Thank you Kiivuhl for following the deck as closely as you have. Your thoughts are very much appreciated.

Mystic Gate is a card that I'm ok with as a 1-of in this deck. Although I do empathize with you about drawing the Mystic Gate with Ghost Quarter (which happened when I ran a bunch of each in UW control deck). However, a few cards in the 75 require double of either white (Supreme Verdict, Sigarda, Host of Herons or blue mana Vendilion Clique and we are only running one Ghost Quarter. I see your point about running another shock - probably a Hallowed Fountain. Also, I like to keep enough basics around so I can cast everything in spite of a Blood Moon.

Selfless Spirit - I really do like this card in this list, and I have not hated it as a 3-of. I might consider as a 2-of, but that would be it for now.

Snapcaster Mage - This is interesting because running 3 has been recommended time and time again. Maybe 2 is the correct number, although I have not hated 3.

Cryptic Command - I really do love this card, but I'm fearful it is too slow. Yes, it is powerful, and it has won me games in the past but I really prefer the cheaper counters in this deck alongside the 2-drops. You really do not see this card in competitive play in modern. I feel like this list is far too midrange focused for it to really fit. I could see, maybe, running it as a 1-of.

There is supposed to be a Relic of Progenitus in the board.

btreuther

I have to say i also reduced Snapcaster Mage down to 2. I started out full 4 copies of it, which one could make an argument is going overboard with it, but everyone said "you're playing blue, you need them snappies".As i continued playing i often times got into a scenario where i drew another Snapcaster when i just needed anything other than him...first i went down to 3, it worked and now i think 2 is the right number.I upped my spell count in my deck and i'm seeing Snapcaster as more of a late game card as anything other now.

If you want to look at my own current build "Hm...no, you dont get to play that". Though it's quite different from what you do, it's still Bant

SpiritKing - Thank you for your comment, experience, and upvote. I was used to playing 2 snappies in my older UW control deck, and I think you have a great point about it being a later game card. Although he's got a CMC of 2, in reality it's more like CMC 3+. Although, an interesting line is snapping a Serum Visions turn 3.

Will check out your deck!

btreuther you're welcome. Also, thanks for the upvote.

Yes, my thoughts exactly. He really isnt cmc 2 in most cases. T3 snapping Visions can be an interesting play and a good thing to dig through your unwanted cards. Though i think the opportunities to tap out t3 (or t4 for that matter) are few. There are many plays an opponent can make t3 that you want to counter or at least threaten to counter/have an answer. This is especially true against any BGx Version and Tron in my experience since their cmc 3/7 plays can be devastating.

I'm exited for coming updates to this list!

I especially like the addition of the Cryptic Command! i think it can be great in your type of deck, where you can apply pressure on the board as well as control the game and thus can use it aggressively as well (tapping the opposing team out, then swing). I'm sure as a one-off it's a nice catch-all and i agree, that more would be to clunky.Anticipate has been very useful to me in the past, for the same reasons you already stated.

May i ask about your motivation for the sideboard change?

Thanks SpiritKing.

Honestly, the sideboard is in flux. Obviously Stony Silence for Affinity, Dispel and Negate to counter removal/combos, Geist of Saint Traft for control mirrors, Kitchen Finks for burn, etc.

This deck has pretty good match-ups with fair decks, it's just the others that become problematic. Thoughts?

Regarding your manabase with only 4 Goyfs I don't see a point in having 2 Breeding Pool and 1 Hallowed Fountainin your UW deck, especially with as many fetches as you have. Maybe go down a breeding pool for another hallowed fountain?

I also would like to mention that you have inspired me to create my own Ojutai's Command list as it's graveyard ability seems really powerful!

you're welcome btreuther

I can follow why you'd have good match-ups against the fair decks. Your list is well equipped to fight those.Do you have any specific unfair decks in mind?Grishoalbrand? Mono U Extra Turns? Bubble Hulk? Dredge? something i'm not thinking of right now?

To be honest, i think there are many a way to get around those, it's just that most are niche and really specific in what decks they actually work.I had a copy of Gaddock Teeg in my sideboard when Grishoalbrand was kinda big in my local meta...tha cant cast either of their Nourishing Shoal or Fury of the Horde and are constricted to play Goryo's Vengeance since Through the Breach is also nullified...it also has "splash damage" against Abzan CoCo (Collected Company) and Ux Tron (Condescend + Cryptic Command ).Suppression Field can wreck Bubble Hulk, because they cant go of with their Viscera Seer. An all time favorite of mine though is to tap out my blue sources of mana and Mana Tithe a crucial play my opponent makes, thinking he is safe from counter spells. Force Spikeing an unsuspecting opponent is always fun!

What i always like to do is exchanging numbers for numbers, e.g. switching out 3 Wall of Omens for 3 Meddling Mage (just as an example).What i could get around would be to try and switch in some number of Mausoleum Wanderer for the appropriate number of less valuable cards in match-ups where the opponent could surprise you with unfair shenanigans. You can still get into his life total early on since it flys and can act as a counterspell later on if Spell Queller isnt enough. E.g. if you're certain that Path or Spell Snare have few targets to hit in the opposing 60/75. Of course Dispel + Negate + Spell Pierce or the usual counters could do the job as well, without having the disadvantage to possibly die to removal beforehand, but they also dont bring a body to swing in with them. It's really preference i think.

I'll keep the topic in mind, night shifts begin taking their toll at my mental capacities atm xD

I personally am testing out Declaration of Naught in some of my decks and their sideboards. I think that recurring counter-ability for opposing key cards is in itself a tremendous power. Once you had your first match you know 99% of the time what your playing against. You can name the key cards of most importance to the opposing game plan and have a lot easier job with fighting against them and disrupting them.

Built_On_A_Mission - You have a point. Three is likely fine since it's a splash for Tarmogoyf.

I am curious to see any Ojutai's Command list you come up with. The card has really preformed well. I've actually had folks scoop when I resurrect a Tarmogoyf and draw a card at their end step.

SpiritKing - Thanks for the comments. Mausoleum Wanderer sounds quite intriguing in the SB as well as Declaration of Naught (would be interested in hearing how that card has preformed).

Now I can say - looks pretty damn good! :D

Why not run Sigarda, Host of Herons over Dragonlord Ojutai?

Ojutai give Ca + card selection. Sigarda is more side card

Thanks Kiivuhl! Appreciate your comments in tuning this deck.

Mooer - Kiivuhl is correct. If I can get Dragonlord Ojutai to connect, his Anticipate ability usually seals the game. Being able to dig three cards in is sooo powerful late game. Wish he was always hexproof, but that would be OP at his current cost.

Sigarda, Host of Herons is a house. I bring her in with control mirrors as well as Jund, Grixis, and Abzan lists. Sometimes I swap her in for a dragonlord, sometimes I run all three. Other then boardwipes, which few of those lists play--excluding the mirror, and occasionally Jund--she is impossible to remove.

btreuther as always im glad if my 2ct were helpful or at least offered another interesting option to think about. Sadly i didnt get to play very much since last time i commmented, but i had a few matches were Declaration of Naught did pretty well.

I have an Esper list i'm currently working on as a side project, and in there it was just superb. My girlfriend is an avid aggro player (which is great to test new brews against her) but against Shoal and Dredge it was just...well...like she expressed it "when the s*** hits the fan" xD

It's great because you can cast it t2-3 and from that moment on need not care about copies 1-4 of [Card X] and focus on controlling the rest. You can counter key plays on the spot as well, but combo has access to Pact of Negation to surprise-counter you. That risk it mitigated by Declaration of Naught since it just needs to activate. Also it is just pure card advantage, if you rigorously name cards you know are full playsets in the opposing deck, since you essentially have up to 4 counters in 1 card. Add a way to bounce/reset it and the advantage will stack up.

I will post a list if i have a more defined draft on my hands and will gladly share it for critique =)

How do you think this deck would fare against Abzan control like Imma Let You Finish But........ Do counterspells always beat removal? Reason being is I already have some expensive green cards like Tarmogoyf but I'm unsure which colors to add to it. I'm not sure if Bant>Abzan.

It is all about what you like and actual meta. Some people like discard like IoK, and some like counterspells like CC, but what Is better? Did you see ever mono U control in modern? Probably no, but 8rack exist here - you can see results.

In the other hand - I am sure about that, you saw lot of UW control (fixed muc - with wraths and point removals) deck with the best possible removals in format. It is not tier1 deck. It is smfn like tier 2, but it is still pretty good, stable (maybe a little slow - this is only one reason why it is not tier1) deck.

About this deck - I like rogue decks, and I love idea of THIS deck. It is like esper control, but it has green creatures instead of black removals, so it becomes sweet tempo-control bant. I am sure it has problems with fast aggros like aff, burn, infect and some specyfic decks like tron or Rx ponza, but probably is better against junds, abzans, some combo and other midranges.

About abzans... Ehh. It seems like slower and worse jund without bolts, Terminate, bobs and kolaghan's command, but less painful, with Rhinos and spirits-liliana combo. It is ok, but not that great as it should be.

So what is better for tournaments? This is hard question. I would choose this for me, but abzan is probably better - it is more stable.

Thanks Kiivuhl, you're right on point.

joebrannan1 - it depends on how you want to play. I'm a UW control player at heart, and while I do enjoy the counter/durdle approach, for this build I wanted a more midrange build that could pressure. I've always liked Tarmogoyf, and the deck focuses on getting it down, protecting him with counters, Spell Queller, and Selfless Spirit and going to town. I also really like Supreme Verdicting a stalled board right after sacrificing Selfless Spirit.

Lingering Souls can be a problem. I've had Abzan decks hang on with that card, chumping my Dragonlord Ojutai, Spell Quellers, and Celestial Colonnade, and even swing advantage on occasion.

Overall, I'd say Jund or Abzan are much more stable builds, as they have been fine-tuned over the years. I have decent match-ups against them. My biggest gripe with this deck is the Mana Leak/Path to Exile nonbo. I just wish they'd print Counterspell in modern. AND I always question if the numbers or right, or how to better focus it. But other than that this deck is fun to play and has the chance to be competitive in the hands of the right pilot (I do fairly well with it against tiered decks and I misplay all the time).

Anticipate seems pretty bad imo. Why not just play more Remands to stall thing out vs decks like eldrazi? Or maybe more Mana Leaks/Spell Snares for affinity, jund and zoo?

Thanks Scorprix for the comment. Anticipate has been pretty good. I like the card selection, whether to hit land drops or search for an answer.

However, I could see how +2 Remands or +1 Remand and +1 Spell Snare could make the deck a bit more consistent. Not sure if I like adding a 4th Mana Leak. Worth a try!

Maybe Dismember for 5th removal spell?

i think that a few cards should be 4-ofs that arent, however VERY nice deck +1 for sure!!!

Thanks Pyromancer999 for the +1 and comment. What are your thoughts of the numbers? What would you like to see more/less of?

Mind telling me why I keep seeing the card Blessed Alliance everywhere? It seems kinda weak.

Easy enough 3 useful modes 2 of which are great.

-The sacrifice effect against those all in combo/aggro decks like affinity,infect, boggles, and death shadow it is also a target player not creature for that mode.

• gain 4 life Burn and decks that use burn as reach to finish games hate this.

• untapp up to two target creatures gives surprise blocks in creature match ups

+1 for interesting idea I would like to see more results though.

I feel as though Goyf makes Dragonlord Ojutai redundant. You could drop him, lower your land count and add more draw/removal.