[Legacy] Budget U(w) control

Hi. I'm quite recent legacy player and friend of mine want's to get a bit of competitive and he want's to play Ux control, propably white eventually black. Need some help in deckbuilding, howeaver just in making a "plan" for the deck. I have 3 types of deck "classic" Uw, thopter foundry combo, psychatog??
Few questions first:
Is trinket mage still cool?
Same for meddling mage.
Times of Mono U control with Morphling was super cool ;)

Most viable will be Uw as a most "flexible" version. I'm pondering something like that

10-12 counterspells (is absorb fine? which to choose after a counterspell and mana leak?)
4 Swords to plowshares
2-4 sweepers (WoG? ratchet bomb, keg?)
draw ponder, fact or fiction (theese two we have :) ), impulse? Any other ? Ancestrall vision?

some utility cards for earching and disrupting opp gameplan
Maybe a Trinket mage + toolbox pithing needle, meekstone, tormod's crypt any others?
Finishers are most difficult for me.
Morphling <3 but hard to get it and it's not so cool novadays. Sphinx of jwar isle? Any other?

Let's keep the total deck cost in about 60-80$

Waiting for You's advices :):)

Here is a list of super affordable, legacy playable cards that could really help with your Uw control plan:

Daze
Spell Snare
Spell Pierce
Dispel
Swords to Plowshares
Oblivion Ring
Ponder
Glacial Fortress
Supreme Verdict
Day of Judgment
Ojutai's Command
Azorius Charm
Myth Realized
Mobilization
Ghostly Prison
Rule of Law
Aetherling
Dragonlord Ojutai


Obviously there are tons of great cards that cost tons of money, but this approach usually forces you to really dig deep and come up with something creative. I used to play a bunch of legacy-legal but uber-budget decks. One was based on Rule of Law + Isochron Scepter + Remand/Silence/Memory Lapse. It's important to utilize cheap spells for the early game, as legacy is so aggressive. The good news is Spell Snare, Spell Pierce, and Dispel are all playable in legacy. If you have those as your turn 1-2 counterspells and then Counterspell x4 you should have decent amount of good control. I wouldn't cheap out on the removal (Swords to Plowshares) but Day of Judgment does the same job as Wrath of God/Supreme Verdict most of the time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gruby

Hi. I'm quite recent legacy player and friend of mine want's to get a bit of competitive and he want's to play Ux control, propably white eventually black. Need some help in deckbuilding, howeaver just in making a "plan" for the deck. I have 3 types of deck "classic" Uw, thopter foundry combo, psychatog??
Few questions first:
Is trinket mage still cool?
Same for meddling mage.
Times of Mono U control with Morphling was super cool ;)

Most viable will be Uw as a most "flexible" version. I'm pondering something like that

10-12 counterspells (is absorb fine? which to choose after a counterspell and mana leak?)
4 Swords to plowshares
2-4 sweepers (WoG? ratchet bomb, keg?)
draw ponder, fact or fiction (theese two we have :) ), impulse? Any other ? Ancestrall vision?

some utility cards for earching and disrupting opp gameplan
Maybe a Trinket mage + toolbox pithing needle, meekstone, tormod's crypt any others?
Finishers are most difficult for me.
Morphling <3 but hard to get it and it's not so cool novadays. Sphinx of jwar isle? Any other?

Let's keep the total deck cost in about 60-80$

Waiting for You's advices :):)

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With that Budget and cards you have:
1 Absorb
2 Daze
4 Counterspell
1 Forbid
2 Mana Leak
2 Spell Pierce
The reason I mention Absorb is since you told you own it and want to use it. You still need the mana to cast it and a bit slow to Legacy but
you could have one of them I think. Forbid is so ultimate control if you have card draw engine.

If you have the budget for them:
Entreat The Angels
Terminus

I use Dragonlord Ojutai one of them in the deck it is better then Morphling.

Yes Ancestral Vision is good by the way I use Ancestral Vision, Undermine (compare to Absorb) in my Commander/Highlander deck but that format is a bit slower then Legacy.


I have different card draw engine but yes Ancestral Vision is good if you already own it.

Another advice.... I have a friend coded HÅ that uses 4 Meddling Mage in his nasty bluewhite Wizards deck.

Personally I think Snapcaster Mage is Magics best low mana creature, but that is over your budget.

Psychatog outdated but back in the days people used it with Cunning Wish and then take Berserk and cast it on Psychatog
but such a multicolour deck is different like blackbluegreen and to much resources for your limited budget I believe how are you
going to cope with mana?

There are painlands and scrylands of course which could be playable. Land creatures also exist, but Creeping Tar Pit and Celestial Colonnade is
over your budget I think.

More cards to consider (rarely played):
Sunscour ... "free" Wrath of God
Restore Balance
Abolish ... "free" Disenchant
Scepter of Dominance ... cheaper Icy Manipulator
Spire Golem
Razor Golem ... both can be played for free, if you need remain in reactive mode
Errant Ephemeron ... similar
Wall of Deceit ... defender, can switch into attacker
Piracy Charm ... can kill little guys or force discard at instant speed
Muddle the Mixture ... transmutes
Forbid ... buyback
Temple of Enlightenment
Opt
Preordain ... scry
Deep Analysis ... card advantage
Forsaken City ... synergy with Stasis or Static Orb
Sleep ... asks for Sunblast Angel

I recommend for control pack:

Spell Pierce
Mana Leak
Counterspell
Swords to Plowshares


For the finisher, you can either use creatures or combo:
It depends on how much mana or cards you're willing to commit.
With low mana and more cards you can play some merfolks
For a big striker, search Leviathan and choose one you like the most.
Examples

Azor's Elocutors
Stormtide Leviathan
Docent of perfection
Cataclysmic Gearhulk
Windborn Muse

Here's a general shell that might be playable. Tweak as you like to fit your budget or playstyle.


//Enchantments: 12
4 Myth Realized
4 Standstill
2 Detention Sphere
2 Propaganda

//Spells: 21
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Preordain
2 Ponder
2 Spell Pierce
4 Counterspell
1 Forbid
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Decree of Justice

//Planeswalkers: 3
1 Gideon of the Trials
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Jace, Unraveler of Secrets

//Lands: 24
4 Temple of Enlightenment
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
5 Island
3 Plains
4 Mishra's Factory
2 Ghost Quarter


The general plan is to stop Standstills often, hopefully slowing down the opponent from casting spells. If opponent breaks Standstill, you get a nice draw engine. You don't have to break Standstill as you can just win with Mishra's Factory (manlands) and Myth Realized and Planeswalkers, without needing to cast creature spells and staying immune to board wipes. The rest of the deck gives you tools to disrupt whatever the opponent is doing. Tweak those control slots as needed to adapt to the metagame. You might need more creature removal, less creature removal, more counterspells, more enchantment & artifact kill, or more prison pieces.