum
Enchantment (8)
Black Market Connections
The Cruelty of Gix
Fight Rigging
Omniscience
The Kami War
Binding the Old Gods
The World Spell
Overwhelming Splendor
Artifact (11)
Key to the Archive
Firemind Vessel
Arcane Signet
Coldsteel Heart
Skyclave Relic
Relic of Legends
The Celestus
Chromatic Lantern
Chromatic Orrery
A-Lantern of Revealing
Portal to Phyrexia
Land (42)
The World Tree
Zagoth Triome
Raugrin Triome
Indatha Triome
Ketria Triome
Savai Triome
Spara's Headquarters
Jetmir's Garden
Xander's Lounge
Raffine's Tower
Sulfurous Springs
Plains
Yavimaya Coast
Forest
Dreamroot Cascade
Command Tower
Shattered Sanctum
Mountain
Caves of Koilos
Island
Godless Shrine
Deserted Beach
Ziatora's Proving Ground
Breeding Pool
Overgrown Farmland
Temple Garden
Sundown Pass
Sacred Foundry
Stomping Ground
Rockfall Vale
Karplusan Forest
Shivan Reef
Hallowed Fountain
Overgrown Tomb
Deathcap Glade
Haunted Ridge
Blood Crypt
Stormcarved Coast
Steam Vents
Swamp
Shipwreck Marsh
Watery Grave
A go-to deck in the Historic Brawl format since you can play all colors, mana fixing is good and The First Sliver will always give you an extra card when it’s cast. All you need is big haymakers in all colors as win conditions.
5-Color Go-Shintai of Life’s Origin
Go-Shintai of Life's Origin | Illustration by Alexander Mokhov
Commander (1)
Creature (30)
Go-Shintai of Ancient Wars
Kumano Faces Kakkazan
Go-Shintai of Lost Wisdom
Go-Shintai of Boundless Vigor
Sky-Blessed Samurai
Go-Shintai of Hidden Cruelty
Jukai Naturalist
Go-Shintai of Shared Purpose
Michiko's Reign of Truth
Hopeful Initiate
Kessig Wolfrider
Deathbonnet Sprout
Crashing Drawbridge
Spectrum Sentinel
Coastal Bulwark
Monastery Swiftspear
Jodah, the Unifier
Rootcoil Creeper
Zur, Eternal Schemer
Llanowar Loamspeaker
Evolved Sleeper
Goldhound
Suspicious Bookcase
Unlucky Witness
Gala Greeters
Falkenrath Pit Fighter
Llanowar Elves
Druid of the Cowl
Wall of Runes
Moon-Blessed Cleric
Instant (16)
Mystic Reflection
Village Rites
Soul Shatter
Tamiyo's Safekeeping
Brokers Charm
Fateful Absence
Soul Partition
Thrill of Possibility
Boon of Safety
Tainted Indulgence
Opt
Revitalize
Rite of Harmony
Consider
Defiant Strike
Swords to Plowshares
Sorcery (4)
Farewell
Sunset Revelry
Multiple Choice
Abundant Harvest
Enchantment (11)
Honden of Cleansing Fire
Honden of Seeing Winds
Honden of Night's Reach
Honden of Life's Web
Honden of Infinite Rage
Sanctum of Shattered Heights
Sanctum of Stone Fangs
Sanctum of Fruitful Harvest
Sanctum of Tranquil Light
Sanctum of All
Sanctum of Calm Waters
Artifact (1)
Land (37)
Xander's Lounge
Ziatora's Proving Ground
Jetmir's Garden
Roadside Reliquary
Dreamroot Cascade
Caves of Koilos
Llanowar Wastes
Plaza of Heroes
Shivan Reef
Karplusan Forest
Needleverge Pathway
Cragcrown Pathway
Brightclimb Pathway
Branchloft Pathway
Evolving Wilds
Shipwreck Marsh
Rockfall Vale
Haunted Ridge
Deserted Beach
Overgrown Farmland
Riverglide Pathway
Darkbore Pathway
Barkchannel Pathway
Hengegate Pathway
Blightstep Pathway
Clearwater Pathway
Skyclave Cleric
Forest x2
Island x2
Mountain x2
Plains x2
Swamp x2
Go-Shintai of Life's Origin is a 5-color commander that‘s also a shrine and a card that encourages you to play shrines. Shrines are a subtheme present in Kamigawa sets with the main characteristic that you’ll gain something the more shrines you control.
This deck will play the Hondens from old Kamigawa and the shrines from Neon Dynasty along with some new cards like Zur, Eternal Schemer, Spectrum Sentinel, and Jodah, the Unifier. You’ll slowly build an engine that will let you gain lots of life, make lots of tokens, draw a bunch of cards, and deal damage to your opponents if things go the right way.
Simic Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy | Illustration by Jason Rainville
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (2)
Vivien on the Hunt
Vivien, Monsters' Advocate
Creature (41)
Acidic Slime
Atzocan Archer
Blossoming Tortoise
Bramble Familiar
Cavalier of Thorns
Citanul Stalwart
Clever Impersonator
Craterhoof Behemoth
Delighted Halfling
Elvish Mystic
Fierce Empath
Howlpack Piper
Jaspera Sentinel
Kogla, the Titan Ape
Llanowar Elves
Manglehorn
Myr Convert
Nyxbloom Ancient
Ornithopter of Paradise
Overgrown Battlement
Oyaminartok, Polar Werebear
Paradise Druid
Prime Speaker Vannifar
Primeval Titan
Questing Beast
Radagast the Brown
Reclamation Sage
Saruli Caretaker
Shifting Ceratops
Sludge Monster
Surgical Metamorph
Tangled Florahedron
Thragtusk
Thrun, Breaker of Silence
Titan of Industry
Tranquil Frillback
Tyrranax Rex
Vorinclex
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Wicked Wolf
Workshop Warchief
Enchantment (2)
Careful Cultivation
Witness Protection
Artifact (10)
Arcane Signet
Coldsteel Heart
Guardian Idol
Mind Stone
Monster Manual
Moonsnare Prototype
Mox Amber
Springleaf Drum
The Irencrag
Worn Powerstone
Instant (2)
Sorcery (1)
Land (41)
Barkchannel Pathway
Boseiju, Who Endures
Botanical Sanctum
Breeding Pool
Castle Garenbrig
Command Tower
Dreamroot Cascade
Forest x16
Hinterland Harbor
Island x11
Mana Confluence
Otawara, Soaring City
Thran Portal
Vineglimmer Snarl
Waterlogged Grove
Yavimaya Coast
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy is still a nice choice for the format. The combination of a cheap commander and a mana sink that can win you the game is strong, and blue and green are already good choices for the late game, providing ramp, counterspells and expensive cards.
New cards for this deck include Tranquil Frillback, Delighted Halfling, Tyrranax Rex and The Irencrag.
Dimir Rusko, Clockmaker
Rusko, Clockmaker | Illustration by Samuel Perin
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (1)
Creature (2)
Displacer Kitten
Snapcaster Mage
Artifact (6)
Arcane Signet
Midnight Clock
Mind Stone
Staff of Compleation
The Celestus
The Irencrag
Instant (43)
Baleful Mastery
Bind to Secrecy
Blot Out
Brainstorm
Censor
Chemister's Insight
Consider
Counterspell
Cut Down
Cyclonic Rift
Dark Ritual
Debt to the Kami
Disdainful Stroke
Drown in the Loch
Essence Flux
Fatal Push
Go for the Throat
Hagra Mauling
Heartless Act
Impulse
Infernal Grasp
Jwari Disruption
Memory Deluge
Memory Lapse
Miscast
Mystical Dispute
Negate
Opt
Pact of Negation
Pharika's Libation
Power Word Kill
Seek New Knowledge
Sheoldred's Edict
Silundi Vision
Soul Shatter
Spell Pierce
Sudden Edict
Supreme Will
Swan Song
Tale's End
Tezzeret's Reckoning
Thassa's Intervention
Wash Away
Sorcery (8)
Bloodchief's Thirst
Duress
Extinction Event
Inquisition of Kozilek
Languish
Mind Spike
Thoughtseize
Time Warp
Land (38)
Captivating Crossroads
Castle Locthwain
Choked Estuary
Clearwater Pathway
Command Tower
Darkslick Shores
Drowned Catacomb
Fabled Passage
Field of Ruin
Forsaken Crossroads
Hall of Storm Giants
Hive of the Eye Tyrant
Island x10
Otawara, Soaring City
Shipwreck Marsh
Sunken Hollow
Swamp x10
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire
Underground River
Watery Grave
Rusko, Clockmaker is a Dimir Midrange/Control deck based on our commander’s ETB effect. Each time Rusko ETBs, we’ll conjure a Midnight Clock card for free. That in itself gives us a mana advantage and an insurance, because we’ll have a blue mana to protect our commander and it'll be easier to cast it next time, assuming it gets removed. The way this deck wins is to control the board with counterspells or cheap removal, and drawing 7 cards once one of our many Midnight Clocks goes off. This deck can also be built leaning more heavily on the blink aspect and playing good ETB creatures.
New cards for this build are: The Irencrag, Staff of Compleation, Bind to Secrecy and Blot Out.
Etali, Primal Conqueror
Etali, Primal Conqueror | Illustration by Ryan Pancoast
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (5)
Chandra, Awakened Inferno
Domri, Anarch of Bolas
Lukka, Bound to Ruin
Nissa, Ascended Animist
Ugin, the Ineffable
Creature (25)
Arboreal Grazer
Augur of Autumn
Azusa, Lost but Seeking
Delighted Halfling
Delina, Wild Mage
Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
Elvish Mystic
Emrakul, the Promised End
Etali, Primal Storm
Gilded Goose
Impervious Greatwurm
Incubation Druid
Llanowar Elves
Nyxbloom Ancient
Oracle of Mul Daya
Ornithopter of Paradise
Paradise Druid
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
Ruby, Daring Tracker
Tangled Florahedron
Titan of Industry
Topiary Stomper
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Vorinclex
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Enchantment (5)
Azusa's Many Journeys
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
Guardian Project
Mirror March
The World Spell
Artifact (7)
Arcane Signet
Coldsteel Heart
Key to the Archive
Mind Stone
Portal to Phyrexia
Replicating Ring
The Great Henge
Battle (2)
Invasion of Ergamon
Invasion of Zendikar
Instant (4)
Big Score
Harrow
Heroic Intervention
Veil of Summer
Sorcery (8)
Circuitous Route
Crackle with Power
Cultivate
Escape to the Wilds
Explore
Settle the Wilds
Shatterskull Smashing
Turntimber Symbiosis
Land (43)
Boseiju, Who Endures
Command Tower
Cragcrown Pathway
Fabled Passage
Forest x19
Karplusan Forest
Mountain x16
Rockfall Vale
Rootbound Crag
Stomping Ground
Etali, Primal Conqueror will give you two cards when cast, one from your deck and one from your opponent's. It's not hard to cast it reliably on turn 5-6, and your deck should have plenty of expensive haymakers to make sure it'll be a bang each time you cast Etali. Also, you can just flip it into Etali, Primal Sickness and win via toxic/poison damage.
New cards for this build include Invasion of Zendikar, Nissa, Ascended Animist, and Portal to Phyrexia.
Atraxa, Grand Unifier
Atraxa, Grand Unifier | Illustration by Marta Nael
Commander (1)
Planeswalker (4)
Kaya, Intangible Slayer
Narset, Parter of Veils
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
The Eternal Wanderer
Creature (6)
Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
Esper Sentinel
Oracle of Mul Daya
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
Solemn Simulacrum
Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath
Enchantment (6)
Binding the Old Gods
Black Market Connections
Curse of Silence
Elspeth Conquers Death
Leyline Binding
Witness Protection
Artifact (5)
Arcane Signet
Coldsteel Heart
Key to the Archive
Skyclave Relic
The Celestus
Instant (15)
Brainstorm
Dark Ritual
Dovin's Veto
Fateful Absence
Go for the Throat
Growth Spiral
Infernal Grasp
Memory Lapse
Mystical Dispute
Sheoldred's Edict
Swan Song
Swords to Plowshares
Tear Asunder
Void Rend
Wash Away
Sorcery (17)
A-Alrund's Epiphany
Assemble the Team
Cartographer's Survey
Casualties of War
Cultivate
Day of Judgment
Duress
Emergent Ultimatum
Explore
Farewell
Inquisition of Kozilek
Karn's Temporal Sundering
Sunfall
Supreme Verdict
Thoughtseize
Time Warp
Wrath of God
Land (46)
Adarkar Wastes
Blooming Marsh
Boseiju, Who Endures
Botanical Sanctum
Breeding Pool
Brushland
Caves of Koilos
Command Tower
Concealed Courtyard
Darkslick Shores
Deathcap Glade
Deserted Beach
Dreamroot Cascade
Drowned Catacomb
Fabled Passage
Forest x2
Glacial Fortress
Godless Shrine
Hall of Storm Giants
Hallowed Fountain
Hinterland Harbor
Indatha Triome
Island
Isolated Chapel
Llanowar Wastes
Mana Confluence
Overgrown Farmland
Overgrown Tomb
Plains x2
Raffine's Tower
Razorverge Thicket
Seachrome Coast
Shattered Sanctum
Shipwreck Marsh
Spara's Headquarters
Sunpetal Grove
Swamp x2
Temple Garden
Underground River
Watery Grave
Woodland Cemetery
Yavimaya Coast
Zagoth Triome
Atraxa, Grand Unifier is a 4-color control Historic Brawl deck that is mainly interested in resolving its commander and drawing a bunch of cards. Unlike Etali, Primal Conqueror, you can’t simply put the cards you drew into play, so you’ll rely more on Esper ’s abilities to keep the board clean and play a few sweepers. Once you resolve Atraxa two or three times the games should be on your hand.
New cards in this build are Kaya, Intangible Slayer, Sunfall and The Eternal Wanderer.
Building a Historic Brawl Deck
Slimefoot, the Stowaway | Illustration by Alex Konstad
Historic Brawl decks mostly follow the same ruleset as Brawl decks, except you can use cards from the Historic card pool including the Anthologies and any other cards released during Brawl events.
When it comes to Brawl’s general deck-building rules, you choose a legendary creature or planeswalker as your commander and pick 99 other cards within your color identity to build your deck. It's a singleton format, which means each card in your deck must have a different name, aside from basic lands
Your commander defines your color identity, which means that you can only use cards that have the same colors as your chosen commander. You don’t need to draw your commander since it waits patiently in the command zone looking over the battleground, and its cost rises by each time you cast it.
Banned Cards
The Historic Brawl banlist, as of Dec 2023:
- Agent of Treachery
- Chalice of the Void
- Channel
- Demonic Tutor
- Drannith Magistrate
- Field of the Dead
- Gideon's Intervention
- Lutri, the Spellchaser
- Meddling Mage
- Mishra's Bauble
- Natural Order
- Nexus of Fate
- Oko, Thief of Crowns
- Phyrexian Revoker
- Pithing Needle
- Runed Halo
- Sorcerous Spyglass
- Tainted Pact
- Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Wrap Up
Torgaar, Famine Incarnate | Illustration by Lius Lasahido
Historic Brawl is a diverse format and far from being stale since new cards and legendary spells affect the format immensely, bringing new deck and gameplay possibilities. A player can succeed by playing monocolored decks, but seeing the format’s big picture maybe there are enough sweepers and mana fixing that the rainbow decks can be good without dominating.
Historic Brawl is a fun and casual format so pro players haven't broken it yet, and the decks I mentioned here are sure to be competitive. What do you think about these lists? Let me know in the comments below or in the Draftsim Discord, where we discuss all kinds of things MTG-related.
See you around, folks, and have a good time!
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2 Comments
“since the format is now supported in-game as a separate deck building format” — not in my client as of the time/date of my comment post. I think ‘friendly brawl’ is the only format you can make this deck with.
Yep, sorry about the confusion. I mentioned “friendly brawl” is used for building historic brawl later in the article but it should be moved, I’ll fix it. Thanks for pointing that out!
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