Want to start play modern but got no money in the pocket? like to destroy your opponent game and win with some fun big dude WinCon? Than welcome to Mono U Draw Go Tutorial.
Iv been playing this deck for the past few years in almost any format, standart, modern legacy and even cube, this guide suppose to help new players to get into modern control with just about 40$ (the deck listed up there is a 40$ exmple list).
Soo, first lets start first things first.
Chapter A- Counterspells
The main plan of this deck is to distrupt the opponent by countering anything we can, thats why I like to run 16 counterspells.
First 8 counterspells are suppose to be cheap counterspells that allows you to protect yourself at the early game, my favorte counters are:
Mana Leak- Great 2 mana counterspell, counter almost everything at the early game, yes its a bit useless at the late game against most decks but in the mid-early game its amazing.
Logic Knot- Most of the times will be 2 mana counterspell, the only downside is that rarely its useless at the early game and graveyaard hate destroys it.
Condesend- great at early game cause counters almost everything and let you scry, even thugh I dont really like X costed counterspells in modern I still really like this one becuase of the scrys.
Negate- Counter any noncreature spell, this buddy is well known for a reason, I like to always put 1 in any blue maindeck I play.
nonbudget option- Spell Snare, those are awasome agaisnt most modern cards, very good card to invest for anyone that will play any kind of control deck in the modern format.
Second kind of counterspells are the midrange cancels, plain old 3 mana counterspells that basicly counters and give you another flavour, Im saving for this kind of counterspells 3 spots at my deck.
Supreme Will- though it doesnt counters for sure cause opponent can still pay it at te late game its still a very good counterspell to choose for this slot, the other Impulse mode is great for this deck and unlike Mana Leak this card is very usefull during late games.
Dissolve- Honestly this card is the only good thing I can tell aobut the Theros block, it counters for 3 mana and let you scry, nothing more, nothing less, I like this one as a budget option.
Dissipate\ Void Shatter- Basicly almost same card, for 3 mana it counters anything and exile it, its actually very relevant agaisnt most decks in modern like shadow or any variation of control. I prefer the Dissipate because some people still run Ceremonious Rejection though its really doesnt matter cause no one will main deck it agasint you.
Dream Fracture- Worth mentioning cause during late game your card draw is much stronger than any opponent card draw. still I wouldnt run it unless I dont have any other choice.
nonbudget optionDisallow- though I doubt that his price will stay about 6$ after rotating out its still a very strong card, being able to counter abillity really surprises an opponent and can steals you games instantly.
.
The last 4 slots of counterspells is for the high costed ones, those suppose to help you keep on the grind and the pressure during late game.
Confirm Suspicions- My fav budget choice, allows you sac a clue during opponent end turn and draw a card really explains why "Draw Go" is the name of the deck, extremely strong, great with Torrential Gearhulk and usually those extra three card are to much for most decks to handle.
Spell Swindle- New Ixalan counterspell, alows you to gain some treasures, this is great for when you want to cast your wincon but you cant protect it good enaugh casue you dont have mana for two more counterspells. its very very good, I still prefer card draw but helping you you close up the game saftely is great.
Quash- I really like blue expensive counterspells, using this card right you can dispose your opponent from almost all threats he has, no more Death's, no more Ad Nosium, or boggels, its great and worht giving a shot.
Dismal Failure- This is my list fav of them all but still good value, its not 5 mana counterspell like the first two, it counters anything you need and the discard abillity has been proving as preety anoying during late game.
nonbudget option Cryptic Command- Any control player should know this card, yes its expensive but this is the right card to play in this deck and you know it.
Chapter B- Bounce Spells.
During the game your opponent will obviesly be able to sneak in some cards you dont wanna stay, this is why our deck contain some bounce spells that allows us a second chance to counter it while distrupting our opponent turn and sometime getting some value. To my experience 2 spot bounce spells and 2 mass bounce spells are enaugh in main deck.
In blue we have many good spot bounce spells that can fit those 2 slots, in this deck the spells shoulb be able to target any nonland pernament and cost less than 3 mana.
Into the Roil- 2 mana bounce anything you need and if you have 2 more to spare also draws you a card, cant ask much more than that.
Voyage's End- Another Ixalan blue card, bounce you anything you need with a lovely falvour of scry 2 to make sure you can hit the card yyou need to deal with recasting the bounced card.
Repeal- Very much like Into the Roil it bounce and draw, in some cases its better (bounce any pernamnet that cost 3 or less) but on other cases its worse, since we play mono blue I really do prefer Into the Roil, but its still such a great card.
Echoing Truth- DOesnt giveyou any kind of card adventage, but this old sideboard all star can some time be a mass bounce spell, usually better against decks like Naya burn or affinty.
Commit / Memory- its 4 mana so its not cheap as the others but its not bouncing to an opponent hand, its bouncing to its library makes it harder for them to cast it and dustrupting their draws, so worth a shot, also have the aftermath abillity though I dont think its a very good abillity in our deck since its sorcery, so it leaves us kinda tapped out while our opponent have 7 cards in hand with mana to cast them
nonbudget option Cyclonic Rift- Allstar in commander, at early game it bounce somthing that isnt yours but during late game this card easly a devastating win condition, even thogh in some matchs you will prefer to draw a card (usually when struggling to find gas), still most ofthe times this card is the closing game you need at late game.
For the 2 mass creature bounce spot we are looking for cheap (5 mana max) cards that can mass bounce our opponent creatures at instant speed.
engulf the shores- My favorite mass bounce spell, for 4 mana, in this mono blue almost every land is island deck, it can bounce all the creatures without problem for only 4 mana at instant speed.
Evacuation- Much like engulf the shores but stronger, insntat speed bounce all creatures to opponents hand, the only downsize of this card is that it cost 5 mana and in some games its just too late.
Aehtherize- cheap, 4 mana mass bounce that bounce any attacking creature out of nowhere, really good, I still prefer engulf the shores but its a very strong card in mono blue type of decks.
AEtherspouts- Very strong card, agaisnt some decks it means game over (for example affinity), resets youre opponent board and blanks his draws is extremely powerfull effect, only downsize is his 5 mana cost.
Part C- Card Draw
Card draw is extremely importent in U Draw Go as the name implies and luckily in blue we have many different types and card for drawing. Im giving 8 card slots for this part.
One form of card draw in blue is more like filter than actually drawing- cantrips, those are basicly spells that cost 1 or 2 (preferebly 1), draws you a card and do another usfull abillity, I highly recommnad at list 6 slots in the deck where 3-4 of those will cost 1 mana.
Serum Visions- A modern classic, one mana draw a card than scry 2, let you use your first turn to arrange your starting hand just by it self and can dig for answers during late game. one of the strongest cantrips in modern if not the strongest.
Opt- Im so happy it got reprinted in Ixalan so we can use it in modern, unlike Serum Visions its only scry 1 but its also doing it before the draw and at instant speed, usully Ill prefer Opt but
Serum Visons
served me extremely well and still can be the stronger option.
Censor- I love this card in as a cantrip option, yes it does nothing but drawing you a card when you need a cantrip which isnt very good, but in some cases its a 2 mana counterspell which makes ur deck very oppressive.
Thought Scour- One of the most popular cantrip, extremly good with cards like Logic Knot and Snapcaster Mage or Torrential Gearhulk, I still prefer all the listed above though.
Think Twice- cost two for just one card, though it is at instant speed and it sink very well with his flashback cost, one of the strongest choices to my experiance.
Anticipate- I use to run it with serum vision, Its actually some preety solid card, let you dig through 3 cards and choose whatever you need at instant speed.
Take Inventory- its 2 mana sorcery speed which makes it not very good, also the first one does nothing but draw you one card, but during late game it can be very strong, Idont think its as strong as most of the other options but still worth mentioning.
nonbudget option Remand- Much like Censor I love it in the cantrips spot, yah its not counterspell for good, but its distrupting your oppnent and draws you a card, Its a strong cantrip and I highly recommand using it.
For the mass draw option wizardsprinted us some preety strong cards, I wouldnt use more than 2 though (8 draw cards max)
Blue Sun's Zenith- Instant, draw multiple cards, and the best thing is that its shuffling back to our deck so we are able to recast it again later with more mana, its my favorite option here because I can play it as a 1 card and use it more than once in a match.
glimmer of genious
- I used it many times, scry 2 draw 2 at instant speed is a strong hand refilling effect, in some cases drawing two wont be enaugh but usually drawing 2 after digging 2 is preety strong.
Pull From Tommorow
- Draw X much like Blue Sun's Zenith only cheaper without the shuffling effect, fairly strong and can close up the game when resolved.
Dragonlord's Prerogative\ Opportunity- Some time it can be stronger than Blue Sun's Zenith or
Pull From Tommorow
, I have some expreince with it so I can stringly say that a drawing 4 extra card can close up the games fast as any other mass draw spell or better, yet, since I cant cast it during early game I think I still prefer
glimmer of genious
, but they are still very very strong cards.
Part D- Creatures Though Mono U draw go doesnt need much creatures to win its still can have some problems during a match so an opponent can sneak in some creatures, and this is why Im saving 4 slots to some blockers.
Plumeveil- Oh boy, this card has been a great companion to mee, blocking away spirit tokens form flashbacked Lingering Souls and surprise killing swiftspear or ooze. It got flash, it can block basicly anything and it got some impressive attack rate of 4 (preety funny and good with Srubborn Denial).
Shielded Aetherthief- its cheap, got 4 thoughnes so can block from many creatures in the modren format and at some point can even draw u a card, espacially good with
glimmer of genious
.
Nimble Obstructionist- 3 power flash flying mean it can kill may creatures in the modern format, it does lack thoughness so it dies instnatly and cant kill death or goyf but it does have an interesting abillity to counter abillity and draw a card at instant speed, si this alone might make it good enagh as a creature in this deck.
Harbinger of the Tides- Doesnt usefull without flash so its more expensive thant the other options and only a 2/2 so cant block well but it does have a giant upside to bounce any tapped creature on the battlefeild so it can actually protect from 2 creatures and distrupt the opponent by making him recast it again.
Deceiver Exarch- 4 thoughness and flash makes it a very good blocker, the intersting thing about him its his abillity to tap down somthing (usually a creature) and by that protect from two aggresive creatures or even untap our own land to be able to cast another spell.
nonbudget option Vendilion Clique- its not a very good blicker but it can blocks when its needed, besides that it has a great abillity which distrupt our opponent hand and make an impressive 3 power flying threat.
nonbudget option Snapcaster Mage- like may other cards in the nonbudget options its a smart invest to any control player that want to play modern. its can give flashback to any card in your gaveyar wich kinda make it into a blocker and a card advantege at the same time. one of the best blue cards of all time.
Part E- Win ConditionMono U draw go is a very strong deck, but since all of his cards need to protect you from opponents cards you cant really allow yourself to protect your win con, thats why this deck needs win con that can protect themvselves with evasive effects, multiple bodies, haxproof, indestructible or flash. Im not recommanding more than 3 slots for this part since you wont need more than or. two max to win the game.
AEtherling- Absolutly love this card, it can protect itself with its blink abillity and can become unblockable, very had to deal with, to my opinion one of the strongest blue creatures to be printed.
Sphinx of the Final Word- Uncounterable makes sure it enters the battlefield, haxproff makes it very hard to kill, all you need to do is to protect it with you cant be countered counterspells and you win easly with that 5/5 flying sphinx.
Rise from the Tides- Kind of a budget option, though shouldnt be taken lightly, creating 15-20 tokens with an abillity to protect them with counterspells can finish the game with one more turn.
Kefnet the Mindful- New blue god, lets you draw cards at game makes it usefull, being a indetructible makes him protected agaisnt anything but paths and having a 5 power with flying for only 3 mana making him to a threat that let you keep lots of mana up to protect it, only downside is that he cant attack if u doesnt have 7 cards in hand.
Guile- 6 power almost unblockable to makes any counterspell you have to a gain control spell its flat out dangerous to any opponent, and it close ups game preety easy,only downside is the u sould be casting it only if you cant protect it with 2-3 counterspells, and that makes him an expensive game finisher.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage \ Jace, Unraveler of Secrets \ Jace, the Living Guildpact\ Ugin, the Spirit Dragon \ Karn Liberated- Basicly any plainswalker, cheap like Jace Jace, the Living Guildpact or expensivel ike Karn Liberated, if you can protect him long enaugh and get to ultimate, you preety much won the game, pnly problem is that its preety easy to hurt them and they can be expensive ($$$) & less effectfull than the other threats.
nonbudget option Torrential Gearhulk- That 6 mana 5/6 flash beast (not a really a beast) might not have a way to protect itself but it enters the battlefield with casting any spell in your grave for free from counterspells like Confirm Suspicions to Mass draw spells like Opportunity.
Part F- Lands
Thats the easy part, the deck should contain 24-26 lands, I prefer 25 becuse of the slow threats and the needing for a land drop every single turn. Since we are playing mono blue control most lands are Islands besides 5 slots that are saved for non basic land destructin to fight Tron lands, Nexuss, Cavern of Souls and other kind of annying lands.
Ghost Quarter- My fav option, as an activated abillity it destroyes an opponent nonbasic land at instant speed, he does get a basic land, but its more devastating to him than it seems.
Tectonic Edge- Like Ghost Quarter it destroyes any nonbasic land an opponent control, though unlike it out opponent wont get abasic land, the downside is that it costs us 1 mana to activate and we cant use it unless that opponent controls 4 lands.
Field of Ruins
- A new Ixalan card, can destroy any nonbasic land our opponent have for 2 collorless mana to activate, it does gives our opponent a basic land as a replacement, but we get one too. Its stronger than Tectonic Edge because its less situational and it gives as a land drop as well (and like Iv said we need every signle land drop we can get), but its costs us 2 mana and tapping this land wich isnt very good with out counterspell plan.
Part G- Sideboarding
LifeGain- Blue control doesnt have many life gain cards, but It really needs it agasint burn I recommnad using Prism Ring
Anti Creature Counterspells- Our most needed counterspells is the Anti creatures agasint aggressive decks because we cant handle agsint too may creatures, I suggest Horribly Awery, ther classic Essence Scatter is also preety usefull.
Spot removals- Blue doesnt suggest many spot removals, and the ones that are gives our opponent a creature in return, thats why Its extremely dengarous to use them and only side in agasint unbeatable hasty fast big creatures., I really like Reality Shift, though Rapid Hybridization and pongify Pongify are also preety good.
Mass Bounce- Add another 2 or three mass bounce, after all blue dousnt have a clear mass removal, so agaisnt some aggressive decks 2 more engulf the shores will provide victory.
Anti Control Counterspells- Counterspells that allows you out counter other control matchs will let you trap them and tapped them out making you ready to strike and win, I suggest Disdaintfull Stroke or Negate, though Dispel is also preety good. Swan Song Worth mentioning but its really dangerous card to play so like the spot removal, make sure you can deal with the bird.
Anti Graveyard- Blue is actually preety good with it since most of the cards are colorless, Tormod's Crypt and Relic of Progenitus are known as good cards, I suggest Learn from the Past, try it at least once, it isnt expensive and to my experince much stronger.
Anti artifact counters- counter spells that best agaisnt artifact are important since affinty doesnt care about 3 cmc or more counterspells. I suggest Ceremonious Rejection Since it can also counter eldrazi cards, Annul is also good cause Aura in boggels is a thing.
Another Wincon- Agaisnt distruptive decks like Jund or havey counterspelled deck like control you should maindeck another Different Wincon.
Thank you for Reading, please upvote if you liked, any suggest will help.The deck above is an example of a modern playble 40$ deck that can actually win games and provide a cheap entrance to the modern format for new modern players.
