Not sure if I'm a big fan of card:Devil's Play for this deck set up. In this deck it looks like a weaker version of Death Wind to be honest. I would try something like Searing Spear instead, since it can be an option for targeted removal at a cheaper cost. Have you considered Tribute to Hunger or Tragic Slip ? Both are cheap removal to disrupt your opponent. I'm personally not really sold on Archaeomancer for this deck either. It seems to be too expensive to want to cast in a control setting. Try Fog Bank if you really want to have creatures for blocking.

Just my 2 cents.

A few thoughts here.

1) If you have Archaeomancer , you don't need Mystic Retrieval - either one would be sufficient. Personally I prefer Archaeomancer as it can provide a chump blocker or, when paired with Ghostly Flicker can provide as many retrievals as you can afford. Especially if you flicker two of them, as the flicker resolves and goes to the graveyard before they return to play, allowing one of them to return the flicker to your hand. It's not cheap, but you could easily return board clearing cards to your hand indefinitely as long as you have the mana to support it.

2) To that end, I think you would do a lot better with board-clearers more than individual control spells. For instance, Rolling Temblor will deal two damage to EVERYTHING on the ground, as opposed to Pillar of Flame only hitting one target. I would also advise card:Curse of Death's Hold and Mutilate as added ways to help quell your opponent's creatures until you can lay down Bolas.

3) Venomous_rose is dead on with Fog Bank as being perhaps one of the best stalling creatures in the game today. It doesn't work against trample, but can otherwise neutralize all their biggest critters.

4) Dissipate isn't really the best option for countering. Either step down in cost to Negate /Essence Scatter or up to Rewind . Any of those would likely be better for what you're going at. And, given the control nature of the deck, I'd just change it to 4x Essence Scatter .

5) Why Downpour ? Sleep costs two more, but it taps all of their creatures and keeps them tapped for a second turn. If you start rolling that with the Archaeomancer s and their creatures remain tapped for as long as you like.

I know it's a lot, but I do think you're on the right path. These could be totally off base, but I'd wager they'll help. +1 for taking a shot on getting Bolas going in standard.

Archaeomancer + Ghostly Flicker = win idea. Even better, I can flicker the Augur of Bolas to turn Augur into a makeshift Ponder , though not all of the same perks. Instead of Sleep , I was thinking of Devastation Tide . Creatures tapped on the battlefield can still prevent me from doing things. Putting them endlessly back into my opponent's hand with Archaeomancer is more useful. Also, Devastation Tide will return all nonland permenants. this includes cards like Torpor Orb that will cause any Archaeomancer /Augur of Bolas hate.

I added Downpour to the deck for early game aggro decks to stall some time for just 2 cost. True, I could use Sleep in its place, but the deck is already running too many 4+ cost cards as a control deck without much mana acceleration.

As for Dissipate , I was wondering about maybe using Frightful Delusion . Its a weaker mana leak, but if they only have one card left in their hand that they wanted to play after the counter, it'll be gone now. And its doesn't descriminating on what kind of spell. EVERYTHING is able to be countered.

I like to play with spells that don't descriminate between other spell types whenever possible. I'd rather use a card like Bonfire of the Damned than Rolling Temblor . But I see your point on focusing on global spells to keep both the battlefield clear and bypass "protection from...". I dislike the 5 mana cost, but when comparing Mutilate to card:Curse of Death's Hold in a deck running only 3 Swamp s. yeah...card:Curse of Death's Hold wins by default. Likewise, Killing Wave allows me to deal some damage to my opponent in early game, and allows me to wipe their board almost clean in later game.

I only have 2 card:Devil's Play in the deck as a late game finisher if my opponent has low enough life and I have the reserved mana. It has flashback, so 2 copies of it ensures I can hit them up to 4 times with it unless they exile it.

I've thought about Fog Bank too, personally. Its used in my other variant of this deck. My only reason for not using it thus far was dependent on if I can find the spot to fit it in. I have both Archaeomancer AND Mystic Retrieval to ensure that I always have access to bringing my spells back from the graveyard. Seeing as I now have more combo ideas for Archaeomancer , however, I'm likely to see if I can make better use of the 3 spots Mystic Retrieval is taking up.

Thanks for the assistance thus far, and hope you come back after I update the deck for additional ideas! :D

Not really much I can comment on since control/ slower decks are not my favorite and not what I usually play but I have one thing I can recommend. Instead of Death Wind is maybe Vampire Nighthawk he has deathtouch so he is going to kill practically anything compared to the deathwind which is only going to kill what you have the mana for. and he gives you something to maybe swing with to gain life if needed.

Oh and I know Archaeomancer gets you back stuff for a second use but he is just expensive and I feel like there is probably something that is better. Same with card:Devil's Play, I think killing wave is much more suited for this deck because you are either killing creature or having them take life which I feel works more smoother for the games where you don't get Bolas out as your win con. Finally, Murder is a solid option for more creature removal if you feel that is lacking with killing wave in there over devils play.

Bonfire of the Damned . Do it.

Umm -4 Archaeomancer +4 Snapcaster Mage ? That's a must!

Have you thought about running Gem of Becoming over Vessel of Endless Rest ? I know it isn't mana ramp, but it is definitely deck thinning and ensures you don't miss land drops which are crucial for this style of deck. With so many instants and sorceries, card:Runechanter's Pike could essentially act as an alternate win condition if you could fit maybe two in here. It would really increase the potency of the deck and force your opponent to deal with more than just a Bolas.

That being said, I don't think you should exclude Snapcaster Mage from the deck simply to surprise your opponents. I'd say continue to run Archaeomancer , as I love that card as well, but Snapcaster can't hurt, especially if you were to include the Pike. Anything with a pike followed by a card:Devil's Play is sure to be game over very quickly. I really like the style of the deck, though! Hopefully Ravnica will boost the power level of this deck even more.

What buffy said, a full set of Snapcaster Mage s in a deck full of instants and sorceries can never go wrong in the mainboard. Sideboarding them's just...funny.

Also, if you're looking at discard through Frightful Delusion , I'd prefer going the Duress + Ravenous Rats route instead, and replace Frightful Delusion with a form of hard counter.

You might want to consider Blasphemous Act over Rolling Temblor as its reach is much bigger and hits harder too. Throw in some Stuffy Doll s in the sideboard for fun if you're running it, hehe.

Finally, being a control deck, I'd say 4 Evolving Wilds would be in place, to thin your deck. Perhaps RTR might offer even more thinning options, but for now, I'd say the Evolving Wilds are priority. I've learnt that the first step in building a control deck would be to aggressively thin your library of lands as quickly as possible to get all quality draws, as control decks can't afford a dud draw, eg. drawing a land instead of any other cards that might help.

After a short playtest, I would VERY strongly suggest Snapcaster Mage . A full set. Along with some other ideas I would go: +1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker +4 Snapcaster Mage +1 Dissipate +1 Think Twice -1 Frightful Delusion -3 Archaeomancer -1 Ghostly Flicker -1 Thought Scour

Oh and for sure find a spot for Gem of Becoming .

Glass Cannon.... Gitaxias? vs. Methodical Mind Games 2.

Game 1 was an easy victory for gitaxias. I got set up nicely with a turn 5 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur , drawing me 7 cards. 2 of those seven were Sheoldred, Whispering One . Every time I played a gitaxias you killed it, but I was still able to get card advantage. I found that most of the game was you scrambling to kill my threats. Finally a hard cast sheoldred and a frited Wurmcoil Engine (all with the help of jin-gitaxias) finished you off. That was a turn 11 win.

Game 2 Glass Cannon.... Gitaxias? got no lands. Turn 7 and I had 3 lands. You had a Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker in hand and 6 mana. He was your only way to win this game. It took another 5 turns for you to draw the 7th. By turn 15 it was to late and I had killed you with a Sheoldred, Whispering One and a Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur . That was a turn 15 win.

After that playtesting, I would say that you NEED Gem of Becoming . You would have one easily in game 2 if weren't for not drawing lands. All you needed where 2, and Gem of Becoming would have for sure won you the game.

okay...so a +1 on Gem of Becoming . Suggestions on what to swap for it? Other than land, what else would have helped with the amount of land I did have to play with?

The reason I ask the second question was sideboard building purposes.

-1 Bonfire of the Damned -1 Thought Scour +2 Gem of Becoming .

hmm...mkay. Lemme make the adjustments. Lets see how it goes. :3

there. made those slight mods, tweaked the land so there are 2 swamps so can make the most use of those gems and increase chances to draw a black mana(the least common mana in the deck).

Methodical Mind Games 2 vs. In Flames. Standard vs. Modern

Game 1 you where a mana flooded. Much to much mana. I was able to mass flashback 2 turns in a row for 20 damage.

Game 2 I had 2 Braid of Fire at 5 and 4 counters, 4 lands and 2x Seething Song in the grave. You where at 17 life. I was able to cast a Comet Storm for 15 to you, then used a Lightning Bolt to finish you off. Yes I know this was Modern vs. standard, but I really think you need either more Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker or something like Talrand, Sky Summoner . You need a more solid win con. I was drawing good cards, but nothing that could win me the game. I would also like to say that Gem of Becoming really helped me not get mana screwed in game 2.

Hmm...Another matchup for comparison? Intriguing finds though. :3 Remember, I need to know what was holding my back, card-wise, as well as what I'm needing. That game results just says "drop an island for a bolas/talrand" to me xD

Well, that's what I think you should do xD. There just plain aren't enough way's to win. Simple. Anything equiped with a runchanter's is killed as soon as it hits, and then you only have your two 8 cmc Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker . So, I think you need another win con. Such as Talrand, Sky Summoner . And maybe even Slumbering Dragon could help stall. Just a thought. Okay, I'm gonna do one more matchup.

.....you're not using Devil's Play as a win condition? Even after killing wave/bonfire chop down their life? o.O

Ok, I'll do another matchup later, but I think I have the answer to all your problems: -2 Rolling Temblor +2 Diabolic Tutor +1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker ! It's perfect! lets you find your nicol bolas! At least I think it's perfect :P.

problem is: Diabolic Tutor rotates out.

Increasing Ambition *.

lol I just had it in sideboard...then removed it thinking was too expensive. xD

No. I don't agree. You NEED another win con. Either more Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker or maybe Talrand, Sky Summoner or Increasing Ambition . That's really all I can think of :(.

Methodical Mind Games 2 vs. You Didn't Need Those Lands Anyway.

Game 1 both decks kinda got nothing. I DID draw 2x Thrun, the Last Troll . They pummeled you because all you drew was 2x Augur of Bolas . You stalled for a turn or so with a Devastation Tide , but then I drew the Liquimetal Coating and started pinging your lands and creatures, letting me swing with my 2 thrun's for lethal. 1-0.

Game 2 was an absolute destruction. You had 1 or less land the entire game because of 1 missed land drop and a ton of land destruction. I won easily with a Thrun, the Last Troll and a Deceiver Exarch . You could not play anything.