Reversal Control (Tasigur EDH)

Commander / EDH Competitive Control Infinite Combo

atomskprime

Land (35)

• 1x Academy Ruins
• 1x Ancient Tomb
• 1x Bloodstained Mire
• 1x Breeding Pool
• 1x Cephalid Coliseum
• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dryad Arbor
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Forbidden Orchard
• 3x Forest
• 1x Gemstone Mine
• 3x Island
• 1x Llanowar Wastes
• 1x Mana Confluence
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Overgrown Tomb
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Reflecting Pool
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Strip Mine
• 2x Swamp
• 1x Underground River
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 1x Verdant Catacombs
• 1x Watery Grave
• 1x Windswept Heath
• 1x Wooded Foothills
• 1x Yavimaya Coast

Utility (6)

• 1x Deathrite Shaman
• 1x Eternal Witness
• 1x Scavenging Ooze
• 1x Sensei's Divining Top
• 1x Snapcaster Mage
• 1x Training Grounds

Tutor (12)

• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Eldritch Evolution
• 1x Entomb
• 1x Fabricate
• 1x Green Sun's Zenith
• 1x Intuition
• 1x Muddle the Mixture
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Tooth and Nail
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Victimize
• 1x Worldly Tutor

Ramp (11)

• 1x Birds of Paradise
• 1x Dimir Signet
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Grim Monolith
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Nature's Lore
• 1x Simic Signet
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Talisman of Dominance

Counterspell (6)

• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Force of Will
• 1x Negate
• 1x Pact of Negation
• 1x Swan Song

ComboPiece (5)

• 1x Dramatic Reversal
• 1x Isochron Scepter
• 1x Palinchron
• 1x Phantasmal Image
• 1x Reality Shift

Commander (1)

Draw (11)

• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Consecrated Sphinx
• 1x Forbidden Alchemy
• 1x Frantic Search
• 1x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  ^Flip
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Preordain
• 1x Sylvan Library
• 1x Thirst for Knowledge
• 1x Windfall

Removal (7)

• 1x Beast Within
• 1x Cyclonic Rift
• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Pernicious Deed
• 1x Rapid Hybridization
• 1x Sudden Spoiling
• 1x Toxic Deluge

HateCreature (3)

• 1x Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
• 1x Void Winnower
• 1x Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger

Reanimate (3)

• 1x Exhume
• 1x Life / Death
• 1x Reanimate

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The Deck's Mission Statement

Reversal Control is a BUG colored control deck that utilizes the Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter (Scepter) combo. With enough net positive mana rocks out, the combo will generate infinite mana. From there, cast Tasigur, and then exile all opponents' libraries utilizing Reality Shift.

In the event the Scepter combo is disrupted, Palinchron + Phantasmal Image can be brought out to genereate infinite mana.

Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger is also included as an alternative way to generate infinite mana. This allows Victimize and Tooth and Nail to act as an alternative win condition.

Basic Playstyle

The deck relies on combining efficiently costed counterspells, removal, and tutors with Tasigur's activated ability. Our goal is to hold mana available during our opponent's turns to answer any major threats. In the event no answers are spent, we can activate Tasigur's ability. Not only is this a form of card advantage for us, it opens up a powerful resource: political control.

When used in response to an opponent's threat, we can convince players to give us the appropriate answer. This can delay the game enough for us to build our own combo win. Threat assessment is incredibly important in piloting this deck. Tasigur activations do not come cheaply, so choosing when to leverage an ally is necessary for winning the game.

On average, if played correctly, the deck can survive well into the late game. Our commander's built in card advantage and Delve ability allows us to stay well stocked and keep mana open frequently. Therefore, this deck is not intended to win in the early phase of the game. The goal is to survive long enough, generate enough mana, and mitigate threats efficiently.

Strategy

The deck's win condition is generate infinite mana, activate Tasigur infinitely, and then exile all opponents' decks with Reality Shift. If need be, we utilize Beast Within to start the exile chain. Since infinite mana is our endgame, we have two lines of play to make this happen:

1. Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal + critical mass of mana rocks
2. Looping activations of Palinchron.

As a control deck, this list wants to lay back and answer threats as necessary. After piloting this deck several times, it became clear that threat assessment and tempo are core concepts to the deck. For example, simply playing Draw-Go isn't always the best methods. Sometimes, destroying an early mana rock or landing an early Scavenging Ooze is enough to keep other players in check.

Before even sitting down, we need to assess what the table looks like. Generals that are combo heavy may require us to consider more counterspell heavy hands. If we notice a hatebear or creature based strategy, we may want more tutors and removal. Against STAX, grabbing enough early mana would be ideal as well. If the table is fairly diverse, having a piece of each type of answer (removal, counterspell, tutor) is usually a comfortable enough spot.

Early game is about generating enough mana and burning spells to fuel our Delve. Ideal spells to burn early are cantrips and the various blue looting/instant speed draw spells we have. Once we establish enough Delve fodder, we cast Tasigur and hope we can start accumulating card advantage. Any removal spent on Tasigur is fine since that means potentially one less answer for our later combos.

Once mid game hits, we make the decision to start working towards the combo or go the Reanimator route. The Reanimator route is intended as a distraction for the table. If we notice the table isn't really moving, we can attempt to have Void Winnower, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, or Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger stick to set us ahead. Similar to the point above, any removal pointed at our reanimator targets is one less answer for our real strategy.

If the Reanimator route is not feasible, we can start working towards combo. By now, we should have enough mana to utilize Tasigur's ability to start table politics. Start identifying key threats and players who have the most momentum. The goal is to police the table while not causing everyone to rely on you for answers. Since mana rocks were established early, we're also fishing for Scepter and Reversal.

If Scepter and Reversal gets removed, we move towards Palinchron loops. Reanimator may also be a good choice here if it wasn't attempted the first time.

Overall, the deck isn't meant to be played as a flow chart deck. Pilots will need to assess each situation and decide what to do from there. While learning this deck, I found myself asking several times, "Do I answer now or hold mana up for an activation?", "Should I counter this just for the delve fodder?", and so forth. The deck is incredibly fun to play and feels rewarding once your political mindgames pay off.

Common Mistakes

The easiest mistake to make while playing this deck is attempting to answer everything. Even with Training Grounds on the field, this deck cannot keep all other players at bay. This deck isn't STAX and it certainly has no way to hard lock the board. While Vorinclex and Void Winnower can certainly hamstring opponents, their presence alone isn't enough.

When first piloting this deck, I was over eager to burn answers and rely on zealous deal making. Pilots new to the deck should first play conservatively. If possible, pay attention how priority is passed. Playgroups will sometimes not pass priority in turn order, thus letting everyone chime in at once regarding responses. If this is happening, wait until it is finally your turn to officially respond. Sometimes, an opponent will save you the cards and mana for a sudden tempo shift.

Another mistake is always playing Draw Go. This deck needs contextual awareness to work properly. While it is necessary to even let splashy spells slide, being proactive is valid too. Landing an early Scavenging Ooze or countering an early mana rock can be enough to earn the lead.

Finally, once the deck establishes a tempo lead, become aggressive to hold the position. In one game, I was able to land an early Vorinclex. My mistake was assuming that Vorinclex's passive allowed to play passively and accumulate resources. Unfortunately, an early Vorinclex also meant stamping myself with an enormous target. In a few turn cycles, not only did I lose the Vorinclex, I also earned a poor reputation with my opponents.

Even after losing Vorinclex, players became nervous about me pulling out an immediate play. For the remainder of the game, I had difficulty bargaining Tasigur's ability as a form of control. Essentially, I had committed political suicide.

Early players need to be mindful of when to go, when to pump the brakes, and when to pull out all the stops. This very element of awareness makes the deck fun to play, but can also wildly inconsistent.

Card Choices: Mana Ramp

Mana ramp is not only an EDH deck building principle, it is actually one of the win conditions of our deck. The Scepter combo is so powerful because it's combo pieces function as necessary staples of any functioning deck.

1. Mana Vault, Grim Monolith - Mana rocks that are net positive after paying for Isochron Scepter's activation cost. The first two allow generate infinite colorless that can be filtered into signets.

2. Sol Ring, Mana Crypt - Pays for Isochron Scepter's costs and enables untapping. When combined with a net positive rock or multiple mana rocks, we can now combo off.

3. Mox Diamond, Birds of Paradise, Fellwar Stone - Enables the Scepter combo when combined with Mana Crypt or Sol Ring. Mox Diamond has the added benefit of adding a land to our graveyard, thus enabling an early casting of our general.

4. Nature's Lore - We can't always depend on our ramp to be rock based. Just efficient ramp that tutors for shocks or basics if necessary.

5. Talisman of Dominance - Talisman alone cannot go infinite with Dramatic Scepter due to the life loss with generating colored mana. However, when paired with the signets and other rocks, it can provide the colors necessary to combo off.

6. Dimir Signet, Simic Signet - Included as filters for infinite colorless mana we generate with the combo.

Card Choices: Draw

Draw spells for the deck are incredibly important for several reasons. Not only do they refuel our hands, a majority of them act as mini-rituals. The more draw spells we cast early, the faster we can cast Tasigur and establish resource momentum.

1. Ponder, Preordain, Brainstorm - Basic staples of early blue card draw. These cantrips also have the added benefit of fueling Tasigur's Delve. Turn 1 or 2 casts of these spells can easily enable a next turn Tasigur. In a past version of the list, the deck ran Serum Visions as an additional cantrip. However, having a 4th cantrip provided little value when compared to more impactful options.

2. Sylvan Library, Necropotence - Consistent hard draw when we need to refuel our hands. The downside here is that we can whittle down our life very, very quickly paying for gas. At times, our hard card draw can cost us the game if we are too eager spending resources.

3. Frantic Search, Forbidden Alchemy, Windfall, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy  , Thirst for Knowledge - Card filtering or draw that also fuels our graveyard. These spells are essentially draw/filter effects with a ritual attached to them.

4. Consecrated Sphinx - Life from the Loam used to sit in this draw spot. While dredge enabled consistent and cheap casts of Tasigur, the buyback for lands rarely generated value. Sphinx now takes this slot for the hard draw it enables. In rare cases, the deck can reanimate Sphinx early to enable a very strong lead.

Card Choices: Tutors

1. Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Mystical Tutor - Our primary and most powerful tutor suite of the deck. Having instant speed cheap tutors helps keep our mana open more easily.

2. Fabricate - Strictly around as an emergency tutor for either Isochron Scepter or an appropriate mana rock. This tutor is a last resort for Isochron Scepter because it immediately telegraphs we have the win. If we need to cast Fabricate, we should try to win on the spot. Tutoring for a mana rock is less suspicious, but can still draw table aggro if timed incorrectly.

3. Muddle the Mixture - Must be played similarly to Fabricate if tutoring for Scepter. Unlike other tutors, its Transmute ability cannot be countered by the likes of Counterspell. In addition, this tutor remains relevant at all points of the game once drawn. Until it is used as a tutor, it is a form of protection as a counterspell.

4. Intuition - A tutor with great flexibility and a very high skill cap. At its worst, it is an instant speed spell that draws us 1 card into the hand and possibly adds to our mana pool. At its best, Intuition can be used as a political tool that catapults us to victory.

For example, we can mindgame opponents by tutoring up a mana rock with two high value cards (ie: Darksteel Ingot, Vampiric Tutor, Cyclonic Rift). In this scenario, we'll most likely get the Ingot. This works in our favor if we have the combo ready to go. Other possible Intuition uses include Strip Mine + Life from the Loam and our possible reanimation packages.

1. Tooth and Nail - One of two ways we guarantee an instant win. With our deck containing Palinchron and Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, this card essentially reads ": Win the game". The downside is that it has a very hefty casting cost. In addition, if Tasigur happens to mill one of the creatures, this card becomes severely inefficient to use.

2. Victimize - If we happen to mill one of our creature combo pieces or both, we can play Victimize as a win condition. Since Tasigur has Delve, Victimize now reads: ": Win the game".

3. Entomb - We run a very tiny reanimation package with Void Winnower, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, and Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, so Entomb's inclusion is expected. However, Entomb pulls double duty as a tutor for any card we need. Combined with Tasigur's ability, we can pull any card from our deck.

4. Green Sun's Zenith - New addition to the tutor suite. Early game, Green Sun's Zenith can fetch Dryad Arbor for ramp. Mid to late game, Green Sun's can fetch utility creatures like Deathrite Shaman, Scavenging Ooze, and Eternal Witness. With enough mana, Green Sun can fetch Vorinclex (although this is highly unlikely).

5. Worldly Tutor - Doubles as a copy of any green creature in our deck. Can enable combo or fetch utility creatures when necessary.

6. Eldritch Evolution - By sacrificing Tasigur, Evolution can fetch any creature 8 CMC and below. As such, the card offers incredible flexibility and speed. With enough delve fodder, Evolution could easily bring out a turn 3 Vorinclex. In most cases, Evolution offers better value as a 1-shot tutor for any creature 8 CMC and below.

Card Choices: Counterspells

1. Counterspell, Arcane Denial - Unconditional counters for any threats we may face. Even though Arcane Denial does give our opponent's cards, it does replace itself and has less of a strain on our mana base.

2. Negate, Swan Song, Muddle the Mixture - Conditional counters that are more suited for protecting our combo. Of the 4, Negate is the most valuable. Muddle will often be used as a tutor, thus taking place as a backup counterspell to be used only in dire moments.

3. Force of Will - Our main free counterspell. Paired with draw engines like Necropotence, we can keep enough stock to reuse Force when needed.

4. Pact of Negation - Included mainly as combo protection when we're about to go off. Worst case scenario, we can burn this if no one else has an answer.

Card Choices: Removal

1. Beast Within, Nature's Claim, Rapid Hybridization - Removal for any permanent that poses a problem for our deck. Beast Within is also used to give our Reality Shift a legal target.

2. Toxic Deluge, Pernicious Deed, Cyclonic Rift - If our opponents get ahead of us, we can tutor several types of board wipes to reset the pace. Each board wipe has a powerful effect, but a significant downside. Toxic Deluge is low costed, but can drain us quickly of life (thus eating into our card draw resource). Pernicious Deed can be removed before activation and requires additional mana investment. Cyclonic Rift is our best momentum reset, but requires a hefty amount of mana.

3. Sudden Spoiling - Currently testing for curiosity's sake. Spoiling allows us to survive a large or potentially lethal attack from one opponent. At instant speed, we can also use Spoiling for political gain to save an opponent from lethal, thus making a temporary ally. The card also comes with the fairly interesting upside of Split Second.

Card Choices: Utility

1. Deathrite Shaman - Most powerful 1 mana Planeswalker ever printed. Cheap to fetch with GSZ, offers great value, and solid creature for when we need it.

2. Sensei's Divining Top - Included simply to help filter draws, reset our next draw steps by combining it with shuffle effects, or dig for an answer.

3. Eternal Witness - A Regrowth effects that can be reanimated in a pinch. This card will become Noxious Revival in the near future.

4. Planeswalker Jace, Snapcaster Mage - Both Planeswalker Jace and Snapcaster allow us to flashback any of our instants. These cards also add additional value to our looting or discard effects.

5. Scavenging Ooze - Included for the minor life gain and moreso for the graveyard hate. Can be a clock if we run into creature heavy metas. Otherwise, mainly included if we need to start exiling key cards from a graveyard.

6. Training Grounds - Allows faster use of Tasigur's ability.

Reanimation Package

1. Life/Death, Exhume, Reanimate, Victimize - Reanimation offers us two different lines of play. With Void Winnower and Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, we can lock opponents out of the game until we accumulate enough resources to go off. The other line of play is resurrecting one of our combo creatures (Palinchron or Phantasmal Image).

2. Void Winnower, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur - Our rez targets. While not win conditions on their own, they also act as flak for our deck. Opponents must waste answers on them instead of our actual win conditions. If left unanswered, the deck gets to accumulate resources towards winning the game.

3. Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger - Vorinclex is a pivot point in our deck. Since we can combo off with it, opponents must pay attention to it. If the table wheels, we can then tutor and go for the win. Otherwise, this creature is a suitable hate creature to establish a control strategy.

Cards for Potential Cuts

1. Mind Twist - A cute inclusion and a pet card for me. This will get cut for either Force of Will or Noxious Revival.

Cards to Consider

Out of Budget Upgrades

1. Flusterstorm - Soon to replace another counterspell.

2. ABUR Dual Lands - Long term investment. Maybe some day!

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Confirmed Upgrades

1. Noxious Revival - Need to order copy.

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Cards with Potential

1. Putrefy - Flexible removal. CMC is prohibitive compared to our other spot removal.

2. Mental Misstep - Meta does not currently call for it.

3. Natural State - Cheaply costed naturalize with a CMC restriction. May be most useful in hyper competitive metas.

4. Chrome Mox - More cheaply costed mana accelerators. The card disadvantage and exile clause is a bit steep for the early acceleration. Since it is an Imprint trigger, it does not feed into an early Tasigur as well as Mox Diamond or Lotus Petal.

5. Unsubstantiate - More comprehensive Remand minus the cantrip.

6. Turnabout - The spell Dramatic Reversal is based on. May not yield a great effect since we aren't a storm deck.

7. Damnation - With the reprinting, Damnation is something that can be purchased and tested with. Creature heavy metas can overrun a deck like this, so having a 4 mana wrath has some potential.

Change Log

04/24/2018

After some time away from Magic: the Gathering, I've started up again! As such, I've started retooling this deck to see what potential upgrades are possible. Several cards have been rotated in and out in order to adapt the deck for more wide-open metas.

Abrupt Decay, Serum Visions, Mind Twist, Animate Dead and several cards have been removed to make room for cards with more flexibility or impact.

05/16/2017

Removed Remand for Force of Will. This was an easy upgrade. Force is just way better at all levels of the game than Remand.

Added a new section regarding "Common Mistakes".

05/14/17

Removed Careful Study for Training Grounds. Careful Study was often a dead card in hand.

In early game, I never wanted to cast it since the card disadvantage hurt. Late game, the card's pseudo ritual effect was usually unnecessary.

Training Grounds provides earlier use of Tasigur's ability. This allows the deck to become control oriented earlier on.

04/15/17

Removed Dig Through Time in favor of Vorinclex to allow our Reanimator strategy have a direct line to combo.

04/11/2017

Complete overhaul of the deck and its card choices. Decided to drop cards like ad nauseum and Consecrated Sphinx since our deck wants a very lean curve. In addition, retooled the removal package and added a Reanimation package to test.

10/17/16

1. Removed Gilded Lotus, Added Darksteel Ingot - Darksteel's indestructibility guarantees us the colored mana we'll need to win. Lotus' CMC was also problem since the deck wants to have fairly quick starts and a lean curve.

2. Removed Misdirection, Added Stubborn Denial - After playing in a 4 person pod, I realized that protecting our board wasn't as valuable as answering threats. Since Tasigur is out most of the game, Stubborn Denial is a stronger Negate.

3. Removed Worldly Tutor, Added Island - Test draws had me mana screwed more often than I was comfortable with. Worldly Tutor doesn't matter since we try to cheat Palinchron + Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger from the deck or the grave.

Date added	8 years
Last updated	6 years
Key combos	Dramatic Reversal + Isochron Scepter Palinchron + Phantasmal Image Palinchron + Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Legality	This deck is not Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	9 - 0 Mythic Rares 47 - 0 Rares 21 - 0 Uncommons 15 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.51
Tokens	Beast 3/3 G, Bird 2/2 U, Emblem Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, Frog Lizard 3/3 G, Manifest 2/2 C, Spirit 1/1 C
Folders	EDH, Favourites, Sultai EDH, Tasigur cEdh, Decks I Like to Play, Commander, EDH, decks