RUG Control

[Dreamer]

I've attempted to build a deck like this quite a few times, but never really succeeded at it. The lists always felt a bit off on paper. Here's my latest attempt:


//Creatures:
Birds of Paradise
Llanowar Elves

Sakura-Tribe Elder
Wall of Blossoms
Wall of Roots

Yavimaya Elder
Eternal Witness
Great Sable Stag
Magus of the Moon
Krosan Tusker
Mulldrifter
Ohran Viper
Trygon Predator

Glen Elendra Archmage
Venser, Shaper Savant
Mystic Snake
Swans of Bryn Argoll
Oracle of Mul Daya
Flametongue Kavu
Sower of Temptation

Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir

Sphinx of Jwar Isle

//Other permanents:
Sensei's Divining Top
Pithing Needle

Sylvan Library
Earthcraft

Blood Moon
Jace Beleren
Squirrel Nest

Garruk Wildspeaker
Nevinyrral's Disk

//Spells:
Lightning Bolt
Burst Lightning
Flame Slash
Skred
Search for Tomorrow
Worldly Tutor
Ancestral Vision
Ponder
Preordain
Spell Pierce

Merchant Scroll
Counterspell
Muddle the Mixture
Mana Leak
Negate
Remand
Regrowth
Into the North
Farseek
Rampant Growth
Chain of Plasma
Punishing Fire

Firespout
Cultivate
Kodama's Reach
Psionic Blast
Staggershock
Volcanic Fallout
Krosan Grip

Gifts Ungiven
Fact or Fiction
Mystical Teachings
Ruination
Control Magic

Force of Will
Treachery
Future Sight
Wildfire

Conflagrate

//Lands:
9x Snow-Covered Forest
9x Snow-Covered Island
6x Snow-Covered Mountain

Scalding Tarn
Evolving Wilds
Terramorphic Expanse

Stomping Ground
Breeding Pool
Steam Vents

Mouth of Ronom
Scrying Sheets
Highland Weald
Grove of the Burnwillows

Treetop Village
Raging Ravine


//Notes/questions:
All my other fetches are in another deck.
Lotus Cobra is in another deck as well. Move the bugger here?
Is Krosan Tusker even sensible in your opinion? Would Sea Gate Oracle or the like work better?
Too much "cute" stuff with squirrelcraft, punishing fire, swans, snow? If so, what to cut?

[obojetnik]

Since you're playing a bunch of ramp spells - have you considered running Scapeshift? I would cut Wildfire since it doesn't work with 7+lands Scapeshift plan. Might be necessary to increase Mountain count since you're playing just three duals. Anyway nice deck - I suppose its made from some of your remaining cards, which makes it almost a budget deck and I am always interested in those :]

[Tabris]

just a remark, If you want to go with scapeshift I would suggest to add 10 mountains (all Rx duals included) in total to the deck.
I run pretty good with this amount of lands.

[God_of_War]

Changes I recommend:
Krosan Tusker-just bad
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir-how can you support UUU without Duals+the full Fetchland package?
Earthcraft+Squirrel Nest-you have one tutor (Muddle the Mixture) for Earthcraft, way 2 random; Gifts for Earthcraft+Squirrel+Regrowth+Witness is very slow (maybe Im missing a "good" Gifts pile)
Skred-just bad, nothing more 2 say
Chain Lightning>>Burst Lightning imo, you can play both however
Muddle the Mixture-there are better counters available, and how do you support UU with your mana base (same goes for Counterspell)?
If you play Counterspell, where's his big friend Mana Drain? (Ok, I guess you dont have 1; however Drain would be really good....)
Punishing Fire-ok it works nice with Grove of the Burnwillows, again this is very random, wouldnt play it
If Psionic Blast is good enough, why doesnt make Char the cut?
Mystical Teachings-4 mana is way 2 much and you cant even Flashback it
Future Sight-again how are you gonna support UUU turn 5?
Wildfire-cut it, doesnt seem good enough
Noble Hierarch>>Llanowar Elves, however maybe you want both, not sure
Why dont you play the good ramp spells, Three visits and Nature's Lore?
And where is Big Jace? There's no way you cant play him. (except budget reasons ofc....)
Bribery-good enough? Might be worth playin it.

[Tiggupiru]

All my other fetches are in another deck.

They would do really good here. I would add the duals also.

Lotus Cobra is in another deck as well. Move the bugger here?

Without the fetches it's still decent accelerant.

Is Krosan Tusker even sensible in your opinion? Would Sea Gate Oracle or the like work better?

It's sensible, but I don't think it's good enough. Needs to have little more synergy, but as far the card itself go, it's IMO playable. Sea Gate Oracle is better, though.

Too much "cute" stuff with squirrelcraft, punishing fire, swans, snow? If so, what to cut?

Yes. Squirrels need more tutors amd punishing fire is just very underwhelming combo even if you can get it assembled. Two damage for three mana and opponent gains a life is like a worse Cursed Scroll. I'd probably keep Swans, but I have no experience with it. The combo is pretty good and you have synergy with the damage absorbing flyer. As for the snow theme goes, I would keep everything other than Scrying Sheets. It's not a very powerful effect even if you would hit it 50% of the time and the odds aren't even that high. Mouth of Ronom and Highland Weald are good though.

Scapeshift seems decent and you don't need to butcher your mana base if you just plan to scapeshift into Valakut. Just add the red duals + Vesuva and you should have enough to trigger Valakut every time you resolve the Shift.

Skred-just bad, nothing more 2 say

The what now? It's a good piece of removal. One mana instant to kill any creature mid- lategame. It's also fine in the early game with all the ramp you have there.

Muddle the Mixture-there are better counters available, and how do you support UU with your mana base (same goes for Counterspell)?

It's a decent tutor if you choose to leave the earthcraft and punishing fire in.

Future Sight-again how are you gonna support UUU turn 5?

In where does it state you need to play it on turn five? Same goes for Teferi. You might want to swap these for bulk card draw spells though. Tidings and Opportunity spring to mind.

Wildfire-cut it, doesnt seem good enough

On the contrary. I would add the Burning of Xinye also. One of the better spells to ramp into. Blows aggro out of the water.

Bribery-good enough? Might be worth playin it.

It's good enough. Should be in the deck.


Other cards I would cut:

Great Sable Stag (you are not beating down blue/black decks down with this alone)
Farseek & Rampant Growth (replace with Three Visits and Nature's Lore)
Mystical Teachings (or add a black source)
Ohran Viper (feels rather random, don't you think?)
Worldly Tutor (Primal Command gives much more value in a deck like this)

To summarize my recommendations:

- Punishing Fire
- Squirrel Nest
- Earthcraft
- Muddle the Mixture
- Farseek
- Rampant Growth
- Mystical Teachings
- Krosan Tusker
- Great Sable Stag
- Ohran Viper
- Worldly Tutor
- Counterspell

+ Lotus Cobra
+ Sea Gate Oracle
+ Scapeshift
+ Burning of Xinye
+ Bribery
+ Jace, TMS
+ Nature's Lore
+ Three Visits
+ Back to Basics
+ Drift of Phantasms
+ Trinket Mage
+ Meloku, the Clouded Mirror of Victory
+ Primal Command
+ Mana Drain

I understand there are more cards I would like to add than to take away, but there are huge amounts of possibilities to go here. I mean, you can also play all of the appropriate Titans and Wurmcoil Engine. Not to mention Koth which should be pretty nice with the Valakut approach. I am also 100% I forgot to propose some cards.

[Dreamer]

To summarize my recommendations:

- Punishing Fire
- Squirrel Nest
- Earthcraft
- Muddle the Mixture
- Farseek
- Rampant Growth
- Mystical Teachings
- Krosan Tusker
- Great Sable Stag
- Ohran Viper
- Worldly Tutor
- Counterspell

+ Lotus Cobra
+ Sea Gate Oracle
+ Scapeshift
+ Burning of Xinye
+ Bribery
+ Jace, TMS
+ Nature's Lore
+ Three Visits
+ Back to Basics
+ Drift of Phantasms
+ Trinket Mage
+ Meloku, the Clouded Mirror of Victory
+ Primal Command
+ Mana Drain

I understand there are more cards I would like to add than to take away, but there are huge amounts of possibilities to go here. I mean, you can also play all of the appropriate Titans and Wurmcoil Engine. Not to mention Koth which should be pretty nice with the Valakut approach. I am also 100% I forgot to propose some cards.

I'm not exactly swimming in money, so Drain, Xinye and Big Jace are straight out for now. People will probably let me use another Wildfire if I get one, tho.

- Punishing Fire
- Squirrel Nest
- Earthcraft
- Muddle the Mixture
- Farseek
- Rampant Growth
- Mystical Teachings
- Krosan Tusker
- Great Sable Stag
- Ohran Viper
- Worldly Tutor
- Teferi

+ Lotus Cobra (Will probably have to wait for a while. Fauna Shaman, Harrow, Tusker or Farseek instead, perhaps?)
+ Sea Gate Oracle
+ Scapeshift
+ Bribery
+ Nature's Lore
+ Three Visits
+ Back to Basics
+ Drift of Phantasms
+ Trinket Mage
+ Meloku, the Clouded Mirror of Victory
+ Primal Command
+ Burning of Xinye

And perhaps:
- Jar-Jar Sphinx
+ Frost Titan

We've also got critters that do stuff and removal that actually kills things. Mimic Vat sounds insane, as does Brainstorm (Got some juicy fetchlands <3), but the eternal problem of what to cut rears it's ugly head : /