Ashen Monstrosity2RRR
Creature - Elemental
Creatures and planeswalkers you control have "Whenever a creature deals combat damage to this permanent, this permanent deals that much damage to that creature."
4/3
End of All Things4WWW
Sorcery
Destroy all permanents. As the stars fell and the oceans drained, the wizard gazed at the heavens and wondered what he had wrought.
Next: "Dear Lisa, as I write this I am very sad. Our President has been overthrown and REPLACED BY THE BENEVOLENT GENERAL KRULL. ALL HAIL KRULL AND HIS GLORIOUS NEW REGIME. SINCERELY, LITTLE GIRL."
Assemble the Colossus5
Sorcery
Sacrifice any number of creatures. Put an X/Y colorless Giant creature token onto the battlefield, where X is the total power of all the sacrificed creatures and Y is their toughness.
Crackle1U
Instant
Look at the top card of target player's library. You may put that card on the bottom of that player's library. Untap up to two lands.
Pop1U
Instant
Tap target artifact, creature, or land. Untap up to two lands.
Mindstab Thrull3B
Creature - Thrull XXB, Sacrifice ~: Look at target opponent's hand and choose X cards in it. That player discards those cards. Activate this ability only during your turn.
2/1
The bottom line is this. It's life loss, not damage. Therefore, it's UB, not UR. It can go either way. This card was made with the words 'loses life' on it, so it's black, not red whether you like it or not.
Hence, why "controllish effect + opponent loses life" designs should be retired forever, instead opting for damaging the player instead. UR is flat-out better-equipped for this kind of strategy.
Is not counterburn my hastey chum. Is more like evil compact revelation, you may also look to a card like Clutch of the Undercity or perhaps to take the wind out of your sail completely undermineas well as many other examples of blue card + punishment UB has been known for for ages.
Undermine and Clutch are poor, shortsighted designs, as is Countersquall. Undermine was Cancel before Cancel was ever green-lit. Similarly, Punish Ignorance is essentially Absorb with a surcharge of B. Why?
Because the other guy's life total is, for nearly all intents and purposes, inconsequential to a control deck--with the exception of counterburn. Once you've secured the board and dropped your finisher, it really shouldn't matter whether the other guy's at 3 or 30.
On the other hand, 'controllish effect + you gain life' spells such as the aforementioned Absorb and Sphinx's Revelation *are* sound, because unlike chipping away at the other guy's dome, the life gained can be consequential--adding up to priceless tempo for the control player.
I agree that Equip is very fine mechanically, but from a flavor standpoint, it's preposterous at times. For instance, how does a Wall don a helmet? Or a Snake, footwear?
Sorcery
Take X extra turns after this one. Exile ~.
Next:
Come Clean
Mana-Market Analyst
Wild Turkey
Creature - Elemental
Creatures and planeswalkers you control have "Whenever a creature deals combat damage to this permanent, this permanent deals that much damage to that creature."
4/3
Next:
Enchantment
Nonenchantment spells cost 2 more to cast.
Artifact
T: Add 1 to your mana pool for each permanent type among permanents you control.
Next:
Adventure Capitalist
Beef in the Numbers
Loss of Lunch
Sorcery
Destroy all permanents.
As the stars fell and the oceans drained, the wizard gazed at the heavens and wondered what he had wrought.
Next:
"Dear Lisa, as I write this I am very sad. Our President has been overthrown and REPLACED BY THE BENEVOLENT GENERAL KRULL. ALL HAIL KRULL AND HIS GLORIOUS NEW REGIME. SINCERELY, LITTLE GIRL."
Creature - Elf
2G, T: Search your library for a Cookie card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
1/1
Next:
Burning Thirst
Mentlegen Vapors
Rendezvous Point
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn and you gain 2 life.
Sorcery
Sacrifice any number of creatures. Put an X/Y colorless Giant creature token onto the battlefield, where X is the total power of all the sacrificed creatures and Y is their toughness.
Next:
Blistering Barnacles
Ponzi Schemer
Land
~ enters the battlefield tapped and has all activated abilities of all land cards in all graveyards.
Instant
Look at the top card of target player's library. You may put that card on the bottom of that player's library. Untap up to two lands.
Pop 1U
Instant
Tap target artifact, creature, or land. Untap up to two lands.
Next: Which Way Is Up?
Creature - Thrull
XXB, Sacrifice ~: Look at target opponent's hand and choose X cards in it. That player discards those cards. Activate this ability only during your turn.
2/1
Next:
Enchantment
Whenever a player is dealt damage, he or she exiles a card from his or her graveyard.
Because the other guy's life total is, for nearly all intents and purposes, inconsequential to a control deck--with the exception of counterburn. Once you've secured the board and dropped your finisher, it really shouldn't matter whether the other guy's at 3 or 30.
On the other hand, 'controllish effect + you gain life' spells such as the aforementioned Absorb and Sphinx's Revelation *are* sound, because unlike chipping away at the other guy's dome, the life gained can be consequential--adding up to priceless tempo for the control player.