Is Languish's Rotation the Death of Black Control Decks?
Standard forum
Posted on Aug. 31, 2016, 2:09 a.m. by Kayametra
I have created an Esper Control deck for post-rotation once Kaladesh hits. The question is a simple one. Are control decks, not counting G/B Delirium, still going to be viable without Languish?
Here's the list: Languish-less Control?
Wizards won't leave you hanging. If they do, anyone care to join me for a riot?
August 31, 2016 4:12 a.m.
UpperDeckerTaco I do, however it's not as good as Languish because you're creatures will be gone as well, whereas with Languish you can keep them alive if they're large enough, mainly Thing in the Ice Flip and Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
August 31, 2016 4:36 a.m.
I would not be surprised to see something along the lines of:
Corrosive Hazard
1BB
Sorcery
All creatures get -3/-3 until end of turn. If a creature would be put in to the graveyard this turn, exile it instead.
"Only after the sudden death of the entire Ulport branch did the artificers consider adding new safety regulations"
August 31, 2016 5:06 a.m.
UpperDeckerTaco says... #7
Daalot that card would hit modern so hard it would be insane. But with the way R&D run so things, I only see it being -2/-2 because they're so scared of making cards too good, so we get stuck with crappy spells and then if a spell is actually good, it gets banned quick.
IAmBMo if you're playing Thing in the Ice Flip, you should be more of a tempo oriented deck running low to the ground sweepers. Or not play TiTi and play other resilient threats that come down after you wipe the board. Plus Outburst allows you to make a creature late game anyway.
August 31, 2016 5:13 a.m.
UpperDeckerTaco, sadly I think you're right. And we all know how mediocre -2/-2 is in a world full of Spell Queller and Sylvan Advocate.
August 31, 2016 5:21 a.m.
UpperDeckerTaco wait... wotc cares about modern? That's a surprise!
August 31, 2016 6:37 a.m.
Metroid_Hybrid says... #10
I'm running a Mono-Black deck myself, so this is definitely a subject of concern for me as well.. And Flaying Tendrils is simply not the answer either..
August 31, 2016 8:32 a.m.
mathimus55 says... #11
Your card idea is powerful, but o don't see it being broken or crazy OP. Anger of the Gods was a very similar card in standard not too long ago after all. I think the -3/-3 compared to 3 damage brings some unique play to it, but as an almost exclusively Modern/Legacy player I don't think that would be all that different from Anger other than it would help black decks against affinity when they play Etched Champion. There also isn't really a traditional control deck in modern either, so in that case it's only helping create a new archetype.
August 31, 2016 2:14 p.m.
averagenovice74 says... #12
Depends, if they make something similar I think control decks are still viable, I can envision them making something like Bile Blight again or Drown in Sorrow something like it with some conditionality to it. If what I expect from kaladesh is true(thopter galore, reprint of Thopter Foundry possible) then "going wide" is going to be huge and many decks stand to take advantage.
August 31, 2016 5:31 p.m.
The best low curve sweeper i can think of is flaying tendrils and to be effective with the card you are dictated to run 3 colors and one of them be red which is already kind of restrictive
September 6, 2016 1:40 p.m.
The best low curve sweeper i can think of is flaying tendrils and to be effective with the card you are dictated to run 3 colors and one of them be red which is already kind of restrictive
September 6, 2016 1:40 p.m.
JaceArveduin says... #15
You're thinking of Radiant Flames, Flaying Tendrils gives everything -2/-2
September 6, 2016 7:39 p.m.
With the amount of life gain cards for control in this set I doubt that the early sweeper such as languish is a huge necessity, getting to 5 is easy enough and then we have a sweeper that gains us life while resetting the board of creatures.
September 16, 2016 6:22 p.m.
I believe he is calling you one unhlyjspr because in the vast majority of constructed formats, most of the time, lifegain cards are regarded as neary useless. You may be onto something though, Fumigate is both a wrath and a potential 4-5 life attatched. I would like to see some kind of Jeskai or Mardu control deck emerge with the remaining and new wraths we have.
September 19, 2016 10:45 a.m.
Having played magic for a very long time I understand that most of history has shown that lifegain cards are for the most part useless. However constructed playable options in this new Standard format include but are not limited to, Dovin Baan, Blessed Alliance, Filigree Familiar, Fumigate, Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, Authority of the Consuls, Essence Extraction, Kambal, Consul of Allocation. That's just what I can think of as a base list. So while sure you can call me a moron for my previous post. I actually have facts and testing that myself and my play group has done to back up that the amount of cards in this set that allow us to create a buffer for us to get to the late game.
September 19, 2016 11:03 a.m.
AgentGreen says... #21
I don't think losing Languish will end black control decks.
Black still has some of the best spot removal in the game, so it's not a bad deal. Plus with powerhouses like Chandra, Torch of Defiance; a card like Ruinous Path becomes a must have in any black control shell.
I'm sticking with my BW control; see how it works out.
Daalot says... #2
This depends on what Kaladesh brings to the table. For all we know, there will be a card that more or less replaces Languish.
August 31, 2016 3:55 a.m.