How UW Control Looks after Rotaition, Replacements for Staples, and Potential Staples
Standard forum
Posted on July 5, 2015, 5:38 p.m. by TheGrayMerchant
It's kind of unsettling thinking about next rotation, where control players will lose all kinds of useful tools, like Banishing Light, Nullify, Last Breath, and most notably Elspeth, Sun's Champion. I have been studying the Origins card list and been seeing what kind of decks people play at fnm and I feel like I have the answers to some things, but not all of them.
At fnm, I play Last Breath a lot to help me get past morph/manifest decks, to keep them from flipping and having a bajilion Deathmist Raptors kill me. I feel like Hallowed Moonlight could be a good substitute for that, but it doesn't have the versatility that Last Breath does for aggro decks and the like.
I feel like Suspension Field could replace banishing light, as it is 1 mana less and can target rhino and tas, but it doesn't get any aggro threats like Ankle Shanker.
Nullify was a good card in standard, because countering a rabblemaster or raptor on the draw is amazing. But with it rotating in a couple of months, there will have to be someway to not let quick decks stomp all over control right away. I feel like Disperse could do this well, giving us time to cast a Cancel next turn. Its not a counterspell, and is a 2 for 1, but as long as it keeps aggro threats in the opponent's hands, I'm happy.
One of the biggest things UW Control is losing is Elspeth, Sun's Champion. She has so much versatility as a finisher, panic button, and removal. Once you cast her you could create an army of soldiers, kill ALL the rhinos, or make your army of soldiers huge. The thing I most often cast her for is the token effect, and I think that Foundry of the Consuls or Thopter Spy Network COULD do the job, but it is probably going to be pretty janky. With the Foundry, you have to sacrifice it for only 2 tokens. Spy Network most likely has a better chance of replacing Elspeth because it is cheaper, and getting an artifact on the field will be easy to do with all of the new shiny things that we are getting in Origins, including some potential staples.
Heh, segways are cool. Anyway, even though UW Control decks MAY get weaker when rotation hits, it still has enough tools in Origins that could help it still be a threat in standard.
Archangel of Tithes has the potential to be a great finisher in the deck, being both a good sized creature and can punish your opponent for attacking you, all for the low price of FOUR MANA. Think of what this can do against aggro decks!
Celestial Flare has the potential to be a good removal spell, with most good removal rotating out. I believe that this card will be the best removal that UW has for things like Rhino, Tas, and Dragonlords.
Healing Hands could be good sideboard tech against aggro, but it's not as good as Feed the Clan.
I forgot to mention Murder Investigation as an Elspeth replacement, but it can certainly do the job. It has some good synergy with either Ojutai, allowing you to let them die, get a bunch of tokens, then use Haven of the Spirit Dragon to bring Ojutai back.
Alhammarret, High Arbiter could be a good finsiher, as well as being a pseudo Surgical Extraction in a way, but I wish it cost less mana.
[[Clash of Wills will definitely see play in UW control, as it is a 2 mana hard counter when your opponent is tapped out, and doesn't need ferocious activated like that one card from the khans block. It also gives UW players something to do with all the mana that they acquire in the endgame.
Day's Undoing will also see play. Use it when you're out of counters and then watch your opponents cry.
I am considering putting Dreadwaters on here. It will see some fringe play, but I don't think it will have that much effect on how UW plays. It could be useful in a Bant control shell in conjunction with Insert that one green card name here, but it won't fit here.
Mizzium Meddler= Pseudo Spellskite. Enough said.
Alhammarret's Archive has the potential to be a GREAT card draw engine, because UW runs things like Dig. 6 cards for 1 mana? Yes please. It is kind of expensive though at 5 mana. Maybe a 2 of in the sideboard?
Prism Ring will have some sideboard slots dedicated to it, because who doesn't want to gain life while Anticipate-ing?
These are just the cards that UW could use in Origins. I know it will be a sad time when all of our tools rotate out, but with Battle for Zendikar just around the corner, we might just get a reprint of a spell we need, pushing UW to the top.
Please add your thoughts in the comments! I would love to hear what you think of how UW will do post-Origins/rotation!
It is really awkward to build U/W control as of now. If you decide to go dragons you have access to Silumgar's Scorn but then you have to play Icefall Regent that dies to removal. If you don't go dragons then you lose out on Scorn but get to play Elspeth. All in all, the lack of good removal options makes U/W unviable in my opinion and Magic Origins did not give anything to make up for that. All signs lead to black when we're talking control right now, Bile Blight, Ultimate Price, Hero's Downfall, Thoughtseize, Languish... Also note that End Hostilities kills Ojutai when Crux of Fate doesn't. We will have to stick to U/B/x until Theros rotates out, BFZ will determine what the new control archetype will be.
July 5, 2015 7 p.m.
CaptainCaveman says... #5
I am a control player at heart and am currently playing UB creatureless main board control for FNM and likely will be until rotation. Initially I had tried playing UB dragons but found it to be kind of clunky not because Icefall Regent dies to removal (everything dies to removal) but because often I found myself regretting tapping out for it. If I had 3-4 Dragonlord Ojutai I would be playing Esper dragons. I find it to be the best current control iteration out there. In any case like EssTea said whatever version of control you want to play right now it should include black and like awphutt said we do not know what BFZ will bring. At that point it may be feasible to just be able to play UW without black. Although not having access to Ultimate Price, Languish, Utter End, Murderous Cut and possibly even Infinite Obliteration (which btw is great against Deathmist Raptor ) would in my opinion, suck. /shrug
July 5, 2015 8:33 p.m.
TheGrayMerchant says... #8
Thank you guys for all of the great feedback!
Regarding Black, it has a very special place in my heart, because it was the first color of deck I started with. Yes, it is very strong, but I am not rich. I just can't play Esper, or UB for the matter, because I do not have access to things like Thoughtseize and fetches. UW is a strain on me even, with Flooded Strand being as high as it is.
I also stated in the OP that we do not know what BFZ will bring to control, but I hope that it will be something that will help UW. In my eyes, I see UW as the little brother of UB, kind of like U and RG Tron. With the right meta and a staple here and there it has the potential to do better than its big brother. That's what I hope BFZ will bring, something like another hard counter, or something that will help support the White aspect of control a little more.
July 5, 2015 10:08 p.m.
I hear ya, I also want U/W to be the new control deck post rotation! But for that we would need some good white removal, I've been creating some lately here are some of them :
(ps: white removal should always have a drawback to follow the color flavour)
Death and Birth
1UU
Instant
Exile Target nonland permanent an opponent controls, he may search his library for a nonland permanent of the same name and put it into his hand, then shuffle his library.
Ostracize
UU
Instant
Put an ostracize counter on target creature, its controller exiles it at his next end step.
Last goodbye
U
Instant
Choose two creatures an opponent controls, he exiles the one of his choice.
I should be on the creation team :) haha !
awphutt says... #2
I'm curious as to the purpose of this thread. Is it asking if UW control is viable post rotation? That'll depend on what's printed in BFX. A better counterspell is probably needed for it to be in any way competitive, along with some decent spot removal, but then again it's not very competitive currently.
July 5, 2015 6:09 p.m.