In the MTG color wheel, white is often associated with peace and order. The tranquil nature of plains gives this color a sense that it is trying to protect you from all the evil around. However, just like any other color, white has a great potential for evil. It can bring about destruction just to preserve order in the world. It can kill just to give healing.

White decks in MTG Arena are among the most versatile decks around. There are aggressive decks that utilize the cheap creatures of white, there are also control decks that use white’s innate ability to bring order. This article will provide you a list of the best white decks in the current MTG Arena meta. 

10. UW Prison 

Who knew you can actually play a single-player mode with this deck?

What’s good about this deck?

• Harsh control deck that minimizes surprise spells from the opponent.
  • You can contain your opponent’s creatures, instants, sorceries, and even lands to prevent them from doing anything huge during the game.
  • Neutralizes late-game threats as well as early game aggression. 
• Very satisfying concessions from your opponent.
  • Of course, your primary win condition is to drop your own bombs, but seeing your opponent concede out of frustration is a magical thing. 

How to play this deck effectively

• You don’t have to worry about not casting anything in your early turns.
  • You just need to ensure that you hit your land drops in your first five turns. This guarantees that you will be able to cast almost all of your spells.
  • Use your mana in the early turns to cast counterspells or bluff one to get ahead of your opponent both on the board and mentally.
• Make sure that before turn 6, you already have your win-condition on hand. Or at least you already have some way of getting to it.
  • Your win condition consists of either a beatdown using Dream Trawler or through Approach of the Second Sun. Having these in your hand, or at least a Fae of Wishes on your hand can guarantee that you will be able to drop them immediately. 

Decklist

• 3 Fae of Wishes
• 3 Dream Trawler
• 2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
• 2 Search for Azcanta
• 2 Rule of Law
• 2 Ixalan’s Binding
• 3 Elspeth Conquers Death
• 3 Absorb
• 4 Mystical Dispute
• 2 Shatter the Sky
• 3 Wrath of God
• 2 Cleansing Nova
• 2 Approach of the Second Sun
• 2 Ondu Inversion
• 1 Castle Ardenvale
• 1 Castle Vantress
• 4 Fabled Passage
• 4 Glacial Fortress
• 4 Hallowed Fountain
• 2 Temple of Enlightenment
• 4 Island
• 5 Plains

Sideboard

• 1 Ashiok, Dream Render
• 1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
• 1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
• 1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
• 1 Fall of Thran
• 1 Shark Typhoon
• 1 Tormod’s Crypt
• 1 Grafdigger’s Cage
• 1 God-Pharaoh’s Statue
• 1 Cleansing Nova
• 1 Approach of the Second Sun
• 2 Stonecoil Serpent

9. Mono-white Lifegain 

Heliod gives life, but can also take away yours. 

What’s good about this deck?

• With their cheap mana costs, you can gain an early advantage against your opponent.
  • Aside from the 4-drop Elspeth, all your other spells are 3-mana and below. You can use these to gain life and pressure your opponent early.
• Anti-removal cards are abundant in your deck
  • You can protect your key pieces using cheap interactions.
  • You can also use Lurrus to bring back a Selfless Savior or an Alseid to keep on protecting your key creatures. 

How to play this deck effectively

• Pad your life early on
  • Aggressive decks are still abundant in the current meta. These decks also have plenty of removal through burn or board wipe. Utilize the early game by setting up your life-gain synergies.
• Mulligan a hand that has too much land.
  • Card advantage is not a strong suit for this deck. However, flooding is highly likely if you keep a hand with more than three lands. 
  • Since you only need at least four mana throughout the entire game, you can just make sure that you have three guaranteed land drops. 
• Use your Alseid and Selfless Savior extensively.
  • Having Lurrus on your deck will give you access to these so you can repeatedly play them for protection.

Decklist

• 3 Lurrus of the Dream-Den
• 3 Linden, the Steadfast Queen
• 4 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
• 4 Alseid of Life’s Bounty
• 4 Charming Prince
• 4 Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
• 4 Hallowed Priest
• 3 Selfless Savior
• 4 Speaker of the Heavens
• 2 Glass Casket
• 2 Griffin Aerie
• 2 Elspeth, Sun’s Nemesis
• 3 Castle Ardenvale
• 18 Plains

8. Cycling 

Just the top of a building shooting flares at the enemy. No big deal. 

What’s good about this deck?

• You can win using different methods in this deck.
  • Aside from the normal Zenith Flare, you can also dish out burn damage or beatdown against your opponent
  • This gives you a safety net for when your other win conditions get shut down.

How to play this deck effectively

• Mulligan hands that are not ideal
  • The best hand should consist of 2-3 lands. No more, no less. Having 4 lands can result in flooding while having only 1 may result in mana screw. 
  • Since you get to draw cards when cycling, you don’t have to immediately have Zenith Flare in your opening hand.
• Don’t hesitate to drop your creatures early on. 
  • The best-case scenario is that you get them to stick long enough to deal significant damage. The worst-case scenario is they get killed which will not be much of an issue since it will help fuel your Zenith Flare. 

Decklist

• 4 Flourishing Fox
• 4 Dranith Stinger
• 4 Dranith Healer
• 4 Valiant Rescuer
• 2 Boon of the Wish-Giver
• 2 Cast Out
• 4 Footfall Crater
• 4 Frostveil Ambush
• 4 Startling Development
• 2 Lurrus of the Dream-Den
• 4 Go for Blood
• 4 Zenith Flair
• 4 Raugrin Triome
• 5 Mountain
• 9 Plains

7. UW Flyers

Just a cat with wings and horns. And did I mention, nine lives?

What’s good about this deck?

• Cheap and budget-friendly deck
  • With just four rares, you can pilot this deck and string together easy wins with its high synergy.
• Compared to other UW decks, this deck is much easier to play.
  • Most decks in this list consist mainly of spells which are not that easy to grasp for beginners. This deck is different since it is creature-heavy, which means, the interactions are easier to understand for newer players.

How to play this deck effectively

• Just like any other creature deck, you will have to rely on stringing together good drops that increase the pressure you exert on your opponent each turn.
  • Since most creature-heavy decks in the meta are all ground-based, you will have the advantage of the high ground.
  • There is an abundance of removal spells in the current meta so you need to swing your creatures every chance you get since you don’t have to worry much about blockers on your opponent’s side of the board.
• Maximize your damage output by understanding your cards.
  • Knowing which cards should be played first on your early turns can help your attacks be more efficient.
  • An example of this is dropping Skycat Sovereign first before any other piece so that you can pump the Sovereign every time you cast a flyer. 

Decklist

• 3 Heraldic Banner
• 4 Skycat Sovereign
• 4 Watcher of the Spheres
• 4 Faerie Guidemother
• 4 Jubilant Skybonder
• 4 Kitesail Cleric
• 4 Merfolk Windrobber
• 4 Staggering Insight
• 2 Sentinel’s Eyes
• 2 Jwari Disruption
• 2 Sejiri Shelter
• 1 Makindi Stampede
• 4 Lofty Denial
• 4 Tranquil Cove
• 7 Island
• 7 Plains

6. Boros Feather

Feather is definitely heavier than steel this time. 

What’s good about this deck?

• Low-cost, high-yield beatdown deck
  • This is one of the decks that can win you games with the least amount of resources expended, allowing you to finish games quickly.
• High synergy leads to massive amounts of damage per turn which equates to fewer turns needed to win a game.
  • Casting instants and sorceries can trigger multiple abilities of creatures, further amplifying damage. 

How to play this deck effectively

• Ensure that you can drop Feather on curve with follow-up spells on your next turns
  • The backbone of this deck is composed of the instants and sorceries that you cast. Without these spells, Feather is just a normal flying creature. In order to win with this deck, both Feather and spells need to be present.
  • If you can’t get Feather on curve, you still have other creatures that are very strong when played with multiple spells. 
• You don’t need to have too much land on your starting hand.
  • The ideal draw is between 2-3 lands. Anything higher or lower than that needs to be mulliganed. 

Decklist

• 2 Feather, the Redeemed
• 4 Tenth District Legionnaire
• 4 Dreadhorde Arcanist
• 4 Soul-Scar Mage
• 4 Adanto Vanguard
• 3 Reckless Rage
• 3 Shock
• 3 Defiant Strike
• 4 Gods Willing
• 3 Fight as One
• 2 Light Up the Stage
• 2 Gird for Battle
• 4 Sacred Foundry
• 4 Clifftop Retreat
• 4 Temple of Triumph
• 1 Castle Embereth
• 1 Castle Ardenvale
• 4 Mountain
• 4 Plains

5. UW Second Sun Control

Your days are numbered. The Second Sun is coming. 

What’s good about this deck?

• The presence of Disallow brings back a different area of attack for control decks.
  • Since it can counter even targeted abilities and planeswalker abilities, you can more easily control the game. 
• In Bo1, you will encounter a lot of creature-heavy decks. Having Fumigate in play neutralizes the enemies board state while giving you a health boost
  • This deck runs a lot of cards that can give you an advantage whether in terms of board state or card advantage. 

How to play this deck effectively

• Make sure that you have the right tools for early mana and card advantage.
  • You will be playing the long game since your win condition only comes out by turn 7. You should then ensure that you have the right resources to deal with early threats.
• You can use Torrential Gearhulk in a variety of ways.
  • You can use it as an alternative beatdown strategy or you can use it to gain card advantage.
  • Another thing that you can do using Torrential Gearhulk is to flash it in to get a counter for an opponent’s spell. This is often overlooked by other players so it may come as a surprise when you cast a Disallow with Torrential Gearhulk. 

Decklist

• 3 Approach of the Second Sun
• 4 Disallow
• 3 Cast Out
• 2 Search for Azcanta
• 3 Supreme Will
• 2 Syncopate
• 3 Seal Away
• 2 Torrential Gearhulk
• 2 Fumigate
• 4 Wrath of God
• 2 Glimmer of Genius
• 2 Hieroglyphic Illumination
• 3 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
• 4 Glacial Fortress
• 2 Ipnu Rivulet
• 3 Irrigated Farmland
• 2 Temple of Epiphany
• 2 Castle Vantress
• 2 Scavenger Grounds
• 5 Island
• 5 Plains

4. Bant Uro 

No need for an introduction. Everyone knows who Uro is already. 

What’s good about this deck?

• You have a very wide range of attack in terms of strategies.
  • You can play this deck any way you want from an aggressive beatdown, to control. Your pieces can deal with any threat thrown at them.
• Ramp is still one of the best advantages you can get in the Arena
  • Having cards that give you a very early mana-advantage can give you a huge boost to close out the game easily. 

How to play this deck effectively

• Aside from ramping in the early game, use those turns to know what type of deck the opponent is playing.
  • More experienced players will immediately have an idea of the opponent’s deck based on the opening plays. 
  • Once you have already assessed the strategy, formulate your own tactic based on the information you already have.
• Make sure that you maximize your mana every turn.
  • Tapping out in the early game is the best way to ensure that you are playing your deck to its fullest capacity.
  • This will also allow you to ramp up to your big spells before the opponent even establishes board presence. 

Decklist

• 3 Nissa, Who Shakes the World
• 1 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales
• 1 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
• 2 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
• 2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
• 4 Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath
• 2 Hydroid Krasis
• 2 Approach of the Second Sun
• 2 Wrath of God
• 2 Shatter the Sky
• 4 Explore
• 4 Growth Spiral
• 3 Censor
• 4 Hallowed Fountain
• 4 Hinterland Harbor
• 3 Temple Garden
• 4 Breeding Pool
• 2 Sunpetal Grove
• 2 Glacial Fortress
• 1 Blast Zone
• 1 Irrigated Farmland
• 1 Arch of Orazca
• 1 Castle Ardenvale
• 1 Castle Vantress
• 2 Island
• 2 Forest

3. Lurrus Artifacts and Enchantments 

This four-eyed monster is only one of a few Companions that survived the test of time. 

What’s good about this deck?

• Lurrus remains one of the most versatile cards in the format
  • With the ability to replay permanents, Lurrus is still a very strong companion to use in any of the two formats.
• With cheap interactions, you can guarantee that you have an answer for anything the opponent throws at you. 
  • Dealing with early aggression is just a piece of cake with this deck since it uses cheap enchantments. Not only that, you can also deal with larger creatures with your bigger spells.

How to play this deck effectively

• One goal to keep in mind is to prevent your opponent from exiling your graveyard or your board.
  • Since you have Lurrus, you can always replay your cards. If you decide not to replay them, you can always convert them to a creature with Aphemia. This strategy becomes useless when your permanents become exiled.
• Use your early-game aggression efficiently
  • Once you have already identified your opponent’s build, you can then decide whether the best play is to lay down a creature and place all enchantments on it or spread out the enchantments across multiple creatures.
  • Placing all your enchantments on one creature is good against decks that run multiple targeted removals. Since all your enchantments are on one creature, you can focus your defense on that creature alone.
  • If you are up against a deck with board wipes, it is better to cast more creatures before casting enchantments to give an illusion of an overwhelming board state. You want to show your opponent that you have lots of threats on board so he/she will need to use board wipes prematurely. 

Decklist

Lurrus of the Dream-Den - Companion

• 4 Starfield Mystic
• 2 Aphemia, the Cacophony
• 4 Stonecoil Serpent
• 4 Gingerbrute
• 4 Alseid of Life’s Bounty
• 3 Loyal Companion
• 2 Tormod’s Crypt
• 4 Sentinel’s Eyes
• 4 All That Glitters
• 2 Dead Weight
• 3 Karametra’s Blessing
• 1 Torment of Hailfire
• 2 Agadeem’s Awakening
• 2 Ondu Inversion
• 2 Extinction Event
• 4 Godless Shrine
• 2 Temple of Silence
• 2 Castle Locthwain
• 4 Isolated Chapel
• 3 Swamp
• 2 Plains

2. Boros Winota 

Surely you'll get wins with this deck. She is named Winota not Lose-ota

What’s good about this deck?

• You can catch surprise wins with Winota.
  • Best case scenario is you hit lethal during combat while the worst-case scenario is you get a card advantage. Win-win nonetheless. 
• Anti-control deck.
  • With its ability, Winona places creatures on the board without having to cast them, dodging counterspells. An abundance of protection also allows you to dodge board wipes. 

How to play this deck effectively

• Maximize Winota’s ability by having non-Humans in play prior to casting this card.
  • Since Winota’s value can be seen the turn after she gets casted, you need to have a non-Human creature on the board to trigger her ability.
  • Make sure that you get Winota to stay on board by using your protection spells. The same is true for your non-Human creatures.
  • The best play here is to drop a Stonecoil Serpent for 2 or 3, prior to casting Winota.
• When in doubt, swing all your creatures.
  • You don’t have Settle the Wreckage to worry about so attacking all your creatures during a stalemate will give you more benefit since it can trigger Winota’s ability, providing you with the edge that you need. 

Decklist

• 4 Winota, Joiner of Forces
• 4 Selfless Savior
• 3 Seasoned Hallowblade
• 4 Basri’s Lieutenant
• 4 Stonecoil Serpent
• 3 Bonecrusher Giant
• 4 Akoum Hellhound
• 2 Kenrith, the Returned King
• 3 Kargan Intimidator
• 4 Skyclave Cleric
• 3 Embercleave
• 2 Spikefield Hazard
• 1 Shatterskull Smashing
• 2 Temple of Triumph
• 2 Castle Embereth
• 4 Needleverge Pathway
• 5 Mountain
• 6 Plains

1. Esper Doom Yorion 

Somewhere in this picture, you can see Yorion flying around waiting to repeat another disaster. 

What’s good about this deck?

• With a field composed mostly of heavy creatures, Esper Doom provides the much needed answer against those.
  • Big and heavy creatures, mostly from Gruul decks, have been wreaking havoc in the meta. Thanks to this decklist, we can finally say GGWP to those creatures.
  • It is not only good against big creatures, though, since it can very much deal with smaller and faster creatures.

How to play this deck effectively

• Establish your board early on by making sure you get consistent land drops and card advantage.
  • In Bo1, you will generally encounter creature-heavy decks. This plays well to your advantage as you can just absorb a few hits early on while you are still establishing your board.
  • Use your Omens early on to help you with card draw or to provide you a body to block with.
• Once you have already established your board, you can just end the game from there.
  • Dance of the Manse can help you during stalemates by getting you a variety of cards to help your cause.
• In terms of starting hand, just make sure that you have at least three lands to start with. This is one of the decks that is fine with having an abundance of lands since the game typically starts at around turn 5.

Decklist

Yorion, Sky Nomad - companion

• 2 Yorion, Sky Nomad
• 4 Skyclave Apparition
• 4 Emeria’s Call
• 3 Extinction Event
• 3 Dance of the Manse
• 2 Eliminate
• 2 Heartless Act
• 3 Golden Egg
• 2 Glass Casket
• 1 Banishing Light
• 4 Doom Foretold
• 4 Elspeth Conquers Death
• 4 Omen of the Sea
• 3 Omen of the Sun
• 4 Elspeth’s Nightmare
• 3 Treacherous Blessing
• 4 Clearwater Pathway
• 4 Brightclimb Pathway
• 4 Temple of Enlightenment
• 3 Temple of Deceit
• 1 Temple of Silence
• 4 Fabled Passage
• 3 Plains
• 4 Swamp
• 4 Island

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