7 Intoxicating Dimir Combos for Untouchable Dominance

Dimir Magic The Gathering Cards Combo
Magic the Gathering dimir combos

Dimir, the sinister guild of assassins and spies, is known for its devious tactics and powerful combos. In the vast multiverse of Magic: The Gathering, Dimir players have access to a wide array of cards that work seamlessly together to create devastating effects. From controlling the battlefield to draining opponents’ life totals, Dimir combos offer a unique and thrilling playstyle that has captivated players for decades. In this article, we will delve into some of the most potent Dimir combos that have terrorized opponents in various formats, showcasing the guild’s mastery of manipulation and subterfuge.

One of the most iconic Dimir combos involves the interaction between Notion Thief and Archive Trap. Notion Thief is an enchantment that grants its controller the ability to draw cards whenever an opponent casts a spell. Archive Trap, on the other hand, is an instant that forces each opponent to mill three cards, putting them in their graveyard. By combining these two cards, Dimir players can effectively steal their opponents’ cards and mill them out of the game. This combo is particularly devastating in formats where decks rely heavily on card advantage and graveyard synergies, making it a feared weapon in the hands of skilled Dimir mages.

Another powerful Dimir combo centers around the interaction between Shrieking Affliction and Altar’s Reap. Shrieking Affliction is an enchantment that forces each opponent to discard a card whenever they draw a card. Altar’s Reap, on the other hand, is a sacrifice outlet that allows its controller to draw a card whenever a creature is sacrificed. By combining these two cards, Dimir players can create a loop where they can repeatedly force their opponents to discard their cards while drawing cards for themselves. This combo is not only effective in disrupting opponents’ game plans but also provides a significant card advantage, allowing Dimir players to out-resource their foes and secure victory.

Unending Torment: The Milling Masterpiece

In the vast tapestry of Magic: The Gathering, Dimir, the sinister union of blue and black, excels in one nefarious art: milling. Milling refers to the act of sending cards from an opponent’s library to their graveyard, steadily depleting their resources and ultimately leading to a crushing defeat. Among Dimir’s arsenal, Unending Torment reigns supreme as the ultimate milling masterpiece.

At its core, Unending Torment is an enchantment that thwarts opponents’ every attempt to refill their hand. When an opponent draws a card, whether during their draw step, from a planeswalker, or any other means, Unending Torment forces them to mill three cards instead. This relentless attrition can rapidly decimate an opponent’s library, leaving them vulnerable and helpless.

To maximize the effectiveness of Unending Torment, Dimir players often pair it with cards that enhance milling or disrupt their opponents’ draws. Consuming Aberration, a fearsome Eldrazi, forces opponents to mill four cards whenever they cast an instant or sorcery. Narset, Parter of Veils, a formidable planeswalker, prevents opponents from drawing more than one card each turn. With these synergies, Dimir players can create an unbreakable cycle of milling, suffocating their opponents until they drown in the depths of their own graveyard.

Card Name	Mana Cost	Card Type	Effect
Unending Torment	3BB	Enchantment	Opponents mill 3 cards when they draw a card.
Consuming Aberration	8	Creature – Eldrazi	Opponents mill 4 cards when they cast an instant or sorcery.
Narset, Parter of Veils	2WUU	Planeswalker – Narset	Opponents can’t draw more than one card per turn.

Dimir Dominance: Control and Sacrifice Unleashed

Control and Sacrifice

Dimir’s innate affinity for control and sacrifice makes it a formidable force in the Magic: The Gathering format. With their signature blend of counter-spells, discard effects, and graveyard-centric strategies, Dimir decks can manipulate the game flow and exploit opponent’s resources.

A key component of Dimir’s control strategy is its ability to disrupt opponents’ plans through counter-spells and discard effects. Cards like [[Thoughtseize]] and [[Duress]] allow Dimir players to remove threats from an opponent’s hand, while counters like [[Counterspell]] and [[Cancel]] keep their spells at bay. This comprehensive control over the game board allows Dimir to effectively stifle their opponent’s strategies.

In addition to its control capabilities, Dimir also excels in exploiting the graveyard through sacrifice effects. Cards like [[Ravenous Chupacabra]] and [[Carrion Feeder]] offer efficient removal options while simultaneously fueling Dimir’s graveyard-based strategies. By sacrificing creatures or other cards, Dimir players can power up abilities or trigger powerful effects that can turn the tide of the game.

The following table provides a concise overview of some notable Dimir cards that showcase its control and sacrifice capabilities:

Card Name	Effect
Thoughtseize	Target opponent reveals their hand. Choose a card from it and exile that card.
Duress	Target opponent reveals their hand. Choose a noncreature card from it and exile that card.
Counterspell	Counter target spell.
Cancel	Counter target spell.
Ravenous Chupacabra	When Ravenous Chupacabra enters the battlefield, destroy target creature with converted mana cost 2 or less.
Carrion Feeder	Whenever a creature dies, Carrion Feeder gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

Shadow Fiend’s Symphony: Summoning the Unseen

Shadow Fiend’s Symphony is a powerful Dimir combo that utilizes the graveyard to summon an overwhelming army of creatures. The key cards in this combo are Shadowborn Apostle, Diregraf Captain, and Shadow Fiend.

Cards Involved

Card	Description
Shadowborn Apostle	1/1 black creature with “When Shadowborn Apostle dies, you may pay 1 black. If you do, create a 1/1 black creature token.”
Diregraf Captain	2/2 black creature with “Other Zombies you control get +1/+1.”
Shadow Fiend	4/4 black creature with “When Shadow Fiend enters the battlefield, if you control four or more other black creatures, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.”

The combo is executed by sacrificing the Shadowborn Apostles to create creature tokens. These tokens then become Zombies under the control of Diregraf Captain, giving them +1/+1. Shadow Fiend is then cast, reanimating a creature card from the graveyard and creating a formidable threat. This process can be repeated multiple times, allowing players to swarm the battlefield with a massive army of Zombies.

The Shadow Fiend’s Symphony combo is particularly effective in conjunction with other Dimir strategies that focus on controlling the opponent’s graveyard or reanimating creatures. It can also be used to disrupt the opponent’s plans by targeting key creatures with Shadow Fiend’s reanimation ability.

Mindful Manipulation: Thoughtseizing Your Opponents

Dimir’s unparalleled control over the flow of information makes Mindful Manipulation a devastating combo. By leveraging Thoughtseize, the dark guildmaster strips their opponents of crucial cards, leaving them vulnerable and unable to mount an effective offense. Furthermore, Mindful Manipulation’s synergy with other Dimir cards exponentially amplifies its power.

Thoughtseize and Its Amazing Synergy

Thoughtseize, the cornerstone of Mindful Manipulation, allows Dimir players to exile the top card of their opponent’s library and choose one of three actions: have them discard it, put it on the bottom of their library, or add it to their hand. This versatility grants Dimir players immense control over the game’s flow, enabling them to disrupt their opponents’ strategies and manipulate the flow of the match to their advantage.

The Power of “The Rack”

When combined with The Rack, Thoughtseize becomes even more potent. The Rack inflicts damage each time an opponent discards a card. By forcing opponents to discard cards with Thoughtseize, Dimir players can rack up significant damage and weaken their opponents, making them more susceptible to other attacks or combos.

Additional Dimension: Notion Thief

Notion Thief further enhances Mindful Manipulation’s power by preventing opponents from drawing the cards they desperately need. As long as Notion Thief is on the battlefield, any cards opponents draw are exiled instead. By depriving opponents of their draw power and limiting their options, Notion Thief synergizes with Thoughtseize to cripple their game plan and establish a dominant position for the Dimir player.

Card Name	Effect
Thoughtseize	Exile the top card of an opponent’s library and make them discard, put it on the bottom of their library, or add it to their hand.
The Rack	Opponents lose 1 life each time they discard a card.
Notion Thief	Any cards opponents draw are exiled instead.

Dark Prophecy: Foretelling Your Victory

Dimir, the master of the shadows, can employ cunning and mind games to outmaneuver opponents in Magic: The Gathering. One of its key strategies is combining cards to create devastating combos. Here are some of the most effective Dimir combos:

Foretelling Your Victory

Foretelling cards from your library can set you up for powerful future plays. Dimir has access to several cards that allow you to foretell. By combining these cards with cards that trigger on foretold cards, you can gain significant advantages. Examples include:

Thought Scour: Scry and foretell a card from your library.
Torrential Gearhulk: Flash creature that triggers when a foretold card is cast, exiling target creature.

Millstone’s Grinding Advance

Millstone tactics aim to mill an opponent’s library until they are out of cards. Dimir has cards that allow you to search for Millstone or other milling effects, such as:

Glimpse the Unthinkable: Draw three cards, then mill three cards.
Train of Thought: Mill three cards and draw three cards.

Sleep with the Fishes

Dimir can control the battlefield by bouncing or exiling an opponent’s creatures. This strategy can shut down their offense or disrupt their combos. Key cards include:

Dimir Charm: Counter target spell or bounce target creature or planeswalker.
Lazav, the Multifarious: Changeling that can become a copy of any creature.

Nicol Bolas, the Ravager

The dragon planeswalker Nicol Bolas is a powerful card that can turn the tide of battle in Dimir’s favor. Its abilities include:

Planeswalker with seven loyalty counters
+2: Scry 2 and draw a card
-3: Exile target nonland permanent

Temporal Advantage

Dimir has access to several instant- and sorcery-speed cards that can manipulate time, allowing you to surprise your opponent or gain additional value. Some examples:

Syncopate: Counterspell that can be cast at instant speed for one mana.
Temporal Manipulation: Takes extra turn after this one.

The Nightmare Hour: Disrupting Dreams and Shattering Hopes

1. The Mindbreaker’s Gambit: Milling to Madness

The Mindbreaker’s Gambit revolves around cards like [[Glimpse the Unthinkable]] and [[Thoughtseize]] to mill your opponent’s deck and [[Surgical Extraction]] to exile key cards from their graveyard, effectively crippling their strategy.

2. The Shadow’s Embrace: Evading Detection

The Shadow’s Embrace leverages cards like [[Nightveil Predator]] and [[Invisible Stalker]] to grant creatures unblockable, allowing you to attack relentlessly while avoiding damage. [[Conspiracy]] enhances this evasion, granting unblockability to all creatures of the chosen type.

3. The Grave’s Harvest: Reanimating the Departed

The Grave’s Harvest utilizes cards like [[Victimize]] and [[Dread Return]] to retrieve creatures from your graveyard, allowing you to reuse their powerful effects or create formidable threats.

4. The Profane Threads: Manipulating Fate

The Profane Threads involves cards like [[Stitcher’s Supplier]] and [[Unmoored Ego]] to manipulate the top cards of your library, ensuring favorable draws or disrupting your opponent’s strategy by removing key cards.

5. The Damnation’s Toll: Mass Destruction and Disruption

The Damnation’s Toll unleashes cards like [[Damnation]] and [[Nevinyrral’s Disk]] to wipe out your opponent’s board, while [[Smallpox]] and [[Innocent Blood]] punish them for having noncreature permanents.

6. The Dimir Control: Lockdown and Domination

Dimir Control is an intricate strategy that combines elements of the other combos. It utilizes cards like [[Counterspell]], [[Thoughtseize]], and [[Drown in the Loch]] to control your opponent’s spells and discard potential threats. [[Bitterblossom]] and [[Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet]] provide a steady stream of zombies to overwhelm your opponent, while [[Sphinx’s Revelation]] and [[Torrential Gearhulk]] provide card advantage and disruption.

Card Name	Effect
Counterspell	Counters target spell.
Thoughtseize	Target opponent reveals their hand and you choose a card to discard.
Drown in the Loch	Counter target spell with cmc 4 or greater.
Bitterblossom	Creates a 1/1 black Faerie creature token with flying each turn.
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet	Zombie creatures you control get +1/+1 and have lifelink. Your opponents lose life equal to the number of Zombies you control, which you gain.
Sphinx’s Revelation	Draw X cards, where X is equal to the amount of life you’ve gained this turn.
Torrential Gearhulk	When Torrential Gearhulk enters the battlefield, you may cast an instant or sorcery card with cmc 4 or less from your graveyard without paying its mana cost.

Vampiric Ascension: Feasting on Life and Victory

Vampiric Ascension is a potent enchantment that synergizes well with Dimir’s graveyard and life-draining strategies. By discarding cards and sacrificing creatures, you can rapidly accumulate lifelink counters, making it easier to finish off opponents.

1. Cryptbreaker

Cryptbreaker is a Vampire Wizard who provides card advantage while draining your opponent. Its ability to loot a card whenever a creature dies gives you a steady stream of fuel for Vampiric Ascension and other graveyard-based effects.

2. Bloodchief Ascension

This enchantment is a powerhouse in Dimir decks. As your creatures die, you place +1/+1 counters on Bloodchief Ascension, increasing its power and toughness. When it reaches six counters, you can sacrifice it to deal six damage to a target player, providing a devastating finisher.

3. Midnight Reaper

Midnight Reaper is a solid Dimir creature that combines life-draining with graveyard manipulation. When it enters the battlefield, it deals damage to target player equal to the number of cards in your graveyard, fueling Vampiric Ascension while subtracting from your opponent’s life total.

4. Gutterbones

Gutterbones is a cheap and efficient mana sink for Dimir decks. Its ability to discard a card for a black mana allows you to both activate Vampiric Ascension and fuel other abilities.

5. Nighthawk Scavenger

Nighthawk Scavenger is a versatile creature that benefits from both Vampiric Ascension and Midnight Reaper. As it enters the battlefield, it creates a delayed trigger that deals damage equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Vampires you control or the number of cards in your graveyard.

6. Hypnotic Specter

Hypnotic Specter is a classic Dimir creature that combines hand disruption with life-draining. When it enters the battlefield, it forces an opponent to discard a card, potentially triggering Vampiric Ascension or setting up you for future plays.

7. The Rack


The Rack is a formidable enchantment that inflicts pain on your opponents as they draw cards. Each time an opponent draws a card, they lose 2 life. This constant drain can quickly whittle down their life total, especially when combined with Vampiric Ascension’s lifelink.

Aetherling Assault: Evading and Overwhelming

Indestructible Evasion with Aetherling

Aetherling is a 4/5 creature with the unique ability to become indestructible until your next turn. This makes it an excellent target for counterspells, auras, and other protective effects.

Overwhelming Damage with Aqueous Form

Aqueous Form is an enchantment that grants a creature +3/+3 and the ability to deal damage in the form of 1/1 blue tokens. Combined with Aetherling’s indestructibility, Aqueous Form can create an overwhelming offensive threat.

Dimir Charm: Versatility and Control

Dimir Charm is a versatile counterspell that can also be used to destroy artifacts or enchantments. In the Aetherling combo, it can protect Aetherling from removal or counter opposing removal spells aimed at Aqueous Form.

Agent of Treachery: Stealing the Opposition

Agent of Treachery is a creature that can steal a permanent from an opponent. Targeting an Aqueous Form-enhanced Aetherling allows you to gain control of a powerful creature and further overwhelm your opponent.

Thassa’s Emissary: Card Draw and Manipulation

Thassa’s Emissary is a creature that provides card draw and manipulation. It can be used to filter your deck for essential combo pieces or remove threats from the opponent’s hand.

Sphinx’s Revelation: Refueling and Advantage

Sphinx’s Revelation is a powerful draw spell that can refuel your hand and gain you card advantage. This allows you to continue assembling the combo and overwhelm your opponent with a steady stream of threats.

Dimir Guildmage: Utility and Control

Dimir Guildmage is a creature with several abilities that enhance the Aetherling combo. It can counter spells, provide mana fixing, and disrupt the opponent’s graveyard.

Boneyard Parley: Recursion and Utility

Boneyard Parley is an instant that allows you to return a creature from your graveyard to the battlefield. This can help you recover lost combo pieces, such as Aetherling or Aqueous Form, or provide additional threats to overwhelm your opponent.

Card	Role in Combo
Aetherling	Indestructible evasion and target for buffs
Aqueous Form	+3/+3 and 1/1 token generation
Dimir Charm	Counterspell and artifact/enchantment removal
Agent of Treachery	Permanent theft for added pressure
Thassa’s Emissary	Card draw and hand manipulation
Sphinx’s Revelation	Card advantage and hand replenishment
Dimir Guildmage	Counterspells, mana fixing, and graveyard disruption
Boneyard Parley	Creature recursion for combo pieces or extra threats

Tasigur’s Tomb: Recursive Value Engine

Tasigur’s Tomb is a legendary enchantment that allows you to delve cards from your library into your graveyard. When a card is delved, you can cast it for its delve cost, which is typically less than its regular mana cost. This makes Tasigur’s Tomb a powerful value engine, as you can delve cards to cast them for cheap, and then use them to generate more value.

Delve Synergies

Tasigur’s Tomb synergizes well with cards that have delve costs, such as Gurmag Angler and Tasigur, the Golden Fang. These cards can be cast for very little mana using Tasigur’s Tomb, and they can generate a lot of value. Additionally, Tasigur’s Tomb can be used to delve away cards that you don’t need, such as lands or creatures that are no longer useful.

Recursion

Tasigur’s Tomb also synergizes well with cards that can recur cards from your graveyard, such as Sidisi, Undead Vizier and Eternal Witness. These cards can allow you to cast the same cards multiple times using Tasigur’s Tomb, which can generate a lot of value.

Card Selection

In addition to its value-generating abilities, Tasigur’s Tomb also provides some card selection. When you delve a card, you can choose which card to put into your graveyard. This allows you to control what cards you have access to, and it can help you set up your combos.

Matchups and Weaknesses

Tasigur’s Tomb is a powerful card in decks that can take advantage of its value-generating abilities. However, it is important to note that Tasigur’s Tomb is not without its weaknesses. It is a slow card that can be easily disrupted by graveyard hate. Additionally, Tasigur’s Tomb is not a good card in decks that rely on graveyard strategies, as it can mill away important cards from your graveyard.

Pros	Cons
Value generation	Slow
Recursion	Easily disrupted
Card selection	Not good in graveyard strategies

Notion Thief: Stealing Knowledge and Control

Notion Thief is a formidable card in the Dimir guild, granting control over your opponents’ cards. When it enters the battlefield, Notion Thief creates a copy of any noncreature spell you opponent casts. If that noncreature spell is an artifact, enchantment, or Saga, you control the copy in addition to your opponent!

Additionally, Notion Thief can draw you a card whenever an opponent casts a noncreature spell. This can provide invaluable card advantage, especially in long games. Here are some of the best Dimir combos involving Notion Thief:

Notion Thief + Ghostly Pilferer: Steal multiple copies of each noncreature spell your opponents cast, generating tons of card advantage.
Notion Thief + Drowned Secrets: Draw multiple cards whenever your opponents cast noncreature spells, further depleting their resources.
Notion Thief + Psychic Corrosion: Completely lock your opponents out of using noncreature spells, forcing them to rely solely on creatures.

Dimir Combo	Effect
Notion Thief + Ghostly Pilferer	Steal multiple copies of each noncreature spell your opponents cast, generating tons of card advantage.
Notion Thief + Drowned Secrets	Draw multiple cards whenever your opponents cast noncreature spells, further depleting their resources.
Notion Thief + Psychic Corrosion	Completely lock your opponents out of using noncreature spells, forcing them to rely solely on creatures.

The Best Dimir Combos in Magic: The Gathering

Dimir, the Sultai guild of Magic: The Gathering, is known for its powerful control and graveyard strategies. Dimir decks often focus on disrupting their opponents’ plans, while also using their graveyard as a resource to fuel their own strategies.

There are many different Dimir combos that can be used to win games. Some of the most popular combos include:

The Notion Thief/Windfall Combo: This combo allows you to draw a lot of cards while also denying your opponents the ability to draw cards. It can be very difficult to beat if you can pull it off.
The Mesmeric Orb/Mindcrank Combo: This combo allows you to mill your opponents’ decks while also gaining life. It can be a very effective way to win games against mill decks.
The Lab Maniac/Jace, Wielder of Mysteries Combo: This combo allows you to win the game by milling your own deck. It can be a very fast and easy way to win games if you can pull it off.

These are just a few of the many different Dimir combos that can be used to win games. Dimir is a very versatile guild, and there are many different ways to build a Dimir deck. If you’re looking for a deck that can control the game and win in a variety of ways, Dimir is a great option.