Best draw spell in the format?

[TossUsToLions]

So I am working on a control deck because I want to play blue for the first time ever. What does everyone think is the best blue draw spell in the format now that Ponder and Preordain are banned?

[Koby]

See Beyond? Gitaxian Probe?

There doesn't seem to be much options. :\

[clavio]

Telling time?

[Tammit67]

In all honesty, Gifts ungiven.

[Fossil4182]

Dark Confidant? (Its Blue in the same way Tarmogoyf is)

Gifts is Probably right up there as well.

[The Treefolk Master]

Think Twice is decent in Pauper :P

Gifts Ungiven is probably the way to go.

[Mr. Safety]

Gifts Ungiven, hands down. The problem is that the other decent options (Compulsive Research, Thirst for Knowledge, See Beyond) are either too expensive or not powerful enough.

Telling Time is decent, I suppose. Same with Peer through Depths, but it's fairly conditional.

I would have to say that Sleight of Hand is about the only marginally playable 1-mana draw spell now. Vision of Beyond is too conditional.

Mystic Speculation has some promise, but it doesn't actually draw you cards. It's like a 'fixed' Sensei's Divining Top, costing you 3 every time you use it but having the upgrade of filtering your library better by putting junk to the bottom.

That's my initial thoughts. Here are the playable draw spells in modern now (with some black ones added in):

Mystic Speculation
Sleight of Hand
Telling Time
Peer through Depths
Thirst for Knowledge
Compulsive Research
Gifts Ungiven
Dark Confidant
Phyrexian Arena
Night's Whisper
Sign in Blood
Dark Tutelage


EDIT: add these

Think Twice
Fathom Seer
Perilous Research
Serum Visions
Mulldrifter

[umbowta]

Gifts Ungiven, hands down. The problem is that the other decent options (Compulsive Research, Thirst for Knowledge, See Beyond) are either too expensive or not powerful enough.

Telling Time is decent, I suppose. Same with Peer through Depths, but it's fairly conditional.

I would have to say that Sleight of Hand is about the only marginally playable 1-mana draw spell now. Vision of Beyond is too conditional.

Mystic Speculation has some promise, but it doesn't actually draw you cards. It's like a 'fixed' Sensei's Divining Top, costing you 3 every time you use it but having the upgrade of filtering your library better by putting junk to the bottom.

That's my initial thoughts. Here are the playable draw spells in modern now (with some black ones added in):

Mystic Speculation
Sleight of Hand
Telling Time
Peer through Depths
Thirst for Knowledge
Compulsive Research
Gifts Ungiven
Dark Confidant
Phyrexian Arena
Night's Whisper
Sign in Blood
Dark Tutelage

That's awesome! I've been working on two decks for a couple of weeks now that have three different draw spells...none of which are on your list. I love being able to contribute.

I see what you're trying to do and I like it. Getting a list together of the best draw and the best counters would make deck building easier, but I think it's not possible yet. I'll help anyway. If you want to play control in Modern you're going to have to build your deck from the ground up and get synergies going between the draw/counters and the rest of the deck.

Add Think Twice
Fathom Seer
Perilous Research
Serum Visions to your list.

[Mr. Safety]

Thanks! I couldn't remember the name of Think Twice (and there is another version of it coming in Innistrad) and I remembered Serum Visions after I posted, just haven't fixed it yet.

Perilous Research is ok, but it gets REALLY good with Vedalken Shackles and any other stealy card.

I also added Mulldrifter for posterity.

Nice post!

[umbowta]

Perilous Research is ok, but it gets REALLY good with Vedalken Shackles and any other stealy card.

Synergies. Muuuhahaha. Thats waaaay more fun than stupid Hatching Plans tricks. Btw, Perilous Research also likes to work along side Life From the Loam. I'll stop dropping hints sooner or later and actually post a decklist. Til then I must keep tuning.

[TRS-Jo]

Thirst for Knowledge and Forbidden Alchemy are really nice draw spells if you can abuse their drawbacks to your advantage.

[Mr. Safety]

Synergies. Muuuhahaha. Thats waaaay more fun than stupid Hatching Plans tricks. Btw, Perilous Research also likes to work along side Life From the Loam. I'll stop dropping hints sooner or later and actually post a decklist. Til then I must keep tuning.

DUDE!!! You are DA MAN!!! I have some Perilous Research's just sitting in my collection...which will now be shoe-horned into my BUG Gifts deck, for sure! Why? Because I'm playing Loam/Raven's Crime already. Awesome.

[Jak]

Esper Charm

[xeraseth]

Esper Charm

This

[perm]

I think Fathom Seer is waiting to be broken. That card is so dumb.

[thefringthing]

Gitaxian Probe, Sleight of Hand, and Serum Visions. (And See Through Mists, Desperate Ritual, Past in Flames, Visions of Beyond, Manamorphose, Noxious Revival, and Pyromancer Ascension. I heard you like drawing cards.)

[Mr. Safety]

Visions of Beyond is starting to grow on me...I saw it used very well in a U/b mill deck last night on MWS. Triggering it to draw 3 is pretty easy, it only takes one Glimpse the Unthinkable.

[Mr. Safety]

I'm also eyeballing Halimar Depths/Deprive shenanigans, which work well alongside Raven's Crime/Loam.

[Tacosnape]

After playtesting UW Shenanigans (Meddling, Snapcaster, Clique, Geist) in Modern, my vote is actually for Gitaxian Probe. Card is seriously stupidly underrated in a field with almost no competition.

[Mr. Safety]

Nicely worded, Tacosnape.

If you stop and look at targeted discard (Duress, Thoughtsieze, Inquisition of Kozilek) what is the most valuable part of it. Seeing your opponent's hand. Now, substitute the discard function with 'draw a card' instead, and make it conditionally free. Voila. You have Gitaxian Probe.

Honestly, I think it is a natural substitute in combo decks for Preordain/Ponder, and the other slot can be taken up with Peer through Depths, Serum Visions, or Sleight of Hand. Well, some combo decks were already playing Probe...maybe they sub in Spell Pierce now instead of bad draw spells.

The only argument I would have against using Probe in a control-ish build is that Thoughtsieze, Duress, and Inquisition can be potentially better, as they give information and can rob an opponent of a potential threat to your strategy.