I feel like that's a super closet case scenario, like 1 in 100 games. Not to mention if you whipe there board and have 5 zombies. You're going to swing in and kill them next turn regardless. I would rather have 5 2/2 zombies than sac my board and risk my opponent just exiling the Prince.

Cashmerefsb you make a good point and at this stage I'm yet to flip the land.

Mind you, in Control match ups, I've come close to doing so.

I might fall back on to my Rogue's Passage strategy. Just got to keep testing.

Argeaux, Cashmerefsb, and AgentGreen,
For whatever it's worth, I got rid of Westvale Abbey recently in my RG deck, and I've got a ton more Creatures. I found that when I had enough Creatures to sac' without worrying about removal, it was just a win-more. And when I didn't, it was just SO frustrating to lose it. I considered running something like Dragonmaster Outcast to soak up removal, before trying to transform the Abbey, but i was just too fragile. Maybe if the Abbey was my primary wincon, but not for a secondary.

I do like it against Reflector Mage though, because even you can bring the Land side at least back the next turn.

ancientgorillashaman my partner plays with a card like Epiphany at the Drownyard in EDH.

What inevitably happens is that your Opponent puts you best card in one pile, and the rest in the other.

So, essentially, you get to draw one card and see other useful ones go the bottom of your Library.

It's too inconsistent to provide card advantage, to me. I'd rather just draw a card.

I like 1-2 anguish so I can pair it with 2 read the bones main deck.

pr3t3nd_obj3ct Duress is excellent in testing.

A lot of aggro decks run support cards like Collected Company, so you get to shut down those plans.

At the very least you get to look at your Opponent's hand and plan your next couple of plays. Knowledge is a resource.

Argeaux Epiphany at the Drownyard puts the cards into your graveyard not the bottom of your library. That might be advantageous depending on what kind of deck you're playing.

Anguished Unmaking has been an amazing card. It hits EVERYTHING that's annoying.

Goodbye Hangarback Walker and Deathmist Raptor. Goodbye Planeswalkers and Enchantments.

I'm quite used to playing with a low life total so the three hit each time I use it doesn't scare me. I can always side it out if that is a problem in Game 1.

The life lost can also be recouped with the Lifelink abilities of Shambling Vent and Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet.

pr3t3nd_obj3ct I've got no recurrence so that's WORSE for me than being on the bottom of my Library.

Thanks hamiam.

That was very nice of you.

I've been thinking about Foul Renewal and it seems a bit too situational to me:

1. The card has to have gone to my Yard, not to Exile.

2. It only deals damage to one Creature. If it dealt damage to Creature or Player I would like it better.

3. By that stage of the game I'm sure I will want a card that will completely Exile a Creature, as opposed to dealing 4 damage to one. Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger laughs in the face of 4 damage.

I would like to mention Flaying Tendrils as a sideboard option for a potentially fast meta.

TristanTaylorsVoice I did have that card in the Sideboard for a long time.

After a lot of testing it turned out that Declaration in Stone does a better job against tokens and the things you want in Exile.

I can usually shut down or nerf aggro decks with my early removal. With Monastery Swiftspear gone there should be less of that.

One other card I'd like to mention: Knight of the White Orchid is a house in control decks.

A solid early body that also negates the disadvantage of being on the draw, enabling turn 4 plays before their turn 4 still (including Languish and Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet). He's a powerful blocker and occasional proactive threat, and you don't care if he dies since he's a rampant growth on a stick. If you're on the play, not only are you already ahead but you can simply play him before your land drop in the later stages of the game for a free ramp effect.

I would strongly advise considering this card.

TristanTaylorsVoice I should have also said that someone mentioned in the Comments that most Creatures are able to turn into x/3 these days, particularly if Gideon, Ally of Zendikar gets his Emblem out.

That makes Flaying Tendrils not achieve board wipe as easily. I will keep it in mind in case it fits my meta better than Declaration in Stone.

Knight of the White Orchid was also in an earlier build, which had more Creatures. The current build which focuses on early removal seems to work better. The ability of Knight of the White Orchid to fish out an extra Plains is very situational. I've used him in other decks. The First Strike can be good, but a lot of other 2 drops also have First Strike.

At the end of the day I'd rather just play a card that says "bang, bang, you're dead", and let my lands build up over the course of 20 odd turns.

Thanks for the feedback. It gives me a chance to rethink aspects of this build.

Argeaux,
I just playtested against Gruul Wolves (SOI Full Aggro). I obviously don't know your deck well, and I only played a couple games (very little time avail this morning), but the Wolves won 2-0. Here's a few thoughts:

• Game 1 played exactly like I would have hoped. I got lucky ... your deck hit Zada with Grasp of Darkness but the next turn I drew Arlinn Kord. Your deck got a Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet out, but it was just too little too late. Game 2 was very grindy and a struggle for both decks. End result was your deck got mana flooded I just barely made it.
• I was pleased to see that against Control decks, Werewolves can actually flip! So though it goes w/o saying I'll say it anyways: I recommend reading both faces closely, especially early in the season. :-)
• Lambholt Pacifist was the hero of Game 1, even though I "knew better" than to think she was just a Wall and kept killing her. Watch out for her though ... she's pretty explosive.
• You might consider some chump blockers for the mid-game. I got in for some big hasty damage against Ob Nixilis Reignited and your deck had nothing to stop it.
• I found Dead Weight very inconsistent. Sometimes it was just a dead card, and sometimes it was exactly what the deck needed.
• To the Slaughter underperformed. I always had a Creature I didn't mind sacrificing.
• Anguished Unmaking was amazing. It's every bit as good (or bad, depending on your persective) as I expected it to be :-(

Will test some more later. Until then, hope this helps!

Mirrorpool is cool in the control shell, expecially since you have the Caves of Koilos and the Blighted Fen to tap for the .

I did think about Mirrorpool.

Only problem with it is that I would take out Blighted Fen to accommodate it, which would give me less chances of <> mana to use it.

I wouldn't add it to the mix as is, because I need a lot of access to and mana.

So, how does this fare against other control decks?

I have a control list I am currently working on if you want to use it for testing.

Esper Control (SOI)

Why not add some more <> producing lands and play Thought-Knot Seer? It's a powerful creature that strips the best card from the opponent's hand and a 4/4 body is nothing to laugh at.

L0stinExile it does much better than I expected against Control.

Duress and Transgress the Mind take spells away and let me view their hand.

Two lots of Planeswalkers who can wind up doing direct damage help, as does siding in Center Soul to protect my Creatures.

nateblego in order to do that I'd effectively have to run a third colour.

I don't want to do that as I'm happy with the consistency of the mana, at the moment.

It is a very cool card, though. I'll keep it in mind.

xxINS4NExWoC want to know something funny?

I've been testing against you deck already!

Interesting haha. I really like your deck. It is quite a challenge to play against.