My EDH meta spans both ends of the spectrum of funpowered theme decks and insanely broken combo decks. You'll see a pretty awful Anowon, the Ruin Sage vampire tribal deck, and then a brutal Bant combo deck that starts chaining Time Warp-effects on turn 4. Not much in the middle. While it was fun for awhile, dabbling with the combo players with U/B storm and killing tables on turn 3-5, I wanted to build something that shuts combo decks down, makes me mostly untouchable, and locks people out.
My strategy of hiding behind an Ensnaring Bridge and hindering gratuitous spell-casting somewhat invalidates a lot of win conditions. Wurmcoil Engine was cut from the deck for not doing anything. So I really just expect to win games from concession, Mindslaver lock, and/or planeswalker ultimates.
//Card Choices\\
I can't imagine many of the cards in the deck bear much commentary. I'll just highlight some of the not-obvious cards and/or cards I have doubts on.
Reshape
I have found that Winter Orb is extremely important for dealing with the crazy ramp and combo decks I face, so I'm testing Reshape. Not sure if it's good enough, though.
Ankh of Mishra
Another card I'm testing to keep ramp and combo in check.
Dance of Many
A recurring clone-effect with Hanna. Good to get value out of other peoples' creatures, but also repeatable general-removal. Not sure if it will pull its weight, though.
Pendrell Mists
Everyone tells me to cut this card, but I really like it--especially along with the orbs and tax enchantments. People might be right, though.
Stasis
Another card I'm unsure of. No real way to break it...other than improbable Capsize-lock, or Crucible of Worlds with a fetch.
//Current Concerns\\
I'm trying to think of ways that I can interact with ramp/combo decks. Once a deck gets access to a billion mana, there's not much beyond Winter Orb or Static Orb to contain them. I also find that I can get quickly outpaced by decks, and that my stax effects can't keep up.
But then I get hands that play out like legacy white stax with a quick Tangle Wire, Smokestack, and Crucible. I obv don't expect that everyone, but I wouldn't mind improved consistency.
If you could do me a HUGE favor, and suggest cards to be cut when you suggest cards to add--that would be awesome. I really like most all of these cards, I need to be nudged to cut any!
Here are some cards that me be of interest. I'd probably drop stasis and pendrell mists. Mindbreak Trap - gets around the uncounterable cards and storm. Swift Silence - good against storm. Mana Web - pretty annoying for anyone. Arcane Laboratory/Rule of Law Shuts down storm and will grind the game down to a halt like you want. At least you can counter whatever is coming. Windborn Muse - propaganda wannabee. Peacekeeper - hilarious card that hardly anybody uses, the upkeep cost is worth its effect. Damping matrix.
It sounds to me like your playgroup play decks that are either fast or revolve around combos, so maybe ad more cards that hurts there ability to get online and being able to do it early in the game? I'd stick with the cheap costed stuff imo.
Mass-removal completely wrecked my carefully-constructed board, with only slow recursion to build it back. Open the Vaults should solve that nicely. Cyclonic Rift is just a great card I've been meaning to pick up, but should also help get me back in the game when crazy ramp decks outpace me. And I figure now with Open the Vaults, Cyclonic Rift, Armageddon, and Wrath-effects, I should have enough crucial targets to warrant Mystical Tutor.
Humility belongs in every single white staxish deck ever. I am hard pressed to think of an exception.
THIS. Humility will win you games against most decks.
I would recommend Jace, Architect of Thought for this list. With Humility and this together you have a soft lock on creatures with an ultimate that can be game ending. Jace also provides a solid draw effect with his -2 ability. Check out my Lady Evangela list in my sig, it might have some other cards you might could work into your list.
1 Hanna, Ship's Navigator
Creatures--5
1 Sun Titan
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Trinket Mage
1 Duplicant
1 Solemn Simulacrum
Planeswalkers--4
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Karn Liberated
Draw, Tutor, Business--8
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Open the Vaults
1 Compulsive Research
1 Fabricate
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Reshape
Control--10
1 Armageddon
1 Day of Judgment
1 Rout
1 Wrath of God
1 Capsize
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Forbid
1 Force of Will
1 Mana Drain
1 Misdirection
1 Ankh of Mishra
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Expedition Map
1 Mindslaver
1 Pithing Needle
1 Scroll Rack
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Smokestack
1 Static Orb
1 Tangle Wire
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Trading Post
1 Trinisphere
1 Winter Orb
Enchantments--13
1 Faith's Fetters
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Hanna's Custody
1 Land Tax
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Seal of Cleansing
1 Sphere of Safety
1 Control Magic
1 Dance of Many
1 Future Sight
1 Propaganda
1 Treachery
1 Detention Sphere
1 Azorius Signet
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Grim Monolith
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mind Stone
1 Sol Ring
1 Academy Ruins
1 Adarkar Wastes
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Azorius Chancery
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Darksteel Citadel
1 Dust Bowl
1 Flooded Strand
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Marsh Flats
1 Maze of Ith
1 Polluted Delta
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
10 Island
8 Plains
//General Strategy\\
Play artifacts and enchantments, and slow the game to a grinding halt. Cripple mana with Crucible lock, Winter Orb/Static Orb, Tangle Wire, Smokestack, etc shenanigans. Stop attacks with taxing enchantments and Ensnaring Bridge. Recur stuff with Hanna, Ship's Navigator, Trading Post, and Academy Ruins.
My strategy of hiding behind an Ensnaring Bridge and hindering gratuitous spell-casting somewhat invalidates a lot of win conditions. Wurmcoil Engine was cut from the deck for not doing anything. So I really just expect to win games from concession, Mindslaver lock, and/or planeswalker ultimates.
//Card Choices\\
I can't imagine many of the cards in the deck bear much commentary. I'll just highlight some of the not-obvious cards and/or cards I have doubts on.
Reshape
I have found that Winter Orb is extremely important for dealing with the crazy ramp and combo decks I face, so I'm testing Reshape. Not sure if it's good enough, though.
Ankh of Mishra
Another card I'm testing to keep ramp and combo in check.
Meekstone
Not sure if it's needed or redundant with all the tax-enchantments and Ensnaring Bridge.
Dance of Many
A recurring clone-effect with Hanna. Good to get value out of other peoples' creatures, but also repeatable general-removal. Not sure if it will pull its weight, though.
Pendrell Mists
Everyone tells me to cut this card, but I really like it--especially along with the orbs and tax enchantments. People might be right, though.
Stasis
Another card I'm unsure of. No real way to break it...other than improbable Capsize-lock, or Crucible of Worlds with a fetch.
//Current Concerns\\
I'm trying to think of ways that I can interact with ramp/combo decks. Once a deck gets access to a billion mana, there's not much beyond Winter Orb or Static Orb to contain them. I also find that I can get quickly outpaced by decks, and that my stax effects can't keep up.
But then I get hands that play out like legacy white stax with a quick Tangle Wire, Smokestack, and Crucible. I obv don't expect that everyone, but I wouldn't mind improved consistency.
If you could do me a HUGE favor, and suggest cards to be cut when you suggest cards to add--that would be awesome. I really like most all of these cards, I need to be nudged to cut any!
Thanks for all your help!
My cube thread!
Mindbreak Trap - gets around the uncounterable cards and storm.
Swift Silence - good against storm.
Mana Web - pretty annoying for anyone.
Arcane Laboratory/Rule of Law Shuts down storm and will grind the game down to a halt like you want. At least you can counter whatever is coming.
Windborn Muse - propaganda wannabee.
Peacekeeper - hilarious card that hardly anybody uses, the upkeep cost is worth its effect.
Damping matrix.
It sounds to me like your playgroup play decks that are either fast or revolve around combos, so maybe ad more cards that hurts there ability to get online and being able to do it early in the game? I'd stick with the cheap costed stuff imo.
After some games today, I made the following changes...
Pendrell Mists ---> Cyclonic Rift
Stasis ---> Mystical Tutor
Meekstone ---> Open the Vaults
Mass-removal completely wrecked my carefully-constructed board, with only slow recursion to build it back. Open the Vaults should solve that nicely. Cyclonic Rift is just a great card I've been meaning to pick up, but should also help get me back in the game when crazy ramp decks outpace me. And I figure now with Open the Vaults, Cyclonic Rift, Armageddon, and Wrath-effects, I should have enough crucial targets to warrant Mystical Tutor.
My cube thread!
THIS. Humility will win you games against most decks.
I would recommend Jace, Architect of Thought for this list. With Humility and this together you have a soft lock on creatures with an ultimate that can be game ending. Jace also provides a solid draw effect with his -2 ability. Check out my Lady Evangela list in my sig, it might have some other cards you might could work into your list.
[Primer] WUB Dromar, the Banisher Stax [SOON TO BE OLORO]