Thought Scour should probably be in this deck. I would also suggest building a more dedicated combo version of the deck, seeing if that works, then adding control elements piecemeal. Right now, you're running a stripped-down version of Grixis Midrange (a deck that crashed out of the meta and was replaced by Grixis Control) with an unproven win condition. Make sure your combo's reliable, and then you can worry about the backup plan.

+1 for the name alone, lol. The deck looks pretty good. I wish there was a little more discard personally to help protect yourself. I don't like the 1 of Mana Leak at all. I'd rather it be something like Negate or even remand. I'd personally want Thoughtseize as like a 2 of. I do like the idea of Thought Scour too. Fun deck idea though! I like it more than grishoalbrand

I originally had Thought Scour in here, but took it out trying to slim the deck down to 60.

I'm curious as to the reasoning behind your disapproval of Mana Leak. And while I see the doubted power behind Thoughtseize, the fact is the way this deck plays out I'm losing life rather rapidly on account of fetching and shocking alone, something that I don't hesitate too much on because I'm more intent on playing those turn 1 Inquisition of Kozilek and filtering my deck out. Ideally anything I deal with won't win by the time I do because the goal is to get the combo resolved as soon as possible. Turn 3 at the earliest. So a lot of this control deck is geared to the early game.

Late game I have a much harder time pulling through.

the undoubted*

So where would Thought Scour fit in here and how many?

Kolaghan's Command looks out of place in a combo deck. I get wanting to slow down the rush, but Lightning Bolt and Inquisition of Kozilek should have that covered. I'd cut that and maybe trim a Terminate and a land (more cantrips = less lands needed) for 4 Thought Scour. I'd also trim the Mana Leak for another Faithless Looting.

Great suggestions. Thank you rothgar13. I'll give it a try.

Any thoughts on the sideboard?

Could you explain the reason this deck is any better than the griselbrand lists? The strengths I see are that mob mizzet is a little easier to cast and you have less "dead" cards. However, grishoalbrand has a much better secondary win condition, can go off at instant speed, and doesn't require extra mana to go off. It also can't be stopped as easily by removal, which this deck is destroyed by. I don't even think you can win if they hold up removal. Grishoalbrand also gets 14 extra cards just from reanimating a creature, which is usually enough to win. I'd appreciate if you could explain why this deck can compete with grishoalbrand.

I'd like to see another Dispel and a couple of Negates. Rise/Fall is too slow for a combo deck, as is Virulent Plague (if you want to kill tokens, use Engineered Explosives or Pyroclasm). Crumble to Dust is also too slow (not even Jund decks are using those).

This deck is good, but I think it's a bit slow for modern. Consider using some mana accelerator! I suggest this card to everyone, but Generator Servant could be pretty good, making possible a win on turn 5. Also, a number of Dispel (maybe 2 or 3) would make your combo more reliable.

Oh sorry, didn't notice that you use Vengeance to make it on turn 3. Just think about the Dispel suggestion lol

Pact of Negation might be a card to consider, as when you combo off, you win. Echoing Truth might seem out of place, but is a great way to deal with tokens/weenies/hand vomiting style decks.

So I'm debating just getting rid of Terminate and maybe putting it in the side in favor of two Snapcaster Mage. I feel like the potential for having two more recurrence opportunities would be more helpful. Especially now that I'm running four Thought Scour

Ophidian Eye can be useful for "In response I win."

I agree that Snapcaster Mage would be a good addition with your heavy reliance on instants/sorceries.

I feel Laboratory Maniac is kind of a loose answer to hexproof since Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind requires a target and your life total is only so high.

Echoing Truth was a good suggestion to deal with most permanents that interrupt you.

Dispel and Pact of Negation are your best counterspells to protect your combo.

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite seems favorable too Obzedat, Ghost Council. Landing her on or before turn 4 can mean game over for many weenie decks, including tokens, burn, and eldrazi. If you really want him for grindy games, the board may be a better place for him.

If you're more worried about the game ending too soon, Sun Droplet is a great anti-aggro card.

Hand disruption is your best friend, I'd suggest some number of Duress in the board.

Noxious Revival is great for graveyard based decks that don't want everything in the yard, like your Curiosity

In the main, I'd suggest -2 Serum Visions -2 Terminate -1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  ^Flip -2 Obzedat, Ghost Council for +2 Snapcaster Mage +2 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite +1 Noxious Revival +2 Thought Scour.

In the side, -3 Fulminator Mage -3 Laboratory Maniac

for +2 Duress +2 Echoing Truth +2 Sun Droplet/Obzedat, Ghost Council.

Damn. Awesome suggestions DestinyKills. Thank you! I'll give my deck a good look once I get home.

What about Through the Breach and Zombify effects?

Great suggestions, but they're too slow. The minimum of four mana just to reanimate Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, plus the other I would need to cast Curiosity is too slow.

I might as well be playing Ophidian Eye mainboard as well to give me the opportunity to do it on their turn.

Thank you for the suggestions though. If they Slaughter Games or Surgical Extraction my Goryo's Vengeance, then I just lose (unless I can stall to seven mana), and that's just something I have accepted. Ideally I'm going off on turn 3 or 4. So removing my ace card is less of a concern from the get go. But I see your focus in the suggestions. Thank you again.

Needs more land, like 23ish, and also a 1-of shockland that can make white mana, so probably Hallowed Fountain, so you can flashback Unburial Rites.

I did consider adding a Hallowed Fountain. However, Jace can also be used to bring back Unburial Rites, as well as Noxious Revival if needed.

And I don't usually have land problems. The question regardless would be what do I take out?

+1 for finding such an obvious combo that somehow never crossed my mind. Like, what the hell.

Keen Sense as an additional Curiosity?

Adding tho... Like there's a couple good Green auras that do the same thing. Snake Umbra is another one, albeit Ophidian Eye would make more sense at that length of mana...

But splashing green would make this deck significantly more complicated. You're rarely playing with more than four mana on the board.

You could just play playsets of City of Brass and Mana Confluence if you go four colors. It's all about an early whombo-combo, so loss of life doesn't really matter, I don't think.

In my tests so far I've typically not had a problem hitting the Curiosity. I can dig through a third of my library effortlessly in five turns time. And if I ever end up pitching it we have Noxious Revival. Gifts Ungiven is also a great tool for getting there. Gifts getting Curiosity, Noxious Revival, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  ^Flip, and Goryo's Vengeance is super rough on my opponent too, especially when they don't know what pieces I have in hand.

My only true threat is getting my Curiosity or Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind hit out with Slaughter Games or Surgical Extraction. However, I've noticed in my meta those cards aren't as common in the sideboard anymore (for some strange reason) and if they do show up are typically 1-of or 2-ofs making them significantly harder to hit. And if they're relying on Slaughter Games I still hold a high potential to go off on turn 3.

If they start targeting my combo pieces and not my Goryo's Vengeance I just side into Obzedat, Ghost Council and start playing a little more fair magic.

The deck has a surprising amount of versatility now thanks to the two of Gifts Ungiven and one Unburial Rites.

My point is - cramming in for extra Curiosity effects seems a little overkill at this point and takes away from me solid utility cards slots. I'm better off using Counterspell magic from the side to protect my combo at that point rather than stretch my mana base.

Yeah, I had thought you would say something like that as well.

It is less about splashing a color and more about slots, though. 4-5 color reanimator is pretty easy so long as you win quick enough and don't care about life loss.