The 16 Best Decks in Timeless on Magic Arena Ranked

Last updated on September 16, 2025

Dragon's Rage Channeler | Illustration by Martina Fackova

The MTG community adopted Arena's Eternal-lite format pretty enthusiastically, which is surprising because there are perennially unpopular Alchemy cards in the mix. To compete in Timeless is wildcard draining, especially to play the fetch lands in the only 60-card format on MTG Arena where they're legal!

The meta can shift rapidly, one such culprit is Modern Horizons 3, so let’s review the current best decks in Timeless.

What Are Timeless Decks in MTG?

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer | Illustration by Simon Dominic

Timeless decks are part of the digital-only, 60-card Constructed Timeless format available on Magic Arena. It’s a Vintage-style format that lets you play every card on MTG Arena, including the cards on the Historic banlist and all sorts of Alchemy and digital-only cards. Some of those Historic banlist cards have never been available to play in 60-card formats on the client, having been pre-banned in Historic when “printed” in sets like Strixhaven Mystical Archive and Chrome Mox with Aetherdrift.

The format began with a restricted list instead of a banlist, like you see for the Power Nine in Vintage. You can only run one total copy of a restricted card in your deck and sideboard combined. Thus far, the list is:

• Channel
• Demonic Tutor
• Tibalt's Trickery

Depending on where you look, this meta shows very different tier lists. Arena ladder games are often Best-of-One, but I’ve built these rankings to try to even out the differences between Bo1 and Bo3 as much as I can. Although it'll never be perfect, it is simpler than to separate Bo1 and Bo3 lists, given how much overlap there is.

A quick note on the metagame before we get to the decks, especially for those of you who were familiar with the early 2024 Timeless meta.

Show and Tell crushed the Timeless format when it arrived as a Murders at Karlov Manor Special Guest. But that shifted with the evoke elementals from the Modern Horizons 3 Special Guests slots.

Scam builds, especially with Grief, proved popular enough to keep Show in place. Without the protective Leyline of Sanctity in play, the Show decks could just be picked apart. That tension, plus the speed of the Boros Energy deck from Modern Horizons 3, shifted the Timeless meta as those decks rock, paper, scissored the top tiers.

Boros ended the limelight for previously fast-enough aggro decks like Domain Zoo, but pieces of that deck were adopted across the format to revivify boomer staples like Jund and previously on the cusp decks like Winota. And control decks found their better builds, adapting to be able to answer both Boros and Show.

All that's to say that these decks are the top of the Timeless meta. But, as always with a format this wide, new things come along quickly and pet decks that have been under the radar this whole time just need a streamer or a post to the r/TimelessMagic subreddit to find new adherents and take off.

Even if the Standard MTG sets for the rest of the year don’t offer much to the Timeless format, I expect it to keep evolving.

#16. Esper Tempo

Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

This Esper Tempo deck gets a ton of mileage out of a few of the all-time best creatures Magic. They gain you advantage in multiple ways and go hand in hand with cards that keep opponents off-balance like Spell Pierce, Swords to Plowshares, and Deafening Silence from the sideboard.

Lurrus of the Dream-Den and Mishra's Bauble make card draw a breeze and the deck has very few things it can't handle.

#15. Phoenix

Arclight Phoenix | Illustration by Slawomir Maniak

I debated what went in this slot. I didn’t want this ranking to be too long, even though there are probably a good two dozen more Tier 3 and Tier 4 archetypes out there that are well worth exploring. But I made the call to drop two former favorites from the list: Titan Field and Domain Zoo. I just don’t think either is especially viable after Boros energy dropped.

Arclight Phoenix, however, still has some options. I've seen all manner of Phoenix builds and tried my share of Izzet (), Rakdos (), and Grixis ().

Previously I’d have said Rakdos was the build, but I was increasingly hammered with it after Modern Horizons 3 came out, and my new favorite idea is basically Dimir () builds that just use the red for the Phoenixes (if needed).

Utilizing Psychic Frog, these decks feel a bit more interactive without losing their propulsiveness. Was Gamble a dead end for the archetype? Our list by Oyobi points to that.

#14. Jund

Tarmogoyf | Illustration by Ryan Barger

Yep, Tarmogoyf. Again. Maybe.

It turns out that the key energy cards, Galvanic Discharge and Amped Raptor, are also good at dropping the ‘Goyf, Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger, and even a 3-drop like Fable of the Mirror-Breaker if you're banking some Discharge energy.

It does what you think it'll do, playing the ultimate midrange party. The fact that Jeskai () and Sultai () are playable is kind of wild, I think. Our decklist is a bit cheeky, with old school Jund staple Huntmaster of the Fells / Ravager of the Fells, but consider this my hot take if you doubt.

#13. Jeskai Control

Stern Scolding | Illustration by Valera Lutfullina

I think most folks would have Jeskai Control higher up in Timeless, but as a control player at heart, and after a lot of play, I don’t think all the pieces are quite there to put it in the top tier.

Maybe the right build isn’t quite figured out yet. They range from traditional Azorius control decks with Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury, various pieces of an energy package, or quicker interactions, from Stern Scolding and Stifle to Divine Purge. I like this list by 1namute, even if I'm not a believer in Solitude here.

#12. Winota

Winota, Joiner of Forces | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

Something to do with all the powerful white 1-drops from Modern Horizons 3 that’s not the energy deck is a wicked Winota, Joiner of Forces build. This takes the place of my beloved not-quite-awesome-anymore Domain Zoo deck in my heart.

We have 30 creatures here, including a top-end pile that can win the game if you generate a few Winota triggers on turn 3, including Agent of Treachery, Kenrith, the Returned King, Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury, and seldom-seen classic Angrath's Marauders. I’ve seen a lot of different builds in various colors, but I like this 4-color list by valaea.

#11. Mono Black

Necrodominance | Illustration by Robin Olausson

This is basically the Necropotence deck popular at the beginning of the format with the Scam package added. A piece of tech I like in our list by Neekos is Emperor of Bones, which can nab an Atraxa, Grand Unifier or Saint Elenda from an opponent's graveyard and temporarily reanimate it with haste.

We’ve got the full Scam package, allowing Malakir Rebirth and Reanimate for Grief. And it feels like Magic the way Richard Garfield intended to Necropotence for a Necrodominance when you have a Sheoldred, the Apocalypse out!

#10. Sultai Midrange

Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath | Illustration by Vincent Proce

I was never a believer in the Oko, Thief of Crowns piles from early in the format. Back then, Domain Zoo was a top tier deck and I always hoped to face what felt like a focusless pile. But Reanimate and Modern Horizons 3 changed the game, and give this deck a lean, speedy focus and some of the best ability to grind among the top decks.

There’s a Dimir control/tempo shell, a Reanimate and Grief package, and powerful Throne of Eldraine bombs Once Upon a Time and Oko, Thief of Crowns. Oko is much better now as an answer to a reanimated haymaker. There's something to be said for Harvester of Misery in the decklist, but I like the simpler list by Novos.

#9. Vampires

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord | Illustration by Chase Stone

You know the basic structure here, importing the Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord plus Vein Ripper combo Channel Fireball pioneered in the February 2024 Pioneer Pro Tour. But Timeless gives us access to busted Alchemy card Saint Elenda, which does an even better job than Ripper at taking over the game. Pre-Modern Horizons 3 versions of the deck were pretty simple like that, with some Reanimate and Olivia, Crimson Bride fun to go with Gamble. The meta adapted.

There are two ways the deck seems to be adapted. One is to incorporate the pieces of the ultimately underwhelming Rakdos Phoenix decks in the format, as with this list by hoodoo.

The one I find most exciting, though, is this deck by TheGathering which pitches the red and goes with an Orzhov shell of cards that also absorb the old Necropotence deck pieces as well as Orzhov Scam. If you look closely, it also gets rid of the card that started it all, so pour one out for Vein Ripper!

#8. Belcher

Goblin Charbelcher | Illustration by Jesper Ejsing

Format staple Golgari Belcher got an upgrade with the fleet of MDFC lands from Modern Horizons 3, most of which can enter untapped if you pay 3 life.

If you haven’t seen something similar to this decklist from Night, the goal is to drop Goblin Charbelcher and activate it, which wins on the spot because you don’t have anything that counts as a land in your deck. Generally you need a Belcher and a big ritual spell like Channel or Irencrag Feat, and you use your huge suite of tutors to get the pieces. Leyline of Sanctity is there to stop Grief from picking out your combo pieces and to make the mirror match a horrific slog.

#7. Dimir Frogmasters

Psychic Frog | Illustration by Pete Venters

Okay, so I'm the only one who calls this deck by this name, but I wouldn’t be mad if it caught on. Variously called Dimir Control or Dimir Tempo, a typical build is this one, which uses cheap value creatures, especially Psychic Frog and Orcish Bowmasters, to supplement a powerful suite of Dimir interaction. This is better in Bo3 with a wide range of sideboard answers on Arena.

#6. Rakdos Burn

Lightning Bolt | Illustration by Phil Stone

The original best Timeless deck, Rakdos Burn can hang in best-of-three, but it's much more comfortable when it avoids sideboarding.

This typical current version by Rynz is mostly a red burn deck with Orcish Bowmasters and Bump in the Night with Hopeless Nightmare as a Shock to the face that can net lots of other value if the game stretches out.

This is as close to a budget deck as you’ll get in the top tiers.

#5. Dimir Dredge

Flare of Denial | Illustration by Jason A. Engle

You might be familiar with this Bo1 deck from Historic. You self-mill, recur things, turn sideways and win. It can be shockingly fast and is pretty susceptible to the quality of its draws and what it mills, but you know quickly what the story is if you look to climb the ladder fast.

Our decklist, by Altheriax, uses Flare of Denial, which can be awesome with a Merfolk Secretkeeper out to start and retains value as you get back creatures with blue pips that are easy to continually recur.

However, I am intrigued by Ali Aintrazi’s version, which makes full use of Brainstorm and the fetch lands instead. Both are fast and powerful and reasonably simple to play.

#4. 4-Color Omnath Beans

Omnath, Locus of Creation | Illustration by Chris Rahn

Banned in Modern for this sort of deck, Up the Beanstalk is a busted card, especially when paired with evoke elementals like Solitude and the Modern-banned Fury. Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury can pitch to both elementals, which is even more value in the deck folks called “Moneypile.” Although there are 4-color control decks, the best Timeless build is like this one by Chesthair that leans into bonkers Alchemy card Cabaretti Revels to continue the train of massive value.

#3. Scam

Grief | Illustration by Campbell White

Sorry, I mean “evoke!”

This deck, in pure Rakdos form or adding colors to go Mardu or Jund, is just what you imagine it'll be from years of watching it in Modern.

You’ve got your Grief and Fury, but Timeless makes use of Reanimate more than classic Scam revival cards like Not Dead After All. It makes sense, because there may be something juicy in the opponent’s graveyard, which perhaps you put there.

My favorite variant is our decklist by Omnithopter, which adds in another Rakdos classic: Underworld Breach!

#2. OmniTell

Show and Tell | Illustration by Donato Giancola

Timeless' monster before Modern Horizons 3, either Sultai or 4-color Show and Tell dominated the meta when the card was released in the Murders at Karlov Manor Special Guests slot.

The goal is to drop Omniscience on turn 3 and then win from there. You draw cards, drop Atraxa, Grand Unifier, get your card advantage, and, well, if you haven’t played it you can imagine! Our decklist is from cjeffcoatjr.

The deck’s key priority is resolving the Show, which means most lists have Borne Upon a Wind to sneak it in during a longer game, but Veil of Summer and Leyline of Sanctity protect it from counterspells and hand disruption, respectively. Our weakness is getting all those pieces online at the right time, and after Grief showed up, the deck feels unplayable without the Leyline on the battlefield.

#1. Boros Energy

Static Prison | Illustration by Jason A. Engle

If Modern is a rotating format with Horizons sets, Timeless is going to end up that way, as well!

Boros Energy arced its way to the top of both metas, and all the more so in Timeless because it lacks the Shuko to really allow Nadu, Winged Wisdom decks to fly.

Boros Energy's most popular version seems to be the Lurrus of the Dream-Den variant, although there are some that use Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury. Lurrus makes sense in a deck with 20 1-drop creatures!

The decklist here is perhaps the simplest version. Guide of Souls, Amped Raptor, and Unstable Amulet form the core of most of these decks, but there are a lot of options and choices, including cards like Reckless Pyrosurfer, Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival, Goblin Bombardment, and a host of others.

Deckbuilding Tool

Arena Tutor's meta tab shows you data on the top decks, how many mythics and rares they require and their win rate on Arena.

If you haven’t tried Arena Tutor, this is a good time to give it a go! A new meta evolves quickly, and especially for those of you new to sideboarding after years of Bo1, the help here is pretty invaluable. It keeps you up to date on the best-performing decks in each format, and also helps you manage your wildcards better.

Wrap Up

Dark Ritual | Illustration by Robbie Trevino

Timeless is a load of fast-paced fun, bringing the power of formats like Modern and Legacy to MTG Arena with its own fast-changing meta.

If you feel like jumping in, these decks are competitive and worth tweaking with new cards, especially if they slip with any restrictions or bans.

The trouble with Timeless is the high wildcard cost, but if you're curious and a bit strapped for Arena gems, fear not! We’ve got a budget Timeless article that's just up your alley!

And if there's a hidden gem I've missed, please let us know in the comments or over at the Draftsim Discord. If you uncover a rare off-meta wonder that schools the field, I’d love to hear about it!

Don’t get in over your head with wildcards, and happy brewing!