Ajani Vengeant would meaning turning it back into UWR, and I value Tasigur a lot more, due to his ability to be a brick wall, rather than a target. His activated ability is also bonkers, so I guess I'll just sideboard a Timely Reinforcements and be done with it.

Thoughts on removing something from the sideboard? Everything in there is really solid.

I don't like Swan Song.

You can splash Tas and still play Ajani.

Swan Song randomly hits combo decks, though. It's REALLY good against convoluted combos that just want to win quickly. Basically a Dispel+. I'll keep it in a sideboard binder, for cards that I want in my sideboard, but are not as favourable as other things.

Burn is a harder matchup than combo, and having a slightly harder time against Amulet Bloom is definitely worth the huge advantage Timely gives against Burn.

Timely should be in there for sure.

Here's some tech, Spell Pierce over swan.

Spell Pierce works in faster decks that play things early (like Delver). Doesn't belong in a control deck. Though, it is pretty fun, it's not the hard counter that Swan Song is. Downside is negligible, because opponent scoops.

I'm not a fan of Souls. I'm more of a planeswalker guy.

Swan Song is bad. Play Negate, because it's much better vs Twin. I don't like cheap drawback spells (Pacts, Hunted-type cards) in a control deck.

GlistenerAgent But Twin is already a good matchup. My sideboard already offers a range of good cards against Twin, like Wear/Tear, Skite and Counterflux.

The problem with planeswalkers is similar to the problem with many mechanics; it gives the opponent a choice. The choice is to attack me, or the planeswalker, but it's still a choice, and with something like Ajani, which I really just want to blow up lands with, or maybe gain some life, won't stay around for long. He adds to the mana denial plan, but the matchups where mana denial is good are not bad for G1.

Souls, on the other hand, is great against BGx and Grixis Delver. BGx is not too bad, because it plays a slower game, and I can get a hell lot of value of of my removal, but Jund does have Bob, and if Bob stays, I'm in a bit of trouble. Against Delver, it's a brick wall. A relevant brick wall. Sure, they've got Electrolyze, but what they don't have is a lot of mana. Another matchup in which Anger is good in.

I'm certain that if I wasn't splashing black because I'm greedy, and want goodstuff, I'd play Ajani. But, y'know, the black is very tempting, and I've sorted just accepted it in my deck.

I don't know, I just don't like Souls in this deck. Tasigur is fine, but I think Electrolyze is way better than some 1/1s.

Regarding choices with attacking walkers: that's not really a thing in my experience . Walkers are usually another threat, not just another option to attack. Also, Gideon doesn't fuck around with options.

Screw Gideon anywhere except straight Jeskai and UW. He's good, but only as a finisher, not something to control the board with.

I agree definitely that Souls is clunky. It feels awkward, but getting 1/1s against control is pretty sweet, especially since we have countermagic. It's just there because I want a better matchup against Delver and BGx, which I felt that Shadow of Doubt and Batterskull didn't provide. Playing 2 of them is definitely more correct than playing 4. It will make the opponent sideboard badly, while not hurting out game-plan as much. The opponent would naturally assume we have 4 of them, and side with that in mind.

The thing to do now is test, test, test.

I've been playing a more cheap counterspell-heavy version similar to Sam Pardee's list on CFB, and it's been doing very well. Mana Leak is really potent currently, and casting Remand also feels particularly good when you've got a Leak or appropriate removal when they recast the spell the following turn.

I'd be interested to test McLaren's latest list but without Narset, and with a better sideboard.

Link?

Kronos is a pretty badass clock you could buy them on

GlistenerAgent bijschjdbcd Should I be running Dispel or Negate?

Dispel beats the mirror, but Negate seems to hit more relevant things.

Lol that in depth pro advice.

Pretty clearly Negate. Bloom, Hive Mind, Karn are important given this SCG Invi, and Dispel is only marginally better in the mirror.

Lol Kronos bro.

Definitely Dispel given it is more relevant to decks like Bloom and Dispel is only mildly better in a relative under represented archetype.

bijschjdbcd Going to assume that you meant Negate. Should I go as far as to mainboard it? Against something like Expedition Map and Sylvan Scrying, Shadow of Doubt does work, which is relevant.

To be honest, even without Pod, it's still a brilliant card. In straight Jeskai, it's probably not wrong to play 2.

Um, Yeah what I meant.

Depends on the meta game.

I have to say, I fucking love this deck. I have been playing UW, then it got turned into U/W/r because I wanted to play more competitively. I find myself loosing the only matchup that really matters now, JUNK. Playing all the good stuff in the format and turning sideways but after looking at your list, it reminds me of a quote. "If ya can't beat em, join em" -Someone from Spaceballs I can't remember. I wanted to splash black but I was going for things like INQ and Thoughtseize. Not shelling out that money. I am looking forward to trying the Tasigur thing.

TheDudeAbides You've got it totally right by avoiding disruption. Clique is all you need. Tasigur and Shadow of Doubt are hilarious cards. Absolutely hilarious. It works best when you snipe their fetch, and drop a Tasigur the next turn, leaving them on 1 land, which is probably not the right colours because you sniped their fetch.

Only 1 Shadow of Doubt seems very inconsistent. Thoughts?

TheDudeAbides It's not required to win, or to do well. It's a fun, but versatile card which sucks in multiples. Once the opponent sees it once, you can side it out to make the opponent fetch on their turn. It's not part of the gameplan, just a fun thing to screw the opponents with.

Just wondering, why the Lingering Souls? You say the deck is control not midrange but I don't see how that is a control card? Also you put is under "value" which yes I agree is true Lingering Souls is value, I just don't see the point. I feel like either take it out for more control spells, or put in Geist of Saint Traft (sorry I know you didn't want people to suggest this) because I feel like it is just a much better "value" option than the Lingering Souls. Either way great deck +1 from me :)

Making 1/1s is good value. Trade with their Souls, buy some time to get to your Wraths and bigger spells.

Geist is pretty poor at the moment because it's a small 2/2 body and lacks evasion. Souls produces chump blockers when you need them, or 2 separate threats which must be responded to. It also helps that it can get discarded to Lili, and nullify her -2, or get countered (not Remanded, though) and still gain you value.

Besides, 1/1s are fun. They don't look like an immediate threat, so the opponent is not going to care about them until it gets them to around 8 life.