UWC

[Maggot]

Hi,

today I would like to present to you my UW-ControlHighlander.
I´m playing this archtype for about a year, the deck has undergone some evolution with many cards rotating in and out.
I played it at the GP in a weak version, where I have "verschlimmbessert" the deck.
In our local meta it´s performing very well.
Without further blah blah, here is the decklist.


Lands (35)

Flooded Strand
Windswept Heath
Misty Rainforrest
Marsh Flats
Polluted Delta
Arid Mesa
Scalding Tarn
Tundra
Hallowed Fountain
Mystic Gates
Azorius Chancery
Celestial Collonade
Tolaria West
Karakas
Mishras Factory
Tectonic Edge
Wasteland
Acedmy Ruins
Kor Haven
The Tabernacle at Pendrell´s Vale
Maze of Ith
Plains (5x)
Island (9X)


Artifacts (14)

Sword of the Meek
Sword of Fire and  Ice
Sword of Feast and Famine
Batterskull
Talisman of Dominance
Talisman of Progress
Talisman of Unity
Azorius Signet
Sensei´s Divining Top
Veldalken Shackles
Pithing Needle
Thopter Foundry
Engineered Explosives
Crucible of Worlds


Planeswalker (5)

Elspeth Tirel
Elspeth, Knight Errant
Venser, the Sojourner
Gideon Jura
Jace, the Mindsculpter


Creatures (17)

Baneslayer Angel
Phyrexian Shapeshifter
Venser, Shaper Savant
Sower of Temptation
Kitchen Finks
Academy Rector
Man-o´-War
Aven Mindcensor
Suntitan
Wurmcoil Engine
Court Hussar
Trinket Mage
Eternal Dragon
Stoneforge Mystic
Glenelendra Archmage
Exalted Angel
Vendilion Clique


Enchantments (5)

Oblivion Ring
Moat
Back to Basics
Treachery
Faith´s Fetters


Sorceries (5)

Wrath of God
Concentrate
Bribery
Day of Judgment
Ancestral Vision


Instants (19)

Thirst for Knowledge
Counterspell
Swords to Plowshards
Disenchant
Misdirection
Mana Leak
Fact or Fiction
Gifts Ungiven
Memory Laps
Cryptic Command
Condescend
Muddle the Mixture
Mana Drain
Force of Will
Path to Exile
Intuition
Force Spike
Remand
Brainstorm


100 total


The plan of the deck should be obvious, control the first turns with counters, removal or acceleration
and bring the game home with overwhelming card quality.


Recent additions to the deck were the Stonforge package and Concentrate.
The SM Package is ridicilously powerfull! I don´t want to miss it in the deck again, with the addition of
SM I have included cheap utility creatures as possible Sword carriers:
Man-o´-War, Aven Mindcensor and Court Hussar.
But still most of the time it´s best to fetcht Batterskull.

About Concentrate I can´t say much atm, because I haven´t played it once yet, but my feeling telss me
it is better than the alternatives: Inspiration, Compulsive Research or Mulldrifter.

Last but not Least I would like to present a couple of cards that might be included (again):

Jace Beleren
Teferi
Tezzeret  the Seeker
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Psionic Blast
Into the Roil
Stifle
Counterbalance
Journey to Nowhere
Controlmagic
Serendib Efreet
Mulldrifter
Clone
Inspiration
Everflowing Chalice
Mental Missstep
Spell Pierce

I hope I can get some feedback...

Regards

Maggot

[MarcMagic]

You should add (again, I guess) Jace 1.0 (much better than Concentrate) and Tezzeret (you even play Needle, Thopter Combo, Shackles, Talismans etc). I'd cut other stuff like Elspeth Tirel, Venser PW, Academy Rector or sth. for them. I'm missing Daze + Mana Tithe but that's maybe just me (they always do great stuff ; ).

Not much left to say about this deck.. I mean, hey, it's UW-Control-Dinosaur everyone knows about it and plays it in it's own style =)

[Maggot]

You should add (again, I guess) Jace 1.0 (much better than Concentrate) and Tezzeret (you even play Needle, Thopter Combo, Shackles, Talismans etc). I'd cut other stuff like Elspeth Tirel, Venser PW, Academy Rector or sth. for them. I'm missing Daze + Mana Tithe but that's maybe just me (they always do great stuff ; ).

I disagree with you on Jace 1.0 .
Comparing him with Concentrate, is like comparing apples and pears.
Concentrate draws 3 cards for sure (unless countered), Jace is a permanet wich can be destroyed in so many ways. The only thing I like more about him is that he deals with JTMS^^

Tezz is definitly a card I will likely include again after I´m done testing Venser, wich was included with the utility creatures for the Stoneforge package, forgot to mention that...

I don´t have the space for Mana Tithe or Daze because it makes the deck to threat lite.
What would you take out for them?

[MarcMagic]

Well the point is I don't like a draw 3 Spell for 4 at sorcery speed. Jace1.0 draws 2 cards most of the time, and your opponent has to deal with it (either waste removal, attacks, dmg whatever). With this in mind I compare it to Concentrate because both cards create CA. I guess Compulsive Research is still better than Concentrate most of the times. But as I mentioned ppl play their decks in different ways so it's just a suggestion.

Mana Tithe and Force Spike are very powerful cards to slow down aggro in their first turns but do a great job in surprise-countering as well (although its not that big of a surprise anymore with Spell Pierce Mental Missstep etc pp ). But if you are doing well versus aggro there is no need for another Force Spike. But for Daze I'd play it over Misdirection, Memory Lapse or Remand but that's again subjective.

Eternal Dragon looks very chunky to me and I have not played with him for years. I don't think you need him though. After adding Tezz you could think about cutting a Talisman or Land for Experdition Map because it gets you all those good lands and is a decent target for Trinket Mage as well. I think a colorless Landtutor for 3 which is fetchable is not that bad.

But due to the fact that you did not directly asked for improvement advice I think you are happy with this deck and it performs well as it is : )

[tonytahiti]

i like your list. on first sight though it looks like it can get really clunky draws, you could lower your curve a bit, like this it seems you always get totally run over by aggro if you dont draw or tutor wrath/day. cards to think about:

spellskite (i strongly recommend it!)
phantasmal image (people are still sleeping on this card, its really really good. i am playin it and i am always happy to see it, against 90% of all matchups, only matchup it can be bad against is elves, then you gotta hope to copy your man o war or court hussar, plus you could get the nice sun titan phantasmal image interaction if youre lucky ). plus its a removal spell for thrun that you can tutor up with muddle the mixture if you feel like it)

-those two lower your curve a bit and still give you late game power and utility, thats whats so great about those cards, you improve your early game without making your late game worse!

impulse (i really like it, it digs deep)
into the roil (its too good to leave out, again good early and good late game, gives your deck consistency and makes it more versatile, i feel you are not playing enough bounce spells, they are so good at grinding out other control decks, with cantrip bounce opponents planeswalker eot and stuff)
repulse(i really like repulse, some dont, but i am always happy with it, its a nice cantrip that buys you time)
aether adept (people always play manowar only and i wonder why, why should exactly one of those creatures be the exact correct number and not two. i mean its 100 cards! manowar is easier to cast but it should rarely rarely make a difference. i play both in some decks and am never sad to see them, again: good late game, good early game, good against control, good against weenie, makes your decks less stale)
treasure mage (if you play wurmcoil, this is worth thinking about, "3 mana 2/2, draw a card named wurmcoil engine" is pretty powerful! even if wurmcoil is the only target it can be worth it since its unlikely you draw both and even if, you can still get rid of treasure mage with thrist, brainstorm jace and stuff)
faerie harbinger (nobody plays this card, i know i know. but: i believe this card is good. it should see more play. its really really good against control like all flash creatures, but more so cause it puts you clique, sower or archmage on top of your library and we all know how GOOD archmage is against control! whatever the situation asks for, sower can save you in critical situations, that makes it incredible versatile. i feel there there can be almost no situation where none of those 3 faeries is good! when you are behind, sower is great, if you wanna get an edge, clique is great, if you are up front, archmage seals the deal, thats what makes harbinger playable in my eyes: the different applications of its 3 targets! i know it seems bad against aggro, but it still a 4 mana isntant removal spell mostly cause you trade 1 for 1. i probably get smashed by the forum for this recommendation but i wanted to at least mention it.)


..i am seeing your point for jace beleren. in UWR or UR you gotta play jace beleren cause if you turn 2 eot burn their creature you can safely drop him, white doesnt have enough instant speed removal. of course he is overall a abetter card than concentrate but if that works for you i see why. i would cut eternal dragon also. i am not a fan of academy rector. not a fan of force spike.

list looks good! good luck with it.

[Nastaboi]

I just slammed together a deck similar to this. I don't play Moat and want some more early creatures to carry swords, put some early pressure and defend walkers. Assuming I will surely play Mystic, Clique, Finks, Treasure Mage and Court Hussar, which of the following creatures would you play?

Weathered Wayfarer
Mother of Runes

Serra Avenger
Wall of Omens
Spellskite
Looter-il-Kor
Phantasmal Image
Coralhelm Commander

Aven Mindcensor (I like the flash part most)
Mirran Crusader
Blade Splicer
Sea Gate Oracle
Timely Reinforcements
Fathom Seer
Plumeveil (I actually count this one as removal)

After obvios removal spells Swords, Path and Ring, I'd like to add some more point removal. With this much life gain, I think Dismember would be playable. Opinions? Next best options are Journey and Fetters which are themselves vulnerable to removal.

I am also unsure about mana stones, as additional color fixing is not required. I stuffed just two in, but I think I should play like five or zero, which means playing stones that are effectively colorless. Can I do without?

[so_not]

faerie harbinger (nobody plays this card, i know i know. but: i believe this card is good. it should see more play. its really really good against control like all flash creatures, but more so cause it puts you clique, sower or archmage on top of your library and we all know how GOOD archmage is against control! whatever the situation asks for, sower can save you in critical situations, that makes it incredible versatile. i feel there there can be almost no situation where none of those 3 faeries is good! when you are behind, sower is great, if you wanna get an edge, clique is great, if you are up front, archmage seals the deal, thats what makes harbinger playable in my eyes: the different applications of its 3 targets! i know it seems bad against aggro, but it still a 4 mana isntant removal spell mostly cause you trade 1 for 1. i probably get smashed by the forum for this recommendation but i wanted to at least mention it.)

Although I don't agree with most of the stuff in your post, I think Faerie Harbinger is a brilliant tech! I must try it out immediately.

[~Fenry~]

psssssss.... secret tech.... Vedalken Æthermage....^^

[Maggot]

@ Nastaboi

I just tore the deck apart because it had some unsatisfying finishes (which I have to take credit for and not the deck, in other words I played bad Magic, but it felt like the right time to try s.th. new)

The stones are not actually colourless, all stones in my list feature one of the deck colours, but I added the stones mostly for EE, and I was thinking of splashing Demonic.

Spellskite and Dismember should be included in the list, of the other creatures mentioned I would probably play Plumveil or Serra Avenger.

I was planning on taking a look at Efreet.

[Tiggupiru]

Again, I see no reason not to touch some other color. Black seems to be the best, as Demonic Tutor is what it is. Mystical Teachings is also pretty good times.

@Nastaboi - Here are my two cents about the cards you wanted opinions for:

Weathered Wayfarer - I would not add this, unless you go to more fishy approach. It's good in the opening seven, but you are still in a hurry and most likely unable to utilize it too much if you are playing against aggro.

Mother of Runes - Again, probably good only if you plan to go more aggroish.

Serra Avenger - On paper this seems really good, sizeable body and leaves countermagic up, but I don't think it's too good of a threat any more. Creatures have evolved since, and fourth turn 3/3 is not very threatening despite how cheap it is to cast.

Wall of Omens - I would play. Cantrip that potentially takes out a removal and/or gains some life. Don't think this as a creature, but as a spell that either draws you two cards, or gains 3-6 life and cantrips.

Spellskite - I still remain to be unimpressed about this. I guess if you stay in two colors, or don't dip into the third color too much, this could be okay. I kinda dig this in standard (although less so after Stoneforge got banned), but I don't see why this is better than an additional threat.

Looter-il-Kor - Only good if you actually want to beat down. Despite the good synergies with the swords, this is not a card I would play in any control deck. Does not protect walkers, or accomplish too much on it's own. Looting is nice, but I would either have a better clock or more effective card draw, depending what your deck needs more.

Phantasmal Image - Do you have ETBs to abuse? Using the OP's list as a reference, I don't think it quite is there. You don't mind copying stoneforge, finks (nice tricks with persist), Rector (lulz), Sun Titan or Wurmcoil. Maybe even Trinket and Hussar. All the other targets are rather unexiting. I would say you need a good target or two more. I hate to rely on my opponent to put out a good target.

Coralhelm Commander - So long, and thanks for all the merfolk. Random creatures in a deck like this are usually not enough pressure to put the game away before opponent starts to deploy their big guns. It's nice to drop a threat and have a countermagic at ready, but unless you are planning to go more into this plan, I don't think these suffice. It's also quite horrible against aggro.

Aven Mindcensor - I would probably play this. It's not quite a auto-inclusion in control decks, but it messes up so many things opponent has, and is a potential nightmare when opponent decided to play combo in this particular event. Kinda requires testing to be sure.

Mirran Crusader - This I like. Reasonable clock, potentially very powerful protections, and he most likely just ends the game when it has something to wield.

Blade Splicer - I've been unimpressed by this, but my feelings might be clouded because of standard. I feel like whenever I play this, my opponent either has Overgrown Battlement, or immediately proceeds to draw one. With that said, it's very nice with equipments (two bodies), sizeable body, decent target for the Metamorph or the Phantasmal Image, so I think this should be a good inclusion.

Sea Gate Oracle - It never feels like a bad draw, but I am not sure the power is all there. Probably too weak of an effect, but this is a matter of personal preference.

Timely Reinforcements - I think this needs too much of an setup to really benefit. Random dorks are not something I look forward to have, unless I get like some card advantage from the deal. Six life is not a bad bonus, though. Sadly, getting both might require some ineffective use of resources. Feels like it does enough in about half the time.

I've yet to play or seen this played in anywhere, so take my opinions about this card with a grain of salt.

Fathom Seer - Again, this is one of those dorks that really only belong in a very fishy deck. Setting you back with couple of lands is really bad, and drawing couple of cards is not too exciting. Despite being a really nice when you have no land to play for this turn, UW control rarely is a deck that wants to put itself in that position.

Plumeveil - I don't really like this one, but I've seen this in numerous of your decks, so if it works for you, just play it.

Dismember - Could be. It's a decent trick with Timely Reinforcements. I also still think you want to splash black, which would make this a better inclusion.

Journey - I like this one, hits nearly everything, exiles, and is pretty cheap. I don't think Path to Exile is obvious removal (as it is really, really bad in the first few turns), but to me, Journey is. The fact that this can be destroyed is not too big of a deal. It's still 1:1 trade, and enchantment destruction is few are far between (as it should be) at the moment.

Fetters - Four mana is just too much for most of the decks, I think. If you really need life gain, this is a decent removal, but if gaining life doesn't feel too important (like here), it's not good enough.

[Maggot]

Spellskite does everything: it protects your Life totals as a blocker, it protects your threats, it carries a sword. It does so much more than Wall of Omens.

Cheers
Maggot

[Nastaboi]

As early drops doesn't seem too great, I go with some more stones then to accelerate into four-drops. I have toyed with the idea of playing Faerie Harbringer, but never got guts to actually put it into my deck, so my props too to Tony. I'll post a list some day.

[Ravager Sam]

I was a hardcore UW player until I recently switched to 4CC as I acquired the duals necessary to run it.

You should play Aether Adept > Man O'War along with Riptide Laboratory because that's some awesome synergy, especially with your other Wizards.

You should play Decree of Justice & perhaps try some bigger ramping artifacts like Thran Dynamo and take out off-color talismans.

Vesuva is also a really cool land.

I personally took out Thopter/Sword - it's too difficult to assemble without a good amount of tutors/search and the cards are completely dead by themselves.

Jace Beleren should be in there.

I personally don't like Exalted Angel any more and just hate the vulnerability of Sower.

Definitely play Trench Gorger.

Try out Solemn Simulacrum, Memory Jar, Consecrated Sphinx, and Teferi.

Lightning Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots could also be pretty clutch for you.

Cheers!