The thing I like best about rotation is that control players generally lose a chunk of their meta-specific tools and we see a resurgence of aggro and midrange.
It's a strange phenomenon considering that game play usually slows down following rotation. That should benefit control, right?
It's so much more interactive and exciting having complex board states though.
Edit: Title originally read, "Control players are sociopaths."
Edited the title so that it isn't actively provoking control players.
-DarkRitual
Warning issued for editing the "sociopaths" bit back into the post after it was removed. As DR says there is no reason to provoke people like that.
-rujasu
I dunno, I see a complicated board state with a ton of crap and I know I prefer the level of interaction. I still can't help my brain screaming for a broadwipe to come and clean up all the clutter.
There's no point in playing blue after rotation. Counterspells for 3+ mana don't seem good when you can't verdict and you need to use heavy black and red for removal.
I hope control takes a hit for one reason - game length. Right now, when I go to an event, I have to set my deck to be strongest against control because I know that if I lose game one, that is often all she wrote. The best I can hope for is a tie because of going to time. It will be nice to know that I am almost guaranteed to get through three matches in the 50 minutes.
I hope control takes a hit for one reason - game length. Right now, when I go to an event, I have to set my deck to be strongest against control because I know that if I lose game one, that is often all she wrote. The best I can hope for is a tie because of going to time. It will be nice to know that I am almost guaranteed to get through three matches in the 50 minutes.
I can agree with this, but a lot of times it's just a matter of realizing when the game has a high probability of going the control players way and not forcing them to take the extra 20 turns to actually kill me.
There's no point in playing blue after rotation. Counterspells for 3+ mana don't seem good when you can't verdict and you need to use heavy black and red for removal.
So then, what you're saying is that there are NO replacements for Verdict, ESPECIALLY when aggro decks are easily tuned to win within a 5 turn clock.
I don't think a limited amount of targeted removal in the card pool is as big of a loss to control as removal that targets player or "each" creature.
Devour Flesh and Ratchet Bomb bypass Gods Willing, which I anticipate will be the most popular spell in the post rotation meta.
Agree that there aren't many reasons to run blue outright based on what we know, but with the loss of Essence Scatter, Syncopate, Negate, and Dispel, I would be shocked if KTK doesn't have at least some 2 mana counter spells.
I hope control takes a hit for one reason - game length. Right now, when I go to an event, I have to set my deck to be strongest against control because I know that if I lose game one, that is often all she wrote. The best I can hope for is a tie because of going to time. It will be nice to know that I am almost guaranteed to get through three matches in the 50 minutes.
I can agree with this, but a lot of times it's just a matter of realizing when the game has a high probability of going the control players way and not forcing them to take the extra 20 turns to actually kill me.
Are you saying we should McScoop when we know we are beaten to ensure the 3rd game? BTW, that's my MTGO name
Cards aside, what I think really hurts control is the lack of a defined meta. Control revolves immensely around being able to predict the general goals, high points, and weaknesses of a deck. It's hard to play reactionary when the various builds change around so much. It's part burden of knowledge, part lack of experience.
I don't think control is going away. May I remind that you that BUG control was one of the top decks for PT Journey, the Theros block constructed Pro Tour. Control really shouldn't suffer too much, but it is losing a few keystones. Sphinx's Revelation, Supreme Verdict and Aetherling being those big hits. It still has a lot of good cards though, I am going to make sure UWR survives the rotation. My biggest hope for rotation is that Keranos, God of Storms sees more play now. I have been playing him and he can completely turn the game around, but isn't so essential that losing him means losing the game. Biggest things control needs to see reprinted: Wrath of God variant and Elixir of Immortality. Elixir is especially important because now that we are losing Aetherling the only win cons are burn spells and Elspeth, so reshuffling could be very relevant.
I suspect Keranos won't be too big of a thing. It infringes on the slots reserved for Stormbreath Dragon (or Prognostic Sphinx if you want more synergy with Elspeth). Keep in mind that block really is a poor way to judge the future. Not only because we don't know what's in Khans but also because the format's only wrath is anger of the gods. This warps the meta tremendously. Things like Silence the Believers became an unexpected all star because of how grindy the games were. PLayers cast that often for 7 or even 10 mana. I suspect even Perilous vault and Aetherspouts are enough to upset the conventions of block.
Are you saying we should McScoop when we know we are beaten to ensure the 3rd game? BTW, that's my MTGO name
It's not a horrible strategy. For example, if I'm an aggro deck and I'm in topdeck mode and they are at 10 life with 4+ cards and an Elspeth in play... it's going to take them a few turns to kill me and are pretty much 99% chance to win. Sure, you could win that one time and it would be worth sticking around, but there's probably a higher than 1% chance you don't finish the match and at best get a draw by winning game 2.
Or if I'm BW Midrange, and they've Rev'd for 7 and I don't have any of the usual card advantage cards that I could use to try to catch back up in cards. Usually I'll go a few more turns after that to make sure they didn't completely brick and draw 7 lands. But in that kind of game I have a very low chance at winning as well because they could trade 1 for 1 with all my spells and still remain ahead. And actually... that's a situation where if I'm the control player I might have the Aetherling in hand and could effectively seal the game, but I wouldn't put it past them to draw-go a few turns and and effectively run clock because the game is completely in the bag. It's kind of a shady thing to do, but if they win a 45 minute game 1, then the match is pretty much in the bag. And at any point an opponent can concede to nullify that from working.
In the same way, you can use a control deck's speed against them. If I win game 1 and we're closing in on time, I'm going to make them beat me. You still have to play at regular speed. You obviously can't stall. But I certainly wouldn't concede in that scenario.
And as long as we're talking about times to concede... I also concede to avoid giving information about my deck away. I remember one match I was playing Junk Midrange against a control deck. Kept a 2 land, 2 Voice of Resurgence hand. Didn't draw a 3rd land for like 4 turns, my opponent finally goes Verdict, Jace and then had a Mutavault out. I scooped soon after. I actually wasn't completely dead, but all my opponent had seen so far was green and white aggro creatures. We go to game 2 and he boards like I'm a beatdown deck. I win the next two games with stuff like Ajani Mentor and Courser of Kruphix and Underworld Connections while he probably wasn't prepared for a mid-range deck like that.
You'd think that if Assemble the Legion was a legit wincon then certainly Keranos, God of Storms can get it done.
It's even immune to Reclamation Sage, who I expect will be everywhere.
Problem is, Assemble the Legion's biggest enemy was Detention Sphere, which only certain decks could support. Expect Banishing Light to be rampant.
Also Assemble didn't have many sideboard spells to contest against outside of the occasional Golgari Charm, Wear/Tear, Keening Apparition, Vraska, etc.
Deicide in most sideboards will make Keranos even harder to play.
I went poking around the starcity for a BUG lists. Couldn't find one. I encounter one occasionally on MTGO, but meh.
I agree on scooping to prevent control from forcing draws. I do it. I've also scooped to deny opponent intel. Recently, when game 2 was looking bleak, and I knew my opponent's wincons were Blood Baron and Stormbreath, just to prevent them from seeing my ultra awesome secret tech I scooped with Thoughtseize on the stack. (The ultra awesome secret tech is Curse of the Swine).
Really, control will probably move to a Gb/GBx rock list. Especially with the answers still available to muck up an aggro Decks tempo. I'll be maintaining my rockstar list with a focus on the most disruptive of plays, and you gotta remember that there aren't any counters to boardwipes once ravnica rotates out.
haha I remember playing you a little while ago mcscoop you had a nice heroic deck and you did indeed scoop game one when defeat looked inevitable and I don't see anything wrong with scooping, I do it, she does it, he does it, Ashiok does it, it's part of the game, time is a factor and sometimes you just gotta scoop if luck is just not going your way, why waste time if the game is out of your hands? So i agree scooping isn't bad sportsmanship, it's a legitimate acceptance of defeat Obviously not all cases are black white and you can tell if someone scoops out of buthurt but that doesn't mean everyone is. And like ritual also said conceding in the face of Thoughtseize is a smart move sometimes if the game is already gone and they haven't yet seen all your best cards.
Completely agree about the 2 mana counter. I am a sociopathic control player and cannot stand to not have Syncopate. I think it's essential to have a 2 mana counter in any format especially Standard when you need to stop the dreaded 3 mana drops when you're on the draw Courser of Kruphix, Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver, Underworld Connections, Hammer of Purphoros, Domri Rade and now with that new squid in 2015, 3 mana counter can't be relied upon IMO. Even on the play vs Pack Rat, Voice of Resurgence, nothing is worse than not being able to counter it. The only time I've ever wanted a Cancel is to counter a non creature spell late game, or protect my threats from a non creatures spell (which synco does too) and I believe Negate does that job better from the sideboard. Every deck that plays creatures nearly always taps out for them and Syncopate gets them every time. Even late game it's not a bad spell at all, it can be a little awkward but it more often than not gets the job done. I feel surviving the early game is key to winning the late game and really hope that they print another catch all 2 mana counter as I there isn't a main board one in 2015.
Keranos, God of Storms is a royal pain if he lands and I've played against plenty of jank decks that use him, but Deicide completely wrecks that game plan so I'm not sure if banking on him to win the game is smart.
And yea I'm a fan of Devour Flesh (I think it's the best 2 drop removal spell in the format) over targeted removal. It combines well with sweepers and with hexproof, protection, barons running around, too much targeted removal can be a problem. Obviously you run some targeted removal but don't eschew the sac effects, it's one of the only ways to kill a monstrous Fleecemain Lion.
As for control post rotation, I really hope a mono blue draw go deck emerges. Using a ton of counter spells and with the new Perilous Vault, I think this will be a hard deck to beat and will have great match-ups over other slower control decks.
Keranos, God of Storms is a royal pain if he lands and I've played against plenty of jank decks that use him, but Deicide completely wrecks that game plan so I'm not sure if banking on him to win the game is smart.
Whoa! All the Keranos haters are out tonight! Deicide is good, but only white decks can play it and in the few months of me running him in UWR control, no one has used it against me. Also, I wouldn't use him a main win-con, but if I could use him to get in a few points of damage and finish with a burn spell or Elspeth, I am not going to complain.
I love a Control in a format, and I am a die hard aggro player. Why? because of Variance.
But the issue with control right now, are the control decks that legitimately play one win condition, and they're object is just to win game one. The Planar Cleansing control deck is the biggest offender of this, and players are too stupid to realize that after your opponent has resolved his 3rd Sphinx's Rev and popped Elixar 2 times, that it might be time to scoop. They will sit there and wait to see the actual win con, when the win has been happening over and over again.
Control decks that can efficiently close out the game, makes for a really fun format. COntrol decks that make game 1 go to time, are significantly not fun to play against.
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I love a Control in a format, and I am a die hard aggro player. Why? because of Variance.
But the issue with control right now, are the control decks that legitimately play one win condition, and they're object is just to win game one. The Planar Cleansing control deck is the biggest offender of this, and players are too stupid to realize that after your opponent has resolved his 3rd Sphinx's Rev and popped Elixar 2 times, that it might be time to scoop. They will sit there and wait to see the actual win con, when the win has been happening over and over again.
Control decks that can efficiently close out the game, makes for a really fun format. COntrol decks that make game 1 go to time, are significantly not fun to play against.
I don't think it's fair to say that the deck's objective is to win game 1 because that implies that they never go the full match and it's impossible for them to win a 2nd/3rd game. Because there are plenty of archetypes that can either beat a control deck in 10 minutes or get to the point where they know they have to concede. Usually the matches that result in 40 minute games would be mono-black devotion or some of the midrange decks that play different forms of card advantage and can in theory go over the top of a control deck playing Sphinx's rev.
I do agree with the sentiment that those decks can be unfun to play against. But honestly... what I've learned as a magic player over the 13 years I've played this game, you have to play the types of decks that you like playing. And what I mean by that is this: I remember when I first started playing I had some kind of bad Elf deck from Onslaught/Oddessey standard. And I played at a store that had about 12 regulars. Maybe 3 of them were legit players and the rest of us were just in highschool. I noticed a lot of my matches would go the same way. I try to plop out a bunch of dudes, my opponent would stabilize and then I would spend the next 10 turns virtually dead but still in the game. It sucked because I consider that to be a bad way to lose. But that's when I discovered Midrange decks. I could still put pressure on a control opponent with 2 of my cards. And if they tried to hit me with card advantage spells to pull away, I would have my own card advantage engine. Now, I was still a bad player relative to these other guys so I rarely T4'd FNM, but I felt like I was in a lot more of these games than before. And I realize now that every deck I've ever played and liked... it's either full on midrange or it's a beatdown or aggro deck with a way to close out games against control.
There is a Control deck in Block that is quite strong, and there are plenty of new tools to fill it's gaps by rotation, you are just looking at the wrong colors and for the wrong cards.
keranos is excellent as long as he isn't your main win con. i use him in conjunction with prognostic sphinx to great effect. i've been considering switching to B/R with a u splash rather than straight U/R. unless essence scatter or something even better gets reprinted in khans, U is going to be in a bad spot post rotation.
I giggle everytime I see someone mention Aetherling rotating. Honestly, if anyone is curious why he is only a .15 cent rare, is because he doesn't get played, and hasn't been played in high amounts except in control mirrors since Theros hit. Even then, he was for budget control players who couldn't afford to get in on the action with the rest of the Snapcaster Mage / Restoration Angel flash players. Elspeth, Sun's Champion is the finisher for this season. I used to be on the Aetherling bandwagon and noticed that I sided my copies out EVERY match other than control simply because he is just too clunky. Face it, he's not a revamped Morphling / Torchling of the new generation like we all thought he was going to be.
Control will always be an archetype. UW has been incredibly strong because of what the Ravnica block offered. The Theros block has offered a few tools in other colors, and some amazing tools in both black and red. I anticipate Khans to push out some answers as to what colors would be the best.
I know wizards is trying to dumb the game down, but I don't think 4 mana wraths are gone for good. There will likely be one in Khans, though I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't.
Control will just have to evolve, or shift colors. Just glad to see Revelation gone.
The thing I like best about rotation is that control players generally lose a chunk of their meta-specific tools and we see a resurgence of aggro and midrange.
It's a strange phenomenon considering that game play usually slows down following rotation. That should benefit control, right?
It's so much more interactive and exciting having complex board states though.
I won Cali States in 2010, right when it was at its smallest size for the year. I don't know why someone would need a variety of tools; all I needed was a bunch of countermagic and draw.
I like complex board state too, but something can simultaneously be simple and good.
I hope control takes a hit for one reason - game length. Right now, when I go to an event, I have to set my deck to be strongest against control because I know that if I lose game one, that is often all she wrote. The best I can hope for is a tie because of going to time. It will be nice to know that I am almost guaranteed to get through three matches in the 50 minutes.
It's not a control deck's fault that all of your opponents are terrible at Magic.
I've had this argument a lot. A lot of the times that I go to time is because my opponent put me that way. That's one thing I like about MTGO. Usually if a game goes to time, it's not me who loses simply because I'm rarely the one who timed out.
I've had this argument a lot. A lot of the times that I go to time is because my opponent put me that way. That's one thing I like about MTGO. Usually if a game goes to time, it's not me who loses simply because I'm rarely the one who timed out.
At higher levels of play, your control players are playing a hell of a lot faster than at lower levels of play. Competitive control players, at least a large chunk of them, are very aware of the clock and play quickly to avoid timing issues. It is unfortunate that some control players of a lower caliber have left a bad taste in your mouth.
I will say this though, WOTC also has somewhat of a hand in this, as they have stints of creating powerful control cards but grindy as hell finishers which can lead to some situations where the control player cannot kill you as fast as they would like, or usually can. This is not the player's fault. I can finish a control mirror in about 15 minutes on average. 10 minutes is also not unheard of. But there are also situations where the shuffle was such that I just don't get to see a finisher until I cycle through once with an Elixir of Immortality and the game goes long. Happens.
I don't hate the hyper aggro player for killing me on turn 3 and robbing me of spending time playing a game that I would otherwise like to be fun.
EDIT
I quoted you, but it was not meant to be directed at you.
I will say this though, WOTC also has somewhat of a hand in this, as they have stints of creating powerful control cards but grindy as hell finishers which can lead to some situations where the control player cannot kill you as fast as they would like, or usually can. This is not the player's fault.
This. As I am kind of the one who started the going to time train of thought, I'd like to say that it was never meant as a slight against control players. Play what you like, but at this time, the current control shell is so slow that it can be frustrating to play against due to time limits.
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It's a strange phenomenon considering that game play usually slows down following rotation. That should benefit control, right?
It's so much more interactive and exciting having complex board states though.
Edit: Title originally read, "Control players are sociopaths."
Edited the title so that it isn't actively provoking control players.
-DarkRitual
Warning issued for editing the "sociopaths" bit back into the post after it was removed. As DR says there is no reason to provoke people like that.
-rujasu
Modern
RBig RedR
GMean GreenG
WWW AlliesW
BGScavengeBG
WUVenser SilenceWU
EDH
RWAurelia 1 vs 1RW
GWURoonGWU
GWSaffiGW
Control might become WBR.
More targeted removal for the creatures that survive Drown in Sorrow and Anger of the Gods.
There's no point in playing blue after rotation. Counterspells for 3+ mana don't seem good when you can't verdict and you need to use heavy black and red for removal.
I can agree with this, but a lot of times it's just a matter of realizing when the game has a high probability of going the control players way and not forcing them to take the extra 20 turns to actually kill me.
So then, what you're saying is that there are NO replacements for Verdict, ESPECIALLY when aggro decks are easily tuned to win within a 5 turn clock.
I don't think a limited amount of targeted removal in the card pool is as big of a loss to control as removal that targets player or "each" creature.
Devour Flesh and Ratchet Bomb bypass Gods Willing, which I anticipate will be the most popular spell in the post rotation meta.
Agree that there aren't many reasons to run blue outright based on what we know, but with the loss of Essence Scatter, Syncopate, Negate, and Dispel, I would be shocked if KTK doesn't have at least some 2 mana counter spells.
Are you saying we should McScoop when we know we are beaten to ensure the 3rd game? BTW, that's my MTGO name
Modern
RBig RedR
GMean GreenG
WWW AlliesW
BGScavengeBG
WUVenser SilenceWU
EDH
RWAurelia 1 vs 1RW
GWURoonGWU
GWSaffiGW
It's not a horrible strategy. For example, if I'm an aggro deck and I'm in topdeck mode and they are at 10 life with 4+ cards and an Elspeth in play... it's going to take them a few turns to kill me and are pretty much 99% chance to win. Sure, you could win that one time and it would be worth sticking around, but there's probably a higher than 1% chance you don't finish the match and at best get a draw by winning game 2.
Or if I'm BW Midrange, and they've Rev'd for 7 and I don't have any of the usual card advantage cards that I could use to try to catch back up in cards. Usually I'll go a few more turns after that to make sure they didn't completely brick and draw 7 lands. But in that kind of game I have a very low chance at winning as well because they could trade 1 for 1 with all my spells and still remain ahead. And actually... that's a situation where if I'm the control player I might have the Aetherling in hand and could effectively seal the game, but I wouldn't put it past them to draw-go a few turns and and effectively run clock because the game is completely in the bag. It's kind of a shady thing to do, but if they win a 45 minute game 1, then the match is pretty much in the bag. And at any point an opponent can concede to nullify that from working.
In the same way, you can use a control deck's speed against them. If I win game 1 and we're closing in on time, I'm going to make them beat me. You still have to play at regular speed. You obviously can't stall. But I certainly wouldn't concede in that scenario.
And as long as we're talking about times to concede... I also concede to avoid giving information about my deck away. I remember one match I was playing Junk Midrange against a control deck. Kept a 2 land, 2 Voice of Resurgence hand. Didn't draw a 3rd land for like 4 turns, my opponent finally goes Verdict, Jace and then had a Mutavault out. I scooped soon after. I actually wasn't completely dead, but all my opponent had seen so far was green and white aggro creatures. We go to game 2 and he boards like I'm a beatdown deck. I win the next two games with stuff like Ajani Mentor and Courser of Kruphix and Underworld Connections while he probably wasn't prepared for a mid-range deck like that.
It's even immune to Reclamation Sage, who I expect will be everywhere.
Problem is, Assemble the Legion's biggest enemy was Detention Sphere, which only certain decks could support. Expect Banishing Light to be rampant.
Also Assemble didn't have many sideboard spells to contest against outside of the occasional Golgari Charm, Wear/Tear, Keening Apparition, Vraska, etc.
Deicide in most sideboards will make Keranos even harder to play.
I went poking around the starcity for a BUG lists. Couldn't find one. I encounter one occasionally on MTGO, but meh.
I agree on scooping to prevent control from forcing draws. I do it. I've also scooped to deny opponent intel. Recently, when game 2 was looking bleak, and I knew my opponent's wincons were Blood Baron and Stormbreath, just to prevent them from seeing my ultra awesome secret tech I scooped with Thoughtseize on the stack. (The ultra awesome secret tech is Curse of the Swine).
Modern
RBig RedR
GMean GreenG
WWW AlliesW
BGScavengeBG
WUVenser SilenceWU
EDH
RWAurelia 1 vs 1RW
GWURoonGWU
GWSaffiGW
Completely agree about the 2 mana counter. I am a sociopathic control player and cannot stand to not have Syncopate. I think it's essential to have a 2 mana counter in any format especially Standard when you need to stop the dreaded 3 mana drops when you're on the draw Courser of Kruphix, Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver, Underworld Connections, Hammer of Purphoros, Domri Rade and now with that new squid in 2015, 3 mana counter can't be relied upon IMO. Even on the play vs Pack Rat, Voice of Resurgence, nothing is worse than not being able to counter it. The only time I've ever wanted a Cancel is to counter a non creature spell late game, or protect my threats from a non creatures spell (which synco does too) and I believe Negate does that job better from the sideboard. Every deck that plays creatures nearly always taps out for them and Syncopate gets them every time. Even late game it's not a bad spell at all, it can be a little awkward but it more often than not gets the job done. I feel surviving the early game is key to winning the late game and really hope that they print another catch all 2 mana counter as I there isn't a main board one in 2015.
Keranos, God of Storms is a royal pain if he lands and I've played against plenty of jank decks that use him, but Deicide completely wrecks that game plan so I'm not sure if banking on him to win the game is smart.
And yea I'm a fan of Devour Flesh (I think it's the best 2 drop removal spell in the format) over targeted removal. It combines well with sweepers and with hexproof, protection, barons running around, too much targeted removal can be a problem. Obviously you run some targeted removal but don't eschew the sac effects, it's one of the only ways to kill a monstrous Fleecemain Lion.
As for control post rotation, I really hope a mono blue draw go deck emerges. Using a ton of counter spells and with the new Perilous Vault, I think this will be a hard deck to beat and will have great match-ups over other slower control decks.
But the issue with control right now, are the control decks that legitimately play one win condition, and they're object is just to win game one. The Planar Cleansing control deck is the biggest offender of this, and players are too stupid to realize that after your opponent has resolved his 3rd Sphinx's Rev and popped Elixar 2 times, that it might be time to scoop. They will sit there and wait to see the actual win con, when the win has been happening over and over again.
Control decks that can efficiently close out the game, makes for a really fun format. COntrol decks that make game 1 go to time, are significantly not fun to play against.
Tried to pull away, but now I'm Back At it
Love is Emphatic, cards need to be played
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I don't think it's fair to say that the deck's objective is to win game 1 because that implies that they never go the full match and it's impossible for them to win a 2nd/3rd game. Because there are plenty of archetypes that can either beat a control deck in 10 minutes or get to the point where they know they have to concede. Usually the matches that result in 40 minute games would be mono-black devotion or some of the midrange decks that play different forms of card advantage and can in theory go over the top of a control deck playing Sphinx's rev.
I do agree with the sentiment that those decks can be unfun to play against. But honestly... what I've learned as a magic player over the 13 years I've played this game, you have to play the types of decks that you like playing. And what I mean by that is this: I remember when I first started playing I had some kind of bad Elf deck from Onslaught/Oddessey standard. And I played at a store that had about 12 regulars. Maybe 3 of them were legit players and the rest of us were just in highschool. I noticed a lot of my matches would go the same way. I try to plop out a bunch of dudes, my opponent would stabilize and then I would spend the next 10 turns virtually dead but still in the game. It sucked because I consider that to be a bad way to lose. But that's when I discovered Midrange decks. I could still put pressure on a control opponent with 2 of my cards. And if they tried to hit me with card advantage spells to pull away, I would have my own card advantage engine. Now, I was still a bad player relative to these other guys so I rarely T4'd FNM, but I felt like I was in a lot more of these games than before. And I realize now that every deck I've ever played and liked... it's either full on midrange or it's a beatdown or aggro deck with a way to close out games against control.
You are about to see things like Sylvan Caryatid, Courser of Kruphix, Kiora, the Crashing Wave, AEtherspouts, and Hornet Nest cause aggro and midrange players a lot of grief when Rotation hits.
Control will always be an archetype. UW has been incredibly strong because of what the Ravnica block offered. The Theros block has offered a few tools in other colors, and some amazing tools in both black and red. I anticipate Khans to push out some answers as to what colors would be the best.
Standard:
UR Control
Control will just have to evolve, or shift colors. Just glad to see Revelation gone.
I won Cali States in 2010, right when it was at its smallest size for the year. I don't know why someone would need a variety of tools; all I needed was a bunch of countermagic and draw.
I like complex board state too, but something can simultaneously be simple and good.
It's not a control deck's fault that all of your opponents are terrible at Magic.
Standard:
UR Control
At higher levels of play, your control players are playing a hell of a lot faster than at lower levels of play. Competitive control players, at least a large chunk of them, are very aware of the clock and play quickly to avoid timing issues. It is unfortunate that some control players of a lower caliber have left a bad taste in your mouth.
I will say this though, WOTC also has somewhat of a hand in this, as they have stints of creating powerful control cards but grindy as hell finishers which can lead to some situations where the control player cannot kill you as fast as they would like, or usually can. This is not the player's fault. I can finish a control mirror in about 15 minutes on average. 10 minutes is also not unheard of. But there are also situations where the shuffle was such that I just don't get to see a finisher until I cycle through once with an Elixir of Immortality and the game goes long. Happens.
I don't hate the hyper aggro player for killing me on turn 3 and robbing me of spending time playing a game that I would otherwise like to be fun.
EDIT
I quoted you, but it was not meant to be directed at you.
This. As I am kind of the one who started the going to time train of thought, I'd like to say that it was never meant as a slight against control players. Play what you like, but at this time, the current control shell is so slow that it can be frustrating to play against due to time limits.