I dont like that you updated the original list, bcasuse i wanted to test with all the stuff people were telling you wasnt great. I am always willing to test with "subpar cards" if someone says they are working out. Currently I am trying out your newest list, but I would appreciate it if you could pm me the old list?
Since this isn't like a 12 page primer or anything, I pretty much expected you to post a deck update, or do some sort of versioning in the original post. I sleeved up what you have now, but it feels like a completely different deck than I looked at/expected yesterday.
I apologize. Replace the Sphere of the Suns with Manaliths. Take out lands like Darkslick Shores and Blackcleave Cliffs and add more swamp and island. Take out Tamiyo for Sorin Markov. That was the major changes. I can see why I had horrible choices earlier in the deck making process.
The only thing I dislike about Cockatrice or Online Magic sites is that the shuffling is horrible. I drew 6 mana in a row in my game, instead of drawing the many outs to defend myself that I have.
lol it's not a big deal to me but I just thought I'd give you fair warning and we've all been there like he said Cockatrice is amazing for testing like that!
Ok control. My favorite archetype as it happens (although Cavern of souls made me hesitant to play it in the current meta)
Assuming that you want to stay in the same colors (grixis) here is what I would build if I was going to play grixis control, albeit a rough list off the top of my head right before I go to sleep I wont include a sideboard because that is meta dependent but there is a good deal of delver hate built in.
Personally I prefer Esper in the current meta and I would be more then happy to post a list for you in the esper forums if you would like to take a look. Or you could play R/G/W land destruction which is budget friendly and I am eager to brew x)
You can go ahead and make this Land Destruction you speak of
The deck that is in the beginning of this thread is testing ridiculously. I just had Tamaiyo, Liliana, Olivia and a stolen Restoration Angel from Olivia Voldaren. He swung his Restoration Angel, Thragtusk and Beast Token at Liliana of the Veil and then proceeded to quit. Tammy was going to ultimate next turn.
Control mostly. See its difficult to decide what creature kill spells to incorporate in here. Most of my wins come from Bolas, obviously. The downpours, with Talrand, I can take care of 4 monsters technically. I am sorry that I made this list not to the full potential. I did not want to make an imaginary list with cards I would not be able to test out. Every time I am fixing it to make it as if I have all of them; I just didn't do that in the first place
Yeah. How many Sphere of the Suns should go in here? 2 and replace the Manaliths and Gem of Becoming? If I get Tamaiyo, she will obviously go in for Sorin Markov. Her + Downpour = simple combo.
In my meta, what is mostly played are decks that must set themselves up before swinging. Pristine Talisman was not very useful in testing when I would get swung at for massive damage. The reason for Downpour in here is because Talrand is usually utilized to his full potential before any of my Planeswalkers enter the field. The flashback cards are useful, especially mid-game. I can usually defend Bolas/Karn with the 2/2 Drake swarm and get to his ultimate. Proliferating seems very useful in here but I do not want to get used to needing to proliferate when the future blocks come up.
I am not making a budget deck. This is what I have access to currently. I am not trying to be defensive and I am sorry for coming off rough. The reason Manalith is in here is because I completely forgot about Sphere of the Suns. Ponder sounds good. Okay, now I see what lands should be in here as well. Thanks, guys. I was not trying to come off like I knew what I am talking about; I just started playing last Summer and that list I put up there has been surprisingly successful in Friday Night Magic.
Here is my recent Friday Night Magic results:
7/27/2012
Match one: Timewalk 2-1
Gm1: He Noxious Revival'd Temporal Mastory and then got Entreat the Angels. Swung at me for everything.
Gm2: I was able to Blasphemous Act his Entreat the Angel's Angel spawns. He temporal mastory'd right afterwards but kept drawing more land. I was swinging with Talrand and Drake tokens. He Terminus'd next turn and then I dropped Bolas and Karn right after another. Got Bolas's ultimate off. GG
Gm3: Same as Gm2, except he had to Mulligan once so that make the game shorter.
1-0
Match two: Mono Black Demons 2-1
Gm1: I was able to Restart the game with Karn Liberated and I brought in Sorin Markov and a Swamp Turn 1.
Gm2: He sided in Memoricide and kept hitting my planeswalkers and had plenty of kill spells to kill the seven creatures I had.
Gm3: I had two Manaliths so I was able to drop Sorin, Karn and Nicol Turn 6, 7, and 8 (I used Turn 4 to control the field and stuff like that). He scooped. He was hoping to draw into Memoricide and Surgical Extraction but didn't.
2-0
Match three: Green White Humans 0-2
Do I have to go into detail? Its Green White Humans. It went exactly how you expected it to go.
Match four: Black White Control
Gm1: He beat me by O-Ringing Talrand and beating me down with Gideon Jura.
Gm2: I beat him by siding in the Forest and Naturalize and using it on Talrand. I got him down to Seven by swinging with Augur of Bolas and Talrand/Tokens and beat him with Bolas's ultimate
Gm3 (Play of the Day): I was able to Use Karn's -3 effect on an Oblivion Ring'd Bolas and the Chaos ensued from there. I was able to Ultimate and he showed his next three Draws: Sorin, Lord of Imnistrad, Swamp and Shrine of Loyal Legions. He Scooped.
3-1
Match five: Tree of Redemption Shenanigans
I had to leave because my ride had to go, but when I left my opponent used Feed the Pack on a tapped Tree of Redemption, bringing in 20 2/2 Wolves at the end of the turn.
The downpours helped with all of the decks. Diabolic Tutor > Increasing Ambition. Mystic Retrieval has helped me more than it should, bringing back Dissipate, Negate, Downpour and Murder.
Well instead of criticizing my first competitive post, why don't you tell me what to put in here. The dual lands are actually very good in here. I do not see the problem with those.
What should I put in for Manalith? Altar of the Lost? Gilded Lotus?
I apologize. Replace the Sphere of the Suns with Manaliths. Take out lands like Darkslick Shores and Blackcleave Cliffs and add more swamp and island. Take out Tamiyo for Sorin Markov. That was the major changes. I can see why I had horrible choices earlier in the deck making process.
It tests better in paper magic because the randomization on an online site just is not the same as actually shuffling the hell out of your deck.
You can go ahead and make this Land Destruction you speak of
Here is my recent Friday Night Magic results:
7/27/2012
Match one: Timewalk 2-1
Gm1: He Noxious Revival'd Temporal Mastory and then got Entreat the Angels. Swung at me for everything.
Gm2: I was able to Blasphemous Act his Entreat the Angel's Angel spawns. He temporal mastory'd right afterwards but kept drawing more land. I was swinging with Talrand and Drake tokens. He Terminus'd next turn and then I dropped Bolas and Karn right after another. Got Bolas's ultimate off. GG
Gm3: Same as Gm2, except he had to Mulligan once so that make the game shorter.
1-0
Match two: Mono Black Demons 2-1
Gm1: I was able to Restart the game with Karn Liberated and I brought in Sorin Markov and a Swamp Turn 1.
Gm2: He sided in Memoricide and kept hitting my planeswalkers and had plenty of kill spells to kill the seven creatures I had.
Gm3: I had two Manaliths so I was able to drop Sorin, Karn and Nicol Turn 6, 7, and 8 (I used Turn 4 to control the field and stuff like that). He scooped. He was hoping to draw into Memoricide and Surgical Extraction but didn't.
2-0
Match three: Green White Humans 0-2
Do I have to go into detail? Its Green White Humans. It went exactly how you expected it to go.
Match four: Black White Control
Gm1: He beat me by O-Ringing Talrand and beating me down with Gideon Jura.
Gm2: I beat him by siding in the Forest and Naturalize and using it on Talrand. I got him down to Seven by swinging with Augur of Bolas and Talrand/Tokens and beat him with Bolas's ultimate
Gm3 (Play of the Day): I was able to Use Karn's -3 effect on an Oblivion Ring'd Bolas and the Chaos ensued from there. I was able to Ultimate and he showed his next three Draws: Sorin, Lord of Imnistrad, Swamp and Shrine of Loyal Legions. He Scooped.
3-1
Match five: Tree of Redemption Shenanigans
I had to leave because my ride had to go, but when I left my opponent used Feed the Pack on a tapped Tree of Redemption, bringing in 20 2/2 Wolves at the end of the turn.
The downpours helped with all of the decks. Diabolic Tutor > Increasing Ambition. Mystic Retrieval has helped me more than it should, bringing back Dissipate, Negate, Downpour and Murder.
What should I put in for Manalith? Altar of the Lost? Gilded Lotus?
4 Augur of Bolas
2 Olivia Voldaren
Planeswalkers
2 Liliana of the Veil
2 Nicol-Bolas
1 Karn Liberated
1 Tamaiyo, the Moon Sage
Artifacts
2 Gilded Lotus
Sorcery
2 Faithless Looting
2 Mystic Retrieval
2 Pillar of Flame
2 Diabolic Tutor
3 Downpour
2 Forbidden Alchemy
2 Go for the Throat
2 Think Twice
2 Desperate Ravings
2 Negate
2 Dissipate
Lands
6 Mountain
4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Sulfur Falls
4 Island
2 Desolate Lighthouse
2 Drowned Catacomb
2 Evolving Wilds
2 Steel Sabotage
2 Curse of Death's Hold
2 Blasphemous Act
2 Witchbane Orb
2 Naturalize
2 Traitorous Blood
2 Doom Blade
1 Forest