Dimir Midrange was one of the recent highlights of the Pioneer Challenges and Qualifiers in early November. The archetype, which already had its variations, gained a new look through the interaction of cheap creatures with Kaito, Bane of Nightmares and Ledger Shredder with Quantum Riddler to generate card advantage, establishing a more attrition-oriented version than the more famous variants, such as Dimir Ninjas.
The Decklist
This list is based on the version used by _Falcon_ in the Pioneer Challenge on November 2nd. It blends inherent elements of the Dimir Midrange deck we see in Standard and combines them with the potential interactions between Quantum Riddler and Ledger Shredder, allowing us to be more aggressive with our spells and one-for-one trades as we transform the Connive ability into card advantage, given that Riddler considers any moment when we have one or fewer cards in hand to guarantee "Draw 2".
Our game plan mixes traditional Midrange with a few, but effective, Tempo plays inherited from Dimir Ninjas, such as the interaction between Floodpits Drowner and Spyglass Siren with Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, which can put us ahead in the game.
Maindeck
Spyglass Siren provides extra resources at a low cost and can be used as an enabler for Kaito, Bane of Nightmares on turn three, while also being a cheap one-drop to trigger Ledger Shredder.
Cecil, Dark Knight allows for more aggressive openings, ideal for attrition and control matches. If it transforms, it provides recurring combat protection against most removal spells in the format, as long as it can be kept in play.
Floodpits Drowner also has a powerful ETB that interacts with the board and allows it to be reused with Kaito, Bane of Nightmares or Spider-Sense. Essential in aggro games and midrange mirrors.
The combination of Ledger Shredder and Quantum Riddler is our main source of card advantage. Shredder offers a looting effect whenever a player casts two spells in a turn, which has been common in the Pioneer Metagame recently — with Riddler in play and even one card in hand, its effect can be transformed into a Draw 2 and discard one, even allowing this interaction to be repeated every turn.
As a bonus, both creatures have a decent body to hold off Aggro decks and finish the game.
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse can be treated as the third piece of the "combo" above. Each extra draw will mean two more life for you, which helps hold off pressure from Aggro decks if we can keep Screaming Nemesis and Sunspine Lynx out of the way.
Graveyard Trespasser is a punishing removal threat with timely interaction that also guarantees graveyard hate in the maindeck against Izzet Phoenix and Greasefang, Okiba Boss.
Kaito, Bane of Nightmares does a little bit of everything. It interacts with the board, guarantees an extra draw each turn, and can become a bigger threat with its emblem while we control the board.
Thoughtseize is the best interaction in the format and an essential policeman for less fair archetypes. A common side-out in games where we adopt a more defensive stance or where short discards lose value as the game progresses.
Duress is a flexible slot. We use it because there are ample targets in most games, given the increase in artifacts and enchantments in decklists, but we can swap it for whatever card we need for the current Metagame.
Fatal Push deals with most creatures in the current Metagame at the lowest possible cost. We can use Kaito's Bounce effects, Spyglass Siren tokens, or even Quantum Riddler's Warp to trigger Revolt.
There are few relevant artifact creatures in Pioneer today, so Go for the Throat becomes our complementary board interaction option against larger creatures.
A full set of Watery Grave, Clearwater Pathway, and Darkslick Shores is necessary to maintain consistency in our access to colors. Underground River and Gloomlake Verge are more flexible slots, and their numbers can be swapped and/or reduced for other utility lands when needed.
Among them, Mutavault is the only manland and interacts with Kaito, Bane of Nightmares since it has all creature types.
Otawara, Soaring City and Takenuma, Abandoned Mire function as untapped lands and board interaction effects or extra resources in longer games without compromising our early game land drops.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth guarantees consistent access to 
, even in hands with many copies of Mutavault. It also helps enable Gloomlake Verge.
Sideboard
The graveyard hate.
Unlicensed Hearse is the most direct interaction and allows you to deal with two cards per turn at instant speed while also functioning as a threat in longer games. It can be replaced by Ghost Vacuum if we opt for mana efficiency.
Go Blank deals with the opponent's graveyard only once, but it functions as another attrition tool in Midrange mirror matches and games against Azorius Control and Lotus Combo.
Ashiok, Dream Render offers recurring hate, in addition to locking down the possibility of Scapeshift or Niv-to-Light searching the deck without dealing with the Planeswalker first.
The stack Interaction
Spider-Sense does a little bit of everything: deals with Instants and Sorceries, responds to the triggers of Greasefang, Okiba Boss and Cori-Steel Cutter, and also serves as another way to reuse the ETBs of our creatures.
Tishana's Tidebinder has the potential to permanently lock down Planeswalkers, creatures, and artifacts, while also providing another body to pressure the opponent.
Mystical Dispute is a relevant tool against Control, in blue deck mirrors, and also against Niv-to-Light and other archetypes with a greedy mana base.
Annul offers a linear answer against Artifacts and Enchantments due to the growth of these card types in the format, while Duress and Spell Pierce guarantee more comprehensive answers against the Metagame, but are also somewhat more conditional in their usability.
Board interactions.
Legion's End can resolve one or more copies of small creatures and also deals with multiple Cori-Steel Cutter tokens with a single card.
Anoint with Affliction also deals with most small creatures, including hard-to-kill recurring threats.
[Path of Peril] works against go-wide Aggro decks like Humans and Boros Convoke but is also a tool against Cori-Steel Cutter and Prowess decks.
Extinction Event has a higher cost, but besides also working against go-wide Aggro decks, it's an effective two-for-one or higher in Midrange mirror matches and against Izzet Phoenix.
Sideboard Guide
Mono Red Aggro
IN
OUT
Rakdos Demons
IN
OUT
Izzet Phoenix
IN
OUT
Gruul Prowess
IN
OUT
Boros Convoke
IN
OUT
Scapeshift
IN
OUT
Orzhov Greasefang
IN
OUT
Azorius Control
IN
OUT
Golgari Food
IN
OUT
Lotus Combo
OUT
Wrapping Up
That's all for today!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
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