Grixis Control

CloaknDagger · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 23

This is not a Cruel Control deck. This is merely a control deck running some technology from Blue, Black, and Red.

// Deck file for Magic Workstation (http://www.magicworkstation.com)
// NAME: Untitled Deck

// Lands
5 [ZEN] Swamp (1)
5 [ZEN] Island (1)
4 [ZEN] Mountain (1)
4 [ZEN] Scalding Tarn
4 [CFX] Rupture Spire
4 [ALA] Crumbling Necropolis

// Creatures
3 [ZEN] Goblin Ruinblaster
2 [ARB] Thraximundar
3 [ZEN] Sphinx of Lost Truths

// Spells
3 [ARB] Double Negative
2 [ALA] Swerve
4 [ZEN] Spreading Seas
4 [ARB] Terminate
4 [ZEN] Into the Roil
3 [ALA] Grixis Charm
1 [CFX] Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
3 [M10] Duress
2 [ARB] Soul Manipulation

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [M10] Pyroclasm
SB: 3 [ALA] Cruel Ultimatum
SB: 4 [A] Lightning Bolt
SB: 3 [ALA] Shadowfeed
SB: 1 [ZEN] Sphinx of Lost Truths

General Theory and play style: The idea behind the deck was twofold - Abuse Jund's dominance with spells like swerve and double negative, and abuse what I believe to be a darkhorse card in control, Spreading Seas. I've been waiting for a card like this for years, because every iteration of "Enchanted land is an island" has been crap, and I've always wanted a cantrip on it. As soon as this card was printed I knew I'd be maindecking 4. The current slowness of the environment and the dominance of 3 colored decks (Jund and RWU planeswalkers being the front contenders) lends itself handily to such a card. My first iteration was as much U/R as I could make it, but I eventually came to the conclusion that a third color is not only plausible, but efficient. So I get to be three colors and hopefully they get to be stuck at two ;D

I tried a Cruel Control variant but found the kill method a bit slow and lacking the punch needed to dominate the mid-late game. I love the idea of soft locks, and also love the control of making your opponent sacrifice creatures rather than targeted removal, and after some large amounts of testing I've decided Thraximundar is the answer and provides an immediate threat that must be dealt with or lose. He's bigger than the angel, isn't a demon or a dragon, makes them sacrifice angel/shroud-sphinx/knight of reliquary/ob nixilus/whatever. Very nice package and soft lock.

It has very few ways to kill, but for some reason it works. 3 sphinx (one after board against white because they side in so much anti-black hate), plus 3 hasting goblins and 2 Mythic thrinax. And the random Nicol Bolas win. When he hits...game over.

More on Spreading Seas: Man this card is good. at the very least, it's a time walk with a cantrip early game, and 1U: draw a card late game. At most it completely shuts down turns 3-8 for some decks. Add in the fact that you can draw multiples, and they cantrip into themselves. You can see where it can be abusive. I want to stress that the deck is not based around it, like the Blue/White Ardent Plea variant. It's simply a solid tempo card in a solid control strategy.

Abuse: When two are in play mid game, and they've gotten ahold of 2 out of 3 colors, EOT Into the Roil with kicker a spreading seas, draw a card, untap, draw, drop the spreading seas on the color you want to lock them out on (Green against jund, White against RWU), draw another card, go.

More on Into the Roil: MVP next to Spreading Seas. keeping up the landkill theme by bouncing your goblins back or doing *another* 3 card draw with sphinx is always fun. Save your Thrinax from absolution. It's just good solid toolbox.

these kind of soft locks are how the deck gets to late game. Obviously it depends on the situation which color you want to lock out, but just ask yourself what you don't want them to play and act accordingly.

Against Jund: 75/25 (No need to sideboard, enjoy your victory)
Against RWU: 66/33 (+3 Cruel Ultimatum -2 terminate -1 jund charm)
Against White weenie: 50/50
Against Boros: 33/66
Against vamps: 33/66

That's in my experience with the deck for about a week now. This isn't a format breaker but a solid metagame deck.

The only thing I haven't really worked on is my sideboard. I'm not sure where I want to improve my matchups and how to do so vs like vamps. But, the maindeck is the hotness, super fine-tuned and tweaked.

Thoughts/constructive criticism, etc.

Super_Prep · Joined: 04 Feb 2009 Posts: 104

Sounds good, when I got started back playing again after Zendikar rotated in, I used 5CC back in the day, and now I just play with a weird Grixis Control deck, and lately it has evolved into something extremely dangerous and doesn't use creatures and its so good that if banefire didn't exist I'd never lose Rolling Eyes

So basically I must admit, your deck is truly something in the works. For now I just wanted to note some stuff about that deck, since I felt I could relate anyways. (Grixis FTW) Very Happy

Epic-Juzam37 · Joined: 09 Jul 2005 Posts: 29

losing to boros 33 / 66 is going to make you lose a lot of top 4s
same goes for vampires...these are the most popular aggro decks minus jund which is losing its popularity

CloaknDagger · Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 23

Jund losing popularity? Did you see the last T2 mini? 6 or 7 out of the top 8 were jund. Plus I'm sure a good sb can be put together to combat aggro, I haven't given it enough testing against those matchups yet.

Pillsburry · Joined: 17 Oct 2009 Posts: 100

White Weenie 50/50 ?

Conqueror's Pledge combined with Mark of Asylum is a problem...

Some Boros also runs Mark in sb

I'd run Infest over Pyroclasm in sb.