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In response... - Budget ($17) Mono-Blue Control

Modern Budget Control Counterspell Defender Mono-Blue Wall

LumpyMilk


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AEtherling is my pet card.

The goal of this deck is to be as cheap as possible, and have a reliable control deck.

Any suggestions are welcome!

I'm trying to keep all cards <$1 for bragging rights, so try to keep recommendations the same. Regardless, as long as it's not absurdly expensive, I'd like to hear your thoughts and suggestions for additions, as I may make a non-budget version of the deck.

Wall of Frost - Big toughness blocker, that also causes them to stay tapped for a turn, slowing down their assault.

Fog Bank - Flying blocker, that can't take combat damage, preventing things like lifelink, deathtouch, infect, etc. The fact that it's flying is massive.

Dissolve - Just a good counterspell, plus you scry.

Rewind - Basically a free counterspell. Nice.

Mana Leak - Good for early game threats when they can't pay the mana, as well as when they tap out for a big spell.

Vapor Snag - Good for bouncing threats that snuck their way onto the battlefield, for later countering. Can also be used to save win cons from board wipes. Also fun if they try enchanting/pumping a dude, and you just bounce it back to their hand.

Elixir of Immortality - Not only do you gain the life, but you get to shuffle all your used cards into your library. This is insanely good. In long matchups, you may start using up all your gas, or maybe they keep Murdering all your walls, and you need some. Just shuffle them all back into your deck, and start a diggin'. Or maybe your Halimar Depths found nothing good? Just shuffle it away! Also, if you draw this against mill, they basically have to mill you out twice.

Radiant Fountain - Just a land that gives you some life. Pretty nice, especially against fast decks.

Opt - Cheap cantrip, lets you dig a bit into your deck.

Halimar Depths - It's basically Ponder on a land. No shuffling of the library so you're stuck with what's on top, even if it's bad. Regardless, you get the better stuff first, and you know what to expect to draw on the coming turns, and can plan accordingly.

Divination - Ok card draw, nothing special. I like it though. Good for when you're in a pickle, and need some quick gas.

Opportunity - I prefer this over cards like Jace's Ingenuity, because paying 1 more for 1 card doesn't seem to matter that much. Good for when you leave your mana fully open and they're too scared to play anything, and you just draw 4 on their end step.

AEtherling - Amazing finisher, has protection, evasion, and can be buffed. Very nice, very flavourful. Was the rare from my first ever pack. My favourite card.

Frost Titan - Soft protection, taps down creatures, and a 6/6 beater. Pretty nice.

Guile - 6/6 beater that lets us take whatever we counter? Sounds pretty good to me...

AEtherize - Brutal against tokens, also just good in general if they full swing with a ton of dudes. Good against some aggro decks that put down a lot of threats, rather than just big ones. This card can have insane value against tokens, or pumped up creatures.

Dissipate - Good against decks that don't mind if cards go into graveyard. Very good against Lingering Souls, as they don't get to use the second half. Also fun if they want to try some of that Blightsteel Colossus.

Negate - Good if you need a non-creature counterspell.

Spell Pierce - I would replace this with Mana Leak against decks that have less creatures. A lot would have this in the mainboard, but I just hate having it against a heavy aggro deck with very few non creatures.

Unwind - I would replace this with Rewind against decks that have less creatures. Lower CMC means you can be getting the tasty free counterspells a turn earlier.

Boomerang - More flexible than Vapor Snag, and can hit anything. Costs 1 extra mana, and doesn't cause the 1 life loss (doesn't really matter), so I am wondering if the higher cost is worth the higher flexibility. Can bounce lands, which is annoying, and can also give us a second chance to counter an enchantment, or artifact, or anything that isn't a creature, that may have slipped under our radar, or made it on board before we are set up. Definitely considering this card.

Rune Snag - Basically Mana Leak, only they have to pay 1 less, but it builds up as the game goes on. The 1 mana difference can matter, and my end all statement will be, it depends on your meta. I will be keeping Mana Leak because I am lazy, and it is less risky.

Lorthos, the Tidemaker - A possible replacement for Inkwell Leviathan, and has more impact. The problem is though, it has no protection. Inkwell Leviathan has shroud, whereas Lorthos, the Tidemaker does not. He does, however, have the option to tap out our opponents lands, which can effectively be shroud, because they can't cast anything. The danger though is the turn that he comes in, because he is vulnurable when we have very little mana after spending 8 to play him. He is a possibility, and honestly seems more interesting than Inkwell Leviathan. I'll definitely be testing him out.

Peek - Cantrip that lets us know what's coming, and if we should play a wall, or hold the mana open for a counter. Not positive on this one, but it's intriguing.

Enclave Cryptologist - I just love level up cards, and I'm wondering if this one will be an actual useful hand filter engine, and eventually straight up card draw. It's cheap mana cost and low level up cost is baiting me in to test it out. Maybe I'll put it in a commander deck to appease my needs.

Blue Sun's Zenith - Fun to keep all your mana open and scare them into not playing anything and then drawing a load of cards on their end step. And then maybe doing it again if I get lucky.

Think Twice - Personally, this card confuses me. I think it's good, I think it's bad, I can't make up my mind. There is synergy with Mana Leak and Dissolve, and I know other people run it, so I was thinking of testing it out.

Dismiss - Hey, that's some nice card advantage. CMC is the issue though.

Inkwell Leviathan - I decided to take this one out, as I simply could never cast it due to it being 9 mana to play. Hopefully Guile or something else can take its place as one of my wincons. I still like the shroud though.

Telepathy - Same with Peek, It's nice to know what you're up against.

Engulf the Shore - Probably a better AEtherize, but I'm going to test it before I put it in.

Tempest Djinn - Starts off as a blocker, and graduallly gets bigger, up to the point where it can win the game if you have board dominance

Plumeveil - Surprise 4/4 blocker

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Revision 5 See all

(5 years ago)

Top Ranked
  • Achieved #21 position overall 6 years ago
Date added 6 years
Last updated 2 years
Legality

This deck is Modern legal.

Rarity (main - side)

1 - 0 Mythic Rares

2 - 0 Rares

15 - 6 Uncommons

26 - 9 Commons

Cards 60
Avg. CMC 2.81
Folders Budget, Decks, fun budget decks to buy, Possible decks, Budget Fun Times, Interesting Modern Decks, maybe decks, For Reference, EDH, Decks
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