Hated MTG Boogeyman Sees Massive Breakout Thanks to Reality Fracture Card

For a long time, Dimir Tempo has been the de facto best deck in MTG Legacy. Combining efficient threats like Moonshadow and NethergoyfNethergoyfNethergoyf's power is equal to the number of card types among cards in your graveyard and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1.
Escape—{2}{B}, Exile any number of other cards from your graveyard with four or more card types among them. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.) with the format’s signpost-free counterspells, this deck is far more popular than any other.

While Dimir Tempo’s spot on Legacy’s podium doesn’t look like it will shift any time soon, the deck appears to be going through a massive overhaul. Thanks to Reality Fracture’s Dark Matter Manipulator, Dimir Tempo is shifting to a new threat package that takes advantage of the obscenely broken Hogaak, Arisen NecropolisHogaak, Arisen NecropolisYou can't spend mana to cast this spell.
Convoke, delve (Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color. Each card you exile from your graveyard pays for {1}.)
You may cast this card from your graveyard.
Trample.

This new build already has multiple 5-0 league results and some MTGO Challenge top eights, suggesting Dimir Hogaak might be a new tier-one deck. As a card that already got multiple cards banned in Modern and ruined an entire competitive season of MTG, seeing this card return to competitive Magic at all is a warning sign.

Legacy Dimir Hogaak

By including Stitcher’s SupplierStitcher’s SupplierWhen this creature enters or dies, mill three cards. (Put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard.) and Dark Matter ManipulatorDark Matter ManipulatorWhen this creature enters, mill three cards.
This creature gets +2/+0 for every seven cards in your graveyard. in Dimir Tempo’s threat suite, this new spinoff unlocks the infamous Hogaak, Arisen NecropolisHogaak, Arisen NecropolisYou can't spend mana to cast this spell.
Convoke, delve (Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color. Each card you exile from your graveyard pays for {1}.)
You may cast this card from your graveyard.
Trample, one of MTG’s most problematically broken cards. By casting just two of these one-mana creatures, you can put Hogaak into play on turn two by tapping the two one-drops for Convoke and exiling the six cards they milled. Of course, you can also cast Hogaak from the graveyard, which you can do on turn two if you have a third one-drop in play.

Like Rakdos Delirium in Modern, Dark Matter ManipulatorDark Matter ManipulatorWhen this creature enters, mill three cards.
This creature gets +2/+0 for every seven cards in your graveyard. also makes NethergoyfNethergoyfNethergoyf's power is equal to the number of card types among cards in your graveyard and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1.
Escape—{2}{B}, Exile any number of other cards from your graveyard with four or more card types among them. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.) and Moonshadow more efficient threats, two cards the previous Legacy Dimir Tempo variant already played. By milling cards over, Moonshadow can shave a -1/-1 counter, while Nethergoyf gets buffed by the card types in your graveyard. This gives you a strong threat base even if you don’t highroll into a Hogaak, offering consistent pressure.

That said, to increase your odds of highrolling into Hogaak, this new Dimir build also runs Mockingbird, another 1-mana threat that can copy your mill creatures. Since this creature will always have Flying, it also makes for a fantastic way to Ninjutsu your Kaito, Bane of NightmaresKaito, Bane of NightmaresNinjutsu {1}{U}{B} ({1}{U}{B}, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card onto the battlefield from your hand tapped and attacking.)
During your turn, as long as Kaito has one or more loyalty counters on him, he's a 3/4 Ninja creature and has hexproof.
+1: You get an emblem with "Ninjas you control get +1/+1."
0: Surveil 2. Then draw a card for each opponent who lost life this turn.
−2: Tap target creature. Put two stun counters on it. into play. Then, you can cast Mockingbird, copying your milling threats once again, building closer to another Hogaak.

Notably, Mockingbird can also copy opposing creatures, which can come up surprisingly often in Legacy. Copying an opposing Orcish BowmastersOrcish BowmastersFlash
When this creature enters and whenever an opponent draws a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, this creature deals 1 damage to any target. Then amass Orcs 1., for example, can shoot down their copy, unlocking your PonderPonderLook at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle.
Draw a card.s and Brainstorms. Of course, you also run a few Bowmasters of your own, taxing card draw effects and shooting down problematic cards like Goblin Welder.

As a finishing touch, this incredibly aggressive threat plan is backed by two playsets of free counterspells: Force of WillForce of WillYou may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target spell. and Daze, which slow graveyard hate and opposing combo decks. You also get access to Brainstorm and PonderPonderLook at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle.
Draw a card., giving your deck an incredible amount of consistency. Frankly, this deck keeps everything that made Dimir Tempo powerful, but adds an even more threatening creature suite.

Stopping the Return of the ‘Gaak

With a massive upgrade to its threat package, Dimir Hogaak seems like a great way to get ahead of Dimir Tempo mirrors coming into Eternal Weekend. Your threat suite simply outclasses your opponent’s, allowing you to roll over them in most games. Hogaak is similarly a nightmare for other non-white fair decks, like Izzet Delver or Eldrazi, giving you a strong matchup there.

With tons of pressure and free counterspells, Dimir Hogaak should, in theory, have a decent combo matchup, too. Notably, the list doesn’t currently seem to run any hand disruption like Thoughtseize, which could improve combo matchups if you’re worried about them.

If you’re worried about Dimir Hogaak and want to combat it, White decks seem to be the way to do it. By running cards like Swords to Plowshares, Solitude, and Erode, decks like Boros Energy, and Death and Taxes aren’t nearly as scared of Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis. While your other threats can run down control decks, Boros Energy’s threat package can easily contend with them, making this matchup seem difficult.

Unfortunately for those who want to try Dimir Hogaak themselves, this deck isn’t a secret anymore, so players are starting to slot in graveyard hate in the sideboard, too. You’ll need to play around common pieces like Dauthi Voidwalker that can stop your plans, but even Leyline of the VoidLeyline of the VoidIf this card is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
If a card would be put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead. appears to be on the uptick.

Still, this deck needs a very small window to slam a Hogaak into play and take over the game if it isn’t dealt with. As the deck’s early results suggest, you’ll want to prepare for this if you’re planning to play any MTG Legacy moving forward.

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