I apologize if a similar list has been posted here, but I tossed together a semi-competitve mono blue control list that has actually been performing way better than expected and I'd take some feedback.
A few notes:
- The win condition is Cranial Archive. That's it. You have to carefully decide when to pop it since you are probably drawing more cards than your opponent.
- Cranial Archive is the reason that I only run a single Dig Through Time--I can't afford to delve too much.
- Staff of the Mind Magus is terrific in multiples in this deck.
- Void Snare bounces walkers once you have a counterspell available.
- Omenspeaker is important because it blocks tokens and cheap creatures and it synergizes with Whelming Wave. Also, to make sure your 1-of Cranial Archive isn't in the bottom 4 cards (bottom 4 due to 3-of Dictate of Kruphix), you need to scry at least 4 to the bottom during the game.
- I only have 3 Dictate of Kruphix on hand or I would replace a Divination with a 4th because it can be cast as an instant, it draws more cards over time, and it ends the game faster. I don't really care if my opponent casts more creatures in the late game because I'm recycling Whelming Waves and gaining life. I've ended games with nearly 100 life.
- Aetherspouts is not good in here (I wish it was!) because it puts cards back into your opponent's library, potentially nullifying the Archive as a win con.
I don't have a sideboard yet, but I suspect I would probably just use it as a way to tweak the counters and bounce. Maybe 2 more Disdainful Stroke and another Voyage's End as examples.
Imo, a lot of things wreck you due to a lack of board control. Things will resolve and will hit you. Some things will have haste. Side note is that you're playing whelming wave in an uber slow deck. Might as well play the whelming wall "combo".
It's true--it's difficult to establish board control. Basically, the way the games have played out is that I've been able to stall with bouncing and counters until I get consistent sources of lifegain online and the game accelerates as I get more Dictates in play. Fairly quickly, I'm able to sac the Archive and pretty much always have Whelming Wave and counter magic in hand, all the while gaining 3-6 per turn. It's tenuous, no doubt, but I have been able to lock down more games than I expected from the list--but that's why I posted looking for suggestions to tighten it. Thanks!
Also, I'm not familiar with the Whelming-Wall combo.
Whelming wave + mnemonic wall. You play whelming wave. Then you play mnemonic wall, fetching whelming wave back to your hand. When you play wave, it bounces wall. Etc, etc. Its a common jank combo.
I'm well aware that this deck might be a lost cause, but it's been fun to play and is about as budget as a control list gets, so I made a few tweaks and built a sideboard...because why not?
The reason why I said so was for purposes of an effortless lock that your opponent may be forced to actively deal with. You may be able to dig adequately but this doesn't prevent it from making mono green devotion morbidly upset and let you focus your attention in other places. Remember that the wall can also block, recycle counters, and is generally friendly to a slow deck. You can have a turn or two away or a couple walls can force your opponent to deal with it rather than you having to actively find it yourself. In a way, wall actually represents a threat to a fair number of decks, casual ones even moreso.
I like this a lot. But it seems that the Mnemonic Wall only furthers your plans. Even as a one of, though I might go as high as 3. Also surprised Pearl Lake Ancient - which is even a leviathan, for cryin' out loud - hasn't come up. I know you're trying to be pure - only one win condition, but that's too good of a synergy to pass up. The other possibility is Prognostic Sphinx, whose scrying would help further your plan.
Wondering how the Cranial Archive works as a win condition. Is it just to prevent yourself from milling? If so, maybe a few copies of Altar of the Brood could help mill your opponent here? I like the control portion, just not fully understanding how Cranial Archive is a win con.
Yep, you lock down the game, then just reshuffle. It's worked every time I get to the late game, but the matchups I've tried it against are limited in number. I tried Altar, but it's not really necessary once you get a couple of Dictates and Staffs on the board--one reshuffle is all you need and when both players are drawing 3-5 cards per turn, the game wraps up quickly.
Yeah, Altar of the Brood would put 2 cards minimum (assuming you hit your land drops, with 1 Dictate on the board) per turn though. That seems better than 1 per turn, and 1 mana isn't a ton to invest.
By the end of turn 2, they have already milled away 3 cards and you have scryed 2 cards. While there are certain decks this could benefit, nothing better than seeing their face when they mill out their Whip of Erebos or other semi-win-con. Becomes even more fun in multi-player.
Turn two you could even drop a second Altar of the Brood which would mean 2 cards per permanent entering.
This actually started as a Grindclock/Altar deck, but nothing I tried made it work. Even tried turbo milling with Mind Sculpt. It was always bad and I was lucky to mill a dozen cards before the opponent killed me. I couldn't ever play Grindclock or Altar early enough without letting my guard down and if I played them later, they didn't make a difference really. This deck needs some tweaking for sure, but as far as the wincon, Dictates and Cranial Archive really are enough--your goal is to stay alive long enough to start drawing extra cards and gaining life off the staffs. Think Ivan Floch using just Elixir of Immortality as a wincon during last standard...except this deck is much more difficult to win with! Since you exile the Archive, you do have to wait a little while before you play and activate it. For this reason, a second copy might be good in the sideboard against decks that can make you discard or have instant speed artifact removal or their own reshuffle effect.
I tried Aetherspouts, but then you really DO have to have Grindclock or Altar or something because they put the cards back on their library.
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20 Island
4 Radiant Fountain
// Creatures
4 Omenspeaker
// Instants
1 Dig Through Time
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Dissipate
4 Dissolve
4 Nullify
1 Voyage's End
3 Divination
3 Void Snare
4 Whelming Wave
// Enchantments
3 Dictate of Kruphix
// Artifacts
1 Cranial Archive
4 Staff of the Mind Magus
A few notes:
- The win condition is Cranial Archive. That's it. You have to carefully decide when to pop it since you are probably drawing more cards than your opponent.
- Cranial Archive is the reason that I only run a single Dig Through Time--I can't afford to delve too much.
- Staff of the Mind Magus is terrific in multiples in this deck.
- Void Snare bounces walkers once you have a counterspell available.
- Omenspeaker is important because it blocks tokens and cheap creatures and it synergizes with Whelming Wave. Also, to make sure your 1-of Cranial Archive isn't in the bottom 4 cards (bottom 4 due to 3-of Dictate of Kruphix), you need to scry at least 4 to the bottom during the game.
- I only have 3 Dictate of Kruphix on hand or I would replace a Divination with a 4th because it can be cast as an instant, it draws more cards over time, and it ends the game faster. I don't really care if my opponent casts more creatures in the late game because I'm recycling Whelming Waves and gaining life. I've ended games with nearly 100 life.
- Aetherspouts is not good in here (I wish it was!) because it puts cards back into your opponent's library, potentially nullifying the Archive as a win con.
I don't have a sideboard yet, but I suspect I would probably just use it as a way to tweak the counters and bounce. Maybe 2 more Disdainful Stroke and another Voyage's End as examples.
Also, I'm not familiar with the Whelming-Wall combo.
I thought about Mnemonic Wall in the sideboard, but I found that with Dictate of Kruphix, Dig Through Time, Divination, and the concentrating effect of the Cranial Archive reshuffle that Whelming Wave is almost never more than a turn or two away.
21 Island
4 Radiant Fountain
// Creatures
4 Omenspeaker
// Instants
1 Dig Through Time
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Dissipate
4 Dissolve
4 Nullify
2 Divination
3 Void Snare
4 Whelming Wave
// Enchantments
4 Dictate of Kruphix
// Artifacts
1 Cranial Archive
4 Staff of the Mind Magus
2 Dissipate
3 Negate
1 Void Snare
3 Vortex Elemental
2 Voyage's End
4 Wall of Frost
Modern: UWR Control
EDH: Ezuri, Renegade Leader
Titania, Protector of Argoth
Phelddagrif
Glissa, the Traitor
Rosheen Meanderer
RIP Jimmy foREVer
Imagine the following:
Turn 1: Land, Altar of the Brood
Turn 2: Land (they mill), Omenspeaker (they mill again).
By the end of turn 2, they have already milled away 3 cards and you have scryed 2 cards. While there are certain decks this could benefit, nothing better than seeing their face when they mill out their Whip of Erebos or other semi-win-con. Becomes even more fun in multi-player.
Turn two you could even drop a second Altar of the Brood which would mean 2 cards per permanent entering.
Just my thoughts. Great deck overall.
I tried Aetherspouts, but then you really DO have to have Grindclock or Altar or something because they put the cards back on their library.