How to beat control
Standard forum
Posted on April 6, 2014, 1:28 p.m. by Wwwskyler
I'm running a green white aura deck it is very good I have brought it to fnm for a long time and It always goes 3-1 and sometimes 4-0 but whenever I go into a control matchup I always get my but kicked what cards are good at destroying control that should be put into a sideboard
TurboFagoot says... #3
Mending Touch is the current tech for the Hexproof decks in Standard.
April 6, 2014 1:42 p.m.
thataddkid says... #4
I'm thinking his aura deck just folds to a Devour Flesh . Try siding in Skylasher , they cast DF when you have your tech'd out aura guy and you flash in Skylasher and sac him instead.
April 6, 2014 1:48 p.m.
thataddkid says... #5
If board wipes are what you're having trouble with, side in Rootborn Defenses .
April 6, 2014 1:48 p.m.
I am a control player, and this is from a control player's perspective. I have been beaten several times to the strategies I'm showing you right now.
Uncounterable:
- Mistcutter Hydra (Gets there for the turn it comes out, then usually dies to verdict. Play at X=3 to dodge Elspeth's -3 ability.)
- Skylasher (flash dodges supreme verdict for a turn so you can get in for 2, can't be countered, and demands a supreme verdict or last breath next turn.)
- Loxodon Smiter (uncounterable and a big body. More effective turn 2 if you had a turn 1 mana dork. Probably side these out if you're on the draw.)
Flash:
- Advent of the Wurm (5/5 that demands an answer. Bestow Boon Satyr on this.)
- Boon Satyr (Again, flash creature that dodges Supreme Verdict for a turn, and becomes a creature post-verdict if it was bestowed. Bestowing in response to last breath targeting Voice of Resurgence counters last breath.)
- Skylasher
- Fated Intervention (two threats that dodge verdict for a turn, but will likely get countered at this stage of the game. Better on the play than on the draw, because your opponent will likely drop a turn 4 jace, opening up for a 5-drop to not be countered, like Advent or this.)
- Selesnya Charm (flashes in a 2/2 Knight. Dodges verdict for a turn and gets in for 2)
Removal:
- Glare of Heresy (exile Detention Sphere and Elspeth)
- Keening Apparition (Destroy those detention spheres.)
- Naturalize (Get those D-spheres off the table!)
Against Aetherling:
- Debtor's Pulpit (The land it enchants is colorless, and so can also keep a Blood Baron or a Stormbreath Dragon tapped down. Pro-white doesn't stop a colorless land.)
- Pithing Needle (hits elspeth and jace too... triple win. They will definitely D-sphere this asap though, keep that in mind. It will not remain on the table for long.)
Against Supreme Verdict and Control in General
- Voice of Resurgence (really good against them, unless they have last breath)
- Fleecemane Lion (with Monstrosity... not always going to work in your favor, but probably worth a shot.)
- Mutavault (always dodges verdict. A win-condition on its own.)
- Mending Touch (Regenerate over Supreme Verdict, Hero's Downfall, Doom Blade, you get the idea)
- Garruk, Caller of Beasts (depending on your deck, if you have enough creatures, his +1 ability is usually more draw power than they can deal with. They have to use a D-Sphere on it.)
April 6, 2014 1:59 p.m.
Thanks for the help against esper but what do I do against a Jund or rackdos control deck that uses anger of the gods and graze of granite and other things of that nature
April 6, 2014 6:37 p.m.
Oh. Sorry when you said control I thought you meant Esper control.
Against red-black based control, it's difficult to say. Anger of the Gods is going to hurt just about 100% of the time. Loxodon Smiter and Brimaz, King of Oreskos will dodge it by having 4 toughness, but they will die to doom blade and all of their other removal without any issues. When you play against that style of deck, you're going to end of top-decking pretty quickly. With removal and thoughtseize and things like Rakdos's Return and Sire Of Insanity , they have enough hand-hate to have you begging for good draws as soon as possible.
Make sure you're running Selesnya Charm to deal with their Desecration Demon , Unravel the Aether to kill Mogis, God of Slaughter and Erebos if they are playing those, and Armada Wurm because they need to use two removal spells to kill the two threats that you make with one card. Essentially you 2 for 1 them. The same goes for Fated Intervention , though I know they are costly; however, They are excellent top-decks.
April 6, 2014 7:09 p.m.
Arorsthrar says... #11
I've had quite a bit of success with Murder Investigation in my Hexproof decks. The fact that they have to Detention Sphere that before casting Supreme Verdict is quite good, since it delays the Verdict. If they do cast Supreme Verdict , my board is relatively preserved, though then Jace, Architect of Thought or Detention Sphere easily stops my tokens. But it still has worked for me.
April 7, 2014 12:32 a.m.
Yea I guess I have never even thought of that card it actually sounds ok and I have some of them they can probably make there way into my sideboard I don't ushaly worry about planeswalkers unless it's elspeth but I have a ton of ways to get rid of it
April 7, 2014 7:03 a.m.
Bestow heavy helps a lot against U/W/x and MBD and helps fix your curve in my experience.
Magiclover318 says... #2
Skylasher is a great card, Fleecemane Lion is good if you can get it monstrous. It's hard to say for those colors, do you mean they just stop you from playing creatures or once you do, they use board wipes?
April 6, 2014 1:40 p.m.