MTG Salvation

Test it out and see how it goes, I am for sure throwing the Noughts in my sideboard. Rather than run the propagandas, I would have a huge beater than can race them. I personally love having vindicate main because it basically gives you at least one answer in the main to most decks.

The mana base is the hardest thing about this deck. I have finally rested upon what I have, it is just a matter of fetching correctly against each deck.

For sideboard options you might consider upping the perish count, and throwing two sowers in the SB.

I might consider running Nought in the sideboard for the faster match ups because he can race them quite effeciently.

My suggestions:
I would drop the tombstalker count, dont want to hit him on bob. I know that you have top, but you do have to sometimes blind it.
Switch the count on daze and counterbalance. Daze is only good early and counterbalance is always good.
Drop the death's shadow, my personal opinion is he is just bad. He is too situational.
How you liking the dreadnought?

How so are you toying around with CounterTop? That personally to me is just a ridiculous part of the deck.

What would you guys think about replacing E.E. in the board for Propaganda. The decks that I have trouble with are the extremely aggro decks, such as gobs, merfolk, dredge. All of which are usually low on land.

I personally love Daze because early it is disruption and protection. Late game it is Force fodder. As for the lands, every fetch that I have can grab the Island that I will need.

^^^^Truf

Jotun Grunt is a possibility in the SB, as for stalker, he is already in the main as a two of. Jailer is definately a card I thought about in the board as well for all sorts of match ups.

I have considered threads in the main, but it just isn't worth it. Sower on its own usually doesn't come down unless counterbalance is active. I can usually keep it protected quite well against most decks, it is really only weak against zoo because they have so much spot removal. Also if I move it to the board that leaves a gap in counterbalance at 4 and when I didn't have it in, I missed it quite difficult when a geddon was dropped.

As for the Kitchen Finks the mana base is already quite intensive with double in both black and blue. White is just a splash and hitting double can be quite difficult, especially with a lot of land disruption out there.

The enlightened Tutor idea does sound quite interesting, I may have to give it a shot.

To help deal with dudes have you considered Stoneforge Mystic into a Collar? Only have to play the grievous amount to equip once. First strike plus deathtouch is just cheating. I do like the idea of Knight of the White Orchid because he can help you grab the land you need especially if you drop your land per turn after you play him. This guy alone could help your fix your mana screw problems. Give it a shot and see what ya think.

This is my solidified UBW Aggro Control, I have been playing it for quite some time and it has done quite well. Actually winning me a couple of duals and multiple top 8's. The deck is quite unique and can be a curveball if your opponent has never seen it before.


Creatures
Dark Confidant: Obviously the card advantage, if your opponent lets him stick around for even a turn or two you are already ahead of him because of the disruption.

Vampire Nighthawk: I know he seems wierd, but he is so good. Trades with anything and is a buffer for aggro. With two out you can usually race the aggro match up.

Sower of Temptation: If timed correctly, this can completely change the board position in your favor. Usually because your opponent has exhausted his or her hand by the time you drop it. A complete tempo swing.

Tombstalker: With how quickly you can fill your trash you can drop this finisher turn 3 or 4. As soon as he hits he must be dealt with or he will finish the game.

All of the dudes listed are flyers with the exception of Bob. He usually does some blocking anyway to spare you a turn. The evasion of flying is incredible, you fly over anything and can block anything. Each has proven itself worthy of being in the deck.

Spells
Stifle: This card is just ridiculous in how many uses it has. Early game you can mess with your opponents land base and has sick synergy with Vindicate and Wasteland against anything running duals and fetches, which is most of the meta here.

Sword to Plowshares: One of the best removal spells in the game, one mana, see ya later.

Vindicate: Again utility is key, blows up anything that is a problem. Even Counterbalance since 3 drops are difficult to hit.

Force of Will and Daze: Both are extremely solid counters, Daze mainly in the early game and Force is just always good.

Counterbalance and Sensei's Divining Top: An abosolutely broken combo. The top alone gives you consistency and prevents you from hitting yourself too hard from Bob.

Sideboard
Extirpate: Bring it in for ANT, Dredge, 43 and Aggro Loam. In the Combo matches you bring out vindicate since it is basically a dead card. For 43 and Aggro Loam, Stifle comes out because it is just not worth the slot.

Submerge: Comes in for anything green because again if timed well can either give you the game or shift the board position. Also has some handy tricks with or against counterbalance.

Perish: Again comes in with anything green and is your only hate for a Progen on the board. Usually I take out the Vindicates for it because the board wipe is much better than spot removal by this time in the game.

Engineered Explosives: Comes in for the aggro match ups since most of their key cards revolve around a specific mana cost. And can help in the combo match up by blowing it for zero against dregde and belcher.

Threads of Disloyalty: Comes in against anything running a lot of creature hate because Sower will not last long and it is a little more difficult for them to get rid of an enchantment.

Any Thoughts or Suggestions? The one problem I do have on occasion is with the land base, it does like to screw you over every once in a while.

A deck I designed and wish to be critique, feel free to post your own versions of the list with changes you think should be made(Make sure you play test them before posting please). Other than that any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated, also sideboard suggestions, based on the current meda, not future stuff or things nobody uses. Thanks again.


So Card Explanations...
Harmonize vs. Graveborn Muse - As good as Graveborn I am already running a lot of pain, and that would just turn this into a deck that would kill itself more than take a win. Along with the fact, Harmonize gives you three cards right away, Graveborn you would have to wait three turns, take three pain and its killable and usually a target right away.

Most people I know have been saying that Tarmogoyf is bad now in T2, due to the kill that can get rid of him, so he is no longer ridonculous. But when you can first turn toss a sorcery plus card type X into the graveyard via Thoughtseize, Second turn nameless inversion a creature, third turn drop a goyf, HE'S HUGE!!!!

The hand control helps a lot, but isn't essencial. It's just enough to get rid of your threats and slow your opponent down, while you beat them in the face.

The Harbinger is amazing and I would say good for accelerating. If you have your colors in hand then search for doran, drop him turn three and start swinging with a 5/5 and a 3/3. What is so bad about that?

Profane Command plus Storage Lands, Ridiculous! Late game make them lose X life, after you spent turns just adding storage counters, that is a lot of loss of life.

No Planeswalkers? They are all double cost and most would end up slowing you down too much, Along with the fact that they would take away more creatures or more control cards. Just not a slot worth taking in this style of a deck.

Any suggestions?

I really want to make a black/red deck, I would like to experiment around with it. I already have my states deck so this would just be for fun, I would want to run these for sure:
Thoughtseize
Liliana Vess
Chandra Nalaar
Magus of the Scroll
Spinerock Knoll

Any lists or ideas you guys come up with I will highly consider, any help in what to run would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't had that much trouble with aggro decks, and ajani pwns aggro due to the life gain and the avatar that they can't deal with. After playing with the hoofprints i dont think I am going to adjust that because they have just been too amazing. The land base hasn't been a problem for me and when i ran countermesa 22 land was plenty. the first turn ponder is too rediculous and it always lets you know what your next three turns are going to be like. Think twice is amazing late game and this deck can go late game no problem. I am not a fan personally of the painlands so that is why I only run two, and the snow duals as cool as they are, always come into play tapped and that is just to tough to deal with in those certain situations. Also here is an updated list not many changes but still some:


What changed? The commands went into the sideboard, and bumped up the ponders and think twices to 4 ofs. The land was tweaked to be more blue heavy which that is what the ratio shows, threw in a factory for it is amazing. Rule of law was taken out and threw in vanish's and the commands, bumping needle count down to three.

Counterstag

My version of many out there and just wanted to get specific critique versus talking about some other guys deck. Here is the list, I will explain after I show:


Alright so before you tear this thing apart here is my reasoning behind many cards arguable in the list.

Hoofprints(I know that would be first) - Pumps out bigger tokens and you want your games to go late, that is where you are at your best. The tokens survive the clasm and an evoked cloudthesher in response to your triggered mesa. Both will be sideboarded in a lot of decks due to their ability to hose faeries.

The Planeswalkers - Jace gives you more draw, yeah he gives your opponent draw as well. Yours are usually way better, and his final ability makes other control decks cry. Ajani helps in slowing down aggros clock, gaining you life and stalling the game till you can hit that sweep effect.

Austere Command - It obliterates the field of anything when you need it, its all about utility. That same thing goes for Cryptic Command, but we all knew that it is amazing.

Sideboard
Flashfreeze - Obvious for aggro

Porphyry Nodes - Anti creature

Pithing Needle - Mesa, Other planeswalkers, man lands, etc.

Rule of Law - Still questionable, anybody have anything better to take up the slot?

Well here is a list I am running and in my tests it has done amazing



With Merrow Reejerey Being able to untap your own land with multiples out you can power out your merfolk real quick. Island walk is cool, but the amount of beats and pump, its not needed.