No Blue Control is a semi-competitive BRGW Commander deck designed for small multiplayer games but can also perform successfully in duels and larger multiplayer games. The deck is a midrange control deck led by partner commanders Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper. Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder functions as an offensive threat by providing high damage output through double strike while Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper functions as a more defensive threat through her high toughness and passive board presence. Both commanders help us gain life but when used together, the amount of life we can can be massive. No Blue Control uses various removal spells to keep the board in check while having access to two commanders that can help ensure our life total stays healthy. The deck is named No Blue Control as a description of what it is, a deck that controls our opponents and the board state without relying on blue spells.
The deck's objective is to control the board in the early and mid game with mana efficient spells like Pyroclasm, Flame Slash, and Cursed Totem while maintaining card advantage through draw spells and use of mass removal spells. No Blue Control wins the game by overwhelming our opponents with large creatures towards the mid to late game when their resources are depleted and pairing our win conditions with our commanders to create significant changes in life. No Blue Control is a fun deck to play that has a wide array of options for controlling our opponents’ board position and interacting with players.
Why Bruse and Ikra?
Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder is a legendary Human Ally with a mana cost of 2RW. His colors offer us excellent removal spells for all permanent types along with aggressive and threatening win conditions. His power and toughness are both 3, modest but respectable. Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder's unique triggered ability is one of the primary reasons we are using him as a commander:
Whenever Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder enters the battlefield or attacks, target creature you control gains double strike and lifelink until end of turn.
This is an incredibly powerful ability for multiple reasons. Having the ability to grant double strike and lifelink to himself or other creatures enables the opportunity to deal massive amounts of damage, protect creatures in combat with first strike and gain life which is very important resource to have for any control deck in a long multiplayer game. It is not uncommon for Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder's ability to lead to massive difference in life totals with just one trigger. For example, if unblocked and Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder targets himself with his ability, he deals 6 damage and gains 6 life, causing a 12 point life swing.
Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper is a legendary Naga Wizard with a mana cost of 3BG. Her colors offer us card advantage, mana fixing and ramp along with additional removal spells. The former two are especially important to have when piloting a 4 color control deck. Her power is 3, not particularly impressive for a creature with a converted mana cost of five. Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper's toughness is much more impressive, set at 7, she survives most damage based spells and is durable in combat. Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper has an evasive combat ability and triggered ability that gains life:
Menace
Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you gain life equal to that creature's toughness.
While menace is an evergreen keyword, there are only 5 other possible commanders with the ability. Menace ensures Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper is effective in combat ensuring she deals commander damage or is blocked by two creatures. Her triggered ability gains us life whenever a creature deals combat damage to a player. That's 7 life every time she deals combat damage which is often because players seldom want to block with two creatures to prevent 3 damage. It is also important to keep in mind that her triggered ability gains us life whenever any of our creatures deal combat damage to a player.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
Partner is an extremely powerful ability. Regardless of the synergy between two commanders, having access to two commanders makes the commander tax less impactful. It also offers us two options we always have access to from the command zone which can be handy when we are playing on the defensive and need multiple blockers. In tandem, Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper can generate huge amounts of life gain. When both are on the battlefield together, Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder gains us 12 life if he isn't blocked and he targets himself with his ability. If Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder targets Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper with his ability and she isn't blocked, we gain 20 life. That's half our starting life total! Successfully landing even just a couple successful blows with both our commanders on the battlefield provides so much life advantage, it becomes much more difficult for our opponents to reduce our life total to 0.
Our two commanders are versatile but generally Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder is more offensive while Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper is more defense oriented. Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder often acts as a win condition by using his triggered ability to grant double strike (and lifelink) that deals lethal damage. Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper is more passive. She deters attackers because of her high toughness, seldom dies in combat, and gains us large amounts of life.
You should play No Blue Control if:
You like gaining large amounts of life.
You like having many options and making decisions.
You like being able to control the board.
You like playing with two commanders.
You want to play a four color deck that is unique.
No Blue Control might not be for you if:
You prefer winning with combos rather than combat damage.
You prefer "go wide" strategies that win with lots of creatures.
You prefer to pilot a deck that heavily interacts with its graveyard.
You don't like the idea of playing a deck with a complicated mana base.
You don't like the idea of playing a deck that is difficult to pilot.
Sylvan Library is an absolutely all star in this deck. It functions as a strong card advantage engine throughout the entire game and has terrific synergy with the many shuffle effects throughout the decklist. If we have an excess amount of life from our commanders, we can use it as a resource to draw additional cards.
Night's Whisper provides us with two cards for two mana and 2 life. It is easy to cast which is important when considering card advantage spells for a four color deck. The life loss is negligible thanks to our commanders that provide significant life gain.
Sign in Blood is a Night's Whisper variant that is more difficult to cast due to the double black in its casting cost. It is still an efficient card draw spell and in rare cases we can use it to Shock our opponent.
Read the Bones is one of our best sources of card advantage. Thanks to its scry ability, it allows us see up to four cards. Read the Bones is also easy to cast in a four color deck. It is very useful if we are digging for answers or just trying to make a crucial land drop.
Harmonize is a straight forward card advantage spell. Three cards for 2GG, otherwise known as a color shifted Concentrate. Not fantastic but gets the job done. Like other card advantage spells, Harmonize offers additional value for Burgeoning and Exploration towards the mid to late game.
Whipflare essentially functions as a second copy of Pyroclasm. Redundancy is good here, particularly in token based metas with a high rate of low toughness creatures. The drawback of avoiding nonartifact creatures is hardly relevant but keep in mind Whipflare doesn't hit thropter tokens or Myr creatures.
Crackling Doom provides excellent value by removing each opponents' highest power threat on the board without targeting and also making our opponents lose 2 life. It is also instant speed, making it one of the best multiple target remove spells in No Blue Control.
Council's Judgment is an excellent versatile removal spell that does not target which means it can remove hexproof creatures and has the potential to answer multiple threats. It also exiles so it gets around indestructible effects or potential graveyard shenanigans. Keep in mind the will of our opponents may not always line up with our interests.
Toxic Deluge is a very powerful creature board wipe that gets around indestructible and regeneration. It only costs 2B to cast but the alternate cost of life can be steep at times. It is a drawback that is worth looking past because of the benefits this spell offers. It is also worth noting that the large amounts of life Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper gain us make it much easier to cast Toxic Deluge.
Damnation is an unconditional wrath effect for 2BB. Not much else to say here other than a very strong card for any deck with control elements.
Decimate is a 4 for 1 which it astonishingly absurd. There are times when it can be awkward because enchantments are played less in the format compared to the other permanent types, but the amount of value this card provides is outstanding.
Wrath of God is another unconditional wrath effect for four mana (2WW). It should not be surprising that a control deck would want to play traditional board wipes.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is one of the strongest creatures No Blue Control has to offer in creature and token heavy metas. Having both a static Dictate of Heliod and a one sided double Night of Souls' Betrayal on a creature is incredibly powerful. Combine those factors with a 4/7 toughness creature with vigilance and you have an amazing stax piece and win condition. The high toughness makes her incredibly resilient and offers strong synergy with Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper provided we are able to deal combat damage.
Luminate Primordial is a large resilient creature that functions as a Swords To Plowshares against each opponent as it enters. Its vigilance makes it a reliable offensive threat while its high toughness makes it resilient and great with Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper
Spot Removal
It removes most creatures in the format for 1 mana.
Condemn is a conditional removal spells that is dependent on a creature attacking. It removes a creature by putting it on the bottom of its owner's library which gets around indestructible and has a negligible drawback of costing only one mana.
Fatal Push answers many utility creatures and legends at instant speed even for one mana without revolt which can be enabled by our fetch lands in our mana base. It is an excellent early game play but is still a relevant spell throughout the entire game.
Flame Slash is a one mana Mizzium Mortars. It is a very efficient spot removal and answers most threats that aren't outright bombs including 80% of the top played commanders in the format.
Lightning Bolt needs no introduction. It is widely regarded as the best red spell in the game. It may not be as useful in Commander thanks to higher life totals and bigger creatures but it still is criminally underplayed in the format. Being able to deal 3 damage to a creature or player is an excellent early game to answer mana dorks. It also hits most utility creatures and many commanders. Lightning Bolt can also target planeswalkers.
Mana Tithe brings stack based interaction to No Blue Control. It functions as a color shifted Force Spike, making it an excellent tempo play. Mana Tithe is often better and easier to use in the early game, but in a format with X spells and high converted mana costs, it can stifle spells even in the late game.
Nature's Claim is arguably the best artifact and enchantment removal in the format. Unconditionally destroy any artifact or enchantment for G and instant speed with a drawback that is negligible in the format. If we are desperate and on the edge of death, we can use Nature's Claim to remove on of our permanents late game to gain some extra life.
Path to Exile needs very little introduction. It is unconditional exile removal for one mana with a drawback that offers a small reward to the controller of creature it is used on. It is a powerful spell but better used towards the mid or late game.
Swords to Plowshares is the best removal spell of all time. What were they thinking? Similar to Path To Exile, it has a minor drawback that offers a benefit to the player that controls the creature it is used against. However, gaining life is not a problem at all for control decks like No Blue Control.
Abrupt Decay is one of the most pushed removal spells in recent memory. It is very versatile. Abrupt Decay can destroy many staples that are creatures, enchantments, artifacts and even some planeswalkers. It can’t be countered and hits many popular generals.
Dreadbore functions as unconditional creature or planeswalker removal for two mana. Like its cousin Terminate, it is an incredibly efficient spell.
Go for the Throat is a top tier spot removal spell that destroys the vast majority of creatures regardless of their size (even against artifact based decks) for 1B. It also is an instant speed answer.
Hull Breach may be the most efficient noncreature removal spell in the format. It can remove an artifact and an enchantment for just two mana. It also doesn't have to have two targets, so if we need to remove an artifact in a pinch and there is no enchantment to target, it still can function as a sorcery speed Shatter.
Terminate is perhaps the best nonwhite spot removal spell in the format. Terminate provides instant speed unconditional creature destruction that prevents regeneration for two mana.
Anguished Unmaking is a phenomenal removal spell. With Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper as our commanders, paying 3 life means practically nothing. This spell is essentially an instant speed Vindicate. While it can’t remove lands, being able to have a catch all removal spell that exiles for 3 mana is unprecedented.
Maelstrom Pulse essentially functions as a sorcery version of Anguished Unmaking without the life loss. It is an excellent versatile removal spell that has an added bonus of being able to destroy tokens..
Vindicate requires three mana and can only be used as a sorcery but unconditionally destroys any permanent. Vindicate is one of the strongest removal spells we have, particularly because it can remove lands without dealing with a drawback.
Wear // Tear is an excellent artifact and enchantment removal spell. It offers us the option to Demystify or to Shatter at instant speed. Often times we will cast Wear // Tear for its fuse cost to generate a two for one.
No Mercy functions as a fantastic rattlesnake card. It deters attacks which enables us the ability to alpha strike our opponents without having to fear blocking as much. It provides tremendous value plus it doesn't target so it can answer creatures with hexproof and shroud.
Volcanic Offering is an instant speed removal spell that destroys most creatures along with problematic nonbasic lands like Cabal Coffers, Eye of Ugin and Maze of Ith. It will always function as a 2 for 1 and in many instances will function as a 4 for 1, but keep in mind our opponent has the opportunity to choose the same targets we choose for the spell.
World Breaker exiles troublesome noncreature permanents including Maze of Ith while also offering a respectable body. We can use the colorless mana from our painlands to activate its activated ability.
Ashen Rider is an evasive 5/5 creature that can exile anything when it enters and when it dies. Ashen Rider is also an excellent rattlesnake defensive creature because if it dies, someone will be punished.
Anafenza, the Foremost is an offensive threat offering 4/4 for only 3 mana. She makes our other creatures stronger and more ressilant through combat which is especially helpful for Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder to ensure he can get more triggers with his ability. Anafenza, the Foremost also hoses graveyard strategies from our opponent when she is in play.
Thundermaw Hellkite is a 5/5 flying creature with haste providing excellent offense. It taps down pesky fliers when it enters, ensuring we can deal significant damage and gain large amounts of life the turn it comes out with help from our commanders.
Xenagos, God of Revels provides No Blue Control with additional pressure and offensive power. As an indestructible support piece, it is able to support all of our creatures. Xenagos, God of Revels can even target Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder the turn he enters the battlefield, allowing for two Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder triggers in the same turn. Usually we will not meet the necessary devotion to make Xenagos, God of Revels a creature, making him much harder for our opponents to answer. However, during the instances when he is a creature, he offers additional offensive power.
Dragonlord Dromoka provides our opponents a City of Solitude effect during our turn which makes it easier to connect with our commanders. The lifelink and high toughness make it an excellent finisher for a control deck.
Dragonlord Atarka always makes an impact when it enters the battlefield, dealing 5 damage between creatures and planeswalkers our opponents control. 8/8 flying and trample is also incredibly powerful and when paired with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder, the damage and lifegain she brings is insane.
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight needs little introduction. She makes all creatures stronger along with our noncreature sources of damage like Lightning Bolt and Pyroclasm. She also pumps sources of damage headed towards our opponents even if we are not the source and reduces damage coming towards us our our permanents. Gisela, Blade of Goldnight makes it easier for Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder to survive combat and is a fantastic finisher.
Molten Primordial is a mass Threaten effect on a 6/4 body with haste. He helps clear the way of crucial blockers, enabling Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder to enter combat without danger. Even without having access to a sacrifice outlet, its enter the battlefield ability is very powerful and has the potential to gain us large amounts of life when used in tandem with Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper.
Tyrant's Familiar is a hasty offensive threat that is pumped when either of our commanders is out and functions as great spot removal.
Ramp & Mana Fixing
It's already broken but the life gain makes it safer.
Mana Crypt is one of the most powerful cards in the format. It enables incredibly powerful plays early game including turn one Cultivate or turn two Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder. The drawback of losing life every turn is well worth the advantage it brings, especially with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder and Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper who both can help us offset life loss. Budget players can skip over this card.
Burgeoning allows us to have very explosive starts in multiplayer games. This is especially useful in a 4 color deck because it makes it easier for us to cast our spells. Burgeoning also has value mid to late game if we are getting mana flooded.
Exploration is excellent for reasons similar to Burgeoning. It enables explosive starts that allow us to combo or play higher converted mana cost win conditioners earlier.
Sol Ring needs no introduction due to the fact that it is the most played nonland card in the format. Sol Ring essentially functions as an alternate/budget copy of Mana Crypt.
Wild Growth functions like a mana dork but is more resilient because it enchants our lands. Watch out for Wasteland and Tectonic Edge. It is often best to enchant a basic land with Wild Growth.
Rampant Growth is essentially a poor man’s Farseek, but it’s still a strong spell. Consistency is good and mana fixing when playing a 4 colored deck is crucial.
Farseek provides mana acceleration with land ramp will also fixing our mana colors by accessing shock lands or original duals.
Cultivate is a Rampant Growth variant that also lets us fetch a basic land to our hand. It color fixes and ensures we don't miss land drops.
Acceleration and Fixing: With ten dedicated spells to ramping ranging from Mana Crypt to Exploration to Cultivate, No Blue Control is very strong in this area. No Blue Control also has a strong land base that includes fetch lands, shock duals, original duals and other multicolor producing land sources. (10/10)
Card Advantage: For a deck that has no blue cards and a deck that does not rely on a commander with an ability that draws cards or that interacts our graveyard, No Blue Control does a good job at ensuring card advantage. Some card advantage highlights include Painful Truths and Sylvan Library. (7/10)
Control: It should be no surprise that a deck called No Blue Control does a fantastic job at controlling the board. The deck runs dozens of removal spells including spot removal and mass removal. It has multiple answers for all permanent types including versatile removal like Vindicate and Decimate. The only area the deck doesn't exert strength from a control perspective is with permission based counter spells, but that's only because it's a nonblue deck. (9/10)
Offense: For a midrange control deck, No Blue Control does a great job at offering offense and dominating through the combat step. Creatures like Tyrant's Familiar and Dragonlord Atarka hit very hard and when Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder provides double strike through his ability, any creature can be a major threat. (8/10)
Mass Removal: No Blue Control runs about a dozen spells that remove multiple permanents our opponents control. This includes standard board wipes like Wrath of God and Toxic Deluge along with efficient spot removal with multiple targets like Decimate. No Blue Control does not have trouble answering multiple threats at one time. (8/10)
Tutoring: No Blue Control doesn't run tutors. No Demonic Tutor, no Worldly Tutor, no Gamble. Personally I feel tutors violate the spirit of a singleton format and with enough card advantage they aren't necessary to win in most metas. The only exception to this rule are fetch lands like Bloodstained Mire and basic land ramp spells like Rampant Growth. This deck could easily amended to have a very strong tutor package. (1/10)
Innocent Blood is an incredibly mana efficient removal spell that impacts all opponents and doesn't target. Unfortunately, if we play it after any of our creatures are on board it feels bad because all of our creatures are strong and valuable.
Lightning Greaves is a commander staple that protects our win conditions while offering haste. The main problem with Lightning Greaves in No Blue Control is it functions as a nobo with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder because his ability targets.
Swiftfoot Boots is similar to Lightning Greaves, without a drawback of not being able to target but it's much slower once you consider its equip cost.
Terminus is a very good traditional board wipe that is a worthy consideration to add if you are looking for additional board wipes or your meta abuses its graveyard frequently.
Phyrexian Arena is widely seen as one of the strongest draw engines in the format but when I tested it, it was far too slow. Painful Truths lets us see 3 cards for 3 mana while Phyrexian Arena takes multiple turns for the same effect and is frequently a top target for enchantment removal spells.
Bloodsworn Steward is a haste enabler for our commanders that also has flying but the mana cost is a little steep for what it does.
Oust is a fantastic tempo removal spell that can delay or answer virtually anything. It is a wonderful spot removal spell, but is usually just a temporary answer.
Sanguine Bond can cause huge amounts of life loss, but it's sort of win more, because if we are hitting for a lot of damage with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder, we are already doing well. Sanguine Bond is a strong potential addition for a list more oriented around lifegain.
Aurelia, the Warleader if an offensive threat with haste and vigilance and creates multiple combat steps, but her toughness is low considering her mana cost and Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder often has trouble surviving combat just one time.
Iroas, God of Victory makes it easier for Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder to get through and makes it impossible for him to survive in combat, but the granted menace between all of the removal spells we are running and the majority of our creatures having evasion seems unnecessary.
She provides resilience but is ironically quite fragile.
Saskia the Unyielding is a very offensive and effective creature but she is better at promoting aggro strategies rather than control decks like No Blue Control.
Birds of Paradise, Boom Tender and other mana dorks doing a tremendous job mana fixing and ramping but they are vulnerable to removal and are a nobo with Pyroclasm effects in our list.
Mother of Runes is one of the most powerful one drop creatures in the format. She can set up unblockable situations, protect our commanders and other threats and act as a wall. She is a great options worthy of consideration for any midrange control list.
Chromatic Lantern ramps us and fixes our colors perfectly. It is a worthy addition to a budget friendly list with fewer fetchlands but it is a little slow.
Skyshroud Claim is a very efficient ramp spell that can search for shock and dual lands but it is above our mana curve (4 mana is a lot for a ramp spell).
Ramunap Excavator and Crucible of Worlds have great synergy with the high number of fetch lands we are running and work very well with Exploration. They are worth considering if you are running a more ramp centric version of the deck.
Thank you for taking the time for reading this decklist and analysis. I am open to constructive or complimentary feedback along with any recommendations. Please keep in mind this article is still a work in progress. Changes and additions will be coming in the near future.
How To Play
Coming Soon
Early Game
Mid Game
Late Game
Change Log
January 9, 2018: In: Mana Tithe Out: Lightning Helix Reason: Lighting Helix is a good removal spell but it performs better in constructed formats with a life total of 20. Mana Tithe provides us the ability to interact with the stack and can impact more types of spells.
January 9, 2018: In: Wear // Tear Out: Fragmentize Reason: Fragmentize is a great removal spell for artifacts and enchantments but Wear // Tear is an instant, doesn't have a restriction based on converted mana cost and has the added benefit of the option to fuse which is a 2 for 1.
January 9, 2018: In: Harmonize Out: Shapers' Sanctuary Reason: Shapers' Sanctuary is a decent deterrent but overall its effect is minimal and not immediate. Harmonize helps us restock our hand and is a much better late game top draw.
January 9, 2018: In: Volcanic Offering Out: Beast Within Reason: While Beast Within is a great versatile removal spell that can target lands, the 3/3 beast tokens it creates can be problematic during combat for Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder. Even though Volcanic Offering costs more mana and can't target all permanent types, it doesn't have a drawback and it has the potential to be a 4 for 1.
Just finished reading through your write up. This deck looks fun as hell to play! I will be copying this list to use for myself. I doubt I'll make many if any changes
I made a few changes after playing the deck a bit:
January 9, 2018: In: Mana Tithe Out: Lightning Helix Reason: Lighting Helix is a good removal spell but it performs better in constructed formats with a life total of 20. Mana Tithe provides us the ability to interact with the stack and can impact more types of spells.
January 9, 2018: In: Wear // Tear Out: Fragmentize Reason: Fragmentize is a great removal spell for artifacts and enchantments but Wear // Tear is an instant, doesn't have a restriction based on converted mana cost and has the added benefit of the option to fuse which is a 2 for 1.
January 9, 2018: In: Harmonize Out: Shapers' Sanctuary Reason: Shapers' Sanctuary is a decent deterrent but overall its effect is minimal and not immediate. Harmonize helps us restock our hand and is a much better late game top draw.
January 9, 2018: In: Volcanic Offering Out: Beast Within Reason: While Beast Within is a great versatile removal spell that can target lands, the 3/3 beast tokens it creates can be problematic during combat for Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder. Even though Volcanic Offering costs more mana and can't target all permanent types, it doesn't have a drawback and it has the potential to be a 4 for 1.
It seems like your deck is heavily based on early defense, rather than having late game card advantage machines. I guess some of these cards make more sense in different metas, because in my meta you would get whipped if you played Pyroclasm and Whipflare.
Here are my two cents: you are one of the only control decks that bases their resources mostly on lands, and some small amount in replaceable creatures. That means you can heavily punish players no matter what they play - voltron, spellslinger, tokens, goodstuff - you have the means to destroy their game plan while suffering minimal losses.
I would give up said small board wipes, as well as Anger of the Gods, Flame Slash, Mana Tithe, Volcanic Offering. I don't think they're good enough for keeping up with the crazy board states that EDH can have.
I'd also probably remove Thundermaw Hellkite, Molten Primordial/card], Tyrant's Familiar, and possibly more cards like Ashen Rider, Crackling Doom, Wild Growth, World Breaker, Dragonlord Atarka, and possibly more. They are great cards, but I don't think they are the best in doing what you want to do.
Firstly, let's blow up the board like no one else can. This is control, and you don't have too much you care about losing, since you're control. I suggest you get started by choosing at least one of Akroma's Vengeance, Austere Command, and Merciless Eviction, all top notch board wipes. I'd also run Bane of Progress regardless, and Starstorm is pretty darn good. I haven't seen Dismember here, and you don't care much about life, so it's a must IMO.
Secondly, let's address your finishers. They have to be very sturdy and be able to survive a lot of removal, because otherwise it will be very difficult for you to win the game with your opponents gunning for them all the time!
My suggestions are: Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Sigarda, Host of Herons. Thrun, the Last Troll can be pretty awesome with Bruse Tarl, and opponents can find themselves having a very hard time killing him.
Thirdly, you need more card advantage in my opinion. Phyrexian Arena is a no-brainer, especially since you care less about life. Greed is much worse but also ok... Too bad it's too rough for you to run Necropotence.
You can run Bitterblossom, which is amazing on its own, as well as Skullclamp to go with it. The faeries can hit surprisingly hard over time, and you have plenty of ways to gain the life back through your commanders, and they turn into card advantage with clamp, which you can search for with Stoneforge Mystic. And in case you're thinking you shouldn't run it for just one piece of equipment, I suggest you take a pick of Umezawa's Jitte, Batterskull, Sword of Fire and Ice, Sword of Feast and Famine, all amazing cards.
Two more cards that I believe are gems, especially if you like lifegain: Karlov of the Ghost Council - a cheap creature that grows as you gain life, and also acts as removal on a stick if you can keep it alive. Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim - several things: 1. 2/3 Deathtouch for BW is pretty darn good. 2. Sac outlet is very good if your opponents want to Control Magic your wincon or your commander, and gaining life is also something that you like here. 3. The third ability will be used much more rarely, but it's Anguished Unmaking on a stick if you have a creature to sac. That seems VERY good to me.
Also, a general heads up, you will always end up short of colored mana if you're running 4 colors, so Chromatic Lantern is a must.
Sorry if it's a lot, but I really like your deck idea, and I'd like to see it work.
It seems like your deck is heavily based on early defense, rather than having late game card advantage machines. I guess some of these cards make more sense in different metas, because in my meta you would get whipped if you played Pyroclasm and Whipflare.
Here are my two cents: you are one of the only control decks that bases their resources mostly on lands, and some small amount in replaceable creatures. That means you can heavily punish players no matter what they play - voltron, spellslinger, tokens, goodstuff - you have the means to destroy their game plan while suffering minimal losses.
I would give up said small board wipes, as well as Anger of the Gods, Flame Slash, Mana Tithe, Volcanic Offering. I don't think they're good enough for keeping up with the crazy board states that EDH can have.
I'd also probably remove Thundermaw Hellkite, Molten Primordial/card], Tyrant's Familiar, and possibly more cards like Ashen Rider, Crackling Doom, Wild Growth, World Breaker, Dragonlord Atarka, and possibly more. They are great cards, but I don't think they are the best in doing what you want to do.
Firstly, let's blow up the board like no one else can. This is control, and you don't have too much you care about losing, since you're control. I suggest you get started by choosing at least one of Akroma's Vengeance, Austere Command, and Merciless Eviction, all top notch board wipes. I'd also run Bane of Progress regardless, and Starstorm is pretty darn good. I haven't seen Dismember here, and you don't care much about life, so it's a must IMO.
Secondly, let's address your finishers. They have to be very sturdy and be able to survive a lot of removal, because otherwise it will be very difficult for you to win the game with your opponents gunning for them all the time!
My suggestions are: Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Sigarda, Host of Herons. Thrun, the Last Troll can be pretty awesome with Bruse Tarl, and opponents can find themselves having a very hard time killing him.
Thirdly, you need more card advantage in my opinion. Phyrexian Arena is a no-brainer, especially since you care less about life. Greed is much worse but also ok... Too bad it's too rough for you to run Necropotence.
You can run Bitterblossom, which is amazing on its own, as well as Skullclamp to go with it. The faeries can hit surprisingly hard over time, and you have plenty of ways to gain the life back through your commanders, and they turn into card advantage with clamp, which you can search for with Stoneforge Mystic. And in case you're thinking you shouldn't run it for just one piece of equipment, I suggest you take a pick of Umezawa's Jitte, Batterskull, Sword of Fire and Ice, Sword of Feast and Famine, all amazing cards.
Two more cards that I believe are gems, especially if you like lifegain: Karlov of the Ghost Council - a cheap creature that grows as you gain life, and also acts as removal on a stick if you can keep it alive. Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim - several things: 1. 2/3 Deathtouch for BW is pretty darn good. 2. Sac outlet is very good if your opponents want to Control Magic your wincon or your commander, and gaining life is also something that you like here. 3. The third ability will be used much more rarely, but it's Anguished Unmaking on a stick if you have a creature to sac. That seems VERY good to me.
Also, a general heads up, you will always end up short of colored mana if you're running 4 colors, so Chromatic Lantern is a must.
Sorry if it's a lot, but I really like your deck idea, and I'd like to see it work.
Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback!
I think Phyrexian Arena is pretty overrated. It's very slow and often removed. It often only draws the same amount of cards Painful Truths would. I may consider running Bloodgift Demon though.
I think our metas are different. My metas are filled with alot of mana dorks, tribal decks and tokens, so cards like [[Pyroclasm]] and [[Angers of the Gods]] are incredibly useful. My list may not have a ton of card draw, but it has a lot of card advantage in the form of single cards that answer multiple threats.
I don't want to play with tutors so Stoneforge Mystic is a no, but is a good option if you are interested in tutors. Bitterblossom is a nobo with the damage based board wipes.
I feel that Chromatic Lantern isn't necessary because I don't have a budget mana base so I haven't been having problems. I also have no cards with triple single color and few cards with double of any single color.
Overall I think you are underestimating the impact and importance of the first few turns of the game along with the amount of creatures with low toughness and converted mana cost that are important in the format. It also could just be a difference in metas though.
I actually wouldn't mind running wipes alongside Bitterblossom. As long as you don't kill the enchantment you still get creatures afterwards.
We are clearly in different metas. My meta has two decks that might care about Pyroclasm and Anger of the Gods, and they are Karador and Krenko.
Neither wipes kill Krenko himself, so he can still pump out tokens - and has won several games like that.
Karador has a ton of small creatures that can get wiped - but either doesn't care about them dying, or can sac them with an outlet to prevent them from being exiled by Anger of the Gods.
On the other hand, when your opponent casts a Kozilek, the Great Distortion on turn 4, these cards really don't cut it to deal with him. In that case I'd rather have those Akroma's Vengeance or Vandalblast etc. Likewise when your opponent runs The Ur-Dragon and their minimal toughness creature is 4/4.
Phyrexian Arena has drawn me upwards of 5-10 cards most times. It depends on game length and the number of noncreature removal in your meta.
@shermanido: I find it amazing that Phyrexian Arena stays on your board for 10 turns. Your play circle must play very limited amounts of enchantment removal or have terrible threat assessment ability.
I also wanted to report back with an update on some of the changes. Xenagos, God of Revels is fantastic and has been putting in phenomnal work. Oftentimes closing out games or creating massive life swings when used with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder.
It's very rewarding to "get" people with Mana Tithe. It's not especially difficult, plays tap out often when you factor in X spells or recasting commanders multiple times plus the early game.
The deck is performing well. Cards that are overperforming include Mana Tithe, Crackling Doom, Cursed Totem and Anafenza, the Foremost. Most games I gain absurd amounts of life to the point where it's not uncommon for my life total to surpass 80.
Sometimes the deck gets mana flooded or stalls in top draw mode. Part of that is because I'm running 40 lands due to playing 4 colors, a higher mana curve and cards like Exploration and Burgeoning. I wish I could play a card that draw large amounts of cards in the late game without relying on my controlling a large creature, something like Sphinx's Revelation. I guess there's Damnable Pact, but if I'm not gaining life and am behind, this card will flat out kill me. Perhaps I could try Seasons Past? Any other suggestions for cards that provide immediate card advantage?
Also I'm still open to general feedback or questions about my deck.
I've found Seasons Past to be an amazing play, even though you don't run tutors to loop it. You can easily get 4-5 cards out of it every time you use it and of course the selection of the best stuff out of the gy at the time. It's worth testing out.
Damnable Pact might be worth a look because it can also kill opponents when you're in the late stages of the game and low life totals. Don't consider it only for the draw aspect but that as well.
Tyrant's Familiar feels the weakest of the win-cons due to how mana intensive it is and how weak it is without a commander on the board, and could be replaced with one of the two aforementioned cards to aid your draw package.
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UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
Here are my two cents: you are one of the only control decks that bases their resources mostly on lands, and some small amount in replaceable creatures. That means you can heavily punish players no matter what they play - voltron, spellslinger, tokens, goodstuff - you have the means to destroy their game plan while suffering minimal losses.
I would give up said small board wipes, as well as Anger of the Gods, Flame Slash, Mana Tithe, Volcanic Offering. I don't think they're good enough for keeping up with the crazy board states that EDH can have.
I'd also probably remove Thundermaw Hellkite, Molten Primordial/card], Tyrant's Familiar, and possibly more cards like Ashen Rider, Crackling Doom, Wild Growth, World Breaker, Dragonlord Atarka, and possibly more. They are great cards, but I don't think they are the best in doing what you want to do.
Firstly, let's blow up the board like no one else can. This is control, and you don't have too much you care about losing, since you're control. I suggest you get started by choosing at least one of Akroma's Vengeance, Austere Command, and Merciless Eviction, all top notch board wipes. I'd also run Bane of Progress regardless, and Starstorm is pretty darn good. I haven't seen Dismember here, and you don't care much about life, so it's a must IMO.
Secondly, let's address your finishers. They have to be very sturdy and be able to survive a lot of removal, because otherwise it will be very difficult for you to win the game with your opponents gunning for them all the time!
My suggestions are: Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Sigarda, Host of Herons. Thrun, the Last Troll can be pretty awesome with Bruse Tarl, and opponents can find themselves having a very hard time killing him.
Thirdly, you need more card advantage in my opinion. Phyrexian Arena is a no-brainer, especially since you care less about life. Greed is much worse but also ok... Too bad it's too rough for you to run Necropotence.
You can run Bitterblossom, which is amazing on its own, as well as Skullclamp to go with it. The faeries can hit surprisingly hard over time, and you have plenty of ways to gain the life back through your commanders, and they turn into card advantage with clamp, which you can search for with Stoneforge Mystic. And in case you're thinking you shouldn't run it for just one piece of equipment, I suggest you take a pick of Umezawa's Jitte, Batterskull, Sword of Fire and Ice, Sword of Feast and Famine, all amazing cards.
Two more cards that I believe are gems, especially if you like lifegain:
Karlov of the Ghost Council - a cheap creature that grows as you gain life, and also acts as removal on a stick if you can keep it alive.
Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim - several things: 1. 2/3 Deathtouch for BW is pretty darn good. 2. Sac outlet is very good if your opponents want to Control Magic your wincon or your commander, and gaining life is also something that you like here. 3. The third ability will be used much more rarely, but it's Anguished Unmaking on a stick if you have a creature to sac. That seems VERY good to me.
Also, a general heads up, you will always end up short of colored mana if you're running 4 colors, so Chromatic Lantern is a must.
Sorry if it's a lot, but I really like your deck idea, and I'd like to see it work.
Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback!
I think Phyrexian Arena is pretty overrated. It's very slow and often removed. It often only draws the same amount of cards Painful Truths would. I may consider running Bloodgift Demon though.
I think our metas are different. My metas are filled with alot of mana dorks, tribal decks and tokens, so cards like [[Pyroclasm]] and [[Angers of the Gods]] are incredibly useful. My list may not have a ton of card draw, but it has a lot of card advantage in the form of single cards that answer multiple threats.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope is a good recommendation. Maybe Sword of Fire and Ice, but probably not.
I don't want to play with tutors so Stoneforge Mystic is a no, but is a good option if you are interested in tutors. Bitterblossom is a nobo with the damage based board wipes.
I feel that Chromatic Lantern isn't necessary because I don't have a budget mana base so I haven't been having problems. I also have no cards with triple single color and few cards with double of any single color.
Overall I think you are underestimating the impact and importance of the first few turns of the game along with the amount of creatures with low toughness and converted mana cost that are important in the format. It also could just be a difference in metas though.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
We are clearly in different metas. My meta has two decks that might care about Pyroclasm and Anger of the Gods, and they are Karador and Krenko.
Neither wipes kill Krenko himself, so he can still pump out tokens - and has won several games like that.
Karador has a ton of small creatures that can get wiped - but either doesn't care about them dying, or can sac them with an outlet to prevent them from being exiled by Anger of the Gods.
On the other hand, when your opponent casts a Kozilek, the Great Distortion on turn 4, these cards really don't cut it to deal with him. In that case I'd rather have those Akroma's Vengeance or Vandalblast etc. Likewise when your opponent runs The Ur-Dragon and their minimal toughness creature is 4/4.
Phyrexian Arena has drawn me upwards of 5-10 cards most times. It depends on game length and the number of noncreature removal in your meta.
I also wanted to report back with an update on some of the changes. Xenagos, God of Revels is fantastic and has been putting in phenomnal work. Oftentimes closing out games or creating massive life swings when used with Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder.
It's very rewarding to "get" people with Mana Tithe. It's not especially difficult, plays tap out often when you factor in X spells or recasting commanders multiple times plus the early game.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
Sometimes the deck gets mana flooded or stalls in top draw mode. Part of that is because I'm running 40 lands due to playing 4 colors, a higher mana curve and cards like Exploration and Burgeoning. I wish I could play a card that draw large amounts of cards in the late game without relying on my controlling a large creature, something like Sphinx's Revelation. I guess there's Damnable Pact, but if I'm not gaining life and am behind, this card will flat out kill me. Perhaps I could try Seasons Past? Any other suggestions for cards that provide immediate card advantage?
Also I'm still open to general feedback or questions about my deck.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
Damnable Pact might be worth a look because it can also kill opponents when you're in the late stages of the game and low life totals. Don't consider it only for the draw aspect but that as well.
Tyrant's Familiar feels the weakest of the win-cons due to how mana intensive it is and how weak it is without a commander on the board, and could be replaced with one of the two aforementioned cards to aid your draw package.
Beating Face with Bane
Beatrice, the Golden Witch