You're totally missing the point. If you can't decide on Sphinx or Baneslayer for maindeck inclusion, running a 2/2 split isn't the answer. I may have exaggerated a bit, but I was asserting that having a lot of 2-ofs in a decklist is usually blatantly wrong, and ignoring consistency is just a terrible idea. Running 2/2/2/2 splits of your removal is fine, so long as you understand that you're playing 8 removal spells with some different names on them.
And honestly, as much of a fan as I am of Wafo-Tapa, I seriously abhor his latest list. Only 2 Jace's Ingenuity, the Belerens, not enough countermagic, and an awkward manabase. I like the underlying concept of Jace1 with Sun Titan, but I like it even more when a control deck uses the God-given gift of permission+instant draw from the most recent set. It's better for the metagame, it's totally viable, and I wish GWT had the moxy to do it for Nats.
9 countermagic seems like the correct number and it is what many people have been doing. I fail to see how the manabase is awkward?
GWT's list runs plenty of card draw engines, 6 jaces + 2 JI the belerens were probably a metagame choice because everyone was running big jaces
I think running 4 baneslayers is outdated (but some people still use this package) and 2 sphinx or 2 sun titan seems like the right number for finishers these days
My suggestion is that you figure out what you want to do with your deck, stop running a billion 2-ofs, and give it some focus. Nobody in their right mind runs 2 Baneslayer Angel and 2 Sphinx of Jwar Isle--you either run Angels or Sphinxes, not both. You can run Angels main and Sphinxes in the board, or vice versa, but you simply do not play both in the main. People play Jwar Isle because it doesn't get targetted by removal. People play Baneslayer Angel because it's a ridiculous, swingy effect. Either play the one that doesn't get targetted, or play the one that has a more game-changing effect at the cost of vulnerability. Personally, I think Baneslayer Angel is a terrible card to put into a control deck because spot removal is very good these days, and you shouldn't have to babysit your finisher to stick it through 2 Paths/Terminates/Doom Blades. It's good out of a deck comprised of 20+creatures because in those decks, it's just another great threat...but in a control deck, it's not really going to do the same kind of damage in most cases.
Building good decks doesn't have to be about playing what everyone else plays, or always running 4-ofs of almost everything in your 75. But if you want to make your decks better, you need to stop sitting on the fence and make executive decisions. You should look at your deck and think, "I want X removal spells, X counter spells, X draw spells, X land, X acceleration, X finishers," and each X is a combination of one or more different cards. Look at each card for the job it performs within its class in the control deck, and then you'll have your numbers.
2-ofs are fine in control... check out Wafo-Tapa's list:
thanks aksha, what would you cut? probably a little of the removal package like Beware recommended (I have been tending to agree with him more the more things have been shifting to control). My original was geared to take on the more heavy aggro maindeck. how did the manabase play out for you?
When I tested it, I was always holding too much spot removal, I would take some out for some draw spells (I highly recommend Jace's Ingenuity for draw go style control)
Pretty good start, I lose a counter war and he earthquakes killing my walls
Many dead cards in hand, not enough draw engines to get what I need. He spreading seas my colonnade, I have no counters left, only opened with a negate. I draw another colonnade, he terminates it, I have a dead mana leak in hand.
I condemn his sedraxis specter. I have 2 day of judgment, oring, and path in hand.
He cast cruel ultimatum with 3 mana up so I can't leak, sealing the game
0-1
Game 2:
1 Land, mulligan
6 Card hand that's ok, negate, etc. I'm on the draw.
Calcite snapper, I have no response, this will get ugly.
Jace, baneslayer, negate, path in hand. I start taking beats from a 4/1 snapper.
He blightnings, I mana leak, he mana leaks (crap my hand is basically gone)
I drop a baneslayer to deal with the snapper, 2 cards left in hand ( I'm running out of gas)
He starts digging for an answer to baneslayer( I have deprive in hand)
Baneslayer seals the game
1-1
he opens with the nuts draw
duress duress blightning ruinblaster liliana ( I Don't even think my control deck could fight that
1-2
The deck needs more draw power like Jace's Ingenuity
exactly... since we only play a land per turn I'm not playing him before turn 4 anyways... and 6 mana in 15 cards means that it's turn 8 and I've only missed 2 land drops in 8 turns. thanks for confirming my math for me. This has never seemed like a bad curve to me.
Have you even tested your own deck? If you do true randomized shuffling you are going to get your ass kicked, test this deck out on MODO or MWS so I can prove my point, I can almost guarantee that you will get stomped by the majority of tier 1 decks with your low land count
I'll test your deck for you just to prove my point, I have already put hours into developing my control list and it is really fine tuned, I can tell you 22 lands just won't work man, why don't you listen?
results of your deck on mws vs tier 1 decks will be up soon
my plan is to counter Emrakul... that's what mindbreak is for (it counters the uncounterable). but, it's mainly for g2 g3, game 1 is almost an autoloss unless I'm lucky enough to see it.
Stop arguing and just up your land count, ask any pro magic player and they will tell you that you need more lands
In a 22 land deck I can almost garauntee that you will get rolled over unless you are stacking your deck or something and mana weaving.
You will not even make it to "turn 10 to drop your baneslayer" If you miss 5 land drops in those 10 turns.. You will not have enough mana open for counters if your opponent unloads more than one threat each turn (the fauna shaman decks and mythic do this)
even if you counter the ramp in valakut they can still win by top decking lands.. and burning your face in
I wouldn't run less than 26 in a permission based build, (in fact I just won FNM with 26 lands against tier 1 decks)
9 countermagic seems like the correct number and it is what many people have been doing. I fail to see how the manabase is awkward?
GWT's list runs plenty of card draw engines, 6 jaces + 2 JI the belerens were probably a metagame choice because everyone was running big jaces
I think running 4 baneslayers is outdated (but some people still use this package) and 2 sphinx or 2 sun titan seems like the right number for finishers these days
2-ofs are fine in control... check out Wafo-Tapa's list:
Maindeck:
Creatures
2 Sun Titan
4 Wall of Omens
Enchantments
2 Oblivion Ring
Instants
1 Cancel
2 Condemn
2 Deprive
2 Essence Scatter
2 Jace's Ingenuity
4 Mana Leak
2 Path to Exile
Planeswalkers
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 Gideon Jura
3 Jace Beleren
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Sorceries
2 Day of Judgment
Basic Lands
5 Island
4 Plains
Lands
4 Celestial Colonnade
4 Glacial Fortress
1 Scalding Tarn
4 Sejiri Refuge
4 Tectonic Edge
Sideboard:
3 Kor Firewalker
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Cancel
3 Celestial Purge
1 Flashfreeze
2 Gather Specimens
1 Jace's Ingenuity
2 Negate
1 Day of Judgment
When I tested it, I was always holding too much spot removal, I would take some out for some draw spells (I highly recommend Jace's Ingenuity for draw go style control)
Game 1 vs Grixis Control(w/ mana leak):
Pretty good start, I lose a counter war and he earthquakes killing my walls
Many dead cards in hand, not enough draw engines to get what I need. He spreading seas my colonnade, I have no counters left, only opened with a negate. I draw another colonnade, he terminates it, I have a dead mana leak in hand.
I condemn his sedraxis specter. I have 2 day of judgment, oring, and path in hand.
He cast cruel ultimatum with 3 mana up so I can't leak, sealing the game
0-1
Game 2:
1 Land, mulligan
6 Card hand that's ok, negate, etc. I'm on the draw.
Calcite snapper, I have no response, this will get ugly.
Jace, baneslayer, negate, path in hand. I start taking beats from a 4/1 snapper.
He blightnings, I mana leak, he mana leaks (crap my hand is basically gone)
I drop a baneslayer to deal with the snapper, 2 cards left in hand ( I'm running out of gas)
He starts digging for an answer to baneslayer( I have deprive in hand)
Baneslayer seals the game
1-1
he opens with the nuts draw
duress duress blightning ruinblaster liliana ( I Don't even think my control deck could fight that
1-2
The deck needs more draw power like Jace's Ingenuity
Have you even tested your own deck? If you do true randomized shuffling you are going to get your ass kicked, test this deck out on MODO or MWS so I can prove my point, I can almost guarantee that you will get stomped by the majority of tier 1 decks with your low land count
I'll test your deck for you just to prove my point, I have already put hours into developing my control list and it is really fine tuned, I can tell you 22 lands just won't work man, why don't you listen?
results of your deck on mws vs tier 1 decks will be up soon
take a look here: all the UW control decks run 26 lands (These guys know what they are doing)
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/frnat10/welcome#1
lol, good luck trying to win a counter war against this deck with your 22 lands:
Antoine Ruel
U/G Polymorph - France Nationals 2010
60 cards
3 Forest
11 Island
4 Khalni Garden
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn
23 lands
2 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 creatures 2 Awakening Zone
2 Deprive
2 Dispel
1 Essence Scatter
2 Everflowing Chalice
4 Into the Roil
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Mana Leak
1 Negate
4 Polymorph
4 Ponder
4 Preordain
1 Spell Pierce
35 other spells
1 Dispel
2 Flashfreeze
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
2 Mass Polymorph
1 Negate
4 Obstinate Baloth
1 Spell Pierce
3 Unsummon
15 sideboard cards
I hope you consider what everyone is saying
edit: You ask for suggestions then you just ignore them.. good job taking critique
In a 22 land deck I can almost garauntee that you will get rolled over unless you are stacking your deck or something and mana weaving.
You will not even make it to "turn 10 to drop your baneslayer" If you miss 5 land drops in those 10 turns.. You will not have enough mana open for counters if your opponent unloads more than one threat each turn (the fauna shaman decks and mythic do this)
even if you counter the ramp in valakut they can still win by top decking lands.. and burning your face in
I wouldn't run less than 26 in a permission based build, (in fact I just won FNM with 26 lands against tier 1 decks)
What have you been smoking? This deck looks like it auto lose to every tier 1 deck
even red deck wins need 24-25 lands these days to hit all their land drops
at fnm he played 2 pulse when he had 2 putrid leeches out and i redirected both of them
also i have redirected thought hemorrhage and blightning multiple times