The more I play with JTMS the more I think he's just not good in this kind of build. Turn 4 I rarely if ever want to tap out for him and if I do, it's for a desperation Brainstorm to find an answer for my next turn. If I don't drop him T4, I end up discarding him to LotV. I also dropped JVP because he's too low impact and was hardly relevant in a lot of matchups.
I played a bunch of side events with BUG Midrange (BGu) and Jeskai/UW control is miserable if they land a Teferi. The matchup seems very hard since they have so much removal. I believe this build is better against aggro (all in aggro) and midrange but is terrible against go wide aggro and draw go control.
Not sure How I want to tweak it but I've gone up to the full 6 discard package and want to test out 2x Kalitas. I really like Nissa/Serum Visions/Grim Flayer+Bob. Ashiok is too swingy and either very meh or very good, I think I"m going to remove it for a Thrunn to help my control matchup. Some other considerations for Kalitas replacements would be Vendilion Clique or Damnation. I also want to add another cast down but don't know where to trim. The most obvious spot for me would be removing 1x IoK.
For those wondering, I dropped the heavy control version of BUG because although I enjoyed it, I'm just too slow of a control player and I kept going to time.
@Flippen Salvation nice to see another control build
I really wanted bitterblossom to work but feel like it works better in a less painful UB build. BUG just requires too much fetching up front. And adding lifegain MB just isn't worth it. I even cut scooze because the G requirements are so high when I'd rather be getting UB for Snap/Cryptic/removal. In my brief testing I only splashed G for Goyfs, abrupt decay and maelstrom pulse and found it helped smooth out my mana a lot.
Totally agree that Ashiok is SO GOOD when it's good but totally garbage when it's irrelevant. I've moved Ashiok to SB and it's performed well there.
I'd also replace the spell snare/censor with a manaleak or logic knot. What spells are you scared of that are 2CMC? all I can think of a creatures and with all the MB removal, it should be fine to let it resolve. How has remand been for you? Seems like it would be good because the deck is a little more tempo-y than traditional control.
Clique is good too, I've been trying to find a spot to put it in but would rather have IoK/Thoughtseize lol.
Lastly, why no IoK/Thoughtseize? I found it helps to set up my Serum visions and decision paths of what to counter/kill
Finally got to play again tonight with Sultai control with some minor changes. Overall it feels good but haven't played anything super aggressive yet. Not much to report. Search for Azcanta might get removed for maybe 2x JVP, especially if I keep the Nissa. Just feels awkward keeping it in hand when there's better things to cast. I also find that I can hide behind cryptics/goyfs and fate seal my way to victory instead of brainstorming to death.
MB
-1 damnation
+1 Nissa, steward of elements
SB
+1 damping sphere (want 2 but havent had a chance to pick it up)
+1 damnation
-1 nihil spellbomb
-1 ashiok
Round 1 vs Bant counters company
Game 1: he couldn't get past a goyf and I couldn't deal with the knight of reliquary. He managed to get a bunch of creatures out and went wide while I just drew lands.
Game 2: I was about to win this game but game 1 took so long that I gave him the win since he's a friend and I wasn't going to make it through to game 3
0-1
Round 2 vs waste not
Game 1: held up removal/counters for waste not/Liliana's caress and beat in with goyfs and ulted Nissa
Game 2: held up removal/counters for waste not/Liliana's caress and ulted a Jace
1-1
Round 3 vs eldrazi taxes
Game 1: Damnation + Jace fate seal + goyf = GG
Game 2: he was mana screwed, I landed a Jace and made sure he couldn't draw more lands. Ulted Jace.
2-1 overall
For the delirium build, I found it to be clunky and a little slow. I found Flayer just died to removal or was outclassed by bigger creatures. I'd also be delving into a Tasigur but didn't have mana to use his ability so I think Gurmag angler is better in this build. Overall in my limited experience I think Abzan is a better shell for delirium BGx. Better hate in the board, more removal in paths and better cards to stall with in Lingering Souls.
The second build on the other hand plays very much like Jund/Abzan, more like Abzan since it's not as aggressive. I found it way weaker than both Jund and Abzan. I don't have the reach of R nor do I have the evasion of Souls/lifegain of Rhino. Once I get to the long game my spells are easily getting outclassed by more powerful spells or the card advantage that control decks have. Again I feel like Jund/Abzan are stronger.
I didn't see your notes until now but they are interesting. I'll incorporate Stubborn denial and Architects of Will to the delirium build if I choose to go back to it. Got around to thinking why would I play blue and the other option is a more traditional control style. Decided to build this and am pretty happy with how it plays so far. My losses were definitely because I usually play a more aggro/midrange mindset of "how do I win the fastest" instead of "how do I not lose each turn". This leans more UB control splashing green for goyfs, abrupt decay and maelstrom pulse. I like it more than straight UB control because I personally like to drop fatties to use as shields and having hard removal.
Match 1 - vs Naya Zoo (but a more combo version with 8 pacts, the red and green ones)
Game 1 - Buried him with hand disruption I dropped a goyf and stonewalled his creatures.
Game 2 - he had the nut draw and I lost turn 3
Game 3 - I didn't play around a path to exile even though I had the Cryptic Command to last another turn (and I knew he played paths). I tapped his creatures and went in with Goyf and Tar pit. He pathed Goyf and swung back for lethal.
Match 2 - MonoW taxes
Game 1 - this was super grindy. I had a great boardstate of Ashiok, Jace and Ltlh emblem out but only 2 life. I should have cast another flyer with Ashiok but I decided to mill him more. Big mistake, he vialed in a flickerwisp on end step and killed me.
Game 2 - I got trapped under Arbiter and Thalia. Couldn't push thalia or arbiter because he kept flickering them and I couldn't muster enough mana to damnation.
Match 3 - Waste not combo
Game 1 - I rip apart his hand and drop some goyfs
Game 2 - his hand was too redundant and got the waste not combo online killing me turn 3
Game 3 - He opens with the black leyline leaving me with 2/3 Goyfs. I play around waste not leaving up abrupt decay/counter magic for it. Surgical extract it and go in for the kill with goyf, snaps and tar pits.
Ashiok was actually mainboard and really liked it. I can see how it's powerful and might leave it MB but I think I might like Azcanta to help smooth out my draws. I'll test some more and try it out but I personally like this build more than the BGu versions. They play like Jund/Abzan but don't have the power level to compete. I really missed the reach/removal from Jund and Souls/Rhino/sideboard from Abzan. The only area I think improves is Tron matchups where I can counter Karns/Ugins.
Lotv would have been good against MonoW taxes but otherwise didn't miss it that much. It's nice not having to live off my top deck ahhaha
I played a few matches with this but overall I lost to aggro pretty badly if I drew the wrong side of my deck. I found I had to choose to tap out to put a threat on the board early or hold up mana to be reactionary. Probably just my inexperience with BGx decks but found it especially difficult with Snaps. There were a few situations where I probably should have Snap/IOK instead of holding up Snap/Push.
The other version I've been trying is with Bobs that I feel more experienced with. Added some Brutalities MB so I can gain life/get value out of dead bobs and discard. Before tweaking this I found I was losing to myself because I couldn't close out games fast enough. Thinking about adding Tireless trackers but not sure what to cut out. I'm just struggling with finding a reason why I would play Sultai over Jund/Abzan with this version. If Jace lives, I'm probably already winning and serum visions is pretty meh.
Longtime lurker.. I picked up the deck recently and started messing around with it and thought the new Nissa could be cool in this. Still playtesting so nothing to report yet. I only play at FNM level so take my future reports with a grain of salt.
I've been having a hard time with Death's Shadow and looked at Rapid hybridization as my hard removal. Sideboard looks like this
I played a bunch of side events with BUG Midrange (BGu) and Jeskai/UW control is miserable if they land a Teferi. The matchup seems very hard since they have so much removal. I believe this build is better against aggro (all in aggro) and midrange but is terrible against go wide aggro and draw go control.
Not sure How I want to tweak it but I've gone up to the full 6 discard package and want to test out 2x Kalitas. I really like Nissa/Serum Visions/Grim Flayer+Bob. Ashiok is too swingy and either very meh or very good, I think I"m going to remove it for a Thrunn to help my control matchup. Some other considerations for Kalitas replacements would be Vendilion Clique or Damnation. I also want to add another cast down but don't know where to trim. The most obvious spot for me would be removing 1x IoK.
For those wondering, I dropped the heavy control version of BUG because although I enjoyed it, I'm just too slow of a control player and I kept going to time.
Latest list:
1 Blooming Marsh
1 Breeding Pool
2 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Darkslick Shores
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
4 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
Instants
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Cast Down
3 Fatal Push
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
4 Serum Visions
1 Maelstrom Pulse
Creatures
4 Dark Confidant
2 Grim Flayer
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
Walkers
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 Nissa, Steward of Elements
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Collective Brutality
2 Damping Sphere
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Golgari Charm
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
I really wanted bitterblossom to work but feel like it works better in a less painful UB build. BUG just requires too much fetching up front. And adding lifegain MB just isn't worth it. I even cut scooze because the G requirements are so high when I'd rather be getting UB for Snap/Cryptic/removal. In my brief testing I only splashed G for Goyfs, abrupt decay and maelstrom pulse and found it helped smooth out my mana a lot.
Totally agree that Ashiok is SO GOOD when it's good but totally garbage when it's irrelevant. I've moved Ashiok to SB and it's performed well there.
I'd also replace the spell snare/censor with a manaleak or logic knot. What spells are you scared of that are 2CMC? all I can think of a creatures and with all the MB removal, it should be fine to let it resolve. How has remand been for you? Seems like it would be good because the deck is a little more tempo-y than traditional control.
Clique is good too, I've been trying to find a spot to put it in but would rather have IoK/Thoughtseize lol.
Lastly, why no IoK/Thoughtseize? I found it helps to set up my Serum visions and decision paths of what to counter/kill
MB
-1 damnation
+1 Nissa, steward of elements
SB
+1 damping sphere (want 2 but havent had a chance to pick it up)
+1 damnation
-1 nihil spellbomb
-1 ashiok
Round 1 vs Bant counters company
Game 1: he couldn't get past a goyf and I couldn't deal with the knight of reliquary. He managed to get a bunch of creatures out and went wide while I just drew lands.
Game 2: I was about to win this game but game 1 took so long that I gave him the win since he's a friend and I wasn't going to make it through to game 3
0-1
Round 2 vs waste not
Game 1: held up removal/counters for waste not/Liliana's caress and beat in with goyfs and ulted Nissa
Game 2: held up removal/counters for waste not/Liliana's caress and ulted a Jace
1-1
Round 3 vs eldrazi taxes
Game 1: Damnation + Jace fate seal + goyf = GG
Game 2: he was mana screwed, I landed a Jace and made sure he couldn't draw more lands. Ulted Jace.
2-1 overall
For the delirium build, I found it to be clunky and a little slow. I found Flayer just died to removal or was outclassed by bigger creatures. I'd also be delving into a Tasigur but didn't have mana to use his ability so I think Gurmag angler is better in this build. Overall in my limited experience I think Abzan is a better shell for delirium BGx. Better hate in the board, more removal in paths and better cards to stall with in Lingering Souls.
The second build on the other hand plays very much like Jund/Abzan, more like Abzan since it's not as aggressive. I found it way weaker than both Jund and Abzan. I don't have the reach of R nor do I have the evasion of Souls/lifegain of Rhino. Once I get to the long game my spells are easily getting outclassed by more powerful spells or the card advantage that control decks have. Again I feel like Jund/Abzan are stronger.
I didn't see your notes until now but they are interesting. I'll incorporate Stubborn denial and Architects of Will to the delirium build if I choose to go back to it. Got around to thinking why would I play blue and the other option is a more traditional control style. Decided to build this and am pretty happy with how it plays so far. My losses were definitely because I usually play a more aggro/midrange mindset of "how do I win the fastest" instead of "how do I not lose each turn". This leans more UB control splashing green for goyfs, abrupt decay and maelstrom pulse. I like it more than straight UB control because I personally like to drop fatties to use as shields and having hard removal.
1 Breeding Pool
3 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Forest
3 Island
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
4 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Watery Grave
Instant
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Cryptic Command
3 Fatal Push
2 Logic Knot
2 Mana Leak
2 Damnation
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Serum Visions
2 Thoughtseize
Planeswalker
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
Enchantment
2 Search for Azcanta
Creature
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Collective Brutality
2 Countersquall
1 Damnation
2 Kitchen Finks
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Surgical Extraction
Match 1 - vs Naya Zoo (but a more combo version with 8 pacts, the red and green ones)
Game 1 - Buried him with hand disruption I dropped a goyf and stonewalled his creatures.
Game 2 - he had the nut draw and I lost turn 3
Game 3 - I didn't play around a path to exile even though I had the Cryptic Command to last another turn (and I knew he played paths). I tapped his creatures and went in with Goyf and Tar pit. He pathed Goyf and swung back for lethal.
Match 2 - MonoW taxes
Game 1 - this was super grindy. I had a great boardstate of Ashiok, Jace and Ltlh emblem out but only 2 life. I should have cast another flyer with Ashiok but I decided to mill him more. Big mistake, he vialed in a flickerwisp on end step and killed me.
Game 2 - I got trapped under Arbiter and Thalia. Couldn't push thalia or arbiter because he kept flickering them and I couldn't muster enough mana to damnation.
Match 3 - Waste not combo
Game 1 - I rip apart his hand and drop some goyfs
Game 2 - his hand was too redundant and got the waste not combo online killing me turn 3
Game 3 - He opens with the black leyline leaving me with 2/3 Goyfs. I play around waste not leaving up abrupt decay/counter magic for it. Surgical extract it and go in for the kill with goyf, snaps and tar pits.
Ashiok was actually mainboard and really liked it. I can see how it's powerful and might leave it MB but I think I might like Azcanta to help smooth out my draws. I'll test some more and try it out but I personally like this build more than the BGu versions. They play like Jund/Abzan but don't have the power level to compete. I really missed the reach/removal from Jund and Souls/Rhino/sideboard from Abzan. The only area I think improves is Tron matchups where I can counter Karns/Ugins.
Lotv would have been good against MonoW taxes but otherwise didn't miss it that much. It's nice not having to live off my top deck ahhaha
1 Blooming Marsh
1 Breeding Pool
3 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Darkslick Shores
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
4 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
Instants
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Fatal Push
1 Murderous Cut
4 Thought Scour
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Thoughtseize
Creatures
3 Grim Flayer
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Planeswalkers
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
Artifacts
3 Mishra's Bauble
1 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
3 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Collective Brutality
1 Damnation
1 Flaying Tendrils
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Kitchen Finks
2 Nature's Claim
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Pulse of Murasa
I played a few matches with this but overall I lost to aggro pretty badly if I drew the wrong side of my deck. I found I had to choose to tap out to put a threat on the board early or hold up mana to be reactionary. Probably just my inexperience with BGx decks but found it especially difficult with Snaps. There were a few situations where I probably should have Snap/IOK instead of holding up Snap/Push.
The other version I've been trying is with Bobs that I feel more experienced with. Added some Brutalities MB so I can gain life/get value out of dead bobs and discard. Before tweaking this I found I was losing to myself because I couldn't close out games fast enough. Thinking about adding Tireless trackers but not sure what to cut out. I'm just struggling with finding a reason why I would play Sultai over Jund/Abzan with this version. If Jace lives, I'm probably already winning and serum visions is pretty meh.
1 Blooming Marsh
1 Breeding Pool
3 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Darkslick Shores
1 Forest
2 Island
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
4 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave
Instants
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Fatal Push
1 Go for the Throat
2 Collective Brutality
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Serum Visions
4 Thoughtseize
Creatures
4 Dark Confidant
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Tarmogoyf
Planeswalkers
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
3 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Collective Brutality
2 Damnation
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Pulse of Murasa
2 Surgical Extraction
I'm going to put together a more controlly version with no lilis just to get first hand experience on why counters are no good.
I've been having a hard time with Death's Shadow and looked at Rapid hybridization as my hard removal. Sideboard looks like this
1 Breeding Pool
1 Flooded Grove
1 Forest
3 Island
1 Lumbering Falls
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Mountain
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Spirebluff Canal
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
Spells:
4 Aether Vial
3 Cryptic Command
1 Electrolyze
1 Familiar's Ruse
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Mana Leak
4 Remand
4 Serum Visions
2 Spell Snare
1 Vapor Snag
3 Eternal Witness
1 Scavenging Ooze
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Molten rain (no fulminators right now)
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Huntmaster of the Fells
2 Negate
2 Rapid Hybridization
2 Tormod's Crypt