MTG Salvation

Regarding the thread title, I've been compiling some information since the start of post-BNG. Part of this was to help decide what to play, although I haven't followed my own advice just yet. I added up all the appearances of each deck type in the events posted on tcgplayer, starting at 2/8 up to present (I believe this represents the post-BNG metagame thus far). Then I found the percentages that those decks accounted for out of all deck appearances listed (these are typical top 4/8/16). I haven't given more weight to decks that get first vs decks that get 4th or whatever, because I think the difference between the decks at the top of any big event are pretty negligible. Here are the results:
Monoblack Devotion 20.65%
Gruul Midrange 11.61%
Azorius Control 10.97%
Orzhov Control 10.32%
Monoblue Devotion 8.39%
Esper Control 5.16%
Esper Midrange 3.23%
RG Devotion 3.23%
RW/Naya Devotion 3.23%
Selesnya Aggro 3.23%
Golgari Midrange 1.94%
Monoblack Aggro 1.94%
American Control 1.29%
Bant Control 1.29%
Bant Midrange 1.29%
Boros Midrange 1.29%
Orzhov Aggro 1.29%
Rakdos Aggro 1.29%
Red Deck Wins 1.29%
Azorius Auras 0.65%
Boros Aggro 0.65%
Dimir Control 0.65%
GB Devotion 0.65%
Jund Aggro 0.65%
Jund Midrange 0.65%
Junk Reanimator 0.65%
Monored Devotion 0.65%
Naya Auras 0.65%
Naya Midrange 0.65%
UW Devotion 0.65%

A high percentage here could reflect either high frequency of use or high frequency of wins (or both, but definitely not neither). However, most competitive players play a deck that they think is either the best or near the best, so I think we can assume that this is a good indication of the power level of these decks.

I had Psychic Strike in there before. The thing is, mill of 2 is not usually going to have a big effect on the game, and I'd much rather have Scry 1. And the only reason I use Pilfered Plans (which is also mill 2) is that Divination literally has nothing over it if you have black mana available.

I've also made a few changes to the sideboard:

• 3 Negate
  
• 3 Duress
  
• 3 Drown in Sorrow
  
• 3 Dark Betrayal
  
• 3 Far // Away
  

Added Far // Away against midrange decks.

This is what I'm working on at the moment:

• 4 Hallowed Fountain
  
• 4 Watery Grave
  
• 4 Godless Shrine
  
• 4 Temple of Deceit
  
• 4 Temple of Silence
  
• 4 Temple of Enlightenment
  
• 2 Jace, Memory Adept
  
• 2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
  
• 3 Supreme Verdict
  
• 4 Detention Sphere
  
• 4 Dissolve
  
• 3 Nullify
  
• 3 Hero's Downfall
  
• 3 Thoughtseize
  
• 4 Quicken
  
• 4 Sphinx's Revelation
  
• 3 Pilfered Plans
  
• 1 Elixir of Immortality
  

Sideboard

• 3 Negate
  
• 3 Duress
  
• 3 Drown in Sorrow
  
• 1 Ratchet Bomb
  
• 1 Pithing Needle
  
• 4 Dark Betrayal
  

So the basic principle is that it tries to operate like successful UW Control decks that rely on just a couple win conditions and the rest is control, except the win conditions are mill instead. I know Quicken is a bit of an oddity here, but I've never felt bad about drawing this card. The problem I've always encountered without it is that sometimes you have that supreme verdict and a dissolve, but not enough mana to use both. Control wants to play as many cards during the opponent's turn as possible, so that it's never tapped out when it needs to counter. And Quicken solves that problem, has a negligible casting cost, and replaces itself. If nothing else, it can be dumped at opponent's EOT for something else. I generally add them to the deck by turning 4 4-ofs into 3-ofs, since with Quicken you are going to dig deeper into the library anyway.

The sideboard is where I feel the greatest uncertainty. Against control, I have Negate and Duress to replace Nullify and Supreme Verdict. Against aggro, I have Drown in Sorrow to replace Hero's Downfall. Dark Betrayal is an additional force against Rakdos Aggro, and also against Monoblack Devotion. I'm unsure about Ratchet Bomb and Pithing Needle. They seem like obvious choices but I've never really been sure when to bring them in.

I feel like it's almost there, but still struggling. The thing that would make the deck great is an anti-creature enchantment of some kind. Maybe in the next set...

Mostly what I am looking for is... is this the best I can expect to do with the concept of creatureless esper control/mill currently? The deck went 2-2 at the local weekly Standard this week, but I didn't have the Temple of Enlightenment yet, and the losses taught me that I need Dark Betrayal badly as an option for Rakdos Aggro (the 3/1 haste Spike Jester is pretty rough for this deck that otherwise would need to wait until Downfall/Drown in Sorrow/Verdict is an option).

I am currently preparing for playing in a PTQ in early March. I have very little experience with big events like this. I'm currently working on an Esper mill deck to be different, but unless it starts turning out some 4-0 wins at the local weekly Standard it's unlikely I will play this at PTQ. Otherwise, I have narrowed the options down to Azorius Control, Orzhov Control, and Gruul Midrange. My primary concern is beating Monoblack Devotion reliably, since that is the deck that represents the most of the metagame at this time. I don't want to actually play Monoblack Devotion because I think you only need a couple matches facing someone that has built specifically against it to be screwed. Of those three decks, any suggestions on which is best positioned against Monoblack Devotion?