Hmmm ... Tragic Slip will usually kill anything on turn one, and hopefully it's a Champion of the Parish or some such. Turn two, in conjunction with Pillar, is a good play as well.
And speculation so far is that, even if Theros does contain dual land reprints, it will not be the M13 allied checklands. This is unfortunate, IMO. I rather enjoy that everyone can play three or more colors. Makes for more combinations and variety. Plus, I don't think it even makes sense to cut the duals from a core set that contains slivers, which by their design encourage multi-color decks.
As a fellow Grixis Control player, we're going to be hurt bad by the rotation. But I think it's impossible to speculate about replacements until we see what Theros brings to the table. We certainly didn't get a lot out of Dragon's Maze. Don't worry too much about Dissipate and reanimator. There's still Syncopate and Slaughter Games, and they'll be losing Unburial Rites also.
Looks pretty good to me. I would cut the Tragic Slip though. I love the card, but this just isn't the best deck for it. Nothing sucks worse than needing removal, and drawing a Tragic Slip when you have no other removal. I'd just replace this with hard removal, like Victim of Night, or an Essence Scatter.
I'm also not a very big fan of Syncopate it's awesome on T2, but after that, I always just wish it was a Dissipate.
I would replace Counterflux in the mainboard with Dissipate, because it's just easier to cast. The former only really helps in the control mirror, and there aren't enough of those to justify a playset.
I'd also get rid of Tribute to Hunger. I rarely, if ever, get very much life out of this, and you may as well just play Far // Away, which is much more versatile.
I've been running a Grixis list similar to Hayes' and the biggest problem I've had is with mana dorks.
I know it sounds weird, but when your removal suite consists of Far//Away, Pillar, and Magmaquake it's tough to kill big fliers when they have a sizeable force they can keep saccing.
For example, last night I fought against a Bant build that utilized dorks, Geist, and Resto to beat down with a Moorland Haunt engine. I found myself struggling to kill a single Restoration Angel once he had two dorks and Moorland Haunt on the field and he eventually beat me down with it.
After the game, he suggested Mortars in the side for these kinds of situations and I can't help but agree. I've just lost too many games to big fliers with sac outlets. What do you guys think?
I'll keep plugging more mainboard Izzet Staticaster. I run four, and it's awesome. Great way to deal with mana dorks.
Vampire Nighthawk is also a fantastic way to deal with most big fliers. He's life gain. He's removal. He's great. I run 3 mainboard, and am never unhappy to see this card.
Second the vote for Mizzium Mortars. I run a couple. It's quite versatile.
I still don't understand why anyone runs Searing Spear. I've been afraid to ever since people started running Boros Reckoner. Seems like there's just way better options for 2cmc removal. I guess you want a way to close it out if Master of Cruelties connects, but I'd just run more Pillar of Flame to do the same thing, and to deal with problems like Voice of Resurgence.
Annihilating Fire isn't that bad. At least it's instant speed. I'll be forced to play it if there's not a better answer for Voice of Resurgence printed.
All of which are black, and thus accessible to both.
I'd go Dega though, just because it's running so many powerful cards together. Plus, having access to white is far superior than having access to blue, IMO. As to dega being weak against hexproof? I'm not sure why. Black has no shortage of sac effects. Run Devour Flesh, Tribute to Hunger, Barter in Blood, etc.
There's also Ghostly Flicker if you wanted to do the same thing at instant speed. Could also use this to protect creatures from removal, or to bounce a pair of spies for a double-mill.
I'll give another plug to the Izzet Staticaster. I run four mainboard, and couldn't be more pleased. The card does everything. It slows down aggro, chump blocking 1/x and 2/x creatures, at instant speed, and can potentially 2-for-1 block and ping something else. A single Staticaster will shut down Lingering Souls and Assemble the Legion, and when you land multiples of this guy, you don't even need sweepers anymore.
Remember, Pillar of Flame won't trigger morbid.
Annihilating Fire seems like the only replacement for Pillar of Flame. More expensive, but instant speed is nice.
I have no idea what will replace Think Twice. That's going to hurt.
I also don't see you running any Far // Away, which is probably the most useful card we got out of Dragon's Maze.
Looks pretty good to me. I would cut the Tragic Slip though. I love the card, but this just isn't the best deck for it. Nothing sucks worse than needing removal, and drawing a Tragic Slip when you have no other removal. I'd just replace this with hard removal, like Victim of Night, or an Essence Scatter.
I'm also not a very big fan of Syncopate it's awesome on T2, but after that, I always just wish it was a Dissipate.
I'd also get rid of Tribute to Hunger. I rarely, if ever, get very much life out of this, and you may as well just play Far // Away, which is much more versatile.
Three Dreadbore seems like overkill.
I'll keep plugging more mainboard Izzet Staticaster. I run four, and it's awesome. Great way to deal with mana dorks.
Vampire Nighthawk is also a fantastic way to deal with most big fliers. He's life gain. He's removal. He's great. I run 3 mainboard, and am never unhappy to see this card.
Second the vote for Mizzium Mortars. I run a couple. It's quite versatile.
EDIT -
On an unrelated note, I've been liking a single Jace, Memory Adept in place of one of the Jace, Architect of Thought. He's just a faster win-con, and really boosts Crypt Incursion if necessary.
All of which are black, and thus accessible to both.
I'd go Dega though, just because it's running so many powerful cards together. Plus, having access to white is far superior than having access to blue, IMO. As to dega being weak against hexproof? I'm not sure why. Black has no shortage of sac effects. Run Devour Flesh, Tribute to Hunger, Barter in Blood, etc.
Mind Sculpt
Breaking // Entering
Increasing Confusion (better than Mind Grind, IMO)
Some card draw couldn't hurt either.
Thought Scour
Think Twice
Also, Far // Away is just fantastic in these colors.
Maybe add something like Conjurer's Closet to better abuse your Balustrade Spy?
He also makes Turn // Burn a three mana removal spell for irritating creatures like Voice of Resurgence, Boros Reckoner and Thragtusk.
Ral Zarek I would like to try out though.