I was initially playing a monoblue Delver pauper deck for casual, and usually lost first because of my lack of meaningful spells in a multiplayer setting--1v1, Delver does fine, but with more than one target, it runs out of steam really quick. Can't keep up. So I looked through some cards that effected all players, or all opponents. I settled on monoblack and a plethora of draw engines, such as Howling Mine, Font of Mythos, Spiteful Visions, etc. Here's my list:
So far it's been a roaring (howling?) success, both in single player and multiple. Mindcrank can just end games out of nowhere with Bloodchief Ascension out, and my boardwipes, nontargeting removal, and Dismember, I can keep the board clear of creature-based threats. Gray Merchant of Asphodel is a finisher, along with the sheer damage from drawing cards. I'm often gaining upward of 21 life, with just an Underworld Dreams and Spiteful Visions out.
I'm an atheist and think Wicca is a joke. It's a bunch of Golden Dawn ritual and beliefs filtered into a weak nature-based system. Can't stand Gardner, dude was a hack.
My meta plays a lot of Leyline of Sanctity in the sideboard. I can play around it by playing symmetrical damage cards and more dudes, but it's still a huge pain in the ass. Should I take out 2 Pithing Needle in the sideboard for 2 Anarchy?
As a Grixis Control player, I'm tired of being shoehorned into playing Esper Control like the rest of the world. It would be nice to have some diversity among the control decks. I'm already struggling enough without Supreme Verdict or Sphinx's Revelation. Now white gets this too?
As a fellow Grixis player, I can't agree more. It's playable with Liliana of the Veil, Olivia Voldaren, Snapcaster Mage, and Bonfire of the Damned, but once INN rotates Grixis is going to be even worse than it already is. Esper is the only playable control deck right now, and that really keeps me from wanting to play standard. I hate how Azorius gets all these amazing control cards, but Dimir gets shafted into crappy mill effects.
I just bought a playset of Force of Will and wanted to build BUG Thresh. That'll take a while. so what's a good blue based deck I can build that won't set me $1000 in the other direction?
Something people notice at first is the severe lack of creatures--and to that I answer with Rakdos Keyrune. First Strike 3/1 that only loses to sorcery speed removal? Dodges board wipes? Blocks Thragtusk like a champ? Seems like an auto 4-of to me.
Desperate Ravings is phenomenal. Beyond good. This deck can deal with pitching something "good." There's always more in the deck and with Jace, Architect of Thought picking up the slack it's very rare I find myself topdecking.
The biggest issue this deck seems to have is with hyper aggressive decks--and to answer those Vampire Nighthawk answers pretty well.
UW Flash is an issue as well--they never seem to tap out and I often have to bait counters in order to play goodies.
Grixis is a great deck but it needs a slightly better sweeper than Bonfire of the Damned--BotD is amazing but it's not reliable enough for what this deck wants. This deck also has an issue with a resolved Detention Sphere on Keyrunes--but that's why you have more answers and more win conditions.
I was originally playing with a counter suite (2 Essence Scatter, 2 Syncopate, and a single Negate) and Think Twice. However... that iteration just couldn't keep up. So I opted for more removal and a single Chandra, the Firebrand along with Thoughtflare. Draw four a pitch two? Instant speed? Seems good. The biggest issue this deck has is with Selesnya aggro and Rakdos aggro. Mostly fast decks with lots of dudes. But once it recovers it's generally alright.
Notice the early sweepers/removal/Tamiyo and Liliana lock along with all the Think Twice. ALSO the fact I have 25 lands. Your deck seems really all over the place. Why Falkenrath Aristocrat over Olivia Voldaren? Voldaren is just flat BETTER in a control deck.
4 Reliquary Tower
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Cabal Coffers
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4 Innocent Blood
4 Dark Ritual
2 Consume the Meek
2 Dismember
4 Underworld Dreams
4 Bloodchief Ascension
4 Howling Mine
2 Font of Mythos
1 Mindcrank
1 Sol Ring
So far it's been a roaring (howling?) success, both in single player and multiple. Mindcrank can just end games out of nowhere with Bloodchief Ascension out, and my boardwipes, nontargeting removal, and Dismember, I can keep the board clear of creature-based threats. Gray Merchant of Asphodel is a finisher, along with the sheer damage from drawing cards. I'm often gaining upward of 21 life, with just an Underworld Dreams and Spiteful Visions out.
Deathrite Shaman exists.
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Vexing Devil
4 Goblin Guide
4 Rift Bolt
4 Flame Rift
4 Lava Spike
4 Chain Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Price of Progress
4 Sulfuric Vortex
4 Faerie Macabre
3 Ensnaring Bridge
3 Pyrostatic Pillar
3 Shattering Spree
2 Pithing Needle
I find him laughably slow. If you must add a second color, just play UR Snapcaster.
As a fellow Grixis player, I can't agree more. It's playable with Liliana of the Veil, Olivia Voldaren, Snapcaster Mage, and Bonfire of the Damned, but once INN rotates Grixis is going to be even worse than it already is. Esper is the only playable control deck right now, and that really keeps me from wanting to play standard. I hate how Azorius gets all these amazing control cards, but Dimir gets shafted into crappy mill effects.
PLOT TWIST: Urza's head is in the middle of the Dragon's Maze.
You heard it here first, folks.
3 Jace, Architect of Thought
2 Liliana of the Veil
1 Olivia Voldaren
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
2 Bonfire of the Damned
4 Desperate Ravings
2 Dissipate
3 Dreadbore
2 Essence Scatter
1 Negate
2 Pillar of Flame
4 Rakdos Keyrune
2 Rakdos's Return
3 Searing Spear
2 Sever the Bloodline
1 Desolate Lighthouse
3 Dragonskull Summit
4 Drowned Catacomb
3 Island
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
1 Swamp
2 Evil Twin
1 Negate
2 Olivia Voldaren
2 Rakdos Charm
1 Sever the Bloodline
2 Slaughter Games
1 Snapcaster Mage
4 Vampire Nighthawk
Something people notice at first is the severe lack of creatures--and to that I answer with Rakdos Keyrune. First Strike 3/1 that only loses to sorcery speed removal? Dodges board wipes? Blocks Thragtusk like a champ? Seems like an auto 4-of to me.
Desperate Ravings is phenomenal. Beyond good. This deck can deal with pitching something "good." There's always more in the deck and with Jace, Architect of Thought picking up the slack it's very rare I find myself topdecking.
The biggest issue this deck seems to have is with hyper aggressive decks--and to answer those Vampire Nighthawk answers pretty well.
UW Flash is an issue as well--they never seem to tap out and I often have to bait counters in order to play goodies.
Grixis is a great deck but it needs a slightly better sweeper than Bonfire of the Damned--BotD is amazing but it's not reliable enough for what this deck wants. This deck also has an issue with a resolved Detention Sphere on Keyrunes--but that's why you have more answers and more win conditions.
3 Liliana of the Veil
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1 Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
3 Olivia Voldaren
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
3 Dreadbore
3 Mizzium Mortars
4 Pillar of Flame
3 Rakdos Keyrune
2 Rakdos's Return
2 Rolling Temblor
2 Sever the Bloodline
3 Thoughtflare
2 Desolate Lighthouse
3 Dragonskull Summit
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Island
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
3 Swamp
3 Evil Twin
2 Griselbrand
3 Pithing Needle
3 Rakdos Charm
1 Sever the Bloodline
2 Slaughter Games
1 Snapcaster Mage
This is the list I'm playing at the moment:
2 Liliana of the Veil
1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
1 Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius
2 Olivia Voldaren
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
3 Dreadbore
2 Essence Scatter
2 Mizzium Mortars
1 Negate
3 Pillar of Flame
2 Rakdos Keyrune
2 Rakdos's Return
2 Rolling Temblor
1 Sever the Bloodline
2 Syncopate
4 Think Twice
2 Desolate Lighthouse
2 Dragonskull Summit
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Island
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
3 Swamp
1 Mizzium Mortars
1 Negate
3 Pithing Needle
3 Rakdos Charm
2 Sever the Bloodline
2 Slaughter Games
3 Vampire Nighthawk
Notice the early sweepers/removal/Tamiyo and Liliana lock along with all the Think Twice. ALSO the fact I have 25 lands. Your deck seems really all over the place. Why Falkenrath Aristocrat over Olivia Voldaren? Voldaren is just flat BETTER in a control deck.
I have such a high creature density I can usually beat through the mirror at over 40 life.