The Definitive Modern MTG Decks Power Ranking: August 2025

Welcome, fellow Planeswalkers, to the August 2025 edition of our Modern Power Rankings! As we gear up for a thrilling second half of 2025, with Modern taking center stage – including the prestigious Pro Tour: Edge of Eternities in September – it's time to delve into the landscape of the format. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer eager to dive into the mtg modern format, this modern meta snapshot will give you the edge you need. Consider this modern tier list a comprehensive guide to the archetypes you'll encounter at your next Modern event, and perhaps a springboard for your own deckbuilding innovations. This analysis will cover the best modern decks you need to know.

#15: Izzet Artifacts: A Modern Artifact Decks Resurgence

Crashing into the rankings this month is Izzet Artifacts modern. This archetype takes the place of the classic Affinity mtg modern deck that occupied this spot in July. The key difference? The formidable Cori-Steel Cutter modern. While the older Affinity build focused on powering out Thought Monitor and Kappa Cannoneer, Izzet Artifacts adopts a more aggressive stance, leveraging a plethora of zero-mana plays to consistently trigger Cori-Steel Cutter, often as early as turn two. Pinnacle Emissary from Edge of Eternities is also proving to be an exciting addition to artifact-based strategies. This is a strong contender for top modern tournament decks.

#14: Birthing Ritual: Exploiting the Warp Mechanic MTG

A major breakout deck this month is Birthing Ritual mtg. This card, while not new, has been supercharged by the Warp mechanic mtg from the Edge of Eternities expansion. The strategy? Warp in creatures like Quantum Riddler mtg or Starfield Shepherd and trigger Birthing Ritual before they are exiled at the end of the turn. This allows you to select any creature from the top seven cards of your library, generating immense value for just two mana. These decks are flexible in their color combinations, and often include an Ephemerate and Solitude package for added resilience.

#13: Goryo's Vengeance: A Recurring Modern Combo Decks Threat

Goryo's Vengeance modern slides down two spots, but don’t underestimate it. This powerful combo deck remains a force to be reckoned with. The core strategy involves getting a game-ending legendary creature, such as Atraxa Grand Unifier or Griselbrand, into the graveyard and then reanimating it using Goryo's Vengeance or Emperor of Bones. Some builds even incorporate Sin, Spira's Punishment, incidentally reanimating other legends for even more value. Goryo's Vengeance is a scary and powerful archetype that’s only gotten better.

#12: Broodscale Combo MTG: Infinitely Large Threats

Similarly, Broodscale Combo mtg drops four places in the rankings. Interestingly, this archetype is starting to merge with Gruul Eldrazi Ramp, showcasing the continued creativity within Modern deckbuilding. The primary combo involves pairing Basking Broodscale Combo with Blade of the Bloodchief. By sacrificing Eldrazi Spawn, you add a +1/+1 counter to Basking Broodscale, which then creates another Spawn, allowing you to repeat the process. This generates an infinitely large creature and unbounded colorless mana. Victory can be achieved through Glaring Fleshraker triggers, Walking Ballista (cast or via Agatha's Soul Cauldron), or simply attacking with your massive Basking Broodscale.

#11: Neoform MTG Deck: The Speed Demon

For the first time in recent memory, Neoform mtg deck earns its own spot in the rankings as a standalone archetype. The goal is to quickly get Allosaurus Rider Neoform onto the battlefield and then use Neoform or Eldritch Evolution to transform it into an even bigger threat, like Griselbrand or Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant. This can happen as early as turn two, making Neoform one of the fastest and most terrifying modern combo decks. Always be prepared for the unexpected in Modern. Generic disruption like Thoughtseize and Force of Negation, along with targeted hate cards like Containment Priest, are crucial.

#10: Reanimator MTG Modern: Archon of Cruelty's Reign

Arguably the biggest breakout deck of the month is Reanimator mtg modern. Unlike Goryo's Vengeance, this modern reanimator strategy uses Persist to return Archon of Cruelty to the battlefield. It incorporates backup plans like Unearth with Abhorrent Oculus or simply casting Psychic Frog. The most popular and successful version is currently Grixis, utilizing the recently unbanned Faithless Looting to find key cards and fill the graveyard.

#9: Green Eldrazi Ramp: Powering Out Colossal Threats

As mentioned in the Broodscale Combo section, Green Eldrazi Ramp continues to descend in the rankings. However, powering out devastating Eldrazi remains a viable strategy. Reliable ramp options like Utopia Sprawl, Malevolent Rumble, and Talisman of Impulse enable these decks to quickly deploy heavy hitters like Sowing Mycospawn and Kozilek's Command. The inclusion of numerous Basic Forests allows these decks to withstand disruptive cards like Blood Moon and Obsidian Charmaw, making Green Eldrazi a difficult opponent.

#8: Izzet Prowess Modern: Fast, Resilient, and Adaptive

After a strong showing in June and July, Izzet Prowess modern falls four places, settling into the "tier two" category. Red-based Prowess decks have always been a favorite. The success of this archetype in Standard has clearly influenced older formats. Cori-Steel Cutter has become a Modern staple, previously featured in Izzet Artifacts. Izzet Prowess is both fast and resilient, utilizing cards like Expressive Iteration to maintain card advantage and outgrind opponents employing one-for-one removal.

#7: Blue Belcher: A One-Shot Kill Threat

Blue-based Charbelcher drops two places in the rankings. This deck aims to use the high density of double-faced land-spells in Modern to construct a deck with no actual lands. With this setup, Goblin Charbelcher becomes a one-shot kill. Lotus Bloom supports a turn four Charbelcher win. However, it also enables a different angle of attack with Tameshi, Reality Architect. Repeatedly rebuying Lotus Bloom from the graveyard generates massive amounts of mana, allowing you to draw a significant number of cards and secure victory.

#6: Ruby Storm MTG: Chaining Spells to Victory

If you're looking to build a Modern gauntlet, playing against these top six decks will provide a representative cross-section of the format. Ruby Storm mtg climbs four places and is now the highest-ranked combo deck. Built around Ruby Medallion and Ral, Monsoon Mage, this deck generates massive, though not infinite, chains of spells. Turn three kills are common when a Ruby Medallion or Ral goes unanswered. Ruby Storm can also fight through hate cards, requiring a combination of graveyard hate, spell-based disruption, targeted sideboard cards, and a quick clock to secure a favorable matchup.

#5: Amulet Titan Modern: Ramp to Primeval Titan

Next, we have the ever-popular Amulet Titan Modern, which climbs two places to become the top-ranked ramp strategy. The goal is to combine Bounce Lands like Simic Growth Chamber with Amulet of Vigor to quickly deploy Primeval Titan. While the core strategy remains the same, the specifics of the deck continue to evolve. Spelunking is a popular addition, acting as a redundant Amulet of Vigor effect and providing additional value from Scapeshift. Amulet Titan experts can execute complex loops using Aftermath Analyst to return lands from the graveyard and Shifting Woodland to copy the Analyst, repeating the process.

#4: Dimir Frog: Interactive Midrange Powerhouse

In addition to the breakout decks, Dimir Frog makes a significant leap, climbing five positions. While Frog may appear in other archetypes, this refers to the fair Dimir-based Midrange decks. Dimir Frog (or blue, black, and X for those splashing a color) is one of the most interactive decks in Modern, utilizing Thoughtseize, Fatal Push, Counterspell, Force of Negation, and other disruptive spells. Combined with the powerful Psychic Frog, this strategy appeals to experienced tournament players. Some players incorporate Abhorrent Oculus and Unearth, while others prefer a more straightforward Tempo or Midrange approach.

#3: Domain Zoo: Combining Burn with Powerful Threats

Domain Zoo climbs three positions to become the best of Modern's lower-tiered decks. This old-fashioned name represents a deck that combines burn spells with the best creatures from various colors. Modern Domain Zoo decks often win with single, powerful threats rather than wide boards of small creatures. The combination of Leyline of the Guildpact and Scion of Draco is particularly potent, granting the Dragon all abilities listed on the card. Many decks struggle against a flying, lifelinking, hexproof creature on turn two.

#2: Orzhov (or Esper) Blink: Value and Disruption

The Orzhov-based Blink archetype narrowly missed the top spot this week, remaining at #2. However, it's important to note that the top two decks are significantly ahead of the rest in terms of success and popularity. In a diverse format, these are the decks you should be prepared to face. These decks come in various forms, either Orzhov or Esper. Some builds prioritize a high density of creatures with Aether Vial, while others lean into controlling elements like Ketramose, the New Dawn, and Relic of Progenitus. Edge of Eternities has provided new tools, including Starfield Shepherd and Quantum Riddler for those including blue. Ephemerate is a key card, pairing exceptionally well with the range of powerful enter-the-battlefield abilities in Orzhov. Evoking Solitude and Ephemerate-ing it before it hits the graveyard can devastate creature-based decks, exiling three opposing creatures and leaving you with a lifelinking threat.

#1: Boros (or Mardu) Energy: Card Quality Supreme

Orzhov (or Esper) Blink made a strong challenge, but Boros (or Mardu) Energy retains the #1 position. This archetype was already a top performer earlier in the year, and the banning of Underworld Breach solidified Boros Energy as the premier deck in the format. In two words: Card Quality. Almost every card in the deck costs one or two mana and provides exceptional value, unsurprising given the prevalence of rares and mythics from Modern Horizons 3. Boros comes out fast, has built-in card advantage, and features the best removal options for handling opposing threats. Boros Energy is incredibly impressive and highly recommended.

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