How this deck was born: I am predominantly a control player, and I wanted to try and build a control deck without using
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
. I think that card has given control players, or control in general, a bad name as playing it doesn't require you to be a good control player, just a player who can resolve a Teferi.
Why I chose what I chose:
Removal:
Cast Down
is a great removal spell that can cover a lot of threats. Easy to cast, instant speed, and frees up all the other removal for legendaries.
Deafening Clarion
is a great way to hit go-wide decks. I almost never end up getting the second mode, but its not really meant for that anyway.
Justice Strike
has been absolutely phenomenal for me so far. It absolutely wrecks the Izzet Drakes deck, and can be back breaking against targets
Cast Down
can't hit, such as
Lyra Dawnbringer
and
Niv-Mizzet, Parun
.
Lava Coil
is arguably the best red removal in the format, as the ability to exile is very important.
Profane Procession
: What's better than exile? Repeatable exile. What's better than repeatable exile? Using your opponent's creatures against them. What's better than using your opponent's creatures? Repeatedly using your opponent's creatures.
Settle the Wreckage
is good against wide boards, and even if the only thing it hits is a
Carnage Tyrant
, I'm not mad about that.
The Eldest Reborn
is great as it forces a sac from the opponent (sometimes the only way to hit
Carnage Tyrant
), and sometimes we can hit a PW too. Chapter 3 is great because we can grab one of our creatuers if its in our yard, or grab a big threat of theirs that we have removed/forced them to sac.
Vraska's Contempt
doesn't really need any explanation. Good card is good.
Control:
Ionize
was what I chose as my unconditional counter as oppposed to
Sinister Sabotage
. Being a little easier to cast, in addition to doing some chip damage, is what pushed it to the top.
Negate
is our best way to deal with planeswalkers. We have a lot of ways to deal with creatures, but cards like
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
,
Vivien Reid
and even
Angrath, the Flame-Chained
can result in a very bad day for us.
Thaumatic Compass
is a lot easier to flip than people realize, and playing it on 6 lands with number 7 in hand often puts a very fast clock on the opponent to remove it. When it becomes
Spires of Orazca
, removing our creature of choice from combat can really make things tough for the opponent and slow the game down even further. I don't care how big your
Crackling Drake
or
Tempest Djinn
gets.
Card Advantage and Draw:
Azor, the Lawbringer
is a finisher with card draw on the body. Even if X is only 2, that's a lot in this deck. If any of the other card advantage engines are out, we can see a lot of cards each turn.
Karn, Scion of Urza
lets us see at least 3 cards per turn (draw step, +1 ability). People drastically underestimate how dangerous that can be in this deck, as we have several ways to steal a game.
Mastermind's Acquisition
is an advantage piece in the sense we can get a silver bullet if we need it (looking at you
Settle the Wreckage
) or even something from the sideboard.
Risk Factor
is an all star in this deck. Cast it early and folks usually take the damage. Jumpstart it and folks have to start really thinking about things. Get the second copy, and your opponent can be in a world of trouble. Getting 6 mana, with 2 red sources, is pretty easy, so casting and jumpstarting on your opponent's end step can swing the game.
Search for Azcanta
: What's good for control? Setting up your draw. What's better than setting up your draw? Setting up every draw step.
Treasure Map
is sneaky good, as we get it down early and can get a few good scrys off, and when it flips, the card draw is real.
Finishers:
Azor, the Lawbringer
is a big flier, who if resolves/lives that turn he enters, can quickly close the game for us.
Banefire
will win you games. X=12+ is real in this deck.
Chromium, the Mutable
is even better than Azor. Flash (so it usually eats something in combat), can become hexproof. One swing with this, and even a 'mid size'
Banefire
(X= 6) can pass back with one turn left. Its also a bit easier to cast than Azor, despite costing more overall.
Rekindling Phoenix
is hard to get rid of and can come down and be a good, repetitive blocker early or some good pressure if the opponent doesn't have a way to exile it.
Risk Factor
doesn't quite slam the door for us, but it certainly closes it. It represents 8 damage, 6 cards or 4 and 3. Two copies in the deck really can make a huge impact, as you will deal a lot of damage or draw into finishers or removal (extending the game until you get finishers).
The Eldest Reborn
and
Profane Procession
can make their best cards/finishers our finishers, and if I can get a Teferi in your graveyard, you better believe I will bring it back.
Sideboard:
Cleansing Nova
,
Duress
, are locked in.
Unmoored Ego
is a personal favorite, as it can shut down decks that have tricky threats (
Carnage Tyrant
,
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
), or cripple decks with multiple threats (Izzet Phonenix is a lot less scary with no Phoenix). Though Erasure can grab these too, so it makes the cut for now.
Doom Whisperer
is a good card. Just saying.
Arguel's Blood Fast
,
Ixalan's Binding
, extra
Negate
are all negotiable. I think
Seal Away
deserves a spot somewhere in the 75, just not sure where yet.
Fun plays so far:
Banefire
where X is 10+. There is nothing folks can do about it, and there has usually been a little other damage done from
Ionize
or
Risk Factor
.
Flipping
Treasure Map
, - 2 on
Karn, Scion of Urza
creating a 4/4 construct and opening up easy card draw.
Having
Search for Azcanta
,
Karn, Scion of Urza
, and
Treasure Map
or
Treasure Cove
all on the board together and
Risk Factor
in hand and open mana. You will see many cards this turn. Such cards.
Anytime you get
Spires of Orazca
on the board.
Additional Notes:
I know this is not standard legal (due to a few lands). It will be soon, so in your suggestions or comments please focus on non-land feedback. If you have suggestions about actual manabase, numbers, etc I welcome that.
I feel like there is room for
Seal Away
,
Ritual of Soot
, and probably more Cleaning Nova or
Settle the Wreckage
. Not sure where the room is or what the numbers are.
I welcome feedback on this. I know this deck is a bit unusual, but I think that is part of why I have had success with it so far. I want to keep refining it, and I know the next set will bring more pieces to consider.
