Introduction
This deck is part of the Pauper Decks, which are made from only common cards. The great thing about Pauper is the majority of the cards are cheap to buy, and are still strong as there are quite a lot of good common cards over Magic's history.
Key Strategy
The Dimir Terror deck is a graveyard-centric, tempo strategy that aims to fill your graveyard quickly to power out massive threats for a fraction of their mana cost. The deck blends efficient creature deployment with strong control elements, allowing you to keep the opponent off-balance while your primary threats, Tolarian Terror and Gurmag Angler, dominate the battlefield.
Tolarian Terror + Gurmag Angler: These two creatures are the deck’s primary win conditions. Tolarian Terror and Gurmag Angler both have a hefty mana cost of 7, but the deck is designed to ensure you never have to pay full price. Tolarian Terror gets cheaper for each instant and sorcery in your graveyard, while Gurmag Angler lets you exile cards from your graveyard to reduce its cost. By the mid-game, you’ll often be casting these threats for just one or two mana, allowing you to maintain mana for counterspells and removal. This combination of big bodies and low costs creates a formidable board presence that your opponent will struggle to deal with.
Thought Scour + Mental Note + Consider: These cards are essential for turbocharging your graveyard while also providing card selection. Thought Scour and Mental Note each put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard, which not only fuels Tolarian Terror and Gurmag Angler, but also sets up your other spells like Deep Analysis and Snuff Out. Consider offers a similar effect with the added bonus of filtering your draws. Together, these spells ensure that your graveyard is always well-stocked and that you can find your key pieces quickly.
Counterspell + Spell Pierce + Snuff Out: The deck’s control package allows you to disrupt your opponent’s plans while advancing your own. Counterspell and Spell Pierce provide reliable answers to threats and combo pieces, giving you the tools to protect your game plan. Snuff Out is a powerful, free removal spell that lets you remove creatures without spending mana, preserving your resources for your main threats. These spells not only keep your opponent’s board in check but also contribute to the graveyard synergies that make your deck tick.
Brainstorm + Deep Analysis: Brainstorm is a classic blue spell that provides card selection and synergy with your graveyard engines. By stacking cards on top of your deck, you can set up Thought Scour or Mental Note to mill them directly into your graveyard. Deep Analysis is another key card, providing card draw both when cast and when flashed back from the graveyard. This helps you keep your hand full and your graveyard stocked with fuel for Gurmag Angler and Tolarian Terror.
Chainer's Edict: This removal spell is particularly useful against decks that rely on a single large threat or hexproof creatures. Chainer's Edict forces your opponent to sacrifice a creature, bypassing targeting restrictions and getting rid of problematic threats. With flashback, it also provides additional value from your graveyard, making it a versatile tool in your control arsenal.
Fallaji Archaeologist: Fallaji Archaeologist is a utility creature that can help you dig deeper into your deck while also filling your graveyard. It’s a solid defensive body early on and can be a key piece in finding your threats or other important spells.
Unexpected Fangs: Unexpected Fangs is a unique inclusion that gives your big creatures lifelink, making it difficult for your opponent to race you. The +1/+1 counter is an added bonus, allowing your already large threats to get even bigger. This card can be crucial in stabilizing against aggressive decks, turning the corner quickly and putting you in a commanding position.
The deck’s primary win condition is to land one or more of your big threats, Tolarian Terror or Gurmag Angler, and protect them with your suite of counterspells and removal. These creatures, once on the battlefield, are difficult to remove and can end the game in just a few swings.
In matchups where the opponent’s strategy revolves around a single, large creature or a hexproof strategy, Chainer's Edict provides a reliable answer, ensuring your opponent can't hide behind their protective abilities. Meanwhile, Unexpected Fangs allows your creatures to outlast any opposing aggression by gaining you significant amounts of life.
Dimir Terror is a powerful and resilient deck that combines efficient graveyard synergies with strong control elements to create a tempo-based strategy capable of overwhelming opponents. By quickly filling your graveyard, you can deploy massive threats for minimal mana investment, allowing you to dominate the mid to late game with ease. With the ability to disrupt your opponent’s plans while advancing your own, Dimir Terror is a versatile and formidable deck that rewards careful planning and strategic play.
Key Cards
Cards to look for in the opening hand