Updating 5cc control with conflux

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1458

2 Agony Warp
2 Executioners Capsule
3 Courriers Capsule
4 Esper Charm
4 Oblivion Ring
4 Grixis Charm
3 Cancel
2 Jund Charm
1 Punish Ignorance
4 Broodmate Dragon
3 Cruel Ultimatum
4 Arcane Sanctum
4 Crumbling Necropolis
4 Jungle Shrine
4 Seaside Citadel
4 Savage Lands
5 Swamp
3 Island

Sb
4 Infest
1 Jund Charm
2 Executioners Capsule
4 Tidehollow Sculler
1 Punish Ignorance
1 Cancel
2 Gather Specimen

This is the most recent update of the list I have been running in the 4 man shards ques on modo. It has pretty strong match ups vs most the field the only real bad match up is Naya if its packing full sets of nactals with ranger of eos, ajani and realm razor.

It crushes bant, has a good match up vs WW, wr, Jund, though ive tested little vs esper and most the players Ive played against using esper have been weak and the results should probably not be given to much value once again the results are good. Similary all other 5cc control variants Ive come across I have also beaten. Grixis is also prob a bad match up but it is awful vs every other deck in the format and hence all the players that play it are awfull and one way or another you can normally force the win.

The main problems with the deck is the mana base still almost all games it gets it mana it wins, even with 28 lands you still get alot of 2 land hands that are really bad for you. You have 17 black sources and 15 blue and 12 of all the rest, the hands with the main 2 colours of the deck and you will find almost all hands with both these colours are generally keepable. Initally I found myself regulary having too many blue sources and not enough black too cast ultimatum which I seemed to always need to get off asap to win. As the deck evolved the ultimatum became less important in getting of early and now the most regular reason I lose is due too not having enough blue sources. I think this is just varience which is higher than normal with a 5 colour deck.

The random 1 Punish Ignorance has been really good it use to be 2 until recently and the life gain effect has won me alot of games and I do not really want anymore than 3 cancel as most threats that can be cast early enough can be answered by any of the other multiple spells.

The curve may not look good but the simple fact is most the 3cc spells are better than the 4cc in this format when it comes to controlling the board and the deck infact plays few top heavy spells and is not really attempting to curve out on anyone so it works.

Im sure the astute deck builder will hate the fact I have to play the orings as much as I do, the rest of the deck allows you to deal with threats at instant speed. Due to the three quality planeswalkers though it is a necesary evil sometimes even in control you just have to gamble, though only if there is no safer play.

Anyhow that long garble of explanation is not really what the thread is about. Its about if the deck can survive and adapt as cheaply as possible (I do not buy cards I draft cards and sell anything worth over 5 tix) into conflux warped alara block I will not really be able to find out for a while. Banefire is just:< for this deck, it regulary stabalize at very low life totals but has the game totally locked up even though it may take it a while to win, now thanks to banefire it can start losing games it could never before. Also Path to Exile rfg's broodmate dragon and makes my ultimaums less powefull though I think I have only once lost a game where I have resolved ulimatum I even won a game thanks to ultimatum in which my opponent resolved ajanis ultimate ability but I was able to win the race with my 2 dragons by 1 life point. Its the banefire that really bothers me.

What do you think to lowering the land cound a little and replacing courriers capsule with the 2 basic land searcher in conflux overall I think it seems a little weaker than the capsule for the deck.

Also conflux cards that would improve the deck.

Do I really have to put swerve in my sb for banefire seems so narrow?

alsorhombus · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 58

id go with -2 couriers capsule +2 absorb vis. Absorb Vis hardcasted isnt really that spectacular... it has the same CMC of cruel ultimatum and only drains for 4, but its really not that bad cycling for a basic land. Also, consider it like a drain life. The high mana cost probably should be 6, but whatever. Wizards likes to nerf everything.

zturchan · Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Posts: 46

EDIT: Forgot it was block

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1458

So no one cares about block:<. Im pretty sure banefire rights the deck off honestly I hate wizards for printing it, its better than demonfire WTF is control suppose to do about that, anyone got any ideas how to save it:<

blitzer2k7 · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 112

Redirect aka Swerve

killjoy84 · Joined: 24 Sep 2008 Posts: 35

perhaps kiss of the amesha? i mean, i know its 6 cmc, but it helps stabilize, brings your life total back up, and gets you 2 cards. it is sorcery speed though

r3wind · Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 1197

2-3 Swerve seems like the correct choice here. It's good for Banefire, Path to Exile, Purge, and random stuff.. It's some thing to really think about. The 2 Gather Specimen seems like the correct cut but, I have not tested the deck.

Trotsky1 · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 1458

I think I overreacted about banefire though I have not played any block in a while. celestial purge seems good as you said in other thread. Also me thinks traumatic visions will be big in block, a counter that helps ensure you do not miss you land drops awsome:)