I'm liking your token based theme here; I would potentially suggest swapping Iroas for Purphorus as he has a much more immediate synergy with your tokens than Iroas does. Also not so sure the whip helps you very much; sure you're trying to swing but the whip has nothing in your main deck to recycle short of Zurgo. And I'd really suggest some Hero's downfalls and/or Crackling Dooms. Those are two of the most solid removals (unless you're on a budget). They would be preferable to suspension field and kill shot I think or even silence the beleivers.
Glad to see I’m not the only one seeing the control potential in these colors. Anyway here’s the list I’ve been tinkering with; mind you it’s geared a bit more towards my budget (I have most of the stuff from Theros block and I’m willing to get some Bloodstained Mires, but cards like Sarkahn are just too much for me right now).
I maindecked 2 Aegis of the Gods due to how often I’ve encountered cards that target a player or opponent (IE Siege Rhino, Ashiok, Burn Spells, and even the occasional Villainous Wealth). Storm Breath did very little so I’m trying out the Archangel since this deck is very capable of grinding into 7+ lands and the angel feels like she could be a good way to bounce back. Scholar’s mostly a mana sink. Magma Jet feels very relevant as there are many dudes with 1 or 2 toughness such as Goblin Rabblemaster and the due to my practically non existant card advantage they help smooth out the draws.
I’m near certain Sarkahn would be a mainstay in this deck if I had him as I’ve seen him to be a VERY effective card. I’m not as fond of Sorin as he simply does not feel like he does very much (I’m sure if you’re running more creatures he’s better but often the only thing I ever see people use him for is -2 token). Certainly any deck running these colors needs Crackling Dooms and Mardu Charms as Doom is the only card that fills “Make them sac a creature” niche and Mardu Charm is very versatile as both a removal and an anti control measure (and even the tokens are relevant; three solid effects).
I'm considering swapping a banishing light for another Utter end and working in more scryland.
Disperse would be best replaced with Cyclonic Rift. Turn/Burn might be a decent card to add in as well. I personally don't like drown in sorrow that much, so 2 of Ratchet Bomb might not be bad for that niche (Bile Blight ain't bad either). Also since you did say it's control maybe some Steam Augury
Some people manage to make Alms Beast work really well as a 6/6 beater, so in a controlly build might be able to make good use of him. Obzedat is a star.
Also High Preist of Penance is a decent card. Most people don't run him, but he actually makes a decent wall purely because a lot of people won't want they're big threats to hit him (unfortunatly he hates Soldier of the pantheon). Orzhov colors in general are strong because they have the biggest pool of removal and answers
I feel the format might speed up a bit, so 2 more underworld's feels a bit risky as does having 6 total scrylands. I may try mutavaulys, but I do need that consistant mana as turn 3 nightveils feel pretty crucial.
However I do agree that Pain Seer can be replaced with something better (and mutavault might not be bad in those two particular slots). So far cockatrice testing is making it feel like BW will be very dominant control/midrange variats, as well as BW/Esper humans. The slots Pain Seer currently holds feel like they need to be replaced by an efficient 2 or elss cmc creature, but the options are fairly limited there. I'm thiking Mutvault, Deathrite, or Packrat. As is Pain Seer generally dies prior to doing anything as people tend to kill him out of caution, and control which is where he's strongest seems like it'll mostly live as America (since they have the new Izzet God.)
In terms of creatues you may want to toss in Ephara, God of the Polis. If you're on a budget (I assume that's what you mean by cost) you can try Gideon, Champion of Justice. Also I did see a similar build to that today that ran Soul Tithe (which can hit non creatures) and Oppressive Rays which is a one drop. Those two might be a better option than Arrest and Pacifism. You may also want some Aegis of the Gods in there since there a lot of things that can target you these days, especially in black (Thoughtseize, Brain Maggot, Duress, lots of burn spells...)
So throughout this block, I've been doing different spins on predominantly black control. With banishing light and a few other nice cards, I feel it's a good time to go back to roughly playing my bw deck from pre bgn. Testing on Cockatrice has given me only one loss so far, but it's too early to tell how well it'll work, and I'd love to see what you guys think. So without further ado, here's the deck:
The two Hallowed fountains are of course there for extra white and Nightveil Spectres to be consistant. Mana confluence is there out of similar considerations.
Agree with the Existenz; god's in 4 of are VERY risky since you only ever need one out at a time. You could swap out 2 athreos and 2 underworld coinsmith for 2 and 2 of Baron and Obzy or something of that sort (and both WITH athreos would be good, especially Obzedat). 4 underworld connections may or may not hurt as well, but it looks like you have a decent early game with seize, maggot, and ram. Also Sphere of Safety 4 of might just be overdoing it, but hey if it ends up working then roll with it.
I will make this one complaint and that'll be it: why did they make Shimmering Grotto an uncommon in M14 and then functionally reprint it as a common in the next set? Really why is Wizards making functional reprints with absolutly no need for it? I know no one even played grotto, but i liked the card and it's kind of sad that an entire common land slot is wasted on a functional reprint rather than something fresh.
Also,
I believe some day wizards will have run out of all the synonyms of lightning and thunder and will just name the card with numbers like Yu-Gi-Oh something like "Lightning something #50" or simply tell us the truth in the name "obligatory 3dmg spell for limited take 100"
And the irony; Lighting Strike was the english name for the attack used by Summoned Skull in the YuGiOh anime
You forgot Experiment One, but that's not the point. In my opinion, all those complaints about how Incinerate is better than this new spell are a bit exaggerated...
Honestly for me at least it's not about incinerate being that much better, it's that Searing Spear to begin with just worse. Sure in standard it's a marginal difference, but I still felt that one burn spell (Searing Spear) being strictly worse than two other burn spells (bolt and Incinerate) was just a bit of an insult to red (also incinerate would've let me play Chandra incinerate ).
As far as flavor goes Magma Jet is already sort of fire themed. And if we can have a soldier raising magma, then as people have said, we can have soldiers throwing flaming spears. Better name? That's arguable at best. I feel that name is clunky. Better artwork? Ok maybe it is; doesn't mean they couldn't have just given spear a new better art. It's a cheap common so there's no reason to complain? Maybe not to you, but for the rest of us it still means having to actually go get the cards.
The point is that it may not be that big a deal, but there was still no reason for this card to exist. We only just got Spear and it isn't even a good card. Standard playable? Yes, but after that it's worthless. The only way to give it value is to reprint it. If this were maybe three standards later, than sure; functional repring is not a problem. But this is one rotation after. That's just how a lot of us feel. Feel free to disagree, but don't criticize people for expressing that.
The idea of a 3 drop burn spell that fits the Theros theme mechanicswise I feel is justified. We've had that happen with galvanic blast and burst lightning. Ain't no reason they couldn't have tacked on another effect like the devotion cheapening the cost idea that's been thrown around. THAT would've been flavor.
4 Crackling Doom
4 Hero's Downfall
4 Magma Jet
3 Mardu Charm
2 Utter End
Sorceries
3 End Hostilities
4 Thoughtseize
Enchantments
4 Banishing Light
Planeswalkers
2 Aegis of the Gods
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
2 Scholar of Athreos
Lands
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Plains
2 Mana Confluence
3 Mountain
4 Swamp
4 Temple of Silence
2 Temple of Triumph
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Aegis of the Gods
2 Despise
2 Liliana Vess
1 Empty the Pits
2 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Circle of Flame
I maindecked 2 Aegis of the Gods due to how often I’ve encountered cards that target a player or opponent (IE Siege Rhino, Ashiok, Burn Spells, and even the occasional Villainous Wealth). Storm Breath did very little so I’m trying out the Archangel since this deck is very capable of grinding into 7+ lands and the angel feels like she could be a good way to bounce back. Scholar’s mostly a mana sink. Magma Jet feels very relevant as there are many dudes with 1 or 2 toughness such as Goblin Rabblemaster and the due to my practically non existant card advantage they help smooth out the draws.
I’m near certain Sarkahn would be a mainstay in this deck if I had him as I’ve seen him to be a VERY effective card. I’m not as fond of Sorin as he simply does not feel like he does very much (I’m sure if you’re running more creatures he’s better but often the only thing I ever see people use him for is -2 token). Certainly any deck running these colors needs Crackling Dooms and Mardu Charms as Doom is the only card that fills “Make them sac a creature” niche and Mardu Charm is very versatile as both a removal and an anti control measure (and even the tokens are relevant; three solid effects).
I'm considering swapping a banishing light for another Utter end and working in more scryland.
That's pretty much it (also pithing needle btw). Also if you want to get into control matchups, he stalls well against Elspeth.
Also High Preist of Penance is a decent card. Most people don't run him, but he actually makes a decent wall purely because a lot of people won't want they're big threats to hit him (unfortunatly he hates Soldier of the pantheon). Orzhov colors in general are strong because they have the biggest pool of removal and answers
However I do agree that Pain Seer can be replaced with something better (and mutavault might not be bad in those two particular slots). So far cockatrice testing is making it feel like BW will be very dominant control/midrange variats, as well as BW/Esper humans. The slots Pain Seer currently holds feel like they need to be replaced by an efficient 2 or elss cmc creature, but the options are fairly limited there. I'm thiking Mutvault, Deathrite, or Packrat. As is Pain Seer generally dies prior to doing anything as people tend to kill him out of caution, and control which is where he's strongest seems like it'll mostly live as America (since they have the new Izzet God.)
2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2 Brain Maggot
4 Desecration Demon
2 High Preist of Penance
4 Nightveil Spectre
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
2 Pain Seer
Spells
4 Banishing Light
4 Devour Flesh
4 Hero's Downfall
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
4 Thoughtseize
2 Underworld Connections
4 Godless Shrine
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Mana Confluence
10 Swamp
4 Temple of Silence
4 Aegis of the Gods
1 Duress
2 High Preist of Penance
2 Lifebane Zombie
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Sin Collector
The two Hallowed fountains are of course there for extra white and Nightveil Spectres to be consistant. Mana confluence is there out of similar considerations.
And the irony; Lighting Strike was the english name for the attack used by Summoned Skull in the YuGiOh anime
Honestly for me at least it's not about incinerate being that much better, it's that Searing Spear to begin with just worse. Sure in standard it's a marginal difference, but I still felt that one burn spell (Searing Spear) being strictly worse than two other burn spells (bolt and Incinerate) was just a bit of an insult to red (also incinerate would've let me play Chandra incinerate
As far as flavor goes Magma Jet is already sort of fire themed. And if we can have a soldier raising magma, then as people have said, we can have soldiers throwing flaming spears. Better name? That's arguable at best. I feel that name is clunky. Better artwork? Ok maybe it is; doesn't mean they couldn't have just given spear a new better art. It's a cheap common so there's no reason to complain? Maybe not to you, but for the rest of us it still means having to actually go get the cards.
The point is that it may not be that big a deal, but there was still no reason for this card to exist. We only just got Spear and it isn't even a good card. Standard playable? Yes, but after that it's worthless. The only way to give it value is to reprint it. If this were maybe three standards later, than sure; functional repring is not a problem. But this is one rotation after. That's just how a lot of us feel. Feel free to disagree, but don't criticize people for expressing that.
The idea of a 3 drop burn spell that fits the Theros theme mechanicswise I feel is justified. We've had that happen with galvanic blast and burst lightning. Ain't no reason they couldn't have tacked on another effect like the devotion cheapening the cost idea that's been thrown around. THAT would've been flavor.