Mardu Control: Post Origin release! Is it playable?

Standard forum

Posted on Aug. 11, 2015, 7:23 p.m. by Ragon_Wolfbane

Just wanted a few people's thoughts on the subject of Mardu Control. Everyone knows that most decks that play Mardu do so for the Crackling Doom seeing it does well against Siege Rhino and Dragonlord Ojutai. The issue with Mardu control though is that it doesn't get access to the same level of drawing/digging/looting power that Jeskai, Abzan, and B/U normally get. Thus playing control normally doesn't fit well with Mardu.

Despite this factor Mardu does still have access to some of the best targeted and sacrificial removal in standard right now, being able to pit itself against control with Kolaghan's Command and even Mardu Charm while battling Abzan's Siege Rhino and Tasigur, the Golden Fang with Crackling Doom and to a lesser degree Roast. It has access to boardwipes such as Languish, End Hostilities, Crux of Fate, and even Anger of the Gods. The main reason that these decks normally do that great is due to factors like the Den Protector+Deathmist Raptor Combo or that any control deck that runs U can dig itself out of a hole with Dig Through Time and draw much faster then Mardu ever can.

The main issue that Mardu faces is that a fair portion of its major bombs are designed to more of a Mid-range group, or don't hold the same amount of impact as something like a Siege Rhino or Dragonlord Ojuati could provide. Plus with the rotation of Theros and M15 coming soon they lose access to Goblin Rabblemaster and Brimaz, King of Oreskos for creatures and Elspeth, Sun's Champion for another win condition.

Some new cards though from Origin did give me just a bit of hope for the future of my favorite color combo in the control sphere. Those cards are:

Erebos's Titan as he can survive Languish and kill spells by baiting them out and then killing their creatures before it resolves. It does really well against Abzan that delves to get out a Tasigur, the Golden Fang or puts out Deathmist Raptors from the graveyard.

The Second one is Hallowed Moonlight as a card for the sideboard to easily screw up an Abzan Rally deck or a Jeskai Token deck. Even just standard Abzan with the Deathmist Raptor combo going on.

The third is Tragic Arrogance and this card will likely seem a bit of a shocker for the idea of control. I mean it does hold the factor of 'if/when' to determine how good it is. Yet why this card is generally good is due to Abzan and Mono-Red Aggro wanting to dump as much out onto the field as possible. Abzan will likely be using mana-dorks to excel their stuff quickly and thus makes this card good to use against decks that start to propel ahead. Plus you have amazing removal otherwise with Crackling Doom. Also playing this card permits you to run creature bombs without fearing of losing them. Something like Monastery Master perhaps while using Kolaghan's Command to return it to hand if it dies to their removal?

Exquisite Firecraft is another card that I think would work well in a Mardu Control shell. With the amount of removal you'll be packing this should be easy to get its spell mastery clause to trigger. Hold onto this along with Crackling Doom and you might just be able to burn your foes out.

Lastly the card I will say this would be good for in a sideboard is Orbs of Warding. It's a good card that I believe is underrated for what it could do. It stops Mono-reds plan of burning you out and reduces the damage they could release upon you with tokens. So unless they are packing Artifact destruction then it leaves you in a pretty good spot. It's also useful when faced up against control decks that run either Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver and Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. Unless they hit themselves with Ugin's +2 or a creature you happen to have out. If they are playing U/B or W/B artifact control decks then their mass production of Thopters from Hangarback Walker and Thopter Spy Network can't touch you and can't draw cards from the effect either.

If I'm missing anything then say it below. Over all thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter.