Any one who is experienced in mill can you please critique my deck Dimir Control Mill/Exile? I want to try it at an FNM, and I was hoping that since this deck works so well you could maybe take a sec to look at mine.

@ducttapedeckbox

What could you do against someone using a deck similar to your own? (Dimir Mill Style)

Will check your deck out, Sworddude098 when I get a chance.

dream_cast -- SB in Witchbane Orb and Pithing Needle is a start. I might adjust the sideboard to include Psychic Spiral, but not sure yet. Otherwise, I hope I mill faster :P To paraphrase KrazyCaley, a deck that tries to be good against everything will be bad against everything.

Why not run Trepanation Blade?

Hi! I started playing Magic just a week ago, and I decided that, since i didn't have ideas on how to build a deck, I had to look at someone else's and then try something on my own.So i decided to start on this deck, because you explained your choices very well, and I also like the main idea of it.I tried it against my friends, and they were all shocked about the results I had. For a budget deck, I won lots of matches again T1.5 deck and competive and expensive T2 decks. Actually I lost many more matches, than the ones I won, but I think it's a very nice result for a noob like me. I played the deck a lot, and since you said you don't have a lot of time to playtest, I have a few noobish suggestions for you. Let me know if you think they are good :D

Ok let's start. The main idea of the deck is to make your opponent mill at least 10 cards, to fuel the Jace's Phantasms. In most games you can reach this goal in the 3rd or 4th turn. So I found Grisly Spectacle very very expensive, and by the time you have the mana to cast it, your opponent will already have 10 cards in his graveyard. So, when i was looking for a cheaper removal, I found Death's Approach. Altough it's not an instant, it costs just 1 mana, and if you played a Mind Sculpt, it can kill almost everyone. This will give you much more control in the early game, and I like that card very much.Also, I lost some matches because I didn't draw creatures, and I tried to look for some cheap creature with nice synergies with the deck. I run into Wight of Precinct Six. I believe they are awesome defending creatures, since you will prefer to wait for the Jace's Phantasm to attack. I cut the Codex Shredder because, as I said, I think you can mill 10 cards very fast.

What do you think about these cards? Let me know if you tought about them and, if so, why you cut them out. Thanks for this awesome deck, very strong and fun to play.

P.S. sorry for my poor English, I'm Italian.

@ LeoScibi From what i have seen observed in my own playing, the cards you mention have 1 fatal flaw. they require creatures. Death's Approach & Wight of Precinct Six both say creatures only. so if you mill 7 cards with Mind Sculpt and the average balanced deck has say 20 creatures in it. Yes i am averaging; then you might get 2 creatures, 2 lands, and 3 spells. 3 creatures at most. Paired with Death's Approach that is a permanent -3/-3 yes but i wouldn't say it will kill most creatures. If you are playing someone with a spell heavy deck results will be worse. my own humble opinion.

Good sideboard cards tho

@ crabopolis Maybe you are right, but I think that giving a -3/-3 to a big creature for 1 mana is better than killing it for 4 mana. If your opponent does not destroy the enchantment, that creature will die within a couple of turns. You can also use the charm if that creature is very dangerous.You surely have more experience than me, but I actually feel more confortable with a removal that could work for 1 mana, than with a removal that works for 4.

that's why i love this game, 1000 different ways to do everything.

@LeoScibi If you want a quick and dirty removal in place of those. I'd suggest using Tragic Slip, Murder or Ultimate Price.

I think Codex Shredder is great for reliable mill, remember that it's second ability can allow you to bring back another spell like Murder, a Charm or a Mind Grind.Do not discount the flexibility of that card.

Ooh boy lots of stuff to respond to. I have a lot of work to do today, so my responses and explanations will be brief. Let me know if you want me to go more in depth at a later date. I will not respond to specific people right now, but rather just the cards mentioned.

Grisly Spectacle -- It is slow. But it's also a late-game card for this deck. It runs plenty of other control outlets that provide the early game control you're talking about.

Death's Approach and Wight of Precinct Six -- As mentioned, they require creatures in the grave, which isn't always an option, especially versus control decks. They're sideboard material in my opinion. Also, for this deck that runs such few creatures, I'd prefer it to have some evasion (flying, unblockable, hexproof, etc.) or second ability (Consuming Aberration).

Codex Shredder -- Makes a T3 5/5 Jace's Phantasm very possible (even more so than without it). And it's second ability is great late-game.

It may help to go through the comments and read the discussion (there's more linked in the updates). Most if not all of the cards you've suggested have been in the deck or suggested at some point. And, if I forgot anything, let me know!

Victim of Night your thoughts?

I think 24 lands is really pushing it here. I would recommend going up to 26-28. Also, I like the idea, but it seems like enchantments like Rest in Peace would give you a hard time. They make your guildmages ability worthless and they kill your Consuming Aberration as they remove all cards from all graveyards. Maybe something to remove enchantments? To be more competitive, I might add white and try Oblivion Ring or Detention Sphere. That also gives you access to Supreme Verdict and Terminus. Not to mention the ever-valuable Sphinx's Revelation. I understand if you can't or don't want to afford all of these (I can't either) but adding white does give you these options.

If you want to give mine a spin and see what you think you can find it at esperations of mil

@anesome 26-28 is pushing it. If you're going to go Esper mite aswell go control.

Victim of Night is good, when they're not playing something it can't kill. I'd much rather not have the "non-" clauses in there, or just have a counterspell to get rid of anything.

24 lands has been proving itself to be plenty. There are very few high-CMC cost cards, so anything above 25 I think is unnecessary and a waste of space.

Rest in Peace can be dealt with by counterspells or bouncing it and then countering it. The deck also contains enough control that a complete-mill is doable without creatures.

As mentioned, this is a mill deck ,and once I splash white it becomes more of a control deck. It can't be good against everything! :P

Couldn't read all the comments.... Did anyone suggested Sands of Delirium??? I think it's a nice card for milling.

Not yet actually, but I've never really liked it... Its always seemed like a bigger Nephalia Drownyard to me, and the Drownyard even produces mana! :P

+1 from me. Here's my take on the Dimir Guild. I'll probably use it tomorrow at FNM. I'm also using Ciphers and Stalkers though. It's only a few dollars more than yours based on the estimates this site gives.

Dimir Hustle and Grind

Think Mindshrieker would be good in this deck? While I'm not thrilled about 2 mana for 1 card, it can help make situations where you have to block, much easier to handle.

Thanks for the +1! I'll be sure to check your deck out.

Mindshrieker can be a great card, but it's very conditional. The ability can easily allow it to survive an attack, but also can do absolutely nothing. What would you suggest removing for it if I decided to add it?

Read your description, don't see any Hands of Binding X(

WHY DO YOU DISS THE SWANLAND?!

I was originally running Hands of Binding, and it is really one of my favorite cards. However, it didn't seem to work for this deck. Is is really best with unblockable creatures, and I am not running any, nor something that can make a creature unblockable like Rogue's Passage or Artful Dodge. My best bet for ciphering a card would be on Jace's Phantasm, and once I do, he becomes a major target to take out. Ultimately the card is great, but it didn't seem to fit in this particular deck.

I would Suggest the Undercity Informer and Mortus Strider Combo, Its one of my cheap and fun favs.

If you want to move away from budget. You should go esper. Splashing white for Supreme Verdict and Lingering Souls are great against aggro. Check out my Esper mill deck! akira-1

@ Bozak it still costs quite a bit of mana. if anything Undercity Informer and Undead Alchemist but he's already discarded that idea since it doesn't synergize with any other part of the deck.

@ My_ppl_eat_dogs i think the reason why this deck has made it to this many upvotes (keep it goin! he's making another after 100 :P) is because its standard competitive and budget.