No Baleful Strix ? I think it's amazing. It's solid lategame as well as it'll just replace itself and will require a 1 for 1 trade (removal or deathtouch) all at 2 mana, and the card it gains makes it almost exclusively a 2 for 1 (black + artifact = no Go for the Throat , Doom Blade etc.)

Baleful Strix is unfortunately useless in combo-control. It doesn't do anything relevant, so it more often than not turns into a UB sorcery-speed cantrip. It doesn't even 2-for-1 unless someone swings into it.

Have you ever considered adding Tainted Pact ? This may not be the deck for it, but you only have three combo pieces that would be really bad to exile, and even then you could tolerably exile Rune-Scarred Demon . Sometimes it whiffs, but other times it is an instant speed Demonic Tutor . It probably won't make the cut, but it should definitely be in consideration.

I have indeed considered Tainted Pact . I haven't yet included it because I foresee some problems with its use. I don't mind exiling cards if it helps me win, but what happens if I come to a combo piece that I don't need yet? I can't exile it, but I don't want it in my hand. I'd rather have a hard tutor, even though Tainted Pact is an instant.

It does a 2 for 1 if they remove it with spot removal, or if they swing into it.

Nobody is going to waste spot removal on Baleful Strix , and I doubt anyone will swing into it. Combat is rarely even relevant at the competitive multiplayer level.

Utopia Sprawl ? Seems pretty far-fetched in a deck with 5 forests and only a couple forest tutors...

Utopia Sprawl is actually pretty strong. You forget that although 5 of my lands are Forests, 9 of my lands and 4 of my ramp spells (counting Green Sun's Zenith can potentially find Forests. I consistently have a Forest on turn one or two (usually on turn one).

Or, at least, I have the potential to have a turn one Forest, regardless of what I actually end up playing.

Utopia Sprawl , for its cost, allows me to capitalize on that availability for relatively little investment. It color fixes and ramps.

Ah yes, I forgot to account for the fetch lands, my bad.It just looks like an iffy card, but if it works out for you, then it can be pretty powerful ramp.

Granted, Utopia Sprawl does appear substandard at first glance due to the enchanting restriction, but the availability of Forests means it's usually able to take on turn one or two if I start with it in hand. It's not the most powerful ramp effect in the deck, but it does provide color and net me an extra mana for only G.

Don't you think you could benefit from Sylvan Caryatid ?

@Human_Rogue_21 I would say no. As it is 1 mana more than Birds of Paradise . Not often will someone waste a spot removal spell for a bop. so the hexproof is more or less pointsless in EDH

@Human_Rogue_21: Sylvan Caryatid isn't particularly good in this deck because it's a 2-drop. The fatter body and hexproof aren't worth the higher cost. I would sooner run Bloom Tender , and even Bloom Tender is pushing it.

Forbid

Walk the Aeons

Acidic Slime

Lion's Eye Diamond

Progenitor Mimic

no, but seriously:

Spell Snare

Force Spike

Pithing Needle

Timetwister

Stifle

@MTG_Player:

Spell Snare is a bit too limited in EDH. Although the mana cost is very low, it doesn't hit enough relevant cards in my opinion. It's decent in counter wars and against some common threats, but something about it feels too limited.

Force Spike is pretty easy to evade and would only ever work as a last shot in a counter war or as a trick if an opponent tapped completely out. Sometimes that can be enough, but I wonder whether sometimes is worth it.

Pithing Needle is an interesting idea, but I don't know if it would work out. I could potentially use it to stop Hermit Druid or something else, but I don't envision many cases where I'd rather have Pithing Needle over anything else in the deck.

Timetwister is not ideal because I'll usually have a full hand if Damia or one of my draw engines is up. I don't want to give my opponents free draws for little benefit to myself.

Stifle is currently being tested. I like it so far, and I think it may find a permanent home in the list.

If you have any thoughts or counterarguments about the four other cards I mentioned, please share them. I'm at the point in this deck's development where everything comes down to comparison, and I need to look at potentially-viable cards from all angles.

scion / druid decks are very common in competitive metas, pithing needle stops both and can do so on the first turn, spell snare gets rid of druid or any other 2-mana counterspell

Of your primary win conditions (decking, bouncing, and infinite turns), how often would you say you use each of them? I'm assuming you primarily win by decking or am I mistaken?

What about Peregrine Drake ? Provides another palinchron-like win condition.

Why no Worldly Tutor ? I playtested this and could have combo'ed out turn 5 if that were in the deck,

@MTG_Player: Legitimate points, but I need to be sure that those cards will be more useful than whatever I cut.
Currently, I'm thinking about dropping Chromatic Lantern .
Delay was sided out about a month ago to test Stifle .
Glen Elendra Archmage is probably reaching the end of its time in this deck.

@TheCommonFig: I primarily use decking and bouncing because those are the easiest to achieve. Blue Sun's Zenith allows me to draw into all of my resources before executing a win condition. Bouncing is protected because everything is done through abilities (Deadeye Navigator , Palinchron , Venser, Shaper Savant ). Infinite turns are possible, but they're harder to achieve or become available at the same time as the more reliable options.

@edarow32: If I had space in the deck (or ran Living Wish ), I might include Peregrine Drake . However, I'm pressed for space as it is.

@Arkenzie: Worldly Tutor is good, but it isn't really something I want to be playing most of the time. The card goes to the topdeck, which means I have to burn a spell at EOT and spend a draw to actualize the advantage. Not that the effect isn't powerful, but it isn't as strong as Mystical Tutor (which gives me more options) or the tutor-to-hand effects.

Could you describe the scenario a bit more?

I like the deck possiblilites with Damia, Sage of Stone as a commander. Mine is a mill/reanimate. BUG just has so much to offer. +1 from me.

Worldly Tutor is instant speed? Cast at the end of your enemy's turn. No draw spell burned at all for the anwser.

Well I just basically restated what you were saying. Iam sorry. My point is that I could have combo'd out for the win that turn had I been able to fetch worldly tutor. So that "spent" draw would have been game winning.