UW aggrocontrol

[Lightstorm]

New deck list below

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I went 7-2 in Finlands Highlander Nationals with this deck and won second place.

Some changes I made after tournament:

+Kjeldoran Outpost (don`t take it too seriously)
+Mana Drain
+Cursecatcher
+Tithe
+Relic of Progenitus
+Sword of Light and Shadow
+also changed one Plains to Island.

-Chrome Mox (thinkind should I put Mox Diamond in)
-Burreton Forge Tender (was very helpful in couple games, but I like Cursecatcher more)
-Cursed Scroll
-Stonecloaker (Nice gravehate with flash, also protects own creatures, but it slows down the speed a bit and can`t really play it if there are no creatures on the table)
-World Queller (I like this card very, but it didn`t fit enought well to this)
-Ajani Goldmane

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Lands: 34 + Tithe + Land Tax

11 Plains
Flagstones of Trokair
Windbrisk Heights
Kjeldoran Outpost - just for fun testing
7 Island
Faerie Conclave
Tundra
Mystic Gate
Hallowed Fountain
Adarkar Wastes
Arid Mesa
Scalding Tarn
Flooded Strand
Misty Rainforest
Polluted Delta
Windswept heath
Wasteland
Rishadan Port


Creatures: 34

Cursecatcher
Savannah Lions
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Mother of Runes
Ramosian Sargeant

Knight of the White Orchid
Serra Avenger
Whipcorder
Soltari Monk
Soltari Priest
Kor Aeronaut
Kor Skyfisher
Jötun Grunt
Soltari Trooper
Amrou Scout
Looter il-Kor
Spiketail Hatchling
Azorius Guildmage

Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Vendilion Clique
Serendib Efreet
Trinket Mage
Wake Trasher
Man-o`-War
Stonecloaker
Aven Riftwatcher
Aven Mindcensor
Kitchen Finks

Ranger of Eos
Emeria Angel
Glen Elendra Archmage
Venser, Shaper Savant
Sower of Temptation
Exalted Angel


Counterspells: 10 + Cursecather, Spiketail Hatchling Glen Elendra Archmage, Venser Shaper Savant
Mana Tithe
Force Spike
Spell Pierce
Daze
Mana Leak
Miscalculation
Remand
Memory Lapse
Mana Drain
Force of Will

Artifacts: 8
Pithing Needle
Sensei`s Diving Top
Relic of Progenitus
Aether Vial
Winter Orb
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of Fire and Ice
Tangle Wire

Removal: 7
Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile
Harm`s Way
Oblivion Ring
Back to Basics
Parallax Wave
Armageddon

Rest: 8
Brainstorm
Tithe
Land Tax
Spectral Procession
Gifts Ungiven
Fact or Fiction
Jace Beleren
Elspeth, Knight-Errant

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Going to test these also:
-Grafted Wargear (It`s vulnerable but it hurts on flyer)
-Worship (If aggro decks seem to be to hard)
-Cloudgoat Ranger
-Reveillark (could try to add combo too since Body Double can do things aswell)
-Ponder
-Ancestral Vision
-Opposition (should add some more creatures)

[Thibir]

Windbrisk Heights - amazing card, comes into play tapped is worth of it.

I don´t agree on this one. I´ve tested it in my WW and I was quite dissatisfied. IMO it is kind of win-more card. First problem is its activation. You have just one Spectral Procession, which means you have actually spend 3 cards to play 3 creatures, then you have to keep them alive long enough to attack. And the second problem is, what you got from Heights. Lets take a look on your decklist. It is definitely cool, to find Armageddon or Gifts in top 4 cards of you library. But what are the odds? You got 34 lands + mox and 37 creatures, that makes like 70 % cards you are not too happy to see under Heights (+ situational cards like countermagic and removal). When you activate Heights against aggro, that could mean only 2 things you are either dominating the table anyway, so one more creature doesn´t matter. Or you are making a desperate sacrifice of your 2/2 knights, in order to activate Heights, so you´d better pull some bomb like Exalted or Baneslayer Angel from under there. If you activate Heights against control, and you just find a creature, it still quite irrelevant. With 3 active creatures you were going to win in next 1-2 turns anyway or you just got Damnation/Wrath/Fallout, which don´t care about number of killed creatures. Of course it could win you a game. But I got frustrated with it winning lets say one of four games I drew it in comparison with other 3 games in which it did nothing, just messed my tempo.

[Lightstorm]

I understand your point clearly there. It has it`s bad sides of course, but it`s main idea to me is get more card advantage, and if it`s ever going to be activated, it might cause nice things, or not. It`s like 50/50. In late games I rather draw it than basic land. And it`s still just a one land so you can always discard it in first mulligan if it doesn`t help you.

But any comments about the deck?

[Zephyr]

I´m missing second Sword. And what about Ponder? Imao better than brainstorm. And last question - Why you don´t play Baneslayer Angel?

[Mythrandir]

I´m missing second Sword. And what about Ponder? Imao better than brainstorm. And last question - Why you don´t play Baneslayer Angel?

Ponder better than brainstorm? That's very relative. Instant speed is great!

[Zephyr]

But in deck which doesn´t care about instant speed, ponder is just better variant. And, if you are in topdeck mode, you definitely would draw ponder rather than Brainstorm. But I can see that this deck is running both ponder and brainstorm

[Mythrandir]

But in deck which doesn´t care about instant speed, ponder is just better variant.

well, you could fool me with the name of the deck ---> "counter rebel" <--- perhaps keeping mana open in this deck, could be a good thing, no?

[Zephyr]

This deck play 9 counterspells, and 2 of them have alternative cost. AND, only 3 of them have mana cost 2

[Lightstorm]

Thanks for your comments, I edited this deck quite much before our National tournament. So deck wasn`t actually counter rebel at all But I`ll post new list a bit later today or tomorrow - I really want to hear your comments about it.

I don`t own Baneslayer or other Sword, that`s the reason. Ponder would be good aswell.

[Lightstorm]

Edited deck list. Lots of changes to Counter Rebel.

[Anime1]

I would probely add rune snag and negate.

[Loessli]

In this deck, you really want to play cheap instant carddrawers rather than expensive sorceries. Try Opt, Impulse, Telling Time. Standstill also works very well with aggro, because you will most likely be the one playing the first creature, meaning that your opponent has no choice but to break the Standstill.

[Nastaboi]

In this deck, you really want to play cheap instant carddrawers rather than expensive sorceries. Try Opt, Impulse, Telling Time.

Wrong. This deck wants to spend early turns playing creatures and countering a spell here or there. Because every card in the deck is just a stupid creature, if you have to play Opt or Impulse to find one, you have effectively used 3 or 4 mana to play a 2/2 dork. In that case, you'd prefer just another creature in that slot. When you have unloaded your hand, you either win by couple of turns or then your opponent founds an answer to your first assault. Then he starts playing creatures that are better than yours, so you need real card advantage here to keep up. Brainstorm and Ancestral Visions are different, because they draw three cards and not just one. Divining Top is great, too. Standstill draws three cards for your opponent.

[Lightstorm]

I`ve updated deck quite much. I won HL tournament (5-0) last week with this.

2-0, Storm combo. Was really close to lose second game, gladly I decided play enought creatures to cause lethal damages, otherwise I would lost turn later.
2-1, so not`s UW fish. Lost first game to Sword equipped Islandwalker. Won second game with aggression. Third was really even, although Azorious guildmage caused lots of harm to opponent, finally won game with Harm`s Way (Opponent was at 2 life points).
2-1, Mono red, this deck wasn`t actually really good (Lava Axe surprised me , in first game mulliganed to 5. Two last ones were pretty fast for me.
2-0, GWR aggro. Not much to say, won first with Mother of Runes and Sword of Fire and Ice. Second with Back to basics.
2-0, UW control. First game was tought, in second opponent had mana screw and my Rishadan Port didn`t help any.

Lands: 35
Polluted Delta
Scalding Tarn
Windswept Heath
Arid Mesa
Flooded Strand
Misty Rainforest
8 Island
10 Plains
Tundra
Hallowed Fountain
Adarkar Wastes
Glacial Fortress
Mystic Gate
Flagstones of Trokair
Faerie Conclave
Rishadan Port
Mutavault
Mishra`s Factory
Wasteland

Creatures: 35
Figure of Destiny
Student of Warfare
Mother of Runes
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Savannah Lions
Elite Vanguard

Knight of the White Orchid
Soltari Trooper
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Azorious First-Wing
Stoneforge Mystic
Azorious Guildmage
Sejiri Merfolk
Serra Avenger
Looter il-Kor
Kor Skyfisher
Jötun Grunt

Aven Riftwatcher
Augury Adept
Thada Adel, Acquisitor
Azorious Herald
Transcedent Master (Was just testing this)
Aven Mindcencor
Serendib Efreet
Kor Sanctifiers
Kitchen Finks
Vendilion Clique
Wake Trasher
Stilmoon Cavalier

Ranger of Eos
Venser, Shaper Savant
Glen Elendra Archmage
Sower of Temptation

Exalted Angel
Stonehewer Giant


Counterspells: 12
Force of Will
Daze
Mana Tithe
Mana Drain
Counterspell
Hindering Light
Unified Will
Miscalculation
Remand
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Cryptic Command

Artifacts: 6
Aether Vial
Black Vise
Winter Orb
Sword of Light and Shadow
Sword of Fire and Ice
Vedalken Shackles
Tangle Wire (decided to play this over Shackels, sure I could play both)

Others: 11
Tithe
Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile
Harm`s Way

Oblivion Ring
Back to Basics

Armageddon
Elspeth, Kinght-Errant
Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Treachery
Bribery

[Payron]

I realy like your deck!

I tested a while ago also some UW aggro control stuff, but never worked out to well, just some personal opinions here:

1. am I wrong or do you just play 99 cards?!

2. Baneslayer > Exalted Angel > Stonehewer Giant

3. Counters: - If you play Mana Tithe why no Force Spike also?
             - How was Unified Will for you .. got the feeling its only a good counter if you are over extending. Whats about Deprive? maybe some nice synergies with Winter orb and geddon?

4. I guess Ravages of war is just not in because its WAY to expensive

5. Don t know if Shakles is >> Trechary.
maybe you could try to add shakles and even Control Magic

6. What do you think about Mox Diamond and Chrome Mox?? Synergies with speed b2b (for nonbasics), Winterorb and Geddon

7. Gush and Sea Drake could also be pretty nice combo with geddons and winter orb

How did work Transcedent Master and Thada Adel, Acquisitor for you.

Thx already for the feedback