More budgety control decks for critique! After the RUG attempt just didn't feel right no matter what I did I decided to go back to good old UW control with Elspeths and Wraths and other good stuff. The deck feels much better to play and the manabase seems to work. It is stupidly allergic to Blood Moon and Ruination, though.
Without further ado, here's the list:
//Leftover Esper
//Creatures:
Tidehollow Sculler
Wall of Omens
Vampire Nighthawk
Kitchen Finks
Mulldrifter
Plumeveil
Trinket Mage
Vendilion Clique
Aven Mindcensor
Sanctum Gargoyle
Sower of Temptation
Glen Elendra Archmage
Skinrender
Baneslayer Angel
Reveillark
Body Double
Karmic Guide
Wurmcoil Engine
//Other permanents:
Everflowing Chalice
Sensei's Divining Top
Executioner's Capsule
Nihil Spellbomb
Pithing Needle
Bitterblossom
Sword of the Meek
Thopter Foundry
Talisman of Progress
Talisman of Dominance
Azorius Signet
Courier's Capsule
Phyrexian Totem
Jace Beleren
Oblivion Ring
Mimic Vat
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Tezzeret the Seeker
//Spells:
Ancestral Vision
Spell Pierce
Condescend
Path to Exile
Swords to Plowshares
Duress
Inquisition of Kozilek
Demonic Tutor
Merchant Scroll
Counterspell
Muddle the Mixture
Mana Leak
Remand
Negate
Doom Blade
Gerrard's Verdict
Agony Warp
Esper Charm
Thirst for Knowledge
Mortify
Vindicate
Consult the Necrosages
Day of Judgment
Wrath of God
Damnation
Gifts Ungiven
Fact or Fiction
Mystical Teachings
Treachery
Force of Will
//Land: (36)
7x Island
5x Plains
4x Swamp
Arcane Sanctum
Scalding Tarn
Hallowed Fountain
Watery Grave
Sunken Ruins
Mystic Gate
Fetid Heath
Drowned Catacomb
Glacial Fortress
Darkslick Shores
Creeping Tar Pit
Celestial Colonnade
Vault of Whispers
Seat of the Synod
Ancient Den
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Academy Ruins
Tectonic Edge
Maze of Ith
Mystifying Maze
New build is up. Said goodbye to black and Reveillark for now. A third colour may very well be incorporated in the future, but I'm waiting until I get a fetch or two more to add green or black into the deck.
Here's the current build, suggestions?
//Leftover UW
//Creatures:
Knight of the White Orchid
Wall of Omens
Sea Gate Oracle
Trinket Mage
Vendilion Clique
Aven Mindcensor
Plumeveil
Kitchen Finks
Wall of Denial
Glen Elendra Archmage
Mulldrifter
Baneslayer Angel
Sun Titan
Wurmcoil Engine
Frost Titan
//Other permanents:
Everflowing Chalice
Land Tax
Sensei's Divining Top
Pithing Needle
Journey to Nowhere
Ratchet Bomb
Thopter Foundry
Sword of the Meek
Talisman of Progress
Mind Stone
Azorius Signet
Jace Beleren
Mimic Vat
Oblivion Ring
Faith's Fetters
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Tezzeret the Seeker
//Spells:
Path to Exile
Swords to Plowshares
Condemn
Ponder
Preordain
Ancestral Vision
Condescend
Repeal
Argivian Find
Merchant Scroll
Impulse
Remand
Mana Leak
Muddle the Mixture
Counterspell
Negate
Memory Lapse
Disenchant
Dissipate
Compulsive Research
Thirst for Knowledge
Cryptic Command
Gifts Ungiven
Fact or Fiction
Dismiss
Wrath of God
Day of Judgment
Force of Will
Jace's Ingenuity
Bribery
Treachery
Rout
//Lands:
10x Island
7x Plains
Scalding Tarn
Evolving Wilds
Terramorphic Expanse
Seat of the Synod
Ancient Den
Hallowed Fountain
Mystic Gate
Sejiri Refuge
Boreal Shelf
Glacial Fortress
Halimar Depths
Tolaria West
Flagstones of Trokair
Academy Ruins
Mystifying Maze
Maze of Ith
Tectonic Edge
Celestial Colonnade
Faerie Conclave
Mishra's Factory
Urza's Factory
Cards to consider:
Oust: Imo a very nice removal spell, should be in the deck
Spreading Seas: Not sure how good they are, but I would at least test them; deals with a lot of annoying lands and also randomly screws 3+ colored decks
Gideon Jura and/or Elspeth Tirel: Again I dont know how strong they are, but one or the other could be decent; they probably deserve some testing aswell
Vedalken Shackles: Should have a place in this deck
Into the Roil: I like this card a lot, should go in, imo
Dismantling Blow: More art/ench-removal is probably needed
Miscalculation: more counters?
Future Sight: Ok, I love it....
B2B: You play a fair amount of Basics, and it just reads gg against a bunch of decks
Repulse: better than other anti-creature cards, e.g. Wall of Denial
Cards I dont really like:
Courier's Capsule: Drawing 2 for 4 doesnt seem to be overwhelming
Dissipate: Are 3-mana-counters playable? Then imo Absorb>>Dissipate...
Dismiss: Fast enough?
Thopter/Foundry: You have Tez as a tutor, and thats it. (Gifts for Foundry,Sword,Find+X doesnt tutor the combo, unless Im missing something in your decklist)
I would cut Thopter/Foundry/Tezzeret, seems to random.
Other than that, your deck looks really solid, especially for a "budget" version (No Jace, Drain, Tundra).
Gifts finds the combo (Foundry, Sword, any two of Argivian Find, Academy Ruins and Sun Titan).
Tezzeret is just plain all-around good card, he also fetches random things like Pithing Needle and Mimic Vat. I admit his utility is somewhat limited by lack of Executioner's Capsule/Brittle Effigy/gravehate, but he's still a good card. If the combo isn't fetchable, I can just +1 now and March of the Machines next turn.
Most of the cards you list are good, it's just that I don't own any of them apart from Into the Roil and Spreading Seas. ItR isn't going into the deck anytime soon (Repeal is better IMHO).
I agree that the Capsule is a bit odd, but it has random synergies like Sun Titan and Thirst, and actually making Argivian Find slightly less useless. It's also a 2-caster unlike Deep Analysis and Careful Consideration.
Dismantling Blow, Gideon, Miscalculation, B2B will probably all go in if/when I get them.
Ok, I was wrong about Gifts, which makes the combo a lot better. Anyway I would like to know, how often do you get
Thopter/Foundry online (out of 20 games, for example)?
Capsule: See, if you have a Sun Titan sticking around there, well then capsule is just win more. Let's face it, this card is not really good.
Executioner's Capsule/Brittle Effigy/gravehate: Also interact nice with trinket mage, I think I would play at least 1 of the grave-hate spells. More creature removal is probably not needed.
Missing lands: Karakas and Wasteland (guess you dont have any)
Quick change:
- Courier's Capsule
+ Ratchet Bomb
=> More answers to troublesome noncreatures, plus a quick sweeper against Goblin/monored aggression.
Also, I'll soon get a Gideon in the mail. What to cut?
EDIT: Also
- Calcite Snapper
+ Memory Lapse.
Decklist above edited.