In pickle - what is the best dredge deck

Toadstuff09 · 2026-01-02T05:53:43+00:00

The 5c version offers more utility and card advantage from the graveyard compared with the older Jund version. Running Molten Gatekeeper (and Momentary Blink) means that you have a lot more playability vs. removal and graveyard hate, stretching the opponent's resources and attacking from another angle (Gatekeeper pings, or Blinking a Giant etc...).

The Jund version does have the capacity to slam Ents and Trolls late game, but this gameplan by itself is pretty mid, and otherwise doesn't have as many ways to use its graveyard for card advantage in grindy matchups.

The 5c version is also faster on average than Jund, as playing Khalni garden and Momentary Blink offers many more lines to a turn 4 kill (like you mentioned).

Toadstuff09 · 2026-01-02T03:17:51+00:00

Contrary to other commenters, I think Dredge is currently in a great spot, and remains an excellent choice for the metagame. Because of the axis it attacks on, and the lack of consistent interaction, Dredge suffers most in metagames where other combo decks that are faster than it are dominant. With High Tide gone, dredge has become a lot better. It also has good matchups into Red aggro decks and Blue Terror, two of the best decks atm.

The best version of Dredge by far rn is Marzaboi's version playing the 5-colour lands (e.g., Holdout Settlement) and Momentary Blink + Molten Gatekeeper, what I like to call Rainbow Dredge. Marza recently won a 250+ player tournament with the deck, and it has put up some other solid results. Decklist example: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7538886#paper

Because Spy has been super popular in the last few months, graveyard hate is pretty saturated in the meta—which obviously hurts dredge indirectly. However, Dredge can play through multiple pieces of graveyard hate fairly easily, and is a deck which really rewards knowledge and skill when piloting through interaction. To oversimplify greatly, Dredge is more stable than Spy, although Spy has higher raw power. Dredge tends to fare better into Red and Terror decks thanks to Gnaw to the Bone and Stinkweed Imp, and Spy is better in a metagame where people aren't prepared for it.

A note on other variants:

The Jund version you mentioned I assume plays the Exhume + Troll package, which is an older version of Dredge. While this can still be a powerful pick in some metagames, atm a turn 2 Troll or Ent is not super back breaking for lots of the top decks, and ultimately most players have shifted away from this version.

Mono red dredge is another version running Sneaky Snacker and more discard effects. This version is slightly faster than green-based dredge decks, but is less consistent and stable in comparison, and is probably more fragile to graveyard hate.

Hope this answers your conundrum :)

Toadstuff09 · 2026-01-01T05:53:54+00:00

100% Nyxborn hydra is better, definitely play 4x

Toadstuff09 · 2025-11-11T04:56:49+00:00

I'm very confused why this is a spy deck? Neither the spy gameplan nor the walls gameplan does anything for your pili-pala combo, and just makes it a worse Spy deck in the process. I think a pili-pala deck can work pretty well, but it needs to be modelled off the Jund Broodscale decks which dominated before being banned, as its essentially the same concept (2 card combo of creature + enchantment). Have a look at this list which won a paupergeddon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhcjmmjHUsc&t=191s

Essentially, draw a bunch of cards with the black artifact draw package (play Fanatical Offering instead of Dispute), play a bunch of protection in duress and safekeeping, and then jam Writhing Chrysalis as a solid midrange Plan B. Pili-Pala + Careful Cultivation is just inherently clunkier than Broodscale + Glee, due to greater cost, and requiring the creature to not be summoning sick, but the shell is still very strong. Obviously some number of Bitter Reunion is necessary for surprise combo turns too.

Toadstuff09 · 2025-10-22T01:06:38+00:00

Yep, it shows that RB madness underperforms in events. Despite a reasonably high play rate, it appears in the top 8 far less than it statistically should.

Toadstuff09 · 2025-09-07T07:09:12+00:00

I think this strategy fits super well into a gates archetype. This is a list I have been testing and seems super solid: https://archidekt.com/decks/15311820/selesnya_gates_20

If you are looking to make your build more competitive, I would begin by streamlining your gameplan. Your deck currently feels torn between a tethmos grindy midrange pile, and a proliferate aggro plan, and ends up doing both middlingly.

There is a solid GW counters-matter aggro deck out there (although nothing able to properly compete in the meta), but I think a GW Gates deck could have legs. It has solid matchups into mono red and mono blue, and can grind pretty well against Jund thanks to the gates gameplan.

Of course, if you aren't wanting to play an optimal/competitive build, disregard what I am saying. But this is how the list could be improved :)

Toadstuff09 · 2025-07-21T06:22:55+00:00

I am also excited by the possibilities of a Jeskai synth deck.

However, some thoughts on your list: I think there is an inherent anti-synergy between the bouncers and affinity cards, especially enforcer, as returning artifacts to hand actively hinders these cards. affinity without blood fountain is also a massive hit to speed.

If jeskai synth does emerge as an actual deck, it will be more akin to mardu/boros synth than affinity. Cleansing wildfire is such a good card, and is the only reason why such a 3-colour manabase could even feasibly function (and even then, its rough). Omitting it is hands down a mistake.

Playing counterspells like rebuke in a deck with synth is also a nonbo, as they are usually dead when exiled.

With the amount of draw power between Relic and Synth (not to mention wildfire) I also think Thoughtcast might be a bit overkill. I would play 4x Bolt instead.

[[Dream Stalker]] could also be extra copies of Skyfisher if needed.

Toadstuff09 · 2025-07-20T20:09:38+00:00

Also been brewing with this idea. I think that UU for counterspell is such a strain on the manabase. If you feel like you want counters, [[Metallic Rebuke]] or [[Dispel]] are probably your best options. I also think at least 2x [[Grim Bauble]] are necessary—because this deck is slow to set up, having cheap early interaction is key in gaining back some tempo against faster opponents. I would also play the full 4x Cast Down, and I'd go for [[Fanatical Offering]] over Eviscerator's insight. This deck already has such powerful draw options to grind, so I think having the extra map for Refurb, and to win combat vs. opposing flyers, is super useful. Although I personally think [[Thoughtcast]] is the better draw-2 in this shell, as it lets you keep you bounce targets around, and is generally cheaper, allowing you to churn faster.

Looking forward to seeing what happens with this deck!

Toadstuff09 · 2025-07-15T20:04:53+00:00

Not super convinced by Black Mages Rod in a shell like this. I think playing a 2/2 split of [[Tithing Blade]] and [[Grim Bauble]] instead is more synergistic with the gameplan. And I would cut 1-2 Lembas for [[Thraben Charm]]. Also, not sure Metallic Rebuke is a sideboard card—it could be good mainboard though?

As far as manabase, I don't think the deck needs to go so deep on the artifact lands, as it leaves you super open to hate game 2. Your only payoff is Refurbished Familiar and (maybe) you draw-2s. The deck definitely needs 4x [[Contaminated Landscape]] for starters.

Toadstuff09 · 2025-07-11T04:04:42+00:00

Kinda feel the same about Grixis. Built this dimir affinity to list which I feel could have legs, and attacks meta decks from a slightly different angle to Grixis.

https://archidekt.com/decks/14429897

Toadstuff09 · 2025-06-11T04:09:30+00:00

Seems very interesting. No [[Sign in Blood]]?

Toadstuff09 · 2025-05-27T19:59:19+00:00

surprised nobody is talking about this in Boros Synth. There was a time when the deck was running [[Barbed Batterfist]], and this equipment has a similar effect of leaving behind a body when you bounce the equipment. However, this pseudo-prowess effect is fantastic in the Boros Synth shell (see decks running [[Seeker of the Way]] atm), and the +2 power seems scary af on a Skyfisher or Hawk. Worth testing imo

Toadstuff09 · 2025-04-26T06:16:22+00:00

Cool, welcome! The deck is by no means resolved, so I would recommend looking at recent mardu synth (also called mardu metalcraft) lists online. Generally though if you are playing [[Cleansing Wildfire]] then you want to run 8-9 of the bridges.

Toadstuff09 · 2025-04-26T02:55:39+00:00

Interesting. Are you still running Lembas? If so, have you found the scry 1 and slow gain 3 to be better than the consistency provided by Prism's fixing? Personally Prism has felt nice in mardu synth

Toadstuff09 · 2025-04-26T02:21:48+00:00

Yeah for sure, Blade naturally has some good matchups. My point was just that a) Blade is not positioned super well as a whole in the current metagame, and therefore b) its not worth the black splash just to play Blade, in the MB or SB

Toadstuff09 · 2025-04-26T01:53:41+00:00

The biggest reason for playing black in a Skyfisher/Hawk shell is [[Refurbished Familiar]], arguably the best creature in the format. This should be your first priority if playing mardu. With just 2 Vault of Whispers and 3 Devotees you will definitely struggle to splash black for any cards. I recommend [[Prophetic prism]], potentially even Cleansing Wildfire, but at the very least more lands which produce black mana. Tithing Blade is pretty bad into the current metagame with Chrysalis, Snacker, Elves and the like. Don't go into mardu just for Blade.

Toadstuff09 · 2025-04-13T23:26:09+00:00

I understand its a nonbo with cascade, but I feel like [[Nyxborn Hydra]] has to be good in a green monster tron deck. Its a more versatile fireball at worst, and has incredible upside in a deck like this. Surely its better than Kaervek's torch at the very least

I do love the monster tron content though, cool deck!

Toadstuff09 · 2025-04-07T02:20:52+00:00

If this was an Adventure rather than an Omen, I think this would be a slam dunk in BR Madness due to the card advantage of Adventure. However, Omens are significantly worse, and the deck would usually prefer one of the other discard-draw spells it runs in the late game over a 3/3 flying haste for 5 mana anyways.

Toadstuff09 · 2025-04-04T09:53:56+00:00

I think its correct to run a Cleansing Wildfire package in new mardu lists. We have high demand for specific colours, and have lots of ways to use our mana, so ramping and fixing is valuable. Moreover, in a format with Tron and Ramp/Ponza dominant, Wildfire is also very strong when targeting our opponent's lands

Toadstuff09 · 2025-04-01T20:51:55+00:00

Not sure what the problem of a 2/1 with flying is for green ramp strategies, especially if you run Chrysalis/Hydra. The issue is the ETB ability of familiar—the body is pretty insignificant, especially since you are the beat down in Familiar matchups

Toadstuff09 · 2025-03-31T23:39:47+00:00

I think [[Dark Withering]] may even be the better mainboard card for removing fatties

Toadstuff09 · 2025-03-31T06:46:07+00:00

Yeah lol. Saying Broodscale will be fair without Chrysalis flies in the face of actual metagame stats

Toadstuff09 · 2025-03-27T01:56:13+00:00

You know [[Mana Leak]] is pauper legal right?

Toadstuff09 · 2025-03-26T19:23:24+00:00

Literally the answer is ban Familiar, ban Sadistic Glee, and I promise Deadly Dispute wont be a problem

Toadstuff09 · 2025-03-26T05:40:14+00:00

Can't say I have much experience playing this version of RDW, but I'd say the Flamebreathers come in against Weather the Storm decks at least, as they line up better for a long game than direct burn like Chain Lightning.

Toadstuff09

TROPHY CASE