raharu
02-27-2008, 10:30 PM
First, an explination of the title: it is french expression meaning "the nobles are obligated". From the begining ot legacy, everyone has feared control. They just say "no", and then squelch your gameplan. Few decks have the ability to roll control. Conrtol simply control, and is one of the alumni of the Legacy Metagame. Unfortunately, control has been forced into a corner as of late, and as a result, seems to have stagnated, and not posted the massive results as I believe the archtype could. Multipule attempts to revitalize this Old Regime archtype, but they have been less than stellar. These decks have been well drafted, well planned, and yet seem to not be as powerful as even the old standbys they were intended to improve upon. I onw must take my chance as "saving" the archtype. Now here we go:
I really want to play dedicated control, as I am and have always been a control player (after I evolved out of the GG Rampant-Growth fueled agro stage), but all of the options I’ve researched seem sub par. I’m trying to build a hardcore control deck, but it makes me cringe to run a high curve, mostly because of the 22-25 lands required eat slots for business and threats. For my initial concept, I reverse-engineered the threshold core (ensuring it wouldn‘t be too terrible), and came up with the following:
Countermagic: 7
Daze x3
Force of Will x4
Control: 6
Counterbalance x3
Back to Basics x3
Hand Manipulation: 15
Sensei’s Divining Top x3
Brainstorm x4
Portent x4
Predict x4
Removal: 9
Swords to Plowshares x4
Diabolic Edict x2
Vindicate x3
Win Conditions: 5
Hoofprints of the Stag x3
Tombstalker x2
Lands: 18
Split of City of Brass/ Undiscovered Paradise x4
Terramorphic Expanse x4
Island x7
Plains x1
Swamp x2
Card Choice Explanations:
Back to Basics: It makes everything better. Daze becomes viable outside of turn two, their ability to play spells is hampered by only having basics, so they are restricted to playing cheaper spells (which makes Counterbalance that much better), and makes the possibly Propagandas in the sideboard more potent as well.
Counterbalance: OMGZ itz the H4X0rz C4rdz!!!! But on a more serious note, this card is good here for the same reasons it is good in threshold, and then some. Vindicate and Back to Basics give me 6 cards at the 3cc slot, maybe more if I can find a suitable, less mana and color intensive replacement for Tombstalker. I think that Rushing River might find some use in the side board…
Daze: With a low curve and Back to Basics, this is just fine for a control deck. The tempo loss is worth it, considering that you will, for most intents and purposes, will win the game against deck snot named Goblins.
Force of Will: It’s control, and considering that the deck runs 25 blue cards (possibly more if you replace Vindicate with Rushing Rivers), it’s more or less core blue. I don’t think I have to explain more, but I detest card explanations that consist of entirely of “it good”.
Sensei’s Divining Top: Generally a good filter, but it’s mostly here for Counterbalance.
Brainstorm: Generally a alright cantrip, but it’s mostly here for Counterbalance and Hoofprints of the Stag. Without either of the two here, I more likely than not wouldn’t run it here.
Portent: Better with Sensei’s Divining Top than Ponder is, because the lapse between the shuffle and the draw means that it digs 3+3 before drawing (which is quite important), for 1U
Predict: accelerates Tombstalker, draws cards, clears card off the top of you deck for CounterTop, and has the random “oops, you just wasted a turn of set-up” factor that makes it a rouge element as it is in threshold.
Swords to Plowshares: Gets rid of problems permanently on the cheap. Occasionally the life gain is really gay, but it’s spot removal that gets rid of Mystic Enforcer (the only creature I genuinely fear from thresh). I’ll take it.
Diabolic Edict: the 14th and 15th cards at 2cc. Here mostly because of Enchantresses, Mongeese, and other things that make me cry routinely (like Blood Knight/ Black Knight). Only two because more seems excessive, and in a metagame that warants them, the rest of the playset can fit in the sideboard.
Vindicate: more cards at 3cc, and it’s a catch all answer to just about anything I let resolve. It’s multifaceted board control, and will generally eat threshold’s CB.
City of Brass/ Undiscovered Paradise split: they both provide mana of any color, which allows me to run whatever need be, should the occasion arise. City of Brass is better early game, but Undiscovered Paradise is better in the late game because of the synergy with Back to Basics and it doesn’t have any pain attached.
Terramorphic Expanse > a Fetchland based Manabase: Terramorphic Expanse fetches all of my basics, including random splashes for stuff like Pyroclasm, Tygradon Predator, and the like. It is simply much superior to anything else that could support this deck.
Concerns{
Stax: it’s a rather large force in the retard Dallas metagame, specifically Armageddon Stax. I’m thinking slipping a Forest in the MD and having Tygradon Predator in the board is the best option, but I don’t like it. It opens up Mongoose though, which I quite strongly like.
Solidarity: I should simply roll them, correct? I have enough methods to control them that I shouldn’t have to board Stifle, I believe. I might be wrong, though. I think I’ll have room in the sideboard, so it might not matter (now that I think about it, I believe that Stifle is going in as a 4-of, considering how generally good it is).
Randomness: tends to run more basic lands than “established” decks. What should I have in the board for this match? Sphere of Resistance? Considering that I can run the game behind CounterTop and Hoofprints of the Stag, it would be less than symmetrical, but I doubt it’s effectiveness.
About the finisher: Tombstalker needs a replacement. Eternal Dragon is sub par for the role due to the low plains count, and the recursion isn’t needed because CounterTop protects whatever I’m beating with. Something with shroud would be welcome, though, and not having a double of a splash color is a plus. If it wasn’t for the low land count (which is the point of the deck), I would consider Decree of Justice, but as it stands, it seems well out of the question. I have considered a good number of things, including Exalted Angel, Nullstone Gargoyle, Calciderm, and others, but they are sub par due to color restraints or because they just don’t fit the appropriate role. Morphling is slow, and it is too weak for the deck. Sudden Death takes care of it quite well, and I’m not sure that Sudden Death won’t be encountered. This vexes me to no end. A better, less color intensive finisher is out there, I know it.
Credits: xSockmonkeyx for the Teramorphic City Manabase, Internet Hate Machine (IHM) for being my guinea pig and testing all the crap I’ve told him to test in threshold, allowing me to vicariously test some of this deck with no effort involved, save lending and watching, and for giving me the inspiration for Undiscovered Paradise with Back to Basics.:laugh: Legacy for using lots and lots of non-basic lands, and City of Brass/ Undiscovered Paradise for producing all colors of mana, including purple, allowing me to run whatever I damn well please, and Extirpate for being split second (a 4-of auto include in every sideboard with access to it), as well as Pithing Needle for being awesome and free (a Veteran‘s Armaments for one and another really bad card for the other).
Ending notes: if someone can suggest another control deck that has a solid mid-game and an effectively low curve, I would be most thankful. Preferably something that uses the all-powerful Counterbalance + Sensei’s Divining Top engine (no TEC please).
Also, PAUL WALL!!!!! Best rapper ever. The end.
I really want to play dedicated control, as I am and have always been a control player (after I evolved out of the GG Rampant-Growth fueled agro stage), but all of the options I’ve researched seem sub par. I’m trying to build a hardcore control deck, but it makes me cringe to run a high curve, mostly because of the 22-25 lands required eat slots for business and threats. For my initial concept, I reverse-engineered the threshold core (ensuring it wouldn‘t be too terrible), and came up with the following:
Countermagic: 7
Daze x3
Force of Will x4
Control: 6
Counterbalance x3
Back to Basics x3
Hand Manipulation: 15
Sensei’s Divining Top x3
Brainstorm x4
Portent x4
Predict x4
Removal: 9
Swords to Plowshares x4
Diabolic Edict x2
Vindicate x3
Win Conditions: 5
Hoofprints of the Stag x3
Tombstalker x2
Lands: 18
Split of City of Brass/ Undiscovered Paradise x4
Terramorphic Expanse x4
Island x7
Plains x1
Swamp x2
Card Choice Explanations:
Back to Basics: It makes everything better. Daze becomes viable outside of turn two, their ability to play spells is hampered by only having basics, so they are restricted to playing cheaper spells (which makes Counterbalance that much better), and makes the possibly Propagandas in the sideboard more potent as well.
Counterbalance: OMGZ itz the H4X0rz C4rdz!!!! But on a more serious note, this card is good here for the same reasons it is good in threshold, and then some. Vindicate and Back to Basics give me 6 cards at the 3cc slot, maybe more if I can find a suitable, less mana and color intensive replacement for Tombstalker. I think that Rushing River might find some use in the side board…
Daze: With a low curve and Back to Basics, this is just fine for a control deck. The tempo loss is worth it, considering that you will, for most intents and purposes, will win the game against deck snot named Goblins.
Force of Will: It’s control, and considering that the deck runs 25 blue cards (possibly more if you replace Vindicate with Rushing Rivers), it’s more or less core blue. I don’t think I have to explain more, but I detest card explanations that consist of entirely of “it good”.
Sensei’s Divining Top: Generally a good filter, but it’s mostly here for Counterbalance.
Brainstorm: Generally a alright cantrip, but it’s mostly here for Counterbalance and Hoofprints of the Stag. Without either of the two here, I more likely than not wouldn’t run it here.
Portent: Better with Sensei’s Divining Top than Ponder is, because the lapse between the shuffle and the draw means that it digs 3+3 before drawing (which is quite important), for 1U
Predict: accelerates Tombstalker, draws cards, clears card off the top of you deck for CounterTop, and has the random “oops, you just wasted a turn of set-up” factor that makes it a rouge element as it is in threshold.
Swords to Plowshares: Gets rid of problems permanently on the cheap. Occasionally the life gain is really gay, but it’s spot removal that gets rid of Mystic Enforcer (the only creature I genuinely fear from thresh). I’ll take it.
Diabolic Edict: the 14th and 15th cards at 2cc. Here mostly because of Enchantresses, Mongeese, and other things that make me cry routinely (like Blood Knight/ Black Knight). Only two because more seems excessive, and in a metagame that warants them, the rest of the playset can fit in the sideboard.
Vindicate: more cards at 3cc, and it’s a catch all answer to just about anything I let resolve. It’s multifaceted board control, and will generally eat threshold’s CB.
City of Brass/ Undiscovered Paradise split: they both provide mana of any color, which allows me to run whatever need be, should the occasion arise. City of Brass is better early game, but Undiscovered Paradise is better in the late game because of the synergy with Back to Basics and it doesn’t have any pain attached.
Terramorphic Expanse > a Fetchland based Manabase: Terramorphic Expanse fetches all of my basics, including random splashes for stuff like Pyroclasm, Tygradon Predator, and the like. It is simply much superior to anything else that could support this deck.
Concerns{
Stax: it’s a rather large force in the retard Dallas metagame, specifically Armageddon Stax. I’m thinking slipping a Forest in the MD and having Tygradon Predator in the board is the best option, but I don’t like it. It opens up Mongoose though, which I quite strongly like.
Solidarity: I should simply roll them, correct? I have enough methods to control them that I shouldn’t have to board Stifle, I believe. I might be wrong, though. I think I’ll have room in the sideboard, so it might not matter (now that I think about it, I believe that Stifle is going in as a 4-of, considering how generally good it is).
Randomness: tends to run more basic lands than “established” decks. What should I have in the board for this match? Sphere of Resistance? Considering that I can run the game behind CounterTop and Hoofprints of the Stag, it would be less than symmetrical, but I doubt it’s effectiveness.
About the finisher: Tombstalker needs a replacement. Eternal Dragon is sub par for the role due to the low plains count, and the recursion isn’t needed because CounterTop protects whatever I’m beating with. Something with shroud would be welcome, though, and not having a double of a splash color is a plus. If it wasn’t for the low land count (which is the point of the deck), I would consider Decree of Justice, but as it stands, it seems well out of the question. I have considered a good number of things, including Exalted Angel, Nullstone Gargoyle, Calciderm, and others, but they are sub par due to color restraints or because they just don’t fit the appropriate role. Morphling is slow, and it is too weak for the deck. Sudden Death takes care of it quite well, and I’m not sure that Sudden Death won’t be encountered. This vexes me to no end. A better, less color intensive finisher is out there, I know it.
Credits: xSockmonkeyx for the Teramorphic City Manabase, Internet Hate Machine (IHM) for being my guinea pig and testing all the crap I’ve told him to test in threshold, allowing me to vicariously test some of this deck with no effort involved, save lending and watching, and for giving me the inspiration for Undiscovered Paradise with Back to Basics.:laugh: Legacy for using lots and lots of non-basic lands, and City of Brass/ Undiscovered Paradise for producing all colors of mana, including purple, allowing me to run whatever I damn well please, and Extirpate for being split second (a 4-of auto include in every sideboard with access to it), as well as Pithing Needle for being awesome and free (a Veteran‘s Armaments for one and another really bad card for the other).
Ending notes: if someone can suggest another control deck that has a solid mid-game and an effectively low curve, I would be most thankful. Preferably something that uses the all-powerful Counterbalance + Sensei’s Divining Top engine (no TEC please).
Also, PAUL WALL!!!!! Best rapper ever. The end.