The deck is legit, once I saw it win you can tell it's not just a "flash in the pan." It acts like a better version of slivers since it has interactions with the other player and not just its own creatures.
@ThaGentleman Yes, it needs a bit of help like adding counters and testing out threads. I didn't like threads because it can be removed and only hits 2 cmc or less. When I initially build decks I toss in a bunch of 4 of's to see how it goes. After enough testing you will start to see what to cut and what to add. I'll write up another list with the suggestions you made and try that out.
@Shockwave07, Adding GQ would help I'm sure. This deck is merely an idea and it needs a lot of tweaking. I just wanted to try and abuse one card to the fullest extent. I'll add 1 or 2 to a new list.
I have a slightly different GB Zombies deck that has been winning vs a few tier 1 decks. There is of course some budget options such as no Verdant Catacombs for now.
Ideally you want to see a leyline but it isn't required. Bounce their threats and lands to set them back. Get ahead when you can resolve a vision. Screw their mana by cutting them off certain colors and tap the threats that get through. Steal theirs to fight back. Remove problem permanents with reality acid and clock them with a flying chimera.
Turn 1 you can drop a Leyline, an island and instant cast a sea's claim on their EOT to start color screwing them. You can also flash suspend Ancestral Vision for funsies.
Always resolve your AV's first if you have a Reality Acid in play, you might draw a bounce spell to return it to your hand before its last vanishing counter is removed.
Interesting approach LeDrazi, never thought of including Angler. And what's nice is Golgari Thug can let you draw him if he gets milled. Recently, I had a horrible night for Dredge (0-3-1), lost to Fish, ETron and Abzan. The deck either fizzled to dredge anything relevant or failed to dredge a key 4 of card when I needed it to win.
Good to hear Existenz, how are you doing vs. the field? I've been messing with a few Azcanta on tappedout.net but no real games. The card helps this deck in so many ways too.
I actually made a list for Bant Eldrazi substituting cards for Hierarchs using Birds, Boreal Druids and Qasali Pridemages (to retain some exalted triggers).
The question I asked myself was, "Why play Grixis Control when I can play Grixis Death Shadow?" And that gave me my answer. I don't think the deck is in a good spot. This deck is always fighting an uphill battle. UWr Control has better tools for controlling and staying in the game. I think Spell Queller filled the gap of counter + clock in one card. Grixis has nothing close to that. And Gideon(s) are all fantastic control Planeswalkers IMO.
Can't say I didn't think about trying this deck again though just as a refresh. I want to try a different build but not sure if it's any better then the current. It got zero feedback so far.
Been experimenting with a different take on Grixis Control. Again, this list is just concept, no actual games have been played yet. The deck does have obvious flaws being even more soft to grave hate in a way. I wanted to try running a different suite of creatures and do things a little differently. No Serum Visions, only Opt and a bunch of business spells.
Not worth the green splash just for a 2/2. Sticking to Mono Blue is the best thing going for the deck. It would have to be a Death's Shadow sized Merfolk to convince me otherwise.
AV is only good turn 1, after that you might as well chuck it as fodder or use in conjunction with As Foretold. Like others here, the conclusion they have come to is play cards that give you immediate impact. I used to play Grixis Control and AV was terrible except turn 1 suspend. You cannot wait 4 turns to draw 3 in this format unless you have something down that lets you survive long enough. Think twice, Thought Scour, Azorius Charm, heck even Quicken are better options at this point. I think Jace, AOT is underplayed too.
EE is amazing when the colors you play can't handle Artifacts/Enchants and certain creatures. Grixis Control/Shadow is a good example of why you would need to run EE.
Watch out for those unexpected Human Frailtys
@Shockwave07, Adding GQ would help I'm sure. This deck is merely an idea and it needs a lot of tweaking. I just wanted to try and abuse one card to the fullest extent. I'll add 1 or 2 to a new list.
3x Abrupt Decay
2x Fatal Push
Lands:
2x Blood Crypt
2x Bloodstained Mire
2x Blooming Marsh
2x Forest
4x Polluted Delta
4x Swamp
2x Watery Grave
2x Overgrown Tomb
2x Wooded Foothills
4x Cryptbreaker
4x Diregraf Colossus
4x Gravecrawler
2x Haunted Dead
3x Plague Belcher
4x Prized Amalgam
Sorceries:
2x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Collective Brutality
3x Liliana of the Veil
Artifacts:
3x Smuggler's Copter
Ideally you want to see a leyline but it isn't required. Bounce their threats and lands to set them back. Get ahead when you can resolve a vision. Screw their mana by cutting them off certain colors and tap the threats that get through. Steal theirs to fight back. Remove problem permanents with reality acid and clock them with a flying chimera.
Riptide Chimera + Reality Acid is the combo that starts wasting their permanents away. If you don't see a chimera, you can bounce your acid multiple ways using Echoing Truth, Void Snare, Cryptic Command and Boomerang.
Turn 1 you can drop a Leyline, an island and instant cast a sea's claim on their EOT to start color screwing them. You can also flash suspend Ancestral Vision for funsies.
Always resolve your AV's first if you have a Reality Acid in play, you might draw a bounce spell to return it to your hand before its last vanishing counter is removed.
4x Ancestral Vision
3x Entrancing Melody
2x Void Snare
Instants:
4x Boomerang
2x Cryptic Command
4x Echoing Truth
4x Riptide Chimera
Enchantments:
4x Leyline of Anticipation
3x Reality Acid
4x Sea's Claim
3x Singing Bell Strike
2x Spreading Seas
21x Island
Alternate Bant Eldrazi
Can't say I didn't think about trying this deck again though just as a refresh. I want to try a different build but not sure if it's any better then the current. It got zero feedback so far.
Grixis Counter Drake
Grixis Counter Drake