[Deck] U/B Control

[Iron Buddha]

It’s a pity that U/B Control is a dead archetype. I have seen a few drafts featuring Nether Void or Chains of Mephistopheles, but they didn’t score a living thread. So let’s try to revive this archetype from a different angle. U/B greatest enemy is U/B/G control, for the question, that always stifles any innovation, is: What has U/B that U/B/G (Pernicious Deed) doesn’t have? This is the primary question and needs to be answered. This is my take:

// Lands: 24
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
9 Island
9 Swamp

// Disruption: 14
4 Force of Will
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Counterspell
3 Back to Basics

// Removal: 10
4 Go for the Throat
3 Doom Blade
3 Engineered Plague

// CA/CQ: 8
4 Fact or Fiction
4 Brainstorm

// Win: 4
4 Meloku the Clouded Mirror

SB:
1 Engineered Plague
1 Doom Blade
1 Counterspell
4 Duress
4 Spell Pierce
4

1. Wasteland immunity
2. Back to Basics compatibility
3. Engineered Plague as an efficient Pernicious Deed substitute in every matchup except Merfolk

Back to Basics
BtB fixes the Karakas/Academy Ruins/Volrath’s Stronghold-problem and the Entreat the Angels-problem. Taking down Mutavaults and Cavern of Souls is useful, too.

Engineered Plague
Engineered Plague fixes the Ringleader-problem and the Esperblade-problem. Engineered Plague also has good synergy with Meloku, because they stack up (very useful against Merfolk).

Inquisition of Kozilek
Among the discard spells IoK is the anti-weenie discard spell. Duress doesn’t hit creatures at all; and the life-loss of Thoughtseize is counter-intuitive to our goal, which is surviving the early-game. Being the only card (except Brainstorm) at 1cc, IoK fills a huge gap in the deck’s mana-curve. The competing 1cc counterspells (e.g. Force Spike) are significantly weakened by Cavern of Souls. The disadvantage of IoK that it can go blank later in the game is compensated through the long-term advantage that Back to Basics, Fact or Fiction, and Engineered Plague provide. Every one of those cards is tackling the opponent from a different angle: BtB -> Lands, EP -> supporting creatures/swarms, FoF -> generic CA.

Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Mr. MCM has three amazing features:
1. Air control
2. Machine-gunning Masticore-technology (combat damage based, but the result is largely the same)
3. Very high power-level: a culminated body-power of 8/10 that grows by 1/1 every turn?
In fact Mr. MCM and Masticore are horrifying similar, in that you trade your deck for a single creature; in the case of the former you sacrifice your mana-base, in the case of the latter your hand.
In the Merfolk Matchup you can bounce all of your Islands invalidating their Islandwalk. Draw into some spot removal and Engineered Plague and it won’t be very hard to gain control over the game.
(Quite funny that in U/B control the finisher ends up being blue and not black given that Black is known as the color with strong creature based win-cons)

Counterspell
Counterspell has synergy with Fact or Fiction, is another useful card against combo, and most importantly, provides inevitability. Counterspell also serves the very important purpose of protecting Meloku, since there are a few cards that IoK cannot deal with like Force of Will and such as. Force of Will for free and Inquisiton of Kozilek played the turn before provide a large amount of additional protection. Counterspell + Meloku + seven lands is very similar to Psychatog + Upheaval + nine lands.

Doom Blade, and Go for the Throat
Plain and simple targeted removal. Don’t waste your time with Baleful Strix, for Piledriver and Lord of Atlantis are unblockable, apart from the fact that Baleful Strix could walk into removal.

Control without mass-removal like Damnation and Pernicious Deed does that work? Well, let’s take a look at the various matchups.
1. Maverick -> horribly dies to Back to Basics and Engineered Plague
2. Merfolk -> a lot of instant-speed removal is a proven method to beat them. (I have a reasonable seven)
3. Goblins -> Engineered Plague beats Goblins

[kiblast]

A few concerns popped up in my head right after reading the op.

- Considering that your deck is composed mainly by instant and sorceries, shouldn't Snapcaster Mage be super synergistic with Fact or Fiction? Why don't you play the full set? Snappy could also replace some of the clunky FoF ( I guess the full playset is overkill, any 2Fof in your opening 7 is basically a dead hand vs everything)

- I hate to be that guy, but, I see no Jace. It's so easy to win games when the guy lands, and we all know it. Give me your best reasonment behind cutting it.

- Some number of Usea could be played anyway... you just bounce them to MCM once you have a B2B out.

- Isn't MCM a bit weak as your main and only win con?

[Iron Buddha]

MCM is technically a 7/7 flying (if you have hard-casted him with five lands…), although his execution is different from that of a generic 7/7. While he doesn’t kill that Tombstalker or Tarmogoyf as a normal 7/7 would, he only blocks them, but simultaneously sets the other player on a clock. So as a stand-alone creature he is actually the best that is available, and certainly much more powerful for combat-phase than Tombstalker, Thragtusk, and Sigarda Host of Herons, if the deck is designed to build up to five lands.
While I can’t stack up MCMs the way I can stack up Tombstalkers, and Tarmogofys, I still can make use of all of my removal, IoK, and counterspell to support MCM, so it’s very unlikely that one can overwhelm MCM given that he really is very large.


I agree that Jace TMS is a god-damn powerful card. -1 MCM, +1 Jace TMS is a very is reasonable move, since 3 MCM are plenty to find them in time, and Jace TMS can function as a back-up win-con.

However, as a primary win-con against Goblins, Merfolk, and Tempo Thresh MCM is much easier to play out because – as strange as it sounds – a creature is much easier protect with a disruption package of IoK and CS (cards that are good against combo unlike Damnation and EE), but no Damnation or Engineered Explosives to wipe the board, and given that Spell Pierce is a very prominent card in Tempo Thresh. For example, IoK can take Stingscourger, Matron, and Dismember. If I run Underground Sea I could even run Cavern of Souls. So as for the win-cons would hold on to 3 MCM and 1+ Jace TMS.

Snapcaster Mage in place of Engineered Plague
I really wonder if this is possible, because that would amazingly push my combo matchup. The reason why I’m running 3 EP main is the Goblins matchup, because I have absolutely no way of stopping Ringleaders. EP solves that problem, because it simply invalidates every card the Goblins player draws into with Ringleader. A 2/1 body + spot-removal sounds pretty nice against Goblins, though. With Snapcaster Mage I would need Ghastly Demise and more Fetchlands.

(Maybe) 3 EP -> 2 Snapcaster Mage, 1 spot-removal

Snapcaster Mage in place of Counterspell
I can think of cutting one Counterspell, but would hold on to at least two Counterspells. Counterspell still serves a very important role after all: It protects MCM against Force of Will, etc. and deals with all those random things that may occur like Humility.

(Maybe) 1 CS -> 1 SCM

The other cards are likely uncuttable for Snapcaster Mage, since they are core cards or serve a distinct function, like BtB against Karakas and Entreat the Angels, or spot-removal for early-game defense, etc.

Snapcaster Mage in place of FoF
First all, the FoF slot is likely also the Jace TMS slot. 1x FoF can easily be cut. However, as a general rule I would say that the powerlevel of FoF and Jace TMS is simply way above that of a Snapcaster Mage. I think you should have at least three 3 FoF / Jace TMS to have another angle of massive CA outside of BtB, MCM, and EP.

Fact or Fiction vs Jace TMS
I concede that this is tough one; Jace TMS is especially nice against Sneak and Show and Reanimator, so Jace TMS is likely the better choice here. However, FoF has a definitive edge against swarm aggro including Lingering Souls, even more so, because I don’t run mass-removal.

(Likely) 4 MCM, 4 FoF -> 3 MCM, 2 Jace TMS, 2 FoF, 1 FoF/Jace TMS/SCM


EDIT: new list

// 24
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Bloodstained Mire
7 Swamp
9 Island

// 17
4 Force of Will
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Counterspell
3 Back to Basics
3 Snapcaster Mage

// 8
4 Go for the Throat
4 Doom Blade

// 7
4 Brainstorm
3 Fact or Fiction

// 4
3 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Jace the Mind Sculptor


Snapcaster Mage flashbacking Go for the Throat = Nekrataal btw. I have decided in favor of Doom Blade, against Ghastly Demise, because I fear that Ghastly Demise is not consistent enough on turn two. A lategame SCM flashbacking FoF may be powerful enough to muscle out unstoppable Ringleaders.

Being flashbackable by SCM is great incentive of running FoF over Jace. Given that the first FoF gets pitched most of the time, you rather want 3 FoF to get them into you graveyard.

[Iron Buddha]

Sorry for double post, but maybe you're interested:

I’m working on Cunning Wish build right now (replacing SCM), and I have to say: I’m almost convinced that it’s the way to go, because it literally solves every problem that could come up in the mid- and lategame. Cunning Wish is also not slow, because it is an excellent turn 4 play if you have Ghastly Demise, and Hideous Laughter, and of course it can be pitched to FoW.

Goblins -> Hideous Laughter, Tsabo’s Decree
Humility, Iona -> Echoing Truth
Pernicious Deed -> Stifle
MUD -> Hurkyl’s Recall
Grave -> Extirpate/Surgical/Ravenous Trap/Coffin Purge
Show and Tell -> Diabolic Edict

and -1 FoF, +1 Volrath's Stronghold (second list)

[xfxf]

The problem I see with UB control decks is that even though it can be very strong against combo and other control decks it has limited ways to deal with fast aggro decks. The first questio I have everytime I feel like sleeving a UB deck is how can I deal with Goblins, Merfolk, Burn, Affinity, Zoo which people will be playing in any given tournament.

[Iron Buddha]

The problem with control (both U/B and U/W) is that the aggro-hate is antipodal to the combo/control-hate (even more so with Storm, Dredge and Show and Tell being so completely different). So yeah I agree with your statement.

However, and this is the reason why I think that U/B control > U/W control, that one card – Inquistion of Kozilek – which is one the best anti combo/control cards ever printed, also happens to be very good against aggro. For example, taking Matron is just awesome. (FoW is another example.)

IoK also gives protection against removal, so you can implement a creature-based win-con which is more efficient in killing.

Right now, I have overloaded on spot-removal, what shores up the Merfolk and Zoo matchup, but not so much the Goblins matchup. However, spot-removal is still useful, because if you take care of Piledrivers, and Matrons their kill is slowed down. While my Goblins matchup is not great, I have a theoretical winning chance preboard via Tsabo’s Decree and post-board I get Engineered Plague/(Hideous Laughter).

In fact, Cunning Wish provides a lot of theoretical winning chances preboard for every matchup I’m not prepared.


EDIT: After a bit of thinking my updated list:

// Mana: 25
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Bloodstained Mire
8 Island
7 Swamp
1 Chrome Mox
1 Volrath’s Stronghold

// 13
4 Force of Will
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Counterspell
3 Back to Basics

// 12
4 Go for the Throat
3 Doom Blade
3 Cunning Wish
2 Engineered Plague

// 7
4 Brainstorm
3 Jace the Mind Sculptor

// 3
3 Meloku the Clouded Mirror

SB:
1 Hideous Laughter
1 Ghastly Demise
1 Echoing Truth
1 Tsabo’s Decree
1 Stifle
1 Counterspell
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
1 Ravenous Trap
2 Engineered Plague
4 Spell Pierce


Tell me, Engineered Plague main, Damnation main, or does Wish into Hideous Laughter do the trick?

[Anen]

Deed is what makes BUG Control amazing. All your cards trade 1 for 1 whereas Deed is 2/3/4/5/6 for 1. I can't see it replaced by the fringe Plague just to gain some Wasteland immunity and Back to Basics' tricks.

But if you want to go that way, I'd play some 1 CC removal like Innocent Blood, Dismember and Ghastly Demise instead of 2 CC.

[kiblast]

I still think that blanking all your opponents removal is better than discarding them. Why, facing a UW control matchup, would you ever take the StP instead of the Counterspell /Snapcaster Mage, if you could blank that StP simply by not playing Meloku and playing another finisher?

(edit: Damnation maindeck or even Night of Souls Betrayal seem allover better choices than Plague. Also, Innocent Blood is super good right now and I would start with a 4 of as the md removal of choice.)

[xfxf]

Iron Buddha, I don't really agree with your statement about Kozilek and UB being a better alternative than UW. I think in UW control you can divide the roles of the colors so that you'll have blue for the stack control and white for the board control in the form of StP, Batterskull&Jitte (SFM), sideboard options like Moat, Peacekeeper etc. Black doesn't really gie you that. That's why BUG Control incorporates green, to have Pernicious Deed as a board control, aggro surpression element. It's almost strictly UB except deed (it only has Life From the Loam while it's at green already).

However I'd like to experiment something utilizing 4 Kozilek and some number of black removal spells with 4 Snapcaster Mage. I still think that somewhere along the road deck will need something more to slow down fast agression and stabilize.

[metronome2charisma]

i honestly dont see a reason to not splash green..but if i was gunna go u/b it would look a little like this

4 fow
3 spell pierce
3 counterspell
4 iok
1 thoughtseize
3 innocent blood
1 darkblast
2 gftt
4 brainstorm
1 ponder
2 ee
2 jtms
2 liliana
2 grave titan
3 snapcaster
1 crucible of worlds

2 creeping tar pit
4 underground sea
4 polluted delta
1 drowned catacomb
2 island
1 swamp
2 bojuka bog
3 marsh flats
3 waste land
1 riptide lab

no sb but this is super rough anyway(i play alot of bug/ub variants) its pretty much bug with artifacts subbing for the green spells and grave titan end games as soon as it resolves
clique is probly good as a two of at least in the board if not md..targeted discard is awesome with snapcaster and better than hymn imho..especially with snapcaster..
the ponder is pretty much just there to make sure you find what you need when you need it and its also nice to have an additional shuffle effect to supplement the fetches and its also awesome with snap(obvy).
creatureless might be the way to go as titan turns removal on but really it only has to stay on board for two turns and most of the time you should be able to protect it that long..
burn is going to be a problem. beb out of the board is crazy with snap so a three or four of sounds rite(probly 3)
combo should be a favorable mu..with all the pinpoint discard and counter magic this should be pretty ok..especially with clique...
stoneblade will probly be about 50/50 but definately winnable and even betteer after board(where clique comes in )
maverick should be favorable as all the removal and discard just smashes them and titan and tokens kill kotr
rug...probly not the bomb but not unwinnable...thats what i got

[kwis]

I like necroplasm in this archetype, especially if you have a lot of delver/tokens floating around.