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Best MTG Arena Brawl Decks 2025 – Ultimate Guide

2025-06-11

Looking for the best MTG Arena brawl decks? If so, here is your best place to catch them. Brawl in Magic: The Gathering Arena is where you build decks around a legendary creature. This can be beginner-friendly, yet there are 1v1 matches. Since there are two brawl variants that you have to focus on, let's see what the best MTG Arena standard brawl decks and the best MTG Arena historic brawl decks are to dominate the metagame today.

Best MTG Arena Brawl Decks

What is Brawl in MTG Arena?

First of all, let's learn what a brawl is in MTG Arena. Brawl is a singleton format in Magic: The Gathering Arena that blends elements of Standard and Commander, offering a unique deck-building and gameplay experience. In Brawl, you can construct a deck around a legendary creature or planeswalker, and they are known as the commander. The commander dictates the deck's color identity, and the entire format here will be played in a best-of-one (BO1) setting on MTG Arena, making it a fast-paced, one-on-one duel format.

What is Brawl in MTG Arena?

There are two main variants of Brawl on MTG Arena:

  • Standard Brawl: this uses a 60-card deck including the commander with cards only from the Standard-legal card pool, which includes the most recent sets. You can start with 25 lives, and only one copy of each card (except basic lands) is allowed.
  • Brawl or Historic Brawl: this is a variant that uses a 100-card deck (including the commander) with cards from the non-rotating Historic card pool, encoming all sets available on MTG Arena, including Alchemy digital-only cards. Players also start with 25 lives, and the singleton rule applies.

Brawl is designed for casual play, emphasizing creative deck-building with a focus on the commander's abilities and synergies. The format's matchmaking system on MTG Arena uses a "Deck Weight" algorithm to pair decks of similar power levels based on individual card strength and the commander's rating. This helps balance matches, though high-powered decks may face tougher opponents in what players call the "Hellqueue."

Brawl is accessible for new players because it requires only one copy of each card, reducing the need for multiple rare or mythic wildcards compared to formats like Standard or Historic. It's also a brewer's paradise, allowing players to explore unique interactions and strategies around their chosen commander.

Key Features of Brawl

Brawl is a casual format you are going to use here, and it follows these core rules as well. So, for an MTG Arena beginner, getting familiar with the best MTG Arena brawl decks before getting to know them is a must.  

  • Commander: A legendary creature or planeswalker that sets the deck's color identity. All cards in the deck must match or be within the commander's color identity.
  • Singleton Rule: Only one copy of any card (except basic lands) is allowed, encouraging diverse card choices.
  • Card Pool: Standard Brawl uses Standard-legal cards, while Brawl (Historic) uses the broader Historic card pool.
  • Gameplay: Played 1v1 on MTG Arena with 25 starting life. The commander starts in the command zone and can be cast multiple times, with an increasing "commander tax" of two colorless mana per subsequent cast after the first.
  • Banned Cards: Standard Brawl follows its own banned list (e.g., Omnath, Locus of Creation, Pithing Needle), separate from Standard. Brawl (Historic) has a broader banned list, including cards like Agent of Treachery, Oko, Thief of Crowns, and Teferi, Time Raveler.

What is Brawl in MTG Arena

Building MTG Arena Brawl Decks – Strategies

When constructing a Brawl deck, you also have to follow these steps.

Building MTG Arena Brawl Decks – Strategies

  1. Choose a Commander: Select a legendary creature or planeswalker that aligns with your preferred playstyle. This commander's abilities should guide your deck's strategy.
  2. Card Synergy: you have to include cards that synergize with your commander's abilities.
  3. Mana Base: Brawl decks require a balanced mana base. Since the format is singleton, mana-fixing cards like Arcane Signet, Chromatic Lantern, or Command Tower are very important, especially in multicolor decks. So, try to play more lands than in Standard to ensure consistency.
  4. Interaction: you have to include removal spells like Abrade, Dissenter's Deliverance, and counterspells to handle threats, as artifacts and enchantments are common in Brawl.
  5. Card Advantage: Cards like The Great Henge or Guardian Project can provide draw engines to maintain resources in longer games.
  6. Matchmaking Awareness: High-powered commanders will place you in tougher matchups due to the Deck Weight system. So, consider less dominant commanders for more varied games.

Best Standard MTG Arena Brawl Decks

Now, let's have a look into top standard MTG Arena brawl decks. Note that these are placed here based on their win rates in the Standard Brawl.

Glarb, Calamity's Augur (Sultai Control)

You can control the board with Glarb here with four mana, 2/4, and scrying and casting spells from your library whenever the creature dies. And make sure to use the graveyard and then control the synergies.

Glarb, Calamity's Augur (Sultai Control)

Colors

Blue-Black-Green

Key Cards

Binding the Old Gods (removal, ramp)

Insatiable Avarice (card selection)

Case of the Stashed Skeleton (graveyard setup)

Duress (disruption)

Strengths

Versatile; strong card selection

Weaknesses

Slow start; weak to aggro

Best Strategy

Scry to set up key spells, use removal to control, and cast free spells from Glarb’s ability

Kemba, Kha Enduring (Selesnya Equipment)

Here, you can equip Kemba with three mana, 2/2. Then you can create cat tokens whenever you are blocking or attacking that allows you to build a wide board with equipment synergies.

Kemba, Kha Enduring (Selesnya Equipment)

Colors

White-Green

Key Cards

Colossus Hammer (massive power boost)

Danitha, Benalia’s Hope (equipment synergy)

Ossification (removal)

Michiko’s Reign of Truth (buffs)

Strengths

Fast board growth; resilient tokens

Weaknesses

Relies on equipment; weak to enchantment removal

Best Strategy

Equip Kemba early, generate tokens, and use removal to clear blockers

Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (Orzhov Lifegain)

Now, in this deck, you can gain life with Zoralibne along with three mana 3/3. It will create Bat tokes as well as reanimate creatures with the use of life synergies.

Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (Orzhov Lifegain)

Colors

White-Black

Key Cards

Amalia Benavides Aguirre (lifegain, exploration)

Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord (vampire synergy)

Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (lifegain triggers)

Lively Dirge (reanimation)

Strengths

Resilient; strong recursion

Weaknesses

Slow against aggro; graveyard hate disrupts

Best Strategy

Gain life to trigger Zoraline, reanimate key creatures, and swarm with tokens

Best Way to Dominate MTG Arena Matches with LDPlayer

Tired of complex actions and mechanisms to be used with your mobile? Then, play best Android emulator: LDPlayer. You are now being offered the following features for ease of gameplay.

  • Wider Screen for Matches – There are multiple decks that you have to pull while you are in a match, and this becomes devastating when you have a tiny screen. Well, not anymore, because LDPlayer is here with better graphics and better details from a bigger screen.
  • Switching More Cards at Once – need more ease at switching card skills at once? Go with LDPlayer and the Keyboard Mapping feature for smart controls customized just for your preferences.
  • Explore More Multiverses – it is time to explore more multiverses all at once. LDPlayer and the Multi-Instance Sync feature are here to create different instances of the same game to be used at once and explore more in the game.

Best MTG Arena Historic Brawl Decks

Now that you are aware of the standard brawl decks, it is time to learn about the best MTG Arena historic brawl decks. These decks can dominate Historic Brawl, and they are also listed here on win rates and popularity.

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer (Mono-Red Aggro)

As one of the historic MTG Arena brawl decks, here you can go with a fast agro style with Ragavan along with one mana, 2/1. It generates treasures and will also steal cards based on the combat damage.

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer (Mono-Red Aggro)

Colors

Red

Key Cards

Lightning Bolt

Embercleave

Bonecrusher Giant

Dragon’s Rage Channeler

Roiling Vortex

Strengths

Quick wins; disrupts opponents

Weaknesses

Weak to board wipes (e.g., Farewell)

Best Strategy

Attack early with Ragavan, use burn to clear blockers, and finish with Embercleave

Koma, World-Eater (Simic Token Control)

Ramb can be used to cast Koma with 7 mana, 8/12 here, and it creates 3/3 serpent tokens based on the combat damage.

Koma, World-Eater (Simic Token Control)

Colors

Blue-Green

Key Cards

Doubling Season

The Great Henge

Llanowar Elves

Counterspell

Hydroid Krasis

Strengths

Resilient commander; overwhelming tokens

Weaknesses

Slow start; weak to aggro

Best Strategy

Ramp early, protect Koma with counterspells, and double tokens

Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice (Four-Color Proliferate)

This deck makes a place in the best MTG Arena brawl decks because Proliferate can counter with Atraxa along with four mana, 4/4. It is ing creatures or planewalkers.

Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice (Four-Color Proliferate)

Colors

White-Blue-Black-Green

Key Cards

Doubling Season

Teferi, Hero of Dominaria

Luminarch Aspirant

Flux Channeler

Wrenn and Six

Strengths

Versatile; vast card access

Weaknesses

Removal magnet; Hellqueue matchups

Best Strategy

Build counters or planeswalkers, proliferate with Atraxa

Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God (Grixis Control)

You can control with Nicol Bolas with 5 mana here which is removing threats and drawing cards.

Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God (Grixis Control)

Colors

Blue-Black-Red

Key Cards

Counterspell

Fatal Push

Dark Intimations

Ashiok, Nightmare Muse

Torrential Gearhulk

Strengths

Strong card advantage

Weaknesses

Mana-intensive; weak to aggro

Best Strategy

Stall with removal, dominate with Bolas

People Also Ask

What is Brawl Deck MTG Arena?

It is a deck with a commander style and will always be built around a Planeswalker or based on a legendary creature.

What is an arena deck MTG?

They are a collection of cards that you can use as a player to play your game. You can build these to match your play style.

What is MTG Deck?

It is a set of resources that you can use to call for using against the opponents while battling.

Conclusion

Brawl in MTG Arena is such a fun yet accessible format with Standard and Historic variants. So, now that you have the chance to use these tips for deck-building and learn about the sample decks to start playing, it is time to crave a strategy, find the best MTG Arena brawl decks with our guide, and pave your way to more strength