Bant Midrange

[Tempus]

For the last few weeks I was testing a Bant AggroControl deck. Against Big Blue and Workshop it works fine, against Dredge and Aggrodecks it doesn't look so good. Luckily those aren't a too big part of the metagame, even though important.

My current list looks like this:

3 Noble Hierarch
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Trygon Predator
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Time Walk
3 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
4 Gush
4 Force of Will
1 Brainstorm
4 Preordain
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Flooded Strand
1 Library of Alexandria
2 Island
4 Mental Misstep
3 Flusterstorm
4 Path to Exile
2 Steel Sabotage
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Ancestral Recall
SB: 2 Trygon Predator
SB: 3 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 3 Surgical Extraction
SB: 2 Qasali Pridemage
SB: 1 Tarmogoyf
SB: 1 Ravenous Trap
SB: 1 Dismember
SB: 1 Tropical Island
SB: 1 Mana Crypt

The Gushs are there to draw cards, and add 1 mana Turn 3. There's no Fastbond in there, as we can't go broken and we don't need the mana anyway.
Path to Exile instead of Swords as we care more about lifetotals than opposing amount of mana. Also it's insane against Shops as removing a creature without drawback for is as good as it gets.

The Tarmogoyf in the sideboard is there to up the game against Aggro, but also comes in against Workshops. I still don't like it too much.

Any input on the deck?

[Bill Copes]

Sower of Temptation is a good against the aggro decks you're having trouble with.  Perhaps shave a Pridemage and a Trygon from the board for 2 sowers?

On the topic of those cards in the board, you could probably trim down to 3 snapcasters and move a pridemage into the main and still retain the general consistency/functionality that you're looking to achieve.  This edit also opens another sideboard board slot for one of your problem matchups.  This should probably be an anti-dredge card.

[Guli]

Your match up against classical aggro should be fine with Snaps and Exiles... Mental Misstep should help too. What kind of 'aggro' are you talking about?

[Tempus]

Sower of Temptation is a good against the aggro decks you're having trouble with.  Perhaps shave a Pridemage and a Trygon from the board for 2 sowers?

Sower seems kinda expensive at 4 mana, my curve as for now stops at 3. But then again Threads of Disloyalty or Old Man of the Sea might be possible. What do you think? Or maybe more removal (StoP) in the board?

On the topic of those cards in the board, you could probably trim down to 3 snapcasters and move a pridemage into the main and still retain the general consistency/functionality that you're looking to achieve.  This edit also opens another sideboard board slot for one of your problem matchups.  This should probably be an anti-dredge card.

That's a good idea. At first I had a Sol Ring instead of a Snapcaster Mage, fearing Shops. But it worked without the Sol Ring, so I added the 4th Mage. Cutting that one back might be ok. Thanks.
Sure about Anti-Dredge? As for now, there are 7 Slots, the Extractions are also really nice with the Mages. (Another reason for 4 Mages). What kind of hate would you choose? Tormod's Crypt, 4th Extraction, 2nd Trap, 4th Cage? Advantage of the last would be a better game against Oath...

Your match up against classical aggro should be fine with Snaps and Exiles... Mental Misstep should help too. What kind of 'aggro' are you talking about?

E.g. your GW(B) lists.

[Bill Copes]

Sower seems kinda expensive at 4 mana, my curve as for now stops at 3. But then again Threads of Disloyalty or Old Man of the Sea might be possible. What do you think? Or maybe more removal (StoP) in the board?

STP is probably your best bet, actually.  You're running 4 missteps, with 3 snapcasters so protecting them won't be a problem.

That's a good idea. At first I had a Sol Ring instead of a Snapcaster Mage, fearing Shops. But it worked without the Sol Ring, so I added the 4th Mage. Cutting that one back might be ok. Thanks.
Sure about Anti-Dredge? As for now, there are 7 Slots, the Extractions are also really nice with the Mages. (Another reason for 4 Mages). What kind of hate would you choose? Tormod's Crypt, 4th Extraction, 2nd Trap, 4th Cage? Advantage of the last would be a better game against Oath...

I'd probably opt for cage #4, because of how versatile it is.  A nature's claim or two for shops would also be a good option for the newly open slot.

[Shax]

The reason to play Gush is Fastbond. Play Gush with Fastbond if your running  .

[Tempus]

The reason to play Gush is Fastbond. Play Gush with Fastbond if your running  .

And I thought the reason to play Gush is because it draws cards for free...

Sower seems kinda expensive at 4 mana, my curve as for now stops at 3. But then again Threads of Disloyalty or Old Man of the Sea might be possible. What do you think? Or maybe more removal (StoP) in the board?

STP is probably your best bet, actually.  You're running 4 missteps, with 3 snapcasters so protecting them won't be a problem.

I'll try that.

That's a good idea. At first I had a Sol Ring instead of a Snapcaster Mage, fearing Shops. But it worked without the Sol Ring, so I added the 4th Mage. Cutting that one back might be ok. Thanks.
Sure about Anti-Dredge? As for now, there are 7 Slots, the Extractions are also really nice with the Mages. (Another reason for 4 Mages). What kind of hate would you choose? Tormod's Crypt, 4th Extraction, 2nd Trap, 4th Cage? Advantage of the last would be a better game against Oath...

I'd probably opt for cage #4, because of how versatile it is.  A nature's claim or two for shops would also be a good option for the newly open slot.

Well versatile isn't needed, I just have to stop Dredge (and Oath) Tinker should never resolve and if it does i hope for Steel Sabotage...

[PETER FLUGZEUG]

Awesome deck.

Just for clarification, our local metagame (where the deck's creator also plays), the last top8:

http://forum.wog.ch/showthread.php?58791-Vinage-Liga-Mox-Jet-4.3.2011&p=1424236&viewfull=1#post1424236

Evil monster-shops, confis, dredge, oath, rogue decks...

as for the last slot: I don't know what is best. Claim is nice if up against precusor shops (anything but wurmcoil really, but you have sabotage and path to exile there) as well as oath.

If you need more dredge hate, play dredge hate.

also, do you side out snapcasters if you bring cage? Just asking, they're kind of anti-synergistic. Opposed to surgicals... What's your plan here?

[forests failed you]

Sower is just a bad Jace, the Mindsculpter.  Don't be so cute, just play more Jace.