Clash of Champions: The Best Decks from All of Modern's History

The community voted for the best decks from across Modern's history, one from each year since 2011. We entered the crowd's fourteen favorites into a four-round Swiss-style tournament, with the Top 8 advancing to the playoffs on YouTube. What's the most powerful Modern deck of all time? Here are the results!

or ? or ? or ? or ? This tournament has them all!

We asked followers of our YouTube channel to vote for one deck from every year of Modern's existence. 2011 through 2023 yielded thirteen decks, and one wildcard addition gave us an even number. Here are the fourteen contestants:

Use the links above to jump straight to each deck's list and a few short notes on its four Swiss rounds. We also have a handy chart showing the outcomes of all the 28 matches people played off camera, with full video coverage of the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the grand finale to follow.


Twelve Post, 2011

Twelve Post, Modern 2011
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 1-2 versus Bloom Titan
    Twelve Post can gain enough life to buy a whole extra turn, then play . proved important on the pivotal turns of the match. Going first proved more important still.

  2. 2-0 versus Uro Pile
    The Uro deck's interaction is too clunky. Even when it takes control, the topdecks of Post are simply too powerful.

  3. 0-2 versus Grixis Shadow
    This is exactly the kind of matchup is made for with its discard, countermagic, and fast clock.

  4. 2-0 versus Omnath
    Post is simply too fast and resilient for the four-color deck. No matter how many Emrakuls you exile, can find and ends the game.


Jund Midrange, 2012

Jund Midrange, Modern 2012
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 1-2 versus Hogaak
    Even turn one seems to be too slow. The raw power and durability of Hogaak took it in the end.

  2. 2-1 versus Birthing Pod
    Deathrite Shaman looked simply too strong against the recursion creatures. Removal and discard made this matchup hard for Pod too.

  3. 2-0 versus KCI
    The combination of artifact hate with discard and Deathrite Shaman's capacity to exile a or target sealed the deal for Jund.

  4. 2-0 versus Bloom Titan
    Jund's discard was too good at hitting single combo pieces. Game two Bloom Titan had four live draws and two scries for any bounce land to win and whiffed.


Eggs Combo, 2013

Eggs Combo, Modern 2013
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 0-2 versus Eldrazi
    is really good against Eggs.

  2. 0-2 versus KCI
    Eggs is simply slower and does not interact with the combo.

  3. 2-1 versus Uro Pile
    Uro does not have many tools for this matchup.

  4. 1-2 versus Birthing Pod
    Pod seems to be able to combo faster.


Birthing Pod, 2014

Birthing Pod, Modern 2014
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 1-2 versus Black-Red Scam
    is hard to remove, not to mention and . isn't a good attacker here, whereas proved a great blocker, holding up forever in combination with . But in the end none of it mattered.

  2. 1-2 versus Jund
    looked simply too strong against the recursion creatures. Removal and discard made this matchup hard for Pod too.

  3. 0-2 versus Eldrazi
    This matchup played out exactly as expected.

  4. 2-1 versus Eggs Combo
    Pod seems to be able to combo faster.


Bloom Titan, 2015

Bloom Titan, Modern 2015
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 2-1 versus Twelve Post
    Twelve Post can gain enough life to buy a whole extra turn, then play . proved important on the pivotal turns of the match. Going first proved more important still.

  2. 2-1 versus Grixis Shadow
    Bloom Titan seems surprisingly resilient to artifact hate and discard. There is not enough countermagic, and does not remove .

  3. 1-2 versus Hogaak
    This was unbelievably close and hinged solely on the die roll.

  4. 0-2 versus Jund
    Jund's discard was too good at hitting single combo pieces. Game two Bloom Titan had four live draws and two scries for any bounce land to win and whiffed.


Eldrazi, Winter 2016

Eldrazi, Modern 2016
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 2-0 versus Eggs
    is really good against Eggs.

  2. 1-2 versus Omnath
    Turns out and are pretty good against Eldrazi. Between this, , and , the Eldrazi deck could not keep up on cards.

  3. 2-0 versus Birthing Pod
    This matchup played out exactly as expected.

  4. 2-1 versus Izzet Murktide
    The matchup was surprisingly close. The Eldrazi deck doesn't have a reliable way of taking down or attacking into a . Chalice on one ended up decisive in two games, but it really could have gone either way.


Grixis Shadow, 2017

Grixis Shadow, Modern 2017
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 2-0 versus Omnath
    The Omnath deck felt very slow and was not able to punish Shadow's life loss. While is strong, the rest of the deck is too clunky. It wasn't even close.

  2. 1-2 versus Bloom Titan
    Bloom Titan seems surprisingly resilient to artifact hate and discard. There is not enough countermagic, and does not remove .

  3. 2-0 versus Twelve Post
    This is exactly the kind of matchup is made for with its discard, countermagic, and fast clock.

  4. 1-2 versus Urza Oko
    These decks felt like they are of equal power as long as doesn't resolve.


KCI, 2018

KCI, Modern 2018
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 0-2 versus Izzet Murktide
    Surpisingly enough, did the trick!

  2. 2-0 versus Eggs
    Eggs is simply slower and does not interact with the combo.

  3. 0-2 versus Jund
    The combination of artifact hate with discard and 's capacity to exile a or target sealed the deal for Jund.

  4. 2-1 versus Uro Pile
    KCI was simply too reliable and fast.


Hogaak, Summer 2019

Hogaak, Modern 2019
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 2-1 versus Jund
    Even turn one seems to be too slow. The raw power and durability of Hogaak took it in the end.

  2. 2-0 versus Izzet Murktide
    It was an absolute massacre. Izzet can't ever beat a turn two .

  3. 2-1 versus Bloom Titan
    This was unbelievably close and hinged solely on the die roll.

  4. 2-1 versus Black-Red Scam
    Even with a perfect start, Scam had trouble catching up with Hogaak's value engine. was good but came too late in the second game it was played.


Urza Oko, 2019

Urza Oko, Modern 2019
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 2-0 versus Uro Pile
    The Karn lock being available in game one is quite warping. is simply too strong too.

  2. 0-2 versus Black-Red Scam
    stole , and Karn is close to lights out for Urza Oko. was quite good in this matchup.

  3. 2-1 versus Omnath
    Omnath won game one, outgrinding a slow draw. But it does not have a reliable way to beat an early Oko as he's out of Fury range.

  4. 2-1 versus Grixis Shadow
    These decks felt like they are of equal power as long as Oko doesn't resolve.


Uro Pile, 2020

Uro Pile, Modern 2020
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 0-2 versus Urza Oko
    The lock being available in game one is quite warping. is simply too strong too.

  2. 0-2 versus Twelve Post
    The Uro deck's interaction is too clunky. Even when it takes control, the topdecks of Post are simply too powerful.

  3. 2-1 versus Uro Pile
    Uro does not have many tools for this matchup.

  4. 1-2 versus KCI
    KCI was simply too reliable and fast.


Izzet Murktide, 2021

Izzet Murktide, Modern 2021
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 2-0 versus KCI
    Surpisingly enough, did the trick!

  2. 0-2 versus Hogaak
    It was an absolute massacre. Izzet can't ever beat a turn two .

  3. 0-2 versus Black-Red Scam
    The 2021 builds of Murktide are much more vulnerable to .

  4. 1-2 versus Eldrazi
    The matchup was surprisingly close. The Eldrazi deck doesn't have a reliable way of taking down or attacking into a . on one ended up decisive in two games, but it really could have gone either way.


Four-Color Omnath, 2022

Four-Color Omnath, Modern 2022
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 0-2 versus Grixis Shadow
    The Omnath deck felt very slow and was not able to punish Shadow's life loss. While is strong, the rest of the deck is too clunky. It wasn't even close.

  2. 2-1 versus Eldrazi
    Turns out Solitude and are pretty good against Eldrazi. Between this, , and , the Eldrazi deck could not keep up on cards.

  3. 1-2 versus Urza Oko
    Omnath won game one, outgrinding a slow draw. But it does not have a reliable way to beat an early as he's out of range.

  4. 0-2 versus Twelve Post
    Post is simply too fast and resilient for the four-color deck. No matter how many you exile, can find and ends the game.


Black-Red Scam, 2023

Black-Red Scam, Modern 2023
Main DeckSideboard
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  1. 2-1 versus Birthing Pod
    is hard to remove, not to mention and . isn't a good attacker here, whereas proved a great blocker, holding up forever in combination with . But in the end none of it mattered.

  2. 2-0 versus Urza Oko
    stole , and Karn is close to lights out for Urza Oko. Fury was quite good in this matchup.

  3. 2-0 versus Izzet Murktide
    The 2021 builds of Murktide are much more vulnerable to .

  4. 1-2 versus Hogaak
    Even with a perfect start, Scam had trouble catching up with Hogaak's value engine. Dauthi Voidwalker was good but came too late in the second game it was played.


All Swiss Results

Overall: Scam Omnath Murktide Uro Pile Urza Oko Hogaak KCI Shadow Eldrazi Titan Pod Eggs Jund 12 Post
Scam went: 3-1 2-0 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩
Omnath went: 1-3 1-2 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩
Murktide went: 1-3 0-2 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩
Uro Pile went: 0-4 0-2 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩
Urza Oko went: 3-1 0-2 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩
Hogaak went: 4-0 2-1 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩
KCI went: 2-2 0-2 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩
Shadow went: 2-2 2-0 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩
Eldrazi went: 3-1 1-2 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩
Titan went: 2-2 1-2 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩
Pod went: 1-3 1-2 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩
Eggs went: 1-3 2-1 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩
Jund went: 3-1 1-2 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 2-1 vs🠩
12 Post went: 2-2 2-0 vs🠩 2-0 vs🠩 0-2 vs🠩 1-2 vs🠩

This resulted in the following decks placing at the top of the standings, with poor trawling behind on tiebreakers.

  1. Hogaak
  2. Black-Red Scam
  3. Jund Midrange
  4. Urza Oko
  5. Eldrazi
  6. Bloom Titan
  7. Grixis Shadow
  8. Twelve Post
  9. KCI


Top 8 Matches

Note that the playoffs use random pairings. You can find the videos on YouTube and embedded here.