i agree with reddead38 about the keyrunes and snapcasters.
i also agree with the geist-part. i have found that tribute to hunger and magmaquake might be the best answers to have in main for geist since the instant-speed is really relevant against the decks that run it. but i have to strongly disagree about the card draw part. it is very important for a (permission) control deck to have pure card advantage cards such as think twice to "win through card advantage" and to have something to do on your opponents turn if you didnt need or didnt have your instant-removal/counter. i have been going with 4 Think twice/Desperate ravings and 3 forbidden alchemy for over a year now in permission control decks and i found it to be exactly right for me. you can go as low as a 3/2 split if you play copies of jace, architect of thought but i wouldnt go lower.
also i dont like to have conditional counters (negate, essence scatter) in the mainboard because you rely on having the right one in certain situations and they are good in certain matchups but suck in others. dont know if you tried syncopate yet. it has been working really well for me.
I mainboard 3 syncopate because it can hit anything and will exile it I also usually have a mana advantage . Also I like rolling temblor over magmaquake for 2 reasons it costs 3 mana for 2 damage instead of 4 also it has flashback making it a 2 for 1 card. And how has the draw go permission control working?
seems like a good start, some things to think about though. if you get an early game geist of saint traft can you really expect to dig out your single barter in blood? also no rakdos keyrune? that card can easily be one of the most essential cards we have because for 3 colorless it sures up 2 colors of our mana base, provides us with a 3/1 first strike creature for blocking and chipping away at our opponents and it is very difficult to board wipe. Tamiyo the moon sageis also a very good card to have because if your opponent as only one creature, you dont need to waste a removal spell and she can draw u cards or go ultimate. also have you tested with olivia volarden yet? when i tried using her she always sat dead on the field vs control and aggro always had a searing spear/dreadbore/murder waiting for her. and finally draw and snapcaster.. do you need the 4 think twice? if you replaced the draw with more versatile answers would you need to keep digging for answers? and i think more snapcaster mage are good because they double the amount of removal spells in your deck.. anyway thats my opinion.
First my match ups
Game 1 I played against a golgari grave stack deck running boneyard wurms splinterfright disciple of bolas finishing with kessig cage breakers and smashed him both games with demonic rising and more removal than he could handle.
Game 2 I played a guw super friends control with garruk primal, tamiyo, and jace architect. Ended up winning via my second bolas bc he detention spheres the first one. Next game I added duress and did about the same thing.
Game 3 I played aggro uw human/geist/sublime archangel. Won match one bc he had to mull down to 4 second game I turn 2 augur to slow down his Thalia and grabbed a rolling temblor he then dropped geist and I played nighthawk he then dropped silverblade paliden and swung bonding the angel to silverblade. Turn 4 I rolling temblored and regained control for the rest of the game.
Lost game 4 to gw midrange bc of simple deck malfunction both games.
Now to running 2 Nicol bolas definitely I want to see him
Second vs a fast aggro I lose game 1 but my sb tears them apart
And no steam vents bc the ones I ordered for the event did not arrive on time so I had to improvise
And finally augur of bolas I only run 2 bc he does not always hit cards I want but he helps vs aggro when I need more blockers and I side in more instant and sorceries
Less talrand the sky summoner bc he is legendary. Some kind or board sweeper to deal with hexproof creatures like geist so mizzium mortars. bonfire of the dammed. or rolling tembor or instead of sweepers force sacs with tribute to hunger. and barter in blood
Notes- sideboard it built against control and not running steam vents/blood crypt for economical reasons
All opinions and criticism is encouraged thanks.
I mainboard 3 syncopate because it can hit anything and will exile it I also usually have a mana advantage . Also I like rolling temblor over magmaquake for 2 reasons it costs 3 mana for 2 damage instead of 4 also it has flashback making it a 2 for 1 card. And how has the draw go permission control working?
seems like a good start, some things to think about though. if you get an early game geist of saint traft can you really expect to dig out your single barter in blood? also no rakdos keyrune? that card can easily be one of the most essential cards we have because for 3 colorless it sures up 2 colors of our mana base, provides us with a 3/1 first strike creature for blocking and chipping away at our opponents and it is very difficult to board wipe. Tamiyo the moon sageis also a very good card to have because if your opponent as only one creature, you dont need to waste a removal spell and she can draw u cards or go ultimate. also have you tested with olivia volarden yet? when i tried using her she always sat dead on the field vs control and aggro always had a searing spear/dreadbore/murder waiting for her. and finally draw and snapcaster.. do you need the 4 think twice? if you replaced the draw with more versatile answers would you need to keep digging for answers? and i think more snapcaster mage are good because they double the amount of removal spells in your deck.. anyway thats my opinion.
Game 1 I played against a golgari grave stack deck running boneyard wurms splinterfright disciple of bolas finishing with kessig cage breakers and smashed him both games with demonic rising and more removal than he could handle.
Game 2 I played a guw super friends control with garruk primal, tamiyo, and jace architect. Ended up winning via my second bolas bc he detention spheres the first one. Next game I added duress and did about the same thing.
Game 3 I played aggro uw human/geist/sublime archangel. Won match one bc he had to mull down to 4 second game I turn 2 augur to slow down his Thalia and grabbed a rolling temblor he then dropped geist and I played nighthawk he then dropped silverblade paliden and swung bonding the angel to silverblade. Turn 4 I rolling temblored and regained control for the rest of the game.
Lost game 4 to gw midrange bc of simple deck malfunction both games.
Now to running 2 Nicol bolas definitely I want to see him
Second vs a fast aggro I lose game 1 but my sb tears them apart
And no steam vents bc the ones I ordered for the event did not arrive on time so I had to improvise
And finally augur of bolas I only run 2 bc he does not always hit cards I want but he helps vs aggro when I need more blockers and I side in more instant and sorceries
4x blood crypt
1x desolate lighthouse
4x dragonskull summit
4x drowned catacomb
2x evolving wilds
3x island
3x sulfur falls
1x mountain
2x swamp
2x lone revenant
4x snapcaster mage
3x vampire nighthawk
2x augur of bolas
3x forbidden alchemy
3x syncopate
3x barter in blood
2x dreadbore
1x mizzium mortars
1x sever the bloodline
3x pillar of flame
1x devils play
2x rakdos keyrune
2x nicol bolas planeswalker
1x tamiyo the moon sage
3x duress
4x rolling temblor
1x pillar of flame
2x dungeon geist
2x evil twin
2x fires of undeath
1x sever the bloodline
Loookingfor some feedback and opinions
Main deck
3x tribute to hunger
3x barter in blood
4x pillar of flame
3x searing spear
3x magmaquake
2x augur of bolas
2x Olivia volarden
3x shimian specter
4x snapcaster mage
3x izzet charm
3x mizzium mortars
2x gilded lotus
3x drowned catacomb
4x dragon skull summit
5x mountain
5x swamp
3x island
4x appetite for brains
4x duress
2x Rakdos return
3x mind rot
2x frightful delusion
Notes- sideboard it built against control and not running steam vents/blood crypt for economical reasons
All opinions and criticism is encouraged thanks.