[Standard] Grixis Control

[bulgymilk]

Grixis Control

NICOL BOLAS, GOD-PHARAOH!!!!!!!

This is my take on Grixis control. Questions/comments/criticisms/feedback of any kind is most welcome!

[Soren841]

Lots of one ofs.. and they aren't even super expensive. Why is Unlicensed Disintegration a one of when it's only 3 mana?

[lysdexicnick]

too slow. https://deckstats.net/decks/89907/772264-rg-standard would kill beat it by turn 4-5

[bulgymilk]

The amount of one-ofs exists to give Supreme Will better chance at finding a specific answer at a specific time. Also Unlicensed Disintegration can get a little clunky on the mana, not always having black available in the early turns, and 3 mana is a lot for a removal spell. Harnessed Lightning/Abrade/Magma Spray all handle early game critters pretty well, Hour of Devastation can mass remove if needed, so the single Disintegration is mainly for stuff that doesn't die to those things, which not many threats in standard do (At least not commonly played yet)

If there is a shift in creature bases where things don't die to the red removal as often, then I would consider adding in more Unlicensed Disintegration.

The other reason to have a bunch of one-ofs even if they aren't expensive is because the deck tends to play long games, and you will see most of your cards in those games. The mainboard Negate rounds out my counterspell suite so that I can interact with the mirror (or other creature light decks) in game 1 more effectively. The Doomfall has been impressing me lately, good against both midrange and control decks, and I may want more than 1 in the maindeck, but testing as a 1/1 split between main and side for now. The Hieroglyphic Illumination is basically just Glimmer of Genius number 5, with the bonus of getting to cycle it early to hit land drops if need be.

As far as the other one ofs (The Scarab God, Torrential Gearhulk, Dark Intimations, Pull from Tomorrow) These are obviously the top end of the deck, so don't want to have too many of them to avoid clunky opening hands.

Wow that was a lot more wordy than I thought it was gonna be. Thanks for the question!

[Soren841]

You should rely on having less one ofs for better consistency so you get all your answers already and don't even need Supreme Will, which frees up 4 more cards

[Soren841]

@lysdexicnick it's control it's supposed to be slow. It stops aggro decks with cards like Magma Spray and Unlicensed Disintegration

[bulgymilk]

Actually Supreme Will is one of my favourite new additions to the deck, it would take a lot of convincing to get me to remove it. The ability to smooth between turn 2 disruption (removal/counter) and turn 4 Glimmer of Genius is what these control decks have been lacking. The ability to hold up Supreme Will for their 3/4 drop and then if they don't play into it you get to Impulse is amazing. The fact that I now get to play one-ofs without sacrificing consistency (due to Supreme Will's card selection) makes it even better!

As far as the deck being too slow to deal with the R/G list posted, I really doubt it. There are no real one-drops in that deck, and very few two-drops (not even very threatening ones at that), so the pressure will only start on turn 3+, in which case I will have Essence Scatter/Supreme Will to delay creatures, or Harnessed Lightning/Abrade/Magma Spray, and if by turn 4 or 5 you have too many creatures on the board, a simple Hour of Devastation kills everything in the deck (except Verdurous Gearhulk if you put the counters on him, but then there's Abrade) if anything, I think that R/G deck is too slow to beat my Grixis control

[Soren841]

It'd be a fun matchup for my deck Deck: Current Deck

[lysdexicnick]

Actually Supreme Will is one of my favourite new additions to the deck, it would take a lot of convincing to get me to remove it. The ability to smooth between turn 2 disruption (removal/counter) and turn 4 Glimmer of Genius is what these control decks have been lacking. The ability to hold up Supreme Will for their 3/4 drop and then if they don't play into it you get to Impulse is amazing. The fact that I now get to play one-ofs without sacrificing consistency (due to Supreme Will's card selection) makes it even better!

As far as the deck being too slow to deal with the R/G list posted, I really doubt it. There are no real one-drops in that deck, and very few two-drops (not even very threatening ones at that), so the pressure will only start on turn 3+, in which case I will have Essence Scatter/Supreme Will to delay creatures, or Harnessed Lightning/Abrade/Magma Spray, and if by turn 4 or 5 you have too many creatures on the board, a simple Hour of Devastation kills everything in the deck (except Verdurous Gearhulk if you put the counters on him, but then there's Abrade) if anything, I think that R/G deck is too slow to beat my Grixis control

let's duel it out then if you lose I will send you to the shadow realm.

[bulgymilk]

Hahahahaha, I would but I only have paper magic. Unless you live in Toronto

Although from my experience playing the deck, if my opponent doesn't do much in the first 3 turns I'm usually feeling pretty confident (assuming I'm making land drops of course )

[lysdexicnick]

I'll come to Toronto to play some MTG! It's a good excuse to travel and see the sights haha. Got any poutine up there?! xD

[bulgymilk]

Tons of it Though of course it's not as good as in Québec

[lysdexicnick]

If the day comes that I'm in Toronto, i'll message you and we shall play. Or if you're in the Washington D.C. area, holla.

[lysdexicnick]

Also, I have a setup where my friends and I can play with our paper cards virtually basically by using webcams. It's pretty dope!

[bulgymilk]

That sounds pretty awesome, unfortunately I live in the stone age and do not own a webcam

Anyway, for some more relevant discussion to the deck, I am considering removing either the Dark Intimations or 1 of the Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh to bring The Locust God to the maindeck. Not sure, but I will probably test over the weekend. In the one game I cast it, The Locust God felt extremely powerful, easily single-handedly turning what would have been a loss into a win. It's just another finisher option, so who knows, it might just even be better as a second Torrential Gearhulk...