MTG Salvation

Quote from Lightning »

I've been reading the mtgsalvation forums for a while (mostly the standard&modern forums, but I've never posted anything, but today (finally!) I sleeved up my version of U/W control and I wanted to share it with you guys. I've learned a lot while reading this thread and the different versions of the deck are a pretty nice thing to discuss and see the pros and cons.
I'm going tonight to the lgs near where I live so I can test it at FNM, I'll post the results when I get back home!

I've tested different versions of the deck on-line, but yesterday I got my hands on my second Elspeth, sun's champion and my friend pulled a japanese Elspeth from a random booster pack we bought at our lgs, so my deck is finally completed!



So yeah, here's my shot at U/W!

UW ControlMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
3 Flooded Strand 4 Temple of enlightenment 4 Tranquil Cove 2 Evolving Wilds 3 Radiant Fountain 6 Island 3 Plains	1 Pearl Lake Ancient 1 Resolute Archangel 2 Divination 4 End hostilities 3 Dig through time 3 Jace's Ingenuity 2 Reality Shift 4 Dissolve 3 Disdainful Stroke 3 Nullify	4 Banishing Light 2 Font of fortunes 3 Elspeth, Sun's Champion

SideboardMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
	Sideboard 1 Disdainful Stroke 1 AEtherspouts 1 Whelming wave 3 Negate 3 Omenspeaker 1 Fated Retribution 3 Last Breath 2 Erase

P.S: I'm absolutely in love with Resolute Archangel

Yeah, your uw control looks pretty good. It's definitely close to what I'd run in big standard tournaments which I don't have a list at the moment(still changing it every now and then) but yeah it looks really solid. Nice to see more and more players interested in playing uw control in standard.

I also have been really liking the Arashin Clerics against decks like mono red and mono black agro(I've been running into quite a few of them for some reason.) Too bad you can't trade arashin with mono red's rabblemaster but gaining three life is pretty huge against aggro obviously and the 1/3 is also good.

I just sent you my lock in deck code and my cockatrice name through private message but just in case I will post it here as well.

Lock in with deck code: flablfb6 and my cockatrice name is kevinliu.

I don't really think reality shift is that great of a card but realistically you could play at least one in the sideboard. I realize there are a few spots where it can be useful but I personally wouldn't really depend on the card that much.

Yeah, I definitely agree with Ruxin. I think uw control decklist should run at least two last breaths, I recommend running three though just because of RW aggro doing really well lately mostly because you need to have last breath for goblin rabblemaster immediately since the goblin is pretty amazing against you. With the addition of some fated reforged cards RW aggro definitely has more staying power now as well so it's mostly likely going to be one of the top standard decks.

I actually made a couple of changes to my deck so I will update my original post with the up to date deck code.

I also think RW aggro is also a pretty difficult matchup for uw control as well which is relevant since it's popular on the scg open series. I definitely didn't like having to play against it twice in the swiss at tcg player states even back then since raise the alarm, brimaz, sarkhan, elspeth and rabblemaster backed up with several burn spells was enough to keep any uw player on their toes throughout the games. I definitely feel I got lucky to manage to beat rw twice but even when I felt I was getting lucky I always felt I didn't cover enough ground. With that being said, I like the countermagic and the last breaths against that deck since getting rabblemaster off the table is definitely good for uw. I suppose it also doesn't hurt to hope that they brick for a turn or two when you need to tap out.

Quote from Mysterons1 »

Quote from Kevinliu »

I also say no on reality shift, it doesn't seem all that good honestly, I mean I am sure it can be a bare minimum ok in some spots but I feel it's not really a real card at least not for a deck like uw control anyway. Perhaps it'll have a place in some other standard deck.

I also don't really get why some people have added monastery mentor in the sideboard for uw control. I mean I can see how it can be good but I rather just play brimaz or something else in those places. Even though I think monastery mentor will definitely find a home in decks that will support the mentor but I do think people have overrated the card imo.

I think if you come from the Jim Davis camp it makes a good deal of sense. If you look at his "U/W control primer" acticle he explains he brough brimaz in for the token mathchups because it was an efficient blocker and scaled well of the course of the game by creating tokens that traded with other tokens. I think mentor does something very similar, and has the upside of being able to win the game outright if left unchecked, but I'm not sure if he does it as efficiently as brimaz.

I think it depends on what you want after sideboard, considering sideboarded games can be incredibly different from game 1s. I mean you can definitely turn into an tempo deck of some sort with four mentors which can definitely make sense depending on who your playing against and also the matchup. I am personally am not a big fan of that but if it's effective for you then go with it.

I also say no on reality shift, it doesn't seem all that good honestly, I mean I am sure it can be a bare minimum ok in some spots but I feel it's not really a real card at least not for a deck like uw control anyway. Perhaps it'll have a place in some other standard deck.

I also don't really get why some people have added monastery mentor in the sideboard for uw control. I mean I can see how it can be good but I rather just play brimaz or something else in those places. Even though I think monastery mentor will definitely find a home in decks that will support the mentor but I do think people have overrated the card imo.

Oh that's good, because I might make changes to my deck or decide to play a different deck so it's good to know I still have plenty of time for that.

Quote from Hiss »

I was wondering about Mastery of the Unseen and how viable you guys think that that card would be in control lists? It is a cheaper Heliod, and the creatures created actually stay in the graveyard, meaning that they will fuel your delve.

I don't think it's a good card for control decks. I mean, I think it's pretty bad to manifest lands and you need a lot of lands to function as a control deck. It also eats up a ton of mana, I mean I could see it being pretty good in the late game when your flooded a bit and when your far enough ahead but then again uw control already has a ton of late game action.

I mean you could definitely try it if you feel its good but I personally wouldn't really bother with it.

I think I rather just use cockatrice, I am thinking about using xmage in the near future but with a lot of people still using cockatrice I think it's best to stay with it.

Cockatrice name: Kevinliu

Edit: Here is the updated deck code: jkuvs92r

Quote from Underused Cards »

How important is the "Bolt Test" in Legacy?

Those that don't know it's basically Lightning Bolt, and if the creature lives/dies to it. Typically if it costs 2+ mana and dies to bolt, it's unusable.

Are there so much removal and counters in Legacy it doesn't matter because everything and anything can die, so it's worth a risk to eat a card and take a 1 for 1. Or do good creature cards like Vampire Nighthawk will never ever find a home? Heck Mother of Runes or Dark Confidant don't have a home anymore. Is this the result of the bolt test?

I am pretty sure mother of runes still sees play in the right decks where it's value there largely outweighs it's demise to lightning bolt. Which leads to lightning bolt having to kill mother of runes before it gets out of hand since it's great against creature decks. Both lightning bolt and a creature deck definitely has some strong correlation with each other.

It's also the same thing with dark confidant when that saw a lot of play in decks where it brought value to those decks. Although, I think the main reason why bob doesn't see that much play nowadays is mostly due to treasure cruise where it connects a ton of paradigms together with lightning bolt being somewhere in that.

I am definitely interested in playing in the January IQ if there is one.

I think I will allow uw control decks with small splashes in here. In the past, I would of strongly decline it but now I have a change in mind. Considering, in terms of playability they are largely the same as well as it also furthers discussion in this thread which is good. I also like monastery siege but I probably wouldn't play more then one if I was to add the card to uw control. Reality shift also seems pretty good too in uw control I definitely like it.

I also definitely think that uw control can still perform quite well in standard after fated reforge comes out.