I'd like to try the deck, but 4 cards are missing. What are they?
I'm not quite sure what you want the deck to do; how do you typically win games, and how do you envision winning the game against blue control decks? There's a well-established angel deck based around Collected Company and Kayla's Reconstruction, and from my limited understanding it wins that match by playing around counters/wraths when possible and forcing through haymakers until one sticks. Yours seems closer to the equally established BR midrange deck that wants to put one standalone threat in play at a time and poke away with backup from something like Mutavault or Thoughtseize while blood tokens and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker filter out duds. In each case, the "beatdown" deck wins if it can successfully dictate the pace of the game, either by going too fast or by forcing the control deck to waste turns.
I hope you're having fun with your return to Magic.
I played against some top decks (BR, White Humans, Creativity) and found that on the play I was at least one turn too slow every time. I also played against some casual decks (mostly not Pioneer) and while speed was less of an issue and I could win, gameplay was almost single-minded: they need to dodge Test of Talents and attack. Other notes: Omen of the Dead is the only black card, yet I never had trouble finding a win condition between the 7 and draw spells. Black needs a better reason to be in the deck, like Demonic Bargain and Fatal Push.
Test of Talents is very specific hate. It can auto-win in the right matchup, but everywhere else it's useless, and it's the only interaction outside of blockers. I kept wishing I could Spell Pierce that Thoughtseize, or Make Disappear that Fable of the Mirror-Breaker.
I wanted Drowned Secrets or a protected Jace, Wielder of Mysteries every game. I don't know how to win otherwise, and I threw away a lot of hands with friendly mulligans.
Why no delve spells? Treasure Cruise is at its peak here.
My takeaway is that the deck needs to do at least one of three things: speed up, set up > interact, or interact > finish. I dropped the second color, Test, and some weaker cards for more of what I already had, Make Disappear, and Impulse to pull it all together, and I at least won some games. Ledger Shredder, Thing in the Ice, Fading Hope, and non-blue interaction are things I haven't tried yet. I think Demonic Bargain + interaction is the route to go from a fun perspective.
Sygg is your only unhelpful card, and Seas, Mistcaller, and 4th Dismember are all fine but cuttable. I don't play much anymore, but Phantasmal Image is supposedly good against Archon of Cruelty and Grief decks, and it still isn't needed, so while I doubt Mistcaller, it can also be swapped with Biomancer while Image trades places with Sygg and 1 Seas. Biomancer is alright, but it's not the end of the world to get stuck with a dud in hand. The deck makes up for that by having a ton of utility lands. Basically, your deck is cool as is.
EDIT: You've got your core (as I see it: Vial, Tide Shaper, 12 lords, Trickster, Svyelun), which is great, and then you've got "edges," like your Seas that give you an edge versus Urza's Saga, or all the different ways you can stop Ragavan. Biomancer is viable as an edge card, but they all come with a price. I believe the reason you see a lot of variation in lists, with 2 of this, 0 of that, is because the field is wide open and people are picking edges pretty much based on preference.
I benefited from soft competition and great draws, but it highlighted the power of prototype, especially Metamorph. Notes:
I mostly used Touch the Spirit Realm as removal because I often needed only 0-1 blink to get a temporary advantage, which forced bad plays to create a permanent advantage.
Being able to shift between control and beatdown with most any draw was key, but that's the style of play I'm most comfortable with.
Professor preemptively got Reduce to Memory against synergies, and usually Inkling Summoning otherwise. Allowing Metamorph to get its own source of evasion let 7/7 Metamorph close quickly or skip flying and copy utility. I also felt safer playing fewer tap lands with Environmental Sciences available (The fetches can become duals without Fleeting Spirit).
Whirler Rogue and Bridge/Inkling/Metamorph beat removal. Copy Reflector/Professor (for a second Reduce to Memory), then blink to a 7/7 Portable Hole killed synergies.
Control decks turn anti-aggro cards into liabilities, so they need extra consideration when playing something like Dawnbringer Cleric or Reflector Mage.
A lot of opponents played removal around Spell Pierce instead of Essence Flux, so I kept up blue when possible, preferring Cloudshift while they were tapped out. Those blowouts are bound to happen since no one knows what's in Historic.
Professor, Reflector, and the prototypes were all stand-outs, followed by Whirler Rogue as a go-big or go-wide finisher.
Professor's broad, inefficient effect combined well with narrow, efficient cards (Hole/Reflector/Cloudshift). Along with blink and Metamorph, the deck could get a lot of what it needed most.
Portable Hole and Overseer were the weakest, but I was light on early plays and Hole's narrowness was balanced by Overseer's universal card advantage. Overseer is most replaceable, the only card that's not powerful even when it works as intended.
I think an optimal list uses Soulherder, possibly dropping Hole, Overseer, 1-2 land, and 1-2 blink spells for Spirited Companion, while swapping Expanded Anatomy for another Environmental Sciences in the side.
I found the deck fun and tricky, and was impressed by the power and multi-functionality of the prototypes. What did you think of them? Also, did Monoskelion help you get ahead, or only keep up?
My very first match was against lifegain with the Presence of Gond + Famished Paladin + Lunarch Veteran combo, and blinking Dawnbringer Cleric saved me. I've seen a good target for it in many games, but I've also drawn 3 with nothing for them to do. Fleeting Spirit has been the iffy card for me so far as Metamorph worked without it, but I haven't played much. I'm considering Portable Hole/Glass Casket because they're also cool Metamorph targets. I don't know if removal + copy is enough to shut down lifegain or if they need to be outclassed/ignored with bigger stuff like Momentary Blink + Mulldrifter, cheesed with Tempest Caller, or whatever. Activating Monoskelion every turn with arena's enhanced Dueling Coach sounds suspect. I'm playing your posted list, but with Essence Flux, Cloudshift, and the Reflector Mage change, and a different land mix (6 tap lands, 9 Plains, 10 Island). Reflector Mage has been great. Copying it, then blinking cleans so much off the board.
Soulherder's fragility can be mitigated in a lot of cases. 2 + 3 + Soulherder + Cloudshift lets you get an immediate blink if they tap out, or play the 3 and set up for next turn. At that point, it's usually an auto-win if they try to remove it with a single spell, but an auto-loss if they're playing something that can ignore it, like Merfolk. I don't like the games it creates, so I avoid it, but it's strong. The danger of targeting your creatures
Thanks for posting these lists. You've given me an appreciation for clones, and that Chariot deck is one of my all-time favorites.
We have two free Commander nights which require no support. There's enough demand for tournaments, but any realistic time is booked by a better draw. The same is true for Standard.
If you want to go Historic, it's all about Soulherder. 1's and 2's, even the non-synergistic Thraben Inspector, get stronger with it. Historic also has Cloudshift. For Explorer, I would start with these changes:
-4 Justiciar's Portal
+4 Essence Flux
Flux is cheaper.
-3 Cloudkin Seer
-1 Inspiring Overseer
+4 Reflector Mage
All the 3's do the same thing. Reflector Mage is obnoxious with Metamorph and works immediately.
-4 Dawnbringer Cleric
+4 Professor of Symbology
Professor is worse at stopping them, but better at pushing you. This is just my preference.
EDIT: For the event, might as well use Razortide Bridge in the lands as a copy target versus removal-heavy decks. I tried an Ingenious Smith build a few times, but found it wanted to animate, not blink.
I love mono blue control, but Force of Will and Brainstorm make it cost $800 or more. There are strong new commons and uncommons, and demand is even stronger. A set of Consider, Fading Hope, and Tolarian Terror costs $10, and even 4 Counterspell is almost $8. I wondered what could be built for less than the price of that iconic card. My rules were 60 cards, including Islands, near-mint only, from a reputable seller for less than $8 after tax and shipping.
I ended up at $6 for the maindeck (with a couple foils, even), leaving enough to build a decent toolbox for customization (Repeal, Negate, etc). The main challenges are dealing with soft (Mana Leak) or expensive (Sinister Sabotage) counterspells and setting up a defense against the many ways decks attack. Reviewing classic lists and tournament reports brought me back to basics: Counter their stuff and play something huge to stabilize the board or punish playing around Mana Leak. It's easy to make the most of your spells when they gain new life on offense. Ward keeps the counters alive. Interaction can be "thrown away" to accelerate finishers into play, or threats can be allowed to resolve only to be trumped by monsters.
As I play, I want lower mana costs and more generic/active spells. I cut Dismiss for Scattered Thoughts after opponents took advantage of me having no finisher by just not playing anything while they attacked for 3, for example. I built the deck with Flow of Knowledge and 26 Island in mind, and that's worth looking at with Mystic Sanctuary, but found that a cheap turbo-xerox strategy (cut lands for card selection like Opt) was possible and more consistent due to Thought Scour's use as pseudo-mana for the creatures. I tried Dragon Turtle and Silumgar's Scorn over Cryptic Serpent and Mana Leak, but it didn't immediately justify the extra cost. I'd like to revisit the idea. The store I chose didn't have Engulf the Shore in stock, which I would really like for my toolbox.
No clue if that interests anyone, but it's a fun exercise. I wonder how someone else would build at that price point? Many budget lists I see can't really be purchased at their suggested price. Card Kingdom's comparable battle decks ($11.99 before tax and shipping) go with bigger mana curves, more hard counters, and engines like Bonder's Ornament. Admirably, they want slow, long games, which works fine against other battle decks. I played against some battle decks and never lost, so this would need to be toned down for that environment.
Regarding mono blue control in general, I've been trying all sorts of things and cataloguing my thoughts, but by the time I'm ready to share, there's more to try. Narrowing the focus to $8, there's still so much to do. I'm sure everyone could make a better version for their group. Control benefits both from mastery and adaptation.
You're not missing anything, the flashback can't be used. Crackle with Power was available but one can only imagine why it wasn't chosen. It's mostly better, but not always, and worth a lot more money.
Not too sure why Urza's Blueprints was chosen... my only guesses is that so much from Urza block is on the Reserved List and that it's a throwback/connection to Urza, so some can keep on theme for an Urza themed Commander deck.
Anyone think either of those reasons are the reason why? If not, what other reason is there?
I remember Blueprints well because it was part of the "Radiant's Revenge" precon. It both rested in my hand forever and won over a million turns, but more than that it was the centerpiece of many ideas and configurations. Precons were a major source of deckbuilding dreams and essentials. Maybe that's a shared experience. I haven't looked at the full set, but I recognize Urza's Incubator, Thran Golem, and Body Snatcher as other precon rares, as well as a number of commons.
Reckless Impulse is better because you can cast it at your convenience. You plan a volley, then Impulse. With Rob, you need to cast it, then plan. Things can go wrong.
Rona's Vortex is the closest equivalent to Fading Hope. It's a downgrade, so maybe split it with Shore Up. I like Ancestral Anger, but you do need another use for those islands, and with Levitating Statue, you're geared to a longer game that Shore Up makes possible.
From playing a bunch, The Akroan War is a fine sweeper that won't kill your stuff. It's slow against a plain horde, but many decks rely on synergy. Consider what happens to an aggressor when you take their Mayhem Devil or Anax. Teach your opponent's creatures how to crew a chariot, spread the love!
The third Abrade is up for debate over the fourth Borrower. Generally, Abrade for Oven and sort of Greasefang, Strangle for Llanowar Elves, Borrower for Fires of Invention, Ooze for Greasefang, Pierce for Spirits, UW Control, and Collected Company, Fires of Victory for Company and sort of Greasefang, Lava Coil for Red and Company, Reckless Rage if you can get away with it. I have never pulled anything from the side, but it's there.
You only use the untap ability of Freed and the tap ability granted by Favor:
Enchant Servant of Tymaret with both Karametra's Favor and Freed from the Real.
Servant taps for blue mana. Use the blue mana to untap Servant with Freed. Servant triggers and you drain life.
You're back where you started with a Servant that can tap for blue. Now do that loop over and over until you win.
I'm not quite sure what you want the deck to do; how do you typically win games, and how do you envision winning the game against blue control decks? There's a well-established angel deck based around Collected Company and Kayla's Reconstruction, and from my limited understanding it wins that match by playing around counters/wraths when possible and forcing through haymakers until one sticks. Yours seems closer to the equally established BR midrange deck that wants to put one standalone threat in play at a time and poke away with backup from something like Mutavault or Thoughtseize while blood tokens and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker filter out duds. In each case, the "beatdown" deck wins if it can successfully dictate the pace of the game, either by going too fast or by forcing the control deck to waste turns.
I hope you're having fun with your return to Magic.
Omen of the Dead is the only black card, yet I never had trouble finding a win condition between the 7 and draw spells. Black needs a better reason to be in the deck, like Demonic Bargain and Fatal Push.
Test of Talents is very specific hate. It can auto-win in the right matchup, but everywhere else it's useless, and it's the only interaction outside of blockers. I kept wishing I could Spell Pierce that Thoughtseize, or Make Disappear that Fable of the Mirror-Breaker.
I wanted Drowned Secrets or a protected Jace, Wielder of Mysteries every game. I don't know how to win otherwise, and I threw away a lot of hands with friendly mulligans.
Why no delve spells? Treasure Cruise is at its peak here.
My takeaway is that the deck needs to do at least one of three things: speed up, set up > interact, or interact > finish. I dropped the second color, Test, and some weaker cards for more of what I already had, Make Disappear, and Impulse to pull it all together, and I at least won some games. Ledger Shredder, Thing in the Ice, Fading Hope, and non-blue interaction are things I haven't tried yet. I think Demonic Bargain + interaction is the route to go from a fun perspective.
EDIT: You've got your core (as I see it: Vial, Tide Shaper, 12 lords, Trickster, Svyelun), which is great, and then you've got "edges," like your Seas that give you an edge versus Urza's Saga, or all the different ways you can stop Ragavan. Biomancer is viable as an edge card, but they all come with a price. I believe the reason you see a lot of variation in lists, with 2 of this, 0 of that, is because the field is wide open and people are picking edges pretty much based on preference.
For anyone watching, the linked youtube video says nothing of note, so here's a classic Mike Long match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLa8GMQAMu4
9 Plains
10 Island
4 Razortide Bridge
2 Tranquil Cove
Creature (20)
4 Professor of Symbology
2 Inspiring Overseer
4 Reflector Mage
4 Combat Thresher
4 Hulking Metamorph
2 Whirler Rogue
3 Portable Hole
4 Cloudshift
4 Essence Flux
4 Touch the Spirit Realm
1 Environmental Sciences
2 Reduce to Memory
2 Inkling Summoning
1 Expanded Anatomy
1 Introduction to Prophecy
I mostly used Touch the Spirit Realm as removal because I often needed only 0-1 blink to get a temporary advantage, which forced bad plays to create a permanent advantage.
Being able to shift between control and beatdown with most any draw was key, but that's the style of play I'm most comfortable with.
Professor preemptively got Reduce to Memory against synergies, and usually Inkling Summoning otherwise. Allowing Metamorph to get its own source of evasion let 7/7 Metamorph close quickly or skip flying and copy utility. I also felt safer playing fewer tap lands with Environmental Sciences available (The fetches can become duals without Fleeting Spirit).
Whirler Rogue and Bridge/Inkling/Metamorph beat removal. Copy Reflector/Professor (for a second Reduce to Memory), then blink to a 7/7 Portable Hole killed synergies.
Control decks turn anti-aggro cards into liabilities, so they need extra consideration when playing something like Dawnbringer Cleric or Reflector Mage.
A lot of opponents played removal around Spell Pierce instead of Essence Flux, so I kept up blue when possible, preferring Cloudshift while they were tapped out. Those blowouts are bound to happen since no one knows what's in Historic.
Professor, Reflector, and the prototypes were all stand-outs, followed by Whirler Rogue as a go-big or go-wide finisher.
Professor's broad, inefficient effect combined well with narrow, efficient cards (Hole/Reflector/Cloudshift). Along with blink and Metamorph, the deck could get a lot of what it needed most.
Portable Hole and Overseer were the weakest, but I was light on early plays and Hole's narrowness was balanced by Overseer's universal card advantage. Overseer is most replaceable, the only card that's not powerful even when it works as intended.
I think an optimal list uses Soulherder, possibly dropping Hole, Overseer, 1-2 land, and 1-2 blink spells for Spirited Companion, while swapping Expanded Anatomy for another Environmental Sciences in the side.
I found the deck fun and tricky, and was impressed by the power and multi-functionality of the prototypes. What did you think of them? Also, did Monoskelion help you get ahead, or only keep up?
Sorry about the heavy edits.
Soulherder's fragility can be mitigated in a lot of cases. 2 + 3 + Soulherder + Cloudshift lets you get an immediate blink if they tap out, or play the 3 and set up for next turn. At that point, it's usually an auto-win if they try to remove it with a single spell, but an auto-loss if they're playing something that can ignore it, like Merfolk. I don't like the games it creates, so I avoid it, but it's strong. The danger of targeting your creatures
Thanks for posting these lists. You've given me an appreciation for clones, and that Chariot deck is one of my all-time favorites.
-4 Justiciar's Portal
+4 Essence Flux
Flux is cheaper.
-3 Cloudkin Seer
-1 Inspiring Overseer
+4 Reflector Mage
All the 3's do the same thing. Reflector Mage is obnoxious with Metamorph and works immediately.
-4 Dawnbringer Cleric
+4 Professor of Symbology
Professor is worse at stopping them, but better at pushing you. This is just my preference.
Keep Whirler Rogue and Cloudblazer in mind if you want to go bigger, and Spirited Companion to go smaller. I don't know if there are too many 3's or blink spells.
EDIT: For the event, might as well use Razortide Bridge in the lands as a copy target versus removal-heavy decks. I tried an Ingenious Smith build a few times, but found it wanted to animate, not blink.
4 Sailors' Bane
4 Opt
4 Thought Scour
4 Unsummon
2 Essence Scatter
4 Lose Focus
4 Mana Leak
4 Thirst for Discovery
4 Scattered Thoughts
I ended up at $6 for the maindeck (with a couple foils, even), leaving enough to build a decent toolbox for customization (Repeal, Negate, etc). The main challenges are dealing with soft (Mana Leak) or expensive (Sinister Sabotage) counterspells and setting up a defense against the many ways decks attack. Reviewing classic lists and tournament reports brought me back to basics: Counter their stuff and play something huge to stabilize the board or punish playing around Mana Leak. It's easy to make the most of your spells when they gain new life on offense. Ward keeps the counters alive. Interaction can be "thrown away" to accelerate finishers into play, or threats can be allowed to resolve only to be trumped by monsters.
As I play, I want lower mana costs and more generic/active spells. I cut Dismiss for Scattered Thoughts after opponents took advantage of me having no finisher by just not playing anything while they attacked for 3, for example. I built the deck with Flow of Knowledge and 26 Island in mind, and that's worth looking at with Mystic Sanctuary, but found that a cheap turbo-xerox strategy (cut lands for card selection like Opt) was possible and more consistent due to Thought Scour's use as pseudo-mana for the creatures. I tried Dragon Turtle and Silumgar's Scorn over Cryptic Serpent and Mana Leak, but it didn't immediately justify the extra cost. I'd like to revisit the idea. The store I chose didn't have Engulf the Shore in stock, which I would really like for my toolbox.
No clue if that interests anyone, but it's a fun exercise. I wonder how someone else would build at that price point? Many budget lists I see can't really be purchased at their suggested price. Card Kingdom's comparable battle decks ($11.99 before tax and shipping) go with bigger mana curves, more hard counters, and engines like Bonder's Ornament. Admirably, they want slow, long games, which works fine against other battle decks. I played against some battle decks and never lost, so this would need to be toned down for that environment.
Regarding mono blue control in general, I've been trying all sorts of things and cataloguing my thoughts, but by the time I'm ready to share, there's more to try. Narrowing the focus to $8, there's still so much to do. I'm sure everyone could make a better version for their group. Control benefits both from mastery and adaptation.
Outside of slivers, Bonecrusher Giant (target yourself), Outland Liberator/Frenzied Trapbreaker, Flickerwisp, and Blast Zone are all less than 50 cents and generally useful. If they're hosing you, there's no shame in Wash Out, Anarchy, Ray of Revelation, Necromentia, Back to Nature, Sanctum Prelate, Flaring Pain, Hullbreacher, a combo, etc. It depends on their deck, but it's usually the mana and card draw that leads to a win, not mill or Confinement itself. Cut off one of those and they fall apart.
Rona's Vortex is the closest equivalent to Fading Hope. It's a downgrade, so maybe split it with Shore Up. I like Ancestral Anger, but you do need another use for those islands, and with Levitating Statue, you're geared to a longer game that Shore Up makes possible.
For the sideboard, I like what you have, plus a few Strangle to overwhelm creature-heavy decks. I prioritize one mana and three damage because many play obnoxious cards like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Phyrexian Fleshgorger, or Skystrike Officer. If you have Ledger Shredder, play that instead.
From The Brothers' War, I'll be trying Rootwire Amalgam over a pair of Regisaur Alpha. I have high hopes even though it's only stats. I'd love to replace Scavenging Ooze if Greasefang ever dies out. Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim may be a midrange/control smasher. Obliterating Bolt is an upgraded Lava Coil.
EDIT: Jan 23. Current list is -1 Otawara, -1 Sokenzan, -2 Regisaur, -2 Mythos, -1 Ooze, -1 Abrade, +2 Rootwire Amalgam, +4 Ledger Shredder, +2 Spikefield Hazard. Shredders for staying alive and Hazards for killing Llanowar Elves.
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Bonecrusher Giant
3 Brazen Borrower
2 Regisaur Alpha
4 Terror of the Peaks
Other (16)
3 Spell Pierce
3 Abrade
4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
4 Esika's Chariot
2 Mythos of Illuna
Land (28)
4 Ketria Triome
2 Riverglide Pathway
4 Cragcrown Pathway
2 Barkchannel Pathway
3 Steam Vents
2 Stomping Ground
2 Breeding Pool
2 Stormcarved Coast
2 Rockfall Vale
1 Dreamroot Cascade
1 Otawara, Soaring City
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
1 Boseiju, Who Endures
1 Island
1 Weathered Runestone
1 Meteor Golem
1 Containment Breach
1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
1 Mascot Exhibition
1 Questing Beast
1 Embercleave
The third Abrade is up for debate over the fourth Borrower. Generally, Abrade for Oven and sort of Greasefang, Strangle for Llanowar Elves, Borrower for Fires of Invention, Ooze for Greasefang, Pierce for Spirits, UW Control, and Collected Company, Fires of Victory for Company and sort of Greasefang, Lava Coil for Red and Company, Reckless Rage if you can get away with it. I have never pulled anything from the side, but it's there.
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Scavenging Ooze
4 Bonecrusher Giant
4 Lovestruck Beast
4 Terror of the Peaks
Other (12)
4 Reckless Rage
4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker
4 Esika's Chariot
4 Cragcrown Pathway
4 Stomping Grounds
4 Karplusan Forest
2 Den of the Bugbear
3 Lair of the Hydra
1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance
1 Boseiju, Who Endures
3 Mountain
2 Forest
2 Shaper's Sanctuary
4 Abrade
3 Fry
2 Outland Liberator
4 The Akroan War
Enchant Servant of Tymaret with both Karametra's Favor and Freed from the Real.
Servant taps for blue mana. Use the blue mana to untap Servant with Freed. Servant triggers and you drain life.
You're back where you started with a Servant that can tap for blue. Now do that loop over and over until you win.