Competitive decks with Dismal Backwater | MTG Deck With
Dismal Backwater
LandCommon
Traditional (Bo3)
Arena rankedStandard
MTGA ranked player
2924
75 cards (60 main / 15 side)
Traditional (Bo3)
MTGA ranked player
2924
75 cards (60 main / 15 side)
Main deck(60)
Creatures(9)
1Sleep-Cursed Faerie
2Deep-Cavern Bat
2Darkstar Augur
1Kitesail Larcenist
1Valley Floodcaller
2Rottenmouth Viper
Instants(15)
2Phantom Interference
1Three Steps Ahead
2Deduce
4Feed the Cycle
4Long River's Pull
2Shoot the Sheriff
Sorceries(10)
3Sleight of Hand
3Fell
2Seize the Secrets
2Deadly Cover-Up
Enchantments(2)
2Bandit's Talent
Lands(24)
4Dismal Backwater
9Island
1Restless Reef
9Swamp
1Undercity Sewers
Creatures(9)
1Sleep-Cursed Faerie
2Deep-Cavern Bat
2Darkstar Augur
1Kitesail Larcenist
1Valley Floodcaller
2Rottenmouth Viper
Sorceries(10)
3Sleight of Hand
3Fell
2Seize the Secrets
2Deadly Cover-Up
Instants(15)
2Phantom Interference
1Three Steps Ahead
2Deduce
4Feed the Cycle
4Long River's Pull
2Shoot the Sheriff
Enchantments(2)
2Bandit's Talent
Lands(24)
4Dismal Backwater
9Island
1Restless Reef
9Swamp
1Undercity Sewers
Sideboard(15)
Creatures(1)
1Fblthp, Lost on the Range
Instants(4)
1Into the Flood Maw
1Slice from the Shadows
2Negate
Sorceries(7)
4Duress
3Choking Miasma
Enchantments(3)
2Bandit's Talent
1Emergent Haunting
Creatures(1)
1Fblthp, Lost on the Range
Sorceries(7)
4Duress
3Choking Miasma
Instants(4)
1Into the Flood Maw
1Slice from the Shadows
2Negate
Enchantments(3)
2Bandit's Talent
1Emergent Haunting
Competitive insights for Dismal Backwater
Overview
Dismal Backwater appears in 107 competitive decklists in our database. Standard accounts for 75.7% of lists. Coverage spans September 2020 to August 2026.
Competitive format breakdown
Format
Decks
Share
81
75.7%
Other ingested formats (not in the competitive breakdown): 24.3%
Often played with
Recent events
Pro Tour March of the Machine Standard Decklists F-K — 1 deck (5/5/2023)
May Strixhaven League Weekend – MPL Historic Decklists — 5 decks (5/15/2021)
May Strixhaven League Weekend – Rivals Historic Decklists — 7 decks (5/15/2021)
Frequently asked questions
How many competitive decks play Dismal Backwater?
Our database currently tracks 107 competitive decklists that include this card.
What formats use Dismal Backwater most?
Standard is the most common format (75.7% of tracked lists).
What cards pair with Dismal Backwater?
Top co-played cards include Negate (60%) and Duress (49%).
When was Dismal Backwater last seen in the data?
The most recent ingested list was at Pro Tour March of the Machine Standard Decklists F-K (May 5, 2023).
What time range does this data cover?
Tracked lists span September 2020 through August 2026.
Is Dismal Backwater played in Standard?
Yes — 81 competitive Standard lists include Dismal Backwater (75.7% of tracked lists).
About competitive deck data
Lists are sourced from competitive Magic: The Gathering events ingested from magic.gg and related feeds. Card names, oracle text, and images are provided via Scryfall. Synergy rates show how often another card appears in the same decklist. Data is updated as new events are imported.
Data updated through August 2026 · Last decklist seen: Pro Tour March of the Machine Standard Decklists F-K, May 5, 2023
