My take on Grixis Control, modified version of Paul Cheon's well-known (I think) decklist from earlier this year.
Mana base: The Reflecting Pool and Urborg are from Cheon; I feel like I can do without them, maybe add a Cascade Bluffs and a checkland or two, maybe cut a Darkslick.
Removal: Hero's Downfall replaces Dreadbore + Dismember. Consume the Meek is a beating against Affinity, Zoo, any aggro deck. Cheap removal and counters get you to turn 5, then cast it for the win. 4 Bolts, Magma Spray is good against Melira Pod. Electrolyze is super efficient. Pyroclasm is possibly a weak link, and possibly still a necessary inclusion. Terminate is pretty powerful, kills the few things that Bolt doesn't, like goyfs.
Counterspells: Cryptic is the best. Mana Leak for early game. Spell Snare has been way too narrow in my experience, so I'm trying Dissolve as sort of a mini-cryptic.
Draw / Tutoring: Think Twice might be better as Serum Visions, but I'd rather draw two cards than 1. Again, from the Cheon list. Electrolyze draws a card, Shadow of Doubt draws a card, Cryptic draws a card, Cruel Ultimatum draws 3 cards and at that point the game is usually a formality. Snapcaster lets you rebuy any counter or removal spell. Mystical Teachings lets the deck be a little toolbox-y, especially for Hero's Downfall, Consume the Meek, Shadow of Doubt, or even Snapcaster or V Clique.
Winning: Usually Cruel Ultimatum does it, but it's not necessary. Batterskull can plug away and stonewall aggro decks. Sometimes you get there with just Snapcaster, Bolt / Electrolyze to the face, and Creeping Tar Pits.
Sideboard
Counterflux comes in against control.
Hurkyl's Recall is a 2 mana Upheaval against Affinity.
Rakdos Charm is underplayed and versatile: graveyard exiling is good against Living End, Storm, Melira Pod, any reanimation schemes. Damage per creature beats Kiki Jiki and SPlinter Twin decks. Destroying an artifact hits everything in Affinity, plus Birthing Pod.
Slaughter Games because of the Modern decks that rely very heavily on one card: namely Scapeshift, Living End, and some builds of Splinter Twin.
Pyroclasm for any kind of aggro: zoo, affinity, merfolk, Geist of St TraftSpreading Seas is just vs Tron. I'm gonna try this, see how it goes. The issue with Sowing Salt is that it costs 4 so I'm not casting it until T4 or 5. Spreading Seas also deals with Eye of Ugin and can be a kill spell on manlands (G/B/x running Treetop VIllage, Stirring Wildwood or Raging Ravine, Mutavault in Merfolk, Colonnade in UWR)Shadow of Doubt effectively stifles a Pod activation, counters Chord of Calling, and stifles Expedition Map and Eye of Ugin vs Tron, plus it's good general utility stifling fetchlands. Also stifles Squadron Hawk and Ghost Quarter + Flagstones from Soul Sisters decks.
Any comments, questions, or recommendations are welcome.
