Just taking a guess at the format recently this is where I was. The deck didn't perform terribly, but it wasn't superb either. I can say Eldrazitron is much faster than I anticipated it being and without the proper removal and literal no hate for that matchup it felt bad.
I'm interested in seeing your list with Obstructionist in it. The card seems solid enough with multiple activation targets. It also is returnable with k command in the late game which is really sick sounding.
Since we aren't really on the bolt/snap/bolt plan is the 2 damage from the countersquall worth it? I mean it could just be negate right which is a way less stressful mana requirement on curve which is one of my only questions.
Think Twice
I've never found this card to be great for me. I understand wanting the draw but at the same time I've always valued other options like remand, shadow of doubt and even Mulldrifter(plays nice with Kolaghan's command and Rise/Fall). Have you tried any of these or is just that important?
Well I haven't played modern in a good six months before testing a few games against Death and Taxes yesterday. I've been reading through the forum and read where people are moving Lightning bolt completely from the deck. If someone could explain why this is happening and also the absence of sweepers from the decks you all are listing seems completely insane to me as a player. I dunno how far out of the loop I am but I still prefer a 1/1 split on anger and damnation and then another 1/1 split in the board. I even still was running a playset of remand which didn't feel horrendous vs. The vial deck so I can't imagine some number of them being wrong for game 1. If anyone can provide an insight as to why these are frowned upon now I'd appreciate it.
I think the 4 AV are necessary if you play it because it give you more chance to get that t1 AV.
And any AV casted before turn 5-6 are still good if you're playing heavy control, turn 10 isn't rare you know (but any later and they become bad, you're right).
Though Jace could be nice by discarding them, allowing you to cast them later with GDD. I think I'll get myself one or two copy of Jace (or Desolate Lighthouse ?).
I think you have a solid reasoning behind having 4 Ancestral Vision but I just am not that into 4 of anything in our decks unless I think it absolutely unbeatable when I draw it. I honestly don't think I'm going to be unbeatable when I cast that card turn 1 against some decks..Most notably infect, and burn. I also could see issues to where they could even be a liability against said decks because they will race to beat the draw of 3 extra cards which may or may not be beneficial to us.
This is interesting to me but probably only as a 26th land because our color requirements are so strict most of the time that I really don't want to be casting ultimatum any later than turn 9 because of my colors not coming together. I do like the idea of dropping an Ancestral Vision into the yard and Jamming aGoblin Dark-Dwellers into play but how often is that really gonna work?
This card just plays terribly as my deck is currently configured...he isn't even close to being a snapcaster...he is good in the hand attack heavy versions but playing that deck feels like a bad jund deck...I mean with {card}Ancestral Visions[/card] it may be a better jund deck but we will have to wait and see how it all shakes out. I mean I think I'd love Jace, into liliana, into dark dwellers casting visions from the yard...but thats a different deck entriely i think.
Alright well I know that my decks are often different from everyone else's view on Cruel Control, but this is where I will be starting in our new format. I am unsure of how good ancestral vision is after say turn 3 in most matches so I don't think I want the full 4 and I also happen to hate Jace, Vryn's Prodigy in modern the way I play but it may be a necessary evil to draw into more action and get rid of late copies of Ancestral Vision.
Starting off I am gonna try Izzet Charm to help cycle late copies of Ancestral Vision I think Goblin Dark-Dwellers is a cute idea and I will try it but i still think the underutilized star of Grixis is Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet. So with the above being stated my jumping off point will be as follows
I am glad to see that we got an update to the primer, thank you lil_bolas. I am also glad to see that there is another person trying teachings. I personally prefer the teachings route for my cruel control deck. I am in the process of trying out a few of the shadows cards but till i actually decide which ones i would like to test that is on the back-burner of getting them. I have mogis main board as a test spot atm. he so far hasn't disappointed me.
I don't know why you would go through the trouble of adding in Mystical Teachings into your deck without any sort of instant speed sweeper I mean you have Consume the meek in the board but have you given thought to Kozilek's Return I also seen that you are running Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir I think I'd shove it into the main as well. I think you could reasonably cut a Shadow of Doubt to begin with and possibly Far // Away. I think this is the minimum teachings package and if you dont wish to run it as such I feel you are better off dropping to one teachings or even down to none which I personally prefer.
I agree it isn't great but we can put holes in any list... The fact of the matter is they only run 20 eldrazi creatures and they aren't always gonna have them all...none of them are indestructible and we have the ability to adjust our deck. They can't adjust as well and the guy did 4-0. I mean it may have been a fluke but it's something that I know I haven't done yet. I haven't had to face the deck yet but it looks unreal fast but I'm anxiously awaiting my chance to see what it can do.
Shriekmaw is included to kill Reality Smasher without having to 2 for one ourselves in the process and is also recuarble with Kolaghan's Command. This is a cute interaction though I think I'd prefer it in the main deck.
I really think a move to Delay over leak is where we wanna be at the moment. It gives us time and that's exactly what we need, it gives us insight on what's coming and time to find an answer in the mean time.
I truly disagree that there is nothing we can do... I mean the whole idea of the deck is it can adapt to anything and I think it will take some new ideas but surviving the first half of the game is going to be key. I think maybe it calls for possible mainboard surgical extractions and mainboard Ghost quarters but I do think there is a path. I mean even they are stronger in the early game their manabase is ultra weak to early interactions. Spell snare can keep them off of chalice for one on the play but the draw we may be screwed to turn one Chalice unless we are willing to run some number of gemstone Caverns.
I haven't tested Mogis personally but I can't justify tapping out on 4 for him. Whereas Tapping out for Keranos can definitely dig you out of a hole sometimes as quickly as the next turn.
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Mulldrifter
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Chandra, Flamecaller
2 Fatal Push
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Lightning Bolt
3 Serum Visions
1 Spell Snare
1 Thoughtseize
3 Remand
3 Terminate
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Kolaghan's Command
2 Cryptic Command
1 Damnation
2 Cruel Ultimatum
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cascade Bluffs
2 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Island
1 Mountain
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Sunken Hollow
2 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
2 Engineered Explosives
3 Dispel
2 Collective Brutality
2 Rakdos Charm
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 Damnation
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
75 Cards Total
Since we aren't really on the bolt/snap/bolt plan is the 2 damage from the countersquall worth it? I mean it could just be negate right which is a way less stressful mana requirement on curve which is one of my only questions.
Think Twice
I've never found this card to be great for me. I understand wanting the draw but at the same time I've always valued other options like remand, shadow of doubt and even Mulldrifter(plays nice with Kolaghan's command and Rise/Fall). Have you tried any of these or is just that important?
Ancestral Visions
I think you have a solid reasoning behind having 4 Ancestral Vision but I just am not that into 4 of anything in our decks unless I think it absolutely unbeatable when I draw it. I honestly don't think I'm going to be unbeatable when I cast that card turn 1 against some decks..Most notably infect, and burn. I also could see issues to where they could even be a liability against said decks because they will race to beat the draw of 3 extra cards which may or may not be beneficial to us.
desolate lighthouse
This is interesting to me but probably only as a 26th land because our color requirements are so strict most of the time that I really don't want to be casting ultimatum any later than turn 9 because of my colors not coming together. I do like the idea of dropping an Ancestral Vision into the yard and Jamming aGoblin Dark-Dwellers into play but how often is that really gonna work?
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
This card just plays terribly as my deck is currently configured...he isn't even close to being a snapcaster...he is good in the hand attack heavy versions but playing that deck feels like a bad jund deck...I mean with {card}Ancestral Visions[/card] it may be a better jund deck but we will have to wait and see how it all shakes out. I mean I think I'd love Jace, into liliana, into dark dwellers casting visions from the yard...but thats a different deck entriely i think.
Starting off I am gonna try Izzet Charm to help cycle late copies of Ancestral Vision I think Goblin Dark-Dwellers is a cute idea and I will try it but i still think the underutilized star of Grixis is Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet. So with the above being stated my jumping off point will be as follows
1 Blood Crypt
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cascade Bluffs
2 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Island
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Mountain
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls
2 Swamp
1 Watery Grave
Creatures - 7
1 Goblin Dark Dwellers
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Tasigur, The Golden Fang
3 Ancestral Visions
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Cruel Ultimatum
3 Cryptic Command
1 Damnation
1 Dimir Charm
1 Electrolyze
2 Izzet Charm
2 Kolaghan's Command
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Mana Leak
1 Remand
2 Spell Snare
3 Terminate
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Damnation
2 Dispel
2 Engineered Explosives
3 Fulminator Mage
1 Keranos, God of the Storms
2 Rakdos Charm
2 Sudden Shock
1 Vendilion Clique
Comments and Suggestions are always welcome and as soon as I get a chance to play Modern, I'll let you know how things go.
I don't know why you would go through the trouble of adding in Mystical Teachings into your deck without any sort of instant speed sweeper I mean you have Consume the meek in the board but have you given thought to Kozilek's Return I also seen that you are running Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir I think I'd shove it into the main as well. I think you could reasonably cut a Shadow of Doubt to begin with and possibly Far // Away. I think this is the minimum teachings package and if you dont wish to run it as such I feel you are better off dropping to one teachings or even down to none which I personally prefer.
Move away from inquisition to Thoughtseize and maybe add Kalitas to help turn our removal into value and lifelinking isn't bad either.
Grave Titan is really good with Kalitas oddly enough too.