here is a thread to discuss control (in general) for the upcoming Kaladesh. I'm mainly interested in figuring out the control colours, as I can see multiple strategies being potentially viable:
Grixis misses out on fumigate, and that is a big no-no for me, but I know better than to underestimate grixis. It's a premier control colour combination, and smarter people than me might figure out how to work it even w/out an unconditional sweeper.
Green-based control decks have Nissa, Vital Force which is great late game flood insurance (and can even help you ramp to Emrakul, the promised end, which is arguably the best late game you could have: if you cast it for 6 or 7 mana you generally gain card advantage and even if you just trade 1-1 with a chump attacker, you still win the game in 1 or 2 turns once he is out.
EDIT: Also, if the meta is slow enough, seasons past loops are generally GG. But I'm not sure the meta will be slow enough, specially if alchemist-visions is a thing.
If you go try-color, is is possible to work double mana symbols n each color? Aether hub and some energy control cards (glimmer of genius is the best in my opinion, but not the only energy control card) can facilitate stuff like grasp of darkness -> void shatter -> Fumigate, or is this too greedy?.
Unless you play Torrential Gearhulk, which I think will somewhat warp your deck construction, I don't know that blue offers enough to your strategy. I suppose I can also support using Glimmer of Genius to support a greedy manabase with Aether Hub. But in general, white and black seem to be the premiere control colors with Grasp, Unmaking, Skywhaler's Shot, Fumigate, Liliana, Ob Nix, and/or Sorin. Chandra is a nice payoff for a Mardu deck.
You must know something about that card the rest of us don't if you are suggesting constructing your deck specifically to answer it. I would understand if you meant artifacts in general, but just Aetherworks Marvel?
In my testing Glimmer of Genius has proven to be quite good. Digs 4 cards deep into your deck, lets you keep up countermagic and removal, and gives you energy if you need it.
I really want to build a Refurbish deck with the gearhulks.
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Modern: G Stompy G UR Izzet Prowess/Delver UR UWB Spirits UWB UWB Brain Control UWB WUB Esper Reveillark WUB EDH: WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG W Nine-and-a-Half TailsW WGUR Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis WGUR
Glimmer of genius is quite exciting, I agree! I always build control starting form the card draw, and GoG is "the" go-to for raw card draw in this standard, I believe.
I also agree with Schreckstoff that Nissa is a truck, but I found bant quite lacking in the "good, 2cmc removal" category. I ended up going to declaration in stone, which isn't terrible, but giving them a card is not something I'm too excited about (path to exile was an instant and gave them a land, so comparisons to path are not really valid imo.) I'll post a couple decks when I get a clearer picture, but my line of thinking is similar to Schreckstoff: UW are needed for card draw, answers to Eldrazi titans, and sweepers. Pure UW does not offer good 2 cmc removal (i like packing at least 4 early removal spells). So I'm thinking Esper. But the curve Grasp of Darkness -> Void shatter -> Dovin Baan -> Fumigate is impossible with the mana we have (well, at least for me, maybe someone can figure it out). So I'm planning to go WB with a splash of U for single-blue card draw, like Oath of Jace, Dovin Baan, and Glimer of Genius.
WB and it's not close. It has better answers, better finishers, and better sweepers. Esper offers some decent options, but with Grasp of Darkness costing BB the mana is just too awkward.
Ok, so here are a couple of Esper brews that could work. The first is more draw-go, which is the style of play I like most; however, I think the second one, which is more tap-out/midrange is the most powerful one. Also, if you have other color combinations (I'm curious to see what a Bant list leveregin nissa would look like) please share!
Te manabase needs work. Perhaps I should give up on void shatter and play spell shrivel, but I'm counting on the aether hub and the energy from glimmer of genius to fix the mana enough. Testing more will tell.
The sideboard is just a mess, but the idea is to improve our game vs x/1 and x/2 aggro decks with cards like lily, a cheaper wrath effect, and authority of the consuls (that messes up crewing vehicles and haste dudes). Fragmentize does work vs artifact decks but, most importantly, hits fevered visions decks. The other 4 cards (ceremonious rejection and transgress the mind) are there for emrakul decks. I'm not sure I like the 3 mana version of infinite obliteration, because giving a card (or more!) back to the opponent seems terrible, but it can hit walkers and other trouble permanents, so perhaps its a better match. Who knows! The maindeck is geared to be as generic as possible: grasp is the most generla 2 mana spot removal, all decks will have negate targets both early and late game (hence, it gets the not over the nerfed mana leak. All 3 mana cards hit all types of creatures (I did not include anguished unmaking as we have no way to gain back the life except for fumingate, and i'm not sure how much life we really will get back), and the 4 mana plus spels all gain card advantage (except summary dismissal but that is just too powerful vs emrakul decks to not include). So this is a pretty straightforward draw-go shell: 4 wraths, 8 spot removal spells, 10 counterspells, 11 draw/cantrip spells (if you count confirm suspicions as a draw spell as well) and the gearhulks that can flashback whatever is needed.
I did not include Metalluric summons because a 5 mana enchantment that does nothing when it hits the field seems weak. Also, this deck has an impossible time dealing with resolved planeswalkers (you could flash in a hulk and attack them in one go, but that's only good later in the game, when the opposing walker already gained a seizable value), so it's crucial to keep counter mana up for them (and summons forces you to tap out turn 5, or just rots in hand till turn 7+)
The next deck is much more midrangey, but I think it's more powerful. I don't like saying "go" knowing my opponent can resolve whatever he wants, but well... it's what it is!
The idea is similar to the other deck, but more focused on card advantage "on a stick": we have our general answers (grasp, unmaking, ruinous path), with the added bonus that all our 3 mana removal also answers planeswalkers. Our early game draw-fixer is an artifact we can sacrifice, which adds to the emrakul count (we have such a variety of types that i thought about replacing glimmer of genius with scour the laboratory, but i really want to ply the card draw on curve, and UU might not always be feasible). Card draw is all on walkers, or on Oath of Jace scry (that get out of control once you have 2 or 3 walkers out), which gives us alot of staying power. And Emrakul is just the biggest top end you could have.
Notable absentees: descend upon the sinful used to be present in my decks to prevent selfless spirit wrecking out plans, but with lili and dovin baan, he is well in check now; at the 6 mana slot I'd rather have an extra walker for extra scry power and extra life gain, since our puzzleknot and anguished unmaking will taxes our own life. Dovin + sorin + fumigate cushion our life pretty well. Also absent is any form of countermagic, but since we will regularly tap out for our walkers, there is really no room for counters. In the board I could see some ceremonious rejections and some dispel/invasive surgery mix to protect our walkers vs ruinoush path/ anguished unmaking decks.
These are the decks Ive tested so far, and they operating fine (but the do need tweaking). Let me emphasize though that my playgroup has been focused on modern recently since our local stores had a couple of medium-sized moren tournaments last month, so we did not test too much the new standard. So the sample size we have is not too big.
WB and it's not close. It has better answers, better finishers, and better sweepers. Esper offers some decent options, but with Grasp of Darkness costing BB the mana is just too awkward.
The problem with WB is that they lost Read the Bones. The deck has little in the way of mid-game card draw. metalspinner's puzzleknot is a good early game cantrip to hit lands, and late game Ob Nixilis Reignited is great. But keeping the flow of card sin the midgame is what worries me. Should they kill or counter your ob nixilis you'd be left top decking. Read the bones leaving really hurts WB control in my opinion.
Thoughts? A buddy of mine thought maybe a couple Gearhulks as finishers, but I'm not sure.
Another thought I had was a WU counter-spell and removal heavy Metallurgic Summonings deck, but I haven't brewed that up yet because I want to play with Tamiyo more.
The problem with WB is that they lost Read the Bones. The deck has little in the way of mid-game card draw. metalspinner's puzzleknot is a good early game cantrip to hit lands, and late game Ob Nixilis Reignited is great. But keeping the flow of card sin the midgame is what worries me. Should they kill or counter your ob nixilis you'd be left top decking. Read the bones leaving really hurts WB control in my opinion.
The problem with WB is that they lost Read the Bones. The deck has little in the way of mid-game card draw. metalspinner's puzzleknot is a good early game cantrip to hit lands, and late game Ob Nixilis Reignited is great. But keeping the flow of card sin the midgame is what worries me. Should they kill or counter your ob nixilis you'd be left top decking. Read the bones leaving really hurts WB control in my opinion.
true, succumb is a good card. I use it for instant-speed control decks but i guess you could use it to replace read. How do you replace languish? I.e. what high impact 4-drop do you play (if any?)
true, succumb is a good card. I use it for instant-speed control decks but i guess you could use it to replace read. How do you replace languish? I.e. what high impact 4-drop do you play (if any?)
There isn't any. There is nothing like Languish. But there usually isn't.
It's in a sense why I'm high on Harsh Scrutiny . Card draw and deck manipulation is not equal amongst the colorpie. It's very strong for black decks. So I'll take a scry when I can and just try to keep my opponent off creatures via as many one for ones as possible.
That said I think Gonti, Lord of Luxury is super impressive and a solid 4 drop. It has a strong ETB and is a solid blocker with deathtouch. Otherwise, pack in the removal.
Thoughts? A buddy of mine thought maybe a couple Gearhulks as finishers, but I'm not sure.
Another thought I had was a WU counter-spell and removal heavy Metallurgic Summonings deck, but I haven't brewed that up yet because I want to play with Tamiyo more.
Let me give you my two cents: I think this is a good deck, but not really a control one. You are not playing a long game but, rather, you plan to get to 4 lands and then bash their heads in. Control is (for me) more about answering their threats, getting them down to a virtual 0 cards in hand (literally 0 cards, or some dead removal spells they have no targets for, which is virtually the same thing). From there you win through some resilient win con that dodges their dead cards.
The way I approach control is to make sure every non-land card is at least one of these things: (1) a removal spell (1-for-1 or better, depending on cmc) (2) a counterspell or (3) a card drawing spell. Anything else I try to avoid in my control decks.
In that sense, sylvan advocate does not really belong in a control deck: it turns on their removal, and does not fit into either of the above categories. Reflector mage is sort of the same (it does remove some of their stuff, but it doesn't do it permanently, and it does turn on their otherwise dead removal). Same goes for other cards (oath of nissa, 3-mana nissa, gideon, or authority of the consuls). I think your deck is a very interesting midrange deck that will do a great job of surviving till turn 4-5, but needs to finish the game there and then. Otherwise, bigger decks with better end games (emrakul, Ulamog, Sorin, Part the waterveil) will chew it up.
Your criticisms are dead on, and unfortunately this is about as control-deck as I've been able to make while still jamming Tamiyo unceremoniously into the mix.
My other idea (not quite brewed) is a creatureless (or maybe 3 Gearhulks, 2 white and a blue) UW deck with Metallurgic Summonings as the win con, and then counterspells and white removal/wipes as the rest of the deck. My issue is that decks like that that rely on counterspells just don't do well in this new "all midrange, all the time" Magic design phase.
People are forgetting a really good red removal spell. Galvanic Bombardment is so good. It scales early and late, as well as being able to kill things like Avacyn for only 1 R. Not only that but stasis snare as well emolating glare give me reason to believe that black isnt the only colors with really good removal.
I don't like counterspells in a new unknown meta, but I wouldn't mind them in the side. My list is basically BW splash blue for Dovin Baan and counters in the side.
- Dovin Baan helps support the deck in both his modes and serves as Gideon #5 after an Oath of Liliana. Dovin is not amazing, but he is very solid when you have others backing him up because he will do work for everyone else. Extra life gain and mid game card advantage is always welcomed.
- I'm playing around with Aether Hub as a source of all three colors that come in untapped, which is why I'm playing Live Fast as my card draw. BW is more of a tap out deck than a draw-pass one and needs to use turn 3 to set up the important 4 and 5.
- Flaying Tendrils are mostly for zombie decks. The cards you want to exile are all 2 toughness or less and their zombie tokens also.
- Aerial Responder takes really good care of aggro decks and defends your PWs from pesky flyers. Not only do they survive Flaying Tendrils (they normally get sided in together), but your opponents would have likely sided out removal since there are practically no creatures in the main.
@TBuzzsaw, I completely forgot about responder! He is actually a house vs aggro decks, even survives your own tendrils. Nice catch! I actually like your deck alot, and has some similarities with my more tapout deck. I'm not sold on Gideon as a control walker, but I like the idea of controling the board with walkers and while my opponent is messign around trying to get rid of them, BOOM! you drop Emrakul. Talkimg about the big E, is there a reason you don't use puzzleknots? Helps bring emrakul down sooner, which is sometimes relevant. The black one is almost like a think twice, which is a great card, and the blue one gives you energy for aether hub, while also helping you hit land drops or early interaction. Your 2 and 3 drop slots have 8 and 14 cards in them which seems like a weird curve. Might I suggest +4 puzzleknots (blue or black or in some mix), -2 blessed alliance, -1 unmaking -1 of some other 3 drop (perhaps live fast, for preserving life total considerations?) Evens the curve out, helps you smooth draws on turn 2.
Cards like blessed alliance or Immolating glare (mentioned before) gives me mixed feelings. Yes, it is an "unconditional" counter for 2 mana, which is great. But, (1) there are some creatures that generate value without attacking (duskwatch recruiter, rashmi, eternities crafter are the first to come to mind), and (2) I don't like being constrained in the moment I must make my choice. In the early/midgame generally like to see how the whole turn plays out before deciding what to kill (or if to keep mana up for a counterspell), so having to commit to an action in the attack step makes me nervous.
Puzzletknot is a good suggestion, but it doesn't really fit in my deck. I don't necessarily need it to make it faster to cast Emrakul since it's not technically an Emrakul deck, it's a PW deck that features her if it goes to that point.
Blessed Alliance is much better than you think though. It's good early game and amazing late game. With possibly a lot of aggressive decks early on I want the card for removal and life gain.
I'm not seeing a solid reason to include blue outside of a splash for card advantage.
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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
It seems to me that Spell Queller is better than either of your creatures. The new Nissa looks better in this build than the old one-not enough creatures for her -2. I like glare better than stone as it will kill a vechicle. The gear hulks look interesting.
What do you guys think of Epiphany at the Drownyard plus Perpetual Timepiece for CA? Kinda like Ivan Floch's UW control from PT M15 (sphinx Rev + that artifact). I know it's a stretch to compare sphinx rev to epiphany, but you get the idea. Is it that much of a liability to let the opponent choose the pile?
No one is mentioning Jeskai. Nahiri is a solid reason to run Jeskai. She is everything you want in a PW. She filters, she "can" impact the board the turn she is played, and her ultimate if ran correctly can end the game. Another card I think all control decks should consider or run... is Filigree Familiar. Its a 2/2 for 3, that gains life and replaces itself when it dies. What more could you want. It's literally Dovin's -1 for 3 and a 2/2 body. Its just value imo. I run 4 in my Jeskai list. I also run counters, but only 4, 3 Spell Shrivel's and the 4 drop next modual counter. As far as removal. Radiant Flames pre board is a house. Wipes everything relevant. I haven't lost a game yet. As far as removal, and draw I run the energy suite (Harnessed Lightning, GoG, and Aether Hub).
I do run a two of Fevered Visions. Which has won me games as well. Adds pressure.
No one is mentioning Jeskai. Nahiri is a solid reason to run Jeskai. She is everything you want in a PW. She filters, she "can" impact the board the turn she is played, and her ultimate if ran correctly can end the game. Another card I think all control decks should consider or run... is Filigree Familiar. Its a 2/2 for 3, that gains life and replaces itself when it dies. What more could you want. It's literally Dovin's -1 for 3 and a 2/2 body. Its just value imo. I run 4 in my Jeskai list. I also run counters, but only 4, 3 Spell Shrivel's and the 4 drop next modual counter. As far as removal. Radiant Flames pre board is a house. Wipes everything relevant. I haven't lost a game yet. As far as removal, and draw I run the energy suite (Harnessed Lightning, GoG, and Aether Hub).
I do run a two of Fevered Visions. Which has won me games as well. Adds pressure.
I personally think Nahiri works smoother with tapped out control in standard.
From a week's testing, she works great in Mardu (light black splash) with cards like Gideon, Fumigate, Harnessed Lightning, Filigree Familiar, GDD, Live Fast, and Harsh Scrutiny. And yes, Harsh Scrutiny is actually constructed worth
I agree, Jeskai with Nahiri, or Mardu with Nahiri, look very good, but they also look quite midrangey. They are very powerful decks though, and one should pay attention to them! I think jeskai has a little bit more card-draw power so I'd be inclined to go Jeskai.
I think that Nahiri summoning emrakul could be a very powerful thing: a hasty, trampling, flying 13/13 w/protection form instants is nothing to laugh at, even without the cast trigger. And since she brings him back EOT they'd better have a counterspell or discard spell in hand because you'll be doing it all over again next turn (w/ cast trigger this time).
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here is a thread to discuss control (in general) for the upcoming Kaladesh. I'm mainly interested in figuring out the control colours, as I can see multiple strategies being potentially viable:
You must know something about that card the rest of us don't if you are suggesting constructing your deck specifically to answer it. I would understand if you meant artifacts in general, but just Aetherworks Marvel?
I really want to build a Refurbish deck with the gearhulks.
G Stompy G
UR Izzet Prowess/Delver UR
UWB Spirits UWB
UWB Brain Control UWBWUB Esper Reveillark WUB
EDH:
WUBRG Horde of Notions WUBRG
W Nine-and-a-Half TailsW
WGUR Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis WGUR
I also agree with Schreckstoff that Nissa is a truck, but I found bant quite lacking in the "good, 2cmc removal" category. I ended up going to declaration in stone, which isn't terrible, but giving them a card is not something I'm too excited about (path to exile was an instant and gave them a land, so comparisons to path are not really valid imo.) I'll post a couple decks when I get a clearer picture, but my line of thinking is similar to Schreckstoff: UW are needed for card draw, answers to Eldrazi titans, and sweepers. Pure UW does not offer good 2 cmc removal (i like packing at least 4 early removal spells). So I'm thinking Esper. But the curve Grasp of Darkness -> Void shatter -> Dovin Baan -> Fumigate is impossible with the mana we have (well, at least for me, maybe someone can figure it out). So I'm planning to go WB with a splash of U for single-blue card draw, like Oath of Jace, Dovin Baan, and Glimer of Genius.
2 choked estuary
3 sunken hollow
4 prairie stream
4 shambling vent
3 aether hub
3 island
5 swamp
2 plains
Instant speed (20)
4 anticipate
4 grasp of darkness
2 negate
4 stasis snare
4 void shatter
2 succumb to temptation
4 Glimmer of Genius
1 summary dismissal
2 insidious will
1 confirm suspicions
2 Torrential Gearhulk
4 fumigate
2 ceremonious rejection
2 authority of the consuls
2 transgress the mind
3 fragmentize
3 flaying tendrils
3 liliana, the last hope
The sideboard is just a mess, but the idea is to improve our game vs x/1 and x/2 aggro decks with cards like lily, a cheaper wrath effect, and authority of the consuls (that messes up crewing vehicles and haste dudes). Fragmentize does work vs artifact decks but, most importantly, hits fevered visions decks. The other 4 cards (ceremonious rejection and transgress the mind) are there for emrakul decks. I'm not sure I like the 3 mana version of infinite obliteration, because giving a card (or more!) back to the opponent seems terrible, but it can hit walkers and other trouble permanents, so perhaps its a better match. Who knows! The maindeck is geared to be as generic as possible: grasp is the most generla 2 mana spot removal, all decks will have negate targets both early and late game (hence, it gets the not over the nerfed mana leak. All 3 mana cards hit all types of creatures (I did not include anguished unmaking as we have no way to gain back the life except for fumingate, and i'm not sure how much life we really will get back), and the 4 mana plus spels all gain card advantage (except summary dismissal but that is just too powerful vs emrakul decks to not include). So this is a pretty straightforward draw-go shell: 4 wraths, 8 spot removal spells, 10 counterspells, 11 draw/cantrip spells (if you count confirm suspicions as a draw spell as well) and the gearhulks that can flashback whatever is needed.
I did not include Metalluric summons because a 5 mana enchantment that does nothing when it hits the field seems weak. Also, this deck has an impossible time dealing with resolved planeswalkers (you could flash in a hulk and attack them in one go, but that's only good later in the game, when the opposing walker already gained a seizable value), so it's crucial to keep counter mana up for them (and summons forces you to tap out turn 5, or just rots in hand till turn 7+)
The next deck is much more midrangey, but I think it's more powerful. I don't like saying "go" knowing my opponent can resolve whatever he wants, but well... it's what it is!
2 evolving wilds
4 choked estuary
3 sunken hollow
3 prairie stream
4 shambling vent
3 aether hub
2 island
4 swamp
1 plains
4 metalspinner's puzzleknot
Instants (9)
4 grasp of darkness
3 glimmer of genius
2 anguished unmaking
Sorceries (9)
3 transgress the mind
2 ruinous path
4 Fumigate
4 oath of jace
Walkers (7)
1 liliana, the last hope
4 Dovin Baan
1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
1 Sorin, Grim nemesis
Creature (1)
1 Emrakul, the promised end
The idea is similar to the other deck, but more focused on card advantage "on a stick": we have our general answers (grasp, unmaking, ruinous path), with the added bonus that all our 3 mana removal also answers planeswalkers. Our early game draw-fixer is an artifact we can sacrifice, which adds to the emrakul count (we have such a variety of types that i thought about replacing glimmer of genius with scour the laboratory, but i really want to ply the card draw on curve, and UU might not always be feasible). Card draw is all on walkers, or on Oath of Jace scry (that get out of control once you have 2 or 3 walkers out), which gives us alot of staying power. And Emrakul is just the biggest top end you could have.
Notable absentees: descend upon the sinful used to be present in my decks to prevent selfless spirit wrecking out plans, but with lili and dovin baan, he is well in check now; at the 6 mana slot I'd rather have an extra walker for extra scry power and extra life gain, since our puzzleknot and anguished unmaking will taxes our own life. Dovin + sorin + fumigate cushion our life pretty well. Also absent is any form of countermagic, but since we will regularly tap out for our walkers, there is really no room for counters. In the board I could see some ceremonious rejections and some dispel/invasive surgery mix to protect our walkers vs ruinoush path/ anguished unmaking decks.
These are the decks Ive tested so far, and they operating fine (but the do need tweaking). Let me emphasize though that my playgroup has been focused on modern recently since our local stores had a couple of medium-sized moren tournaments last month, so we did not test too much the new standard. So the sample size we have is not too big.
The problem with WB is that they lost Read the Bones. The deck has little in the way of mid-game card draw. metalspinner's puzzleknot is a good early game cantrip to hit lands, and late game Ob Nixilis Reignited is great. But keeping the flow of card sin the midgame is what worries me. Should they kill or counter your ob nixilis you'd be left top decking. Read the bones leaving really hurts WB control in my opinion.
3x Sylvan Advocate
3x Reflector Mage
SORCERIES: 6
3x Declaration in Stone (Maybe Immolating Glare?)
3x Fumigate
INSTANTS: 5
2x Negate
3x Glimmer of Genius
ENCHANTMENTS: 9
3x Authority of the Consuls
4x Oath of Nissa
2x Stasis Snare
3x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
1x Dovin Baan
3x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2x Tamiyo, Field Researcher
LANDS: 25
3x Botanical Sanctum
2x Canopy Vista
4x Evolving Wilds
4x Forest
1x Fortified Village
1x Island
3x Lumbering Falls
3x Plains
2x Prairie Stream
2x Westvale Abbey
Thoughts? A buddy of mine thought maybe a couple Gearhulks as finishers, but I'm not sure.
Another thought I had was a WU counter-spell and removal heavy Metallurgic Summonings deck, but I haven't brewed that up yet because I want to play with Tamiyo more.
replace Read the Bones with Succumb to Temptation I know you lose the scry but it's instant and I think that helps mitigate.
true, succumb is a good card. I use it for instant-speed control decks but i guess you could use it to replace read. How do you replace languish? I.e. what high impact 4-drop do you play (if any?)
There isn't any. There is nothing like Languish. But there usually isn't.
It's in a sense why I'm high on Harsh Scrutiny . Card draw and deck manipulation is not equal amongst the colorpie. It's very strong for black decks. So I'll take a scry when I can and just try to keep my opponent off creatures via as many one for ones as possible.
That said I think Gonti, Lord of Luxury is super impressive and a solid 4 drop. It has a strong ETB and is a solid blocker with deathtouch. Otherwise, pack in the removal.
Let me give you my two cents: I think this is a good deck, but not really a control one. You are not playing a long game but, rather, you plan to get to 4 lands and then bash their heads in. Control is (for me) more about answering their threats, getting them down to a virtual 0 cards in hand (literally 0 cards, or some dead removal spells they have no targets for, which is virtually the same thing). From there you win through some resilient win con that dodges their dead cards.
The way I approach control is to make sure every non-land card is at least one of these things: (1) a removal spell (1-for-1 or better, depending on cmc) (2) a counterspell or (3) a card drawing spell. Anything else I try to avoid in my control decks.
In that sense, sylvan advocate does not really belong in a control deck: it turns on their removal, and does not fit into either of the above categories. Reflector mage is sort of the same (it does remove some of their stuff, but it doesn't do it permanently, and it does turn on their otherwise dead removal). Same goes for other cards (oath of nissa, 3-mana nissa, gideon, or authority of the consuls). I think your deck is a very interesting midrange deck that will do a great job of surviving till turn 4-5, but needs to finish the game there and then. Otherwise, bigger decks with better end games (emrakul, Ulamog, Sorin, Part the waterveil) will chew it up.
My other idea (not quite brewed) is a creatureless (or maybe 3 Gearhulks, 2 white and a blue) UW deck with Metallurgic Summonings as the win con, and then counterspells and white removal/wipes as the rest of the deck. My issue is that decks like that that rely on counterspells just don't do well in this new "all midrange, all the time" Magic design phase.
2 Cataclysmic Gearhulk
1 Torrential Gearhulk
Spells:32
3 Declaration in Stone
2 Immolating Glare
2 Negate
3 Unsubstantiate
3 Stasis Snare
4 Void Shatter
3 Dovin Baan
4 Glimmer of Genius
4 Fumigate
2 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
2 Metallurgic Summonings
2 Blighted Cataract
7 Island
4 Meandering River
6 Plains
2 Port Town
4 Prairie Stream
1 Emrakul, the Promised End
Spells
2 Dovin Baan
3 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
3 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Ob Nixilis Reignited
1 Sorin, Grim Nemesis
3 Fumigate
3 Oath of Liliana
4 Grasp of Darkness
2 Blessed Alliance
4 Live Fast
2 Anguished Unmaking
2 Ruinous Path
2 Transgress the Mind
1 Blighted Fen
4 Evolving Wilds
4 Aether Hub
4 Concealed Courtyard
3 Shambling Vent
2 Sunken Hollow
1 Prairie Stream
2 Plains
4 Swamp
1 Island
3 Aerial Responder
2 Flaying Tendrils
2 Negate
1 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Transgress the Mind
2 Lost Legacy
1 Anguished Unmaking
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
- Dovin Baan helps support the deck in both his modes and serves as Gideon #5 after an Oath of Liliana. Dovin is not amazing, but he is very solid when you have others backing him up because he will do work for everyone else. Extra life gain and mid game card advantage is always welcomed.
- I'm playing around with Aether Hub as a source of all three colors that come in untapped, which is why I'm playing Live Fast as my card draw. BW is more of a tap out deck than a draw-pass one and needs to use turn 3 to set up the important 4 and 5.
- Flaying Tendrils are mostly for zombie decks. The cards you want to exile are all 2 toughness or less and their zombie tokens also.
- Aerial Responder takes really good care of aggro decks and defends your PWs from pesky flyers. Not only do they survive Flaying Tendrils (they normally get sided in together), but your opponents would have likely sided out removal since there are practically no creatures in the main.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
Cards like blessed alliance or Immolating glare (mentioned before) gives me mixed feelings. Yes, it is an "unconditional" counter for 2 mana, which is great. But, (1) there are some creatures that generate value without attacking (duskwatch recruiter, rashmi, eternities crafter are the first to come to mind), and (2) I don't like being constrained in the moment I must make my choice. In the early/midgame generally like to see how the whole turn plays out before deciding what to kill (or if to keep mana up for a counterspell), so having to commit to an action in the attack step makes me nervous.
Blessed Alliance is much better than you think though. It's good early game and amazing late game. With possibly a lot of aggressive decks early on I want the card for removal and life gain.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
By: ol MISAKA lo
Cockatrice: Infallible
I do run a two of Fevered Visions. Which has won me games as well. Adds pressure.
"There are no two words in the English language more harmful than 'good job'." -Terrance Fletcher, Whiplash (2014)
I personally think Nahiri works smoother with tapped out control in standard.
From a week's testing, she works great in Mardu (light black splash) with cards like Gideon, Fumigate, Harnessed Lightning, Filigree Familiar, GDD, Live Fast, and Harsh Scrutiny. And yes, Harsh Scrutiny is actually constructed worth
I think that Nahiri summoning emrakul could be a very powerful thing: a hasty, trampling, flying 13/13 w/protection form instants is nothing to laugh at, even without the cast trigger. And since she brings him back EOT they'd better have a counterspell or discard spell in hand because you'll be doing it all over again next turn (w/ cast trigger this time).