[Deck] Mono-Blue Control (MUC)

[TheKingslayer]

I board in sneaky homunculus like any reasonable and competent player would.

In all seriousness. I tested Vendillion Clique in place of two spell snare for a long time, but often found great disappointment in it for my metagame. I understand the implications of use and the manner of disruption. However, it has fallen short of my needs, but perhaps this is simply due to my bad luck. I know it comes in handy against Show and Tell and mid combo storm, but I would rather run simple counterspells in my main board, due to a lack of presence of storm and show and tell at the last couple of tournaments I've been to. Though, it is something I would like to move to the sideboard for those combo matchups and against dredge, where Jace is nearly a dead card.

On somewhat of a sidenote, I big Jaced 7 out of 10 games Thursday evening.


As far as board sweepers go, I think powder keg is the best and most reasonable. Though, it can't hit planeswalkers. Ratchet bomb can hit planeswalkers, but it cannot hit manlands like keg can. Both drops all of the pesky one and two drops when an opponent over commits. As well, it's nice to sit at two to pop that god damned Stone Forge Mystic before it loses sickness. Beware of ratchet bomb, because your opponent can respond to it's activated ability to destroy, not allowing you to pop it at all. Powderkeg can respond to it's destruction aside from K grip.

I run O stone in the sideboard to help against NO decks and those with a wide variation of cmc. (It's also helpful against reanimator with Iona.)

Edit: I also must add the lack of synergy I personally find in running Energy field.

I also must add the lack of attention to the legacy metagame, pertaining to those lists that run tabernacle... Part of running Mono Blue is to avoid wasteland...Tabernacle is a nonbasic used to battle aggro...what percentage of aggro decks run wasteland? You'll save money if you just don't use it anyway.

[The Treefolk Master]

Tabernacle is brought against Aggro decks not running Wasteland, such as NO RUG, certain builds of Bant, etc. It is also brought vs. Belcher. Bringing it in against decks running wasteland such as Goblins or Merfolk is a mistake.

It is, however, one of the less accepted sideboard cards and is largely a meta call.

It has tested very well for me against Affinity and NO RUG, especially devastating against the latter.

[Einherjer]

Could someone tell me why Powder Keg should be better than Ratchet bomb?

[dsck]

Could someone tell me why Powder Keg should be better than Ratchet bomb?

Read Kingslayer's post few posts above you.

[bakofried]

I'm confused; how is Bomb being destroyed a concern? It's sacrificed as part of the cost, so, they don't really get a chance to. Could you explain?

[C Rayz Walz]

I think he means when you tap it to put a counter on it. They get a good chance to kill your bomb when that happens.

[Tepesh]

Im currently testing this:

Lands:
4 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Plains
1 Tundra
12 Island

Draw/CQ:
4 Brainstorm
4 Ancestral Vision
2 Fact or Fiction
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Boardcontrol:
3 Back to Basics
2 Ratchet Bomb
4 Vedalken Shackles
2 Sower of Temptation

Counterspells:
4 Force of will
4 Mental Misstep
4 Counterspell
3 Spell Snare

Sideboard:
2 Ajani Goldmane
4 Peacekeeper
4 Surgical Extraction
3 Vendilion Clique
2 Energy Flux

Since the last time I played Legacy it felt way more faster than now. Thats why I cut StoP and added Visions. It really feels good to draw so muich stuff so you can throw everything at your opponents head. You have a quite nice Early game with Misstep, Force & Spell Snare and huge potential for the late game: Shackles, B2B, Jace, Fact etc.

The only thing I dont like is Rachet Bomb, but they are a lot better (in my eyes) than Keg. But both are very slow and I really want to be able to kill everything I want to kill. Manlands arent an issue since I play Shackles and 3 B2B. I think StoP may help but I wouldnt have any removal for Artifacts, Enchantments, Planeswalker etc. What would you suggest?

Dont argue about the sideboard or the w splash. Doesnt matter for the Rachet Bomb slot question. thanks!

Ajani is instawin vs Zoo/Burn and good in Control MU. No Problems to play him ever. Never lsot a Match against Zoo since I play him.
Peacekeeper is like Energy Field - only better cause you can hide your jace behind him and win.
Extraction obvs Gravehate
Clique for Combo/Loam/Control
Energy Flux vs Affinity/MUD etc

[vogel]

Hey Guys,

I'm testing Reuben Breslers Version of MUC:

Maindeck:

Artifacts
1 Oblivion Stone
2 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Vedalken Shackles

Enchantments
3 Back to Basics
3 Energy Field

Instants
4 Brainstorm
3 Counterspell
1 Cryptic Command
2 Echoing Truth
4 Force of Will
4 Mental Misstep
3 Spell Snare

Legendary Creatures
3 Vendilion Clique

Planeswalkers
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Basic Lands
16 Island

Lands
1 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn


Sideboard:

1 Oblivion Stone
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Propaganda
3 Misdirection
2 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
2 The Tabernacle at Pendrell V


But i have some Problems with it, i don't know what to do against NO RUG, because i dont have tabernacle. Ive lost every game to it, and i don't know what to do against this deck. Maybe you have a Idea? :)
The next Problem, im not sure how to board, what do you think in which metchups i can board mental misstep out?
Another point is that i wanna have a Clock especially against Storm Combo decks, do you know a good creature (which is blue) for that?

Maybe someone tested the same List and can talk about his/her experiences, would be great :)

Sorry for my english, cya

[Arew]

Against Aggro, side out Jace. If it's Zoo-esque aggro, your probably cutting Force's. Against deck's with discard, your cutting Energy Field, etc.

Against Storm, you already have Clique, which is pretty much the best blue creature to play against them.

[vogel]

ahh thx for your advices, but why should i board out forces against Zoo/GW-Aggro?

hmm i'm searching for an alternative for the tabernacle against NO RUG, i don't know...

[igri_is_a_bk]

If you're having trouble with Progenitus then try Phyrexian Metamorph and Ensnaring Bridge in your sideboard.

[Arew]

ahh thx for your advices, but why should i board out forces against Zoo/GW-Aggro?

hmm i'm searching for an alternative for the tabernacle against NO RUG, i don't know...

You board out Forces against Zoo because you simply can't afford to the 2-for-1 against them. Though if they are playing Steppe Lynx I'd keep two in on the draw.

[vogel]

ohh Arew you are from Athen, do you know the deckbuilders?
Ive heard in an audiostrem, that john sava uses 3 phyrexian revoker in his sideboard, is it right? what do you think?

edit: ive found another problem, i don't know what to board out against NO RUG, i can't find any card that i don't need. At first i think about Energy Field, but you can stall with it until you find the Solution for Progenitus. So i don't get it which card isn't important. I want to board in 2 Phyrexian Metamorph for sure and i was thinking about propaganda (don't know if its good against NO RUG) and Hibernation. But i need Slots, can you help me? :)

[C Rayz Walz]

What does everyone think of snapcaster mage for this deck?

[DragoFireheart]

What does everyone think of snapcaster mage for this deck?

An over-priced counter spell or brainstorm?

[C Rayz Walz]

I don't think so personally. The fact that you get to use those again seems really strong to me. Probably better in stoneblade though since they run stp.

[vogel]

i'm still testing KronenbergerBlue and i like it very much, but it's very hard to play. I think i don't know which spell i have to counter and which not, i hope i will learn it :)
Maybe someone can give me something like a guide?

Now i'm tryin Phyrexian Revoker in the Sideboard and its very great. Against Combo it helps you to get a clock and can name Top (DDFT). Another good Target is the Knight of Reliquary. In my test games against Green Decks it becomes bigger than my Islands and my Shackles.

In Fact you get so much Targets for the Revoker afer sideboarding.

I think my Hate MatchUp is NO-Rug. After Boarding i got an answer to Progenitus (Metamorph, LLawan) but they have Red Blasts, Jace, sometimes Thrun and more Counter. I don't know how to play against them and i don't have an idea for the Sideboard.

Would be nice if you share your opinions about Kronenberger/Athens Blue with me :)

[TheKingslayer]

It's really not as simple as a guide. As, early game, mid game, and late game offer very different situations from which to make decisions. You have to assess how much something changes board state if it hits. Did they drop a creature? Is it a clock? Can you take control of it with an active shackles? Let it hit. Can you keg it if the board gets out of control( does it cost 1 or 2)? Let it hit. Is it a first turn noble heirarch that will allow their spells to come a turn earlier? Counter it. Does it allow them to receive more card advantage than you- Bob? Counter it.You must also constantly calculate the the percentages that a certain card may be drawn, while assuming what is likely in the opponents hand. Remember, it's a numbers game, and you win from card advantage. You one for one your opponent most of the time and draw more cards. Always know how many cards are in your opponents hand. This is one of the hardest control decks to run, because you must constantly evaluate all of these things with great speculation. You can't counter them all. The best way to learn what to counter is to simply play. Test matchups with a friend, and don't allow any replays. Allow yourself to be punished from your mistakes and learn them. It will all come naturally from there.

[vogel]

thanx for your Post Kingslayer :)

Yes, i agree with you its so hard to play but that is what i like, and i want to take up this challenge ;)
I'm planing for my next tournament, where i expect many Green-Based-Decks (NO RUG, Junk, G/W Aggro) and Stoneblade Control (UWr UB UW), Tendrils Combo and a small among of Affinity and Reanimator, maybe Dredge

So I need help with the Sideboard:

Ive thougt about this:

3 Spell Pierce (Combo, Control)
3 Phyrexian Revoker (Stoneforge, Knight, Clock against Combo)
3 Hibernation (I hope it will make the NO RUG matchup better, other green decks)
2 Phyrexian Metamorph (Progenitus, Emrakul, Batterskull)
1 Oblivion Stone (against nearly everything:P)
1 Misdirection (additional Counter, Discarddecks)
2 Sphinx of Jwar Isle (Against Control Decks)

With this board i will loose against Reanimate and Dredge, i dont know... your opinions? :)

[blaat]

So, what will we do with the 4 open slots now that Mental misstep got the hammer?
Seems that my build can actually do Counter/Top, but I don't think that the versions discussed here can have it.