What I like most about this card is Sorin giving you the bird.
This deck is a midrange/control deck that relies on discards, efficient removal, and card advantage.
discard package:
Thoughtseize/Inquisition/LotV
This trio needs no paragraph. These are the core 12 of an 8-rack deck that aims to minimalize hands/threats.
efficient removal:
Path to Exile/Anguished Unmaking/Utter End/Wraths
Cheap removal, Versatile removal, and mass removal
card advantage:
night's whisper/phyrexian arena
simple: life for card draw
protect life cards:
GideonotTrials/Gideon Jura/Pulse of the Fields
Both Gideons can prevent damage as well as turn around and attack. Both of these functions are extremely important. The can't lose emblem is added incentive to play more Gideon's.
You might laugh at Pulse. Don't. This deck is very good at minimalizing threats. Between the discards, removals, and planeswalkers, its pretty hard to get combat damage through in big chunks. The vast majority of the time, Pulse simply stalls the game out. This allows NW/Arena to accumulate card advantage. It is not uncommon for a single Pulse to be re-casted several times over.
So how does the deck win?
It wins by trading life for draw/removal
-Caves of Koilos
-Shocklands/Fetches
-Thoughtseize
-Night's Whisper
-Anguished Unmaking
-Phyrexian Arena
The deck is surprisingly resilient and Repay in Kind is a high power card that just about guarantees a victory sans countermagic.
Hope you will try it out and play along with me.
Burn can be problematic in G1. Same as Tron. Sideboard makes matchups favorable in G2/3
Moon can be brutal if they draw it. There are A LOT of double BB or WW cards in here.
UW control is tough because we're more proactive than reactive. We just can't interact with everyone playing on our turn too well.
Scapeshift is trouble.
Anything creature based is generally a pretty easy matchup.
Edit: I'm currently experimenting with 2 less LotV and 2 more Pushes
Axis is interesting. I will have to test that one. The only bad part would be I can't just instagib someone. But it does have the cheaper cost and as such mentioned.
Yeah I kind of like the extra couple pushes over 2 LotV. There are just so many 3 and 4 drops that I like being able to do something besides discard/nw/ and the rare path. I think it fits the curve better. Those couple pushes fit that timeframe before a wrath, or hey, you Lili, I can protect your sacrifice with a Push behind it on an empty hand.
I can't do Sorin's Vengeance, this deck literally doesn't attack opponent, except with Repay in Kind. I mean yes, I can send Gideon's on offense, which does happen, but Path is in literally every white deck. If I am sending Gideons, the game's already won anyway. I rarely do send them unless I just Repay'd to get them within a few life.
So if I were to add 2 CB's and a TR.
In fact you could could make a strong case to replace a night's whisper with sign in blood. Just some extra reach. Or maybe even split it.
Edit:
I know you're going to say Pulse... before you do, understand that the entire deck is basically removal. It's nearly impossible to build a board here, and if you do... that's the reason for 4 wrath's. I'm not doing any damage at all until I'm ready to win the game in one shot. You have a creature or two out that slipped through all the removal? Fine, Pulse will keep pace. Card gets even sillier the longer the game goes on. Last game Pulse literally gained me probably close to 50 life. I'm not exaggerating, it's THAT ridiculous. It's the reason I want to run 4 Arena's. This card can literally keep up with 2 arena's on board in some cases.
There are times, that yes, Reinforcements is better. The chump blockers and extra 2 life can be very relevant. But the power level of Pulse is ridiculous. I do want Timely Reinforcements, and it's likely at the expense of a discard. Those discards are a nice setup to repay in kind btw. Phew, coast is clear.
What's your take on healing grace? It's basically a 2 for 1 against burn, sans crack. Having to choose a source of damage sucks but it otherwise can protect planeswalker or be an instant 6 life for 1 mana.
I'm finding it brutality difficult to use. I don't need the 2 damage and can't discard anything here.
What I like most about this card is Sorin giving you the bird.
This deck is a midrange/control deck that relies on discards, efficient removal, and card advantage.
discard package:
Thoughtseize/Inquisition/LotV
This trio needs no paragraph. These are the core 12 of an 8-rack deck that aims to minimalize hands/threats.
efficient removal:
Path to Exile/Anguished Unmaking/Utter End/Wraths
Cheap removal, Versatile removal, and mass removal
card advantage:
night's whisper/phyrexian arena
simple: life for card draw
protect life cards:
GideonotTrials/Gideon Jura/Pulse of the Fields
Both Gideons can prevent damage as well as turn around and attack. Both of these functions are extremely important. The can't lose emblem is added incentive to play more Gideon's.
You might laugh at Pulse. Don't. This deck is very good at minimalizing threats. Between the discards, removals, and planeswalkers, its pretty hard to get combat damage through in big chunks. The vast majority of the time, Pulse simply stalls the game out. This allows NW/Arena to accumulate card advantage. It is not uncommon for a single Pulse to be re-casted several times over.
So how does the deck win?
It wins by trading life for draw/removal
-Caves of Koilos
-Shocklands/Fetches
-Thoughtseize
-Night's Whisper
-Anguished Unmaking
-Phyrexian Arena
And then:
Repay in Kind
+
Gideon of the Trials or Gideon Jura
Method A:
GoT Emblem, zero life, Repay in Kind
Method B:
4-6 life(depending on the Gideon), Repay in Kind, attack with Gideon
4 Concealed Courtyard
4 Marsh Flats
4 Caves of Koilos
4 Plains
4 Swamp
2 Field of Ruin
1 Godless Shrine
Planeswalker
4 Liliana of the Veil
3 Gideon of the Trials
1 Gideon Jura
Sorcery
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Thoughtseize
4 Night's Whisper
2 Damnation
2 Wrath of God
1 Razaketh's Rite
1 Repay in Kind
2 Path to Exile
3 Pulse of the Fields
2 Anguished Unmaking
1 Utter End
Enchantment
3 Phyrexian Arena
2 Damping Sphere
2 Defense Grid
2 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
4 Healing Grace
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
The deck is surprisingly resilient and Repay in Kind is a high power card that just about guarantees a victory sans countermagic.
Hope you will try it out and play along with me.
Burn can be problematic in G1. Same as Tron. Sideboard makes matchups favorable in G2/3
Moon can be brutal if they draw it. There are A LOT of double BB or WW cards in here.
UW control is tough because we're more proactive than reactive. We just can't interact with everyone playing on our turn too well.
Scapeshift is trouble.
Anything creature based is generally a pretty easy matchup.
Edit: I'm currently experimenting with 2 less LotV and 2 more Pushes
It costs less mana and get even net you life after the exchange, it also opens up Idyllic Tutor as a tutor as other enchantments it can get.
Here is an example (though not a great one) of this deck - https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/against-the-odds-axis-of-mortality-modern
Another option for an expensive sorcery finisher spell can be Sorin's Vengeance.
I'd also generally prefer Dark Petition (and maybe also Beseech the Queen/Mastermind's Acquisition) to Razaketh's Rite as a tutor.
Also, you should really include Collective Brutality and Timely Reinforcements in the deck.
Yeah I kind of like the extra couple pushes over 2 LotV. There are just so many 3 and 4 drops that I like being able to do something besides discard/nw/ and the rare path. I think it fits the curve better. Those couple pushes fit that timeframe before a wrath, or hey, you Lili, I can protect your sacrifice with a Push behind it on an empty hand.
I can't do Sorin's Vengeance, this deck literally doesn't attack opponent, except with Repay in Kind. I mean yes, I can send Gideon's on offense, which does happen, but Path is in literally every white deck. If I am sending Gideons, the game's already won anyway. I rarely do send them unless I just Repay'd to get them within a few life.
So if I were to add 2 CB's and a TR.
In fact you could could make a strong case to replace a night's whisper with sign in blood. Just some extra reach. Or maybe even split it.
Edit:
I know you're going to say Pulse... before you do, understand that the entire deck is basically removal. It's nearly impossible to build a board here, and if you do... that's the reason for 4 wrath's. I'm not doing any damage at all until I'm ready to win the game in one shot. You have a creature or two out that slipped through all the removal? Fine, Pulse will keep pace. Card gets even sillier the longer the game goes on. Last game Pulse literally gained me probably close to 50 life. I'm not exaggerating, it's THAT ridiculous. It's the reason I want to run 4 Arena's. This card can literally keep up with 2 arena's on board in some cases.
There are times, that yes, Reinforcements is better. The chump blockers and extra 2 life can be very relevant. But the power level of Pulse is ridiculous. I do want Timely Reinforcements, and it's likely at the expense of a discard. Those discards are a nice setup to repay in kind btw. Phew, coast is clear.
I'm finding it brutality difficult to use. I don't need the 2 damage and can't discard anything here.
Testing myth realized. It's not terrible. It's quite good with an online LotV.
Lili top decking and the 1 mana investment to turn on a 5/5 is not bad. Tossing in a Gideon with it is a fast clock.
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
3 Night's Whisper
2 Collective Brutality
2 Wrath of God
2 Damnation
1 Timely Reinforcements
1 Repay in Kind
2 Path to Exile
2 Fatal Push
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Utter End
2 Pulse of the Fields
Enchantment
3 Phyrexian Arena
Planeswalker
4 Liliana of the Veil
2 Gideon of the Trials
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Concealed Courtyard
4 Marsh Flats
2 Caves of Koilos
2 Fetid Heath
1 Godless Shrine
2 Field of Ruin
4 Swamp
4 Plains
Try it out, let me know what you think