Tier 1.5prison

Stasis

Stasis Lock

Featured list~$411Premodern League 2026-06-11

Overview

"Stasis is a prison deck that resolves Stasis and never lets it leave: Forsaken City taps for the mana to pay its upkeep, and you exile a card from hand each turn to keep Forsaken City around, freezing the opponent's untap steps indefinitely. The pitch counters Thwart and Foil defend the lock while the deck sits tapped out, and Chain of Vapor bounces Stasis to untap and reset when threatened. Gush and Impulse refill the hand to feed the engine, while Black Vise turns the opponent's stranded cards into a clock that wins without attacking."

Game Plan

Resolve Stasis and maintain its upkeep indefinitely using Forsaken City (exiling cards to untap it). Use 'free' countermagic like Thwart and Foil to protect the lock while tapped out. If the lock is threatened, use Chain of Vapor to bounce Stasis, untap, and reset.

Key Cards

Core engine & flex

Signature

Stasis

$9.15

TCG MP CK

Gush

$5.23

TCG MP CK

Chain of Vapor

$15.85

TCG MP CK

Black Vise

$2.87

TCG MP CK

Forsaken City

$11.02

TCG MP CK

Thwart

$3.78

TCG MP CK

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Sample Decklists

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Premodern League 2026-06-11

1st PlaceJun 11, 2026

MaestroPaolo

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MaestroPaolo

TCG

Mainboard (60)

$353

Instant (27)

$142

$6.691R1U

$2.20X1U

$20.924U

$11.681U

$12.811U

$2.552U

$10.28UU

$63.40U

$11.342UU

Sorcery (3)

$1.29

3Portent

$1.29U

Artifact (3)

$8.61

3Black Vise

$8.611

Enchantment (5)

$42.95

1Root Maze

$6.35G

4Stasis

$36.601U

Land (22)

$158

16Island

$46.56

4Forsaken City

$44.08

2Shivan Reef

$67.68

Sideboard (15)

$57.69

$10.52U

$15.031U

$10.412

$11.261G

$8.88U

$1.59R

Est. Total$411

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12K na MUITO! @ MUITO! Colecionáveis (Campinas, Brazil)

1st PlaceMay 30, 2026

Brunonogueirapedro

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Brunonogueirapedro

TCG

Mainboard (60)

$460

Instant (25)

$150

$3.051U

$63.40U

$10.28UU

$8.541U

$2.20X1U

$15.812UU

$20.924U

$11.681U

$2.552U

$11.342UU

Sorcery (1)

$4.25

1Upheaval

$4.254UU

Artifact (6)

$164

4Black Vise

$11.481

2Powder Keg

$1522

Enchantment (5)

$42.95

1Root Maze

$6.35G

4Stasis

$36.601U

Land (23)

$99.42

1Cephalid Coliseum

$2.96

4Forsaken City

$44.08

18Island

$52.38

Sideboard (15)

$88.54

$7.89U

$22.681U

$10.021U

$20.822

$11.261G

$13.32U

$2.552U

Est. Total$549

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Premodern LeagueMay262026 (2026-05-26)

1st PlaceMay 26, 2026

montreal_premodern

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montreal_premodern

TCG

Mainboard (60)

$313

Instant (26)

$174

$31.622UU

$20.924U

$11.342UU

$11.341U

$63.40U

$10.28UU

$4.40X1U

$11.681U

$8.541U

Sorcery (5)

$5.97

1Upheaval

$4.254UU

4Portent

$1.72U

Artifact (3)

$8.61

3Black Vise

$8.611

Enchantment (4)

$36.60

4Stasis

$36.601U

Land (22)

$88.35

19Island

$55.29

3Forsaken City

$33.06

Sideboard (15)

$64.59

$8.88U

$5.26U

$1.982U

$15.031U

$20.822

$11.261G

$1.361U

Est. Total$378

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Archetype Anatomy

Based on 787 decks with known dates(788 total)2021-05-31 to 2026-06-18

Mana Base

Average22.3lands

Median22lands

Range18–25lands

Spells37.7avg non-land

Based on 787 decks (All-time)

core Cards(>80%)

Stasis

100%

4.0x

Gush

100%

4.0x

Chain of Vapor

99%

3.9x

Black Vise

99%

3.6x

Forsaken City

99%

3.8x

Thwart

98%

2.9x

Impulse

98%

3.9x

Daze

95%

3.1x

Counterspell

92%

3.4x

flex Cards(30-80%)

Foil

70%

1.4x

Arcane Denial

64%

3.0x

Mana Short

53%

1.0x

Flash of Insight

43%

1.1x

Boomerang

38%

1.2x

fringe Cards(<30%)

Portent

29%

2.9x

Powder Keg

28%

1.6x

Upheaval

27%

1.0x

Root Maze

25%

2.0x

Brain Freeze

19%

1.0x

Cephalid Coliseum

19%

1.0x

Propaganda

18%

1.5x

Annul

17%

1.2x

Shivan Reef

11%

3.0x

Fire // Ice

11%

3.5x

1.0x

2.0x

1.5x

1.4x

2.3x

1.5x

1.2x

1.3x

3.9x

1.8x

1.4x

2.3x

2.6x

2.7x

2.2x

2.2x

1.7x

1.0x

1.6x

Accumulated Knowledge

4.0x

3.0x

1.2x

1.0x

1.6x

1.4x

2.3x

3.0x

2.7x

1.7x

1.7x

Akroma, Angel of Wrath

1.6x

1.0x

1.9x

1.0x

2.5x

1.9x

1.6x

1.0x

Sideboard Anatomy

core Sideboard Options(>80%)

Annul

87.4%

2.5x

flex Sideboard Options(30-80%)

Chill

78.6%

2.8x

Cursed Totem

63.4%

1.9x

Blue Elemental Blast

63.3%

2.5x

Hydroblast

61.5%

2.4x

Mana Short

53.3%

1.2x

Brain Freeze

45.6%

1.6x

Hibernation

36.2%

1.7x

fringe Sideboard Options(<30%)

Gaea'S Blessing

26.3%

2.0x

Tormod'S Crypt

25.1%

1.6x

Powder Keg

24%

1.4x

Propaganda

18.9%

1.4x

Upheaval

18.1%

1.2x

Pyroclasm

15.6%

2.5x

Tsabo'S Web

15.5%

1.2x

Essence Flare

13.4%

2.2x

Misdirection

8.4%

1.3x

Ensnare

7.6%

1.2x

Back To Basics

6.5%

1.4x

Stifle

6.3%

1.7x

Ivory Tower

6.3%

1.2x

Flash Of Insight

5.7%

1.2x

Engineered Plague

4.1%

1.9x

Boomerang

3.7%

1.1x

Morphling

3.6%

1.0x

Teferi'S Response

3.4%

1.5x

Meddling Mage

3.2%

3.1x

Feldon'S Cane

3.1%

1.0x

Overload

2.8%

2.8x

Swords To Plowshares

2.7%

1.5x

Library Of Leng

2.6%

1.3x

Black Vise

2.1%

1.0x

Null Rod

2.1%

1.2x

Red Elemental Blast

2.1%

2.1x

Seal Of Removal

1.4x

Thwart

1.9%

1.3x

Exalted Angel

1.6%

1.9x

Phyrexian Furnace

1.6%

2.0x

Chronatog

1.5%

1.1x

Oath Of Druids

1.4%

2.8x

Foil

1.3%

1.4x

Mystic Penitent

1.3%

1.0x

Tranquil Domain

1.2%

1.6x

Dust Bowl

1.2%

1.1x

Akroma, Angel Of Wrath

1.2%

1.4x

Gilded Drake

1.1%

2.0x

Parallax Tide Banned

1.4x

Divert

1.8x

Recent Events Featuring this Archetype

Premodern League 2026-06-18 (Premodern)

2026-06-18•Magic Online•16 Players

Highest Finish: 14th

VIEW EVENT

Premodern Challenge 32 2026-06-16 (Premodern)

2026-06-16•Magic Online•64 Players

Highest Finish: 7th

VIEW EVENT

Premodern Challenge 32 (2026-06-16)

2026-06-16•Magic Online•32 Players

Highest Finish: 7th

VIEW EVENT

Championchip Berlin @ Berlin (Germany)

2026-06-14•Berlin, Germany•18 Players

Highest Finish: 3rd

VIEW EVENT

Litoral Alentejano '26 - Sexta Jornada @ Santiago do Cacem (Portugal)

2026-06-13•Santiago do Cacem, Portugal•22 Players

Highest Finish: 2nd

VIEW EVENT

Matchups

Head-to-head: DuressCrew (MTGO) · field strength: our event data

Field strength: Holds even with the field

placement-derived · not head-to-head · 807 finishes · 142 wins

Bw Control
90%
DxC · n=20
Landstill
86%
DxC · n=43
Replenish
76.5%
DxC · n=34
Burn Sligh
69.2%
DxC · n=91
Tide Control
64%
DxC · n=25
The Rock
60.9%
DxC · n=23
Psychatog
59.1%
DxC · n=22
Goblins
55.2%
DxC · n=58
Terrageddon
47.1%
DxC · n=34
Enchantress
46.4%
DxC · n=28
Stiflenought
40.3%
DxC · n=62
Oath Ponza
33.3%
DxC · n=30
Elves
15%
DxC · n=40

DxC = DuressCrew MTGO head-to-head · win rates diverge from a 50% centre line

Core Combos

intermediate

NEAR-INFINITE

Stasis Lock

lock Strategy

"Permanent Stasis Lock"

2 Steps

Master the loop

Quick Facts

Tier1.5

Styleprison

Meta Share2.3%

Avg Lands22.3

Est. Price~$411

Colors

Key Matchups

Landstillfavorable
Goblinsunfavorable

Deck Weaknesses

Fuel dependency — the lock only survives if Forsaken City keeps exiling a card each upkeep; any plan that empties the pilot's hand (a fast clock, Black Vise pressure of their own, or forcing repeated countermagic) starves that engine and makes Stasis fall off automatically.
Tapped — out protection window - the free counters Thwart and Foil cost cards or Islands to cast, thinning the pilot's resources with every counter; sustained pressure drains the free disruption and leaves only Counterspell and Daze, both of which can be baited or played around to land a key spell.
Single lock piece — the entire game plan funnels through one enchantment, Stasis, with no backup win beyond Black Vise chip damage, so enchantment removal at any point ends the lock and makes nearly every game recoverable once that one card is answered.
Symmetrical reset fragility — when the lock breaks the pilot leans on Upheaval to restart, but that reset is two-sided and must be sequenced carefully; keeping a resolved, mana-free permanent on the board through the lock means it survives the bounce and punishes the reset rather than rewarding it.

How to win with it

Mulligan ruthlessly for hands that pair Stasis with a way to keep mana online under the lock: a keepable hand wants Stasis plus either Forsaken City or a Gush to dig for it fast, ideally with Counterspell or Daze to protect the resolution; a hand of Black Vise plus countermagic is also keepable if it threatens turn-one pressure while you find the engine.
Lead on Black Vise on turn one whenever you can: every card stuck in the opponent's opening hand becomes a clock, and the damage often forces them to dump cards that would otherwise help them fight through the lock before Stasis ever lands.
The dream is a clean opener into Black Vise on turn one, digging with Impulse and Gush on the next turns while the Vise ticks, then resolving Stasis on turn three or four with Forsaken City already down: from there exile a card to Forsaken City each upkeep to untap and hold Thwart or Foil mana open while their hand burns.
Hold Thwart, Foil, Daze, and Counterspell to defend the lock rather than jamming them early: they are your only protection once you are tapped out under Stasis, so spend a counter pre-lock only to stop something that would immediately invalidate Stasis, such as a permanent that untaps lands or makes mana for the opponent.
When the lock cannot hold, target your own Stasis with Chain of Vapor to bounce it: this returns Stasis to hand and lets every permanent untap, so you can immediately replay Stasis if Forsaken City is online, or rebuild with Gush and Arcane Denial mana and relock the following turn.
When Forsaken City is missing, grind: fire Mana Short on the opponent's end step to strand their mana, replay Stasis into a tapped-out board, and dig for Forsaken City with Impulse or Flash of Insight; meanwhile Boomerang bounces a land to set their development back and Powder Keg sweeps cheap permanents that would otherwise make mana or generate value under the lock.

How to beat it

The whole lock depends on Forsaken City exiling a card every upkeep to keep Stasis on the battlefield, so attack that fuel: force the pilot to spend cards faster than they can refill, and once their exile fuel runs dry the upkeep cost goes unpaid and Stasis falls off on its own.
Race the Black Vise clock by emptying your own hand before the lock lands: get to two or fewer cards so Black Vise deals little or nothing, then rebuild only after Stasis is gone instead of feeding the damage engine.
Resolve a permanent threat that needs no ongoing mana or activated ability before Stasis hits, something that keeps attacking on its own. The tap-everything lock freezes your lands but cannot stop a permanent that simply deals damage each turn, giving you a clock the pilot must answer.
Enchantment removal cleanly ends the lock since Stasis is the single enchantment everything runs through; hold it for a window when the pilot is tapped out and has already pitched cards to pay for Thwart or Foil, then resolve it once their free countermagic is spent.
Chain of Vapor is the pilot's reset valve but it costs them the whole turn cycle: bouncing Stasis means re-casting it and re-paying its upkeep from scratch, so pressure them into bouncing repeatedly and each reset drains their hand and tempo until the lock can no longer be re-established.

Resources

patreon.com

Last Updated: 2026-05-31

Overview

Game Plan

Key Cards

Sample Decklists

MaestroPaolo

Mainboard (60)

Instant (27)

Sorcery (3)

Artifact (3)

Enchantment (5)

Land (22)

Sideboard (15)

Brunonogueirapedro

Mainboard (60)

Instant (25)

Sorcery (1)

Artifact (6)

Enchantment (5)

Land (23)

Sideboard (15)

montreal_premodern

Mainboard (60)

Instant (26)

Sorcery (5)

Artifact (3)

Enchantment (4)

Land (22)

Sideboard (15)

Unchained Appearances4 decks

Archetype Anatomy

Mana Base

core Cards(>80%)

flex Cards(30-80%)

fringe Cards(<30%)

Sideboard Anatomy

core Sideboard Options(>80%)

flex Sideboard Options(30-80%)

fringe Sideboard Options(<30%)

Recent Events Featuring this Archetype

Matchups

Core Combos

Stasis Lock