Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Limited Tier List

Innistrad: Midnight Hunt is finally available everywhere and players are excited to get their hands on the latest cards. For most people, they want to hop right into constructed formats with the latest rares and mythics. For others, they want to dive deep into the limited formats to bolster their collection. Winning in drafts can lead to some serious rewards on Magic: The Gathering Arena, and players are still looking for the best strategies to cash out. This Midnight Hunt limited tier list should help players nab that elusive 7-2 record on Magic Arena.

1. UB Zombies

Key Cards
– Skaab Wrangler
– Bladestiched Skaab
– Organ Hoarder

There is truly something wonderful about Zombies being the most powerful tribe in Innistrad.  UB Zombies is one of the most consistent decks in the limited environment and it might not be very close. The color combination of blue and black offer players a massive pool of limited staples. Zombie tokens can’t block, but they sure to offer plenty of value by just dying. And boy are these zombies dying a lot thanks to cards like Eaten Alive and Morkrut Behemoth.

[Related: 3 Decks to Try Out on Midnight Hunt Release Day]

Skaab Wrangler is a card that looks pretty “medium” by itself, but it is one of the most obnoxious cards to handle. Wrangler slows the game down in a big way to allow for the UB player to build up a board and eventually close out the game. Diregraf Hoard alone brings three bodies to begin tapping things down.  Whether it is Siege Zombie or Drowned Amalgam, Zombies will eventually smash through.

The other insane card in these colors is Organ Hoarder. Not only does it serve as a reasonable threat, but it allows for powerful card selection in limited. There aren’t a lot of cards that allow you to draw the best card out of the top three of your deck, and then leave a 3/2 body behind. People do not want to draft this card in lower ranks for whatever reason so please pick it up when it’s available.

2. UW Spirits

Key Cards
– Chaplain of Alms
– Veteran Lunarch
– Covetous Castaway

There is an old saying in limited – “Flying is a very good keyword”. The old adage really hits home when it comes to Midnight Hunt drafts thanks to the various Disturb cards in the format. These cheap blockers turn into persistent threats that can close out a game quickly if left unattended. UW cards in the set are pretty powerful overall, making this archetype a viable contender for the top deck.

Chaplain of the Alms is the go-to uncommon to be on the look out for, thanks to its flipside granting all friendly creatures a bit of protection. Other commons like Baithook Angler and Mourning Patrol are great early game options to help bring out a steady stream of recursive threats. If this deck can also find Dennick, Pious Apprentice, then all of the cards in the graveyard become safe from common exile effects.

Best thing about UW Spirits is it’s sheet flexibility when it comes to drafting. There are plenty of support cards that help this deck swap between all-out aggro or slow and grindy. Galedrifter and Overwhelmed Archivist are solid picks for slower versions. Thankfully white also allows the deck to have key removal spells like Sungold Barrage or even a lucky Fateful Absence.

3. BR Vampires

Key Cards
– Voldaren Stinger
– Voldaren Ambusher
– Vampire Interloper

Oh boy are these vampires pissed. BR Vampires is an incredibly aggressive deck that can often times create overwhelming amounts of pressure. The combination of aggressive one-drops and plenty of powerful combat tricks allows this deck to get in quick and hit hard. Voldaren Stinger is a card that can win the game on it’s own – mostly by forcing the opponent to make dangerous blocks. Vampire Interloper serves as Stinger’s best friend. The two are dangerous together, and opponents will be forced to deal with one of them at the very least.

Voldaren Ambusher is another card that gets passed often. Sure it only is great when creatures get in to deal damage, but it is a huge swing in board presence if there are a few vampires already on the board. Cards that can 2-for-1 are always powerful in limited, and Voldaren Ambusher is no exception.

Red and black are filled with removal. The two colors allow for the deck to handle late game threats if the game stalls out. The deck also goes over the top if there is a Florian, Voldaren Scion in the pool. In a format with a ton of cards that don’t block well, BR Vampires can be a great option for aggro players.

4. UB Spells

Key Cards
– Thermo-Alchemist
– Geistflame Reservoir
– Cathartic Pyre

For a large amount of players, UR spells seemed like a bit of a trap deck when the set was revealed. Thermo-Achemist was the interesting card for the archetype but overall the spells didn’t seem powerful. However in practice, the deck is really solid. Drafting multiple copies of the Alchemist can lead to some easy wins.

[Related: The 3 Historic Combo decks that are Bullying the Ranked Ladder]

The best thing about this deck is feeling like a Storm deck. There are a surprising amount of one-mana blue spells that  can consistently untap TA. Consider, Otherworldly Gaze, and Secrets of the Key all might as well say “deal 1 damage” on them. Of course then there’s the actual burn spells like Play With Fire and Light Up the Night that can really push this deck over the edge.

Geistflame Reservoir is an insane engine for a spell-slinging deck. Not only is it a win condition, but it helps rip through the deck to find more action. Typically these affects are four mana, making this three-mana artifact much better than it’s predecessors. Don’t be afraid to start looking for this deck later in the draft, many of the staples are easily passed by players who don’t have enough support.

5. RW Aggro Humans

Key Cards
– Angelfire Ignition
– Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer

This is the only deck on the list that desperately needs two rares but, wow, are these two cards insane. Angelfire Ignition is one of those rares that really force a player to say “well I guess these are my colors”. It is game ending on the right creature, and it forces the opponent to make unfavorable trades to just stay alive. Look at all of those keywords, it just has to be incredible.

Speaking of keyword, there are a few haste creatures that make this deck really scary to face. Rem Karolus is a strong target for Angelfire because it can’t be killed by damage-based removal. Even without the pump spell, Rem Karolus is a great threat that equally blocks any of the smaller spirits in the format. Alongside Sunrise Cavalier, RW aggro really gets good at three total mana cost.

Sacred Fire is another pillar of the deck, because it helps deal that last bit of damage. It also keeps a player a live in a pinch. While the red cards in this archetype are solid, the white cards a bit lackluster on their own. This color combo is fighting against a few archetypes for the best white creatures, and sometimes players will struggle to find the necessary tools to really push this deck to the next level.

6. GW Coven Tokens

Key Cards
– Katilda, Dawnhart Prime
– Defend the Celestus
– Contortionist Troupe

Here is the tough pill to swallow when it comes to Midnight Hunt limited: Green is probably the weakest color in the set. There are certainly powerful cards in green like Clear shot and Shadowbeast Sighting, but they get outclassed relatively quickly. The main “go-wide” strategy of green/white decks isn’t as good this time around. Many of the other options have creatures that just do more than turn sideways. All that said, if the GW tokens player can find a Katilda, everything changes.

Gavony Township is a staple in many green/white decks, and Katilda does a great impression. In fact making tokens mana-rocks allows for some really interesting turns. Suddenly the go-wide strategy becomes a lot scarier when those same tokens are now 3/3s or higher.

GW Coven Tokens has a similar problem as RW aggro where many players in the draft pod are eyeing those pivotal white cards. Key green cards also go quickly, as they are pretty uncommon. Though if enough players are aiming for UB Zombies and BR Vampires, then a wide open GW deck could surprise a lot of opponents.

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