Knowledge Pool + Curse of Exhaustion = Hard Lock
Let's break it.
Your goal is to achieve this lock. You will achieve this lock. Once you do, you have as much time as you need to draw into any of your utility creatures to whiddle away at their health with.The best way to do this is to have knowledge pool in your hand, how it gets there is irrelevant (probably treasure mage), and resolve bitterheart witch. Sac her to an altar's reap on their end step for maximum profit, then cast knowledge pool on your turn. You only need to keep mana open for 1 counter because, guess what, they only have one spell to cast!Now, until this happens, you're a control shell, of the most draw-go type, with a strong toolbox brought to you by trinket mage.
Realistically, you should be able to get a lock on turn fairly easily, on turn 9 for maximum safe-ness, or on turn 6 if you throw caution to the wind. Ideally, crack that toolbox'd spellbomb just before you play knowledge pool (and knowledge pool should be your last play before you lock), that way your opponent assuredly has NO flashback cards to mess with.
Increasing ambition is just a fun 1-of. You can toss it into the grave, hopefully, with an EOT forbidden alchemy, then flash it back much later (your opponent will probably forget about it, most players forget about interactions with the graveyard) for both combo pieces (or a few answers, if your pieces are already in-hand). Also, it's cheaper (8 mana to 7) if you flash it back with snapcaster, and you still get to find 2 cards.
Sideboard:Curse of Echos is for a mirror match/against control. If they white sun, so do you. If they cast a counter, so do you. If you get this first, you're likely to win.
Everything else is just pretty subjective, and it just a generic "goodstuff" board.
Maybeboard:GFFT is a more control-y replacement for altar's reap, since it has more purpose (in exchange, it doesn't net you cards).Blazing Torch is a trinket-mageable slow shock, which, conveniently, could also be used to suicide your own bitterheart witch.
Funfact:Mess with your opponents by playing this combo game 1, then siding it out for lingering souls and some pikes for a fun time for all games 2 and 3.
