This control deck was created by Dev from Strictly Better MTG on YouTube. I do not claim this deck as my own, my hopes are to write a small Primer. The Primers goals are to help explain the purpose of the cards within to someone trying to pick up a cheap powerful budget deck for FNM. In Standard right now Black has quite a few cheaply costed removal spells, in whole it has the best removal out of any color. Blue gives us access to a nice card draw engine, and our game finishers.
The Deck
Removal -
Dead Weight - Easy cheap costed removal, instead of think of it as a enchantment this card will often be used as a sorcery speed removal spell to get rid of creatures 2 toughness or less.
Grasp of Darkness - Such a powerful removal spell, instant speed gives us the ability to hold it up until we need it most, -4/-4 is enough to deal with most things in the format. Being instant it can deal with pesky Smuggler's Copter's.
Die Young - Solid sorcery speed removal that with no work gives -2/-2 to any creature. Later in the game with saved up energy this can easily be -4/-4 or -6/-6 for one colorless and one black.
Transgress the Mind - The decks only discard, it allows us to take their big threats and not have to worry about trying to kill them after they hit the board.
Murder - The king is back, this time at uncommon. Unconditional removal for 3cmc is what we need, being able to deal with any size or any color creature is great.
Ruinous Path - Along the same lines as murder, while the sorcery speed does pose a draw back being able to deal with planeswalkers is why this card is in the main board. Having the awaken aspect helps to give us a creature if we need one and get around the below 3cmc stipulation that Brisela, Voice of Nightmares brings.
Flaying Tendrils - The decks sudo boardwipe, giving -2/-2 to all creatures and exiling them upon death is very nice. The one card in the deck that could use some support, we would really benefit from a solid black boardwipe.... cough cough Yahenni's Expertise...
Confiscation Coup - Why remove their huge threat if you can just steal it? Exactly what this card allows us to do. While out of the gate we can only steal 4 cmc or lower, with a little saved up energy just about any creature in the format can be stolen.
Planeswalkers -
Ob Nixilis Reignited - Solid planeswalker that gives us addition draw. Also allows us to remove threats if we dont have a spell in hand. His ultimate is one of the decks win conditions.
Card Advantage -
Live Fast - Great card draw at the cost of two life. Wish the card was instant speed, but you can't have everything. The bonus two energy helps other cards in the deck. Often new players might look at a card like this and disregard it for being bad because the goal of the game is to keep your life as high as possible while reducing your opponents to 0, however the trade of of 2 life for a plus one is much higher than and loss of life from the card.
Glimmer of Genius - This was the draw spell blue needed. Instant speed often makes or breaks the card draw spells, being able to keep mana up for a response to and opponent if needed is key. If that response is not needed drawing 2 at the end of the opponents turn is huge. This card really shines with the scry 2, allowing us to dig four cards deep looking for an answer of win con is what makes this card great. The bonus two energy is not bad either
Counter magic -
Negate - Our 2 cmc counterspell, helps to make sure our spells resolve. There is a reason why this card gets printed over and over again.
Void Shatter - A strong counter spell for standard. Very average spell cost, since WOTC does not print decent 2 cmc catch all counters anymore this is our go to. The Exile is relevant to some creatures that are running around standard right now.
ENM - Once in a while you just need to be able to completely stop the stack. This card does a great job at that, while it is 4 cmc the fact it exiles all spells and can counter all abilities makes is a one of in the deck.
