A common criticism leveled at Magic's growing Premodern format is that it is now completely "solved." There is, admittedly, some truth to this statement. Since cards from new sets never enter Premodern, the card pool doesn't change over time. For this reason, new strategies are much less likely to emerge compared to other formats.
That said, it would be a mistake to dismiss Premodern as a static format. In a truly innovative move, Esqpoe piloted a 112-card Mono-White Control deck to a 5-0 finish in the latest Premodern League on MTG Online. It might seem like a gimmick, but the unusual deck size is actually fundamental to its success. After this big result, it might even inspire broader changes, in Premodern and beyond.
112-Card Mono-White Control in MTG Premodern
Esqpoe's Mono-White Control is an extremely comprehensive Control list. The plan is to outlast the opponent on every possible axis, then win by pure attrition.
Removals, such as Swords to Plowshares, Cursed Scroll, and Ray of Revelation, keep the game in check during the early stages. Later on, the deck features numerous mass removals, like Rout and Wrath of God, to stop any creature-based plan.
Once the opponent's threats are exhausted, Mono-White Control can win in several ways. The first is the classic combat victory via Eternal Dragon, a flier that can be recycled infinitely. Alternatively, tokens from Decree of Justice can be used when mass removals are no longer needed. Cursed Scroll can also become a finisher, as the deck can easily keep its hand size low thanks to Grafted Skullcap or Peace of Mind.
Another option is winning by decking. With 112 cards in the deck, simply slowing down the game will often lead to victory. The combination of Ensnaring Bridge and Grafted Skullcap, for example, is extraordinary, preventing the opponent from attacking. Furthermore, the land disruption package, with cards like Icy Manipulator and Dust Bowl, can almost completely neutralize the opponent's late game.
The Method Behind the Madness
Even considering the mill plan, playing 112 cards is unusual in any Magic format. Normally, players stick to 60 cards for consistency reasons. Nearly doubling the deck size is an extremely audacious choice.
According to what content creator Phil Nguyen shared on X, Esqpoe cited five main reasons for this choice.
First, it enables the aforementioned decking plan. Additionally, it empowers value engines like Eternal Dragon, Grafted Skullcap, and Thawing Glaciers. Dragon and Glaciers allow repeated land tutoring, ensuring the necessary mana to keep the opponent under pressure in the late game. With a standard number of lands, these engines would run out more quickly; expanding the deck to 112 cards thus becomes an advantage.
Nearly doubling the deck size also increases redundancy. With 52 additional slots, Esqpoe can include more functional copies of key effects compared to average decks. This allows the deck to continue to function even when others would buckle under pressure. Moreover, it allows for an expansion of the Enlightened Tutor package without risking drawing too many "silver bullets," as the probability of drawing them randomly decreases.
Obviously, increasing the number of cards so much could create consistency problems, but this aspect has also been considered. By maintaining similar proportions between key pieces, lands, finishers, and wraths even in the extended version, the deck continues to function very similarly to a traditional list.
A New "Metabreaker"?
As brilliant as it is, the continued success of Esqpoe's Mono-White Control in Premodern is not guaranteed. The current metagame is dominated by established strategies like Mono-Blue Stiflenought, Azorius Standstill, and Mono-Red Sligh.
Sligh is probably the worst matchup. It's a classic red Burn deck capable of ending the game before value engines come online. It doesn't even need to attack to win, rendering many wraths and Ensnaring Bridge useless.
Stiflenought, on the other hand, is a more balanced matchup. It can win quickly thanks to the Stifle + Phyrexian Dreadnought combo, but it only plays a total of four threats. This allows Mono-White Control to overcome the counter package and win in the long run in most cases.
Standstill is probably the best matchup overall. It's another late-game Control deck, but with a more traditional size, it inevitably loses in the long run. Its only real threat, Faerie Conclave, is easily handled by the land disruption package. After sideboarding, protecting a Morphling becomes practically the only path to victory.
Overall, Esqpoe's Mono-White Control is not just a pleasant innovation, but a truly stimulating deck. Whether or not it manages to establish itself stably in Premodern, the lessons about the advantages of playing larger decks could have repercussions in other formats as well.
__
Original MTGRocks Article: Bizarre 112-Card MTG Deck Breaks Through ‘Solved’ Format
