Help with my Bant control/midrange deck
Standard Deck Help forum
Posted on July 19, 2016, 8:08 p.m. by SirFowler
I've been playing around with this bant deck, They Call Me Mr. Holmes, and was wondering if it would be viable for standard. I've been playing it for a little while and I like the synergy and all, but there are so many different cards that I want to add, I'm not sure how to fit them all into one deck. Some cards I may be considering are Bruna, the Fading Light with Gisela, the Broken Blade, some more investigate cards, and maybe even more titans to search/drop into play. I'm just not sure on the direction I want to take the deck. Can anyone help?
@Primusfan42 I added in the suggestions you recommended and I like how the deck plays, but there are still some cards that I want to add. The only thing is, I'm not sure if it will either weaken or strengthen the deck. The only reason I'm asking so much is because I'm not an avid standard player, so I'm not sure if some cards would work better than others. I do realize that it's mostly a meta thing, but I like to generalize how to build a standard deck before I can figure out what works and what doesn't.
July 20, 2016 7 a.m.
Primusfan42 says... #4
I do like Brisela, but I do not think that you will have enough time to dig for both cards unless you use Tamiyo's Journal and/or play multiples of Gisela. Right now, there are probably too many removal spells that take care of her to mess with the synergy of the deck and add the angels.
Then again, if you play Gisela early in the game, you can just let her die and bring her back with Bruna. If your opponent is using exile instead of conventional kills, just side her out. That is where an Eldrazi in the sideboard would help. In my opinion, you do not have enough creatures to justify 4x Ulvenwald Mysteries. It does generate more creatures, which is nice, but I am not sure how often you will trigger its first ability. You should take two out and put in Graf Mole to lengthen the game a little more and make the Mysteries that you do have more useful. Or you could use that space for Gisela and Bruna.
July 21, 2016 12:01 p.m.
The Graf Mole is nice, but I feel it's more of a sideboard card rather than mainboard. I will have to test Bruna and Gisela to see if they're worth putting them in the deck. However, I do feel like they're better for delirium based decks because Gisela can be brought back with Bruna, but I'm just not sure yet.
July 21, 2016 12:25 p.m.
Primusfan42 says... #6
You are probably right about the Graf Mole. Testing is definitely the best way to find out what works and what does not. I was thinking the same thing about applying the two with delirium, but I could see it working either way. I hope that you find a lineup that works for you. Happy testing!
Primusfan42 says... #2
Hello, SirFowler. I have a few suggestions.
Erdwal Illuminator is a solid card for the Investigate mechanic, and it provides evasion or a flying blocker. Furthermore, he creates a very strong trigger for Bygone Bishop with mana left for Negate or Declaration in Stone if you hit the proper land drops. I would consider adding him to the deck.
Your mana curve has a sizable gap--which is justified by the clues and the fact that you don't want to cast your big guys. However, adding Lumbering Falls could provide more mid-late game pressure as a back-up plan. Also, playing three colors can prove quite difficult; Lumbering Falls helps to solve this issue, as well. You could take out the Nephalia Academy for it unless you feel too offended by discard. You will have to tweak the Basic ratio to make it work, but I think that it will make a positive impact.
I do like the interaction between Briarbridge Patrol and Tamiyo's Journal. Thanks to some of the new removal, you might want to throw in another titan just in case the first two tries both fail. If not in the mainboard, you could try it in the side. Speaking of which, Angelic Purge might make sense with all of the clues hanging out. Sacrificing one of your excess artifacts to play a removal spell feels awesome. Of course, Declaration in Stone is a superior card in most cases--especially early- to mid-game.
Thalia is a cool creature, but she doesn't seem to be right for the deck or the format. You could cut her for some of the aforementioned nonsense.
Hope this helps!
July 19, 2016 10:53 p.m.