I didn't say it's bad, the card is awesome! But I think you could cut off instead of some removal if you don't have the money for the Lilis! If I would have the money I would buy it, no doubts! Sorry if my point was confused
My apologies, I didn't realize you were looking to replace Liliana for budgetary reasons. If that's the case I would suggest something like Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet as Liliana is a win condition more than removal, so I would personally look to replace her with an alternative win condition.
Blessed alliance is a sideboard card because it's bad against "go wide" strategies. It doesn't hit their copter when they're also attacking with a servo token.
Couldn't disagree more. on turn 2-3 it can kill something to slow the opponent, even if it is a servo. Turn 4 you can kill something, and gain 4 life, again even if it is a servo. I've been having a lot of success with alliance, and if your considering putting Immolating Glare or Gideon's Reproach in the main deck, Alliance is just better in every way.
Also, I don't think a Servo deck is going to be standard playable. The servo cards are mediocre to weak, and I just haven't seen enough power to make it viable. I feel like servos are more of a limited mechanic, outside of Pia Nalaar which I'm still ok casting a 4 cmc blessed alliance against when she attacks with a Thopter.
Couldn't disagree more. on turn 2-3 it can kill something to slow the opponent, even if it is a servo. Turn 4 you can kill something, and gain 4 life, again even if it is a servo. I've been having a lot of success with alliance, and if your considering putting Immolating Glare or Gideon's Reproach in the main deck, Alliance is just better in every way.
Also, I don't think a Servo deck is going to be standard playable. The servo cards are mediocre to weak, and I just haven't seen enough power to make it viable. I feel like servos are more of a limited mechanic, outside of Pia Nalaar which I'm still ok casting a 4 cmc blessed alliance against when she attacks with a Thopter.
I don't think servos will be in standard either, just making a point that it's bad when you're getting attacked by more than one guy.
Blessed Alliance is definitely good, but it's much more situational than Immolating Glare. In an unsettled meta (i.e. post rotation) it's extremely important to be consistently good, especially for control. Everyone's argument against playing control is "not having the right answer at the right time." Well, mitigate that drawback by having an answer that's good 90% of the time rather than one that's good 60% of the time and amazing 20% of the time.
I'm not seeing a solid reason to include blue outside of a splash for card advantage.
I'm sorry, but this statement has been rattling around in my brain all day. You don't see a solid reason to put blue in a control deck? Really?
Read above, that's part of what I meant. Also, what justification does WB Control have for splashing blue? What does that deck gain from a third color, and why blue over red? We're expecting an extremely aggro heavy metagame for the beginning of the format, as is tradition, but also from my testing its absolutely BONKERS right now. RB aggro and GB energy aggro especially. Smuggler's Copter is arguably the best card in the entire set and we can't hit it with revolutionary rebuff, it dodges sorcery speed removal, dodges board sweepers, including Kozilek's Returnand hits hard as hell in the early game.
For the time being I would advise against going three colors without a justifiable reason, and there definitely needs to be a serious argument against not playing BW or RB control.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
By: ol MISAKA lo
Cockatrice: Infallible
Mhjames: mtgsalvation: I DON'T SEE HOW THIS CARD IS GOOD. I KNOW PATRICK CHAPIN USED IT AND WENT 8-0, BUT THAT WAS A SMALL TOURNAMENT. THE CARD IS TOO SLOW. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THE OPPONENT HAS A SPELL IN THE GRAVEYARD
I'm not seeing a solid reason to include blue outside of a splash for card advantage.
I'm sorry, but this statement has been rattling around in my brain all day. You don't see a solid reason to put blue in a control deck? Really?
Read above, that's part of what I meant. Also, what justification does WB Control have for splashing blue? What does that deck gain from a third color, and why blue over red? We're expecting an extremely aggro heavy metagame for the beginning of the format, as is tradition, but also from my testing its absolutely BONKERS right now. RB aggro and GB energy aggro especially. Smuggler's Copter is arguably the best card in the entire set and we can't hit it with revolutionary rebuff, it dodges sorcery speed removal, dodges board sweepers, including Kozilek's Returnand hits hard as hell in the early game.
For the time being I would advise against going three colors without a justifiable reason, and there definitely needs to be a serious argument against not playing BW or RB control.
You are right, weak leak can't hit the copter but it does hit the creature they play turn 3 to crew the copter. Blue also adds Dovin (very powerful card right now). Spell Queller is a solid card and pressures PW. Also, sideboard options such as rejection, negate, and quellers. BW vs Esper will have problems post board. Esper is just better in the control mirror. Queller hits Lili, Gideon and BW will take out removal if it can in place of discard, but negate and weak leak keep PW off the table better than discard (transgress can't hit negate or leak).
Obviously BW is more consistent and I'd never argue against it, but I do think there is a valid reason to play blue. And in a bubble 10 games pre board esper and BW is 50/50 post board 70/30 IMO
I like it, but I still don't get the Spell Quellers in control lately. Baffles me.
Definitely don't think they'd work mainboard, but post board is a different story. Opponents will side out removal, and they're flash disruption that can help you close out a game more quickly.
I like it, but I still don't get the Spell Quellers in control lately. Baffles me.
Definitely don't think they'd work mainboard, but post board is a different story. Opponents will side out removal, and they're flash disruption that can help you close out a game more quickly.
As well as side out Fumigate, I assume? What match(es) is(are) this the plan against?
I like it, but I still don't get the Spell Quellers in control lately. Baffles me.
Definitely don't think they'd work mainboard, but post board is a different story. Opponents will side out removal, and they're flash disruption that can help you close out a game more quickly.
As well as side out Fumigate, I assume? What match(es) is(are) this the plan against?
Yeah, in most cases the Fumigates will come out when the Quellers come in. I could also see bringing them in if I just want the extra blockers, need a way to pressure planeswalkers, or just need a way to attack if time is running low in the round.
As for matchups, BW Control and Temur Emerge is what I had in mind.
The sideboard is very hypothetical since we don't actually know what the format will look like yet.
I've been away from the thread for a while, but I'm not a fan of the queller/fumigate "combo". I'm also very undecided if I want Gearhulks or PLaneswalkers in an instant heavy deck: the flash ability of the hulks is great, but card advantage on a stick (specially after cleaning up with fumigate) is very good, even if you have to tap out for it.
The idea is to have two configurations: the main board is a draw-go version geared towards a versatile answers deck that is particularly strong against emerge decks, delirium decks, and superfriend decks like BW control. Vs Emrakul and emerge decks I sometimes replace some amount of sweepers and spot removal with summary dismissal #2 and 3, as well as bringing in invasive surgery to counter traverse the ulvenwald and the opponent's discard spells. Sorin and Jace are sort of a liability vs Emrakul decks, so one must be careful when to drop them. But the pla is to remain draw-go and drop a walker to end the game once its safe. The other decks in my gauntlet are aggro decks with vehicles or energy, and UW spirits. Liliana + flaying tendrils is a bomb vs those decks, and the one mana counterspells can always replace some number of the 3 mana counter/removal spells: once you know your matchup, you trade versatility for efficiency. I'm unsure whether or not to put Dovin Baan in place of insidious will in the board. Insidious will seems great as a way to answer opposing ruinous paths and the like, but I really like Dovin as another anti-aggro play that draws me cards.
EDIT: when I say Dovin is anti-aggro I mean that it does more than shrink dudes: it prevents their energy pumps in their attack phase, prevents selfless spirit messing up my fumigate, and messes up crew math.
would appreciate thoughts on Aether Theorist.
Traditionally, starfish type creatures have not seen play in standard. but with energy... it seems interesting.
Ax, I think Theorist could be an interesting sideboard choice. Bring it in against aggro, stonewalls their x/2s, survives a Flaying Tendrils, and allows us to hunt for removal as and when needed. Coupled with Glimmer, this could be worth pursuing. I did used to run Omenspeaker and Starfish, occasionally, and got fairly good results.
Noob player here, so forgive the question, but what is all the rage over Dovin Baan? Sure it's ultimate is good, but otherwise? I'm not sure what all the rush of excitement is for it?
Noob player here, so forgive the question, but what is all the rage over Dovin Baan? Sure it's ultimate is good, but otherwise? I'm not sure what all the rush of excitement is for it?
He does EVERYTHING control wants to do.
Slow down creatures? Check.
Draw cards? Check.
Gain life? Check.
Lock out your opponent from being able to do anything? Check.
The line of Dovin, +1 to nerf the only creature you haven't killed yet on turn four into Fumigate, start drawing cards turn five is absolutely devastating.
I've been away from the thread for a while, but I'm not a fan of the queller/fumigate "combo". I'm also very undecided if I want Gearhulks or PLaneswalkers in an instant heavy deck: the flash ability of the hulks is great, but card advantage on a stick (specially after cleaning up with fumigate) is very good, even if you have to tap out for it.
The idea is to have two configurations: the main board is a draw-go version geared towards a versatile answers deck that is particularly strong against emerge decks, delirium decks, and superfriend decks like BW control. Vs Emrakul and emerge decks I sometimes replace some amount of sweepers and spot removal with summary dismissal #2 and 3, as well as bringing in invasive surgery to counter traverse the ulvenwald and the opponent's discard spells. Sorin and Jace are sort of a liability vs Emrakul decks, so one must be careful when to drop them. But the pla is to remain draw-go and drop a walker to end the game once its safe. The other decks in my gauntlet are aggro decks with vehicles or energy, and UW spirits. Liliana + flaying tendrils is a bomb vs those decks, and the one mana counterspells can always replace some number of the 3 mana counter/removal spells: once you know your matchup, you trade versatility for efficiency. I'm unsure whether or not to put Dovin Baan in place of insidious will in the board. Insidious will seems great as a way to answer opposing ruinous paths and the like, but I really like Dovin as another anti-aggro play that draws me cards.
EDIT: when I say Dovin is anti-aggro I mean that it does more than shrink dudes: it prevents their energy pumps in their attack phase, prevents selfless spirit messing up my fumigate, and messes up crew math.
Puzzleknot is a choice I made to loosen the packed 3 CMC slot for card draw. It lets me do something on turn 2 if my opponent doesn't do anything that turn either. Being an artifact also helps with Emrakul.
Puzzleknot is a choice I made to loosen the packed 3 CMC slot for card draw. It lets me do something on turn 2 if my opponent doesn't do anything that turn either. Being an artifact also helps with Emrakul.
Like I said the 3CMC slot is way too crowded or else I would have played Succumb to Temptation. Waiting for Familiar to die for one card is not what I want.
My store ran an unsanctioned event Wed in which we could use KLD standard and I sleeved up an Esper list that ran really well. This is the first proper control deck I've actually ran so would love some feedback on the build if possible.
I beat GWc stompy (running the energy artifact to cheat things in) 2-0, Mardu reanimater (4 amalgrims hulk reanimater)2-1 and lost 1-2 to RG energy (kept a slow hand G2 and he nut drew, and then G3 I got control and then drew 4 lands in a row).
My store ran an unsanctioned event Wed in which we could use KLD standard and I sleeved up an Esper list that ran really well. This is the first proper control deck I've actually ran so would love some feedback on the build if possible.
I beat GWc stompy (running the energy artifact to cheat things in) 2-0, Mardu reanimater (4 amalgrims hulk reanimater)2-1 and lost 1-2 to RG energy (kept a slow hand G2 and he nut drew, and then G3 I got control and then drew 4 lands in a row).
I don't think servos will be in standard either, just making a point that it's bad when you're getting attacked by more than one guy.
Blessed Alliance is definitely good, but it's much more situational than Immolating Glare. In an unsettled meta (i.e. post rotation) it's extremely important to be consistently good, especially for control. Everyone's argument against playing control is "not having the right answer at the right time." Well, mitigate that drawback by having an answer that's good 90% of the time rather than one that's good 60% of the time and amazing 20% of the time.
I have to apologize, I for some reason was thinking Immolating Glare was Celestial Flare, which of course rotated out. I had forgotten that Glare is targeted removal. That actually makes it real close to Blessed Alliance. A big plus for alliance though is the gap in the 4 cmc spells with the loss of Languish, currently I only have Gideon. Yeah I guess this slot will be meta dependent, if going wide is a thing, especially any sort of token strategy (grumbles of G/W tokens can be heard with the green Gearhulk), then Glare will be better. Currently burn and vehicles seem to be the new flavor, and alliance lines up much better against those strategies. I agree though, for just a 2cmc instant speed removal, besides Grasp, Glare is probably the most versatile and would probably be better the first few weeks.
I like this list might make it- but are there any substitutes for Lilianas?
I would love some more feedback. I'm not sure tbh, it is a pretty big spot to fill. Maybe a couple of Ruinous (or other removal like Anguished) or even Dovin and another draw spell.
I posted this in another thread too. I'm curious about this draw-go control variant.
Since there is already a lot of good exile removal and counterspelling in the format, you should be able to abuse Ulamog's Nullifier as a flying Mystic Snake and/or Snapcaster into counterspell. Nullifier also synergizes with Spell Queller, getting rid of the card for good.
This deck also uses Planar Outburst instead of Fumigate so you can wipe the board without hurting your Awakened lands (and so it can be awakened later in the game for profit). If the lifegain against aggro becomes more relevant, it's an easy switch to Fumigate.
There are 14 maindeck 2-3 cc effects that exile things, with up to 8 more in the board. In testing a variant of this deck in older formats, I was able to get value off Nullifier very often. Even when it can't counter something, it can eat a 2/2 a non-negligible amount of time.
With 15-17 counterspells main and up to 4 more in the board, this deck is very reactive. There are also proactive answers like Harsh Scrutiny, Transgress the Mind and Lost Legacy. Why these instead of creature removal like Grasp of Darkness? My belief is that the format will be full off creatures that are either hard to remove (vehicles, protective abilities) or provide value even if they're removed (ETB effect, LTB effect, tokens, flash emerge in response), so if we rely on 1-for-1 removal on them we will end up behind. That's not to mention the green +2/+2 hexproof spell that will really punish us for trying to kill a creature while it is attacking us. The easiest way around that is to get rid of the threats before they resolve, through countermagic and discard. That's plan A. The deck still runs removal because opponent will always be able to sneak some stuff through.
My apologies, I didn't realize you were looking to replace Liliana for budgetary reasons. If that's the case I would suggest something like Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet as Liliana is a win condition more than removal, so I would personally look to replace her with an alternative win condition.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11439737#post11439737
Reality is only what man allows it to be. Few shape it so that many may accept it.
Also, I don't think a Servo deck is going to be standard playable. The servo cards are mediocre to weak, and I just haven't seen enough power to make it viable. I feel like servos are more of a limited mechanic, outside of Pia Nalaar which I'm still ok casting a 4 cmc blessed alliance against when she attacks with a Thopter.
I don't think servos will be in standard either, just making a point that it's bad when you're getting attacked by more than one guy.
Blessed Alliance is definitely good, but it's much more situational than Immolating Glare. In an unsettled meta (i.e. post rotation) it's extremely important to be consistently good, especially for control. Everyone's argument against playing control is "not having the right answer at the right time." Well, mitigate that drawback by having an answer that's good 90% of the time rather than one that's good 60% of the time and amazing 20% of the time.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11439737#post11439737
Reality is only what man allows it to be. Few shape it so that many may accept it.
Read above, that's part of what I meant. Also, what justification does WB Control have for splashing blue? What does that deck gain from a third color, and why blue over red? We're expecting an extremely aggro heavy metagame for the beginning of the format, as is tradition, but also from my testing its absolutely BONKERS right now. RB aggro and GB energy aggro especially. Smuggler's Copter is arguably the best card in the entire set and we can't hit it with revolutionary rebuff, it dodges sorcery speed removal, dodges board sweepers, including Kozilek's Returnand hits hard as hell in the early game.
For the time being I would advise against going three colors without a justifiable reason, and there definitely needs to be a serious argument against not playing BW or RB control.
By: ol MISAKA lo
Cockatrice: Infallible
You are right, weak leak can't hit the copter but it does hit the creature they play turn 3 to crew the copter. Blue also adds Dovin (very powerful card right now). Spell Queller is a solid card and pressures PW. Also, sideboard options such as rejection, negate, and quellers. BW vs Esper will have problems post board. Esper is just better in the control mirror. Queller hits Lili, Gideon and BW will take out removal if it can in place of discard, but negate and weak leak keep PW off the table better than discard (transgress can't hit negate or leak).
Obviously BW is more consistent and I'd never argue against it, but I do think there is a valid reason to play blue. And in a bubble 10 games pre board esper and BW is 50/50 post board 70/30 IMO
Definitely don't think they'd work mainboard, but post board is a different story. Opponents will side out removal, and they're flash disruption that can help you close out a game more quickly.
UR Blue-Red Control
Modern:
UBR Grixis Control
UWR Jeskai Control
3 Harsh Scrutiny
2 Transgress the Mind
3 Grasp of Darkness
1 Declaration in Stone
4 Revolutionary Rebuff
2 Anticipate
2 Ruinous Path
2 Anguished Unmaking
1 Scatter to the Winds
1 Glimmer of Genius
Creatures
2 Curious Homunculus
Artifacts
2 Cultivator's Caravan
Planeswalkers
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Dovin Baan
2 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
1 Ob Nixilis, Reignited
1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis
1 Gideon, Ally Of Zendikar
4 Shambling Vent
4 Sunken Hollow
3 Concealed Courtyard
3 Port Town
3 Prairie Stream
3 Choked Estuary
1 Evolving Wilds
3 Swamp
1 Island
1 Plains
2 Insidious Will
2 Fragmentize
2 Authority of the Consuls
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Fumigate
1 Gideon, Ally Of Zendikar
1 Glimmer of Genius
1 Harsh Scrutiny
1 Sphinx of the Final Word
1 Stasis Snare
1 Transgress the Mind
As well as side out Fumigate, I assume? What match(es) is(are) this the plan against?
Yeah, in most cases the Fumigates will come out when the Quellers come in. I could also see bringing them in if I just want the extra blockers, need a way to pressure planeswalkers, or just need a way to attack if time is running low in the round.
As for matchups, BW Control and Temur Emerge is what I had in mind.
The sideboard is very hypothetical since we don't actually know what the format will look like yet.
UR Blue-Red Control
Modern:
UBR Grixis Control
UWR Jeskai Control
For the weekend, I'm planning to sleave this:
2 choked estuary
3 sunken hollow
4 prairie stream
4 shambling vent
3 aether hub
3 island
5 swamp
2 plains
Instants (25)
4 anticipate
4 grasp of darkness
2 negate
4 void shatter
2 anguished unmaking
2 murder
2 succumb to temptation
4 glimmer of genius
1 summary dismissal
4 fumigate
1 Descend upon the sinful
Walkers (4)
2 Jace, Unraveler of secrets
2 Sorin, Grim nemesis
1 dispel
2 invasive surgery
1 ceremonious rejection
2 transgress the mind
3 liliana, the last hope
2 flaying tendrils
1 Kalitas, traitor of ghet
1 insidious will
2 summary dismissal
The idea is to have two configurations: the main board is a draw-go version geared towards a versatile answers deck that is particularly strong against emerge decks, delirium decks, and superfriend decks like BW control. Vs Emrakul and emerge decks I sometimes replace some amount of sweepers and spot removal with summary dismissal #2 and 3, as well as bringing in invasive surgery to counter traverse the ulvenwald and the opponent's discard spells. Sorin and Jace are sort of a liability vs Emrakul decks, so one must be careful when to drop them. But the pla is to remain draw-go and drop a walker to end the game once its safe. The other decks in my gauntlet are aggro decks with vehicles or energy, and UW spirits. Liliana + flaying tendrils is a bomb vs those decks, and the one mana counterspells can always replace some number of the 3 mana counter/removal spells: once you know your matchup, you trade versatility for efficiency. I'm unsure whether or not to put Dovin Baan in place of insidious will in the board. Insidious will seems great as a way to answer opposing ruinous paths and the like, but I really like Dovin as another anti-aggro play that draws me cards.
EDIT: when I say Dovin is anti-aggro I mean that it does more than shrink dudes: it prevents their energy pumps in their attack phase, prevents selfless spirit messing up my fumigate, and messes up crew math.
Ax, I think Theorist could be an interesting sideboard choice. Bring it in against aggro, stonewalls their x/2s, survives a Flaying Tendrils, and allows us to hunt for removal as and when needed. Coupled with Glimmer, this could be worth pursuing. I did used to run Omenspeaker and Starfish, occasionally, and got fairly good results.
He does EVERYTHING control wants to do.
Slow down creatures? Check.
Draw cards? Check.
Gain life? Check.
Lock out your opponent from being able to do anything? Check.
The line of Dovin, +1 to nerf the only creature you haven't killed yet on turn four into Fumigate, start drawing cards turn five is absolutely devastating.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=11439737#post11439737
Reality is only what man allows it to be. Few shape it so that many may accept it.
What about that Cloudblazer thing? It draws cards and gains life, and is also a 2/2 body with "evasion". Is that playable in UW control?
Nice deck! I totally agree about adding a single Torrential Gearhulk. Why not Transgress the Mind on maindeck? otherwise how do you sideboard they? And why not Ob Nixilis Reignited? Why did you cut Ruinous Path, i know the deck is draw-go type, but with all the pw around there
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
1 Noxious Gearhulk
3 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
Planeswalker
4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
3 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Ob Nixilis Reignited
1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis
Spell
3 Anguished Unmaking
1 Blessed Alliance
2 Fumigate
4 Grasp of Darkness
3 Oath of Liliana
1 Ruinous Path
3 Metalspinner's Puzzleknot
2 Transgress the Mind
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
4 Concealed Courtyard
3 Forsaken Sanctuary
6 Plains
4 Shambling Vent
8 Swamp
1 Noxious Gearhulk
4 Aerial Responder
1 Fumigate
2 Flaying Tendrils
2 Lost Legacy
2 Transgress the Mind
2 Pick the Brain
1 Quarantine Field
Puzzleknot is a choice I made to loosen the packed 3 CMC slot for card draw. It lets me do something on turn 2 if my opponent doesn't do anything that turn either. Being an artifact also helps with Emrakul.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
Filigree Familiar instead of Metalspinner's Puzzleknot? Could be a chumpblock
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
I beat GWc stompy (running the energy artifact to cheat things in) 2-0, Mardu reanimater (4 amalgrims hulk reanimater)2-1 and lost 1-2 to RG energy (kept a slow hand G2 and he nut drew, and then G3 I got control and then drew 4 lands in a row).
4x Aether Hub
4x Evolving Wilds
3x Island
3x Plains
2x Prairie Stream
4x Shambling Vent
2x Sunken Hollow
4x Swamp
Creature (4)
1x Archangel Avacyn
1x Linvala, the Preserver
2x Torrential Gearhulk
Instant (20)
2x Anguished Unmaking
3x Anticipate
1x Blessed Alliance
3x Glimmer of Genius
3x Grasp of Darkness
4x Immolating Glare
4x Scatter to the Winds
1x Dovin Baan
3x Liliana, the Last Hope
1x Ob Nixilis Reignited
1x Sorin, Grim Nemesis
Sorcery (2)
2x Fumigate
Enchantment (2)
2x Oath of Jace
1x Ceremonious Rejection
2x Confiscation Coup
2x Dead Weight
1x Fragmentize
3x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2x Negate
2x Transgress the Mind
I like this list might make it- but are there any substitutes for Lilianas?
I have to apologize, I for some reason was thinking Immolating Glare was Celestial Flare, which of course rotated out. I had forgotten that Glare is targeted removal. That actually makes it real close to Blessed Alliance. A big plus for alliance though is the gap in the 4 cmc spells with the loss of Languish, currently I only have Gideon. Yeah I guess this slot will be meta dependent, if going wide is a thing, especially any sort of token strategy (grumbles of G/W tokens can be heard with the green Gearhulk), then Glare will be better. Currently burn and vehicles seem to be the new flavor, and alliance lines up much better against those strategies. I agree though, for just a 2cmc instant speed removal, besides Grasp, Glare is probably the most versatile and would probably be better the first few weeks.
I would love some more feedback. I'm not sure tbh, it is a pretty big spot to fill. Maybe a couple of Ruinous (or other removal like Anguished) or even Dovin and another draw spell.
4x Aether Hub
4x Botanical Sanctum
2x Forest
7x Island
4x Plains
4x Prairie Stream
4x Glimmer of Genius
4x Immolating Glare
4x Scatter to the Winds
3x Skywhaler's Shot
Artifact (1)
1x Aetherworks Marvel
4x Aether Theorist
4x Cataclysmic Gearhulk
4x Spell Queller
4x Torrential Gearhulk
Planeswalker (3)
3x Tamiyo, Field Researcher
Twitter: twitter.com/axmanonline
Stream: twitch.tv/axman
Current Decks
Modern: Affinity
Standard: BW Control
Legacy: Death and Taxes :symw::symr:
Vintage: NA
Since there is already a lot of good exile removal and counterspelling in the format, you should be able to abuse Ulamog's Nullifier as a flying Mystic Snake and/or Snapcaster into counterspell. Nullifier also synergizes with Spell Queller, getting rid of the card for good.
This deck also uses Planar Outburst instead of Fumigate so you can wipe the board without hurting your Awakened lands (and so it can be awakened later in the game for profit). If the lifegain against aggro becomes more relevant, it's an easy switch to Fumigate.
4 Anticipate
2 Horribly Awry
2 Immolating Glare
4 Void Shatter
3 Scatter to the Winds
3 Anguished Unmaking
3 Glimmer of Genius
//Flash Creatures: 8
3 Spell Queller
3 Ulamog's Nullifier
2 Torrential Gearhulk
2 Declaration in Stone
3 Planar Outburst
//Lands: 26
4 Shambling Vent
4 Prairie Stream
4 Sunken Hollow
2 Concealed Courtyard
6 Island
2 Plains
2 Swamp
2 Aether Hub
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Flaying Tendrils
2 Harsh Scrutiny
3 Transgress the Mind
2 Negate
2 Lost Legacy
1 Fumigate
1 Anguished Unmaking
There are 14 maindeck 2-3 cc effects that exile things, with up to 8 more in the board. In testing a variant of this deck in older formats, I was able to get value off Nullifier very often. Even when it can't counter something, it can eat a 2/2 a non-negligible amount of time.
With 15-17 counterspells main and up to 4 more in the board, this deck is very reactive. There are also proactive answers like Harsh Scrutiny, Transgress the Mind and Lost Legacy. Why these instead of creature removal like Grasp of Darkness? My belief is that the format will be full off creatures that are either hard to remove (vehicles, protective abilities) or provide value even if they're removed (ETB effect, LTB effect, tokens, flash emerge in response), so if we rely on 1-for-1 removal on them we will end up behind. That's not to mention the green +2/+2 hexproof spell that will really punish us for trying to kill a creature while it is attacking us. The easiest way around that is to get rid of the threats before they resolve, through countermagic and discard. That's plan A. The deck still runs removal because opponent will always be able to sneak some stuff through.
EDIT: The manabase is also much easier to build without having to support both Grasp of Darkness and Scatter to the Winds.
Thoughts?