It's been awhile since I last posted but I always keep up with the thread due to my love for this deck. I'm not sure if it's been discussed already but I enjoy playing a more draw-go deck and I happened to get a card that seems to be just my type and could fit into this deck for the simple fact that it's cheap and resourceful. Expedite? I love the instant draw for 1 mana!
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Pia and Kiran on their own are definitely worth it. 4/4 for 4 already is nice, but the utility of getting 2 flyers upon ETB and the ability to sac them for 2 damage each is really valuable, especially against things like Affinity and Lingering Souls tokens. Plus, they're amazing to recur with Kolaghan's Command. Running Hangarback Walker with them might be viable though, dunno what to cut then (maybe Grave Titan?).
4 Cryptics is probably too much/too slow, 2 should be good enough in this meta with heavy Eldrazi/Affinity, I agree.
I don't really like all the choices of the list. Not to mention that a 4-0 in a daily doesn't mean we are viable In any case:
Pia and Kiran Nalaar I like a lot. Grave Titan on the other hand never impressed me and I would prefer another PnK because of their flexibility.
1 IoK seems out of place, other go with a decent discard package or not go at all in G1.
8 total commands also seems weird, especially 4 cryptic command. If the meta is getting faster, which it is, we need less CC and more ways to stabilize the board, i.e. Anger of the gods, more removals, etc.
Since we don't have Path to Exile I like the 4x Mana Leak.
Mana base seems clunky and there is no reason not to run 4 Creeping Tar Pits in order to include lavaclaw reaches and/or Wandering Fumarole. Also I think we need 8 fetchlands.
4 Spellskite in the SB looks super weird. Same goes for shriekmaw, I don't see where it is useful.
Overall I think it is a pretty sub-par list with poor choices and a lot of things that can be improved. I don't know how we match against the Eldrazi threat but since we pack more hard removal than UWR maybe we should be the control deck of choice.
Shriekmaw is included to kill Reality Smasher without having to 2 for one ourselves in the process and is also recuarble with Kolaghan's Command. This is a cute interaction though I think I'd prefer it in the main deck.
Shriekmaw is included to kill Reality Smasher without having to 2 for one ourselves in the process and is also recuarble with Kolaghan's Command. This is a cute interaction though I think I'd prefer it in the main deck.
Problem is that it is not instant speed. That means we are taking the 5 damage probably anyway which is definitely not good in an aggressive MU. I would prefer to 2-1 myself to save the 5 damage than take the 5 damage and kill it later. Also non-instant speed removal are not great against infect and burn. K- Command is probably a bit slow.
I agree it isn't great but we can put holes in any list... The fact of the matter is they only run 20 eldrazi creatures and they aren't always gonna have them all...none of them are indestructible and we have the ability to adjust our deck. They can't adjust as well and the guy did 4-0. I mean it may have been a fluke but it's something that I know I haven't done yet. I haven't had to face the deck yet but it looks unreal fast but I'm anxiously awaiting my chance to see what it can do.
Hello, all. Lurked here for a little while but this is my first time posting. Been building a Cruel Control deck, since it's in my favorite colors, and I want to improve it to the point where I can start going into tourneys on MTGO. Just traded in a bunch of my cards I stopped using for some extra tix and I've built a fairly solid deck thus far, I think:
I've tried out Mystical Teachings for the deck, but I found it too slow against most of my opponents, so I dropped it. Also not entirely sure about Obsy. I used Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker prior to him, but Baby Bolas doesn't feel as powerful or as fun to use as him. Can Big Bad Bolas work in this current metagame, or is he just too slow a finisher? And what could I use over Ob Nixilis?
EDIT: PLEASE don't suggest Jace, Vryn's Prodigy! He's well over 90 tix on MTGO, and there's no way in hell I'm spending/trading that much away to use him.
Hello, all. Lurked here for a little while but this is my first time posting. Been building a Cruel Control deck, since it's in my favorite colors, and I want to improve it to the point where I can start going into tourneys on MTGO. Just traded in a bunch of my cards I stopped using for some extra tix and I've built a fairly solid deck thus far, I think:
I've tried out Mystical Teachings for the deck, but I found it too slow against most of my opponents, so I dropped it. Also not entirely sure about Obsy. I used Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker prior to him, but Baby Bolas doesn't feel as powerful or as fun to use as him. Can Big Bad Bolas work in this current metagame, or is he just too slow a finisher? And what could I use over Ob Nixilis?
EDIT: PLEASE don't suggest Jace, Vryn's Prodigy! He's well over 90 tix on MTGO, and there's no way in hell I'm spending/trading that much away to use him.
I suggest dropping the third Cryptic Command for a second Damnation.
Also, I highly suggest giving Ashiok a try. That card is a tough cookie at times for people to deal with. I've won games single-handed against Scapeshift and Gifts due to that walker, among other decks. Really good against creature decks, obviously, while still being strong against control decks.
Nicol Bolas is only for flavor really, despite how powerful the card is IF it lands, as you'd be better off with just strictly Cruel. I play Nicol in the sideboard just for fun. Format is way too fast and hard to land a Nicol Bolas, and against various board states he simply does nothing whereas a Cruel does much more given the costs.
I'd also remove the Firespout from the SB for something like Anger of the Gods.
I second the Ashiok suggestion. I've won many games that I had no business winning because of that card.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Made the changes you suggested, as well as made the deck closer to what the deck Lil_Bolas linked to. I'm having a lot of fun! Still need to invest in Scalding Tarns, since my mana base is more [mc]UB[/mc] now, but otherwise it's pretty good.
Pia and Kiran Nalaar have been surprisingly useful as a 1-of in the main and 1 in the side. Makes Token match-ups much more tolerable. Does anyone have any thoughts on Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet? I picked one up recently and stuck him in the sb, but I'm not sure how good he is in Cruel Control. Any experiences with him to share?
Made the changes you suggested, as well as made the deck closer to what the deck Lil_Bolas linked to. I'm having a lot of fun! Still need to invest in Scalding Tarns, since my mana base is more [mc]UB[/mc] now, but otherwise it's pretty good.
Pia and Kiran Nalaar have been surprisingly useful as a 1-of in the main and 1 in the side. Makes Token match-ups much more tolerable. Does anyone have any thoughts on Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet? I picked one up recently and stuck him in the sb, but I'm not sure how good he is in Cruel Control. Any experiences with him to share?
I run 2 Scalding Tarn, 2 Bloodstained Mire, and 4 Polluted Delta. If you have 4 Delta, you can honestly run 4 Bloodstained over Tarn. Pia and Kiran is wonderful maindeck and/or SB. Kalitas I've maindecked but I've yet to play magic with it so I cannot comment at this moment. It may not stay maindeck with me, but for testing purposes it's going to. I may SB after all the testing is over.
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
I return from a long period of trying other decks. This list is what I played at SCG Louisville. Long story short with Twin gone I felt the latest Grixis Control list wasn't going to fit in this new Eldrazi world so I swapped back to the Cruel list. I went 6-3 placing 113th. Missed day 2 sadly
Now before anyone ask I somehow played 9 rounds without ever playing against a single Eldrazi list, but I did some testing with some friends and I felt that the deck could hold its own against most of the Eldrazi list. My most trouble was from the RG Eldrazi list.
Won against:
RW Prison
Affinity, Elves, Infect, Lantern Control, Grixis Control
Lost against:
Merfolk (play error, fetched the wrong land and stumbled on multiple lords)
Lantern Control (play error, fear of bridge I held counter for it instead of Grafdigger's Cage, drew all of the Snaps)
Abzan Company (Went to time and he had infinite life. Did not draw either Ashioks, but did have 15 zombies from the Grave Dad so I couldn't lose)
Going forward I want to cut Ma and Pa and the Vampiric Links from the Sideboard. With Burn on the decline and maindeck lifelink I feel I can fight them a lot better this time around so devoting a slot for them seems wasted. Pia and Kiran just weren't doing what I wanted them to do and would of rather had some Negate.
I would appreciate some feedback as I believe the list has potential and want to go to GP Detroit.
Good work Xremag! You should Rune Snag if you want 4 of that effect in the 60. I would consider Anger of the Gods.
More thoughts to come.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
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We can change their cards to a color so the Eye of Ugin and Eldrazi Temple don't work. Also, it stops Ancient Stirrings in Tron.
UUBBBRR
MTGO list, please discuss.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
4 Cryptics is probably too much/too slow, 2 should be good enough in this meta with heavy Eldrazi/Affinity, I agree.
Pia and Kiran Nalaar I like a lot. Grave Titan on the other hand never impressed me and I would prefer another PnK because of their flexibility.
1 IoK seems out of place, other go with a decent discard package or not go at all in G1.
8 total commands also seems weird, especially 4 cryptic command. If the meta is getting faster, which it is, we need less CC and more ways to stabilize the board, i.e. Anger of the gods, more removals, etc.
Since we don't have Path to Exile I like the 4x Mana Leak.
Mana base seems clunky and there is no reason not to run 4 Creeping Tar Pits in order to include lavaclaw reaches and/or Wandering Fumarole. Also I think we need 8 fetchlands.
4 Spellskite in the SB looks super weird. Same goes for shriekmaw, I don't see where it is useful.
Overall I think it is a pretty sub-par list with poor choices and a lot of things that can be improved. I don't know how we match against the Eldrazi threat but since we pack more hard removal than UWR maybe we should be the control deck of choice.
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
- Nicol Bolas
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
- Nicol Bolas
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Desolate Lighthouse
1 Drowned Catacomb
3 Island
1 Mountain
4 Polluted Delta
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
1 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Wandering Fumarole
2 Watery Grave
Creatures: 4
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Keranos, God of Storms
3 Spell Snare
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Countersquall
4 Terminate
2 Electrolyze
2 Kolaghan's Command
3 Cryptic Command
1 Condescend
2 Logic Knot
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
Sorceries: 6
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Damnation
2 Cruel Ultimatum
Planeswalkers: 1
1 Ob Nixilis, Reignited
1 Dispel
1 Extirpate
2 Vandalblast
1 Countersquall
2 Devour Flesh
1 Go for the Throat
2 Rakdos Charm
2 Volcanic Fallout
1 Firespout
2 Crumble to Dust
I've tried out Mystical Teachings for the deck, but I found it too slow against most of my opponents, so I dropped it. Also not entirely sure about Obsy. I used Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker prior to him, but Baby Bolas doesn't feel as powerful or as fun to use as him. Can Big Bad Bolas work in this current metagame, or is he just too slow a finisher? And what could I use over Ob Nixilis?
EDIT: PLEASE don't suggest Jace, Vryn's Prodigy! He's well over 90 tix on MTGO, and there's no way in hell I'm spending/trading that much away to use him.
I suggest dropping the third Cryptic Command for a second Damnation.
Also, I highly suggest giving Ashiok a try. That card is a tough cookie at times for people to deal with. I've won games single-handed against Scapeshift and Gifts due to that walker, among other decks. Really good against creature decks, obviously, while still being strong against control decks.
Nicol Bolas is only for flavor really, despite how powerful the card is IF it lands, as you'd be better off with just strictly Cruel. I play Nicol in the sideboard just for fun. Format is way too fast and hard to land a Nicol Bolas, and against various board states he simply does nothing whereas a Cruel does much more given the costs.
I'd also remove the Firespout from the SB for something like Anger of the Gods.
I second the Ashiok suggestion. I've won many games that I had no business winning because of that card.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Pia and Kiran Nalaar have been surprisingly useful as a 1-of in the main and 1 in the side. Makes Token match-ups much more tolerable. Does anyone have any thoughts on Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet? I picked one up recently and stuck him in the sb, but I'm not sure how good he is in Cruel Control. Any experiences with him to share?
I run 2 Scalding Tarn, 2 Bloodstained Mire, and 4 Polluted Delta. If you have 4 Delta, you can honestly run 4 Bloodstained over Tarn. Pia and Kiran is wonderful maindeck and/or SB. Kalitas I've maindecked but I've yet to play magic with it so I cannot comment at this moment. It may not stay maindeck with me, but for testing purposes it's going to. I may SB after all the testing is over.
Mystic Confluence is not modern legal, sadly.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
I'm playing Mono U turns right now and confluence would be such a dream.
1 Blood Crypt
2 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cascade BLuffs
2 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Flooded Strand
2 Island
1 Mountain
4 Polluted Delta
1 Smoldering Marsh
2 Steam Vents
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Sunken Ruins
2 Swamp
2 Wandering Fumarole
1 Watery Grave
1 Grave Titan
2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
4 Snapcaster Mage
Noncreature Spells (26)
1 Cruel Ultimatum
2 Cryptic Command
2 Damnation
2 Kolaghan's Command
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Mana Leak
4 Serum Visions
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Surgical Extraction
3 Terminate
2 Thoughtseize
2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
2 Dispel
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
2 Radiant Flames
2 Vampiric Link
2 Vandalblast
I return from a long period of trying other decks. This list is what I played at SCG Louisville. Long story short with Twin gone I felt the latest Grixis Control list wasn't going to fit in this new Eldrazi world so I swapped back to the Cruel list. I went 6-3 placing 113th. Missed day 2 sadly
Now before anyone ask I somehow played 9 rounds without ever playing against a single Eldrazi list, but I did some testing with some friends and I felt that the deck could hold its own against most of the Eldrazi list. My most trouble was from the RG Eldrazi list.
Won against:
RW Prison
Affinity, Elves, Infect, Lantern Control, Grixis Control
Lost against:
Merfolk (play error, fetched the wrong land and stumbled on multiple lords)
Lantern Control (play error, fear of bridge I held counter for it instead of Grafdigger's Cage, drew all of the Snaps)
Abzan Company (Went to time and he had infinite life. Did not draw either Ashioks, but did have 15 zombies from the Grave Dad so I couldn't lose)
Going forward I want to cut Ma and Pa and the Vampiric Links from the Sideboard. With Burn on the decline and maindeck lifelink I feel I can fight them a lot better this time around so devoting a slot for them seems wasted. Pia and Kiran just weren't doing what I wanted them to do and would of rather had some Negate.
I would appreciate some feedback as I believe the list has potential and want to go to GP Detroit.
UBx Tezzeret: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/18-06-17-ub-tezzeret/
More thoughts to come.
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas