The Gearhulk is really really good. I find myself closing many a game with him flashing back Cryptic Commands and attacking the opponent.
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Level 1 Judge
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
I normally play esper draw-go but have been testing wafo tapa cruel control above and loving it. I think it needs clique main and a ub filterland but otherwise feels awesome. In esper a revelation for 4 is very good, cruel at the same mana cost is pretty similar and since they lose their hand the sorcery speed is generally not a big deal unless you are facing a counterspell deck.
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Modern
* Esper Draw-Go
* Tezzeret Whir
* Blue Tron
UUU Merfolk UUU "Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR "The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
Field of Ruin seems like a really interesting option for us. Given that we can't afford Ghost Quarter or Tectonic Edge it might be the best option for us...
Field is nice as the mana cost on cruel is so tight. If needed you can just convert it into an island or swamp on their eot before you untap and ultimatum.
I tried ub filterland but it got awkward fast since it does not allow you to terminate. Similar experience with reflecting pool - drew it with blod crypt. Kept on a gamble and no blue source appeared.
Planeswalkers feel a little rough w this deck - probably why 3 tarpits. But im still not sure its logical to run push over bolt - bolt covers a lot of the same ground other than goyf shadow tks basically
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Modern
* Esper Draw-Go
* Tezzeret Whir
* Blue Tron
Field is nice as the mana cost on cruel is so tight. If needed you can just convert it into an island or swamp on their eot before you untap and ultimatum.
I tried ub filterland but it got awkward fast since it does not allow you to terminate. Similar experience with reflecting pool - drew it with blod crypt. Kept on a gamble and no blue source appeared.
Planeswalkers feel a little rough w this deck - probably why 3 tarpits. But im still not sure its logical to run push over bolt - bolt covers a lot of the same ground other than goyf shadow tks basically
In my latest (semi-) successful lists I ran 2 bolts and it was more or less fine.
I do not think a splash in a deck that needs u or b turn one, r.b u turn two/three, both uuu and bb turn four, and finally bbbrruu turn seven is a winning plan. I already find if I am not very careful with my lands I will come to 7 and be missing a black or red source - adding white does not seem worth it and would make the mana complexity way worse.
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Modern
* Esper Draw-Go
* Tezzeret Whir
* Blue Tron
Hey guys, longtime lurker, first time poster. Love what you guys do here. Trying to get this list just right. The main thing I'm looking at cutting would be the Obliterators because they just feel too win-more. I've never really had trouble casting them with the color requirement so far, but I feel like the time I do it's gonna lose me the game. Kalitas hasn't been crazy great either, but he's still decent enough for a sideboard slot at this point.
The dragons put people on clocks, and protection from white by Stormbreath has been oddly OP in my meta riddled with white Path people everywhere. Decided to do something a bit different and run Lotus Bloom Tezzeret engine to possibly cast Cruel on turn 4 and get myself way ahead early.
here's the list. Maybe you guys have some suggestions.
The deck does pretty good against a lot of different decks because it sneaks up on them, and when I cast cruel ultimatum they're usually like wtf. so its fun to sneak up on and hard to side against because they usually don't know what is going on. Burn and creature aggro are usually a struggle. Obliterator was in there originally to be a wall against wurmcoil and reality smasher TKS etc., but maybe I should just add in some wurmcoils of my own?? Idk I was thinking about trying another dragon, maybe silumgar the drifting death, or something big with flash. I don't run Cryptic Command so I wouldn't really need Gearhulk although I have both. I was thinking TKS maybe as a two of since he's just so good but he requires 1 colorless and my mana base doesn't really have great access to it since I'm looking for three colors.
Not to sound too negative, but you have a very weird collection of cards right there. Right now your deck doesn't really play as either control, big mana, or midrange.
At the moment you have 11 pay-off cards, but you don't have many things that get you there.
I understand that 4 lotus blooms are there to accelerate your pay-off cards, but they are literally dead draws during the turns you need to stay alive (1-5) and dead draws later in the game because you already have the mana you need.
Condescend is a really bad counterspell outside of mono U Tron. If you want to play something with pay X, Logic Knot is your friend.
You are running 0 terminates which is definitely a mistake, since it makes you extremely weak to any sort of big creature, E-Tron and anything outside the 3-4 mana range.
Cryptic commands are just too good to pass in this deck. If you have them you play them. You need to have a REALLY good argument for not using them.
I would say you need to lower your deck to the ground a bit. I understand how fun it is to cast all these big flashy dudes, but, unfortunately, it's a strategy that doesn't win much in modern.
My suggestion is cut down on the pay-off cards (especially the obliterators and the dragons and DEFINITELY the Tezzeret). Add some card draw and change your counter-spell suite. Remove the Lotus Blooms for extra removal and card draw as well. Focus a bit more on surviving until you can cast Cruel Ultimatum or Nicol Bolas.
Not to sound too negative, but you have a very weird collection of cards right there. Right now your deck doesn't really play as either control, big mana, or midrange.
At the moment you have 11 pay-off cards, but you don't have many things that get you there.
I understand that 4 lotus blooms are there to accelerate your pay-off cards, but they are literally dead draws during the turns you need to stay alive (1-5) and dead draws later in the game because you already have the mana you need.
Condescend is a really bad counterspell outside of mono U Tron. If you want to play something with pay X, Logic Knot is your friend.
You are running 0 terminates which is definitely a mistake, since it makes you extremely weak to any sort of big creature, E-Tron and anything outside the 3-4 mana range.
Cryptic commands are just too good to pass in this deck. If you have them you play them. You need to have a REALLY good argument for not using them.
I would say you need to lower your deck to the ground a bit. I understand how fun it is to cast all these big flashy dudes, but, unfortunately, it's a strategy that doesn't win much in modern.
My suggestion is cut down on the pay-off cards (especially the obliterators and the dragons and DEFINITELY the Tezzeret). Add some card draw and change your counter-spell suite. Remove the Lotus Blooms for extra removal and card draw as well. Focus a bit more on surviving until you can cast Cruel Ultimatum or Nicol Bolas.
Ok. Great analysis, and sound advice. So I ran my list at a Modern tourney at the local shop last night and the results were like you said. Fairly explosive and won some games, but overall too janky.
Changed my list drastically last night after the tourney, and its funny you mention lowering the deck to the ground which is exactly what I did. Cut all the big fun guys, focused on snapping and killing other stuff until hitting a cruel. Seems the best way to play the deck if you want to win games. I'll post the list later. Thanks for the reply dude. I'll test Chandra, I was always intrigued.
Also folks, feel free to peck apart my deck at weaknesses and what not. I'm sure it could be better, and I'd love everyone's input. Except Dlanze or whatever his name was, the guy I blocked for adding nothing to the forum.
I don't see why you would run any other 4 mana PW instead of JTMS. What does JAOT has to offer? I would also cut the As Foretold/AV completely and create a more solid control plan. Among Snapcaster bolt/cruel ultimatum/JTMS/Creeping Tar Pit you already have enough win conditions. You just need a way to get there. Remove Tasigur, Scarab God, 3x As Foretold, 2x AV and add 3x Bolt, 2x Spell Snare, 1x SV, 1x Cryptic Command. Also remove Chandra and JAOT, add 1 more JTMS, maybe the 4th cryptic and the 4th snapcaster.
Round 1 vs. Jeskai Geist (2-1)
Game 1 he gets stuck with what seems to be a million removal spells in hand. I counter or kill the few threats he casts and end up casting a Cruel Ultimatum with Cryptic Command backup. Game 2 he's on the play, stick a Geist of Saint Traft (I don't have a counter), counters my Damnation the turn after, and basically wins from there. Game 3 I have the counter for his Geist, and I actually end up going aggro on him with Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet gaining me a ton of life and turning into a 5/6 monstrosity (He probably sided out removal). When he finally sticks a Geist, he has to block with it. I win the game on my last turn after time has been called.
Round 2 vs. Burn (1-2)
Game 1 I mull to 6, keep a greedy hand (He usualy plays W/R prison), and pretty much die to Goblin Guide beats. Game 2 he gets stuck on 1 land, while I have an ideal curve of T1 Fatal Push T2 Collective Brutality T3 counter a burn spell, after which I stick a Liliana, the Last Hope, which he has to spend burn on in order to not let it ultimate. G3 he has a creature-heavy draw and I don't have enough removal. I eventually stabilize with counter-magic, but run out of answers for his topdecks.
Round 3 vs. 5-Color Shadow (2-1)
Game 1 I basically remove everything he plays and win from there. Game 2 takes a while, but ends up with him Stubborn Denialing my last removal spell and him swinging for lethal with a single shadow. Game 3 I remove most of his stuff again, and end up doming him for seven with Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh.
Round 4 vs. Jeskai "Monk-Tribal" (1-2)
He plays a weird tempo-brew with Smuggler's Copter, Myth Realized, Raise the Alarm and Monastery Mentor. Game 1 he sticks a Copter, I remove most of his stuff, he deals some damage to me, but doesn't have enough reach to finish me off. Game 2 he plays a T1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros into T2 Raise the Alarm into T3 Monastery Mentor. I had to push the Kytheon to prevent it from flipping, and didn't have an answer for the mentor. Game 3 I basically don't draw enough instant-speed removal, he counters my Kolaghan's Command on his Copter and Myth Realized, and I die to wrath-proof creatures.
Round 5 vs. Bye (EZ 1-0)
Got a single game in against a friend who was playing UW control. We play draw-go for several turns, eventually he goes for Snapcaster-Opt on my EOT, I Snap-Electrolyze, he counters, I counter, stuff resolves. He goes for a Torrential Gearhulk while I'm tapped out. I untap and Cruel him. He didn't want to play anymore.
Observations and thoughts
The deck played roughly as I assumed it would. Search for Azcanta overperformed every game I drew it. Both of the large wincons were super clunky, and are probably sub-par (But there's a reason you play this deck, right?). The 1-mana cantrips weren't great. I wish I had slightly more counters.
I'm pretty sure it's straight up better to play Jace, the Mind Sculptor than Cruel/Bolas, as the card has the same game-winning effect, but is much cheaper and can be cast with counter-backup. The reason I played this deck yesterday was because I only have 1 Jace, and didn't want to play a sub-optimal deck when the card is legal.
If I had to make changes without considering Jace, based on how the deck performed today, I think I would go for the following next time:
They left out the part where Yawgmoth is resurrected,but has been cleansed as Yawgmoth the Redeemed,and now must awaken Chromium so that Karn can fuse with him and create what can only be known as : the ultimate taco.
I have a confession to make. Until last Friday, I had never cast Cruel Ultimatum. Sure, sure, I took a long break from the game around Apocalypse and didn't come back until Fate Reforged, but even in the years since the 7 Mana Epitome of Grixis managed to escape me. That changed, and I now feel like I have actually played 'real Magic.'
Hyperbole aside, I decided to sleeve up Wafo-Tapa's list for my local FNM with just three cards changed. I cut one MD Logic Knot for a Mana Leak, and cut one EE and Countersquall from the board to slide in a Damnation and a 2nd Counterflux to support the one in the main. Things went surprisingly well with my only loss being in three games against 8 Wack where I kept a questionable 7 bug managed to drag the game out to turn 7 or 8 but stabilized at low life, I wasn't able to find a Jace to start building up cards, and a topdecked Bolt ended that game.
In the other three matches, though, it never really felt like I was behind. I took out Abzan Company, WG Company, and KCI.
Abzan Company: I establish control by killing everything he plays in game one, then bounce one creature and make him discard it while edicting his other with Cruel Ultimatum. He turn 3's me in game 2 after I tap out to flashback a Think Twice in his end step. I again put together the Jace + Kill everything plan in game 3. Staticaster and K Command do the Lord's Work, here.
WG Company: I get rolled in game one, and he makes a sideboarding mistake of trying to take the game long for 2 and 3. Game 3 I cast CU three times (once Snapped, felt bonkers) after having to Damnation-Snap-Damnation to clear the board of multiple copies of Voice of Resurgence. He concedes when I Snap-Ultimatum.
KCI: Game 1 he rolls me on turn 3 or so. In come all the hate. Game 2 and 3 are won on A) the back of Counterflux and B) the fact that he sideboarded out a copy of KCI for some reason, and was only running three in game 3. I proceed to 'flux, Reject, 'flux, Snap-flux all threats of merit and he conceedes when I cast Ultimatum.
It seems like "demoralization" is an additional win condition I hadn't considered, and boy is it a strong one. 7 or 8-for-1ing your opponent delivers a crushing blow to their morale and outlook that is really only matched by turn 3 natural Tron into Karn. I'm surely going to keep this one sleeved up for a while now and see how it keeps treating me.
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Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
3 Snapcaster Mage
Sorcery (4)
2 Cruel Ultimatum
2 Damnation
Instant (24)
4 Cryptic Command
3 Electrolyze
2 Fatal Push
1 Kolaghan's Command
2 Logic Knot
2 Mana Leak
2 Opt
1 Shadow of Doubt
1 Spell Snare
3 Terminate
3 Think Twice
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Nihil Spellbomb
Enchantment (1)
1 Search for Azcanta
Land (25)
1 Blood Crypt
3 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Drowned Catacomb
1 Field of Ruin
3 Island
4 Polluted Delta
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
2 Sulfur Falls
1 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
60 Cards
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Fatal Push
1 Kolaghan's Command
2 Collective Brutality
1 Countersquall
1 Dispel
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
1 Vendilion Clique
* Esper Draw-Go
* Tezzeret Whir
* Blue Tron
Level 2 in progress...
UUU Merfolk UUU
"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."
-Empress Galina
UBR Cruel Control UBR
"The essence of every world, every spell, and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists."
-Nicol Bolas
I tried ub filterland but it got awkward fast since it does not allow you to terminate. Similar experience with reflecting pool - drew it with blod crypt. Kept on a gamble and no blue source appeared.
Planeswalkers feel a little rough w this deck - probably why 3 tarpits. But im still not sure its logical to run push over bolt - bolt covers a lot of the same ground other than goyf shadow tks basically
* Esper Draw-Go
* Tezzeret Whir
* Blue Tron
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
* Esper Draw-Go
* Tezzeret Whir
* Blue Tron
The dragons put people on clocks, and protection from white by Stormbreath has been oddly OP in my meta riddled with white Path people everywhere. Decided to do something a bit different and run Lotus Bloom Tezzeret engine to possibly cast Cruel on turn 4 and get myself way ahead early.
here's the list. Maybe you guys have some suggestions.
2 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Stormbreath dragon
2 Phyrexian Obliterator
2 Cruel Ultimatum
1 Tezzeret the seeker
1 jace, architect of thought
1 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
4 Condescend
2 kolaghan's command
2 collective brutality
1 fatal push
1 dismember
4 lightning bolt
2 inquisition of kozilek
2 Damnation
1 batterskull
4 bloodstained mire
4 Polluted Delta
1 crumbling necropolis
2 Steam Vents
2 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
1 Sunken Ruins
2 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Island
1 Mountain
2 Swamp
1 graven cairns
1 reflecting pool
1 bribery
3 fulminator mage
1 shatterstorm
2 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Dispel
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Surgical Extraction
1 izzet staticaster
1 kalitas, traitor of ghet
The deck does pretty good against a lot of different decks because it sneaks up on them, and when I cast cruel ultimatum they're usually like wtf. so its fun to sneak up on and hard to side against because they usually don't know what is going on. Burn and creature aggro are usually a struggle. Obliterator was in there originally to be a wall against wurmcoil and reality smasher TKS etc., but maybe I should just add in some wurmcoils of my own?? Idk I was thinking about trying another dragon, maybe silumgar the drifting death, or something big with flash. I don't run Cryptic Command so I wouldn't really need Gearhulk although I have both. I was thinking TKS maybe as a two of since he's just so good but he requires 1 colorless and my mana base doesn't really have great access to it since I'm looking for three colors.
At the moment you have 11 pay-off cards, but you don't have many things that get you there.
I understand that 4 lotus blooms are there to accelerate your pay-off cards, but they are literally dead draws during the turns you need to stay alive (1-5) and dead draws later in the game because you already have the mana you need.
Condescend is a really bad counterspell outside of mono U Tron. If you want to play something with pay X, Logic Knot is your friend.
You are running 0 terminates which is definitely a mistake, since it makes you extremely weak to any sort of big creature, E-Tron and anything outside the 3-4 mana range.
Cryptic commands are just too good to pass in this deck. If you have them you play them. You need to have a REALLY good argument for not using them.
I would say you need to lower your deck to the ground a bit. I understand how fun it is to cast all these big flashy dudes, but, unfortunately, it's a strategy that doesn't win much in modern.
My suggestion is cut down on the pay-off cards (especially the obliterators and the dragons and DEFINITELY the Tezzeret). Add some card draw and change your counter-spell suite. Remove the Lotus Blooms for extra removal and card draw as well. Focus a bit more on surviving until you can cast Cruel Ultimatum or Nicol Bolas.
Finally, in my experience, Chandra, Torch of Defiance is great with Bolas, because you can cast him T5.
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
Ok. Great analysis, and sound advice. So I ran my list at a Modern tourney at the local shop last night and the results were like you said. Fairly explosive and won some games, but overall too janky.
Changed my list drastically last night after the tourney, and its funny you mention lowering the deck to the ground which is exactly what I did. Cut all the big fun guys, focused on snapping and killing other stuff until hitting a cruel. Seems the best way to play the deck if you want to win games. I'll post the list later. Thanks for the reply dude. I'll test Chandra, I was always intrigued.
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
My updated list featuring Mr. JTMS himself. Bless up.
// 5 Creature
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 The Scarab God
// 4 Enchantment
3 As Foretold
1 Search for Azcanta
// 14 Instant
2 Cryptic Command
3 Fatal Push
2 Kolaghan's Command
1 Lightning Bolt
3 Mana Leak
1 Shadow of Doubt
2 Terminate
// 25 Land
1 Blood Crypt
3 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Dreadship Reef
1 Field of Ruin
1 Mountain
3 Polluted Delta
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Snow-Covered Island
3 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
2 Swamp
3 Watery Grave
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2 Jace, Architect of Thought
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
// 7 Sorcery
2 Ancestral Vision
1 Cruel Ultimatum
1 Damnation
3 Serum Visions
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Negate
1 Shadow of Doubt
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Collective Brutality
1 Never // Return
1 Shatterstorm
Also folks, feel free to peck apart my deck at weaknesses and what not. I'm sure it could be better, and I'd love everyone's input. Except Dlanze or whatever his name was, the guy I blocked for adding nothing to the forum.
I don't see why you would run any other 4 mana PW instead of JTMS. What does JAOT has to offer? I would also cut the As Foretold/AV completely and create a more solid control plan. Among Snapcaster bolt/cruel ultimatum/JTMS/Creeping Tar Pit you already have enough win conditions. You just need a way to get there. Remove Tasigur, Scarab God, 3x As Foretold, 2x AV and add 3x Bolt, 2x Spell Snare, 1x SV, 1x Cryptic Command. Also remove Chandra and JAOT, add 1 more JTMS, maybe the 4th cryptic and the 4th snapcaster.
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
4 Snapcaster Mage
1 Torrential Gearhulk
Enchantment: 1
1 Search for Azcanta
Instant: 24
4 Cryptic Command
1 Electrolyze
4 Fatal Push
2 Kolaghan's Command
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Logic Knot
1 Mana Leak
2 Opt
1 Shadow of Doubt
3 Terminate
2 Think Twice
Planeswalker: 1
1 Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
1 Cruel Ultimatum
2 Damnation
1 Serum Visions
Land: 25
1 Blood Crypt
2 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Drowned Catacomb
2 Field of Ruin
3 Island
1 Mountain
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Sunken Hollow
2 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Countersquall
1 Dispel
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Collective Brutality
Round 1 vs. Jeskai Geist (2-1)
Game 1 he gets stuck with what seems to be a million removal spells in hand. I counter or kill the few threats he casts and end up casting a Cruel Ultimatum with Cryptic Command backup. Game 2 he's on the play, stick a Geist of Saint Traft (I don't have a counter), counters my Damnation the turn after, and basically wins from there. Game 3 I have the counter for his Geist, and I actually end up going aggro on him with Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet gaining me a ton of life and turning into a 5/6 monstrosity (He probably sided out removal). When he finally sticks a Geist, he has to block with it. I win the game on my last turn after time has been called.
Round 2 vs. Burn (1-2)
Game 1 I mull to 6, keep a greedy hand (He usualy plays W/R prison), and pretty much die to Goblin Guide beats. Game 2 he gets stuck on 1 land, while I have an ideal curve of T1 Fatal Push T2 Collective Brutality T3 counter a burn spell, after which I stick a Liliana, the Last Hope, which he has to spend burn on in order to not let it ultimate. G3 he has a creature-heavy draw and I don't have enough removal. I eventually stabilize with counter-magic, but run out of answers for his topdecks.
Round 3 vs. 5-Color Shadow (2-1)
Game 1 I basically remove everything he plays and win from there. Game 2 takes a while, but ends up with him Stubborn Denialing my last removal spell and him swinging for lethal with a single shadow. Game 3 I remove most of his stuff again, and end up doming him for seven with Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh.
Round 4 vs. Jeskai "Monk-Tribal" (1-2)
He plays a weird tempo-brew with Smuggler's Copter, Myth Realized, Raise the Alarm and Monastery Mentor. Game 1 he sticks a Copter, I remove most of his stuff, he deals some damage to me, but doesn't have enough reach to finish me off. Game 2 he plays a T1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros into T2 Raise the Alarm into T3 Monastery Mentor. I had to push the Kytheon to prevent it from flipping, and didn't have an answer for the mentor. Game 3 I basically don't draw enough instant-speed removal, he counters my Kolaghan's Command on his Copter and Myth Realized, and I die to wrath-proof creatures.
Round 5 vs. Bye (EZ 1-0)
Got a single game in against a friend who was playing UW control. We play draw-go for several turns, eventually he goes for Snapcaster-Opt on my EOT, I Snap-Electrolyze, he counters, I counter, stuff resolves. He goes for a Torrential Gearhulk while I'm tapped out. I untap and Cruel him. He didn't want to play anymore.
Observations and thoughts
The deck played roughly as I assumed it would. Search for Azcanta overperformed every game I drew it. Both of the large wincons were super clunky, and are probably sub-par (But there's a reason you play this deck, right?). The 1-mana cantrips weren't great. I wish I had slightly more counters.
I'm pretty sure it's straight up better to play Jace, the Mind Sculptor than Cruel/Bolas, as the card has the same game-winning effect, but is much cheaper and can be cast with counter-backup. The reason I played this deck yesterday was because I only have 1 Jace, and didn't want to play a sub-optimal deck when the card is legal.
If I had to make changes without considering Jace, based on how the deck performed today, I think I would go for the following next time:
MB:
-1 Electrolyze
-1 Serum Visions
-1 Opt (Possibly Damnation, cut or moved to the sideboard)
+1 Mana Leak
+1 Think Twice
+1 Lightning Bolt
SB:
-1 Keranos, God of Storms
+1 Dispel
With Jace? If I were trying to win, probably cut Cruel Ultimatum, Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh and a Think Twice for three Jaces, and go from there. Not casting Cruel is no fun though.
UB Faeries (15-6-0)
UWR Control (10-5-1)/Kiki Control/Midrange/Harbinger
UBR Cruel Control (6-4-0)/Grixis Control/Delver/Blue Jund
UWB Control/Mentor
UW Miracles/Control (currently active, 14-2-0)
BW Eldrazi & Taxes
RW Burn (9-1-0)
I do (academic) research on video games and archaeology! You can check out my open access book here: https://www.sidestone.com/books/the-interactive-past
Hyperbole aside, I decided to sleeve up Wafo-Tapa's list for my local FNM with just three cards changed. I cut one MD Logic Knot for a Mana Leak, and cut one EE and Countersquall from the board to slide in a Damnation and a 2nd Counterflux to support the one in the main. Things went surprisingly well with my only loss being in three games against 8 Wack where I kept a questionable 7 bug managed to drag the game out to turn 7 or 8 but stabilized at low life, I wasn't able to find a Jace to start building up cards, and a topdecked Bolt ended that game.
In the other three matches, though, it never really felt like I was behind. I took out Abzan Company, WG Company, and KCI.
Abzan Company: I establish control by killing everything he plays in game one, then bounce one creature and make him discard it while edicting his other with Cruel Ultimatum. He turn 3's me in game 2 after I tap out to flashback a Think Twice in his end step. I again put together the Jace + Kill everything plan in game 3. Staticaster and K Command do the Lord's Work, here.
WG Company: I get rolled in game one, and he makes a sideboarding mistake of trying to take the game long for 2 and 3. Game 3 I cast CU three times (once Snapped, felt bonkers) after having to Damnation-Snap-Damnation to clear the board of multiple copies of Voice of Resurgence. He concedes when I Snap-Ultimatum.
KCI: Game 1 he rolls me on turn 3 or so. In come all the hate. Game 2 and 3 are won on A) the back of Counterflux and B) the fact that he sideboarded out a copy of KCI for some reason, and was only running three in game 3. I proceed to 'flux, Reject, 'flux, Snap-flux all threats of merit and he conceedes when I cast Ultimatum.
It seems like "demoralization" is an additional win condition I hadn't considered, and boy is it a strong one. 7 or 8-for-1ing your opponent delivers a crushing blow to their morale and outlook that is really only matched by turn 3 natural Tron into Karn. I'm surely going to keep this one sleeved up for a while now and see how it keeps treating me.