I have been playing this on Arena for the last few days... I realize it doesn't seem like there would be any reason to play this over the traditional UW control (Yorion or not) lists or the new bo1 mono-blue Haughty Djinn decks going around on Arena lately, but I have had really really surprising success so far while playing this list. I have very very few losses so far when playing this in best of 1 Explorer.
There are some wonky card choices, such as Flip the Switch. I started with the card in the deck just because I wanted to try using 2U counters, with the ability to take advantage of a pair of Djinns in play (bringing them to 1 mana). The spell having a 'tax' of 4 mana is really close to a hard counter much of the time, and the zombie it leaves behind IS relevant in this deck. I've actually gotten lethal damage several times due to a decayed zombie my opponent didn't have any clue was coming, and it also allows for casualty to be paid on Make Disappear. It could also be a nice way to save a Djinn from Liliana or Invoke Despair, etc. The other 2U is Mystical Dispute, which obviously just works beautifully vs blue and catches bo1 decks off-guard while also being able to take advantage of multiple Djinns in play. You Find the Villains' Lair is another uncommon choice, but I like it over Ertai's Scorn due to the second mode not only doing the obvious but also working as a combat trick, pumping a Djinn (or, even better, multiple attacking Djinns) up to +3 attack at instant speed. It's also possible You Find the Villains' Lair as well as Discover the Impossible should just be 2 more copies of Thirst for Discovery, but so far I've liked both of those cards. I also had a Sphinx's Revelation in the deck at first (before actually playing it) due to the lack/loss of incidental lifegain (from swapping out Absorb, etc.) but resisted that urge and took it out, heh.
Overall, all the spells I added to the list just as a "we'll try it but it'll probably get replaced" ended up working out very well. I haven't even tuned the deck much yet besides maybe 2-3 cards, but I'm sure someone else out there can figure out a better mix than I can (if this is even worth it at all... again, I'm surprised at how well it's working atm). I had a few Censor in at first, which still could end up being something the deck wants, and Consider is always another...consideration in decks playing Djinn (over Impulse, tho? again, not sure..). One card I had in initially, that I added at the last moment over a Negate, was Keep Safe.... I know, I know, but I felt like MAYBE it would be cool as a 1-of in this particular list. Who knows -- maybe it actually IS okay (doubt it), but after a loss and another near-loss in my first 2 games because I had Keep Safe instead of Negate (both games the Negate would probably have won the game, and the Keep Safe just sat in my hand the rest of the game) I scolded myself and went right back with the Negate.
Everything I mentioned above would also work in a mono-blue Djinn tempo shell as well. So why add it to UW control? I don't know. As a test. But it IS working for me, even though I don't think it should(?). The Djinn half of the deck just seems to actually play along with the UW half really well so far.
I've had several 2-3mana Settle the Wreckage blowouts, for example (as well as using it to pump for lethal once - that I can remember), and obviously these UW control cards are just strong on their own. But maybe someone else can give it a go and see if it works for them as well or if I'm just getting lucky.
While at first I assumed this would only work in a best-of-1 environment and that would be it, I am now curious if the deck could work in best-of-3 with the ability to transform into full UW control OR full-on tempo post-sideboard.... Interesting idea, but, again, could just be too 'cute' and strictly worse than staying on one side of the fence. I've always been a big fan of transformative sideboards so I may just give it a go 'for science'.
Note: I only have 2 March of Otherworldly Light on Arena atm, or I most likely would be playing 1-2 more over the Fateful Absence. I didn't think March of Swirling Mist (or cards like Slip Out the Back) would be worth using in this version of the Djinn deck, as it's more UW control than mono-U tempo. I also only own a single Irrigated Farmland atm, so the mana base isn't 'perfect', although I've never had a single issue due the easy mana costs (could probably even add Field of Ruin -- not sure why I didn't start with 1-2 so I may change that). Right now it's listed exactly as I have it.
