Imagine a world where every game store had a DCI representative who could just ban cards in the middle of a game. What a world to live in, huh?
What if I told you that such a world exists and I live in it all the time? I'm not a member of the DCI, but I've been known to ban a card or two.
What gives me the right? Well, friend, I wield the DCI Banhammer. That's what gives me the right.
The DCI Banhammer is a White-Black Control deck that was inspired by the Un-Set card Look at Me, I'm the DCI.
The idea is to play cards that allow you to name cards that you know your opponent is playing and prevent them from using those cards.
You get ahead by slowly whittling away at their threats and resources until you can beat them to death with a few creatures stolen with Profane Procession
and/or a Shambling Vent. Eating life with Blind Obedience can also get us to the finish line.
I also refer to this as "The Stagnant Meta Test" because small shops tend to play the same decks over and over again. This allows you to know exactly what your opponent is playing and take away the key pieces of the deck. This deck preys on the familiar.
Nevermore - This card is the Modern-legal version of the deck's namesake. We run four and we name our opponent's spells that we know we'll have a hard time with. For example, when I play against the guy running Tron at my local shop, I name All Is Dust with one of my copies of Nevermore because it is such a huge blowout. Dead cards in your opponent's hand means we gain incremental advantages by locking them out, one piece at a time.
Runed Halo - Giving us protection from everything from Oblivion Sower to Lightning Bolt is golden. The more cards you can shut off, the better off you are. They drop a Goblin Guide, you name it and they sit there with a creature that might as well be a $30 defender.
Lost Legacy - Name a combo piece, name a creature, but just name something and consider it banned.
Infinite Obliteration - This is Memoricide's Beastly Baby Brother. Against the Jeskai Nahiri decks, name Emrakul, the Aeons Torn and you've stripped out their primary win-condition.
Blind Obedience - Because we need to slow down hasty decks so that we can beat them. "Extort" is nothing to sneeze at and it can close out games or help us stabilize.
Day of Judgment - Why run this over Wrath of God? Because this one has "Judgment" in the name! And when in the last bajillion years has regeneration been relevant? If your opponent's board-state gets too out of hand, drop this and watch them weep. Just don't forget to sacrifice your Necrotic Sliver in response!
Shambling Vent - Lets us practically run creatures without compromising our mana base. I used to run Spawning Pool but that was just too darn slow, even if it could regenerate itself. This dodges all sorcery-speed removal when we're on the offense and it can help us stabilize with the life gain.
Bontu's Last Reckoning - A three mana Damnation with drawback. The drawback is lessened in this deck because, if you are nullifying/banning a great deal of cards in their deck, having your lands stay tapped isn't as detrimental if they have few things that can actually be cast.
Conjurer's Ban - Draws us a card, offers tempo (just name a land you know your opponent is running or that you anticipate them playing from a previous Inquisition of Kozilek or Thoughtseize), or holds off combo a turn while we set up a more permanent ban. Not great in multiples, but a cute two-of.
Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseize not only chip at our opponent's hand, but it also gives us valuable intelligence about what they're playing and potential targets for our ban cards.
Seek is in here because it also offers valuable intelligence about what our opponent is playing, and it also gives us some life. If your opponent is playing Grishoalbrand, take a Griselbrand or Emrakul and enjoy your bajillions of life.
Story Circle is the "Circle of Protection" cards on steroids. Prevent that burn damage. Red is banned. Just ban it.
I know that cards like Cranial Extraction, Memoricide and Stain the Mind exist, but being four-mana heavy in WB is a bad time. I thought it was easier to keep things a little lower.
I am considering a copy or two of Gideon's Intervention because it is both a Nevermore and a Runed Halo, and we love both of those things. Not sure where to cut and shave though. Ideas?
