[Standard] Embodiment of Insight/Halimar Tidecaller landfall control

[drrizzy]

Dear MTG friends,
I am a "noob" at MTG (I have only been playing since "Battle for Zendikar").  I love deck building, but am very new to building control decks, as the decks that I have built are mid-range/aggro decks.  I have a few questions about this starting build.

•   Control decks need to draw lots of cards.  Besides Jace, there are not many "draw" cards in this deck that can work before turn four.  Should I add another Jace.  My instincts say yes, my wallet pleads no.
•   Halimar Tidecallers are very crucial to this deck.  Should there be more/less.
•   Embodiments of Insight and Fury are very crucial too.  Is 2 a good number?
•   Should I use Embodiments of Insight or Embodiments of Fury?  I lean towards Embodiments of Insight because my opponent cannot burn it as easily.
•   What should I do to replace the Wooded Foothills and Cancel spells from Khans of Tarkir?

If you have any insights or feedback, let me know.
Sincerely,
Steve

Embodiment of Insight/Halimar Tidecaller landfall control

The strategy of this deck is to control the board and then add Halimar Tidecaller, and Embodiment of Insight to catch people off guard when they do not have flying creatures.  The hydra is there to play a control game in case they do have flying creatures.

[jaceperry]

Ok, I will tell you something you need to know you need at the most 26 lands this is even with Landfall and awaken. you won't draw into your spells quick enough. Try putting slip through space in this deck it is a 1 drop that allows you to make a creature unblockable and you draw a card.

[mastertransmuter]

^^I agree with the above comment.  Also, you may want to consider using Scatter to the Winds for counter-removal; If you can return one to your hand with the Tidecaller, that would be even better.  Also, Kiora, Master of the Depths may help with some card advantage/anticipating with her second ability. 

[drrizzy]

Dear mastertransmuter and jaceperry,
Thank you very much for your help with my deck.

I have a few new questions regarding the revised deck.

• I decided to try the spell Containment Membrane.  Do you guys have any experience with it?
• Your suggestions to have fewer lands is certainly good jaceperry.  I put 26 in originally because I read the following column: http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/lo/control-decks-2014-10-06  but you are right that 26 may be too high.  Is 25 too high, or does the fact that this is landfall as well as control make 25 viable?

Thank you for your help on my deck.  I will be upvoting your comment (mastertransmuter) tomorrow (or in 1/2 hour if I'm still on).

Steve

The revised deck is below:

2 Halimar Tidecaller
2 Embodiment of Insight
3 Lumbering Falls
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Horribly Awry
3 Wastes
6 Island
4 Evolving Wilds
3 Forest
2 Mountain
2 Prophet of Distortion
1 Oran-Rief Hydra
3 Cinder Glade
2 Mina and Denn, Wildborn
1 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
1 Jace, Telepath Unbound
2 Blinding Drone
3 Negate
3 Slip Through Space
1 Ruins of Oran-Rief
4 Containment Membrane
1 Unknown Shores
1 Holdout Settlement
4 Scatter to the Winds
1 Kiora, Master of the Depths

[jaceperry]

Containment field I have experience with with my red- blue surge though I still need to place it on here. It is only really good if you are able to play more than one spell in a turn. Oh and to answer your question about lands I personally only run 20 lands in any deck that doesn't use landfall. Landfall with me earned 24 lands to be able to at most get 22 triggers at least on a single creature as long as its not dead. But that is me. I don't like getting mana flooded or mana screwed either. It is truly up to you based on lands. But based on your highest drop that of 6 you would need 25 lands to be consistent.